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July 6, 2021 – Jason and Carly Go Public, Candace Has a Visitor From the Past & Blues

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Violet runs into Charlie’s with a baseball, and tells Anna that her daddy gave it to her. Did she see him play? Anna says she did, and he’s a true hero. Violet asks if they can have a tea party, since Anna has pretty cups, and Anna says, any time she wants, but it might be a little different; Daddy won’t be there. She says she misses Violet, and Violet says she misses Anna too.

At Charlie’s, Michael says, Sam’s final play won the game. Good for her. Dante says it was all his coaching, but Sam says she made the play despite his coaching. Violet tells everyone, shh! Uncle Chase and Aunt Willow are coming. Finn picks her up, and Willow wheels Chase in. Everyone yells, surprise! and Violet confirms, it’s a surprise, in case that was unclear. Everyone applauds, and there are smiles all around.  

On the terrace with Bailey/Louise, Valentin tells her, happy 4th of July. This is a family celebration where the firework’s are literal, so she might want to enjoy the quiet while it lasts. Brook comes out, and says she’s already late for Chase’s party, and wants to be there to support him. Valentin is good, right? He’s going to be Bailey’s primary caregiver for a couple hours. Monica comes out, and asks to see Brook for a moment – alone.   

Jake asks why Cameron brought him to the park. He wants to go to the pool with Aiden and their friends. Cameron says he thinks they need to talk, and Jake asks, about what? Cameron says, give him a break. He’s trying. He knows Jake is still mad and still hurt about what he did, and what he said to him when he was so sure Jason killed Franco. Jake says Cameron called his dad a killer, and said he was stupid for believing Jason. Cameron said he was sorry, and he said it was okay. Cameron says, obviously, it’s not okay, and he wants to fix it.   

Clothes are all over the floor in Britt’s room. Jax wakes up and looks at Britt. She opens her eyes, and he waves and tells her, good morning. She says, what the… and he says, it’s just him. Does she remember Charlie’s Pub last night? They had a few drinks, and she invited him back to her place. She says, things happened, and asks, what time is it? He checks, and says, no way; it’s the afternoon. She says, wow, time flies, and asks if he has anywhere to be. He says, actually, he doesn’t, unless she wants him to go, of course (🍷). She says, you tell me, and asks if it was pity sex. He says, no, not on his part. She’s beautiful. She says, good answer, and kisses him, because no one has bad breath or messed up makeup after a night of drinking and wild sex on a soap.

Carly asks if Josslyn is going to the park to watch the fireworks. Avery is going to a Lila’s Kids event, and she thinks Avery would feel better if Josslyn was close by, just in case she gets insecure. There’s been a lot of upheaval in Avery’s life recently. Josslyn says she was going to meet Cameron and Trina at the docks, but she’ll switch it to the park. Speaking of Trina, Carly will never believe what happened at Trina’s party. Actually before the party. Trina came face-to-face with Ava’s stalker.

On the phone, Trina says she told Portia that she’s over what happened last night. She’s not scared… She’s at the pool. She sees Spencer (another one who now goes by two names), and says she just spotted someone she knows.

Jason comes in, and Carly says, good; he’s here. Josslyn asks what Jason is doing for the 4th, and he says he thinks he’s going to spend it with her mom. Josslyn asks if they’re going somewhere, and Carly says, they’re not sure yet, but they have something to tell her. She and Jason are getting married.

Brook says she’s used to the third degree from Olivia, but what did she do to provoke Monica? Monica says she just wanted to talk without Valentin, and Brook says, okay. What’s the problem? Monica says she heard Maxie was there to see Bailey again, and Britt says, so? Monica says, it can’t be healthy. It breaks her heart knowing what Maxie is going through. Her baby is with a kidnapper, and coming to see Bailey is going to open the wound over and over again. It’s not healthy. Maxie comes in, and says, happy 4th! Look at that sweet, precious little girl. How cute she is in her 4th of July outfit? She looks adorable. And she does. Bailey/Louise is a very cute baby.

Violet tells Chase and Willow, happy 4th of July. Chase thanks her, and says she’s dressed for the celebration, but what is all this? Jordan says, they missed him, and thought it was a good time to celebrate, and tell him that they can’t wait to have him back. Dante can’t believe he’s saying this, but they missed Chase on the field too. He struck out a lot, but sometimes Chase actually hit the ball. Finn tells him to take his time in rehab. The longer they can avoid his pitching, the better. Violet says, just so everyone knows, today is only a party, not the reception. That’s later. Finn says, right. Chase wanted to make it clear that they’re saving the reception for when he’s is back on his feet. Chase says, which will be before they know it. He’s starting physical therapy. Willow convinced him to come there for a bite before visiting his physical therapist, and he totally believed her. Jordan says she told Chase’s new wife to lie, and Chase says, that’s a first. Dante says they have a little something for Chase and his new bride, and holds up Bride and Groom baseball shirts. He says he can’t wait for Chase to be back, so he can strike out again. Jordan suggests Chase and Willow both cheer them on this Thursday when they’re playing Aurora, and Violet says, yay, Uncle Chase and Aunt Willow! Everyone goes, yay!

Spencer says he’d ask if Trina is stalking him, if he wasn’t happy to see her. She says he wishes she was stalking him, and he asks if she hasn’t been on every pier looking for him. She says she was staking out a place to watch the fireworks with her friends, but she just got a text; they’re going to the park instead. He asks how the rest of her party was, and she says, awesome. Thanks for talking her into staying. He says, most people would have called it a night, but Trina tells him, she got some good advice about staying. He asks if she wants to catch some rays with him before meeting her friends, but she says she doesn’t have a swimsuit. He tells her, wear her birthday suit. He will if she will. She says she has a better idea. Why doesn’t she take him to the park… wearing clothes.

Cameron tells Jake that he’s sincerely sorry for insisting Jason killed Franco; he apologizes. Jake says, okay, but why did he? Cameron knows his dad would never hurt him like that. Cameron says he sees that now, but he was so hurt about losing Franco. Somebody told him recently that being angry is easy, but it’s so much harder to be sad, to be hurt. He took the easy way out. He was a jerk to Jason and a lousy big brother to Jake. He’s so sorry, and he’ll continue saying it until Jake believes him.

Josslyn says, Carly and Jason are getting married? That’s… unexpected. Carly says she knows it’s a surprise, but they thought about it carefully, and believe it’s the best choice for them. Josslyn says she only ever thought of them as friends, and Jason says, they are, and definitely couldn’t do this if weren’t best friends. They’ve always counted on each other, and been there for each other, and realized they should make the bond formal and legal by getting married. Josslyn asks if they think they’ll be happy, and Carly says, of course (🍷). What would make them really happy is knowing their family supports them. Josslyn says, of course (🍷) they have her support.

Jake says, Franco was his stepdad too, and he loved Franco. He didn’t deserve to be murdered. Maybe Cameron is right. Being mad at him is a whole lot easier than being sad. Cameron sits next to Jake on a bench, and says, he gets it. As soon as Jake stops being mad at Cameron, he’ll have time to miss Franco. Jake says he does miss Franco, but he also misses his brother. Playing video games with him, playing soccer, and teasing him about girls. Jake starts to cry, and Cameron says he misses those things too and knows it can be really scary to feel sad. How about if they do it together? Cameron puts his arm around Jake, and Jake says, okay.  

Josslyn tells Jason, welcome to the family. Except, he’s always been a part of the family. He says he’ll take the welcome anyway, and Josslyn asks if they don’t feel weird about being friends, then husband and wife. Carly says she thinks there’s going to be an adjustment, but they’re good. Josslyn says, clearly, they have it figured out, and the more she thinks about it, the more it makes sense. Who else are they going to marry? Sonny understood their relationship, but she’s not sure other people would. Relationships can be totally awkward, and they’re better off sticking to what they know. Carly says she doesn’t know whether to be proud that Josslyn is happy for them, or concerned that she’s such a cynic when it comes to relationships. She hasn’t even gone to college yet. Josslyn says she’s not a cynic. She just realizes that relationships can get complicated when you don’t want them too, but they’re so lucky. They already know  each other, inside and out. She has to get going, and Carly tells her to have fun. She says she will, and congratulates them, adding that she means it. She looks at Jason and says she doesn’t have to call him dad, right? Carly laughs, and Jason says, no. She says she was just making sure. Bye, engaged people. Happy 4th. She leaves, and Carly says, that was weird, but it went kind of well. Are they ready for the next step? Jason looks uncomfortable, and says, there’s something they have to do first.

Jax tells Britt, not that they need any more fireworks, but today is the 4th of July. She says, is it? and he says, picnics, fireworks, barbecues, the red, white, and blue. She laughs, and he asks, what’s funny? She says she was thinking about her first 4th of July in Port Charles; it was a nightmare. She can laugh now, but back then, it was terrible. He asks, what happened? and she says, for starters, she was carrying a baby that wasn’t hers, but that’s not even the main part of the story. Patrick Drake’s daughter Emma had this hyper-realistic doll, and she was holding it. It just started peeing on her, and it caught her so off-guard, she chucked the evil doll off her lap, and it landed on the barbecue grill, and exploded into flames. Every part of that story is true. They laugh.

Chase thanks Finn and Elizabeth for pulling off the surprise party. Being with friends and family is the best medicine. Finn says they hoped he’d feel that way, and Elizabeth says she wants to check on Cameron, and make sure he got his brothers to the park. She leaves, and Chase says, Finn and Elizabeth always seem to be together. What’s going on with them?

Jordan tells Anna, it’s been a while since they had a proper catch-up. She knows Anna has been looking for Maxie’s baby. Anna says she’s been searching for any evidence with Valentin, and Jordan says, Anna and Valentin? Wait a minute.

Valentin texts Anna: Are you still coming?

Britt asks what Maxie is doing there again, and Maxie says she was passing by, and wondered what they were up to with baby’s first 4th of July. Monica asks, what about James and Georgie? and Maxie says, they’re on a picnic with her mom and Mac. She’s going to join them later. She just wanted to see what was up with Brook and Bailey. Brook says, Valentin is a doting father, and every time Olivia comes by, she swoops in for her Bailey time. The Qs have a ton of nannies, so she thinks she’s covered. Monica says she’s going to going leave them to talk, and when she’s gone, Maxie asks why Monica is being weird. Brook says, she’s being weird because of Maxie.   

Finn tells Chase, Elizabeth is Violet’s aunt, and she’s been a good friend. When Chase got sick, she kept him from falling apart. Chase says, so there is something there, but Finn says, she’s still mourning the loss of her husband, and he still has issues because of Anna. Willow comes back, and Finn says, it’s really nice what she and Chase have, a good old fashioned, uncomplicated relationship. Chase says he couldn’t agree more, and Willow says she’ll go get them something to drink. Anna comes by, and asks if she can have Finn’s brother for a second. Finn says, of course (🍷), and gets up, saying, he kept the seat warm. She says, thanks, and sits. She says she wants to congratulate Chase on the wedding, and he says, thanks; he’s never been happier. She says, he deserves it.

Elizabeth tells Finn, Chase is right. Friends and family are really the best medicine. Finn says he’s almost happy himself. Then he remembers Peter is still in the freezer. She says she needs a drink. Does he want anything? He says, a drink sounds good, but no thank you.

Trina says Victor/Spencer will like her friends. They’re all going to college together in the fall. It was a whole drama. One was going to a California school, the other got waitlisted for Southern Coastal, but in the end, they all decided to go to PCU, which shows excellent taste, since she’s going too. Come on. She’ll introduce him to Cameron and Josslyn.

Josslyn sees Cameron and Jake, and asks if Jake is joining them, but he says, no way. He doesn’t want to be a third wheel. He’s meeting Aiden at the pool. He leaves, and Cameron says he doesn’t know where Jake got the third wheel idea. She says, it’s no big deal. Besides, she has exciting news. She’s glad he did his apology tour and all is forgiven, because her mom and Jason are getting married.

Jason tells Carly that he doesn’t want to lie, but something so simple like telling people they’re getting married, is… They both say, it’s complicated, together. He says, but what he told Josslyn was true. He couldn’t do this if Carly wasn’t his best friend. She says she feels the same way, and he takes a ring box out of his pocket. He tells her that he got her this.

Brook says, Monica has a point; Maxie shouldn’t be there, and she doesn’t need to be. Brook maneuvered her way into a job at Maxie’s office so she could see her daughter at daycare without anyone suspecting. Isn’t that enough? Maxie says, it was an ingenious plan, and she’s grateful, but it’s a holiday weekend and she’s here. Let her spend time with her daughter.

Valentin flashes back to being with Anna in Austin’s cabin, and Anna saying she couldn’t have gotten through the last few months without him. He tells her, nor him without her. He sort of smiles.

Willow asks how Michael’s 4th of July is going, and he says he thinks he’s looking at the calm before the storm. She says, it sounds ominous, but he says, it’s good news. He was shocked when he first heard, but then he thought about it and it made perfect sense. He’s happy for them. She says, who? and he says, his mom and Jason are getting married. Elizabeth and Sam are sitting at the bar, and overhear. Willow asks if she heard that right; his mom and Jason? He says, after them being best friends his whole life, they decided to get married. They had a discussion about it, and he believes they know exactly what they’re doing, and they’re fully committed. Sam drains her drink, and jets. Elizabeth follows her.  

Carly looks at the ring, and says, it’s beautiful. She hands it to him, he sighs, and puts it on her finger. Bleh.   

Jax says, Britt barbecued a doll in front of the girl who owned it. That’s horrible. She says, it’s funny now, but back then, it was a nightmare. Jax suggests they make some better 4th of July memories. Would she care to join him on the terrace deck to watch the fireworks?

On the phone, Carly thanks Olivia for letting her know, and Jason asks what Olivia wanted. She says, Vincent Novak is at the MetroCourt, and he says, maybe they want to make peace. She asks if he really thinks so, and he says, Brick’s team is efficient. The Novaks lost a lot; they lost their offices, and they lost trucks. She says, in that case, it looks like they watch the fireworks from the MetroCourt, and holds up her hand with the ring.

Trina asks if Victor/Spencer is coming, but he says maybe he’s not ready to meet her friends. She says, all of a sudden he’s shy? and he says, just thirsty. He’s going to grab some bottled waters, and he’ll catch up with her.

Cameron says, so Josslyn’s mom is marrying Jason. Is she excited about that? She says, yeah. They’ve been friends for, like, ever. Like she told them, who else would they marry? He says they have to talk about her and him, the graduation party, and how she kissed him. Trina joins them, and says they’ll never believe it. She ran into that guy again, Victor, the one who convinced her to go back to the party after she was drenched in fake blood. Josslyn says, he must be some guy, and Trina says, he’s cute. Not that she’d ever tell him that. She moves on, and Josslyn tells Cameron, she guesses their talk will have to wait.

Anna asks why she’s meeting Valentin on the Quartermaine terrace, and he says, it’s 4th of July, and she’s British. She doesn’t have to be bitter and alone. She says he’s funny, and asks if his lovely little daughter is around. He says, she’s inside with her mother, which is good because she’s a little young for what he has in mind. She says, which is? and he says, Anna likes plenty of fire, right? She says, always, and he says, he has sparklers. He shows them to her.

Maxie says she’s missed Louise, and Brook says, Peter is still out there. What if he’s following her, watching her going to her non-friend’s house? He’s psycho, but not stupid. He’s going to put two and two together. Maxie says, she knows that, and after today, she’ll stay away. Brook asks, isn’t she the one who said she’d protect her baby at all costs? She can’t even keep her distance on a long weekend. What happened to her? Maxie says, Louise is her daughter; her flesh and blood. She knows better, but she can’t help herself.

At the pier, Sam says Elizabeth doesn’t have to babysit her, but Elizabeth says, babysitters don’t bring vodka, and takes out a bottle. Sam says, they both heard Michael say it; Jason is marrying Carly. If Elizabeth is afraid of leaving her alone, she can call one of Sam’s sisters. Elizabeth asks if she’s not the perfect person to vent to. She loved Jason too, and knows what it’s like to come in second place to Carly. Sam says, they didn’t even try to hide it. Carly always came first; she wouldn’t have it any other way. Elizabeth suggests they start with the shots, and pours them into plastic cups. She says, so Jason and Carly are getting married. She guesses it was inevitable, but doesn’t Sam think it’s a little soon? Sam says she doesn’t know. For as long as she and Jason were together, there was always Carly. There was Sonny too. Jason being Sonny’s best friend, business partner, and right hand man. Then Carly just took him, all for herself. Elizabeth says, that’s why doing shots won’t be enough, and Sam asks what she’s talking about.

Josslyn asks where Trina’s new friend is, and Trina says, he should have been there by now. Maybe he decided not to come, and Cameron says, if he’s already playing games, Trina might want to drop him, but she says, he’s just being a guy. If he comes, tell him that she couldn’t wait. Josslyn says, she’s leaving? and Trina says, it’s good not to be too available, besides, her mom keeps texting her. She’s still nervous about last night, so Trina is going to watch the fireworks with her. She says she’ll see them later, and leaves. Cameron says that gives them time to figure out what happened, but Josslyn asks, what is there to figure out? Dev forged her journal entry, and she never wrote that he was a bad kisser, because that’s not what she thinks. He says, there’s a lot more to it than just that.

Sam lugs a tote bag onto the pier, and asks Elizabeth, what now? Elizabeth says, now, they have another drink, and hands Sam a cup. Sam says, excellent, and they clink plastic cups. They drink another shot, and Sam asks what they’re doing. Elizabeth says, back in Colorado, her closest friend Terry, Dr. Randal, didn’t really date, but was the best shoulder to cry on. Whenever a crush moved on to someone else, Terry had this idea that you couldn’t really move on until you cleansed the person from your system. Elizabeth lights a rolled up newspaper, and throws it in a trash can, starting a fire. She asks Sam, what’s in the bag? and Sam takes out her leather jacket, saying, Jason gave it to her years ago. She reaches into a pocket, and takes out two concert tickets. She says, Springsteen tickets. They never used them. Elizabeth says, into the fire, and Sam tosses them in. Elizabeth says, now the jacket, but Sam says, no. Elizabeth says, yes, and Sam kisses it, and throws it in. Elizabeth asks, what else? and Sam pulls out a wooden box. She says, dominos. Don’t ask her why she and Jason loved the game. She doesn’t know, but they did. She adds it to the fire, but says, it’s not burning. Who knew dominos wouldn’t burn? She thinks she has something that will help, and takes a bottle of tequila out of the bag. She takes a drink, and throws the bottle in. She says, it was a memory, but not anymore.

Dante tells Finn that he’s going to find Sam and Elizabeth. He leaves Charlie’s, and Finn picks up Violet. She says, Uncle Chase and Aunt Willow want to take her to see the fireworks. Chase says, GH is letting the patients and the staff watch from the roof, and Willow says they promise to get Violet home afterward. Violet asks if she can go, and Finn says, two hours tops. He tells Chase, don’t over-do it, and Willow says she’ll make sure of that. Finn thanks her for everything, and tells Violet to stay with Uncle Chase. Dante comes back, and says he can’t find them anywhere. His phone rings, and he says, are they? He’ll be right there. That was a friend from the fire department. Apparently, Sam and Elizabeth are on the pier. Finn says, let’s go, and they leave.

Valentin hands Anna a sparkler, and says he got these for Charlotte, but she decided to go horseback riding. Apparently, her tastes are more sophisticated than run of the mill sparklers. Anna wonders where Charlotte got her extravagant taste from, and he says, guilty as charged. She says she happens to like sparklers. Light her up. He lights one for her and one for him.

Carly and Jason are in the MetroCourt elevator, and Jason asks if she’s ready. She says, let’s do it, and takes his hand. They walk in, and Vincent Novak gets up. He says he heard about the unfortunate misunderstanding with his nephew, and Jason says he’s surprised Joey didn’t know any better. Vincent says, he can be a hothead. He’s spoken to Joey, and hopes their families can continue to co-exist in peace. Jason says, that’s their goal too. If he and Carly had known Vincent was going to be there, they would have invited him to celebrate with them. Vincent says, celebrate what? and Carly says, Jason asked her to marry him, and she said yes. She shows him the ring.

In the park on the phone, Trina says she’s on her way home… No, she wants to be with Portia. They can look at the pictures from her party. She leaves, and Spencer comes out from the trees.  

Josslyn tells Cameron, Dev did a messed up thing. What else is there to say? He says, but if Dev hadn’t made him think Josslyn wasn’t into him, what would have happened? Would they have been together after they kissed at the dance? Would they be together now?

Maxie tells Brook, just a few more minutes, and she’ll leave. Britt says she knows Chase’s party is breaking up by now. She has to change, and she’ll give Maxie one or two minutes alone with Louise/Bailey. She’ll be upstairs, so hopefully, it won’t look too suspicious. Maxie thanks Brook, and Brook leaves. Maxie tells Louise that she’s missed her so much. She has no idea. Or maybe she does. Maxie loves her with all her heart. Monica walks in, and does not look thrilled.   

Anna says, ow! and drops her sparkler. Valentin asks if she’s all right, and she says, it’s just a spark flew. He says, let him see, and he takes her hand. He says, it’s just a little burn, and kisses it. Then he kisses her. I’m in. it’s about damn time.

Chase thanks everyone for coming. The next time the party is going to be… Violet says, a wedding reception, and he says, that’s right. A big old fancy wedding reception. He and Willow will do a first dance and everything. Violet says she can’t wait, and Michael and Willow look at each other.  

A fireman sprays the trashcan with a fire extinguisher, and Dante says he’s from the PCPD. He shows the fireman his badge, and says they got a call that there were two women out there. The fireman says, right through that door with his partner, and Sam and Elizabeth come out with another fireman. Dante says, they’ve got this, and thanks the firemen. Dante asks if Sam and Elizabeth are okay, and Elizabeth says, they’re fine. The fire’s out. She and Sam sit, and Dante asks if they started the fire. Sam says, come on. Join them in the celebration. It’s the 4th of July. She takes a slug from the vodka bottle, and says, she just declared her independence.

Jax and Britt get in the elevator at the MetroCourt, and he tells her that she looks beautiful. She says he cleans up pretty nicely himself, and he says he’ll make sure there are no grills around, and the only doll on fire is her. She says, cornball, and he says, wait until he starts with the dad jokes. She tells him that she didn’t say corny was bad.

Carly says, sorry Jason has to stick around. She’s sure he’d much rather be at the bridge. He says, wouldn’t she? and she says, the view of the fireworks is much better from there. She used resent the bridge. She hated it because it was a Robin thing. It felt hands off to her. He says he took her there himself, but she says, it’s a girl thing. They should go back to the bridge. He says, okay; whatever she wants. Britt and Jax come in, and Britt and Jason lock eyes.

Tomorrow, Jason tells Britt that she still means something to him, Nina has something to tell Obrecht, Monica says they have a big problem, and Phyllis encourages Sonny to visit Nina.

The Haves and The Have Nots

Benny knocks on Rianna’s door, and she opens it. He asks if he can come in, and she says she shouldn’t do this. He says he drove all this way for her, and she lets him in. She says he wasn’t followed, was he? and he asks if she’s scared of that dude. She says he won’t leave her alone. She’d move away, but her mom is in a home there, and needs her. He asks, why? and she says her mom has had cerebral palsy her whole life. It got to be too much. He says, sorry, and she says, it’s okay. She can afford it most times. He says, most times? and she wonders why she’s telling him this… She’s drunk. He asks if he can have some, and she says she’ll get him a glass. She comes back with red wine, and he thanks her. She asks if he’s excited about his new house, and he says, come here. He tells her that she needs to be held, but she says she’s fine. He says, come on, and she says she’s not sleeping with him. He says he won’t bite, and she sits next to him, putting her head on his shoulder. He says going to be okay. He promises she will. She asks how he’s so sure, and he says he has a sixth sense about these things. She thanks him for defending her, but he says he was only doing what any man would do. She says, no. He made her feel so safe. She wants to thank him. She kisses him, and he asks what she’s doing. She tells him, shut up, and kisses him again. He says he ain’t going to be responsible. He told her that he’s not letting her take advantage of his body. They kiss some more, and she pushes him back. He takes off his jacket, and she unbuckles his belt, then kisses down his chest, and… well, you know.

David asks the guard, who just left? and the guard says it was a guest of David’s son. He said his name was Tanner. David tells him to run the plates, but he says he already did. The guy’s full name is Leonard Tanner Lewis. David asks how he knows Jeffrey, but the guard doesn’t know. David tells him to find out all he can. Jeffrey comes downstairs, and says David doesn’t have to do that. David asks Jeffrey to tell him who nobody is, and Jeffrey says, he’s Justin’s brother. David says, the boy who set himself on fire? What did he want? Jeffrey says Tanner wanted him to come to the funeral. David asks, why? and Jeffrey says, Tanner told him that Justin cared for him. David asks if Jeffrey plans on attending, but Jeffrey says, no. David says, good. He doesn’t think it would be appropriate, and Jeffrey says, there’s something about Tanner that he doesn’t trust. David says, then he shouldn’t. You never know what people’s motives really are. David goes upstairs.

Jim pulls into David’s driveway, and the guard asks if he can help him. Jim says he’s going in to see David, and the guard asks if David knows him. Jim says he does, and asks if he isn’t the sorry-ass security guard Jim fired. He let Jim’s son escape. The guard asks if he can help Jim, but Jim says, no. He’s going in to see David. The guard says he has to be announced, but Jim says he doesn’t think so. The guard puts his hand against Jim’s chest, and says he’ll put Jim on the ground if he doesn’t wait. Jim tells the guard to take his hand off. He’d like to see the guard try. The guard tells him, move toward the door, and he will. Jim laughs, and says, okay, announce him.

The guard tells David that Jim is there to see him, and David says, okay. Jim comes in, and says he sees David hired the sorry-ass security company he fired. David says, they’re doing okay so far. What brings Jim there? Jim says he’s in a bind. He needs $100K. That crazy-ass bitch wife of David’s is representing Celine. Judge Modine will put his ass in jail if he doesn’t give Celine $50K in 24 hours. David says, Jim doesn’t have $50K? Jim says he doesn’t have 50 cents. These women… David says he knows, and Jim says, that damn Hanna. David wonders if she said no, but Jim says he’d rather shoot himself than ask Hanna for money. David says he’ll loan Jim the money, and Jim says he appreciates it. These damn women… David says, they’ve lost their minds. He’s surprised Jim is paying Celine, but Jim says he has no time to be in jail, and Modine is just the bastard who will send him there. David says, speaking of wild women, Mama Rose… Jim says he talked to her? but David says, no, she retired. Apparently, she has health problems and moved to Florida. Jim asks, when? and David says, a month ago. Jim says that means he can go after Candace, but David says, not necessarily. Vinnie is running things. Jim says, he’s vicious, and David says, he can be. Jim asks what David suggests, and David says, pay him. Jim says, for what? and David says, Candace. Have Vinnie get rid of her. Jim says, good idea. What does David think it would cost? David asks what it’s worth to get rid of her, and Jim says she took $8 million from him. David says, give Vinnie $100K, and Jim asks if David can make it $200K. David says Jim will probably need it, and Jim thanks him. David says he’ll have his lawyer write it up, but Jim says, no lawyers involved. He doesn’t trust lawyers. He was a lawyer. Some of his best friends are lawyers. He leaves, and David gets on the phone.

Hanna walks in the door to Kathryn’s house, when Kathryn calls. Hanna says she’s on her way out, but Kathryn says, on second thought, let Jim go over there. Hanna says, but Kathryn’s boyfriend… and Kathryn says, he’s not her boyfriend. He should be gone by now, and if he’s not, Jim can kick his ass out. Hanna says, the two of them are something, and asks what Kathryn wants her to do. Kathryn says, call Jim on a three-way. She knows Hanna doesn’t want to, and Hanna says Kathryn has no idea how much that man makes her blood boil. Hanna makes the call, and when Jim answers, Kathryn says, Wyatt is at the loft. Jim says, the one she was supposed to have sold? and Kathryn says, he’s there. Jim says, he’s in the hospital, but she tells him, go over there and see what’s going on. He asks how she knows this from jail, and she says, just go. He asks again, and she says she heard Wyatt on the phone. He asks why she was calling there. Who’s living there? She says, no one, and he asks if it’s that damn Hanna. What’s going on with them? Are they having a fling or something? She tells him, just go, but he says he’s not going until she tells him, and has her girlfriend release some money. She says, if he doesn’t go, and Wyatt harms himself, she’ll know it’s him. He says, bye, and she asks if he hung up. Hanna says, he did, and she asks Hanna to go over there. Hanna says, okay, and Kathryn thanks her, and says she’ll try to call in an hour. She’s sorry. Hanna says, it’s okay, and Kathryn says, Hanna has the power and the money.

There’s no afterglow for Rianna, who looks miserable. Benny asks why she’s crying, and she says, sorry. He says, for what? and she says she thinks he should go. She didn’t want to do this. Who knew she was this vulnerable? He says she needed to take her mind off it. How did he do? She says he’s so lame, and he apologizes. She tells him that his credit sucks, and he says, damn. Why is she bringing it up now? She says he needs to work on it, but he says she didn’t have him there for no credit. Is she nervous or something? She says, maybe a little. She shouldn’t have done that. She needs to ask… He says he’s healthy, and she asks if he’s sure. He says, is she? and she says she has nothing. He says, it’s good then, but she’s still nervous. Why don’t they have a snack? She says she can make him a sandwich, and he says, that’s it? She can’t cook? She says, can he? and he says, hell yeah. What’s she got? She suggests he put on clothes first, and he says, how about this? lifting the sheet. She says, it’s sexy, and tells him she’s going to get dressed, but he says if he’s cooking nekked, she is too. She asks him to tell her about himself. Is he a whore? How many women has he slept with? He says he’s not answering that. How many men has she slept with? She says, two, and he says she means he’s two? He laughs, and says, get out with that bullsh*t, but she promises it’s true. He asks how she hooked up with Sandy. She must know he hates Black people. Sandy told Benny straight up that he doesn’t like him. She says Sandy loves her too much. He’s going to come after Benny hard. He says he’ll handle it, and she says, how? He says he’d like a burger, but she says, it’s too late for a burger. (Who made up that rule?) He says, it’s what he wants, and he needs to get ready for round two. She says they’re not doing it again, and he wonders if it’s like she wasn’t doing it the first time. They already did it once, and if they do it twice in the same night, it don’t count. She says, he’s the worst, and he tells her, don’t look at his butt. He gets up, but he’s wearing underwear.

Rocky is at the loft, and says Kathryn wants Roderick out, but Roderick says he told Rocky, he’s not leaving. Rocky says he doesn’t want to do that. Go to his own place. Roderick says he doesn’t want to go to that dump; he’s staying there. He looked online, and he can claim squatter’s rights. (Um… isn’t he in the country illegally? Weren’t the Feds looking to question him?) He says Kathryn can’t kick him out. He can sue her for more than the place is worth. Rocky says he doesn’t want to do that. He sounds like a junkie, and he’s asking for big trouble. Roderick says, the hell with them, and asks Rocky to stay and have a drink, but Rocky says he’s not going to be there when they come knocking. Roderick says, no one is knocking, when there’s a knock at the door. Rocky says someone is knocking at the door, and he’s leaving though it. He walks out, and Hanna comes in. Roderick asks what she wants, and she says he’s not supposed to be there. He says he’s not leaving, and Jim walks in. Jim says he’s looking for Wyatt, and Roderick asks how Jim is. Jim wonders what the hell is going on, and Hanna says he was telling her that he’s not leaving. Jim asks, where’s Wyatt? and Hanna says she’s leaving, and goes. Roderick says he doesn’t know; Wyatt isn’t there. Jim asks what Roderick is doing there, and Roderick says he was just cleaning the place. Jim asks where his son is, and Roderick says he doesn’t know. Jim asks his name, and Roderick tells him. Jim says, if he’s there cleaning, what’s up with his luggage? Roderick stammers, and Jim mimics him, and says, get out. Roderick jets, and Jim looks at the drugs on the table, and says, dammit, Kathryn.

Candace answers the phone, what? and Landon asks if she’s seen the news. She says, what news? and he says, it’s on all the news stations and in the paper. He’s been sending her clips. She says she hasn’t watched them, and he says, because she has Jim’s money. She’s not going to touch it. She says she won’t. How does he know? He says he knows where she is right now. She needs to let him advise her on the money. She says, no, and he says, then they’ll take it. She says, who? and he says, the IRS. She has to put it in a business account, and shelter it. She says she already did; she’s two steps ahead of him. What does he want? He says he’s asking her to come to DC. She says, get the hell out, and he says, he just wants her to do one interview. The whole world will change its perception. She says, no, and he says, Charles (using the he/him thing) doesn’t do well without her. She says Charles should have thought of that before he kicked her out, and put her in the back of a car. He asks if they can’t let that go. They get it. Their people screwed up. What’s her plan? She says she’s going to call the guy who made Landon piss himself, and Landon says, he kind of liked Mitch afterward. He says he’ll call again, but she says, just listen. She’s not doing an interview, and she’s leaving the hotel. He says they’ll just find her in the next one. She says, okay, fine. She’ll go tell her side. He asks why she’s doing this; he’s trying to help. She says he’s helping Charles, and Landon says, and himself. She says she’s not going to be a pawn, and he says they’ve gone over this. She’s still a stupid hood chick. She says, say that again, and he says, it’s politics. He knows she’s enjoying this. Candace says she’s not enjoying it, but he says, tell that to someone who doesn’t know her. She’ll have them eating out of the palm of her hand. He tells her, at least change hotels; that one looks low rent. She says it was good enough for him to come by, and he says he’s done some of his best work in those places. She hangs up.    

Charles comes out, and Landon asks if he’s all packed, then answers his own question. Of course he is; they’re going to the White House. It’s exciting. It’s amazing to think how far they’ve come. Charles says he almost can’t believe it, when Conley joins them. He says he came to see Charles off, and asks if Landon can give them a moment. Landon leaves, and Conley asks if Charles is good.

Landon goes back to his office, and Oliver asks if Conley is there. Landon says, he’s been here a lot… Okay, what? Oliver says, nothing, and Landon asks if Oliver knows what he hates about him. Oliver says, everything? and Landon says, his smug attitude. Little bitch. He was thisclose to firing Oliver. Oliver says, sorry, and Landon says, the only reason he’s keeping Oliver is that he has potential. When he becomes a detriment, he’s going. Now what the hell did Oliver want to tell him about Conley? Oliver says, Conley’s got an angle, and Landon says, he knows. Oliver asks, what is it? but Landon says, that, he doesn’t know. He tells Oliver not to come back unless he has actual information. Landon does know Conley’s angle, but don’t come back unless Oliver has proof. Oliver asks what it is, but Landon says he’s not going to tell him.

Conley tells Charles that he’s headed for the White House. He’s so proud. Charles thanks him, and asks if Conley is okay. Conley says he did want to know if Charles spent any more time considering Devoir. It’s Charles’s decision, but did Charles look at his proposal? Charles says he didn’t, and Conley encourages him to look at Devoir’s resumé. He thinks Devoir would be great for the state of Virginia. Charles says he thought they already talked about this, but Conley says he wanted to make sure Devoir got a fair shake. Charles asks, what is it? Why is Conley pushing this guy so hard? Is there something else? Conley says, no, and Charles hopes Conley won’t mind if he asks him to stop pushing so hard. Conley asks if there’s anything he can help with, but Charles says, everything is done. Conley says, of course. Charles is the President of the United States. Everything is moved for him. Charles says, it’s obvious Conley has an agenda, and Conley says, how about them Mets? he’s heading home. They need him at the farm. he didn’t mean to push. He should know better. Charles tells him, it’s okay, and Conley leaves. Landon asks if Charles is all set, and Charles says he is. Landon says, sir… Charles says he knows when Landon addresses him like that, it’s something bad. Landon says, it’s not bad, but it’s about Devoir, and Conley’s request that he be made head of the EPA. Has Charles ever been to the farm? Charles says, a lot of times, and Landon says he looked at the pipeline being proposed. It’s going to run through protected land, and across Conley’s farm. He stands to make a lot of money. Landon thinks that’s why Conley is pushing so hard. Charles says he knew it had to be something, and Landon says he’s afraid so. Charles asks if Landon knows what it feels like to be used at every hand, and Landon says, sorry, but Charles says he bought it. He thinks he should be used to it, and Landon says, the higher you go… Charles says he didn’t expect it from Conley, and Landon says, onward? Charles says, onward. Landon says, going to the White House, Mr. President? and Charles says, yes, please. They shake hands, and Landon says, let’s do it. Landon’s phone rings, and Charles asks who it is. Landon says, Candace.

Charles says, let him answer, and Landon asks if he’s sure. Charles says, give him the phone, and says, hello? Candance says, Landon… but Charles says, no, it’s him. She asks how he is, and he says he should be asking her. She says she’s okay. She wanted to talk to Landon. Charles says she got him, but she says she’s not ready to talk to him. He says he’s not ready to talk to her either, and she asks why he’s on the phone. He says, the same reason she was calling. She says, why is that exactly? and he says she misses him like he misses her. She says, the last time he saw her, she was in the trunk of a car. He says he’s so sorry. He misses her, and would love to see her. She says she doesn’t think that’s going to happen. She’s not going to walk through that door, or sneak in and out. He says he doesn’t want her to, and she says he wants her to walk in the front door of the White House? He tells her, come to Pennsylvania Avenue, and she says he doesn’t mean a damn thing he’s saying, but he says he does. He’s President Elect. What the hell are they going to do to him? She says, it was a big deal before, but he says, not anymore. She’s a bigger deal. Come see him. She says she’ll think about it, and he says, they’ve got nothing but time. She says, at least seven months, and he says, what? She says she’s pregnant. She waits, and says, it’s quiet. He says, how many… and she says, it’s his. He’s the only man she had unprotected sex with. He tells her, okay, and she asks if that’s all he has to say. He says they should meet soon. Can he call when he gets to DC? She says, yeah, and he says, they’ll talk soon.

Charles hands the phone back to Landon, who says, may he ask what she said. Charles tells him, she said she’s pregnant. Landon says, from him? and Charles says, that’s what she said. Let’s go to DC. Not a word to anyone. Landon says, no, sir, and leaves. Charles wonders WTF to do.

The guard tells Jeffrey that Madison is there, and Jeffrey says, let him in. Madison walks in, and Jeffrey says he thought Madison was working. Madison says, they let him go home, and Jeffrey asks, why? Madison says he got piss thrown on him, and Jeffrey says, what? Sorry. Did he shower? Madison says, of course, and Jeffrey says he’s kidding. Madison says, and then he got choked out. Jeffrey says, by who? and Madison says, Wyatt Cryer. He escaped from the hospital in Madison’s scrubs, while Madison got left on the floor. Jeffrey asks where the hell Wyatt is, and Madison says, the police are looking everywhere for him. He stole powerful drugs that could kill him. Jeffrey thinks he should tell his dad, and runs upstairs. The door opens, and the guard tells Madison that a friend of Jeffrey’s is there. Madison asks, who? and the guard says, Wyatt Cryer.  

Madison says, the guard is security, right? Wyatt is a prisoner who escaped from the hospital. Bring him in, and detain him. The guard says, okay, and lets Wyatt in. Wyatt seems really jazzed, and asks where Jeffrey is. Madison says, upstairs, and asks if Wyatt is high. What did he take? Wyatt asks where Jeffrey is again, when Jeffrey comes downstairs, and says he’s calling the cops. Wyatt says he’s leaving, but the guard blocks him, and says he’s not leaving. Wyatt does a slow clap, and the guard says he’s not going anywhere. Wyatt tries throwing a punch, but the guard flips him to the ground, and gets Wyatt’s hands behind his back.

Candace is in bed when there’s a knock at the door. She asks who it is, and a male voice says, me. She asks who me is, and he says he’ll break the door down if she doesn’t let him in. She says, do that, and she’ll blow his brains out. He says, they both know she doesn’t have a gun, and she says, try it and find out. The door opens, and it’s Oscar. She says, what the hell? How is he there? He asks what she means. How she pushed him out of a window? She thought it would kill him. She says she knows she did, but he says, she thought she did. She says she saw him fall from the 30th floor. He says, nothing she ever does will work. Don’t worry. He’s not going to kill her. She asks why he’s there, and he says, we’re all here. She asks, who’s we?, and he says they’re all here to destroy her.   

Is this going to be some kind of riff on A Christmas Carol?

Next time, Veronica says, she’s Veronica, bitch, you can’t kill her; Jim says he’s taking Wyatt’s ass to rehab or dragging it to jail; Kathryn gets a new cellmate; and David says Veronica’s end is coming.

🤹‍♀️ To Be Continued… Tune in tomorrow for soap and double the Housewives. Until then, stay safe, stay looking for the silver lining, and stay knowing that relationships can get complicated when you don’t want them to, but not being a cynic

July 5, 2021 – The Stalker Is Unmasked, No Wedding On Deck & City Summer

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Jax tells Britt, save the date? For what? She says, Jason and Carly’s wedding. Surely he’s heard about it. He says Carly told him (and stop calling him Shirley), but he’s confused as to why she cares.  

In the visiting room at the prison, Molly asks if TJ is okay. He says, it’s not like Shawn to call out of the blue and ask him to visit. Molly says, at least Shawn was able to make the call himself. It’s been days since she’s heard from her mom.

Alexis paces, and tells herself, don’t think; just breathe. She sits on the cot, and says, she doesn’t think. She hears her own voice say, that’s her problem. She doesn’t think. She sees herself dressed in business attire, and other Alexis looks around, and says, Alexis brings her to the best places.

Josslyn asks what Cameron is talking about. She doesn’t think he’s a bad kisser. He says he read it in her journal. Should he not believe her own words? She says, believe this, and kisses him.  

Ava asks if Portia has any idea where their girl is, and Portia says, she should have been there by now. She was going to stop by the gallery. Portia starts to text Trina, and Taggert approaches her. He says he doesn’t want to monitor Trina on her graduation night, but if she doesn’t show up in ten minutes, he’s going to start texting.   

Trina walks in, and everyone looks shocked. She’s covered in what looks like blood, and says, mom? Portia and Taggert run to her, and Taggert asks if she’s okay. She says she is. She doesn’t know what this is, but she’s drenched. He asks if she’s injured, but she says, no, and Josslyn asks, what happened? Jordan tells Trina to take a deep breath, and Trina says she was going to the gallery to talk to Ava. It was a trap.

Trina says, all of a sudden, someone appeared out of nowhere, and she pepper sprayed him. Taggert says, that’s his girl, and she says, Nikolas was trying to catch the stalker, and he caught her instead. Ava wonders why Nikolas was at the gallery, and steps away to call him. She leaves a message that she’s with Trina, and to call her right away. Taggert asks Trina to tell them what happened, and Trina says, After that whole mess with Nikolas, she left the gallery. Then she realized she’d left her phone. She went back in, saw a remote control on the floor, and picked it up before she realized it hadn’t been there before. A guy in a mask was suddenly there… Portia asks if he had a weapon, but Trina says she doesn’t know. She saw he had a bag, and assumed he was a burglar. She tried to pepper spray him too, but the canister was empty, so she threw the remote at him. The sprinklers went off, but instead of water, this red goop that looked like blood poured out. Portia asks, what happened to the burglar? and Trina says, he ran off, but she chased him. Portia asks if she’s insane, and she says, obviously, it didn’t work, so she came there, and that’s how she made her dramatic entrance. Curtis says, the most important thing is, Trina is unharmed, and Portia says she’s glad Trina didn’t catch the stalker; he could have hurt her. Taggert says, he’s so proud at her for being brave, but when they run, just let them go, and Portia says, the most important thing is, Trina is okay. Jordan joins them, and says she just got off the phone with Dante. The fire department responded to the sprinklers going off, and when they saw something that looked like blood, they called the PCPD. She’s headed over there now. Ava says, she’s going with Jordan, and they leave.

Shawn sits across the glass from Molly and TJ, and says, Dr. Ashford, and Molly Davis, Esquire. It’s great to see them. He’s sorry he couldn’t see TJ graduate. TJ says he is too, and Shawn says, sorry to have gotten TJ’s hopes up that he might get out. He would have loved to see Molly graduate too. She says she would have loved having him there, and TJ says, the parole board is messed up. Shawn agrees, and TJ asks what they can do. Why did he call? It sounded urgent. Shawn says he’s afraid he has bad news. Alexis is in solitary.   

Britt tells Jax that Cyrus sent men to her office that were going to kill her. Jason showed up, and got her out of there. Jax says, ever the hero, which is pretty funny coming from him. Britt says, Jason got shot, and she operated on him in a safe house. They slept in a barn, crossed the border with fake passports, and ended up in a lighthouse on Lake Ontario. Really exciting stuff. He says, so she and Jason are… They were… She says, what else are they going to do in a lighthouse? and he says, that’s too much information. She says she has to admit, for a guy who’s not very expressive, Jason helped her through a difficult time. She thought they were… you know, and then Jason asked Carly to marry him. C’est la vie, and au revoir. Jax says he wouldn’t take it too personally. Carly and Jason’s first loyalty has always been to each other. And to Sonny of course (🍷). Now Sonny is gone, and it’s just the two of them. Britt says, maybe it’s better off being single, and he says, truer words. Here’s to being alone, single, whatever, and they clink glasses.

The gallery walls are dripping red, and Ava says, oh my God. Dante tells her not to touch anything; it’s still an active crime scene. Jordan guesses they don’t have to worry about footprints, since the fireman have been all over, and Dante says, they had to clear the building. She asks what he has, and he says, it’s nothing toxic. It’s like what you’d use on Halloween or for a stage play. Jordan says, ingenious, and he says, a remote was used to set it off the sprinklers. Jordan says, that matches Trina’s statement, and he says, there was some kind of silent alarm set off by the front door, but Ava says she doesn’t have one. It’s an art gallery; she wants the alarm to be as loud as possible. Does he think the stalker set it up so they would know when she came there alone? Dante says, it’s possible, but it doesn’t sound like something the stalker… Nikolas comes in, and says, the stalker didn’t set up the alarm; he did.   

Without being seen, the stalker comes into the Savoy. Trina says, this is a lost cause, while the stalker slips through the back of the club, and goes through another door. Trina thanks everyone for coming, but thinks she should call it a night. She’s not in a party mood. Josslyn says Trina’s dress is in the back, and suggests Trina get cleaned up, and then decide. Trina doesn’t know, and Taggert says, or she can let a criminal ruin her night. Josslyn says she’ll help, but Trina says she might end up covered in this stuff. Bartender N’neka says she can help; she can get goop on her clothes. Curtis thanks her, and she says, don’t worry, boss. Taggert says  he needs a drink, and Nina says she does too. Josslyn says, it’s been a crazy night, and Cameron says, in more ways than one. Why did she kiss him?

Molly asks what Alexis did that she’s in solitary, and Shawn says, there was an incident at the library. Technically, Alexis assaulted a guard, but she was only trying to help him. TJ says, at least none of the prisoners can mess with Alexis in solitary, but Shawn says, solitary is no vacation. Molly says, time alone with nothing to do but think. Sometimes her mother’s brain can be her worst enemy.   

Mirage Alexis says, what is this? Sage? It’s not her color. Alexis says, great. She’s only been in there two days, and she’s already losing her mind, and imaginary Alexis says, relax. She’s dreaming. The good news is, she finally fell asleep. Alexis asks who dream Alexis is; her conscience? Dream Alexis says, hell no. She’s just there to tell Alexis to stop screwing up her life. Alexis says, it’s a bit late for that. Okay, Ghost of Christmas Past, tell her what she could do better. Phantom Alexis says, don’t do anything. Do nothing. That’s her advice. Alexis says, that’s her advice? It’s impossible to do nothing, so it would help if she’d be more specific, and tell her exactly what she should stop doing. Dream Alexis tells her not to stick her nose where it doesn’t belong.

Curtis tells Trina, there’s a green room in the back where her dress is waiting. It has a private bathroom where she can wash up. Portis says, if she wants to stay or go, it’s fine, but Trina says she’s got this. She knows she freaked out, but she’s okay now. Curtis says, it’s perfectly reasonable to be upset. She ran into a man in a ski mask, and ended up covered in blood. Trina says she thought it was blood, but it’s not real. She wasn’t hurt, just scared a little. Portia says, Trina… and Trina says, okay, a lot. Portia tells her to go change, and let her know if she wants to stay or go. No pressure. Trina thanks Curtis, and leaves with N’neka. Portia and Curtis look at each other, and Curtis follows Portia back into the club. A good-looking young man comes out of a door to the hallway, presumably the stalker. The stalker is definitely not Hayden.   

Jax says, Britt should celebrate; she dodged a bullet . She’s already learning things about Jason and Carly that he never will. Jason only cares about himself, not who he hurts, as long as he can hold on to Sonny’s power. She says, wow. He’s known them a long time, but doesn’t know the first thing about Jason. He’s not like Jax describes. Is he a user? Sure, but he truly wants to protect those loves. Jax says, that’s a short list, and Carly is on top. Whatever Carly wants, Jason gets. If she says, jump; he asks how high. Britt laughs, and he says, it’s true. She says, it is. For instance, when they were on the run, Jason was so supportive, even steadfast. That’s an old-fashioned word, but it still applies. He was someone she could count on. Then Carly called, and Jason ran so fast, he left a vapor trail. Jax says, trust him; she’s better off. She says she should have known the good guy wasn’t going to choose her.

Ava asks if Nikolas is all right, and he says, it just stings. Trina has good aim. Dante asks, what’s up with this silent alarm? and Nikolas says he set it up to catch their stalker. It went off, but he found Trina instead. He startled her, and she pepper sprayed him. Dante says, a teenager got the drop on Nikolas; that’s good. Jordan starts to ask Nikolas a question, and Ava asks if he’s sure he’s all right. He says he was checked out at GH, and should be fine. Ava says she’s so glad… and she’s so mad. She smacks him with her purse.

Curtis asks if Portia is all right, and she says, other than feeling sick that her daughter came face-to-face with the man who’s been terrorizing Ava, she guesses she’s okay. He says, Trina is okay, and whoever it was didn’t hurt her. She says, but they could have, and he says, speaking as someone who’s been on Trina’s bad side, trust him. That clown didn’t stand a chance. She thanks him, and tells him to keep reminding her of that, and he says, can do.   

Nina asks if Taggert is wishing he was out there looking for the creep who scared his daughter, and he says, damn straight, but he’s retired, so Jordan would kill him. He thinks it’s more important that he be there for his daughter, and she says, spoken like a loving dad. He thanks her, and says it’s the best compliment he can get. She toasts to parents and children, and they clink glasses. He says Nina is by herself, but there’s got to be some lucky guy in her life. She says, not at the moment; what about him? He and his ex get along well. He says, that’s why they’re exes. Portia tells Curtis, what bothers her most is Ava’s reaction. Whoever the stalker is, they got under Ava’s skin. He says, for now. He doesn’t know Ava well, but he knows she’s resilient and a fighter. Does that sound like anyone? Nina tells Taggert, Portia is feeling better, and he says, Portia has doctor instincts. She’s always calm in a crisis.

Josslyn says, Cameron claimed she thought he was a bad kisser, and she said he wasn’t. He wouldn’t shut up, so she thought maybe she didn’t remember. and decided to find out. He asks if she confirmed what she wrote in her journal, and she says she didn’t write that. Why doesn’t he believe her? He says Dev read it to him, and then showed him. He saw it with his own eyes. Was he hallucinating? She says she didn’t write it, and he asks why Dev would say she did. She says, maybe he was lying, or maybe he wrote it himself.   

Jax tells Britt, he’s sorry to set the record straight, but Jason’s not a good guy. She says, actually he is; he’s just unavailable. What about Jax? What’s his deal? Is he still pining for Carly, and longing for a reconciliation? He says he’s not longing or pining, and she says, really? He looks like he has someone on his mind, and he says, the woman in question doesn’t want anything to do with him. She asks what he did, and he says he betrayed her trust. She says, cheated or lied? and he says he kept a secret. He tried to fix the relationship, but it didn’t work. She says, in the end, he did the right thing, is she right? He says he thinks so, and she laughs, saying, doing the right thing is so overrated. She has a reputation as a selfish bitch, and she’s starting to think she should get back to that; looking out for number one again. Enjoying the life she has left. He says he thought she and Jason were together for just a little bit. Is he really going to leave that huge of a hole in Britt’s life? She says, absolutely not. What she meant is that she needs to stop being nice. Stop taking life so seriously, and have some fun. He says she’s talking his language, and they clink glasses.

Molly tells Shawn, that’s terrible. She’s glad her mom has Shawn to talk to in there. Shawn says Alexis only saw him in the library, and his privileges have been revoked. TJ asks, why? and he says, that’s what he needs to talk to Molly about… alone. He’s always glad to see TJ, but now that Molly is a lawyer, he wants her advice. Molly says, that’s flattering, but she hasn’t actually taken the bar yet. But she can consult for guidance. TJ says, he’ll leave them to it, and Shawn tells the guard that he’s consulting with his lawyer; he needs privacy. Both the guard and TJ leave, and Molly tells Shawn, to be absolutely clear, he knows he can’t officially practice law yet, but he says they needed to talk without the guard there. Alexis isn’t in solitary for pushing a guard. She’s in there because of Judge Carson.

Alexis supposes by sticking her nose in, dream Alexis means Judge Carson. Dream Alexis says, that would be the immediate concern, yes, and Alexis asks if she’s supposed to ignore Carson’s pattern of bias, and that she’s imposed stricter sentences on people of color, like Shawn. Dream Alexis says she’s in no position to call Judge Carson into account. Alexis says, Shawn is her friend, and shouldn’t be in prison at all, let alone this long. Nobody is helping him. They need to help him. Dream Alexis asks, how is this helpful? How is being in solitary confinement helping Shawn? Alexis says, it isn’t, and dream Alexis says, good. Now she’s learning.

Trina thanks N’neka, and says she’s a lifesaver. N’neka says it’s her pleasure. Enjoy her party. Trina says she intends to. N’neka leaves, and Trina comes face-to-face with the stalker sans ninja outfit. She asks who is he, and what is he doing there?  

Ava asks what the hell Nikolas was thinking, setting up a silent alarm behind her back. He says, the stalker found their way around regular security. He needed to make sure no one knew, not even Ava, and she says, so he came there to face the stalker by himself? He asks what she’d have him do, and she says, maybe call the cops. He says he was trying to stop the stalker so she could stop living in fear and forget the stupid divorce neither of them wants. She says she not only wants the divorce, she damn well intends to have it.

Cameron asks if Josslyn thinks Dev lied. She says, she didn’t write that, and Cameron is telling her that he saw it? He wonders if that means Dev forged the entry, and she says she doesn’t want to believe it, but it’s the only thing that makes sense. Cameron asks why Dev would do that, and she says, Dev told her that he was interested in her, but she never thought of him in that way. He says, right… and she says, what? He says, the night of the bombing at The Floating Rib, the night Dev died, before the bomb went off, Dev kept trying to apologize for something. Does she think Dev meant coming between them?

The stranger says he wanted to make sure Trina was okay, and she says she’s asking again, who is he, and why would he care? She doesn’t know him. Why is he back there? Does he work there? He says he does, and she asks what he does. He says he’s a barback; he saw her come in. She says sorry he had to see that. He says he promises not to tell s soul, and he’ll take down the Facebook post. He’s kidding. She says he’d better be. She’s already having a terrible night. He says he figured, which is why he wanted to check on her. She says, no one is going to forget that entrance ever; covered in fake blood, calling out for her mom. She just wants to run out the back door and go home. He says he agrees on one thing. People will definitely remember her entrance for a long time. Because it was epic.

Shawn says he and Molly’s mother found a pattern of bias in Judge Carson’s sentencing. She imposed significantly harsher sentences on non-white defendants. Molly says, the records her mom requested were all criminal cases in Port Charles County from 2015 to the present, and he says, Alexis didn’t want anything to alert Carson, but he thinks the judge got wind of it anyway. She says, oh my God. Does he think Judge Carson exerted pressure? He says he can’t be certain, but yes, that’s what he thinks happened. She says, so her mom didn’t push the guard? and he says, she did, but the most she should have gotten was one day, not three. Molly says, if Judge Carson is exerting undue influence, she needs to be brought in front of the Commission for Judicial Conduct, and that’s just for starters, but Shawn says he’s telling her this as a warning; stay away from Judge Carson. Molly says she can’t just drop it, and Shawn says, tell Diane what’s happening, and she’ll take it from there. Leave it alone. Don’t jeopardize her future for Carson. Alexis is under enough pressure. Don’t make Alexis worry about her too.

Dream Alexis says, drop it. Forget Judge Carson ever existed. Alexis asks if she knows how many people of color are serving longer sentences because they were unlucky enough to have Carson as a judge, and dream Alexis asks what the Prison Advisor told Alexis. Alexis says she told her a lot of things, and dream Alexis says, do your time, and keep your head down. Alexis tells her, she also said, find your purpose. She can’t just sit around reading the classics while people are being unfairly imprisoned. Dream Alexis says, how’s this for following her purpose? Stay out of solitary. Because if she keeps on doing what she’s doing, she’s going to end up living there. 

Nikolas says, the stalker has just been trying to scare them; they haven’t been violent. Ava says, not yet, when Jordan joins them. She says, whoever accosted Trina was a male, and Nikolas asks if Trina is okay. Ava says, Trina isn’t okay. She showed up at the Savory drenched in blood. Jordan says, fake blood, but Ava says she didn’t know that at the time. Trina was clearly traumatized. Nikolas says, Trina wasn’t hurt; she was just shaken up, but Ava says, that’s not okay, and Dante says, Trina wasn’t the intended target. Who knows what the outcome would have been if they’d come across Ava or Nikolas. Jordan asks Dante to walk her through the rest of the crime scene, and they leave. Nikolas says, look… and Ava says he can’t keep doing this. She means it. She doesn’t know how much more she can take.

Nina goes over to the bar, and clears her throat to get Curtis’s attention. Curtis turns around, and she says she saw him and Portia talking; they look really good together. He says, they do. There was definitely a spark, but he doesn’t know. It’s like she remembers something, then she shuts down. Now that he thinks about it, he knows he’s right. Somebody definitely warned Portia away from him. Nina says, maybe, but it’s definitely not Taggert.

The barback says he heard Trina tell her friends what happened at the gallery down the street. She took on some sketchy guy in a mask. That’s pretty badass. She asks if he thinks so, and he says, definitely. What he wants to know is – and feel free to tell him that it’s none of his business – she says she will – what was she doing there when the gallery was closed? She says she works there; Ava, the owner of the gallery, has been good to her. He says, right, and she says, excuse me? He says, Ava is notorious. Didn’t she kill someone? Trina says she doesn’t know. She wasn’t there; was he? He says, no, but… She says Ava is her friend, and he’d better watch what he says. He says it’s what he’s heard, and she says, then he needs to stop listening to gossip. Ava is a good person. He says he believes her, and he’s truly sorry. She says he should be, and he says she’s pretty fierce. That creeper didn’t stand a chance. She says she stands up for her friends, and he says her friends are lucky. Doesn’t she want to go party with them? It’s her night, and she looks amazing. She says, she and N’neka did the best they could. He says, his complements. So is she going to sneak out and run home, or go in there and show everyone that she’s not going to let some jerk ruin her night?

Charlie’s bartender says they’re going to close in thirty minutes, and Britt tells Jax. this place has gone downhill since it became family friendly. Jax says if they were in Melbourne, he would take her to this place that has amazing beer and barbecued snags. She says, snags? and he says, in Australia that means sausages. She says, sounds good. She’s a red meat kinda gal. Most doctors are, but don’t tell anyone. He says he won’t, and she says, but she’s not hungry. He says neither is he, but he doesn’t want to go home. She suggests he come home with her.

Dream Alexis says, who is Alexis? And Alexis says, this again. A fighter… an idealist… and an advocate. But how is she supposed to be an advocate if she can’t advocate? Dream Alexis says, if she’s stuck in there, and losing her mind talking to herself, she can’t. She’s Alexis Davis. She’s enough. She doesn’t have to save everybody. Alexis sits up, and says, this is not forever. She can do this.

Nikolas tells Ava that he’s sorry. He’s trying to end this. She says they are ending it, by getting a divorce, but he says they can’t be sure it will appease the stalker. She says, it’s better than antagonizing them. Why is he still fighting her on this? He asks why she thinks. He loves her, and won’t let this come between them. Why is she giving up? She says the stalker has proven he can get to them, get past security into their home, in her workplace, and all the way to her little girl. Avery isn’t safe, and she needs Avery to be safe. That’s why she wants a divorce, and she’ll do what she has to, to get one.

Britt puts her card key into her room, and for a moment, we think she came in alone. Then she starts ripping Jax’s clothes off, and they get busy.  

Alexis tells herself to pull herself together. She’s okay. She breathes, and says, I’m okay, I’m okay, I’m okay.  

Molly comes out, and TJ asks what that was about. She says, Judge Carson, and he says, the one who sentenced her mom? She says, the one who basically offered to take her under her wing. She intends to take her up on it.   

Trina says the barback never told her his name, and he says, Victor. She says she’s Trina, but he knew that. Nice to meet him. So is he coming? He says he’s got to get back to work, but maybe he’ll see her around. She says, maybe, and he watches her leave, appreciating what he sees.

Nikolas says Ava knows he doesn’t want a divorce, and she asks if he remembers the time he was gaslighting her when she was in Shadybrook? He was so good at it. He asks why she’s bringing it up now. She knows he hated that he did that, and he’ll always regret it. She says, if that’s the case, why is he doing it again? He says he’s not, but she says he is. He’s telling her the things she thinks, feels, and sees aren’t real. He says, no. He’s telling her that he loves her like she loves him. Things they both know are true. Ava says, except what she’s telling him is true is real. She doesn’t want to be married to him anymore. Does he understand? Get out of her face. She can’t stand to look at him. She walks out, and Jordan tells Nikolas that she’ll need his official statement. He says, first thing tomorrow, and leaves. Dante and Jordan look at a tablet, and Dante says, there are a lot of shoe prints. Trina went out the front, and hers are almost done. These are standard issue, police and firemen… Jordan says, there. She makes one picture bigger, and says, there’s no other foot traffic in this area. We see a solitary red footprint, and she says, the tread is not standard issue. He says, it’s not Nikolas’s shoe. They might have their first lead right there.

Nina tells Curtis that Taggert hit on her. He says, did he? Now he knows Taggert has good taste. She says, thanks, but that’s not the point. He saw Curtis and Portia talking, and there wasn’t a trace of jealousy. Curtis and Portia were smiling at each other, and it didn’t bother Taggert one bit. He says, if Taggert didn’t warn Portia off, who did?  

Cameron says Josslyn didn’t regret kissing him? and she says, not at all. He asks if that means they should… but Josslyn says, stop. He says he hasn’t started, and realizes Trina is behind him. Josslyn says, killer dress, and Cameron says Trina no longer looks like the last girl in a horror movie. She thanks them for their support, and says she’s ready to party. Cameron says, ready and waiting, and Josslyn says she’s glad Trina changed her mind. Trina says, fortunately, someone reminded her that it was their night, and not to let some lame-ass stalker ruin it.

Victor cuts himself on his bag, opens it, and wipes off the blood with a cloth. He takes out a photo of him, Laura, and Nikolas, and says, sorry, father. It’s for your own good. Victor is Spencer. All grown up. And nicely, I might add.

Tomorrow, Maxie says she can’t help herself, Trina has a better idea, Carly and Jason have something important to tell Josslyn, and Willow wheels Chase into Charlie’s.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Ostrica, Croatia. Guest Terez berates Captain Sandy about the terrible dinner, saying, it was unacceptable. She screeches, it’s a mega yacht! and the captain agrees, saying they have no chef because of covid. She’s never been in this position, but anyone coming on board has to be quarantined for seven days. Guest Jordan says, come on, girl. We’re on your team, and I wish they’d stop calling the captain girl. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says she gets it. She has no chef and a new crew. It’s never easy to hear criticism, but she has to shoulder it and do all she can to please them. In David’s interview, he says he’s more than happy to help any department, but imagine finding him in the galley, and thinking he had anything to do with the food. Katie wonders if Mathew is coming back, and in her interview, she says, it’s like losing a limb. She’s praying he comes back, but she wants to strangle his little head. Everyone goes to bed.

Captain Sandy says, it’s like a bad dream, and Katie asks if Mathew is coming back for breakfast. Malia says she’ll help by starting to prep, and in her interview, she says she’s never seen a yachting crew without a chef to cook for the guests. It’s probably the worst thing she’s ever faced, and they’ve crashed tenders. Behind closed doors, Terez’s significant other says she’s getting mad at him because of the trip. They can’t get their money back. She says she’s going to bed, and she says she doesn’t care. In Zee’s interview, he says he thinks his brothers in yachting would be proud. Lexi tells Courtney about how she was Miss Bahamas, and went to Russia for the Miss Universe pageant. Guest Jordan wants someone to do an airplane, and Katie volunteers. I have no idea what this is, when Jordan lies on her back on the floor, raises her legs, and Katie balances on top of them. WTF? Lexi peeks out of the galley, and says, it’s getting freaky now. Jordan says Katie is their girl, and she’s going to lift Katie higher next time. Imfowerments [sic]; she’s a little drunk. Lloyd goes on anchor watch, and in his interview, he said he’s worked with people a lot in his career. He sold cars for a while, and it was the worst part of his life. They made him stay late on the phone, while he stood on a table and people threw things at him to try and make him smile. It made him the strong person he is today. Again, WTF? Katie takes stuff out for breakfast, and Lexi vacuums. In Katie’s interview, she wonders how the f*** they’re going to survive the rest of the season if this day one. Lexi tells herself that her brains are fried. She calls her mom, and says she’s used to working charters, but this is madness. In her interview, she says her dad died a couple of months ago. They weren’t allowed in the hospital with him because of covid, and her mom got a call that he hadn’t made it. Talking about him makes her sad, and she hasn’t really dealt with it.

Day two. A storm is headed their way, and Malia asks David if his roommate is back, but he says, no. In Malia’s interview, she says, they’re toast. She tells David, they have a bachelor party to throw, and Captain Sandy texts Mathew, asking if he has any word. David says, this weather came out of nowhere. The captain texts Norma from yacht staffing, and in her interview, she says she has to figure this out. She also needs a deck stew, so she’ll never be caught without a crew member in quarantine again. Norma says she’ll send a chef to quarantine, as Courtney cuts a pineapple. Good luck to her. Those are hard to cut. In Courtney’s interview, she says she’s glad to be out of the laundry, but she’s not supposed to be in the galley. Mathew calls the captain, and says he got the results back from his MRI.

Mathew tells the captain that it’s nothing serious. He’s sore, but he’d love to come back and start fresh. Captain Sandy says, first and foremost, she’s glad he’s okay, and asks if he’ll be there for breakfast. In her interview, she says, as captain, she’s had to deal with a fire on the Red Sea and she’s faced pirates, but no chef is like the end game. The big question is, is he capable of continuing? She radios the crew, who all respond with comments like, thank the Lord and hallelujah. The captain says a water taxi is approaching, and hopefully, it’s their chef. Mathew gets on board, and Captain Sandy tells him, welcome back. He takes off his booties and mask, and tells her that he’ll get changed and get to it. The captain tells Katie that she was going to drag Mathew’s ass back if he wasn’t coming. Mathew says, it’s nothing serious, but he’s in a little pain. In Mathew’s interview, he says he always has deep anxiety before the first meal with new guests. Instead of dealing with that, he bailed. There were two jobs that he left before he started them because of anxiety. He wants and needs to overcome it. I wonder why this didn’t come up as far as references go, and Katie tells Courtney that she’s never been so excited to see a bloody chef in her life. In Zee’s interview, he says, Courtney has a beautiful smile. Katie says Mathew owes them big time. She wants to make sure he knows that, and that he’s not leaving… let’s hope not. Mathew asks if it was a disaster, and Courtney asks if it matters. In Courtney’s interview, she wonders where Mathew’s limp went. He came in, acting like he was fine. Mathew tells Captain Sandy, it was a sad start to the trip, and he’ll talk to the guests. He suggests having someone else do the crew food, and ordering a wedding cake. The more he can outsource things that don’t matter as much to the guests (like the wedding cake???), the more he can focus on the more important stuff. The captain says, they have to do the crew food? and he says, he’s still getting used to the space, and he’s in pain. He tells her he’s going to speak to the guests, and in her interview, Captain Sandy says, I mean, come on. She knows chefs can be very finicky, and some are temperamental. The last thing she wants to do is bombard Mathew when he’s asking her for help. She can’t get a new chef, so she wants to ease him back into the role. Mathew apologizes to the guests for the start of the trip, and the captain tells Malia that they’ll have to do the crew food; sorry. Malia says she’s cool with it.   

Malia tells David to get out the unicorn island, and Zee helps them blow it up. In Lexi’s interview, she says, after speaking to her mom, she feels better. She was exhausted and overworked. Malia hugs the unicorn, since she doesn’t have a boyfriend right now, and David says it’s going on its maiden voyage. They name the floatie Maureen the Magical Unicorn. Lexi dances and sings while ironing, which is why she has that job and I don’t. In Mathew’s interview, he says he’s trying to stay positive. He’s in a weird head space, and in pain. He’s trying to internalize, be calm, be cool. Maureen is put in the water, and Malia makes paninis for lunch. Katie serves drinks to the guests in the hot tub. David needs to find radishes, but doesn’t know what they look like. Third WTF this evening. Lloyd and David talk England, and David says he grew up in Brighten, which was a wicked city to grow up in. Katie has to bring so many drinks to the hot tub, she says, her poor arms. She’s not a stew anymore; she’s a bartender.   

Lloyd preps for the next round of paninis. Jordan suggests Katie just leave a bottle of champagne and a carafe of orange juice, so they can do their own refills. In Malia’s interview, she says the crew is still getting up to speed, but she doesn’t see any red flags… yet. Captain Sandy asks how Mathew is doing, and he says, there’s too much stuff; he doesn’t know what’s where. I might interject, he’s the one who ordered too much stuff. The captain says she can help him organize, and he apologizes about the crew food. She says he’s not even at the starting line. Once he’s there, he’ll do the food. Seeing the huge amount of fruits and vegetables they have, the captain says, ridiculous. Malia says the paninis are ready, while David wrestles with Maureen. Katie tells Courtney that they have a bachelorette party coming up, and in Courtney’s interview, she says, all of her friends are having weddings, houses, babies, and dogs. Traveling girl, single and alone, just getting drunk in the corner. Katie and Lexi set the table for lunch, and Katie does some correcting of the silverware. In her interview, she says she’s not one of those chief stews who are particular about a lot of things, but she notices if the table setting isn’t cohesive. Captain Sandy curses her life while organizing the pantry, and says, he’s on his own. Zee makes himself a baloney sandwich, and tries to engage Courtney in small talk. In his interview, he keeps hearing, don’t screw the crew, but if you enjoy someone, why not give it a shot? At the same time, he’s green.

The guests head to the table for lunch, and in Mathew’s interview, he says he never thinks of wowing the guests, he just puts his heart out there and hopes they like it. He gives us the six Ps of yachting – proper preparation prevents piss poor performance. The guests are loving it, and happy he’s there. One of them says he totally redeemed himself. Malia asks if Zee is good, and he says, good-ish. He asks if she’ll show him how to tie a line, and she demonstrates for him. She tells him to keep an eye on the jet ski line. Lexi tells Mathew that she loves him, and in her interview, she says, always lie to the chef. Tell the chef you love them. Mathew makes chocolate mousse for dessert, which redeems just about anything, and Terez says, everything is on point. Katie asks Courtney to help clear lunch, so they can set up dinner. Captain Sandy asks how lunch went, and Katie says ,it’s a good vibe. A guest wonders what that jet ski is doing floating away.  

Zee tells Malia that he’s not sure how it happened, but she tells him, it’s okay. In her interview, she says she’s letting him off the hook, since she also watched a jet ski float away. It’s a rite of passage. David drives the tender to a fishing spot for Clint’s bachelor party, while Karry and her pals get in the unicorn for her bachelorette. Clint says his life is officially over, and Karry asks for a bottle of vodka. In Zee’s interview, he says he worked in hospitality, and guests are happier when they’re drunk. It’s the first thing he’s been comfortable with. One of Clint’s party suggests that the chef bring down a fish, and they can say they caught it. The tender comes back, and Malia brings the fish out, asking if they want to take a photo. Karry and Clint kiss, and Mathew says he prepared dinner for the crew. Captain Sandy tells him, lunch and dinner for the crew while they’re on charter, and in her interview, she says she knew he’d come around to making crew food. She had to play her cards right; one step at a time. Let him settle back in. David and Lloyd talk women, but I’m skeptical as to whether either one of them has ever been on a date. In Lloyd’s interview, he says he doesn’t get to speak much to Katie. Plus, she’s chief stew, so she’s also scary. Katie and Courtney set the table for dinner, and in Katie’s interview, she says, the more stews you have under you, you lean more toward administration. Some chief stews don’t like to get their hands dirty, but she still likes a challenge. The guests get ready for dinner.

The wind picks up, and it starts to rain. The crew covers the deck furniture. In Mathew’s interview, he says, he’s going in with his first dinner, and doesn’t want to overcomplicate things. He knows he can do this, but needs to prove to the guests, captain, and crew that he can do this. In Katie’s interview, she says, synchronization is so important. Plus she thinks it looks good, bringing everything in at once. Katie tells Courtney to do turndowns, then laundry. In Malia’s interview, she’s skeptical about how much Mathew is physically hurt. It starts to get windy outside, and a guest’s wine glass gets broken. Katie says they’ll have to move everything inside, and Mathew frets about the food getting cold. He tried to make it perfect, now his whole dinner could be f***ed.    

They move operations inside, and… Did Clint just whistle for a drink? What is he, a heathen? The fish is served, and everyone loves it. Jordan toasts to Karry and Clint. Clint brushes Karry’s hair back, telling her to show off her outfit, by which he means her boobs, and she gets annoyed. Katie says, the guests have been drinking since 8:30 am, and Karry tells Clint that he’s drunk. He starts getting snarky, and she rolls her eyes. The dessert comes out, and Clint yells, cream [sic] brûlée! Malia says Mathew is efficient; she thought it would be a disaster. Mathew says, based on yesterday, she probably didn’t have very high expectations. In Lexi’s interview, she says Mathew thinks he’s a hero, but he isn’t. He screwed them over on the first day. He signed on to cook. Why should he get a pat on the back for cooking? Courtney says, on no boat has she witnessed this madness, and Malia says Mathew seems temperamental.

Clint and Karry go to their cabin, but Clint says he doesn’t want to go to bed. They argue over whose phone charger is whose, and Clint says Karry is drunk as sh*t. She says she’s calling her mother, and he tells her, go ahead. She calls him a d-bag, and he says, call him that again… She says he’s a d-bag, and she’s not marrying him. He says he doesn’t want to get married anyway. He’s done. Katie jets from her eavesdropping position in the hallway, as Clint comes out the door. In the room, Karry cries, and lightning strikes over the ocean.  

Next week, Lexi says there’s a weird vibe, David is attracted to Malia, Terez won’t eat the lamb, and Mathew tells Lexi to get out.

😵 Is It Friday Yet…?

Tomorrow brings Temptation Tuesday, but I probably won’t get to those wacky NYC Wives until Wednesday because I am a slave to the Zoom meeting. It could be worse. So until we see who has and has not, stay safe, stay fearless, but not stupid, and stay out of solitary. It’s not helpful to anyone.

July 2, 2021 – Trina Meets the Stalker, In Memory, Goodbye Joe, Baby It’s Real, What’s On, Best Dressed, Double Farewell, Garcelle Spills, a First Look, Another One, Many Short Quotes & Back

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Britt sits down in the prison visiting room, and picks up the phone. She says, lookin’ good, hot stuff, and Brad says, what’s with the red-rimmed eyes? Oh my God. Did they cancel Grey’s?

Michael says, for as long as he can remember, Jason and Carly have been friends. Friends doesn’t even cover the loyalty they have for each other. Even when they disagree, they’re still on each other’s side. He has no doubt they love each other, but he does doubt that’s the reason they have to get married. Jason says, it’s the best option they have right now under current circumstances, and Michael asks, what circumstances? Carly says, there are problems with the business.

Jax walks into Trina’s party, and sees Cameron and Josslyn. He says he heard Cameron is going to PCU. Maybe the two of them could keep each other out of trouble? Josslyn says, like Jax never got in trouble. Curtis says, Taggert made it, and Taggert says, he has so much to celebrate. He thanks Curtis for everything he’s doing for Trina, and Curtis says, no problem, but watch out. That daughter of his is going to keep him on his toes. Portia joins them, and says, she gets it from her mom, and Taggert says, that’s right.

Ava and Nina walk in, and Ava says, this is great. Maybe they could get Curtis to offer Nina’s boyfriend Mike a job there. Nina says, first of all, he’s not her boyfriend, and secondly, he’s not moving to Port Charles. Jax tells Josslyn he never got in trouble in college, and Nina asks if Ava can just drop it. Ava says her lips are sealed, and Nina walks over to Jax. Jordan arrives, and Ava tells her, congratulations. She heard Jordan took down Cyrus Renault. Too bad she couldn’t shoot to kill. Jordan thanks Ava, and tells her to enjoy her night. Ava says, highly unlikely, since she has a madman terrorizing her and her family. She wants Jordan to tell her what she’s doing about it.

At Charlie’s, Laura asks if Doc is ready to go. He looks at his phone, and says, yeah… and she asks, what’s wrong? He says he hasn’t been able to reach Nikolas. She says, he left without saying goodbye, and he was preoccupied when he was here. He’s not in a party mood; he has a stalker and a divorce looming. He says, Nikolas isn’t planning on a divorce. He’s determined to fight for his marriage at any cost.

Trina walks into the dark gallery, and literally bumps into someone. She sprays them with pepper spray, and we see it’s Nikolas, who throws up his hands and yells in pain.

Taggert wonders if Trina is going to make a grand entrance, and Portia says, Trina texted her, and she needed to make a stop before she came. Taggert says, that gives him time to practice his speech, but she says, no speeches. Don’t embarrass Trina. He tells her, speak for herself. There’s only three times a grown man gets to cry over his daughter; graduation, marriage, and childbirth. He will not be deprived. She says, so get ready for the waterworks. Ava tells Jordan that she believes she’s entitled to a thorough investigation; this has been going on for months. Taggert excuses himself, saying, his former partner needs rescuing. He picks up a couple of glasses of champagne, and goes over to Jordan. Portia tells Curtis, Taggert likes to seem tough, but he’s full of emotion when it comes to Trina. Curtis says he doesn’t doubt it. It seems Portia and Taggert are getting along well. It gives him hope with him and Jordan as exes. She says they keep it civil for Trina, but they both still have their moments. As a matter-of-fact, Taggert mentioned to her that he knew about her and Curtis’s prior relationship.

Britt tells Brad, they’d never cancel Grey’s, but there’s talk that the series might end soon. He says, no, and she says she can’t even go there right now, but she still has a DVD player, and they’re going to watch all the box sets she’s been keeping. As soon as he gets out, she’s going to take a couple of days off, and they’ll do the ultimate binge watch. He says, and Meredith hasn’t found true love, since Derek… She says, true love doesn’t even exist. The hot guys aren’t even what they used to be. He says, liar, and she says she just doesn’t want to make him feel bad. He says, in this Eden of teardrop tattoos and toilet wine? And she says, don’t tell her he drinks that. He says, it’s like 200 proof, and only on Sundays. She says he has no idea how much she missed him, and he says he might have some idea, She says, of course (🍷) he does. She’s sorry she hasn’t come by more, and he says, it’s okay. He knows she’s busy. She says he has no idea, and he asks, how’s Wiley? She says she hears he’s growing like a weed. They don’t travel in the same circles, but she’s sure Michael and Willow are taking good care of Wiley. Not as good as him of course (🍷).

Carly says, as Michael knows, when Jason was on the run and unavailable, she took Sonny’s seat at a meeting with the Five Families spaghetti sauce with mushrooms. She told them she was in charge, and then Jason came back. Jason says, the other families expect one of them to push the other out, and Carly says, specifically, they want Jason to push her out. Jason says, that hasn’t happened. One family in particular, the Novaks, sees an opening, and the Novaks have hit them a couple of times. Michael asks, how bad? and Jason says, they took out a warehouse. Michael asks if they retaliated, and Jason says, last night, the Novaks lost a building where their main offices are located. No one was hurt, but the building was burned to the ground. They also had 27 trucks stolen. Michael says, it’s impressive, and Jason says, it sends a message. Carly says, her and Jason’s engagement will send a message too.

Josslyn says hi to Nina, who says she hopes it’s okay that she crashed the party. Cameron says, it’s Trina’s party, and he’s sure Trina will be happy to have her. Nina congratulates Josslyn and Cameron, and gives Josslyn a gift. Josslyn thanks her, and says it’s great that she’s there. She’s sure Wiley will be glad to get to know her. Will they be seeing more of her? Nina says, maybe, and Jax smiles.

Ava tells Jordan, in the absence of a viable suspect, she’s had to upend her life. Taggert comes over, and hands Jordan a glass, saying, he thought she could use this. She thanks him, and tells him to grab a table while she and Ava finish up. He leaves, and Jordan suggests Ava come by her office, and they can talk.

Laura tells Doc, Nikolas isn’t answering her calls either. What else did he say? Doc says, that he’s not taking this stalker business lying down, and she says, that’s what she was afraid of. He mentioned something about setting a trap for the stalker. Doc says he has a bad feeling that trap might have been sprung.

Nikolas rubs at his eyes, and Trina says she’s so sorry. Don’t rub at your eyes! He asks, what the hell was that? and she says, pepper spray. Her dad gave it to her to fend off attackers. He says, congratulate him on a job well done, and she tells him, sit down. She helps him wash out his eyes with a bottle of water. He asks why she sprayed him, and she says she thought he was an intruder trying to snatch her. She didn’t know it was him. Why is he even there? He says he’s trying to save his family. The ninja peeks out, and sees them. Trina tells Nikolas, be still. Pepper spray is a thousand times hotter than if he wiped his eyes after handling a jalapeno. He says that’s not making him feel any better, and she says he needs to concentrate on something else. Psychologically, it might be better to have something to take his mind off the pain. He says the only thing he wants to think about is why he’s there; he’s looking for Ava’s stalker. She says, and they thought the stalker might be there? They might have told her. She’d like to know if someone is creeping around Ava’s place of business. He says he didn’t want to scare her; he thought he could catch the person responsible. Why is she there, and not at her party? She says she heard about the divorce, and she wanted to check on Ava. Maybe she should call Ava… He says, no, please. She’s not going to be happy. She needs to hear it from him. He suggests she go to her party, and says, her friends are waiting there. She says, no; she’s not leaving him like this. She’s getting him help whether he likes it or not. If it’s not Ava, who’s it going to be? He hands her his phone, and she asks if he has communication issues.

Laura says, Nikolas should have gotten back to them by now, and Doc says, maybe he’s giving his statement to the police. Her phone rings, and she says, there he is. Trina says, it’s her. She’s at the gallery, and Laura’s son needs her. Laura says she’ll be right there. Doc says, what? and she says she’ll tell him in the car.   

Curtis says, Taggert spoke to Portia too, and she says, Taggert told Curtis that he knew about them? He says, not in so many words, but he got his point across. Luckily with a shrug of his shoulders, and not a fist to Curtis’s chin. Portia says she’s glad Taggert didn’t make a huge deal about it, and Curtis says, him too. Did he with her? She says, no; he was pretty understanding. It’s all water under the bridge anyway, but she should have mentioned it to Curtis, and sort of warned him. He says, well, they haven’t been connecting lately. He’s beginning to think it’s intentional.

Cameron and Josslyn step outside, and Cameron wonders what happened to Trina. Josslyn says, maybe she wants to make an entrance, and Cameron suggests she open Nina’s present while they’re waiting. Josslyn says she doesn’t know. Things are still kind of weird between Nina and her dad, so she didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. He says, she’s worried it’s going to be what? Rolling papers? I wonder where that came from. She tells him, stop it, and he says, open it; let’s see what it is. She hands him the bow, and opens the box, because on soaps, there is never traditional wrapping paper. She says, it looks like a book, and he says, maybe it’s a hangover cookbook for college. Josslyn takes out a leather-bound volume, and says, it’s a journal. Wow. Is Cameron ready to party, or what? He seems to be down for some weed and wine.

Jax says, it’s sweet of Nina to give Josslyn a gift, and she says, it’s nothing really. He says she looks great. Has she been seeing Wiley? She says, yes. Michael and Willow, and Carly surprisingly enough, have been very gracious… especially given the circumstances surrounding the invitation. He says he doesn’t regret clearing the way, and she says, even if it means things are difficult with Carly? He says he thinks he’s the farthest thing from Carly’s mind, and she asks why he’s saying that. Did something happen? He says she’ll find out sooner or later, but Carly and Jason are getting married.

Jason tells Michael, the Novaks and the other families are watching for signs of a power struggle. If they see him and Carly fighting, they’ll up the pressure, hoping to rip this family and the organization apart, and they’re going to step in and help themselves to their territory. Michael says, but there is no power struggle? and Jason says, no. They know that, but the other families don’t. Carly says, their marriage will send a message that she and Jason are a united front. Michael says, but do they want to get married?

Britt holds her phone up to the glass, and Brad says, thanks; he’s good. She says she thought he’d want to see Wiley, and he says he does, but there’s only so much he can take before it goes from heartwarming to gut wrenching. Where did she get the pictures? She says, they were all around Bobbie’s office, and he says he thought Bobbie got the boot. She says, she did, but she and her stink-eye are back patrolling the halls, now that Cyrus is kicking rocks. He says he can’t keep up. He assumed she’d gotten the photos from Jason. She asks why he said that, and he says, please. He saw her slobbering after him on Valentine’s Day. She says, shut up; she did not. He says, whatever. He can almost see it. Jason has the looks, the body, the smarts; factor in the – he lowers his voice – contract killing and mob boss BFF, it’s a helluva catch. She says Brad doesn’t know what he’s talking about. There’s more to Jason than that. He asks, how would she know? Is she sleeping with him? She says, no… not anymore.

Doc examines Nikolas’s eyes, and Laura asks, what happened to calling the police? Nikolas says, for all he knows, the stalker could be in law enforcement. Obviously, they’re familiar with Ryan Chamberlain, and have enough technical knowledge to bypass the security at Windymere, and using Ryan’s voice in that toy bear. Trina asks how Nikolas is. Is there going to be permanent damage? Doc says, he’s going to be fine. She got him good though. Trina says she thinks she emptied her cannister, and Doc says, it was excellent aim given the pressure she was under. She says her dad taught her well. Laura asks if Doc thinks they should  take Nikolas to GH, and he says, he thinks they should, to be on the safe side. They get on either side of him, and Laura tells Nikolas to walk while they steer. She tells Trina, sorry. She hopes they didn’t ruin her big night, but Trina says, it’s okay. She’ll just be fashionably late. Laura says she’s such a good sport, and when they leave, Trina turns out the lights. The ninja comes back out.

Brad tells Britt, do not leave a single thing out; he’s deprived. The gossip in there centers around who got jumped, the menu, and how to score two-in-one shampoo. Start talking. Go. She says laughs and says, okay. Cyrus sent two thugs to kill her, and Jason saved her life. As they were escaping, in a jailbreak of sorts, Jason got shot. They went on the run, and she was taking care of him. They wound up in a lighthouse in Canada, and they got really close. He says, and? and she says, if he was hoping for a play-by-play, forget it. He says he’ll forego position for the sake of accuracy. Was Jason everything she’d hoped he’d be? She asks what he thinks, and he asks why she looks like that then. She said not anymore. Does she mean to tell him that she scored the city’s hottest gangster, and it was a one and done? And since when does she withhold details? She says, she and Jason experienced something extreme together, and now that’s over. No hearts, no flowers, no frou-frou romance. It was all circumstantial, and that was all it was every going to be. He says, holy crap. She really cares about the guy.

Carly says she wants to be married to Michael’s father, but that’s not possible. This is a business arrangement, but she wouldn’t do it with anyone else but Jason. Jason says, Carly’s right. This is for the business. The only reason it makes sense is because they understand each other, and they know it’s going to work. Michael says they’ve obviously thought this through, and know what they’re doing. Have they set a date?

Nina says, Carly and Jason are getting married? She never thought of them as anything other than just friends. Jax says, back day, they were much more. For the first few years of Michael’s life, everybody thought Jason was his father. Nina says, is this a reunion of sorts? and Jax says, or a return to disfunction. He knows Carly’s personal life is none of his business, he just doesn’t want to see her make the same mistakes over and over. Nina says, it is his business, because Carly is the mother of his child, and Jax loves her. He says, it might seem ridiculous, but he doesn’t want to see her get hurt, and she says, that’s his M.O., but try as you might, you can’t control someone else’s choices. Even if you can stave off the pain and stop the hurt, maybe you shouldn’t. He says, why? Because it’s not his place? She says, because sometimes hurt is necessary. They grow out of pain and find out how strong they are. They can rebuild their lives, and sometimes if they’re lucky, be happier than they were. He thanks her for her wise perspective. He’s missed that, and he missed her too. He touches her arm.

Josslyn says, Nina must have remembered that she journaled last year, and Cameron says, but she gave that up, right? He supposes she can start again, and Josslyn flashes back to Trina telling her that Dev showed her journal to Cameron. She says, why, so he can read it like the other one? and walks away.

Curtis says, ever since that kiss… and Portia says, they discussed this. He made it clear that wasn’t something he wanted. He says he remembers something different. He remembers being in the hospital, and it was just after surgery. She told him it had been a mistake. Portia says she was agreeing with him. Why are they revisiting this conversation if they’re of the same mind? Curtis says, maybe they aren’t.

Taggert bets Jordan is grateful he ran interference with Ava. What is her problem? Jordan says, she’s got a fan… super dedicated.

The ninja steals though gallery, and a light comes on. The ninja knocks a device off the desk, and Trina comes in. The ninja slips away, and Trina picks it up. She says, damn. She’s really late. Stop screwing around, Trina. The ninja touches Trina’s shoulder, and Trina turns around. The ninja puts a finger to their lips.

At the hospital where Nikolas lies with a mask on his eyes, Laura says she can understand Nikolas wanting to hold on to his marriage no matter what. Nikolas says, but it’s not worth it? and she says, on the contrary. She can see how much they love each other, but she also understands how terrified Ava must be right now, knowing how close the stalker came to Avery. Maybe down the line, things will be different, but right now he has to honor Ava’s wishes, and let her have her space so she feels safe. Doc says, not to alarm him, but his pushback could actually endanger Ava. Nikolas sits up, taking off the mask, and says, that’s exactly what the stalker wants them to think. He won’t stand by and be forced out of his marriage. He tells Laura, don’t worry. He’ll make sure nothing happens to Ava, and she doesn’t get hurt. Laura says, even if he’s right, what if something happens to someone else?   

Trina tries using her pepper spray, but she was right; she emptied the cannister. She asks the ninja, please don’t hurt her.

Josslyn runs through the club with Cameron on her heels, saying, wait. He follows her out the front door, and says, it’s not at all what she thinks. She says, so he did read her journal. He says he didn’t go hunting for it, and she says she knows; Dev showed it to him. He asks if Trina told her. How long has she known? She says, not long, but this isn’t about Trina; it’s about them. How can they be friends if he’s not honest? He asks where she gets off lecturing him about honesty, when the proof of everything she doesn’t say was in her journal? Like what she really thinks about him.

Curtis says he’s sorry if he put Portia on the spot, and she looks over at Jordan and Taggert. She says she knows he didn’t mean to, but nothing can come of it. He asks how she knows, and she says, because it wouldn’t be received well. She excuses herself and walks away.

Jax says he didn’t mean to overstep, and she says, it’s okay. She hopes she didn’t give him mixed signals, and he says she didn’t. He just thought that maybe… Forget it. He thought wrong. She says, it’s good to see him, and he says, it’s good to see her too, and she moves on.

Carly tells Michael, this all just happened. They haven’t planned a ceremony yet… She means she hasn’t planned a ceremony. Jason says, there are people they need to tell in person, and Michael says, like grandmother? Carly says she knows Monica is going to hate it, but she needs to hear it from them. Maybe Jason should handle it solo. Jason says he’ll figure it out, and Carly says, Josslyn doesn’t know, but she didn’t want to overshadow Josslyn’s graduation celebration. Michael says, a lot of people are going to be surprised, but once they have a chance to think about it, they won’t be surprised at all. Carly says she told Jason the same thing. Even people who don’t know the business part, she doesn’t think that many people will be surprised. Jason flashes back to Britt saying he told her that he wasn’t good at what ifs, and she really liked that about him. Don’t lose it now; just get out.

Britt asks Brad, how pathetic was she? What was she thinking? That they’d be a couple? That they would pick out furniture and move in together? When did she get so lame? He reminds her that she’s talking to a man behind bars, who conspired with a homicidal maniac to steal a baby from the child’s father. She says, they were running for their lives, and following the 10-hour rule. She let herself get caught up in dreaming of a future, when actually she doesn’t have one. Brad asks what’s stopping her, and she flashes back to Jason saying it could be thirty years. It’s her life and her choice, but for what it’s worth (🍷), he’d still like to know her six months from now. She says she wants to know him too. Britt tells Brad, with Jason, she means. Brad says she obviously likes him. He had no idea Jason was so smooth. She says, he was just kind to her and she ate it up like a hot fudge sundae. Poor Britt, starved for affection, took common decency for a love connection. He says he’d thank her not to make fun of his best friend. She’s smart, beautiful, funny as hell, and a doctor, which makes her fierce. He knocks on the glass, and asks if he’s getting through to her. She says, thanks; she’s a catch. Just not one you catch and keep. He says, that’s on Jason, and if he’s not smart enough to realize it, too bad for him. Britt says, there’s only room for one woman in Jason’s life, and it’s not her. He asks, who would that be? but she says she doesn’t want to get into it. She thinks she should see a doctor. She feels like a hippo is squatting on her chest, and someone is playing her stomach like a marimba. Brad says, she’s not sick, just heartbroken.

Doc says, the messages are a direct threat. This person has physically intruded into their lives, their home. Nikolas says, if the stalker wanted to hurt them, they’d have done it, or worse. They can get in and out of Windymere, and their room at the MetroCourt. Why’d they stop with the messages? Why not take the opportunity to do worse? They’re trying to scare him and Ava, and he thinks it’s time he calls their bluff.

Trina says, please, and the ninja reaches for the device. Trina runs across the room and throws it at them. It bounces off the ninja and onto the floor. They both look up.

Taggert tells Jordan that she’s not going to solve the case tonight while they’re celebrating Trina’s graduation. Portia approaches their table, and says she’s glad Jordan could make it. They make small talk, and Curtis watches.

Josslyn says she doesn’t know what Cameron is talking about. What exactly did he read? He says, nothing. Dev read it. He didn’t want to intrude on her privacy, but Dev insisted he hear it, and once he heard it, he couldn’t unhear it. So if she wants to be friends again, the radical honesty starts with her.

Jax walks out of the Savoy, telling himself that he’s such an idiot.

Brad tells Britt, the guard is giving him the wrap-it-up glare. He’s sorry if he said something that set her off, and she says she shouldn’t have come there and dumped this on him. He says, please. It’s the most normal he’s felt in a long time. She says she’s happy to oblige, and he says he’s sorry Jason hurt her, but it might be a blessing in disguise. Staying away from Jason will probably add years to her life expectancy. She says, of course (🍷) it does, and he says, do him a favor. Go do some self-care. She says, it’s too late for a massage, but he says he was thinking more like, get drunk and make a mess. She says, without her wingman? No way. They’ve got to get him out of there. He says he has a parole hearing coming up, and she says he’d better work it. The Nurses Ball is coming up this fall. He says, she’ll have the ice cream? and she says, and Sam’s red carpet whoopsie on loop. He laughs, and says he’s there. They fist bump through the glass.

Carly tells Michael, she and Jason are going what they need to do to protect Sonny’s legacy and their family. Michael says, for what it’s worth (🍷), he thinks dad would understand and approve. He realized, he never asked, but does Jason want to run the business? Jason says he never wanted to, but he knows how to run it, and to keep things stabilized for this family; it’s necessary. Carly says she appreciates Michael’s concern, but they’re going into this with eyes wide open. Michael says, then they know some people won’t like this at all. Jason says he knows.   

Carly walks Michael to the door, and thanks him for looking out for them. He says if Jax gives her any trouble, let him know; Jax owes him one now. She says, does he? and Michael says, it’s all good. Congratulations. He’s happy for the both of them. He leaves, and Jason asks, what was that about Jax? She says she’s 99% sure Jax blackmailed Michael into letting Nina see Wiley, and he says, blackmailing with what? She says, that’s the detail she doesn’t know, and Michael refuses to tell her, and she’s sure he’s doing it to keep the peace with Josslyn. Jason says, it makes sense. The last thing Josslyn or any kid wants is friction between their parents. She says, so Jax gets what he wants by taking advantage of Michael’s concern for his sister? He asks if she wants to pick a fight with Jax, and she says she wouldn’t be the one picking the fight. He asks again, and she says, no. Jax is really angry that they’re getting married. He asks what Jax said, but she says, he didn’t have to say anything. She could tell what he was thinking. Sonny tied her to the business, and all the risks that come with it. Jax was thinking, with Sonny gone, she was free, but now she’s marrying Jason, which ties her to the business again. He says, sorry, and she asks, why? He’s not forcing her to make this decision; they made this decision together. He’s not having second thoughts, is he? He says, no. They’ve looked at it from every angle possible. Getting married is the best way to stabilize the business, and more important, the best way to protect this family. She says she was just making sure, and he says, what about her? Is she having second thoughts? She says, no. She’s just not excited about the judgment that’s coming her way. Maybe if Jason had spent years trying to run off every man she wanted in her life… Although many could make the argument that he did. He asks, how’s that? and she says, because of all the times she turned to him and he was there, especially when her life was falling apart. It never bothered Sonny, but Jax hated it. So maybe he is just as responsible for them winding up together. He asks if that makes her happy, and she says, sure. A shared blame is better than taking the fall alone. She looks at her wedding set, and says she guesses it’s time; she has to take these off. Jason takes her hand, and says, only if she’s ready. She says she’s not, but it has to be done. She always loved them. They were just so flashy and so Sonny. He loved showing off. She cries, and says she misses him. Jason says he misses him too.

Jax is having a drink by himself. I don’t know where, but Britt walks in, and asks, is this seat taken? He shakes his head, and she sits down. She says, so. Did he get a save the date?

Laura tells Nikolas, baiting and taunting a stalker who wants to emulate Ryan is dangerous. Doc says, Laura is right. Let the police handle this. Nikolas says his family isn’t PCPD priority, but it’s his. So he’s going to do what they can’t. He’s going to string this bastard up by his toes before he can make another move. She says, and he could get killed in the process. He should be thankful that the only thing he encountered tonight was Trina and her pepper spray.  

Josslyn says, what hasn’t she been honest about? and Cameron asks why she couldn’t have said she just wanted to be friends. He might not have liked it, but he would have accepted it. She left him hanging. Instead of talking to him, she wrote in her journal that he was a bad kisser, that he was gross and clumsy and sloppy. She asks what he’s talking about. She doesn’t think he’s a bad kisser. He says, he read it in her journal. Is he not supposed to believe her own words? She grabs his lapel and says, believe this, and kisses him.   

Nina tells Curtis, nice soft launch, and he thanks her. She asks, what’s going on with the mother of the graduate? Any progress? He says, not really, but he thinks he’s figured it out. Portia didn’t back away from him on her own. She was pushed. He looks at Jordan and Taggert, talking to Ava. Ava asks Portia, any idea where their girl is? and Portia says, she should have been here by now. She was stopping at the gallery. Portia decides to text her, and Taggert says he doesn’t want to monitor Trina, but if she doesn’t show in the next ten minutes, he’s going to start texting her.   

Trina walks slowly into the room, and everyone looks horrified. Trina is covered in blood. She says, mom?  

Today’s theory. Whatever that is the ninja dropped set off something that broke the skylight.

Curtis tells Nina that someone warned Portia away from him, Cameron asks if he confirmed what was in Josslyn’s journal, Shawn has some bad news, and Trina says, it was a trap.

👑 Fit For a Prince…

An upcoming tribute to Stuart Damon is in the works.

Another Star Falls To the Sky…

Ray MacDonnell, aka Joe Martin from All My Children, has joined the ranks of heavenly soap stars.

🤰🏻 IRL…

Sasha’s baby bump is the real deal.

🎇 Holiday Schedule…

GH will be on. Not so some of the others.

👰🏽 Who Wore It Best…

I voted for Anna from GH. Right now, she’s coming in second.

🎞 More Than Soaps…

Another loss, for both the soap and anime world.

https://comicbook.com/anime/news/philece-sampler-dies-digimon-mimi-voice-actress-anime/

💎 But Would She Really…?

On Watch What Happens Live, Garcelle literally said that Denise would come back if someone left. When Andy suggested that someone might be LisaR, Garcelle laughed like a hyena, which said it all. I wish.

https://ew.com/tv/real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-garcelle-beauvais-denise-richards-would-return-wwhl-video/

⚰️ Latest On Dead…

Fancy. The trailer looks like something Zack Snyder directed.

https://ew.com/tv/the-walking-dead-season-11-mercer-first-look/

🦈 It’s Getting Closer…

The newest of the new Suicide Squad trailers. It looks good. Love the shark guy.

https://www.dccomics.com/videos/the-suicide-squad-official-rain-trailer

🐓 Quotes of the Week

Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. – George Bernard Shaw

Only the paranoid survive. – Andy Grove

Happiness is an inside job. – William Arthur Ward

To be inspired is great, but to inspire is an honor. – Stacey T. Hunt

There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. – Maya Angelou

This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave. – Elmer Davis

Deserve your dream. – Octavio Paz

The best thing about a picture is that it never changes, even when the people in it do. – Andy Warhol

Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality. – Carl Sagan

Discovering the truth about ourselves is a lifetime’s work, but it’s worth the effort. – Fred Rogers

It takes 30 seconds to make an impression that last 30 years. – Loren Brovarnik’s father, 90 Day Fiance: Pillow Talk

Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!Audrey Hepburn

Liberty is the breath of life to nations. George Bernard Shaw

A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you. – Elbert Hubbard

Be the change that you wish to see in the world. – Mahatma Gandhi

Without music, life would be a mistake. – Friedrich Nietzsche

I call her BF, which doesn’t stand for best friend. It stands for bitch face. – woman on Dr. Phil whose sister slept with her boyfriend

We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it. – William Faulkner

💥 Be a Firework…

July 4th is here once again, and whether you watch Hamilton or the kinder, gentler 1776, remember although the forefathers made mistakes, they also dumped the tea, and gave their all for today’s freedoms. While we still have miles to go, if not for them, you might be paying for Queen Elizabeth’s hats. Until we meet again, stay safe, stay keeping your pets safe from the fireworks, and stay making them go, oh! oh! oh! as you shoot across the sky (sky, sky).

June 30, 2021 – Spinelli Is Approached By a Novak, Eboni’s Harlem Night, Kyle Has a Cocktail Party & Raise It

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Scotty says, so Finn needs some legal advice. What are they talking about? Malpractice? Finn and Elizabeth look at each other, and Scotty points to his watch, and tells them, time and elevators wait for no one. Finn says, it’s about Peter August.

Valentin asks if he’s on Anna’s list of friends, and she says, of course (🍷) he is. He’s been a wonderful friend. She couldn’t have gotten through the last few months without him. He says, nor he without her. He strokes her hair, and they come pretty close to kissing.

The bartender at the MetroCourt asks what Austin will have, and Austin says his father used to order a Manhattan, and gives the bartender specifics on the rye. The bartender says he’s got it, and leaves. Sam approaches Austin, and says, that’s interesting. A simple country doctor who’s pretty particular in his choice of whiskey. He says she’s questioning his choice of drinks. Is there anything she’s not suspicious of? She says, no.

Ava comes in, and sees Nikolas at a table having a beer, but keeps walking to the bar. She says Austin’s drink looks positively sinful. She’ll have whatever this handsome stranger is having. She sits and says hi to Sam.

Diane joins Spinelli at Charlie’s, and he thanks her for meeting him. She says she’s always happy to assist him. First of all, does he anticipate this situation becoming litigious? He says, heaven forbid. The last thing he wants to do is go to court with Ellie. She asks what the situation is. Tell her he didn’t cheat on Ellie. He says, no, never, and she says she had to ask, doing her due diligence. He says Ellie is concerned about his exposure to potentially dangerous, and allegedly criminal activity. To wit, Sonny’s organization is under pressure from potentially dangerous entities like the Novak family. She asks if he’s told Jason any of this, but he says he doesn’t want to burden Jason. He just came home from being a fugitive. He and Carly have plenty of troubles of their own.

Carly tells Josslyn that she’s sorry. She’s just really distracted right now. She has a lot on her plate. Josslyn asks if she wants to talk about it, but Carly says it’s nothing Josslyn should be worried about. Josslyn says she’s not worried. Whatever it is Carly is worried about, Josslyn knows she can always talk to Jason.

Britt is standing in her office, when Jason comes in and says her name. She turns around, and smiles, asking what brings him to her door. He says he just wanted to see her, and she says, what a coincidence. She wanted to see him too. He flashes back to Carly saying she keeps thinking about what Ava told them about it being theater; a performance that demonstrates a binding contract. Does he see where she’s going? Is she wrong? He says she’s not wrong. The lightbulb goes on over my head, and I think, they’re going to get married, aren’t they? and I hate Carly for ruining my plans. Britt asks where Jason went, and he says he’s sorry; he was just thinking about business. She asks if he came to her office to think about business, but he says he came to ask her if she wanted to grab a beer. She says, a beer sounds really great, and takes his arm. She says, just so he knows, he’s buying.

Josslyn tells Carly, it must be great to have Jason as a best friend. Don’t get her wrong. Trina is all kinds of awesome, and she’d be lost without her, but Jason is on a whole other level. When Carly tells him something, he keeps it in the vault; he can physically protect her; and he’s patient when she totally melts down. Carly asks who says she melts down on Jason? and Josslyn says, wild guess. Carly says, enough about her and Jason. Right now it’s about Josslyn. It’s a very important time for her. She has her team building trip for volleyball, where she gets to meet all the new girls, she has her classes for PCU, and best of all, she has graduation and Trina’s party afterwards. Josslyn says Carly just hit the one area where Trina beats Jason; she’s social and actually wants to party. Carly says Jason doesn’t really like social events, and Josslyn says that’s why Carly is Jason’s best friend. They balance each other out. She hugs Josslyn, and asks if Josslyn can do her a favor. She just put Donna down, and she’d like Josslyn to hang out with Avery. She’s missed Josslyn. Josslyn says she missed Avery too, and goes upstairs. Carly looks pained.

Spinelli tells Diane, it’s no use giving Ellie assurances about Jason and Carly, that alas, he’s in no position to give. Diane’s phone rings, and she looks at it, saying, this might be serendipitous. She steps away, and Carly says she needs to talk to her. Is she free? Diane asks if she’s home, and Carly says, yes. Diane says she’s on her way. She tells Spinelli, her best advice to him is just talk to Ellie. Tell her why he’s so loyal to Jason, and everything Jason has done for him. She’s sure they can come to some kind of compromise. They’re both incredibly smart people, and they love each other. She has no doubt they can work this out. She leaves, and a man approaches Spinelli. He says, Spinelli, right? and sits down. Spinelli says, and he is…? He says, Joseph Novak, but his buddies call him Joey. He holds out his hand.

Scotty says, Peter August? If he ever showed his face in this town again, Scotty would make him pay for every tear he caused Elizabeth and the boys. Not to mention the fact that every time he picks up the phone to call his son, he knows his son isn’t there because he was murdered in cold blood by Peter August. Elizabeth says, no one wants to add to Scotty’s pain, and Scotty says, Franco’s not the only kid he buried; first there was Karen, then Logan. He would give anything to have that time back, to spend it with his kids again. Finn says he’s sorry; he had no idea. Elizabeth says, it’s awful. Every moment a parent gets with their child is a gift. She pointedly looks at Finn, and Scotty says he’s sorry he’s ranting like this. It’s just that at the mention of Peter, he goes berserk. He’s sorry. What can he do for Finn?

Anna and Valentin put their hands together, palm to palm, and link fingers. Her phone rings, and he says, as far as bad timing goes, that was exquisite. He asks if she’s going to take it, and she does. Dante asks if it’s a good time to talk, and Anna asks what he’s got. He says Jordan just sent him the Medical Examiner’s report on nurse Chloe Jennings. He forwarded it to her. She asks him to give her the bullet points, and he says, the cause of death was a broken neck she sustained when she fell into the abandoned mine shaft. They also ran a DNA test. Take a look, and let him know if she has any questions.

Ava asks if Sam is going to introduce her to this very handsome man, and Austin says, this is fun. Stuff like this doesn’t happen in Pawtuck. Ava says, Pawtuck? How charming. Is he some kind of outdoorsman? Sam asks if Ava isn’t going to order a drink for Nikolas – her husband. Remember him? Austin says, her husband. How didn’t he see that? He could see that rock from space.

Dante sits with Nikolas, and says Nikolas wanted an update on the stalker investigation. Nikolas asks if he traced the bear that was left for Avery in the hotel, and Dante asks if they shouldn’t wait for Ava. She was the one who seemed most upset. Nikolas says, Ava is learning how to get over it, and they both look at the bar.

Ava tells Austin, don’t worry about that. She has an open marriage. Sam says, since when? and Ava says, since recent events changed things. In fact, her marriage is about to be blown wide open. Sam points, and tells Austin, see that guy in the grey suit? That’s Nikolas, Ava’s husband. He’s sitting with Dante. Austin remembers Dante, doesn’t he? Austin says, sure do. He thinks Dante had enough of him in Pawtuck, and the last thing he needs is a jealous husband, so if they’ll excuse him… Ava says, please don’t go. She doesn’t even know his name. Sam says, his name is Austin, like the city in Texas. Ava says, that man is her husband, but truth be told, they’re getting a divorce. Sam says, excuse me?… Excuse me. She leaves, and Austin says he’s sorry to hear that; it sounds very difficult. Ava tells him, come sit, and orders another round for her and her new friend. The bartender says he’ll be right with them. He goes in the hallway, and makes a call. He says they wanted him to let them know if something was going on. They should stop by and see for themselves.

Finn tells Scotty that he’s going to need legal representation, and Scotty says he doesn’t understand. Finn just pulled off a miracle cure, and saved Chase’s life. Why would he need legal advice about Peter? Elizabeth says, what Finn is talking about is hypothetical, right? and Finn says, there’s nothing hypothetical about his feelings for Peter. He made no secret about the fact he hated Peter, and they almost came to blows every time Peter came into the hospital. Scotty says that makes Finn like everyone else in this town who wanted to punch Peter in the nose. That is no crime. Elizabeth tells Finn that he has nothing to worry about, but Finn says, there might be. Peter vanished, and the police are looking for him. Won’t they start looking at his known enemies? Elizabeth tries to intervene, but Scotty tells her to hold on. Finn is making himself perfectly clear. Does he know something about Peter’s whereabouts?

Valentin comes in with more wood for the fire, and sees Anna working. He asks, what’s with the laptop? and she says, it’s amazing what you can find in a Pawtuck rental. He says, room service? and she says she wishes. He asks what Dante said, and she says he sent the Medical Examiner’s report, and they managed to ID the woman posing as Chloe Jennings. Her real name is Marie Hopkins. He says, that’s a helluva break. What do they know about her? She says, next to nothing. She managed to pass herself off as a competent nurse, but she didn’t hesitate to drug Maxie, and try to kidnap Maxie and the baby, which to her, doesn’t sound like somebody operating under duress. He says, sounds like a pro, and she says, but a pro with no history. Could it be someone Peter’s father knew? He says, someone the PCPD doesn’t know? and she says, but the WSB might.

Outside, Josslyn instructs Avery on the importance of putting holes in the jar lid so the fireflies can breathe. One day, she and Avery are going to teach Donna how to catch fireflies, and how you gently cradle them in your hand before putting them in the jar, and then watch them light up. Avery says, and then they set them free, and Josslyn says, a girl after her own heart. Look! There’s more. Avery jumps to catch one.

Carly gives Diane a drink, and hopes she didn’t take her away from something important. Diane says, Spinelli sends his regards, and Carly asks if everything is okay, but Diane says, it was more of an informal conversation; a catch-up between friends. They did touch on a legal question, so she can’t say much more. How can she help Carly? Is she there as a friend or attorney? Carly says, this definitely needs to be covered under attorney/client privilege, and Diane says, understood. Carly says, Jason is getting pressure from the other families, specifically about her involvement in the business, because she went to a meeting when Jason was incapacitated. Diane says she thinks the phrase Carly is looking for is, shot while trying to escape, and Carly says, the point is, Jason couldn’t be there, so she went in his place. Diane says, leading to a perception problem, correct? Because when a family appears vulnerable, even if they’re not, it can lead to chaos, which leads to violence, and violence tends to rattle everybody. So the question becomes, how do you change the narrative? Carly flashes back to Jason saying, if they take this step, it will send a message that Carly supports him, and there’s no possibility of divide and conquer. She says, it makes sense from a business perspective, and he says, besides complete destruction, it’s the best option he’s heard so far. Carly tells Diane, she and Jason might have come up with something.

Spinelli says, look, Mr. Novak, but Novak says he told Spinelli, his friends call him Joey. Spinelli says, Joey. He’s unable to pursue an acquaintance right now. He’s late for an appointment. He starts to get up, but Joey stops him, saying, he should be flattered. Spinelli’s special talents have been noticed by Joey’s family. They could use a man like him. Spinelli says, with all due respect, he’s not available to be used by Joey’s family. Joey says Spinelli is acting like he has a choice. Let him be clear; Spinelli doesn’t. When the Novak family sees something they want, they take it, and they want him. Britt and Jason walk in, and Jason asks Britt to wait at the bar. He won’t take long. Joey asks how Spinelli is going to play this. Is he going to be smart and volunteer, or do they have to draft him? Jason’s hand comes down on Joey’s shoulder, and he asks if there’s a problem here.   

Jason wants to speak to Joey privately, and says, let’s go. They leave, and Britt sits down with Spinelli and puts a bottle in front of him. She says she took the liberty of ordering him a beer, and he says, gracious thanks. She asks if they ran into him by accident, or did Jason know he’d be there? He says, it’s a most fortuitous coincidence. Fortuitous for him, maybe not so much for his unwelcome companion. She says, who was that guy? and Spinelli tells her, he said his name was Joey Novak. She asks if that’s supposed to mean something to her, and he says, the Novaks are an alleged crime family of some significance. The boss is Vincent Novak, and he believes Joey is his favorite nephew. Britt wonders if that’s what Jason was talking about; he said he had a business problem. Spinelli says, that’s not like him, and she asks what he means. He says, Jason rarely refers to business unless it’s to those directly involved. Britt says, they were fugitives together. It’s a little late for him to be keeping secrets from her.   

Carly tells Diane, she and Jason are considering a strategy that will strengthen their position with the other families. Diane asks her to be more specific. Unless it involves murder. In which case, don’t be specific. Carly says, they need to send a clear message to the competition that Jason is in charge and has her full support. There’s no division in the ranks; no way to split the Corinthos organization in faction. Diane says, it’s a sensible solution in theory, but how do they intend on putting it into practice?

Sam sits with Nikolas and Dante, and asks Nikolas if he’d care to explain what’s going on with him and Ava. He tells her, let’s just say, his marriage has been under a lot of stress lately.

Ava orders another round, but Austin says, none for him. He knows they just met, but maybe it’s time to slow down. She says, what’s the matter Pawtuck? Small town fella can’t take the big city fast lane? He says, that’s not really the problem, when Nikolas joins them, and tells Ava, that’s enough. She says, on the contrary. She’s just getting started.

Finn tells Scotty, he was reluctant to come forward because someone else is involved. Elizabeth suggests he tell Scotty about Chase. Chase was so sick because Peter poisoned him. Scotty asks if that’s true, and Finn says Peter was targeting him as a way to hurt Anna. There was a mix-up, and Chase got poisoned instead. So Scotty can see he has plenty of motive to hurt the guy. Which is why… He looks at a picture of him and Violet on his desk, and Scotty says, why what? Finn says, why the police might want to question him about Peter’s disappearance. He doesn’t want Violet visiting him in Pentenville. Scotty says, if Finn were to bump Peter off, they’d give him the keys to the city. Finn doesn’t have to worry about his kid visiting him in prison. If Mac brings Finn in for questioning, Scotty will be there, ready to spring into action. Finn thanks him, and Scotty says, anything else? Finn says, one more thing. He wants to make certain if something happens to him, Elizabeth will be Violet’s legal guardian. Scotty says he’ll take care of it, and leaves. Finn closes the door, and tells Elizabeth, sorry. He should have asked first. Are you kidding? She’d probably love having a girl in the house.

Valentin tells Anna, there must be something in Marie’s past; a high school, a hometown, a poodle. She says, a poodle? and he says he likes poodles. They’re hypoallergenic. She’s not the only one who does research. She says, good to know, but they’re talking about Marie Hopkins. She has a brother. He says, don’t tell him the brother is dead too, and she says she hopes not, but he is in a high risk profession. He’s a helicopter pilot.

Here’s where they interrupted for – wait for it – Bill Cosby. Are you kidding me? His release was all over the internet all morning, and we needed to interrupt for this? Ugh. Using the internet to move on.

Britt says she thinks she owes Spinelli a thank you, and he says, in what regard? She says, the Canadian passports they used north of the border. They were flawless. When they used them at the hospital, no one even blinked. He says he was unaware Jason needed further medical attention, and she says, he didn’t. They visited a clinic out of an abundance of caution. He says, impressive. He can’t think of many who could convince Jason to go. She must exert significant influence. She says she thinks Jason just wanted to put her mind at rest. She was getting neurotic; hiding out with nothing else to think about. Jason comes back, and Britt says she got him a beer, sliding a bottle over. He thanks her, and Spinelli asks if everything is okay. Jason says, it’s fine. He sent Joey home with a message for his uncle. Britt asks if that’s blood on his hand, and we see his bloody knuckles.

Elizabeth says she’d be happy to look after Violet, but they’ve been careful. She doesn’t see how their secret can get out. He says, Peter is just a few floors below them in a hospital freezer. As long as he’s there, there’s a good chance they’ll find him. Elizabeth asks what he’s saying, and he says, Peter’s got to go.

Valentin reads that Marie’s brother David was a former Black Hawk pilot who served in Iraq, left with an honorable discharge, and flew various charters from Hawaii to Maine before striking out on his own. She says, a helicopter pilot for hire; that’s no coincidence, is it? She picks up her phone, and he asks what she’s doing. She says, notifying the WSB, but he asks if she isn’t worried about alerting Peter. She says he’s right. If Peter is anything like his father, he has eyes and ears all over the agency. Valentin says, the helicopter pilot will end up as dead as his sister. They started this on their own, and he suggests they keep it that way.

Austin says he doesn’t want any trouble, but Ava grabs his arm, and says they’re not done. Although she’s definitely done with her soon-to-be ex-husband. Nikolas says she’s still his wife, and he won’t let her make a fool of herself in public. She says, he’d rather she make a fool of herself in the privacy of their own home. He wants her resigned to the fact that she’s some kind of kept woman. Let her remind him of something – nobody owns Ava Jerome. Sam comes over and suggests they keep their voices down before they all get thrown out. Dante tells the security guy that he’s a cop; he’s got this. He says maybe it’s best if Austin goes, and Austin says he’d love to leave, but Ava’s not letting go. Ava says, if don’t want her business in this establishment, she’ll go someplace else. She tells Austin, come on, and he says, thanks, but no thanks. Nikolas says, Ava doesn’t take another step to self-destruction as long as they’re man and wife. Ava says that’s something she can fix. She takes off her rings, and drops them on the floor.  

Diane tells Carly, from a legal standpoint, it would just be formalizing a preexisting arrangement. She and Jason already have each other’s power of attorney, they’re trustees of each other’s estates, the guardian’s for each other’s children, and co-owner’s of Corinthos Coffee. She can’t see any reason this won’t work. Carly says, she can.

Jason says Joey won’t be bothering Spinelli again, and Spinelli says he’s grateful for the intercede, but it’s not going to stop the Novak family; it might even inflame them. Jason says, it’s been handled, and Spinelli says he believes Jason. Ellie won’t. Jason asks if something happened, and Spinelli says Ellie threatened him with separation unless he distances himself from Jason and Carly. He’s run out of assurances. Jason says he can speak to Ellie, and Britt says, let him try. For a guy who has seemingly zero communications skills, he can be incredibly convincing. Spinelli says Jason has already done everything in his power to insure his safety, and Ellie knows that, but he fears it’s not enough. She wants stability and peace. Frankly, he can’t blame her. If they’ll excuse him, he’s expected at home, where he’ll have to explain how Joey Novak approached him tonight. Britt says Spinelli doesn’t have to tell her, but Spinelli says, yes, he does. Goodnight. He leaves, and Britt says, there goes a man who doesn’t understand the adage, discretion is the better part of valor. You can have honesty in a relationship without blurting out every detail. Jason says he’s sorry, and she says, about? He says he needs to take her home, and she says, business? He says, yes, and she says, okay, no worries. But since she got the beers tonight, next time, he’s definitely buying.

Carly tells Diane, she just lost Sonny. If this goes wrong, and she loses Jason, she loses the way they are to each other, the way they know each other, the way they never fail each other… Diane says, stop. It’s perfectly reasonable to worry about Jason dying; the man takes unconscionable risks on a regular basis. But it’s absurd and self-indulgent to worry about losing him. If he hasn’t turned his back on her by now, he never will. Josslyn and Avery come in, and Avery asks if Diane will read her a bedtime story. Diane says she’d love too. What is Avery in the mood for? Avery says, her book about the stars. She and Josslyn saw the Big Dipper. Diane says, that constellation has another name, Ursa Major, which means big bear in Latin. Avery and Diane go upstairs, and Carly laughs. Josslyn asks if everything is all right, and Carly says, yeah. Diane was going over some legal technicalities with her, and everything she said makes sense.

Elizabeth says she knows what accidentally happened to Peter is weighing on Finn, but thinks it’s best they leave things the way they are. He says, just leave him in the freezer like a rack of lamb, and she says, it’s weighing on her too. She swore to heal like he did, but she’s not going to pretend she’s sorry Peter is gone. Not after what he did to Franco and Chase. And think about Maxie. She prays every day that Maxie gets her baby back, and when she does, the baby will be better off without Peter in her life. Finn says, Elizabeth is involved too, and he can’t let her take the risk, and she says, they started this together; they’re going to finish this together. Let’s go; it’s late. Violet needs her dad to tuck her in. They leave the office, and Scotty is standing outside. He says they think they have him fooled.

Nikolas picks up the rings, and says, Ava lost these. She says she didn’t lose them. She’s done with them. Sam says, that’s kind of cold, isn’t it? and Ava shrugs. Austin says he’s a big fan of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolfe? but he can’t stick around. Ava grabs his arm again, and says she knows plenty of places they can go for a nightcap. Sam says she thinks Ava should call it a night, and Dante agrees. Someone watches from another room. I wonder how many people will get the literary reference.

Anna asks if Valentin hears that, and he says he doesn’t hear a thing. She says, the rain stopped, and he gets up and looks outside. He says, it looks like the storm has blown over, and she says, the weather advisory has been lifted. The roads should be open in an hour or so. He says maybe he should call Brook and asks her to leave a light on… if they’re not spending the night. She says they should probably put out the fire, and he says he’ll do that. Didn’t they just drink the good part of a bottle of whiskey? Have they learned nothing from Alexis? While Anna is putting the laptop away, she sees a photo, and brings it out. He asks what she’s found, and she says, a family photo, she thinks. He asks if it means the mystery is solved, and she says, no, but she thinks it’s the beginning of another one.

Diane comes back down, and tells Carly that Avery is asleep. Carly thanks her for reading to Avery, and Diane says it’s her pleasure. Avery is one of her favorite people. She’s bright, curious, and she misses her dad. Carly wonders if she asked about Sonny, and Diane says she asked if he could visit her from heaven. Diane said he absolutely could. Carly says she told Avery the same thing, but she’s sure it’s reassuring to hear it from Diane too. Diane says she’s glad someone around there respects her opinion, and Carly says she respects Diane’s opinion too. She wouldn’t have asked her over if she didn’t. Diane says, let her reassure Carly that, from a legal standpoint, this is a sound and effective strategy. It makes perfect sense. Whether or not they choose to pursue it is up to her and Jason. She leaves, and Carly sighs, having caught that from Jason.

Anna asks if Valentin recognizes the little boy in the photo, and he says, it looks a little like Austin. She says, it is. Remember she said she had the feeling he was familiar to her? Now that she sees him with his parents in the photo… He asks if she’s saying she knew Austin as a child, and she says, no, but she knew his father.

Austin tells Nikolas that he’s sorry. He didn’t mean to cause trouble between Nikolas and his wife. He’s just there for a quiet drink. Sam says, maybe it would be better if he went back to the woods, and he says he thinks she’s right. Bears and wildcats, he understands them better than he understands people sometimes. Ava calls him a coward, and Sam leads her away. Austin tells Nikolas, if it’s any consolation, he thinks she’s trying a little too hard to forget all about him. He leaves, and Dante asks if Nikolas is okay. Nikolas says, no, but he will be, and we see someone is still watching them. Nikolas says he doesn’t care what Ava says. They’re not done.

Scotty tells Elizabeth, just because he was Franco’s father doesn’t mean he expects her to wear black for the rest of her life. Elizabeth says, oh, no, and Finn says, they’re just friends. Scotty says, it’s none of his business. They all lost a lot this year. If they can find a friend in each other, so be it. He walks off, and they look each other.

Carly finishes her drink, and says, a sound and effective strategy. Right. Jason walks in, and says he’s been thinking. She say,s her too.

Tomorrow, Trina asks Cameron if he and Josslyn are friends again, Ava asks if Nina is thinking about being with Mike, Michael tells Jax that he has to live with the consequences, and Jason tells Britt that what he has to say changes things.

The Real Housewives of New York City

In Eboni’s interview, she said, some of the women are in their Upper East Side bubble, and she wants to show them something different with her Harlem Night dinner. In Sonja’s interview, she said, if she can’t walk, someone has to drag her there, or send a car service. A woman after my own heart. In LuAnn’s interview, she said, the UES wasn’t that far from Harlem, and she used to go dancing and to Sylvia’s (restaurant) with Jack. I waxed nostalgic, thinking of Sylvia’s. Ramona invited new (Black) friend Bershan to come along, and in her interview, Ramona said that New Yorkers stay within their region, which is kinda sorta true. Eboni told us that she was coming off a massive dose of their world, and wanted to show them Black culture and black excellence, so she was hosting A Harlem Night with Eboni K. Williams. She also invited a friend Natalie the party. The venue was B’Harlem, which had been a real speakeasy back in the day. I love anything NYC historical, and old time Harlem is the best. It was downstairs, with the staircase outside, and the women all had a hard time navigating in their heels. Sonja said she might have to spend the night, but it wouldn’t be the first time. No surprise, everyone dressed up, and in Sonja’s interview, she said Eboni usually dressed like a lawyer, and the fact that she took the girls out, meant something. A mixologist who could have moonlighted as a stand-up comic showed them how to mix a few drinks. In Ramona’s interview, she took note of the fact that the Black girls were on one side of the bar, and the white girls on the other. It didn’t make a difference, but since they were doing a cultural infusion (sounds like a cooking class), they should go with that. In Leah’s interview, she wondered how Ramona suddenly turned into the anti-integration police. She was making strides. Ramona took a picture, instructing them how to pose in a way that looked best on Instagram. In her interview, Eboni said maybe Sonja was on to something, and Ramona was all about the Gram.

Everyone sat down for dinner, and Eboni said that her love language was gifts. She gave everyone a candle with a scent that was inspired by something Harlem-ish. They all had names like Savoy, James Baldwin, Speakeasy, and Brownstone. She explained that she’d assigned each of the women an icon from the Harlem Renaissance. My favorite was Natalie’s candle, inspired by W.B. Du Bois, the first Black person to get a PhD from Harvard. He’d said, the pleasure was all Harvard’s. Eboni explained who various figures were and what they’d accomplished, and in her interview, Ramona said she liked learning new things, but she wished they’d been given an agenda. In Leah’s interview, she said Eboni was losing some of her students. Bershan announced they were all the same, but Eboni disagreed. In her interview, she said, these bitches already thought they were all the same. They needed understand their exceptionalness and uniqueness. She felt undermined. Ramona started squawking about being tired, and saying her vertigo was bothering her. Surprisingly, no one knew what that was. A lot of people have it – I have it – and it’s an inner ear thing that can cause you to lose your balance. Ramona did a demonstration, but I wasn’t sure if she was actually suffering from this, or it was just an excuse to bounce. Ramona said it was from stress, and made her exit. Since she bent down to kiss Sonja goodbye, and got up just fine, so I leaned on the side of this being a get-out-of-the-party-free card. It was agreed it was probably best that Ramona left, since they then discussed small weenies, and I don’t mean hot dogs. Eboni said she thought Harlem was a magical part NYC, and a part of black excellence in America.  

Eboni met Leah at the Brooklyn Chop House, which FYI, isn’t in Brooklyn. Eboni asked if Leah thought her Harlem night resonated with everyone, and Leah said she thought it did, but Ramona had a disconnect. Eboni thought LuAnn was quiet, but not everyone could be on all the time. Leah said she thought white people were scared to get it wrong, and in Leah’s interview, she said the women had been walking on eggshells after the Hamptons. They didn’t know how offensive they were sometimes. We flashed back to Ramona and the help thing. Leah is spot-on about them being clueless, but that’s actually one of the things that makes this Housewives show better. When there’s a blow-up, it’s almost always because someone was clueless or being self-centered. With some others in the franchise – I’m talking to you RHOBH – it’s a ploy for screen time. Eboni said that education was her life’s work, and Leah said she didn’t think Eboni was always aware of her power. She was knowledgeable and powerful, and it could be intimidating. In Eboni’s interview, she said she made no apologies for who she was. I’m a a lot, and you bitches are too. Leah said Eboni shouldn’t feel like it was her job, but Eboni said, if not her, then who? In her interview, Leah said she thought Eboni just getting to know the women, and being their friend would teach them. Victoria visited LuAnn, and we found out Victoria has been sober for a year. LuAnn said she’d like to see Sonja reel it in, but Victoria told her to just be an example. In LuAnn’s interview, she said, being present is a gift you give to people, and she and Victoria got a little weepy. LuAnn said she was connecting the dots, and realized her father was a river that ran through her life. She was realizing how it had effected everyone. Victoria said she’d wanted LuAnn to acknowledge the insanity and apologize, and the two of them had a moment.

Leah and Kier met with admissions consultant Whitney to talk about Kier’s applications to private high school. Leah apologized to Whitney for Bunny calling her, and in Leah’s interview, she said her mother was trying to get involved in the decision. She was obsessed with any decisions made about Kier, and Leah thought it was because Bunny believed Kier could be what Leah wasn’t. Leah had gone to an all-girl Catholic school, and Bunny wanted Kier to go, but Bunny was meeting resistance. Leah wanted Kier to have a great high school experience. She didn’t want her daughter to end up in a therapeutic community run by nuns. My sister actually talked my parents out of sending me to an all-girls Catholic school. Thank you, Linda. Whitney said she wanted Kier to own this process, and then had a one-on-one with Leah, which seemed contradictory. Leah wondered how Kier could adjust to the change from public to private school, and didn’t want her in a school with elitists. Whitney said it was a hard balance, and my thoughts went to the short-lived NYC Prep. I loved that show, but man, they were snobby. Leah thought Rob was going to awkward in interviews, and wondered if he had to be there. She was going to tell him that he’d be playing the role of a mute.

Eboni paid a visit to Ramona, who said in her interview that she wanted to get to the meat and potatoes of Eboni. She thought Eboni could be preachy, but liked her. Ramona told Eboni that she was blown away by Eboni’s attention to detail; she took the party to another level. Eboni asked about the election, and how Ramona thought it would be in the city. She was happy that her daughters might see a female VP. Ramona said she didn’t want to talk politics. She just wanted to have a nice evening. In Eboni’s interview, she said she was shocked. She thought they could have a middle ground as women with daughters. In Ramona’s interview, she said she wanted to know more about what she and Eboni had in common. She wanted to peel back the onion. Ramona said Eboni had opened her eyes in the Hamptons. She’d looked up white girl aggression, and we saw a clip of Ramona explaining the term and triggering words to LuAnn. Eboni said they had a divided country, and that they didn’t know who had won yet was indicative of that. Ramona insisted it was all about the mail-in ballots. She said Eboni was preaching and teaching, and she had to walk away for a minute. In her interview, Ramona said that she felt like Eboni was shoving something down her throat, and she was sounding a little preachy. She interacted with Coco, asking the dog why Eboni couldn’t back off. In her interview, Eboni said she was trying to connect and understand Ramona’s values, so they could have a real friendship.

Ramona came back, and toasted to being in a happy place. Eboni said she wanted to be in an authentic place, but Ramona insisted a happy place was where she wanted to be. Eboni said it was her white fragility talking, and Ramona said she didn’t want to talk race, religion, or creed, and Eboni was lecturing. We saw a clip of LuAnn saying, it was like being back in school, and Sonja saying, she thought Eboni should talk about a different subject sometimes. Eboni told Ramona, they were all big girls, and everyone should say how they feel. Ramona said this was too heavy for her right now; she wanted to enjoy life. Eboni said she didn’t have the privilege of being that way. Did Ramona have a coat closet for her Blackness? Ramona said she felt like she was being attacked. She’d wanted to talk about T.J. Walker, the first Black woman millionaire. Eboni corrected Ramona, saying, it was C.J. Walker, and Ramona said, whatever. Eboni said it wasn’t whatever, and Ramona said she felt like she was with a teacher. Well, that may be, but I thought Eboni was saving Ramona from future embarrassment should she share that information. I’d want someone to correct me privately if I got it wrong, but in Ramona’s interview, she said that she was shocked Eboni was picking on her for no reason. Ramona told Eboni that she was leaving. I think what she meant to do was tell Eboni to leave, but she got confused. Eboni told Ramona about Sonja bringing up the pictures Ramona posted –and Eboni reposted – of her new Black friends, and perhaps it was for show. Ramona said Sonja was just jealous and resentful because she gave Eboni some attention. They ended up hugging it out, and Eboni said she wasn’t going to treat Ramona with kid gloves; Ramona was a strong white woman. Ramona said Eboni was a strong Black bitch, and Eboni agreed. In Eboni’s interview, she said, it was a sh*t show, but one they survived. She thought it ended up bringing them closer in a weird way. She said she wasn’t going to let Ramona kick her out, and said it was pretty funny that Ramona was going to leave her own house. She told Ramona she was wondering what to do, since she didn’t even know how to lock up.

Next time, Eboni brings Sonja to her dating coach, a trip to Salem, and Leah says Ramona is what’s wrong in the world.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Sutton took Erika for a ride in her mid-life crisis divorcee car. In Erika’s interview, she said, based on Tom’s last two divorces, he was a fighter to the end. If she got a Bentley, she’d be lucky. Sutton rented a spa for the two of them, so they could be mask-free, and brought along a divorce care package, consisting of Pop chips, some kind of toffee, and Dom Perignon. In her interview, Sutton said she’d been through a divorce, and a divorce could take a long time, especially if it was complicated, and it was a rich people divorce. Friends were crucial to the process. Erika said they had chips, candy, and champagne; what more could she want? She told Sutton one moment she was good, and the next, she was lost. Sutton said they’d been married to powerful men, and Erika said they could be sadistic. Tom wouldn’t be rolling over to give her anything. In her interview, Erika said she knew how mean and overly dismissive was, and we flashed back to Tom snapping at Erika when they were at dinner with Ken and LVP.

Crystal had a session with kickboxing instructor Rashad, and in her interview, she said she started kickboxing to get the baby weight off. She always struggled with body image, and had stopped working out, but discovered a regular routine helped her. This is possibly the only time she and I will agree. I work out almost every day, and I love to incorporate kickboxing into it. Toward the end of Crystal’s workout, daughter Zoey had a meltdown, and in Crystal’s interview, she said she wasn’t an instigator <choke> or a fighter, but she would defend herself when she knew she was right. Her high energy house was sometimes too much.

Erika and Sutton did some cryotherapy, Erika saying she was an ice queen anyway. Afterwards, they hit the sauna, and Sutton asked if Erika was mad that Tom never came to see her in Chicago. Erika said it hurt. She’d gotten there because of his support, so why wasn’t he there for the payoff? In her interview, she said she was the wife he’d supported and funded, and became a lead in a Broadway show, yet he didn’t come. Then she had to defend him. We saw a clip from Watch What Happens Live, when she said he’d planned on coming when covid happened. Erika said her marriage was different from the rest of the women, and that was the hardest part. She told Sutton that she spent four months in NYC, and realized she was literally on own and okay. She thanked Sutton for the spa day, and said Sutton was one of the most kind-hearted people in her life.  

In Garcelle’s interview, she said talk show host was on her bucket list, but she’d never imagined she’d be doing it from home. Sadly, the Kyle goldfish had died, but Garcelle said, for a goldfish, he’d lived a long life – 2020-2020. Once she’d gotten The Real, things had gotten really busy, and housekeeper Glenda was hired when it became too much. You know with a name like Glenda, I would expect her to arrive in a giant pink bubble every day. Garcelle asked the boys how they’d feel if she got married again, and son Jax wondered why she’d want marry someone. In her interview, Garcelle said she sometimes wondered how the divorce had shaped them. She had to be sensitive, but they also needed to see what a happy, healthy relationship was; she wanted to model how it should be.

Erika picked LisaR up in her Range Rover to go Christmas decoration shopping, and LisaR brought Santa hats for the occasion. They talked about various rumors, and Erika said there were headlines that she’d been seen with a couple of guys she hadn’t seen in years. We saw a clip of Garcelle and Erika discussing it, and Garcelle saying that an acquaintance had said she’d seen Tom out with someone who wasn’t Erika. In Erika’s interview, she said it wasn’t the first time she’d heard something like that. If at 81½ he was still out there getting p*ssy, hats off to you, player. I guess I’d feel the same way. He’s no <insert your favorite handsome actor here>. Erika said, you can’t even acknowledge this sh*t, and LisaR told her that the rumors of her daughter being with Scott Disick were true. Amelia had told her that they were just friends, then sent a video of them on the beach. LisaR said, Amelia was 19, and Scott was 37 with three kids. Erika said there was nothing she could do, and LisaR was thinking, maybe it was a phase. She wondered if she should text Kris, but she didn’t want to bring attention to it. They put their Santa hats and masks on, and went into the store. In her interview, Erika said she could have taken a lot of things, but she didn’t. It just brought back memories, and she couldn’t compete with her tiny house. Mind you, she means tiny according to her standards, which is probably big to us regular folks. In LisaR’s interview, she said she’d seen Lois every year at Christmas, and it was hard. Kyle called while they were in the store, and told them that she was inviting everyone over for drinks tomorrow, since they thought there was going to be another shutdown. She suggested sending Scott to Erika’s house, but Erika said she’d be too old for him.

In Kyle’s interview, she said when children were little, you were their favorite person, and they wanted to spend every waking minute with you. Then, they wanted nothing to do with you. You were not cool. It had been hard for Portia when Sofia went to college, since they were each other’s favorite people. She said when they’d left Sofia in D.C., Portia cried the entire way home. Portia was also having a different experience from the others, since she was going to a new school, but hadn’t gone to an actual campus, and she wasn’t meeting other kids. Kyle was worried for her, and had set up a surprise. When the family sat down to dinner, Sofia showed up. She had come directly from her campus, and said she’d tested negative, but was still being careful. So they couldn’t hug, but they touched toes. In her interview, Kyle said they loved each other so much. She hoped they would never lose it.

Everyone got ready for Kyle’s cocktail party, and Crystal said, growing up, she had been a tomboy; she was lucky there were stylists, since she had to go to events with her husband. Sutton put a giant black bow at the neck of her white blouse. Later, on WWHL, Andy would call it a tarantula bow, which was pretty accurate. I wouldn’t wear it, but I support her right to. Sutton always makes interesting fashion choices. She rode with Kyle to the party, and said that Crystal needed to get a sense of humor. The women met at the Huntley Hotel, where they modeled their attire for each other. In Garcelle’s interview, she said, Dorit commits to her brand, head to toe, and Sutton looked like a big old gift. There was an appetizer buffet, and Erika ordered another hot toddy. I wondered if she had a thing for them now. They do sound good, but only if it’s like, thirty degrees Fahrenheit out. LisaR wondered if she needed to call Scott Lord, and Kathy said she had to curtsey, which I assume was a joke? Kyle got loud, saying, he was too damn old, and had three kids. They all gave a hard no to their daughters dating older men, but in Erika’s interview, she said she was the girl dating the older man. In Kathy’s interview, she said from her experience, it could be worse. Dorit walked in during the discussion, and asked if it was mazel tov or no. Kathy thought mazel tov could mean good luck or merry Christmas. Garcelle said her oldest son Oliver had been lost, and then he met Sam, a woman who had an eight, six, and two-year-old. And she became pregnant with Oliver’s child. In her interview, Garcelle said Oliver had been lost for a long time, and we flashed back to a reunion where Garcelle talked about his addiction. She said she did what she could for him, from being supportive to giving tough love, but Oliver had a rough time for a long time. She told the women that Sam had been the best thing that ever happened to him, and all of them were her grandchildren. You couldn’t judge a book by its cover, and LisaR could be the grandmother of three.

In Garcelle’s interview, she said that her dating coach had gotten her on Bumble. She’d had to verify her photo five times because men thought she was catfishing. They sat down to eat, and Erika told the women, when she found out she had to get online to date, she was like, whaaat? She wanted to go over their financials first. Kathy called Sutton Thomasina, as in peeping Tom, and Sutton was not amused. Kyle said she’d explained to Kathy what happened in Tahoe. Crystal said Sutton had violated her, which gave the implication it was sexual. Crystal said she was naked, and felt uncomfortable. In Kyle’s interview, she said, embarrassed, awkward, or rude would have been more appropriate words, not violated. They kicked around definitions, and in Sutton’s interview, she said Kathy walked in on her when she was half-naked on the phone. She thought it was a normal girls trip occurrence, but maybe Crystal didn’t really have girlfriends. Garcelle said violation sounded like something intentional, and that wasn’t the case. In Erika’s interview, she said Sutton was a good Southern girl; thoughtful and generous. A word could get twisted around, making something small become bigger, and getting everyone involved. In Dorit’s interview, she said she thought the issue was insignificant, and they needed to move on. Sutton said she’d thought it was okay to come in, and there was nothing freaky going on. She was getting angry, and Crystal didn’t want her getting angry. I wondered if she turned into the Hulk or something, and she said she wasn’t in a bad place emotionally now. She’d been in a vulnerable in Tahoe, and apologized for it. She wasn’t letting Crystal make it sound like she was a weirdo. Crystal needed to tell everyone that nothing weird happened, and everyone had to agree on it. It was about her reputation. She wasn’t Mr. Poppins. This caused a lively side discussion about who Mr. Poppins might be, and in Garcelle’s interview, she asked if Mary Poppins had a man and she didn’t. Crystal said she didn’t believe Sutton came in to do anything weird, and she’d said that. It suddenly becoming more significant, Dorit said that wasn’t the case, and Crystal’s conversation about it was different than what she was saying now. In her interview, Dorit said when Crystal first talked about it, she made it sound like Sutton had set out to hurt or harm her, or make her uncomfortable. We flashed back to Crystal telling some of the others about it, and saying it was creepy, and Sutton had been shaming her. Dorit said, now Crystal was saying Sutton had no bad intentions, Now it was a different story. Kathy said everyone had been under pressure, and both Sutton and Crystal had a lot going on. Crystal hadn’t been away from her husband and kids. The night before the trip, Kathy had been excited, but scared. Kathy then called Dorit her English girl, and Erika said Dorit was from Connecticut. Dorit said her husband was English, but Kathy waved all that away, saying she’d never heard anything shady about Sutton. It was a game of telephone. Sutton said it was a dangerous game, and in Garcelle’s interview, she said nowadays, with cancel culture going on, it wasn’t the time to be throwing around strong words. Crystal said she wasn’t going to stop being an a-hole backing down on the word. It was done. Sutton said, no, it wasn’t.

Next time, Erika plays tennis badly, Harry Hamlin cooks for the women, and Crystal calls Sutton jealous.

🥂 Tomorrow Is Another Day…

We’ve almost made it to Friday, or the fifth day for those no longer caring. The Shahs are moving to Thursdays starting July 11th, but in the meantime, it looks like soap and a wild card. As always, stay safe, stay doing you, and stay avoiding perception problems that lead to chaos and violence. It tends to rattle everybody.

June 29, 2021 – Jason Suggests Ava’s Solution, Sandy Wants Benny Dead, Cursed Out & Get Up

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Elizabeth knocks on Finn’s office door, and says she has the lab results he wanted. He thanks her, going back to his desk, and she says, don’t. He cured Chase, and Chase’s health is getting better by the day. With physical therapy, he should be able to walk again, especially with Willow by his side. Finn should be happy for that. Don’t dwell on Peter. The world is a better place without him. Finn says Peter’s body is still in the subbasement, and it’s only a matter of time before the police find it. She tells him that Anna already almost figured it out.   

Valentin and Anna run into Austin’s cabin, as rain pours down outside. She says she hopes there’s a hot shower. She thinks the rain will destroy any possibility, and Valentin says, of finding the baby? Maybe they should go home. She asks if he’s saying he’s giving up. Does he think Maxie’s baby is gone for good?

Maxie says, Sasha is pregnant. She didn’t realize. They haven’t talked, and their paths haven’t crossed. She congratulates Sasha, and they hug.  

Brook walks into the MetroCourt, and asks Michael if he has a second. He says, not really, but she says he’s been hard to catch at the mansion, and she’d like some one-on-one time to talk about him and Willow. When are they getting back together? He says, Chase has had another setback; he can’t walk. She says, oh my God. Hasn’t Chase suffered enough? She hopes it’s not permanent, and he says, Finn doesn’t know; no one does. Willow can’t tell Chase that they’re together while he’s going through this. Brook says, they can’t be together for a long time, when Josslyn joins them. She asks what’s going on between Michael and Willow?   

Scotty sees Obrecht, and pats the stool next to him, pulling it out for her. She sits, and he says, guess what? He landed a client with deep pockets. What say they fly first class from there to Honolulu? She says, it sounds lovely. Britt walks in, but waits by the entrance, and Obrecht says, perhaps a vacation with him will help her forget the sorrow in her head. He asks, what is it? Maxie’s baby? Franco? What’s making her so sad?

Carly gives Jason a beer, and says she just keeps thinking about what Ava said. How it’s theater; a performance demonstrating a binding contract. Jason says, Ava doesn’t know their situation, and Carly asks if he sees where she’s going. Is she wrong? He shakes his head, and says, no. She’s not wrong.

Josslyn asks if Michael and Willow are together together, and Brook says she has an important meeting, and she’s late per usual. Good luck. She leaves, and Michael says he got him and Josslyn a table. They walk over, and he tells her, have a seat. She sits, and says, not so fast. Mom told her that Michael and Sasha broke up. Is that the reason why? Michael says, no, and she says, from what Brooke said, it sounded like he and Willow wanted to be together, but can’t. Is she getting warm?

Sasha says she’s so sorry about Maxie’s baby, and Lucy says, that’s why she didn’t want Maxie to be part of the meeting. Maxie asks if Lucy thinks she can’t be happy for Sasha, and Nina says, congratulations. She didn’t realize. Is Sasha in a relationship? Sasha says, it’s complicated, and she’s sorry. This isn’t the way she wanted either of them to find out. Nina says, don’t be silly, and don’t feel bad at all. Celebrate the life she’s carrying. Nina and Sasha hug, and Sasha thanks her, especially after Sasha lied. Nina says she’s not thinking about the past; she’s tired of the past. Brook flies in, saying, sorry she’s late. Is it her imagination or… She sees Maxie and stops.

Anna suggests she and Valentin look at what they know. The nurse sent a PIN, and hands off the baby to someone before she falls. Peter vanishes without a trace, and the nurse conveniently falls to her death in an abandoned mine shaft. It’s vintage Peter. If Peter has the baby, he’s going to make certain he’s not found again. Valentin says, Peter’s not infallible, like Faison wasn’t infallible. They’re going to find Maxie’s daughter. Anna asks why he’s doing this. Why is he there when he could be warm and dry with Charlotte and her baby sister?  Valentin says he won’t rest until they find Maxie’s daughter.

Finn asks if Anna was checking the subbasement, but Elizabeth says, Anna was on the roof, and found the elevator. She thought that might be how Peter got away, but she convinced Anna that wasn’t possible. Anna figured out that Peter was going to take a helicopter, and now she’s determined to find out the identity of the pilot. Finn says, that’s not going to help, but Anna won’t stop digging until she finds out. Sorry. She says he has nothing to apologize for, and he says, he’d interrupted her before. How close was she to telling Jason about Peter? She says, Jason is an expert at this kind of thing, in making sure inconvenient people aren’t found. She was tempted to tell him. Finn says, and he stopped her. As much as she trusts Jason, he doesn’t know Jason, and doesn’t want him involved. She says she hears him, but it’s only a matter of time before the police investigation leads them back to the hospital, where Peter was last seen. They’re going to check the sealed off areas, and discover the body. What can they do to not make this worse?   

Scotty says he wants to take Obrecht’s problems away, and she says he’s so kind. Britt joins them, and Obrecht says Scotty was trying to cheer her up. Scotty suggests taking the girls out for a couple of T-bones, but Obrecht says, perhaps another time. Britt invited her for a drink. Scotty says he’d never try to shoehorn in on mother/daughter business; it’s important. He and Obrecht will talk later. He leaves, and Britt says, congratulations. Obrecht had nothing to worry about. She and Scotty are a couple. Obrecht says, they are, like Britt and Jason.

Carly tells Jason she needs a favor. Be honest, and tell her straight out, what do the Novaks and other families expect? How do they demonstrate Jason is in charge? He says he makes her disappear, and she asks if he means kill her? He nods, and says, or if she wants to move, that might be enough. What does she think? She says, Port Charles is her home. Her business is here, her home is here, the home she shared with Sonny. But she doesn’t want to risk her or her kids’ lives to save face.

Jason says Carly and her kids are well protected. The best way to keep them safe is to show they’re too strong to make a move on again. They have no weaknesses to expect. Carly says, no power struggle? No question about who’s in charge? and he says, that’s exactly what Ava’s solution would do.

Britt says, Jason told her that Obrecht spoke to him about her having the genetic marker for Huntington’s disease, and Obrecht asks if that’s why Britt invited her for a drink, to discuss that. Britt says, Jason said Obrecht needed someone to talk to, and Obrecht says she’s afraid she lost control of her emotions. Looking into those blue eyes, she couldn’t help herself. Britt says she doesn’t want the disease to define who she is, and Obrecht asks, who else does she have to talk to? Britt says, how about no one? and Obrecht says, Britt and her brother were the only good things to come out of her misguided obsession with Faison, and he killed Nathan. Now Huntington’s will… Britt says, kill her? and Obrecht asks how she’s supposed to stay strong for Britt, even as the disease takes hold of the daughter of her heart?

Josslyn says she heard Brook telling Michael that he and Willow had to take time apart for a while. To her, that sounds like some people who are together. He says just because she aced her psych class doesn’t mean there’s a deep, dark secret. He invited her there to talk about getting into PCU, not talk about him. Scotty comes by, and says, hello, Michael Corinthos III and Josslyn. He understands there’s an ELQ board meeting coming up, and Michael says, there is, but what does that have to do with Scotty?  

Maxie wonders what Brook is doing there, and Brook says she’s there for a collaboration between Crimson and Deception. Lucy says, Brook came up with the idea for a social media campaign, and Brook says she already has tens of thousands of followers on Insta. Lucy says she’s dying to know what the campaign is, and Maxie says, what about Bailey? Did Brook leave her with the nanny? Nina says, the nanny’s name is Valentin, but Brook says, Valentin is away on business, but Olivia is taking care of Bailey. Lucy says Brook enlisted Valentin to go to bat for her, and face it, the guy with the purse strings gets a say. Maxie says she needs to talk to Brook alone, grabs Brook, and jets out the door with her.  

Valentin pours some whiskey into Anna’s coffee cup, and toasts to finding Maxie’s baby. Anna adds, and bringing her home. He asks if she changed her mind about giving up, and she says, actually, he changed it for her. He says they could start a fire. He saw a shed, and he’s sure firewood must be in it. She says he’s changed so much. When he first came to Port Charles he had a chip on his shoulder, and hated her. He says, I barely tolerate you now, darling, and Anna and I laugh. He says she was kind to him in their WSB days, then she rejected him. She gave him the greatest night of his life, or so he thought. She says her sister never did things by halves. She derives great pleasure in hurting the people who care for Anna. He says he was a fool as a kid, but she says, he was kind; so kind and smart, and a great sparring partner. He says, so is she, and she says she hated that he got sent away to school so young. It was like he was abandoned. He says, is she kidding him? He’ll go check on the firewood. He leaves, and Anna leans back on the couch, and shakes her head.

Finn says if Elizabeth is suggesting they move Peter’s body, He thinks it’s a bad idea. She asks if he had a better one, and he says, something needs to be done, but she’s not the one to do it. She says he can’t do it alone, but he says he can and he will. He’s going to the PCPD and confessing to killing Peter.

Jason tells Carly that he wants to be clear. It’s not a magic bullet. Taking this step won’t guarantee peace but… She says, it won’t prevent it, and he says, it will send a message that she supports him as head of the Corinthos Organization, and it’s not possible to divide and conquer. She says, it makes sense from a business perspective, and he says, besides complete destruction, it’s the best option he’s heard so far. She says, but they’re not a business; they’re people. What would this mean for their lives?

Scotty says, the ELQ shareholder’s meeting is no secret. He’s done his research. Michael asks why Scotty is interested. He doesn’t have anything to do with ELQ. Scotty says, everyone needs a hobby, like birdwatching. Some are more interesting than others. He’ll see Michael later. He leaves, and Josslyn asks what that was about. Michael says her guess is as good as his, but he doesn’t want to think about Scotty tonight. When does volleyball practice start? She says, soon. There’s a team building trip coming up, and she’ll get to meet the players. Michael says that must be exciting for her… isn’t it?

Maxie asks what Brook is thinking. She doesn’t even like to work. Brook says, that’s not true. Valentin said she’d make a dynamic businesswoman, and she found a way to build her resumé, and for Maxie to see her daughter. Maxie asks how Brook is going to make that happen, and Brook says, both Crimson and Deception are socially conscious organizations. Maxie asks how that’s going to help her, and Brook says, there’s a childcare center next door. She’ll bring Bailey/Louise to work, and since she can’t have the baby in the office, Maxie will be able to see her daughter away from the busybody Q’s wondering why she’s there.

Elizabeth says she and Finn talked about going to the police, and decided it was a bad idea. Finn says, that was when Chase was sick. He found an antidote. He promises not to implicated her, and she says, if he confesses, his life is over. He says, so is hers if they find her DNA on the body. If he confesses, they’ll have no reason to check. She says he needs to think about this, but he says that’s all he’s done. If he’s going to do this right, he needs to have lawyer. He called Franco’s father.

Valentin gets a fire going, and says, a fire and a bottle of whiskey; what more could they want? She says she’d like his full attention. He couldn’t get out fast enough when she brought up his childhood. She didn’t pity him; she admired him. She admired his courage. He’s very strong, and still is. He pours some more whiskey into his cup, and says, the rain’s not stopping. She asks if he thinks they’re stuck, and he says, stuck in what way?  

Britt tells Obrecht that she’s not getting sick tomorrow. Or next week, or even, hopefully, next year. Huntington’s strikes most people older than she is. Obrecht says, she understands that Britt doesn’t want the disease dominating her life, and Britt says, especially since she has to fight to keep her Chief of Staff position. Obrecht says she heard Monica was back in charge, and Britt says, and another doctor wants her job. She suggests they make a deal. No more breakdowns in front of Jason, and instead, Obrecht can confide her worries to Scotty. Obrecht says Britt wants her to tell Scotty the truth about her? and Britt says, have at it, waterworks and all. Obrecht thanks her, and promises Scotty won’t tell a soul, or he’ll have her to answer to. Nor will he look at Britt any different. Britt says Obrecht doesn’t have to make that promise. Scotty won’t be able to help it; no one can. Obrecht ask if Jason sees Britt any differently.

Carly says, once upon a time, Michael was a toddler, and she didn’t want anything more. She sabotaged everything, and threw him away with both hands. Jason says, he came back, and he thinks it’s better. Before, Carly couldn’t have anything good, because if she got what she wanted, she would test it until it broke. That’s why he worked for Sonny. She and Sonny could test and break each other, and still come back together. She says, Sonny is gone, and no one else understands how empty she feels. No one else has the same hole in their heart except him. She sighs.

Josslyn says Michael doesn’t need to worry about her; she’s got this. He says, okay, but it’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed going to college. She says, Trina is going to PCU, and they already have housing there. He says, Cameron is going there too, right? and she says, that’s what he posted. He asks if they haven’t gotten over their disagreement, but she says, it was more than a disagreement. He says, they’ve been friends since kindergarten, and she says, Cameron almost shot Jason; he’s family. Michael says, people make mistakes, and they forgive them, and she asks if that’s why he let Nina back in Wiley’s life. What changed his mind and made him decide to forgive Nina?

Lucy says, Maxie is devastated about her baby’s disappearance, as she should be, and Nina didn’t know her daughter until after she was dead. Nina says, Nelle was taken from her a long time ago, but she’s right to worry about Maxie. That’s fresh, and Peter put her through so much pain. Maxie’s daughter is out there. Sasha says her idea combines their campaign with a way to help find Maxie’s baby, and Lucy says she’s all ears. Spill.

Maxie asks if she’s hearing what she thinks she is. Brook deliberately took a job so she could see her baby? Brook asks why she looks so surprised. The whole point was to keep the baby safe from Peter, not keep Maxie and her baby apart. Maxie says she doesn’t know what to think, and Brook says when she saw Maxie holding her daughter, she saw the love Maxie has for her, and the pain in letting her go. She has complete faith that Maxie made the right decision. The best place for Louise is with her and Valentin, but she wants to do everything she can to make it easy for Maxie to see her baby as much as possible. Maxie hugs her.

Finn tells Elizabeth that Scotty is on his way, but she says there’s still time for him to change his mind. Don’t throw away his life for Peter. As far as she’s concerned, Peter got just what he deserved. He says, Maxie still thinks Peter is out there, and he’s going to find her baby and disappear. Or target her and her children. At the very least, he can put her fears to rest. Elizabeth says, it’s good to be noble, but don’t turn himself in to protect her. He says her sons need her. They just lost their stepfather, and she’ll do them no good in prison. If he’s going to do this, he needs to do it alone. There’s a knock at the door, and it’s the nanny with Violet. Finn asks if Violet is okay, and the nanny says, Violet couldn’t sleep; she missed him. Finn picks up Violet and holds her, and Elizabeth smiles. Guess he forgot about Violet.

Jason tells Carly, this is a big step. If they take it, there’s no going back, so they have to be sure. They have to weigh what they can gain against what they could lose. They could lose everything. She asks if he’s really thinking of doing this? and he says he thinks they have to. She says she needs time alone to think about this, and he says, him too. She says she knows he’s oblivious to things like this, but everyone will think she planned this. They think she ran off every woman he’s loved in case she needed him, and now she needs him… He says, it they do this, they know why, and that’s all that matters. He leaves, and Carly does some thinking.

Britt tells Obrecht that she doesn’t think Jason looks at her any differently. He accepts her as she is, before and after. Obrecht asks if they made love after she revealed her diagnosis. Isn’t that significant? Britt says she’s not discussing her sex life with Obrecht, and Obrecht apologizes for overstepping. Britt must stop avoiding her feelings, and tell Jason the truth, that she cares for him. Britt asks, who says she cares for him? and Obrecht says, Britt does. It’s in her eyes, and the tone of her voice when his name comes up. Whatever time she has left, live it passionately with the man she knows she’s growing to love. Something else tells her that he loves Britt too.

Michael tells Josslyn that he had time to think, and maybe giving Nina a second chance isn’t a bad idea. She asks if he discussed it with their mom. He knows how she feels about Nina. He says Carly isn’t afraid of sharing her opinion, but he can’t worry about that right now. She says, because of the Willow thing, and he says, there is no thing. Willow is married to Chase; there’s no story. She says she wants him to be happy, and he says, like her? She says she’s fine. She has college stuff to look forward to. He suggests they have dessert to celebrate, but she says she can’t. She should get home. He congratulates her again, and makes her promise to get together with him soon. She says she loves him, and thanks him for dinner. He says he loves her too, and she’s welcome.

Brook and Maxie come back in, and Lucy says, it looks like they worked things out. Maxie says they had a good talk, and she realized she can miss her daughter without drowning in it. Lucy says Maxie is amazing, and they need to support her. Maxie says she could bask in their compliments forever, but they need to move on. She asks Lucy to show her concept, and Lucy says, great. When Sasha came to her, and told her that she was pregnant, she wondered how they could include new moms – Sasha says, and mothers-to-be – in their product line, and in the pages of Crimson. This is what she came up with. She unveils a photo of a pregnant Sasha that says, The Face of Conception. Nina says, very cool, and Lucy says, there’s another part to the launch, but it was Sasha’s idea, so she’s going to let Sasha tell them. Sasha says she thought, to keep the search for Maxie’s baby in the forefront, everyone could hold a midnight candlelight vigil across the country, and alert the nation to the kidnapping of Maxie’s baby. Brook says, that’s a terrible idea.

Anna looks at Bailey/Louise’s picture, and says, she’s gorgeous. Valentin says she’s right. Objectively, she is a beautiful baby. She lights up the room. Anna asks, what’s going on with him and Brook? and he says, she’s candid and outrageous, and surprisingly kind. He likes her. She amuses him. Anna says, cozy? and he says he doesn’t know how cozy it is, but they’re getting along. She says, that’s a good thing, and he asks if there’s anyone in Anna’s life to ease the pain of her losing Finn.

Finn says he misses Violet too, but it’s past her bedtime. She says, his too; he works too hard. Elizabeth asks if Violet had fun being a flower girl, and Violet says her daddy made Uncle Chase better, like he said he would. Why can’t Finn be with her more? Finn says he wants that more than anything in the world, and Violet says, when Uncle Chase leaves the hospital, they can have a tea party, with him, Willow, and Roxie. Finn says, Uncle Chase will love that, and so will Willow. Violet asks, won’t Finn be there?

Lucy asks how holding a vigil for a missing child be a bad thing? and Brook says, it will remind Maxie of her own baby. Nina says, they’re trying to help Maxie, not hurt her, and Sasha says, she agrees. She thought as many people as possible should be made aware that Maxie’s baby was stolen, and Lucy says, if Peter has a light shone on him, the more people might look for him. Nina says, they might call the police, and Lucy says, it’s for Maxie. Sasha says, they’re right. It’s a great idea, and Maxie says, who knows? Maybe they’re right.

Anna tells Valentin that she has plenty of people in her life who make her feel better; Robin, her grandchildren, Violet, Maxie, her friends. Friends and family, but she doesn’t get to see them all that often. He says he can think of someone she sees quite often, and she says, Robert? He nods, and she says Robert just recently forgave her. When she went back for Sean’s memorial, they talked. He asks, how about him? Is he her friend? Is he on her list of friends? She says, see what he did? Of course (🍷) he is. He’s wonderful. She couldn’t have gotten through the past few months without him. He says, nor him without her.

Finn says he loves seeing Violet, but it’s late, and time for bed. He tells her, goodnight, and Violet says goodnight to him and her Aunt Elizabeth. At the door, Finn tells Violet he loves her, and blows her a kiss. Elizabeth says, now he knows why he can’t confess. She’s not the only one with children who need her. Scotty arrives, and says the nanny gets prettier every day. She’s like a gift of sunshine. Finn said he needed legal advice. What are they talking about? Malpractice?

Josslyn walks in, and says she can’t figure out what’s going on with Michael, but stops when she sees Carly. She asks if Carly is okay, and Carly says, sorry. What’s going on with Michael? Josslyn says, nothing. What about her? She has that look on her face. Carly says, what look? and Josslyn says, like she’s thinking about something important.

Britt goes to her office. She remembers what Obrecht said about living passionately with man she’s grown to love, and flashes back to her and Jason getting busy. Jason comes to the door, and says her name. She turns and smiles. He doesn’t smile, but it’s hard to tell if it’s not just his normal look, or if there’s a problem.

Tomorrow, Austin asks if there’s anything Sam isn’t suspicious of, Finn says he needs legal representation, Ava wonders if she can fix something, and Jason asks if there’s a problem.

The Haves and The Have Nots

When we last left, Jim accused Celine of killing his daughter Amanda.

Celine asks what Jim is talking about, and he says Celine was the last person to see his daughter alive. She asks again what he’s talking about, and he says he knows she did it. She asks why he’s saying these things, and he says Veronica knows what he’s talking about. Celine asks why he’s saying this; she never hurt Amanda. He says her lawyer should be the one to tell her what’s going on, and Celine says, one of them tell her. Veronica says, Jim is  going to try and frame her. Celine says, with what? and Jim says, the DA made it clear that he wasn’t certain it was a suicide. Celine says Jim would use his daughter’s death to destroy her? and he says he’d use the devil herself. Celine says, he is the devil, but he says, the devil is this beautiful bitch standing by Celine’s side. Celine says Jim has done a lot to her, but she can’t believe this, and he tells her to be a good little girl. Drop this, or he’ll make her life a living hell. She says, it’s already hell, and she’s not dropping it. He suggests she drop in the hole he’s already dug for Veronica, and Veronica asks if he’s threatening to hurt her, but he says, it’s not a threat. Consider it something he’d like to check off his bucket list. Just wait and see. Veronica says she’s waiting, and he tells her, get off his property. She says he’s been served. She wants the money in 24 hours, or he’ll go to jail. He says they’ll see about that. Since she served him, she might as well leave the papers. She hands him the envelope, and says, he’s been served. He thanks her, and says, he’s used to it. He goes inside.

Hanna goes into Wyatt’s dark apartment, and walks into the bedroom. She says she’s not trying to see this, and bangs on something, rousing Roderick and two women. He asks who the hell she is, and she says her name is Hanna Young. She works for Kathryn. He says he doesn’t need anything, thanks, and starts to lie back down. She says, no, and he says, what? She says, ladies, and slams a pillow repeatedly on the bed. They need to get up, get their clothes and their things, and get out. Roderick asks who the hell she is, and she says they need to go. She doesn’t think her boss would be too pleased to find out there were ladies in her house. Roderick says, fine, and tells the women, get up, hustling them out of the bed. Hanna says, let’s move, and seeing they’re not wearing much except thongs, she says, my God Jesus. She tells Roderick that Kathryn also wants him to answer his phone. He says, okay. Hanna isn’t going to tell her… Hanna says, oh yes she is, and he says, she’ll ask him to leave. Hanna asks what Kathryn is to him, and he asks if Kathryn didn’t tell her. Hanna says she wants him to tell her, and he says Kathryn is a really good friend; she takes care of him. They take care of each other. Hanna says, okay, and starts to leave, but Roderick grabs her arm. She says, hands off, please, and he says, don’t tell Kathryn. He knows a beautiful woman like Hanna knows what it’s like to do what you have to. She says she knows damn well he’s not trying to flirt with her. Does he know how much money he’d have to pay her? Boy, bye. She walks out.

Okay, here’s how I’m going to do this. The thug Jim hired to take care of Veronica will be Thug 1. The French thug Veronica hired to take care of Thug 1 will be Thug 2. Kind of like Thing 1 and Thing 2. Hey, I’m doing the best I can. A car pulls into a parking garage. Thug 2 holds a gun on Thug 1, and tells him, get out of the car. Thug 1’s phone rings, and Thug 2 tells him, answer it. He does, and Jim says, the bitch just left house. He wants it done now. Thug 1 hangs up, and puts the phone on the ground. He asks if Thug 2 is going to kill him, and Thug 2 says, sorry, man. He knows how it goes. Thug 1 says, you live by the sword, you die by the sword, and Thug 2 says, that’s right. Turn around. Thug 1 grabs the hand holding the gun, and knocks it away. They fight, using a lot of kicks, which I always like. They fight for a while, and Thug 1, who looks like he might have gotten the worst of it, asks Thug 2 if he gives up.   

Benny calls Rianna, who says he can move in tomorrow. She needs to drop off the keys, and he suggests they meet at the house. She agrees, and he says he’ll be there shortly, but she says, no, tomorrow. He thanks her, and she says she’ll see him then. He sits on the bed, and she calls back. She says she wanted to tell him how sorry she was about what happened. No one ever stood up for her before. He says he wasn’t letting that happen, and she says she’s had to move four times. He says he’s sorry to hear that. What about killing Sandy’s…. She says she had an abortion. He was so abusive, she didn’t want a baby to be part of it. She’s regretted it every day, and thinks it’s God punishing her. He tells her, don’t feel that way, and she says she doesn’t know why she put that on him. She poured a drink… He says she shouldn’t drink alone, and she says she has no one else to drink with. He says he’ll come over, but she says, she’s alone and vulnerable. No. He tells her to send the address. She shouldn’t be alone. She says, okay; she’ll text him. He says he’ll clean up, and be over. Rianna texts Benny the address, and Candace walks into the hotel room. She tells Benny that he’s not going anywhere. That kid is serious. He says Sandy doesn’t know where he is; he’ll be fine. She says he just doesn’t listen, and he says he’ll be back, and leaves.   

Mitch walks into the Iron Bone, and sees Vinnie sitting in a booth. He sits across from Vinnie, and asks where Mama Rose is. Vinnie says she put him in charge, and Mitch says, she did? Vinnie asks if Mitch doubts him; never doubt him. Mama Rose is getting older. Mitch says, so Vinnie is the new Mama Rose? and Vinnie says, that’s right. Mitch says Vinnie wanted to talk to him, and Vinnie says, yeah. Come on. Let’s go to the office.   

In the office, Vinnie hands Mitch the phone, and says, talk to her. Mama Rose tells Mitch that she’s in Florida, and Vinnie is in charge. She’s tired. She’s not happy about what he did. Mitch asks, what did he do? and she says, Vinnie knows how to handle it. Talk to him. Mitch says, Mama…? and Vinnie asks if she hung up. Mitch says, yeah, and gives the phone back to Vinnie. Mitch says, so Vinnie is the new Mama Rose. Congratulations. Vinnie thanks him, and asks how he’s doing. Good? Mitch says he’s okay, and Vinnie wonders when was the last time Mitch had some real food, Italian food. Mitch says he’s good, and Vinnie sees he’s got a new phone. What’s with him? How did he get it? Mitch says, it was a gift from a friend, and Vinnie asks if it was Candace. Mitch is friends with her and her brother? Mitch says he is, and Vinnie says it’s good Mitch went to bat for them. Mitch told Jim that the family was protecting them. Does Mitch know how much Candace took from Jim? Mitch says he knows, but they’re good people. Vinnie asks if Mitch knows how many times Jim and David saved the family; Mitch’s uncle, his grandfather, Sandy, Sammy, his mom. Mitch says he didn’t know, and Vinnie says, they made evidence disappear. He’s in deep with Jim, and Mitch says, he didn’t know. Vinnie asks why Mitch lied to the family, and Mitch says he was just trying to protect his friend. Vinnie says Mitch shouldn’t have done that, and Mitch says he’s sorry. Vinnie says, him too. Now he has to punish Mitch for lying to the family, and Mitch says, all right. Whatever punishment Vinnie has is fine; he’ll take it. Vinnie says, it’s a delicate balance, and Mitch says, Candace brought them War, but Vinnie says they would have gotten War anyway. He’s already done her a lot of favors; she’s out. Mitch says, okay. He’ll go take his punch. Vinnie calls in Sal, who is pretty big, and Sal says, come on. Mitch goes with him.    

Outside the Iron Bone (I just like putting in Iron Bone as much as possible) Sal says, sorry, and Mitch says he’s got to do what he has to. Sal says, it is what it is, and Mitch says, just not the face. Give him a break. Sal says, sorry, bitch, and, along with two other guys, punches the sh*t out of Mitch’s stomach. Sal says, sorry, kid, and gives Mitch a punch in the face. The other two guys continue pummeling him.

Hanna is lying on the couch, and gets a collect call from Kathryn. She asks if Kathryn is doing all right, and Kathryn says she’d like a steak and a drink. Hanna says she can’t have that in there, and Kathryn says, apparently not. Did Hanna see Roderick? He’s still not answering his phone. Hanna says, mmm, and Kathryn asks what mmm means. Hanna hesitates, and Kathryn says tell her. She really likes him. What did Hanna see? Hanna says, he wasn’t by himself; he had a couple of women in there. Kathryn says, what? Dammit! Hanna says, sorry, and Kathryn says, put him out. Go with the Sheriff, and have him put out right now. Hanna says she’ll try tonight, but if not, first thing in the morning. Kathryn says, that’s the reason he’s not answering his phone; that bastard. How many? Hanna says, two, and Kathryn says, what?

Kathryn says, two in the bed, and Hanna says, yeah. Kathryn says, son of a bitch, and Hanna says she’s sorry. Kathryn says, not as sorry as he’s going to be. Hanna says Kathryn is really still married, and Kathryn says, don’t judge. Hanna say she’s not judging, and Kathryn asks if it’s too much to want be loved and love. Hanna says, no; it’s a wonderful thing. It just depends on how you get it. Kathryn says she knows Hanna’s not interested in the details, but it felt good to be held and feel loved, even if she was lying to herself. Life hasn’t been easy for her. Hanna says he can understand why Kathryn is saying that, and believes her, but she started off with more than most. Kathryn says, money doesn’t stop the pain, and Hanna says, she knows. Kathryn laughs, and asks what the hell is she doing? Hanna says Kathryn has too much on her mind to be thinking about all this, and Kathryn says she still wants Roderick’s ass out. Hanna says, okay, and Kathryn suggests Hanna call him now, and let her speak to him. Hanna puts Kathryn on hold, and calls Roderick. When Roderick answers, Hanna patches Kathryn through, and Kathryn says, get the hell out, you son of a bitch. He says, let him explain, but she says, there’s nothing to explain. He had women in her house. He says he didn’t; Hanna is lying. Kathryn says, is she? and he says his sister was there. The look Hanna gives the phone is priceless, and Kathryn says, his sister was in the bed with him. He says, she was on the couch. He knew Hanna was going to lie. He loves Kathryn. Kathryn says, does he now? and he says he does. He knew Hanna would lie, and he hates a liar. Kathryn says, so does she, and he asks if she’s out. She says, no, and he says he’s worried about her, and wants to see her. He asks if they allow conjugal visits, and again, Hanna’s face. Kathryn says, what she hates are liars, and he says, so does he, but she says he lied to her. A recording comes on, saying, there’s one minute remaining. Roderick asks how Kathryn is calling him, and she says she has a friend on the line. He asks, who? and Hanna says, the liar who told Kathryn he was in her house with two other women. Roderick does a face palm, and Kathryn tells him, get your sh*t and get out of my house, or the Sheriff will be there to throw you out. Wyatt tells Roderick, get the hell off the phone, and Kathryn asks if that’s Wyatt. Is that her son? She asks Hanna if Roderick hung up, and Hanna says he did. Kathryn asks if that was Wyatt, and Hanna says, it sounded like him. Kathryn wonders what the hell Wyatt is doing there, and asks Hanna to find out for her. Hanna says, okay, and Kathryn says, he’s supposed to be in the hospital. What’s going on? Hanna says she doesn’t know, and Kathryn says she’ll call back in a few hours. She owes Hanna so much. They hang up, and Hanna drags her ass back up off the couch. I know how she feels.

Thug 1 asks if Thug 2 gives up, but Thug 2 shakes his head. Thug 1 says, go, man, and Thug 2 says he’s going to die, but Thug 1 says, it will be no easy win. Thug 2 says he sees that. Military? Thug 1 says, Marines. Him? Thug 2 says he was in the French Navy. Respect. He wishes he was on Thug 1’s team. (I am not making this up; this scene is too funny.) Thug 1 says, that can be arranged, and Thug 2 says, how so? Thug 1 asks how much Veronica is paying him, and Thug 2 says, fifteen. What did he get? Thug 1 says, he got thirty, and Thug 2 says, he’s got to do this. He needs the money. Thug 1 says, unless Thug 2 takes the money, and just says he took care of it. Then he’ll take care of Veronica. It’s a win-win. Thug 2 says he likes it. What say they shake on it? He holds out his hand, but Thug 1 says, no. He doesn’t trust Thug 2 as far as he can kick him. Thug 2 says, smart man. So deal? Thug 1 says, deal, and Thug 2 tells him to get his gun, which ended up on the parking lot floor, along with Thug 2’s gun. Thug 1 picks up both guns, hands Thug 2 his gun, and they both get in the car.

Veronica walks into a gay dance club, and approaches the drag queen hostess. The hostess touches her arm, and Veronica says, don’t touch me. The queen says, I love your shoes, honey, and Veronica says, you’d never fit in them, honey. The queen asks if she can help Veronica, and Veronica says she wants a drink. Does she think they’ll have anything she can drink in there? The queen says, they’re dripping in divas. What does Veronica want? Veronica says she wants to see someone, but the queen says, no one is looking for bitches here. Veronica asks if they’re looking for pink unicorns, and the queen says, it’s gay pride every day here. She asks what Veronica wants, and Veronica says she’s looking for the owner. The queen says, he’s not here, and Veronica asks when he’ll be back. The queen says she doesn’t know, and Veronica says she’s not coming back. The queen says, good, and they both laugh. Veronica says, tell him to call her, and the queen says she’ll think about it. Veronica says, think, darling, and she needs to do something about those toes. Her, of all people, should wear closed toe shoes. The queen says, bitch, get the hell out, and Veronica says the queen doesn’t scare her. She can drag as good as the queen can. Veronica decides to go in, and the queen says, it’s ten dollars. Veronica says, honey, please, and keeps walking. The queen yells, there’s a homophobe bitch in the club. That bitch with the short hair. She calls for security, and Veronica walks up to a guy at the bar. He asks what Veronica wants, and she says she’s there to see him. Relax. It’s time. He says, for what? and she says she has something to tell him. He says he’s sorry he didn’t tell her that he was gay, but she says she doesn’t care about that. It was a long time ago. He says she made sure to ruin his life, and she says he did okay. He owns this place of debauchery. He says, that’s not how they see it, and she says she doesn’t care how they see it. Tell Miss Thing to make her drink… in a plastic cup, please. Forget it. Just open a new bottle, and give her the bottle. He says, okay. What do they need to talk about? She says she’ll give it to the queens. They sure can dance. He asks if she came to see them dance, and she wonders why anyone would look at them otherwise. She came to tell him something, but now she wants to dance. Where’s her drink? Someone brings her a bottle of what looks like vodka, and she slugs some back. He says he thought she wanted to talk, and she tells him, hold her pocketbook. He says, no, and she asks if he knows how expensive it is. He knows he wants to own it. She puts it on his arm, and he says it looks better on him. She says he looks all right, and yells, work it, bitch! Work it! She tells him that she can’t stand their gay asses, but they sure can dance. She works around the dance floor, and grabs him, dancing around him, as he stands there. The hostess queen, says, come on, sugar, and she and Veronica dance in the middle of the floor like it’s a gay Footloose. I wonder how the hell we got here, and if Veronica is a closet reverse drag queen. Veronica sashays out, and the hostess queen asks, who was that ignorant bitch? He says, it’s a long story. I’ll bet, and I wonder if somehow he’s Jeffrey’s father…

There’s a knock at the hotel room door, and Candace asks who it is. A voice says, maintenance, but Candace says she didn’t call for maintenance. Surprisingly, she opens the door, and it’s Conley. She asks who he is, and he says, Senator Westley. She says she told him that she didn’t want talk, but he says he only needs a minute. Please. She lets him in, and he thanks her. She asks what he wants, and he says Charles loves her (using the usual he instead of Charles). She says she’s heard that. First he sent Landon, now Conley. Conley says Charles didn’t send him, and she repeats that she doesn’t want to talk. Conley says Charles loves her; he’s sick without her. She says she doesn’t care, but Conley says he knows Charles really loves her, and with the turning tide of the press, he thinks she should reach out. She asks if he’s done, and he says he’s just started. He’s begging her. He came there hoping to change her mind. She says he won’t. Charles humiliated her. He put her in the trunk of a car, and smuggled her out of town. Conley says Charles was advised to. He knows Charles, and he’s a scared kid, trying to figure it out. Conley did research on her, and likes what he found. She’s a shark, and Charles needs a shark. She says, Charles is a shark. She’s seen how dangerous and cold he is. Conley says, only to protect himself; he’s a fighter. She says, let him fight for someone else, and Conley says he needs to share something. Charles’s wife didn’t die of natural causes. She committed suicide when Charles was at work. The kids found her; they were really young. He can’t imagine how difficult it must have been, and then Charles found Candace. She’s a girl with issues, but she won his heart. It’s been a long time since Conley has seen him like this. She woke him up. He asks her to please not tell anyone what he told her about his wife’s death. No one knows. He knows she lost a son, and understands grief. He wanted to tell her that she’s woken Charles up inside, and he cares way too much about it to let it die on the vine. He thanks her for listening, and tells her, have a good night. She says, him too, and he leaves. She sits on the bed, and ponders all of this.

Wyatt has lines of God-knows-what lined up to snort, along with a bottle of (I think) whiskey. Roderick says, hey, and Wyatt says, don’t bug him. Roderick asks if Wyatt wants to die. Does he know what that stuff is? Wyatt says he doesn’t care. Don’t say anything to him. Roderick says, that stuff will kill him, and Wyatt says, he’ll die a happy man. Roderick says, fine, and Wyatt says, go clean his kitchen. He starts to snort a line, and Roderick says, Mr. Cryer… Wyatt says, get out of his face, and Roderick tells him, his mother said he was angry. Wyatt asks why his mother was talking about him to Roderick. Shut up, and clean the kitchen. He pours more liquor into his glass, and Roderick asks if he’s doing downers and uppers at the same time. Wyatt says, it looks like it, and snorts a line. Roderick’s phone rings, and Wyatt says, don’t answer it. Roderick says Wyatt’s mom heard him, and Wyatt asks if she knows he’s there. Roderick says he guesses so, and Wyatt says he doesn’t give a damn. Roderick says Wyatt has problems, and Wyatt tells him to get more blow. Roderick asks if Wyatt has any idea how much he’s had, and Wyatt says he doesn’t give a damn. Roderick says, he’s going to die, and Wyatt says, go. Roderick says he has no more money, and Wyatt asks if his mother isn’t taking care of Roderick. Roderick says she wants him out; he has to leave. Wyatt says he knows where he can get money – his parents’ place. His mom has jewelry, and his dad has watches. They can sell them. Roderick says he’s not doing that, and Wyatt asks if he’s an honest whore now. Roderick repeats he’s not doing that, and Wyatt says he’ll do it himself. Roderick says, whatever, dude. He’s got to get out of there. Wyatt asks for his car keys back, and Roderick hands them over, saying, he can’t get far without…  Wyatt says, get out, and Roderick says Wyatt is going to die. Wyatt says, a happy man is he, and Roderick leaves. Wyatt talks nonsense to himself.

Back at the Iron Bone, Sandy walks into Vinnie’s office, holding an ice pack or something against his head. Vinnie asks, what the hell happened? and Sandy says, Mitch didn’t tell him? Vinnie says, no, and Sandy says, that kid Mitch has been protecting. Vinnie says, Benny? What about him? Sandy says, they got into it. Mitch’s boy did this. Vinnie says, Benny did that? He should whip Sandy’s ass for that. Sandy asks what he did, and Vinnie says, for coming in there looking like that. He knows what happened. Word gets around. Sandy says he wants Benny dead, and Vinnie says, so why doesn’t he do it? Sandy says he came to ask permission, and Vinnie says he’s got it. The two of them. Sandy says, okay, and Vinnie says, or is Sandy scared he can’t do it alone? Sandy says he’s not scared, and Vinnie says, okay, then do it. Kill them. He gives Sandy a gun, and says, do it. Sandy picks up the gun, and says, he’s dead. Vinnie says, don’t come back until he is. He wants him dead. Sandy nods, and leaves.

Next time, David tells Jim that Vinnie is now running things, Kathryn calls Jim to tell him about Wyatt, and Wyatt shows up at David. And Oscar returns! Only two more episodes before the finale.

🤬 I have to mention, I think since it’s their last season, they’re trying to squeeze in as many curse words as possible. I counted like 5700 bitches in this episode. Slight exaggeration, but there were a lot.

🗽 Postponement…

Unfortunately, my weekly Zoom meeting is at the same time Real Housewives of New York City is on. I DVR’d it, but don’t really want to see the sun come up as I go to sleep, so it’s something to look forward to for tomorrow, along with Beverly Hills. So until then, be safe, be pragmatic when necessary, and stay not testing things so much that they break, especially relationships.

June 28, 2021 – Jason Says Peace Is Not an Option, Returning Deck, New Crew, Soap Reboot & It’s There

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Nikolas punches the heavy bag, and flashes back to Ava telling him that he knows her better than anyone, and must know if anything happened to Avery, it would kill her, so they’re done. He punches harder. Lucy comes in, and throws him a towel. She says, trouble? With Ava Jerome? Good luck. Ta! She leaves him standing there with the towel in his hands.   

On the phone, Nina says she thought it would be nice to hear Mike/Sonny’s voice again. She’ll call again soon. She misses him. She looks at the picture of them together on her phone. Ava says, she knows that look. That is the face of a woman in love. They hug, and Nina says, it’s good to see Ava. Ava says, it’s good to see Nina too. Clearly, they have some catching up to do.

At the hospital, Sasha runs into Brando, who asks if they didn’t just have breakfast. She says she has a vague recollection, and he says if he’d known she was coming there, they could have walked over together. She knew he was going to see his mother, and didn’t say anything. Is everything okay? She says, everything is fine. It’s just a routine OB appointment. He asks if there’s a reason she didn’t want him to know.

Valentin, Austin, and Anna are in the woods, and Valentin asks Anna if she wants to walk the area again. She says she does. She knows he’s thinking it’s a waste of time, but she can’t help thinking Dante might have missed something. That one little clue that will lead them to finding Peter and Maxie’s baby.

Laura sees Maxie at the MetroCourt, and apologizes for not coming by, but Maxie says, it’s fine. Laura has been busy, and she’s been lousy company anyway. That’s one of the reasons she couldn’t stand being alone with herself in the apartment anymore. Laura says she must be crazy with worry. There is nothing is worse than not knowing where your child is. She has the feeling they’ll find Maxie’s baby soon, and Maxie says she prays Laura is right.

In the hallowed halls of the moss bowl, Carly asks if Brick would like coffee or something stronger. He says he’ll stick with Corinthos’s finest, and says she’s sorry to call him back so soon. Not that it’s not a pleasure to see him. He says he’s always there to help any way he can, and Carly says, be honest. How much trouble are she and Jason in? He says, that depends on their next move, and Jason comes in. Jason thanks Brick for coming, and Brick says he was on his way to L.A., but Sonny’s business is always a priority; Jason knows that. Carly asks what the damage is, and Jason says, most of the shipment was saved, but the warehouse is a complete loss. She asks if he’s sure it was Novak, and Brick says, it was definitely the Novaks. His sources say this is going to amp up the pressure. Jason and Carly are running out of time to push back.

Nina apologizes for not calling Ava, and says, it was a surprise trip back. Michael invited her to see Wiley. Ava says, wonderful, and asks how it went. Nina says, wonderful; it was really great. She promised not to mention Nelle’s name, which she gets. Ava asks if she’s sure, and Nina says, does she like it? No. Does she understand? Of course (🍷). Ava asks, how long before Carly showed up? and Nina swears Carly teleported there. Ava says she’s happy Michael and Willow came to their senses. She hopes Nina will be able to see more of Wiley now that she’s home. Nina says she thinks the door’s open for her to be more in Wiley’s life, but as far as home is concerned, she honestly doesn’t know where home is anymore.

Brando and Sasha sit down, and he says he knows she’s not ready to make plans, and they’ve done this upside down. Most people don’t have their first date this far into the pregnancy. Sasha says, true. They haven’t taken the conventional route. Brando says he has every intention of being there when she needs him. He’ll also do his best to respect her privacy and need for space, but when it comes to baby’s health, and hers, he prefers to be kept in the loop, not on the sidelines. She says she appreciates that, but it’s not the reason she didn’t tell him about the appointment. It just didn’t occur to her. She’s so used to taking care of herself, it never crossed her mind. Brando says, she forgot about him? but she says she wouldn’t put it that way. He says, that’s kind of what happened, and she says, that’s exactly what happened, but she wouldn’t put it that way. It’s embarrassing. He says, maybe next time, and she promises to let him know. Definitely next time; she’s going to have lot of appointments. Brando says, now that he’s not working for a drug lord, his time will be more flexible, and she says she’s glad he’s standing by her. There’s so much she doesn’t want to get wrong. Every day there’s some new lesson, and the books only tell you so much; it can be overwhelming. He says, next time, let him know if there’s something he can do, but she says, the next item on her agenda isn’t something he can help with. He tells her, try me, and she says, okay. How does she tell Nina that she’s pregnant?

Laura tells Maxie that Mac said they’d found the kidnapper’s body, but there was no sign Louise had ever been with her. Maxie says, it was kind of a good news/bad news situation. She kept thinking, if the kidnapper has the baby, the baby isn’t with Peter. Laura asks if Maxie thinks Louise is with Peter, but Maxie says she has to tell herself that Louise isn’t. That’s another reason she wanted to get out. She kept waiting for someone to call her, and say Peter was caught, but it never happened. It’s agonizing. Laura says it’s good she got out; even an hour or two can help. Maxie says, Georgie and James were so excited to have a baby sister. She wanted to give her kids a happy, safe life. So what did she do? She opened the door, and let a monster walk in.

Anna says, there’s no sign of a struggle around the mine shaft within a 50 foot radius, and Austin says, would there be signs of struggle in a forest? Valentin says, if you know what you’re looking for, and Austin says he’s a little lost. What is Anna getting at? Anna wonders if it’s possible the kidnapper simply fell, and Austin says, when the sun goes down, it gets very dark in the forest. She might not have known there was a mine shaft there, and the wood had rotted. Anna says, obviously, she handed off the baby before she fell, or she possibly was pushed. Whoever took the baby… Valentin says, took care of the kidnapper, and Anna asks if Austin had any sense that there had been another person there when he woke up. He says he was pretty out of it, but he was focused on Maxie and the baby. Anna says, something feels off.

Brick says, right now the Novaks are playing downhill; all the momentum is on their side. Jason says, not after tonight. The Novaks are going to experience a major setback in their territory, which will make them think twice about expanding into Sonny’s. The moss bowl is suddenly gone from the kitchen island, and I desperately look for it. Brick asks if Jason needs help, but Jason says he just needs intel; the mechanics are taken care of. Carly says he can’t. When Sonny was alive, Jason was the one who handled the mechanics. Now that Sonny is gone, Jason and Brick made it clear to the Five Families focaccia that Jason is running the show. Not her and Jason together. Jason says, that’s why he’s sending the Novaks a message, and she says, he can’t be the one to send it. Brick says, Carly’s got a good point.

Sasha tells Brando that she was hoping to tell Nina in private, but Nina has been out town. Now Lucy set up a business meeting for the three of them and, given her and Nina’s history, it seems cruel to spring her pregnancy on Nina in front of other people. He takes it a text won’t cut it, and she says, the only way to do this is in private, face-to-face. He suggests she get there early, and talk to Nina before she goes in. He saw how concerned Nina was when she was in the hospital. Maybe Nina will be happy for her. She says, one of the things that makes her relationship with Nina so special, is that it’s also so fragile. After everything that happened, everything Sasha did, they reached a good place. The last thing she wants is for her pregnancy to bring back the pain she caused, and remind Nina of the person she used to be. Gladys rolls up, and says, perfect soap timing. Continue. She’s dying to hear about the person Sasha used to be.

Laura says Maxie opened up her heart, and it’s a very brave thing to do.  Unfortunately, it turned out that Peter… Maxie says, was just as bad as his father? and Laura says, Peter is a very a bad man, but he fooled a lot of people. With a little luck, Maxie and her kids will never see Peter again, and when her kids see Maxie again, they’ll see what strength and resilience looks like, and that’s what they’ll remember. Nina comes in, and signals to Maxie, who says she has to go. She thanks Laura for saying that; she needed to hear it. Laura says she’s welcome, and she’s there for Maxie anytime. Maxie says she might take Laura up on that, and Laura says, good.

Maxie goes over to Nina, and says, thanks for getting her out of the apartment. Nina says, it’s her pleasure. Maxie looks beautiful. Maxie says, all things considered, and Nina says, all things considered, she looks beautiful. Maxie says, it’s amazing how makeup can hide the look of fear, anxiety, dread… Nina says, and deception.

Austin says he hates to abandon them in the middle of search, and Valentin says, he has somewhere else to be? Austin says he does. He has another engagement out of town. He gives Anna the keys, telling them, make themselves at home, straighten up before they leave, and leave the keys in the drop box. They have his number. Anna thanks him, and Valentin says he’s been a big help. Austin says, it’s been a pleasure. Let him know if there’s anything else he can do. He leaves, and Valentin asks Anna, what is it? She says, there’s something familiar about him. Is Valentin getting a déjà vu vibe. (So this is how we’re dealing with Austin looking exactly like Franco?) He says, no, and she says she forgets that their histories don’t line up as much as she thinks they do. He says she has excellent instincts, and she says, when her judgement isn’t compromised. He says her instincts were spot-on; she just didn’t trust them. He’ll always trust her instincts. She says, that’s nice of him to say, all things considered. He asks what her instincts are telling her about Austin. Did he have something to do with the kidnapping? She says, no, not that. She’s not sure. It’ll come to her.

Brick says, Jason was respected as Sonny’s enforcer, but as the person in charge, he can’t get his hands dirty. Jason suggests he get the Novaks to back off, then they can reevaluate, but Carly says, what if Jason gets shot, or arrested, or he dies? Then she’s in a worse position than she was before. He says nothing is going to happen to him, and she says when she was planning his escape, and saw him in prison, he told her that she had to consider how the plan would work, and how it would fail. What if he fails? Is it worth the risk of doing it in person? Jason tells Brick, the logistics are in place. Does Brick have a team to do the work? Brick says, just a phone call away, and Jason says, make the arrangements. Brick says, consider it done, and Carly thanks him. Brick says he’s happy to help, but with all due respect, the Novaks are just a symptom. The two of them are the problem. They still haven’t sent a message saying one of them is in charge, and the other one is out. Until they do, the competition will come right on coming. Jason sighs, and I wonder if he, too, is fretting over the moss bowl’s absence.

Scotty tells Laura that he’s looking for Ava, and asks if Laura has seen her. Laura says, no, but her head was down in her work. Scotty says he hates squeezing in emergency marital issues into his busy schedule. Ava comes up behind him, and says she’s there. Unlike her attorney/client privilege, which – from the look on Laura’s face – went out the window. Scotty says, Laura asked, but Laura says she specifically chose not to. He says, that’s how she gets him to talk. For cryin’ out loud, he assumed Ava’s soon-to-be ex-mother-in-law knew about this. When Ava called him, she said she wanted a quick, public divorce. She’s got it. Thank you. Laura asks what Ava is doing.

Ava apologizes if the news blindsided Laura. She should have known not to expect discretion from Scotty. Scotty says, the way he sees it, he did her a favor. She wanted it out there, and – he snaps his fingers – now it’s out there. Laura asks if she can have a minute alone with Ava, and Scotty tells Ava, he’s billing Ava for this. He drew up what she wanted him to. He shows her a manila envelope, and says, irreconcilable differences. Laura says he’s violating attorney/client privilege again, and he says, so sue him. As if Laura’s son wasn’t going to tell his mother. As Ava’s attorney, he’s wondering how many zeros they’re looking at. He’s looking at nine. Ava says, zero zeros. She doesn’t want to take anything from Nikolas. He asks where Ava has gone, when his phone rings. He says he has to take this, but before he does, he wants to tell her that he thinks she’s a fool. When you have a Cassadine on the hook, you take them to the cleaners. (Nothing like a mixed metaphor.) His phone rings again, and he looks at it, saying he has to call back. See what she made him do? He stomps off, and Laura says,  things were going so well between Ava and Nikolas. What happened? Ava says, the first thing Laura needs to know is that she never loved anyone more than she loves Laura’s son, with the exception of her children. It’s too late for her to save Kiki, but she’s damn well going to save Avery. That’s why she and Nikolas are through.

Carly thanks Brick for his help, and he says, always. They hug, and Brick leaves. Carly asks if Jason is mad, and he says, yeah. She asks if he thinks she’s wrong about delegating, but he says, no. Brick has a team. It’s fine. Let him handle the Novaks, but it’s not always going to be like that. There are some things he’ll have handle in person. She says, some, but not all, and he agrees, but adds, Brick is right. The real problem is that they look weak. She asks how they prove they’re strong, and he says, they can’t. The Five Families fettucine are going to expect him to push her out. If he doesn’t, they’ll increase the pressure, and test them for weakness. They’re going to hope Sonny’s organization splits, then they’re going to walk in, carve up the territory, and take it. She asks what they’re supposed to do, and he says, they make it expensive. You make a takeover expensive, so the families don’t want to pay. When they’re hit, they hit back harder. She says, so peace is not an option? and he says, no.  

Nina asks if Maxie is sure this isn’t not too much too fast, but Maxie says, no. She’s desperate to keep busy, and keep her mind off Louise. She would do anything to lose herself in one of those powerhouse workdays they used to have. Nina says, like everything and everyone you don’t want to face, they’re not in these pages – she pulls the magazine out of her bag – they’re not in the office; those things will just have to wait. Maxie says, it’s like having a moat, and Nina agrees. Maxie says she could really use a moat right now, and Nina says, okay. In that case, the next thing she has in her busy schedule is a meeting with Lucy and Sasha. Maxie says, ouch, and Nina says, they’re not excluding Maxie, they’re just… Maxie says, excluding her, but Nina says, no. They know how much Maxie has on her mind, and they decided not to burden her with it. If they knew how Maxie felt, they’d be really glad to have their brilliant partner back with them. So why doesn’t Maxie join her and surprise them? Maxie asks if Nina means just jump right back in, and Nina says, yes, but if it’s too much… Maxie says, it’s not. Does Nina know how wonderful a business meeting sounds right now?   

Gladys says, don’t let her interrupt. She’d love to hear about Sasha’s life before. After all, Sasha is carrying her grandchild. Sasha says she doesn’t want to get into it now, but Gladys says, why not? She’s sure Sasha has come up enough in the world, that her sordid past isn’t an obstacle. Sasha says she definitely has, but she told Jackie Templeton everything – her and the rest of America. She’ll send Gladys the link. Gladys says she thinks it’s still on her DVR. When the baby is old enough, she looks forward to watching it with them. Sasha says, if Gladys is still living… in Port Charles. That sounded awful. Gladys says, good thing Sasha is the face of Deception, and not the voice. Sasha says she’s also a partner in the company, and has other responsibilities. The price of success she supposes. Gladys says Sasha must be under a lot of pressure. It must be difficult to stay on the wagon. Brando says, okay. Is Gladys ready to go? Gladys says Brando that papers need to be signed at the desk first, and he says he’ll be right back. Play nice. Gladys says it’s good to see Sasha, and Sasha says, likewise. She’s missed their chats. Gladys says, now that it’s just us girls, she wants to know what kind game Sasha is playing at.

Ava tells Laura, if it was just her and Nikolas, she’d dare the stalker to come after them. But Ryan killed Kiki, and she can’t risk losing Avery; she won’t. Laura says, of course (🍷) not. She completely understands. She just wishes there was another way. Nikolas has been so happy, the happiest she’s ever seen him. Ava says she was happy too, but she has to do what needs to be done. She should go; she shouldn’t keep Scotty waiting. Laura tells her to take good care of herself. Ava goes over to Scotty, and asks if he’s done playing phone tag. He hands her the envelope, and says he’d go over the document with her, but since she has no intention of going after money, property, or assets, he has no interest. She’s killing him. She says, not yet, but it’s on her to-do list, and he says, if she has any changes, give him a call. He has a meeting to get to. She says she’s touched by his compassion, and he says he’ll see her later. He leaves, and Nikolas comes out of the elevator. He starts to say something, but Ava says, don’t. Please don’t. He says he’s not giving up on them, and she says, that’s his mistake; they’re finished. If he can’t see that, she’ll have to make him see it. She gets in the elevator and the doors close.

Valentin tells Anna, he thinks it’s safe to say they’ve reached the point of diminishing returns. It’s an exposed crime scene, and they’ve been over it multiple times. It’s deteriorating with every moment that passes, plus it’s been 72-hours since the baby disappeared. He doesn’t have to tell her what that means. Anna says, the longer she’s out there, the less chance they have of finding her.

Lucy goes into Nina’s office, and says it’s so very good to see her. Nina says it’s nice to see Lucy too; it’s been too long. Lucy says, it’s been way too long, but it gave her the opportunity to work on the proposal and marketing for a brilliant idea she can’t wait for Nina to see. Nina says she can’t wait to see it, and Lucy says she’ll have to wait a tiny bit longer, because they have to wait for Sasha, but teaser; it’s an idea, a concept they kind of worked on a while ago. Maxie walks in, and says she’s glad Lucy is there. She had to step out for a second… Lucy says Maxie can’t be there. She simply can’t. She needs to leave immediately.   

Sasha says Gladys asked what she’s playing at? She was going to use the baby to rope Brando in. She missed her shot at Michael, but Brando is Michael’s cousin, the next best thing to give her access to the Corinthos money. How does that sound? Gladys calls Sasha a little gold-digger, and says if Sasha thinks she’s not going to tell Brando… Sasha starts laughing, and says, oh my God. Gladys’s face. It was totally worth it. She and Brando are figuring things out, and whatever Brando wants to tell Gladys about the baby is up to him. Brando returns, and says, no one is bleeding, broken, or dead, and Sasha says, not yet. He says, great. Is Gladys ready to go? Gladys says she has an idea. How about the three of them going for coffee, her treat, and they can talk about living arrangements after the baby is born? She’s looking forward to being a babysitter. Sasha says she has to take a raincheck; she has a meeting to go to. Gladys asks if it’s an AA meeting, and Sasha says she goes to NA, not AA, but it’s a Deception meeting. She thanks Gladys for the offer, and Brando says he’ll see her later. She leaves, and Brando tells Gladys that she has to let up on Sasha. Gladys says she’s been nothing but cordial. Sasha was the one talking through her fangs. It’s not her fault Sasha is keeping him at arm’s length from the baby.   

Laura tells Nikolas that she couldn’t help but notice what was going on with him and Ava. Is he all right? Ava told her about the divorce. He says, Scotty? and she says she thinks Scotty is the one doing the paperwork. Nikolas says, that was fast, and she says, Ava is terrified. Ava told her about the note with the knife in it, and the bear with Ryan’s voice, and how both times there was no sign of forced entry. Nikolas says, it’s all very unnerving, and Laura says, especially for Ava; she’s been traumatized. Ryan murdered her daughter, and Ava doesn’t want to leave him, but she has to.

Scotty is about to sip his martini, when Austin joins him. Scotty says, it’s nice to meet Austin, but he didn’t get Austin’s last name. Austin says, just Austin is good for now, and Scotty says Austin can call him Mr. Baldwin, Esq. He guesses this is some sort of legal matter, and Austin says, it is. He understands Scotty is familiar with the families in Port Charles. Scotty says, if he is, why would that be of interest to Austin?  

Jason tells Carly that the move against the Novaks should slow them down, and she says, what If it doesn’t? He says, then they have to keep escalating. The more the Novaks lose, maybe the other families will realize their best strategy is to accept that he’s taking Sonny’s place. Carly says, taking Sonny’s place. She never thought she’d hear him say those words. He tells her that he never thought he’d say those words, and she sits. Jason says he never wanted this, and she says she knows. He says she’s probably the only person who truly understands that, but if he steps back, the Five Families bruschetta will rip the city apart fighting for control, and the people they love will get hurt. Since she went to that meeting, their first target will be her. He’s not going to let that happen.

Scotty tells Austin, let’s narrow this down a little bit. What families is he interested in? Austin says he’ll be happy to tell Scotty as soon as he knows he can trust him. Scotty says, no; he’s a lawyer, and Austin says, thank you for your honesty, and gets up. Scotty says he’s just kidding. He holds a client’s secrets very sacred. He doesn’t hold much sacred, but that he does. What can he do for Austin? Austin asks what Scotty knows about Jason Morgan, and Scotty says, find someone else to deal with Jason. He’s not interested. Austin suggests he tell Scotty specifically what he’s looking for, and then he can decide if he’s interested. 

Nikolas tells Laura, Dante has a theory that it’s all for show; empty threats designed to scare them. Laura says, clearly, Ava doesn’t feel that way, and he says, in all fairness, seeing Avery hold the bear with Ryan’s voice made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Laura says she doesn’t believe it’s possible that it’s Ryan, and he says, copycat? She says, maybe, or some disciple of Ryan’s. Whoever it is, if they’re cruel enough to do this, who knows what else they’re capable of? He says he’s been asking himself that constantly, and she says she knows how much he loves Ava, and sees how much Ava loves him, but he has to see the toll this is taking on Ava. He says he sees it. Watching Ava suffer like this is excruciating. Filing for divorce is the one thing she can do that gives her peace of mind. She asks what he thinks about that, and he says he’s going to do everything in his power to avoid it.

Ava arrives at Carly’s, and says she hopes she’s not interrupting. Carly says she told Avery that Ava was coming, and Ava says she misses Avery so much. Carly says, Avery was telling her about her room at Windymere. It sounds like they’ve made her happy there. Ava says, they try, and thanks Carly for keeping Avery’s room how she likes it. She knows it will be a comfort when she tells Avery that they’re not going back to Windymere. Carly asks if Ava and Nikolas are finally moving out of that drafty castle, but Ava says, just her and Avery. Nikolas is no longer in the picture. Carly asks, why? She thought they were crazy about each other. Ava says, they are, and Carly asks if it’s because of what happened the other night. Jason has come downstairs, and asks, what happened the other night? and Ava says, long story short, she and Nikolas have been getting threats from a stalker. Now the staler has proved they can get to Avery. Jason says, if it happens again, let him know, but Ava says she’s already taken steps to address the situation.

Scotty says, well, well; a lifetime opportunity, and Austin says, it is. Scotty says, call him Scotty, and Austin says, okay, Scotty. He thought Scotty would be intrigued. Scotty says, very intrigued. They’re going to ride this all the way.

Brando tells Gladys, he and Sasha are new to this baby thing, and figuring things out. She says if he asks her, Sasha should be grateful he’s not running for the hills, which is what he should have done before he hopped into bed with her. He says, it’s a good thing he didn’t ask her. If Sasha needs time to figure things out, he’s going to respect that. She says, one of the most precious lessons she’s learned is, there are people who are private and people who keep secrets. Lucky for him, she can sniff out one from the other. He says, really? Because she didn’t sniff out Cyrus. She says, that’s her point. Cyrus was a hard lesson. One he should learn. The sooner he figures out the differences, the better. Let’s get out of here.

Lucy says, it’s not that she doesn’t want Maxie there; she simply can’t be there. It’s good to see Maxie, and Lucy thanks her for coming, and she says this with a lot of love – she makes a heart with her hands – ta! Nina tells Lucy, calm down. This is Maxie’s company too. Maxie says, no, it’s okay. She knows what’s going on. Lucy is planning a surprise party for her to cheer her up. Lucy says Maxie is absolutely right. It’s a great big… Sasha walks in, and Lucy says, surprise?

Anna tells Valentin to go home to his daughters. She’ll look around some more. He says, no. Absolutely not. She says she’ll be fine, but he says she’s not fine now. She’s blaming herself for what happened to Maxie’s daughter. He’s not leaving her alone out in the woods with only her guilt for comfort.

Laura asks what Nikolas’s plan is, and he says, it’s shockingly simple. He’s going to give Ava the peace of mind she needs right now, and let the stalker believe what he wants. Laura says, then what? and he says, then, when this Ryan knockoff is basking in the glory of their false victory, he’ll be laying a trap. And he will catch them.

Ava tells Carly, Dante is investigating, but he has no solid leads. She can’t take any chances, so she has to divorce Nikolas… Don’t both of them offer her sympathy at once. Carly says she’s sorry Ava is being stalked, and Ava says, she’s sorry it’s costing her the man she loves. It would be nice if marriage was really just a romantic pact that didn’t matter to anybody else. Just two people making a promise, a vow. It’s a sort of theater, a performance to demonstrate a legally binding contract, two people becoming one. If an enemy strikes at one, they strike at both. She used to find it comforting until a stalker got to Avery. She’d like to see her daughter if it’s okay. Carly says, of course (🍷), and Ava goes upstairs. Carly asks Jason, is he thinking what she’s thinking?

Tomorrow, Maxie asks Brook if she heard what she thought she did, Josslyn asks what changed Michael’s mind about Nina, Britt wants to make a deal with Obrecht, and Jason says it’s the best option he’s heard so far.

Below Deck Mediterranean

It’s a new crew, so bear with me. Chief stew Katie is the first to arrive, and meets Captain Sandy. In Katie’s interview, she says she’s not a typical chief stew. On her last boat, she had seven girls under her, and thinks if you’re in a higher role, you should show you can work as hard as the others can. You get more if you keep a good vibe, than by being a psycho bitch, telling them what to do. Then it’s like, f*** you. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, last season was the hardest. Everyone looks back and has regrets, but she was ready not to do this anymore. It’s the stuff that defines your character. She decided to come back because she loves mentoring people, and loves leading a team. Returning bosun Malia shows up next and meets Katie. Chef Mathew arrives, and in his interview, he says he’s worked for a lot of prominent families, as well as Hugh Jackman. He’s nervous about it being a new job, and wants to make people happy. Malia says hello to Captain Sandy, and tells her that she’s just off of a Mediterranean charter. In her interview, she says, it’s a crazy feeling being back in Croatia. The first time she was there, she was a green deckie. Captain Sandy’s guidance made her want to stick with yachting. Mathew sets up the galley.

Stew Lexi informs us in her interview that she was Miss Bahamas in 2013, but doesn’t tell other crew members or they act like the boss of her. In Malia’s interview, she says, the break-up with Tom took a toll on her. She just wants to put her head down and work. Deckhand Mzi – call me Zee – is next, and in his interview, he says he’s the youngest of five siblings, and calls himself the black sheep of the family. A joke because he’s the only Black kid in the family. The oldest has been in yachting for 20 years, and is a captain. It’s a jump for him, having never worked on this big of a boat, and he’s nervous. Malia says they’re starting washdowns, and Zee says he’s going to take notes. In her interview, Malia says she loves the notebook. That means she can teach him like Captain Sandy taught her. She’s come full circle, and that’s special to her.

The captain asks the crew to meet in the main salon. She tells them, it’s the beginning of the season, and she loves their energy. If they want a career in yachting, she’s there to help make it happen. She wants to go over the guidelines and protocol, and tells them if anyone – them or a guest – is injured, she wants to be the first to know. If they’re on prescription medication, they need to log it, and no drinking on charter. In her interview, she says, the Lady Michelle was designed for charters. There are so many stairs, the crew can go to each deck without being seen. She tells them, let’s get the boat turned around, and get ready for tomorrow. The deckhands get to cleaning, and provisions come in. It’s a literal truckload, and Captain Sandy says she’s never seen that before. In Mathew’s interview, he says he thought it would be a sh*t show before the provisions arrived. He overordered, and now he’s stressed. He tells Captain Sandy that he wanted to impress the guests. In Courtney’s interview, we find out that she became queen of laundry on yachts, but before that worked at Disneyland Paris, as a promo girl, a nanny, and a bartender. She gets bored easy. It’s the same with men.  Katie meets the other stews, and Malia. In Malia’s interview, she says she learned a lesson last season in choosing a lead deckhand based off of CDs. Katie says she’s not a crazy chief stew, and in Lexi’s interview, she says she has a love/hate relationship with chief stews. When they get to that level, they can get a lazy bitch mentality.

Mathew says he has to get two floors down on a winding staircase. He’s thinking about the guests arriving in 24 hours, and has to put everything away. He makes a misstep, and hurts his knee. The captain calls Malia, Katie, and Mathew to the crew mess for a preference sheet meeting. Terez is a marketing professional, and husband Lee is in real estate. Primaries Clint and Karry had to cancel their original wedding plans, and want to have a beautiful, intimate ceremony with their closest friends in attendance. They also want to have a 40th birthday party for guest Jordan, and a neon dance party afterward. They want a bachelor and bachelorette party, and want the captain to officiate at the wedding on day three. In Mathew’s interview, he says he loves weddings, but it will be the first one he’s done alone. His parents married, divorced, and married again. He was conceived during the divorce, and they call him their bastard child.

We find out Katie’s ex is Jack from season whatever, and he got a tattoo of her face on his ass when he was drunk in Thailand after knowing her a few days. In her interview, she says, they were young and passionate, and it was never going to work out, but they spent a year and a half together, so it was worth it. Right? Mathew hopes the guests aren’t a-holes. He asks a lot. He gets up 3:30 am, and in his interview, he says he’s nervous. He couldn’t sleep since he was thinking menus, wedding, everything. He’s not prepped at all. He calls Captain Sandy, and asks her to meet him in the galley. He tells her that he feels like he can’t do this properly since he hurt his knee. She asks if he needs help, but he says it won’t be the same, and he’s freaking out. He doesn’t know what to do, and wants to get an x-ray and an MRI. Malia joins them, and the captain sends her to call the doctor.  

Deckhand David shows Z what do, and in David’s interview, he says he was born in Italy, and didn’t meet his dad until he was 17. His mentors were captains, and he wants to help as many people as he can. Malia tells Katie about Mathew, and Courtney volunteers to help. In Katie’s interview, she says they have no time to be angry or upset. She doesn’t want to let her third stew go, but they have no choice. Malia says, and it’s only day one. She asks if anyone has experience in cooking, but no one does. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says she’s ready to vomit, and it’s just the first day. She can’t determine if someone has an injury or not, and has to follow protocol. She can’t get a new chef because of covid, since they’d have to quarantine for seven days. Courtney goes to the galley, and helps Mathew prep for the meal. Sandy makes a call to get Mathew an MRI.  

It’s 30 minutes until the guests arrive, and in her interview, Katie says, every chief stew has their own ways. She can’t stand wet towels on the floor. Dudes not using bathmats drives her insane. The captain explains to the crew that the chef injured himself, and they’re going to leave him at the dock so he can get an MRI. He’s prepared lunch, and should be coming back for dinner. David says he’s never been on a chefless boar, and Sandy tells them, don’t give up. Malia tells the deckhands, once the luggage is on board, their soul attention is on getting the boat off the dock.

Captain Sandy welcomes the guests, and introduces Katie. She says Katie will show them around, and then they’ll take off. In deckhand Lloyd’s interview, he says he has a lot of apprehension. He’s sure the guests are going to be more demanding than what he’s used to. Katie gives the tour, and tells the guests that Croatia is amazing. This is seriously one big boat. Mathew whines, and Malia curses her life. When the guests get to the bridge, Captain Sandy tells them about the chef’s injury, and says he’s getting an MRI. He did prepare lunch, and they’re going to try and make it happen. The guests are all, oh my God, and the captain says their hands are tied because of covid. Terez says she’ll have to tip them, and in her interview, the captain says this has never happened in her entire career. They could be f***ed. She tells the guests, they’ll make it happen.

In her interview, Malia says, it’s nerve-wracking docking with a new team. One little mistake can cause a big problem. The stern lines are on deck, and they move out. The guests rave over lunch, which they describe as perfect; light but filling. In Lexi’s interview, she says there’s good money in yachting, but she prefers someone handing her champagne. Malia asks Lloyd to help with the anchor, and in Captain Sandy’s interview, she says this coastline is more nature, country, and small villages. She loves it. In Katie’s interview, she says she’s a laid back kiwi, but sometimes turns into a stressed out bitch. She’s not perfect. Courtney says she put some of Terez’s clothes in the laundry, and Terez has a mild freak out, saying nothing should be washed. Courtney takes the clothes back out. Katie makes espresso martinis, and Terez gives Courtney glow sticks and sundries for the neon party. The dreaded slide is brought out, and the captain checks on Mathew, but so far, he’s gotten no results.

Captain Sandy asks if she can borrow a sous chef from a neighboring boat in quarantine. In her interview, she says, it’s not a chef, but they can figure this out together. She has a crew meeting in the crew mess, and tells them that she has the feeling Mathew isn’t coming back. They have a sous chef to help in the galley, but they’ll need to make dinner. Everyone looks dazed, and she says, it’s surf and turf. In Malia’s interview, she says, they’re f***ed. Captain Sandy helps with the oysters, and tells David to google lobsters. She cringes hearing how they’re prepared, and in David’s interview, he says he’s not the hunting type. The captain asks Siri how to kindly kill a lobster.

The guests get into the hot tub, and sous chef Duska arrives. She knows nothing about lobsters. In David’s interview, he says a chef that can’t cook lobsters after he murdered them? and laughs. Duska gets to work, and Malia asks, are we loving charter? Captain Sandy says, it’s not fair, and Duska says, life is unfair. You got that right, sister. The table is set, and in Lexi’s interview, she says she doesn’t do tacky. The neon theme hurts her soul. Courtney says, this is not okay, and in her interview, says the best she’s done is cook for the family she nannied for.  Duska doesn’t seem to know what’s going on, and in the captain’s interview, she says, what’s happening in the galley is a disaster. In the worst case, they’ll make paninis. Lloyd puts on a red cap, and Malia says he looks like Mario. We see Mario and Lloyd side by side, and by God, he does. They try grilling the lobster.

The guests toast to Jordan’s birthday, and Duska says, meat! The guests begin to eat, and do not look thrilled. Courtney tries the lobster in the galley, and thinks it’s chewy. The guests say things like, sucks, dry, and disgusting. In Katie’s interview, she says, it’s not yachting; it’s surviving. Someone asks if there’s a Domino’s anywhere, and everyone agrees it’s horrible. In her interview, Katie says, it’s not acceptable, but in terms of the situation right now, it’s all they can offer. Sandy tells Duska that she appreciates the help, but she can go now. In her interview, the captain says, dinner was a sh*t show. She prays the chef comes back. Terez says she wants to talk to Sandy, since apparently she didn’t pay attention when Sandy talked to her earlier.   

Lexi tells the captain that the primary is looking for her. Heads up; she doesn’t look too happy. Sandy goes to Terez’s room, and Terez says, girl, this not acceptable. Did she taste dinner? The steak, ‘kay, but not good. Oysters not okay. She gave the chief stew lights and stuff, but they didn’t get the party they wanted. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, it’s not easy to hear criticism, but she failed them. Terez screeches, it’s a mega yacht. A mega yacht!

There was no preview. Why? Who knows?

🛥 You Figure Them Out…

The new Med crew.

https://www.bravotv.com/below-deck-mediterranean/about

👢 We Live In Hope…

It was a dark day in Soapland when AMC and OLTL were canceled. At least we still kept Todd/Franco/Austin on GH.

🚣🏽‍♂️ And So It Goes…

I need sleep tonight to store up for Temptation Tuesday, along with those wacky Wives from NYC, and the usual soap. So until then, stay safe, stay making your point clear, and stay trusting your instincts, but not compromising your judgement.  

June 25, 2021 – Repeating the Vote, Daytime Wins, What’s News, Goodbyes, May Be the Last, Already Sniping, Curses, New Love, Traci’s Test, She Tried, Reality Pay, Going Down, In the Shade, Quotes Twelvefold & Wild

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

There was no new GH anywhere today. Those who had it, got a rerun from when Josslyn and Trina went back in time, and saw their foremothers as Suffragettes. That was a great episode, and I would have watching it again, but it was not on in my area. So I watched People’s Court, which I only see, like, once a year anymore.

Speaking of which, People’s Court won a Daytime Emmy, and as a preempt consolation prize, so did GH, Sonny, and Mike. Read on for the scoop.

🏆 And the Winner Is…

Who got the award.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/daytime-emmy-awards-2021-winners-list-1234972638/

Who wore what.

Who shouldn’t have worn that.

🧼 In Other Soap News…

Maxie is recovering nicely.

A peek at the AMC reunion.

🥀 Those We’ve Lost…

Three more soap greats left us recently, along with Andy Cohen’s old buddy, sadly discovered after he’d been missing for a month.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lisa-banes-dies-age-65-hit-and-run-accident/

https://people.com/tv/john-gabriel-dead/

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/obituaries/robert-hogan-actor-who-appeared-everything-laverne-shirley-wire-dies-n1269288

https://nypost.com/2021/06/21/andy-cohens-friend-found-dead-four-weeks-after-going-missing/

🍑 Nothing We Haven’t Heard Before…

But if it is her last season, will Peter be her replacement? He’s always desperately wanted to be a Housewife.

https://okmagazine.com/p/cynthia-bailey-talks-about-future-on-real-housewives-of-atlanta-says-this-could-be-my-last-season/

💸 Place Your Bets…

I wonder how long the divorce is going to drag out, and just how nasty it will get.

https://people.com/tv/erika-girardi-accused-of-refusing-to-turn-over-bank-records-using-glam-lifestyle-to-hide-assets/

https://people.com/tv/erika-girardi-claims-bankruptcy-case-lawyer-made-false-statements-about-her-on-social-media/

🤬 No Surprise…

If she had a swear jar, she’d be an effing millionaire.

https://pagesix.com/2021/06/22/brandi-glanville-crowned-most-foul-mouthed-reality-star-on-twitter/

👩‍❤️‍👩 She’s Movin’ On…

Braunwyn has a new main squeezette.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-9718519/Braunwyn-Windham-Burke-works-sweat-new-girlfriend-Fernanda-Rocha-Palm-Springs.html

👠 Possible Addition…

Or is this just a test?

https://radaronline.com/p/tiki-barber-wife-traci-lynn-johnson-bravo-real-housewives-of-new-jersey-rhonj/

🗽 Operative Word: Attempted…

I don’t know exactly what Heather was doing, but she was definitely trying too hard.

https://pagesix.com/2021/06/09/heather-thomson-attempted-to-fit-in-on-rhony-via-eboni-k-williams/

💵 A Housewife’s Worth…

Who gets the most filthy lucre in the franchise.

The Highest Paid Bravo Real Housewife is Revealed! Plus Find Out Teresa Giudice’s Salary and How Much the Cast Gets for Their Reunion Dresses

📉 Nose Dive…

I can’t say I’m surprised. It’s very obvious that LisaR wants screen time, and is the mean girl ring leader, even though Kyle – who bores the pants off me – thinks she’s queen. Now we have Crystal, who’s chosen to sit at their lunch table, stirring the pot.

RHOBH Season 11 Debuts to Low Ratings, Find Out How Many Viewers Tuned in After Episode Two Hits New Lows

No amount of accountability coaching will save them either.

🕶 Take Off Your Sunnies…

Andy and LVP are throwing shade, but not at each other.

https://pagesix.com/2021/06/16/andy-cohen-shades-danielle-staub-and-dana-wilkey-over-erika-jayne-doc/

Lisa Vanderpump Shades Kyle Richards’ Nose Job as RHOBH Alum Says Kyle’s “Always” Trying to Make Her “Look Bad”

📣 Quotes of the Week

Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them. – Orison Swett Marden (Or smack them out of the way.)

The commonality of who we are is not what we believe, but how we love. – Jackie Griffin

The courage to admit when you’re wrong doesn’t show weakness. It shows your strength. Your integrity speaks volumes about you as a person. – Blaque Diamond

You have the need and the right to spend part of your life caring for your soul. It is not easy…To be a soulful person means to go against all the pervasive, prove-yourself values of our culture and instead treasure what is unique and internal and valuable in yourself and your own personal evolution.Jean Shinoda Bolen (Getting off social media once in a while won’t hurt either.)

Never go to bed mad. Stay up and fight. – Phyllis Diller

We can throw stones, complain about them, stumble on them, climb over them, or build with them. – William Arthur Ward

I did not attend his funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.Mark Twain

When life gives you lemons, squirt someone in the eye.Cathy Guisewite

Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring. – Marilyn Monroe (I was going to say, she’s a genius, but I’m not sure if I should…)

Nothing is more sad than the death of an illusion. – Arthur Koestler

Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world. – Albert Einstein

If you’re going to die in your sleep and get all growly and sh*t, you got to let a brother know. – Braithwaite (Bechir Sylvain), Black Summer

🤸🏽‍♀️ Got No Strings To Tie Me Down…

It’s here, that thing more people are calling the weekend again. Except some of them want to call it that from home now. There’s no Dead on tap, so see you next week with I don’t even know what. And whatever your weekend vantage point, stay safe, stay grounded, and stay walking boldly through your obstacles, or giving them a good swift kick out of the way.

June 24, 2021 – Another Setback For Chase, KJ Gets a Win In an Uncertain Market, Ryan Finally Moves In & Houses

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Nina puts flowers on Nelle’s grave, and says, hello, daughter of mine. It’s been a long time since she visited and she’s so sorry. She just needed a little breather from this town and these people. From life, she guesses, but never from Nelle. She hopes that much is clear. Clear hasn’t been her forte these past few months. She doesn’t know what she’s doing anymore. She flashes back to dancing with Sonny at the Tan-O, and says, she’s been on this mission to find herself for months, and instead, she found someone else. Michael rudely interrupts her.

Willow goes to Chase’s room, and sees Chase and Finn looking grim. She asks, what’s wrong? and Chase says, it’s his legs. He can’t walk. She says she doesn’t understand, and Finn says Chase’s legs had atrophied from being in bed these post few weeks. She says, that’s to be expected, right? and he says, yes, but the toxin may have caused some nerve damage. Coupled with the atrophy, Chase is unable to move his legs. She asks what this means, and Chase says, right now, he can’t feel anything below his waist. Willow asks if Chase is paralyzed.

Alexis tells Shawn, she’s worried if they go public with what they’ve learned, there could be retaliation. He says if Carson wants to come at him, bring it, but she says, it’s not just them, but their loved ones on the outside. They just need to be prepared. He says they’re talking about a bunch of state employees, and bureaucratic red tape; how serious of a break does she think this could be?

A woman comes by Molly and TJ’s table at Kelly’s, and stops. She asks if Molly is Alexis’s daughter, and Molly says the woman is the judge who presided over her mother’s case. Judge… The woman says, Carson, and Molly introduces TJ, her partner and an intern at General Hospital. Carson says, impressive. Nice to meet him. She understands Molly is going to be working as an ADA at Robert’s office. She guesses they’ll be bumping into each other more often.

The hospital employees gather in the breakroom, and Elizabeth sees Terry. She says, it’s been forever, and Terry says, it’s been two days. Elizabeth tells her, like she said, forever. Oncology must be keeping Terry busy. Terry says there’s a position open there, and they’ve been pressuring her to make it official. Elizabeth says, that’s fantastic… isn’t it? Terry says, normally yes. She loves it in Port Charles, but the hospital’s future is still in question. And face it, she doesn’t exactly get along with the Chief of Staff. Elizabeth says she’s not exactly alone, although does Elizabeth have a story for her. Portia joins them, and Elizabeth tells her a meeting was called with all the department heads; it’s got to be about Cyrus’s replacement. Portia asks if they have any idea who it is, and they both say, no. Terry tells Portia that she has an idea of who might, when Laura walks in.

Britt asks if Jason remembers what a good time is, and he says, vaguely. She says, top down, the wind in her hair… and he says, it’s a convertible? She says, obviously. Maybe she’ll take him for a ride if he’s not too scared. He says, speed doesn’t scare him, and she says, even with her behind the wheel? He tells her, he said she was an awful driver; he never said she wasn’t safe. She says she’s definitely unsafe, and they almost kiss, when annoying Carly walks in, and says she and Jason have to talk about the Novak situation. She looks at them a moment, and says she’ll be at the MetroCourt. She’ll take care of it. She starts to walk out, but Jason says, wait. Is it important? Is it time sensitive? Carly looks at Britt, and Britt says, message received. This is clearly not something they can talk about in front of her.

Chase asks Finn if he doesn’t have that meeting, but Finn says he can skip it. Chase gives him a look, and Finn says, but he shouldn’t. He tells Chase to text if he needs him. He leaves, and Willow sits next to Chase’s bed. She says, talk to her, and he says, the nerve damage should repair itself over time. she says, so it’s not permanent, and he says, hopefully not, but time is of the essence apparently. She asks what that means, and he says if he has any shot of walking again, he has to relearn how to do it in the next few months.

Finn walks down the hall, and flashes back to his argument with Peter on the roof, and Peter launching the antidote over the side. He remembers throwing Peter down the stairs, and Elizabeth confirming Peter was dead. He gets in the elevator, hearing Gregory say that he’s the only one who can save Chase’s life.

Michael tells Nina that he’s sorry to interrupt – hint: if you think you’ll be sorry, don’t interrupt – but he saw her in the parking lot when he came in. She says, he’s here to visit… and he says, his dad. She thanks him for the visit with Wiley, and says she had a really good time. He says, Wiley did too, and she says she was surprised at his sudden about-face. He says they’d talked about it, and she says she knows, but she also spoke with Jax, and knows he’s been an advocate of her having more access to Wiley. But exactly how hard did Jax push Michael?

Carly tells Jason, there’s a time element in play, yes, and Britt says, it just so happens that she has a meeting at the hospital, so they’re in luck. But for future reference, she’d rather be told, you can’t hear this, than be talked around. She thanks Jason for the boxing lesson, and says she’ll let him know when the car comes in. She leaves, and Carly says, for future reference?

Elizabeth says she’s going to talk to Laura. Heading for Laura, she nearly collides with Finn. She says she didn’t think he was coming there, and he says, neither did he. Terry says they would have saved him a spot, and he thanks her, but says he’s more comfortable in the back of the room. No one will call on him there. There’s obviously a subtext going on, and he tells Elizabeth that he’ll see her around. When he’s gone, Terry asks Elizabeth, what was that all about? and Elizabeth says, Finn’s brother is still recovering… Terry says, everyone at the hospital knows what’s going on with that. She means, what’s going on between Elizabeth and Dr. Finn?

Portia, who’s beat Elizabeth to Laura, asks if Laura has any intel on who will be Cyrus’s replacement, and Laura says she does. Her mother gave her the scoop. Portia asks if she’s popping champagne or updating her resumé, and Laura tells her, let’s just say, it’s going to be interesting.

TJ asks Carson if she wants to sit, but she says she’s just grabbing some coffee. She asks if Molly took the bar in February, but Molly says she’s scheduled for July. She just finished law school. TJ says, talk about impressive. A job with the DA before she even graduated. If Molly won’t brag about it, he will. Carson says she commends Molly for taking a job at the DA’s office even after her mother was sent to prison. No one would have blamed her if she’d lost faith in the system.

Shawn tells Alexis, they’re not talking about gun-toting mobsters, and she says, they’re talking about people in power. He says, who want to stay in power, and she says, by any means necessary. There was an incident she heard of where a judge was being called into question by a defense attorney. The next thing you know, the defense attorney’s family is being harassed by local authorities, friends and family were denied permits, and that’s the least of it. So she thinks they should just alert Molly and TJ to all of this. What does he think? Quiet route or loud route? He says, neither. They just let his whole thing drop. If there’s any chance someone could get to TJ, they don’t do anything at all. She says please tell her he’s joking, and he asks if he looks like he’s joking. Even if they backchannel this, they can’t keep Carson from finding out. She’s well-respected and well-connected, right? Alexis says, right, but… He says, why give TJ another reason to be harassed? He can maintain in there. He only has a few years left on his sentence. She says, a sentence he shouldn’t be serving, for a crime he didn’t commit, and he asks if she thinks it’s the first time this happened to someone who looks like him. No. And it won’t be the last.

Carson says she’ll leave TJ and Molly to their coffee; it was nice to meet them. She tells TJ, good luck at the hospital, and Molly, good luck with the bar. If Molly ever has any questions or needs any pointers on case law, look her up. She’ll be happy to help. Molly thanks her, and says, it’s very generous.  Carson goes to the counter, and TJ says, wow. A judge offering to take Molly under her wing; it’s awesome. Molly says, is it?

Elizabeth says, it was really intense helping Finn save Chase, and Terry says, intense how? Elizabeth says, they had disagreements, and Finn requested she be taken off the case… Terry says, that obviously didn’t last long, and Elizabeth says, no, and they ended up making a pretty good team. Terry says, that kind of experience must have really bonded them, and Elizabeth flashes back to Finn touching her face. She says, yeah, you could say that, and looks across the room at Finn, who’s obliviously drinking his coffee.

Willow says, it’s like one setback after another, and Chase says, easy. He’s the one who should be worrying, not her, and he’s not. Because he’s got this. He’s going to walk again. For her.

Michael says, Jax definitely advocated for Nina seeing Wiley, but there were other factors that went into that decision. The main one being, he and Willow chose to trust her. Trust that she’d follow the guidelines and the rules when it came to Wiley. The reason he approached her is that they need to talk about Nelle. He knows they did a little, but there’s more to say. She says, of course (🍷). By all means. He says she knows what Nelle did to him, Willow, Wiley, his mom, and Brook; the list goes on. How Nina chooses to feel about Nelle, and make sense of the things she did, that’s up to Nina to figure out in her own time, but he can’t have her putting any of that on Wiley. Nina asks if she can be so bold as to ask him to do the same.

Carly says she doesn’t want to pry into Jason’s personal business, and he says, great; he appreciates that. (Like he’s going to get off that easy.) He gets out of the ring, and she says this isn’t her first rodeo. She gets it. He saved Britt’s life, he got shot, Britt saved his life… He says she saved his life, and she says he knows what she means; she’s not blind. Something’s going on. He says they’ve been over this, but if she needs to hear it again, yes. Something is going on with him and Britt, and it has nothing to do with her. Carly suddenly turns into her true form, a fire-breathing dragon, and burns the gym to a crisp. Not really. She says she’s sorry, but she disagrees. Anything that affects him, affects her.

TJ says, Carson is nice, isn’t she? and Molly says, yeah. She meant what she said. It was extremely generous of her to offer her guidance. He asks what the problem is, and she says, it feels kind of weird, considering she’s the judge who sentenced her mom. She knows her mom pled guilty, and she should consider herself lucky her mom got only three years… He says, it was a lenient sentence, and she says, still, her mother is in prison because of Judge Carson. Isn’t that a conflict of interest?

Shawn says, a man of color falsely convicted for a crime against a white woman. This isn’t new. Alexis says, which is why she wants to help, and he asks if she can single-handedly fix centuries of institutional racism. She says, no, but she can try, and he asks where all this righteous indignation was before she was in there with him, and before it affected someone she knew? He’s telling her to back off because he doesn’t think the risk is worth it for his son, or her daughter by the way, but she refuses. Does she even care what he wants? Or is this just all a savior complex? She says, that’s not what this is. She can help him. She’s a lawyer, for God’s sake. He says she’s not. She’s an inmate, just like him.

Nina says she’s hoping Michael and Willow will extend her the same courtesy, and not speak ill of Nelle to Wiley, and he says, Wiley doesn’t need to know who Nelle is. She says, eventually, he will, and Michael says she’s right. They’re preparing for that. It’s going to be a long and careful process to do it in a way that Wiley understands who his biological mother was, a troubled woman who did some terrible things, and not take it on himself. They’ve actually been meeting with Doc. He helped them find a child psychologist, someone they have lined up. The goal is to do this in the best, gentlest way possible, so it’s not some horrible secret that devastates Wiley when it comes out, and he won’t carry the burden of what Nelle did. Nina says she doesn’t want that for him either. She just hopes one day, at some point, she gets a chance to tell Wiley who she thought Nelle could have been. He says, when Wiley is 22 years old (kind of random, but okay), and his psychiatrist tells him it’s okay, he’ll be fine with that. Right now, Wiley is too young to understand anything other than Willow is his mom and he loves her. That’s where he is, and that’s where he’s going to stay until they collectively decide otherwise. She says she agrees 100%. She’s not there to rock the boat; just the opposite. He’s glad they’re on the same page. He tells her, take care, and leaves. Nina turns back to Nelle’s grave.

Chase asks if Willow remembers the rock climbing wall they never got to, and she says, the rock climbing wall he was going to drag her to, kicking and screaming? He says, they’re going as soon as he’s back on his feet. When Finn gets out of that meeting, he’ll have Finn set up physical therapy sessions. It’s going to take a while, so he wants to get started right away. She says he’s still recovering from the nerve damage. He needs to be careful of pushing himself too hard too fast. He says he’s going to push himself just right. Anything to get near his goal. She says, rock climbing? and he says, marrying her again, in the Quartermaine rose garden, with a ceremony and reception, in front of all the people who care about them. And he’s not going to be wheeling himself down the aisle. No way. They’re going to be walking hand in hand.

Carly says, whether or not it was the right move to force Jason to escape, she did it because they’re in this together. She knows they’ve always been in this together, but since Sonny died, things are different. Is she wrong? He says, no, and she says, and this isn’t a normal business. Hell, it’s not even a business; it’s a family, and everything that means. The protection, the planning, the danger. She had no idea how hard that was, but they’re in this together. So can he see how concerning it might be when he comes back from being on the run with Britt… He says he came back because she called him for help, which is exactly what she should have done. He said he would handle it, and he handled it. She says, he did. He came in guns a-blazing on the pier, and saved them like always. Except this time, he’s connected to someone she barely knows, and she really seems important to him. Is she? He says, yes, she is.

Britt dashes into the breakroom, and Terry tells Elizabeth, she made it. For a second, she thought maybe they would be the ones who got to write her up. Elizabeth says, believe her, she has a laundry list of complaints about Britt, but Britt believed in Jason when Elizabeth didn’t. She stood by Jake’s father when Elizabeth didn’t. So what is she supposed to do with that? Terry says she thinks it’s impressive the way Britt stood by Jason, but Elizabeth can be grateful to Britt and still not like the way she runs the hospital. Two things can be true. A woman comes in, and tells them, good morning. She knows they’re all curious about what was decided by the Board this morning. The revelations about Mr. Renault were troubling, to say the least, and they took swift action in removing him and finding a replacement that will make this Board, this hospital, and this city proud. A potential candidate was suggested by none other than Lesley Webber, and it’s with great pride that she shares this candidate was elected unanimously. Someone who has a long tenured history with the hospital, who they know will embrace this role with gusto, not to mention professionalism and competency. Please welcome their new Chairperson of the Hospital Board, Monica Quartermaine. Everyone applauds, and Monica takes a little bow.

Laura tells Monica, congratulations; no one is more deserving. Monica thanks Laura, and thanks all of them for the warm reception. She can’t tell them how honored she is to be back working at General Hospital. She’s missed walking around these halls so much in the last few months. She wants them to know, as Chairperson, she’ll remain as dedicated and devoted as ever. She’ll spend every day proving to them that she’s worthy of taking General Hospital into the future by also honoring its past. Everyone applauds again. Only Britt doesn’t look thrilled.

Carly says, Britt is important to Jason how? What does that mean? He says, it means he can’t tell her any more than yes, and she says, she just went over all the reasons they need to be a team, and he says, they are a team. She says she needs to know what’s going on, and he says she asked if Britt was important to him, and he told her yes. He can’t tell her why or how; it’s something he can’t talk about. She says she gets privacy, and they can have all the privacy they want. She just needs to know what she’s dealing with here. She looks like she might cry, and Jason says, nothing is going to change between them. Like she said, they’re a team. No matter what, it’s going to stay that way. Good Lord. Carly is acting like a jealous high schooler.

Molly asks TJ something I can’t hear about taking the job with Robert, and he says she knows where he stands on that. She asks him to go through it with her again, and he says, first and foremost, he supports her, but does he think it will be hard changing the system from within? Yeah. She says, it has to be possible, right? and he says if anyone can do it, it’s her. She says, and his mother. She walks that line every day. He says, she tries to. Remember when he was accused of shoplifting? She says, wrongly accused, and he says, his mom had to navigate being both a mother and the Commissioner, and she’d be the first to tell Molly, she didn’t succeed at either. It wasn’t her cross to bear. Molly says, when you put yourself on the front lines, it ends up that way.

Alexis says she’s sorry, and Shawn says he is too. She says sometimes she gets so caught up in the rightness and wrongness of something, she forgets there are actual people involved. It’s a blind spot, and not the first time someone has pointed it out, but she’ll try to make it the last. And he’s right. In there, she’s not a lawyer. He apologizes for saying that, but she says, it’s true. As the person advising him, she has to respect his wishes. If he wants to hit the pause button for a while, they will. Two guards come in, and Guard #1 tells Shawn to get back to his cell. Shawn says he has permission to be there for a few more hours, but the guard says, not anymore. His library privileges have been revoked. Alexis asks, why? and the guard tells Shawn, say goodbye to Ms. Davis. They’re not going to be seeing each other much anymore.

Monica says she’s 100% committed to bringing General Hospital back to its former glory. Part of that is reversing some of the questionable decisions her predecessor made, so effective immediately, Bobbie and Epiphany are returning to their positions. There’s more applause, and Laura asks if Monica told Bobbie and Epiphany the good news. Monica says she did, and Bobbie has already gotten her clipboard out of storage. They all laugh, and Monica says, Epiphany accepted graciously, but she’s not about to cut her Cabo vacation short. She’ll be joining them when she gets back. That’s about it. Everybody get back to work. People congratulate Monica as they leave, and Finn says he really missed Monica. She says she missed him too. Now go tend to his brother. He says, yes, ma’am, and leaves. Portia says she knows she and Monica didn’t overlap for very long, but she’s heard nothing but wonderful things about Monica’s leadership. Laura says, they’re all in excellent hands. Monica is the best at what she does. Monica says now she’s on the business side, so watch their budget overruns. Britt says she guesses it’s time to face facts, and Monica asks, what facts are those? Britt says she was the one who replaced Monica when she was fired. She sacked Epiphany, per Cyrus’s request. Payback’s a bitch, right? She guesses Monica is going to replace her as Chief of Staff. Everyone gives each other soap looks.

Nina tells Nelle’s headstone, even though it stings, and she didn’t love everything Michael said, she does believe Michael is right. She’s so thankful. The way she’s been acting lately, not a lot of people would have given her a second chance, but he did. If feels good that Wiley has a father that is so devoted to him. Wiley feels loved and cared for and safe. This really delicate place of trust that they’re in, is going to be blown to hell if Michael ever finds out she knew Sonny was alive, and didn’t tell anyone for months. She doesn’t know what she’s going to do. She isn’t going to be able to see her grandson, who is the only piece she has left of Nelle, ever again.

Jason tells Carly, the situation with Britt is a reality. He’s not going to lie about it. He’s not going to say there might not be an overlap, and when Carly calls because she needs his help, he might not be with Britt. She says he’s allowed to have relationships, and he says he doesn’t know what this is; where it’s going or if it’s going. She says, but it’s something, and he says, yeah. It’s personal with Britt and it’s personal with him. She says, and he can’t talk to her about it, and he says he’s not trying to shut her out. He just can’t go there, but she knows him. He’ll honor his commitment to her, always. Nothing’s going to change on his end. He can’t speak for her… She says, what? How can he say that to her? Honestly, if she doesn’t calm down, she’s going to have a heart attack.

Willow tells Chase not to do it for her. He should focus on getting better for himself. He says, can’t it be both? She’s everything to him. Finn walks in, and says he really needs to work on his timing. Actually, there’s a meeting he can go to… Willow says, he has work to do. Chase is all his. She starts to leave, and Chase says he loves her. She says she loves him too, but hesitates for so long and makes so many faces, I’m surprised Chase doesn’t ask if she’s sick. Michael comes out of the elevator while she’s hyperventilating in the hallway, and she runs to him. He holds her, and she cries.

Molly guesses her assumption that she could just swoop in and make the justice system fair for everyone was a little naïve, but TJ says she won’t know until she tries. She thanks him for being her biggest champion, and he says, always. She says she’s his too; he knows that, right? He says, if this mug doesn’t say it all, he doesn’t know what does, and they kiss.

Shawn says he was granted permission to use the library weeks ago, and hasn’t had an incident since. Guard #1 says he doesn’t have to tell Shawn, but the orders came from the warden himself. Alexis asks, on what grounds were Shawn’s privileges revoked? and the guard says, the same as they were granted, at the discretion of the warden. Alexis tells Shawn that he needs a lawyer. She’ll get him one by the end of the day. Guard #1 gets close to Alexis and tells her that she’s walking a fine line. Shawn puts his hand on the guard, and the guard pushes him back. Alexis tries to intervene, and Guard #2 pulls her away. Alexis falls to the floor, as Shawn struggles to go to her.

Nina says, Sonny has embraced his life in Nixon Falls. She kneels down by Nelle’s grave, and says, she didn’t really know him well when he was in Port Charles, but you could tell that he was tortured. He was burdened by his power, and haunted by all these tragedies. But the Mike she knows doesn’t have any of those things. She knows from Carly and Michael’s perspective, what she’s doing is wrong, but when she looks in Mike’s eyes, he doesn’t have any of that pain. He’s happy, so maybe she’s not wrong. It’s not because she feels drawn to Sonny, or she likes this version better. It’s because this man has been through hell, and now all that is washed away. And he’s happy. He’s truly happy. She puts her hand on the gravestone and says, that’s something she never had a chance to give to Nelle.

Guard #1 tells a random guard to take Shawn to his cell, while Guard #2 helps Alexis up. Guard #1 tells Alexis that she just instigated an altercation with a guard from the Department of Corrections in New York. He hopes she enjoys solitary confinement. Guard #2 takes her away.

Britt tells Monica, don’t worry. She won’t hold it against her. Monica says she hasn’t made any decision about the Chief of Staff, but assures Britt that when she does, there won’t be any prejudice involved. It’s a personal decision, and her ability to get along with that person is paramount. Terry says, if the matter isn’t settled, consider her as well. She’s sorry, but she’d like to throw her hat in the ring for Chief of Staff. It annoys me that she felt the need to apologize. As women, we often feel the need to apologize when we shouldn’t.

Finn is surprised Chase’s spirits are high. He just got a pretty serious diagnosis. Chase says he’s staying strong for Willow. He can beat this. He has to.

Willow tells Michael, Chase said their wedding is the thing that will get him through this; that he’s going to walk for her. How is she supposed to tell Chase the truth about her and Michael now?

A building blows up on the pier. It looks pretty impressive.

Carly says nothing will ever change for her when it comes to Jason. She’s just tired of being the selfish one all the time. Hint #2: stop being selfish then. He asks what she’s talking about, and she says, people are always saying she’s the one who makes impossible demands on him; asking him to do everything. He asks why she cares about what the rest of the world thinks. She’s loved him, she’s supported him, she’s fought for him. She’s been there for him since the day they met, and they both know, it goes both ways. Yes, he does a lot for her, but he wouldn’t be standing there with the life that he has if it wasn’t for her. They’re both up against it right now for a lot of reasons, but they look weak, and if they don’t deal with it, it’s game over. So they’re going to deal with it because they’re in this together. She nods, saying, she really needed to hear that, and he hugs her. His phone rings, and he says,  yeah?… When?… He heaves the huge sigh he’s now become famous for, and says, he’ll let them know the next steps. Carly asks, what happened? and he says, the docks have been hit. Somebody is making a move against them.

Tomorrow, Valentin asks what Anna’s instincts tell her about Austin, Lucy tells someone they’ve got to leave, Sasha doesn’t know how she’s going to tell Nina that she’s pregnant, Nina doesn’t know where home is anymore, and Brick tells Carly and Jason, they’re running out of time to push back.

Million Dollar Listing New York

Tyler said he was busier than ever. He was meeting the owners of a 3000 square foot, 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath apartment in Morningside Hts., located between parks and near Columbia, on 110th Street in Harlem. (I used to go to a great pizza place up there. Good times…) Tyler had convinced the owners into sinking $30K on staging before he started showing the apartment, and prayed they loved the results. He told owner Jeannine that it was no longer a family home, but a product. He explained the concentration was on neutral colors, and low key furniture, so potential buyers would take in the amount of space. Jeannine said it no longer looked like a home where kids had been throwing footballs around. In Tyler’s interview, he said he could tell there was going to be an emotional connection to the lives that had been lived there, but he wanted to get it marketed because of the upcoming election. He said, whichever way it went, a pause would be put on real estate. Whether or not people came back to NYC would depend on how the virus was being handled. He was selling both memories and somebody else’s future.

KJ met with fitness instructor/guru Megan Roup at a park. They’d connected virtually, but it was the first time they were meeting in person. She told Megan about the 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment on 14th Street that she was trying to sell. Seller and friend, Stephanie was moving to Miami, and not happy with how long it was taking. Since brokers weren’t having events in the conventional way, KJ thought she’d have a workout event in the outside space of the apartment, which had more square footage than the inside. Since it was a walk-up, the attendees could warm up by taking the stairs. Megan would teach a class, then KJ would take groups to see the apartment. We learned that KJ had been the National Champion in race walking, and she did a demonstration.  

Ryan said since he’d opened his brokerage, things were going really well, but before he built a new sales force, he had a handful of listings to take care of from Nest Seekers. He met team member Talia at the 84th Street property to brainstorm about promoting it. Talia said people were coming back to NYC, and in Ryan’s interview, he said the city was slowly picking up. They discussed the neighborhood, and Ryan said one of the things he loved about NYC was that it was the most culturally and racially diverse city in the world. Talia said it was upsetting seeing what was happening in the world, but she felt a silver lining. It was opening up opportunities for people to talk about injustice. It was nice to see people coming together, and becoming more educated. They talked about real estate terms no longer used, like master bedroom. She said change was happening, and in his interview, Ryan said he couldn’t experience what Talia did, but he could listen, hear, and help as much as possible. Talia said the problem with showing the apartment was that people didn’t want to travel there, with public transport still being iffy. Ryan said since they weren’t spending money on events, they could put it into transportation.   

KJ set up with the workout/showing with her assistant, putting out tons of juices, water, and eco-friendly glass straws, and completely opening the NanaWall. In KJ’s interview, she said it took some thinking outside the box, but she knew people were missing in-person exercise classes. So she’d invited brokers to work out with a celebrity fitness guru. Her hope was, they’d be so sore, they’d remember the apartment.

Tyler was having a brokers showing for the apartment on 110th Street, and told Kemba to play up the fact it was near three major parks, one of them being Central Park. People were looking for outdoor space. He’d invited Alana, an intuitive psychic, to do an entrepreneur workshop, at Jeannine’s suggestion, and his life coach Vivace, who would coach female entrepreneurs and businesswomen to feel inspired about future. He felt people were losing confidence, and they could be socially distant while getting affirmation and career advice. In Tyler’s interview, he said, usually, it was about the agents getting excited about the property, but this one would be all about the agents. He told the brokers that the apartment was his anti-suburb listing, for people who wanted space, but didn’t want to leave the city. In his interview, he said it was hard to be an agent right now, and it felt good to have an event that empowered other agents. They had to keep their heads in the game. The pandemic wasn’t going to last forever.

Steve talked to Cornelia Guest, owner of the 456-acre Artemis Farm. He told her people were interested in having their own space, but being within driving distance of the city. He thought upstate New York was a hidden gem, more discreet than the Hamptons. He thought a price tag of $3.995 million felt good, and she said she trusted him, and knew he had her best interest at heart. Steve said he loved the city, his life there, and his job, but selling upstate was a damn good way to spend a Saturday. The farm felt like a country manor; modern, but not too modern. It was the perfect combination of shabby and chic. Before he went full throttle, he wanted to do pre-showings with people he thought could help get it sold. His secret weapon was Dorinda Medley (Real Housewives of New York City), who was Berkshires royalty. Bluestone Manor was famous, and he thought she was the perfect person to spread the word. Among others, he’d also invited publicist Greg, who was also a marketing guru, hoping that this showing would get a lot of people interested. He kept property manager Tim on hand to answer any questions, and in Steve’s interview, he said, a good broker knows where their expertise ends and someone else’s begins. The land was protected so that no one could build on it, but the upside was, no taxes had to be paid on it, and it could be rented out for events. Steve said one event could pay for the mortgage.  It really is a gorgeous, magical property, and if I had a spare $5 million, I’d buy it in a heartbeat. Dorinda said it would be a safe purchase in the long term, and Steve suggested selling Bluestone Manor for her. Dorinda said he might as well sell her soul; she was Queen of the Manor. Steve said the best way to show a large property was to show how much fun you could have with the space, and took his guests all around the place in an ATV. When they left, he wanted them to tell their friends what a joyride the property was.  

In Ryan’s interview, he told us that he was now the most followed real estate company in world. For the showing on 84th Street, he got what he called his covid-19mobile, a Lamborghini SUV with all the trimmings, including Plexiglas between the passengers, air filters, and Yuri in a Hazmat suit. He said a mixture of people were coming for the showings; some had reached out to him, some were his personal clientele, and there were even people he’d talked to on the street. He decided he could talk to them about the neighborhood, and 5200 square foot, 5 bedroom, 5.5 bath property, during the drive. He presented Yuri as fully protected and sanitized, and in his interview, he said, from crisis comes opportunity. This is why he’s so successful.

Once again I laughed at KJ trying to work and take care of her kids, who were like, mommy! mommy! mommy! She said she had a fabulous nanny, who was also student, and there was no back up childcare right now. KJ admitted she was not a WFH person, but her team had stepped up, and were doing showings at 14th Street, and doing a great job. Stephanie was in the process of moving, and putting pressure on her. The asking price was $2.625 million, and KJ got an offer of $2.3 million. In her interview, she said the covid discount seemed to go from 10-15% to 30%. There was nothing worse than getting a seller to drop aggressively, then getting a lowball bid. Stephanie was surprisingly understanding, saying, given the times, it wasn’t horrible. Everyone agreed $2.375 was a pretty fair number, but the buyer wanted to some of the furniture thrown in for that price. Stephanie said that hadn’t even been in the conversation, and when KJ could get her to budge by reminding her that she wouldn’t have to move it, KJ offered to lower her commission by $10K for the furniture gap. It was deal, but I didn’t cry for KJ, whose commission was still $61,250. In KJ’s interview, she said it felt like a win considering the uncertainty in the market.

Next time, Fredrik deals with an unhappy seller, KJ looks at property in her home town, and Ryan takes on the most luxurious development project in Brooklyn.  

Ryan’s Renovation

At the end of the last episode, Ryan and Emelia faced another delay, and it would be another three months before they could move in. They weren’t going to be in by Christmas as planned, and were a million dollars over budget. The goal was now Greek Easter.

In March, they had the completion reveal. It had been almost two years, and Ryan said it had been like Build-A-Bear. He and Emelia met with the interior designers. In April, they moved in some personal items, but were starting fresh with the design team working at the house. Emelia said it was exciting to be packing, but bittersweet. Ryan said their Soho apartment had seemed extravagant when they moved in. It was hard to believe how far they’d come. When they met, he’d just started in the business, and Emelia had just gotten out of law school. We flashed back to their wedding, and he said they’d expanded in all ways. They even had a tiny human they made together, and had outgrown the home that seemed perfect for them. The movers came, and Ryan had to go to work, leaving Emelia and her mom to deal with Zena. When move-in day arrived, Ryan said he couldn’t believe they were actually moving into the house, and that it was done and furnished. He wasn’t ready. He told Emelia, after everything they’d been through, he thought this moment would never come. The designers met them at the door.

Emelia thought their styles had been married well – hers being moody and dark, and his light and airy. Ryan said it was completely insane. They’d designed it on paper, and now it was real. We saw some before and after photos, and the whole place was beyond fabulous. Ryan said they’d do the landscaping when Emelia was in Greece during the summer. Emelia’s mom liked her downstairs suite, but said it was too far; the issue being the reception of the baby monitor. I suddenly wondered why they didn’t get a TV monitor like you’d have for your front door. I’m sure it’s expensive, but they just spent a skabillion dollars, so what’s a couple hundred more? Ryan said the closet was 250 square feet, the same as his first apartment. Emelia said she felt very blessed, but humbling as it was, she was proud that after so many years, they were there.  

In an amusing moment, Ryan showed Zena Andy Cohen’s picture on his phone. She wasn’t impressed. Zena was deposited with Emelia’s brother Stratos, while Ryan had a virtual meeting with his team. A bunch of family members came over for champagne and tons of food. Ryan thanked them for coming and breaking the house in, and said they were welcome forever. We flashed back over the renovation, and Emelia said, in spite of the ups and downs, it was worth it. It feels like home. Ryan said he never thought he’d say it, but all their hard work paid off. Alone on the terrace, they toasted to a happy Easter, Ryan adding, and to never doing it again. Emelia said, except maybe in Greece.

I really enjoyed this show. I like Ryan and Emelia. They seem like genuinely nice people, who worked hard to get where they are, and deserve what they’ve worked for. Although I’m sure Ryan isn’t going to slow down any.

🕍 Renovation Of a Lifetime…

There aren’t many after photos, but take it from me, it’s one amazing house. With a lot of stairs. I thought the elevator installation was very wise.  

https://www.bravotv.com/million-dollar-listing-new-york/style-living/see-inside-ryan-serhants-new-brooklyn-townhouse

https://people.com/home/see-ryan-serhants-expensive-renovation-in-sneak-peek-of-the-million-dollar-listing-spin-off/

🦘 G’Night, Mate…

Oh wow, it’s not daylight out yet. Join me tomorrow for soap, tea, and many a quote. Until then, stay safe, stay ignoring the haters, and stay finding opportunity in crisis.

June 23, 2021 – Jason Gets In the Ring With Britt, Crystal Is a Mean High School Girl & Groove

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly visits Sonny’s grave, and says, it’s so quiet there. She can finally hear herself think, but she’s not sure that’s a good thing. How did he do it, make running the business look seamless for all those years? She had no idea how hard it was. There’s no room for error. She and Jason are doing their best, but they’re not him. No one is. Elizabeth comes into the cemetery carrying flowers, and says she doesn’t mean to interrupt. Normally she wouldn’t, but she and Carly have something they need to settle.

Brando meets Sasha outside Kelly’s, and she says she’s starving. He says, then they’re in the right place. Order whatever she wants; it’s on him. She says, big spender. If she didn’t know better, she’d think this is a date. He says, then she doesn’t know better; that’s exactly what this is. It’s officially their first date.

Molly meets TJ inside Kelly’s, and he says he ordered her a latte. Mission accomplished? She says, yes. The records were delivered to Pentenville as her mom requested. He says, it must be too early for a visit, but she says she doesn’t care. She’s just happy knowing that her mother isn’t wasting away in prison. Alexis is 90 days sober, and has a new purpose. He asks if Alexis told her what it is, and she says, no. All she said was that she needed it for a friend. It might be all they need to get out of prison. He raises his coffee, and says, to Alexis and her friend, whatever they may be up to.

Alexis looks through a huge binder, when Shawn joins her in the library. He asks what she’s up to, and she says, research for a friend. Molly got the documents she requested. No one should be able to figure out what they’re doing. He says, exactly what are they doing?

Michael finds Brook on the terrace, and says she was up early this morning. She says she can thank little Miss Bailey for that one. He says, good thing she’s cute (ha-ha! I say that about my dogs), and Brook says, yeah, and she’s already on her first nap. He says he thought Valentin took the morning shift, and she says, he does, but he’s helping search for Maxie’s baby. Michael says, Maxie must be losing her mind, and Brook says she can only imagine. Willow comes out, and Brook says, in more uplifting news, Chase is alive. It’s good news for Chase and them. They can finally drop the charade, and get back together. Michael says, that’s the plan, and Brook asks, then why do they look so miserable? 

Jackie tells Chase, good morning, and he says, it’s the best one in a long time. She says she got his favorite protein smoothie; he’s got to rebuild his strength. She’s grateful they made it through this nightmare, and Chase says he thought they said, no tears. She tells him, he said that; she said, no promises. She reaches to help him with the cup, but he says he’s gotten his feeling back. She says, that’s incredible, and Finn comes to the door. Chase says, check it out, and waves the cup around. Finn says, now Chase is just showing off, and Chase says, when he and Willow renew their vows, he’ll be able to put the ring on her himself.

Britt punches the heavy bag, when Jason walks into the gym. She says, let her guess. She’s doing it wrong. He says, that depends, and she says, on what? He says, on why she’s doing it.

Willow says, it’s been a lot to process, but what this means, what comes next… Brook says, what comes next is that Willow tells Chase the truth about her and Michael, and everyone goes back to living their lives. Michael says, that’s a little simplistic, doesn’t she think? and Brook says, maybe, but it’s what needs to happen. Michael says, Chase just crawled his way out of a death sentence. Brook says, that’s right, and the first thing he asked her was to throw him a wedding reception in that rose garden over there. So, no pun intended, they need to nip this lie in the bud as soon as possible.

Chase says he looks forward to a lifetime with Willow, and Finn says, a lifetime with him. Chase says, and he’s back, ladies and gentlemen. Jackie says she’s so sorry for keeping the secret for so many years, until it got to the breaking point that made their family vulnerable. Finn says she isn’t to blame, but she says she is. Peter might have done this to Chase, but if Cyrus hadn’t messed with the paternity test, Chase wouldn’t have almost died. Chase asks what that has to do with Jackie, and she says, there would have never been a test to mess with at this late date if not for her. She’s sorry.

Brando tells Sasha, he would have liked to make it a bigger deal, but his mom is getting released from GH. She asks if Brando is driving Gladys back to Bridgeport, but he says she’s staying with him. She says, doctor’s orders? and he says, mother’s orders. Sasha says, until she’s fully recuperated, and he says, and after. She’s going to stay in Port Charles indefinitely. Sasha says, wow; she had no idea. He says, neither did he, but she wants to stick around and help with the baby.

TJ says he wishes there was something Molly’s mom could do to help Shawn. He’s still being punished. She says, if her mom can help Shawn, she will. TJ asks if she thinks Shawn is her mom’s mystery friend, and she says she doesn’t know; he could be. If he is, then they have two things to celebrate tonight. She brings out a gift box, and tells TJ, happy anniversary. It’s been five months since they became domestic partners. She’s never been happier. He says, him neither.

Alexis says this might help get Shawn out of there. These are sentences handed down from 2015 to the present. He says he was sentenced in 2015, but why the other years? She says she has a hunch about Judge Carson, and he says, the judge who presided over his sentencing? She says, yes, and he asks, what kind of hunch?

Jason tells Britt, be careful, and she says, around him? He says, in the gym. Tempting as it is, don’t go all out on the heavy bag. She doesn’t want to injure herself. She says she’s been good, and he says he’s glad she’s taking care of herself. She says she’s wanted to learn boxing for years. It’s so strong, but beautiful at the same time; like a dance. Jason says, it can be if it’s done right. She asks if he does it right. She’s not putting it off one more day. He says, boxing? and she says, among other things. She moves closer to him.  

Elizabeth tells Carly that she was on her way to Franco’s grave when she saw Carly was there. She hopes Carly doesn’t mind. Carly says, no. What’s going on? Elizabeth puts down the flowers, and says she’s sorry; truly, deeply sorry. Carly was right about Jason, and she was wrong. He didn’t kill Franco. Jason told her that, and she should have believed him, but she lost faith in someone who’s always been good to her, the father of her child. When Jason looked into Jake’s eyes and swore he was innocent, she should have known. Honestly, she did know, but instead of admitting it, she dug in and held on. Carly says she was furious with Elizabeth for that, but Jason wasn’t. He understood and still does.

Britt says, let’s do it, and Jason asks what she wants to do;  the heavy bag or boxing? She asks if they’re not the same thing, but he says, not really. With the heavy bag, you’re concentrating on strength and endurance, and maybe getting some anger out. In the ring, you need strength and endurance, but it’s not the physical act; it’s the art of boxing. She says, you need a partner. She’s more partial to partner activities. It’s way more fun than doing it solo. He says, sometimes, and she asks if it’s one of those times. He asks if she wants him to teach her how to box, and she says, yes please. He says, okay. Get in the ring. He’ll show her the basics. He gets in, and she follows.  

Alexis tells Shawn, last year, News.org did an exposé of hundreds of judges regarding prejudice. He asks if Judge Carson was one of them, but she says, no. There could be a lot of reasons; not enough complaints, the complaints were ignored, or bogged down. He says, so what are these? and she says, those are rulings and sentences that happened around the time he was sentenced. What they’re looking for are discrepancies in Judge Carson’s rulings between white defendants and defendants who are people of color. She hands him a highlighter, and he asks if this is legal. She says, it’s all pubic record, and he says, there are thousands of cases just like Carson’s. She says they have a lot of work to do.

TJ takes out a mug with a picture of him and Molly on it. He says, this is… awesome, and thanks her. Molly says, it has two functions; to remind him of how much she loves him, and to keep him caffeinated during his residency. He says, for someone so unconventional, she sure can be sentimental, and she says she’s a woman of many talents. He says he sees that. They kiss, when Brando and Sasha approach their table. Brando says, hi, and TJ asks, what’s up? Brando says he heard they made if official; congratulations. He says they know Sasha, right? and asks Sasha if he should tell them. Sasha says, why not? She’s pregnant. Brando says, and it’s his. Can they believe it? He’s going to be a dad.    

Elizabeth says Carly was right about something else. Part of the reason Elizabeth lashed out, was because Jason wouldn’t say what she wanted to hear about Franco. He wouldn’t change the way he felt. Carly says, and it hurt Elizabeth, and Elizabeth says, yes. but she shouldn’t have believed the worst of him. She threw bombs in the middle of her family. Cameron and Jake used to be close, and now… Cameron knows he was wrong and apologized, but how is Jake supposed to forgive him? Carly says, he will. Jason has been exonerated, and the more time goes by, the more everyone will heal. She’ll see. Elizabeth says she saw Carly’s relationship with Jason, the hold she had over him, and how he’d be there for her at the expense of everything and everyone, but that’s why Carly would never doubt him, and would always come through for him. What she and Jason have is real and powerful, and she respects that. She’s grateful Carly stood by Jason, and thanks her. Carly says she appreciates Elizabeth apologizing to her. It’s really hard to admit when you’re wrong; she’s terrible at it. Jason’s not the only one who understands. Elizabeth is grieving the man she loved. Carly wishes she wasn’t, but she knows what it feels like.

Britt asks where they start, and Jason says, with her gloves. She asks what’s wrong with them? and he says, they just need a little attention. Is this some weird boxing foreplay? Or foreplay using boxing?

Jackie says her secret nearly killed Chase, and Finn tells her to give herself a break. Chase tells her, what he said, and Finn says, the worst is over. Peter and Cyrus are gone. Chase says, he’s still getting better, and his dad is his dad again. No offense. Finn says, none taken, and Chase says, and this hot shot doctor is back to being his annoying big brother. All is right in the world. Finn says, listen to the kid; no more guilt. There’s really only one thing left to say.

Alexis remembers Judge Carson saying, there are two charges against her. The intended victim, Franco Baldwin, was not injured, so she’s dismissing the attempted murder charge. However, there is still the matter of the assault on Dante Falconari. For that, she gives Alexis three years in Pentenville. Shawn asks if Alexis is okay, and she says she’s just remembering the details of her hearing. He says, good times, and she says, Diane was both surprised and pleased at how light her sentence was. Diane made a point of telling her that Judge Carson was all over the place with her rulings. She dismissed the attempted murder charge, but Alexis almost killed Dante. Shawn didn’t get the same treatment, did he? He says, no.  

Molly asks if it could have been more awkward, and TJ says he could punch Brando in the face again. Molly says, TJ isn’t still hung up on that, and he says he made peace with it, but can do without being reminded. She says, fair enough. But look at them. They’ve moved on, and even have the mug to prove it.

Brando says he thought Sasha was done with morning sickness. She says she is, and he asks why she needed fresh air. She says she doesn’t, and he says, now he’s confused. She says, things seemed tense, and she thought he could use an out. He says, she thought right, and thanks her. He’s sorry for opening his big mouth about the baby. He knows he put her on the spot. She says, a little, and he says he was just excited. A little boy or girl they made together. If he could hire a skywriter, he would.

Britt tells Jason, when Cyrus’s men were about to shoot her up with drugs, she wishes she’d known how to box. It would have come in handy. He says she held her own, and she tells him, says the guy who rescued her and saved her life. He says, with a little help, and she asks if he can ever take a compliment. He tells her they’ll start with foot work, and she does a little dance. He says, not like that. He’s going to teach her step and drag. He puts her back to him, and says, now go; left, drag. She follows him, and laughs. He says, now go backward, drag. She’s got it. She says, gold star for her. He doesn’t have stickers? He says he left them at home, and she says, bummer. Go ahead and ask her. He says, what? and she says, what else she’s putting off that she wants to do.

Carly tells Elizabeth, for so long, your life is one thing, then all of a sudden, it’s something else. Elizabeth says, the before and after, and Carly says, your world is flipped on its head, but you have to keep going. You go to work, get groceries, make doctor’s appointments for the kids… Elizabeth says, everything you did before, except when you lie down at night, he’s not there. Carly says, nights are tough, but mornings are the worst for her. She hasn’t had a decent cup of coffee since Sonny died. He brewed the first pot and would leave it for her. Sometimes she wonders if she’ll ever make a cup for herself that tastes right, and if that’s part of letting go. Or for the rest of her life will the first sip bring immeasurable pain? She doesn’t know don’t know what the rest life looks like without Sonny. She doesn’t want to look. So she stays in the present, and looks straight ahead. Elizabeth says, it’s like a tightrope. You’ll be okay if you don’t look down, but if you do… Carly says, you can’t. You’ll fall, and they’re not allowed.

Shawn says he’s highlighting Carson’s cases, and Alexis asks if he found what she did. He says, Carson went easier on white people than people of color, and she says, there’s a pattern. He says, she has color bias. There’s got to be something they can do about this.

Finn says he realizes, the experience, as traumatic as it was, showed their true colors as a family. In a way, Chase getting sick brought them closer together. Chase says they’re welcome, and Finn says, Chase can joke all he wants, but it highlighted how much they mean to each other. They pulled together, and showed love and grace. They supported each other in a way they never have before. Jackie says, all of which Finn was very much a part of, and Finn says, he’s very proud. When Chase and Violet came into his life, he started to have an idea of what family means. Now after this, it’s not just an idea. Now he knows.

Willow asks what Michael thinks; they’re in this together? He says, absolutely. He doesn’t feel like he can say anything. Face it. He’s the big winner. They love each other, and he’s secure in that. He can’t tell her if or when to Chase, but he can tell her that he’ll wait for as long as it takes.

Elizabeth says she relates to Carly’s coffee thing; hers is desserts. Carly asks if Elizabeth has a sweet tooth, and she says, kind of, but not like Franco did. He was lucky they had a baker in the family. Aiden made whatever Franco wanted; cookies, cakes, flan, you name it. Carly says, flan, wow, and Elizabeth says, every night when she came home, there was always one left for her. Franco would save the last piece for her. It wasn’t some grand gesture… Carly says, like the coffee, and Elizabeth says, Aiden picked up on it. He’s been doing baking since Franco died; it’s therapy for him. Now when he bakes a batch of whatever, he sets aside one piece for her. It’s really sweet, but it makes her miss Franco so much. She does everything she can not to burst into tears. Carly says that’s why it’s good coming there alone. You can cry as hard and as long as you want, and tell them how you really feel. When she visits Sonny, she gives him an earful. Then you go home. Elizabeth says, and you keep your eyes up, and Carly nods. Elizabeth says, it’s good seeing her, and Carly says, her too. Elizabeth moves along, and Carly looks at Sonny’s grave.

Britt throws punches with Jason using the paddles. He says she seems lighter, and she says, in the face of her Huntington’s diagnosis? He says, in general, and she says, it’s not like she’s okay with what’s waiting for her; she’s horrified. But at the same time, maybe she’s in denial or shock, but all she sees possibilities. He asks, like what? and she says, her mom for instance. They have a terrible history, and that’s putting it lightly. Now they’re getting along better. They’re not the kind of people who say the words, and she’s not sure if her mother would have said them if Britt hadn’t gotten diagnosed. Jason says, but she did? and Britt says Obrecht isn’t the type of person to say things to be kind; she’s incapable of that. Come to think of it, she might be too. Jason tells her, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, and she says, having the genetic marker for Huntington’s is devastating, but also weirdly freeing. Like having your whole perspective shift about what you have time for, and what’s just not worth it. Like all this crap between her and her mom. He says, it’s definitely not worth it, and she says, the fact that she has a mom, as difficult as she is, who loves her and who she loves, is worth it. That’s what she wants to put her efforts into. And her career. It’s not the money or the prestige. She enjoys it. There might not be a medical solution for her, but there are other medical solutions for other people, and it feels good to give them that. Why is he looking at her like she’s transformed into some Pollyanna? She is not a Pollyanna. He says he knows she’s not, and she says, there are a lot of selfish things she wants to do with her new perspective. Things that make her happy. Things that make her feel really good.

Sasha asks Brando if he, TJ, and Molly are friends, and he says, they used to be. She says, not anymore? What happened? Feel free to tell her to mind her own business. Brando says he and Molly slept together. Molly thought she and TJ were done, but it kind of blew up. He hopes it doesn’t bother Sasha. She says she’s furious… She’s kidding. They both had lives before they… He laughs, and says, so they’re good? She says, better than good, and he says, even though his mom is staying in town? She seemed surprised. She guesses she is, but they haven’t talked about the future yet. He says, maybe they should now.

Shawn tells Alexis, they should talk to the people who did the exposé, tell them about Carson’s record, add it to the list. She says, that’s one way to look at it, and he asks if the publicity would be good. She says, maybe. Or she could get Diane to quietly put the squeeze on Carson. If she’s worried her bias might be exposed, maybe she’ll reduce his sentence on appeal. He says that’s great for him, but does nothing for the others in prison. Alexis says, true. That’s why they have to make a big decision.

Willow tells Michael, Chase is worthy of loving and having love in return. That’s why he deserves to know. She’s scared of hurting him, and seeing the look in his eyes when he realizes it wasn’t real. Michael says he wishes he could do it for her, or that they could do it together, but she says, he can’t. The longer she avoids it, she’s just going to make it worse, so… Brook tells her, good luck, and she leaves.  

Chase asks if they should have a group hug or what, and Finn advises against Chase standing up. He’s been immobile for so long, his legs have atrophied. Chase says, his hands are back in action, but his legs are still crazy numb. Jackie says she’s going to check on Violet and Gregory, and asks if Chase needs anything. He says he’s good, and she says, he’s perfect. She kisses his head and leaves. Finn says, Chase’s legs are numb? He’ll do anything to avoid exercise. Finn brings a metal instrument over to the bed, and lifts the sheet off of Chase’s feet. He tells Chase to let him know when he feels cold on the bottom of his feet. He touches Chase with it along the bottom of one foot. Chase is looking at his phone, and says, whenever Finn is ready.

Britt asks if Jason has ever skydived, and he says, no. She says, her neither. She wants to do that, and go bungee jumping, and glamping. He says, glamping? and she tells him, it’s like camping without the gross, dirty stuff. You have electricity and heat and a bathroom. He says, so it’s not like camping at all. She says, and she wants to see the Andes, and he asks if she skis. She says, no, but she will. She’s heard about cool things, but never acted on them or done them. Now she will. She not only wants to, but she needs to. He says, then she should, and she says she’s also getting a Porsche. He says, that’s a terrible, terrible idea.

Sasha says she and Brando have plenty of time to make plans. Why don’t they order breakfast and enjoy the morning. Deal? He asks if she’s putting him off, but she says she’s a hungry pregnant woman who was told she could order whatever she wanted. Was it a lie? He says, no. He’ll get the waitress. He goes inside Kelly’s.   

Molly tells TJ, it feels like the calm before the storm; before his crazy residency and her studying for the bar. He says, they’ve got this, and she says she knows. There’s nothing they can’t get through if they face it together. A woman come by their table, and stops. She asks if Alexis is Molly’s mother, and Molly says she is, and she’s the woman presided over her mother’s sentence. She’s Judge… The woman says, Judge Carson

Alexis tells Shawn, she hasn’t thought beyond the initial research. She has to figure out how to handle it without making it worse for him. He asks if she thinks Carson will believe it’s revenge, and she says, Carson may try to stop them before they start. Whatever they do, they have to do it quickly before she gets wind of it.   

Willow goes to Chase’s room, and sees everyone not looking too happy. She says, what’s wrong? and Chase says, his legs. He can’t walk.

Elizabeth goes to Franco’s grave, and says she misses him, every day, all the time. There isn’t a time she doesn’t miss him. It’s not his fault, but she’s so angry. She tells herself it’s all about Peter, he’s a sick human being, but the grief and anger are so much bigger than that. She kneels next to the grave, and says, all the things they’ll never have, the moments they were looking forward to. She knows she has to turn it around, and be thankful for the things they had, the moments they shared, and the time they had together. Maybe someday she’ll get there, but she’s not there yet. She cries, and says, it hurts so much. She puts the flowers on his grave, and touches the stone.

Britt says, excuse her, and Jason says they’ve talked about this. She’s an awful driver. She says, that’s a little harsh, and he says, she’s always going too fast, being aggressive, beeping the horn, flashing the lights, changing lanes. Can she just pick a lane? She laughs, and he asks why she’s laughing. She says, he’s funny. He’s supposed  to be a symbol of freedom, of rebellion. Jason Morgan, the man who answers to no one, but no one has more rules. He says, it’s different when you’re a fugitive, but she says, they’re not fugitives anymore. Is she going to be sad if she gets a ding in her fancy new car? Not at all. As long as the engine runs, she’s going to drive that baby as fast as she can. She wants to have a good time. Does he remember what that is? He says, vaguely, and she says, top down, the wind in her hair… He says, now it’s a convertible? and she says, obviously. Maybe she’ll take him for a ride if it’s not too scary. He says, speed doesn’t scare him, and she says, even with her behind the wheel? He tells her that he said she was an awful driver, not that she wasn’t safe. She says she’s definitely unsafe, and they almost kiss, but Carly walks in. She says she and Jason need to talk about the Novak situation.   

Tomorrow, Chase says, time is of the essence; Nina confronts Michael about Jax; Laura says, it’s going to be interesting; and Britt asks if she’s being replaced as Chief of Staff.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Last week ended with Erika showing up at Sutton’s Parisian party, sans hostess gift. Sutton said Erika was the gift, but I was like, damn, girl. You couldn’t scare up a Yankee candle? In Kyle’s interview, she said they didn’t know if Erika wanted to be left alone or share. You didn’t always know with her. Erika asked what was going on, and in Garcelle’s interview, she said, Erika was getting divorced, hadn’t told any of them, and she came in asking what’s going on? Lunch was ready, so eating distracted everyone, or trying not to eat, depending. I wondered why Kathy doesn’t get contacts, since she’s constantly squinting at everything. Kyle decided that Mercury being in retrograde had something to do with her and Dorit’s altercation on the plane, and Kathy said Dorit was long-winded. Kyle said Kathy talked in shorthand, and in Kathy’s interview, she said it was better to allude to things, since you never knew who was listening. In LisaR’s interview, she said she didn’t know if Erika was going to open up, but they needed to allow her space to speak and share when she needed to. Sutton talked about buying her new car, and Erika said she’d just gotten a Range Rover, which segued into her saying, let’s discuss the elephant in the room. She told the women that her life had just drastically changed. She’d had to let go of her home, her Lamborghini, and her marriage. She’d made the decision she had to. In her interview, she said Tom had pushed her further and further out, and their conversations had been reduced to a sentence or two lately. She knew her marriage was headed down a sh*tty path, and had to make a choice to do what was right for her. She told them, no one knew, and she did it on purpose, so they wouldn’t be put in a bad position to hold information. It didn’t serve her to talk about what was happening legally, since she was married to a lawyer. In Erika’s interview, she said she’d struggled with it, but once she knew, she took 30 days, closing out parts of her life. We saw a clip of her going through her tons of clothes with Mikey and another assistant. She told the women that she cried every day. She was ending a massive part of her life, and stepping into a void. She’d tried to work it out, and talk to him, but was met with resistance. In her interview, Erika said she’d always been dismissed by Tom – everything was perfect. He didn’t know what she was complaining about. She filed on election day because she’d wanted it buried, and thought it would be a blip on the radar. We saw a bunch of headlines, and she said, not happening. She told everyone that she needed to get a handle on what was coming for her – and it would be. She didn’t see it coming this way. She’d intended on holding Tom’s hand until he died. She’d taken her own stuff, and a sofa and two chairs. Dessert was served, and it looked heavenly. Some kind of chocolate torte with sliced strawberries. Most of them left half of it.

Dorit and Kyle sat down for a talk, and Dorit said it wasn’t the first time Kyle had interrupted her. Kyle said even Kathy noticed Dorit was long-winded, and it was endearing, most of the time. She didn’t deserve to be snapped at, and she would snap back if she was hurt. She was now hyper-aware that not being interrupted was important to Dorit. Dorit said she’d have the same awareness not to dominate the conversation, and in Dorit’s interview, she said it seemed like their stuff wasn’t a big deal compared to what Erika was going through. Erika said leaving the house hadn’t bothered her, since it had never been hers. She was the third wife to live there. Dorit asked if Sutton and Crystal had resolved their issue, and we flashed back to Crystal telling Dorit that she’d felt shamed when Sutton walked in her and she was nakey. Kyle said Crystal had used the word violated, and made it sound worse than the conversation they’d had in Tahoe. She was implying that something was weird. In Kyle’s interview, she said, it sounded like an awkward moment, and there was nothing to be made of it.

Dating coach Damona visited Garcelle, and in Garcelle’s interview, she said, in the dating department, nothing was happening. Chocolate Michael wasn’t the right fit, and it felt like her picker had been off. How could she meet the soulmate? A dating coach would give her options, and help her figure out how to pick one. A matchmaker gave you fish, but a dating coach taught you how to fish. Damona told Garcelle to write the qualities she was looking for on a whiteboard, and they talked past patterns. Garcelle said she had to stop leading with her career, and Damona said it was all about authenticity. Garcelle said she’d left home at 17, and had been taking care of herself for a long time. In her interview, she said, letting someone have her back was relinquishing her power.

FYI, Erika’s new rental had a kitchen the size of my living room, and a pool with a cabana. Not too shabby. Mikey and the assistant came by with some art work to hang. In Erika’s interview, she said after she found a place, she dropped Tom off at work, and left. She felt the uncertainty and instability of being out on her own. She still had three bedrooms, and planned on turning one into a closet. In her interview, she said Tom’s house had been her home for over 21 years. We flashed back to various scenes there, and she said, she felt she should shut up and be grateful. There was pressure to show gratitude toward someone who provided for you. It was great having stuff, but at what human cost?

In her interview, Sutton said she’d never had mammogram, and it was a huge mistake to tell Kyle, who was annoying. Kyle dragged Sutton the doctor, and I thought it was kind of weird that the medical staff was wearing masks, and they weren’t, but maybe it was a vaccination thing. Afterwards, the doctors told Sutton that all was good, and Sutton said she’d been worried when she saw they had such serious faces. I wondered how she determined that, since their faces were half-covered. Kyle asked how Sutton and Crystal left things in Tahoe, and told Sutton that Crystal had brought the coat incident up to Dorit. Crystal said she was really upset, and had felt violated. Sutton said the whole thing was truly innocent, and when they’d talked before leaving Tahoe, Crystal said she wouldn’t bring it up with anyone else; it wasn’t a big deal. Kyle thought Sutton needed to nip it in the bud, and Sutton said she’d put the jam on an old stale piece of toast.

Erika and LisaR went out for a drink, and ordered hot toddies. The waiter asked if they liked whiskey, which I thought was a wee bit condescending. Like they didn’t know what was in the drink they ordered. Erika asked about Rinna Beauty, and LisaR said it was launching soon. In LisaR’s interview, she said it was a first for her; a direct to consumer business. It was both exciting and terrifying. She and Erika toasted to new beginnings. Erika said she’d never felt this vulnerable ever. Tom had left her no room; that was the only way she could say it. In her interview, LisaR said Tom had definitely been the boss, and we flashed back to a dinner with LVP and Ken, where Tom shut down both Erika and LVP (how dare he). Erika said she almost floated the idea of a trial separation, but she knew it would be either you’re in or you’re out, and when you’re out, you’re dead. She didn’t leave a note, and he got served the next morning. When she’d dropped him off, she said she loved him, and he said, thanks, hon, like she was an employee. It was the last she saw of him. He wouldn’t be playing games, and she expected nothing but the worst, since Tom had challenges ahead. I guess we all know what those were now, but at the time, nothing had come out about his business. I’m not a fan of Erika’s, but I will say, I felt for her. She seemed absolutely sincere in how she felt. You could tell she was miserable about the whole thing, and it wasn’t about losing the lifestyle.

Crystal’s cousins, Angie and Tiffany, helped her prepare for her dumpling cooking party, getting ingredients ready ahead of time. Erika came wearing Star Trek hair, and a micro-mini leopard dress. In Garcelle’s interview, she said when she went through her divorce, she didn’t even want to go out, but Erika walked in like sex in heels. She didn’t know what Erika was down for, but she was down for it. Erika talked about a THC oil that Kyle recommended, which is apparently a sexual lubricant/stimulant of some kind, and I’ll leave it at that. Crystal and Sutton had yet one more talk, saying people were talking about their… whatever it was. Sutton said she thought it was dangerous to talk behind people’s backs, and Crystal agreed, saying she’d promised not talk about it with anyone else. Sutton called her out, saying she hadn’t kept that promise, but Crystal said people kept bringing it up to her. We then saw a series of flashbacks of Crystal talking to the individual women, and it was like Crystal was playing Telephone with herself. Every time she told the story, she added something that made it sound worse. WTF with this woman? In Sutton’s interview, she said, if Crystal didn’t want to talk about it, she wouldn’t have. She told Crystal that it needed clarification, and then they should walk away from it. They went back to the group, and Sutton said they had something to share about an awkward moment. Crystal said she wanted the issue to be over with, and Sutton said it was a little defamatory for Crystal to say she’d been violated. Crystal said she’d felt her boundaries were crossed, or some such nonsense. Dorit said she tried to put herself in Crystal’s shoes, and Crystal’s entire experience with Sutton had been bad. Crystal said, it’s over, and Sutton said they’d had a conversation about Sutton’s father (who’d suffered from depression and committed suicide). Later, Crystal had used words like crazy and manic, and Sutton was none of those things. In Garcelle’s interview, she said, Sutton was harmless. Maybe she could be out there, but she wasn’t manic or crazy. In Sutton’s interview, she said, sorry, but Crystal was a mean high school girl. Crystal told Sutton that she was going to believe her, the choice of words not going unnoticed. I have to add, they again showed the clip of what happened from the viewpoint of the hallway. Sutton knocked, coat in hand, walked in, said, I don’t know what’s going on in here, but here’s your coat, and left. And it was that fast. Not only is Crystal being a mean high school girl, she’s trying to gaslight Sutton.

Angie and Tiffany joined in the cooking lesson, and the women got aprons that said Cute as a Dumpling, with a cute dumpling graphic and their name. Kyle said it felt like a lot of work, and in her interview, Garcelle said she and Kyle couldn’t stop stuffing their faces. The dumplings looked so good, I swear I could smell them. Garcelle said she knew Erika wasn’t ready, but Erika should meet her dating coach, and see what the new world was like. This got a hard no. There was a dessert table, laden with delicious looking confections, which I’m sure everyone took one bite of. Kyle said she thought Erika seemed lighter, and in her interview, Erika said she trusted them, and knew they wanted to be supportive, but she had so many challenges ahead. There was so much they didn’t know.   

Next time, Garcelle asks her sons how they’d feel if she remarried, LisaR talks about Scott Disick dating Amelia, Crystal takes a kickboxing class, and Sutton says Crystal needs a sense of humor.

✍🏽 Very Truly Yours…

Will I ever get to bed at a halfway decent time? Tune in tomorrow, for soap and pricey places. Until then, stay safe, stay childlike, but not childish, and stay shifting your perspective on what you’ve got time for, and what’s just not worth it.

June 22, 2021 – Chase Finds Out the Truth, Benny Doesn’t Know the Family, Andy Tracks Down JL & Don’t Preach

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Jordan sees Anna coming toward her, and asks if it’s Chase. Anna says, no, he made it. Finn figured out a way to treat him. Jordan says, thank God. They just got word at the station he’d taken a turn for the worse. Anna says, he pulled through, and they hug. Jordan says she was so frightened, and Anna says her too. If Chase hadn’t recovered, she would have felt responsible because of her blindness where Peter is concerned. Jordan says, no more recriminations. She’ll call Dante and tell him the good news. He’s been busy. He’s found Peter’s accomplice; the one who kidnapped Maxie’s baby.

Maxie picks up Louise/Bailey, and says she gets more beautiful every day. They don’t have much time. Olivia could be back any minute, and Maxie will have to pretend Louise isn’t hers, but she is. She tells Louise to remember that Maxie loves her very much, and she’ll do anything and everything to protect her.   

Curtis looks at the invite for Trina’s graduation party, and tells someone on the phone to email him a list of their non-alcoholic beverages and mocktails. He wants this celebration for Trina to rock. Taggert walks in, and says, don’t forget the chaperone, and Curtis asks, what’s up? Taggert says, the graduation party. Trina can’t stop talking about it. So this is the new place. Nice. Curtis says he’s glad Taggert likes it, but he’s sure Taggert didn’t come by to check it out. Maybe he came by to check out its new owner. Taggert says, that guy has a hero complex. He stops Taggert from rushing in to save his daughter and Portia, and ends up taking a bullet himself. Curtis asks what’s on Taggert’s mind? and Taggert says Curtis isn’t going to make this easy, is he? Curtis says, what? and Taggert says, thank you.

Ava loses the door, and tells Nikolas, she can’t do this. She can’t. Nikolas says, whatever this is, they can face it together, but she says she just watched Carly take her daughter and lead her away. A mob family is a safer option than they are. She’s sorry, but it’s not going to work.

Chase says he knew Finn would find the antidote; he never lost faith. Finn says he remembers a time or two, and Chase says, it’s already forgotten. How did Finn do it? How did Finn manage to save him? Finn says Chase just got stabilized. There’s plenty of time for explanations later. The important thing is for Chase to rest and get stronger. Chase says he’s not asking for a detailed medical explanations. He just wants a reason for his miracle cure. Finn says, it came down to DNA.

Jason asks what Elizabeth means by Peter won’t be a problem for anyone. She says she’s trying to tell him not to waste his time on Peter, and he asks, why not?

Maxie says she’s so proud of Louise; she’s being so brave. She knows Brook and Valentin will take good care of her, but she promises one day they’ll be together again, and nobody will ever be able to keep them apart. Brook and Valentin walk in.

Nikolas says he knows Ava is upset about Avery, and she says, of course (🍷) she’s upset. She has to do whatever she needs to do to keep Avery safe, no matter how difficult it is. He says he’s still not convinced it’s Ryan. He’s got an accomplice, or a wannabe, or a copycat, but what’s clear is, they want to split him and Ava apart. They won’t give them the satisfaction, and won’t give in to the fear. They’ll fight this together. Ava says, they were in Avery’s room. They want to show her that no one is untouchable, not even her little girl. He says, they overplayed their hand this time. Dante has that bear, and can trace it. She says, what if he can’t? What if next time, it’s not just a threat or a warning? What if Avery’s life is at risk? Maybe he can live with the possibility, but she can’t. She won’t.

Curtis says Taggert doesn’t have to thank him again, but Taggert says, if Curtis hadn’t acted when he did, Cyrus probably wouldn’t be rotting in a Federal facility. Curtis says, it couldn’t happen to a more deserving guy, and Taggert says he’ll drink to that. Curtis says, he will too. Scotch okay? Taggert says, excellent, and Curtis pours the drinks, saying, they can also add the government’s decision to drop the case against Taggert. Taggert says, amen, and they clink glasses. Taggert takes a drink. He says, smooth; the good stuff. Curtis asks how Portia and Trina are doing, and Taggert wonders why Curtis is asking him. Why not ask Portia?

Anna says, the nurse’s body was found in a mineshaft? and asks Jordan if there was there any sign of the baby. Jordan says, no. Her phone suggests she made contact with someone who took the baby before she fell or was pushed to her death. Anna asks if Jordan is thinking Peter. Does the nurse’s time of death correspond with when Peter was last seen at the hospital? Jordan says, they don’t know. The body is still in PA. Anna says, they’re wasting so much valuable time, and Jordan says she knows. The first 48 hours are crucial. Unfortunately, the authorities in Pawtuck don’t have the resources to launch a full investigation, so now the FBI is in catch-up mode. They see Portia, and Jordan asks if there’s an update on Chase. Portia says, he’s still responding to treatment, and Anna wonders if she can ask Portia about Finn. She saw him earlier, but is he okay? Jordan says, that’s a good question. He’s been working around the clock for days, weeks even, and he won the battle; he saved Chase’s life. But when she saw him earlier, he still looked like someone suffering a loss.

Chase says he knew the cure was based on DNA. What made it work this time? Finn says, the first antidote was right in theory, but wrong in practice. Chase asks if Gregory understands this, and Finn says, the first attempt not only failed, but it made things worse. Chase says, no one is happier about that than him, and Finn says, Chase’s job now is to rest. He needs to get back to the lab, and formalize some notes. Chase asks why Finn can’t tell him what the difference was, and Finn says, give him a break. He broke every rule in the book to find this cure. He was on the phone with the AMA and the FDA, and he’ll tell Chase later. Chase asks, what’s wrong with now? Finn still used Chase’s parents’ DNA to formulate the cure, right? Finn says, yes, and Chase asks, what changed?  

Elizabeth tells Jason, it doesn’t only involve her, so she can’t get into details, but trust her when she says Peter won’t be an issue. Jason asks, what did she do?

Brook asks what Maxie is doing there, and Maxie says she thought Brook said it was okay. Brook says, sure it is, and Valentin says it’s good to see her. He suggests he put Bailey/Louise in her bassinette (so that’s what they’re calling the fancy crib), but Maxie says, that’s okay, and walks to the bassinette with Bailey. She says she brought Louise a present.

Anna tells Portia, this whole thing has taken such a toll on Finn. He worked so hard to come up with an antidote. Chalk one up to medical science, right? Portia say she’s got that one right. They were due for a win. Anna says maybe she can get another one. Jordan asks what Anna is doing, and Anna says, Chase is going to be all right, but as long as Peter is out there and Maxie’s baby is still missing, this isn’t over.

Curtis says he hasn’t talked to or seen Portia since he left the hospital, although he’s sure she’ll be on him about hit stitches any day now. Taggert says Curtis is a friend of the family now, and Curtis says, that’s right; a friend. Maybe not so much with Trina; they got off to a rocky start, but they’re pulling things together. Taggert says he knows how Trina blamed Curtis for his supposed death, and he’s sorry about that. He’s sorry about a lot of things that concern Cyrus. Curtis says, it’s over. Cyrus is out of their lives. They lift their glasses, and Taggert says, it’s a regret he’s adding to a long list. Curtis says they can’t change what happened. They can just remember it and not repeat it. He knows it’s difficult to do, but Taggert needs to give himself a break. Taggert says he’ll keep that in mind, and Curtis tells him, do it for his own good, and Trina’s. She loves her father, and she’s a good kid. Taggert says Curtis won’t get an argument there, but he can’t take credit for that. It’s all Portia; she did the heavy lifting. But he doesn’t have to tell Curtis that she’s an incredible woman, does he?   

Nikolas says Ava had no one to help her with Ryan. He traumatized Ava, and targeted Kiki. He’s sure it was terrifying; it was devastating. But she’s not alone. She’s not without resources, and they can turn the tables on whoever it is who’s threatening them. He’ll hire a private army if he has to. Ava says, whoever is doing this, obviously has resources of their own. There’s no place they go, he can’t get to them. He says he’ll do whatever it takes to protect them, and she says she loves him, but she can’t be with him. Not if Avery is threatened because of it. She can’t lose anyone else she loves. He says he knows she’s terrified, but why does she think giving the stalker what they want will make Avery safer?    

Finn tells Chase, nothing has changed; they’re all still family. Chase says he’s just trying to figure out why the cure Finn came up with didn’t work, and now it does. Finn says he thinks it’s better if Chase heard it from… dad. He thinks Gregory can explain it better than he can. He nods to Gregory and leaves.

Elizabeth says Jason has to trust her on this, and that means no more questions. What matters is, Peter is gone for good. Jason says he won’t ask her for any details or explanations, but if she needs him to show up somewhere and take care of something, he’ll handle it; no questions asked. Whatever is going on, he’ll be there if she needs help. Finn says, help with what?

Max tells Brook, did she say Louise? She meant to say Bailey. Such a sweet name for a sweet little girl. Brook says, and this sweet girl has got to go down. It’s past her bedtime. Brook takes Bailey/Louise and puts her in the bassinette, saying, sweet dreams. She asks Maxie, how about if they get some fresh air on the terrace? but Maxie says she’s fine. Brook says, the air on the terrace is really nice at night; you can smell the honeysuckle. She practically pushes Maxie out the door, and Valentin looks at the baby. He asks why she’s so perfect. He’s not surprised Maxie wanted to hold her. He’s sure her arms are very empty without her daughter. He’s so unfairly blessed, because he can watch her sleeping, while Maxie doesn’t know where her baby is. He set that in motion. He put Peter in Faison’s arms. He put him on a path to pain and destruction. He wishes he could undo the past, but he can’t. But he can promise to be a good father to her and Charlotte, and promise to be a much better man. Anna walks in, and say she believes him.

Jordan tells Portia, she feels for Anna. Of course (🍷) Anna is thrilled Chase has recovered, but she’s also painfully aware she’s not a part of Finn’s life anymore. Portia says, her grandmother used to tell her, every blessing is a mixed blessing, and Jordan says Portia’s grandmother never saw Cyrus carted off in handcuffs to a Federal penitentiary. Portia tells her, as Trina would say, facts, and  Jordan says, speaking of, how is Trina doing? Portia says, eagerly anticipating graduation and getting ready for college. She has her dorm room all planned out and all her fall courses. She’s even grumbling about classes she can’t even take yet. Jordan says, in other words, Trina is carrying on as if nothing happened, and Portia says, don’t worry. She’s keeping an eye on Trina in case there’s a delayed reaction. Jordan says, who’s keeping an eye on her mom?

Nikolas says he and Ava have never played it safe. They risked it all by coming together. That’s what made it exciting and alive and transformational. Ava says she’s never been so loved and accepted, and Nikolas says he feels the same way, so why would they let anything come between them now? They have to fight this together. She says, it’s not just about them, and he says she’s let whoever is doing this get in her head. They know where to strike, where she’s the most vulnerable. Don’t let them win. She says, if it was just them, she would take her chances, but she lost Kiki to this kind of madness. He says, they’re exploiting that pain, and she says, it’s working. Kiki’s death was a nightmare; one she’ll never wake up from, that will last as long as she lives. She can’t do it. She can’t go through it again. Nothing is worth the risk of Avery’s life, not even loving him. He says she doesn’t mean that, but she says she does. He’s lovely, and has a lovely house, and a lovely island. He needs to go there tonight, and not come back.

Elizabeth tells Finn that she was offering Jason a long overdue apology. If she hadn’t accused him, then Peter wouldn’t have had a chance to hurt Chase, and Jason wouldn’t have had to risk his life to prove his innocence. Jason says she’s not responsible for what Peter did, and Finn agrees. He couldn’t have found a cure without Elizabeth’s help. Jason is glad to hear that, and Finn asks if Elizabeth minds if they talk about the results. Elizabeth says, sure, and tells Jason to take care of himself. Jason says, likewise, and remember, if she needs anything, he’ll be there. He leaves, and Finn asks, what was that all about?

Chase tells Gregory, Finn is the doctor. Why did Finn leave it up Gregory to explain the medical breakthrough? Gregory supposes Finn is exhausted, emotionally and physically. He wouldn’t rest until he found a cure. Chase says, something is going on. Whatever it is, dad, tell me. And don’t tell him not to call him that. Gregory will always be his father. Gregory says he’d never tell Chase not to call him dad, because that’s exactly what he is.

Portia tells Jordan, she doesn’t have time to worry about herself. Keeping up with a high school senior, her patients, running her department; that’s all she has the energy for. She’s still standing, so she guesses she’s okay. Jordan says, Trina is moving into a college dorm soon. Take it from an empty nester, work is not a cure-all. Portia needs something for her.

Elizabeth tells Finn, she had to own up to her mistake. For Jason, it’s over and done with, but she needed to say the words. How about him? How did Chase take it when Finn told him why the cure worked this time? Finn says he couldn’t tell Chase. He was about to, but couldn’t find the right words. So he left it to someone more wise, eloquent, and compassionate – their dad.

Gregory sits next to Chase’s bed, and says, Cyrus got into the GH lab to tamper with the DNA results. It was his way of getting revenge on Chase’s mother for embarrassing him in print. Chase says, so the original test was wrong, and Gregory says, it was a lie. Finn is Chase’s brother, and he’s Chase’s father. When Finn saw that possibility, he put everything aside, including his feelings, and got back to work using Gregory’s DNA. Chase says, Gregory saved him, and Gregory says, all of them saved him. Finn, Chase’s mom, Chase’s stubborn streak, refusing to give up. It took the whole family. Their family.

Nikolas tells Ava, if he walks out that door, they’re giving in to extortion and intimidation. The only way to fight this freak, is to give them the one thing they don’t want them to do; stay together. She says, not if means putting Avery’s life in danger; nothing is worth that. He says the bear wasn’t left to threaten Avery, but to threaten Ava, and she says, would he risk Spencer’s life? Does he think she doesn’t want to stay with him? Does he think this marriage doesn’t mean everything to her? She touches his face, and says she knows he loves her. He knows her better than anyone has ever known her. So he must know, if anything ever happened to Avery, it would kill her. It would absolutely kill her. She can’t let that happen. They’re done.

Portia and Jordan sit on a bench, and Portia says, maybe they’re just adrenaline junkies maybe masquerading as public servants. Jordan says, every now and then, the real gets a little too real, like when Portia and Trina were taken hostage. Portia says, they’re back to that again, and Jordan says, anytime Portia wants to talk, or grab a drink, or go to a movie, she’s available. Portia says she’d like that, but Jordan doesn’t think it might be a little complicated? Jordan says, why? Because Portia’s ex-husband is sleeping in her guest room? Or was she thinking about Curtis?

Curtis asks if everything is good between Taggert and Portia. Are they on good terms these days? Taggert says, they do their best, for Trina’s sake. Why does he ask? Curtis says he was just wondering if Portia had someone to talk to about when Cyrus was holding her and Trina hostage. Taggert asks, what’s stopping Curtis from being that person? Bartenders are good listeners, right? Curtis says he’s the owner, not the bartender, when Jason walks in, and says he saw the light on; he was hoping to find the boss there. Curtis asks how Jason is doing, and Taggert says he didn’t know Curtis and Jason knew each other. Curtis says, small world, and Jason asks if Curtis is busy. Taggert says he was just leaving, and thanks Curtis for the drink. Curtis asks Jason what brings him there? Is it a personal or professional visit? Jason says he stopped by to thank Curtis for helping put Cyrus away.

Brook tells Maxie, Valentin is smart, and the story of Bailey’s birth won’t hold up to scrutiny. Maxie almost tipped him off, or worse, he could have thought she was too unstable to be around the baby. Maxie says she knows. She thought Brook would be at the hospital, saying goodbye to Chase. Brook says, Maxie doesn’t know. Chase is going to be okay. Finn found a cure. Maxie says, that’s wonderful news; she’s really glad. Brook says she is too, but they have to focus on their current situation. If Maxie wants to protect Louise, she can’t just show up. Maxie says she knows it was wrong, but it hurts, physically hurts to be away from her baby. She hates lying to everyone she loves. She just wants this to be over. Brook says she knows, and hugs Maxie.

Anna asks Valentin why he made that vow to his daughter, and Valentin says, Maxie is on the terrace with Brook. She stopped by with a gift, and when Olivia stepped away… Anna says, she picked up the baby. Of course (🍷) she did; she’s missing her own. Anna feels terrible, and Valentin says he does too. She says that’s why she’s there. She’s going after Peter. She’s not going to stop until she finds him, especially if there’s a chance he has Maxie’s baby. He says she knows something. She found the helicopter pilot that helped Peter make his escape? She says, not yet, but there’s been a development in Pawtuck. They found the nurse who was working with Peter. He asks if she’s talking, and Anna says, not anymore.

Valentin asks if there’s been any trace of the baby, but Anna says, not yet. According to Dante, they were able to locate the nurse’s cell phone, and she made a call to someone earlier that night. He says, someone being Peter? and she says, perhaps. It’s impossible to know where Peter ended up after he left Maxie. It’s like he vanished into thin air. He could have gone there to meet the nurse, but Maxie is adamant that the nurse wanted to keep the baby for herself. She might have had an accomplice unknown to Peter, but either way, Jordan doesn’t think the local police have the expertise to follow up. He says, they do, and Anna says, she does. She has the WSB connections, she started the search, and she’s going on that trail, even if it takes her to Timbuktu. He has a new little baby that he has to think about. He says he is thinking about his new little baby. If Peter knows they’re after him, it makes them a target, and he won’t have Peter targeting Charlotte or the baby. Besides, he owes it to Maxie. He has to do everything he can to reunite Maxie with her daughter.

Brook says Maxie has to remember why they started this plan, and Maxie says so Brook could get her stocks back from Valentin. Brook says, yes, that was the original plan, but that first night Maxie told her it had to be about protecting the baby. And she was right. It’s not about the stocks. Brook will go in there and tell Valentin the truth, that Maxie is the baby’s mother, and he has to pretend to be the baby’s father to protect her from Peter. Maxie says Brook is bluffing. She wouldn’t tell Valentin. Brook says she absolutely would if it would get Maxie to stick with the plan. Valentin will tell Maxie the same thing. If Peter is having her followed, and she keeps coming there, he’ll figure it out. She knows how hard it is, but Maxie has to consider the alternative. Imagine Peter has her baby and is boarding a private jet to some country… Maxie says, stop. She knows Brook is right. They have to stick to the plan, the original one. The one where Valentin doesn’t know anything. If Peter is out there, then Louise is not safe. She just has to be stronger. A mother has to do whatever she can to protect her child, even if it means giving them up. Brook says, maybe, just maybe, there’s a way that Maxie won’t have to.

Finn tells Elizabeth, when the first DNA test came back, and it said Chase was his son, after the dust settled, he kind of liked it. He really likes being a dad. It took some getting used to with Chase, and now it’s just gone. She says, then he hasn’t lost anything. They’re still a family. He says he knows. He gets his annoying kid brother back. She says he’s a good dad. Every attribute he praises Gregory for, she sees in him. He’s just as compassionate and caring. He says, eloquent, not so much, and she says, in his own way. But wisdom comes with experience, right? Now that he knows what it’s like to lose a son, maybe he knows what Gregory felt like when Finn pushed him away. Now he can make things better. He says she’s trying to cheer him up, and she asks if it’s working. He says he thinks he’ll go check on his kid brother. He thanks her, and leaves.

Chase tells Gregory that he was finally getting used to the idea that Finn was… Gregory says he was coming around too. Finn has the makings of a great dad, just ask Violet. Chase says he’s glad to have the father he’s got. He sees that Finn has come in, and says, and the brother too.

Portia says she can tell Jordan that Curtis wouldn’t care if they went out for a drink, any more than Taggert would. Jordan is glad to hear that. She says she’d hate for the past to prevent them from being friends. Portia says she tries not to let the past define her future, and Jordan says she likes that (me too). She’ll have to keep that in mind. Portia says, please do, especially where Cyrus is involved. They’re finally free from him. They’re free; Jordan can let him go. Jordan asks if she wasn’t the one telling Portia to decompress. Now Portia is reminding her that she needs to do the same thing. That’s what she needs an insightful friend. Portia says she guesses that’s her. Maybe she could use one of those too. Taggert comes by, and says, what do we have here? Should his ears be burning? Portia says she doesn’t know. Is he on fire? He says, you know you all are talking about me, and they laugh, saying, you wish, at the same time.

Curtis says, this must be the night to be thanked; first Taggert, then Jason. He hands Jason a beer, and says, it’s really not necessary. Jason says Curtis did go into that house where Cyrus was holding Laura hostage. That took a lot of courage. Curtis says he wasn’t the only one willing to take a bullet that night, and Jason says, it was worth it to rid this town of Cyrus Renault. Curtis says, amen, and they clink beer bottles. After they each take a long sip, Jason says, owning a business comes with a lot of challenges. Let him know if there’s anything he can do to help. Curtis says he’s got this, and Jason says he has no doubt, but things change. Curtis asks if Jason knows something he doesn’t.

Nikolas tells Ava, he wants Avery to be safe just as much as she does, but if she thinks this is the end for them, she couldn’t be more wrong. She says, don’t do this. Don’t make himself somebody she has to fight. Did he hear a word she said? She said she couldn’t live if anything happened to Avery. So when he says they can face this together, that he’s not giving up on her, all she can hear is him saying he’s willing to bring danger to her child, and she will not have it. Nothing means more to her than Avery. Nothing. She will not risk Avery’s life. She will not risk provoking this madman. He wants them apart, he’s getting what he wants. Please leave while she still loves him, because if he tries to stay, she’ll do whatever it takes to be free of him. He picks up his bag, and walks to the door. He says, this is not forever, because he will never give up on her, on them, or on their family. She won’t look at him, and he leaves.

Portia tells Taggert to relax. She and Jordan have other things to talk about besides him. He says he finds it hard to believe, but if Portia is done, he’d like to take her out to dinner. She asks, who’s paying? and he says he is. He wants to talk to her about this. He shows her the invite to Trina’s graduation party, and she says, okay. Since he’s already invited – she takes the invitation out of his hand and gives it to Jordan – Jordan is more than welcome to come to Trina’s graduation party. Jordan thanks her, and Taggert says, be there or be square. Jordan says she thinks you have to be there to say that. Portia takes Taggert’s arm, and says, come on, dad. Walk her to her office, then take her to dinner because she’s starving. He asks if he said he was paying. Jordan’s phone dings, and it’s a text from Stella that says: So? You and Curtis?

Jason says he knows Curtis is going to make this place a success, but the more successful it is, it’s going to attract the best, and the worst of Port Charles. Curtis asks if Jason is offering protection, and Jason says he’s offering his friendship if Curtis ever needs it. Curtis thanks him, but says, as far as the business goes, he prefers to remain independent. Jason says, if his independence is ever threatened, Curtis knows where to find him. Curtis nods, Jason raises his empty bottle, puts it on the counter, and leaves.

Finn says, Chase’s vitals are strong, and he’s responding well. Thanks for making him look good. Chase says he made himself look good, show off. Finn says he’s just the guy who saved Chase’s butt so he could get back to his wife, but Chase says he’s more than that. Finn is his big brother, who he’s always going to love and respect. They shake hands bro style.

Gregory puts away his phone, and tells Elizabeth, Jackie says that Violet is thrilled and wants to see her uncle. Elizabeth bets she does. Her dad will have to bring her by. Finn comes out, and Gregory asks how it went. Finn says better than he could have hoped. Gregory says he knows how hard this was for Finn, because he knows what Chase has come to mean to him. Finn says, yeah, and starts to walk away, but Gregory pulls him back into a hug.

Maxie says she thought Brook told her the only way to protect her daughter was to stay away from her. Now Brook is saying she doesn’t have to. Brook says she’s still working out the details; just trust her. Maxie asks if she has a choice, and Brook says, no, and drags her back into the house. Maxie asks what Anna is doing there, and Brook says, Maxie brought Bailey a present. Anna says, she’s beautiful, and congratulates Brook. She apologizes for the late intrusion, but needed to speak to Valentin. She’s on her way out now. Valentin says Yuri will take good care of Brook, Bailey, and Charlotte while they’re gone. Brook asks where he’s going, and he says he and Anna are going to Pawtuck. Brook says, why go there? and Anna says, evidence. Maxie says, why? The police already searched the house and the woods. Valentin says, there may be something they missed, and Anna says, something that could lead them to Peter. And Maxie’s baby. Maxie and Brook look at each other.

Tomorrow, Brando and Sasha have their official first date, Brook tells Willow and Michael that they need to nip these lies in the bud, Elizabeth says there’s something she and Carly need to settle, and Britt tells Jason that she’s not putting it off one more day.   

The Haves and The Have Nots

At the restaurant, Benny breaks a beer bottle on the table, and whacks Sandy in the head. They fight, and Rianna keeps yelling for them to stop, but nobody moves. Everyone just watches as Benny beats the crap out of Sandy. Rianna grabs Benny, trying to pull him off, but Benny pushes her back, and she ends up on the floor. Benny goes to check on her, and Sandy breaks a chair over Benny’s back. He says Benny is a dead man, and tells Rianna, come on. She says she’s not going with him, but he keeps pulling at her. Benny tells Sandy to leave her alone, and Sandy asks if this is what she wants. Benny says she already told him, and Sandy says, then take her weasel ass out of there. Sandy walks off, and Rianna says Benny doesn’t know what he did. Benny says he knows he beat Sandy’s punk ass. Sandy takes his weasel ass out of there, and Benny asks if Rianna is okay. She says he shouldn’t have done that, but he says he wasn’t going to let Sandy hurt her. She says Benny doesn’t know her, and doesn’t know Sandy’s family. Benny says he knows Sandy’s family; he’s friends with Sandy’s brother Mitch. She insists Benny doesn’t know them. Mitch and Sandy almost killed the last guy she dated. He says he can take care of himself, and she says he’s a fool.  

Benny asks again if Rianna is okay, and she says, no. He says he’s sorry, and she says she wishes he hadn’t done that. He suggests they go, but she says she’s not going anywhere with him. He says, Sandy might be out there waiting for her, but she says, Sandy could be waiting for Benny. Benny asks if she just lets Sandy talk to her like that; it ain’t right. She asks why he’s doing this, and he says he has a sister and a mother, and he loves them both. He’s not going to sit there, and let that go down. She says, it’s going to be bad, but he says he can handle it. She says he can’t, and he says he’s sorry. She says she’s sorry for him. She has to go. She grabs her bag, and jets, Benny calling after her.

Conley phones Candance, telling her that he’s a senator. She says she doesn’t know who he is or why he’s calling. He says he’s calling on behalf of Charles, and she says he has the wrong number. He says he’s willing to sit down and meet with her, and he says, about what? He says, Charles and how much he loves her. She asks if Charles put him up to it, but he says, no. He’s an old time friend. She tells him not to call her. She doesn’t want to talk to Charles or his friends. Conley says, please, just 15 minutes, but Candance says she doesn’t want to talk. He says he’ll meet her anywhere, and she says she’s going to ask one more time; did Charles put him up to this? He insists Charles didn’t, and says he believes it will be worth her while. He’s on his way. She says, goodbye, and hangs up.

Candace says Mitch is like a girl getting ready, and Mitch says he has to make his hair look right. She says if he hadn’t taken off his clothes… and he says he knows. But she knows how she is. Back in the day, she wanted him in bed, naked, and ready. She says, it’s not back in the day, and he says he realizes that; he’s sorry. Candace says, for what? and he says, wanting her. She says every guy does, and he says he knows she’s got that President dude acting crazy. She says she doesn’t want to talk about him, and Mitch tells her, he’s just saying it’s his loss. She asks if they can go. She’s hungry. Mitch’s phone rings, and he says it’s his brother. It’s the fourth time he’s called. It ain’t gonna be good. Sandy tells Mitch that Vinnie wants to see him, now, but Sandy’s got to talk to him. He’s going to kill that Black kid Benny. He went out with Rianna. Mitch says Sandy isn’t with her anymore, and Sandy says they got into a fight at a restaurant, and Benny hit him with a bottle. Mitch asks where he is, and Sandy says, the hospital. Mitch asks if he’s called Vinnie, but he says, not yet. Mitch says, don’t, but Sandy says, hell no; he’s calling. Mitch says, do not, and Sandy says he wants that son of a bitch dead. Mitch asks if Sandy is at St. Claude’s, and tells him not to do anything stupid. He’s coming there. Don’t call. Sandy says Mitch has 20 minutes, and Mitch says he’s on his way. Candace asks what that was about, and Mitch says he’ll be back. She asks if it’s bad, and he says, yeah. She says she’ll order delivery, and he says, okay, suggesting that she just stay in. And call Benny. Have him come home right now; tell him Mitch said to. Benny walks in, and asks, what’s going on? Mitch asks what the hell Benny has gotten himself into. Benny says he can explain, but Mitch doesn’t think Benny can explain this, and leaves. Candace asks, what’s going on? and Benny says, the realtor. Apparently, she’s Sandy’s girlfriend. She asks, what happened? and Benny says Sandy came at him, and he beat his bitch ass. Candace says, this is bad, and Benny says he knows, but Candace says he doesn’t. Benny tells her, everyone keeps saying that, but he knows the family. She says he doesn’t know them, and Benny says, sh*t.  

The guard tells Kathryn that she has a visitor, and she goes with him. Don is in the visiting room, and she asks why he’s there. He says he wanted to speak to her, and she tells him, speak to Hanna. He says he hasn’t been able to reach Hanna, and he needs answers. Kathryn tells him to give her his phone, and calls Hanna. Hanna picks up, and Kathryn asks if Hanna has gotten any calls from her accountant Don. Hanna says, no, and she has no missed calls. Kathryn needs to talk to her husband. Kathryn asks what he did, and Hanna says, he’s not happy. Kathryn says she knows, and Hanna says she’s got go back to the house. She’s worried Jim is there. Kathryn tells her to work from her own house, and Hanna laughs, saying, Jim is mad as hell. Kathryn says she knew he would be. Hanna wonders if that’s why Kathryn put her in charge, but Kathryn says Hanna knows she doesn’t trust Jim, for good reason. Hanna says she’ll try to go over there, and do what she’s supposed to do, and Kathryn tells her, do what she doesn’t best. Hanna says, she’ll hurt that man, and Kathryn says, do it for her. Kathryn hands Don’s phone back to him, and says she reached Hanna… with his phone. He says he had to try, and she says he was lying his ass off. Why is he really there. He says, Jim wanted him to ask… and she says she’s not giving him power-of-attorney. He says, with all due respect, that woman knows nothing about banking, finance, and money, and her husband does. Kathryn says, then teach her. That’s what she’s paying him for. He says he can do that, but he can’t make the decisions. He wants her to reconsider giving him and Jim power-of-attorney. They could put in a third party. She says, so he wants her to give him, her accountant, and Jim, the bastard, power over her money. Does he think she’s stupid? He says, no, but giving power-of-attorney to… She says, a maid? He thinks that’s stupid? He says he doesn’t think it’s stupid, but he wants her to just reconsider. She says, why doesn’t he consider this? She had cancer, and her husband didn’t even know. Hanna nursed her back to health better than a mother. Hanna had the chance to take millions, but she didn’t. When she needed someone, Hann was there. When she lied to Hanna, Hanna forgave her. Now that she’s in this position, there’s no one else she trusts in her life other than Hanna. Not him, not her lawyer, and damn sure not her husband. Does he understand? He says he does, and she asks if they’re clear. He says, they are, and she says, so they’re not going to have this conversation again, are they? He says he’s got it, and Kathryn calls for the guard to take her back to her cell.

A dude who looks like he should be going to Princeton instead of guarding a house, tells Jeffrey that Tanner is there for him. Jeffrey says he’ll go out, and meets Tanner in the driveway. Tanner says Justin had something for Jeffrey and he should have brought it, but Jeffrey says, don’t. Tanner wonders if he can ask Jeffery something; what was Justin like? Jeffrey says Tanner was his brother, but Tanner says, what was he really like? There were things he knew, but nothing private. Jeffrey says Tanner told him Justin used to tell him a lot, but Tanner says he’s sure Justin told Jeffrey more. Jeffrey says he doesn’t know what Tanner wants to know, and Tanner says, the sex. What was it like? Did they like to dress up, or… Jeffrey says he thinks that’s something Justin should have told him, and Tanner says, sorry. Jeffrey knew Justin so well, and he didn’t know Justin at all. Jeffrey says, no, he didn’t. Justin didn’t have HIV. Tanner says, so he lied, and asks if Jeffrey has it. Jeffrey says he doesn’t, and Tanner says, sorry. He must have scared Jeffrey. Jeffrey says he didn’t, and Tanner asks if Jeffrey is coming to the service. Jeffrey says he doesn’t think so, and Tanner says he should. The family would love it. Jeffrey says Tanner’s mother wouldn’t, and I swear they had this same conversation before. Jeffrey says Tanner is a lot like his brother, and Tanner asks, how so? Jeffrey says Justin wouldn’t take no for answer either, and Tanner says, he’s sorry, but he’s not like his brother at all. He’s not into guys. Jeffrey says, Justin would have said the same thing, and Tanner asks if Jeffrey thinks he’s queer. Jeffrey says, interesting choice of words, and Tanner says he meant gay. Jeffrey says he thinks Tanner should make his brother the main priority, and be with his family. Tanner says he’ll bring the package by, but Jeffrey says there’s no need. David pulls up as Tanner drives away. He asks, who was that? and Jeffrey says, no one. They go inside.  

Madison stitches Sandy up, and Sandy says he’s going to kill that son of a bitch. Madison says if Sandy keeps talking like that, he’ll have to report it to the police. Sandy says he doesn’t give a damn. That Black son of a bitch… Madison says, sir, and Sandy says, just fix his face. Madison says Sandy is working on a hate crime, and Sandy says, ouch! accusing Madison of hurting him on purpose. Madison says he needs more sutures, and Sandy says, if it leaves a scar… Madison says, it will be minor, but Sandy says, minor is too much. Madison says he’ll be back, and leaves. Mitch comes in, and Sandy says, don’t hate him. Look at what Benny did. He’s going to kill that son of a bitch. Mitch says he can’t do that, and Sandy says, why not? Mitch says because of his sister; he’s under Uncle Vinnie and Grandma Rose’s protection. Sandy says, not after Vinnie sees this. Vinnie is going to be pissed. Does Mitch think Benny will be protected? Mitch lied, and they want to see him. Mitch asks what Sandy is talking about, and Sandy says he’s going to the bar and telling them. The hell with Mitch. He wants that kid dead, and so will they. Mitch goes out into the hallway, and calls Benny. He asks where Benny is, and Benny says, the hotel room. Mitch tells him not to leave the hotel; he means it. Benny says he’s sorry, and Mitch tells him, save it right now.

Wyatt calls for a nurse, and messes with the sides of the bed, trying to figure out how to escape. Madison comes in, and tells Wyatt to stop pressing the button. Wyatt says he’s sorry, and Madison says, save that. Wyatt tells Madison, look at how they have him, and Madison says, that’s what he gets when he throws piss at someone. Wyatt says, it was water. At least loosen his wrists up. Madison says he’s not doing that, and Wyatt says Madison won’t give him pills and won’t untie him. What does he do there? Anything? How is he supposed to go to the bathroom? Madison says he has a cup, and Madison says, give it to him. When Madison gets close enough, Wyatt gets Madison in a headlock using his legs, and says, untie him. Madison undoes one wrist, and says he can’t breathe. Wyatt says if Madison struggles, he’ll make it harder. Untie the other one. Madison unties Wyatt’s other wrist, and Wyatt does the Vulcan death leg grip, saying, it’s okay, don’t fight it. Madison slides to the floor, unconscious, and I wonder where Wyatt learned this. Prison? Wyatt gets out of bed, and removes Madison’s uniform, saying, he’s a big son of a bitch (WOTD). He puts on Madison’s clothes, which seem to fit perfectly, so I guess Wyatt is a big SOB too. When Wyatt gets to Madison’s pants, he says, whoa. No underwear. He walks down the hall, checking rooms until he finds where the drug stash is. He unlocks the door, and shoves a bunch of bottles in his pockets, like this would be unobtrusive. He goes back out, and no one notices. They must use the same security company as General Hospital.

Don goes to see Jim, and Jim asks how it went. Don says Kathryn’s not budging. What does Jim want him to do? Jim says, nothing; go. Don leaves, and Jim takes out his phone. He calls a guy sitting in a car outside Veronica’s house. He says, do him a favor. There’s a girl named Diamond or Dallas or something. He needs her to scare his wife. Could Jim possibly be more vague? Dude says Jim’s wife is in jail, and Jim says he knows. Dude needs to find this girl, and have her arrested. He’ll arrange for her to be put in the same cell as his wife. He wants her to scare Kathryn. Scare, not hurt. Dude says he’ll let Jim know when he finds her; he’ll get the guys on it. I wonder if the guys are psychic, since Jim didn’t even pinpoint a name. Jim asks, how much more time for that Veronica bitch, and dude says he’s waiting for the right time. Jim says, don’t wait too long. Let him know when it’s done. Dude calls someone, and says he needs to have a woman found and brought to him. The rest will be taken care of. Veronica’s French thug, whose name I don’t remember, gets in the passenger side of the car. Dude asks, who the hell is he? and French thug says, it doesn’t matter. This is a dangerous game; drive. Dude starts the car.

French thug calls Veronica, and says she’s clear. She sees the car go by, and says, okay. Thank you.  She calls to Laura, saying she’s going out for bit, and drives off.

There’s a knock at Veronica’s door, and Laura answers, letting Samuel in. He says she’s still wearing Veronica’s clothes, but she looks good. She says she’s got Veronica’s account numbers, but she’s looking for Veronica’s social security. Samuel asks if she’s forgetting the house on Astin, and she says, that old bitch was watching her every move. He says, she got busted, and she says, he got greedy. He asks if she thinks Veronica will check her background, and she says she checked Laura’s background, but not her real name. Three weeks ago, she tried to tell Veronica a story about her mom, and Veronica shut her down. He said he told Veronica their son was killed in a robbery. She asks if Veronica believed him, and he says, every moment. She says, maybe he should talk to Veronica, and he says Laura knows Veronica tried to get him into bed. Laura says, let her. Maybe she’ll feel better. He asks if he’s her prostitute now, and she says she’s his pimp. He says he’ll be in the bed waiting when Veronica gets home, and she says she’ll break his neck. He says, there she is, and she says he belongs to her. He says he’s got an idea. They’ll go upstairs, and do it in Veronica’s bed. She says she doesn’t think so. Veronica might come back, and she’s not going to risk losing the money. They exchange I love yous, and he leaves.

Wyatt goes to his old loft, and dumps all the drugs on the table. A girl walks in, and he asks if this is a free-for-all. She says she likes that. She obviously knows him, but I have no clue who she is. She says he has pills, but he says he’s not sharing. She says they always share, and holds out her hand. He gives her a pill, and she asks where he got them. He says, the hospital, and she says, it’s strong stuff. Can he get more? He asks if she’s got money, but she says she has something else. He says he doesn’t want anything else, and she says, just a few. He gives them to her, and she says, this is opium. He’s got to be careful. He asks what she knows, and she says she knows it’s deadly. He tells her to shut up. She asks if she can have some for Heather, and he asks if he looks like a dispensary. She says she heard he shot his father, and his father lived. He says, unfortunately, and she asks what it’s like. He says, what kind of a question is that? and she says she’s heard about it from people, but she never met anyone who shot someone. He tells her, shut the hell up. Does she have any drugs? She says she doesn’t, and he says, get the hell out. She’s useless to him. She calls him a d-bag, and leaves. Miraculously, a plate with lines of coke has appeared, and as Wyatt is about to do one, Roderick (I think that’s his name) walks in. He asks who the hell Wyatt is, and Wyatt asks who the hell Roderick is. Roderick says he’s the owner of this place, and he’s calling the police. Wyatt tells him, go ahead, and Roderick asks if she promised this place to him too. Wyatt asks who he’s talking about, and Roderick says, he knows she’s playing him. Wyatt asks again who he is, but Roderick says, it’s cool. He’ll just get his stuff and go. Hey. That’s his coke. Wyatt says, not anymore, and Roderick says Wyatt should go. Wyatt says he’s not playing, and Roderick asks who the hell he is. He say, Wyatt Cryer, and Roderick says, Cryer?   

Roderick says, Wyatt is her son? Kathryn is his mother? Damn. Wyatt asks who Roderick is, and Roderick says he works at the hotel. Wyatt asks what he’s doing there, and Roderick says Kathryn told him that he could stay there while he’s in between places. Wyatt says, hold up. Is he the Latin lover she was talking to? Roderick says, sorry, what? and Wyatt says, it’s disgusting, and Roderick says he’ll just get this things and go. Wyatt says, hold on. His mother isn’t taking care of Roderick, is she? Roderick says Wyatt should talk to her, but Wyatt says he’s talk to him, and he’s lying. He doesn’t care. His parents hate each other. He asks where Roderick got the coke, and Roderick says, a friend. Wyatt asks if he can get more, and Roderick asks if Wyatt has money. Wyatt says, of course; look at this place. Roderick looks at the pill bottles, and says, Xanax, oxycontin, morphine; it’s good sh*t. What did Wyatt do? Rob a nurse? Wyatt says, something like that, and Roderick says, be careful with that stuff. Wyatt says he’ll let Roderick stay if he gets some blow, and Roderick agrees. He starts to leave, and Wyatt says, whoa. Are those his car keys? Roderick says, Kathryn told him that he could drive Wyatt’s car while he’s there. Wyatt says Roderick is screwing his mother, and she’s old. He guesses Roderick is just doing what he’s got to do. He tells Roderick, hurry back. They’ll get along just fine. Roderick leaves, and Wyatt shoves a load of pills in his mouth. I’m pretty sure the amount would kill him in real life, especially since he hasn’t had anything for ages.   

Celine sits on the porch of Kathryn’s house, and hears Jim on the phone inside, saying, there’s got to be a way to get the damn thing done. He’ll call back. He comes out, and asks what the hell Celine is doing there. She says she’s waiting to talk to him, and he says, it’s private property; she’s trespassing. She says she knows, and he says he’ll call the police. She says, okay, do that, and he asks what the hell is the matter with her? She says she’s about to be put out of her apartment. She can’t pay their son’s tuition to private school. He says he doesn’t care, and she says he only cares about that junkie in the hospital. He says, that’s his junkie in the hospital, and she says these are his children too. He’s done nothing for them. Veronica pulls into the driveway, and he asks what the hell she wants. She walks to the porch, manila envelope in hand. She says, hello, Jimmy, and he asks what she wants. She says hello to Celine, and asks how she is. Are things any better? Celine says, no, they’re not, and Veronica says, they’re about to get better. Celine thanks her, and Jim asks what Veronica wants. Veronica takes a paper out of the envelope, and says, this is a court order. He has 24-hours to give Celine $50K in emergency funds. He snatches it from her, asking who the hell signed it. She says, Judge Nadine, and he says that judge hates him. She says that judge loves her, and Jim says that’s because she screwed him. Veronica says, a few times, and he says, whore. She thanks him, saying she appreciates that. He says now get off his property, and she says, this is Kathryn’s tacky-ass property, and he should be in there writing her a check. He says he’s not writing anything, and she says, then he’ll go to jail. He asks if she knows how close to death she is at this moment, and she says, as close as he is.

He asks Celine if she’s sure she wants to go through with this. She must realize it’s not in her best interest… Celine says she doesn’t care. She needs money. He says, people in hell need ice water. She should be in jail after what she did. Veronica asks what Celine did, and he says, she killed Amanda.

Celine calls Jim the devil, Kathryn accuses Roderick of having women over, Connolly says Candance is the shark Charles needs, and Sandy wants benny dead.

Below Deck Sailing Yacht – The Reunion – Part Two

We backtracked a little, with Andy saying a viewer wondered why Alli and Gary kept making out in front of Sydney. Gary said it was a weird situation since Sydney had feelings for him, he had feelings for Alli, and Alli didn’t return his feelings. Alli took issue with that, saying it hadn’t been easy for her, and it was awkward working with Gary every day. It wasn’t fair, and not true. Gary mumbled that he had more feelings for Alli than she did for him, and Alli said she was the only one doing the right thing. No one had respect for that. She’s a human being and has compassion. A viewer asked if Alli thought she broke girl code by getting together with Gary, and Alli said she had her reasons. Daisy laughed, and Alli suggested Andy ask Sydney. Sydney said she wasn’t sure what Alli was talking about, but a lot of things weren’t indicative of who she is. She was feeling rejected and jealous; everyone has insecurities. She felt bad, lashed out, and hates herself for it. Alli said that wasn’t it. Gary had a girlfriend when they came on board, and Sydney slept with him anyway. Alli was hurt by what she saw on the show, and had gotten no apology. Sydney hadn’t contacted her, and there was no one-on-one sorry, when Sydney had hurt her feelings. Sydney admitted she hadn’t reached out, and said she’d been dealing with personal trauma in her own way, realizing who she is and how to navigate herself. Alli thought Sydney had been insincere. She’d embarrassed Alli and herself. Alli said she wasn’t trying to rub it in, but if Sydney was sincere, she would have approached Alli one-on-one, not wait for the reunion. Andy asked Gary if he had a girlfriend, and Gary said he was in a complicated relationship (groan), and they hadn’t seen each other in 8 months. They’d grown apart, and it was his only regret. Daisy said they didn’t know his girlfriend’s perspective, and she might have seen their relationship differently. Gary said they hadn’t spoken in two weeks, and then he had to tell her about Sydney. He’d sent a message that he’d kissed his deckhand, hoping she thought it was a dude. Glenn said, nice try, and Andy said Gary could have saved a lot of drama if he’d hooked up with JL, but Gary said he had no stepladder on board. Andy asked if Sydney was seeing anyone, and she said she had a partner; they’d been together five months. Andy asked about his reaction to the show, and Sydney said he knew it was in the past, and that’s that. He’s the captain of the boat she’s on now. He’d been supportive, and cared about her. He had her back no matter what. Andy asked about Alli’s status, and she said she had a boyfriend. They were moving in together, and about to sign a lease on a house. She was going to be living the land life. He asked if she had any other updates, and she laughed, saying, they’re having a baby. Everyone applauded, but Gary looked sad, or mad, or both. Alli said it was scary, but exciting, and Andy said it was a fertile crew. He asked if Gary had known, and Gary said, no, but he was happy for her. She said her boyfriend treated her like a princess, and if she was happy, he was happy. Daisy looked kind of disgusted.

Andy asked if Alli and Gary rekindled things on the crossing, and Gary said they built their relationship, and became a couple until they got to Palma and Alli left for Australia. They’d known it was inevitable, and in the back of their minds, they knew never it could never seriously work, regardless of their great chemistry. Viewer Trisha P. asked if Colin’s opinion of Gary changed when he said he was going to have sex with Sydney to get Alli’s attention, but Colin said, no. They were good mates. Gary didn’t want to take his advice, but was still his boy. Viewer Lauran B. asked if Colin thought Gary would have been a better manager if he hadn’t been distracted by the love triangle, but Colin said he agreed with Glenn that Gary was exceptional. Andy asked if Alli and Sydney felt like they’d gotten closure, and Alli said, no. Sydney said she thought they’d never really have complete closure. A lot had happened to what could have been a beautiful friendship. She was sorry for what could have been. Gary started chewing on the cord to his earpiece, which was bizarre. Alli said she didn’t think Sydney was a bad person, and Andy said he was in agreement, so he was leaving it there. Gary said, everybody loves everybody, and Daisy said something unintelligible, prompting Andy to ask how many bottles of wine she’d had. She told him, stop being jealous.

Andy moved on to the MVPs of PDA, despite their differences in age and height, and an STD scare. We flashed back to JL and Dani’s boatmance. Dani looked sad and embarrassed. Andy told her congrats, and asked how she was feeling. She said, obviously, her pregnancy was unplanned, but she was happy. Andy asked what happened with her and JL after the season, and she said they hung out for a couple of days. She’d kept trying to tell him throughout the whole season that it wouldn’t work. She lived in Australia, and wasn’t moving, and she wasn’t going to ask him to move. She tried to convince him that it wouldn’t work, and he tried to convince her that it would. Andy asked her relationship status, and she said she was single. Viewer Ally W. asked if the crew was surprised at how things turned out for Dani, and Daisy said she was shocked; it took a few days to digest. Then Andy asked the question on everybody’s mind; was JL the father of Dani’s baby? She said, let her put it this way. She’d only slept with one guy during the season. Andy asked for JL’s reaction, and she said he thought it wasn’t his, and didn’t want to have anything to do with it. In the beginning, she found out when she was in quarantine. She’d just gotten back to Sydney (Australia, not the deckhand), and she was alone. When she told him, it was a big shock, but he seemed supportive, and said he’d support whatever she decided to do. Then things changed around December; he wasn’t interested anymore. On January 1st, she got a message not to go around telling people that he was the dad, and he wanted a DNA test. She has receipts. She told him that he’d have to pay for it, since it was expensive, then his mom made a horrible comment online. Someone said it was gross that JL would abandon the mother of his child, and his mother said what was gross was a woman who uses a man because she’s desperate to be a mom. She didn’t want his family involved in her child’s life. She was getting mean comments that she should have had an abortion. She said she’s very pro-choice, and felt every woman should do what’s best for her, but she wouldn’t be able to do that. She also wouldn’t move to have a child with a boy she barely knew. She was going with it now, and knew she was having a girl. (She’s since given birth. This was filmed a while ago.) She was sure her baby girl was going to be amazing, and she’d do her best to give her baby everything she needs. Andy said Dani was going to be an incredible mom. She was happy she was having a girl, since she wouldn’t know what to do with a boy. Andy asked Alli about her reaction, but she said she’d known for a while. Dani was working 12-hour days, and getting herself prepared. She thought it was disgusting and frustrating that JL wouldn’t acknowledge the baby. Her heart was breaking, but she thought Dani was strong and could do this without him. She’d actually be better off. Gary said JL had no spine. The little respect he’d had for JL was out the window. He knew Dani would be the best mom ever. His own dad chose not be there, and he learned not to be like that; JL was a prime example. Dani said she wished JL was there to defend himself or say what he thought. She didn’t think it was fair that he wasn’t able to give his side. Andy said, to be fair to Dani, she didn’t have an ax to grind or a bomb to drop; she was just answering questions.

Andy asked if Glenn had any final thoughts, and Glenn said he’d had a great time with them. There had been conflict and indecision going on, but their positive energy was amazing. He wasn’t disappointed. And with that, Andy said, goodbye to the crew.

Five days after the reunion recorded, JL found time out of his busy schedule to talk to Andy.

Andy said they’d tracked JL down, and he was there now. He asked why JL couldn’t join them for the reunion, and he said he’d wanted to be there, but he’d been on charter. It was the primary’s daughter’s birthday, and the biggest day, so he couldn’t take the time off. Andy asked what the biggest professional lesson was JL learned, and JL said, do not get intimate with any of the crew. Andy asked what the status of his and Dani’s relationship was today, and he said it was uncertain. They’d definitely talked a little, but not as much as they should have. There were things to be questioned, and they had questions for each other. (Huh?) He said they were trying to be adults, and Andy said, a lot of viewers were asking if JL was the father of Dani’s baby. What did he have to say to that? JL acted like he didn’t know this was coming, and said Andy was going to make him do this now? He’d asked for a paternity test, and had gotten backlash. He thought it was understandable, but he was 24, and didn’t have much relationship experience. Dani took it poorly, but he understood why. He said he apologized, but the paternity test was just for his peace of mind. If the child was his, he abso-effing-lutely wanted to be a part of its life. He didn’t know where him saying he didn’t want to came from, and people were telling him they’d heard he wanted nothing to do with the baby. It was tearing him up, since he wanted everything to do with it if it was his. Andy said he was happy to hear it, but why not take the DNA test. JL said money wasn’t the issue, and he’d even reached out to Dani’s doctor’s office. He didn’t want to go the lawyer route, and wanted them to work together. It all sounded a little vague. Andy told him the baby was a girl, and JL said he wanted to be there for the birth. He’d been told a date, but wasn’t sharing it because Dani hadn’t. Andy rolled the video, of the crew’s reactions, and JL acted all hurt and upset, but who knows? Andy asked for JL’s reaction, but he said he was lost for words. Andy asked if he felt misrepresented, but JL told him, most of what Dani said was correct. Andy asked about his family’s reaction, and JL said his mother was initially excited, but confused, since she’d always told him to wear protection. She wants him to be happy, but she’s trying to protect him. He told her that she needed to realize what she was saying, and that it might not be true. Andy asked if he thought Dani used him, and he told Andy that his mother said that out of anger. He didn’t agree, and told her to delete it. He said she can’t be doing that; it puts him in a bad light. Andy said it seemed like his mom should help out to facilitate test, and JL said they’d know as soon as the baby was born. Yeah. If the baby is like three feet tall at birth, it’s definitely his.

Andy asked if JL was still in touch with any of the crew. Their reaction to his behavior had been damning. JL said none of them liked him, but he was cool with that. Everyone has an opinion, and they’d only seen one side. Now everyone thought he was a POS; he saw their faces, and they were judging him. He wished them the best, but didn’t care what they thought. Andy asked if there was anything JL wanted to tell them, since he hadn’t been at the Reunion, and JL asked to see the clip again. Andy ran it, and asked if it was worse the second time. JL said he’d paid more attention, and yeah, the looks on people’s faces. Andy said he’d been doing this a long time, and talked to a lot of people about uncomfortable situations, and it’s notable that Dani said she’d wished he was there to give his side. She hadn’t come to attack him, and Andy thought JL should take that to heart, especially since he said pretty much everything Dani told them was true.

Andy told JL that now was the time for him and Dani to communicate and figure it out. He might regret if he didn’t. He asked if there was anything else JL wanted to say, and JL said, don’t judge a book by its cover. He understood how he was being perceived, and wanted them to know that if this is his child, he wants everything to do with it. He even thought about moving to Australia. A lot of scenarios were running through his mind; every possible avenue to Dani. What they’d had on the show was real. He was sorry they were where they are now, and most of it was his fault. Maybe because he’s the boy Dani said he was, but he wants to be there for her. He’ll understand if she doesn’t want to have anything to do with him because he wanted the tests. He’ll get over that, but he’d never get over not being there if this is his child. He needed her to know that he supported her decisions, and still does. He hoped they could co-parent, and have respect for one another. He was sorry things happened the way they did.

Andy told JL to remember what he’d said, write it down, and send it to Dani, so they could resolve this. She needed to hear it directly from him. Andy said he appreciated JL talk to him. He was happy to hear what JL had to say.

The end text said Dani’s daughter Lilly, was born on May 26th, 2021. Dani and JL had yet to speak with each other.

🧯 It Could Be Worse…

If I hurry, I can make it to bed before daylight. So until we meet for soap and diamonds, stay safe, stay assiduous, and stay keeping your mother from making comments about your possible baby mama on social media. At least until you know the test results.