(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
While my weeks are usually a blur of going from one thing to the next, this week has been a particularly demanding one. Which is my excuse for being late to the party today, but not by much. Here’s what you need to know. Molly thought Kristina should be at the intervention, but Sam nixed the idea since she’s a control freak. Diane arrived, bringing Valentin, which didn’t make Sam and Molly happy. Sonny found Dante punching the heavy bag, and Dante admitted to having Lulu on his mind. Elizabeth told Franco that she’d made an appointment with Patrick Drake for him, and said they’d be leaving next week. At The Floating Rib, Lulu told Laura that she still loved Dante, but she loved Dustin too. Laura said Dante was part of her past, and she couldn’t erase that, but she had to decide who was right for her future. Cameron and Dev went to The Rib, and Cameron told Dev that Franco’s brain tumor had returned. Julian met Cyrus at the pier, carrying the bomb in a backpack, and said he wasn’t blowing up a bar full of people. He wanted Cyrus to take the bomb back. And away we go.
Jason tells Danny, it’s all about the angles. He needs practice and skill, and to keep a cool head. He asks if Danny is getting tired, but Danny says he’s glad they’re hanging out. He thinks Grandma Alexis is acting weird. His mom tried to hide it, but he can tell she’s upset. Jason says when he sees Danny’s mom upset, his instinct is help and try to fix it. Sometimes the best way to help is to just let some know you’re there, and let the person figure it out for themselves. Danny says his mother isn’t worried about herself. She’s worried about his grandma’s drinking.
Sam asks why Diane invited Valentin, especially tonight. Diane says her best friend has fallen off the wagon. She’d be friends with the devil himself to help get her back on. Valentin says he’s enjoying his newfound friendship, but is this about him? He thought it was about Alexis. Sam says, it’s a delicate situation. She’s not sure his presence will help. Valentin says he knows Alexis in a way they don’t, and won’t judge her, and Diane tells them, Valentin can probably get through to Alexis easier than they can. What will it be? Can they tolerate Valentin for the sake of their mother?
Cyrus tells Julian, he has the wrong idea. No savvy businessman would accept collateral damage. If they wanted to take Jason out, they’d arrange it when he was alone at a meeting in a closed bar after hours. A business meeting requires preparation, so everything will be in place when the time comes. Until then, a package is just a package. Julian asks if Cyrus is telling him it won’t go off until Jason is alone. Fine. Cyrus gives Julian a phone, and says his burner number is already programmed into it. Call him when it’s done. Cyrus leaves, and Alexis comes around the corner. She says fancy meeting him there, and Julian says, it’s a bit of a surprise. Alexis says imagine her surprise seeing him and Cyrus together.
On the phone, Elizabeth says she’ll check the schedule, and call Patrick back. She tells Franco, everything is falling into place, and he says he’s not sure how she does that. He wishes it was catching. She says, what? and he says, her hope and faith; her plugging away. He’s a little terrified. Part of him wants to give up and accept his fate. She says, it’s a delicate balance. How long do you keep hoping, and when is the time for acceptance, but they’re not there yet. They’re still hoping. It’s not just his fate; it’s their fate. She’s willing to face anything to keep their family together. He says she’s right. From now on, he’ll do anything and everything to beat this. He holds her, and says he wants to be with her when she’s old and grey.
Britt calls Jason, and gets voicemail. She says he dumped this Cyrus stuff in her lap, and now he won’t take her calls. He told her if she saw something, say something, and she saw something. He needs to get to GH right now. She turns around to see Cyrus, who says, problems?
Alexis asks what Julian has gotten himself into now, but he says he went out for some fresh air. Cyrus keeps bugging him to sell Charlie’s, and he keeps telling Cyrus to buzz off. He asks if she’s been drinking, and she says, the roadways are safe; she’s walking. Julian says, it didn’t happen in a vacuum, and she says she’s not mowing anyone down tonight, even him. Relax. He says, what about her? and she says she’s bored with everyone’s misplaced concern that she’s self-destructive. She thinks she’s a survivor. She’s survived the past few years, starting with him, and she’s entitled to do what she needs to in order to get through the night. He says she’s made herself clear, but it hurts him to see her drowning her pain in a bottle of booze. She says she had two drinks. She was clearing her head before she went to say goodnight to Danny and Scout. Sam has lifted the moratorium on her seeing her grandkids. He says, it’s a positive start. They’re lucky to have her. Speaking from personal experience, she’s been a positive light in his dark life. She pushed him to be a better man. If it failed, that’s on him, not her. She asks why he’s talking like that. He sounds like he’s saying goodbye.
Diane asks if she’s convinced Sam and Molly to let Valentin stay, and Sam says if he tries to undermine the intervention, she’ll kill him herself. He says he accepts her terms. When is Alexis getting here? Sam says, soon she hopes. Alexis is supposed to come before the kids go to bed. He asks if Jason is coming, but Sam says she asked him to take Danny out, so he wouldn’t be there when they confront Alexis. They’re at The Floating Rib.
Jason asks why Danny said that about Alexis, and Danny says he wasn’t spying or anything. He would walk in when his mom was talking about his grandma’s drinking, and she would stop when she saw him. Jason says he’s right. His mom has been worried about his grandma. Sometimes people drink too much, and can’t stop. That’s probably why his mother asked his grandma not to see them until she’s better. Danny says he misses her; Scout too. He hopes she doesn’t forget about them. Jason says, that’s not going to happen. Families have disagreements, but they don’t give up on each other. They’re not giving up on Danny’s grandma; no way.
Cameron tells Dev, Terry says it doesn’t look that good, and Dev says, that’s a lot. He’s sorry to hear it. If Cameron doesn’t want to hang out, it’s okay. Cameron says he’s glad he’s there. What did Dev want to talk about? Dev says, something else happened, and Cameron asks if it was when Dev was with Trina and Josslyn. Dev says, it’s something about Josslyn, but it’s not new. Cameron asks, what is it? and Dev flashes back to making the fake journal. Dev says he did something he regrets, and he wants to make it right.
Laura tells Lulu, plans change, and Lulu says, that’s all she’s got? Laura says, life is unpredictable. She says she doesn’t want to minimize what’s going on in Lulu’s life, and Lulu says her life is wonderful, but it’s difficult and messy at the same time. Laura says, if you find love in the midst of that, it’s a gift. Dante is Rocco’s father, and her husband. It’s not surprising the decisions she made when he was gone might change now that he’s back. Lulu says, that’s the thing. She doesn’t know if she wants them to change or not.
Dante tells Sonny, he divorced Lulu. He didn’t want to wait until his recovery. Sonny says Dante was in a bad place, and needed help. Everyone respected that. Dante says he didn’t know how to take it when he came home, and Lulu was with another dude. Sonny says he wasn’t there, but can’t imagine being willing to accept she’s with another man. Dante says he’s already disrupted Lulu’s life by showing up. He doesn’t want to disrupt it again. He loves her. Sonny asks if he thinks Lulu wants him to just give up.
Lulu tells Laura that she’s happy with Dustin, and the kids love him. They have a solid life together, but she saw Dante, and all this history and love started bubbling up. Laura says what she needs is time and space, and has every right to ask for it. Maybe she should tell Dustin that it’s not the time to move in. If he’s the man she says he is, he’ll understand.
Dev asks if Cameron remembers when he showed him Josslyn’s journal. Cameron says Dev saved him from making a complete fool out of himself. In the moment, it was hard to hear, but he appreciates that Dev had his back. Had he gone for it, he might have lost a friend for good. Dev says, the thing is… Danny calls over to Cameron, and says his dad is teaching him to play pool. He just sunk two balls. Cameron tells Dev that he’ll be right back.
Lulu tells Laura, it’s a good idea. Knowing Dustin, she knows he’ll understand, and want her to have clarity, so they can move forward with a clean slate. Laura thinks so too. She’s come to like and respect Dustin. Lulu says, thatmeans a lot, and Laura says she has to get going. She wishes Lulu good luck, and kisses the top of her head. When Laura is gone, Lulu calls Dustin, and asks if he’s busy. She was hoping they could meet at The Rib.
Danny says, it’s all about finding the right angles, and Cameron says if Danny gets good now, it will be a breeze later. Laura texts Jason that she needs to talk, and to meet her in the alley. Jason says he has to make a quick call, and asks if Cameron will watch Danny. Cameron says, no problem, and tells Danny, rack them up.
Diane reads to the group from a paper, the guidelines say speak personally from your point of view. How does Alexis’s drinking affect you, and how does it make you feel? Not in a way that assigns blame. It’s not about shaming her, but about how much they love her.Valentin tells them, be prepared to be attacked, and Sam says his comment isn’t helpful. That’s why she didn’t want him there. He says he might be more helpful than she thinks, and Molly says, let them talk first. Valentin says he’s not convinced that Alexis is coming. She should have been there by now.
Alexis asks if Julian is leaving, but he says, no. He’s doing everything to stay. His kids and grandkids mean everything to him. She asks if he’s sure he’s all right, and he laughs. He says she’d better get a move on before the kids go to bed. She asks if he’s trying to get rid of her, but he says he’s just in a melancholy mood. Everything will be better tomorrow. She tells him, take care, and he says, her too. She leaves, and Julian picks up the backpack and walks in the other direction.
Elizabeth tells Franco she got her shifts taken care of, and he says he’s starving. They head for the elevator while talking about the kids, and Franco asks if she’s seen Jake’s graphic novel. It’s amazing. She asks if he has, and he says they’re reading it together. The elevator doors close.
Dante tells Sonny, he can’t go all caveman on Lulu. He’s already crossed boundaries. Sonny says, even if Dante hadn’t gotten treatment, Lulu would still be his wife. It’s understandable they would have feelings. Dante says, listen to Sonny, talking about feelings. He likes it, and he does still love Lulu. He wants to be with her. Sonny suggests Dante tell her, but Dante says he doesn’t want to pressure her. Sonny says they know she can make up her own mind. She may be stubborn about the feelings she has, but the life they had together, what was between them, is still there. Dante asks, what makes Sonny think he’s not the only one who has feelings? Sonny says he doesn’t know, but he has a radical idea. Ask her.
Julian goes into The Rib. He sees Danny, Dev, and Cameron playing a video game, and having a great time. He sits at a booth, and looks in the backpack.
Alexis arrives at Sam’s, and Sam says she’s glad Alexis made it; she was starting to worry. Alexis says sorry she’s late, and they hug. She says she should go upstairs and say goodnight, but Sam says, actually, Scout is sleeping and Danny’s not here. Alexis asks where he is, and Sam says, he’s with his father. Molly says they love her. That’s why they’re doing this. Alexis says, doing what? Diane and Valentin come out, and Alexis says she sees. They’re having an intervention.
Britt tells Cyrus that she wouldn’t be a very effective Chief of Staff if she ran to the Chairman about every minor crisis. She wonders why he’s there at this hour, and he says he likes to keep tabs on his hospital. He never tires of looking for ways to improve things. He’s made progress with some excellent staff choices, like herself, but there’s still much to be done to make it a world class hospital. He looks forward to her playing a part in that.
Jason meets Laura outside, and she says she needs an update on Cyrus. He says, the truce is holding on the surface, and she says, and underneath? He thinks she should talk to Sonny, and she asks where she can find him. He says he Sonny is having a workout at the gym. He can tell Sonny that she’s looking for him if she wants, but she says she’ll track him down.
Dustin joins Lulu, and says he’s glad she called. He wasn’t too far away. He was picking something up. She says, it sounds secretive, and reminds him that she’s a reporter; she can sniff out a story. He says he’s not worried, and asks what she wanted to see him about. She says, us.
At the video game console, Danny says he’s just warming up, and Dev says he has more quarters. Danny tells them, this is the coolest part, and they watch, then say, whoa! Julian takes out his phone, and looks at pictures of his kids. He flashes back to Cyrus intimating that the bomb won’t go off until Jason is alone. Until then, the package is just a package. Julian says, God help him, and gets up. He walks out, leaving the backpack under the table. The boys continue playing. Julian should know better. He was a mob boss, for God’s sake.
Alexis says, this is an ambush. Sam lured her there under false pretenses. Molly says they care about her, and she says, if they did, they wouldn’t have set a trap. Valentin says they want to talk to her, and she asks, why? Talk is deceptive. She’s not listening to how much they love her. You don’t betray people you love. Diane says, no one betrayed her. On the contrary; they’re all on her side. Sam asks Alexis to hear them out, but Alexis says Sam weaponized her love for her grandchildren. First by prohibiting her from seeing them, and then using them as bait to lure her there. She’s sure as hell not staying there now.
Jason calls Britt back, and asks what she wants. She says she has something for him, and can’t talk about it on the phone. She needs him to come to the hospital asap. He says he can’t; he’s with his son. They’ll have to talk tomorrow.
Laura finds Sonny at the gym, and they hug. She says she’s eager for an update, but Sonny says she might want to say hello to someone first. She says, who? and Dante says, me. She hugs him, and tells him, welcome home. He says he’s sorry he was gone so long, and she says she completely understands the choice he made. He kept his family safe. That’s all that matters. In time, Lulu will figure things out. Dante says he was thinking of stopping by, and Laura says she just left Lulu at The Floating Rib. He says he’s going to take off, and tells them, goodnight. Laura and Sonny smile at each other.
Lulu tells Dustin, she’s been turning some things around in her head. Dante coming back threw her for a loop. Dustin says he gets that. She and Dante were together for a long time. He says, it makes sense that things would feel unfinished, and she says, it doesn’t take away from how she feels about him. She loves him, and values their relationship. He says he’s glad to hear it, because he loves her too. That’s why he’s been reevaluating moving in. She says she’s so glad he understands. Him officially moving in doesn’t feel totally right anymore. He says he doesn’t want her falling backward in confusion and uncertainty, and doesn’t want her to doubt his commitment to their life together. He takes out a jewelry box. Rut-roh.
Jason comes back into The Rib, and asks Cameron if everything is good. Cameron says, it’s great. Danny might not be much at pool, but he’s a shark.He may have spent all of Dev’s quarter’s. Jason tries to give Dev some money, but Dev won’t take it, and Jason says, at least let him buy them dinner, and hands Dev some cash. Dev and Cameron go to order, and Danny asks if Jason wants to see how good he is at the video game. Jason guesses he can stay longer, and Danny drags him over to the console. Dev says he needs to tell Cameron something about Josslyn’s journal, when Elizabeth and Franco come in. Cameron says, first, he wants to say hi to his parents, and tells Dev to grab a table. Dev sits down, and his foot hits the backpack. He says, what the hell…? Ooh, he might know what something like that looks like, considering his background.
Alexis tells Sam to get her coat, and Sam says, mom, please. Just an hour. Alexis says she doesn’t want to talk, especially to Sam. Valentin says her daughters are desperate and scared, and don’t want to lose their mother. He tells Alexis that she doesn’t want to lose her life, but she says it’s her choice. If she wants to drink, she will. Diane says, here you go, handing Alexis her coat. She doesn’t want Alexis to get pneumonia on top of everything else. Sam says if Alexis leaves, she’s going to lose her support system. Alexis fought like hell for her, and now it’s her turn. Is Alexis willing to throw all of them away? Stay and hear them out.
Sonny says it’s good what Laura said to Dante, and she says she has a sneaking suspicion that he and Lulu will be just fine. Sonny says, him too, and asks how she knew he was there. She says she ran into Jason. She’s sorry, but she has to talk to him about something that can’t wait.
Britt brings Brad something for his pain. He asks if she reached Jason, and she says, they spoke, but she couldn’t get into it on the phone. He says, Jason is coming, right? If Jason doesn’t help, he’s as good as dead.
Julian stands at the docks.
Dev touches the bag.
Cameron tells Franco and Elizabeth that he’s sorry for freaking out, but Franco gives Cameron credit, saying, he took the bad news well. Dev tells the bartender, there’s a suspicious bag under the table. Dustin tells Lulu, she’s right. He doesn’t want to just move in; that’s not enough. He wants them to build a life, and to make what they have permanent. Lulu says, she thought… and he says he’s doing this wrong. He gets down on one knee, and shows her the ring, which is beautiful, no surprise. He says he loves her with all his heart. Will she marry him?
Julian looks at the phone, and calls Cyrus. He says Cyrus better pick up.
Dante starts to cross the parking lot toward The Rib, when it explodes.
On Monday, the aftermath of the explosion, Dante calls for help, Laura says Cyrus is coming after her, and Sonny says, don’t die on him. He could be referring to any number of people.
💰 Cash Is Queen…
I read they didn’t have a prenup. Is he out of his mind?
Not too much of a spoiler, but if you’re like me, you’ll be watching on Sunday wondering why you think you’ve seen this one. The opening of Fear’s finale.
Life is essentially an endless series of problems. The solution to one problem is merely the creation of another. – Mark Manson
The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction. – Rachel Carson
Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. – Robert A. Heinlein
The most common form of despair is not being who you are. – Soren Kierkegaard
There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. – Soren Kierkegaard
I had an epiphany a few years ago when I was out at a celebrity party and it suddenly dawned on me that I had yet to meet a celebrity who is as smart and interesting as any of my friends. – Moby
A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to be well-known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized. – Fred Allen
The question is whether any civilization can wage relentless war on life without destroying itself, and without losing the right to be called civilized. – Rachel Carson
There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed. – Ernest Hemingway
True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice. – Martin Luther King Jr.
Those who are not grateful soon begin to complain of everything. – Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude
My songs will pass and be forgotten. What counts, however, is that I sang them. – Father Andrew Greeley, American Priest, Author and Sociologist (I loved his books!)
If she married her grandpa, she should probably get used to the smell of a hospital. – Kate Chastain, Chat Room, referring to Mary on Real Housewives of Salt Lake City
🏄🏽♀️ Sliding Out Of This Post Like…
Either your favorite day of the week, or that pesky reminder of how life used to be is here. Change it up a little. Enjoy the nice autumn weather if you have it, or get away from your screens and accomplish something from that endless to-do list we all have. You’ll feel better for it. See you when the Dead are feared, and no matter what, stay safe, stay thankful, and stay not believing a kingpin who tells you what you want to hear.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
My bad yesterday. I missed the first minute or so, but was in such a hurry, I forgot to see if there was anything that made a difference, and there was. Ryan is in a coma, not dead like it might have sounded. Moving on.
Chase tells Willow, it was a set-up, a lie. He never cheated on her. Willow doesn’t understand what he’s talking about.
Michael tells Carly that Willow walked in on Chase and Sasha. They were kissing, Chase’s shirt was off, and they even admitted they had an affair. She says, they lied; there was no affair. He asks why Sasha would lie to him. Why would she break his heart, and blow up her own life? Carly says, to save Wiley.
Willow tells Chase, he has to stop. He’s being cruel. He says she has to believe him, and she says she knows what she saw. Him and Sasha on the couch, half unbuttoned. It wasn’t a kiss hello; they were making out. And he admitted he and Sasha were having an affair. He says, he and Sasha never slept together. The only time he kissed or held her was when he heard Willow’s key in the door. She asks why they’d be so awful, and he says the lie was for her.
Nikolas tells Sonny, he’s the one who ordered the hit on Ryan. They knew Ryan was always going to be a threat, so he did something about it. Sonny asks why he’d take that risk, and he says he wanted to make sure Ryan never bothered his wife again.
Britt says Jason took a big chance telling her his theory. How does he know she won’t turn him over to the man who hired her? Does he think she wouldn’t turn him over to Cyrus? He guesses they’ll find out. He’s taking a leap of faith with her. She says people don’t do that with her, and he says, the news of another overdose made her mad as hell. He’s guessing whatever deal she made with Cyrus, she didn’t sign up for this.
Julian tells Cyrus that he knows for a fact Taggert is alive. Cyrus says he heard Taggert was shot when his daughter was kidnapped and he tried to rescue her. Julian says, Taggert was definitely shot, but he was taken to GH. He doesn’t know the particulars of how Taggert faked his death, but he’s very much alive. Sonny is waiting to use him until he finds the right moment to take Cyrus down.
Jason says he did some digging into Britt’s past and she can be cutthroat and vindictive. She says he’s quite the charmer. Sam is a lucky woman. He asks if he’s wrong, and she asks what his point is. He says despite the things she’s done, she’s not a drug trafficker. She says he has to work really hard to find something decent to say about her, and he says Cyrus has been making deals people can’t refuse. She says, like who? and he says, Sonny’s cousin Brando. He’s Cyrus’s driver, but they know he does more than that. She says she’s never met him. Anyone she knows? He says, Cyrus has been trying to make a deal with Julian. He doesn’t know what kind of offer Cyrus gave her… She says he made her an offer to be Chief of Staff. Isn’t that enough? He says he thinks there’s something more, but it doesn’t matter. She didn’t sign on to be a front for a drug trafficker. Did she agree to clear the way so Cyrus could bring his drugs through the hospital? She says, even if she believes him, and Cyrus is running drugs through the hospital, or even manufacturing new ones there, what does he expect her to do about it?
Cyrus says, Julian expects him to believe Taggert is alive? Who gave him this information? Julian says, nobody. He saw Taggert right there with his own eyes, and he sure as hell wasn’t dead. Cyrus says, how does he know Sonny is involved? and Julian says, he confronted Sonny about Taggert. Sonny hardly looked surprised, and he didn’t deny it. Cyrus asks how they could pull it off, and Julian says he doesn’t know how Taggert is alive, he just knows he is. That information has to be worth more than planting a bomb that will kill Jason. So they’re even, right?
Ava says she doesn’t understand what Nikolas is doing, and Sonny asks why Nikolas’s wife sounds like she thinks he’s lying. Nikolas says they’re all family. Is it safe for him to speak freely? Sonny says, go ahead, and Nikolas says, Ryan has been tormenting his wife for years. Ava might have left him to rot in prison, but when that monster started tormenting her again, taunting them, he knew he had to make sure it didn’t happen again. Ava looks at Sonny.
Willow says Chase needs to stop. She needs it. She starts to leave, but he stops her, saying, she has to hear the whole story. She says she doesn’t want to have this conversation in public. She works there; people know her. He asks her to please come with him, and she reluctantly follows him into an office (probably Finn’s). He asks if this is better, and she says, none of this is better. When she caught him with Sasha, and he admitted they were having an affair, it obliterated her, but at least she thought he respected her. She thought he respected their love enough to admit his mistakes, and now he wants to take it all back? Why should she believe he’s telling the truth now? He says, because he is. It’s him; Chase. He would never hurt her in that way. She says, but he wanted her to believe he could hurt her that way? He said before that he did this for her. In what world is shattering her heart doing something for her? He says the only way she wouldn’t hate herself for choosing Wiley over him, is if she hated him first.
Michael tells Carly to spell it out, and she says, Sasha was trying to help him win custody. Diane told him that getting married would help strengthen his case, and Sasha suggested he marry Willow. Michael says, they decided the personal cost was too high, Chase most of all, so it was a non-starter. She says she doesn’t know why Chase changed his mind. Maybe he thought because he had a past with Nelle, and knew Michael needed the strongest case possible to win custody. Michael says, so they staged the affair to drive him and Willow away from them, and toward each other? Carly says, yes, and he says, oh my God, Chase and Sasha never slept together. It was a trick to get him and Willow to marry, and they were both in on it. Carly says, yes, and they sacrificed their own happiness to save Wiley from Nelle. Michael says, and it worked, but Carly says, it wasn’t supposed to turn out like this. He asks how Carly could know the truth and not tell him.
Willow says, Chase and Sasha made up the entire story? They planned her and Michael walking in on them, and she lying about having an affair. They did that because of Wiley? He says, it was an extreme situation. Sasha was in love with Michael, and he loved Willow, but he and Sasha agreed it was horrible how Michael had been robbed of being Wiley’s father for two years. All that time, the babies had been switched, and Willow thought Wiley was her biological son. Of course (🍷) she developed natural feelings for him, but he knew as well as anyone, the dirty tricks Nelle was willing to use. So he and Sasha realized the most important thing was for Michael to get full custody. They knew marrying Willow would improve his chances of winning… Willow says, so they decided to play God. Why not just tell them? Why break their hearts and make her and Michael believe they cheated?
Michael says Carly knew there was never an affair, and Sasha didn’t cheat on him. He was hurting over something that never happened, and she didn’t say anything. She says it’s not like she was included in the plan, but it didn’t make sense. She saw how Sasha still looked at him. He says, so Sasha never told her directly, and she says, not until a week ago. She saw Sasha at Nina’s, and she was in bad shape. She called Sasha out on it, and Sasha admitted the sacrifice she’d made, and that she did it for Wiley, since Wiley belonged with him and Willow.
Nikolas asks if Sonny doesn’t think he has the connections to pull off a hit in Pentenville. It might not be his line of work, but he’s a Cassadine. He made a few calls, and got rid of the problem. Sonny says he didn’t finish the job. Ryan is still alive. That’s the thing with amateurs; they shouldn’t be doing a professional’s job. Nikolas says Ryan won’t come out of the coma, but Sonny says, they don’t know that. If he does, they’ll have a bigger problem on their hands.
Cyrus says he and Julian are far from even. The news is intriguing, but not nearly enough to wipe away his debt. Julian says he gave Cyrus inside information on Sonny’s plan; it’s got to be worth something. Cyrus says Julian told him that Taggert is allegedly alive. Does he have proof? Photos? Julian says he saw Taggert the night he saw Nelle trying to kidnap Wiley. He didn’t have time to pose for a selfie. Cyrus says, all he has is Julian’s word. Desperate people will say anything, and he still needs someone to take care of his Jason problem. Julian says, there’s no guarantee Jason will be the only one in the building. He’s not hurting or killing innocent people. He’s calling Cyrus’s bluff. Go ahead and tell Sonny. He’ll be long gone before Sonny can do anything. Cyrus says Julian might be willing to live his life on the run, but there are still people close to him in Port Charles; Ava, Avery, his sons Leo and Lucas, Sam and her kids. He does have photos in case Julian needs a visual reminder. He shows Julian pictures on his phone.
Jason says he’s not asking Britt to get involved, and she says, really? He wants her to take sides. He says what he’s asking is for her to keep an eye out, and be aware. If anything seems out of order, let him know. She says it’s hard to believe they don’t have people there who give them regular updates. He says they did, but they were fired, resigned, or their hours were cut. She says she had nothing to do with firing Monica and Bobbie, but Elizabeth and Epiphany gave her endless grief when she worked there before. She has zero regret for doing a preemptive action. He says, unless and until Cyrus backs off, he needs a resource that has access; someone he can trust. Britt says, trust isn’t a word often used to describe her, and he says, maybe someone needs to give her a chance. His phone dings, and he gets a text from Sam, wondering where he is. Britt says, whatever he thinks about her, good or bad, she’s not like a cop on the take. She doesn’t give information in exchange for cash. He says he didn’t offer to pay her. He didn’t think she was for sale. She says she’s Chief of Staff. The last thing she wants to do is help start a war with Cyrus.
Julian looks at Cyrus’s phone, and says, pretty cute, right? Scrolling through the pictures, Cyrus says, here’s his son Lucas is at work, Leo is at the Quartermaine mansion, and here’s Ava and her husband out and about. Julian asks, what his point? He took some photos with his fancy phone? Cyrus says he didn’t take them. As soon as Julian came to him, he had an associate begin to monitor those near and dear to Julian. Desperate people aren’t the most reliable. They panic and run. It’s the best insurance policy when he goes into business with people to get them to stick around and keep their end of the deal, if Julian catches his drift. Julian says he can’t believe this is happening again. Things went wrong with Alexis, and nothing he’s done has straightened out his life, and gotten it back on track. He keeps getting involved with people who want to control him. He says no to Cyrus, and the first reaction is to threaten his family. What is it about him that people like Cyrus think he’s willing to do horrible things? Cyrus asks if he really has this little self-awareness. He researched everyone Julian did business with, and he knows Julian helped his sister Olivia, and his late wife Nelle. Julian keeps making deals with the devil, and doesn’t understand why he gets burned. He wanted to cover his crime. Julian says he wanted Lucas to keep the son he loved, but Cyrus says, a child he had no right to keep. That Julian aided and abetted a kidnapping is bad enough, but the child was a Corinthos. Julian put his life on the line and came to him. Julian knocks the glass out of Cyrus’s hand, and Cyrus says Julian’s actions have consequences. He doesn’t know how Julian got to this point, but he didn’t learn his lesson. If he doesn’t like the circumstances, he has no one to blame but himself.
Sonny tells Nikolas, a high profile prisoner gets stabbed in prison, and he thinks there won’t be an investigation? Nikolas says he doesn’t think anyone will bother. When Ryan dies, they’ll feel relief, especially Doc. Sonny says it’s a territory that Nikolas isn’t familiar with. All it takes is one aggressive DA, who wants to make a name for themselves, and the investigation will lead to him on Spoon Island. Does he know what kind headache that will bring Ava and Avery? Don’t do that to his daughter. Nikolas promises Sonny, no way will Ryan’s death ever get traced back to him. Sonny gets a text, saying, on my way over. Sonny says, if you take a shot this big, you can’t miss. And Nikolas did.
Chase asks if Willow remembers; they talked about it before the custody hearing. Diane let Michael know that if he married Sasha, it would hurt the case, and Sasha suggested Willow marry Michael. Her reaction was that she thought the idea was absurd. She says he did too, and he says, she’s right, but his immediate reaction was to think only about himself. He didn’t want her to marry another man, even to keep Nelle away from Wiley. She asks what changed his mind, and he says, it wasn’t a typical custody case. Michael and Nelle weren’t fighting over what preschool to send Wiley to. Nelle gave up her baby to punish him, and kept him away for two years. There’s no question it was horrible, and horrible for Wiley. She asks why they came up with this plan, and he says she and Michael are so much alike. He never would have asked her to marry him to save Wiley, and she would never have done it because she didn’t want to hurt him. The only way to do right by Wiley was to take themselves out of the equation, which is exactly what they did.
Michael says Carly knows how much he loved Sasha, and Carly says when the scandal broke about Sasha pretending to be Nina’s daughter, she had reservations, but Michael stood by her. He says, and when she found out about their ridiculous plan… She says no one told her, and she didn’t think what they did was ridiculous. It was smart and noble to sacrifice their own happiness, and she wanted it to work. She wanted them to beat Nelle. As bad as the fallout was, imagine how much worse it would have been. So she kept her mouth shut. He asks if that’s her way of saying she lied, and she says, to protect her grandson. He asks if she thinks she made Wiley safer by withholding information from his father. He’s a grown man. She doesn’t make his life choices, or Sasha and Chase. She should have told the truth, period. End of story.
Carly says she knows Michael is angry, and he has every right to be. It’s not fun being manipulated, but now that he knows the truth, he can see Sasha’s intentions were good. He says he spent so much time being angry at Sasha, that she had such little respect for their relationship that she’d throw it away when things got tough. Now that he finds out it’s the opposite, of course (🍷) he’s grateful, but he doesn’t know what comes next. It’s more complicated now. Carly says, because of Willow?
Willow says, take themselves out of the equation? She was his girlfriend. They lived together. Half of the equation was her. How dare he make a fundamental decision about their relationship without including her? Even if she believes what he’s saying, that they were being noble and self-sacrificing, why is he telling her now? Nelle lost custody months ago. He says, until Nelle went missing, they thought if Willow and Michael ended the marriage, Nelle would use it to relitigate. She says, Nelle’s body was found weeks ago. The danger to Wiley was over. Why didn’t he tell her the truth then? He says he wanted to, but he saw her and Michael together, and could tell they were falling in love. Willow says, so he was monitoring their progress? and Chase says, one day when he was in the park and they didn’t see him, he heard their conversation; they were talking about kissing. As much as it killed him to hear that, it opened his eyes. She and Michael were creating a real family. He convinced himself if he told the truth, it would hurt her all over again, and he couldn’t bring himself to do that. She says, so why now? What’s different? He says, tonight, when Finn was in surgery, he didn’t know if Finn would live or die. She came to visit him despite all the pain and suffering. He hurt her, but she came to visit him. He can’t deny it anymore. She says, deny what? and he says, that he still loves her. He never stopped loving her. She starts to cry.
Sonny tells Nikolas, make sure he takes care of the situation. Clean up his mess so Sonny doesn’t have to. He leaves, and Ava asks why Nikolas did that. He says, because he’s not an idiot. It’s obvious either she or her brother had to do something to keep Sonny from hearing whatever information Ryan wanted to pass on, and he took responsibility so Sonny won’t dig deeper. Ava says that’s almost sweet of him, and he says, he wants to be clear. He doesn’t want to know anything else that will get his head served on a platter, but if she wants his advice, convince her brother to disappear before the house of cards he’s built over the years finally collapses.
Britt tells Jason, even if it’s the truth, and Cyrus is a big bad drug kingpin moving product through the hospital, what can she do about it? She doesn’t spend her off-time at a gun range. He says he’s just looking for information, and she says, that might lead to an ambush. She’s not an assassin, and not signing a man’s death warrant. He says he just needs her to keep her eyes and ears open. He thinks she’ll do the right thing when the time comes. He leaves, and she goes to the reception desk. She makes a call, and says she needs a complete inventory of the pharmaceutical department. She says, the Chief of Staff, that’s who authorized it.
Cyrus tells Julian, the package will be delivered shortly. Hang onto it, and don’t open it. He’ll get instructions as to where to deliver it. Julian says, then what? He’s going to deliver a bomb that kills people? Cyrus suggests he deliver it as soon as he gets the drop-off location. Julian says, and local potential bystanders are collateral damage? Cyrus says, let him worry about that. One more thing, he read Nelle’s letter. He’s keeping his end of the agreement, and took care of the last loose end tied to the kidnapping. Julian is welcome. He walks to the door.
Britt says, when they get the inventory done, get it to her asap. She sees someone being wheeled in. She looks at the patient, and says, oh my God. Brad. The paramedic asks if she knows him, and she says, he used to be head of the lab here. What happened? The paramedic says, he was attacked in his cell in Pentenville. He’s stabilized, but needs to get to the OR stat.
Julian tells Cyrus, hold off. What is he talking about, loose ends? Cyrus says several other people are aware of Julian’s misdeeds, and he’s not referring to Ava. What’s the point of living if other people can exploit him? Julian asks what the hell Cyrus means, and Cyrus says, the package will arrive shortly. He’ll be in touch. He leaves, and Julian puzzles over it.
Willow says, Chase is still in love with her? and he says, of course (🍷). He never stopped loving her. He tried, but every time he saw her, he could tell she was falling for Michael. After the heartbreak, he thought she deserved to be happy. He told himself if was over. They couldn’t be together; it wouldn’t work. But a small part of him hoped they would find their way back to each other, that their love was bigger than all this craziness. Almost losing Finn put a lot of things in perspective. He felt he had to be honest, and set the record straight. When he went to the Quartermaines’ and walked in on her, he realized maybe her heart had already moved on. She turns away from him, and says, so they had a whole conversation at Charlie’s about being honest, and he was covering up the truth? He says, when she said she felt like her being with Michael contributed to Sasha’s issue, he couldn’t let her blame herself. Now she knows. Sasha never would have gotten back with Michael. Sasha broke up with Michael because she loves him, just like he broke up her because he loves her. Willow says she has to get back to Michael and Sasha, and jets.
Carly says she knows Michael’s not in the mood for a heart to heart conversation with her, but she’s not blind. She can see he’s starting to have feelings for Willow. It makes sense. It’s an intimate way to get to know someone, and they both love Wiley so much. They have a lot in common. He says he doesn’t want to talk about Willow in there, and she says, sorry. She asks if he wants to get coffee, or talk in the hallway, but he says, no. He wants to be alone with Sasha. Carly says she loves him, and she’s always there for him. She leaves, and he sits by Sasha’s bedside. In the hallway, Carly shakes her head.
Michael tells Sasha, so there was no affair. Sasha and Chase staged it to push him and Willow together. Intellectually, he understands, but in his heart, he was so angry with her and Chase. He felt betrayed. He trusted them, and lost two people in his life, and now finds out it’s all a lie. Look at how much Sasha suffered because of that lie, but if she and Chase hadn’t done what they did, he might not have gotten custody, and Wiley would still be at risk. There’s no way Willow could have adopted Wiley. His son’s life is infinitely better because of the sacrifice Sasha made. He says he doesn’t know who he can possibly repay the debt. Willow stands in the doorway, and Michael takes Sasha’s hand as tears roll down Willow’s cheeks.
Sonny finds Taggert on the terrace, and says he can’t just walk in whenever he feels like it. Taggert says, he texted, and Sonny says Ava and Nikolas were there; good thing. Taggert says, Epiphany knows he’s back. Sonny says, he called her? but Taggert says she spotted him at GH. Sonny asks what he was doing there, and Taggert promises he was discreet; in a full hospital suit. Sonny says he could have been spotted be a lot of people. What if his ex saw him? Taggert says, Portia thinks he’s dead. Epiphany knows he’s alive. Sonny says, makes sense, and Taggert says he owes Epiphany a thank you. She was one of the people who orchestrated the plot. Sonny says, she’s loyal, and they’ll need her on their side moving forward. Taggert asks what he means, and Sonny says, this cold war with Cyrus isn’t going to remain that way much longer.
Julian flashes back to Cyrus giving him instructions about the package delivery. He hears a knock at the door, and takes out a baseball bat. (Hint: It’s too dark to be playing baseball.)
Tomorrow, Lulu asks Dante to join her, Ava tells Julian to let Nikolas get him out of town, and Carly asks Jason how long before this comes to an end?
The Real Housewives of Orange County
Kelly asked if Rick was excited to move, and he said he wanted to make her happy and comfortable, and take care of her. In her interview, she said he’d shown her what real love is about.
We saw the beginnings of the coronavirus being talked about on the news. Gina met with Emily and Emily’s trainer. They acted like this was a hard workout, but I was like, damn, I can do push-ups against a picnic table. Gina said Emily’s hip replacement changed both their lives. Afterward, they discussed Gina’s birthday dinner for Sienna, and Matt’s upcoming trial. Gina said she wanted Matt to accept responsibility, and in Emily’s interview, she said she knew Gina didn’t want Matt to have a felony, but he was a classic narcissist who made her feel guilty about what she does. Gina told Emily that she didn’t want to make Matt upset by testifying, but Emily thought she should do it. Gina asked Emily to go with her, and Emily said she would.
Elizabeth met with Braunwyn and they went biking. Braunwyn said she shouldn’t have gone to Shannon’s party; she wasn’t ready. In Elizabeth’s interview, she said Braunwyn reminded her of her sister. She couldn’t help her sister, but she could help Braunwyn. She admitted to Braunwyn that she shouldn’t have cheersed [sic] with the others after Braunwyn left. Braunwyn said she was learning who her friends were, and she knew Shannon wasn’t one of them. Shannon told two different stories. All I could think was, omg, it was one word. Forget about it. Braunwyn said she’d never held her ground before with any of the women, and now she could. In her interview, Braunwyn said a good friend would have given her a heads up that it was going to be tequila city. Braunwyn told Elizabeth that she was putting herself first for the first time. Elizabeth said when she was with her ex, there were only yes people around, and she needed someone to give her a hard time. In her interview, she said she paid for everything with her friends, like trips on private jets, but when she didn’t have it, they were gone. She learned early on friends were fake when you have money. She doesn’t let money define her, but for years, when she was with her ex, she did. Braunwyn said she didn’t feel she could trust her mom anymore, after Deb outed her to Tamra, and Elizabeth wondered, what kind mother does that? Braunwyn said Deb was coming to the vow renewal, and Elizabeth thought it would be a new beginning for Braunwyn. Braunwyn wondered if a nice, pleasant day was too much to ask.
Travis and Gina had a parents night out, and met Elizabeth and Jimmy, and Shannon and John for dinner. Shannon said she stockpiled for the coming virus, and John said they cleaned out Trader Joe’s. So they were the ones. In Gina’s interview, she said Shannon was the type of person she could believe had a secret bomb shelter. Shannon said Amazon was sold out of sanitizer and wipes, and Gina said that was because Shannon bought it all. They toasted to good friends and no virus. Shannon blabbed that Gina had gone to an AA meeting with Braunwyn, and Gina said it changed her whole perspective of Braunwyn. Shannon asked if Braunwyn had shared, and since Gina doesn’t understand what the word anonymous means, she said Braunwyn shared personal stuff about her anger, and wasn’t proud that she misappropriated it. She’d said it was easier to be angry at someone else. Clearly, Braunwyn had been taking it out on Gina. Shannon said it was good Braunwyn had admitted it, and Gina said Braunwyn had been really vulnerable in front her, when she’d been ready to rip Braunwyn’s head off. Elizabeth said she and Braunwyn had a moment when they were on their bikes. Braunwyn opened up, and Elizabeth was glad she’d had a breakthrough with her. Gina asked how she could be angry, when Braunwyn straight up acknowledged she’d been wrong? Shannon said Braunwyn hadn’t done that with her; Braunwyn was adamant about her position, when Shannon had been a good friend. It was hurtful to her. Gina suggested Shannon give Braunwyn time. Elizabeth said it was awesome that Sean was supportive, but he needed to be supportive about not being enabling. Gina said it was going to take them a lot as a family to fix it. She wasn’t going to make it worse. In Shannon’s interview, she said it was good to hear Braunwyn stopped gunning for Gina, but if Braunwyn being sober meant she was going to conduct stories in her head, things weren’t getting better on Shannon’s side. Because it’s all about her. Gina said she was going to the vow renewal, but Travis couldn’t go. She told them that Braunwyn wasn’t having tequila, and Elizabeth said Braunwyn thought it was important for her sobriety. In her interview, Shannon said if she was going on vacation, she was going to be drinking. She wanted to enjoy herself, but wouldn’t do it in front of Braunwyn. She thought Elizabeth and Gina may be taking it too far. OH MY GOD! IT’S A TRAGEDY! AN OUTRAGE! NO TEQUILA! Please.
Kelly met with her partner Zack because Positive Beverage was going to be sold in Target. In her interview, Kelly said, to the haters who didn’t think she’d be a success – we flashed back to the reunion where Vicki screamed that Kelly wasn’t a businesswoman – look at her now. She accompanied that with a double middle finger. They saw that the Expo West had been canceled due to the virus, and in her interview, Kelly said they’d gotten a lot of business from the venue the year before. So they’d spent a bunch of money to be there, and poof! it was gone. She told Zack that Shannon was also going to manufacture a water, and staff member Keith said it was probably more work than Shannon could comprehend. Kelly thought Shannon wanted to compete with her. Keith said their new beverage had prickly pear, but Kelly didn’t know what that was. I guess she never saw Jungle Book or a decent produce stand.
Braunwyn and Sean visited Deb with some of the kids. In Braunwyn’s interview, she said the issues between her and Deb were theirs; Deb was still the kids’ grandmother. She wanted to get the first interaction out of the way. Deb and husband Brian had bought property a decade ago, and were finally building their dream home now that Brian was done with his residency. It was quite impressive, although in her interview, Braunwyn said it wasn’t home to her. Deb asked about Kelly and Shannon, and Braunwyn said she and Shannon weren’t talking. Things were uncomfortable. Deb said, Gina hadn’t seemed interested in her, and Braunwyn said, now that she wasn’t drinking, no one else wanted to hang out with her. Deb said they might be thinking Braunwyn wasn’t nearly as fun. In Braunwyn’s interview, she said it wasn’t the worst thing she’d ever been called, and they’d been saying she was boring for a year. We flashed back to Tamra acting stupid at a dinner, and calling Braunwyn boring. Braunwyn felt her mother had been using her addiction as a weapon against her for a long time, saying she didn’t know what she was talking about, since she was drunk, and telling her that she was broken. If only Deb would say she was proud of what Braunwyn was doing now. It was obvious this was very emotional for Braunwyn, since she could barely talk about it, and I had to paraphrase.
The women all met at Shannon’s house, and went to the vow renewal together in a van limo. Shane was the only dude, as John was driving the kids. He wondered if at a vow renewal, you said, I did. Shannon asked Kelly if Rick was freaking out about being in NYC with the virus going on. Kelly said he wasn’t, but she was a little. Shane asked if they were there yet.
Sean and Braunwyn checked into the Parker Palm Springs hotel, and no surprise, their suite was beautiful. The other women had champagne in the limo. Kelly asked if Shannon had met David’s fiancé, but Shannon said she hadn’t, and at this point, it was awkward. In Shannon’s interview, she said she didn’t get it. Someone was living with her kids that she hadn’t met, and it was weird. All she cared about was if David’s fiancé was kind to her kids. She said she didn’t look at his Instagram, and Emily asked if Shannon would like to unblock her. Shannon did, and in Emily’s interview, she said, three years and five shots later. There should be confetti coming down.
Braunwyn’s best friend Shari arrived, and in her interview, Braunwyn said Shari made the calls for help when Sean said she was fine. Shari was like her guardian angel. Braunwyn explained that her stepdad couldn’t be there, since he was an urgent care doctor, and because of the virus couldn’t be around people. Elizabeth said she was going to try to be good, but she wanted a drink. In Gina’s interview, she said Elizabeth was on another planet. She couldn’t talk about her divorce, yet she only talked about her divorce. Gina told them that there wasn’t going to be tequila at the reception, since it was a trigger for Braunwyn. AGAIN, IT’S A NATIONAL TRAGEDY EVEN BIGGER THAN THE VIRUS! Kelly said it was like if she had diabetes, and didn’t serve cake at her birthday. Gina said it was just tequila, and Kelly wondered why everyone was being punished when it was Braunwyn’s problem. She insisted on stopping at a liquor store. In Gina’s interview, she says Kelly was as sensitive as porcupine. Everyone who knows me, knows I can totally live without tequila. It tastes like death, and I fail to grasp what everyone else sees in it. Although I do have one friend who asked what I expected from something made out of cactus.
Braunwyn said she had friends flying in, and needed to show herself she can have fun without drinking. After the other women stopped at the liquor store for three bottles of tequila, they got to the venue. Shannon wasn’t excited to see Braunwyn, saying their last encounter didn’t end so well. She was respecting Braunwyn’s sobriety by asking that the tequila be put in her room. Kelly walked in with a bottle under her arm, claiming she didn’t know it was a trigger. Once again, a Housewife doesn’t remember they’re being filmed, and that the world will know she knew. Gina promised to be Braunwyn’s sober friend. Even though she didn’t understand the word anonymous, Gina turned out to be the only decent person in the group.
Kelly talked to her dog using FaceTime, and Shannon noticed a sign outside, saying no person was allowed in the pool if they’d had diarrhea in the last fourteen days. John wondered who monitored that. Gina called Travis, and said she and Braunwyn had come a long way, and he says that’s not what he would have expected. Elizabeth wanted to drink champagne with Jimmy while linking arms, but he refused, saying she always messed it up. Gina ate with Emily and Shane, and said Kelly was insensitive. Shane said Kelly was making jokes about someone with a struggle. Emily told them that Elizabeth said she might get her eggs frozen, since she might want kids, but she thought Jimmy might not want them. Shane told them Jimmy said he had no strong desire to have children, and we saw a clip confirming that. Emily said Elizabeth was talking artificial insemination, and Gina said she thought there was weird stuff going on. In Gina’s interview, she said Elizabeth and Jimmy weren’t having sex, and you needed to have sex to have a baby. Um… Does she not know what artificial insemination is?
Everyone got dressed up for the vow renewal, and Braunwyn looked fabulous. In her interview, she said she knew the minute Sean walked in the door, they’d be together forever. Twenty years later, she was just figuring herself out, and she was excited for the future. We saw clips of Shannon getting ready and generally freaking out, saying her neck looked fat and she had a fat ass. Her entire party was dressed in black, and she said they looked like they were dressed for a funeral, which they totally did. In her interview, Shannon said some people thought having a vow renewal was a curse, and we flashed back to Vicki having one, and then Shannon. She said she had better hope for Braunwyn and Sean. Since Rick couldn’t be there, Zack came with Kelly. She called him her second gay husband, and he said Shannon looked like a mortician.
Kelly asked Shannon to tell Zack about the water she had coming out, but Shannon didn’t know what she was talking about, saying she wasn’t doing water. She was coming out with a supplement. We flashed back to Shannon telling Kelly she was manufacturing a tincture. In Kelly’s interview, she said it sounded like sphincter, and she clearly didn’t know what it meant. Dictionaries all around this Christmas. Shannon told John that Kelly made it sound like she was trying to go after her. In her interview, she said she was an ethical person, and would never infringe on someone’s product. For Kelly to assume that she would was hurtful. In Braunwyn’s interview, she said drag queen Babette Schwartz was also a minister, and who better to officiate for this stage in her life? Shannon would not shut up about the water thing, asking John repeatedly why Kelly would do that, saying, are you kidding me? and adding, an honest to effing God.
Babette got the ceremony going by asking everyone to take their seats, and introducing the kids. Braunwyn and Sean followed. Babette said it was obvious some guests were a few cocktails in, and said the rest of them needed to catch up or turn up. In Gina’s interview, she said Babette’s makeup was on point, but she was extremely turned up. Braunwyn said Sean had been with her through everything, and she had a gift for him; a statement necklace. In Emily’s interview, she said Sean loved a statement necklace, and it reminded her of Survivor. It was like he had an immunity idol. Braunwyn said she told Sean on their first date that she didn’t want to work and wanted five kids, and he didn’t run. Sean said he’d do it again, and gave her a ring he had made, with gemstones representing each of their kids. Babette asked if the children had vows to their parents, which Jacob totally misunderstood. In what was meant to be a sweet moment, he tried to do some stand-up, asking Sean if he vowed to love Braunwyn even after she embezzled all of his money and took off in a helicopter, and asking Braunwyn if she vowed to love Sean even after he got famous and bounced off with a 12 year old model. This went over like a lead balloon, but Bella recovered the moment by saying she could only dream of having the love her parents did. In Braunwyn’s interview, she said it was amazing to be able to commit to Sean, being fully present and meaning it. Babette said she gave to them again, Mr. and Mrs. Windham-Burke.
Shannon told John that she needed to tell Gina something, and jetted to the other side of the room, where she babbled to Emily and Gina about Kelly saying she was doing water, when she’d said it was a tincture. Emily said those were two different things. Shannon continued to whine, when Kelly joined them, and asked what was going on.
Next time, Shannon gets sh*tfaced, Emily says Braunwyn’s kids have lice, and Emily questions herself.
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City
Jen went apesh*t at Meredith’s birthday party, yammering about Mary saying she smelled like a hospital when she’d returned from her aunt’s leg amputation. Taking it to the ladies room, Jen said it was disrespecting her family. In Heather’s interview, she said she couldn’t believe Jen was fighting at Meredith’s party. Mary joined them, and tried to explain the smell was a trigger for her, and Jen was taking it the wrong way. Meredith asked them not to do this there, but Jen wasn’t having it, and wouldn’t let it go. In Jen’s interview, she said she’d move on, but – she did that V thing with two fingers – she was watching Mary. Apparently, Lisa had provided tequila and bartenders for Whitney’s vow renewal, and Whitney told her that the bartenders had helped themselves, broke glasses, and the tequila ran out at 6 o’clock. In Lisa’s interview, she said she’d gifted Whitney, and it wasn’t her problem. In Whitney’s interview, she said Lisa was mad at her because she was telling her that she wasn’t perfect. She wasn’t crazy about Lisa’s tequila anyway. Again, it all tastes like death to me. I’d rather drink Jager, and that tastes like cough medicine.
Jen gave her husband the low-down about the birthday party, but claimed it was just the girls. He said if her neck started poppin’, it was about to go down. Meredith called Heather, who suggested they plan a ski trip. Lisa was still annoyed with Whitney, wondering how it was her problem when she’d done a good deed and was generous. End of story. Heather said, if you live there and don’t ski, it’s a tragedy. I don’t ski, but I definitely agree. Those mountains are heavenly. Heather and Whitney went ski shopping. Heather said it was a magnificent party, but she was unprepared for Lisa being so dismissive. Her feelings were hurt. Whitney said Lisa accused her of being a swinger because she had a stripper pole, and in her interview, explained that since plural marriage was legal there, there was a huge swinger community. There was polygamy in her family, and she understood there was a telephone tree system from house to house, so the wives could hide when the sheriff was coming. Growing up, she was the perfect Mormon girl. Heather thought Lisa was judgmental, but told Whitney they’d have fun. She always tried to solicit a hot ski instructor.
Whitney’s dad visited, and in her interview, Whitney said she had always been a daddy’s girl. I wondered why he had a Herman Munster haircut, especially when she revealed he was a hair stylist, but then Whitney said he’d been addicted to painkillers for the last ten years. He was a self-made millionaire, and his addiction took everything away. He’d self-medicated after her parents’ divorce, and was starting over at 63. She said most Mormons view addiction as a consequence of your own choices, but she stood by him. She believed her dad would be dead if he hadn’t had her support.
Meredith and husband Seth went out to dinner. Seth asked who Meredith told about their separation. In Meredith’s interview, she said the marriage just broke down. They’d been building their businesses and raising the kids, working on different coasts. There was no communication, and hostility built up. They became completely disconnected. She told him, life changes and they have to go with it. Seth thought Meredith was hiding something because she wouldn’t show him her phone. They ended up toasting to fun, but I wasn’t sure what was really going on with them.
Mary stayed on the easy ski trail, and ended up making snow angels. Jen was also not an expert, but everyone else seemed to hold their own. Whitney told Meredith that she thought Lisa was being threatening, alluding to starting a rumor that Whitney was a swinger, but Meredith didn’t think she should take it that way. She suggested that Whitney discuss it with Lisa. At dinner, Whitney said that she and her dad were going to Mary’s church. Heather said Whitney’s dad needed help and support. Lisa said being judgmental was cultural and not the Mormon gospel. Whitney said she felt judged by Lisa, and in Meredith’s interview, she said when she told Whitney she should discuss the issue with Lisa, she didn’t mean in front of people at a dinner table. In Whitney’s interview, she said she was talking around the word swinger, and deliberately not using it, or the topic would move to, was she a swinger? when that wasn’t what it was about. Lisa said she didn’t care enough to judge Whitney. I’m sure she thought, ohsnap, but it’s a remark that always makes you look bad.
Heather said there had been no loving kindness from Lisa, but Lisa said her intent was always good. She couldn’t help how she was perceived, Mary wondered if they couldn’t just start over, and Heather asked how Lisa could say she was a good-time girl in college, and flashed her boob. In Heather’s interview, she said, the story is flattering, but false. Lisa said Heather responded with a thumbs up to one of her texts, which meant F-U. (Since when? Is this a new thing? Am I out of the loop? That’s a new one on me.) Heather told her and F-U was a double thumbs up, but in her interview, admitted that’s what she’d meant. Lisa said she was sorry if she made anyone feel bad, but she was done. Everyone agreed to have a clean slate. Which should last about zero minutes.
Next time, Whitney’s dad goes to church and lightning strikes (just kidding about the lightning), Heather celebrates her pregnant employees, and Lisa wants everyone to pick sides, either her or Mary. So much for letting it go.
✍🏼 Signing Off…
See you on the Southern side, but until then, stay safe, stay accepting it if there’s no tequila, and stay letting it go if you say you’re going to let it go.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Laura walks into the abandoned house, and Curtis asks what she’s doing there. She says, probably the same thing they are. Chasing down a lead on Cyrus. She says, Jordan is on a medical leave of absence, and she thought Jordan was receiving treatment. What is she doing sneaking around an empty house on the other side of the country?
Sonny tells Jason, whoever wanted Julian to shut up is successful. For now. He wants to know what Julian knows about his family, and why he was on the docks. Jason says, Cyrus seems to be honoring the truce, and hasn’t brought any product through Port Charles. Sonny says, until Julian squeals that Taggert is alive, but Jason says, he won’t. Sonny hopes Julian is more scared of him than he is of Cyrus. Jason says, Franco asked to meet with him, and Sonny asks what that psycho wanted. Jason says Franco asked him to kill him.
Scotty goes to Franco’s house, and asks, what’s going on in that head of his?
Gregory walks into Finn’s room, and says, hello Harry. Hamilton. (The only reason I even included that was because we never hear Chase and Finn’s first names. I forget they even have first names ) He says he can’t tell them how wonderful it is to see both of his boys together. Finn says he didn’t have to come all this way, and Gregory says, Jackie told him that Finn was shot in the chest. Forgive him if he was concerned. Finn says he’s going to make a full recovery, and Gregory says, that’s a great relief. He knows he could have called, but he wanted to see Finn with his own eyes. Finn says, mission accomplished. He can leave now. Gregory says, if that’s what Finn really wants.
Dante looks at a photo of Peter and family, and says, complete the mission. He sits in front of Peter’s computer, and brings up a page that says off-shore deposits.
Lulu tells Maxie, the only thing lingering between her and Dante is Rocco. Maxie asks if Lulu is sure she doesn’t want more, and Lulu says she’s with Dustin now and she’s happy. Maxie says, right, and Lulu says Maxie is doing that thing she does where she barely says anything, and it sounds more like Lulu is trying to convince herself. Maxie says, of what? That Dante doesn’t love her anymore, or that she doesn’t still love Dante?
Peter tells Anna, the longer Alex had Maxie, the more dark impulses pounded in his head. If Anna hadn’t been there to rescue Maxie, he doesn’t know what he would have been capable of. Anna says it’s natural to be protective about the people they love, but Peter says he kept thinking about what Alex told him. The rules don’t apply to them – him and Alex. They’re extraordinary people, and should act as they see fit. They’re above consequences and accountability. Anna says that sounds like her sister, and Peter says he was ashamed to tell her how much sense it made to him at the time. Valentin watches them.
Valentin joins Anna and Peter, and says, Finn is going to be okay. That’s good news. Anna asks how Valentin is, and he says he’s had no effects from the drug. Anna says, on top of everything else, Alex drugged them, and Valentin says Alex is a multitasker. He asks how Anna’s head is, and she says, okay. It’s not the first time she’s been pistol-whipped. Peter says they talk like this happens every day. His phone rings, and he says, it’s the paper, stepping away to take the call. Valentin thanks Ann for saving his life, and she says, it seemed like the decent thing to do. He says, it’s just them now. Is she all right? She says she killed her sister, and Valentin says, she knows she had to. She says, knowing is one thing, living with it is something else. Peter returns, and says he’s needed back at work. He already let Maxie know. He thanks Anna for saving Maxie and the baby, and she says it’s the least she could do for her goddaughter and grandchild. Peter leaves, and Valentin says, her grandchild. He assumes she’s not telling Peter that Alex is his mother.
Lulu tells Maxie, Dante stepped in twice now. Chivalry is good – sometimes.
Dante puts in a flashdrive in Peter’s computer. He hears something, but continues copying the files.
Gregory says, very well, he’ll be going, but Finn tells him to stay. Gregory supposes that’s what passes for enthusiasm. If it’s not too banal of a question, how is Finn feeling? Finn says, he could be worse, and Gregory asks if he needs anything, but Finn says he doesn’t. Finn hopes the traveling wasn’t too difficult, and Gregory says, he’s not an invalid. Finn says that’s not what he meant, and Gregory says, the Lyme disease is more manageable now, thanks to Finn. Finn says he’s glad Gregory is feeling better, and Gregory says he should probably leave. His presence can’t be doing much for Finn’s stress level. He knows it’s not doing much for his. Before he goes, he wants to say how grateful he is for this moment. Seeing Finn alive, and knowing that, for now at least, he’s going be fine. When Jackie told him that Finn was shot… Finn says Gregory didn’t have to worry, but Gregory says, of course (🍷) he did. He’s Finn’s father. Finn may not like that, but nothing changes the fact that Finn is his son. Ergo, Gregory will always worry about him.
Scotty says, Franco was in the hospital and didn’t call. Franco asks if he was supposed to call and say nothing is wrong; stay put? Scotty says, it would have been something, and Franco says he’s sorry Scotty worried. Scotty says, he’s Franco’s father. Of course (🍷) he’s worried. Franco says, there would have been nothing Scotty could have done if he wasn’t fine, and Scotty asks if Franco would have told him. Franco says, absolutely. In fact, there is something Scotty might be able to help him with.
Jordan turns away, but Laura says Jordan needs to give her an explanation as to why she’s there. Curtis asks if anyone knows Laura is there. If she was followed, that could be bad. Laura says she knows how to lose a tail, and Curtis asks if the fundraising trip to DC was real. Laura says, it was, until she realized it was the perfect cover for her to dig deep into Cyrus’s life. Curtis says he’s glad she’s not a P.I., since she would be stiff competition. He asks about her leads, and she says, she’s been scrutinizing Cyrus’s holdings in her spare time, like they’ve been. A private residence in a quiet suburb stood out. Curtis says, to them too. He found the address in the spring, and checked it out, but it was heavily guarded. Laura says, not now. Whoever was living there is gone, giving her ample time to come up with an explanation for Cyrus. She asks again about Jordan’s medical absence, and Jordan says, it was a cover. The only threat to her life right now is Cyrus.
Sonny says, Franco put a hit out on himself? He tells Jason to make sure to get the cash up front. Jason says Franco told him that his brain tumor is back, and Sonny says, the tumor Franco claimed turned him psycho. Jason says, he says it’s in the same place, and doesn’t want to hurt anyone, especially Elizabeth and the boys. He asked Jason to take him out if he starts acting like his old self. Sonny asks if Jason thinks Franco is playing games, and Jason says he’s having Spinelli look into Franco’s medical records to see if the tumor is back. Then they’ll figure out what to do next. The guard tells Sonny that he has a visitor, and Taggert walks in. He wants to know what Sonny is doing with Julian.
Franco gives Scotty some papers, and Scotty says, it’s a life insurance policy. He knows Franco is in financial trouble, but now he’s peddling death? Franco says he’s not trying to sell Scotty a policy. He took it out after he and Elizabeth got married, and he wants Scotty to look over the terms. Scotty says. it’s clear and straightforward. Elizabeth and he boys will be taken care of. Franco says he knows that insurance companies resist a big payout, and wonders if there’s anything in the fine print that says if he dies a certain way, it will somehow nullify the policy. Scotty calls Franco a big dummy, and asks if he thinks it will fix his financial problems if he commits suicide.
Jordan tells Laura that Cyrus was the one who kidnapped TJ, and almost beat TJ to death. Laura asks why Jordan didn’t come to her, but Jordan says she didn’t want to get Laura involved. Sometimes deniability is the best weapon. Laura says Jordan doesn’t need to protect her, but Jordan says, it’s literally part of her job. Is Laura firing her? Laura says, not yet, but the day is young. Curtis says they were also protecting Port Charles. The city needs Laura as mayor, since she has the guts to stand up to Cyrus. Laura says she’s in it now, so she needs to understand how far they’ve gone. She needs them to tell her everything she needs to know.
Taggert says the Jerome family was before his time, but Julian is bad news. Jason says they can protect Taggert as long as he’s hiding, and Sonny says, that’s why he needs to hide. There’s a knock at the door, and the guard says Sonny has another visitor. Sonny asks who it is, and the guard says, Cyrus. Sonny tells Taggert to stay there, and goes out with Jason. He asks what Cyrus is doing there, and Cyrus says giving Sonny a chance to explain himself before he declares war.
Jordan tells Laura, she was compromised months before Cyrus got out of prison. She was forced to come forward with the evidence that helped him vacate. Laura asks if the evidence was fabricated in order for Cyrus to get out, or fabricated to put him in, and Jordan says Taggert, Mark, and Bob weren’t the only ones involved in fabricating evidence to put Cyrus away. She was in on it too. Laura says, so Jordan has been working for Cyrus all this time, and Jordan says, yeah. Curtis says, but they’ve also been working to put Cyrus away. The only way to keep Cyrus out of Port Charles for good is to put him behind bars, or in the ground. Laura asks what else they haven’t told her.
Chase wonders if he just saw a smile, and Finn insists he wasn’t smiling. He was remembering something – ergo. He laughs, and tells Gregory, it’s such a you thing to say. Elizabeth apologizes for interrupting, but she has to check Finn’s vitals. Chase suggests they step for a second, and let her do that. Finn nods, and Chase says, they’ll be back. They leave, and Elizabeth says, family, huh? Finn asks if she still has that bullet.
In the hallway, Gregory says he’s proud of Chase, staying by his brother. Chase says Finn would do the same for him, and asks if Gregory is ever going to tell Finn that he and Jackie are getting a divorce. Gregory says, no; it’s just a separation. No one is talking divorce. Chase isn’t sure Gregory is on the same page with Jackie, but Gregory says, he and Chase’s mother are going through a rough patch. They’re get through it as soon as Jackie is back from her latest breaking story.
Anna tells Valentin, Alex has already done enough damage. She’s going to protect Peter the way she should have. He says she didn’t even know she was Peter’s mother until she realized she had Alex’s memories. She says if he knows why Alex picked that one, and he says, to torment her, but Anna says, so she could save her son. He asks if this is a realization because she’s had a sudden wave of sentimentality, but she says Alex told her herself. Alex believed if Anna thought she had Peter and abandoned him, she’d seek him out, but she didn’t do that. In some ways she’s no better than Alex. He says they both know that’s not the case, and Anna says, what’s done is done. She can’t undo the past; no one can. But she can see to it that Peter has a better future, with Maxie at his side, raising their children and living his life. He’s a good man, and as far as the world is concerned, she’s Peter’s mother. Just the two of them and Finn will know the truth. Valentin tells her, absolutely do not tell Finn.
Franco tells Scotty that he wouldn’t do that; certainly not to Elizabeth. Everyone knows insurance companies don’t pay out for a suicide. Scotty says, that’s logical, and Franco says, hypothetically, if he died and it wasn’t an accident… Scotty says, natural causes? but Franco says, a violent non-accident. Scotty asks if someone is threatening Franco, and Franco asks why Scotty is making a big deal out of it. Scotty says Franco talking about a violent death is going to raise flags, but Franco says he was just casually going over some of his papers. He didn’t call Scotty about it, but thought since he was there, he could take a look. It’s important. Is Scotty going to help him or not?
Jordan tells Laura, she hates that Cyrus got out of prison, but he would have killed TJ. She knew he wasn’t bluffing. Laura doesn’t think so either, and Curtis says, TJ isn’t the only life Cyrus is targeting. He’s leveled threats at Trina. Laura says, Taggert is dead, but Jordan says Taggert’s family is important to her, so it’s leverage. Laura asks if Portia knows what’s going on, and Jordan says she does. Curtis says, Portia helped them with the medical crisis. Jordan says, Portia figured it out and was threatening to expose her. She had to tell Portia, and Portia planned out her seeing a specialist. Laura believes Jordan is doing what’s right, but this is far beyond what the law sanctions. Jordan says, as a mother, she had to hope Laura understood, and Laura says she does understand.
Cyrus asks how he can interpret Sonny’s action other than aggression. Sonny asks, what action? and Cyrus says, the hatchet job Lulu did on him in The Invader. She cited a source that was clearly someone in Sonny’s organization, saying he’s firing any staff connected to Sonny. Sonny is breaking the truce. Jason says, the staff firings are a matter of public record, and Sonny asks why Cyrus is upset? Is something going on at GH he doesn’t want public? Cyrus suggests they go into Sonny’s office, sit down, and discuss it like gentlemen.
Gregory goes back in Finn’s room, and Finn asks, where’s Chase? Gregory says Chase got a call from the station. He understands he has a granddaughter – Violet. Finn says he does, and Gregory asks, how is she? Finn smiles, and says she’s the greatest thing that ever happened to him. He can’t remember life without her, and wouldn’t want to. Gregory says, kids change everything, and Finn says, yeah.
Dante continues to copy Peter’s files. Apparently, Peter’s computer is even slower than mine. Peter walks in, and asks what Dante is doing there. Dante says, following orders, and puts his hand on his gun.
Peter asks, orders from who? and Dante says, from him. He’s head of security. Doesn’t Peter remembering offering him the job? He got a notice that there was an unauthorized user on Peter’s computer, trying to gain file access. Peter asks if that isn’t a matter for cyber security, but Dante says he thought he’d come in and make sure no one physically tampered with the computer. Peter asks if his files were touched, and Dante says, no. Peter says he has to make a last minute addition to the front page, and asks if it’s safe for him to use the computer. Dante says he’s all set, and Peter thanks him. Dante says he was just doing his job, and leaves. Peter sits down.
Sonny tells Cyrus, he’s on his way out. Say what he’s got to say now, or don’t say it at all. Cyrus says, Monica and Bobbie were fired for just cause. Jason says, because of a lawsuit that’s been dropped because Nelle is dead. Why not give them back their jobs? Cyrus says, it’s a matter of public record. If he hires them back, it’s a liability. As for Elizabeth and Epiphany, he’ll look into it, but the hospital… Sonny says, is a legitimate business. Cyrus says he’s glad they cleared that up. As for conceding, he hasn’t made up his mind. Sonny says he’ll make it up for him. There’s been no hostility on their end, but if Cyrus retaliates, he’ll take it as a hostile act. Cyrus says he wouldn’t dream of upsetting their delicate balance. He leaves, and Sonny says, that was interesting.
Laura says she can’t judge Jordan for protecting her child. To be honest, she would have done the same thing. Jordan thanks her, but Laura says, don’t thank her just yet. At some point, she’ll have to review all of this. As far as Jordan’s future with the PCPD, it depends on a lot of factors. Jordan has neutralized herself, so Cyrus can’t get to her to do any harm. While it was a good thing, putting Cyrus behind bars, as mayor she has to condemn creating false evidence. Personally, no one knows better than she does how you have to bend the rules sometimes to get justice. Laura asks if they found anything, but Curtis says, not as much as they’d hoped. There were signs that a patient was kept there; he found medical supplies and vials upstairs. Jordan says they weren’t not sure if it was someone kept of their free will or it was a prisoner. Laura says she assumes the latter, and Curtis says, they thought so too. Until he found something else.
Franco thanks Scotty for caring, and Scotty says, if anything happens to Franco… Don’t do anything stupid. He leaves, and Elizabeth comes out of the kitchen. She asks what’s up with Franco’s dad, and Franco says he felt left out. How was her day? She says all she could think about was this moment, when they could talk face to face. He says, about what? and she says, what’s going on with him?
Anna sees Gregory in the hallway, and he says he was hoping to see her. She says it’s wonderful to see him, and asks how it went. He says he and Finn managed to find common ground in Violet. Anna says she’s going in, and Gregory says, Finn just dozed off. She says she’s glad he’s there, and goes into Finn’s room. She sits by the bed, and he says, hi. She tells him, go back to sleep, but he says he’d probably dream about her. Why not stay awake, and actually see her? She says, good line, and he says he’s still got it. She agrees he does, and says she saw his father is there. So they had a nice chat? Finn says they talked about him meeting Violet someday, and Anna says she really wants Violet to have a sense of a larger family. He says, speaking of which, he saw she got the test results. Is Peter her son or Alex’s?
Anna tells Finn, the test revealed Faison carried the gene, so there’s no real way of finding out if Peter is her son or Alex’s with Faison. He asks what she told Peter, and she says, nothing. Faison is dead, and now Alex is dead, so there’s no real reason to burden Peter with uncertainty. She loves him like a son, and he deserves to live his life without being worried that with every decision, he’s taking after two psychopaths. He says he’s sorry she didn’t get a definitive answer, and she says it’s something she’ll have to learn live with.
Laura reads, I promise a plan is in play. It won’t be much longer. Hang in there, and remember I love you. Cyrus. She says she couldn’t find any personal connections to Cyrus, and Curtis tells her not to beat herself up about it. They hit the same wall, except for this. Jordan says, whoever was staying there, is Cyrus’s Achille’s heel. Laura says, but they don’t know who it is. The language is affectionate, but it could be his mother or another family member. Not necessarily romantic. Curtis says they were hoping it was a confidant. Someone who knows where the bodies are buried – literally and figuratively. Laura says, it’s worth a shot, and Jordan says Cyrus has been digging for information on a PCPD case that’s 40 years old, but it’s so heavily redacted, they can’t make anything out of it. She shows Laura the folder, and asks if it means anything to her.
Sonny says, itseems Cyrus still thinks Taggert is dead. Go home and stay there. Taggert says, that was too close, and Jason says he’ll get someone to drive Taggert. Taggert asks what Sonny is doing about Julian, and Sonny says, don’t worry. He’s watching Julian.
Lulu tells Maxie, she’ll always love Dante, but she loves Dustin. What she and Dante had together is over. Maxie asks if Lulu believes she can’t get it back, but Lulu asks, how? Dante turned his back on his family. Maxie says, it’s not that simple. Dante has PTSD, and was afraid he’d hurt someone, especially Lulu or the kids. Lulu says, it’s not that. It’s how he left. He cut them off completely cold. If he did it once, he could do it again.
Dante calls Dr. Kirk, and says he found it. What next?
Valentin goes to Peter’s office, and Peter says he knows they said they’d catch up soon, but he didn’t think Valentin meant immediately. Valentin says he’s just there to make sure everything is all right. Peter says Maxie and the baby are fine, so he’s fine. Valentin says, it must have been terrifying, and Peter says he felt a lot of things. What about Valentin? Valentin says it was quite an ordeal, but he made through thanks to Anna. Peter says his mother is something else, and Valentin says, she is indeed. Peter says she saved Valentin and Maxie, and his dearly departed aunt can’t hurt them again. Valentin agrees she can’t.
Anna tells Finn, despite their history and her feelings about Alex, it’s how it ended. She can’t settle on one emotion. It’s all right though. She has more important things to be concerned about. Finn says, she survived her sister. She can think about moving on now. Gregory pops in, and says he’s sorry to interrupt, and Anna says his timing is impeccable. Gregory says he wanted to let them know that he’d be staying at the MetroCourt. Finn says he’ll like it there. Jackie was staying there before she went running off after a story. Gregory says he’ll see them tomorrow. He leaves, and Anna says she’s glad Gregory decided to stay. Other than talking about Violet, how was it with his dad? He says, awful, and she laughs. He says, it was actually better than expected. What’s between them will always be there, and he doesn’t think it will ever go away.
Franco tells Elizabeth, when he collapsed, it wasn’t dehydration. His brain tumor is back.
Laura hands back the folder, saying, sorry. It doesn’t ring a bell. Curtis says, damn, and Jordan says, they knew it was a long shot. Laura says now that she knows they’re on the case, she’s going to head back. She’s been away too long. Jordan says, the city missed her, and Laura says, and she missed it. From now on, they’re working together. Curtis says they’ll keep her in the loop, and she’ll do the same. Laura says, absolutely, and Jordan says they’ll work until they uncover what Cyrus is hiding. Laura says she’ll see them at home, and leaves.
Outside, Laura leans against the wall for a moment. She takes out her phone, and makes a call. She says, it’s me. We’re in trouble.
Tomorrow, Franco tells Elizabeth, there are fates worse than death; Willow tells Michael, they can’t trust strangers with this task; and Cyrus tells Brando, they’ll have to rectify the situation.
The Real Housewives of Orange Country
Emily called Gina, and told her Braunwyn admitted she’d been taking things out on Gina, and owed her an apology. Gina said Sean cleaning up Braunwyn’s messes made it harder to deal with. Gina had her own stuff going on, and someone picking on her was not okay. Emily said she thought it was nothing personal. Braunwyn said she hadn’t liked Emily away last year because Emily called her out on her drinking. She thought Braunwyn had a hard time having relationships with people who disagreed with her, but felt Braunwyn was heartfelt and sincere in wanting to apologize. Ugh. I just don’t like Gina. I think she’s a follower and a poser. I’m always open to changing my mind, but something about her rubs me the wrong way. Like a cat getting petted backward.
Braunwyn’s son Jacob asked for a pair of heels for Christmas. God bless him, or any man who wants to wear heels. Or any woman for that matter. My feet protest just thinking about them. Braunwyn said, since Jacob was a baby, he loved fashion. She asked if it was for the pageantry or identity, but he didn’t know. She told us, what he did know was that he had a family that loved him no matter who he is. Jacob modeled some beautiful gowns, and in Braunwyn’s interview, she said Jacob told her that he wanted to do drag because it’s like therapy. It unlocks another part of himself, and she thought it made him stronger and more aware of who he was. He’d felt suppressed, and drag helped him get out of it. Braunwyn said we all need people who honestly love us, and thought the support Jacob got helped. He inspired her by taking the honest and true route, and she wanted to follow him. Her son was a role model to her.
Gina went see her lawyer Mike, who thought she could get her driver’s license back in another three months. In her interview, she said she’d done community service and was required to go to AA meetings. We flashed back to the last reunion, and Andy saying that Matt had been arrested for domestic violence. Mike told Gina that the court wants to know how the victim feels, and asked if she was making a victim impact statement. She said she and Matt were co-parenting well, and it was still hard to stand up to him. In her interview, she said she still struggled with what happened, and has bad dreams. She knew making a statement would be good and healthy for her, but didn’t know if she could. Mike said she would come out the other end as a survivor instead of a victim.
Shannon’s daughter Sophie was leaving for Baylor college soon, and Shannon thought it would be good for Sophie to be out there and taking care of herself. Sophie said she was meeting with publishing companies about her book. Shannon was afraid her daughters would hate her as they got older, since her parents fighting had affected her. Daughter Stella had told her that one day be they’d be older and realize what she did. In Shannon’s interview, she said the saving grace was her girls seeing what a happy relationship looked like. In Sophie’s interview, she said it didn’t matter to her who Shannon dated, but she needed support both emotionally and financially. Sometimes she thought John couldn’t do both, but it wasn’t her business.
Braunwyn went dress shopping with Kelly for Kelly’s wedding dress, and her vow renewal dress. She told Kelly that she’d dreamt Kelly was pregnant, and in Kelly’s interview, she said, no, no, no. Braunwyn told the clerk that she was going to be renewing her vows, and wanted to have a moment. Kelly said it was her third wedding, and she didn’t. In her interview, Braunwyn said she and Sean had done a ten year vow renewal after they’d gone through a hard time. This one was important, since they were starting a new chapter, and there was nowhere she’d rather be. Braunwyn liked all the dresses, but Kelly, not so much. In Kelly’s interview, she said she felt embarrassed, being married three times. She thought the third time was the charm. She hoped so anyway. In Braunwyn’s interview, she said, as a mother, it freaks her out that people will hate Jacob without knowing him, but if you stand in your truth, you can’t go wrong.
In Elizabeth’s interview, she said her nieces and nephews fulfill her maternal instinct. She set up a million dollar trust for each of them, but they didn’t know it. She didn’t want them to murder her. She told us that her sister Anna started takin heroin at age 14. Their father died of alcoholism, and seeing Anna’s daughter going through what she went through hurt her heart. No amount of money would help her sister. She was where she wanted to be, and had every opportunity. Elizabeth was saving all her clothes, in the hopes they’d play dress up again one day.
Shannon and Gina went to Elizabeth’s house for lunch. Elizabeth and Shannon talked beach houses and Ferraris, and in her interview, Gina said this was the good Orange County stuff. Who has the cooler Ferrari? She felt a competition for richest bitch in Newport coming on. In Shannon’s interview, she said it wasn’t the kind of luncheon she’d throw, but gave Elizabeth an A for effort. Shannon tends to tip the scales toward dislike with me too. I’m hoping now that she’s not in Tamra’s clutches, she might stop acting like she’s so far above everyone else. Shannon said she’d texted Braunwyn, and Elizabeth thought they should rally. Gina thought they should let Braunwyn flounder. In Elizabeth’s interview, she says she thought Gina should be more sensitive. Gina said she declined Braunwyn’s renewal invite, but Shannon said all of the kids were invited. She couldn’t tell them they can’t go because of a girl fight. Gina said she was trying her best to act like things were okay, but Matt was coming for Sienna’s birthday party, and she wasn’t good at dealing with things. Shannon told them about Sophie writing a book on living with divorcing parents, and Elizabeth said Sophie wanted to break the cycle. In Gina’s interview, she said she hoped her daughter was strong, and thinks she’s strong. Shannon said one day Gina would look back, and thank God it happened, because it’s what got her where she is.
We started hearing about the corona virus, and Kelly told Elizabeth she thought it was like a super flu. Elizabeth took Kelly and Shannon along when she bought herself a midlife crisis car. In her interview, she said cars turned her on. She thought maybe she was substituting speed for other things in her life that she was missing. Elizabeth told Shannon and Kelly that they should be cautious with drinking around Braunwyn, but Kelly said she wasn’t a quitter. In Elizabeth’s interview, she said she was disappointed with Kelly’s behavior. Braunwyn reminded her of her sister, and needs to feel like she belongs. Kelly rode along on Elizabeth’s test drive, and looked like she might have a heart attack a few times. Back at the lot, Shannon got in tiny Ferrari – I guess for kids – and drove around. In her interview, she said she didn’t need a big vagina car.
Braunwyn picked up Gina for the meeting, and Gina said she appreciated it. No one told her about Braunwyn’s drinking problem, and Braunwyn said she wasn’t ready to talk about it. Sean kept her image protected, and she’d thought she had enough sober years under her belt to handle it. Having a baby was the easy way out, and she had been talking to Sean about having another one. Gina said Braunwyn was doing the thing she knew to sober up.
Lizzy – remember her? – came by Emily’s house. In her interview, Emily said Lizzy had a bathing suit company, and asked her to help design a suit for her body type. Lizzy told Emily that everyone loves her suits, except Tamra. Emily said she gets messages thanking her for not trying to be something she’s not. She’s unapologetically not size zero, and a twelve-year-old had told her that she was an inspiration.
Braunwyn and Gina went for coffee after the meeting. Braunwyn thanked Gina for the most awkward playdate ever. In Gina’s interview, she said, on their way in, a guy asked if one of them wanted to lead the meeting, so she nominated Braunwyn. Braunwyn made a speech about her anger toward Gina, and apologized. It meant a lot to her, and she gave Braunwyn credit for doing it. Braunwyn had been there for her at her low point, but she hadn’t realized Braunwyn was drinking. Gina suggested they start over. In her interview, Braunwyn said if women could get past the outside stuff, most of them would find out they have more things in common than not.
Gina told boyfriend Travis that she thought it was going to be weird, having dinner with Matt and Britt for Sienna’s birthday. Travis told her, only if she made it weird. In Gina’s interview, she said she felt she had to make the victim impact statement, because it had been the most significant event in her life. She wanted to make life happy for her kids, but hoped Matt would hear it, and it would effect change. She didn’t want to be the person responsible for him going to jail, but thought it was beneficial for her kids to see her standing up for herself. She wasn’t the person who was going to save him anymore.
Next time, a workout, Braunwyn’s mom Deb says Braunwyn isn’t as fun anymore, Braunwyn is finding out who her friends are, Kelly wines about no tequila at the vow renewal, and the vow renewal.
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City – The Premiere
This is mostly my first impression. I’m not going to memorize anyone’s name tonight, and half of them look the same. The show seemed to focus more on glitz and glamor than anything else.
The narration – by who, I don’t know – said there was an elite social circle in Salt Lake City. Mormons don’t drink, don’t swear, and treat their bodies like temples. Fidelity is expected in marriage, and they watch for sin. You think you know who they are, but you’re wrong. Friendships define us, and choices can destroy us. In the opening credits, the women hold snowflakes.
First, we met Jen. She seemed like the self-described leader of the group. Her husband is a football coach for the University of Utah, and they met in college. She was a Mormon, and her husband a Muslim, but when she realized she was part of a religion that didn’t accept many of the people she cared about, such as Black people (her husband is Black, as are her children) – she converted. Her personal and business assistant Stuart knows everything about her, even when she gets her period. He knows more than her husband knows.
Tall and blonde Heather told us, Mormon doctrine says perfection is attainable. So she owns Beauty Lab and Laser where she’s made a mint. Her ancestors were Mormon pioneers, and he husband’s family inherited HowardHughes’s wealth, as he was enamored of the Mormons. Things went south when she and her husband divorced, since that’s not an option in the Mormon church. She said a lot of the things she does, aren’t in alliance with Mormon women.
Meredith is Jewish, and from Chicago. She has a high-end store with a celebrity following. Lisa is also Jewish by heritage, but Mormon by choice. She and her husband own a couple of liquor brands, and are working on their own vodka. She also owns a luxury marketing company. She could give a flying that Mormons aren’t supposed to drink alcohol.
Whitney is a small blonde, and is married to Justin, who’s 18 years her senior. They had an office romance that they kept hidden, since they were both married to other people. They finally married when Whitney was five months pregnant, and she and Justin ended up excommunicated. Whitney’s father had been the bodyguard for Joseph Smith and Brigham Young (the Mormon founders), so a lot of people were resentful. She was happy some of her family and friends were coming around after ten years.
Last, but for sure not least, we met Mary when she got together with Whitney for lunch. Whitney told us that Mary had no filter. Mary claimed that she bought what made her happy, not because of the brand, yet she seemed compelled to name every brand she was wearing as an automatic response. Like when someone said, I love that dress, she replied, Valentino – runway. She’d married her step-grandfather when her grandmother passed away, as her grandmother had suggested in her will. In Lisa’s interview, she summed it up with saying, sh*t is weird. I’m guessing they feel this is biblical. I had an old lady neighbor who had married her sister’s husband when the sister died because that was what was expected in their religion. Now I’m wondering if she was Mormon. Mary was also a Pentecostal minister – another thing she inherited from her grandmother – but didn’t like being called pastor because the title sounded old lady. Like marrying her step-grandfather didn’t.
Mary had been friends with Jen until they’d met at a restaurant, and Mary said Jen smelled like a hospital. Mary explained that a hospital smell was a trigger for her, and reminded her of a dark time in her life. In Jen’s interview, she was clueless about this, but said she’d been in the hospital with an aunt who’d needed both legs amputated. I would have liked to know why, but she didn’t say.
Jen went to Heather to get Botox in her armpits, and they planned a party for Meredith’s birthday. Jen admitted she was throwing it for herself too, and wanted a club vibe. Lisa and Meredith hung out together, and in her interview, Lisa said that she’d met Meredith on a friendship board blind date when she first moved to Utah. While Whitney was out with Mary, she got an invite from Jen to Meredith’s birthday party. Mary didn’t think she’d be invited because of the hospital smell thing, and Whitney was like, oops. At the end of the invite, it said not to tell anyone. You’d think the invitation would have led with that. By the end of the lunch, Mary also got an invite. In Jen’s interview, she said she hadn’t wanted to invite Mary, but Mary was on Meredith’s guest list. Heather said she went to college with Lisa, but Jen said Lisa apparently didn’t remember her, which irritated Heather to no end. She told Jen that she felt dismissed by Lisa, and Jen called Lisa a Mormon 2.0. Heather said she was Mormon bullsh*t. Meredith’s son told his father that he didn’t know who Prince was, and I hoped to God he was kidding, since it didn’t look like he lived on the moon. Meredith’s husband had to work in Chicago, where his business was located, but arranged for the entire bedroom to be covered in rose petals on her birthday. And I mean covered. It was like wall-to-wall, and I actually thought it was a little gross. In Meredith’s interview, she said she would rather her husband be there in person.
I have to give Jen credit, she was pushing around a Swiffer before the party. In her interview, she said her parties were a grand transformation, and she had a red carpet situation set up. Meredith said she knew the party was for her birthday, but the reality was, it wasn’t a party for her. In her interview, she said she’d never make a grand entrance at a party she was throwing for someone else. Jen even had Tongan dancers put on a performance to celebrate her own heritage. It was kind of weird. Jen confronted Mary, saying she’d been offended by Mary saying she smelled like a hospital when her aunt was having her legs amputated. She expected an apology, but Mary just said the smell took her to a dark place, and couldn’t see what the big deal was. Jen went into another room, closed the door, and went apesh*t.
This season, Heather will cut a bitch; if follow you follow the commandments, you will be wealthy and blessed; Mary leads a church service; being good Mormon isn’t easy; there’s darkness under the crust of perfection; Meredith’s husband thinks she’d hiding something, and leaves; and a fight at a spa.
🏃🏽♀️ Moving On…
Jumping over the hump and heading toward what the world once called a weekend, and now calls, when will the bar open to full capacity again? Even at a quarter capacity, stay safe, stay thanking our veterans, and stay not throwing a party for yourself when it’s someone else’s birthday.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
No surprise, I missed the part before the opening credits. Here’s what you need to know. Ned showed up at Alexis’s house, and asked if she’d been drunk the night they slept together. Jordan and Curtis went to an abandoned house that Curtis said had been surrounded by guards just a few weeks ago. Inside, it looked pretty empty, except for some covered furniture. They snooped around. Cyrus approached Lulu at the hospital, and she said she had no time for him. He said she needed to make time, since he was in a position to make her life very difficult. Dante listened in. Robert found Anna in the chapel, and she told him what happened with Alex, and instead of saying, hey, how are you feeling about all that? he asked if she’d found out who Peter’s mother was. Willow arrived at the hospital, and that’s where I came in.
Willow hugs Chase, saying, when she heard the news, she had to see him. She asks how Finn is, and Chase says he’s still in surgery. They have to remove the bullet, and drain the fluid around Finn’s heart. There was more of an explanation, but most of it went over his head. Willow says she’s sorry, and he says, it’s all so crazy. His mom was in town. All this time, he’s wanted Finn to reunite with her, and Finn finally changed his mind. She asks if it went well, and he says, it was awkward at first, but it got better. He could see what his family would look like, and feel Finn letting his guard down. They were talking about introducing Anna and Violet to his mom, and he thought they finally did it. They took the first step to being a family, and maybe they could invite his dad soon. She says she knows it’s been Chase’s goal for a long time, getting his brother and parents in the same room. She’s glad he got to have that one moment. He says, all night long, he kept thinking, what if wasn’t the first time he had his family together? What if it was the last time he ever sees his brother?
Anna asks if Robert ever stops his relentless obsession with Peter. She just killed her sister. Alex was trying to kill her, but she still ended Alex’s life, and she has to deal with it. She was up all night, holding her breath, hoping Alex didn’t manage to kill Finn, not thinking about who Peter’s mother is. She’s just hoping Finn pulls through. Does he understand? She had enough. He says, she’s right. He’s sorry, for what it’s worth (🍷). She says, it’s not worth much right now, and he says, Finn has made it so far. She has no reason to believe he won’t pull through. Anna takes his hand, and says, the thought of losing Finn… She starts to cry.
Maxie says she’s loved Peter hanging by her side, but she’s been checked and rechecked. She’s fine. The baby is fine. You know who’s not fine? His mom. He should be with her. Peter says Anna said she’d be better off if he was with Maxie, and Maxie says, typical Anna, putting other’s needs before her own. Anna was incredible rescuing her from Alex. She doesn’t know where she’d be if Anna hadn’t shown up.
Cyrus tells Lulu, her article implies that his motives run counter to what’s best for the hospital, and he has a secret agenda. It’s sheer speculation. She says he’s shutting out employees that have a relationship with the Corinthos family. She got it word for word from her confidential source. Cyrus says he knows she’s baiting him, and asks if she was hoping for an angry outburst. Is she trying to pick a fight with him? Dante appears, and tells Cyrus to back off.
Willow says, poor Violet, and Chase says, Violet doesn’t know any of this. Willow says she totally understands him thinking about the worst case scenario, but he needs to focus on the good things. How Finn changed after Violet came into his life. He says, Finn is so serious about being a dad. Who talks to their kid like they’re in an office for a consultation? His brother, that’s who. It’s funny; Violet loves it. When Finn shows up for a tea party in a three-piece suit, Violet is in heaven. Willow says, of course (🍷) she is. That’s her dad. Chase says he sees the way Violet looks at Finn. She adores her dad so much. How would he… If it came to that, and he had to be the guy, how would he tell her? Willow says she doesn’t think the worst will happen, but if Finn doesn’t make it, she has no doubt he’ll step up for Violet, the same way he did for her. Grief is grief, no matter how old you are. When she found out her baby was gone, he helped her through it, and she knows he has it in him to do the same for Violet.
Epiphany tells Anna, the surgery is over. They removed the bullet, and drained the fluid, with no further complications. Finn is still critical, but stable. Anna thanks her, and says she knows Epiphany is in administration now, and hopes she doesn’t get in trouble. Epiphany says, let Cyrus and Britt come after her. She’s not about to push papers around when her friend is fighting for his life – not in her hospital. She says Anna should be able to see Finn soon, and leaves. Robert says he knows he’s famous for putting his foot in his mouth, but there’s nothing wrong with his shoulder. It’s there for her to lean on. She hugs him.
Willow bets it would make Chase feel better to know how Violet is, and he agrees. Anna joins them, and tells Chase that Finn is out of surgery. He got through the worst. They hug, and Anna takes Willow’s hand with her free one.
Olivia arrives at the hospital, and sees Robert. She says, thank God he’s okay. She asks how Anna is, and he says Finn is out of surgery. It looks like he’s going to make a complete recovery.Anna can finally relax. He needs to work on his timing though. She asks, why? What happened? and he says, if Olivia had turned up sooner, she would have saved him from making a mess with Anna. Olivia says, what did he do?
Ned tells Alexis, he was so wrapped up in his own problems, he didn’t notice what was going on with her. He never put two and two together, and realized it was vodka in her glass. She tells him, stop. The last thing she needs is another well-intentioned gatekeeper. He says, tell him what to do. She’s his friend, and if she’s in trouble, he’s not going to walk away. She says she wishes he would. She doesn’t want help. He says she’s an alcoholic who’s drinking again. He’s worried about her. She asks if he’s worried about her drinking, or worried she’ll slip and tell Olivia that they had sex.
Jordan takes the cover off of a sofa, and Curtis says he found this, showing her an oxygen tank. It was upstairs. He found this too. He shows her some medicine vials, and he says, the bedroom was like a makeshift hospital. She says she’ll see if they can find traces of whatever drug was in the vials. He says, a formerly well-guarded house, with a designated hospital room. They need to find out who the patient was. She says, if that’s what they were. It’s possible they were drugged.
Lulu asks what Dante is doing there, and Cyrus says he heard Dante was back in town. Dante says, good news travels fast, and Cyrus says Lulu must be thrilled to have her husband back. Lulu says Dante is her ex-husband, and Cyrus says, his mistake. And it just so happens that Dante is Sonny’s son, which means Sonny and the mayor share grandchildren. Lulu asks what his point is, and he says, maybe it’s not his relationship with the Corinthos family she should be worried about. Maybe it’s the mayor’s relationship with them. He wonders how the average voter would feel, and if they’d reconsider their support if they knew how close the mayor was with Sonny. Food for thought. He walks off, and Dante asks if Lulu is okay. She asks if he’s kidding. She’s furious – with him. What did he think he was doing?
Finn opens his eyes, and Anna says, there you are. She was waiting for him. Finn says, then they’re even. She takes his hand and kisses it. He sighs.
Anna tells Finn that Maxie is at the hospital, but it’s just a precaution. She’s fine and the baby is too. He says, what about Alex? and Anna says she caught up with Alex. She was headed for open water, and a rendezvous with someone. They exchanged fire, and she hit Alex. She followed Alex out to the deck, there was more gunfire, and she hit Alex again, but when she turned her back, Alex threw herself into the water. He says, so she’s dead? and Anna says, yes. Everyone is safe. He asks where Violet is, and she says, Violet is with Alexis. She didn’t tell Violet that he was hurt. She just thinks he’s working. She can’t wait to bring him home. She looks at his vitals, and he asks if he’s going to need another surgery. She says she doesn’t think so, and he struggles to sit up. He asks what she isn’t telling him.
Maxie says, no one ever hung onto hope harder than Anna did last night. The worst is over. She tells Peter, she’s so lucky. It’s crazy to think Alex could have taken everything, and she has no idea why. Peter flashes back to talking to Alex posing as Anna in Charlie’s. He remembers Alex telling him, they may blend in, but they’re ambitious, and need greater than what the world is capable of offering. Normal and every day don’t apply to him. Trust her to help him become the man he was destined to be. Maxie says, earth to Peter. Other than Anna, is there any other connection between him and Alex? He says, other than being his aunt, they have nothing in common.
Chase asks Epiphany if his brother is really okay. Anna said he was, but she’s not a doctor. Epiphany says, neither is she, but Chase says she is a medical professional. She says his brother is going to be okay, but she bets he’d welcome a visit from Chase. He thanks her, and tells Willow, all he could think about was the things he and Finn would never get to do, and Willow says, sounds like he has a new plan. He says he and Finn or so different. Finn won’t want to go ice fishing with him, or do things like that. She says, you never know until you ask. He got a second chance. It’s probably best not to waste it. He says, it’s not often people get a second chance.
Lulu says, that’s the second time Dante has interfered with her job. He asks if he’s supposed to stand back and do nothing, and she says, yes. She doesn’t want him sweeping in, trying to protect her. He gave her everything she needed, but wouldn’t let her keep it. There’s nothing to protect her from that could possibly hurt more than what he did to her. She walks away.
Anna tells Finn, it’s just everything. When she saw him lying on the ground after Alex shot him, and when Alex left her to die with Valentin in the warehouse. She realized, not for the first time, that life is fleeting. She wants to spend hers with him. She’d like to be his wife, and have him be her husband. It’s just that Violet thinks a big fancy wedding with all the trimmings is the thing to do. She doesn’t think so. Why are they waiting? Why not dodge the hoopla, and get married? Isn’t that the lesson he wants to teach Violet? Love isn’t an expensive gown, or how you decorate the church, or a big cake. Although she does think they should have cake. Their love is what they have, and they don’t need over-the-top trimmings to make it special. She starts to cry, and says when she was walking around outside, waiting for him to get out of surgery last night, she had to face the real fact that she could lose him. Finn says he loves her, and she says she loves him too. He says, she just wants to marry as fast as humanly possible, and Anna says, in a heartbeat
Willow says, it’s probably best if Chase hears it from her. She and Michael are getting an annulment. He says he thought they were happy together, and she says, they are, but they got married to protect Wiley. Now Nelle is no longer a threat, so they agreed to annul the marriage. He asks if she’s still going to act as Wiley’s mother, and she says she’s filling out the paperwork to adopt Wiley. He wonders what that means for her and Michael moving forward. Anna comes by, and says, sorry to interrupt, but Chase’s brother would like to him. He thanks Willow for being there, and she says he’s more than welcome. Give Finn her best. Chase leaves, and Anna says, it’s nice of her to be there for Chase. She wasn’t good company last night. Willow says it’s understandable Anna would be scared, and she thought Chase could use a friend. Anna says, life sometimes has a way of taking the people we love out from under us, but that doesn’t mean we have to agree to let them go.
Robert tells Olivia, he ran into Anna in the chapel while Finn was in surgery. He asked about her sister, and she told him, then he got stuck. He fell back on one of his single-minded issues; one of his old acts. Olivia says she’s shocked, and Robert says he knows it’s hard to imagine. Anna let him have it. She says, he and Anna started sparring a long time ago, but he says, this time was different. Anna was really hurting, and he wasn’t paying attention. She says it sounds like he did Anna a favor, and he says, how so? She says, Anna has a lot to be angry about; her sister trying to kill her; Alex shooting her fiancé, and kidnapping Maxie. She has all this anger rolling around inside, and she knows he loves her, so he’s a safe place to vent. Anna knows he won’t run away. He doesn’t know if Anna sees that way, but Olivia says, it doesn’t matter. Robert gave her a gift, whether what happened was his intention or not. He’s a good friend. He says Olivia is too.
Curtis looks around, and sees a paper sticking out of a baseboard. He pulls it out, looks at it, and crumples it. Jordan comes downstairs, and says, they’ve searched, and there’s not one piece of information to connect Cyrus to whoever lived there. Someone was thorough in covering their tracks. He says, they can’t give up. There’s got to be something. He looks in the fireplace (I’m shocked that wasn’t one of the first places he looked), and says he’s got something. A postcard. The name is burned off, but he can still read the message. Thinking of them every day. Hoping their health is improving, and that they’ll be better by the time he gets there. He promises a plan is in play, and it won’t be much longer before he’s there. Hang in there, and remember I love you. Cyrus. Jordan says, his Achille’s heel. She wonders who Cyrus sent the postcard to, if they’re alive, and if they can find them.
Lulu visits Maxie, and says she’s so happy the baby is okay. Dante waves from the doorway, but stays in the hallway. Peter approaches him, and says, once Lulu goes home, Maxie is going to take a nap. She’s been through one hell of an ordeal. Dante says he’s glad to see she’s doing well. He keeps walking, and Maxie calls to Peter, telling him that she’s having a craving. She’s thinking chips from the vending machine, and asks if he’d mind getting them. He leaves, and Maxie says, okay. Peter is in hover mode, so the clock is ticking. It’s time for Lulu to tell her what’s going on with her and Dante. Lulu says, forget Dante. She wants to talk baby shower. Maxie says she wants yellow. Now that’s been decided. Let’s talk Dante. Lulu says, there’s nothing to tell, and Maxie says, right. Okay, sure. Lulu says, Dante’s intentions are good, but he has a hero streak that’s been in overdrive mode since he came back. He’s been showing up, and getting in the way of her work. He’s interfered twice. Maxie says, outrageous, and Lulu says, she told him to cut it out. She doesn’t need him. Maxie says, what if he needs her?
Dante joins Olivia and Robert, and Olivia asks if Maxie and the baby are okay. Dante says they’re doing fine, and Olivia says, from the look on his face, she thought something was wrong. Dante says, it’s work stuff, and she says he didn’t tell her that Jordan had hired him back. He says he’s not actually with the PCPD. He’s working for TheInvader, doing security. That’s where he’s headed. She says she’ll see him later, and they hug. Olivia tells Robert, it feels like a dream. Her son is back in Port Charles. He’s going to work, and living his life. He’s home, and he’s safe, all because Robert gave him back to her.
Ned says he’s not afraid of what Alexis might say to Olivia. He’s genuinely concerned about her drinking. Alexis says, let her make it perfectly clear. She has no intention of telling Olivia. If and when Ned decides to, it’s up to him. He says, it’s not like it’s going to happen again. They’re not having an affair. It was a one-time thing. Olivia never has to know. Alexis says he’ll probably tell her, but she’ll get over it. She loves Ned. Ned says he’s not going to hurt Olivia in order to clear his conscience, and Alexis says, take it from her, it’s soul crushing to find out the person you love has a secret. Make damn sure Olivia doesn’t find out from someone else.
Willow asks if Epiphany has a minute, and Epiphany says she doesn’t have any more information on Finn. Willow says, it’s not about that. The hospital cut back her teaching hours, and she misses the kids. She’s considering applying to the nurse’s program. She can still work with kids, and translate her experience with her former job. Epiphany says, the world needs good nurses, but Willow will have to go back and start from scratch. Willow says she didn’t think there was a shortcut. She’s at a crossroad. She loves teaching; it’s fulfilling. Epiphany says she can understand Willow’s attraction to the program, and if she wants to talk, Willow knows where to find her. She goes back to work, and Willow looks through the room window at Chase and Finn.
Finn sees Chase by his bed, and says he’s not as pretty as Anna. Chase says Anna was really worried last night. He kind of was too. He sits down, and asks what’s with Finn acting like a superhero. Leave that to the professionals. And just because he’s emotional doesn’t change the fact that Finn is a gigantic pain in the ass. Finn says, back at him, and Chase says, before they met, he wanted to know what Finn was like. He used to have idiotic fantasies about brother bonding. Finn says, then they met, and he let Chase down. Chase says he was extremely disappointed. He thought Finn was cold and arrogant. Finn says he’s heard that before, and Chase says, he was no fun. He didn’t like camping or football, none of the brother stuff he thought they’d do. Finn says he’s sorry he wasn’t the big brother Chase dreamed about, but Chase says, don’t be sorry. Once he let go of the brother he imagined, and started to know the brother he actually has, Finn exceeded expectations. He’s a phenomenal doctor, and any time Chase is down, there’s that annoying knock on the door. He’s seen Finn with Violet, and it makes him excited to be a dad one day. As far as brothers go, Finn’s not so bad. Finn says Chase is growing on him too.
Anna sees Peter, and he asks if she’s there to see Maxie, but she says she wants to see him. Can they talk? He says she sounds serious, and she says, kind of. It’s about Alex.
Epiphany goes to Finn’s room, and he says he thought Epiphany had been moved to administration, and she says, they don’t see her, right? Chase says, no ma’am; they don’t. Finn thanks her, but she says, again, she’s not there, and he’s welcome. She wouldn’t be anywhere else, but she should probably get back to work. Chase says, one more thing. Does she know why ants never get sick? (*Answer below.) She says, really? She’s been up all night, don’t tell her a bad joke that was kicking around for decades before he was born. He says he thought his dad made it up, and she says, his brother doesn’t need to be laughing in his condition. No more jokes. She tells someone in the hall that she took Finn’s vitals; they can go in. Finn asks what they’re doing there. (*They have anty bodies.)
Dante goes to Peter’s office, and sneaks around. He looks through a folder on Peter’s desk.
Peter asks what Anna needs to tell him about Alex. She says she wanted to reassure him of the promise she made last night. Alex is no longer a threat to anyone. Not him, Maxie, or the baby; they’re all safe now. He says there’s something he has to admit. The longer Alex had Maxie, the more his dark impulses were pounding in his head. If Anna hadn’t rescued Maxie, he doesn’t know what he would have been capable of.
Jordan tells Curtis, she’ll see if they can ID who it is. They weren’t a prisoner. Someone has gone to ta lot of trouble to protect someone. The front doorknob jiggles, and they hide. When the door opens, Jordan and Curtis jump out, guns drawn. It’s Laura.
Tomorrow, Franco asks if Scotty is going to help him or not, Valentin tells Anna that she can’t tell Finn, and Sonny asks Cyrus if something is going on with the hospital that he doesn’t want public.
But maybe not until the next life. While we’re still in this one, stay safe, stay on top of your to-do list, and stay leaving being a superhero to the professionals.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
At the MetroCourt, Carly tells Bobbie, she should sue. Diane would gladly take the case. Bobbie says, another lawsuit would only hurt the hospital, and Carly says the hospital fired her. Bobbie says, Cyrus fired her, but Carly says, they both know he had help. They look over to see Valentin sitting with Martin.
Valentin thinks Martin should have a shot. After the antics of his last client, he could use one. Martin says he’s sure he doesn’t know what Valentin means, and Valentin wonders if Nelle’s latest disappearing act is for real.
Sam tells Jason, her actions caused Bobbie and Monica to be fired, but Jason thinks it’s reaching just a little bit. She says, is it? She gave Valentin consent to vote Danny and Scout’s proxy. He says, and she was assigned a new parole officer. She says, so he was able to move back in, and that’s great, but it left the hospital open for Cyrus’s control. He thinks it’s her fault, doesn’t he?
Alexis looks at the syringe, now sitting in a plastic bag. Julian says, the police are on their way to pick up the evidence. She says she’s not sure why, since it was accidental. He says, maybe he should take it, and reaches for it, but Alexis snatches it up. He says because of the prevalence of opioid deaths, the police are treating all drug induced OD’s as homicides.
Jordan asks why Cyrus murdered Neil, and he says, I beg your pardon? She says, it’s a simple question, and she’s not wearing a wire. He can speak freely. Why did he kill Neil? He says, all right; he’ll play along. Who’s Neil? She says he died of an OD, with no prior history of drug use, and he says, by definition, addicts are good at hiding their addiction. She says, like Bob and Mark? and he says, how hypocritical of them. They planted the evidence that framed him for being a drug lord, when they were sampling the wares. He can’t thank her enough for exposing their corruption. She says she doesn’t know what game he’s playing, but what’s the connection between him and Neil?
Josslyn, Cameron, and Trina go to Charlie’s. Trina goes over to say hello to Ava at the bar, and Josslyn says she’s been meaning to tell Cameron that she knows. He says, okay… She says now that she knows, they don’t have to be weird. She and Trina talked through everything, and she’s totally cool with it.
Alexis asks Julian if she’s supposed to believe Neil was a user all this time, when she had no idea. Not when he was her therapist, not when they were stumbling through their relationship, not even when he was in her own bed, but apparently, he was. There was the bloodwork, a puncture wound, and now Julian found the syringe under her bed. Julian suggests he hang on to it until the police get there, and Alexis says she was so certain that she was making a better choice. It turns out she was just falling for a better liar.
Valentin doesn’t suppose part of Martin’s service was to hustle Nelle off to an undisclosed location. Martin says, no, and Valentin wonders if he’s not saying anything because of professional ethics, or because Nelle owes him money.
Carly says, when Valentin took over, his first act was to bail on the hospital, opening the door to Cyrus. His second act was to fire Michael. Bobbie says, and now he’s having a drink in Carly’s restaurant. She doesn’t think so. Bobbie stomps over to Valentin’s table, and says she had the misfortune to marry his brother Stephan. He was bad, but Valentin is infinitely worse, handing the hospital over to the likes of Cyrus. He says, sorry, and she says she wants to smack the smirk off his face. Carly says she’s right behind Bobbie, and Brick walks in. He says, no doubt. It looks like he got there just in time.
Alexis tells Julian, she didn’t know Neil was an addict, but she’s good at spotting other addicts, since she is one. It’s like a funhouse, with everyone distorted in their own unique way. Julian says she doesn’t know for sure Neil was an addict. He could have been a recreational user; those people exist. Or he could have been a high-functioning addict. Plenty of successful people are. Alexis says she doesn’t know anything right now. She’s going to drive herself crazy, going over every detail of what Neil did or didn’t do. Julian says, from what he’s seen, Neil was a complicated guy dealing with a lot, including his emotions and feelings for her. Alexis gives him a look.
Ava says Trina has been holding out on her. She’s so talented. Her performance with her friends at the Nurses Ball was spectacular. Trina asks if Ava and Nikolas had a good time, and Ava says she knows what Trina is doing. Trina doesn’t have to look out for her. She and Nikolas know where they stand with each other.
Cameron asks Josslyn what everything she’s talking about, and Josslyn says, don’t worry. Trina says it’s not a big deal. He says, good to know, and she says she doesn’t want him to feel he has to keep it secret. Portia walks in, and Trina tells Ava that her counselor said she could get additional credit for working at the gallery, so she can give Ava ten extra hours. Ava appreciates her enthusiasm, but thinks Trina should speak to her mother. She might have other plans. Portia asks, does Trina mind if she and Ava take a moment to catch up? Trina asks if Portia promises to be nice, and Portia asks if Trina promises to be nice to Curtis. Train tells her, try not to break anything too expensive. Ava tells Portia, if this is about Trina asking for more hours, she said Trina needed to clear it with her first. Portia says she’ll bring that up later, but first, they need to talk.
Cyrus tells Jordan, he’s not aware of any connection between him and Neil. The first time he’s heard Neil’s name is when she said it just now. She says his innocent act is wasted on her, since he kidnapped her son, and made her turn a blind eye to his drug shipment getting through. He says he’s never kidnapped anyone in his life, and no one can make her do anything. She’s always had the power to make her own choices. She says, Neil died under similar circumstances to Mark and Bob; the same pattern. Cyrus says, people die all the time. That doesn’t mean he had a hand in it. She says, unless they were his drugs. Then he’s legally responsible. He says she exonerated him. Although now, she comes to him late at night, hurling accusations and innuendos, reviving a vendetta against an innocent man.
Jason says it sounds like Sam wants him to be angry with her, but she says she wants him to tell the truth. He asks when he’s lied to her, and she says, never. He doesn’t say anything, and she says, ELQ was supposed to bail out the hospital. She should have known Valentin was up to something. All she cared about was getting a new parole officer, and getting to spend time with him. He says she’s only responsible for the proxy she signed over to Valentin. Valentin took control of the majority, and it was his decision not to help GH. Those were his actions, not hers. She says, it was selfish. She got what she wanted, and because of her actions, people she cares about are paying for it.
Julian tells Alexis, he knows more than most people that it’s complicated to lead a double life. Neil was confused, and he may have been confused about a number of things, but he knows that Neil genuinely cared for her. She says, dying in her bed was a funny way to show it, and he tells her, she has no idea how many secrets Neil might have been keeping, but anyone could tell his feelings for her were genuine. She says he should go. She appreciates him coming by, but can’t have him there to turn to. He says, that’s different. If she needs anything, let him know. For what it’s worth, he’s sorry it happened. It was nice to see her happy again.
Trina sits back down, and Josslyn says she told Cameron what they talked about, so they’re all on the same page. No more secrets. Trina says she’s glad to hear it, and Cameron says, excellent.
Ava tells Portia, with all due respect, she’s already apologized for overstepping with Trina. Portia says, she did, and Ava says she’s not sure what more she can do. Portia says she realized she came on strong, and made assumptions about Ava’s motivations. Ava says, as a mother, in protecting one’s child, you can never be too careful; she understands. Portia says, whatever Ava’s motivation in helping Trina, she realizes it came from a genuine place, and thanks her. Trina’s work at the gallery is grounding, and she realizes it’s even more important now, in the wake of her father’s death. She believes Ava when she says her intentions were honorable. Ava says she appreciates that, and Portia says, but she doesn’t believe Ava has led an honorable life. She won’t prevent Trina from working at the gallery, but won’t be taking her eyes off Trina either.
Cyrus says Jordan exonerating him doesn’t seem that long ago He doesn’t think he dreamed it or imagined it. She says he threatened to kill her son unless she did what he wanted, and he says, what imagination she has. He’s making a fresh start, and exploring the possibilities available to a free man. He tells her, thank you, waits, then says, say you’re welcome. She says he’s made himself welcome enough. He doesn’t need to hear her say it. Since he’s an innocent man leading an innocent life, he doesn’t require the police commissioner. She’s met the terms of their extremely one-sided agreement, and they’re done. He tells her, don’t be so sure.
Sam asks if Jason is telling her that he’s okay with what she did. Jason says he hates that Monica and Bobbie lost their jobs; it’s awful and unfortunate, but it’s not permanent. She asks how he’s so sure, and he says, Cyrus is testing the truce already. When he breaks it, he’s gone. She says, what about Valentin? and he says, the Quartermaines have lost control of ELQ before. They’ll get it back. Michael is smart, with a cool head, and he’s not distracted by the custody case anymore. She says, it really doesn’t bother him that her actions are what set things in motion?
Jason says, it’s not like Valentin gave Sam a choice. He knows she acted in good faith. It’s done. It’s over. She can’t change it. Let’s just move on. Her phone rings, and she says, it’s Julian. He has the worst timing. She tells Julian that she’s in the middle of something. What does he want? He says he was at her mother’s. He just left, and Neil’s OD is hitting her hard. He found a syringe under her bed. They both know he’s not the right person to be with her mother, but Alexis shouldn’t be alone. Sam says she’ll be right over, and thanks him. She tells Jason what happened, and he says he’ll go with her.
Officer Gonzalez comes downstairs, and tells Alexis, there was no other paraphernalia, but forensics wants to look around. Alexis says she’s not going to be sleeping up there anytime soon, and Officer Gonzalez says if they have any more questions, they’ll contact her. Alexis says she’s fresh out of answers.
Cyrus says he appreciates Jordan’s faith in him adjusting to life outside, but it takes time, especially after such a long stretch. She tells him not to sell himself short. Clearly her services are no longer required. He says she’s gone from callous pessimist to wide-eyed optimist. She needs to split the difference, and become a pragmatist. An old friend might come in handy. Isn’t that what she was thinking when she invited Taggert back to town, or did she feel it was a mistake? Another hasty decision. Look at the damage that was done to that poor man.
Martin says, amusing as it might be to watch them deck his client, he’d be compelled to call the cops. Carly tells Bobbie, they’ll leave Valentin alone, and invites Brick to have a drink. Valentin says, good idea, and she says no one asked him. Bobbie tells Carly that Scotty is taking her out to dinner, and leaves. Martin tells Valentin, let it go, but Valentin says Bobbie is wrong. He’s nothing like Stephan, who was consumed with ghosts. Martin asks if Valentin’s ghosts are under control, and Valentin says he doesn’t believe in ghosts. Martin says he’d like to know why Julian was looking for him; does he miss his wife? Valentin says, Julian is looking to get out of a marriage of crippling inconvenience, which leads him to wonder what leverage Nelle had to get Julian to marry her in the first place. He had the impression the leverage was in Martin’s possession. Is it?
Ava says, normally if someone spoke to her like that, she’d tell them to go to hell. She’d say they don’t know about her, or what been through in her dishonorable life. Portia asks if that’s what Ava is telling her, but Ava says, on the contrary. If she was in Portia’s shoes, and her daughter was working for a woman with her… colorful past, she’d be… Portia says, cautious? and Ava says, livid. She’d never take her eyes off her daughter. As a mother, there’s nothing more important than a child’s safety or happiness. Trina is determined to work extra hours, but Portia should feel free to say no. Portia wonders if Ava is asking her to turn Trina down, but Ava says, no, but don’t feel obligated. Portia says, seven days is a big ask, and Ava says, if they start to drive each other crazy, she’ll send Trina on an errand. Portia says, when Trina returns with coffee in five minutes, what then? and Ava says she’ll send Trina to Tokyo to pick up on what’s trendy. That will take longer. Portia says, Ava is kidding, right? She does have a couple of requests. She asks Ava to keep an eye on Trina, and if she’s there to work, make her work. Ava says, of course (🍷). As if she could stop Trina. The gallery might seem like a placid boutique, but there’s a lot to do. She tells Portia, feel free to pop in and check up on Trina. Portia is sure it won’t be necessary, and Ava says, yet she has the feeling Portia will. Portia says, at least once a week. Maybe more. Ava says she’s always welcome, and Portia thanks her. Trina asks if everything is okay, and Portia says she’s giving Trina permission to work extra hours.
Julian comes in, and Ava says she hears congratulations are in order. He asks, for what? and she says she heard his wife – who makes her look like Mother Teresa – is gone. Why is he in a foul mood? He should be celebrating the end of his hellish marriage. He says his hellish marriage is far from being over. She asks what Nelle did now, and he says she claimed to have left a letter detailing his role in Wiley’s kidnapping with her lawyer. Until he gets the letter, he’s on borrowed time. She says Julian should have let her kill Nelle when she offered.
Sam says she thought Alexis was going to stay at their place, but Alexis says she couldn’t. Sam says Julian called her; she’s so sorry, Alexis wonders how she couldn’t know, and Sam tells her, don’t blame herself. Alexis asks how someone who presents themselves as a decent, wonderful person could do something like that? How could he?
Martin says his hypothetical sometimes client – he’s not naming names… Valentin says, Nelle, and Martin says, it’s hypothetical. Valentin suggests Medea, and Martin says, Medea it is. Medea has left some loose ends, providing actual proof of her departure is permanent. Martin doesn’t know what Valentin’s interest is, so why should he share secrets? Valentin says, Nelle is currently a friendless fugitive wanted for murder and attempted kidnapping, and wonders if Martin’s ability to keep secrets is based on the size of the retainer. Martin says he’ll take care Nelle’s affairs in any way he pleases, and Valentin says, just make sure his take precedence.
Carly asks if Sonny called Brick, but Brick says he was on his way to another assignment. He had time to stop by and say hello to Sonny. She asks if Sonny knows he’s in town, and he says he was at Turning Woods earlier. She says then he knows what’s going on with Mike, and he says, sadly, he does.
Julian tells Ava that Nelle left the letter with her attorney Martin, and Ava says, ugh. That man is a reptile in a linen suit. If Nelle left the letter with him, and it incriminates Julian, Martin will absolutely use it for his own gain. He says that’s why she’s going with him to help find it.
Trian asks Portia if she can stay longer, and Josslyn says her driver will drop Trina off. Portia tells Trina to text when she’s on her way, and not after Curfew. Trina says, definitely.
Cyrus says Jordan saw how Taggert’s poor family suffered. First, by his violent death, and then when she revealed how honorable Taggert was anything but. The shame rained down on that man’s family… But fortunately, families are resilient. Take hers for instance. She tells him, stay away from her family, and he says, or what? She says she doesn’t know. Neither of them know what she might be capable of. She doesn’t want to find out; does he? He says he’s sure it won’t come to that. Isn’t the motto of every police force to serve and protect? That’s what’s going to happen between them. She says, in serving, she’ll also protect him? and he says, that’s everybody’s job on the force, right? He tells her, goodnight. Oh, and if she ever decides to drop by for another late night chat, ask herself if it’s worth his trouble. She walks out.
Jordan runs into Portia outside of Charlie’s, and asks how Trina is. Portia says, fine. She’s loving her job, her friends, and school, so Portia can’t complain. Nothing will take away losing her father, but it does give her the structure she needs to heal and work through it. Jordan asks if there’s anything she can do, but Portia says nothing short of clearing Taggert’s name will satisfy Trina. Jordan wishes that were possible, and Portia says, there is one thing she’d like to clear the air about. She knows Curtis told Jordan about their conversation. Jordan says he did, and Portia says she wanted Jordan to know, woman to woman, she shouldn’t have brought up something that was clearly in the past. She has no designs on Jordan’s husband. Jordan laughs, and says she appreciates Portia making that clear.
Julian messes with the lock on Martin’s office door, and says Ava knows what to do, right? She says, if she sees something, text something, and tells him to make sure he notices. She asks if he has a secret spy code, and he says he doesn’t think that would make him look more innocent. She asks if he’s sure there’s no alarm, he says he’s not. He gets the door open, and she says, hurry up. He goes into the office.
Alexis says when she was lying next to Neil, and they were planning their future, he was waiting for her to fall asleep so he could shoot up. Jason says she doesn’t know what Neil was thinking, and Sam says, Jason is right. She doesn’t know what was going through Neil’s mind at the time. Alexis agrees, and says, Neil was a multitasker. He could have been planning his life and thinking about shooting up at the same time. Sam says Alexis sounds morbid, and she doesn’t want Alexis to be by herself. She suggests Alexis come home with them, but Alexis doesn’t think it’s a good idea. Jason says, Danny and Scout love having her there, and she’d be close to Sam, but Alexis says she has a lot of feelings right now, and they’re not pretty. She doesn’t want to have them in front of her grandchildren. Sam says she’ll stay there, but Alexis says, no. Jason just got home, and Sam should be home with her family. Sam doesn’t feel good leaving Alexis, but Alexis says she needs privacy. Sam says if she starts feeling depressed, or more depressed, call. Or call if she feels like drinking. Alexis says, yes to all of it, and thanks them for coming by. She and Sam hug.
While Josslyn is away from the table, Cameron says he can’t believe Trina told Josslyn about… you know. She says she didn’t want it to be a deep, dark secret. Now that it’s out in the open, it’s no big deal. He says he doesn’t want everyone talking, and she says, Josslyn isn’t everyone, and only three people know. He says, you know what they say about three people keeping a secret. In order for them to do it, two of them have to be… She says, what? and he says, never mind. Josslyn comes back, and says she has the best idea about the three of them.
Julian rifles through Martin’s files. Ava hears Martin telling Valentin that he is billing him for this. She texts, GET OUT NOW!!! three times. They get close to the door, and Ava tries to send another message, but it says communication failure. Martin puts his key in the lock, and Julian realizes they’re coming in.
Carly tells Brick, Sonny gave Mike one last afternoon at the track. It was good for him to be around the horses, and it was special to Sonny. Brick says he always admired Sonny, but seeing him care for Mike, being there for him, he admires Sonny even more. Carly says Brick was the one who helped Sonny step up for Mike. It was like using a Lamborghini as a golf cart. He says he was honored to help, but if he looks better to her, that’s even better. She says, it’s not fair. He comes there, flirts with her, and takes off on another mission. He asks if she’s telling him to stop, and she says, not a chance. They clink glasses.
Julian hides, and the fire alarm goes off. We see Ava has pulled it, like we didn’t guess that. Martin says, what the hell…?
Josslyn says, it’s almost homecoming, and suggests they all go together. Cameron says, the three of them? and Josslyn says, the four of them. They can’t forget Dev. Cameron and Trina say, sure they can, and Josslyn says they can still dress up and have fun, but no romantic drama. And they won’t have to worry about who they’ll kiss at the end of the night. Trina says, good idea, and Cameron says, he’s in.
Jordan tells Portia, forget she brought up the past. It’s better for them to move on with no tiptoeing around things. Their only worry is that Trina is still blaming Curtis for Tagger’s death. Portia says she keeps telling Trina that she’s dishonoring her father’s wishes, but does she listen? Jordan says, she’s more stubborn than Taggert is. Portia says, was. She still does that too; talk like he’s still there. Trina is young and headstrong, but one day she’ll realize there are few men with as much integrity as Curtis. Jordan says that’s kind of her to say, and Portia says, of course (🍷) Jordan and Curtis are lucky to have found each other.
Julian asks Ava, what happened? She says she had no reception, so she pulled the alarm. Why should he be the only one committing a felony? Julian says, if Martin has the letter, it’s not in his office.
In Martin’s office, Valentin says, someone was looking for something, and Martin says, obviously. The lookout probably pulled the fire alarm. In any case – he pulls the ELQ folder out of a drawer, and takes another from his briefcase – here’s everything Valentin needs to sign. Just put his John Hancock there. Valentin says Martin had it right there? and Martin says, except the final revision of the offer in question. He would have brought that too, but he didn’t know he’d be seeing Valentin. He makes a practice never to be apart from his most sensitive documents. We see Nelle’s letter in his briefcase.
On the phone, Cyrus asks Walker where they are on the new Chief of Staff. He can’t wait to meet them in person. He tells Walker that Neil OD’d, and wonders where he got the drugs that killed him. I wouldn’t be surprised if Neil had been Cyrus’s therapist, since Cyrus is so au currant.
Alexis looks at a glass of water, but sees a shot. She says, one day at a time, and takes a sip.
Sam tells Jason that she thought she was doing the right thing. To her, there was nothing more important than them being together. She was wrong, and she’s sorry for what it cost. Jason tells her, like he said, it’s over.
Tomorrow, Ava tells Franco that they should cut their losses, Elizabeth tells Nikolas that his fake screwed up marriage is screwing up her real one, and Nina speaks to the jewelry designer.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills – The Reunion – Part Two (Home Edition)
Ugh. Even in the preview I hate the stupid faces they make. Denise eats chips. I get my vanilla wafers ready.
Andy says, this season Kyle was under attack for calling the women a group of fake-ass bitches. It made the group wonder if it takes one to know one. We flash back to Kyle being insulting, interrupting everyone, and being a moron in general. In one clip, she says she’s not friends with a-holes. I beg to differ. Andy asks why she thinks everyone came after her, and she says when she left L.A. to do her clothing line, then went to North Carolina for Halloween, she’d been going back and forth, and was tired. She felt like everyone was coming at her, and not being honest. Which answered the question not at all. Adam from Baltimore asks Dorit why she told everyone she had a life when she was late for Teddi’s retreat. It sounded self-centered and condescending, and she pissed Erika off. Erika admits to being pretty drunk, and we flash back to that. Yep. She was. Erika says they all have busy lives, and Dorit says Teddi claimed it made no difference what time they got there, yet she was attacked. Kyle says that’s extreme, but Dorit says she didn’t feel welcome, and had to defend herself. She didn’t mean the rest of them didn’t have lives. Kyle says she felt like Dorit was showing up to show off her outfit more than to support Teddi. Dorit says beforehand, she was taking pictures to promote her business. Teddi says everyone else keeps bringing it up; she had nothing to do with it. She didn’t think Kyle was defending her, just pointing out the obvious. A viewer asks how Teddi felt when Erika said she didn’t feel like being there. Teddi says she had to move on from it, and while they’re on the Teddi subject, Dorit doesn’t know why Kyle can’t acknowledge her friendship with Teddi is different from her friendship with the rest of them. Maybe it’s true. She says this like it’s tabloid fodder, and none of us have ever had a friend we’re closer to than our other friends. Kyle says, of course it is. Teddi is a better friend to her. It makes sense; they have more in common. Dorit is glad Kyle is finally admitting it. Seriously, are these women that bored? Kyle says Dorit acts like it’s a crime. She’s slept in the same bed with her friends and sisters her whole life; it’s not weird. Stirring the pot, even though there isn’t much to stir, Andy points out that Kyle insulted Erika by suggesting Erika didn’t have close friends. Kyle tries to cover her ass by saying she meant friends close enough to sleep in the same bed. Just an aside, while I wouldn’t mind sharing if necessary, being an adult, I’d rather have my own bed if it’s an option. Erika says they have different lives, and not everyone has that type of relationship. Just because they don’t have the same experience doesn’t make it wrong or bad.
Dorit wants to address the astrology party, where Kyle said she wasn’t as good a friend as she’d thought. Kyle says she was just frustrated and apologizes, but Dorit doesn’t listen and asks Kyle to justify telling her that. Kyle repeats that she apologized and explained, but Dorit says she hasn’t explained. Kyle says Dorit wanted to take credit for her fashion show, and her hiring Wilson Philips for her party. No surprise, Kyle won’t let Dorit respond, and just keeps babbling. Kyle says she never spoke against Dorit, yet Dorit threw her business under the bus, saying Kyle didn’t know what she was doing. There’s a break, and I realize I’m holding my breath.
Kyle says she was shocked, and we revisit Kyle freaking out when she checked out her line before the fashion show. We see Dorit’s interview, where she wondered how Kyle couldn’t have seen the pieces beforehand, and if she just woke up and said she’d throw a show together and be a success. No need for experience or know-how. Kyle says, of course she was freaking out; Dorit said she didn’t know what she was doing. Kyle once again refuses to let Dorit talk, and says Dorit came to her house and she felt like they were friends for life. Then Dorit made fun of her in her interview. She thought they were better friends than that. Dorit says she never slammed Kyle’s designs. She poked fun at Kyle for not being prepared, and she thought Kyle should have been. Garcelle says Kyle got more upset at her saying she’d felt glazed over than she did over Dorit hurting her business. She didn’t seem that mad. Dorit says Kyle just blamed her, but never spoke to her directly. Instead she went to Twitter and the press. Kyle says she was upset, thinking Dorit had slammed her business. Dorit says Kyle told everyone her fashion show was in a warehouse, and Kyle says she had to fight back. She wasn’t going to sit there like a moron. No comment. Too easy. Dorit asks why Kyle didn’t text her, and Kyle asks why Dorit said it in the first place. Andy wants to move forward, and Dorit says she’s very sorry, and wishes Kyle success. She adds she’s always there if Kyle needs anything, and Kyle says she appreciates it. I see why they had to focus on the whole Denise/Brandi thing this season. Apparently, they didn’t have a show without it. Wake me when it’s over.
Andy says, moving on. He asks why Kyle thinks Denise is a fake-ass bitch, and Kyle says Denise claims she doesn’t care about the glam thing, but then defended Dorit. She felt like everyone was putting on an act, and not being genuine, but she was singled out. Bob in Syosset says Denise is the sexiest women alive, and asks how she felt when Kyle called her a ragamuffin. Denise says she was surprised, but wondered if could trademark it somehow, like Ragamuffin Clothing. I actually like that idea. Kyle says, when she was a kid, if she left the house looking messy, her mom said, don’t run around like a ragamuffin. Andy asks if Denise was offended, but Denise says she didn’t care. No pot stirring for you there, Andy. Kyle says she apologized, and Denise says, after the backlash on social media. Denise says she was defending Dorit about being glam when Kyle got upset. It was like, how dare Denise defend her when she looks like a ragamuffin? Either they’re not glam enough or too glam. Andy asks, where’s the middle ground?
Dorit’s phone keeps repeating low battery over and over, and everyone is like WTF? Andy says Caleb in Topeka asks how Lois is, and LisaR says she misses Lois. She hasn’t seen her in five months. Lois is in assisted living though, and doing great. Andy says LisaR loves the spotlight, like this is news. Her daughter opened up about her anxiety on social media, and she was judged as a mother. He supposes it was attention she could do without. We flash back to everything Amelia, and Andy asks if LisaR thought about what she does on Instagram. She says, as a mother, she’s always aware. Garcelle tells LisaR, what she said wasn’t about shaming; it was just a reality check. Andy asks Teddi if she relates to the issue, and Teddi says as parents, they’re already coping with the struggle, and already feel guilty, so it shouldn’t be made part of a light conversation. Garcelle says she wasn’t being flippant, but Teddi says she said it in front of all of them; it was a low blow. Garcelle has no response. I’m not surprised, since this is stupid even for Teddi. Andy says, Sutton said LisaR’s dancing on Instagram was weird, and Sutton says, that’s not a bad thing. Dorit says, it had a negative connotation. I see she’s been reading again, and is using big words. Sutton says Dorit is making it into something bigger than it is, and LisaR says, it is weird. Dorit says if her daughter didn’t like her doing it, would LisaR continue, and LisaR says, of course not. She’d never do anything to hurt her kids. Andy asks if there’s an update on Amelia’s $6000 a month apartment, and LisaR says, $5700, but who’s counting,? and explains it’s all Amelia’s money from modeling. She’s doing well (apparently), and some days aren’t as much of a struggle, but she’ll always have issues. Charlotte from Birmingham says Denise looked horrified when LisaR said she’d taught her daughters the right way to do a BJ in her book. Did she think LisaR went too far? Denise says she doesn’t think they should judge each other (mic drop). Erika says, it was a lovely bomb LisaR’s daughters dropped on her in Tokyo, and we flash back to that. LisaR says her daughters could care less about reading any book, but one of their friends brought it out. Andy mentions LisaR’s latest nakey picture, and LisaR admits that she loves attention and pushes boundaries, like we didn’t know, and Kyle says, nobody owns it better. I choke on a cookie.
Garcelle asks if anyone is drinking yet. Jordan from Austin asks how Teddi’s baby is, and Teddi explains about how the baby’s head wasn’t formed right in utero, and she needs neurosurgery. She says, everyone says she’ll be fine, but Teddi is obviously distressed about it. Not that I blame her. I might not like Teddi, but wouldn’t wish that on anyone. FYI, baby Dove had the surgery since then, and everything turned out fine. Andy says Teddi’s pregnancy seemed to be an afterthought to the women. We flash back to Teddi’s interview where she says, apparently, she’s proceeding in this friend group as though she’s not pregnant. They talk about the name Dove, which Teddi wanted, but Edwin wouldn’t agree, until she pitched it by telling him that it was an emoji. Erika says, while Teddi ate a lot of Tums, she never used her pregnancy as an excuse for anything. Erika was freaked out more than Teddi was. Andy points out that the bunny is behind him, having made the trip to the Hamptons. Kyle says, it went to Bravocon and Watch What Happens Live in L.A.The bunny gets around. Andy says, the bunny is legendary, and asks if it’s LisaR’s go-to baby gift. LisaR says it is, and even though she acts like she’s not still upset about Kim giving it back to her, I think she is. She says the company went out of business though, so now she’ll have to get a different bunny. Zzzzzzz… What I said before about Denise. They talk about Teddi’s daughter Slate, and how she severed the tip of her finger when a door closed on it. Teddi says she put it on ice, and when she called 911, the first thing they told her was not to put it on ice. Good to know. She says she took it off, wrapped it in gauze, and put it in a Ziplock bag. She called several people, and Dr. Nassif met her at the ER. Andy asks if Teddi was as boring as Sutton thought she’d be, but Sutton doesn’t take the bait, and says she doesn’t think Teddi is boring.
Here it comes, in 3… 2… 1…
Andy says, Brandi dropped a bombshell that was like throwing a glass of wine at Denise. I guess he couldn’t come up with anything more clever, having pandemic brain. He says, the truth is everybody and anybody’s guess, and we flash back to all the Brandi bullsh*t. I shove cookies in my mouth. My husband decides to sit down and watch for a moment, and I tell him not to talk, and expect me to yell at the TV. Denise doesn’t even flinch as we stroll down Brandi’s Memory Lane. Andy says Denise claimed she barely knows Brandi, but Brandi showed the women a year’s worth of texts. There seemed to be a deeper connection. He asks if she has an explanation, and she says for every ten texts Brandi sent, she had one response. He asks if Denise has contacted Brandi, but Denise says she never did. Brandi was an acquaintance, and Denise was always nice to her. LisaR asks why Denise didn’t call Brandi from Rome, and Denise says Brandi isn’t a friend of hers. LisaR says Denise can’t keep lying, and Denise says LisaR can’t keep playing the same card in this game. She’s not friends with Brandi. Kyle says, not now. Andy says when Denise was asked about Brandi at Bravocon, she’d said they were friendly. We see a clip of Denise saying just that, and Denise says she had no reason to say anything negative. Andy is trying to discredit this, and it’s not cool. Andy says Denise called Brandi a friend. Will someone get that man a dictionary? Being friendly toward someone and being their friend are two different things. Denise says she didn’t, and they never socialized. With the exception of Garcelle, every single one of these twats twits asks, where is Brandi? and LisaR says, this is bullsh*t. Yes, it certainly is, and she heads the bull herd.
LisaR says Denise isn’t being upfront, and runs from the truth. Garcelle says LisaR didn’t like that Denise didn’t give her a satisfactory answer. Erika asks if Denise stopped Brandi from being at the reunion, and I say, she’s not on the show. Denise says, Brandi’s not on their show, and my husband marvels at my ESP abilities. Andy says there was a meeting, and they didn’t feel Brandi had anything else to add. After Brandi said she licked bleepity-bleep-bleep, there was nowhere else to go. They’d heard enough. What more was there to add? Denise says, they don’t know about the stuff Brandi sent her; it was so inappropriate. It was harassment. Dorit says if she was in this situation, she wouldn’t want to be around Brandi, and LisaR says Denise shouldn’t have done it. Denise says, done what? and LisaR says what she did with Brandi. Dorit says she believes Denise, but the problem is Denise giving them little bits, like when she said Brandi claimed to have slept with someone in the group. We flash back to that, and Kyle says it wasn’t her. I wonder why Kyle keeps assuming it was her, and again think if it’s anyone, it’s Kim. Andy asks why Denise wouldn’t say who it was, and Denise says, it’s not just one person. Brandi said there was one in the group, but also someone on the outside, who the group knows. She’s not saying who it is, and everyone – again minus Garcelle, since she’s actually a decent human – goes, say it! say it! like they’re five. Denise says it has nothing to do with her, and she doesn’t care what people think. She doesn’t give a sh*t. Kyle says, you can’t have a friendship without honesty. Andy asks, what about Denise talking sh*t about the women? and Denise says Brandi called her after she did Teddi’s podcast, and Denise said she thought Teddi was a sh*t stirrer. She never called Erika a cold bitch, but said Erika was condescending. She brought up LisaR, and Brandi asked why Denise’s friend had turned on her, and that was pretty much all she said. Teddi brings up how, in Denise’s interview, she said she’d called Teddi way worse things. Either say it and own up to it, or lie. Denise says, likewise, and beating a dead horse until it’s dead a second time, Andy asks what’s the worst thing Denise said about Teddi? Denise repeats, that Teddi is a sh*t stirrer, and LisaR says, after Rome, she said she didn’t like Teddi. Denise says the women are vicious, and LisaR says she thinks the cover-up is worse than the crime. Like this is some kind of high espionage and not a load of nonsense.
Next time, more rubbish. The cease and desist is discussed, Denise says don’t ask her husband questions they don’t want the answers to, and Denise is asked if she’s willing to show the text messages.
🎃 After this show, I had to watch Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Medea Halloween just to cleanse my mind. I was surprised to see the dude who played Brady in Too Close to Home in a blink-and-you-miss-him part.
👠 The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City debuts on November 11th. It looks promising, and I hope it’s not just another mean girl fest.
🙋🏻 She’s Gone, Girl…
Apparently, Denise has had enough. Will Garcelle honor her end of the pact?
Spinning the Dead off. Please, they picked the two people who have the least dialogue? If anyone deserves a spin-off, it’s Ezekiel, Eugene, and Princess.
For the first time in what feels like forever, I’m getting a haircut tomorrow. I haven’t been this excited about something since I got my last haircut, and thought someone would actually see it. Until RHONY reunites, stay safe, stay bold, and stay owning it better than LisaR.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Jason thanks Epiphany for coming, and she says she didn’t have a choice. One minute, she’s informed that Jason checked out against doctor’s orders, and the next there’s a car waiting for her and it drives her here. What’s going on? He says one of her patients needs help. She sees Taggert lying on a bed.
Sonny looks in on Ned and Brook. Olivia says she’d asked to be notified when Brook woke up. Thank God she was there when Brook opened eyes. Sonny hopes Brook knows something about Wiley’s abduction, and Olivia says she prays Brook can help find him.
Ned tells Brook, don’t try to talk; just listen. He loves her, and was praying she’d wake up, so he could make sure she knows. He’s sorry for saying the things he said, and throwing her out of the house. He was wrong. She’s his daughter, and he loves her. That’s all that matters now. Brook flashes back to telling Nelle that she’s going to call the cops, and that Nelle is going back to prison where she belongs.
Nina and Willow play backgammon. Nina asks how it’s going for Willow at the Quartermaines. Is the bickering driving her crazy? Willow says, it’s not too terrible. They’re still on their best behavior, and trying not to shock her. Wouldn’t it be nice if the worst thing she had to worry about was the Quartermaines bickering? The doorbell rings, and Nina says she’ll get that. It’s Jax, who says he thought he’d find Nina there. Willow comes out, and he asks if there’s any news about Wiley. She says there’s an update on the alert with Nelle’s alias.
Michael says, Nelle was just waiting for a chance to snatch Wiley and run. She doesn’t love Wiley. She doesn’t know the meaning of the word love, and sees Wiley as a prize, not a child. The moment Wiley becomes a burden, God knows what she’ll do.
Chase tells his men to keep the patrol on the backroads, and roads going to the northern border. Sasha comes into the station, and says she heard about Nelle taking Wiley. Chase says someone broke into the Quartermaine mansion, chloroformed Monica, and Wiley was stolen. She tells Michael, she’s so sorry. Michael says they’re going to find him. They have to.
The woman tells Nelle, her little boy is a cutie. What’s his name? Nelle says, Will, and I still can’t believe for such a scheming manipulator, she couldn’t come up with something that wasn’t so close to his real name. She tells the woman, he’s a light sleeper, and the car is the only thing that will keep him sleeping. She gets in the car, and the woman tells her, keep below 30. The roads are marked, but there are blind turns. If she goes more than two miles, she’s missed the Occidental, and will have to turn around or drive for hours. Nelle says she’ll look out for it, and pulls out. The woman says, if you miss it, hon, you’ll be driving all night. Her wrist thing beeps, and she says, dear Lord, another alert about some poor missing… Oh my God. It was her. She knows it’s that poor little boy.
Sasha says she saw the alert, and asks if Willow is there, but Michael says she’s at home. He said he’d call if anything came up, but so far, there hasn’t been anything. An officer found Nelle’s cell phone in the bushes a few feet away from the car. She’d abandoned it, but if she’s kept a tracker on the car, it could indicate where they’re going or who’s helping her.
Sonny asks Olivia if there’s been any word on Dante, but she says, no. He still hasn’t reached out. Sonny says, he will. Someday when he’s healed. She says she believes that, and Sonny says he believes Dante may be struggling, but he’s strong, and won’t give up on the people he loves or himself. Olivia says, he’s right. Dante is strong, and will never give up. Now there’s Brook.
Ned tells Brook, Olivia tried to tell him that the family isn’t a corporation. He knows that, of course (🍷). He allowed himself to lose sight of that, and got caught up in ELQ and his decisions. He lost track of the most important thing int the world – his child. He was wrong, and couldn’t bear it if her last memory of him was shutting the door in her face. Brook flashes back to saying she can’t wait for Nelle to be hauled off in front of all the people at the Nurses Ball and the viewers at home. She remembers Nelle knocking the phone out of her hand, and her saying, no worries. Mac is there, and can arrest her himself. Nelle picks up the shears when Brook’s back is turned, and says she’s sorry, and asks Brook to pretend she didn’t see or hear her. Brook says, save it, bitch. She’s messed with her last Quartermaine. Ned tells Brook, what he’s trying to say is, he’s sorry. Brook gets distressed, and he asks if she’s okay. He tells her to lie still, goes to the hallway, and asks for somebody to get a doctor. Olivia runs off.
Epiphany says Taggert’s blood pressure is stabilized, and his blood loss isn’t severe. He’s a lucky man. Jason asks if she’s going to report it to the police, but she says, how is she supposed to report the shooting of a dead man? Jason guesses Taggert faked his death to protect his family from Cyrus, and she says, how is she supposed to know? He says Taggert couldn’t have pulled it off without help. He knows it must have been difficult for her to talk to Trina, who was grieving when Taggert wasn’t dead, but he also knows she wouldn’t have supported it without good reason. He’s grateful. She says, good. He’s come to her from time to time over the years, like tonight, requesting her help, no questions asked. The point is, he’s not the only one with secrets. She respects his privacy, and expects him to respect hers. What she knew, what she did, and why she did it, is her business, not his. He says, understood, and she says she’s given him a lot of leeway. Mostly because she knows if she ever needs him, he’ll be there, no questions asked. She asks if his driver is waiting, and Jason says, he’s outside. She says, good. She expects he’ll make sure Taggert finds a way safely out of Port Charles. He says, yes, and she says he did good calling her. At the door, she almost says something else, but keeps going. I’m really hoping they give Epiphany more storyline soon. I’ve been waiting for an eternity.
Ned tells Brook, don’t try to talk. There will be plenty of time after, when she’s healed. Sonny comes in, and says, they can take the girl out of Brooklyn, but they can’t take Brooklyn out of the girl. Ned tells him not to cause Brook any stress. They’ll find out later who did this when she’s stronger. Olivia suggests they wait until the doctor has a chance to look at her. Sonny approaches Brook’s bed, and says he doesn’t want to bother her, but his grandson Wiley was kidnapped. She doesn’t have to talk. Just nod her head, yes or no. Was it Nelle who attacked her? She nods.
Nina says, it must have been Nelle, and Willow says they know the attack happened backstage. Nelle was supposed to perform, but never did. Brook probably overheard or tried to stop her. Jax says, there’s a possibility it’s not related, and tells them not to jump to conclusions. Willow says, at least Brook is at the hospital, surrounded by family and an expert medical staff. Wiley is all alone with Nelle, and she’s gotten a head start. Jax says, she’s traveling with a toddler, and has to stop for gas, food, and to change diapers. There’s a missing child alert, and he doesn’t think it will be long before someone puts two and two together. It’s just a matter of time.
Chase says, Nelle’s phone is locked. He’ll have a tech look at it. Michael asks how long it will take, and Chase says, there’s no way to predict. Michael says, let him look. Chase is hesitant, but Michael says, when you live with someone, you get to know them and what matters to them. Let him try.
Nelle tells Wiley, that woman never shut up. The sacrifices she makes for him. At least she told them out to get back on the highway, and she’s gotten him away from Michael and Willow. They deserve each other, but they don’t deserve him. He belongs with her.
Michael says, please, and I say, oh come on, Chase. Chase hands over the phone, and Michael messes with it. Carly comes in, and sees Sasha. She thanks Sasha for being concerned about Wiley, and Sasha says, Wiley is a wonderful little boy. She doesn’t think she’s cut out to be a stepmom, even if things didn’t unfold like they did, but she cares about him and Michael. Michael is a good person, and a good dad. Carly says she knows what it cost for Sasha to make sure Michael got custody, and Sasha says she prays to God it all works out.
Michael tells Chase, no good. He could have sworn it was Wiley’s birthday. Chase says, careful. A few more tries and he’ll get locked out.
Ned tells Sonny, sorry; he didn’t know. Olivia wonders why Nelle would attack Brook, and Sonny says, she tried to call Michael before the attack. He’s sorry to bother her, but is that why she tried to call? Brook nods, and Sonny says, to warn him about Nelle? She nods again, and Sonny asks, is that why Nelle tried to silence her? She nods, and looks like she wants to cry. Sonny asks if there’s anything more, and she nods. He asks for a pencil and paper, and Olivia gives it to Brook. Sonny says, she can do it, and Brook is shaky, but tries to write.
Brook has hard time writing, and Epiphany comes in. She asks, what’s going on? What are they all doing there? The doctor with her says, everyone out. Sonny says give him one minute, but Epiphany says, him too. Brook is in ICU for a reason. Visitors will have to wait. They leave, and the doctor tells Brook, he’s Dr. Fisher. He did her surgery. She’s a tough patient. She did great, but has to give herself time to recover. He can’t stress enough not to try and speak. She could do greater harm to her vocal chords. Understand? She nods.
In the interrogation room, Michael says, Nelle’s birthday didn’t work, and Chase tells him, think hard before he tries again. Sonny calls, and Carly asks how Brook is. He says, awake, but the doctors say she can’t talk yet. He asked her if Nelle was the one who attacked her, and she confirmed it. Carly says she’ll put him on speaker. Chase asks if there are any details, and Sonny says, Brook seems to know more, but can’t communicate it.
Olivia calls Willow, and asks how she’s holding up. She heard about Wiley. Willow says she’s hanging in, but how is Brook? Olivia says, she pulled through and she’s awake. Willow says, that’s wonderful news. She knows Olivia and Ned must be relieved. Olivia says, they are, but brace herself. Brook confirmed Nelle attacked her. Willow says, at least they know now for sure. Olivia says, she’s not alone, is she? and Willow says, no. Nina and Jax are there. Olivia says, good. She’ll let Willow know as soon as they know. Willow thanks her for calling, and Nina asks about Brook. Willow says, Brook was able to confirm that Nelle attacked her. She didn’t realize it until this minute, but deep down, she was hoping Nelle wasn’t this desperate or vicious. Nina says she doesn’t know if this will be a comfort, but she knows Nelle wouldn’t hurt her own child. She might hurt someone who tries to take him, but not Wiley himself. Jax says he’ll go to the hospital and see what he can find out. Willow says she appreciates it, and he says he’ll do what he can. Stay calm. Nina walks him to the door, and says, thank you for that. He says, absolutely. He’s there to support her, Michael, and Willow. He’ll do what he can to bring Wiley back to the people who love him. Inside, Willow looks at pictures of Wiley on her phone.
The woman calls the PCPD hotline, and says she saw the kidnapper. She spoke to her for about ten minutes, and saw the little boy in the back of the car. Nelle was pulled over on Schoolhouse Road outside of Clarksfield. She says she’ll wait, but hurry. Nelle’s been gone at least 20 minutes.
Nelle pulls over, and says, they’re here. She gets out of the car.
Sonny calls Jason, and asks where he is. Jason says he’s at the safe house outside of Telegraph Road. Sonny asks, what’s going on? and Jason says he has a situation, but it’s not urgent. He asks if there’s an update, but Sonny says, not yet. There’s a wide net, but his people haven’t found anything. What about Spinelli? Jason says Spinelli tracked Nelle’s phone to where she last used it, on Pier 55, but there was no signal. Sonny wonders if she could be traveling by boat, but Jason says the alert was updated, and she’s in a car. Sonny asks if Jason wants to tell him about the situation, but Jason says he’s handling it. Sonny says he has to go; Michael and Carly are there. Sonny asks Michael if there’s any news, and Michael says Chase found Nelle’s cell phone. He says he needs to talk to Brook, and leaves. Sonny tells Carly that he talked to Jason. She asks if he has a lead, and he says, it’s not about Wiley, but he has something going on.He’s at a safe house, and said he has a situation, but he knows what he’s doing. It must be important or he’d be looking for Wiley. Carly suggests Sonny go help Jason.
Willow looks at pictures of Wiley, and Nina wonders if she can ask a question about Charlotte. Willow says, okay, and Nina asks what she thinks about Charlotte as a student. Willow says, Charlotte is extremely bright; it helps that she’s bilingual. She’s curious, articulate, inventive, and good at synthesizing information. Academically, she could skip ahead, but socially she should stay in a regular class. She’s been somewhat isolated, and it’s good for her to be around regular kids. Nina says, they all need friends, right? The doorbell rings, and Nina says, it might be Jax. She runs to the door, but it’s Sasha. Sasha and Willow lock eyes.
Nelle says, good thing she remembered where the key was hidden. Michael and his family will be looking, but they’ll never think of looking there.
Chase tells Epiphany he needs to speak to Brook, but Epiphany says, she’s resting, and shouldn’t be disturbed. She walks away, and Michael messes with Nelle’s phone. Chase says, any luck? but Michael says, no. Chase says two more tries and they’re locked out for good. Chase looks at his phone, and says, there’s been a possible Nelle and Wiley sighting outside town. He tells Michael to stay, and let him know if he cracks the password. He’ll be in touch. He leaves, and Michael looks in on Brook. She raises her hand, and he tells the guard that he’s going to check out his cousin. He goes into the room, and Brook smiles. He closes the door, and sits next to her bed. He says he’s so sorry this happened to her. He’s sorry he brought Nelle into their lives. He’s sure Brook tried to stop her, and thanks her for that. She flashes back to Nelle telling Julian about the tracker in the kangaroo. She whispers to Michael, Nelle has a tracker in the wallaby.
Sonny arrives at the safe house, and asks Jason to tell him about the situation. Jason says, see for himself. Sonny goes inside, and sees Taggert. He asks, how the hell is he alive?
Sasha says she saw the alert, and went to the PCPD. Michael was there, and said Willow was waiting at home. She didn’t want Willow to be alone, but obviously she’s not. Willow says it was kind of Sasha to check on her, and Sasha says she’s so sorry. Whatever Willow thinks of her, never in million years did she think this would happen. Willow says, no one did.
The woman tells Chase, that’s her. She recognized her as soon as she saw the alert. He asks, how was the child? and she says, snug in his car seat, fast asleep. He asks if there were any signs of distress, but she says, he was sleeping the whole time. She gave Nelle directions to get back on the highway, since her GPS wasn’t working on her phone. He says, she had a phone? and the woman says the reception stinks there. Chase asks if she said anything about where they were going, but the woman says Nelle just asked how to get back to the highway. She told Nelle to turn right, but she was in a hurry. If she missed the turn, she could still be driving around there.
Nelle tells Wiley, it’s Michael’s fault. He let Carly come against her time and again. He believed Carly, and took her side. One more person to betray her and lie to her.
Michael tells Brook that he has Nelle’s cell phone. She dropped it next to the car, and the police recovered it. Is she telling him that Nelle installed an app to keep track of Wiley? Brook nods. He says he tried to guess the password, and only has one more try. He’s tried Nelle and Wiley’s birthdays, and Wiley’s name. Apparently Michael knows Nelle isn’t very creative. He says he knows it has to be something about her, and thinks back to when they were together. He remembers telling Nelle that he’s sorry about what happened, but grateful she saved his sister. Nelle says she prefers to think of her scar as a birthmark. From that moment on, she was reborn, and it led her to him. Her life started over on March 21st, 2011. Michael tells Brook, Nelle thought her new birthday was the day before Josslyn’s transplant. He tries it, and the phone opens. He looks at Brook.
Michael says he can’t thank Brook enough for the lead in finding his son. Ned asks what Michael is doing there; Brook is supposed to rest. Michael says he saw her trying to get out of bed, and Olivia says, you know Brook; she always leaps before she looks. Michael tells Brook to take care of herself. He’ll take care everything else. In the hallway, Epiphany tells the guard, there you are. She understands he has a job to do, but so do they, and theirs takes precedence. Michael slips away.
Sonny asks Jason how he found Taggert, and Jason says he was tracking Nelle’s cell phone to Pier 55. She wasn’t there, but Taggert was lying on the ground, bleeding. He called Epiphany, who showed up, no questions asked. She wasn’t expecting to see Taggert, but didn’t seem surprised that he was alive. Sonny asks if she told him who helped, and Jason says she told him it was her business, and not his. Sonny says, she couldn’t have done this alone. He’s sure Jordan is in on it, but why did Taggert go through all this trouble just to come back? Taggert wakes up, and says, what the hell? How is the girl? Sonny asks, what girl? and Taggert says, on the pier. A guy was going to shoot her. Sonny asks him to focus. What is he trying to tell them?
Jax sees Carly at the hospital, and thanks her for meeting him. He didn’t want to intrude on the family. He asks how she’s holding up, and she says she’s trying. Nelle has done so much damage. He asks if she’s seen Brook, but she says, not yet. Sonny had to leave, so she was making phone calls to make sure everything is okay at home. Jax asks how Josslyn is, and Carly says, she’s still with Trina. She’s praying Wiley is brought home safe before Josslyn knows he’s gone.
Sasha says she should go. Let her know if she can do anything. Willow says, say a prayer, think good thoughts. Sometimes their faith is all they have. Sasha says she’s got it, and leaves. Nina says, well that was weird. Willow doesn’t hate Sasha? Willow says, actually, she misses having Sasha as a friend.
Carly sees Olivia, and says she’s so sorry this happened. Jax asks how Brook is, and Olivia says, she’s already stronger. Ned is in with her. Carly asks if she saw Michael and Chase. They were supposed to talk to Brook. Olivia says she hasn’t seen Chase in a while, but Michael was visiting with Brook. They had to kick everyone out, since she’s supposed to be resting. Carly asks if Olivia talked to Michael, and she says, not really, but he did say something weird. He told Brook to take care of herself, and said he’ll take care of everything else.
Sonny asks if Taggert remembers what happened at the pier. Taggert says he was supposed to meet a launch that would take him to a freighter. But when he got close, he saw a man holding a women at gunpoint. Jason asks if he got a look at the man, but he says, it was dark; he only had time to react. He grabbed the man from behind, and they struggled for the gun. He lost. All he remembers after that is Jason showing up. Sonny says they’ll revisit that later. Right now, he just wants to know, how the hell is Taggert still alive?
Ned promises Brook that the police will find Nelle, and make her pay. If they don’t, he’ll hire people to track Nelle to the ends of the earth. Olivia says the important thing is that Brook beat Nelle; she survived, and she’s going to heal. Chase calls, and says he wants to ask Brook some questions. The medication is wearing off, so she should be able to use a tablet or write. Dr. Fisher says, it’s essential that she try not to speak. Any attempt could damage her vocal chords. Olivia tells Brook to rest; get all the sleep she can. Brook nods, tearing up, and Olivia says, don’t cry. Everything will be okay. Ned says she’ll be good as new in no time.
Chase calls all units, telling them that he’s outside of Clarksfield. He give them Nelle’s alias and the license plate number, saying she was last seen on Route 73. He describes Wiley, and tells them, approach with caution. She’s a convicted killer, and considered dangerous.
Outside, Sasha takes out a small bag of coke.
Nina says, Willow has let go of resentment. What’s her secret, and can Willow teach her? Willow says she feels betrayed, and hasn’t forgiven them, but she doesn’t think they did it with malice. They were weak and hurting, and overwhelmed by the situation. They made a wrong choice. Nina tells her, the same could be said about what Sasha did to her. Valentin can be overwhelming, and probably convinced Sasha that they weren’t doing any harm. The ironic part is, she misses Sasha, even after knowing Sasha’s not her daughter.
Nelle fingers her half-heart necklace. She says Wiley is worn out. He’s sound asleep, but she can’t blame him. She can barely keep her eyes open. They need to leave early to avoid the police. She digs in her bag for something, and pulls out the kangaroo.
Carly looks at her phone.
In the car, Michael follows the tracker. His phone rings, but he ignores it. He says, sorry, mom. I’m coming, buddy. Dad’s coming.
Nelle asks why she brought this stupid thing. She takes out the tracker, and says they had it on them the whole time.
Tomorrow, Curtis tells Jordan that he doesn’t want any secrets between them, Josslyn says the only person Cameron is different around is Trina, Carly says Michael found Nelle, and Michael asks Nelle where his son is.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Ugh.
Kyle and Sutton work on a collaboration. In her interview, Kyle says, Sutton has the right clientele.
Garcelle finally found a director for her movie, and meets her team for drinks. Director Amy Barrett says, it’s the kind of movie that needs to get made. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, it’s called Split Marriage, and it’s a psychological thriller. Garcelle tells them, let’s make a kick ass movie, and they clink glasses.
Party planner Nick Pary meets with Dorit to plan a housewarming/Christmas/whatever party. In her interview, Dorit says she’s dealt with a lot of BS. We see a headline that questions them being able to afford a $6 million house. She asks, what do people want The Real Tax Returns of Beverly Hills? Her kids enjoy every space in the house, and she feels that it’s a happy home. She talks to PK and Nick about integrating the party with the people. PK wonders if the illusionist can make Dorit’s friends disappear, and Dorit suggests he make her husband disappear. The planner is staying out of it. Dorit wants everyone to come together, and bury the hatchet. Good luck with that. In her interview, she says, two years ago, she and LisaR weren’t in a good place. We flash back to them making up, and Dorit says, now LisaR is one of her best friends. She knows LisaR and Denise are at odds, but she believes they can get through anything. She tells PK that Denise never ended up coming last time, then Brandi showed up. As Denise’s friend, she feels responsible to challenge what Brandi has said, and Brandi is telling them to look at the texts on her phone. PK says, that’s not a friend, and Dorit tells him to let her finish, but she’s lost her train of thought. PK says he’s a great listener. Is he supposed to just nod? She says, that’s what people do. She thinks it’s important that Denise be able to tell her side. PK says he has no interest in getting involved. Don’t bring him in. He only gets involved if Dorit is being attacked. Dorit says, for the first time in a long time, it’s not her, and he says, keep it that way.
Teddi and LisaR call Erika in New York. She’s at the theatre, and LisaR says, it’s the role of a lifetime. Which she ought to know, since she did it 18 years ago. In Erika’s interview, she says she’s back in New York, walking to work like she used to when she was 18 with her backpack. She sees a poster for the show on a receptacle, and says, you know you’ve made it when you’re on a trashcan. She asks if everything is okay, and LisaR says, the party was an intense moment. Teddi says Erika left at just the right moment. Erika wonders what happened, and LisaR says she and Denise talked and texted a few times. She told Denise about the party, and Denise said she’d see her there. In LisaR’s interview, she says she’s torn. She wants to be a good friend, but now thinks maybe Denise is the sh*tty friend. She made her bed, she has to sleep in it. Even if it’s felled with nails and snakes. Don’t give me ideas. Already my blood pressure is going up.
PK models some outfits for Dorit. After seeing a particularly loud jacket, Dorit says, maybe not tonight… or ever.
Kyle tells her glam squad that her sister is coming. She had her boobs redone, and her teeth done. Now they have to find her a nice husband. One of the squad says Kim has no problem attracting men, and Kyle says, she has seven or eight engagement rings. Um… Isn’t the usual practice to only keep the ring if the other person breaks up with you?
Everyone gets glam. I sleep through this part.
Garcelle waits with Michael outside Denise’s hotel. Garcelle says, Denise is nervous. Some of the girls (cough) had it out for her, so they decided to arrive together. She thinks Denise feels vulnerable with the group ganging up on her. They’ll probably have a few shots in the car. She has Denise’s back, no matter what. That’s what friendship means to her.
Dorit loves the party set-up, and talks to René, her pyro for tonight; he’s taking care of the candles. I didn’t even know you could hire people for that. LisaR says the place is gorgeous, and PK asks her to try his new non-alcoholic champagne. He thinks it will be a huge hit. She tells him it’s good, but in her interview, she doesn’t own it, and says, champagne with no alcohol is like sex without an orgasm. What’s the point? Have water. Can this woman even be more of a self-centered a-hole? Dorit points out that the name of it is L’astuce, which means trick in French. She says they wanted to have it on time for the baby shower, and Teddi says, it’s good. The morally corrupt Faye Resnick shows up, and LisaR babbles about naming her wig. In her interview, she forces us to listen to stories about her wigs, and tells us their names. Adrienne arrives, and I’m loving what Sutton is wearing. It’s weird, hard to explain, and I couldn’t find a picture. She was dragged on social media for it, but I love crazy clothes.
Garcelle keeps trying to call Denise, and says she’s starving. Michael asks if she didn’t eat, and Garcelle says only some chicken wings a friend brought her. She loves them; it’s so Black of her. Michael says she’s getting animated while she’s talking about it, and says he should see how animated she gets when she talks diamonds. He asks if she wants to talk diamonds, and she laughs. In her interview, Garcelle says she’s feeling like she’s ready to have a relationship. She didn’t have sex for seven years after her divorce. She didn’t trust, and didn’t think she was capable of letting someone in. And she didn’t. She was tight as hell. She tells Michael, her calls are going right to voicemail, and he says, that’s what happens when your phone is off.
PK tells everyone that his wife has something to say. Kyle says, that’s a shocker. Dorit welcomes everyone to her new home, and says, it’s a very special night. Phoenix pops out and asks why she’s being loud, and she explains she’s projecting her voice. Phoenix tells her to whisper it, and Dorit says, mommy teaches well. They have a nice treat, a world-renowned illusionist and mentalist. She introduces Simon Winthrop, and he makes Teddi’s ring disappear. Too bad he couldn’t make Teddi disappear.
Still no Denise, and Garcelle suggests they just go and see if she shows. She gets it if Denise doesn’t want to be there, but don’t leave them hanging. Garcelle says, if Denise is there, she’s going to kill her.
Simon makes a cigarette float in the air. He’s no David Blaine, but then again, he’s not harassing the women at the party either. Garcelle and Michael arrive, and LisaR states the obvious, saying Denise isn’t with them. No. She’s hiding in Garcelle’s purse. What an ass LisaR is. Garcelle says Denise was supposed to meet them, and was a no show. Her calls are going straight to voicemail. Dorit says, maybe she’s going to be late, but Garcelle says she would have returned a text or taken her calls. Dorit says Garcelle missed the magic act. In asshat LisaR’s interview, she says, it’s strange how Denise never showed, yet she reached out, asking if LisaR was going to be there, and saying they needed to work through stuff. She said, of course she’ll be there. LisaR tells the others, Denise had asked if she was dressing up, and said she was going with Garcelle. Garcelle asks if Dorit is okay, and Dorit says her heart is racing. This woman could get nervous over a snail race. LisaR says either Denise’s phone is off or she’s been blocked. Dorit says Denise just texted her last night. In Dorit’s interview, she says, Denise has no problem facing people. When Dorit had a problem with Camille, Denise was supportive. LisaR says, Denise isn’t coming, and Garcelle says Denise stood her up; that’s not okay. At least say something. In her interview, Garcelle says she’s sure Denise has a reason for not showing, but she’s been there for Denise, and Denise should value the friendship. She asks if Brandi was invited, but Dorit says she’s not even friends with Brandi. On the side, Garcelle tells Michael they’ll have to go to In & Out Burger. I’m not sure why, since there’s food, but maybe Garcelle isn’t keen on the menu. Garcelle recognizes a server from Kyle’s party, and we flash back to her calling him a tall drink of water. Chocolate Michael talks to Sutton’s boyfriend Michael, saying he and Garcelle are talking about a proposal. Michael #2 says, don’t tell Sutton. Chocolate Michael says, it’s not often both people are on the same page at the same time.
Dorit says Camille phoned her out of the blue last night. She has no desire of any kind to have a relationship with Camille. Sh*tty friend LisaR says, someone saw Denise and Camille together. We see a clip of Denise telling Camille, no matter what she says, they don’t believe her, and Camille saying, now Denise knows what she went through. Denise says, she’s going to be seeing them tomorrow. Camille says she hopes Denise is prepared. In LisaR’s interview, she wonders why Denise would want to reach out to Camille. We flash back to Denise getting in Camille’s face, yelling, back off, and LisaR says, Camille will jump on anyone’s bandwagon. This coming from the one who has admitted she’ll do anything for money/exposure. She says, you could manipulate Camille wearing a blindfold and a ball in your mouth. No comment. Too easy. Brandi comes in with Kim, and Garcelle says, there you have it. Dorit says, oh my goodness gracious, and in her interview, she says, thank God Denise isn’t here, but holy sh*t. She and Brandi aren’t in the best of places, and this girl is at her house. She didn’t know Brandi was Kim’s plus one. Hmmm… maybe Kim is the one from the group Brandi was talking about. They seem to be joined at the hip. Kim yaps about how great her boobs are since her implants were taken out, and Kyle pokes at them. Kim asks Mauricio to touch her side boob, and dumb as a box of rocks Kyle seconds that request, but Mauricio wisely declines. Brandi asks if Denise is there, and Sutton says, no, but they need to work this out. In Sutton’s interview, she says she’s known Denise for years. They go to the same skincare specialist, and see each other socially on occasion. She’s not worried about anyone saying she had sex with them. Look at her. I’m not sure what that means. She’s too good for everyone, or she’s no one anybody would brag about having sex with? She tells Brandi, maybe one day she’ll learn not to say stuff, but Brandi says, that’s not happening. Kim can’t stop touching her own boobs. Dorit is surprised Denise didn’t come, and Brandi says she sent Denise a text. Putting paramedics on speed dial for when I have my stroke. Brandi says she assumed Denise would be there, so she was giving her a heads up. Kyle asks if Brandi has talked to Denise, and Brandi says she has. First, Denise called her a liar, and then asked wtf she was doing. In Garcelle’s interview, she says she doesn’t want to see any texts. She wants to believe Denise. She wants Denise to show up with all the tea, and know she’s vindicated with the truth. She chooses to believe Denise because she’s Denise’s friend. The women throw ice cubes in the pool like they did with coins in the Trevi fountain. Brandi acts like she’s in the opening credits already.
Remember how I said the texts Brandi produced didn’t sound like Denise, but sounded like Brandi? Well, I remember, and when Brandi goes over to the women, she says, hey, pretty ladies. That was in her text, supposedly from Denise. Maybe I’m delusional, but I’m telling you, Denise is right. Brandi made this sh*t up. And there are several apps for that.
15 minutes later. Another sh*tty thing happens. As Garcelle is getting in her car, a producer pops his head in, and tells Garcelle that they got a text from Aaron saying there was a family emergency. He says Garcelle was defending her and now Denise bails on her. Garcelle says, that’s not cool. W. T. F. ? Producers are now blatantly manipulating situations on the show? I always knew the pot was stirred behind the scenes, but do they just not care anymore?
Garcelle meets LisaR at a restaurant, and supreme phony LisaR says, it’s a nice surprise; meeting for a Christmas drink. Garcelle says her favorite drink there is called Emotionally Unavailable. LisaR thinks she’s joking, but it’s a real thing. LisaR asks if Garcelle is going to be there for Christmas, and Garcelle says she’s been on so many flights, she just wants to be home. She’s still unpacking from the move, and just wants to nest. Dorit joins them, and Garcelle asks where Dorit’s kids were at the party; in the basement? Dorit says Garcelle didn’t make it for the beginning, still not answering the question, and Garcelle says, waiting for Denise, her mind went straight to the worst. Dorit says she never heard anything, then Denise messaged her the following day, saying, sorry she missed last night; they’ll talk soon. She says, but Denise and Garcelle are friends. Garcelle says Denise reached out (holy! I have never once said a friend reached out, and they say it every five minutes) on Sunday, but she had people over, and couldn’t go into it in depth. Denise said she didn’t want Garcelle to have to lie for her, so she didn’t call. She’d told the producers there was a family emergency. Dorit says, so there was no family emergency? In her interview, Garcelle says, it’s like a jigsaw puzzle. She’s not sure where the pieces go, or what’s real or not. Garcelle says Denise wanted to get together, but she had the feeling things were going to fall apart, and they did. We see a clip of Garcelle going to meet Denise, and Denise calling, saying she got hung up, and can’t make it. She suggests dinner over the holidays with their men. Garcelle mumbles that she came all the way up there. Dorit says, it’s sad, and Garcelle says she’s been Denise’s friend. Dorit says, it feels tricky, and in her interview, says it feels manipulative, and she wonders what’s real. LisaR wonders why Denise reached out to her, but says she’s still there for Denise.
This show is going to make me gain weight. I need a constant stream of cookies while watching. The sad part is, I used to look forward to it. LVP, glimpses of Giggy, even Brandi when she was just an a-hole and still seemed like she might learn how to be a decent human.
LisaR says Garcelle has proven she’s Denise’s friend, but wonders why Denise reached out to her. We flash back to Garcelle telling Denise that LisaR is different today from the LisaR she knew. It feels like she’s the bad guy in their movie. Dorit says, that’s deflecting, apparently not understanding the definition, and asks if Denise thinks she’s able to control the narrative through the press. LisaR says, Denise has done it her whole life. Evidently, LisaR is now owning it for other people. She says Denise didn’t show on Saturday, and the first post on her social media was from Aaron of her in a hospital bed with hernias. It’s called a sympathy post. It happened three months ago, and it conveniently looks like she’s still recovering, but that’s not the truth. Dorit doesn’t know if it’s strategic, and LisaR says, of course it is. Garcelle finds it hard to believe, but LisaR says Denise was married to Charlie Sheen, and fought him in the press for 14 years with 14 different lawyers. They’ll all be portrayed as mean girls. She knows how the game works. If they don’t think Denise is capable of this, they’re effing crazy.
The text tells us that Denise sent a cease and desist letter to the cast and the producers. We see a January 8th headline that says Denise stopped filming. In Kyle’s interview, she says, you can’t get entangled with Brandi and think it’s going to be kept quiet. LisaR calls Kyle, and says they’ll probably never see Denise again. Kyle says she’s scared to show who she is. We see Denise driving, and she calls Aaron, saying she’s done with the shoot, but wants to stop by LisaR’s house. They talked on the phone. He asks how it went, and she says, not so good. He tells her, selfishly, he’d like to understand the thought process, and why Denise is being treated this way. Denise says she would too, and Aaron says, so ask her. We see a clip of her calling LisaR, and saying she’d like to talk in person. She asks if LisaR would be open to doing that, and LisaR says if Denise comes with an open mind and heart, she’ll be happy to. Denise says she’s not coming for a therapy session (snort), but as a friend. LisaR says Denise can’t beat her over the head for being a bad friend. Denise says she’s never done that, and LisaR whines, that’s how she feels, since she can’t possibly own it. Denise says, great. See her soon.
They hug, and Denise thanks LisaR for letting her come over; she’s missed LisaR. She asks what they can do to move past this. She asks if LisaR knew Brandi was going to be at the party, but LisaR says, no. Denise seems skeptical, and LisaR asks if Denise knew. Denise says she did; that’s why she didn’t show up. She didn’t want Brandi to create some Jerry-effing-Springer moment. A high horse trots out, and LisaR gets on it, saying, so there was no family emergency. Denise says, no, and LisaR hisses, that’s a lie. They were worried about her. Denise didn’t respond to her. Denise says she responded to Dorit and Garcelle, and LisaR says she doesn’t care about them. Denise says she didn’t get LisaR’s text, but LisaR pats her horse, says good boy, and claims she has a screen shot. Denise says, the reality is what it is, and LisaR says Denise lied. Whatever is going on isn’t her business… Denise says, there’s nothing going on. Why doesn’t LisaR believe her? LisaR says, to be honest (choke), she doesn’t know what to believe. She witnessed something that confused her. We flashed back to her hunger for looking at the texts Brandi had, and she tells Denise that it was a long text chain. Even if it was platonic, there was a relationship. Denise says she doesn’t care what Brandi has. Their interaction was limited. In Denise’s interview, she says there’s an app that can revise texts. She tells LisaR, whatever Brandi has, she doesn’t care. She’s only seen Brandi four times in her life. LisaR says she doesn’t buy that. It’s none of her business, but she doesn’t understand why Denise doesn’t ask Brandi why she’s doing this. Denise asks why she should engage with something like that, and LisaR asks if that’s how it goes away, by ignoring it? Denise says she’s dealt with other things, but doesn’t want to say how. LisaR says, by sending cease and desist letters? She knows Denise wanted the footage taken out. Denise asks who told LisaR that, but instead of owning it or being honest, LisaR creepily whispers, you’re so angry. Seriously, her face and tone aren’t just deflective, but disturbing. Denise says LisaR is playing dirty. Slanderous things have been said, and if they’d been about LisaR wouldn’t she send a cease and desist letter? LisaR doesn’t know, but she’s shown up and dealt with who she’s needed to. Denise says she has too. She wants to resolve this and move on. LisaR wants to know who’s being honest. Denise says she’s had to explain to her kids that stuff was said that’s not true, but they have to hold their heads high and move past it. They can’t let it take them down. It’s actually been a lesson she’s talked to her kids about. LisaR says, that’s positive, because she’s a twit, and Denise says it’s not a conversation she wants to have with them. LisaR says there are a lot of conversations they don’t want to have with their kids. In her interview, Denise says it’s not the first time their family has been in the press, but they have to rise above it holding their heads high. If she didn’t have a solid marriage, it might be a different situation. In LisaR’s interview, she says neither one of them is changing their point of view. They’ll have to agree to disagree, which puts a dead end on their friendship, since LisaR doesn’t understand how to actually be a friend. She says, it’s sad. LisaR says she’s always been there for Denise, and still will be if she wants her too. Denise says same with her, but I’m guessing these two are never going to talk again when this season is over.
Sutton gives everyone a private jet ride to NYC. She tells the others that she got a text from Denise that said, have fun. LisaR wonders who wouldn’t want to be on a private jet going to see Erika in Chicago. If you don’t, you need to work on your life. I guess I’d better start working on mine. Thanks for the enlightenment. They meet Erika, and it’s all hugs and kisses. In Erika’s interview, she says, nothing worth having is easy. She’s always kept her eye on the prize. What great thing is next? I dunno. Covid-19? The text says, Erika earned rave reviews, then we see a video where Erika is in an empty theater, looking downcast. She says, no audience. So this is how it ends. The text says Covid shut down the theatre two months after Erika started, and she went home to Tom.
Garcelle tells us, she’d say to that little girl living in Haiti, don’t be scared, even though things aren’t right and they’re hurtful. The text tells us that she wasn’t so sweet on Chocolate Michael, and is on the hunt for a spicier guy.
Teddi says, like it or not, this is who she is. I pick not. The text says she had baby Dove, and is finding time to work off the baby weight. Zzzz…
Kyle says the pandemic has changed her thinking. She’s been analyzing the things she can’t live without – people and things. Articulate as ever. The text tells us her fashion line is being sold online, and her loungewear is selling big during quarantine.
In Denise’s interview, she says there are a few sides to her. You can be a wild thing, and be a protective mom at the same time. The text tells us The Bold and the Beautiful was the first soap to return to filming. Due to restrictions, Aaron has been her stand-in during love scenes. I did read that shows are doing their best to have real life couples do the up close and personal romance.
We see LisaR acting like a jerk on Instagram, and she says, you can’t sweep things under the rug. She’s a big nasty bully truth seeker, and knows when she’s being bullsh*tted. She couldn’t not listen to that voice.
Dorit tells us, it’s really important that she voice what she believes. Even if it’s not the majority opinion, she’s okay being on the island. Can we vote her off? Actually, I’m least annoyed with her. The text tells us the Capri room closed because of the pandemic, but Dorit is helping Phoenix do her cooking show. We see Phoenix in the kitchen, and Dorit says, the ladies (choke again) have the ability to look past their disagreements, and move forward. They’re always holding on to hope.
Next time, the Reunion. I think this is my last season for this show. I said that last time, but this was almost worse.
🛣 The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City begins this fall. I, too, hold on to hope.
I ended up with another long day, but promise Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles is on this week’s agenda. RHOBH took a lot out of me, and yes, I know how sad that sounds. So until next time, stay safe, stay truthful, and stay out of Dorinda’s way.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
🌞 And we’re back.
General Hospital
At the warehouse, Carly asks if Jordan can get the ambulance there faster, and Gladys tries to comfort Brando. Jason has shown up, and Jordan asks if he can tell her what happened.
Josslyn is at the hospital, where Chase asks if she can retrace her steps for him. Josslyn says she went to the pier because she’d left her journal behind. That’s when she saw the shooter. Chase asks if he was headed for Sasha and Michael, and Josslyn says he was, but she thinks it was really Michael he wanted, and she had to warn him. If she hadn’t, the shooter would have killed him. Chase says Michael is lucky to have such a brave sister. She saved his life.
Michael arrives at Sonny’s, and asks a guard how everything is. The guard says, no sign of trouble, and Michael says Sonny is taking Mike back to Turning Woods. He wonders how things are at the warehouse, but the guard says Tony hasn’t checked in. Michael says he hasn’t heard from his mom either. Dev comes in, and asks, what’s going on? The place is crawling with guards and he can’t go anywhere. Michael tells him, something bad went down.
Finn tells Nikolas that it’s terrible to have forced Hayden to abandon her child. Nikolas says he never intended it to go there, but Finn says, he did. His greed cost Violet her mother. Nikolas says, temporarily; Hayden will come back. Finn asks if he’s supposed to take Nikolas’s word for it because he’s a prince. Finn says Nikolas thinks he’s gotten away with it, but promises he won’t.
Jax thanks Elizabeth for taking care of his daughter, but she says she didn’t do much. He says he appreciates it anyway, and he’s sorry for what Nikolas did to Hayden. Jax regrets enabling him. Elizabeth asks what Nikolas did, but Chase interrupts. He thanks Jax for letting Josslyn answer questions, and says he might have some follow-up. Jax tells him to call any time, and he says Jax’s daughter is a brave young woman. However, Jax should have a talk with her about the difference between brave and reckless. He moves on, and Elizabeth tells Jax that whatever he has to say can wait; Josslyn needs him. He says it kills him that Hayden can’t be with Violet, and she says, thanks to Valentin. He says, Valentin isn’t the one who forced Hayden into hiding.
Ava tells Valentin that criminals who get off on bail often go on to convictions. He says she inspires him. How many times has she been charged with murder, and beat the conviction? Nina says, enough, and Valentin says he’s made mistakes, but loving her isn’t one of them. He’s not stopping until he gets back everything he lost.
Gladys tells the EMTs, please help. They can’t let her son die. An EMT says they’re ready to move, and Gladys says she’ll ride with him. Jordan tells her, go ahead; an officer will take her statement later. Carly says she’s going too, and asks Jason to tell Michael that she’s okay. Jordan tells Jason that she got an update from the NYPD. Sonny was the intended target in the Brooklyn shooting. On the pier, it was Michael, and then they have the warehouse. The coordinated attacks begin with him.
Dev asks if Josslyn is okay, and Michael says, she’s fine. Dev asks why she didn’t come back, and Michael tells him, she’s at GH; her father wanted her checked out. Dev says, thank God no one was hurt, and Sasha thinks Michael should tell him the rest. Dev says, there’s more? but Michael’s phone rings. It’s Jason, who asks if Michael is okay. Michael says, he, Sasha, and Josslyn are fine, but Laura was shot; she’s in the hospital. Jason tells him about the warehouse being targeted, and Michael says his mom was there. Jason says she wasn’t hit, but she went with Gladys to hospital. A guy was shot, and they’re riding with him. but he doesn’t have any more details. Michael says he’s got it, and Jason says the police are there. He’ll call when he knows more. Jordan says Jason might express his gratitude by cooperating for once.
Valentin tells Nina that he misses her. All he thinks about is that they belong together. Ava tells Nina not to humor this nonsense. Valentin doesn’t know what she needs. Nina says, everyone thinks they know what she needs today, and asks what Valentin wants. He says, her. He always wants her, and deep down, she feels the same way. They can work it out. She says, it’s over, but he says he doesn’t believe that. They had a life at Windymere; her, him, and Charlotte. She says the life they had there is long gone. Doesn’t he get it? She was in it with Ava. Valentin needs to get it through his head that she helped them take him down.
Jax tells Elizabeth that Nikolas recruited him to help get him back to Port Charles, where he knew there was a document that could reinstate him as heir. He recruited Hayden as well; her job at Aurora was just a front. They were both helping Nikolas. Valentin caught on, and targeted Hayden, pressuring her for information. Elizabeth says Hayden must have thought she had no other option than to leave Violet. Jax says, it’s not that simple. Valentin offered Hayden money for information. Nikolas found out about it, and wanted to get her out of town before she talked. Nikolas staged the attack that forced Hayden to leave. Elizabeth says, he wouldn’t do that, but Jax says, he did. Hayden was an impediment in his plan, and he moved her out of the way. Elizabeth says Jax knew? and Jax says he found out after Hayden disappeared. He confronted Nikolas, who told him everything. He tried to reach out to Hayden, but her phone is off, and he has no way to trace her. Elizabeth says she can’t believe Nikolas would do this to Hayden and Violet. Separating a mother from her child is despicable. Nikolas approaches, and Elizabeth cracks him one across the face. He’s been getting a lot of that lately.
Jason tells Jordan, the Brooklyn shooter is dead, and she says, Jason killed him. She talked to the NYPD, and knows what happened. Surprisingly, Jason wouldn’t talk without his attorney being present, but the waitress exonerated him, and the NYPD is satisfied it was self-defense. She is too. She knows there’s no way Jason wanted a gunfight in the middle of a restaurant. Jason says, no, he didn’t, and she wonders who targeted them in Brooklyn. Who knew they’d be there?
Elizabeth asks Nikolas what he did to Hayden, and Nikolas supposes he has Jax to thank. Jax wisely says he’ll give them some space, and jets. Nikolas says he was going to tell Elizabeth, and she says Hayden helped him pull off his plan, and this is how he repays her? How could he do this to her? Him, of all people. Valentin tore him away from Spencer, and forced him into hiding, and he did the same thing to Hayden. Nikolas says he never intended for it to be more than a few days. He thought Hayden would check in. He didn’t know she was going to make herself unreachable. Elizabeth says Violet means everything to Hayden, and he convinced Hayden to leave to protect Violet. He knows Hayden doesn’t do things halfway. She’s disappeared without a trace, and they have no way of finding her to tell her it’s all a lie, staged by her friend Nikolas. She says he has to go find Hayden. Her daughter needs her.
Jax lets Finn know that he told Elizabeth the truth. Finn asks if he wants a thank you, but Jax says, no. He regrets his part in it. If he’d known what Hayden was going to do, he would have stopped Nikolas. He asks how Violet is, and Finn says, it’s hard coming up with excuses when Violet asks for her mother. What would Jax tell Josslyn if Carly disappeared? Elizabeth tells Finn that he’s needed in the ER. A second shooting victim has been brought in.
Several of Sonny’s guards are in the hospital waiting area, and Chase asks if one of them is visiting a patient. The guard says nothing, and Chase says he didn’t think so. The PCPD is providing security, so they can go. The guard doesn’t move, and Chase says if he and his boys don’t leave voluntarily, he’s going to arrest them. He thinks Mr. Corinthos has had enough trouble today, and sure as hell doesn’t need more. Sonny’s security team leaves.
Dev is obviously upset, and Michael tells him that he needs to calm down; it will be okay. Dev asks how he knows, and Michael says he doesn’t, but Dev can’t imagine the worst. Josslyn, Carly, and Sonny are safe. Dev asks what they do now, and Michael says, wait it out. If Dev wants to do something to help, he can be with Avery. Michael suggests Dev watch a movie with her; make sure she feels safe. Dev says he can do that, and goes upstairs. Sasha asks if Michael really thinks that will calm Dev down, and Michael says, it will make him feel less afraid. He and Morgan used to do it with Josslyn. She says, comforting Dev seems like second nature, and wonders how many times he’s done it before. He says, calm someone down? and she says, or explain away someone trying to kill him.
Ava says she’s confused as to why Valentin is still there. He heard Nina; there’s nothing left there for him. He says Ava doesn’t speak for Nina, and Ava says, nor does he. He’s deceived her time and time again. Now beat it. She and Nina have important things to discuss. Valentin asks Nina to hear him out, and she asks, what’s left to say? He says he loves her. Nothing he’s done was with malice. He can still make her happy. Ava says he’s delusional. He thinks if he says he acted out of love, it will absolve him of the lies and betrayal. In reality, the sad truth is, he doesn’t know the first damn thing about love.
Josslyn comes out of the ER with Jax, and sees Gladys, who says, it’s nice to see a familiar face. Jax asks, what’s going on? and Gladys says, it’s such a disaster. She doesn’t know what to do or how to help. Josslyn says she’s helping just by showing up; it will be okay. Gladys tells her, that’s sweet to say, but she can’t relax until she hears it from the doctor. She saw her boy, lying there shot and bleeding. Jax asks who she’s talking about, and she says her boy Brando. He got shot saving Carly’s life. Carly joins them, and hugs Josslyn, saying she was so worried, and asking if Josslyn is okay. Jax says Josslyn got the all clear, and Josslyn says she’s allowed to leave. Carly says, thank God no one was hurt, and Josslyn says she didn’t hear. Carly says, hear what? and Josslyn says, Michael was with Laura on the pier, and Laura’s been shot. Gladys says, this night is getting worse and worse. Carly tells Jax and Josslyn that Gladys’s son saved her life. They had to stop by the warehouse, and suddenly some guys started shooting. The bodyguard got Gladys into the office, but Carly was stuck outside with bullets flying. A guy showed up, and pulled her to safety. Gladys says her boy is a hero, but he got shot. Carly says, it’s not bad; he’ll make a full recovery, but Gladys says, he lost a lot of blood. She can’t lose her son; he can’t die. Josslyn says, he’s in great hands, and Jax says he’s glad he’s okay, but what’s going on? Carly says, it’s all a mess, and he asks where Sonny is. He saw Sonny’s bodyguard there. Carly says he’s getting Mike settled back in Turning Woods. There were two attacks out of town. Obviously, someone is making a move against Sonny, and Jason is talking to the cops at the warehouse.
Sasha tells Michael, she’s not naïve. It’s not like she hasn’t heard who Sonny is. Michael asks if it’s a problem now, and Sasha says, after he nearly got killed, it might be. He says he knows it’s awful, and wishes she didn’t have to go through this. She says she’s terrified, and he says she has a right to be. He’s experienced things like this before, and learned how to handle a crisis like this. She asks if there will be more, and he tells her, it’s hard to say. His father is a powerful business man, and gets unwanted attention from time to time, but it’s Sonny’s business, not his. Sasha says either the gunman didn’t know that or didn’t care. He didn’t see Michael Corinthos, the head of ELQ; he saw a target. If not for Josslyn coming back, he could have died in front of her. She doesn’t think she can go through that again. He holds her, and says, it’s okay. She won’t have to.
Chase joins Jordan at the warehouse, and she says Tony was just taking her through what happened. She asks Tony to tell her again, and Tony says, it was a normal afternoon. A shipment of beans had just come in. They were offloaded, and the workers were gone.Carly stopped by to drop off some paperwork, and brought Dev’s grandmother with her. Gladys wandered off, and Tony went after her; that’s what the shooting started. Jordan says, he saw it begin? and he says he put Gladys in the office, and returned fire. Carly was pinned down, and there was no way for him to reach her. Chase asks if it occurred to them to call the police, and Tony says they were a little busy. Jordan tells Tony, continue, and Tony says, the gunfire came closer, and was about to reach Carly, when this guy swooped in to cover her. Jordan says, Brando, and Tony says he didn’t recognize the guy, but he must be a professional the way he covered Carly and got her to a more secure location. The gunmen shot at them until they ran out of ammunition, then took off. Jordan says, they shoot up a warehouse that’s the property of a powerful alleged mob kingpin, and just leave?
Tony says he doesn’t know what to tell her. The gunmen were shooting, then they were gone. Chase arrives, and she asks if Tony minds retracing his steps again with Chase. Tony says, no, and Jordan tells them to get started while she talks to Jason outside. She and Jason step out of the warehouse, and Jordan says, hypothetically speaking, if there was an attack on a warehouse, would the shooters run out of ammunition and leave? Either they’re the most incompetent gunman ever, or Tony isn’t telling the whole story. Jason says he wasn’t there; he can’t say. She says, of course (🍷) not. She admires him on some level. He’s raised non-incrimination to an artform. Taggert shows up, and says he knows from past experience how uncooperative Sonny and his associates can be. She says tell her about it.
Jax tells Carly that he’ll take Josslyn to his place, but she asks him to take Josslyn back to Sonny’s. It’s well-protected, and Michael, Dev, and Avery are there. It will make Josslyn feel better – and her. Jax says, Brando saved her life; impressive for a supposed dead guy. Carly tells him that she doesn’t know why Gladys lied, or if it really is Brando, but she’s sticking around. She wants to find out why Brando got dragged in, or if he was involved with the whole thing.
Valentin tells Ava, before Nina, he didn’t know trust or love. He thought love led to misery and unhappiness. He supposes he wasn’t far off, but he didn’t know the big picture; the joy and connection of knowing someone completely. Of having someone love him back, without judgement. He didn’t know what it was like, but he does now. Ava says he’s just wasting his breath. He says Ava doesn’t know a thing about love. That’s why she’s easy to manipulate. Ava asks what he’s talking about, and Nina says she’s trying to do a job. Both of them need to leave. Ava says she has some redecorating to do in her castle, and Valentin says, good luck with that. Ava says Valentin’s taste is ostentatious and pretentious, which makes sense, since he was pretending to be a Cassadine. Not to worry. She’ll have the place spruced up in no time. Nikolas walks in, and she adds, with the help of her husband. Nina says she has to make a change in security. She can’t take anymore. Nikolas says he figured Valentin would weasel his way out of jail, so he took the liberty of drawing up some paperwork. He hands Valentin an envelope.
Valentin takes the papers out, and says, it’s a restraining order. Nikolas says to keep him far away from Windymere, and adds, keep reading. Valentin says, nice of Nikolas to arrange a DNA test. Nikolas says Valentin can refuse, and he’ll petition the court for an order, but that will be a clear indication that Valentin is not a Cassadine. Valentin says Nikolas doesn’t see it; he’s so caught up in revenge. Helena is playing him. She set him up from beyond the grave. She left a trail of breadcrumbs to what he wants most – to be the prince – but Valentin is the rightful heir. Valentin Mikkosovich Cassadine. Nikolas is the punchline to Helena’s last pathetic joke.
Gladys tells Carly that she can’t stand waiting, but Carly is sure Brando is having excellent care. GH has the best doctors in the state. Gladys says, Brando has always been brave, with no thought to his own safety. Carly says she’s grateful Gladys’s son saved her life… Gladys says, but? Say what she’s thinking. Carly says Gladys told them that Brando was dead. Why say that when she knew he was alive? Finn comes out, and Gladys says she’s Brando’s mother. She asks how her son is, and Finn says, he’s stable. The bullet passed clean though. Gladys says, prayer is working, and he tells her, keep it up. The bullet missed all key organs and arteries. Gladys asks if she can see him, and Finn says, of course (🍷). Gladys goes inside, and Carly thanks Finn. Finn says he was just doing his job. Whoever bandaged Brando on the scene did good. Carly says, thanks, and he says he’ll make sure she gets updates.
Elizabeth leaves the bag with Brando’s personal effects at the reception desk.
Josslyn goes back to Sonny’s, and Dev hugs her, practically knocking her over. He says Michael told him what happened; he was worried. Michael says he told Dev she was all right, but Dev says he had to see for himself. Jax says Sonny has enough security guards to start a football team. Sasha tells Josslyn that she didn’t get a chance to thank her. If she hadn’t called out, things could have ended differently. She saved Michael’s life. Michael agrees she did, and Josslyn says he owes her big time. Jax tells her to get some rest, but she says she’s not doing anything until her mom gets home. Jax says Carly and Gladys are fine, but whatever happened at the warehouse was bad; they could have been killed. Dev says, a shooting at the warehouse and pier at the same time must mean something, and Jax says, nothing good.
Chase tells Jordan the preliminary findings match Tony’s story – to a point. There were two shooters outside, and three inside; Brando, Tony, and Brent, who worked there. An associate chased the gunmen, and didn’t return. Taggert says, he probably grabbed a gunman to hold for Sonny. Jordan introduces Taggert to Chase, and tells Chase they worked in the DEA together. Taggert says it was after his tenure at the NYPD. He and Sonny worked different sides of the same street in Brooklyn. He’s not there in an official capacity, but asks Jason, if he was, who might try to take over Sonny’s territory? Jason says he’s not answering any questions without his attorney present. Taggert says, some things never change. Sonny must have pissed someone off. Jordan says, Sonny is at Turning Woods, getting Mike settled. Tagger says, Mike was involved? It must have been pretty traumatic for him. Jordan is glad Sonny is taking care of Mike, but when he’s done, she has plenty of questions.
Carly sees Brando’s stuff, and noses around. She slides something out of the bag.
Elizabeth sees Finn, and tells him that Jax told her about Nikolas. She’s still in shock. He tried to justify his actions, but keeping Hayden from Violet is unforgivable. Finn says Violet misses her mom very much, and Elizabeth asks how he’s doing. He says he loves Violet, and wants to be the father she needs. Elizabeth hopes he doesn’t feel alone in this. He has Anna for support, but she doesn’t want him to forget that he’s officially part of her family now. Violet has a lot of people who love her, including three cousins who’d like to see more of her. Finn says it’s kind of her, and suggests arranging a playdate. He can’t believe he said those words, and she tells him, get used to it.
Valentin tells Ava and Nikolas, enjoy their brief stay. Don’t go crazy redecorating. Ava married his nephew, and thinks she married a prince, but he’s nothing. Nikolas tells Valentin to stay away from his home. Valentin says he still has his true love, and Ava says, too bad it’s not reciprocated. She imagines there are a lot of fine-looking upstanding men who will be lining up to treat Nina better than Valentin did. Valentin says, maybe she’s right, but they can’t love her like he does. Nina says, goodbye, and he says, for now. He leaves, and Nina smiles at Ava.
Josslyn tells Sasha, a random guy showed out of nowhere to help, and he was shot. Her mom insisted on waiting at the hospital with Gladys. It’s was Gladys’s son Brando who saved her life. Jax says, Dev’s father.
Carly looks at a photo of Dev and Gladys.
Jordan says, three shootouts going down at the same time is no coincidence, and Chase says, if it’s connected to Sonny’s truck getting stolen, it’s a huge escalation. Taggert says, they wanted to get rid of the competition fast and final, but Jordan says, the good news is, they failed. Jason and Sonny are still standing, along with their families. She tells Jason that when he talks to his lawyer, he might want to think about all they stand to lose if this blows up into a mob war. She doesn’t mean territory, but their families, and innocent bystanders. What’s coming for them has no code. It’s going to be public and ugly, and she’s going to stop it if she has to take him and Sonny along with them.
On Monday, Willow tells Brad to manage Nelle or she will, Gladys asks Brando what he’s doing in Port Charles, and Carly asks Sonny why they’re doing this to him.
🧂 Some Non-News…
It’s not very exciting, but there’s not much on the new Wives yet.
Their relationship had it’s ups and downs, and I was rooting for them, but it’s not a surprise. What is a surprise is that they’re being publicly nasty.
It’s almost time to die. – Judge Judy upon finding out how many people in the courtroom didn’t know who Rip van Winkle was.
Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense. – Gertrude Stein
So often in life, things that you regard as an impediment turn out to be great, good fortune. – Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Artistic growth is, more than it is anything else, a refining of the sense of truthfulness. The stupid believe that to be truthful is easy; only the artist, the great artist, knows how difficult it is. – Willa Cather
I had to learn who I was again through animals, because animals know who you really are. – Kim Novak
Sometimes when you least expect it, the tables turn and that scary feeling that has taken hold of you for so long somehow turns into hope. – David Archuleta
It turns out, nature is more imaginative than we are. – Abraham Loeb, a theoretical physicist at Harvard (I’d say God is, but okay.)
Putting a guy who’s in the closet in the closet? It’s like gay nesting dolls. – Max (Kat Dennings), 2 Broke Girls
Let me start with anger management. Don’t piss me off. – Pao Mayfield, 90 Day Fiancé: Pillow Talk
It feels like a summer camp for drunk third graders. – Kate Chastain, Below Deck, referring to unruly guests
My mother always used to say: The older you get, the better you get, unless you’re a banana. – Betty White
🦡 To See Or Not To See…
Just please don’t drop the groundhog. (That was the closest thing to a groundhog emoji I had.)
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Neil visits Alexis, who’s with Monica. He says he’s sorry to interrupt, but Monica says she was just leaving. Alexis asks how he is, and he says he was about to ask her the same thing. She says other than recovering from rat poisoning, being in this bed, and her daughter in prison for manslaughter, she’s just fine. He says, hold up. Rat poison?
Cameron, Trina, Josslyn, and Dev sit in detention. Cameron asks if Dustin is coming back, and Trina says, that’s the scam. He leaves for coffee, and comes back in time to collect their essays. Josslyn asks if Trina has been there before, but Trina says it’s her first time – thanks. Dev makes a paper airplane out of his essay, and launches it at Cameron, saying he shouldn’t even be there. Cameron says he’s sorry he got drunk and dragged Dev into it. How many times does he have to apologize? Dev asks how many apologies he has left, and Cameron says he’s fresh out. Trina says, it’s going to be a very long day.
At the hospital, Julian sees Elizabeth at the reception desk. He says he’s putting together a surprise for Brad and Lucas, and asks if he can see their schedules. He wants to know when they’re off at the same time. She says, absolutely not, but she’ll check for him. She looks on the computer, and says, Lucas is a sweetheart. He volunteered to work on Thanksgiving. Julian says, all day? Without Brad?
Franco goes to Monica’s office. She says she thought he already moved with Kim, and he says, about that. They need to talk.
At Turning Woods, Stella asks Mike how he’s feeling. He’s fiddling with some shoe laces, and doesn’t look up. She asks if he needs help. Sonny and Carly come in, and Sonny says Stella is there bright and early. Carly asks how Mike is doing, and Stella says, it’s not a good day. Sonny says he’s used to seeing Mike live in the past, but Stella says, it’s worse than that. They go over to Mike, and Sonny says, hey, dad. Look who he brought. Carly says, long time, no see, but he looks at them blankly.
Alexis tells Neil that TJ put the symptoms together, and found out it was thallium poisoning. It was banned in 1965, but they did a lab test, and he was right. Neil says she looks better, and she says, the cure is blue paint; Prussian blue to be exact. It’s pretty, and she’s alive. Neil says if it was banned, it’s not because of a careless exterminator, and Alexis says they believe it was deliberate. Neil asks, who would do that? and she says she’s a lawyer. They’re not known for making friends. TJ comes in, and Alexis says she was just singing his praises. Neil tells him, well done. TJ says he’s glad his guess was the right one, and Alexis asks what brings him by. He says he was hoping she might have a minute, and Neil says he’ll go get some coffee. He leaves, and Alexis says, before TJ tells her what he’s got to say, she saw the look between them. It wasn’t subtle. What’s up? He wants to talk about Molly.
Julian thanks Elizabeth, and she asks if he’s heard from Kim. He says, no, and he doesn’t expect to. They’re definitely over. She says there are some things he doesn’t know about Franco that affect Kim, but he says it’s not in him to talk about Kim. There’s just scorched earth between them.
Dev and Trina play basketball with crumpled paper balls and the trash can. Josslyn says Dev is being a jerk; it’s his default setting. Cameron says that’s not why he’s worked up. He tells Josslyn that he’s sorry. He should have never talked her into drinking. She points to the board with the essay topic, and says, howyour actions affect those around you, and how you can do better. He didn’t pour it down her throat though. Cameron says he was stupid, and Trina says, they were all stupid. Dev says, except him. He was downright heroic, but he got punished anyway. He doesn’t know how he could do any better. He was selfless. Josslyn tells him to write that down, and Dustin might give him the answer. Trina asks how Dev intends to do better.
Franco tells Monica, when they met, she was looking to know Drew. He says, if there’s anything he can tell her, or any questions he can answer to help ease the pain of her loss, he’ll be glad to. She says she’d like that very much.
Carly asks Mike if he needs help with the laces. He asks where they go, and she says she can show him. Sonny says Mike is having a bad day; worse than the last time. Stella says the nurse told her it varies significantly from day to day. Sonny says she told him that too. Carly tells Mike, he’s all set, and he smiles. Stella tells Sonny when she saw him yesterday, Mike thought he was a young man with his whole life ahead of him. Does Sonny remember when they started this journey, what she told him about forgiveness? Sonny says she told him that he needed to forgive his dad for leaving him. Stella says, and to forgive himself for letting him leave.
Elizabeth tries to tell Julian about Franco, but he tells her, don’t. He can’t tear himself apart about those two, and she shouldn’t either. She should close that chapter of her life, move on, and survive. That’s what he’s doing.
TJ tells Alexis, this is very traditional; old school. He has the deepest respect for her and Molly. He loves Molly more every day, and wants to cement… She says, cement? He amends it to, secure their future. He wants to ask Alexis’s permission to ask Molly for her hand in marriage. So what does she say? Alexis says he doesn’t want to do that.
They kids lie in a circle on the floor, their heads pointed toward the middle, eating potato chips. I guess we’re going Breakfast Club here. Cameron says, sour cream and onion; the least imaginative flavor. What about barbecue sauce? Josslyn says she likes it on French fries. Which brings her to the question, which flavor is their favorite? Cameron says, original, and Josslyn asks, how can that be less boring? He says, it’s pure and honest. Just potato with a dash of salt. Trina says her favorite is sea salt and vinegar. Josslyn says her mom likes those, but they taste sour. Trina says if she has them on a sandwich, it will change her life. (My favorite is dill pickle, but I make a mental note to try Trina’s suggestion.) Josslyn asks what about Dev? and Dev says it’s going to be a shock, but he agrees with Cameron. The best ones are the original. Josslyn says all varieties are going to be at her Lady and the Tramp viewing party (and she makes a plug for Disney+). Trina says they need to have spaghetti and meatballs too. Cameron says, it’s a cartoon, but Trina says, it’s live action. Cameron says, dogs eating spaghetti, and Josslyn tells him not to question how they do it. It will also be their post-detention consolation party.
Monica tells Franco that traditionally the Quartermaines get together on Thanksgiving, and she’d like him to join them. He asks if she’s sure it’s a good idea. She says it’s a chance to be with the family, and if circumstances were different, they’d be his family. She’d love for him to be there. He’s not sure everyone else feels the same way, but she says, who cares? It’s her house. He thanks her, and says, there’s one other thing. The Navy put his personal effects in a storage locker in San Diego. Maybe she’d like to pass them along to Drew’s daughter. Monica is sure Scout would love to have them. She knows she would too.
Mike works on a jigsaw puzzle. Sonny tries to help, and Mike yells, no! It’s his puzzle. He calls Sonny Anthony, and tells him to find his own. Sonny sits, and Mike puts his head in his hands. Carly tells Stella, this is more than just a bad day. Stella says the staff told her that Mike has suffered significant cognitive decline. Carly says, it’s weird. It’s taking forever, yet it’s happening all at once. Stella says, the disease progresses at an uneven pace. Carly asks if he’ll have good days again, and Stella says, it depends on how you define good. Days when he’s living in the past, but in happy memories, are a different good, but it only gets harder from there. Mike tells Sonny, that’s how you do it. He’s too young. When he’s older, Mike will teach him how to do it. Stella tells Mike that it’s time for her to say goodbye now. She wants to tell him how much she enjoyed his friendship. He gets up, and asks if she can take Anthony with her. Anthony is getting in his way. Stella tells him, Anthony’s mom is coming in a little bit, and asks if Mike can keep him a little longer. Mike says, okay, fine, but he’s not letting Anthony have his ice cream. Sonny says he doesn’t want any, and Mike says he’s a liar. He’ll try to take some, but Mike won’t let him. Carly says she thinks there’s enough for everyone. Stella tells Mike it was good seeing him, and Mike takes her hand, saying he’ll see her around the neighborhood. She kisses his forehead, and he smiles. Sonny and Carly walk Stella to the door, and Sonny says they can’t begin to thank her for everything she’s done. She says, it was an honor to know him. She’s crying, and a sob bursts out of me. Carly says Mike loves her; she knows that. Stella says she promised Mike a long time ago, when this time came she’d speak for him, and tell them both that he loves them, and how much he needs them to do what’s important for him, and help him say goodbye. As hard as it is, they’ll be able to do that for him because Sonny is a good son. Sonny and Carly hug her, and Carly says they’re so grateful. She’s always welcome in their family. Stella tells them to take good care of the children.
TJ says he doesn’t want to what? and Alexis says he doesn’t want to ask permission to marry Molly. He loves her, but they’re talking Molly. She tells him to sit, and says, when Molly was eight years old, they watched Fiddler on the Roof together. By the time it was over, Molly said she was going to take down the patriarchy. He says, at eight years old? and she says, yes. Molly used that word. The three daughters were her heroes because they defied family, faith, and tradition to make their own choices. So no permission. She loves the old school approach, but if he asked Molly about Alexis giving permission for her hand, she’d say it wasn’t Alexis’s to give. TJ says she’s so right. He doesn’t know why he didn’t see it. She says he was caught up in the romance. For the record. Molly is romantic too. She loves the knights and damsels, as long as they rescue each other equally. Now he has to figure out a way for Molly to say yes. TJ thanks her for helping him. She says, that’s what future mothers-in-law do. He doesn’t need her blessing, but should they decide to get married, they have it. He says he’ll take it, and she tells him, good luck. He hugs her, and leaves.
The kids are now playing volleyball, using overturned chairs as a net. Trina wonders, which is worse;telling your greatest secret or telling someone who doesn’t like you that you like them? Cameron says, for some people, it’s the same thing. Trina says, not for her. Cameron says tell them her great secret, and she says, last year she took a DNA test as part of a project, and it said she had a direct relative there in Port Charles. It’s crazy, since her mother is the only relative she’s ever had there. Josslyn asks if she’s met them, but Trina says, what if they’re a crazy freak? Dev says, what if they’re a gazillionaire looking for a long, lost heir? She says, that doesn’t happen, and it’s not worth the risk. She shut it down. Cameron says, that’s not a secret; it’s something she hasn’t told them. She says, it’s all she’s got. What about Cameron? Josslyn asks, what’s his secret?
Julian sees Neil with two coffees, and asks if one of those is for Alexis. Neil says it is, and Julian says, she must be feeling better. Neil says, let it suffice to say they’ve figured out what’s wrong and she’s expected to fully recover. Julian says, she must be relieved, and Neil says, to a point. She got sick because she ingested rat poison, and there’s almost no way it could be by accident. Julian says there were dead rats in the alley behind Charlie’s, and he thinks they were poisoned as well.
Carly wonders why Sonny didn’t tell her about Mike sooner, and he says he just thought it was a run of bad days. Some days were good, and Mike was his normal self, flirting with the nurses, and tending to Yvonne. He just hoped Mike would get better. Carly understands wanting that, but it’s not going to happen. They’ve discussed how the disease is progressing. Now there will be bad days or worse days. Sonny thought they could hold it off a little longer. Mike stares into space, breaking my heart into a million pieces.
Julian tells Neil, the only time anyone is out in the alley is to dump garbage. A couple of days before the dead rats showed up, he ran into Kendra. He was making a call, and saw her dumping something in the trash. He didn’t think anything of it, but then the rats were dead. Neil asks how long it was happening, but Julian says, just once. He scrubbed the place down, and he called in the exterminator, and it never happened again. Alexis started to get sick around the same time the rats were killed. Neil thanks him, and says, that was helpful. He tells Julian that he wants to get the coffee upstairs before it gets cold, and takes the next elevator.
What Cameron wants to know is what Josslyn is writing every day, ten times a day. She says, treasure maps and nuclear launch codes.It’s private. He says, that’s a secret, but she says she has others. Trina says, it’s still Cameron’s turn. He says, it’s hard to think of something Josslyn doesn’t know. They’ve known each other their whole lives. He says, but there’s Dev, the mysterious Corbin cousin from Connecticut. Why is he really there?
Franco and Elizabeth see each other on the stairs, and she asks how he is. He says he just saw Monica. He thought he should give her the news in person. She asks how Monica took it, and he says, she’s great. She’s a very understanding person. When he first saw the newspaper with Jason’s picture, and found out he had a twin and was a Quartermaine, he didn’t think they’d ever want him or accept him. Not only was he wrong, in the end, he thinks Monica would have been a good mom. She’s been a good friend. Elizabeth says, that’s the kind of person she is. He says he should probably go work out, and she says it was nice seeing him. He says, her too.
Stella meets TJ at the café. She says she missed him, and he says he missed her too. And apparently, he’s going to miss her again. He heard she’s not staying. She says it’s just a quick stop to extend her visa, then she’s flying back to London. It’s the adventure of her life. She tells him that he can visit her when he can. He says he’d love to someday. In meantime, he’s going ask Molly marry him. Stella thought that might be what he had to tell her. She takes his hand, and says she knows how much he loves Molly. What’s not to love?She’s a brilliant, remarkable young woman. And fiery. Her fight for Charles Street was a sight. TJ says he was proud of her. Stella says the thing is, if he does this, it will be a hard road for them. TJ says he knows. They still have to finish school, and get their careers and lives in gear. She says they do, but she’s not talking about that. She’s talking about the fact Molly is white.
TJ says, it doesn’t matter to him, and he can’t believe it matters to her. Stella says, let her finish. She loves Molly, and will welcome her into the family. He asks what the problem is then, and she says, they only see through their hearts to each other. The idea that we live in a color blind world is a fantasy. He says she doesn’t have to tell him. She’s glad he’s proud of his culture, and how it defines his place in the world, but he doesn’t have to look far to know not a lot of people feel that way. As hard as it is now, it’s been worse. The right for a man like him to be with a woman like Molly, has only been protected for fifty-two years. There are people out there who want to turn back the clock. Not just stop them, but punish them for loving each other in the first place. TJ asks if she wants to let them win, and she says, far from it. She wants him to be safe. The world has changed, but there’s still plenty to be afraid of.
Dev says he got in trouble at his old school; that’s why he’s there. He cheated on all of his tests. His father was furious, and sent him away. Now they know everything. Trina says, he was sent away after his father was dead? Dev says, before he died, he told Dev’s grandmother that he wanted Dev to go to Uncle Sonny’s. Trina asks if he doesn’t mean cousin, and he says, of course (🍷). He meant cousin. Cameron says, didn’t his father die a long time ago? Trina says Dev is a terrible liar, and Cameron says, the worst. It’s surprising. When Dev first got to Port Charles, he was smoother. Trina asks, is Sonny his cousin or not?
Neil tells Alexis that he ran into Julian, who sends his best. She asks what else he said, and Neil says her life coach came up. She asks what Julian said about her, and he says, not much. Just that they all seem to have their own approach to work. What exactly are they working on?
Sonny says it’s hard to see his dad like that. Carly kisses him, and says she knows. She loves Mike too. Whatever time they have left, they’ll make the most of it. Embrace the good days, and help each other through the bad ones. Mike asks if the ice cream will be there soon. She says she’d like some too, and Mike says, the kid would love some, meaning Sonny. She says she’ll see what she can do.
Julian says he thought Franco and Kim left town. Franco says they were going to, and Julian tells him not to stay too long. He’s ruined enough lives already. Julian starts to leave, and Franco says, this town ain’t big enough for both of them? Is that what Julian is saying? Julian says Franco is a human wrecking ball. They’ll all be better off when he clears out. Franco says, there’s been a change of plans. He’s staying there. Kim is gone, but he didn’t go with her. Julian says he thought Franco said there isn’t anything keeping him there. Franco says, there isn’t, but there are things keeping Franco there. He volunteered for the procedure to restore Franco’s memory. Julian says, what about Kim? He made all these promises to her, and now he’s backing out? Franco looks confused, as we all do.
Dev asks, why are they ganging up on him? It’s Cameron’s turn. Cameron tells him to answer the question. Trina says, is he or is he not Sonny’s cousin? and Cameron says, and if he isn’t, who is he?
Stella tells TJ just being a Black man alone puts him at risk. He says he remembers being detained by security for shopping while Black. She says, a lot worse has happened to a lot more people. It doesn’t matter if they’re poor or rich, or what they’ve done with their lives. He could be on a drive minding his own business. TJ says he doesn’t want to live in fear, and doesn’t want that for her either. She says, when you’re in danger, fear can save you. She tells him to walk through the world with his eyes open, but don’t let it diminish one ounce of the love in his heart. He says he won’t. Do they have her blessing? She says they do, and asks him to promise to be true to himself – all parts of himself – so the rest of them can learn from that truth. He promises, and she says she has faith that all of them will be better off for it. As for the wedding, she intends on sitting in the front row. They hug, and she says she loves him so much.
Elizabeth asks if Monica has a minute, and Monica says she was kind of expecting her. Elizabeth says she ran into Franco, and he told her that he let Monica know he was going through with the procedure. Monica says, Drew believes it’s the best thing to do. She’s sure Elizabeth does too. Elizabeth says she just wants her husband back. Monica tells her, as she knows, there are no guarantees she’ll get Franco back. Elizabeth asks if letting Drew live his life is okay, and Monica says she thinks so. Elizabeth says Franco knows the what’s at stake, and what he stands to lose. She wishes it had never come to this. Monica says, so does she, but here they are, and whatever the resolution, there will always be heartache. He’s a brave man putting his life on the line. She hopes his bravery isn’t for nothing.
Julian calls Franco a selfish, self-centered SOB. Was he using Kim’s love for him for nostalgic sex? Franco says he loves Kim, and Julian says he has a funny way of showing it. He’s shredding her life; all that pain and hurt for nothing. Franco says the procedure is going to kill him, and Julian says he hopes it does. Franco says he’s not sure where Kim will wind up, but wherever she lands, she’s going to need a friend. Julian says it sure as hell won’t be him.
Mike, Sonny, and Carly sit on the couch, eating ice cream, and the three of them look happy.
Alexis tells Neil, Kendra is great. She got Alexis to mediate for ten seconds, which is better than thinking about it, then binge watching. She’s been exploring her life goals as well. Neil asks if Kendra’s main concentration isn’t fitness, and Alexis says, and nutrition. Out with the bad foods, and in with the supplements. Neil says she got sick around the time she started taking the supplements, but she says she took it to her doctor, who checked the ingredients. It was all fine. Does he think Kendra is poisoning her?
Tomorrow, Dustin asks Lulu what she’s doing for Thanksgiving, Neil tells Alexis that her life coach poisoned her, Valentin tells someone they have to move on this, and Nikolas says he got Hayden into this, let him get her out.
Below Deck
Arghhh! It’s pirate day. Captain Lee tells Ashton that he ordered a new deckhand. He wants to get her on board as soon as possible. Ashton asks if he can look at a copy of their CD, and the captain says he already knows it. It’s Rhylee. In Captain Lee’s interview, he says he knows Rhylee is a hard worker. It’s his choice; his call. He’s bringing her back. He tells Ashton that he knows she had issues with Ross and Chandler, but he thinks Chandler was over-the-top (agreed), and Ross didn’t set boundaries (also agreed). Maybe this will be like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and he’ll be just right. He thinks Rhylee just needs to be channeled properly. In his interview, Ashton says he’s not happy. She’s emotional and reactive.
In Kate’s interview, she says, pirate day, how basic of them. Get an eye patch, get a parrot, get a sword, get a hat. Doesn’t it get old after childhood? Brian’s says his leg is worse than yesterday, but he took some painkillers, so he’ll be okay.
Drunken idiot primary Michael toasts to getting booty. In the galley, Ashton tells Tanner and Brian that he’s not sure what’s happening with Brian’s leg, so the captain is bringing in a deckhand. It’s someone who was with him last season – Rhylee. She likes to stay informed, and be part of the team. She’s someone he has a lot of history with. Brian says, like Kate, and Tanner asks what kind of painkillers is he taking? He won’t stop. Kate says they need more Jell-O shots. The captain calls Kate to the bridge, and tells her about Rhylee joining the crew. She says, how perfect, and he says he thinks so. She says, it’s pirate day, and Rhylee is coming back. In her interview, Kate says they had a rough start in Tahiti, and we flash back to that. By the end of the season, she loved Rhylee. She says she has to clean her room.
Kevin asks where Simone is, and Kate says she was up late; she’s just getting up. Kevin tells Courtney to get the deckhands to serve, and Courtney radios for someone to come. In his interview, Kevin says, Kate is used to serving food through a Burger King window. She doesn’t realize the work that goes into this, so he has to take over. Says the guy who forgot to order seafood for the seafood extravaganza. We flash back to times he’s thought Kate was lacking. He says he shouldn’t have to do this. He should just worry about the food. Kate gets to the galley, and Kevin is giving out the bowls. In Kate’s interview, she says, now the deckhands are serving breakfast. That’s a new one. He’s a control freak. Kevin tells them not to forget their pirate accents. Whatever it is he served, it must be spicy, because there’s a lot of reaction by the guests. Not in a bad way; just surprised. Anchor is dropped and locked.
Kevin asks if Ashton has any pirate flare, and Ashton says he has a big sword. Guest Shani flirts with him, and in Ashton’s interview, he says he often enjoys the game more than getting something out of it. She says he’s like forbidden fruit. She doesn’t look like his type though. Simone is straightening up the lounge, and Michael harasses her, saying she’s from South Africa, and he’s from North America; opposites attract. He asks if she’s wearing a garter, and does she want him to take it off? Brian leaves in the tender to pick up Rhylee.
When Rhylee arrives, Kate tells her that they’re going to be roommates. In her interview, Rhylee says, since Tahiti, she’s been on a fishing charter. She wants to learn more about the lay of the land for a yacht. She goes up to say hello to Captain Lee, who thanks her for coming on short notice. She says she couldn’t not help out when they’re in a tight spot. He tells her that Ashton is her bosun. Respect the rank, and do her job, and everything will be fine. In his interview, Captain Lee says he hopes Rhylee doesn’t let her dump truck mouth overload her wheelbarrow ass. I’m not quite sure what that means, but it sounds good. Rhylee asks if Ashton is pleasantly surprised. In Ashton’s interview, he says he’s definitely not ready for this.
The captain tells Ashton that he’s explained to Rhylee how things go on the boat. Treat her like one of the guys, and they’ll get through the season. In Ashton’s interview, he says he already has anxiety. We flash back to an altercation between the two of them. He says then, he could deal with her at arm’s length, but he’s the bosun now, so she’s his problem. He’s not looking forward to it. Captain Lee tells her, welcome aboard. In Rhylee’s interview, she says it makes her nervous with Ashton in a leadership role, but she’s not going to let it deter her from doing her job and being her.
The guests play in the water. Ashton tells Brian to stay off his leg for as long as he can. In his interview, Brian says he’s not a person who can stay still, and he feels guilty. Courtney says they have Rhylee now. Rhylee joins them, and asks Brian, how’s it going? Why is she there? He tells her, Abbi left, and she says, thanks, Abbi. In her interview, she says she’s happy to be there. Everything about Brian screams sexy to her. She’s looking forward to seeing more of him. Michael pops into the galley, and says he and Simone are going shark diving. Simone says she doesn’t think so. In Kevin’s interview, he says he’s feeling awkward. Michael is being inappropriate to Simone, and he’s standing six feet away. Michael tells Simone she’s good at what she does, and she thanks him while escaping up the stairs. He says they’re going to break some rules. Kate says the guests are way too comfortable.
Ashton tells Rhylee, they’re starting fresh. In Rhylee’s interview, she says, last season, she was left out deck meetings and the heavy lifting. She hopes Ashton makes her feel part of the team. Ashton says he wants open communication, and Rhylee says she has no problem expressing any issues. He says they’ll do a quick walk around. Brian asks Courtney about following her on Instagram. She says she followed him, and he didn’t follow her back, but he says he’s looking for her. Simone is confused about the process of making ice coffee, and Courtney volunteers to make it. In Kate’s interview, she says Simone is training herself in service on this charter, and she’s training herself in patience.
Ashton shows Rhylee the boat, and where everything is. They run into Michael, and Ashton literally picks him up and carries him, depositing him in Rhylee’s arms. She plops him on a chair. Kevin sings in the galley, and says he’s going to take a food photo for Instagram. Normally, Kate does it, but she’s not there. That’s because she’s decorating the pirate day table with gold coins. Courtney takes the picture. In Kevin’s interview, he says the heat and humidity make Thailand’s produce beautiful. He loves how quick and simple it is to work with. Kate asks if he wants to go out there, and he says he likes making her job easier. She says, same. Michael dumps water on Shani, who isn’t too happy about that, and throws some back on him. Or maybe it’s a drink. I have no clue. The captain asks Kate, what’s for dinner? and she says, bigsteaks. She’s going with a country/western theme, and giving everyone bandanas. Michael bugs Simone about going shark diving, saying he’ll be the shark, and she can be the diver. Simon says, o-m-g., and he says, once you go white… Kate asks Simone to meet her in the galley. She tells Simone that she’s getting weird vibes from the primary, and it’s past point of being appropriate. She tells Simone to help with laundry, and says she’ll call when they need her. She thanks Kate, saying, the primary is drunk and creepy. In Kate’s interview, she says, it happens sometimes. The guests think they can do whatever they want, but that doesn’t make it okay. As Simone’s boss, it’s her job remove Simone from the situation. Michael makes rude gestures, and says, it’s the last day. Let’s get as drunk and disrespectful as we can. And these people are like, forty???
I have to interject that I’m astounded, and just a little sick, watching this moronic beast be abusive to Simone.
Kate talks over the menu with Kevin, saying she wants to do a country/western theme. Kevin says he’s doing a steakhouse menu, simple and classic. He lived in Denver, and experienced American cuisine; it’s all about meat. Ashton takes the guests out on the tender to watch the sunset. Shani says it’s pirate day, and he can tie her up, as she runs her foot up his leg. In Ashton’s interview, he says he hasn’t had much luck with the ladies this season. It’s hard not be tempted be a woman constantly hitting on him, but he can’t do that. If he took up with a guest he’d be fired.
Kate shows Rhylee their room, and says she’s as sloppy as a man. Ashton tells Rhylee to get over her jet lag, and rest. Kate wants to country it up tonight. Tanner asks how Simone is feeling, and she says she’s ready for the guy to go. Tanner thinks Simone has a crush on him, and he says they’ll see what happens tomorrow night. Michael asks Simone where her garter is, and if she left it in his room. Captain Lee joins them for dinner, and says Michael is the epitome of lit. Kevin says, the girls will take out the sides, and the boys will take out the steaks. Kate says, it’s very sister wife. In Kate’s interview, she says it’s a blow to her ego that only Kevin gets to decide how the meal is served. She’s head of service, but she’s been made into a side piece. Kate tells Kevin, it’s nice to have all the active crew members in the galley. In her interview, she says she can’t live like this. She knows Kevin has control issues, but the least he can do is not overstep his boundaries. It’s bullsh*t. She knows it, and he knows it.
Kevin says he’s glad it’s over. Kate asks how the guests are doing, and Michael says they like seeing her smile. He’s just saying what the captain is thinking. Captain Lee says, with that, he’s bidding them adieu. Kevin asks Kate if it’s been a rough day, and Kate says she’s pissed off at him about dinner. He took her job without consulting her, and made her and girls side bitches. It made her feel like sh*t. Kevin says he thought they’d all go out together, and Kate says she understands the concept, but it’s never been done that way. In Kevin’s interview, he says, everything is always different. If Kate doesn’t take charge, that makes him have to take charge. Kate says they take the time to plan, then at the last minute, he pulls the rug out. In her interview, Kate says she’s doing her best to make Kevin’s job as easy as possible. If he continues to disrespect her position, his job can become more difficult.
Michael hunts down Simone. BTW, every time he sees her, he goes, Simone, Simone, like he thinks he’s slick. It’s stomach turning. He broaches the subject of shark diving again, and gets a negative. He asks if she’ll just sit on the boat, but she says she doesn’t agree with the concept of shark diving. In her interview, she asks if this day can’t end and these people just go. She tells Courtney, it’s unnerving. If it was a normal environment, she’d say something; it’s so inappropriate. Courtney says she could tell by his picture he was going to be a sleazebag, but Simone says she thought he’d be a nice geek. It’s a huge contrast from yesterday. We flash back to her talking to Tanner. She tells Courtney that she and Tanner were chit-chatting, and thinking about it makes her feel better. Kate says she doesn’t want either one of them up with the primary. She bets he does this to every waitress. Everyone goes to bed.
It’s the final day of charter. Tanner asks if Rhylee wants to help deflate the slide. He jokes about a double pump, and she says, it’s too early for sexual innuendo. It’s her first slide experience. In her interview, she says the most appealing thing about working on a yacht is getting to travel the world. She’s always wanted to visit Thailand. She tells Tanner that she has a trucker’s mouth. Captain Lee sees Michael wandering around, and says, don’t let him come in here. He radios Kate and tells her the primary is up, but it’s too late. Michael is in the wheelhouse. Kate says, hide your wives; the primary is up. Rhylee hooks up the slide, and Tanner says she’s a helluva hooker. Nice job. Brian tries to get out of bed, but can’t. Ashton goes to his cabin, and Brian says he can’t walk on his leg. Ashton says, it’s hot; that’s not good. In Ashton’s interview, he says, Brian’s leg is worse, and he might end up losing him. In Brian’s interview, he says his leg feels excruciating. He needs to see a doctor asap.
Michael wanders into the galley next, and asks for chicken stir fry. Kevin says, sure, but in his interview, he says, go eff yourself. Ashton tells the captain that Brian is worse. His calf is swollen. Whenever Brian or Ashton say, calf, I think they’re saying, cough, and wonder why Brian has a cough. In his interview, Captain Lee says, there’s no way Brian can finish the charter. They’ll have to replace him. How can he get by with a one-legged deckhand? Breakfast service begins, and Kevin pounds the chicken. Ashton shows Rhylee how to deal with the anchor. Ashton says he’d rather have Rhylee on deck, working hard and willing to learn, and being part of the team. The captain announces the final approach.
Tanner says Rhylee is on her A-game, and she says, more like her age game. The captain hopes the goodbyes are brief and to the point. Michael asks if Simone is glad she met him, and in her interview, she’s like, just go already. When they’re gone, Captain Lee heaves a huge sigh, and tells the crew to get the boat cleaned up. Courtney gets Brian coffee, and the doctor arrives. He tells Brian that he has an infection, and he’ll give Brian an antibiotic injection. The captain says an infection never entered his mind, which surprises me, since Brian cut his knee when he fell. Brian says he’ll take anything he can get. The doctor gives him a shot in the butt, and says it will take about three days. Ashton asks if the doctor can do anything about Brian’s face, and they all laugh.
Tip meeting this charter wow rather have someone pull through knot hole in fence by dick than have these guys back. When Michael handed him the tip money, he said the captain was going to be speechless, and he was, but not in good way. The tip is $15K, which sounds like a lot, but isn’t, especially for these messy guests. In Kate’s interview, she says, eff you, Michael. Eff you. Captain Lee says he appreciates them. He knows gratitude can’t replace cold, hard cash, but they have his. He tells them to go out tonight, but work as long as they feel they need to first to get the boat flipped.
Kev makes martinis, and sings as he uses the shaker. In his interview, he says, what a d*ck. Obviously, the helicopter business is not going well, but he’s not letting it ruin his night. The girls get in one taxi, and the guys in another. Rhylee asks how Courtney feels about Brian, and she says she doesn’t know him well, but thinks he’s cute. They go to a restaurant with a huge outdoor area. Rhylee says she hasn’t had a chance to get to know the crew yet, and everyone does a shot. Kate asks Kevin to order starters, and Rhylee asks if he can include something paleo. Kevin jokes about restrictive diets, but she says she’s not on the diet. She wants to drink her weight in calories, but eat better food. Here’s where it gets weird. Kevin gets stuck on saying if she’s on a certain diet, she should order herself; he’s not her chef. She keeps saying she’s not on any special diet; she just wanted him to order something like that. It starts to get loud, and Kate is embarrassed. Well, it isn’t the first time. Rhylee asks wtf is Kevin’s problem?
Rhylee says Kevin was ordering for the table, and she just wanted him to add a paleo dish. If he doesn’t want the responsibility, don’t take it on. In Ashton’s interview, he wonders, what the hell is going on? Rhylee’s just been there a few hours, and she’s going full-on at one of the crew members. He was hoping she’d changed, but a leopard doesn’t change its spots. Actually, they do, but that’s a conversation for another time. He says, here we go – boom! Tanner and Kevin sit on the beach.
Kevin is still stuck in the loop in his head that Rhylee is on a special diet, and says she should have looked at the menu. They had a sh*t charter, topped off by this sh*t. Kate is pissed at him, and now Rhylee is on his back as well. I think I’m getting it. Kevin was mad already about what Kate said, and I’m guessing he doesn’t know what’s in a paleo diet and got flustered. It wouldn’t surprise me, since he doesn’t even know a seafood extravaganza requires seafood. I’m never letting that go. Ever.
At the table, leis are given out. Rhylee says she’s not trying to start a fight; chef was rude, and it pissed her off. The guys come back, and Kevin says he can’t be bothered. Rhylee calls him chef, and he tells her not to call him that; it’s annoying. Tanner calls for shots. Kevin asks if Rhylee is going to want something paleo, like potato vodka. She says, that’s not paleo. She thought he would know that. Ha-ha! I was right. He says it was a joke, and she says she didn’t get it. He tells her to bring a baseball glove next time. In Kate’s interview, she says, it’s like what would happen if a pet store broke the rules and put two beta fish in the same tank. It’s a recipe for disaster. In Simone’s interview, she says Kevin has been super condescending since day one, and has met his match. She thanks the universe, and says, show him, Rhylee. Rhylee asks Kevin what his problem is, and he says she’s not the special superstar she thinks she is.
Having a smoke on the sidelines, Kate tells Courtney that they’re fighting over nothing, and Kevin is obnoxious. In Tanner’s interview, he says, it’s only Rhylee’s second day, and she’s creating drama. The guys go back to the beach, and Rhylee says she thought Kevin was the cool one of the group. Ashton tells the guys that he’s not letting her rock the boat of their happy, existing family. Don’t get sucked into her bullsh*t. Rhylee goes over to him, and asks if she made them uncomfortable. Ashton says he’s embarrassed by the way his crew members are acting.. Rhylee says, members, not member, and he tells her he said plural. She’s been on the boat for two days, and it’s déjà vu already. She asks, why? and he says she’s creating drama. She asks if he thinks it was her fault, and he says, yes. She asks, why? and he says, she raised her voice. Courtney thinks this is getting carried away. Ashton says, the one who acts out most and reacts, is the person who’s an idiot. Unfortunately, it’s her. He starts to walk away, and says, she’s a joke. She says he never wants to talk about problems. Tanner tries to interject, and she asks, who is he? STFU. Ashton says she doesn’t belong there. She belongs on a fishing boat in Alaska. She says, buy her an effing ticket, and she’ll go back.
Tanner wants to hook up with Simone, an all moms charter, the captain is dubbed the silver fox, Kate says Simone made their department look bad, and Captain Lee doesn’t think Brian can finish the season.
⚾ Because It’s Never-Ending…
Kind of like a Mets game I went to once. Their kids will be in college by the time we stop hearing about it.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 