Tag Archives: Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip

June 26, 2026 – GH Weekdays, Anna Reveals a Truth To Felicia, Soap Suds, This Week In Reality, Weekend Watching, Happy Return, Exceptional Exceptions, A Noontime Of Quotes & West

Standard

What I Watched Today

(Nada enchilada summer – condensed because life is short & summer should be fun)

General Hospital

Monday:

Nathan told Dante and Lulu that Britt and Rocco were in the Virgin Islands, and wondered why they didn’t seem surprised.

Portia said they hadn’t heard from Trina since the party, and Trina said she’d frozen her parents out before and it was a big mistake. Instead, she was going to be clear about how she felt. Curtis said they were just talking about how this couldn’t go on, and Portia said she was glad Trina was giving them a chance.

Ava said she wasn’t going to go running to Sonny because he’d sent one of his flunkies, but Ethan said Sonny was busy, so he was what she got. Did she want to come with him like a lady or should he hoist her over his shoulder?

The desk sergeant told Fitzpatrick that someone was there to make a statement. Good luck. Lucy came in, and Fitzpatrick asked how he could help her, but she said, actually, she thought she could help him.

Chase sang to Phoebe on the patio, when Brook came outside. She said the only thing she loved more than a man in uniform was a man in uniform singing to a baby.

Sidwell showed up at Drew’s house and suggested Willow make alternate plans for the kids tonight. Something just came up.

Ava said Sonny wanted information on Sidwell, and Ethan suggested she be Sonny’s friend and give him what he wanted, especially when it came to Sidwell. She asked what would happen if she didn’t. Would he haul her out to the car again, but this time she wouldn’t come back?

Curtis and Portia apologized for making the shower about them instead of the baby, and Curtis said they’d agreed to never talk about the accident again. They also accepted they’d never agree on what happened that night, so they’d move forward with civility. Trina said it sounded like progress, and Portia said they’d focus on their relationships with her and the baby. Curtis said, their individual relationships, and Trina said, as far as she was concerned, she’d like a lot less attention from both of them.

Brook said Chase was leaving for work early and wondered if he was avoiding Tracy. She was hoping her wonderful, forgiving, patient husband and her grandmother could be on speaking terms. Chase said it would take time. He knew there was good in Tracy. She’d been incredible with his father. Brook said she’d cared about Gregory deeply, but it didn’t discount the things she’d pulled with him… and Willow. He said Tracy had been protecting Brook, and in that way, they were on the same team. Brook said that was one of the many reasons she loved him.

Willow asked how Sidwell got in, and he said, through the back door. She said he had to leave the same way he came in. He couldn’t be there. He was a fugitive. He said, so he heard, but he’d suspected he would be after he’d shot Lucas Jones three times in front of the entire PCPD. She said he couldn’t be there. The PCPD and the WSB were turning over every rock in Port Charles. He said they’d never think of looking for him in the home of a US congresswoman though, would they? Drew watched them and took notes… in his head.

Lulu said they’d known Rocco and Britt were in the Virgin Islands, but not which island. Did Nathan have an address? Nathan said he did, and Dante asked if Britt contacted him, but he said, no. He’d gotten the information from another source. One he thought they would trust. Lulu wanted to know who the source was (shame on her), but Nathan wouldn’t give that up.

Chase said he and Phoebe had talked it over and decided to give Tracy the benefit of the doubt. One day, Phoebe would bring home someone she loved and he’d be the one doing background checks and hiring private investigators, so he could see where Tracy was coming from. Brook said he was a good man, and he said she wasn’t so bad herself. They kissed, and he said he was going to put Phoebe down for a nap before he left.

Lucy said she had information on one of Fitzpatrick’s cases. He’d arrested Curtis Ashford, hadn’t he? He asked if she’d witnessed the incident in the MetroCourt, but she said, no. She wasn’t there about the fight, but about the reason they’d fought – the car accident with Jordan Ashford and Curtis. She knew Jordan had been driving on Highway 91 and swerved into the oncoming lane, which caused the driver coming the other way to swerve out of the way, and the driver didn’t stop to help. She hated that the nice doctor was being accused when she knew of someone far more likely to have been the other driver.

Willow said Sidwell couldn’t hide there. There were people coming in and out all the time. He said he had no interest in being her permanent roomie. He just needed a couple of days. She said he should be on a private jet fleeing the country, and he said he had his reasons for staying. He’d invested years of his life in the project he’d been working on and had no intention of allowing his so-called partner to reap the benefits. He also had no intention of leaving Port Charles until he found out exactly who killed his son.

Nathan said Lulu was a journalist and should understand him protecting his source (that’s what I said), but she said her son’s safety was at risk. He said he agreed, which was why they should stop asking questions and start booking flights. Dante wondered why Nathan hadn’t brought Rocco back himself, but Nathan said he was trying to learn from his past mistakes. Rocco was their kid, so they should bring him back. Dante said, maybe Nathan wanted to send them on a wild goose chase and help his sister get further away.

Curtis told Trina, whatever she had to say, there were here for it, and Trina said she was glad they’d decided to stop fighting. Their family was important to her and she loved them both so much. She didn’t think she’d have gotten through Spencer’s death without them. But since then, her priorities had been all wrong. She’d put them and their drama first to the detriment of herself, and she wasn’t doing it anymore.

Ava reminded Ethan that he owed her. They both knew he wanted to keep the adoption closed so he didn’t risk blowing up his position with Tracy. He asked if she really thought he was going to swoop in later and demand money in exchange for Phoebe. That wasn’t what was going on. He had rules. He looked out for himself, but not if his selfishness impacted the innocent. Phoebe would be adopted by an incredibly loving and wealthy family. It was a win-win.

Chase told Brook that he was stopping by Willow’s before work to give her an answer about the job. He was turning her down.

Lucy told Fitzpatrick, on the night of the accident, she was at the Quartermaine estate.

As Drew watched, Sidwell told Willow that Sonny and Laura used his pain and grief to manipulate him. Pascal may have had a hand in Marco’s death, but he thought the killer was still at large. Willow said she was truly sorry for his loss, but didn’t want any part of his revenge. She was going to call the police, but as a courtesy, she’d give him a head start. He said they both knew she wasn’t going to call the police because she didn’t want to throw away everything she’d worked so hard to achieve.

Nathan said he did want to protect his sister, and not just from Cullum, and Lulu asked if he was talking about them. He said they had to admit Britt loved Rocco, but Lulu said, Britt kidnapped him. She took a minor out of the country without his parents’ permission. Dante said Rocco wouldn’t have been in this position if it weren’t for Britt, but Nathan said he wasn’t rehashing this. They had to decide which was more important, getting back at Britt or bringing home their son.

Trina said it wasn’t her job to fix her parents’ relationship, so she was going to stop trying.

Lulu told Nathan that it wasn’t just about finding Rocco, but protecting him from the WSB. Dante said they couldn’t do that without the exact location, but Nathan seemed more concerned with protecting his sister. Nathan said they seemed to forget Rocco went willingly. He could have come to them for help but chose not to. They drove him to Britt, and if they had any guts, they’d blame themselves. Dante asked if he’d helped Britt take their son.

Lucy told Fitzpatrick that she knew Willow was at the Quartermaines’ the night of the accident and would have taken Route 91 probably the same time the accident happened. He asked if she was saying Willow Cain was the other driver, and she said she couldn’t be sure of course (🍷), but she knew Willow tended to get emotional when she visited the Quartermaines. She’d been involved in a contentious divorce with Michael Corinthos who lived at the estate, and they’d gotten into a heated discussion about a custody arrangement. He asked if she knew of any other reason Willow might have been behind the wheel that night, and she said, no, but she knew of a reason Willow might not want to come forward. She’d been caught up in a scandal about the shooting of her husband and wouldn’t want her leaving the scene of an accident without rendering aid to be common knowledge. She didn’t have anything against Willow. She just hated to see a man wrongly accused and it leading to violent altercations. He asked why she was just coming forward with this information now.

Chase said he couldn’t wrap his head around not being a cop anymore. Not being a detective, he got to be fully present with her and Phoebe at home. He’d probably sit for the detective’s exam again, but when Phoebe was older. This was where she got to say, I told you so. Brook told him that she wasn’t saying a word. All she wanted was for him to be happy. He said as long as he was with her and Phoebe, he was more than happy.

Lucy told Fitzpatrick that it was embarrassing, but she hadn’t made the connection until she was going through her calendar and realized she and Willow had been at the Quartermaines on that same night. She just wanted to help. He thanked her and said the PCPD always appreciated people wanting to help. She said that’s all she wanted to do and left.

Sidwell said if Willow turned him in, he would take her down with him. She was a congresswoman because of him. He knew she shot her husband in the back. Twice. He also knew that she kept Drew immobilized with drugs that he provided. And it was because of him that she could now see her children. She’d be experiencing the agonizing feeling of being kept from them once again when she was behind bars. Willow said she had her own resources now and wasn’t going to let him threaten her, and he asked if Drew had any thoughts… Oh, right. He’d be hearing them soon enough. His and Willow’s relationship didn’t have to be adversarial. He wasn’t going to be there for long and they could help each other. She asked how sheltering a fugitive could help her, and he said it would be a shame for her to lose everything because she couldn’t keep her husband under her thumb. He could help her by procuring an endless amount of paralytic, and should she choose to, she could keep him in that chair forever. Drew stared daggers at him.

Ava said she was doing this for Phoebe. If she had the slightest suspicion Ethan was going to harm her, she’d throw him under the bus in a heartbeat. He said that made him respect her more. The baby would have two loving parents and it didn’t hurt to be a Quartermaine. She said she had no intention of cooperating with him unless he made it worth her while.

Trina said she just wanted the baby to come into the world with parents that got along, but only they could do that, and Curtis said they’d never meant for her to be responsible for any of this. Trina said it wasn’t them, it was her. For some reason, when she was around them, she got a compulsion to smooth things over and it wasn’t good or healthy. That’s why she needed to focus on her future and put energy into her relationships. Portia agreed and asked if there was anything they could do. Curtis said, whatever Trina needed, just ask, and Trina said what she needed from the both of them was distance.

Lulu asked if Nathan helped Britt, but Nathan said, no. His sister was suffering from a fatal disease and was being targeted by Cullum. So he didn’t encourage her to go on the run with their teenage son. What neither of them seemed to be getting was that he never wanted to be involved at all, but they were lucky he was. They were lucky he was the one who showed up on the pier and saw Rocco with the gun in his hand. He was the one who made it clear to Jason that he was willing to help and got Rocco out of there. Lulu said they were grateful, but Nathan said it didn’t seem that way. His sister was on the ground unconscious and bleeding from a head wound. He left her like that to protect their son. There was no sinister plan and he didn’t have any tricks up his sleeve. He had a split second to make a decision and he did the best he could for Rocco. Dante said, what about now? Was he doing the best he could for Rocco or was he protecting his sister? Lulu said that was enough. Would Nathan please just give them the address so they could find their son?

Lucy found Brook in the nook (ha-ha) and asked if they were alone. Brook said, for now, but the walls had ears, and Lucy said it couldn’t have gone better at the PCPD. She talked to the detective who arrested Curtis and had come out to Windymere to arrest Pascal. She skillfully and subtlety steered him in Willow’s direction. She thought just about now he was planning on checking the trip lock in Willow’s car, the one Brook’s mysterious friend tinkered with. The seeds had been planted and it was about to rain.

Sidwell said he knew the paralytic that Willow was using had somewhat diminishing returns. The first dose packed a punch for a month or so, then with every subsequent dose, the patient built up a tolerance and it wore off faster and faster. What if he could buy her more time? She asked, how much time? and he said, how much did she need? She wondered how he could do that while on the run, and he said he had his ways. It wasn’t the first time he’d had to relocate hastily. He could provide her with as much paralytic as she wanted in return for her cooperation. Chase knocked at the door, and Sidwell asked if they had a deal. Or should he answer the door?

Ava said she’d keep quiet about Ethan being Phoebe’s father and go with him, but if… when Sonny got pushy, he’d back her up. He asked if it was a favor or demand, and she said it was his choice. She started to walk out and asked if he was coming, and he followed.

Trina said she needed time and space to herself and would reach out when she was ready. She didn’t want them to think she was doing this to hurt them. She just wanted to focus on her music and give the showcase her best shot with no distractions. If she didn’t, she’d regret it later. Curtis said, understood, and Portia said her too. Should she still let Trina know when she went into labor? Trina said, yes. She wanted to know when the baby was coming and she’d visit Portia in the hospital, but she didn’t think she wanted to see either of them before that. Portia said she was sorry, and Curtis said so was he. Trina said she knew and she loved them, and Curtis said they loved her too. Trina left, and Portia asked Curtis to tell her they’d do better with this baby. Curtis said they absolutely had to.  

Fitzpatrick asked the desk sergeant if they’d interviewed Willow about the Ashford accident interview, but the officer wasn’t sure. Fitzpatrick said he’d check. He wanted to establish whether not Willow had an alibi.

Chase said he couldn’t stay since he was on his way to work, and Willow said she was glad he stopped by. She felt terrible about dropping the charges after he’d arrested Tracy. She’d put him in a tough position and she was sorry. He said he was the one who should feel bad. As much as he appreciated the offer to be her Chief of Staff, he had to turn it down.  

Brook told Lucy that Willow was relentless. If she wanted Chase, she wouldn’t stop until she got him. She refused to sit on her hands and hope for the best. Lucy said that was the worst thing she could do, but she thought convincing Chase that Willow left the crash site was the right move. Brook said she was grateful for Lucy’s help, and Lucy said she knew that, but it was more exposure for her. She’d gone out on a limb and told the police something that wasn’t true. Brook said, and it came with a price tag, and Lucy said now was a good time to talk about her compensation.

Nathan said he needed Lulu and Dante’s word that they’d let Britt walk away. No turning her in or phone calls. No law enforcement. Just go get their kid and leave. Dante said they didn’t have much choice, and Nathan said he didn’t either. As of 1 pm Eastern Standard Time, Britt and Rocco were at 17 Evans Drive in Road Town. Dante said, got it, and Lulu said Nathan could go now. Nathan said they were welcome and left.

Tuesday:

At the hospital, Dante asked to talk to Elizabeth.

Lulu thanked Laura for watching Charlotte, and Charlotte went to get settled in. Laura said if anyone could bring Rocco home, it was Lulu and Dante, but Lulu said they weren’t.

Elizabeth asked if it was about Rocco, and Dante said they knew where he was. He and Lulu were going after him. He was meeting Lulu at the airport.

Brook asked if Lucy wanted her to pay, but Lucy said she’d misinterpreted. She made a false statement to the police because she knew it was important to Brook. It would be fair for her to get something in return. She was thinking Brook’s shares in Deception.

Chase told Willow that he was sorry, but he wasn’t ready to give up being a cop.

Sidwell went in to see Drew and said it must be torture for him to hear his wife throw herself at another man.

Ava asked Sonny what was so damn important, and he asked her to tell him where he could find Sidwell.

Lucy said she was now an accomplice and would be on the hook if something went wrong, but Brook said they should have discussed it up front. Her grandmother would find out the stock was transferred and take it as a huge betrayal. Lucy said, just tell her the truth, but Brook said she couldn’t. Tracy would be more convinced her marriage was doomed and turn against Chase even more. What if she said no? Lucy said it wasn’t blackmail, but quid pro quo. Brook needed to ask herself what she was willing to do to save her marriage.

Willow told Chase not to worry about her. There were challenges right now, but she loved being in congress. She thought he’d want to be a part of it, but she respected his commitment to law enforcement. Her loss was the city’s gain and she wouldn’t forget everything he’d done to clear her name. The doorbell rang and Willow opened the door to Fitzpatrick. He introduced himself and wondered why Chase was there. Chase asked what brought him by, and Fitzpatrick said he was hoping Willow could clear up some questions about Jordan Ashford’s car accident.  

Lulu told Laura that they wouldn’t bring Rocco home for a while. It wasn’t safe for him. Laura asked what was going on, and Lulu said she wanted Laura to have the truth, but she couldn’t tell anyone, not even Doc. She wasn’t disappearing on Charlotte the way Valentin did, but Rocco was in life-threatening trouble because he saved Jason. Charlotte listened in.

Ava told Sonny that she had no idea where Sidwell was. She hadn’t heard from him since he’d shot Lucas, and if she had, she would have called the police because he’d tried to kill her nephew. Did he think she’d look past that? Sonny said, if his pockets were deep enough (ouch!). He knew she had been cozying up to Sidwell for months. Ava said she’d been curating his art collection, and Sonny asked Ethan if it had looked like business.

Lulu said her son shot Cullum, and Laura said it made sense now how Britt was able to ID Jason when she was unconscious. Jason had told her to do it. He was protecting Rocco. Lulu said he went to prison because he was protecting her son, and Laura asked if Cullum knew. Lulu said they thought so. He’d been asking questions about Rocco. That’s why they had to get to Rocco before Cullum, and they had a lead. Laura asked where they were going, but Lulu said it was better if no one knew.

Dante told Elizabeth that two different sources gave them a lead on Rocco’s location, so he and Lulu were on their way. She asked if there was anything she could do, but he said she’d already done so much for Rocco and him. She said that’s what friends did, and he said he hoped he could repay her someday, but she said, no need. He said they wanted to get Rocco before Cullum tracked Britt down and then they’d go into hiding. She asked, for how long? and he said until Cullum was out of Port Charles.  

Brook said she could give Lucy 10% of her shares, and Lucy said, or Brook could keep 10% of her shares. They bartered for a while and Brook finally said 41%, but Lucy said 51%. Brook said it was more than Tracy had, but Lucy said they could still gang up and override her. She was sick of Tracy reminding her that she had the larger share. It was her company. She’d founded it and she wanted to get her dignity back. So her silence for Brook’s shares in Deception. Did they have a deal? Brook said, fine, when Michael came in. Lucy said she was just leaving. Ta! She left, and Michael asked if he’d heard something about Deception shares.

Chase said, Willow had nothing to do with Jordan’s accident, and Fitzpatrick said he just had a few questions. She could answer them or not. Willow said she was happy to help if she could, but had to check on Drew. When she was gone, Chase asked if Turner had sent Fitzpatrick.

Ava told Ethan, go ahead, and he flashed back to Ava saying if she was going to keep quiet, he’d have to use his position to run interference with Sonny. He said, Sidwell wanted more, but Ava kept him at arm’s length. Sidwell was definitely making moves and Ava was definitely keeping him interested, but she was working him not falling for him. Sonny said he told her to stay away from Sidwell, but she said it was just a professional relationship. He said she’d been hanging around with Sidwell and he might have said something to give her an inkling of where he was in Port Charles.

Willow told Sidwell that a police detective was there and he had to leave, and Sidwell asked if the detective was there for him. She said, no, but he couldn’t be there. He said he wasn’t going anywhere.

Laura said whatever Britt was doing, she was working with Cullum and presumably wanted out, and Lulu said, that’s why she got Jason involved. (Um… Jason involved himself.) Then she got Rocco involved. She never should have let that woman anywhere near her son. She’d warned Britt to keep her distance. Laura said, for someone who claimed to love Rocco, Britt should have done something to protect him, and Lulu said, but she didn’t. Now she had to get Rocco away from Britt before Cullum found him. Laura said, if she didn’t, everything Jason did would have been for nothing.

Brook told Michael that Lucy came up with an idea that would shake Chase’s confidence in Willow and told him about Lucy going to the PCPD. Willow couldn’t prove she wasn’t the other driver because she had no alibi and she drove a black SUV. Brook just needed enough for Chase to believe it was a possibility. Even if Willow was cleared, she’d still have to face this huge scandal, which would work in Michael’s favor regarding custody. He said it was definitely unethical and could be risky for Brook.

Ava said, as far as she knew, Sidwell’s only holdings in Port Charles were Sonny’s piers and Spoon Island. She assumed he was long gone, but Sonny said, he wasn’t. Ava asked why he’d stay, and Sonny said Sidwell blamed him for Marco’s death and wasn’t going anywhere until he got his revenge.

Willow said Chase knew her pretty well and would know something was off. Sidwell had to go. Sidwell said he had someone working on that right now, but he couldn’t leave just yet. He knew she could handle the situation. If the authorities found him here, she’d end up in a similarly colored jumpsuit. She’d proven herself to be resourceful and charming. Use her charm to get rid of Chase and the detective.

Chase said the acting DA had it in for Willow. Her case against Willow hadn’t stuck and she was grasping at straws. Fitzpatrick said Turner hadn’t sent him. He was just following up on some new information. Chase asked what it was, but Fitzpatrick said he was just doing his job. Willow came back, and Chase asked if he could have a private word with Willow, and Fitzpatrick said, sure. Could he use her bathroom? Willow told him where it was, and when he left, Chase said he didn’t want her answering questions without a lawyer. He didn’t know Fitzpatrick, and given the past, he wanted her to be careful. Turner still believed she shot Drew and could be coming at her some other way. Willow said she didn’t know why Fitzpatrick would think she had something to do with Jordan’s accident. It meant something was off and she needed to find out the real reason he was there.

Fitzpatrick found Drew in the bedroom, closed the door, and introduced himself. He said he understood Drew’s condition and that he could blink once for yes and twice for no. Could he ask Drew some questions? Drew blinked once.

Lulu said she’d reach out to Laura when she could, but if anyone asked, just say she was dealing with a family emergency. Charlotte knew they were getting Rocco, but didn’t know the entire reason why. Laura asked if it was wise to keep her in the dark, and Lulu said she’d like to spare her if she could. As much as Charlotte loved Rocco, it couldn’t get out and she was a teenager. The clock was already running on her son’s life and she couldn’t risk anything happening that could speed that up.

Dante said there was no reason for Cullum to still be in Port Charles, but when he left, they’d have to test the waters somehow. He was going to do whatever it took, but he was still angry with Lulu. Really angry. If she’d come to him from the start, they wouldn’t be in this position.

Brook asked why investigating Jordan’s crash would be risky for her, and Michael said, involving the police could backfire. What if Lucy’s accusation backfired back to her? She said, it shouldn’t. She just wanted Willow to deal with the fallout of bad press. Willow wouldn’t even face criminal charges. The other driver would only face a misdemeanor, if that, for damaging public property. What the other driver did may have been morally questionable, but it wasn’t illegal, and it might be enough to convince Chase that Willow wasn’t this martyred saint. Michael said it was a solid plan, and Brook said, unfortunately, Lucy’s plan came with an unanticipated cost – half her Deception stock – which would make Lucy the single largest shareholder, not Tracy. He said Tracy wouldn’t like that, but Brook said Willow was after her husband and was bad news. She’d cost Chase too much already. What else could she do? He said she could let Willow have him. (That gets my vote.)

Fitzpatrick asked if Drew was aware of Jordan’s accident, and Drew blinked yes. Fitzpatrick asked if he remembered that night, and Drew blinked yes again. Fitzpatrick asked if Willow had been with him, and Drew blinked no. Fitzpatrick asked if she’d been home, and again, Drew blinked no. Fitzpatrick asked if she was on Route 91 that night, and Drew blinked yes.

Dante said they had to keep the peace for Rocco’s sake, and Elizabeth said it wouldn’t be easy, but it was necessary. And she believed he and Lulu would do whatever was necessary to save their son.

Laura asked if Lulu was okay, and Lulu said she had to be. Laura asked her to promise to reach out if she needed anything, and Lulu said she just needed Charlotte to be safe. She couldn’t disrupt Charlotte’s life the way Valentin had. Laura said Charlotte would be fine. Lulu just needed to focus on Rocco right now.

Fitzpatrick asked if Willow was involved the accident, when Willow came in and asked why Fitzpatrick was there. He said he must have gotten turned around and was just introducing himself to Drew. She said Drew tired easily and shouldn’t be disturbed, and Fitzpatrick apologized. He said it was good meeting Drew and walked out. Sidwell came back and asked Drew, did you blink? I missed it. (BA-Dum-CHH!)

Michael said, if finding out Willow made one bad decision turned Chase against her, what did that say about him? and Brook said, hopefully, it made Chase see the truth about her. He wondered why she wanted to be with someone who judged others so harshly, and she said he was still angry about Chase thinking he’d framed Willow. He said it showed how Chase thought. Chase decided a long time ago that he was the bad guy and nothing he could say or do would change Chase’s mind. Meanwhile, Willow was doing what she could to reinforce Chase’s perception. Brook said Willow leaned on Chase and painted herself as a victim, and he asked if this was really worth her alienating Tracy, but she said the problem wasn’t that Chase was too blind. It was that Chase was too good. He always saw the best in people. Michael said Chase only saw the worst in him for something he didn’t even do. Could she really see herself raising children with someone that self-righteous? Did she really want Phoebe growing up in a household where she lived in constant fear of disappointing her father?

Fitzpatrick asked if Willow was driving on Route 91 on April 8th around 9:30 pm, and she said she’d have to check with her assistant, who knew her schedule better than she did. He asked if she was with anyone at that time, but she said, again, without knowing what she was doing, she couldn’t help him. The best way to handle this was have the PCPD reach out to her office with a written request. He asked if she couldn’t look it up on her phone, when Chase said Fitzpatrick told Willow that she didn’t have to answer his questions. Willow said it wasn’t that she didn’t want to, but she couldn’t, and suggested again that the PCPD submit a written request. Fitzpatrick said he’d kick it upstairs and see what they had to say, thanked her for her time, and left.

Sonny told Ava that Sidwell had already come after Lucas and wasn’t going anywhere until he came after him. Maybe allies were helping him. Had he said anything to her? She said the only person she’d seen at Windymere was Director Cullum, and he’d made it clear the WSB was looking for Sidwell too. He said it wasn’t about choosing between him and Sidwell. It was about choosing between Sidwell and Avery. She said this had nothing to do with Avery. Don’t try to use her daughter against her.

Charlotte gave Lulu a necklace that Lulu had given her to bring her luck and keep her safe. She hoped it would do the same for Lulu. Lulu hugged Charlotte and said she loved her. She hated every part of this. Charlotte said she loved Lulu too. Tell Rocco, hey. Lulu said she would, and Laura said she was a Spencer. You’ve got this. They hugged and Lulu said she loved Laura too. Laura said she loved Lulu, and Lulu left.

Elizabeth said she’d be careful, and Dante said, if Cullum connected the dots, he might think she knew where Britt took Rocco. If she was questioned, take Ric with her. Ric was a shark and loved her. A nurse he knew and respected had said Ric changed and he chose to believe that. Elizabeth told him to take care of himself, and he said her too, and he left.

Brook told Michael not to be like her grandmother and say Chase didn’t deserve her. Chase was the best thing that ever happened to her and she loved him. She believed he’d be the best father, and she’d do anything to protect her family. Michael said, of course (🍷), but he knew what it was like to invest in a failing marriage and there were some fights you couldn’t win. Brook said Willow was taking advantage of Chase’s good nature and she refused to put up with it.

Sidwell told Drew that he’d overheard everything. Was he to understand Willow was involved in Jordan’s accident or was this payback? Was Drew framing his wife? Drew blinked once.

Willow said she was glad Chase was there. She would have probably just answered Fitzpatrick’s questions. Chase said he was sorry it brought back memories from when she was on trial, and she said it was like a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from and wouldn’t survive going through it again. He said he wouldn’t let anyone take advantage of her, and she said she could be in real trouble if not for him.

Outside on the phone, Fitzpatrick asked when ADA Turner would be out of court. He needed to see her as soon as she was done. It was important. He had a new lead.

Sonny said Avery was his daughter too, but Ava said she’d never jeopardize Avery. Avery had never met Sidwell, which she was sure his spies could confirm… So they have. Sidwell was his problem, not hers. They could destroy each other and the world would be better off. She’d be in the car. She left, and Sonny told Ethan, hold on. He’d been pretty quick to defend Ava. Ethan said he told Sonny what he saw, and Sonny said, be careful. Ethan didn’t know what Ava was capable of. If he underestimated her, he’d get in way over his head. Ethan said he heard Sonny and wasn’t going there, and Sonny told him to take Ava home, then get on the search for Sidwell. Ethan asked if Sonny was sure that’s where he needed him, and Sonny said that was where everybody should be. He wasn’t waiting for the cops. He was going to take care of that son of a bitch himself.

Wednesday:

Gio found Emma at the pool and said she was breaking pool rules looking that good. She said she wasn’t worried because the lifeguard there was a pushover.

Lucas went to see Carly and she hugged him. He said he wasn’t sure if she was going to hug or hit him, and she said she could do both. What was he thinking risking his life? Sidwell had escaped from police custody, but she had no time to get into it. She had to break into Windymere and needed his help.

Danny met Charlotte at Laura’s and she told him about Dante and Lulu going after Rocco.

Britt said she was sorry she scared Rocco. According to the symptoms, it had been food poisoning. He said it was better than the alternative, and she said she wanted to talk to him about that. When her decline came, it wouldn’t be like this morning and she wanted to prepare him. She was probably going to die soon.

Nathan went to Windymere and got into the safe. He took what was left of Britt’s meds, but ran into Cullum in the foyer.

Dr. Laurent said a bunch of stuff in French to an orderly that amounted to Anna not making progress. However, Anna did have a new haircut and a new crocheting hobby, and said she’d been looking forward to the doctor’s visit.

Carly wanted to know about the secret passages and tunnels, but Lucas said it was over. Carly said Josslyn was missing and she was positive Josslyn was on the island. Lucas asked why Josslyn would be involved with Sidwell, and Carly said his niece was a WSB agent.

Nathan acted like he was there to see Obrecht, but Cullum said if she was visiting with him, she wouldn’t be working. It could wait. Nathan agreed, and Cullum wanted an update on the PCPD and Sidwell. Nathan said the PCPD had picked up one of Sidwell’s associates. He’d been reprimanded, but no one suspected he’d let Sidwell go. Once the project was up and running, he intended to disappear.

James went to the pool and wanted to play Marco Polo with Emma.

Anna said she understood the precautions and acted all cooperative. She said she thought she had to reach a point where they trusted her sanity and she could decern the difference between reality and delusion. Dr. Laurent asked if she could.

Felicia asked Gio how Emma was doing, and he said all she wanted was to see Anna. Otherwise, she was okay.

Anna said she’d been going over it in her mind how she’d told them she’d been kidnapped, and Dr. Laurent asked what she believed now. Anna flashed back to being held prisoner and leaving the message at Windymere, but said she realized she’d created a fantasy. She knew Faison was dead.

Lucas told Carly that it explained a lot. He’d assumed it was Josslyn’s grief at the time. Carly said Josslyn had been angry because Cyrus was going to get away with killing Dex and Jack preyed on her emotions. He’d manipulated her into joining the WSB and made her think it was her idea. He knew Carly wouldn’t go for it, so he’d kept it from her. Lucas said, Jack wasn’t a complete idiot, just idiot adjacent, and she said it turned out Easter Island had been a cover for Josslyn’s training. She’d never been to Easter island and was already living a double life. Lucas said he was sorry Carly had to go through this by herself, but she said she hadn’t. Someone showed up who was the only one who could help her get Josslyn out from under Jack’s thumb – Valentin Cassadine.

Danny asked who told Lulu where Rocco was, but Charlotte told him that her mom wouldn’t say. He wondered if it was Nathan, and she said that made sense. They weren’t bringing Rocco back to Port Charles, but taking him away from Britt and into hiding.

Rocco suggested they deal with things when they happened, but Britt said she wouldn’t let him be unprepared. She’d agreed he could stay with her until the end, but this wasn’t real life. Spending time with him was great and she wanted to hold on to these moments, but the next time she got sick, he had to leave. Rocco refused.

Gio said Felicia told him that he made Emma happy, but he didn’t want to tell Felicia that Emma made him happy. He wanted to tell Emma. They kissed, when Nathan arrived at the pool.

James told Nathan that he’d won Marco Polo and could stand on his hands underwater for 43 seconds. He did a cannonball, and Felicia said he was trying to impress his dad. Nathan said he was already impressed and glad he could join them. He was trying to make time for James.

Anna told Dr. Laurent that she knew it wasn’t possible for Faison to still be alive. The truth was, she wasn’t kidnapped on Halloween. She was recalled to the WSB. Faison had been obsessed with her for years and she thought she’d dealt with it, but she was wrong. She’d been involved in an investigation with connections to Faison, and became consumed with it, not being able to tell the difference between what was real and what wasn’t. The staff at the clinic helped her see what was real. The doctor said they still had a lot of work ahead, and Anna said she wanted to do the work, but it was hard for her to explain what Faison was like and the impact on her life. What she needed was to talk to somebody who was there and understood. Just someone from home.

Danny asked what was going on, and Charlotte told him that his dad didn’t shoot Cullum. He was protecting the real shooter – Rocco.

Britt said it was never her intention that Rocco stay with her until the end. She’d only agreed to get him away from Cullum. Hopefully it bought his parents some time and they’d to figure out how to protect him. He said he thought she’d never lie to him, and she said it was what was best. Promise her he’d leave town the next time she took a turn for the worse.

Lucas asked if Valentin was the guy Carly had been seeing, and she said yes. He asked where Valentin was now, and she said he’d gone to Geneva to meet with the head of the WSB and tell them about Cullum. Cullum was a double agent and he was forcing Britt to work on a dangerous secret project at Windymere. Lucas said he knew that, and she said Cullum was the one holding Josslyn hostage. He said Cullum was the one who murdered Marco. The moss bowl🎍fainted.

Dr. Laurent made a call to Felicia and put Anna on the phone.

Charlotte said she’d eavesdropped on her mom and Laura talking, but Danny said she must have heard wrong. Charlotte said she hadn’t. Rocco had been weird since the shooting and had a hand injury. When had he ever helped in the kitchen? Cullum was a bad guy and he was going to kill Danny’s dad. Rocco shot Cullum to save him, and since then, Jason and her parents had been covering for Rocco. Danny said his dad was innocent. That meant the WSB could let him go.

Lucas told Carly that Sidwell shared the blame in Marco’s death, but had loved his son and would never hurt him. Carly said she had to get her daughter back right now, and started to leave, but Lucas grabbed her arm and said she couldn’t.

Anna told Felicia that she’d been working really hard and felt more grounded and more herself. What would really make her happy was a visit. Could she come to France? Felicia said, of course (🍷). She’d come first thing tomorrow. Anna told her to let Emma know she loved her.

Felicia told Emma that her grandmother just called.

Harker told Cullum that he’d followed Nathan to the mainland, but he’d only made one stop, the post office. Then he went to the MetroCourt pool to meet with his son James. Cullum said, his nephew James. For a man who claimed to be indifferent to Nathan West’s life, Cassius certainly seemed to be going out of his way to live it. He went to the safe and saw that Britt’s meds were gone.

Nathan and James played in the pool.

Britt said she’d watched patients die. Seeing something like that, seeing her like that, would change him, and she wasn’t letting that happen. He said he could handle it. She was a good person and deserved to have someone with her. She said she deserved to have it end the way she wanted it to – alone. She picked up the phone and said if he wouldn’t agree to leave, she was going to tell his mom everything.

Charlotte said Danny couldn’t tell anyone, but Danny said it wasn’t like Rocco would go to prison. He’d done it to save Jason’s life and was a minor. They could get his dad home and get Rocco off the hook. She said the WSB didn’t know Cullum was a bad guy yet, and would want the shooter to pay. Look what they’d done to his dad. What if they did the same to Rocco? He’d be putting Rocco in even more danger. He said his dad was in danger, and she asked if he was exchanging his brother for his dad. He said his dad couldn’t stay in prison for the rest of his life for something he didn’t do. His grandma was a great lawyer and would fix this. She had to.

Lucas begged Carly not to go. If she went to Windymere, she’d be walking into Cullum’s trap. She said he couldn’t expect her to do nothing while that monster was holding her daughter hostage, and he said, Valentin turned himself in for her and Josslyn. She had to give him time to do what he said he would.

Rocco agreed and asked if Britt was feeling okay now. She said she was, and he said, so he didn’t have to leave yet. She said, right, and he said she was going to be healthy longer than she thought.

Danny got all pissed off about Rocco saying nothing while he worried about his dad and told Charlotte that his dad was rotting in prison because Rocco didn’t tell the truth. Did she expect him to just let that go? She said, no, but telling the truth now wouldn’t save his dad. It would only dial up the danger for Rocco. She’d thought she could trust him. He said he’d helped her protect her dad for months and now he wanted to protect his, but she said his father wanted it this way. He could have given Rocco up, but hadn’t. Danny would be going against everything his dad wanted. He said he didn’t care, and she said, he didn’t care that he’d be putting a target on Rocco’s back and betraying her and her whole family? If he did this, he’d be nothing to her. He said he had to talk to his grandma. She’d know how to fix this. He left.

Cullum said, Cassius took the bait. This was a test and he failed. It was clear he was protecting his mother and sister, but he still had an important role to play in all of this. Cassius didn’t know it yet, but he’d handed Cullum something invaluable. He didn’t have to track Britt down. Cassius would do it for him. She’d die thanks to her brother and the poison he stole. (Doesn’t this guy have a real job? How does he have time for all this?)

Felicia said, it was like night and day from the last time she spoke to Anna, and Emma said she was relieved. Felicia said Anna’s doctor felt a visit would do her good, so she was taking the first flight out in the morning, and Emma said she was coming with her. Don’t fight her on this. Felicia said she was going to ask Emma to join her. Maybe they could bring Anna home.

While Gio kept James occupied in the pool, Nathan sent a text: Meds are on the way.

Anna thanked Dr. Laurent for approving the visit, and the doctor said she’d made good steps, but full recovery was a process. They’d need to continue to examine the full weight of her trauma. They were making good progress, but they weren’t done yet. Anna said she understood, and Dr. Laurent told her to get some rest. They’d talk tomorrow. She left, and Anna took out a stack of letters and pulled one out from the middle.

Lucas asked how long Valentin had been gone, and Carly said, less than twenty-four hours. She had to rescue Josslyn. He said she’d only get one chance and if she went there like this, Cullum would be onto her. How about this? If they didn’t hear from Valentin or there was no movement from the WSB by tomorrow night, then they’d go to Windymere together. She said, okay. Tomorrow, they go in. He said, and they didn’t leave without Josslyn.

Cullum told Harker that another matter demanded attention – Valentin Cassadine. Fortunately, Valentin had left them with two very valuable hostages. We saw a split-screen of Charlotte and Carly.

Thursday:

Laura and Willow sat at a table by the pool, and Willow said she could get funding for a program Laura wanted. It could make a difference for so many people. Laura was impressed by Willow and said the people of Port Charles were lucky.

Brook brought Phoebe to the pool and Gio yelled at the kids who were running. Brook told Phoebe that her big brother was keeping everyone safe, and looking at Willow, she said, there was the woman who was after Phoebe’s daddy.

Chase asked to talk to Tracy. He wanted to have it out.

Josslyn did push-ups, when Nathan came in to check on her. He asked how his mother was, and she said Obrecht was determined to finish the prototype. Congratulations. He’d manipulated his mother into doing what he wanted.

Curtis asked what Jordan was up to, and she said she was searching for Sidwell.

Fitzpatrick asked Turner if there was any chance to get a search warrant based on a blink.

Alexis went to the station and asked Bennett what Danny did this time.

Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Britt walked in to find Dante and Lulu in her room.

Nathan said all he wanted was to get Josslyn and his mother out of this alive, and Josslyn asked if he had a plan. He said the only thing he could do was play along. Cullum had to think he was on board. Josslyn said getting them out meant nothing if it meant Cullum succeeded.

Chase said he owed Tracy an apology, and she said, for what? He said he apologized for not mediating the conflict before things between her and Willow got out of hand, and she said the situation with Willow was working her last nerve. He said he wanted peace for Brook’s sake. And if there was still a chance to save their relationship, he’d like to.

Turner asked what this was in reference to, and Fitzpatrick said he’d received a tip suggesting the other driver might have been Willow.

Laura praised Willow, and Willow said she had a great role model – Laura.

Charlotte said she’d gotten Gio’s text to stop by the pool. What was up? He said he wanted to check in, since Dante and Lulu had gone to find Rocco. If she needed anything, don’t hesitate to ask. She said she was good. She was staying with her grandma. He said he’d also texted Danny, but hadn’t heard from him. Any idea what he was up to? She said, nope, and he said he’d thought they were tight, but she said, not anymore.

Bennett told Alexis that they’d gotten a call from the WSB. Danny had shown up wanting to talk to someone high up about his father’s whereabouts. They’d turned him away because he wasn’t accompanied by an adult, but Danny refused to take no for an answer and tried to hop a fence onto the grounds. She asked if Danny was being charged, and Bennett said that was up to the WSB.

Britt asked how Dante and Lulu found them, and Dante said, her brother. Lulu asked where Rocco was, but Britt said he wasn’t there. She’d consider telling them where he was after they promised not to take him back to Port Charles.

Jordan told Curtis that she’d been combing her work files, hoping to get a clue to where Sidwell had gone, and he said he had faith in her. Sidwell likely had an escape plan so her chances were good. She said she probably helped him set it up and enjoyed it. She’d taken the job to get evidence on him and it turned out to be the best job she’d ever had. He said, to gain trust of the target, sometimes you had to disappear into the role, and she said she’d certainly taken advantage of it. He said, as she should have. She’d gotten an incredible place, made good investments, and gained skills that would work for her anywhere. She said it put her in a good position to get a lead on Sidwell, and he said he had no doubt she’d find it if it was there. He left for a meeting.

Fitzpatrick told Turner what Lucy had said about seeing Willow the night of Jordan’s accident, but Turner said it wasn’t enough for a warrant. He said he’d gone to Willow’s house to ask questions, but someone got in the way – Officer Chase.

Chase said Tracy had been there for his father and Violet, and she said she wanted to preserve their relationship as well, but had concerns. He said nothing was more important than Brook and Phoebe, and she said she believed him, but he was putting his family in jeopardy.

Danny flashed back to Charlotte telling him that Rocco shot Cullum, when Alexis came in. She asked what he was thinking, and he said he was thinking about his dad.

Britt said they’d only be putting Rocco in danger if they took him home, but Lulu said Britt didn’t get to lecture them. The only reason Rocco had been on the pier in the first place was because of her. Britt said he wasn’t there at her invitation or with her knowledge, and she’d only tried to protect him. Lulu said Britt kidnapped him, and Britt said Rocco had a target on his back. Dante said Britt had a target on her back, so what was more dangerous than being with her?

Willow said she’d been inspired by Laura and strived to emulate her, but Laura said she deserved the credit for her own success. Willow said when she was faced with a problem, she asked herself, what would Mayor Collins do? and Laura said her door was always open. Laura’s phone rang and she stepped away to take the call. She said she was hoping to hear from them… She was on her way.

Willow approached Brook and asked if she could hold Phoebe.

Turner said Chase had shown he couldn’t be trusted when it came to Willow. They were married once and he was very protective of her. She believed he tampered with evidence during Willow’s trial, but there were only allegations. Fitzpatrick said he’d wanted to ask Willow more questions, but Chase asked to speak to her alone. He managed to find Drew on his way to the facilities, and asked if Willow had been on the road the night of the accident and was she involved. He blinked once.

Chase said he wasn’t having an affair with Willow, and Tracy said she was wrong to accuse him of being unfaithful, but Willow was stealing time from his family. He said Willow was a friend, and Tracy said it wasn’t about Willow. Willow knew what she was doing and so did Tracy. He said Willow was trying to help him and Brook adopt Phoebe in spite of the Quartermaines putting her through the wringer, and Tracy said his gratitude was taking him away from his family. He said, when he wasn’t working, his day was devoted to Brook and Phoebe, and she asked if he spent this much time with Willow when she was married to Michael.

Josslyn told Nathan that the device was extremely dangerous and volatile and so was Cullum, and he said he didn’t want Cullum to get his hands on it any more than she did. She asked why they weren’t making a move then. Cullum was already suspicious of both of them. He said he’d handle Cullum, and she said she might be alive, but was pretty sure her expiration date was coming up. He said there was no safe route off the island. WSB agents were practically hanging from the trees. She said she’d take her chances. Prove they were on the same team and get her a gun.

Danny told Alexis that he needed to see his dad. He thought if he could talk to someone face to face, they’d let him talk to his dad on the phone. She said no one disputed that the situation was unjust, but he hadn’t made it any better. Cullum came in and said he had to agree. This young man made things worse for himself and others.

Britt told Dante and Lulu that Rocco had insisted on coming with her. They knew how dangerous Cullum was. Why weren’t they taking him anywhere? Lulu said Britt wasn’t Rocco’s mother and it was up to them to protect him, and Britt asked why they weren’t doing it. Lulu said she was, and Dante said Britt had been selfish and just wanted more time with Rocco. Britt said she didn’t have a lot of time left on this earth and wasn’t wasting it apologizing to them. She loved Rocco. If she had a chance to spend time with him and protect him from Cullum, it was a risk worth taking. Rocco walked in.

Jordan thanked Laura for coming by, and Laura said she’d wanted to ask Jordan to go through her records to look for any clues on Sidwell, but didn’t want to put any pressure on her. Jordan said she’d spent the morning sorting through everything she had on him. She had a lot of raw information, but wasn’t sure it would lead anywhere. Laura said Jordan had given them their best chance, and looked through the papers.

Fitzpatrick told Turner that he’d wanted to ask Drew more questions, but Willow and Chase came in before he could. Willow said he’d been disturbing Drew’s rest and told him to submit any other questions to her office in writing, but she’d been willing to answer questions before Chase asked to speak to her alone. Turner said she assumed the warrant he was seeking would lead to proof Willow was on the road that night.

Chase told Tracy that the circumstances were completely different. If Brook had a problem with him spending time with Willow, she’d say so. Tracy asked if he could admit it was creating distance between him and his family. He said his focus was on his family, which was why he turned down the job Willow offered him, and she said, Willow did what?

Brook thanked Willow for not pressing charges against Tracy, and Willow said she just wanted them all to get along. Curtis approached and asked Willow if it was still a good time. Willow said it was. She just had to see Phoebe. Curtis said seeing Phoebe’s adorable face made him more eager to see his own baby. Portia was due any day now.

Charlotte said she thought she could trust Danny, but now realized she shouldn’t have, and Gio said Danny was very loyal to the people he cared about. All he wanted was to help his friends. Have a little faith in the guy. Give him time and he’d do the right thing. She said, if he didn’t, she’d never forgive him.

Cullum asked what Danny was trying to achieve by entering the WSB, but Alexis said she’d answer that. The WSB took Danny’s father and he missed him. He was just looking for someone to help him make contact, which wouldn’t have happened had Jason not been denied contact with his family. Cullum said it was touching, but failed to mitigate the act of breaking and entering, and Alexis said, a judge might disagree. She knew the public would when she went to the media and told them that the WSB had targeted a teenage kid who was grieving after they kidnapped his father and denied him due process. Cullum asked if it was the first time Danny had been found somewhere he shouldn’t have been.

Rocco told his parents that he’d had to leave. He was only causing problems. He’d also been able to help Britt. Where was Charlotte? Lulu said Charlotte was staying with her grandmother, and Rocco told Britt that he was sorry. It was his fault they’d been found. He’d called Danny and Charlotte for help and gave them the address so her brother could send her this. He handed her a package and said it was her medication.

Nathan said he couldn’t risk giving Josslyn a weapon. They wanted different things. He wanted to get himself, her, and his mother out of this alive, and she wanted to stop Cullum. She said give her a gun and she’d make sure she got out of there safely, but he said, maybe. Or maybe not. She said, he didn’t trust her? What if she believed he didn’t want to get them out of there? Nathan promised he would, but she said his word meant nothing.

Tracy asked what Brook thought about Willow’s generous offer, and Chase said Brook didn’t try to pressure him either way. She wanted it to be his decision. Tracy said because Brook prioritized his wants and needs. He should do the same for her. He said he didn’t see how his friendship with Willow prevented that, and she said she was sorry for the night she’d told him to pack his things. It was uncalled for and she overstepped. She wanted his marriage to succeed and believed he needed to take more care with her granddaughter. Despite their best intentions, sometimes they neglected the people they loved the most and she thought that’s what he was doing. She left.

Curtis told Willow that this universal daycare program was going to be a game changer for Port Charles. Would she mind if Aurora covered the launch? She said it would be great, and he asked how she’d feel about having a profile done on her. It had been a while since Port Charles had a real advocate. She said she knew how he felt about Drew, but she was still using his connections to get things done. He said, the difference was, she was using those connections to do right by her constituents and that was a refreshing change of pace.

Jordan told Laura that she was only involved in Sidwell’s public-facing enterprises. Marco handled everything Sidwell didn’t want her to see or know about. Laura said, so if he wanted to find a place to go underground for a while, he’d probably want to keep it as legal as possible, for Marco’s sake if nothing else. Jordan said, hiding in plain sight.

Alexis said she wasn’t discussing her grandson’s past with Cullum, and he said, then, how about an explanation on why Danny was trying to break in? What was he planning to do? The truth this time. She said, he wanted information about his father. It was reckless, but was it really worth the public back and forth? He said he preferred a quiet resolution. The WSB was prepared to let this matter go, provided Danny could assure him that he’d never do this again. Alexis said he wouldn’t, and Cullum said, good. Because if he did, there would be serious consequences. He left, and Alexis said she hoped what just happened scared Danny, because it scared the hell out of her. Cullum was a dangerous man and not to be toyed with.

Josslyn asked if Nathan or Cassius was making that promise. He’d said he and his brother had a connection and he wanted Nathan’s life. Yet he’d been lying to every single person Nathan cared about since he’d gotten there. He’d promised that he’d keep Britt safe and he couldn’t. What about the promises he’d made Nina or his mother? He was holding Obrecht captive so that she’d save him. James thought his father was back. When was he going to tell James the truth? Before or after his work there was done and he had to disappear again? He liked to play the good guy, but he was living a lie. He couldn’t come through for any of the people he claimed to care about, so why should she believe he’d come through for her?

Rocco said Britt was just so sick, he panicked. He should have known her brother would tell his parents where they were. He was such an idiot. Dante said Nathan had to tell them, and Britt told him not to beat himself up. It was okay. Rocco said it wasn’t okay. If he’d told her, they could have been gone already. Dante said he knew the three of them had a lot of work to do, but the important thing was that they found him, and Lulu said if they found him, that meant the WSB could too. They had to get out of there. Rocco said, what about Britt?

Jordan said it was like looking for a needle in a haystack, when Laura said, wait. What is this? It’s 352 Vista Lane. Jordan said it was a property Sidwell purchased, intending to give it to Marco and Lucas as a wedding gift, and Laura wondered why he kept it. Grief? He couldn’t accept his son was gone? Jordan said, Sidwell would have only kept it if it served a purpose… if he knew he might need a place to hide.

Chase met Brook at the pool and said he’d been talking things over with her grandmother. Brook told him, whatever Tracy said, she was sorry, but he said, it wasn’t like that. They had a really good conversation. She’d made him realize that he needed to take a step back and rethink his priorities. Especially now that… Fitzpatrick walked in, and Chase wondered what the hell he was doing there.

Fitzpatrick approached Willow and said he had a warrant to check the trip record on her vehicle. She asked, why? and he said, to see if she was on Route 91 at the time of Jordan Ashford’s accident. Curtis made a soap face.

Charlotte thanked Gio for listening, and he said he was always there for her. She said she had to get ready for her stupid internship. She wished she could bail and hang out at the pool with him. He said he totally got it, but they had the rest of the summer to hang out, and she said she’d be at the pool a lot. On the phone at a nearby table, a man said he had eyes on her now. She’d be in hand shortly.

Nathan said when he’d brought Josslyn to Windymere, he promised he wouldn’t kill her. His life would have been easier if he had, but he’d kept his promise. She said she was alive, but still captive, even though he’d had opportunities to let her go, and he told her to believe what she wanted. But when this was over and she was still breathing, she’d know he kept his word. He left.

Danny told Alexis that he was sorry. He hadn’t wanted to drag her into this. She said, but he did. She’d always fight for him, but he really needed to be careful. The last thing his dad would want was for him to be involved in any way with the WSB. He said she was right. He had to do what his dad would want.

Britt said Rocco needed to go with his parents. She’d be okay. He said, what if she got sick again or what if Cullum found her? and Lulu said they had to go. He wasn’t safe there and Britt could take care of herself. Dante said they had to get out of there and keep their heads down until this whole thing blew over, and Rocco said he’d leave, but only if Britt came with them.

🌞 Summer Friday…

At the pool, Chase wondered what Fitzpatrick wanted with Willow now, then apologized to Brook. He said this was what he meant about getting his priorities straight. He was here with her and Phoebe in this beautiful place on this beautiful day. How lucky was he? Brook said she and Phoebe were the lucky ones.

Curtis told Fitzpatrick, this is ridiculous. Isaiah Gannon was on the road that night. They should be focusing their investigation on him. Fitzpatrick said they were investigating all possibilities, and Curtis asked what evidence they had tying Willow to Jordan’s accident.

Jordan told Laura that she didn’t think Sidwell ever intended the property as a safe house, but Marco’s death changed things. Laura said it was a place where Sidwell could hide in plain sight. Did no one else know about the property? Jordan said she was the only one, and Laura said they were going to use Sidwell’s trust in her to bring him down.

Turner said, with Mac and Dante both on personal leave, she was going to need to rely on Nathan more than usual. She needed him to take over the search for Sidwell.

Charlotte walked into Crimson, and mystery guy was in the elevator, but didn’t get out when he saw Nina. Nina said she needed to talk to Charlotte about her work schedule for the summer. She wondered if they should loop Lulu in, but Charlotte said she was staying with Laura while Lulu was out of town. Nina asked if everything was okay, and Charlotte said it was fine. Nina said Charlotte could always talk to her father. She knew Valentin was in town and knew Charlotte had been seeing him, so why didn’t they drop the act and be honest?

Dante said they were trying to get Rocco out of danger, which meant getting him as far away from Britt as possible.

Dr. Laurent opened Anna’s door to let in Mac, Felicia, and Emma, and Emma ran to her. They hugged, and Anna said it was good to see them, but Mac said, not as good as it was to see her.

Jordan said, for all she knew, Sidwell could be questioning her allegiance to him, but Laura said she didn’t think he was. It was a lead that should be investigated. Jordan asked if she was thinking of bringing Sonny in on this, but Laura said they didn’t need to. Sidwell was a fugitive and all they needed was the PCPD.

Turner asked where they were in the search for Sidwell, and Nathan said, nowhere good. He could be anywhere. She told him not to assume Sidwell left town and to leave no stone unturned. Sidwell was dangerous and a big fish. She wanted to be the one who brought him down.

Chase suggested they take a trip to Seattle once the adoption was a done deal. They could introduce Phoebe to Finn and Violet. Brook said she loved it, and Chase got distracted looking at Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick said they had two credible witnesses that placed Willow at the scene of the accident, but her presence at the PCPD would be voluntary. Curtis said Fitzpatrick didn’t have a warrant and was just waving his badge around, and Willow said she was nowhere near Route 91 that night. She noticed someone filming on their phone, and suggested they discuss it at the PCPD. She had nothing to hide.

Brook thought of other places they could go in Seattle, but noticed Chase was no longer listening.

Anna apologized for the way she’d acted. They’d witnessed things they didn’t need to. Felicia said they loved her, and Emma said the only thing they wanted was for her to get better. Anna asked what was going on at home.

Charlotte said Nina had been using her this entire time, but Nina said, not by choice. She could explain. Charlotte said Nina tried to sell her and her father out, and didn’t care about them at all, but Nina said that wasn’t true. She hadn’t wanted to do any of it and she was sorry. It wasn’t how she felt. She loved Charlotte and would take it all back if she could. At the time, she felt like she was choosing the lesser of two evils. Charlotte said it seemed like she was choosing between protecting her and protecting Willow, and Nina’s choice was definitely not her.

Britt told Rocco that his dad was right. The danger was her. Rocco said Cullum could be after him too. Cullum might know he’d shot him. Lulu said that’s why they had to get him somewhere safe, and Dante said they were just trying to protect him. Rocco said, that’s what Britt was trying to do too. He got that they didn’t like her, but he couldn’t just leave her to fend for herself. Britt said, yes, he could, and Rocco said Dante was a cop with a gun. They could protect each other. Dante said all they knew was that Britt was the target, and Lulu said that meant if Britt was with them, Rocco was in danger. Dante said he didn’t even know if that was true. If Cullum found them with Britt, she would be the only one he’d want alive because he wanted something from her. Did she want to tell them what that was?

Anna asked what the latest and greatest was with Emma, and Emma told her about going with Gio to New York to see Aladdin. It was a dream come true. Anna said it sounded like everything was wonderful back home and hoped she’d be joining them soon. She asked to talk to Emma alone, and Mac and Felicia left. She said what she had to tell Emma was important.

Brook said she could tell Chase was distracted and suggested he go see what was going on. He said he’d only be a second and went over to Curtis who was sitting alone at a table. He asked if Curtis knew what was going on, and Curtis said Fitzpatrick was overstepping again. Apparently, the PCPD had gotten a warrant for Willow’s trip log, and Fitzpatrick took her down to the station to ask her some questions about Jordan’s accident. Isaiah came in and asked if he’d heard Curtis say there was another suspect in Jordan’s crash.

Charlotte said she understood why Nina chose Willow, but Nina said Charlotte was family too. Charlotte said, not anymore, but who was she to judge? She and her father would choose each other in a heartbeat. Why would Nina be any different? The office phone rang, and Charlotte answered it. She told Nina that it was Willow, and Nina took the phone. She said, what?… When?… Why were they questioning her about… Of course (🍷). She’d be right there. She said she hated leaving Charlotte like this, and Charlotte wondered why since she was so good at it. Charlotte pretended to be engrossed in her phone, and Nina left.

Britt said she’d been doing work for Cullum and he’d like for her to complete that work, and Dante asked if that’s why Cullum was after her. She said, yes, and told Rocco that the only reason she took him with her was because she was worried Cullum was after him too. She thought he’d be safer with her, but that was no longer the case. The safest place for him right now was away from her and with his parents. Lulu said, listen to her, and Rocco said he’d heard them. Staying there was a risk, but he was willing to take it. They’d always told him that they take chances for the people they love, and they could hate it, but he loved Britt. She was really important to him. Help him help her. Lulu said she was going to let Britt decide what they did next. It was up to her.

Curtis said Willow wasn’t a suspect, just answering questions, and Isaiah said they must have cause to question her. Chase said it was a story he’d heard a thousand times, a cop trying to make a name for himself, and Curtis said, instead, he was making a big mistake. Chase said he’d clear it up, and went back to Brook, and Curtis said, another innocent person was facing consequences because of Isaiah’s actions. Willow was now at the police station because Isaiah wouldn’t face what he did.

Chase told Brook that he was sorry, but he thought he had to head to the station. ADA Turner had a vendetta against Willow and he thought she was steering Fitzpatrick in the wrong direction. Brook said it sounded like Willow needed all the help she could get, he thanked her for understanding, and he left.

Turner met Willow in the interrogation room and said they were waiting on the information from the trip log. Willow said she was told Turner had questions, but they both knew what was going on. Turner couldn’t convict her for attempted murder and was now trying to frame her for leaving the scene of an accident.

Anna said Emma was probably wondering why she’d asked for the visit, and Emma said she thought Anna probably had a good reason. Anna said Dr. Laurent encouraged her not to involve Emma’s mother in her recovery at this point, and Emma asked, why not? Anna said she was trying to work through the very complicated history she had with Faison and Emma’s mom was woven into that. Emma had missed so many years with her when she’d been abducted by him. Emma said she’d never forgive him for that, and Anna said, nor should she. She didn’t want to unearth that for Robin and subject her to those horrible times. She needed to be fully recovered and didn’t want to traumatize Robin again. Emma said she and her mom talked and her mom was 100% supportive of whatever Anna needed to do, however she needed to do it. Her mom loved Anna. They all did. All they wanted was for her to be okay.

Charlotte perused the clothing racks in Nina’s office, when Danny came in. He said he wanted to let her know that he didn’t tell his grandma about Rocco shooting Cullum. He realized she couldn’t do anything to help his dad, so he broke into the WSB to talk to someone himself. Charlotte said, wait. What? He broke into the WSB?

Jordan’s doorbell rang, and she answered the door to Nathan. She thanked him for getting there so quickly, and he said he assumed it was about Sidwell. Jordan said they believed they knew the location he might be hiding out at, and he asked if the intel was legit. Laura said they thought so, and he asked where he was headed. Laura said they thought that Sidwell might still be in Port Charles and they thought they knew where to find him.

Britt said she loved Rocco too, and part of that was knowing she couldn’t come with him. She’d made a lot of choices and some of them were stupid, some of them were selfish, and they led her here. One of the most selfish choices she’d made was getting pregnant with him, but she didn’t regret it because he was here. He was generous, kind, and wonderful. He was incredible and had changed everything for her. He’d taught her that there were things in this world that were bigger and more important than her. That’s why he needed to go with his parents, because the biggest, most important thing was that he was safe. So please, could he do that for her?

Isaiah said the police were questioning other suspects, yet Curtis was still coming at him with accusations, and Curtis said, because Isaiah was guilty. The police would clear Willow’s name soon enough. Isaiah said, maybe, but disparage his name one more time, and Curtis would be facing more than assault charges. Curtis asked if that was a threat, but Isaiah said it was a promise, and he left.

Turner said, no one was accusing Willow of causing the accident, but if hers was the other car involved that night, she left the scene of an accident without calling for help, causing Ms. Ashford precious time which directly impacted the severity of her injuries. Willow said she wasn’t even on Route 91 that night, and Turner said forgive her for not taking Willow’s word, given her history of losing track of her whereabouts. Willow said Fitzpatrick alluded to witnesses. Was she allowed to know who they were? Turner said, Lucy Coe was one of them, and Willow said, hardly the definition of credible. And the other one? Turner said, your husband.

Chase approached Fitzpatrick’s desk and said he knew Fitzpatrick was new and just following orders, but the ADA was railroading Congresswoman Cain. Fitzpatrick said they had cause for the warrant. Either the trip log cleared Willow or it didn’t. In the meantime, he suggested Chase go home. He wasn’t doing himself any favors by intervening. Chase said he was good here. He didn’t turn his back on friends.

Chase walked into the interrogation room, and Turner said, Officer Chase, in a surprise to no one. (Ha-ha!) Chase said he wasn’t violating any procedure. He was there as a private citizen and wanted a private word with the congresswoman. Turner said she’d let Willow know what the trip log turned up, and left.

Felicia told Dr. Laurent that Anna seemed much more like herself. When did the doctor think they could take her home? Dr. Laurent agreed Anna had shown improvement, but they still needed time to make sure there wasn’t a relapse. Anna was dealing with significant trauma and they were dealing with the process of separating reality from paranoid delusion. Felicia said Anna had lived a life of extremes. Some things that may sound paranoid from her past, could be grounded in reality. The doctor said, that may be true, but until she was satisfied that Anna knew the difference, it wasn’t safe for her to leave.

Anna said it was good for her soul to see Emma, and Emma said her too. Anna said she’d kept all of Emma’s letters. Reading about her life and how happy she was, was comforting. Just to know Emma was thriving and in love was the best medicine for her. Emma said she loved Anna so much, and Anna said she loved Emma too. They hugged, and Anna said she had to catch up with Felicia too, so Emma left.

Nathan said it was a good lead, and Jordan said she and Laura were in agreement that they’d do what they could to bring Sidwell to justice. Nathan asked, who else had they told about Sidwell’s location? and Laura said, no one. Jordan said he was the only person they’d spoken to, and he said, good. It was imperative that it stayed that way.

Danny said he didn’t even make it inside, and Charlotte asked how he could be so stupid. Cullum or anyone else could have made him disappear. He said the WSB just turned him over to the PCPD and Detective Bennett called his grandma. She came down to the station and smoothed things out with everyone. She said, no disrespect to his grandmother, but he got lucky. That’s all. Was he going to tell them that Rocco shot Cullum so he could free his dad? He said he wasn’t even going to mention Rocco. He was just going to tell them that Cullum was a double agent. She said, then he would be dead. If Cullum found out Danny knew he was dirty, he’d be in a hole somewhere dead. Or worse, alive.

Rocco said he’d go, but Britt had to promise she wasn’t going to stay there and wait for Cullum to find her. She’d keep moving like they said they would, take her medication, and not give up. Promise him. She said, okay, but he told her that he needed to hear her say it. She said she promised, and they hugged, both crying.

Anna told Felicia that she understood why Felicia couldn’t do as she asked. She was unwell and Felicia did it out of love. Felicia said not getting Anna out of there was one of the hardest decisions she ever had to make, but it was the right one. Anna was getting better and stronger. Anna said it was really difficult trying to explain her experience to people who didn’t know Faison and who didn’t know the history or context. It just seemed… Felicia said, unreal? and Anna said, yeah. Felicia said she just tried to explain that to Dr. Laurent, and Anna said Felicia knew better than anyone that the things that happened with Faison were too real. She thought what it came down to was that she was trying to figure out what she could trust from that experience in her memory and who she could trust. She took Felicia’s hands and said it was really important that she knew she could trust her.

Curtis saw Nina at the station and asked if she was there for Willow. Nina asked how he knew that, and he said he was there when the detective asked her to come in for questioning. There was nothing to worry about. Willow wasn’t guilty. Isaiah Gannon was. She said it was looking like it didn’t matter because Turner was targeting Willow. She was probably humiliated that she’d lost her case in court. He said, facts are facts, and ADA Turner is about to be 0 for 2.

Willow said it meant so much that Chase came there, and he said Fitzpatrick got it all wrong. She said Turner was claiming Lucy Coe and Drew were somehow witnesses, and he asked how that was possible. She said she had no idea about Lucy, but remember how Fitzpatrick was alone with Drew the other night? He said, Fitzpatrick would have had to ask Drew a yes or no question. What could he have asked that would have implicated her in Jordan’s accident?

Dante said, let’s go, but Britt said, wait. She remembered that she had something for Rocco. She handed him a small bottle filled with liquid that had a bubble wand in it, and he asked what it was. She said, when he was a baby, he blew these cute little milk bubbles. When she saw it at the bodega, she had to get it. It was probably stupid. What teenage boy was blowing bubbles? He said he loved it and thanked her, and she told him to take care of himself. He said, only if she did, and she said she would. Lulu thanked her for keeping Rocco safe, and as they were about to leave, Rocco came back and hugged Britt again. He said this wouldn’t be the last time he saw her, and she said, just wait. She’d pop up when he least expected it. He said, she’d better, and she said he could count on it. They left, Dante closing the door.

Danny said he was trying to help his dad, and Charlotte said if he wanted to help him, go home and stay out of this whole mess. He said, you’ve got it, and left. Mystery man got out of the elevator, and Danny went in. Mystery man went into Nina’s office, said, hello, Charlotte, and gave her a creepy face.

Isaiah said he didn’t mean to disturb Brook’s pool time, but he heard the police were questioning Willow about Jordan’s accident. He wasn’t asking her to break her husband’s confidence, but this really affected him. Was there anything she could tell him about what was going on? She said, Detective Fitzpatrick showed up there earlier, spoke to Willow, and she left with him. Not in handcuffs or anything. According to Chase, the PCPD had a warrant to look through Willow’s trip log the night of Jordan’s accident. He said, if they had a warrant, they must have cause. He didn’t wish anything bad on Willow, but if she was involved, he hoped they found proof. Then Curtis would have to acknowledge he’d destroyed his career for something he didn’t do.

Willow said she was sure Fitzpatrick asked Drew a question and misinterpreted his response, and Chase asked if they’d read Willow her rights. She said, no, and he said, then she wasn’t under arrest and didn’t have to stay here. He opened the door, and Nina asked what was going on. Willow said, nothing she should be dealing with. It was a complete waste of time. Nina asked if she was allowed to go, and Chase said, absolutely, but Turner said she needed Willow to wait. They checked the trip log on her 2025 BMW and it placed her on Route 91 at 9:30 pm on April 8th, 2026. In case she wasn’t aware, that placed her within seconds of Jordan Ashford’s car crash.

Anna said she was telling Felicia this because Felicia was her friend. She was going to trust the fact that their friendship was strong enough for Felicia to believe. Felicia said, believe what? and Anna said, Nathan West isn’t who he says he is.

Nathan thanked someone on the phone and told Jordan and Laura that he’d made arrangements to stake out the property. But Sidwell had a lot of resources and it was possible he had someone inside the PCPD. Jordan said it was probable. How else would Nathan have gotten ambushed? Nathan said, then they understood. The quieter this was kept… Laura said, the more likely they were to catch him. They weren’t going to tell anyone. Jordan said he had their word, and Nathan said he’d be in touch. He left, and took out his phone in the hallway. He said, it’s me. We have a Sidwell problem.

Lulu, Dante, and Rocco got in the car, and Lulu asked if Rocco was okay. Looking at the bubble jar, he said, not really. If anything happened to Britt, he’d never forgive himself. Dante started the car.

Britt was about to give herself an injection, when two armed officers busted in. They told her to freeze, and she put her hands up. An officer said she was under arrest for kidnapping.

Charlotte asked who mystery man was, and he said, Agent Mark McKay with the WSB. She needed to come with him. She said she didn’t know him and wasn’t going anywhere with him, and he said it would be easier if she cooperated. He backed her up against the desk, and she reached for a letter opener, intending to stab him, but he twisted her arm and made her drop it. Danny came up behind him and knocked him out. He took Charlotte’s hand, and they ran out the door.

On Monday, Sonny tells Alexis that they have to make sure Danny never finds out; Danny wonders why Cullum is suddenly after Charlotte; Cullum says Nathan needs to be there to make sure Sidwell doesn’t walk out of that house alive; and Anna asks Felicia if it isn’t worth looking into her theory.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

She’s back and ready to rumble.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospitals-anna-devane-returns-after-months-off-screen-but-is-she-hiding-a-secret-agenda

I’m not hating glimpses of the old Brook.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospital-exclusive-amanda-setton-reacts-to-brook-lynns-dirty-move-against-willow

Good for him. This was indefensible. Apparently, Brick is a stand-up guy IRL.

https://radaronline.com/p/stephen-a-smith-refuses-apologize-karmelo-anthony-verdict-opinion-blasts-supporters

This doesn’t sound like my jam musically, but kudos to him.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospital-alum-chad-duell-drops-his-new-single-if-you-need-me

This was sad to hear.

https://ew.com/fundraiser-launched-to-help-soap-star-marcy-walker-amid-health-issue-12005471

💉 A Dose Of Reality…

Below Deck Mediterranean

Eyebrows Joe claimed he had no ill intention in talking about Gael and thought Nathan was overreacting. In Nathan’s interview, he said Joe had been talking sh*t about Gael to everyone, and during the crew’s night out, he bitched in the taxi while the others went on to dance. In Joe’s interview, he said the day had been mentally challenging, but I have the feeling every day is mentally challenging for him. Both Gen and Joy were interested in Cooper, who said, it was a f***ing dilemma. After he was done pouting, Nathan told Joe, listen to the bosun, no stepping on toes, and have a good season. The next charter were repeat guests Johnny Damon and his wife Michelle, who wanted a  banquet reminiscent of ancient Rome, a dine in the dark experience (why?), and an escape room challenge. Aesha made Kayley second stew, and Gen said, WTF, dude? In Kat’s interview, she said she felt Gen had learning to do in the lack of respect department. That’s putting it mildly. Guest Josef turned out to be an immediate a-hole, disrespecting the crew and not following safety rules. He was so awful (and nothing to look at), his girlfriend requested to go back to shore, which Captain Sandy accommodated. She also told Josef that he needed to knock it off.

This dude was the worst.

The Valley

A drunk Zack had a hissy fit and Schwartz wondered, where’s the kumbaya? Where’s the happy birthday vibes? Where’s my cake?  The next day, Zack said, emotions got away, not just with me, with all of us, making me dislike him even more. I hate the all of us sh*t, when it wasn’t all of us – it was you.

In the City

It looked like Amanda was a budding hoarder. Two years prior, she’d told Kyle that she’d get stuff off the bed, and there was an entire room full of her junk. She kept calling it clutter. I guess tomato/tomahto. Kyle continued to be a jerk, and she said the night before she moved, he’d brought home two strangers and they were playing music at 2 am on Sunday. In bringing strangers home drunk, he was doing the thing she said she hated, even though he claimed to want to make it work. Kyle said they were nice guys, but she told him, it was a guy and girl, since he was clearly in blackout mode. In Amanda’s interview, she said she knew what he wanted, but her fear was that he wasn’t capable of giving her what she wanted. They’d just been married when she got a DM with a video of him with someone else. Maybe it would have been wise to have gotten a clue then.

Next Gen NYC

Ariana had broken up with Hudson because she felt she was holding his hand and no one was holding hers. There was talk about Charlie and the crypto house of horrors, and arguing about Gia’s mom unfollowing Ava. Gia claimed Teresa didn’t care enough to unfollow her, but my guess is that she wouldn’t know how if she did. Come on. She can’t even pronounce cumin. It was Emira’s birthday and she was having a C**try Night, although in her interview, she said Bravo was making her call it Country Night. Don the cowboy hats or the… never mind. Joining the group was new guy Liam, who was an actor and a friend of Hudson’s from school. In Liam’s interview, he said he didn’t watch reality TV. He’d seen one season of Love Island and decided it wasn’t for him, which I can totally understand. What did seem to be for him was Ariana. Maybe he should have watched Summer House instead. It was also Ariana’s birthday, even though she was going to Emira’s party, and Georgia said she’d thought Ariana broke up with Hudson for the show. When she saw Ariana’s move out post, she believed it was real. Like needing Instagram to confirm reality wasn’t bad enough, I thought if I heard her say literally one more time, I was going to scream. Literally, Georgia literally can’t literally stop saying literally, literally before every other word.

https://pagesix.com/video/next-gen-nyc-recap-ava-dash-strikes-feud-with-gia-giudice-over-teresa-drama-vrt-unpacks-episode-1

Kindly pick a lane. Even if just for Georgia’s sake.

https://decider.com/2026/06/24/next-gen-nyc-ariana-biermann-hudson-mcleroy-back-together

Real Housewives Of Rhode Island – Reunion Part 1

I hate Reunions and am growing to hate this group of women. Liz apologized to Alicia for embarrassing her about the homeless thing, and no surprise, there was a but attached. She also claimed it was a manufactured situation and that they’d known about the upcoming conversation in the car beforehand. This led to an argument, along with pretty much everything else leading to an argument. Jo-Ellen finally told Liz to STFU. My main question was, WTF was Rulla wearing?

https://www.realitytea.com/2026/06/22/real-housewives-of-rhode-island-rhori-episode-13-recap-reunion-part-1/

Random Reality Items

A revamped London premieres on July 29th.

One of the best reality shows on pause and reboot? WTF? Why?

Hard to believe it’s been 20 years. Premieres August 9th.

Because, LVP.

👀 Last Weekend’s Watch…

Project Hail Mary. HBO/MAX. Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) is a teacher recruited – scratch that – forced to become an astronaut in order to save the planet. While in outer space, he wakes to discover his fellow travelers dead and that he’s all alone. Not for long though. He comes across another lone voyager from a different species on the same mission who he names Rocky. The crux of this film is more the developing relationship between Grace and Rocky than the mission itself. Their developing bond is interspersed with scenes showing how Grace got there, along with fantastic special effects that made me wish I’d seen it on the big screen. Ken Russell would be eating his heart out if he was still alive. Normally, I’m not a fan of the outer space genre, but I loved this movie and especially loved Rocky. No surprise, there are plenty of miscommunications and poignant moments as the two become friends and bond. The dialogue is wonderful and the characters are engaging. There’s also plenty of humor sprinkled throughout, and the ending was just what I was looking for. Like Rocky, I could only say – Amaze! Amaze! Amaze!

The bare bones.

A more in-depth review.

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/project-hail-mary-ryan-gosling-movie-review-2026

A perfect perspective.

Rabbit Hole. Amazon Prime. I’d never heard of this film, but Nicole Kidman is usually a safe bet, so I decided to give it a go and wasn’t disappointed. Bella and Howie lost a young child when he was hit by a car and are grappling with the aftermath. While I can’t identify personally, I can certainly feel empathy for such a loss. It’s out of order, and not only is the child gone, so are the parents’ hopes and dreams for their future. As others have said, there are words for other types of losses, like widow or widower, but there is no word for losing a child. The couple is also in group therapy to deal with their grief, but Becca is starting to feel unsatisfied with the lack of closure. She drops out of group and begins to develop a friendship with the teen who caused the accident. Kidman is her usual amazing self, but the rest of the cast is excellent as well, especially Sandra Oh as another member of the therapy group who dips out to smoke weed in the car. Both the story and acting were incredibly authentic, so be prepared to have your heart broken.

https://www.starkinsider.com/2010/10/review-nicole-kidman-stoic-in-rabbit-hole.html

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/rabbit-hole-2010

👩🏽‍🦽‍➡️ Bringing Wheelchair Sexy Back…

I love these two and couldn’t be happier that they’re back for a second season. First episode spoiler alert: Wedding bells can be heard.

https://people.com/jay-manuel-and-pamela-chavez-brittle-bone-disease-clash-over-expanding-family-exclusive-12004885

https://www.accessonline.com/videos/jay-pamela-have-candid-conversation-about-expanding-their-family-in-season-2-trailer

https://glaad.org/if-not-us-then-who-disabled-queer-couple-reshapes-reality-tv-in-new-tlc-show-jay-and-pamela

🙃 Rules Are Made To Be Broken…

🦅 Soaring again despite that pesky electrocution.

https://people.com/bald-eagle-returns-to-flight-6-months-after-being-electrocuted-12007139

🐄 Next she’ll want to borrow the car keys.

https://people.com/highland-cow-goes-viral-after-farmer-takes-it-to-beach-runs-into-ocean-video-12005660

🐏 Taking pride in the flock.

https://people.com/farmer-behind-rainbow-wool-tends-only-to-gay-sheep-saving-queer-lives-exclusive-12000672

🐶 And who doesn’t love a pet in a little hat?

https://people.com/virginia-vet-school-creates-graduation-pet-photo-shoot-tradition-12005495

🏌️‍♀️ Quotes of the Week

Tomorrow becomes never. No matter how small the task, take the first step now. – Tim Ferriss

Everything is as good or as bad as our opinion makes it. – C.S. Lewis, from Till We Have Faces

Apologizing does not always mean that you’re wrong and the other person is right. It just means that you value your relationship more than your ego.Author Unknown

I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order. – John Burroughs

It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere. – Voltaire

Ends are not bad things, they just mean that something else is about to begin. And there are many things that don’t really end, anyway, they just begin again in a new way. Ends are not bad and many ends aren’t really an ending; some things are never-ending. – C. JoyBell C. (Or as Semisonic put it more simply, every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.)

The border to eternity is never ahead of us. It runs parallel to life and can be crossed over at any moment by old and young. – Reinhard Bonnke

A mathematical formula for happiness: Reality divided by Expectations. There were two ways to be happy: improve your reality or lower your expectations. – Jodi Picoult

The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. – Mark Twain

She can’t take your little thought cloud and deposit it and write checks against it. – Judge Marilyn Milian, People’s Court

I’m trying to learn stuff. – West Wilson, Summer House

🏖️ Resting Beach Face…

Until next time, stay safe; stay not stressing over your summer body (seriously, look around, you’re not that bad); and stay not neglecting the people you love the most.

Video > Pet Shop Boys – Go West (Official Video) [HD REMASTERED]

August 21, 2024 – Anna Gives Jason a Warning, LA Millions, Smallest Violin Playing, Miami Adoption, Marvel-ous, They’re Tripping, Bravocoaster, Imploding, Furbabies With Fans & Love

Standard

What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)

General Hospital

On the phone, Alexis says she’s sure they’ll handle it. They’re resourceful. Just see that they get here. They’re needed here for once. She asks if Kristina got enough sleep, and Kristina says, every time she sleeps, she wakes up at GH and her daughter is gone. Then when she wakes up, she’s in the nightmare where Ava is blaming her for everything.

In the interrogation room, Ava says, Kristina came at her and she grabbed Kristina’s arm to fend her off. There was nothing she could do. Kristina wanted one thing. Anna says, that being, to kill Ava, and Ava says, she screamed it over and over – I’ll kill you! John stands nearby with a smug look on his face that I’d like to smack off.

TJ puts his arms around Molly, and she wonders how they do this. How do they bury their daughter? He says, together.

Josslyn walks into the gallery, and Trina tells her that Ava’s not here. Josslyn says, if there’s any justice, Ava won’t be here again and will be behind bars.

Anna says she’s been over the transcript from Ava’s original interview and not once did she mention Kristina threatened to kill her. Ava says she was in shock. Her memory was a mess. She forgot. Anna says, and she only just remembered? and John says, it happens, and Anna knows that. Anna asks if Ava is now his client since he seems to be speaking for her, and John says, she’s a witness in an ongoing RICO investigation for a crime boss who seems to operate freely under Anna’s nose. Anna asks if Ava’s official counsel agreed to that, and Ava says, if Anna can find Scotty, she can ask him. Anna asks where Scotty is, and John says, ask Jason.

Jason says, Clement shas been safely relocated to Sonny’s island. He’s under Sonny’s protection and off Cates’s radar. Now they’ve got to find Valentin. Sonny says, they just have to use the right bait and he’ll come like a dog. Jason says, what bait? and Sonny says, not what, who. Anna.

Molly tells TJ that the family is on their way early. Is it possible to want something and dread it at the same time? TJ says, his mom is strong and steady, and he needs her now. She’ll hug him, and her just being here will make him feel better, but he can’t stand to look in her eyes today. Molly says, today, it’ll be in all their faces, and TJ says, if they can’t hide the pain, that means it will be big and heavy and crush him. She says her too. Is there anything they can do to make it bearable? TJ says he can’t think of anything, and Molly says she thinks it will help if they stop thinking about the baby as our baby. He asks what she means, and she says, he tried to tell her, and he was right. Their baby deserves a name and it’s time to give her one.

Alexis tells Kristina that the funeral is today. They’re going to come together as a family. Kristina wonders if TJ and Molly would still consider her family if they knew what she was going to do. She was going to keep her baby girl had she lived.  

Sonny says, Valentin has zero motivation to show his face, and Jason asks if Anna is the right button to push. What about Nina? Sonny says, only Anna and his daughter, and he’s not using a child. Jason says, he’s assuming Valentin still cares about Anna, and Sonny says, if Valentin thought Anna was in trouble, he’d come running. Jason says he doesn’t like it.

Anna wonders why she should ask Jason about Scotty, and John says, Scotty never showed up for their meeting. He checked with Scotty’s doorman, and he didn’t come home last night. Anna says, some of Scotty’s favorite activities happen after the streetlights come on, and only after 24 hours does he consider himself late. Did they reach out to Lucy Coe? He might be there. Ava says, or he might be six feet under, and John says, the last time Scotty called, he said he had a run in with Jason. Anna asks if he’s suggesting Jason killed him, and John says he’s suggesting Scotty’s not here, hasn’t been in touch, and the last one to speak with him was Jason. He’d be happy to investigate if he didn’t think he’d be stepping on the PCPD’s toes. Anna asks if Scotty is another surprise witness, but John says, not at this time. Anna says, then it falls in her jurisdiction. She’ll look forward to handling the situation. John says, keep him apprised, and she says she will, and she leaves. John says, Ava did great. Her words were perfect. She says, as he scripted them. Now she’s on the hook for falsifying a statement. He says, she’s in this to take Sonny down, and she asks if he thinks antagonizing the Commissioner is the way to do it. He says, if Anna is angry, she’s less likely to look for discrepancies in Ava’s statement. (Wow, He is stupid.) Ava says she imagines Sonny waiting for her, and John says, the only thing Sonny responds to is leverage, and he knows just where to get some.  

Josslyn asks if Trina thinks Ava will get away with it, but Trina says she doesn’t know. Ava has come out okay before. Josslyn says, she’s been accused of a baby’s death, and no one is surprised. So what if she pushed Kristina out a window? Trina says, she’s acting like Ava’s been tried and convicted, and Josslyn asks if Trina is buying Ava’s story that Kristina came after her. Trina says she believes Ava deserves her day in court same as everybody else. Apparently, Josslyn doesn’t agree and wants to ignore the court process. Josslyn tells Trina that she’s not saying that, and Trina says, Josslyn doesn’t want to say anything to offend her, but she doesn’t want Josslyn to censor herself. Josslyn says she despises Ava, and Trina asks, what’s the problem behind the problem? Josslyn says, you.

Kristina looks over the affidavit she was going to submit for custody and says, it’s worthless now, but Alexis says, it’s not meaningless. TJ and Molly need understanding as much as Kristina does. Her affidavit is unnecessary and will only hurt them. The last thing anyone needs is more hurt. They need to be kind to one another. Kristina says, that’s what she’s trying to do, and Alexis says, then forget about it. They never need to know what she intended to do.

There’s a knock at the door, and TJ lets Jordan, Marshall, Curtis, and Stella in. Jordan hugs Molly and asks how she’s doing, and Molly says, not so great. Jordan says, she’s not alone. They’re here for them both. They’ll get through this together. Stella says she hopes they’re not early, and TJ says, they expected it. They both say, early is on time, and Curtis says, sometimes it helps to take the time to get ready for well-wishers. Jordan asks what they can do, and TJ says, them being here is everything. Stella says, they’re always her for them, and Marshall says, between them, they have the love and strength to get them through. Jordan says, they know how to unite when things are hard, and Marshall says he’ll make coffee. They need something stronger than brown water. Curtis says his coffee is good, and everyone is like, um… Marshall goes to the kitchen, and Molly says she needs to do one small thing before the funeral. Curtis says he’ll go with her, but Molly says she thinks it’s better if she goes alone. She leaves, and Jordan says, something is wrong. One small thing?

Jason says, this could bring the PCPD and the FBI down on Sonny, and Sonny says he didn’t want trouble. Anna is the one who made him her enemy. There’s a knock at the door and Jason opens it to Anna.

Trina says, the problem is her? and Josslyn says she loves Trina and hates Ava. That will never change. Her problem is Trina sticking by Ava. Trina says she’d do that for anyone she considers a friend, and Josslyn asks how Ava’s friendship can compare to hers. Trina says, it’s different, and Josslyn says she knows they bonded over Spencer, and she doesn’t begrudge Trina that. Trina says she’s not stupid. She knows Ava’s done horrible things. Josslyn says, she still does. She’s never changed and hasn’t tried. Trina says, Josslyn doesn’t know that, and Josslyn says she knows what happened is more complicated that they could possibly know, but it wouldn’t have happened if Ava hadn’t provoked Kristina. Trina says, they weren’t there, and Josslyn asks, how many people does Ava have to hurt, how many people need to be hurt bad before Trina sees that Ava isn’t worthy of her friendship? Trina says, there are plenty of people in Josslyn’s life she’s looked the other way for. Give Ava a break. Ava walks in.

Anna tells Sonny that Ava was at the station amending her statement. She now claims Kristina attacked her and threatened to kill her. Sonny says, the lies are all Jagger’s, and Anna agrees. He happened to be at the station, and she feels like Ava was coerced, but she can’t prove it. Sonny says, Jagger couldn’t be a man and has to get to him through his daughter, and it’s on Anna. None of it would have happened if Valentin hadn’t messed with his medication right under Anna’s nose. Valentin made a deal with Pikeman and targeted him. Maybe he did it from Anna’s bed. Anna says, Sonny’s life choices are his responsibility, and he set this in motion when he put Karen on stage at the Paradise Lounge. (Remind me never to make a mistake in Port Charles. People will remember it for a million years.) Sonny says, she needs to go, and Anna says she’d like Jason to accompany her. She didn’t just come here to apprise Sonny of Ava’s statement. She has questions for Jason. Jason says, about what? and she says, Scotty’s disappearance, and they leave.

Molly goes to Alexis’s house, and Kristina says she’s early. Where’s TJ? Molly says, at home with the family, and Kristina asks if they’re fighting. Molly says, no. She wanted a moment alone with Kristina before the funeral. They’re naming the baby. Kristina says, without her?

TJ says he wants to tell them something. He and Molly have done a lot of talking about names. They made lot of lists. Some of the names were good, but not right. Stella says, it’s not as easy as you’d think to name a baby, and TJ says, this name needed to be perfect. The baby was the first of a new generation. They were afraid to pick the wrong one and got stuck. Then it got harder when she… when they lost her before they could meet her, but they couldn’t bury her without a name. Then Stella said something that made it clear. Stella says, he’ll have to be more specific, and he says, she was talking about her sister, her strength, composure, and light. It gave Molly the idea and he knew it was right. The name was staring them in the face all along when they look in Stella, Marshall, and Curtis’s eyes. It’s right there. Their baby is Irene. Irene Marie.

In the interrogation room, Anna asks, where’s Scotty? and Jason says he has no idea. She asks, when was the last time Jason saw him? and Jason says, here, after Ava was arrested. She says, Cates thinks Jason has seen him recently, and Jason says, Cates thinks a lot of things. Anna asks where he was last night, and Jason tells her that he’s not saying anything without his attorney. Anna says, Scotty appears to be a missing person, and it’s her duty to follow up, but Jason says he doesn’t buy Cates’s claim. She says, they had an understanding about Valentin, and he says, she had a request, and it wasn’t the first one. He did his best. He didn’t tell Sonny that she let Valentin go. That stays between them. But Sonny had a right to know about the medication, since this never would have happened if he hadn’t been off his meds. Anna says, ever since Jason has been back, he’s straddled two world’s – Sonny’s and hers. He can’t continue. He’ll have to choose.

Jordan says, it’s a lovely name. They’ll cherish it like they cherish TJ and Molly. Curtis says, they got it exactly right, and TJ says, if they want to talk about it… but Marshall says, don’t dare change it. Stella takes TJ’s hands and says, it’s a fine name. His grandmother would be honored. She’s going to check on the bagels. The delivery guy is probably circling the block. She leaves and cries in the hallway. Curtis follows her out and holds her as she sobs.  

Kristina says, they named the baby without her? and Molly says, it was time. They needed it for the birth certificate before they bury her. Kristina says, they should have talked to her, but Molly says, they’re the parents. It’s done. They named her Irene Marie after TJ’s grandmother. Kristina says, that’s not what she would have named her, and Alexis says, stop. Do not fight. Do not turn on each other, or it will cost them so much more. There’s a knock at the door, and when Alexis opens it, the biggest idiot in the world is there. That would be John.

Ava says, obviously, she arrived at an inopportune time, and Josslyn says, TJ and Molly are burying their baby. Ava tells Trina to go. She’ll take care of everything. Trina says she’ll get a Ride Share, and Josslyn says she’ll meet Trina there. Just so Ava knows, if it had been her and not Kristina in that hotel room, she wouldn’t have been the one who went through the window. She leaves, and Trina says she’s sorry, but Ava tells her, never apologize for someone else. She takes it Josslyn has given Trina and ultimatum – her or Josslyn – but Trina says, not yet. Is it true the FBI arrested Kristina for trying to kill her? Ava says, yes, and Trina says, when she came to see Ava in jail, she never said anything about Kristina wanting to kill her. Both stories can’t be true, so who is Ava lying to, her or the police?

Ava says, Trina should probably get going, and Trina asks if Ava lied to her. She needs to know. Ava says she’s not supposed to talk about her case, and Trina asks if she’s talking about the one where she’s the victim or the perpetrator. Josslyn stood here and said Ava wasn’t worthy of her friendship. Ava asks what Trina wants her to say, and Trina says, the truth. Ava says she doesn’t want to involve Trina. It’s dangerous. Trina says she fought Esme for her life and saw a man die in front of her. She’s not a child and Ava isn’t responsible for her. How can they be friends if Ava can’t be straight with her? Ava says, the truth is… She’s in trouble. The FBI is making her do things she’d rather not. The only way for her to stay alive is do what she’s told.

Alexis asks what the hell John is here for, and he says, Kristina. He’s taking her to the station. Alexis says, not today, and he says he has questions for her. Alexis says, what kind of questions? and he says, like what brought her to the hotel room. (Wasn’t that already answered?) Alexis says, it can wait. They’re burying the baby today. John says, because Kristina tried to murder his witness. The longer they drag this out, the less time they’ll have at the service. Alexis says, no one is going anywhere except him, and he says he’ll take them all in and their dead can be buried without any of them. (I know it’s a show, but in what world would an FBI agent acting like this be feasible?)

Stella says she didn’t want anyone to see her being a weak and pitiful mess, but Curtis says he doesn’t see that. He’s just glad he could be here for her. He can imagine what his mama would have said if he wasn’t. She would come down from heaven and read him the riot act. She says, that’s a talking to that she’d pull up a chair and pop some corn for. There’s only so much TJ and Molly can bear. He says, good thing TJ and Molly have them to help them carry on, and she says she’ll need him to keep an eye on her and shoo her out of the room if she gets shaky. He says he will if she promises to do the same for him.

Anna says, Jason has been given a second chance. He doesn’t need to go back to Sonny, and deep down, she doesn’t think he wants to. She sees him with Carly and the boys. She sees a life for him apart from Sonny. He says, she sees what she wants to, and he gets up. She says, he has that life at his fingertips, the way it would have been if Sonny hadn’t gotten his hooks in Jason when he was young and didn’t know better. He says, she knows it’s not that clear cut, and she says she knows it’s not clear why he’s taking orders from Sonny. It’s one thing when you’re young, damaged, and alone, but you can’t hide behind naiveté and misplaced loyalty. Jason asks when she learned better. After she became a double agent? After Faison? Or did it finally happen after Valentin. She’s demanding better from him, but she’s compromised herself again and anger. She’s doing it now.

Curtis brings the bagels in, and Stella says she’s so proud of TJ. She loves him so much. And so do their Irenes. She hugs him.

Alexis asks Molly to check her briefcase. The terms of Kristina’s release are in there. John’s limit to contact is clearly spelled out. He can’t just barge in. He has to make an appointment in advance, and they all have to agree on it. He says, that’s not his understanding, but she tells him, read it again. It’s interesting to her how little he understands for an FBI agent. (Agreed, and what I said before. I’m starting to question if he is one.) Take a walk, or she’ll call the judge and his supervisor at the DOJ, who will have his ass in a sling before his second cup of coffee. If he spent less time harassing her daughter and more time presenting his shred of a case… He says, he did. Ava made a sworn statement presenting her version of the case, and that’s all the case he needs to pursue Kristina. And he will. Alexis says, get out, and he leaves. She slams the door and hugs Kristina.

Ava says she answered Trina’s question and told her what she wanted to know, and they will never talk about this again. Trina thanks her, and Ava says, go to the funeral. Maybe she shouldn’t come back for a bit. Trina asks if Ava thinks it’s that easy to get rid of her, and Ava says she can’t bear anything happening to Trina. Trina says, it’s too late. It already happened to her. For better or worse. There’s nothing that can break their bond. She knows who Ava is. It was never a secret, but she’s seen that Ava can do good. And everyone else will see it if she stops John Cates from hurting Kristina. Ava says she’ll make this right somehow, and Trina says, somehow starts with telling the truth, but Ava says she can’t. Not yet. Trina says, time is running out, and she leaves.

Molly finds the affidavit and looks at it. Kristina asks if Cates is going to take her at the funeral, but Alexis says, no, he isn’t. If he tries, he’s going to run into the stark reality that is her. Nothing is more important for Alexis than protecting her.

Ava types on her laptop when she flashes back to Kristina saying she’s going to tell the truth about Ava, then going through the hotel window. She closes the laptop and gets her bag. Sonny walks in and says, going somewhere? She asks if he’s going to kill her.  

Anna says, it’s true. She’s compromised. Jason doesn’t have to be. He has the opportunity to get out. He says he appreciates the heads up. So are they done? With tears in her eyes, she says she and John have one thing in common. They swore an oath to protect and serve. John’s methods will never be hers, but she is going to take Sonny down. She only hopes Jason’s not standing next to him when she does. Jason nods and leaves.  

Sonny says, after what Ava did to his daughter and her daughter? She let Cates come after Kristina and use her to get to him. She deserves to die, and his face should be the last thing she sees. He moves closer and says, but he’s not here to take her life. He’s here to save her life.

Tomorrow, Cody says he needs to tell James the truth about something; at the funeral, Kristina has something she’d like to say; Trina still has hope for Ava; and Sonny says, no matter where you run, you can’t hide

💰 This Week In Listings…

JoshA was on both sides of a listing for a 20,000 square foot house on an acre and a half. It was absolutely massive, but he said what made it desirable was also what worked against him. The size made it hard to visualize what it would look like finished – i.e. with furniture in it. So, while it was a pricey venture, he staged the house. He encouraged the seller to take $23.5 million instead of the $25 they’d insisted on, because something can happen on Planet Earth and the ripples in the financial world move. In other words, today’s $25 million can drop to $20 million tomorrow. What I love most about this show is the comradery between the cast members. They might act competitive, and probably are, but Tracy and JoshF singing I’ve Been Working on the Railroad while driving in a hot dog truck was everything. The best quote came from JoshF: A well-priced house in the Flats will sell faster than Ozempic at a Housewives Reunion. The best visual? A Yorkie wearing sunglasses.

🚷 Seems We’re At an Impasse…

If they want to stick with a Jersey group, maybe they should just scrap the area. I’d love for them to film where I live. I don’t want to be on it; I’m just nosey about my neighbors.

https://extratv.com/2024/08/16/andy-cohen-s-rhonj-update-no-moving-forward-with-this-group-exclusive/

🚂 Off the Rails…

Breaking it down.

First of all, this sounds like nothing but drunk dialing and talking nonsense. Secondly, while I’ve sometimes suspected Andy of being a closet heterosexual, no, just no. And if it were ever to be yes, it wouldn’t be Kate. Thirdly, he’s never acted like a boss and he’s always inappropriate. It’s part of his schtick charm. If this ordeal has taken its toll on Brandi, it’s because she’s once again making an a-hole of herself. She went too far, got the boot, tried to backpedal and make it someone else’s fault, and it didn’t go well. Didn’t like her then, like her even less now.

https://okmagazine.com/p/andy-cohen-brandi-glanville-kate-chastain-explicit-video-leaked/

Now, a desperate last-ditch effort and another failure to launch sympathy. Oddly enough, this is kind of funny and I wonder if Brandi would have played this card had a woman said the same thing.

https://okmagazine.com/p/brandi-glanville-andy-cohen-eddie-cibrian-manhood-size/

👩‍👩‍👦‍👦 It’s a Boys…

Aw. I know how much Julia wanted this and I’m sure they’re going to be great moms.

Their story.

https://people.com/all-about-martina-navratilova-and-julia-lemigova-marriage-8639538

🗽 Last Night’s Watching…

Pirate vibes! Scary Island 2.0! While this article was for the premiere on Peacock, this is being shown on Bravo now. Their personalities are pretty much the same. It just makes me miss the old cast more though. Even Ramona. She’s just so clueless.

https://people.com/bravocon-2023-rhony-ogs-are-back-in-rhugt-rhony-legacy-trailer-8387603

🔁 Which Way Did They Go…

So is the podcast with Jenn still on or will Jackie be One Jersey J?

So is Jax fired? Will Brittany be going to The Valley solo next season?

https://okmagazine.com/p/jax-taylor-fired-the-valley-after-entering-in-patient-mental-health-facility-debunked/

🧔🏽‍♀️ Next In Marvel…

This looks pretty good, but Deadpool & Wolverine might have ruined me for all others.

https://ew.com/kraven-the-hunter-goes-toe-to-toe-with-rhino-in-bloody-new-trailer-8695169

🦹 Three… Two… One…

Is Scorsese kidding? Superhero movies are practically the only cinema. I don’t want to pay movie theater prices to watch two people lowkey talk about relationships. I can wait and stream that.

https://ew.com/brian-cox-says-hollywood-is-imploding-because-of-marvel-dc-films-8697645

A random find that might make Cox’s credibility questionable. I, too, am a Spice Girls fan, but at least I own it.

https://ew.com/celebrity/brian-cox-closet-spice-girls-fan-sings-wannabe-carpool-karaoke/

🐩 More Followers Than You…

Pets with a presence.

https://www.revolt.tv/article/10-celebrity-pets-with-their-own-fan-bases

🪸 Beached You To It…

Make a return trip tomorrow for soap and idiOCy. Until then, stay safe, stay making the most of summer’s end, and stay never apologizing for someone else.

August 6, 2024 – Anna Sees Sonny’s Surveillance Photos, Soap Suds, Dubai Goes To Bali, Old School New York On Vacay, Number One & Stuck

Standard

What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)

General Hospital

Doc is working in his office at the hospital when the lights go out. Laura walks in carrying a cupcake with a candle in it. She says, he didn’t think she forgot, did he?

Scotty shows up at the station and Ava asks where he’s been. He says, court, but he’s here now. He asks Anna why his client is here, and Anna says, Kristina Corinthos-Davis fell from a window in the MetroCourt. By some miracle, she landed in the pool. Scotty asks if she’s okay, and Anna says, it’s touch and go. He says he’s sorry to hear it, but what’s it got to do with Ava? Chase says, Kristina fell from a window in Ava’s suite, and Ava says, it was a terrible, hideous accident. Scotty says, there you go, but Anna says, that remains to be seen.

Jason brings the bills for Bobbie’s to Sonny’s old kitchen, and Carly asks if she can get him something. He says he’s okay, but she’s obviously not. What’s wrong? She says, Sonny was supposed to see Donna, but he didn’t show, and she didn’t get a text. She doesn’t know what to tell Donna. He asks if she thinks Sonny forgot, but she says, he’s never done that. He’s going through a lot and he’s nowhere to be found. Donna needs the stability. He says, Donna has her, but she says, Donna deserves both her parents.

The nurse asks Alexis to wait outside. Dr. Park says a bunch of medical stuff, ending with, get her to the OR immediately.

Molly asks, what happened? but Alexis says she doesn’t know. The machines started going crazy and they’re working on Kristina. Sam comes in and asks Dante, what the hell is going on?

Sonny stands on the roof ledge looking down. Morgan stands next to him and asks what he’s doing.

The nurse comes out, and Alexis asks, what happened? She says, Kristina is bleeding internally and being taken to surgery. The doctor will talk to them when they know more. Sam asks if Kristina is going to be okay, and Alexis says, she better be. Dante says, she’s strong, and Sam says, and stubborn. Dante says, she’ll find her way back.

TJ tells Molly that Dr. Park is one of the best, and Jason says, Kristina is in good hands. Molly says, they just lost their baby. She cannot and will not lose Kristina too.

Ava says, they can’t think she deliberately shoved Kristina out the window, and Scotty says he needs to talk to his client. Anna says, the interrogation room is his, and he and Ava go in. Ava says, this is utter insanity, and Scotty asks if he’s sure she didn’t put a hand on that girl. She says she didn’t touch Kristina, and he says he can work with that.

Anna calls the hospital, and asks about Kristina… Yes… Okay, and the baby?… She’s sorry to hear that… Okay. Thank you. Chase asks if there’s any news, and she says she wishes she had better news, but the baby didn’t make it. Chase says, poor Molly, TJ, and Kristina… All of them. She says, they can’t let this distract them. Does he have anything from CID? He says, nothing of value. He’s still waiting on the forensics report. Dante emailed his notes over, and he got the same vibe. Kristina tripping over a shoe makes no sense. Ava is hiding something.

Sam wonders where Sonny is, and Dante says, he was here earlier, and Molly lost her mind on him. Alexis says she’ll call Blaze, but Sam says she’ll do it. Stay here with Kristina. Sam leaves, and Dante makes a call.

Carly says, sorry for unloading on Jason, but he says, she’s still on edge. She says she’s still in shock about the evidence disappearing. Spinelli didn’t do it and she keeps wracking her brain, but she honestly doesn’t know. Jason says, they’ll figure it out. All that matters is she’s free. She says, and he’s free, when his phone rings. He asks Dante, what’s up?… No. Carly is here. Why?… Carly asks if everything is okay, and Jason tells Dante, no problem. He’ll be right there. Carly asks, what’s going on? and Jason says, Kristina fell through a window at the hotel. She says her hotel? and he says, she landed in the pool. She asks, when? and he says, earlier. She wonders why the hell no one called her, and he says probably because they were focused on the hospital. She asks if Kristina is okay. What about the baby? He says, the baby didn’t make it. Dante is at GH and wants him to come. He’s worried about Sonny. Carly tells him to go. Call if there’s anything she can do. He leaves.

Sonny says, You’re not here. You’re just in my imagination. You’re not real. Morgan says he’s always with Sonny. Come down. Sonny’s got a family who loves him, including him. Sonny says, they shouldn’t. Look at him. He’s nothing but disaster to all his kids, especially Morgan. Morgan says, that’s not true, but Sonny says, Molly was right when she said all he brings is pain and destruction for everyone.

Doc likes the cupcake and says, Laura didn’t have to, but he’s glad she did. She says, of course (🍷) she had to. Today is the day he was born. He deserves to be celebrated. She feels awful. She had a whole evening planned. She had dinner reservations and a babysitter, but she got stuck at the City Council meeting from hell. He says, it’s probably just as well. It would have been worse if he’d gotten called away on an emergency, but he was asked to do a last-minute patient eval. They should be calling any minute. She says she hates that he had to work on his birthday, but it does make her feel better. They laugh, and she tells him to open his present. He sees two tickets to Allison’s Room, and she says, a weekend in New York, complete with a night out on Broadway. He asks how she got them. He heard the tickets were impossible to get. She says, sometimes it pays to be in politics.

Scotty says, Anna needs to cut his client loose. The MetroCourt is to blame. Ava says, their window wasn’t up to code, and Anna says she has a question. John Cates’s luggage was found in Ava’s closet. Care to explain?

TJ says, a little girl, and Jordan says, he had a daughter. He says, her granddaughter. Just like that, she’s already gone. How is that possible? He’ll never get to hear her laugh or celebrate her first steps and won’t know what it feels like to hold her in his arms. Jordan says she’s so sorry, and he asks what Jordan thinks she would have been like. She says, knowing her father, pure magic, when a nurse says, Dr. Park asked her to update them. They’re trying to avoid a hysterectomy, but Kristina is losing a lot of blood and there might be no choice. They’ll have more information when she’s out of surgery. She leaves, and Molly says, a hysterectomy. What if carrying their child cost Kristina the chance to have her own? TJ says, it wasn’t because of the pregnancy, and Sam says, it was a horrible accident. Molly says, one that could have been easily avoided.

Jason comes in, and Dante thanks him for coming. Jason asks how Kristina is doing, and Dante says, when she gets out of surgery, they’ll know. Jason asks how it happened, and Dante says, Kristina went to Ava’s room and got into it with her. Ava says she didn’t touch Kristina. She tripped over a shoe. Jason says, and through the window? Has Ava been arrested? Dante says, she’s in custody, and Jason says, there’s no sign of Sonny? Dante says, he was here, and Molly laid into him. She blamed him for everything, including Kristina losing the baby. Jason asks how he reacted, and Dante says, Sonny took off and he hasn’t seen him since.

Sonny says he’s always tried to hide the darkness he had inside, but it always seems to come out, and Morgan says he saw it, but he saw the light too. He knows Sonny loved him. Sonny says, it’s not enough. He’s tired of trying to be somebody else. Morgan says, it’s exhausting, and Sonny says, especially with Kristina. Every time she looks at him, he feels like he has hope, that his life is worth saving. Morgan says, it is, and Sonny says, Kristina saw him beat up Dex. He was angry and he enjoyed it, and she saw it. He wanted to hurt Dex the way Dex hurt him. Morgan says, it’s understandable, but Sonny says, not for Kristina. She was afraid of him and ran away. Morgan says, she came back, but Sonny says, she should have kept running. If she had, the baby would still be alive.

Dante says he checked the chapel and tried to call Sonny, but everything goes to voicemail. If it was under normal circumstances… Jason says, it’s not, and Dante says, Sonny is emotional and erratic. Jason asks if he’s worried Sonny will go after Ava, and Dante says, is he? Jason says, she’s at the station, but Dante says, they can only hold her for so long. He’ll go look for Sonny himself. Jason tells him to stay with the family. He’ll look for Sonny. Dante says, keep him posted, and Jason asks Dante to do the same. He hopes Kristina is okay. He leaves.

Donna comes into the kitchen, and Carly says, she can’t sleep? Does she want some warm milk? Donna says, yuck, channeling all of us, and Carly says, she loved warm milk when she was a baby. Donna says she’s not a baby anymore, and Carly says, come sit with her. How are they going fix this? Read another book? Count sheep? Donna says, that never works (more truth!) and Carly agrees. She asks if Donna wants to talk, and Donna says, about what? Carly says, whatever is going on. Sometimes we can’t sleep because we’re worried or angry or sad. Donna asks why daddy didn’t come to their playdate, and Carly says she’s not sure, but whatever is keeping him away has to be important. He loves their playdates. Donna asks if she thinks he didn’t come because he and Carly are mad at each other.

Morgan tells Sonny that he, Kristina, and Michael may pull away, but they always come back because they love him. His kids are not scared of him. Is he perfect? No parent is perfect, but they know deep down that he wants the best for them. Sonny says, that’s all he wanted, to be the father they deserve, and he failed. Morgan says he disagrees, and Sonny asks how Morgan, of all people, can say that to him. Morgan is dead because of him.  

Jason calls Brick while he’s at the tailor being fitted. Brick asks if there’s any word on Kristina, and Jason says, she’s in surgery. Brick says, poor thing. He’s sending up all his prayers. Sonny had called him and asked him to do surveillance on Ava’s hotel room. He has pictures of the whole thing, but Sonny isn’t answering his calls. Jason says, no one here can find him. He was hoping Brick could track him down – Brick says he’s on it – and can Brick send him the photos? Brick says, Sonny made it clear that Jason is no longer in the inside circle of trust, but Jason says, Sonny is mistaken. He’s been protecting Sonny and his family like always. Brick says, that’s good enough for him, especially under the circumstances. He’ll get Jason the pictures and look for Sonny.  

🤬 We’re having thunderstorms, and my electricity went out, but not the WiFi, so I got my laptop. Trust me, not enough happened in that time to go back and watch it again.

Doc says he’s glad to have Laura as a partner, when his phone rings. She says, that’s probably the call he’s been waiting for, but if he plays his cards right, there may be more surprises later. She’s sure it’s not information he should share with the mayor. He says, she’s also his wife, and she says, forever. He says, and always, and she leaves.

Ava tells Anna that Carly threw Cates out of the MetroCourt, and he asked if he could leave his luggage in her room. What’s wrong with that? Anna says, nothing. She’s just curious that Ava didn’t mention it. Ava says she didn’t see the relevance. There’s about to be a hearing for the custody of her daughter. If Sonny and his lawyer got wind of her association with Cates, they might make it an issue. Scotty says, for cryin’ out loud, there’s no crime here. Does he have to talk to a judge or are they going to let Ava go?… Okay. He’s going to find a judge. He tells Ava that he’ll have her out by tonight. He leaves and sees Jason walking into the station.  

Dr. Park says, they’ve been able to avoid a hysterectomy, but have to monitor Kristina closely. She’s being moved back to ICU soon. They can see her, but one at a time. He doesn’t want her to be overwhelmed. Alexis thanks him and tells the others, Kristina is going to be okay. There are hugs all around.

Carly tells Donna that parents get mad at each other, but the cool thing is, even when they get mad, they still love each other. Because they love her and she’s a part of each of them. Donna asks why they fight, and Carly says, it’s normal. Do she and Avery always get along? Donna says, the other day, Avery stole her squishy and she yelled at Avery. Then Avery left her a note saying she loved her. Carly says she bets Donna found Avery, hugged her, and said she loved her too. People fighting is a part of life, especially people who love each other. No matter how much they disappoint each other, they’ll always love each other.

Morgan says, it’s revisionist history at best. It’s Ava’s fault. She’s the reason he was off his meds, which led to him being in the explosion. Not Sonny. Sonny says, he shot Dante, and Morgan says, before he knew Dante was his son. Sonny says, Michael was in a coma for a year, and Morgan says, it was an accident. Sonny says, Avery was cursed with Ava as a mother, and Donna’s mother almost went to federal prison. Now Kristina lost her baby. Morgan says, no one could have stopped that, and Sonny says, it’s better for everybody. Why is Morgan here? To tell him to finally do right thing.

Anna comes out to see Jason, and he tells her that Sonny had surveillance on Ava’s hotel suite and pictures were taken. She says, the drapes were open. She doesn’t suppose he has access to the photos. He shows them to her, and she asks why he’s bringing them to her. He says he trusts her to do the right thing with them.

Ava tells Chase that Trina is dear to her. She thinks of Trina like a daughter, and she’s worried about her. It must have been a shock to witness such an accident. Chase says he thinks everyone is still processing, and she asks what Trina said about it, when Anna walks back in. Ava asks if they’ve decided holding luggage isn’t a crime or do they wait for a judge? It’s late and she’s exhausted. Anna says, it’s been a trying day. Lying takes effort. Ava says, sorry? and Anna says, they have proof Ava hasn’t been truthful in her statement to the PCPD. Ava says she explained why she didn’t mention Cates’s bag, and Anna says she’s going to ask Ava again, but be careful how she answers. Did she have any physical contact with Kristina before she fell? Jason watches through the window.

Alexis tells Kristina that she always had a flair for the dramatic, but this is ridiculous. She thanks Kristina for pulling through. A world without her is unfathomable. She loves Kristina with all her heart. Molly knocks on the window, and Alexis gestures for her to come in. They hug, and Molly sits down. Alexis leaves, and Molly takes Kristina’s hand. 

Sam says she hates this, and Dante says he does too. She says she doesn’t want Molly and Kristina to live through what she did, and Dante says, what she’s still living through. She says, losing a child is a special kind of pain that stays with you forever. Whatever stage they’re at, you’ve already built a life with the two of you together forever, and in an instant, it’s gone. She snuggles against him.

Carly says, they’re so lucky to have Donna, and Donna asks if she thinks daddy will come see her tomorrow. Carly says she knows he wants to. He always wants to be with her, and she knows if he can’t be with her, whatever the reason, he loves her.

Morgan says, Sonny can’t check out. His kids need him. Sonny says, they’re better off without him. He failed his children like he failed Morgan. He didn’t protect Morgan like he should have. That’s a father’s job to protect their kids. He didn’t know where the real threat was. Morgan says, don’t leave them now, but Sonny says he’s not doing them any good. He thought he was, but he’s not. He’s done. He can rest knowing his kids are taken care of. Morgan says, they still need him. Not just his kids, but his grandkids. Amelia, Wiley, Rocco… Kristina is fighting for her life, and he needs to help her. Sonny says he is. He’s helping all his kids by keeping them safe from him.

Ava says she may have reached out to Kristina, and Anna says, may have? Ava says, it’s such a blur. Kristina came storming in, angry. She was completely taken off guard. Anna says, fortunately, they don’t have to rely on Ava’s memory, and shows Ava the photos. They don’t look good for Ava, and Ava looks like she has a headache. She asks where they came from, and Anna says, does it matter? She’s placing Ava under arrest for assault and manslaughter. The baby didn’t make it. She gives Ava her rights.

Sam asks if there’s been any change, but Alexis says, not yet. Sam asks if they can get Alexis anything. She just lost a grandchild, and almost lost her daughter. Alexis says, thank God for almost, and Sam says, she’s going to pull through. Alexis says, then what happens to the family? They’re sisters. Sam says she has no answers, but they’ll figure it out together. All of them.

Kristina moves a little and opens her eyes. Molly tells Kristina that she’s right here, and Kristina starts to cry. She says she’s so sorry. She lost Molly’s baby. Molly says, it’s okay, but Kristina sobs and says she’s sorry. Molly says she knows.

Donna sleeps, snuggled against Carly.

We see the roof. Sonny and Morgan are gone.

Doc is packing up, when Sonny comes in. He says he needs help, and Doc says, all right. Sonny says, something is wrong with him, and he can’t take it anymore.

Tomorrow, Portia tells Trina, good people are capable of bad things; Doc gets the results of Sonny’s blood test; Jason asks what stopped Sonny; and Ava says she’s not responsible.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

In case you don’t know.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/what-happened-to-morgan-on-general-hospital-154892

How he feels.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/uncategorized/bryan-craig-opens-up-about-returning-to-general-hospital

Yep. It was a real tearjerker, and they did their jobs well.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/kate-mansi-opens-up-about-that-powerful-episode-of-gh

I guess Hayden isn’t coming back. Not this one anyway.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/the-bold-the-beautiful/rebecca-budig-is-the-new-taylor-on-the-bold-the-beautiful

Lulu isn’t coming back the same way either. I can’t say I’m disappointed. I was never that invested.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/emme-rylan-confirms-gh-is-recasting-lulu

Not happy, but necessary.

https://ew.com/suspect-photos-released-general-hospital-star-johnny-wactor-killing-8690681

And to end on an up note, a good time was had by all.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/general-hospital/general-hospital-fan-club-weekend-photo-album

🐪 Give Me a Home Where the Camels All Roam…

The main thing about this group is how they blow everything out of proportion and get angry over… well, just about anything. Tonight, they got angry with all the wrong people and about all the wrong things. The main focus was a voice note (is that a thing?) that Ayan played for Stanbury, who brought it up at a group dinner. There was also Stanbury actually dancing at a club, which was kinda fun, but the voice note argument was tedious. Even worse was the group’s reaction to Lesa choosing some traditional Bali gowns for them to wear at another dinner. You’d have thought the sky was falling. Not only was it not haute couture, each woman had some personal complaint. Like the color. It was like Lesa had committed some mortal sin, instead of just trying to add to the experience. As usual, all the wrong people have the money.

🗽 Speaking Of the Wrong People…

This looks like it might be fun, if only for the addition of Kelly and Kristen, who we haven’t seen for a while. I met Kristen at a cocktail party post Ramona throwing a glass at her face. She was very gracious and not as boring as she was made out to be.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/rhugt-season-4-rhony-legacy-bravo-premiere-date

🌳 Greenest Block In Brooklyn…

I saw this on the news, and it looks like a beautiful place to live. Let all the photos bring you to zen.  

https://www.bbg.org/community/greenest_block_2024

🎠 Always a Day Away…

It’s been a tiring and stormy day, but join me tomorrow for soaps, news about what to watch (or not), and the latest Listings. Until then, stay safe, stay letting a smile be your umbrella unless it’s actually raining, and stay not bothering to count sheep. It doesn’t work.

August 22, 2023 –It’s Time For the Big Finale, A Notion, Back When, New Charm, Party In the City, Jersey Share, The Hills Are Alive, Ultimate Standout, Tastes Just Like Chicken & Bad

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Anna thanks Dante for meeting her at the station so they could talk alone, without Valentin. She asks him to show her what he has and asks if Valentin was at ELQ the night of the fire, but Dante says, he wasn’t. He says he’ll show her everything, but wants her to promise she’ll get a bodyguard. She says she’s not going to do that. She’s not allowing him to take away the one thing she has left, her privacy.

Finn heads into a meeting, and flashes back to Gregory revealing he has ALS.

Alexis comes out of the hospital elevator when her phone rings. She tells Esme that she’s headed to a meeting. What’s wrong?

Drew waits in the visitor’s room and flashes back to Cyrus saying, Drew needs some kind of family to survive behind these walls. If Drew won’t join his flock, he strongly suggests Drew find another.

Nina thanks Martin for meeting her in some obscure place outside, and he asks why they’re here. She says she didn’t want to chance someone seeing them. He asks what he can do for her, and she asks if he’s still getting pressure from the FBI and SEC to reveal the source of the insider trading tip against Carly and Drew. He asks if she means pressure to tell them it was her.

On the phone at Kelly’s, Carly tells Katrina, it’s not her fault. It’s okay. She has an appointment, but she’ll leave when Katrina gets here. Be safe. Willow walks in, and Carly gives her a hug, saying, she’s happy to see her. She’s sorry it’s been so long. Willow says, Carly never has to apologize to her after everything she’s done for them, and Carly asks if Michael and the kids are with her. Willow says, Michael is working and Olivia agreed to watch the kids. She’s on her own. Carly asks how that feels, and Willow says, good. It’s something she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to do again. Michael told her that Carly took over Kelly’s. Look what she’s done to this place. Carly says she just wanted to spruce it up a little, and Willow says, she sure did that. As I try to figure out just what she did, Carly says, it’s good to see Willow and asks what she can do for her. Willow says she’s there to see if there’s anything she can do to help Carly.

Dex listens outside Austin’s office door, as Austin tells Ava she has nothing to worry about. Ava says she is worried. She just needs to know exactly what’s going on. She’s got this con artist Betty who’s pretending to be a nanny spending time with her daughter. She’s already super worried about going to jail. Austin says, for killing Nikolas? He promises she’s not going to jail for killing Nikolas. Everything is under control. She asks, how exactly is everything under control?

Still on the phone, Alexis says, it’s working?… Good. All’s well. She’ll see Esme later. She heads for the meeting.

Meeting leader Dana asks, who would like to share first? and Finn raises his hand. He says he’s Hamilton and he’s an addict. He wants to thank Dana for her powerful message. The idea of navigating life’s challenges while dealing with addiction really resonates with him right now. He recently had some bad news about someone he loves very much. This person has been suffering and he had no idea. Had he known, he feels maybe he could have helped them, but he guesses he was so caught up in his own life. Alexis slips in, and Finn says, the fact he couldn’t help them because he didn’t know they needed help has left him feeling a little resentful. He has this good friend and she knew the truth, and she chose to keep it to herself.

Nina tells Martin, this is important to her. That’s why she was anxious to set up this meeting. He says he knows. He’s sorry. His brother Cyrus had a heart attack and he had to take care of some business for him, and it’s not like the situation is all that urgent. She says, maybe that’s him, but she needs to know if the SEC is going to be knocking on her door. He says he told her; it’s under control. Drew Cain took a plea deal. There will not be a trial, therefore, she won’t be pressured to testify. She can relax. She says, it’s really done? and he says, yes. There’s no reason Willow or Sonny should ever find out she turned in Drew and Carly.

Carly tells the kitchen, the ELQ order is almost ready. Let her know when the wings are done. Willow says she doesn’t want to take up Carly’s time. If she needs to work, that’s totally fine. Carly says, the lunch rush is over. She just has to wait for Katrina to get here, so she can go visit Drew. Willow says, she’s going to visit Drew? That’s great. Carly says, it will be great, now that he’s out of solitary confinement, and Willow asks why Drew was in solitary.

Dante says he feels that privacy should be the least of Anna’s concerns right now, and she says, don’t make her regret sharing information with him. He says he doesn’t want her to regret anything. He wants her to be safe. It’s his job to keep her safe. He cares about her. She says, if they wanted her dead, she’d be dead, and he asks what she thinks that shot was at the MetroCourt pool? Just a friendly message? One that put Curtis in a wheelchair? She has no idea whether they thought she was in that house or not. She says, if they were watching her, she’d be dead already. They would have gotten her on her run. He says, that’s another thing he doesn’t think she should be doing at that hour of the night on her own, and she says, for God’s sake, it had been a long day. She already told him that setting a fire is too clumsy. You can’t guarantee you will get your mark. But what you can do is destroy a person’s life. They can take everything away from her – her reputation, her memories, literally her home – because she believes someone is out to leave her with absolutely nothing.

Austin tells Ava, Betty collected some very valuable information on Sonny, and last night, she passed it on to Mason. She says, so his crazy cousin got what he wanted, and he says, yes. He’ll deliver the data and they’ll get on with their lives and find Nikolas’s body. She says she’ll believe it when she sees it, and he tells her, believe it. It’s going to happen. This whole nightmare will soon be over. His desk phone rings, and he says he knows. He’s sorry. Something important came up. He’s on his way. He tells Ava that he’s got to go. He promises he’ll let her know the minute he hears from Mason. Dex scoots around the corner, and they come out. She says if she doesn’t hear from him… but Austin says, she will, and they leave, as Dex – the least stealthy spy in the world – watches.

Austin says hi to Jake and Wyatt (who has had quite a growth spurt), and says he hasn’t seen them since last summer. What’s going on? Elizabeth says, they had a little laser flip incident, and Austin says, that’s not good. He suggests they go into an exam room and get a closer look. They leave and Dex follows. Honestly, worst spy ever.

Dr. Bronson introduces Gregory to TJ, and says, he’s doing a neurology rotation. TJ is going to be shadowing him with Gregory’s permission. Gregory says, absolutely. They’ve met before, and he’s heard great things about TJ from his son Finn. TJ says, it’s great to see him again, and Bronson says, TJ is going to stay for Gregory’s examination and consultation. Gregory says, of course (🍷). Having two good doctors in his corner… He knows he’ll be needing all the help he can get. Bronson tells TJ that it’s been six months since Gregory’s initial diagnosis. He went to the Mayo Clinic and they did extensive tests. Gregory says, unfortunately, there’s no doubt he has ALS, and he understands he’s in for the fight of his life. Bronson says, Gregory told him on the phone that he had another episode, and Gregory says he agreed to babysit for his granddaughter Violet and took a fall. Bronson says he’s sorry, and Gregory says, fortunately, she wasn’t in the room, but that look on her face when she found him… Bronson suggests they get started with the exam.

Finn says he knows in times of crisis there’s a possibility of using again, but he doesn’t think that’s going to help. He has someone who needs him. They need him now more than ever, and he just wants to focus on being there for them. It’s funny the things that come flooding back to you though. They didn’t want to burden him with their problem, but they were reaching out, wanting to spend more time together. He would have if he would have known. Alexis sits down, and Finn says he understands why his friend didn’t tell him what she knew. He wishes she would have. Then he would have had more time. Time is so important; time is everything. He just wants to spend every minute he can taking care of this person for as long as he can… He wants to thank them all for listening. They applaud.

In the bathroom, Cyrus looks in the mirror, and says, we know the importance of cleanliness, don’t we, God? Thank You for granting me another beautiful day. He dries his face.

Carly tells Willow that she doesn’t know the details of why Drew was in solitary confinement, but she’s hoping to find that out when she sees him. Willow says, please give him her love. She wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t risked his life in Greenland to get Liesl Obrecht back for the transplant. (Hey, where is Liesl these days?) Carly says, he’s such a good guy, and he’s helped so many people, and Willow says, it’s so unfair Drew is stuck in prison because someone was spiteful enough to turn them in. Is Carly still convinced Ned was the one who turned them in? Nina walks in and says hi to Willow and Carly. She says, the place looks really nice. The improvements Carly made look great. As I still ponder what those might be, Carly thanks her and sees Katrina. She says she has to go, and jets. Nina says she didn’t mean to drive Carly out, but Willow says, don’t worry. She didn’t.

Dante tells Anna that he’s sorry. He didn’t mean to come at her like that. He knows it’s not easy. She says, that’s all right. She’s lucky to have a friend like him. Everyone’s been very supportive. He says, but she lost her house. It’s awful and it’s got to hurt. She says, what hurts is Curtis in a wheelchair because of her, and he says, she has to stop blaming herself for that, but she says she doesn’t. It doesn’t compare really. She’s not hurt and she has resources. Insurance is taking care of the fire. He asks how Valentin is doing, and she says, he’s very supportive of her. Dante says, he showed up to be by her side the morning after the fire? and she nods, saying, and since. He says, Valentin lied to her about working for Pikeman, but she says, Valentin didn’t lie to her. Dante says, he was dishonest, withheld the truth. Why did he tell her then? Did it come out of nowhere? She says she was putting together the pieces and he came home, and he says, Valentin realized she knew and had no choice but to come clean. They don’t have to call it a lie if she doesn’t want to, but they both know Valentin lied to her about where he was the night of the fire. She says she wants to see this proof he has.

Anna looks at Dante’s laptop, and he says, she can see Valentin’s car never showed up that night at the ELQ garage. His car wasn’t even in the area that night. Dante checked the surrounding areas and there was no sign of it at all. Also, there was no water main break; he confirmed that as well. So Valentin was in fact lying to her. She says, all right. She’ll take that into consideration. He hopes she also takes into consideration that Valentin lied to her on that specific night. She says, just because he didn’t tell her where he was doesn’t make him the arsonist, and Dante tells her, he’s not saying Valentin was, but she can’t rule him out as a person of interest. She says, that is ridiculous, and he says, is it though? Valentin finds out everything Anna knows and has to tell her that he worked for Pikeman. Anna calls Dante and he comes to the house. Maybe Valentin sees that all happen. She says, any number of people could have seen that happen, and he says, but she told him, whoever did this wants to take everything away from her. Who has motive to leave her with nothing? She says, what? and he says, could Valentin want her totally dependent on him? She says, Valentin loves her. That, she’s certain of.

Wyatt says, told Jake it wasn’t broken, but Austin says, it’s a pretty bad sprain. Jake was right to bring him. Jake says, see? and Austin says, here’s what we’re going to do. Heat, ice, alternate, and try not to move it at all for a couple of days. Wyatt asks if there isn’t some way he could heal it faster. He’s supposed to play cello in their band concert day after tomorrow. Austin asks if that’s his bow hand, and Wyatt says, yes. Austin says, that’s not going to happen, and Jake says he’s sorry; this is all his fault. He shouldn’t have talked Wyatt into going to the skate park. He messed everything up for him. Wyatt says, Jake didn’t make him do the laser flip. He even tried to talk him out of doing it again. Jake says, it was really cool though. He’s only seen one other person do it. Wyatt says, at least he did it once, and Elizabeth says, and he’ll do it again. In the hallway, Dex steps away from the door, saying, this is it. He sends a text to Gabe: All set?

Dana says, that’s all the time they have for sharing today. Could Finn lead them in the Serenity Prayer? Finn says, yes, and everyone gets up, joining hands. Finn and Alexis exchange a look, and Finn says, God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Everyone applauds, and Dana thanks Finn. She says, good luck. See you next week? He says, see you next week, and everyone leaves. He starts putting the chairs away, and Alexis asks if she can help him. He says he’s guessing she heard his share, and she says, loud and clear.

Gregory holds his palm against TJ’s, and Bronson says he wants Gregory to put on as much pressure as he can… That’s good. They’ll run more extensive diagnostic tests next week. For now, he wants to get Gregory fitted for leg braces and hand and wrist splints. He should wear them at home. Try to wear them when he sleeps to help his extremities remain stretched and in a good position. Gregory asks if he needs a cane, and Bronson says, does he? Gregory says he doesn’t think so, and Bronson says, then it’s good for now. Aside from the episodes Gregory described, he seems to be ambulatory without it. Gregory says, when the time comes, he’d prefer a cane to a wheelchair, and Bronson says he’s sure a wheelchair won’t be necessary right now, but considering the episodes he’s had, Gregory definitely shouldn’t drive. Does he need someone to drive him home? Gregory says, no. He took a car service here. After what happened with his granddaughter, he doesn’t want to put anyone else at risk. He won’t be driving anymore.

Cyrus slathers on shaving cream, and I wonder what he’s going to shave with. Oh okay. I guess Bic’s are all right to have in prison.

Nina asks if Willow is sure Carly lighting out of here didn’t have a little something to do with her, but Willow says, no. She was late for her visit with Drew in Pentenville. Nina asks how he’s doing, and Willow says she’s sure it’s miserable, but he’s such an amazing guy, always positive. She doesn’t know how he’s doing it. Nina says she’ll always be grateful to him for helping save Willow’s life, and Willow says, so will she. She’s grateful that, even in Pentenville, Drew knows he has Carly’s love and support. He’ll make it through this. Nina says, of course (🍷) he will, and Willow says, it’s an outrage that Drew was even sent to Pentenville in the first place.

Nina tells Drew that she’s sorry she’s late. Katrina’s car broke down, and she had to cover at Kelly’s until Katrina could get there. Drew says, she’s here. That’s all that matters. He loves her. She says she loves him too.

Alexis says she knows Finn’s very angry at her for not telling him, and she doesn’t blame him. He has no idea how much she wanted to tell him. She just couldn’t because Gregory was adamant about her not doing it. Finn says he understands the position Gregory put her in. He probably wouldn’t have told Finn if he hadn’t collapsed in front of Violet. Alexis says, oh, and he says, she’s okay. He can’t believe he was so caught up in his own life, he didn’t see the signs. She says, he was very good at covering them up, and Finn says, she was very good at honoring his wishes. Too good. She says she’s sorry, and he says he knows she is. He understands. He’s is a very private and persuasive man. To see him accept this… She says, his dad is very brave, and he says he knows. His dad was so excited about this trip he wanted to take. He wanted all of them to go on this trip, and Finn put him off. He could have made it work, but he didn’t. He got so caught up in everything Violet was going through, but he could have made it work. Alexis says, doesn’t Finn understand? What Gregory wanted was for them to lead a normal life, so he could watch Finn, Violet, and Chase being productive and happy. He doesn’t want them to zero in and focus on his illness. That is not how he wants to spend the rest of the time he has left. Finn says, the time he stole from him.

Gregory comes out of the elevator as Dana goes by in her wheelchair, telling a woman, just focus on today. That’s all any of them can do.

Elizabeth tells Wyatt to give his arm a rest for a few days. It was great seeing him. Wyatt says, her too, and she goes back to work. Jake says he thought Wyatt would be more mad that he couldn’t play in his concert, but Wyatt says he’s going to play. He just won’t tell anyone he fell. Gregory comes by and says he hasn’t seen Wyatt since their camping trip last summer. It looks like he had a little accident.

Anna says she didn’t realize Dante disliked Valentin quite so much, but Dante says he’s just doing his job. She says, it’s not about his job, and he says, she’s right. It’s about more than that. It’s about Charlotte. She’s staying with them right now. Lulu’s daughter. Valentin’s her dad. They love her, she loves him. He guesses what he’s saying is that Anna isn’t the only one who thinks Valentin’s changed. She says, he has changed, and Dante asks her to put herself in his shoes right now. With the facts and logic laid out as they are, is she telling him that even for a second, she wouldn’t entertain Valentin as a suspect? She says, he wouldn’t do that, but Dante says, he would. She can’t just ignore the man’s past. He’s manipulative. Anna says, wow, and Dante says, she knows it; he’s always been that way. He’s sorry. Maybe she got close to some truth. Maybe Valentin needs her totally and completely dependent on him for some reason, but can she look at him and tell him that she thinks there’s no way he could have done something like this? She says, whatever he’s lying about, it’s not that he burned down their home, and he says, her home. Why did he lie to her? She says she thinks it has something to do with Pikeman.

Cyrus dries his now clean-shaven face, and looks at least ten years younger. I’m thinking how cool his hair looks down, when he takes a shiv out of his sock and begins to cut it. Why, Cyrus? Why? Speaking of his age, since they’ve been calling him an old guy, I looked it up and he’s going to be 70. Like I always say, there’s 70 and there’s 70. For an old guy, he’s looking fit.

Mason goes into Austin’s office, and Austin asks what he’s doing here. Mason says, stay cool. It’s almost showtime. Austin asks why he’d care, and Mason says, because he has the starring role. Austin says he doesn’t; he’s already played his part. Mason says, no. It’s time for the big finale. Austin gets to deliver the flashdrive to the big boss. Austin says, no he doesn’t. He’s got appointments lined up all afternoon. Mason says, there are other doctors, when there’s a knock at the door and TJ walks in. He says, sorry. He didn’t realize he was interrupting. Austin says, he wasn’t, and Mason says he’s not a patient. He’s Austin’s cousin. They were just catching up. He introduces himself and shakes TJ’s hand. TJ says, it’s nice to meet him, and Austin says, here’s the chart, handing TJ a folder. He’s sorry he didn’t get it to TJ earlier. TJ says, not a problem, and takes the folder from Austin. He goes to the door, and stops. He asks if he and Mason have met somewhere before.

Carly says she’s just trying to understand why Drew chose to protect Cyrus Renault, and he says, some guys were coming at Cyrus. He stepped in, they fought, he got solitary. It’s as simple as that. She says, it’s not that simple, and he asks if they can drop this, but she says, no. Drew was in Port Charles when Cyrus got out of prison, and he was threatening everyone. She just doesn’t understand why he had to intervene. Why couldn’t he just walk away?

Nina says, it seems wrong that Drew was sent to Pentenville for what he did, and Willow says, he’s been so good to them, and supportive in every way. He was supposed to walk her down the aisle when she and Michael got married. She can talk to him about anything. He would listen and give her the best advice, and he never had an agenda. Nina says, and she always does. She’s sorry. Sometimes she just pushes too hard, doesn’t she? Willow says, yes, she does. But in all fairness, Drew isn’t her father and doesn’t feel like he has anything to make up for. So her guard isn’t up when she’s around him. Nina says, like it is with her, but she would like to change that, and Willow says, Nina’s marrying Sonny. Nina’s going to be a part of her life. They’re going to be seeing a lot of each other, whether they like it or not. Nina says, that’s one way to look at it, and Willow says she doesn’t want things to be so strained between them. Nina says, her neither, and Willow says, they have to find their way to some kind of relationship. Nina agrees, and Willow says, no matter what, those things take time. Ava comes in, and Willow says she’s got to get home to Wiley. Nina says, right, and Willow says, goodbye. She leaves, and Ava says, progress? Nina says she thinks maybe so.

Drew tells Carly, the guy that came for Cyrus was way younger than him. Cyrus isn’t exactly in his prime, and Drew just doesn’t have it in him to turn a blind eye to someone like that. He’s sorry, but he guesses it’s just a character flaw. She says, it is, but it’s one of the many things she loves about him. If he was the kind of guy who could watch an old man get beat up and not do anything, and just walk away, he wouldn’t be the man she loves. He says, it was kind of crazy. Cyrus was the one person he was trying to stay as far away from as possible, and now they’re bonded for life. She asks what he means, bonded for life? All he did was stop the fight. He says, after the fight, Cyrus had a heart attack and he gave Cyrus CPR. He saved Cyrus’s life.

All Cyrus’s hair lies next to the sink, and he tosses down the shiv. He pulls on his shirt, and runs his hands through his now much shorter hair, another ten years off him. He looks in the mirror and says, You work in mysterious ways – he looks up – very mysterious ways. And he’s grateful.

Mason says he doesn’t believe he and TJ have met. Then again, people are always saying he reminds them of someone. Sometimes even Vin Diesel – the lack of hair and the voice. He rubs his head and smiles. TJ says, no. He thinks they did meet before. He just can’t remember where. Mason says he really hasn’t spent that much time in Port Charles, but who knows? Austin looks grim, and TJ says, maybe he’ll figure it out. He thanks Austin for the file, and leaves. In the hallway, TJ ponders Mason, and in the office, Austin says, so Mason has met Dr. Ashford? Mason says, they may have crossed paths.

Dante says, Anna thinks Valentin is lying to her about Pikeman? She says, when Dante called her last night, when he told her that he had evidence Valentin wasn’t at ELQ the night of the fire, Valentin was in the shower. He’d just received some papers. It kind of looked like a contract, maybe a consultancy project or something. They had the Pikeman logo on them. Dante asks if she thinks he could be working for Pikeman again, but she says she doesn’t know. He says, Valentin told her that he wasn’t working for Pikeman anymore and he gets papers with the Pikeman logo on it. Could Pikeman have been behind the shooting at the MetroCourt pool? She says, they don’t know that, and he says, maybe they weren’t after her. Maybe they were after Sonny and they hired Valentin to set him up.

Alexis asks Finn to please stop being so hard on himself. His father has gotten past all of that. He says, how? He was estranged from his father for years. He looks at his daughter Violet now, and he gets to watch her grow up. And he can’t imagine, not for a moment, her not being in his life. She says, there is no value in dwelling on the past; there just isn’t. They just learned this, right here, right now. All we have is today. He says he doesn’t plan on wasting a minute of it, and she hugs him.

Alexis and Finn get out of the elevator, and both of their phones ding. Alexis says, who would have guessed they were so popular? and Finn says, back to the real world. She says she’s sorry she wasn’t able to tell him about his dad’s condition, but she’s glad he knows, and he says he’s not looking forward to helping him tell Chase. She says she hopes he tells Chase sooner than later, so Chase doesn’t resent Finn, like Finn might resent… He says he doesn’t resent her at all. He’s lucky to have her as a friend. If his dad had to tell someone about his condition other than him, he’s glad it was her. She thanks him, and he says he just wishes his dad weren’t so damn stubborn. She says, pot, kettle, and her phone rings. She tells him that she’s got to take this. It might be some kind of office crisis. It was nice while it lasted. She leaves, and he goes over to Elizabeth at the reception desk. Wyatt says, if he hadn’t tried that laser flip again, he wouldn’t have hurt his arm, and he’d be fine. Finn and Elizabeth watch Wyatt talking to Gregory, and Wyatt says he can’t let the band down. Gregory says, but the doctor told him to let his arm rest for a couple of days, so he won’t be able to practice at all, will he? Wyatt says, no, and Gregory says, if he does try to play, does he really think he’ll be able to do his best? Wyatt says, no, and Gregory says, sometimes you have to be honest with yourself about what your body can and can’t do. If he shows up and tries to play and can’t do his best, then he’d be letting everyone down. Wyatt says he never thought about it like that, and Gregory says, admitting he’s injured, even though he really wants to play, is probably the most honorable and generous thing to do in the long run. Wyatt says, Gregory is right, but he still hates it, and Gregory says he knows exactly how Wyatt feels. Wyatt thanks him, and he and Jake leave. Gregory looks at Finn and smiles.

Anna says, Valentin would never set up Sonny, and Dante says, never? She says, no… Unless he was being blackmailed. Dante says, maybe Pikeman has something on him from when he worked for them. She says, right. They could use it against him. Dante says, right, or… She says, what? and he says, she knows how much Valentin loves Charlotte. He’d do anything for his daughter. She says, what if Pikeman were threatening her? and he says, it’s a theory. It’s not going to be easy to prove. She says she just wants to prove this theory is wrong and that Valentin is clean. He says, they’d better both get digging, and she says, they need to find out what the truth is, no matter where it leads them, and she leaves.

Ava says she wanted to talk to Carly about Avery. Has Nina seen her? Nina says, she went to visit Drew. How is Ava? Ava says she’s better she thinks, and Nina says, nice to hear. One question. Are she and Sonny going to get rid of that new nanny of Avery’s? Because every time Nina sees her, she’s kind of like a… Ava says, she’s a bitch, right? Hopefully, she won’t be around too much longer. Nina says, good. One less thing to worry about with their wedding coming up and… Ava lowers her voice and says, and Drew in prison because Nina sent him there. Nina asks if she has to say that out loud. She was surprised they sent him to a place like Pentenville. Ava says, just keep hoping Sonny and Carly never find out, and Nina says, they won’t. Ava says, she seems pretty sure of herself, and Nina says she is. As long as her beautiful, intelligent friend stays quiet, the SEC is going to drop it. And no one will ever know she’s the one – she whispers – who turned in Carly and Drew.

Drew says he stayed with Cyrus until the prison doctor got there, and Carly says, so everybody in this prison knows he defended Cyrus and saved his life? He says, word travels pretty fast around here, and she says, the word is going to be, he’s Cyrus’s ally. Does that mean Cyrus’s enemies are going to target Drew? They see a guard walking through with Austin, and Carly says, what’s he doing here?

Mason paces around somewhere where there are a lot of pipes, and sees someone approach. He thanks them so much for taking the time. He really appreciates them meeting him.

The guard tells Austin, here’s his patient, and Cyrus stands up.

Tomorrow, Austin says he’s more than paid off his debt and he wants out; Gladys asks what Dr. Montague has done to her daughter-in-law; Dex has a message for someone; and Carly asks if that doesn’t put Drew in more danger.

💭 Thought: My mind goes to Cyrus being the big boss, but then some of the rest of it doesn’t make sense, like, why give away all his money? He’s also not related to Austin as far as I can figure. I suppose he could be running Pikeman, since it’s kind of like a mob organization, but again, there’s a disconnect.

🏥 His Struggle Was Real…

He’s kind of a whiner. I love how Maurice Benard is like, maybe it was you.

🍹 See Them In September…

Go back to the South on September 14th, 9 pm.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1382295/southern-charm-everything-to-know-so-far-about-season-9

https://people.com/southern-charm-season-9-trailer-exclusive-7568910

🗽 Their State Of Mind…

This week’s RHONY. I’ve been watching this peripherally, and a high point in this episode was Jessel and husband Pavit checking out $62K preschools for their toddlers. She nearly wrote that their kids were socially inept on the application because she didn’t know what the word inept meant. Pavit wasn’t sure either, but points for the good sense to look it up. People like that shouldn’t have $62K to throw away. Once again proof that the wrong people have all the money.

👠 Good Time Had By All… Almost…

I can’t wait until Teresa finally goes off the deep end and causes a lawsuit for Bravo. I’ll also settle for her dumping that jerk Luis.

💎 Dirt On the Diamond…

Garcelle’s speaks her truth.

🐣 Ultimate Break-Out Star…

While this aired on Peacock a while ago, I’m just catching it on Bravo now, even if half-heartedly. This guy was definitely a standout, as the ultimate concierge and Housewives peacemaker.

🐕 Sounds About Right…

It was a Golden Retriever. What did they expect? I had one named Einstein. It was a false prophecy. He would watch a frisbee as it bounced off his head, and when a blimp came by once, he was mesmerized by it and wagged his tail like maybe his people were coming for him. He was also literally afraid of his own shadow. Nevertheless, he was much loved.

https://people.com/mass-couple-italy-wedding-jeopardy-pet-dog-eats-passport-7693351

🌊 Going Against the Flow…

Join me tomorrow for soap and the rotten oranges from the OC. Until then, stay safe, stay leaving a tip for Pete’s sake – you are not helping the waitstaff to a better hourly wage; you’re a cheapskate – and stay not dwelling on the past. There’s no value in it; there just isn’t.

August 18, 2023 – Anna Discovers the Truth, PS, Back Again, Drama Chat, Ultimate Legacy, Sharing, VanderMash, The Con, From Dead To Flowers, Tasty, Unusually Cute, An Eighter Of Quotes & Never Gonna

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny shows up at his old Carly’s place late at night, and she says, please tell her everyone’s okay. He says, everyone is okay, and she tells him that Donna’s been asleep for a while. He says he figured, and she says, yet here he is. He must want a favor.

Tracy sits in the nook with her head on the table and a towel over it. Eddie/Ned puts on the light, and she groans and says, whoever you are, go away. She pulls the towel off her head and ha-ha-ha! It’s Tracy with a hangover looking more disheveled than we’ve ever seen her.

Kristina says she was under the impression that things were good between her and Molly, and Molly says, they were… They are. Kristina says, but not good enough for Molly to invite her to a family gathering, but Molly says, it wasn’t a family gathering. Kristina says, except for one sister it was, and Molly says, it’s getting late and TJ’s going to be getting back… Kristina says, TJ is the one who told her about Kristina’s sushi party; the one she had for their mother, their sister, and her mother-in-law. She guesses her invitation got lost in the mail.

Getting ready for bed, Dante says his terrible day is over, and Sam says, he wouldn’t believe what happened to her tonight. He says, try him, when his phone rings. He says, Detective Falconari… You checked the surrounding areas too?… So Valentin Cassadine’s car never entered the ELQ parking garage the night Anna Devane’s townhouse burned down… Okay. He hangs up and says, why are you lying to Anna?

Anna and Valentin go into a room at the MetroCourt, and he says, it’s a lot nicer than the place she stayed last night. The MetroCourt was booked, but it’s available now. She can have it as long as she wants to. She says she guesses this is home, but he says, it’s not home; it’s just temporary. As far as hotels go, it’s pretty comfortable. She’s always liked staying in hotels. She says, but she had a home to come back to and now she doesn’t.

Gregory tries to sweep the beads from the table into his hand, but some of them end up on the floor. Finn comes in and says he’ll get that. He picks up the beads and sits next to Gregory on the couch. He asks if Gregory is okay, and Gregory says, he’s fine. He’s just tired… and clumsy. Finn asks if that’s why he fell, or is it something else? After a pause, Gregory says, it’s something else… something awful, and Finn asks if he’s sick. Gregory nods, and Finn asks if he’s been diagnosed. Gregory says, yes, and Finn says, maybe he can help. Will Gregory tell him what it is? Gregory says, ALS.

Eddie/Ned says, good evening, and Tracy says, it would have to be him. He says he never took her for someone who was a hard partier, and she holds up her hand, saying, stop talking and just leave. She reaches for a bottle of aspirin and knocks it on the floor. She groans and puts her head in her hands. Ned picks it up and says, she’s drunk as a skunk, but she says, no. She’s not drunk. She just wishes the room would stop spinning.

Anna looks through some shopping bags and tells Valentin that she doesn’t even know what she bought. What’s wrong with her? He says, her house burned down, and she says she’s been through worse. He says, that’s true, and she says she wasn’t in any danger. She was out running. Thank God Charlotte wasn’t there. She was with Dante and Sam, and Valentin was at ELQ. She needs to get it into her head that she has a lot to be thankful for, and she needs to just move on. They sit down, and Valentin says, she’s not a machine. She lost her house. It was a violation, and they can be thankful no one was killed, but she doesn’t have to pretend it doesn’t hurt. She says, it really does, and he says he’s with her. She’s going to get through this. They’re going to get through this together, and they’ll find who did this to her and stop them from doing it again. Does she trust him?

Carly says, if this is about Avery having another sleepover, she’s welcome here anytime, but Sonny says, the Avery situation is under control. Carly says she’s glad to hear that. Ava must be relieved. She was really worried about… something. He says he’s not here for a favor. Actually, he’s in a position to do her a favor. She says, no thank you.

Sam wonders what’s up, but Dante says, it’s nothing that can’t wait. But there is something that can’t wait. Sam asks, what? and he says, this, and kisses her. No matter what kind of day he has, he knows when he gets to see her, everything’s going to be okay. She says, he stole her line, and he says, it’s his line because he just said it. She tells him that she was going to say, when she has a day where she thinks she won’t be able to sleep at night, she thinks about coming in here and getting into bed with him and turning out the lights, and everything else just melts away. They kiss, and he says, maybe the should talk a little bit before they turn out the lights. Her first. She says, he can go first, but he says, she knows how rock-paper-scissors work. She says, since she was twelve, and they play. She picks rock and he picks scissors, and rock beats scissors. She says, her crazy day. Where does she start? Molly and Kristina are headed for World War III.

Molly says, this is so typical, and Kristina says, Molly not inviting her to something? She agrees. Molly says, no. Kristina’s reaction. Is she not allowed to have a dinner party and invite who she wants? Kristina says, Molly invited everyone in the family but her, and Molly says, fine, she’ll say it; Kristina wasn’t invited. But despite what Kristina always thinks, it wasn’t about her. It was about Molly and TJ. She wanted to share the good news with mom and Sam and Jordan that they found a surrogate.

Finn says, Lou Gehrig’s Disease, and Gregory says, yeah. Finn says, there are other conditions that have the same early symptoms. Is he certain? Gregory says, yes. When he told Finn he was going to Milwaukee for a seminar, he was actually in Rochester at the Mayo Clinic. They did extensive testing and the results were conclusive. Finn says, that trip was over six months ago. He’s known all this time? Gregory says he’s sorry. He couldn’t bring himself to tell Finn. Finn asks, why not?

Anna comes out from her shower, and sees Valentin pouring some wine. She says, he read her mind, and he asks what they’re going to toast to, handing her a glass. She says she has no idea, and he says, then to us. To our future together, which can only get less complicated and less dangerous. She says she’d like to believe that, and they clink glasses. He says, she may not believe it now, but they have a lot to be grateful for, and she promises not to keep wallowing in self-pity. He says, it’s not self-pity. She’s been traumatized and she’s dealing with some very powerful emotions. She’ll work through them. She says, and they’re going to find out who’s behind this, and he says, yes, but in the meantime, he has something to talk to her about. It’s something important. He’s going to buy season tickets to the ballet in New York. Charlotte still loves dance, and he knows she does too, so why doesn’t he buy three tickets? She can join them. She says her house just burned to the ground, and someone is trying to kill her, and he’s talking about Swan Lake. He says he can’t think of anything he’d rather do than spend time with the two women he loves most in this world. And he likes Swan Lake. She says she likes it too, and he’s about to kiss her, when there’s a knock at the door. Anna wonders who it is, and he opens it to Martin. Anna says, it’s a bit late for a business call, and Valentin says, whatever this is, he’ll deal with it quickly. He goes out into the hall with Martin and closes the door.

Tracy tosses a couple of pills in her mouth and drinks some water. Ned says, Leo told him that a guy like him needs 15½ cups of water a day, and she says, Leo’s a very smart kid. She can’t tell him how grateful she is Leo’s not here now. She holds her head, and Ned says, she doesn’t seem very experienced at this sort of thing. She says, if by that he means she doesn’t look like someone who gets drunk all the time, she didn’t get drunk this time. He says, she didn’t? and she says, no, she did not. Well, she did, but it wasn’t her fault. Somebody insisted on putting too much alcohol in those Mai Tais at the MetroCourt pool… ugh. He asks if some old bartender was trying to loosen her up for her dough, but she says, no. Actually, it was not some old bartender trying to loosen her up; it was Ned’s daughter. Not that he even acknowledges that he has one. She rubs her forehead.

Finn says he doesn’t understand. Gregory didn’t think he could handle it? Gregory says, it wasn’t Finn; it was him. After all these years, they were finally getting to spend time together as a family; Finn, his brother, Violet, and him. It was so special. Finn says, it is, and Gregory says, the big stuff, Christmas and Halloween with Violet; and the little things, him bringing over muffins from Eckert’s or showing Violet videos of Uncle Chase singing. Finn says, it wouldn’t have changed, but Gregory says, of course (🍷) it would. It will. It already has. When he looks at Finn, he can see it in Finn’s eyes, he knows what this disease does. Finn knows he’s dying.

Sonny says, Carly’s not even going to listen to him? and she asks if he can’t listen to her. Did he not hear her down at the police station? He says, that was different. He was there to help Ned and she was there, so he thought he’d help her. She says, he decided she needed help. He didn’t listen to her. He says, and when she turned him down, she spent the night there. She says, and she was fine with that. She can take care of herself. He says he’s sure she can, and she says, it’s taken a while, but they’re both moving on. They respect each other and want each other to be happy. And as he can see, there’s no For Sale sign in the front yard because Kelly’s is doing great. She’s going to take care of herself on her own, so whatever his favor is, no thank you; she doesn’t want it.

Dante asks why Molly didn’t invite Kristina, and Sam says, because she was revealing her big news that she and TJ had found a surrogate who was perfect. She thinks Molly didn’t want to hurt Kristina’s feelings. He says he understands that. It is Molly’s decision. Sam says she understands that too. She also understands Kristina being hurt. She’s sorry. She shouldn’t be going on like this. He asks, why? and she says, because of the situation he and Lulu had with Maxie. He says, that’s okay. It was a long time ago. TJ and Molly have to realize this is a big decision. You can’t take this lightly. She asks if he thinks Molly’s making the right choice by not having Kristina be the surrogate.

Kristina says, that’s great. She hadn’t realized Molly and TJ were even interviewing surrogates yet. Molly says, they wanted to keep it quiet, and Kristina says she gets that. She’s sure mom, Sam, and Jordan were thrilled to hear the news. Molly says, they were very happy for her and TJ. This is what they want. Kristina says she knows, and Molly says, the woman they found is perfect, and she’s willing to go through the process right away. Kristina says, that’s very exciting, and Kristina says, it is. After everything they’ve gone through, there’s still a good chance she and TJ could have a child within the next year. Kristina says she’s happy Molly is so happy, and Molly says she planned on telling her first thing tomorrow. Kristina says, just not tonight with the rest of the family, and Molly says she wanted it to be a happy occasion. She knew mom, Sam, and Jordan would be happy for them. Kristina says, and she wouldn’t? She would have spoiled all that? Molly says she doesn’t know. They’ve been getting along so well, but she didn’t want to take the chance that tonight would turn into a discussion about why they turned to a surrogate instead of Kristina. Kristina says, now that everyone is gone and Molly brought it up, why are they paying a stranger to have their baby when she was willing to do it?

Finn says, six months. They could have done so many things. Gregory says, the last six months have been perfect. What he didn’t want was to be a burden to Finn, or have Finn spend time with him out of some sense of obligation. Finn says, that wouldn’t have happened, but Gregory says, of course (🍷) it would. He knows Finn and Chase. He’s so proud of both of them, and he and Finn finally got the time to know each other. Finn says, that’s meant everything to him. He’s the one who’s sorry. He’s sorry for costing them all that time. Gregory says, there’s no need to rehash that now. Getting to know Finn and getting to understand and appreciate his incredible accomplishments over the years has been so rewarding for him. Finn and his brother make it almost impossible for him not to be one of those obnoxious bragging fathers. Finn says he’s one of those too, when it comes to Violet, and Gregory says, Violet, what a gift she is. Every single moment he spends with his granddaughter is even better than he imagined. Finn says, she pretty much thinks her grandfather’s the greatest guy in the world, and Gregory asks how she’s going to feel when all he can do is sit and stare at her, when he can’t even speak her name?

Ned asks, why would Brook give Tracy too much booze? and Tracy says, Brook’s up to something and she should have known the minute she saw the fire eater. He says, fire eater? and she says, it was a luau, with tiki torches and leis. He says, sounds like fun, and she says, he would think so. She should have gone right back down to the lobby and ordered a car. He says, it sounds like maybe she had a lot of fun. What’s wrong with that? She rubs her temples, and says, that’s all he ever thinks of; having fun and being Eddie Maine. Anything to avoid facing the reality of his life.

Valentin says, Martin understands this is critical, and Martin says he does. Valentin asks if he’d act like it, and Martin says, his fee, as exorbitant as it is, grants him 24-hour access, but doesn’t give him or any other client the right to abuse him. Valentin says, point taken. He has a lot on his mind. Martin says he understands, and yes, it’s hot off the wire. He gives Valentin an envelope, and Valentin checks out some paperwork inside. He says, looks good, and thanks Martin, opening the door. Martin says, he’s welcome. Although why he insisted on doing this tonight instead of first thing tomorrow morning makes no sense to him. Anna hears that part, and Valentin goes inside and sets down the envelope. Anna asks if it’s important, but he says, not really. Why Martin insisted on coming by in the middle of the night makes no sense to him.

Ned says, Tracy wants him to face the reality of his life, which means she wants him to ride around in limousines and pretend to be some hotshot tax dodging executive. She says, it’s a start. Or he could just stop singing on street corners, and running around all night to sleazy bars, and getting arrested for fighting. He asks if it’s embarrassing to her somehow, and she says, it’s embarrassing to the whole family. He says, so it’s best to just shut Eddie up? and she says, he’s not Eddie. He says, and she wants to prove that by having someone strap him to a table and have electricity shot through his head. She says, what? and he says, I’m on to you, lady. He overheard her tell Olivia that she wants him committed.

Carly says she doesn’t know if Sonny knows this, but Drew is in solitary confinement. Sonny says he knows, and Carly says, of course (🍷) he knows; he’s protecting Drew. She’s really worried about him. She knows he went through worse in Crete, but still. Sonny says, he’s been through a lot. He’ll get through this. She asks if Sonny thinks he can get a message to Drew, and he says he might be able to do better than that.

Finn says, Gregory has to give Violet more credit. She constantly surprises him by how much she understands. Gregory says he hopes Finn is right, and Finn asks what the doctors told him in terms of prognosis. Gregory says, luckily, he was still in the first stage when he went to the Mayo Clinic; muscle cramps and occasional difficulty walking. Finn says, and now? and Gregory says, it’s progressed. His hands cramp more frequently than before. Finn asks, what happened tonight? and Gregory says he was trying to help Violet make some bracelets. He could barely hold on to the thread. He doesn’t think she noticed, but then she got up to get some clasps from her bedroom and he tried to stand up to shake out his hands, and that’s when he fell. Thank God she wasn’t here to see it. Finn says, but she came back in, and Gregory says he told her he tripped over the coffee table (he did not; he said it was probably a bead on the floor). She had to watch him struggle to get back up on the couch. He knows he can’t hide his disease any longer, and he’s so ashamed about tonight.

Molly says she’s so glad she didn’t invite Kristina tonight, and Kristina says, she’s made that perfectly clear. Just answer the question. Why would she rather a stranger have her baby as a surrogate, when her own sister offered to do it for her months ago? Molly says, with a surrogate, they sign a legal, binding document, and Kristina says she knows how it works; she rents out her womb and throws in her egg at a discount. Molly says, both sides benefit. She gets money she needs for her family, and they get the child they want. Kristina says, the child they want; there it is. As opposed to the child she’s offering to give them that they clearly do not want. Molly says, the surrogate is performing a service, not racing around town working on some pie-in-the-sky project, and letting everyone know she’s saving her poor sister from her own infertility. Kristina says, if Molly has some stranger as her surrogate, she’s not even going to be related to the baby.

Sam says she’s sorry. She shouldn’t have put Dante on the spot like that. It’s a really confusing situation. He says he gets it, and stop apologizing. They’ll be playing rock-paper-scissors all night long. It’s a personal thing for Molly and TJ, that’s all. He’s sure Kristina had the best of intentions when she offered to be their surrogate. Sam says she understands that, but Kristina and Molly haven’t been close lately. He says he knows she loves her sisters and wants to fix all kinds of things for them, but maybe this one… She says she should let them work it out for themselves. He says, maybe, and she says, he’s right. Now it’s his turn. Spill. He says, it was just kind of a regular weird day, and Cody shows up at the station while Gladys is there, filing a restraining order against Cody on Sasha’s behalf. Cody loses his mind completely in the middle of the squad room, saying, Gladys is the one having Sasha drugged. He lost it. He went crazy, and Dante and Mac had to restrain him. She asks if he had to arrest Cody, but he says, not this time. Those two hate each other. She says, Cody and Gladys? Definitely. He says, and the whole time this is happening, he’s investigating Anna’s townhouse burning down.

Valentin asks if Anna left him some hot water, but she says she feels like the MetroCourt has an unlimited supply. He says, give him five minutes, and goes to the shower. She’s about to look at the envelope, when her phone rings. Dante says, sorry to call so late, but there’s something he thought she should know. He had one of their tech guys look at the ELQ security footage from the night her house burned. Valentin’s car never exited or entered the ELQ parking garage. He had them check the surrounding area to see if the car was parked somewhere else too, but they got nothing. She says she sees, and he says, Valentin told her the reason he went to ELQ was, there was a water main break and he was concerned about the mainframe computer? She says, that’s right, and he says, there was no water main break. She says, thanks for that information, and listens to hear if the shower is still running. She takes the envelope, and looks at the papers inside. It’s an invoice or something with Pikeman’s letterhead.

Tracy says she did ask Olivia to commit Ned, and he says, because he embarrasses her? She says, because this can’t go on. She thought just maybe if he was in a hospital, they could help him stop faking this ridiculous… He says he’s not faking anything. He is Eddie Maine. And by the way, he didn’t ask to be in this house. They all want him here. So he’s trying to make them understand he can’t choose to be who he is. He’s Eddie Maine and there’s nothing he can do about it. She says, okay. He’s Eddie Maine, but she’s Ned Quartermaine’s mother, and she’s never going to stop fighting for her son.

Finn says, Gregory has nothing to be ashamed of, but Gregory says he does. He’s so selfish to put his daughter at risk. Finn says, that’s okay, but Gregory says, no. He shouldn’t have agreed to watch her alone tonight. Somehow, he convinced himself he’d be okay. Finn says, it turned out okay, but Gregory says he had no right to take that risk. The other night, he went to one of those hatchet throwing places and he did it. Maybe it’s human nature, but he thinks he’s been trying to convince himself that he can beat this thing, or at least hold it off, but that’s just denial. He needs to stop that before he puts someone else in danger like he did Violet. Finn says, it’s happening to Gregory and he has to figure it out on his own, and Gregory says he needs to stop driving. He shouldn’t have been driving this long. Finn says, so stop driving. No one’s going to judge him for how he’s handled this so far. No one’s going to judge him. Finn wishes he’d had someone to talk to besides his doctor. Doing this all on his own all this time must have been hell. Gregory says, Alexis knows. She was snooping around and they got in a big argument, and he collapsed. He had to tell her. He couldn’t bring himself to tell Finn. He didn’t want to see the look on Finn’s face that he’s seeing right now.

Carly asks if this is the favor Sonny came over here to talk to her about, and he says, before she turns him down, hear him out. She says she’s listening, and he says, when he got news of Drew’s situation, he did some digging and he has a connection with someone who could arrange for Drew to get out of solitary early. So when he’s released, she’ll be able to go see him. She asks if Drew is going to owe anybody anything, but he says, absolutely not. She asks what it’s costing him, and he says, from the look on her face, it means everything to him. She sits next to him on the sofa and says, Drew’s going to wonder why the sudden change. He says, when she talks to him, just tell him no strings attached. It’s just a gift from him. She says, he knows Sonny is protecting him. She doesn’t know how he’s going to feel about this. Sonny says, it’s not a gift to him; it’s a gift to her. She asks if there are any stipulations for her if she accepts.

Sam comes back in the bedroom and says, it looks like Dante’s rotten day is still with him. He says, it’s just hitting close to home this one, and she says, and he can’t get into specifics. He says he can tell her that Valentin is being dishonest with Anna, and she laughs, saying, when has Valentin ever been honest? He says, she’s right, but it’s weird. Valentin really cared about Anna, and she cares about him. He told her all this pretty surprising stuff, then he lies about where he was the other night. Sam says she’s not that surprised about it. She knows he lives a complicated life. Who knows what he’s got going on? Dante says, he wants to know what Valentin’s got going on because his daughter’s in the room down the hall.

Anna lies awake, but pretends to sleep when Valentin gets into bed. He turns out the light, and she opens her eyes. She says, he lied to her.

Gregory says he understands. Finn’s a doctor; one of the best. He knows all about this hideous disease. Finn knows what it’s going to do to him. Finn says he looks at Gregory now, and he looks fine; he looks good. Gregory says, that’s what’s so hard to grasp. He looks in the mirror, he feels good, but he knows this thing is in there somewhere. Finn says he also sees the man he grew up with. The man who used to toss him so high in the air, and he was never once afraid Gregory wouldn’t catch him. Gregory says he remembers that guy too. As you get older, try to hang on to that self-image as long as you can. The thought that he’ll be less than that for Finn, for Violet… Finn says, never less. He’s still that man, and he will always be that man, no matter what happens. Gregory thanks him for that, and Finn says, he knows what Gregory is facing, so there’s no point in trying to tell him no, because he’ll be by Gregory’s side every step of the way from here on out. Gregory tells him, do what you have to do, but he has one favor to ask, and Finn says, anything. Gregory says, help me tell your brother. Because he’s afraid it’s going to crush Chase. Finn says, it will, and they’ll be there for him. He tells Gregory that he loves him and starts to cry. Gregory says he loves Finn too, and they hug.

Ned asks if loving her son means locking him away somewhere, and Tracy says, stop being so dramatic. If he overheard her saying that, he also overheard Olivia refuse. And she’s his… She has final say. He says, but he’s watched Tracy. She can be very persuasive. What’s to stop her from changing Olivia’s mind about putting him away? She says, answer her something. If he’s so worried about them having him put away, why is he still here? Why isn’t he at Sonny’s? He says, Sonny is a nice enough guy, but too many goombahs around. Tracy says, there it is. She knew it. You are in there, Ned. Somewhere.

Sonny says, there’s no strings attached in there for Carly either, but he’s sure Drew is going to be happy to get out of that little cell. He wants to be clear, this is for her – or not. It’s her decision. She says, he’s unbelievable, and he says, yes. She says, he came to the police station the other night and he was so offended when she said he couldn’t help her. He came up with a favor he knew she couldn’t turn down. He says, maybe he’s just being nice, and she says, yeah, he is, but he still wins. He asks if that’s a yes, and she says, yes, please get Drew out of solitary. He says, all right, and gets up. He’ll let her know when it’s done. He heads for the door, and she says, thank you. He says, you’re welcome, and leaves.

Molly says, that was mean, even for Kristina, and Kristina says, that came out wrong. Molly says she thinks Kristina said exactly what she meant, and Kristina says, fine. If they’re saying what they really mean, why doesn’t Molly say what she really means. She would rather have a baby from a stranger than one from her own sister. Molly says, yes, and it’s true she might not be biologically related to the baby, but TJ will be, and that baby is going to be created for them as a result of their love for each other. Kristina says, if she had the baby for Molly… Molly says, if she did, it would be a gift for my sister, and no one would ever be allowed to forget it. Kristina says, wow. She guesses she never realized how selfish and insecure Molly is. She leaves.

Sam says, Charlotte is Rocco’s sister, so she and Dante need to find a way to get along with Valentin. Dante says he knows, and he’s glad she’s here with them, especially with a threat to Anna. She says, burning down someone’s house is definitely a threat. Any theory on why Valentin would lie to Anna? He says, not yet. He never really trusted that guy. She says, as much as they don’t trust him, she really does believe Valentin loves Charlotte, and she doesn’t think he’d ever do anything to hurt her. Dante says he agrees. Intentionally, he wouldn’t hurt her, and he probably loves Anna. She says, but he doesn’t think Anna trusts him, and he says, no, and neither can they.

Valentin asks what Anna said, and she glances at the Pikeman envelope as she turns to him and says, he lied to her. He said he was going to be five minutes, and he was way closer to fifteen. He says he’s sorry; the water felt good. He kisses her, and she says she’s so exhausted. He says, so sleep, and kisses her forehead. They turn back to back, but their eyes stay open.

Tomorrow, Carly tells someone that she’ll be there; Anna tells Valentin, it’s unsettling when someone you know is acting strangely; Sonny says, maybe we should just call this off; and Cyrus tells someone, we meet again.

💣 GH FYI: Mason did say the boss was a woman. So I’m not crazy. Well, maybe I am, but I didn’t imagine that. The theory is that there are already enough female villains on the canvas – i.e. Selina and Gladys – so they changed the boss to a man. Still, just a wee bit insulting to viewers’ intelligence.

👨‍👧‍👧 One Of the Boys…

Jake pops back before they can excuse his absence with back to school.

🗽 Discuss Amongst Yourselves…

The new RHONY cast talks about their favorite subject – themselves.

🦕 Old New York…

Well, if the Countess says it’s cool, it can’t possibly be uncool. But did they get the yacht?

🦘 Not Down Under…

More on the Deck drama that rocked the franchise. I actually tried to catch this episode the other night, but came in too late. And I’m not desperate enough to hunt it down on Peacock. Not yet anyway. João ended up as one of the replacements, much to the mini distress of Aesha.

🍸 VanderBreak Is Officially Over…

I couldn’t figure out how Graham was bait here, but we know she’s prone to flights of fantasy.

I’ll definitely be getting Ariana’s new book. I requested and got Fancy AF Cocktails for Christmas after it came out, but this looks a whole lot juicier better. I dunno about Scheana’s music, although I have to admit Good As Gold is on one of my playlists.

The minutiae.

🎪 More Bravo Than You Can Shake a Stick At…

All the guests at BravoCon 2023.

💐 Not Those Flowers, Lizzie…

This looks suspiciously like a V.C. Andrews book.

🌍 Padma Is the New Waldo…

Where in the world is she?

https://www.padmalakshmi.com/taste-the-nation

🐙 Behold the Unusual…

I want them all.

https://www.alwayspets.com/s/cutest-unusual-pets-754c25d1fa0043c2

🐚 Quotes of the Week

Immature love says, I love you because I need you. Mature love says, I need you because I love you. – Erich Fromm

If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything. I’m positive that a doer makes mistakes. – John Wooden

What we fear of doing most is usually what we most need to do. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power or our will.Epictetus

Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death. – Albert Einstein

You can’t make somebody your number one if you’re always their number two. – Judge Star Jones, Divorce Court

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. – C.S. Lewis

It’s not easy having a good time. Even smiling makes my face ache. – Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry), The Rocky Horror Picture Show

🧋 Drinking the Milkshakes In My Yard…

Let’s reconvene on Monday really Tuesday for soap and whatever tea I can pull out of a hat. Until then, stay safe, stay living your best life as your best self, even if it’s only in your mind, and stay never judging how someone is handling their illness.

August 1, 2023 – Cyrus Goes To the Great Beyond, Doubletake, Returning, Her Story, NYC Chat, She’s Open, On Holiday, Horror Show, Name Reveal & New Month

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny says he’s been dealing with a high-level security firm lately. Has Anna heard of Pikeman? She says she has, and he doesn’t want anything to do with him. He says, too late, and she asks, how involved is he with them? Dante comes out and asks if he’s interrupting, but Sonny says, it’s always good to see him. Dante says he realizes he hasn’t seen Sonny since his boy Dex called in a dead body outside of GH.

Carly says she’s so happy Avery is having a sleepover with Donna, and she has somebody to make cookies with besides the moss bowl🎍. Avery says, because Donna’s too little to bake, and Carly says, she is. There’s knock at the door, and Avery says, mommy! She lets Ava in, and asks why she’s here. She’s spending the night with Mama Carly and Donna. Carly says, that’s a good question. What’s going on? Ava says she just wanted to see her little girl.

Gregory is sitting in Alexis’s office when she walks in, and he says, don’t tell him. She called him here because there’s a big story about to break. Or maybe a scoop she can’t trust anyone else with. Political? International? Alexis says, nothing like that, and he says, don’t keep him in suspense. Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work. She says, it’s not about work, and he asks what it’s about. She says, him and his ALS. Someone else knows about it.

TJ says he’s home, and asks how Molly is holding up. She says, today’s been good for a lot of reasons, and he says, let’s hear one. She says she’ll give them to him. Her foot is feeling so much better… and this. She shows Valiant to him, and he laughs.

On the phone, the prison guard asks where the doctor is. They need him in the library now. Drew tells Cyrus to stay with him, and Cyrus sees a bright white light. He opens his eyes, and he’s in a suit, lying on a cot in a single cell. A bell clangs, and he gets up. He finds the door is locked, and says, this is wrong. He doesn’t belong here. Laura says, of course (🍷) he does, and he sees her standing outside the cell. She says, this is exactly where he deserves to be for eternity.

Dante says, Dex is literally in the wrong place at the wrong time again, and Sonny says, Dex was just throwing something away in the dumpster in the alley at GH, and sees a body. Can he imagine? A body? He’s a good citizen and made a call. Dante says, Dex told him the same thing, but normally, Sonny’s people don’t call his people, so it’s a little weird. Sonny says, they do what they can. He just hopes they find whoever did this. Dante says, they’re working on it, when Kristina joins them. She gives Sonny a kiss, and asks what he and Anna are doing together. Anna asks if Dante brought her here, and Kristina says her car broke down on the way home and she just had it fixed. She called Dante to give her a ride and he offered to buy her a drink, so here they are. Sonny asks if everything is all right, and Kristina says, all good. Sonny says he’s glad Dante was able to pick her up, and Dante says, maybe Kristina just has to figure out what roadside assistance is. Kristina says, that’s hilarious, and he says, let’s go to the bar. Kristina says, the bar is crowded. Let’s just pull up a chair – she brings a chair over to the table – and sit with dad and Anna. Dante gets a chair, and they sit at the end of the table. Kristina asks if they’ve figured out why they almost got shot.

TJ says he loves that after eleven years, he’s still learning new things about Molly. How did this reunion between her and… She says, Valiant, and he takes the stuffed horse, saying, how did this reunion between her and Valiant happen? She says her sister, and he says, Sam? She says, no, Kristina.

Gregory asks what Alexis is talking about, and she says, Tracy Quartermaine called her. He says he had dinner with Tracy tonight. It was pleasant. They didn’t fight, and got along pretty well. He wonders why Tracy would have called her about him, and she says, because when he went to get the check, she noticed that his hand froze or shook, and he wasn’t able to pick up the card from the table. He says he passed it off as a symptom of old age; too many years of writing on a blackboard. Alexis says, unfortunately, she wasn’t convinced. She’s very self-absorbed, but she’s blunt and doesn’t miss a trick. She called and specifically asked Alexis if there was anything wrong with him.

Carly says, this is a surprise. Is Ava here to pick up Avery? Avery says she wants to stay. Please. They just made cookies, and she and Donna are going to watch the movie Frozen. Ava says, of course (🍷) she can stay. She wouldn’t steal Avery away from her movie. Carly gives Avery a plate of cookies, tells her, share with Donna, and Avery runs out. Ava says she’s sorry for dropping by unannounced, but she had to see Avery and the moss bowl🎍. Carly asks, what’s going on? Does this have anything to do with Avery’s new nanny?

Drew says, Cyrus has lost consciousness, but he’s still got a pulse. How long before the doctor gets here? The guard says, they’re on partial lockdown. A fight broke out in C-block, and the doctor can’t get through. Drew tells Cyrus, it’s okay; hang in.

Cyrus says, no. This isn’t real. It can’t be. He’s hallucinating. Laura says, he’s not hallucinating. He’s dying. He says, no. He won’t accept that. He’s not done. Not even close. Inside the cell with him now, she says, he spent his whole life wanting everything his way, and using any means possible to get it, but there are some things he can’t control. No matter how determined, how powerful, or how ruthless he may be, in the end, they’re just mortals. He says, this can’t be the end – we see she’s outside again – not like this. She says, he built this prison. From his own selfish ambitions, his cruelty to other people, and his lust for power. If he didn’t want to see this as he’s passing from one world to the next, he should have made different choices. He says he tried.

After they order drinks, Kristina says she’s going to freshen up. Sonny and Anna aren’t off the hook. She wants to hear everything when she gets back. She leaves, and Dante says, she’s not going to let up. Sonny says, she’s a force of nature, and Anna says she likes that. Dante says, she’s got good instincts too. Were they talking about the shooting? Did they learn something new? Sonny says, they’re just throwing things around, and Anna says, they didn’t arrange to meet or anything. She was having a couple of glasses of wine, and his father joined her. Dante says, this is as good a time as any to talk about the fact the WSB might want Anna dead. He looks at Sonny and says, or someone else wants to kill him.

Kristina is drying her hands in the bathroom, when Trish walks in, and Kristina thanks her. Her brother and dad were exactly where Trish said they’d be on the terrace. Trish says, of course (🍷). Just doing her job. Kristina says, she’s very good at it. Would she like to be on the Board? Trish is an excellent host. Kristina’s not just saying that either. She’s in the hospitality industry. Trish says, that’s right. She works at Charlie’s. Is she still going to be able to work at Charlie’s when she opens up this youth center? That is what she’s doing, isn’t it? Opening up a youth center for LGBTQ+ kids?

Gregory asks what Alexis told Tracy, and they sit down. She says she told Tracy that as far as she knows, he’s in good health, which they both know is a lie. He says he’s sorry. He knows she’s not comfortable with the situation, but he appreciates her covering for him. She asks how much longer he thinks he’ll be able to cover this up.

Ava tells Carly that she just wanted to give her daughter a kiss goodnight. Now that she has, she’ll be on her way. Carly says, come on. Sonny calls her out of the blue and asks her to take Avery for the night, which is no problem; she loves having Avery. But the timing of this coincides with Sonny’s random decision to get Avery a new nanny, which doesn’t make any sense, because Pilar is capable of taking care of both girls. Ava says, there was an incident at the park involving Pilar, and she and Sonny decided to replace her. Carly says she knows what happened at the park. Sonny told her. Pilar’s a wreck about it. She feels awful for taking her eyes off Avery. Ava just looks at her, and Carly says, Avery told her about her new nanny, Betty. Avery says she’s really nice. Ava says, she is, and Carly says, really? Because Josslyn ran into her at the pool and she doesn’t agree. So who’s telling the truth?

The guard asks how Cyrus is doing, and Drew says he can’t get a pulse. He’s going to start CPR. Again, I’m no medical professional, but shouldn’t he have done this by now? He starts to pump on Cyrus’s chest, and tells the guard that they need a defibrillator.

Cyrus says he tried to be better for Laura, and she says, you know how you used to quote those Bible verses? They contained so much wisdom. Wisdom about what really matters in life. Does he remember the one, the greatest of these is love? He says, of course (🍷). First Corinthians, 13:13. Inside with him again, she says, how many times did he quote that? and he says, a lot. Back outside, she asks if he understood it. Really understood it. Because he’s been given so many opportunities to love and be loved, and he threw them all away. He says, the one he regrets throwing away the most is with her. He wanted to love her.

Ava tells Carly that she can’t imagine why Josslyn doesn’t like Betty. Avery thinks she’s great. Carly asks if Ava does. Does she like Betty? Ava just looks at her, and Carly says, yeah. When she saw Ava in Sonny’s office, she seemed really tense, and she doesn’t seem any more relaxed now. Ava says, it’s really none of her business, but Carly says, Sonny made it her business when he called her. What’s intriguing to her is, Ava and Sonny didn’t appear to be fighting, and that says a lot. Ava tells Carly that if she has something to say, say it, and Carly says, Ava and Sonny aren’t fighting. Ava brought in a new nanny no one likes, and instead of Avery spending the night with the new nanny or Ava, Sonny wants her to stay with Carly. You know what that tells her? That Ava’s up to her old tricks.

Anna says, Dante’s father came up with an interesting theory, and Dante says, let’s hear it. Anna says, the releasing of all of her WSB files, along with the information that she was a double agent, could be more than just a sick, posthumous revenge tactic of Victor’s. Dante says, they have to figure out what more there is to it. Victor was hellbent on revenge. He was director of the WSB for a lot of years, and he had access to Anna’s file, which he obviously could have read. Sonny says, the timing seems too convenient, and Dante asks, how so? Sonny says, somebody in the WSB pool released all that information to make her look bad. They want her out. She’s a good agent, and they don’t want her looking around. Dante says, that explains a lot.

Kristina tells Trish, yes. She’s starting up an LGBTQIA+ youth center here in Port Charles. The idea is to provide temporary housing. Why does she ask? Trish says, Nina was telling her about it. She brags about Kristina all the time. She thinks the work Kristina is doing is amazing. Kristina says she didn’t know Nina felt that way, and Trish says, for what it’s worth (🍷), Nina and her dad are really proud of her, and she thinks what Kristina is doing is great. All the lives she’s going to touch and save… Kristina says she doesn’t know about saving lives, but she’s hoping to create a safe space where people can just be themselves. They don’t have to worry about being bullied or judged or worse. Trish says she wishes a place had existed like that for her brother. His name is Teddy, and when he was fifteen years old, their parents threw him out of the house. Kristina says, that’s terrible. Does Trish mind if she asks what happened? Trish says, he was guilty of being himself. Then one day, their parents caught him fooling around with a boy, and their dad went ballistic. He said, Teddy, no son of mine is gonna be gay (I doubt that’s the word he would have used, but this is daytime), and they forced him out of the house. Kristina says, at fifteen; that’s terrible. Does she know where he ended up going? Trish says, he took off for the city, and they never heard from him again. Last she heard, he was living on the streets. She doesn’t know if he’s safe or if he even has money for food. This is why it’s incredible that Kristina’s opening up this center. It’s so important. Kristina thanks her, and Trish says she’s got to get back to work. She thanks Kristina for all the Teddys of the world, and it personally means so much to her. So good luck to her, and don’t forget to invite her to the opening. Kristina says, she’s got it, and Trish leaves.

Molly says she knows Kristina isn’t TJ’s favorite person right now, but she really seems to be trying. It was nice of Kristina to come over and check on her. TJ says he can tell the visit brightened Molly’s day, and she says, it did. It was really nice to just hang out together again. He wonders if Kristina asked about being their surrogate, and she says, not a word. They talked about old times together and the youth center she’s starting. He says, but Molly was thinking it, wasn’t she? and she says she has to admit, she’s been thinking about a lot of different things, and she wants to talk them all out with him. Because whatever happens next, they have to be on the same page.

Drew continues chest compression, and tells Cyrus that he has to fight. On the phone, the guard says, they have to get lockdown lifted and get the doctor through. They need a defibrillator in the library… If you don’t get it down here, this man will die!

Cyrus says he was so careful. He made sure to leave Laura breadcrumbs that he knew she was smart enough to follow, and they all led straight to him and the realization that he was her brother. She says, him and Martin, and he says, and Martin. He was always the good son, but he had his faults… They all do, but Marty never made the big mistakes, the life-altering ones that he and Laura did. She sits on the cot and says she definitely made her share of mistakes. He says, yes, and the more he dug around in her history, the more he felt like they were kindred souls. They’re so much alike, and if she could just recognize that, maybe he wouldn’t feel so alone anymore. He’d have someone to confide in. Someone who cared about him, and in return, he’d have someone to take care of, his little sister. She smiles and says, he could have just told her that she was his sister. Instead, he manipulated her because he wanted to control the situation, but those manipulations led to his ruin. And eventually, they led him to hold her hostage. He says, but he would never have hurt her, and she says, it’s just the two of them now. There’s no need to lie here. There’s no point anymore. He created all of this with his pride, with his anger, with his hurt feelings. Isn’t that what’s really at the bottom of this? She hugs him, and says, all of that pain, all of those hurt feelings. He starts to cry, and she says, because hurt people lash out, and hurt other people. She steps away and is outside again, and says, but nothing like he’s capable of. He says, the night he held her hostage, there was a moment where he thought he was going to die, and he was going to take her with him so he didn’t have to be alone… But then he looked at her and couldn’t do it. He knew the police were out there, and gave them the opening, and they stopped him. He did it for her.

Alexis says, Gregory told her weeks ago what might happen to him – the cramping, the slurred speech, the imbalance. She’s already seen evidence of those things. He says he knows she has, and she says, no matter how hard he tries to cover this up, his body is starting to betray him. How much longer does he think he can hide this?

Carly says she’s right, isn’t she? Ava’s in trouble, and Sonny’s helping for Avery’s sake. Ava asks how far Carly is going to push this, and Carly says, Ava came by just to say goodnight. Is Ava going to tell her that’s all this is? Ava says, if the only way to end this interrogation is to take Avery home, then she’ll go get her daughter. Ava heads for the kitchen door, and Carly says, if Ava does that, she’ll tell Sonny that she came by and grabbed Avery. The girls will be disappointed, but hell, they’ve seen Frozen a thousand times. Go ahead. Take Avery.

Dante says, the only thing they know for sure is the gun that was used should have been locked up in a WSB facility in Berlin, and Anna says, and the only people with access to it would be inside the agency. Dante says, there they have it then. It’s got to be an inside job. Whoever it is knew Victor had her followed. Maybe they gave the files to him. Sonny says, they knew once it was released, that Anna would be disgraced and arrested. She says, they got one part right. She was certainly disgraced. Dante says, but she wasn’t arrested. She got in front of it, and resigned from the WSB. She says she was forced to, and he says, be that as it may, she’s walking around free. She says she doesn’t know if looking over your shoulder every five minutes is free, and Dante says, that explains the shot at her. Whoever it is thinks she’s a threat. They either took the shot themselves, or had someone else do it. Kristina comes back, and says, do what themselves? Take a shot at Anna?

Kristina tells TJ to be honest. How is he feeling about all this? Does he really want to be a father? He says, more than anything, and she says, does he want the child to have his DNA? He takes her hands, and says he’d love their child no matter what, and he knows they’ll make the best parents a kid ever had, regardless of their DNA. She says she knows he’d love their child no matter what, but he didn’t answer her question. Does he want their child to have his DNA? He says, would that be his preference to have their child be biologically his? Yes, he’d like that. She asks how soon down the road he’s thinking. A year? Two? Three? He says he’s ready now, and she says she is too. To all of it. She wants a baby, she wants him to be the biological father, and the sooner the better. They kiss, and she says, which means, they need to find a surrogate. He says, which leads to the next question. Will it be Kristina?

Gregory says, Alexis is right. His symptoms have gotten more frequent and they’re getting more severe, which makes whatever time he has left that much more precious before Chase and Finn find out he has ALS. She says, he has one son that’s a doctor and one son that’s a detective. How long does he think it’s going to be before they figure it out? He says, these might be his last days, even weeks, before they notice, and they have to start being afraid of him. She says, they’re not going to be afraid of him; they’re going to love and support him. Gregory says, once they know, all they’re going to see is his disease. Right now, they look at him and still see their dad, not someone whose terrible decline is looming on the horizon and wondering if his end is near. She says, if it makes him feel any better, for what it’s worth (🍷), none of them really know how much time they’ve got left. He says, she’s right, but he wants to enjoy what little time he has left without them worrying about it getting cut short, and his ending will be terrible. So he just wants to stop and savor these good times while he still can, while he’s still able to. Is that so wrong?

Dante says, they’re just speculating, and Sonny asks if he can talk to Kristina for a second. They step away, and Dante asks Anna, what’s going on? Something tells him that if he hadn’t stopped by, she wasn’t going to call and fill him in. She says, fill him in on what? Speculation? He asks if they weren’t supposed to be working together, and she says, when there’s something to work on. He says he thought she wanted to be bait and try to draw out the shooter, and she says she thinks she’s reconsidered. She’s not on a mission. She’s not undercover. She doesn’t have a badge. She’s a private citizen, and she happens to be one who can protect herself. He asks if she’s sure about that. What happens if his old man’s theory turns out to be right, and it is someone inside the WSB? Someone who wants her out of the way.

Inside, Sonny says he has a problem with Kristina driving a car that’s not reliable, but she says, it’s fine. It’s in the shop; it’s getting fixed. He says he’s going to buy her a new car, so she doesn’t have to worry about it breaking down, but she says, he’s not. He’s already done enough for her as it is. He’s getting the youth center up and running, and that’s way more important to her than a new car is. So no. She’s not letting him buy her one.

Inside the cell, Laura says, Cyrus let the police shoot him for her? and he says he didn’t want anything to happen to her. He needed to protect her from him. She looks startled, and he says, she doesn’t believe him, does she? She says she does believe him. He made a very brave choice that night to let both of them live on. She thanks him for that. And in doing so, he gave them both the opportunity to do better. He laughs and says, she doesn’t need to do better, but she says, of course (🍷) she does. She was angry with him and let her anger blind her at times. She was quick to judge him and turned her back on him, when she should have been reaching out to him and trying to help him. So that leaves a lot of room for her to do better. He says, but she couldn’t have redeemed him. That doesn’t fall on her shoulders. She says she knows that now, because in the end, they all have to save themselves. But does he want to? Outside again, she says, because he’s the only one keeping him locked in here. She walks away, and he begs her not to go. He pushes on the door, and it opens.

Cyrus opens his eyes, and begins to breath. Drew says, there he is. Come on. Hang in there. The doctor’s on his way. Cyrus grabs Drew’s wrist, and Drew says, all right.

Gregory says, it wasn’t fair of him to put Alexis in a position to keep his secret, but she says, it wasn’t fair of her to put him in a position to tell her his secret when he wasn’t ready. It’s his diagnosis. He tells someone when he’s damn well ready. He says he appreciates that, and he intends to tell Chase and Finn, he promises. But in the meantime, he’s going to enjoy every minute he has left living a normal life. He’s grateful for her confidence and their friendship. She smiles.

TJ helps put Molly’s foot up on the coffee table, and she says she’s been thinking about this a lot, and she talked it through with her mom. She doesn’t want to ask Kristina to carry their child. He asks if she’s sure, and she says, yes. Although she’s certain Kristina would do it for them, she doesn’t think Kristina fully understands the demands or the commitment it would mean for her. He says he’s honestly relieved. Kristina doesn’t need the added weight of being their surrogate while she’s trying to get the youth center started. He thinks it will be better for all of them if they register with a service. Work out the legal and monetary arrangements, and start interviewing candidates that actually know what to expect. She asks how he knows so much about this, and he says he started doing some research just in case they ended up going this route. She asks why he didn’t tell her, and he says he didn’t want to pressure her with this right away. She says she doesn’t feel pressure at all. They both want this, and that means they feel hopeful. She snuggles on his shoulder, and he says, so we’re having a baby, and she says, yes. She asks if Valiant heard that; they’re having a baby.

Kristina asks if Sonny knew that Nina was bragging about her, but he says, no, but it doesn’t surprise him. Nina is proud of her. She says, Nina told Trish about her starting up the Corinthos-Davis House, and he says, now Nina can see for herself that Kristina is going to change the world. Kristina says she kind of thinks she’s starting to see that for herself too. Admittedly, she still has her doubts… He says, everyone has doubts. Does she know what you do with doubts? You just move through it. She hugs him.

Anna tells Dante, if Sonny’s right, and she’s being targeted by someone inside the Bureau, the bodyguards aren’t going to do her any good. He asks why she says that. Because no one can beat the big bad WSB? She says, because they’ll never come at her the same way twice. Sonny comes back with Kristina, and says he’s going to take her home. He thanks Dante for dropping her by, and says goodbye to Anna. They leave, and Anna tells Dante, if she’s being targeted, the shooting at the MetroCourt pool was a one-off. If it had worked, fine; she’d be dead. But it didn’t work. And if her enemy is indeed inside the Bureau, then they’re not going to want to call attention to themselves, and they’re going to go underground and wait months, a year maybe, before they try again. Does he really want to be glued to her side for that amount of time? He says, yeah, and she says, it’s going to play havoc with his job, not to mention his personal life… He says, she’s driving this point home pretty good; he thinks he gets it. She says, here’s another point. As she mentioned, they won’t use the same method twice. The Bureaus got a lot of dirty tricks up their sleeve, and it’s impossible to safeguard against all of them. Even if someone was glued to her side 24/7, which they’ve agreed he won’t be. He says, all right. He’ll stand down, but if something changes, she has to let him know. She says, he’ll be her first call. He has her word.

Carly says she thinks Sonny wants Avery here because she’s safe, and so does Ava. Avery comes in and says, they paused the movie. She and Donna need more cookies, and Carly says, all right, taking the empty plate. Ava says, while Mama Carly is getting the cookies, why doesn’t Avery give her the biggest hug ever? Avery says, ever? and hugs Ava. Ava says she’s going to take it home and keep it all night. She loves Avery so much. Avery says she loves Ava too, and Ava says she’d do anything for Avery. Carly gives Avery the cookies, saying, no more. Avery runs off, and Carly says, whatever Ava and Sonny are up to, she hopes they know what they’re doing. Ava thanks her, and leaves, giving a nod to the moss bowl🎍 as she passes.

Cyrus is receiving oxygen on a stretcher, and a paramedic says he called ahead to GH. They’re expecting them. Let’s go. They take Cyrus out, and the guard says, that man’s alive because of Drew. Drew says, not just because of him. The guard could have refused to let Drew help him. He had a big part in that too. The guard’s phone rings, and he says, the paramedics just took him to GH… Got it. Drew is about to leave, and the guard asks where he thinks he’s going. Drew asks what he means, and the guard says, he was busted for fighting. He’s taking Drew to solitary. Drew says, is he kidding? but the guard hustles him out.

Tomorrow, Brook says she’s not willing to risk it for Tracy; Chase wants to ask Austin a few questions about Gordon; Sonny says he came here to make someone an offer they can’t refuse (he’s required to say that at least once a year); and Cyrus needs someone to give all his money away.

📖 An Open Book…

Well this is kind of interesting. I don’t remember a TempBrando, but regular Brando has become a dim memory already, so…

👧🏼 Baby Come Back…

The old Charlotte is the new Charlotte.

🛌🏼 Filling In Blanks…

In case you were unfamiliar with Charlotte’s mom.

🗽New York Minute…

I had high standards too. It’s a shame they weren’t realized. I love how they act like they’ve brought something new to the franchise table, when nothing could be further from the truth.

https://www.etonline.com/rhony-newbies-erin-jessel-brynn-shut-down-fan-concerns-about-reboot-we-had-high-standards-exclusive

This one needs to run away from the franchise now before the body snatchers come.

https://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/a44692143/jenna-lyons-real-housewives-of-new-york/

While I appreciate a stinger at Singer, if this one takes one more picture of her food, I might scream. Or I could just eat my feelings.

https://www.dexerto.com/reality-tv/rhony-season-14-newcomer-sai-de-silva-rips-into-og-ramona-singer-2232055/

🍑 Whether They Asked Or Not…

Apparently, the mortgage payment is coming up. Hint to NeNe: It had nothing to do with your complexion.

🏝 They’re Tripping…

The show that proves once again lavish vacations are wasted on Housewives. I love their valet or whatever he is, Pepsi. I’m pretty sure he’s the font of all wisdom, or at least will be able to write one helluva book one day.

👺 Oh the Horror…

The latest season of AHS.

https://screenrant.com/american-horror-story-season-12-plot-repeat/

If they say so.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/us-celebrity-news/kim-kardashian-proved-a-bonafide-30579828

🐕 One… Two… Squee…

Nothing cuter than the tiniest of tinies.

https://people.com/paris-hilton-reveals-new-teacup-puppy-royal-name-7567356

My Tiny Guy, El Wray

🐶 Dog Days Approaching…

U-turn back tomorrow for soap and blatant disdain of the OC. Until then, stay safe, stay mindful of how much fragrance you wear, and stay just moving through your doubts.

February 24, 2023 – Heather Has One Condition, New Wife, All By Herself, Sharing, Trial Desire, Two Pairs, Shady Scheana, First World Problems, Edit Err, Pets (!), Teetering On 10 Quotes & Mountain

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Esme holds her baby, who looks suspiciously like Baby Amelia. She says she doesn’t remember much, but she knows she’s his mommy. They have each other and that’s all that matters. Heather comes in, wearing an orange jumpsuit, and says, there’s her baby girl and her new baby. Esme says, Heather shouldn’t be here, but Heather says she’s Esme’s mother; where else would she be? Esme picks up the nurse call button, but Heather stops her, and says, Esme doesn’t want to interrupt family time. She can’t wait to start spoiling her little grandson. In fact, she’s starting right now. She reaches for the baby, and Esme sits up with a start. The guard lets Laura in, and she asks if Esme is okay. Esme asks, where’s Heather? and Laura says, she’s in custody at the police station. Esme says, please don’t let her take my baby away.

Spencer points to a baby through the nursery window, and tells Sonny, that’s his baby brother. He’s handsome, isn’t he? Sonny asks if the little guy has a name, but Spencer says, not yet. Sonny asks if Spencer is still suing for custody, and Spencer says he may not have to now that his father has disappeared.

Dex tells Josslyn that he was hired to find evidence that would put Sonny away once and for all, but he’ll tell his employer that he’s out if that’s what she wants. She says, it’s not her decision to make, but he says, let’s not make this about Sonny; let’s make this about you and me. (Huh? It’s all about Sonny.) She hates that he’s working for Sonny. How does she feel about him working against Sonny? (What I said.)

Elizabeth looks at a photo of the boys, and remembers Scotty chastising her for letting Nikolas talk her into his cockamamie plan. Cameron comes in, and she says she wasn’t expecting him this morning. He asks if she’s as freaked out as he is about Esme.

Ava asks the reception nurse if Austin is allowed to have visitors, and Mac asks why she wants to see Austin. She says, why would she want to see the man who nearly bled to death on her living room floor? Does that really seem so strange? He says, that depends. Felicia said Ava encouraged her to leave Austin behind when Heather said they could go. She says, so they could get him help, and he says, but instead, she went after Ryan with a gun. (Really, Mac? Does any of that sound strange?) She says, Austin didn’t need both of them to get him help, and she needed to confront the man who made her life a living hell. Mac’s the one who ultimately killed Ryan. He says, the world’s a better place now that Ryan Chamberlain’s dead, and she says, they agree on something. Is Mac done? He says he has a few more questions. Why don’t they start with why Austin was on Spoon Island in the first place.

Robert congratulates Jordan on catching Heather. He can assure the public that their safe, that The Hook killer’s been caught, and that she’s going away for good. She says, her people have already made progress, when Dante walks out, and says, Heather is ready to make a statement. Scotty walks in, and says, hey, Mr. D.A., but Robert asks if it can wait. Scotty says he’s about to make Robert’s life a whole lot easier.

Jordan and Robert go into the interrogation room, and Jordan says, Dante told her that Heather wants to make a statement. Heather says she does. She’s done some very bad things that she’s ready to confess. Jordan says, Heather wants to confess to The Hook attacks without a lawyer present, and Heather says she only wants to unburden her soul. Dante sets up the recorder, and tells Heather, it’s her right to have an attorney present, but she says she doesn’t want an attorney. She just wants to tell the truth. Jordan tells her, start talking, but Heather says she does have one condition.

Scotty tells Robert that he has a client with information about The Hook attacks, and they want to make a deal.

Cameron asks how long Elizabeth thinks Esme has known Ryan and Heather are her parents, but she says she has no idea. He says, she realizes, if Heather is Esme’s mom, that makes her Franco’s half-sister. When Esme moved to Port Charles, he really tried to give her a chance because Spencer was so into her. Does Elizabeth think she was working with Ryan when she was interning at Spring Ridge? Elizabeth says, before she lost her memory? and he says, what if she’s been faking this whole time? He wonders if Joss knows about everything that’s happened.

Josslyn tells Dex, Sonny was in her life for a very long time. Not as a father – she had one obviously – but as a stepfather. They were a family. Dex says, he was good to her, and she says, he was, when she was little and didn’t know about his business. He says, Sonny still considers her family. It’s one of the reasons Sonny thinks he’s not good enough for her. She says, like he has the right to judge anyone after what he’s done? He had Dex beaten and tortured, and Sonny’s hurt so many people, she can’t even count. Where does he get off thinking he’s better than anyone else? The hypocrisy of it all. He asks if that means she wants him to see it through, and see that Sonny goes to prison.

Sonny asks what Spencer means, and Spencer says he doesn’t know what to think anymore. How can someone just walk out on their child? He doesn’t even mean himself at this point. How can someone walk out on an innocent baby? Sonny says, Spencer’s not responsible for his father’s actions. Spencer can’t fix his messes. Spencer says, someone has to. His baby brother has an absent father, and a mother who’s in police custody. That little guy must feel all alone in the world. Sonny says, they can fix that.

Laura tells the guard that he can leave them alone, and tells Esme that she had a nightmare. Esme wishes that’s all it was; that she hadn’t been forced to break out of Spring Ridge, and her parents weren’t serial killers. Laura says, unfortunately, that is true, but she told Esme, Heather is in custody, and can’t hurt her. Esme asks, where’s her baby? and Laura says, in the nursery. He got a perfect bill of health despite his impromptu entrance into the world. Esme says, thank God, and thank Laura and Dr. Collins for helping bring her baby into the world. Laura says she feels lucky that she could be there for her grandson’s birth, and Esme says she just realized, she has a son. Laura asks if Esme wants her to arrange for the baby to visit, but Esme says, no; he should stay away. Laura asks, why? and Esme says, it’s not safe. Her parents are killers. For all she knows, she could be a killer too.

Heather says, what she wants is pretty simple, and Dante says, if she cooperates fully, they’ll see about her request. She says, he knows that’s not how it works, but he says, she doesn’t know how anything works, and grabs the recorder. Jordan gets up, and says, waste of time, but Heather says, fine. What do they want to know? Dante puts the recorder back, and asks if she attacked Ava in August, and she says, yes. He asks if she attacked… She says, it’s going to take all day. She’s The Hook, okay? Anyone stabbed with a hook, it was her. Jordan says, they need details, and Heather says, Ava Jerome, with a hook, at the Quartermaines. Brando Corbin, behind Charlie’s with a hook, except that was a mistake; she was really after Josslyn Jax for making her daughter’s life so miserable. Diane Miller, in the garage. The bartender, Oz Haggerty, at the docks. Nikolas Cassadine, with a hook… Dante says, wait a second, and Jordan says, she attacked Nikolas Cassadine?

Ava tells Mac, that’s one of the reasons she’s here. She wants to ask Austin how he’s doing, and why he came to Windymere last night. Mac says he didn’t know they were friends, and she says, friendly perhaps. Austin treated her after Heather attacked her at the Quartermaine picnic, but she wouldn’t say they bonded over it. He thanks her for her time, and she says she just can’t wrap her head around the fact that Spencer’s girlfriend from boarding school is Ryan and Heather’s daughter. He says, quite a coincidence, but she says, it isn’t at all. Ryan told her that he sent Esme to that boarding school specifically to ensnare Spencer. Ryan was intent on splitting her and Nikolas up, and he succeeded. Mac says, maybe now that the truth has come out, she and Nikolas can find their way back to each other.

Dante asks when Heather attacked Nikolas, but she says she doesn’t know. In the fall? It was breezy. Jordan asks where it happened, and Heather says, at Windymere. It wasn’t her finest hour; he escaped without a scratch. He’s still breathing, unlike that doctor on New Year’s Eve. Dante asks if Britt was a target, but Heather says, no. She appeared out of nowhere, and decided to play hero, and again, Josslyn Jax escaped. Everyone stood between her and protecting her little girl. Jordan says, about Officer Cabrera. A keepsake from one of Ryan’s victims was found on Rory’s person. How did it get there?

Mac asks if Ava has heard from Ryan, but she says, no, and she doesn’t expect to. Things between them had gone too far, and she’s accepted that she’s lost Nikolas for good. Ryan’s destroyed her life, again. Mac says, at least it’s for the last time, and she says she has him to thank for that. She’s just sorry she didn’t kill the bastard herself. He says, after everything Ryan has put her through, killing him would be self-defense under any circumstances, and she says, he has no idea what Ryan has taken from her.

Obviously not having read The Invader, Scotty tells Robert that his client has information on the PCPD’s number one suspect, the one and only Esme Prince. Robert says, keep going, and Scotty says, his client knows Esme’s whereabouts before she showed up at the Haunted Star, soaking wet, with child and no memories. Robert says, so this client will only divulge said information if Scotty makes deal? and Scotty says, that’s why he’s here. Robert says, if this client knows what they know because they’re an accomplice to the crime, he should be telling them to turn themselves in, and he walks away.

Elizabeth asks if Cameron has spoken to Josslyn recently, but he says, no, and he doesn’t plan to. She says she knows the break-up really hurt him, but they’ve been friends their entire lives. He says he feels like that makes it worse, and she asks if he’s hoping they can be friends again someday, but he says, with what Josslyn did… She’s not the person he thought. Maybe she never was.

Josslyn says, it would be easier to figure out how she feels about this, if Dex would tell her who he’s working for, but he says he can’t. She asks, why not? and he tells her, all he can say is, he trusts his employer. She says, and this mystery person wants to take Sonny down, and he says, it’s the whole reason he’s here. She asks how close he is, and he says he doesn’t have any solid evidence yet, but Sonny’s about to get involved with some people in arms trafficking. The plan is for him to get some evidence and turn it over to his real boss, who will turn it over to the Feds. She says her first instinct is to tell him, do it. No one’s forcing Sonny to break the law, and he’d just be reporting what he saw. But if this goes wrong, and he gets caught, that’s on him, not his mystery boss. What happens if he calls the whole thing off? Does he have to work for Sonny for real? Sonny’s not going to let him just walk away.

Esme tells Laura that Heather and Ryan want her baby for themselves. They were talking about all of these plans… Laura says, Heather is locked up, but Esme says, Heather has a revolving door in and out of Spring Ridge, and Ryan… Laura says, Ryan is dead. She’s sorry. He died last night on Spoon Island. Esme says, good. He was a monster, and she’s glad he’s dead. She was terrified of that man. Laura says, what about Heather? and Esme says, Heather kept saying she wanted to protect her, but she’s so crazy. She’s the offspring of two monsters, so she must be a terrible person. Oh my God. She did all of those things she’s accused of; the revenge porn and trying to kill that man. Laura asks if she remembers doing those things.

In the nursery with the baby, Sonny tells Spencer that his family has every right to meet this baby. Spencer says, all he wants to do now is protect him from the world, and Sonny says, it’s the most amazing thing. Spencer asks if Sonny thinks his father felt like this when he was a baby, and Sonny says he guarantees it. Spencer says, that’s good. That means he has to come back now that his new son is here. How could he stay away knowing what he’s missing? Sonny asks if Spencer is changing his mind, and Ava peeks in the window.

Laura asks if Esme remembers her past, but Esme says, no, sorry. Her memory of before she showed up on the boat is still a blank. Laura asks why she said she was guilty, and Esme says, with parents like Heather and Ryan, how could she not be? Laura says, you’re not destined to be bad no matter who your parents are. Does she think her baby is bad? Esme says, no, he’s completely innocent. She doesn’t know what’s going to happen to him. If she’s found guilty, she’s going straight back to prison. Laura says she hasn’t stood trial yet; let’s not jump to conclusions. Esme asks, where’s Nikolas? Why isn’t her baby’s father here?

Heather says, when she discovered she was pregnant with Esme, she left Ryan. She took this chain of trophies he had as insurance, in case he ever decided to come after her. Dante says, that was twenty years ago. How does Cabrera end up with it? She says she wore the chain during The Hook attacks because she was getting justice for their daughter. She just thought it was fitting. Dante tells Jordan, that’s the sound Josslyn heard when Brando was attacked in the alley, and Jordan says, Brando heard it too. Heather says, Cabrera surprised her. They tussled a bit, and in the struggle, he managed to grab one of the trophies off the chain, but she didn’t realize it until she got back to Spring Ridge. Jordan says, so she’s confessing to murdering six people, and attacking four others? but Heather says, it was five, not six. Brando, Oz Haggerty, the venom guy, Rory Cabrera, and that doctor, whatever they said her name was. Dante says, what about Corrections Officer Williams, who was stabbed to death when she and Ryan escaped? but Heather says, she didn’t kill him; that was Ryan. He stabbed Williams. He planned the escape. He forced her and Esme to go with him. They can’t pin this on her.

Dex says he can’t just tell Sonny that he’s not cut out for this, not without him getting suspicious, and Josslyn says, if Sonny had any idea Dex was working against him… He says, Sonny would kill him, and she says, he’s right; Sonny can never know. He says, so either he keeps working for Sonny, or he has to leave Port Charles. She asks if Dex’s mystery boss would be okay with him quitting, and he says, not okay. He’s gone to a lot of trouble to set this up (what trouble; the occasional phone call to Dex?), and he’s close to getting what he wants. But if Dex tells him that he wants out, he’ll let Dex go. She says, but that doesn’t solve anything. He wouldn’t have to spy on Sonny anymore, but he’d still have to work for Sonny; smuggle arms and commit crimes, hustle coffee or whatever it is. And if he gets caught… Dex says, he goes to prison, and she says, as long as he stays in Port Charles, he’s trapped. I guess Dex can’t possibly get another job? Like a normal one?

Cameron tells Elizabeth that he couldn’t have predicted in a million years that Josslyn would hurt him the way she did. It makes him feel like he never knew her at all. She says, it always hurts when someone you love lets you down, but it doesn’t negate what the two of you had. People make mistakes all the time – big ones – but all you can do is come clean, and deal with the consequences. He asks if they’re still talking about him and Joss.

Scotty tells Robert, his client got involved in a crime that was already in progress, and they would like to make things right, and testify against the real perpetrator. Robert tells him, say more, but Scotty says he needs to hear the deal. Robert says he needs more information, and Scotty says, his client is a good person, not a criminal. They got mixed up in some bad business. So Robert can go after a person who made a mistake, or go after the real felon.

Spencer comes out, and says, Ava’s not here to see… He doesn’t mind if she is; he’s just surprised. She laughs, and says, actually, she’s here to see him. She saw him with the baby though. Cute. He’s a natural. He thanks her, and asks what she wanted to see him about. She takes it he knows Ryan was Esme’s father, and he says, yes, and Heather Webber was her mother. Odd how something can come as a perfect shock, yet make perfect sense. She says she thinks they all felt that way, and he says, is that it? but she says, not quite. Esme and Ryan knew who they were to each other. He says, since Esme came to Port Charles? and she says, since before he met her. Ryan sent Esme to that school in France to get close to him. He asks if she’s saying Ryan sent Esme to France to seduce him in some long game to break up her and Nikolas. That’s good. She says, think about it. Whose idea was it to come to Port Charles and stalk her? Was it his, or was it Esme’s?

On the phone, Mac tells Jordan that he spoke with Ava, and he’s about to question Esme Prince. Jordan says, check Esme’s answers against what Heather told them, and he says he thinks once he talks to Esme, they’ll have a clearer picture about what happened on Spoon Island.

Laura says she doesn’t know where her son is, and Esme says, he came to see her at Spring Ridge to try and get her to sign her rights to the baby over. Why isn’t he here now? Laura says she wishes she knew, when Mac walks in, and Esme says she remembers him from the roadside outside the prison. He stopped to help them, then Ryan hit him over the head. Is he okay? He says he’s fine, thanks. He’s Chief of Detectives Mac Scorpio, and he has some questions. Esme says, Heather and Ryan kidnapped her. They forced her to escape. Ryan even killed a guard right in front of her. He asks if Heather helped him, but she says, no. The guard was questioning her and Heather, and Ryan snuck up behind him and stabbed him in the back; it was horrible. Then Heather told her that she had to do what Ryan said, or he’d hurt her. He asks if Heather seemed scared of Ryan, and she says, not really. He asks, what happened next? and she says, Heather let them out of the prison. Laura asks, whose idea was it to escape? and Esme says she’s not sure. She thinks Heather and Ryan were planning it together, but Heather was the one who knew her way out of Spring Ridge.

Dante says, they know Heather and Ryan were working together. They were planning this escape for months. Heather says, no, no, no, no. She didn’t even know Ryan could walk and talk until Esme showed up at Spring Ridge. He never even told her that he could. They’ve got to believe her. He showed her that he’d been faking his condition when Esme showed up just because he wanted her help with getting Esme out. Dante says, which she was more than happy to provide, but she says, Ryan terrified her. She had to do what he said. Jordan tells her, he isn’t saying anything; he’s dead.

Spencer says, Esme was always going on and on about how Ava pushed him out of his father’s life, and said he should push back. She encouraged him to get revenge. Ava wonders if he ever asked himself why Esme cared so much. She was no one to Esme, and they had the kind of life teenagers dream of. They had Europe at their fingertips. Wouldn’t living his best life have been the best revenge? He says, apparently not. Esme was determined to get him back here. Ava says, because Ryan ordered her to do all of that, and look what happened. She and Nikolas are divorced, and he and his father are more estranged than ever. It was Ryan. Ryan played them all. (Way to get Esme and Spencer off the hook. No pun intended.)

Heather says, thank God, and Dante tells her, give it a rest. She wanted Ryan gone so he can’t contradict her narrative. They know she gave Ava a gun, and sent Ava after Ryan. Heather says, Ava killed Ryan? and Jordan says, no, but she shot him in self-defense. Heather says, of course (🍷) it was self-defense. After everything he’d done to her; running her life, killing her daughter. Ryan was a cold-blooded murderer. Dante says, unlike her, and she says she was just a mother protecting her child. Jordan says, a child she abandoned, and Heather says, because she wanted to give her a better life. But she never stopped missing her. When Esme arrived in Port Charles, she was overjoyed. Then she saw what Esme’s life had become. She saw Trina Robinson’s attempts to humiliate and destroy her. What else could she do? She had to defend her family. Dante says he feels for her, and she says she’s told them everything she knows; she’s confessed to The Hook murders. Can’t they just grant the one little thing she asked them? Otherwise, she can always recant. Who’s going to trust the word of a crazy person anyway?

Laura asks what Sonny is doing at the hospital, and he says, looking after her grandsons, both of them. Congratulations, by the way. She thanks him, and he asks if she was with Esme. She says she was, but now Mac’s questioning her, and he asks if there’s anything he should know. She says she doesn’t think so; not yet. Is Spencer at the nursery? He says, yeah. Spencer’s been here all morning doing the big brother thing; he’s good at it. She says she doesn’t know if he heard, but Ryan died last night, and he says he heard the good news. He also heard Heather Webber killed his cousin Brando. She says, it would appear that way, and he says, that’s a mistake going after his family, but she says, let the justice system do what it does. He says, she knows him. He just protects the people he loves.

Dex tells Josslyn, option one. Say he disappears from Port Charles. Sonny might come looking for him, but he can cover his tracks. She says, if Sonny can’t find him, neither can she, and he says, not for a while anyway. She says she’s not liking option one, and he says, him neither. He says, option two. He tells his real boss that he’s out. He keeps working for Sonny, legitimately following his orders, but Sonny told him that he can’t go near Josslyn. They would have to hide that they’re together indefinitely. She says, marginally better than option one, but not by much. He says, option three. He sticks with the original plan, and gets evidence on Sonny. He turns it over to his real boss, who turns it over to the Feds, Sonny goes to prison, and he’s in the clear. She doubts it will be that easy, and he says, probably not, but it’s the only option that gives him what he really wants; a chance to stay here, a chance to be with her, free of Sonny. She says, option three it is, and he says, option three, kissing her. He says, no matter what happens, he can’t walk away from her, and she says she doesn’t want him to. Um… For all Josslyn’s talk on how she cares so much about her sisters, how come Donna and Avery, and the effect this might have on them, hasn’t been mentioned once?

Elizabeth’s phone rings, and she asks what he said… Yeah, she’s sure. She’ll be right there. She tells Cameron that she has to go, and he asks if everything is okay. She says she loves him, and jets.

Spencer admits he didn’t think Ava knew him so well, but she’s right. He didn’t want any of this to happen until he met Esme, and she used his resentment toward Ava to talk him into stalking her. He owns up to what he did, his part of it, but the escalation – putting the bear on Avery’s bed, setting Ava’s car on fire, putting Kiki’s hospital ID badge next to the wreckage – that was all Esme. He didn’t even know it was done until it happened. Ava says she believes him. All that misery because Ryan couldn’t stand her being with someone else. He says he can’t believe he was so blind, and she says, they all were. They were all blind, and used, and manipulated… He says, manipulated or not, he did Ryan’s dirty work for him. Spencer suddenly looks terrified, and says, he drove his father away, but Ava says, no, it wasn’t him. Nikolas would still be here if not for Ryan Chamberlain.

Mac asks, when was the last time Esme saw Ryan? and she says, he was in the woods with Ava Jerome; she had a gun on him. He was focused on Ava, so she made a break for it. Is she okay? He says, Ava’s fine, and she asks Mac to tell Ava thank you for helping her get away from Ryan. he says he’ll pass along that message. He thanks her for the information, and says, if he has anything more to ask… She lifts up her arm, showing she’s cuffed to the bed, and says, he knows where to find her. He congratulates her on the birth of her son, and she says, before he goes, maybe he could tell her what’s going to happen to her and Ace. He says, Ace? and she says, her baby. He says, she named her baby Ace? and she says, it just came out. Sounds right to her for some reason. Ace? Where did that come from?

Jordan asks if Dante believes Heather, and he says he does. Robert joins them, and says he may have additional answers on this hook business. Baldwin has a client who says she knows what Esme was doing at the time she went missing. Jordan asks, who? when Scotty walks in with Elizabeth, and says he thinks they all know his client.

Laura tells Sonny, she’s glad Spencer is spending time with his baby brother, because he really needs something positive to focus on right now. Sonny says he feels Spencer needs the baby as much as the baby needs him, and Laura’s phone dings. He asks if everything is okay, but she says, no. She’s got to go. She jets, and he follows her.

Josslyn tells Dex that she’s got to go back to her family, and needs to talk to Trina. It’s been a crazy couple of days. (Boy, does she have some news to catch up on.) He says, people need her, and she says, she needs him. So do whatever he has to do, but watch his back. Option three only works if he’s alive at the end of it. He promises to be careful, they kiss, and she leaves.

Laura and Sonny go to the nursery, and Laura asks Spencer, what’s wrong? He says he messed up, and she says, take a deep breath, and tell her what’s going on. He says, because of him, he and his baby brother no longer have a father. It seems even in death, Ryan Chamberlain wins. Laura says, they’ll find his father, and when they do, they’ll explain to him what took place here, and she’ll talk some sense into him. Until then, take a look around him. He’s not alone. Sonny’s here, she’s here… Sonny says, always, and she says, he and his brother are going to have more support than they know what to do with. Ava slips away.

Mac goes into Esme’s room, and asks if she’s sure about this. She nods, and the guard brings Heather in. Heather sort of smiles, but Esme just looks at her blankly.

On Monday, Dante tells Molly that they need to start that search immediately; Laura tells Spencer to think before he acts; and Curtis asks how long Jordan has known Trina might be his daughter.

👠 For Now…

She’s the only one I like at this point on RHONJ, but give it time.

https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/rachel-fuda-from-rhonj-husband-family-instagram-bio

👰🏻 All About the Love, But Alone…

Are you kidding me? She had the option of her brother walking her down the aisle, and decided to be the turd that she is. My father passed away before I got married too, and my sister walked me down the aisle. Teresa just wanted to give Joe #2 another slap in the face and get more attention for herself.

🧉 The Unending Grope…

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Anyone who could slap LVP in the face could do anything. I wouldn’t be surprised if she drank the blood of virgins to help her face fillers last. Although I would be surprised if she could find one in L.A.

💎 What Victims…?

You can’t squeeze blood from a turnip, but I’ll bet she has bags that cost more than my house. And being an entertainer with a 12th grade education doesn’t mean you don’t know how many zeros are on the check.

🏖  Summer Lovin’…

Paige might be close to one of the normal ones if she wasn’t attached to ticking time bomb Craig.

Great. The only genuinely normal one. Let’s hope Austen isn’t her rebound. Or anyone else who enters the house for that matter.

🍸 Passing the Shade…

She is clueless when it comes to Girl Code. And did she watch this week’s episode? She pushed.

🎰 Showing Her Cards…

Gambling has never been my jam. I went to Atlantic City once to see a show, and played the slots for a few hours first – back when they were actual slot machines and somewhat exciting. I’d gotten a certain amount of rolled coins from the bank, and decided that would be the only amount I’d play with. I came home a quarter shy. Yeah, it was cool on the spins when a bunch of money came out, but I didn’t feel the need to play any more when I had to get going. Or ever.

Geez. I take better pictures for eBay.

🛣  In Last Week’s Last…

I have to admit, I didn’t even notice.

https://people.com/tv/the-last-of-us-fans-point-out-hbo-editing-error/

My favorite reply.

🐈 Prosperous Pets…

I’ll bet they all still poop on the floor.

🎯 Quotes of the Week

Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. – Chief Seattle (Once again, don’t step on any butterflies.)

A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world. – Oscar Wilde

What I did or said should never be more important than why I did it or said it.Andrea Kelly

There is only one way to avoid criticism: say nothing, do nothing, be nothing. – Elbert Hubbard

Just knowing you don’t have the answers is a recipe for humility, openness, acceptance, forgiveness, and an eagerness to learn – and those are all good things. – Dick Van Dyke

Each day we are given the opportunity to choose between that which is easy and fast and that which is more difficult and slow. The fast and easy track is attractive, but doesn’t bear fruit. The slow and hard track is intimidating, but has the most potential. – Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

Some people think only intellect counts: knowing how to solve problems, knowing how to get by, knowing how to identify an advantage and seize it. But the functions of intellect are insufficient without courage, love, friendship, compassion and empathy. – Dean Koontz

Renew, release, let go. Yesterday’s gone. There’s nothing you can do to bring it back. You can’t “should’ve” done something. You can only DO something. Renew yourself. Release that attachment. Today is a new day!Steve Maraboli

There is no room for mediocrity in karaoke. – some obviously Drunk Kid I met there

🚶🏽‍♀️ Walking It Off…

Come back fresh on Monday really Tuesday for soap and the return of Captain Lee, which might offset the middle aged adolescents in that House. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping your head in the clouds, but your feet on the ground, and stay letting living your best life be your best revenge.

February 16, 2023 – Ryan’s Road Trip Officially Starts, Tough Homecoming, I Know Him, Returning Quintet, Worse Than Teresa, Salty Ink, Raquel & Lean

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Maggie tells Dante the pub is closed, and she’s on her way home, but he asks to speak to her a minute. She says, they already talked, and she doesn’t know what more he needs from her. He says he’s looking to get some answers about Esme Prince.

Seeing the guard with the knife sticking out of his back, Esme screams, and Heather puts her hand over Esme’s mouth. Heather says, it’s going to be all right. Trust her.

Ava comes in the door to Windymere, and gets a text from Austin: Ready when you are. She flashes back to locking Nikolas’s body in the tack closet, and turning around to see Austin. She texts back: It’s time.

Sonny tells Nina that the reception seemed a little tense at the end. Portia seemed nervous about Trina. Nina says, any complication Portia and Trina have can’t hold a candle to her and Willow’s. Willow doesn’t want her at the hospital. Sonny gets a call from Brick, and Nina says, business?

Terry says she was impressed that Elizabeth stepped in for Trina, and Drew says, at least Trina made it back for the bouquet, so it all worked out.

Elizabeth asks if everything is okay with Trina, and Portia says she’s sure Trina is just tired. She thanks Elizabeth and Finn for coming, and Elizabeth for her beautiful speech. Honestly, I either missed something big there or they’re wowed easily. Portia tells Curtis that she’s going to check on Trina.

Portia tells Trina that she has the bouquet, but don’t get any ideas, and Trina just looks at her. Portia asks if she’s okay.

Maggie says she told Dante before, she doesn’t know any Esme Prince. He says, Esme needs her help. She’s in prison, and she’s pregnant. Maggie says she can’t help him. Please leave. He says he traveled a long way. He can’t leave until he gets some answers. She tells him, have a seat then, and they go inside. She says she’s grabbing a pint, and asks if he’d like stout or ale. He tells her, stout, and sits down. She picks up a cricket bat from under the bar. She comes up behind Dante, raising the bat, but he jumps up and stops her, taking it. She tries to run out, but Sam is at the door, and says, Maggie Fitzgerald. They need to talk.

Sonny steps away to take the call, when Josslyn comes back in. She tells Drew that she was looking for Trina and Spencer, but doesn’t see them. She’s here by herself. He says he’s flying solo too, and she says, they both know he shouldn’t be.

At the MetroCourt restaurant, Mac tells Felicia that he has to cut their date night short. Things are busy at work. She tells him not to apologize; she doesn’t need grand romantic gestures. He says he loves her very much, and she says she loves him too, and they kiss. He says, she’s been pretty busy herself. He’s not too preoccupied to notice she’s been slipping out for hours at night on secret missions. Something to do with Anna? She says, if her missions are so secret, he knows she can’t give him the details, and he says, understood. Just be careful. She says, always, and asks, what about The Hook investigation? but he says, so far only dead ends. They’d hoped Heather would make good on her promise to get Ryan to open up. It was a long shot, but Heather was stalling. Her time’s up. She’s going back to D’Archam.

Ryan says, first, they have to dispose of this body, so he needs another hand (BA-DUM-CHH!). Heather struggles to keep Esme quiet, and tells him, they’ll need his clothes. Go ahead and strip.

Ava let’s Austin in, and says, shall we? but he says, nope, not yet. She says, he’s the one who insisted on moving Nikolas at night; it’s dark and rainy. No more putting this off. It’s time she rids herself of her husband for good, and bury the past.

Curtis asks if everything is all right, and Portia says, they’re fine. He tells Trina that her mother was concerned when she missed the toast. Where’d she go? Was Spencer with her? Trina says, she and Spencer were together, but this has nothing to do with him. It has everything to do with Portia. Portia says she doesn’t know what’s happening here, but Trina missed everything, and Trina says, Portia’s been hiding something important from her. Curtis suggests they take this down a notch. He’s sure it’s just a misunderstanding. Portia thinks they should take it elsewhere, but Trina says, Portia knows it doesn’t just have to do with her. Taggert tells Trina, this is no way to talk to her mother, but Trina says, he doesn’t know what’s going on. Portia tells Taggert that she’s fine, and asks Trina to come figure this out. She reaches out, but Trina steps back, and says, fine. Let’s go. Curtis says he’ll come with them, but Portia says, this might be a mother/daughter situation. She’ll talk to Trina alone. He says, she’s got this, and she follows Trina out.

Austin says he wants to make sure they have their heads on straight, since there’s no margin for error, and Ava says she knows that. They have to move Nikolas before Elizabeth’s guilty conscience brings the cops here. He says, Ava seems a little overwhelmed, and she says, maybe that’s because she’s just been to a wedding when her husband’s dead body is lying in the stables because of her. She had to face his mother, his son, and this whole town, and pretend to be fine. She’s not fine. She didn’t want her marriage to end in vengeance and death. She loved her husband. Austin says he’s sure she did; this is a horrible situation. Ava says, it is what it is. There’s only one thing to do now. He says, maybe not tonight when she’s all worked up, but she says she’s Ava Jerome. She knows how to handle herself in situations like this. The only reason she needs his help is because burying a body in Pine Barrens is a two-man job. She asks if he’s backing out, but he says he’s all in. He’s asking an honest question for two reasons. He doesn’t want larger emotions to kick in when they’re in the thick of things; he doesn’t want to get caught. The second reason is, he’s concerned and curious. Is she actually all right? She says, no, she’s not, and she doesn’t know if she ever will be again.

Finn says, Terry and Yuri were really tearing it up out there, and Yuri says he was a dancer in Belarus. Terry asks why Elizabeth wasn’t out there, and Elizabeth says she wasn’t up for it. Finn says, she kept him company on the sidelines, and Terry tells Yuri that she’d love a glass of water. Elizabeth says, the same actually, and Finn and Yuri go to the bar. Terry says, Finn and Elizabeth seem on better terms, and Elizabeth says, it was awkward after the break-up, but they’re committed to being friends for Violet’s sake. Terry says she’s seen the looks they’ve been giving. Maybe their feelings for each other aren’t completely gone.

On the phone, Sonny tells Brick, all he knows is how big the shipment is, and when it’s going to be delivered. He just needs Brick to work his contacts for security. He needs to know who’s buying what Pikeman is selling, especially without official record… Whatever he can find out. The sooner the better. He thanks Brick.

Mac tells Felicia that he should be heading to Spring Ridge, and make sure the transport is ready for Heather in the morning. She says she’s not thrilled about him being involved with another prison transport, but he says he has to make sure it goes off without a hitch. Most of them do, but since she got free on the last one, he can’t be too careful. He may be late; don’t wait up. She says, since things weren’t successful, where does that leave things with Ryan? and Mac says, he’s not giving up. He knows in his gut Ryan is involved in this. How the hell does his victim’s earring end up on Rory Cabrera; that’s not a coincidence. Felicia agrees, and says she thinks she has a way to get Ryan to give them some answers. Let her talk to him.

Heather continues to struggle with Esme, telling her to calm down; it’s bad for the baby. Esme almost slips Heather’s grip, but Heather grabs her back. She says she knows Esme is scared, but she has to do what Ryan says. He’s a dangerous lunatic, but Heather is going to take care of her, she promises. Just do what Ryan says, and they’ll be okay. Ryan comes back, and says, they don’t have much time before the guards realize they aren’t in their rooms. They’ve got to move. He looks at Esme, and says he wishes she could remember who she really is. Not some pathetic, trembling creature. You’re tough, you’re tenacious, you’re a genius. And you’re my daughter. Esme screams, nooo! and he says, they’ve got to go. Heather says, road trip’s started, and Ryan says, ladies first. Heather leads Esme away. He looks through the window into his cell, where the guard’s body sits in his chair, and follows.

Maggie says, don’t hurt her, but Sam says, they don’t want to hurt her. They just want to talk. She tells Dante, according to the woman at the B&B, this is Maggie. Dante asks why she lied to them, and Sam asks what she’s afraid of. Dante says, or is it who? Sam introduces herself, and says she’s a private investigator; and Dante introduces himself, showing Maggie his PCPD badge. Maggie says, forgive her. No one’s talked to her about Esme since she’s been here. Now they come up with that cockamamie story about her being pregnant and in prison. Dante says, it’s not a story; she’s pregnant and in prison. Maggie asks, what happened? Did her father lead her into trouble? Dante says, that’s complicated, but she’s been accused of some pretty serious crimes, that she didn’t commit, and unfortunately some that she did. Sam says, she had a pretty horrible accident, and lost her memory, andDante asks if Maggie and Esme have a close relationship. Maggie says, they did, and he says, she might be the only person who could exonerate Esme. Will she help them?

Mac says, absolutely not. He’s not subjecting Felicia to Ryan Chamberlain. She says, he asked Ava, but he says, Ava’s different. She says, because she’s not your wife? and he says, maybe. When he and Doc approached Ava, they wanted information on Esme; they didn’t suspect Chamberlain’s involvement. This is too dangerous. He may not be physically attacking his victims, but signs point to his involvement. He doesn’t want her in Ryan’s crosshairs. He couldn’t live with himself if something happened to her. They’ll get Ryan another way. She says she understands. She hopes he’s not too late coming back from Spring Ridge. It’s still Valentine’s Day after all. He says, all the more reason to get a move on, kisses her, and leaves. She makes a call, and leaves a messages for Anna, saying, she might be late getting to the house. There’s a stop she has to make.

Marshall says, whatever is going on, Trina and Portia will sort it out, and Taggert says, when Trina got back, something was definitely off. He knows his daughter. Curtis says he’s going to get answers, and heads in Spencer’s direction. Spencer sends Trina a text, asking if she’s okay, and looks up to see Curtis, Marshall, and Taggert. Curtis asks where he was with Trina, and what it has to do with her being mad at her mom.

In Portia’s room, she asks what all this is about, and Trina says, she went to see Stella. She was going to convince Stella to come to the wedding if she felt up to it. But it turns out, Stella wasn’t sick; she just didn’t want to be there. Judging by the look on Portia’s face, she knew that already. Portia says she suspected, and Trina says, she didn’t understand. Stella was so excited about the wedding, she flew back from England early. Then she missed the wedding. When Trina asked her, she said she couldn’t come in good conscience; that there’s something Portia is keeping from her and Curtis. When she pushed Stella, she said Trina had to ask Portia. So she’s asking the mom she’s looked up to her entire life, what is Portia keeping from her?

Ava tells Austin, the one thing that scares her to her core is the thought of losing her child. She can’t live through that again. She doesn’t know how she did the first time. So when Nikolas threatened to take Avery, she panicked. She couldn’t let him leave, and wanted to stop him. She didn’t want to kill him. She has a job to do before Elizabeth goes to the cops, because she will not be separated from her child. He says, let’s go do what we have to do, when the doorbell rings. Ava says she’ll get rid of whoever it is, and meet him in the stables. He leaves, and she opens the door to find Felicia on the porch.

Mac is driving, and sees something up ahead. He says, what the…?

Felicia apologizes for just stopping by and asks Ava if she can come in. Ava says, it’s not a good time, but Felicia says, it’s about Ryan Chamberlain.

Mac stops the car and gets out. Heather is walking with Esme in the road, and he asks if they need help. They turn around, and Mac is like, whaat?

Sonny comes back to the table, and Nina says she saw his face when Brick called. It was enough to make her concerned. He says he can handle himself, but she says, promise her that he’ll be extra careful. He says he promises.

Elizabeth tells Terry that Finn’s always been there for her, and she’s grateful that hasn’t changed. A part of her will always love him. Terry says, they’ve been through enough to test anyone, but the fact they can still remain friends… Maybe they’ll find their way back to each other? Elizabeth doesn’t think that’s in the cards, but wishes things could be different.

Yuri asks Finn why he and Elizabeth are no longer, and Finn says, things just got complicated. Yuri says, life is complicated. Love is not… with the right person. Finn says, if only that were true, and looks at Elizabeth.

Spencer says, Curtis will have to talk to Trina, but Taggert says, Trina’s not here; Spencer is. Spencer says, it’s really not his place, and Marshall says, there’s a time and a place for chivalry; this ain’t it. Curtis says, start talking, and Spencer says, he and Trina went to see Stella. Curtis asks, why?

Trina says, after she found out about Portia’s affair, they promised to be open. She’d thought it was a turning point. Portia says, it was. She felt awful that Trina didn’t trust her, and thought they worked through that. Trina asks, then why won’t Portia tell her what Stella’s talking about? Is it really bad? They sit on the bed, and Portia says, she told Trina that her dad’s work put a strain on their marriage, and how lonely and depressed she was, always feeling like she came in second to his job. That’s when Curtis came into her life. Trina says, Stella implied that Portia and Curtis’s relationship had something to do with what Portia’s keeping from her. Did something else happen? Portia says, Curtis found out she was married, and ended things. She was heartbroken, but went back to Trina’s father. She was determined to make things work. Trina asks if Portia stopped loving Taggert, and Portia says she just wanted to be a priority to him. She thinks he sensed she was struggling, because he started to put more of an effort into their marriage, and she felt like everything was going to work out. Weeks later, she found out she was pregnant. Trina gets up and says, oh my God, and Portia says, Trina doesn’t understand, but Trina says she does understand. Portia had an affair, and got pregnant. Is Portia saying Curtis is her father?

Maggie says she stopped being Esme’s nanny, but never stopped caring about her, and Sam wonders why Maggie thought they were setting a trap for her. Maggie says she hasn’t heard from Esme in some time, and when they turned up asking questions, she assumed the worst. She was afraid Esme’s father had taken her, and sent them to make sure she never said a word about him. Ever since Esme tracked him down, she’s been living in fear of him finding her. Sam says, she knows who Esme’s father is? and Dante says, they’d like to talk to him. He could be the key to proving Esme didn’t commit these crimes. Maggie asks what Esme is being accused of, and Sam says, there’s a serial killer terrorizing Port Charles, but Maggie says, it can’t be Esme. Dante says, that’s what they’re trying to prove, so if she could just tell them his name…

Heather says, thank God Mac found them, and Mac draws his gun, saying, on your knees, hands in the air. Esme begs him to help her, and he says, hands in the air where he can see them. Heather says, Mac doesn’t understand. He made them do this. Mac is about to make a call, when Ryan hits him with a crowbar, and he falls to the ground. Esme says, no, and Ryan says, now that felt good. Hello, Mac. What a delight to find you here. Esme cries.

Ava says, Felicia has her attention, and Felicia says, Ava was working with the PCPD to get information on Ryan about Esme. Is she interested in doing that again? Ava says, no, but Felicia says, the PCPD has reason to believe Ryan is involved with The Hook murders. An earring from one of Ryan’s victims was found on Rory Cabrera’s person, like a calling card. Ava asks how it would be possible for Ryan to attack her; he’s a vegetable. Felicia says, chances are, Ryan is the mastermind and using someone else to do the footwork. She and Ava know where his weak spots are, and can get him to give them something that might point to his accomplice. If they work together, they can get to him.

Heather pushes Esme into the backseat of Mac’s car, and Esme begs, please. She wants to go home. Heather says, it will be all right, and Esme asks, what’s happening? Heather gets in the driver’s seat, and blows the horn. Ryan stands over Mac with the crowbar, and says he has to make sure Mac can’t follow him, but Heather says, they’re stealing his car. She thinks they’re okay. Ryan says, it’s like kismet, him coming along, when an alarm goes off. Heather says, Spring Ridge knows they’re not in their rooms. Any minute, they’re going to find the guard, and find them. Move it. He says, all right, throws down the crowbar, and says, it’s no fun if you can’t see the life leave their eyes anyway. The alarm continues, and Heather says, let’s get this road trip started. Ryan says, after one more stop, and gets in.

Spencer says, Trina felt Stella should be at the wedding, and Curtis says, his Aunt Stella is sick. Spencer says, Trina thought she could convince Stella if she felt up to it, but they found out Stella was never sick. She just said that to get out of coming to the wedding. Curtis asks why she’d do that, but Spencer says he doesn’t know. Curtis says, Spencer is starting to work his nerves, but Spencer says, Curtis has to talk to Trina. This concerns very personal family information, to which he is not privy, so if they’ll excuse him… He leaves, and Curtis calls Stella, but she doesn’t pick up. Marshall says, Stella is avoiding Curtis’s calls? None of this makes any sense. Why would Stella lie to avoid Curtis’s wedding? Taggert thinks Portia and Trina have been gone long enough.

Trina tells Portia to be honest with her. Is Curtis her father? Portia says she’s sorry. She doesn’t know. Trina says, but he could be… He might be. Portia says, yes, and Trina starts to cry. Portia says, Trina’s dad had come home from work, and she’d just taken a pregnancy test. He was so happy and excited, and she was thrilled. Instantly, Trina was their whole world, and it was like a new beginning for them; a new family, and that’s all she ever really wanted. And Curtis was out of her life by his choice. She was back with her husband, and things were so much better. In their hearts, Trina was their child, and at the time, she didn’t see the point in finding out who was her biological father. Trina says, she’s a doctor. She didn’t see the point? Portia let her live her whole life as a lie. Portia says, no. Taggert is her father in every way; DNA doesn’t change that. Trina asks if her dad knows, but Portia says she never told him or Curtis. Trina says, Portia kept this to herself when this huge secret effects all of their lives. This is her identity, and Portia had no right to keep it from her. Portia says she didn’t want to upset Trina or her life. Maybe she was fooling herself, thinking this day would never come, but there’s still every chance Taggert is her father. True, she wanted to spare Trina the pain… Trina says, no. Portia wanted to spare herself. Portia says she’s sorry she kept this from Trina. She’s sorry about it all. She knows this is turning Trina’s life upside down, but she and Trina’s father love her so much. And every choice she’s made from the second she knew she was pregnant with Trina has been for Trina. Trina asks, how she can believe anything Portia says? How can Portia say she loves her, when Portia’s kept this from her for her entire life?

Nina meets Sonny at the elevator, and he asks if she changed her mind about going to GH. She says she doesn’t think her heart can take it, and asks if they can just go home. He says he’d do anything for her, and she says, that’s what gets her through all of this.

Terry and Yuri leave, and Finn guesses it’s time to call it a night. Elizabeth probably wants to get home to the boys. She says, all that’s waiting for her is an empty home; Jake and Aiden are with friends, and Cameron’s at his dorm. Finn suggests they go for a cup of coffee, and Elizabeth says, that sounds really nice.

Josslyn asks Spencer, what happened with him and Trina? She saw them leave, and when they came back, Trina seemed upset. Did he do something? He says, this time, he can guarantee he had nothing to do with it. She asks if Trina’s okay, but he says he has absolutely no idea.

Portia says she knows Trina can’t comprehend this right now, but at the time, she thought she was doing the best thing for all of them. Trina says, Portia was doing what was best for herself. Not for her, or her dad, or even Curtis. She thought it was bad enough Portia cheated on her dad – the man who will always be her dad, but may not be her father. It kills her that Portia hurt him again. She can’t do this. She has to get out of here. Portia tries to stop her, but Trina says she can’t even look at Portia right now. She doesn’t know who she is right now, and sure as hell doesn’t know who Portia is. She opens the door, and Curtis and Taggert are there. Soap looks all around.

Maggie tells Dante and Sam, her father is the devil incarnate. She tried to warn Esme. She told Esme that she’d be far better off without him, but she was always desperate to know her parents. Dante asks, who is he? They need a name. Sam says, please. They might be able to save her. Maggie says, his name is Chamberlain. Ryan Chamberlain.

Ava tells Felicia that she’s in, and Felicia says, she won’t regret it. Ava says, if Ryan is behind her attack, it will be her pleasure to take him down, but she can’t do it tonight. She has other priorities. Felicia says, so does she, and Ava walks her to the door. Ava says, they’ll talk about the details tomorrow, and Felicia tells her, have a good evening. Ava opens the door, and Ryan is there.

Tomorrow, Curtis says, Portia is actually justifying her lie; Anna says, they wait to hear from Valentin’s contact, then make their next move; and Ryan says, two for the price of one.

🏥 Sad Return…

Magic Milo comes back for Sonja Eddy’s tribute episode.

🤔 Big Duh To Me…

I thought I knew him from somewhere. He was Jeffrey on The Haves and The Have Nots. I guess I didn’t recognize him without all the angst.

🔙 Five Reappearing…

Throwing a bone to the Y&R fans.

🍹 Check Your Sources…

Highly doubtful Caroline A) drank four shots of tequila, and B) kissed back. The common denominator seems to be that Brandi thinks everyone wants her, and I demand a recount about Denise. Anyone who would slap LVP is capable of anything.

🧂 Prison Prep…

As one does before arriving at one’s cellblock.

That’s a big-ass tattoo.

👠 Celebrating Her Life…

What’s funny is, even though she’s been around my whole life, I haven’t seen many of her movies. I’ve always been a fan of Kansas City Bomber, but I might be the only one.

https://people.com/movies/raquel-welch-dead-life-in-photos/

⛺️ Singing Around the Campfire…

If you come back tomorrow, I promise you soap, a spot of tea, a blob of wisdom, and a splash of music to send you off to whatever the next few days hold for you. Until then, stay safe, stay paying attention to those otherwise invisible, and stay not taking any road trips with the devil incarnate.

February 10, 2023 – Willow Wants Arrangements Made, Duke Dialog, Reaction, His Honor, For Shame, Halftime, Puppies (!), One More Than Ten Quotes & Groove

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Curtis comes downstairs in his tux. Marshall and Drew are there, and tell him how great he looks, but Curtis says, all eyes are going to be on his lovely bride. Drew asks if he has the jitters, but Curtis says, not one, and Marshall asks, what’s his secret? Curtis says, today, he gets to marry the woman he loves, and he’s never been more sure of anything in his life.

Jordan sees TJ at the hospital, and asks if he shouldn’t be with Curtis, getting ready for the big day, but TJ says he’s still a resident, and has to put in the hours. He’s just wrapping up. He wants to see if he can get Aunt Stella to come to the wedding, but she keeps insisting she’s not feeling well, and doesn’t want anyone to catch what she has. But they both know there’s more going on here, don’t they.

Portia flashes back to Jordan telling her, it might do her some good to unburden herself, when Josslyn knocks at the dressing room door. Portia asks where Trina is, and Josslyn says, she’s making a phone call.

On the phone, Spencer tells Trina that he almost crashed the rehearsal dinner, but realized it wasn’t about him. He didn’t want to pull the focus on the bride and groom. She says, he might be halfway decent at this father thing after all, and Portia overhears the end of the conversation.

Austin arrives at Windymere, and asks Ava, what’s so urgent? She says, they have to move her ex-husband.

Finn says, Nik is just gone? and Elizabeth says, after their argument, he must have realized she could confess to the police. Finn says, that changes everything.

Nina tells Sonny that she was going to attend Curtis’s wedding, but that was before they got the bad news about Willow. He says he’s sure Curtis will understand, but it would give them a few hours to get out of the hospital. He doesn’t think Willow’s condition is going to change tonight. She asks how she can leave her daughter’s side, even if Willow doesn’t want her near her.

Willow says, it’s time they have the talk, but Michael says he’s not giving up. She says she’s not giving up either, but they have to start thinking about his life without her. She says she needs him to face the truth; she’s going to die. I kind of don’t get this, since it’s not like he’ll have to fend for himself.

Laura comes to the church early, and Taggert says, it’s been ages since they’ve seen each other. He came early to double-check security, and she says, better safe than sorry. They can’t get the cop out of him, can they? He says, not when it comes to his daughter or her mom. Why is Laura hear earlier than everyone else? She says she’s officiating this wedding. Apparently, Stella wasn’t well enough to come.

TJ says, Aunt Stella might be feeling guilty, since she meddled with Portia and Curtis when they first got back together, but Jordan says, Stella gave all of Curtis’s girlfriends a hard time, including her. She eventually comes around. He says, they know Aunt Stella is the best at punishing herself; she’s probably overblowing an upset stomach. Jordan suggests Stella might be concerned about her own recent health scare. She just wants Curtis to be happy; they all do. He asks how she’s handling today. It must bring up a lot of emotions. She says she and Curtis weren’t meant to be; there were too many secrets between them. He asks if she thinks they’d still be together if things had been different, but she says, they couldn’t have been. The secrets she was keeping were because of her job. The only thing she could have changed is letting the truth come from her, instead of someone else. She tells him that he should go, and to wish Curtis well for her.

Curtis says he knows Drew has a lot on his plate with Willow, but Drew says he’s where he needs to be. Not that he has a lot to do. Curtis isn’t nervous, and didn’t even let Drew throw him a bachelor party. Curtis thinks they might be a little too old for that, and Marshall says, you always think you’re old until you get older. Then you realize how young you really were. Drew says, at least they’re going to have a toast, and goes to get the drinks. Curtis asks Marshall if everything is okay, and Marshall says he’s just a wee bit overwhelmed. All those years of not being there for Curtis, he never knew they’d have this relationship. They still have miles to go, but standing by Curtis’s side means everything to him. Curtis says, it means everything to him too.

Trina asks if Portia is ready to put on her dress, but Portia says, there’s plenty of time for that. Josslyn says she’s going to check in with Olivia, and make sure the MetroCourt ballroom is set up for the reception, and talk to Laura. She asks if Trina is sure she doesn’t want to talk to Laura, but Trina says, Josslyn is going to have to face Cam’s grandmother at some point. Josslyn leaves, and Portia says, with Stella under the weather, there’s going to be an extra seat at the main table if Trina wants to invite a friend.

Ava says, they have to move Nikolas to the Pine Barrens right away, and Austin asks, why? Nikolas’s body is safely tucked away in a tack room closet. Didn’t they agree to wait until the curiosity about his disappearance died down? She says, that was before she spoke to Elizabeth. Just as she feared, Elizabeth is feeling guilty about what she and Nikolas did to Esme. How long will it be after Elizabeth turns herself in, that the police will get here and discover her late husband’s body?

Finn asks if Elizabeth has reconsidered turning herself in, but she says she thought she made her position clear. He reminds her that she said she was going to sleep on it, and she says, she did. She woke up more convinced than ever of what’s right. She even had Scotty come over this morning. She didn’t get into particulars… He says, it’s good to get legal advice. He sort of spoke to a lawyer himself. He didn’t use any names and spoke in hypotheticals, but this lawyer said her best bet is to testify against Nik, and the prosecution will focus on the main culprit, but Nik took off. He’s probably long out of the range of the law. Doesn’t that change the calculus? She says, not for her.

Michael says, it’s a setback, a big one, but Willow can’t be certain she’s going to die. She says, they’re running out of time to make sure everything is in place, and he asks what she means. She says, what she wants for Wiley and Amelia, and for him. So she knows when she’s gone, arrangements will be made, and they’ll be okay. He doesn’t want to hear it, and gets up, but she says, if they don’t do this now, everything she’s done will have been for nothing. She risked her health and safety to make sure Amelia would have a fighting chance at life. She can live with those consequences, but if he doesn’t sit down and talk with her about arrangements for Amelia and Wiley, and what life she wants them to have, about who will help him take care of them, and what they’ll be told about her when she’s gone, she won’t be at peace. He sits back down, and she says she’s so scared about what’s going to happen to him. It would be easy for him to bury himself in work, but she doesn’t want he children raised by nannies. She needs to know he’ll keep going, and one day, the three of them will be happy again. She needs to know her family will be okay and someday move on. They’re both crying, and he says he doesn’t want to give up hope. She says she loves him so much for that, but right now she doesn’t need hope. She needs peace of mind. And he’s the only person who can give that to her. A nurse needs to check Willow’s vitals, Michael says, of course (🍷), and leaves.

Drew comes back with glasses and some scotch, and Curtis says, it’s a special occasion. He’s got the good stuff downstairs. He leaves, and Drew says he wants to apologize to Marshall for all the background check stuff that went down, but Marshall says, that’s all in the past. There is something Drew can do for him. His greatest fear is that he has some kind of episode today. He hasn’t had one in years, but given this big occasion, he’s afraid he might give in to the pressure. So if Drew gets any sense he’s going to cause a scene, promise he’ll get Marshall out of there without any disruption. Drew says, absolutely, and Marshall thanks him and says he doesn’t want to ruin Curtis and Portia’s big day.

Trina says, Josslyn is going to be there, so she’ll have a friend with her, and Portia asks if Trina is actually going to make her say it. Trina says, what? and Portia says, if Trina wants to invite Spencer, she’d be okay with that. She’s never going to say he’s her favorite person, but she’s noticed Trina getting closer to him. She wants her special day to be special for Trina too. Trina says she’ll think about it.

Austin says he’s confused. Last night and this morning, Ava was all out of sorts, and now she’s all business. She says she loved Nikolas. It was a dark and twisted kind of love, but it was love. He says he believes it, and she says she doesn’t know what his story is, or why he decided to help her, but they’re bound together now, and they’ve got to get going. Ava hears Spencer call her name, and he bursts into the sitting room. He says, sorry. He used his key and let himself in. She asks what she can do for him, and he says he wants to know what went down between her and his father last night. Spencer asks for some privacy, and Austin steps out of the room. Spencer asks what Austin is doing here, and Ava says, they became friendly after he treated her for her hook wound. Spencer says he played the blackmail video for his father, but he refused to sign over the rights to the baby. He got the definite impression Nikolas was going to come here to confront her. Since then, he hasn’t answered any of Spencer’s calls or texts. He just wants to know if Nikolas is going to fight him for custody. She says she doesn’t think Nikolas is going to be a problem for him anymore.

Elizabeth tells Finn that she can’t live with this hanging over her for the rest of her life, always wondering if Nikolas or Ava will change their mind, and throw her under the bus. Finn says, Nikolas can’t throw her under the bus without throwing himself too, and his answer was to skip town. She says she went along with the plan because she thought she was protecting her son and this entire town from Esme. Once they found out Esme wasn’t The Hook killer, she and Nikolas said nothing. They withheld the truth, and The Hook killed again, her colleague Britt Westbourne. Britt’s dead because of her.

TJ arrives at Curtis’s, and says he wanted to try and rally Aunt Stella into coming, but no luck. Curtis says, it would be nice to have his whole family there, and TJ says, how sick can she be? Curtis says, she’s probably just nervous about her recent health scare, and TJ says, that’s what his mom said; he ran into her at the hospital. Curtis says he hopes Jordan knows, despite everything that went down, he’d love to see her there tonight. TJ says, she knows that. Understandably, she’s a little in her head today, but wanted him to send her best, and tell him that she’s happy for him. All of them are.

Terry says, sorry she’s late; she got held up at the hospital. Portia says, with a family full of doctors, if anyone understands, it’s her. Trina, Josslyn, and Terry wait, and Portia comes out in her wedding dress. I suck at describing clothes, but it’s got long sleeves, which I appreciate, and is super low cut. It’s got tasteful cut-outs and sparkly adornments, and a train that she can attach to her hand – I love those. Trina says, she’s the most beautiful bride ever. She’s beyond gorgeous, but Trina thinks they’re forgetting something. Something old, blue, borrowed, new. Josslyn says, the dress is new, and Portia says, her brother Zeke gave her this brooch that belongs to her mom. We see it pinned to the bouquet, and Trina says, they have new and borrowed, so she’ll handle the old and blue. She opens a jewelry box to show a charm that has a doctor’s symbol on it, and says, remember the suffrage project she did in high school? Portia says, of course (🍷) she does, and Trina says, she read about a doctor named Priscilla Johnson and she had a charm like this one. She found this a while back and wanted Portia to have it. Portia asks, why? and Trina says, she was ahead of her time and it inspired her, the way Portia inspires her every day. Portia says she absolutely loves it, just like she loves Trina.

TJ says he knows the toast is the best man’s job, but asks Drew to indulge him. To his uncle, the man who spends so much time looking out for everyone else. It means so much that they get to stand up for him on the happiest day of his life. Drew tells them, he couldn’t have said it better himself, they clink glasses, and drink. Drew says, now they have to get the groom to the church. It’s time for him to get married.

The nurse says she’ll see Willow in an hour, and leaves. Nina slips in, and Willow asks what she wants. Nina says she understands that the stem cell transplant isn’t happening. She wanted to tell Willow that she’s really sorry, and she’s sorry she wasn’t a bone marrow match, and couldn’t save Willow’s life. Willow says, not everything is about Nina, and Nina says, she’s right. That’s actually why she came by. She takes off her half-heart necklace, and says she found this necklace with Madeline’s belongings. Willow asks if the story has a point, and Nina says, for years she convinced herself this was Madeline’s way of connecting her to her daughter. That’s how self-absorbed she is sometimes. She thought the necklace had to do with her, but it had nothing to do with her; the necklace was linking the sisters together. Her twin daughters Madeline separated from each other. She knows Willow wants nothing to do with her or her sister, but this necklace is Willow’s. Willow turns her back to Nina, and Nina stands there for a moment, then puts it on the nightstand and leaves, closing the door. I can’t stand Willow. There, I said it.

Elizabeth says, Britt was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but Britt is dead because of the choices she made. Finn says, Elizabeth has been beating herself up for a while, but he can’t help feeling she’s transferring residual guilt she feels about Reiko onto Britt. Please don’t do this because she thinks she needs to pay some kind of penance, or thinks he’s holding a grudge against her; he’s not. She doesn’t need to be absolved by him or anyone else. She says, maybe she needs to be absolved by herself, and he says, even if the police knew where Esme was, it wouldn’t have prevented anyone from getting hurt. The prosecution will be out for blood, and with Nik gone, she’ll be left to pay the price. Is that justice? The guy responsible for this is out walking free, while she risks being taken away from her boys? She says she woudn’t be someone they’d be proud of if she didn’t do this.

Ava tells Spencer that Nikolas came to Windymere last night. He was livid that she’d given Spencer material to use against him in his custody battle. He said he couldn’t trust that Ava wouldn’t turn him in after Spencer got custody. She’s so sorry. His father left town, probably the country. She doesn’t think he’s coming back to Port Charles, not after all the bridges he’s burned. The only two people in his corner are his mother and his Uncle Victor. Spencer says, he left without saying goodbye? and she says she’s so sorry. His phone dings, he looks at it, and says he has to go. All he can say is, good riddance. He leaves, and Austin says, she’s really good. She says, no time for compliments. They have a body to move. He says, that’s not going to happen.

Elizabeth asks Finn how she’s any better than her parents. How can she expect her boys to be better when she’s setting a bad example? How can she ever find peace? She’ll always care about him, and Violet will always be her niece, but if she’s honest, their underlying issues were exacerbated by his need to be her hero; protecting her instead of trusting her to handle things. She knows it’s from a good place, but needed to handle her trauma in her own way, and she did just that. Now she wants him to let her handle this in the way she sees fit. For the sake of the family they’ll always share, she’s asking him not to fight her.

Austin says he’s not helping Ava with the body right now, and she asks if he didn’t hear her. Elizabeth is having a crisis of conscience. If she goes to the cops, the first thing they’re going to do is search the property, and look for where Esme was being held captive. He says, people get caught when they’re impulsive, and they should be smarter than that, methodical. It’s the middle of the day. Her super handsome stepson just waltzed right in here. What would have happened if he’d seen them putting his tarp-wrapped papa in a rowboat to get him off the island? That would have been really uncomfortable. They would have been screwed. She says, that’s a fair point. Does he have a plan? He says, no, but he knows enough not to do it in broad daylight. They should wait for the cover of darkness. Isn’t she supposed to be at a wedding? They don’t want people asking why she was a no-show, or worse, stopping by to find out if she’s okay. She says, fine. After the wedding, they’ll meet back here, and take care of the body. She starts to leave, then says, she knows why she has experience in these extreme situations. Remind her to ask why it comes so naturally to him.

Terry says, the guests should be arriving soon; they should mingle. She and Josslyn leave, and Portia tells Trina that she loves the charm, because it reminds her of the amazing young woman Trina is. She’s going to carry it with her always. Trina says she’s grateful for Portia every day. Portia makes her so proud to be her daughter. Portia says, Trina makes her proud every single day, and Trina says she knows she didn’t always make it easy, but Portia says, she’s an angel. Stress is part of the job of being a parent. Trina says she meant she didn’t always make it easy for Portia and Curtis at first, but Portia says, that time has long past. Every choice she’s made in her life, it’s been with Trina in mind. Just because she’s walking down the aisle, doesn’t mean that will change. Trina is the love of her life.

Laura says, Curtis looks fantastic, and he says he’s just keeping up with his bride. He knows she’ll look amazing. Laura says she needs to prep, and jets, when Taggert walks in. He says he thinks it’s time he and Curtis had a talk.

Michael comes back to Willow’s room. He asks about the necklace, but she says, it’s nothing that matters. He says he’s sorry if he made her feel unheard, but she says he doesn’t need to apologize. They’re in this situation because of decisions she made without giving him a say. She doesn’t get to dictate how he deals with this. He says he’ll never give up hope on her, but if it gives her peace of mind to make preparations for a future she might not be part of, he can do that. She thanks him, and he asks where they start. She says, finally an easy question. He can start by marrying her.

Sonny asks how it went with Willow, and Nina says she didn’t expect it to be easy, but she thought if Willow knew there was a mom looking for her, it would give her the strength that she needs. She asks if they can get out of here, and he says, home or to the wedding? but she says they don’t have time to get ready for the wedding. He says he had Frank bring her dress just in case, so it’s ready if she is. He’ll follow her lead. She thanks him.

Finn tells Elizabeth that he doesn’t like it, and disagrees with it, but it’s not his decision to make, and he respects her choice. If she likes, he’ll be there with her every step of the way. She thanks him, and he says, for the record, he wasn’t trying to be a hero; he was just trying to do right by her. Do him one small favor. Don’t go to the station tonight. Call Scotty in the morning, and have him coordinate everything with the police. She says, okay. She’ll try not to let the family know anything is wrong. He says, she doesn’t have to wait alone. There’s a little shindig they’re both supposed to be at, and he thinks Portia would appreciate her being there. And if she needs anything, there’s a guy across the aisle who cares about her.

There’s a knock at Portia’s bedroom door, and Terry says, the church is starting to fill up. Her phone dings, and she says, Elizabeth’s on her way. Trina says she’ll see Portia out there, and Portia tells Trina that she loves her. Trina says she loves Portia too, and leaves.

Ava comes out all dressed up, and Austin says she looks really nice. She says, thanks, let’s go, but he says he thought he’d hang out here until she got back. She tells him that she said this binds them together, not that she trusts him. Come on. He follows her out.

Josslyn says, if she had to come to a wedding without a date, she’s glad she’s with Trina. Trina says she hates to break it to Josslyn, but she has a date. Josslyn says, what? Who? Spencer walks in.

Taggert says, he and Curtis never really talked about how Curtis and Portia got together back then, but Curtis says, this isn’t the time. Taggert says, just hear him out. Whatever happened back then doesn’t matter. Today is about the future, and he sees how great Curtis is for Portia, and the sacrifices he’s made for Trina. He sees they’re going to have a bright future. Curtis says he certainly didn’t expect that, and thanks Taggert. Taggert says he knows this doesn’t make them family, but he’s glad Curtis is part of his daughter’s. He’s a good man. They shake hands, and Curtis says, Taggert is a good man too.

Portia checks herself out in the mirror, when there’s a knock at the door. She opens the door and sees Jordan. She asks what Jordan is doing here, and Jordan says, stopping Portia from making the biggest mistake of her life.

On Monday, Jordan asks if Portia can really walk down the aisle with this hanging over her; Michael says he needs Willow to do something for him in return; and Nina asks if Carly will be joining Drew.

🕶 Live and In Person…

On YouTube anyway, February 17th.

👛 More Than Two Cents…

Why shouldn’t Bethenny comment? She’s done her time. Brandi really needs to go directly to the unemployment line, no passing go, no collecting Bravo dollars.

👨‍⚖️ You Should Be Watching…

It was so long between seasons, I’d actually forgotten about Your Honor, but it’s back, and worth the watch. Great story and an amazing cast. My advice though, start from the beginning.

https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/2023/01/22/bryan-cranston-on-exploring-grief-and-depression-in-season-two-of-your-honor/

https://www.salon.com/2023/01/22/rosie-perez-your-honor/

🤬 Blood Officially Boiling…

What possessed this woman to make a comment like this? Not to mention, Melanie Lynskey is a superb actor, while she’s a model who married Christopher Knight, and did a bunch of reality shows.

🥁 Bowl, Wings and Chill…

Halftime. That’s what it’s really all about, isn’t it?

https://parade.com/entertainment/super-bowl-2023-halftime-show-rihanna

In related RiRi news…

https://parade.com/entertainment/super-bowl-2023-halftime-show-rihannahttps://pagesix.com/2023/02/10/rihanna-gets-met-gala-inspired-wax-figure-before-super-bowl-2023/ 

I admire the audacity to rank.

https://www.avclub.com/super-bowl-halftime-shows-ranked-1850091017

🐶 And Of Course…

What it’s really all about for me.

https://parade.com/tv/puppy-bowl-2023

You get a puppy! And you get a puppy!

https://ew.com/tv/puppy-bowl-2023-puppies-kittens-you-can-adopt/

👩🏽‍🏫 Quotes of the Week

The rule is to dress for the job you want. 🔸  I can’t come to work dressed like an astronaut. – Mandy (Molly McCook) and Kyle (Christoph Sanders) respectively, Last Man Standing

Life is problems. Living is solving problems. – Raymond E. Feist

Every piece of the universe, even the tiniest little snow crystal, matters somehow. I have a place in the pattern, and so do you. – T.A. Barron (Don’t step on any butterflies.)

A man who has never gone to school may steal from a freight car; but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad. Theodore Roosevelt

As to wishing it had not happened, one can’t help momentary wishes: guilt begins only when one embraces them. You can’t help their knocking at the door, but one mustn’t ask them in to lunch.C.S. Lewis, from The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume III

Leaders who win the respect of others are the ones who deliver more than they promise, not the ones who promise more than they can deliver. – Mark A. Clement

No man can tell whether he is rich or poor by turning to his ledger. It is the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has. – Henry Ward Beecher

Have no fear of perfection; you’ll never reach it. – Salvador Dalí

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

That food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison. – Ann Wigmore

What did Columbus discover? People were already here. It’s like crashing your car into Starbucks & saying you discovered coffee. – Jimmy Kimmel

🥙 Bowl Me Over…

Make a return trip on Monday really Tuesday for soap, the latest Deck, and my derogatory comments about the godawful Summer House coming back. Until then, stay safe, stay taking it a minute at a time if you have to, and stay never moving a body in broad daylight. Wait for the cover of darkness.

February 8, 2023 – Elizabeth Asks Scotty For Help, VanderBack, Sequel Role, Incident Statement, Please Don’t Leave & Everything

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Ava dreams that Nikolas is in the bed with her, but she says, this isn’t real; he’s dead. He says, she bludgeoned him, and she says, it was an accident. He says, an accident of passion. It’s always been like that with them, and always will be. She tells him to go away, but he says he’s not going anywhere. What’s between them is forever. She wakes, and sees blood on her hand. She pulls back the covers, and the sheets are bloody. She screams, then really wakes up. Her bedroom door opens.

Carly finds Michael in Willow’s room, and asks if he needs anything, but he just wants to see Willow’s face when she meets the baby. She’s been sleeping since the C-section. Carly suggests he take a break, but he says he can’t leave until Willow opens her eyes.

Elizabeth looks at a picture of her boys, and flashes back to Finn telling her to sleep on it before she turns herself in. There’s a knock at the door, and it’s Laura, who asks if she’s heard from Nikolas.

Finn goes to Alexis’s office, and she asks, what’s going on? He says he needs some hypothetical legal advice, but she says she’s not even a hypothetical lawyer. He says, how about some advice about the law from someone who’s good at it? and she asks, what’s up? He asks, what kind of charges someone would be facing if they were an accessory to a felony? He’s asking for a friend.

Nina looks at the baby through the window, and Obrecht joins her. Obrecht says she remembers when Britta was born; she was vocal and disapproving from the start. And as beautiful as Nina’s granddaughter. Nina says, it’s good to see Obrecht here, and Obrecht says, of course (🍷) she’s here; she had to see her grandniece. She asks how Willow is, and Nina says she thinks Willow is sleeping. Willow doesn’t really want anything to do with her. If Willow wants to see her, she’ll be there in a second, but she made a promise to herself not to upset her daughter.

Willow wakes up, and Michael asks if she wants to meet her daughter. She can’t wait to meet Willow. Welcome back. He says he loves her so much, and kisses her forehead. Carly slips out of the room, and in the hallway, she tells Sonny that Willow’s awake. Michael tells Willow that their baby is perfect, and wants to meet her mom. Willow says she needs to see her now, and asks Michael to bring her their baby.

Scotty joins Obrecht and Nina, and asks how the newest member of the family is doing. Obrecht asks if that’s why he’s here, or is he checking up on her? He says, the kid may need a lawyer. It’s never too soon to start suing people. The hardest thing for him about memorials is, people say nice things, then go back to their lives. She says, her Britta’s gone, but her heart rejoices for Nina, and she can’t wait to meet her grandniece. Nina gets a text from Sonny that says, Willow’s awake.

Sonny says, their son has a daughter, and Carly says, now that she’s here, Willow can get the stem cell transplant she needs, and this nightmare will finally be over. He says, babies are miracles. Can she believe their granddaughter is going to save Willow’s life? It’s amazing.

Willow says she remembers them showing her and Michael their baby. Then they took her away. He says, Willow asked him to go with her, and she says, then she remembers… not exactly. Did something happen? He says, from what he was told, Willow started hemorrhaging, and her heart stopped on the operating table. She says, Michael was there, but he says he was in the NICU with their daughter. She says, then he came back, but he tells her that they wouldn’t let him back in. She says she heard his voice, as clear as she’s hearing it now. He told her to come home and live. He tells her that he did say that, but he was in the waiting area, praying as hard as he could for her to come back. She says, and she did.

Finn tells Alexis, someone he knows made a really big mistake, but it’s over. He’s worried confessing will ruin their life without making anything better. She says, so this crime is not ongoing? He says, no, and she says, murder? He says, no, and she says, accidental death? He says, no one got hurt, not really, and she asks if the friend was part of planning the crime. He says, they got roped into helping the person, and chose to protect them rather than going to the police, and she says, so this person might be an accessory to the crime after the fact, which would be a misdemeanor at worst. He says, that doesn’t sound so bad, and she says, or a felony, depending on the details of the crime.

Elizabeth says she hasn’t spoken to Nikolas since they argued at the hospital, and Laura says, it was obvious they were both shaken by it. Is she okay? Elizabeth says, no. She thinks her friendship with Nikolas is over. Laura says, after everything they’ve been through all these years? Doesn’t Elizabeth think it’s possible they just need a little time? She knows it’s not her business, but does Elizabeth know what happened between Spencer and Nikolas? Elizabeth asks her to narrow it down, and Laura says, Spencer wants to sue for custody of Nikolas and Esme’s baby. Elizabeth looks shocked, and Laura says, Spencer said he knew something about Nikolas; something he thinks is unforgivable. Elizabeth asks if Spencer said what it was, but Laura says, he told her it was best she didn’t know, but he insists Nikolas should not be allowed to raise the baby. Elizabeth asks how Nikolas reacted, and Laura says she’s never seen him so devastated. It’s like he really lost everything.

Austin asks if Ava is okay. Does she want to focus on some breathing? She takes some deep breaths, and says, Nikolas, he’s dead. Austin says, he is, and she says, he was going to take Avery. She just wanted to stop him, and she hit him with a statue and he fell. Austin says, he did, and she asks what he’s doing here. He says, she asked him to spend the night and keep an eye on her, and she says, he scared her, walking into her room like that. He says he heard her scream, and was worried about her, and she tells him, get out. He goes to the door, and says, at some point, they’ll have to talk about what happens next. She says, what happens next is, he leaves and forgets he was ever here, and they never speak of this again. He says that works for him, but what is she going to say when people notice Nikolas is missing? She tells him, she’ll say, Nikolas was here and they argued about Windymere. He regretted giving her Spoon Island and wanted it back, but she wouldn’t give it to him, so he stormed off. She doesn’t know what happened to him after that. He says, that’s good. A good lie manages to stay as close as possible to the truth. She asks where he learned that, and he says, his family. She thanks him for not turning her in, but says she meant what she said. He should go and never look back. As far as she’s concerned, he was never here. He says, if only it were that easy, and she asks, what’s hard about it? He says, his cousin Mason. Mason is the reason he stopped by last night. He’s after Ava. She says, Mason’s a thug. Does Austin think she’d let him in her house? Austin says, he came here just in case, and she says, if Mason had shown up instead of him… He says, if Mason had glimpsed her hiding Nikolas’s body, he would have had her for life. She says she’s glad it was him, and he’s right; she’s going to keep it really simple. Nikolas was here, he left, and she doesn’t know anything else. They don’t want the cops focusing on Spoon Island. He asks if Nikolas’s kid is going to be a problem, but she says, Spencer won’t be a problem. Elizabeth might be.

Elizabeth tells Laura, after she ran into Nikolas, Finn came to see her. Laura asks how that went, but Elizabeth says, not well. Laura asks if Elizabeth was angry before she ran into Nikolas, and Elizabeth says, she told Nikolas what her parents had done to her as a teenager, how they hurt and betrayed her. He knew she was struggling because of it. Laura asks what he did, and Elizabeth says, he just made it about himself. He made it seem like he was inconvenienced by her pain. Laura says she’s sorry Nikolas let Elizabeth down, but she also feels sorry for Nikolas because Elizabeth has been such a positive influence in his life. Elizabeth says, not always. She’s not as perfect as Laura thinks she is.

Finn says he’s worried his friend’s life is going to be torn apart because they thought they were doing the right thing, but Alexis says, they weren’t. Clearly, there’s a victim here. Was the victim aware of Elizabeth’s involvement? He says he doesn’t think so. Not yet, unless they figure it out. She says, if there’s a chance it can be figured out, his friend needs to get ahead of it, and come forward voluntarily, and he asks if they’ll still go to prison. She says, probably. Here’s a thought. Would his friend consider testifying against the person who committed the crime in the first place?

Carly and Sonny fawn over the baby, as she’s wheeled past to see Willow. The nurse takes the baby into Willow’s room, and Carly says, she’s so beautiful, and she’s smart. She, Bobbie, and Josslyn went to the NICU to see her. They were blowing kisses and waving, and Carly swears the baby was looking right at her.

Willow holds the baby, and Michael says, she’s so beautiful and awfully big for a preemie.

Laura says, Elizabeth has something more on her mind than just Nikolas. Whatever it is, she’s here for her. Elizabeth says she knows, but she’s come to realize her friendship with Nikolas is bad for both of them. She’s sorry. Laura says she’s sorry it’s come to that, but Elizabeth has to do what’s best for her. Nikolas is spiraling, and she’s worried about him, but saving Nikolas from himself isn’t Elizabeth’s responsibility. Elizabeth says, it’s not Laura’s either, but Laura says she’s his mother. She’ll never give up on him.

Finn isn’t sure if his friend would testify, and Alexis thinks he should try to convince them. Cooperating with the prosecution can go a long way. It could reduce his friend’s sentence. He says, reduced, as in no jail time? but she says she doesn’t know the details of this case; she doesn’t want to know. He thanks her for the advice, and she suggests his friend call Diane or Martin, someone they can give the details to, because his friend is on a slippery slope. He says, that’s what he was afraid of, when there’s a knock at the door. Gregory comes in, and Finn says he’s on his way out. He jets, and Gregory asks if he interrupted something important.

Sonny says, Carly knows she’s dying to go in, but Carly says, Michael and Willow deserve a little time with their daughter before she busts in the room. He says, it reminds him of the first time they saw Donna, and she says, her too. They thought spina bifida was going to limit Donna’s life somehow; that she was going to grow up with extra struggles. He says, but she’s perfect, and Carly says, she is. They’re so lucky. He says, they are.

Michael films Willow with the baby, and she says, Wiley is going to be so excited. He says, no pressure, but he thinks before they introduce their kids, their daughter needs a name. They have to give their daughter a name that’s not Annabelle III or Ashoka. She says, actually, she knew the baby’s name the moment she saw her.

Carly tells Sonny that she’s happy for Michael; he was denied this chance with Wiley. He says he hates to think of the pain Michael went through, and she says, because of Nelle, Nina’s daughter. He says, who Nina never knew (try saying that 3 times real fast).

Scotty steps away to take a call, and Obrecht says she knows every cell in Nina’s body is aching to go to her daughter. Nina says, it’s torture, but it’s what Willow wants, and Obrecht says, for now. Perhaps someday, and soon. It’s not right that Carly gets to share in this moment with Michael and Willow. Carly is no better than they are, but she gets to share in this moment while they’re shunned. She’s forgiven her transgressions, while Nina is considered the transgressor. That is unacceptable. How she’d love to dig Carly’s skeletons out of the closet and into the light. Nina says, come to think of it, there is something Carly’s trying desperately to hide. Obrecht says, tell her more.

Austin says, so Nikolas was holding Esme Prince captive, in a tower no less, and Elizabeth was helping him? He didn’t know she had it in her. Ava says, still waters with that one, but he doesn’t get how Elizabeth is a threat. If she was helping Nikolas, wouldn’t it be in her best interest to keep quiet? She says, of course (🍷) it is, but Elizabeth’s conscience tends to flair up at the most inopportune moments. If her guilt sends her to the cops, Spoon Island will be swarming with police, and they could find the body. He says, we need a plan, but she says, not we; just her. This is her problem. He says, the second he saw her hiding the dead body, her problems became his problems, and she says, that’s noble of him, but nobody would have any idea they had a relationship beyond doctor and patient. No one will ever know he was here. The doorbell rings.

Ava answers the door to find Laura on the porch, and says, Laura wasn’t the person she expected. She invites Laura in, and Laura asks if Ava was expecting her son, but Ava says, definitely not. Laura asks Ava to tell her what happened with Nikolas last night.

Gregory says, it’s not like Finn to rush out like that, and Alexis says, he had a lot on his mind. He says, a nice way of telling him to butt out, and she says she likes his shorthand. He asks how her day is going, and she admits the editorial meeting was a little rough. He asks if there are any new developments in The Hook case, and she says, no, which is why they have to keep the pressure on the PCPD, so they find the lunatic. He asks how she’s going to do that, but she says she’s not sure. He suggests an early lunch and a little brainstorming, but she asks if he doesn’t have classes this morning.

Nina tells Obrecht that she saw Drew hugging Carly, comforting her, and wouldn’t have thought anything about it, but it was clear they were trying to keep their relationship a secret. Obrecht wonders what there is to hide. Even she knows they have a history of friendship. No one would be surprised if it evolved into more, so why would it matter if it had? Nina says she has no idea, and Obrecht suggests she find out.

Ava asks why Laura thinks she saw Nikolas last night, and Laura says, he and Spencer had a horrible argument. Nikolas seems to think Ava sided with Spencer against him. He stormed out, and she assumed he would come here. Ava says, he did. He barged in like he still owned the place. He went on and on about how it  belongs in the family. Austin slips out, and Ava says, in the end, they both said things they can never take back, so it’s just as well they’re divorcing. She wants him out of her life. Laura doesn’t see how that’s possible. Not if Ava is helping Spencer to blackmail him.

Carly asks if she can come in, and Michael says, 14 minutes and 20 seconds; Willow owes him twenty bucks. Carly asks how Willow is feeling, and Willow says, never happier, now that Amelia is here.  Michael says, let’s make it official, and introduces Amelia Grace Corinthos to Carly. Carly says, it’s perfect.

Nina asks if Sonny got to hold the baby, and he says, no, but he saw her on the way in. She says, Willow and Michael must be thrilled, and Sonny’s phone dings. He says, Willow is sending a text from Michael’s phone, and asks if Nina is ready,. He shows her a picture of the baby, and says, their new granddaughter has a name; Amelia. Nina says, Amelia Grace, and hugs Sonny.

Gregory says he doesn’t have a class today, and Alexis says, it’s hard to tell. He asks what she’s getting at, and she says, he never talks about his classes much. He says, of course (🍷) he does… doesn’t he? She says, most professors love talking about their classes; the interesting conversations, the offbeat questions, their students and how they inspire them. He says, here’s an offbeat question for her; what’s her point? She says, maybe he’s not as invested in teaching as he used to be, and he says, because he doesn’t tell her about his classes? She says, it’s possible he’s just over it, and ready for a change.

Ava says, Laura, of all people, can’t condone what Nikolas did, and Laura says she probably wouldn’t if she knew what it was, but Ava and Spencer are holding it over his head, aren’t they? She knows Nikolas treated Ava badly, but does Ava think it’s a good strategy to respond in kind? If they keep tearing into each other, how will that end? Ava flashes back to the argument with Nikolas and whacking him in the head, and tells Laura that she didn’t want this. Laura says, of course (🍷) Ava didn’t, but she’s worried about her son. He’s lost Ava, and apparently had a terrible falling out with Elizabeth. She’s afraid Spencer’s threat to take away his child is going to be the last straw. Whatever secret Ava shares with Spencer, Spencer lorded it over his father last night. Nikolas felt so betrayed, and was so angry. She feels like something horrible is going to happen now and she’s going to lose her son for good.

Finn offers his condolences to Obrecht about Britt, and she thanks him… for his absence at Britta’s memorial. At least he’s not a hypocrite like so many others at this hospital; giving Britta her due only after she’s gone. Since he’s feeling so generous today, perhaps he can do something about his friend Elizabeth.

Elizabeth thanks Scotty for coming over, and he says, she calls, he comes, they are family. She says she’s glad he’s part of the boys’ lives, and he says he’s going to cut to the chase. She sounded funny on the phone, and said she wanted to see him in a professional capacity. Now she’s telling him that she’s happy he’s part of the boys’ lives. What gives? She says she’s in trouble.

Laura says, there’s nothing to stop Nikolas from throwing in with Victor now, and Ava says, Nikolas hates what’s become of his life. He doesn’t think there’s anything for him here in Port Charles. But for what it’s worth (🍷), she doesn’t think he’ll throw in with Victor. Laura hopes Ava is right, but wishes he’d return her calls. She supposes she’ll hear from him eventually. He probably just needs a little time to lick his wounds. She’s probably overreacting. Ava says, she’s reacting as any mother would.

Nina thinks it’s a good sign that Willow sent Sonny the photo, but he says, it’s not the real thing. She says, he’s right, and hugs him.

Carly holds Amelia and says, she’s beautiful. Michael says he thinks some peace and quiet might do the baby some good, and Willow says she knows what he’s trying to do, but she doesn’t want to take her eyes off Amelia. Carly says, Willow has the rest of her life to look at Amelia; she can rest. Willow says, when she puts it that way… and closes her eyes.

Alexis asks if there’s a chance Gregory is no longer interested in teaching, and he says, they already talked about him becoming a journalist. She says, this time, she’s not just talking. She’s offering him a job.

Laura says, if Ava hears from her son, text her, and Ava says, absolutely, but Nikolas made it clear that he never wants to see her again. It’s probably for the best. All they seem to do these days is hurt each other. Laura says she wishes it could have gone differently, and Ava says, so does she, more than anything. Laura leaves, and Ava leans against the door.

Finn asks what Obrecht thinks he needs to do about Elizabeth, and she says she just lost her daughter, but is her Scotty here with her? Obviously, he’s not, because Elizabeth called with yet another life crisis she’s ill-equipped to handle. Since her Scotty is both blessed and cursed with an excessively kind heart, he ran to her aid. Why? What does Elizabeth want with Scotty?

Scotty says, what kind of trouble? but Elizabeth says she’s not exactly sure. He says, she needs a lawyer, but doesn’t know why? and she says she knows what she did. She just doesn’t know how bad it is legally speaking. He says he’ll help her any way possible, so spit it out, and she says she committed a crime. Actually, several crimes.

The nurse wheels Amelia out of Willow’s room, and Michael comes out. Sonny starts to say something, but Michael sees Austin, and runs after him. He asks if there’s any news about the stem cells, and Austin says, Dr. Randolph should be on her way. Michael asks if they can wait for Terry in Willow’s room, Austin says, sure, and follows Michael in. Nina says, it sounds like they harvested the stem cells. Willow is going to get the transplant, right? This whole ordeal is going to be over. Sonny says, she’s going to live a long and happy life, and Nina says, hopefully, she’ll be part of that life.

Carly asks Austin if there’s any news, and he says, there is, but they should wait. Willow says she’s awake, and asks if Austin has met Amelia. He says he has, but wasn’t aware they’d named her. Such a beautiful name for a beautiful girl. Willow says she misses Amelia already, and Michael suggests she get some shuteye. They’ll wake her when Terry gets here. She says, or they can cut to the chase. Have the stem cells been harvested? She’s ready to move forward right away. She wants to get treated, and get out of this hospital as soon as possible. Her children need her. Austin doesn’t say anything, and Michael asks if there’s something wrong.

Tomorrow, Willow says, whatever it is, she can handle it; Elizabeth says she’s decided to turn herself in; and Nina asks what Sonny is thinking, and he says, she’ll see.

Vanderpump Rules

This was pretty much the same old, just with the players moved around. Lala talked about Randall’s mess of a life, and the LA Times article. Among the many sins of Randall listed were, his casting couch, sending assistants to run drugs, and $25 million in lawsuits. In Lala’s interview, she said, the LA Times confirmed what 50 Cent had said; Randall was a little Harvey Weinstein with less money and power. James had a new girlfriend, Ally, who’d already moved in. Raquel told us that James had found her replacement in three weeks. She was surprised when James called Ally the love of his life, since five minutes ago, he’d said the same thing about her. James was also drinking again after over two years of being sober. It was the old I just like a glass of wine with dinner justification, and I wonder how long before he’s the old James again. I’m pretty sure the old James has been lurking just beneath the surface this whole time.

Scheana and Raquel went to some spa to be wrapped in infrared blankets, which the manager said was the same as a cardio workout. If it was, we’d all be doing it. Raquel was going out with Peter, sort of. She told Scheana that she wasn’t trying to date Peter. She just wanted to under James’s skin. She could do worse. He’s certainly the most mature of the bunch. No surprise, James made a comment about Peter’s belly, even though Peter isn’t fat. Why does this twit continually call people fat to insult them? It’s wrong on so many levels, especially in 2023. In Raquel’s interview, she said she thought Ally was in for a rude awakening, and she couldn’t believe what she’d tolerated when she was with James.

Schwartz and Katie were divorced, and Schwartz thought they had a good friendship. It had been a healthy divorce, although he thought divorce was a dramatic word. You should just say, I want to start a happy new beginning… without you. Schwartz had also played pickleball with Randall, and was on Lala’s sh*t list. In Sandoval’s interview, he said, it seemed insane that Lala hadn’t seen what was coming, and we flashed back to some red flags. The girls made plans to go to Hotel Ziggy where James was going to be DJ’ing, and Raquel said she thought it was going to be stressful with Ally plus James plus Peter.

It was Lala’s first time being single and sober, and it freaked her out. Rachel decided to rip the Band-Aid off and get to know Ally. They talked on a couch in the bar lounge, and it was all rainbows and unicorns. Until some weird guy, wearing only a towel, came by, and said it was his couch. His face was blurred, so I’m guessing he thought better of his decision making when sober. But seriously, WTF? Schwartz tried to talk to Lala, and said he couldn’t believe she cut him from her life for hanging out with her ex seven months after the fact. Lala said, if he didn’t want to be on her team, that was fine, but then he wasn’t going to be in her orbit. He said he hadn’t been being malicious, and she sent him a malicious text, making a derogatory comment about his marriage. In Schwartz’s interview, he wondered who the f*** Lala thought she was. He’d been at the lowest point in his life, and Lala hurt his feelings. Cry me a river. I don’t blame her for being pissed. Lala apologized for her timing, and in her interview, she said, it was the year of burning bridges. Either you were with her, or out of her life.

This season, twerking: a girls trip; Vanderpump Paris opens; a Schwartz piñata; Garcelle (!); delays in Schwartz & Sandy’s opening; and Schwartz calls Lala a bootleg Housewife.

🃏 No Joke…

So that’s where Morgan has been all this time.

🏋️‍♂️ Dropping the Bar…

It’s not even low anymore. It’s on the ground.

https://people.com/tv/peacock-shares-statement-after-brandi-glanville-caroline-manzo-rhugt-incident/

😭 Say It Ain’t So…

My dream vacation was to cruise on a yacht with Captain Lee driving and Kate as chief stew. Alas, it looks like it will never be. Like I’d have a year’s salary to spend for a few days on a boat. Still, the show won’t be the same. It’s suffered from Kate leaving. This will be the final nail unless they pull one huge rabbit out of a hat.

💃🏽 Whiskey Tango Foxtrotting Out…

Check in tomorrow to find out what’s happening in Port Charles and have some tea. Until then, stay safe, stay not crossing a bridge until you come to it, and stay not believing an infrared blanket is the same as a cardio workout.