Tag Archives: Rick and Michonne

August 11, 2023 – Bar Fight Repercussions, Newcomer, New Strike, Billie the Ally, Forget You, Pass the Salt, Costly Deck, Wishlist, New Dragons, Dead Talk, Next Year, Film Pups, Quotes Totaling Nine & Club

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Elizabeth goes out on the roof and tells Finn that he’s in her spot. He asks if she really comes up here often enough to claim a spot, and she says, it’s a perk of being head nurse. He says, she’s here late. Who’s looking after the boys? She says, it’s summer. They’re away at camp, and since night shift pays time and a half, she figured… He asks if it’s really her spot, and she says, yeah. It’s usually very clearly marked with a ginormous E. He asks what makes this spot so special, other than being exclusively hers? and she says she comes up here to make sense of everything that happens in this hospital. He says, that’s exactly why he’s here.

On the phone in bed, Sonny tells Ava, don’t worry. He’s taking care of this Betty situation; he’s handling it. She asks just how he’s handling it. This woman is going to be around Avery every day, and they know she can’t be trusted. He says he has eyes on Betty. If she does anything wrong, one of his guys will get back to him. She asks how long they’re going to have to play this sick game before they get Betty away from their daughter, and he says, it’s going to be over soon. Avery comes into Ava’s bedroom, and Ava asks what she’s doing out of bed. Avery asks who she’s talking to, and Sonny tells Ava to put her on the phone. Ava tells Avery that her dad wants to say hi, and hands her the phone. Sonny asks what she’s doing up, and she says she couldn’t sleep. He tells her that she needs some rest; it’s a big day tomorrow. She says she knows. She’s so excited. Betty’s taking her to day camp. He says, she’s not going to have fun if she’s falling asleep in camp, when Nina comes in. Avery says she’ll try to sleep, and he tells her, goodnight. Ava says she’ll talk to him tomorrow, and Nina gets into bed. She says, Avery is up awfully late, and he says, she’s a lot like her dad; she doesn’t sleep very well. Nina says she knows she’ll sleep great as long as he’s next to her.

Dante checks out Pikeman on his laptop, when Sam gets into bed. She takes the laptop and puts it on the nightstand. He asks what she’s doing, and she says, work is over for the day. He wonders what they’re going to do for the rest of the evening. He has a lot of energy. They start to get busy.

Along with a couple of officers, Chase leads a handcuffed Ned, Carly, and Olivia into the station. Ned says he didn’t do anything wrong, and Carly says, it’s crazy. Olivia says she was accosted, and tells the officer to get his meat hooks off of her. Carly says, Ned and Olivia were assaulted, and Ned says, he was just having a beer. And by the way, they arrested the wrong guy. Chase tells them, enough. Shut up or you’re all going to the holding cell.

Anna leaves the house in the dark as someone watches her.

Olivia tells Chase, so she and Carly wind up at the Highsider because they were talking about old times and wanted to blow off some steam. Carly chose the Highsider because it reminded her of this old bar called Jake’s that she used to really like to go to. So they run into Ned – Ned says, EddieEddie, and Eddie starts trying to pick up on Carly. Ned says, trying? He was doing a pretty good job. Carly says, no he wasn’t. She took advantage of the situation because she was trying to figure out what was going on with Ned. Ned says, Eddie… Wait. She was working him? Carly says, that’s so not the point. She was telling Eddie that she knew someone who went through the exact same thing. She was trying to spark some kind of memory in Ned, or get Eddie to go back to the Quartermaines and let them get to know him somehow. Chase says he doesn’t see where this is going. Where does the guy come in who wouldn’t leave Olivia alone, and how did this fight start that ended with all of them in his custody? Olivia says she had to go to the ladies room because she put her hand in a big blob of nacho cheese. She comes back from the ladies room and sees Ned… Eddie at the bar trying to pick up Carly. Meanwhile, this low life comes over to her, a really totally unpleasant guy, and was trying to pick her up, and he wouldn’t take no for an answer. Chase’s phone rings, and he steps away to take the call. He says, this is Detective Chase… He understands. He goes back to the group, and says, that was the manager at the Highsider. He’s not going to press charges. They all breathe a sigh of relief, and Olivia says, so they can go home? Chase says he can release all of them as soon as someone comes to sign them out. Would anyone care to make a call?

Sam and Dante continue to get busy, when she says, wait. She has to ask him something. He says, right now? and she says she promised she’d ask and doesn’t want to forget. Maxie wants to rent the house. He asks, whose idea was that? and she says, mine?

Sonny’s phone rings, and he looks to see who it is.

Looking up at the sky, Elizabeth says, it’s beautiful, and Finn agrees. She asks, what’s got him up on this roof so late? He doesn’t say anything, and she asks if he’s okay. He says he is, and she asks, what is it? He says he lost a patient tonight, and she says she’s sorry. What happened? He says, it was a parasite, and he was able to identify it, and started treating it, but something just wasn’t right. He didn’t seem to be getting better. She asks if he didn’t get treatment in time, and Finn says, time was the one thing he didn’t have. When he started treatment, Finn noticed anomalies in his blood, so he took further tests, and it turns out he also had Stage IV cancer. She says, he didn’t know? and he says, no one did. His cancer had metastasized. He still chose to fight; he wanted every moment he could spend with his daughter and wife. She says, that’s the worst part about their job. It never gets easier. He says he hates it so much. It’s like a little part of him dies every time this happens. This one hit him hard. It’s like it was personal. She says, personal how? and he says, his daughter was a classmate of Violet’s. It just made him think, what if that was him?

Anna goes for a run in the dark, which seems like a weird thing to do, considering the circumstances. Someone slips into her house, and we see men’s shoes, so I assume it’s a man, but you never know.

Elizabeth says, it’s a natural reaction to think of your own life when someone dies, and he says, this is different. He’s Violet’s only parent. What happens to her if he was gone? She says, God forbid if something were to take him away from her, she’d still have her Uncle Chase and her grandfather and her. But he’s not going anywhere. He’s just rattled. She’s sure he has provisions in place with his dad and his brother. He says, Chase is a cop. He puts his life on the line every day when he goes to work. She says, but he really loves her, and Finn says he knows, but maybe that’s not enough. He’s thinking maybe there’s someone better for Violet. She says, like who? and he says, her. Will she be Violet’s guardian?

Nina wakes up to find Sonny gone. She calls his name a few times, and lies back down, but then she gets up.

Sam asks if Dante is sure he’s not upset with her for suggesting Maxie rent his house, and he says he’s sure, but he hasn’t thought about that house in a long time. (Wait. Wasn’t he just talking about it a few days ago? Assumption of audience short-term memory loss.) She says, they don’t have to talk about it if he doesn’t want to, but he says, they can talk about it. She says, he should have seen what she saw when she went to Maxie’s earlier. It was a complete disaster. Georgie and James were fighting, and Maxie had to put Georgie in her room because Georgie and James share a room. Obviously, it’s too close for comfort, and they just fight all the time. Then you add Bailey Lou to the mix, and you have three kids and Maxie in that apartment, and it’s so small. She thought about his house and thought, what a great idea. Maxie would be a great renter and his house is open, and Maxie’s practically family, right? She asks him to say something, and he says he thinks it’s a great idea. And he thinks Lulu would be really happy Maxie is living there. He thinks Maxie would take care of the place and her kids would have a yard to play in. She says, that’s exactly what she was thinking. James would actually be able to use the yard to play soccer, and Maxie could get Bailey Lou some type of swing set, and Georgie would be able to have her friends over. They could get tents and camp out in the backyard, and do what kids do. She thinks it would be really great for them. He says, yeah. And if Lulu were to wake up one day, she’d be the one to decide what to do with that house. Sam asks if he’s sure he’s okay with this, and he says he is. Why should that house sit empty and hollow, when Maxie could be filling it with her family and memories? She asks again if he’s sure, and he says, yes; it’s perfect. She says, that’s her thought, and he says, everything is perfect, kissing her. His phone rings, and she tells him, take it. He answers, and Chase says, they have a little situation down at the station with his mother. Dante says, his mother? Is she all right? Chase says, Olivia’s fine, and Dante tells Sam that his mother’s at the police station. She asks if Olivia is all right, and he says, yeah, then asks Chase, what happened? Chase says, there was a run-in at the Highsider and when the cops got there, let’s just say his mom had a lot to say with a lot of attitude. She left him no choice but to bring her in.

Austin runs into his office, sees Mason at this desk, and asks what he’s doing here. What does he want now? Mason shows Austin the cut on the back of his head and says he needs a doctor.

The man pours gasoline all over the inside of Anna’s first floor.

Ava’s phone rings, and she tells Nina, it’s late. What’s up? Nina says, Sonny is gone, and Ava asks what she means. Nian says she woke up and he wasn’t next to her, and Ava asks if she checked the rest of the apartment. Nina says she did. She even asked the guard, and he just told her that Sonny had to step out. He didn’t tell her where Sonny went or why he had to leave. Ava says, honestly, what did Nina expect?

Austin says, Mason can’t just waltz in here and make himself comfortable whenever he feels like it, and Mason says he’s hardly comfortable. He needs medical attention and who better to come to than his cousin who happens to be a doctor? Austin says, the ER, urgent care, whatever normal people do. He has real patients he has to attend to. Mason says he doesn’t think Austin wants him going to the ER, bleeding all over the place, just to ask for his cousin. Austin says, what he wants is for Mason to not be here at all, and Mason says he was doing Austin a favor. Austin says, if Mason wants to do him a favor, get out of here, and Mason says he didn’t want to draw attention to either one of them. He was trying to be discreet for Austin’s sake. Austin says, thanks. Here’s what he thinks. He thinks Mason is hiding in here from whoever hit him on the back of the head. So before he treats Mason – if he treats him at all – does Mason want to tell him what happened? Mason says, not really, and Austin says, okay. Then he doesn’t want to bandage Mason up. He heads for the door, and Mason says, okay. He had an encounter with a lady in a bar, and maybe things got a little out of hand.

Carly says she doesn’t understand why they need somebody to sign them out, when Dante comes into the station. Olivia says she’s a grown woman, and she doesn’t understand… Chase says, oh boy. Is he glad to see Dante, and Olivia says, not as glad as she is. You know what? Things need to change at the PCPD. She gets hauled into the station for defending herself against some lowlife, while there should be a manhunt out there for the jerk who was trying to accost her. Dante asks, what the hell happened here? and Chase says, his mom, Carly, and Ned started a fight at the Highsider. Olivia says, he’s damn right they started a fight. The guy wouldn’t take his hands off her; he wouldn’t take no for an answer. If this was Bensonhurst, her cousins would have had that guy… Dante says, stop. Please. Let him handle it. What are the charges? Chase says, the manager at the Highsider said they weren’t going to press any charges. Chase thinks he was glad just to get the three of them out of the bar. Dante knows how this works. If he signs for them, Chase can release them. Dante says, let’s do that. He’ll sign for all three of them. Carly says, no, and Olivia says, Dante Angelo Falconari. She did not do anything wrong and she refuses to be released into her son’s custody. Dante says, let’s not do this here, but Olivia tells him, just turn right around and go back the way he came. Dante says, oh yeah? and Ned says, thanks for the offer, but his ride is here. They all turn to see Sonny.

Anna stops for a moment, checks her watch, and runs back the way she came.

A gas can is dropped on the floor, and gas pours out. A match is lit and dropped into the puddle. It bursts into flame, and the man leaves the room.

Olivia says she did nothing wrong, and she refuses to be released into her son’s custody for defending herself against some handy jerk at a dive bar, and she’ll stay the night here before she gets Dante involved any further. Dante says he admires her principles, and she says, he should. Because they’re the same principles she instilled in him, and that’s why he turned out so good. She doesn’t care. She’ll stay here all night. She’s standing her ground. She folds her arms, and Dante asks her to come with him, just for a second, and tells the others that they’ll be right back. He takes Olivia into the interrogation room, and says, she’s so hellbent on spending the night here. That means he’s got to spend the night here with her. She understands that, right? She tells him, go home and be with Sam and the kids, but he says he can’t do that. How can he leave her here in this place and act like nothing’s wrong knowing she’s here? She says, okay. She guesses she understands. He says, please. Do him the favor. Let him take her home. She says, if she lets him take her home, if she lets him sign her out of here, it means she did something wrong. She did nothing wrong. She’s not guilty. He asks if she’ll think about Leo for a second. He’s going to wake up in the morning, and she’s not going to be there. He’s already dealing with Eddie in there, and he’ll have to leave Leo in Tracy’s care. She says, all right. She’ll do it for Leo, but she’s not admitting she did anything wrong. They go back in, and Dante says he’ll sign out for Carly too, but Sonny tells Dante to take his mother home. He’ll handle it. Olivia asks if Carly wants her and Dante to stay here until she leaves, but Carly tells her to go. It’s okay. Olivia says, text her when she gets out, and Carly says she will. They hug, and Olivia leaves with Dante, Ned watching her. Sonny says, as soon as Chase finishes the paperwork, Carly can go with him. She says, he can take Ned. She’s not going with him.

Nina tells Ava that she woke up and Sonny wasn’t next to her. Is it too much to ask to go to bed beside the man that she loves, the man she’s engaged to, then wake up with him still beside her? Now she’s here all alone. He could have texted her. He could have left her a note. Anything is better than an empty bed and a blank stare from one of the guards. Ava says, the man Nina is engaged to a mobster, and Nina says she knows that. Ava says, then she knows he doesn’t work 9 to 5. He’s going to disappear in the middle of the night with no note or text. Then he’s going to return with no explanation of where he was or why. She thought Nina understood all that. Nina says, knowing it in theory is a lot different than waking up alone.

Austin stitches Mason up, and Mason says, ow! Take it easy. Is he doing that on purpose? Austin says, if he was doing it on purpose, Mason would know, and Mason says, he must have a dozen malpractice suits, but Austin says, not so much. Does Mason want to tell him what happened with this woman? Is she going to be pressing charges? Mason says he doubts they’re going to be looking for him. He was just hitting on a hot brunette with a feisty temper. Austin says, from the look of those stitches, she was more than just feisty, but Mason says, she’s not the one that hit him. Someone… he thinks it was her blonde friend, hit him with the bottle. The next thing he knows, cop sirens were blaring. Austin says, and he just stumbled out of there, blood everywhere? Anybody see his ugly mug? (Sounds like something Scotty would say.) Mason says, no. He managed to sneak out the back during all the confusion. He thought to himself, hey, what better time to visit his cousin than when he actually needs a doctor? Austin says, lucky me, and Mason says he figured he could check up on their girl Betty. How’s she doing taking care of Sonny’s daughter?

Finn says he knows it’s a lot to ask, but Violet loves Elizabeth, and he can’t think of a better person to raise her if anything happened to him. He knows she’d be safe and loved with her and the boys. Elizabeth says, nothing’s going to happen to him, but he says, that’s just the thing. No one knows that for certain. She says, he’s right. No one knows what the future holds, but she also thinks he’s just unnerved over losing his patient tonight. He says, maybe, but if something was to happen to him, can he count on her? She says, of course (🍷). Always.

The man lights another match and Anna’s foyer goes up in flames. He lights one more and sets an easy chair on fire. He walks out, closing the door. Anna’s whole first floor becomes an inferno.

Finn tells Elizabeth that he’ll sleep easier knowing there’s a place for Violet; that she’ll grow up in a loving home. He can’t thank her enough. She says, he doesn’t have to thank her. She wants to do it. He doesn’t have anything to worry about. Everything’s going to be okay. He tells her, when she says it, he actually believes it, and she says, good. Because he’s going to get to watch Violet grow up, graduate from high school, graduate from college; maybe become a brilliant doctor just like her dad. He says, or maybe a brilliant nurse like her aunt, and Elizabeth says she likes the sound of that. He says he wants to make sure she knows what she might be getting into. Violet is unique. She says she knows, and he asks if she knows Violet is very particular about how she likes everything organized. It’s borderline OCD, and Elizabeth’s not the most organized person. She says, what? and he tells her that he’s just saying, there’s all that clutter in her house and she never throws anything away, and there’s still Cam’s soccer balls lying there from when… He just wants to make sure she’s up for it. She says, how hard can it be? He’s doing it. He laughs, and I say, touché.

Dante comes home to find Sam asleep. He touches her hair.

Avery comes into Ava’s room, and says, mommy? waking her. Ava says, what is it? and Avery says she can’t sleep. Ava says, well, she had a glass of water, she talked to her dad, Ava’s tucked her in twice. How can she help Avery? Avery says she wants to sleep with Ava, and Ava says, what about her little stuffed bunny? Won’t he miss her? Avery says, he’s tucked in already. She told him she was sleeping with her mommy. Ava laughs, and says, all right, hop in. Avery gets in the bed, and Ava puts the covers around her. Ava tells her, just think about all the fun she’s going to have at camp tomorrow. They’ll be lots of games and snacks, and she’s going to make lots of new friends. Avery says she already has a friend – Betty. And she’s going to see her tomorrow. She’s so nice. Ava doesn’t look happy, as none of us would.

Austin finishes stitching up Mason, and Mason asks about Betty. Is she still in with Sonny’s little girl? Austin says, who’s Betty? and Mason says, don’t play dumb. Austin says, he’s not playing dumb. Betty is Mason’s mole, not his. She’s his to keep tabs on. Mason says, she’s theirs to keep tabs on; Austin’s, his, and Ava’s. They’ve got to take ownership in this. They have as much riding on it as he does. And his friend Ava? He hopes she realizes what happens if this doesn’t work out. Austin says, Ava does not need to be reminded of what’s at risk here, and Mason asks if he’s sure. She seems to be like a loose cannon. He only knows what Betty tells him, but from what he hears, Ava is not happy. Austin says, he put Ava precisely between a rock and a hard place. He’s thinking she’s not happy. Mason says he’s thinking Austin needs to rein her in, and Austin says, thankfully, Ava is a woman who will never be reined in. Mason says, if she slips up and tells Sonny something… Austin says, she’s not going to slip up. Mason has Ava’s daughter, her life, right in the palm of his hand. Mason says, okay. The last thing they need is for Ava to expose Betty, or worse, expose them. Austin says, from what he knows, Avery is thrilled with Betty, and lucky for them, Sonny is happy with her services too. Mason says, that’s good to hear. Betty is cooperative. The more Sonny trusts her, the greater their odds they get something about his deal with Pikeman.

Ned says he doesn’t know what the deal is with Carly and Sonny, but he’s ready to go back to the bars. If Sonny would please sign him out… Carly tells Sonny, just take Ned and go, and Ned says, Eddie. Carly says, take Eddie and go, and Sonny tells Carly, let’s go. Chase comes out and promises Carly, it’s just a formality. All Sonny has to do is sign her paperwork and walk her out, and off the record, she can just call a Ride Share. Carly says she’s fine. She called her daughter. Josslyn’s coming down here, and Josslyn can sign her out. Sonny says, let’s talk, but she says, he’s not going to change her mind. Ned asks if he can leave, but Chase says, not without Sonny. Ned says, this just gets better and better, and Sonny tells Carly, let’s talk this out, and they step aside.

Sonny asks why she’s doing this. Why doesn’t she just text Josslyn and tell her that she doesn’t have to come down here; it’s late. Carly says she doesn’t need him. She doesn’t need his help. He asks why she has to be so stubborn. He’ll sign the papers, and they’ll walk out of here. Why does she have a problem with him doing this? She says she doesn’t have to tell him her reasons. Those days are gone. He says, but this is now. Forget those days. She says, why doesn’t he just take Ned and go? and he asks why she always puts her pride in front of everything else. She says, because her pride is the only thing she’s got. It’s the only thing she can rely on. He says, she can rely on him, and she says, come on. He says, he’s here, isn’t he? and she says, he’s here for Ned. Just take him and go, since she knows Nina doesn’t want him here. He says, it’s not about Nina right now. It’s about them having a conversation. She says, just take Ned and go, and he says he sees he’s not getting through to her, and nothing’s going to change her mind. She doesn’t want his help. She says, no, she doesn’t want his help.

Anna comes back to the house, and reaches for the doorknob, but pulls back from the heat. She uses her shirt to open the door, and finds everything blazing. A beam falls, but instead of calling, oh maybe the fire department, she surveys everything burning.

Elizabeth points out the first star in Orion’s belt, and Finn says, it’s his favorite. She says, her too, and he says, when he was a kid, he’d make wishes on it. She says, let’s make a wish, and closes her eyes. After a moment, he asks if she made a wish, and she says, yeah. Did he? He says, yes, and she puts her head on his shoulder as they gaze at the stars.

Dante gets into bed and spoons Sam. She asks if his mom is okay, and he says, mm-hmm. Her and Ned and Carly got into some hot water at the Highsider. Sam asks if they’re okay, and he says, yeah. He took his mother home, and Sonny was dealing with Carly and Ned. He’s just happy to be back here. She says, her too, and they get back to getting busy. There’s a song part.

We see Nina tossing and turning, and looking at her engagement ring.

Carly says, as hard as it is for Sonny to believe, she’s perfectly capable of taking care of herself. He says, look around. She’s still being detained. Unless she walks out that door with him, she’s going to be detained. She says, it’s her life. Whether she’s wrongfully detained or rightfully arrested, she can handle herself, and she can deal with the consequences. He says, it’s an easy fix. As long as she doesn’t make it so damn… She says she doesn’t care that it’s an easy fix. Ned called him; she didn’t. Sign him out and go. Sonny says, suit yourself, and signs the paperwork for Ned. Ned thanks him, and they leave. Chase asks if Carly has heard from Josslyn, but she says, no. She’s texting Josslyn, but thinks her phone is on silent. He asks if there’s anyone else she wants t to try calling, and she says her mom’s out of town and she doesn’t want to wake up Willow and Michael. He can just stick her in a holding cell if he has to. She gets it. He tells her to just sit by his desk and wait until her daughter calls, and she says, he doesn’t have to give her special treatment. He says he’ll get her a coffee, she sighs and sits down.

Finally outside on the phone, Anna says, her house is on fire. 232 Harborview Road… No. She’s standing out front. They need to hurry. It’s spreading rapidly.

Tomorrow, Dex asks, what’s the plan; Anna tells Valentin that someone out there wants her to pay for what she did; Mason asks why on earth he’d ever let Austin go; and Sonny says, there’s been a change of plan.

👶🏽 She’s Having Their Baby…

An addition to a storyline that already has us confused with revolving Davis girls. Cool that she gets to go to work with dad though.

🎳 Not The Strike You Think…

This sounds like a lot of fun. I’m actually tempted.

If you want to get tickets. The prices aren’t bad.

https://www.daytimestarsandstrikes.com/events.html

🍸 Still Drinking the Kool-Aid…

I have the feeling Billie Lee tends to go wherever the controversy spotlight is.

💎 LisaR Who…?

It’s not surprising. The relief has caused amnesia.

Like she cares. Sour grapes anyone?

🧂 Trailing Salt Lake…

It’s hard to take anyone seriously when they’re dressed like Captain Jack Sparrow or a drag queen. Love the blue cast photo though!

https://ew.com/tv/real-housewives-of-salt-lake-city-season-4-premiere-date-trailer/

More Than You Can Afford…

Wow. Just wow.

📺 Bravo Baby Come Back…

I loved the Shahs. I believe Bravo definitely wanted to distance themselves from Mike, but that shouldn’t have caused a cancelation. And I don’t believe for a second they couldn’t have figured out a budget.

🐉 The Dragons Are Coming…

What’s happening with Season Two of House of the Dragon. I missed the first couple episodes of Season One, and for some reason, couldn’t get into it, but maybe I’ll give it another whirl.

⚰️ Dead Happenings…

Those two crazy kids.

https://movieweb.com/the-walking-dead-rick-and-michonne-spinoff-unveils-behind-the-scenes-images/

Yep. We’ve all made bad decisions. Although most of them don’t result in us finding ourselves in France.

🏆 Pinning Down Emmy…

2024 is the new 2023. Unfortunately, it looks like the Daytime Emmy Awards have been postponed indefinitely. Susan Lucci can never catch a break.

https://ew.com/awards/emmys/2023-emmys-new-date-announced/

🐕 Lassie Come Home…

Dogs you might know.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/pets/g20687419/famous-dogs-from-movies/

🫧 Quotes of the Week

From the errors of others, a wise person corrects their own. – Pubilius Syrus

Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection. – Mark Twain

You can start changing our world for the better daily, no matter how small the action. – Nelson Mandela

Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them. – Madam C.J. Walker

People tend to be generous when sharing their nonsense, fear, and ignorance. And while they seem quite eager to feed you their negativity, please remember that sometimes the diet we need to be on is a spiritual and emotional one. Be cautious with what you feed your mind and soul. Fuel yourself with positivity and let that fuel propel you into positive action. – Steve Maraboli

I’d bet on rabbits if you could get them organized. – Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen), Two and a Half Men

A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety. – Aesop

Once you start name calling, cordial’s out the window. – John McManus, Pillow Talk: 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days

The noisiest thing in the world is someone trying to be quiet. – me

🎤 Whoomp, There It Was…

Make a return trip on Monday really Tuesday for soap and a look at Kate and the Captain’s Couch. Until then, stay safe, stay continually learning new things, and stay understanding that if you’re engaged to a mobster, he’s going to disappear in the middle of the night with no note or text. Then return with no explanation of where he was or why.

⚠️ Caution: Lyrics may not be for sensitive ears.

July 28, 2023 – Sonny Turns the Tables, Reject Dress, The Loud Woman, VanderStatus, Roadblock, Not Barbie, About Those Dead, Kitty Cooper, Funny Pets (!), Quotes of Eight & Rain

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Chechnya, Russia. Valentin and Laura walk into a mansion that’s obviously unoccupied. He says, there’s no car in the driveway and no lights on, and she says, it’s deserted. He says, none of the Cassadines have been here in years, when a man runs down the stairs, holding a gun and yelling in Russian.

Dante brings Charlotte to see Lulu in a hospital that looks suspiciously like GH. Charlotte says she wants to see her mom, but she’s worried about her grandmother too. Is it safe for her to be in Russia? Papa knows his way around, but she’s nervous about grandma. Dante says, she’s going to be okay. Charlotte’s dad is with her and Doc is with her; she’s in good hands. Is she ready? Charlotte nods, and they go inside Lulu’s room.

Spencer thinks about calling Trina, and Esme asks if he’s heard from his grandmother. He says, nothing, and Esme says she hasn’t heard anything either. Not that she’s family, but she’s worried. Does he think it’s a bad sign he hasn’t heard from her? He says he doesn’t know, and she asks if he thinks she’s in trouble. He says he doesn’t know, but even if she was, there isn’t a damn thing he can do about it. Just leave it alone.

Kristina lets herself in to Molly’s apartment and says, it’s her favorite sister. Molly says she’s not surprised to see Kristina since she texted, but she’s surprised because that wasn’t very Kristina-like. Kristina says she’s working on being much more sisterlike. How is she doing? Molly says, A for effort. How does Kristina think she’s doing? Kristina says, there’s a definite learning curve, but whenever she’s in doubt, she asks herself, what would her younger, wiser, more beautiful sister do?

In his office, Michael discusses the budget with someone on the phone, when there’s a knock at the door. Carly comes in, and Michael says he’s got to go. Send him the accurate numbers by the end of the day. She says she’s sorry she just barged in. His assistant said she could come. She’s so happy to see him back in the office. He says, it’s not exactly by choice, and she says, he hasn’t left Willow’s side for months, but this must mean she’s continuing to get better. He says he’s very grateful her strength is coming back. When she tells him to stop hovering, he guesses it’s a good thing, but it means he has to give her some space. So he decided to come back to the office. Now that Drew is… She says, in prison. He can say it. She didn’t come here to talk about Drew, but she does have something she needs to talk to him about. He says, what about? and she says, his father.

Sonny does some work in his office, when his phone rings. It’s Nina, and he asks where she is. She says she’s at the MetroCourt. She’s trying to get some work done, but can’t keep her mind off the situation with Willow. He says he thought she told him things were better, but she says, Willow’s not the problem. It’s Michael. Ava walks into Sonny’s office, and says, they need to talk. Sonny tells Nina that he has to go. He has to take care of something. He asks Ava, what’s the problem? and she says, the problem is him. He told her that he was going to take care of that woman. This is how he takes care of it? He sends Avery off with that psychopath? She shows him a picture of Betty and Avery on her phone.

Avery swims in the pool, and Betty tells her, it’s time to go, but she says, just one more. Please. She swims off and Josslyn walks in. Avery calls to her, and Josslyn asks what she’s doing. Avery says she had swim class today and learned this. She floats on her back, and Josslyn says, amazing. Avery is better than she is. She could go to the Olympics with that. Dex stands near the entrance, and Trina sees him. She tells him, if he’s looking for Joss, she’s right over there. He says he’s not. He’s actually working. Avery tells Josslyn that she has a new nanny. Her name is Betty. Betty and Josslyn smile at each other.

Ava says she stopped by Sonny’s apartment to see Avery, and the guard said she’s out with that Mary Poppins from hell. Sonny says, relax. Betty took Avery to the MetroCourt pool for her swimming lessons. Ava says, don’t tell her to relax. The woman is violent. Betty smacked her face. What if she hurts Avery? What if she kidnaps Avery? What was he thinking? He says, Betty is their best bet to lead them to whoever blackmailed Ava, but she says she already told him. It’s that creep Mason. He says, Mason is taking orders from somebody else. They have to find out who it is and Betty’s going to steer them right to his boss.

Josslyn says she didn’t realize Avery had a new nanny. What happened to Pilar? Betty says she has no idea. She interviewed with Ava Jerome, Avery’s mother. Josslyn says she knows Ava, and Betty says, Mr. Corinthos joined them and asked her to start today. Josslyn says, she must have really impressed him, and Betty says, who is Josslyn again? Josslyn tells her that she’s Josslyn Jax, Avery’s older sister, but Betty says she’s confused. Miss Jerome told her that Avery has a half-sister, but she’s younger than Avery. Either Josslyn is big for her age, or she’s not really Avery’s sister.

Michael asks if something is up with Sonny, and Carly says she was hoping he could tell her. Has he heard anything from Dex? Michael says, so far, he’s sticking to the agreement. He’s keeping tabs on Sonny and letting Michael know if there are any big deals in the works. Carly says, so what’s the latest? and Michael says, last night, Dex found a dead body. Carly asks if he knows who it was, and Michael says, apparently, it’s a guy with a connection to Dr. Gatlin-Holt. Carly asks if Austin isn’t seeing Ava. She saw them together at the Nurses Ball. He says he doesn’t know, but Dex called Sonny and told him that he found a dead body near a dumpster, and surprisingly, Sonny told him to call the police. She says, that doesn’t make any sense. Why would Sonny have Dex call the police? I’m not sure why everyone is so shocked. Sonny didn’t know Gordon and has nothing to do with him, so why wouldn’t he be a good citizen?

Kristina says she’s not here for Molly’s sage advice; she’s here to serve her sister. What can she get Kristina? She sees Kristina has water and snacks. She knows – a smoothie. Molly says, Sam beat her to it, and Kristina says, Sam the good sister. She knows one thing she doesn’t think Sam got for Kristina, and takes a stuffed horse out of her bag. Kristina says, Valiant, and takes the horse. This is exactly what she needed.

Esme asks if her concern for Spencer’s grandmother is bothering him. For all they know, she could be locked up in some Russian prison, but clearly he’s not worried, so she’ll keep it to herself from now on. He says he’s sorry he snapped at her. He’s very worried and concerned about his grandmother, but right now, he’s far more worried about Trina. Her father was shot and he could also be paralyzed, and he has no idea how to help her. Esme says, getting upset with her isn’t going to fix anything, but why doesn’t he call Trina and tell her that he’s thinking about her?

The man asks in Russian what Valentin and Laura are doing here, and Valentin answers in Russian, they mean no harm. They’re looking for someone. He tells them, get out, and in Russian, Laura says, we come in peace. The man says he speaks English. They’re trespassing. Now get out. Laura says, they don’t want to hurt anyone. All they want is information. They’re looking for someone. He asks who they’re looking for, and Valentin says, Nikolas Cassadine. The man says, Cassadines are evil, and spits. They’re all gone. What is that American expression? Good riddance. They’re very dangerous people. Stay away from that family. Laura says, he doesn’t understand. Nikolas Cassadine is her son, and they’ve got to find him. The man asks why they’re looking in Chechnya. Has he been kidnapped? Or is he running from authorities? Valentin says, they don’t know. That’s what they’re trying to find out. Laura says, he disappeared from his home in the United States five months ago and they have no idea what happened to him. The man says, if he’s a Cassadine, nothing good.

Charlotte tells Lulu (who we never really see) about winning a ribbon in her equestrian show. Dante says, she was amazing. Rocco’s doing amazing as well. He doesn’t know how, but Rocco’s got straight As. He’s always talking about every girl in his class; he’s got a crush every week. Charlotte says, Lulu is missing so much. She’s starting high school in the fall. She spent so many years at boarding school, but she’s happier staying in Port Charles and being close to her family. But Lulu isn’t there. She has to wake up and come back to them. Dante says he’ll give Charlotte time with her mom, and gets up. He says, they’ll see Lulu soon. They miss her. He leaves, and Charlotte says, Dante’s right. They really, really miss her, but she misses Lulu more.

Ava says, Sonny can follow any lead he wants, just please don’t involve their daughter. He says, does she really think he’d put his daughter at risk? Ava says, that’s what he’s doing right now, but he says, she’s not at risk. He’s going to take care of this like he said he was. She’s going to have to trust him.

Avery gets out of the pool, and Josslyn puts a towel around her. She asks Avery to do her a favor and tell her new nanny who she is, and Avery says, Josslyn’s her big sister. Josslyn says, the branches of their family are very complicated. She’d be happy to draw Betty a diagram. Betty says, that won’t be necessary, but thanks for the offer. They’re both smiling, but I don’t think they’re smiling in their heads. Josslyn says, Betty’s probably right. She’ll be gone before she can memorize any names. Betty tells Avery, time to go, and Josslyn says, nice meeting you. Betty says nothing, and leaves with Avery. Dex watches, then follows. Trina asks Josslyn what that was all about, and Josslyn says she has no idea, but she needs to find out. She has to call Sonny. What the hell is he thinking letting that girl look after Avery? Trina says, don’t call Sonny, and Josslyn asks, why? Trina says she has the feeling something else is going on. When she got here, Josslyn’s boyfriend was over there, but it didn’t look like he was soaking up rays. He was keeping a low profile watching Avery and the nanny. He never took his eyes off them. That’s got to mean something, right? Josslyn says, but what?

Michael tells Carly that he’s not sure how all this fits together, but Dex will get more information soon. He really needs to thank her. Carly says, for what? and he says, she’s the one who encouraged this arrangement with Dex. It’s nice to know they have somebody they can trust in Sonny’s organization. It works out for both of them, since Sonny thinks he has a trustworthy lieutenant, and they don’t get blindsided by his illegal dealings. She says she thinks this is about more than getting information from Dex. She thinks a part of him wants Dex to protect his father. He says he’s not saying he can forgive or even wants to forgive Sonny, but a part of him still cares about Sonny. Carly says she’ll take that as a plan and hugs him.

Kristina kisses the stuffed horse, and says she’s missed him. Where has he been hiding all these years? She thought she lost him. Kristina says, he was in some mislabeled box. She was in mom’s attic looking for pieces to sell at the community fundraiser, and she saw this box labeled law books. She opened it up, and there was Valiant, right there on top of the New York Penal Code. Molly says she’s so grateful Kristina found him. She knows it must sound silly, but this little guy meant so much to her. Kristina says, Molly was the only four-year-old on this planet who would name their stuffed animal Valiant and actually knew what it was. Kristina had stuffed animals named like the rest of them; Fluffy, Stuffy, Coco. Molly says, one time when she was six or seven, she had friends over and showed them Valiant, and they all made fun of his name. Kristina came storming in the room, saying they were all stupid, and if they didn’t stop making fun of Molly, she was going to pour maple syrup in their hair. Kristina says she remembers that. Then they ran out the door so fast. She thinks it’s the last time they came over to their house. She thinks she made life a lot harder for Kristina than it needed to be. Sorry. Kristina says she’s not. She was proud of her big sister then, and she still is.

Laura says, this is about her son, and asks the man if he has any children. He says, da. Two daughters. She says, then he must understand what she’s going through now. Is there anything he can tell her? He says he’s sorry he was harsh with her. He would help her if he could, but he has no idea where this Nikolas Cassadine is. Valentin asks if this is his house, and the man says he bought it for his family. But it was all done through lawyers. He never saw the previous owner. Valentin says, lucky him.

Spencer says he wants to be there for Trina, but it’s complicated, and Esme asks, why? He says, Trina’s mother isn’t a fan of any Cassadine, particularly him, and he does understand why she doesn’t like him. His father has done a lot of damage, but even he pales in comparison to his Uncle Victor. To make matters worse, she’s holding the other side of his family accountable for her husband’s shooting. Esme says, what? and he says he told her it was complicated. Curtis Ashford was shot, and Dr. Robinson thinks the bullet was meant for his Uncle Sonny. She says, so Trina’s mom pretty much hates everyone related to him? and he says, yeah, with the exception of his grandmother and Ace, and one of them is a baby and the other isn’t even in this country.

Josslyn tells Trina that she’s happy Dex is looking out for Avery, but she gets bad vibes from that girl. Trina is absorbed with her phone, and Josslyn asks if she’s there. Trina says she’s sorry. She was hoping there would be a message from Spencer. Josslyn asks why she doesn’t text him, and Trina says she would, but it wouldn’t be right. Josslyn asks what that means, and Trina says her mom is dealing with so much since Curtis was shot, and she never liked Spencer, so she’s trying to keep her distance from him. She doesn’t want to add more stress. Josslyn says, but she misses him, and Trina says, yeah. Josslyn says she understands Trina’s mom needs support, but Trina needs support too. She bets the only reason Spencer isn’t reaching out is because he doesn’t want to put pressure on Trina. But if Trina needs him, let him know. She won’t regret it.

Molly says she appreciates Kristina looking out for her, and Kristina says, it’s usually the other way around. She was always jumping from one thing to the next, getting herself in these difficult situations, and leaving an absolute mess in her wake. But there she was, her Molly, cleaning up her messes. Molly says she just never wanted Kristina to get in trouble, and Kristina asks if Molly remembers doing her homework for her. Molly was like three grades below her and would do her homework. She covered for Kristina when she was in trouble with mom, and comforted her when she cried or was upset. Molly always took care of her. Molly says, not always. She didn’t take care of Kristina when her abusive boyfriend Kiefer Bauer was beating her up.

Betty comes into Pozzulo’s with Avery, who runs to Ava, hugging her. Avery tells Ava that she can float on her back, and Ava says she’s so proud of Avery. Betty says, Avery had a terrific lesson. She could barely get Avery out of the water when it was time to go. Sonny says he wants to hear all about it, but right now he wants Avery to stay with Frank. He and Betty need to have a conversation. Maybe Frank can give Avery some biscotti. Frank says, sounds good, and Sonny, Ava, and Betty go into Sonny’s office. Sonny says he knows it’s Betty’s first day and Avery seems to like her a lot. That’s important to him. Betty says, he has a wonderful daughter, and he says, anybody who can make his daughter that happy, is okay by him. Betty asks if he’d like her to take Avery to his place, but he says, no. She can pick Avery up there tomorrow morning. They’re not going to need her for the rest of the day. He gives her some cash, she thanks him, and she leaves. Avery and Frank are playing cards while they have biscotti, and Betty tells Avery, see you tomorrow. Ava comes out, and Sonny says he has a phone call to make, closing his office door.

The man says, Laura seems like a nice woman, but it’s obvious her son has left her. It must be painful. She says she doesn’t believe her son would just leave her. He has kids and she doesn’t believe he’d abandon them. Maybe he was forced to leave. The man says he’s sorry. He wishes he could help her, but there’s nothing he can do. Please show themselves out. He leaves, and Valentin says, where do they go from here?

Charlotte tells Lulu that the other girls talk about doing things with their mothers; shopping, getting manicures, going away for the weekend. She just smiles and pretends it’s okay. Sam and Grandmother take her out, but it’s just not the same. She never actually told her friends what really happened to Lulu. If she doesn’t tell them where Lulu is, she can believe it isn’t real; that she’s just away for a little while, and she’ll be back soon. So she has to wake up. Charlotte puts her head down on the bed and cries.

Esme says, it’s such a beautiful day. As soon as Ace wakes up, why don’t she and Spencer take him to the park? He says he has a better idea. Why don’t they take him to the MetroCourt pool, and they can dip his feet in the water. He’ll love it. She says, yes, absolutely. She just got him a bathing suit and he has a matching hat. He’ll look adorable. She goes into the other room, and Spencer opens the front door. Trina is there, and he says he’s surprised to see her… in the best way. She says she’s sorry for just showing up without calling, but he says, don’t apologize. Come in. She’s always welcome here. She says she’s glad to hear him say that. These last few days have just been really hard, and she’s missed him. He hugs her, and Esme watches.

Carly goes into Sonny’s office, and Ava asks, what brings her here? Carly says she came to pick up Avery. Avery is coming with her for a sleepover with Donna and Josslyn. Sonny says he appreciates her doing this on short notice, and Ava says, how short? When did Sonny set this up? Carly says, he called her just a few minutes ago. What’s going on here?

Kristina asks why Molly would bring up Kiefer. She hasn’t thought about him in years. Molly says, really? and Kristina says, no. That’s not true. She just doesn’t like to admit how often she does think about that time in her life, but she does. Especially now, working with troubled teens. So many of them are in abusive relationships, and it just brings her back to Kiefer. She tries to help them, but she can’t even help herself. Molly says she should have helped Kristina. She knew something was wrong and she should have said something. She could hear Kristina crying in her room every night, and she knew something was wrong. Every time she asked Kristina, Kristina got upset and said to leave her alone. So she did. She’s so sorry. She should have pushed harder to get Kristina to open up. Kristina takes Molly’s hand, and says, she has nothing to be sorry for. It’s on her. She couldn’t find a way to get herself out of that hole. Sometimes she wonders if that’s when everything started. Molly says, when what started? and Kristina says, her life just derailed when she was with Kiefer. Ever since then, she tries, but she’s never been able to get it back on track.

Michael opens his office door to Nina, who thanks him for seeing her. She knows she’s not his favorite person right now. He asks what he can do for her, and she asks if they can make peace for Willow’s sake.

Sonny says he just thought Avery would like to spend some time with her sisters, and Carly says, whatever. The girls will be thrilled to have Avery. They walk out, and Carly tells Avery, let’s get this sleepover started. Avery heads for the door, and Carly looks at Sonny and Ava. She says, whatever, and follows.

Nina says she and Willow had a wonderful visit the other day, but Michael says he doesn’t quite remember it that way. She says, if he remembers correctly, she was at the hospital checking on Sasha, he stepped outside, and she and Willow made significant progress. He asks, what exactly does that mean? and she says, it means she and Willow communicate better when he’s not in the room. He says he’s pretty busy, so can she get to the point? and she says her point is, at best, he just tolerates her and wishes she wasn’t in Willow’s life, but she’s Willow’s mother. Michael says she’s mentioned that once or twice, and she says she now knows Willow is open to the idea of them having a relationship. And she’s wondering, is he open to that too?

Molly says, Kristina has gotten her life back on track. Look what she’s doing with the youth center. She’s going to make a difference in these kids’ lives. She thought that made Kristina happy. Kristina says, it does, but she doesn’t know if she’s enough for them. These kids are so desperate for help, and she doesn’t know if she has the skills or the tools to adequately help them. Soon her center is going to be up and running, and her name is going to be on that building, but it’s not going to be hers. She thinks she’s been fooling herself this whole time, thinking she can make a difference and help these kids, but she doesn’t know if she can. Molly tells her, don’t say that. She knows Kristina can. Kristina says, stop. Molly is here with an injured leg and she’s doing it again; she’s comforting Kristina. Molly says, because that’s what she does when she loves someone. And before Kristina talks herself out of being useful to these kids, take the time to educate herself. No one knows how to take on a project like that without experience. So take some classes. Study management. Talk to people who’ve done this before. She can do this. Kristina asks why she’s so sure, and Molly says, because she believes in Kristina. She’s just got to believe in herself.

Esme says, Spencer told her about Trina’s dad. She’s so sorry. It must be so scary thinking he could be paralyzed. Trina says, it’s been awful, and Esme says she’s going to check on Ace. He’s about to get up from his nap and she’s going to take him to the park. She leaves, and Spencer says he’s so sorry for what Trina’s going through. How is she holding up? She says she’s so worried for Curtis. She’s trying to stay strong for her mom, but she doesn’t know what to do to make her feel better. He says he does. Stay away from him.

Laura asks if Valentin think the owner would mind if they had a look around the house, and he says, she could ask him, but he doesn’t think they’re going to find any clues around here. She says she guesses he’s probably right, but she did get the feeling he was telling them the truth. He says, they need to regroup; think of somewhere else Nikolas could be hiding. She says, what if he’s not hiding? What if he’s being held against his will? Victor could have turned on him just like he turned on Valentin and Spencer. Valentin says, Victor’s dead. Nikolas could be anywhere. Doc is probably back at the hotel by now. Let’s get the hell out of here.

Dante says it’s tough for Charlotte to see her mom like that, but the doctors say maybe she can hear them, so it’s important they’re here as much as they can be. Charlotte says she knows. She just wants her mom to come home – their home. She went by there the other day and looked in the window. It made her sad. Everything was covered in sheets and so quiet. Not like it used to be. He says, they had some really good memories there, didn’t they? and she says she just doesn’t like seeing it so empty. She bets mom would want someone to live there.

Trina says, the last thing she wants is to stay away from Spencer. She needs him more than ever. He’s the thing that gives her strength to hang on right now. He says he thinks she’s the first person who’s ever said that to him, and she says she doesn’t care what people say. They don’t know him like she does. She needs him. He says he’s always here for her, but he thinks it’s going to add a lot of stress to her mom’s life right now if she knows he’s spending time with her. She says she hates to admit it, but she thinks he might be right. She doesn’t want to stay away from him, but it would probably be best to keep their relationship low key for now. He says, yeah, he gets it. He’s the last person her mom wants to see, so he’ll steer clear of her, and if Trina needs him, he’ll be here whenever. She says, now would be a good time, and they kiss.

In the bedroom, Esme tells Ace, sorry, buddy. She wanted to take him to the pool today, but his big brother has other plans. She guesses that means Trina is more important than they are. It’s just her and him; they’ve only got each other. Unless she takes steps to change that situation.

Michael says he’ll support any decision his wife makes. If she wants to have a relationship with Nina, he has no problem with that. She tells him that his attitude says otherwise, and he asks what she’s trying to say. She says, while he’s polite to her somewhat in front of Willow, it’s clear he wants nothing to do with her and just wants her to go away. Willow knows that, and it’s just a matter of time before Wiley and Amelia feel it as well. She knows she’s made mistakes. She just wants to rectify them and make peace. Kristina barges in and asks if she’s interrupting something, but Michael says, no. Nina was just leaving. Nina says she guesses she was just leaving, and asks Michael to please give her a second chance. That’s all she’s asking. Whether he likes it or not, they’re family and she’s not giving up. She gives Kristina a quick kiss as she goes by, and when she’s gone, Kristina asks why Michael is being such a bastard to Nina.

Dex goes over to Josslyn, who’s lying on a chaise lounge, and she says she wanted to ask him something. Trina said she saw him earlier, and it looked like he was doing surveillance on Avery and her nanny. Does he want to tell her what that’s about? He says, Sonny asked him to keep an eye on Avery and the new nanny, so he was tailing her. Josslyn says, Avery’s her sister, so she kind of has a right to know, and he says he’d tell her if he knew, but Sonny hasn’t shared the details. But he thinks it has something to do with Ava Jerome.

Ava says, please tell her that he’s not bringing Carly into this. Sonny has to promise her that he’s not going to tell Carly what she did to Nikolas. He says, that she killed him? and she says, it was an accident. She didn’t mean to do it. He says he won’t tell Carly about Nikolas unless he has to, and she asks what that means. He says, the good thing is, Betty bought his act. She thinks she’s spying on him, but it’s the other way around. She’s going to lead them to whoever’s behind this. And when he finds them, they’re not going to know what hit them.

On Monday, Sonny asks if Anna is still planning to use herself as bait; Kristina says she thought someone would never ask; Tracy says, Gregory is surprisingly charming; Martin says, it must be his lucky night; and Drew tells someone, get the hell away from him.

👧🏼 New Kid On the Block…

The latest in Georgies.

👗 The Right Choice…

Jen dishes on the wedding of the century and her rejected Reunion dress.

🍊 Don’t Say It…

It really doesn’t sound like all that big a deal, but oh yeah, it’s Shannon.

Was she kicked out or just looking for her Uber? I want to know what the argument was about.

🍸 Good Luck With This…

Who will and won’t film with the undesirable Tom.

🥪 Something About Them…

I thought it was open already, they’ve had so many soft launches.

👶 Comes With Accessory Baby…

This is actually a pretty funny idea.

⚰️ Let’s Talk About Dead…

FWD, coming to your TV in October.

Obviously not a real New Yorker.

I’m hoping it goes on forever.

The name isn’t what you thought it was.

https://ew.com/events/comic-con/rick-and-michonne-walking-dead-title-teaser-explained-ones-who-live/

We are from France.

🐱 He Is Not a Cat…

Although he does kind of look like one.

https://ew.com/tv/anderson-cooper-compared-dog-cat-live-with-kelly-mark/

🐕 Comedic Companions…

These are great! How come I never catch my pets doing this stuff? By the time I get the camera, they get bored and walk away or they’ve moved on to something else. I have a lot of pictures of tails.

https://people.com/finalists-announced-of-the-2023-comedy-pet-photography-awards-see-photos-7561437

🪶 Quotes of the Week

Moderation is the feebleness and sloth of the soul, whereas ambition is the warmth and activity of it. – François de La Rochefoucauld

It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do little; do something.Sydney Smith

You are always free to change your mind and choose a different future, or a different past. – Richard Bach (I’m not too sure about that past thing… maybe a different viewpoint of the past.)

Real difficulties can be overcome; it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable. – Theodore Vail

Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves. – Carl Jung

Everyone must choose one of two pains: The pain of discipline or the pain of regret. – Jim Rohn

I don’t do anything in order to cause trouble. It just so happens that what I do naturally causes trouble. I’m proud to be a troublemaker. – Sinead O’Connor

So let me get this hetero-straight. So you’s a vampire, that can come out in the daytime? … Oh there goes the damn neighborhood. – Lafayette Reynolds (Nelsan Ellis), True Blood

🔮 I Ain’t Got No Crystal Ball…

Come back for more soap and tea on Monday really Tuesday. FYI, Below Deck Down Under is airing a new season on Mondays, but I’m Decked out. Until then, stay safe, stay always being polite to waitstaff, and stay talking to people who’ve done it before when you take on a big project without experience.

July 21, 2023 – Sonny Sizes Up Austin, New Nanny, Will He, Transformed, Dueling Deckhands, New Chef, Dead Stuff, She’s Here, Robfusal, Sea Dog, Just Five Quotes & Her World

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny says, to protecting our own, and clinks glasses with Nina and Ava. He asks Austin, what’s wrong? Does he have a problem with the toast?

As the doctor pokes at Curtis’s legs, TJ asks what he feels, but Curtis says he doesn’t feel a thing. He can’t feel anything. None of them seem surprised that he can’t feel his legs. Will somebody tell him what the hell is going on? He shouts, what’s going on?!

Diane walks into the hospital on the phone, and says she’s literally walking in the door… Don’t worry. She’ll find Sasha and take care of everything. Leaning on the counter, Robert says, everything? That’s a tall order, even for Killer Miller.

Sasha is wheeled out of the elevator, and Gladys says, she’s going to get better. She knows it doesn’t look like it, but she promises to do everything she can to get Sasha all the help she needs. Dr. Montague comes out and says he knows how upsetting this must be for Gladys, but he’s here now. He asks if Sasha remembers him. He’s Dr. Montague, and he’s here to help her. She says, help her? and he says, she’s not herself right now, but he promises she will be soon. He’ll make sure of that. He asks the officer to take Sasha to the exam room, and the officer leaves with Sasha. Gladys says, he never told her that Sasha would get this bad, but Montague says, her daughter-in-law is much worse off than she led him to believe. Gladys asks what he gave her. She hurt somebody. It’s lucky she didn’t kill him. And she’s in so much pain now. She never meant for Sasha to suffer… He says, shut up. They both know what she meant to happen. She did her part; now he’ll do his. He goes into the exam room, and closes the door. Gladys looks at Sasha through the window, and Montague closes the blinds.

Carly visits Drew in Pentenville, and says she knows she promised she wouldn’t visit so soon, but he says he’s glad she did. She says she knows he wanted to feel more settled, but she had to see him. She misses him so much. He says he misses her, and she says, here she is. He says, she looks so beautiful, even in a place like this, and she says, she talked to Sam. Scout’s determined to visit him ASAP. He says, she knows how Scout is when she sets her mind to something; you can’t change it. The last time he was locked in a cell, he etched her name in the wall, and that’s what kept him alive, but now he has so much more to live for. She says, this place is better than Crete, right? and he flashes back to Cyrus giving him a Bible with a screwdriver in it. Carly asks, what’s wrong?

At the pool, Dex tells Josslyn, other people were at the pool when the shooting happened. Anna Devane for one, and the police are even certain Curtis wasn’t the target. She says she’s certain. Curtis was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The bullet was meant for Sonny. It could have been Dex. He says, no, but she says, he already got shot working for Sonny. What’s to say it won’t happen again? He says, because now he has more to live for. He’s never loved anyone as much as he loves her. He’s not going to give that up. They kiss.

TJ says, Curtis has every right to be concerned, and Portia says, TJ is right, but he doesn’t want to put too much stress on himself right now. That’s going to make it… Curtis says, stop. He can’t feel his legs. He needs them to stop talking to him like family. They’re doctors and he’s a patient. Why can’t he feel his legs? Dr. Barnsdall says he understands why Curtis is so concerned, but he’s just come through very extensive spinal surgery. Curtis is lucky to be alive. The bullet fragments he removed were lodged very close to Curtis’s spine. He was under very heavy sedation during the procedure. Every patient’s body reacts differently when that wears off. Curtis says, so the anesthesia is why he can’t feel his legs? and the doctor says, that’s one of the possibilities. Curtis says, cut it to him straight. What are the other possibilities? Dr. Barnsdall says he still needs to look at some of the other tests and scans they took after the surgery, and then he’ll better be able to answer some of Curtis’s questions. He’ll leave Curtis with his family now. The doctor leaves with the nurse, and TJ asks if Curtis heard what Dr. Barnsdall said. Very few people would have even survived that surgery. Portia says, if Aunt Stella were here, she thinks Stella would call it a miracle, and Curtis says, a miracle.

Diane tells Robert that she’s here to see her client Sasha Gilmore. Yes, she knows Sasha was recently represented by Martin Grey, but he asked her to take over when he was called away. He asks if Martin is going to be back, and she says, he is, but Maxie felt Sasha needed… He says, a killer shark, but she says, compassion and complete dedication. She will take care of everything. She knows why he’s here, and no, he won’t interrogate her client in her current state.

Gladys tells the guard that her daughter-in-law is not a criminal. He saw how gentle she was. She just needs a little psychological help, that’s all. He looks straight ahead like a guard at Buckingham Palace, and she says, oh God, and walks away.

Sasha says she knows he’s Dr. Montague, and he says, very good. Does she know why she’s here? She says, for more of those pills he gave her? but he says, no. Those pills would have helped her, but he warned her not to take too many. She says she only took three pills a day like he told her, and as he prepares a syringe, she notices blood on her clothes. He says, soon, all of her questions will be answered, and she sees the syringe. She asks, what’s that? No. He gives her the shot.

Austin says he really respects Sonny. Sonny is a powerful man and puts such a high value on family. Sonny says, nothing more important than family, and Austin says, absolutely. Let him try to put Sonny’s mind at ease. He hasn’t spent a lot of time with Avery, but the little time he’s spent with her, she’s lovely. He thinks she looks at him and sees him as not just her mom’s friend, but maybe her friend as well. Sonny says, Avery sees the good in everybody, and Austin says, that’s wonderful. He wonders if she got that from Ava, or is it a trait she inherited from Sonny? Sonny says he always gives people another chance, and Austin says, just the one? What happens when people disappoint him? Sonny asks, what happens when Austin loses a patient? and Austin says he thinks he can speak for every doctor in the world when he says, it’s hard to lose a patient. Sonny says, you’ve just got to move forward. It’s sad, but some people are beyond helping. You’ve just got to move on.

Portia says, please talk to them, and Curtis says he understands what the doctor was saying. He’s lucky to be alive, and he’s grateful for everything everyone at the hospital has done for him. But he wants to walk out of the hospital on his own, and that’s not going to happen. TJ tells him, that’s not what Dr. Barnsdall said, and Curtis says, yet. Portia says, no one can walk right after spinal surgery, and TJ says, Portia’s right. People going through the same kind of surgery, it can take weeks before they can walk. Curtis asks, how long before they can feel their legs again? when TJ gets paged, and Curtis tells him to go. He knows TJ has a job to do. TJ says he’ll be back as soon as he can, and leaves. Portia takes Curtis’s hand, and says, it’s going to be okay, and he says, yes, it will. As soon as he gets his life back. All of it.

Robert says he takes no pleasure in Sasha’s current predicament, but Cody Bell’s the real victim here, and Diane says, come on. They both know there was no intent. Sasha never meant to hurt the guy. He says, she stabbed him with a paring knife, and Diane says, it’s well-documented that Sasha hasn’t been herself since losing her baby and her husband. And might she point out, Heather Webber killed Sasha’s husband and came perilously close to killing yours truly, so she would think he’d have more… He says he’s not there to persecute her client, and she says, good. Why is he here? He says, after Maxie spoke to her, she called her Uncle Robert. She says, so Maxie asked him to look out for Sasha to make sure she was treated fairly, and he says, who’d have thunk it? Her and him on the same team. They get into the elevator together, and bump shoulders.

Sasha scrubs at the blood, and says she can’t get this off, but Montague says, don’t worry about that. He sets up a recorder, and says, they’ll take care of that later. Now tell him what she remembers. She says, there was a pool, and he says, what happened at the pool? She says, Gladys was there… and he grabbed her by the wrist. She flashes back to seeing Cyrus grab Gladys, and tells Montague, she saw him. He tried to ruin her life. He gave her drugs. Montague asks who she thinks she saw at the pool, and she says she knows she saw him. He grabbed Gladys and she knew she had to stop him. She had to stop Cyrus Renault.

Carly says she doesn’t understand. Cyrus is a murderer. She assumed Drew would be separated from people like him. Where did Drew run into him? Drew says, Cyrus found him. Cyrus wants to make him a fisher of men. She says, Cyrus Renault? and he says, what good is a messiah complex without disciples he’s recruiting? She asks if he told Cyrus to go to hell. Better yet, he has to tell the guards. They don’t know what kind of sick game Cyrus is playing, but Drew has to stay away from him. Drew doesn’t want to get on his bad side. He says she doesn’t have to worry about him, but she says, he just told her some maniac has him in their sights, and he doesn’t want her worrying about him? He says he’s got this; he can take care of himself. Cyrus knows not to make a move on him. She says she knows all the training he’s had, but he doesn’t know how many men Cyrus has under his control. He can’t fight everyone. He says, it’s okay, but she says, it’s not okay. He says, it’s taken care of, and she says, how, and by whom? He says, her ex-husband.

Ava says, Sonny is incorrigible, and tells Austin that his bark is far worse than his bite. Sonny says, the doctor knows he was joking, right? and they all laugh. Austin’s phone rings, and he asks them to excuse him. Sonny asks if there’s a problem, but Austin says, occupational hazard. He’ll be right back. He leaves, and Ava says, all right. Nina says, don’t get her wrong. Austin is awkward, but very nice and there’s some kind of chemistry there, but as a couple, she doesn’t really see it. I’m glad she said it, since I’ve been thinking it.

Outside on the phone, Austin tells someone, you could say that. It was super awkward. A lunatic walks into a restaurant and he’s with Sonny Corinthos. Not great. He guesses the question is, what’s Mason going to do about it?

TJ asks if Dr. Barnsdall reviewed all of Curtis’s latest test results, and the doctor says he did, and the final scans they took after Curtis’s surgery. TJ says, will his uncle ever be able to walk again?

Carly says, Sonny has people watching Drew’s back, and Drew says, she doesn’t sound completely surprised. She says, vintage Sonny, and Drew says, to protect him? She says, Sonny knows he’s a good guy, and deep down he knows Drew is good for her. She and Sonny will always be family, and at the end of the day, nothing’s more important to Sonny than family. He asks if this is Sonny’s way of welcoming him into the family, and she laughs, saying, she wouldn’t go that far. She just wants him to come home. Nothing’s more important. He says he’s working on it. So what else is going on? She says, Willow came home, and he says, that’s great. She says, the only reason Willow is okay is because he rescued Liesl. The only reason Willow’s okay is because of him. He says he’s just happy she’s home where she belongs. Are they planning a big party at the house for her already?… What’s going on? Carly says, nothing, but he says he knows her. He loves her. Tell him what it is.

Portia says, what Curtis needs right now is rest, and she’ll be right back. He doesn’t let go of her hand, and says, what he needs is her here. He also needs to tell her something before the doctor gets back. She says, they’ll have plenty of time to talk later, but he says, she’s wrong. Time is the one thing we’re never sure we have. When he came to find her at the pool, he’d just had a conversation with Sam, and she said something he didn’t think was important at the time. And now, he can’t forget it. Portia asks what she said, and he tells her, she said, you never have enough time with the people you love, and she’s right. He realized how much time he was wasting and came to find her. He’s not sorry he went to the pool looking for her, but he’s sorry he didn’t get to say what he wanted to say.

Robert and Diane come out of the elevator, and Gladys says, her daughter-in-law is in no condition to be hounded by lawyers right now. Diane says, Gladys might be Sasha’s guardian, but she’s not Sasha’s gatekeeper. She’s assuming Sasha is in the exam room. Gladys says, she’s getting the treatment she needs from her shrink, and Robert says, he’ll handle this. He goes over to the guard, and Gladys says she’s sure Diane means well, but Sasha is in pretty bad shape. If Diane makes her more upset, she swears she’ll… Diane asks, what will she do? Word to the wise; never, ever threaten her. Robert tells Diane, ten minutes max, and Diane asks Gladys to excuse her.

Sasha says, he was going to hurt Gladys like he hurt her, and she couldn’t let that happen. So she saw the knife, and… Diane walks in, and says, Sasha, stop right there. Not one more word. And you – she looks at Montague – turn off that recording device right now. He grabs it and shuts it off.

Ava says, she and Austin have only had a few dates. Of course (🍷) Nina doesn’t see them as a couple. Nina says, on the plus side, he’s nothing like Nikolas, and Ava says, that’s for sure. He is very… Nina says, alive, and Ava says, what? Nina says, don’t get her wrong. Ava and Nikolas had some connection and chemistry, but Nikolas always seemed like he was brooding. He was always serious all the time to her. At least Austin is mysteriously… expressive. Ava says, he’s definitely more alive, and Sonny says, he’s very attentive to his patients, because earlier, that guy Gordon was hostile. Austin could have blown him off, but he took the time to deal with the problem. Nina asks, what happened when Sonny went out after him? and Sonny says he’s pretty sure that Austin’s patient understands the situation. Austin comes back, and Ava says, Sonny was just complementing his bedside manner. Sonny’s phone rings, and he tells Gladys that he’s in the middle of something. Gladys says, it’s Sasha. She’s been arrested. Sonny asks, what the hell for? and Gladys says, she’s getting a psyche evaluation at GH right now. Sonny says he’ll be right there, and Nina asks, what’s going on? He says, Sasha’s in trouble. He has to go to GH. Nina says she’s going with him, and tells Ava and Austin that she’s so sorry. Ava says, no, go, and Sonny and Nina leave. Ava says, disaster averted, for now, and eats her martini olives off the stirrer.

Josslyn puts suntan lotion (I think… I hope) on Dex, when his phone rings. She says, don’t answer it, but he says, she knows he has to. Sonny says he knows it’s Dex’s day off. Something came up. Dex asks what he needs and Sonny says, surveillance. Port Charles Grill. Austin Gatlin-Holt.

Portia says she loves the sentiment, she really does, but is Curtis saying if he hadn’t spoken to Sam, he wouldn’t… He says, it’s done. They’re here. And what he wants her to know right now is, whatever happens, his feelings for her won’t change. And once he’s back on his feet… She says, and he will be, but she needs him to listen to his doctors… and his wife. She just wants him to relax and let his body heal as long as possible. He says he’s feeling stronger by the minute, and she says, good. That’s what she likes to hear. She has to check on a patient really quickly, but she promises she’ll be right back. She leaves, and cries in the hallway. Curtis pinches his leg, and sighs.

Dr. Barnsdall shows TJ his tablet, and says, they were successful in removing the bullet and every fragment. TJ says, Dr. Barnsdall always does good work, but was it enough?

Carly says, there’s nothing for Drew to worry about, but he says, something is going on. Is it the financial penalty from the SEC? She says she can handle it. She doesn’t want him to even think about it. He says he doesn’t want her thinking about it. That was a huge fine. He doesn’t want this weighing her down along with everything else. It’s really simple. He can sell Aurora. She says, no, he can’t. Diane made it crystal clear that she can’t accept anything from him, Michael, or Sonny. She could be hit with an even bigger fine, or worse. He says, Diane knows what she’s talking about. Did she come up with a Plan B? Carly says, she did, and Diane told her it’s going to take a while, but it doesn’t matter because she has resources. He says, tell him she’s not selling the house, and she says, the house is too big for them. He says, it’s not just the house, it’s the moss bowl’s🎍 her home, and she says, the home she had with Sonny. She has a lot of great memories of the kids growing up there, but those memories aren’t going away because she sells the house. She wants to focus on the future, and getting him out of here and sharing that future with him. No piece of real estate is going to change that. Life is too fragile to wait around. You think you have everything under control, and think the people you love are safe, then just like that… He says, what happened?

Dex puts his shirt on, and Josslyn asks if he really has to go. It’s his day off. What could be so important? He says, it’s no big deal. Nothing dangerous. Just a little surveillance. He kisses her, and she says, if it’s not important, why can’t they go back to his place right now? and he says, it’s not that he doesn’t want that. He made a choice when he decided to work for Sonny. She says she thought she was the choice he made, and he says, the best ever; the most important ever. But now he needs to go to work, and she – he takes a book out of their beach bag – needs to finish that mystery. The minute this job is done, he promises… She kisses him, and he says he promises. I gotta say it. I think she’s too immature for him.

Austin says he can’t tell. Did Sonny think he was okay, or does Sonny hate him? Ava shrugs and says she doesn’t know, but when he decides, believe her, Austin will know. He asks how she thinks it went, but she says she doesn’t know. Sonny plays things so close to the vest, but when it comes to Avery, he’s not going to take any chances. Austin says, Sonny has nothing to worry about with him and Avery. He loves kids. Ava says, that’s good, because Sonny said something he really meant; family is everything. He lives by that. Austin asks if he’s like that with all her lovers.

Gladys thanks Sonny for coming, and Sonny asks Robert, where’s Sasha? Robert says, she’s in there, indicating the exam room. Diane’s with her.

Montague says, how dare Diane barge in here and interrupt while he’s evaluating a patient. Get out! Diane says she’s not going anywhere. She’s Diane Miller, and she’s Sasha’s attorney. And that trumps his title any day of the week, and don’t turn that recorder on again. She gently asks if Sasha remembers her, and Sasha says, Diane. Diane says she’s Sasha’s attorney. She helped Sasha once before, and she’s going to help her again. Sasha tells her, Dr. Montague said… but Diane says, no. She doesn’t need to pay any attention to Dr. Montague. Just look right at her and she doesn’t say one more word. Montague says, unfortunately, Diane is a little too late. Sasha already told him more than enough.

Nina tells Gladys, this doesn’t make any sense. Why would Sasha stab Cody Bell? Gladys says, it was obvious she wasn’t herself. She would never hurt anyone. Something made her do it. Sonny says, like what? What made her do it?

Alone in the office, TJ yells, dammit! and pounds the desk with his fist. Portia walks in and says, no. He walks over to her, and she tells him, please don’t say it. She cries as he hugs her.

Gladys says she’s not a shrink. How would she know what’s wrong with Sasha? First there was the shoplifting, now she stabs Cody? Nina’s own journalist was there; she saw the whole thing. Nina says she talked to Alyse. She said it came out of nowhere. It doesn’t make any sense. When she was on Home & Heart, and someone did that horrible mind game on her, she handled it. Sonny says he saw her a few weeks ago and told her that she was ready to be on her own; to end Gladys’s guardianship. What changed?

Montague and Diane step away from Sasha, and he says, the police brought Miss Gilmore in for a psyche evaluation. As her lawyer, he’s sure Diane knows what that entails, what his responsibilities are. He’s sorry, but at this point, his hands are tied.

Robert tells Gladys, Sonny, and Nina that he just got off a call from Judge Palmer… Diane joins them and says, please, let her tell them. Sasha needs help. She’s being sent to Ferncliff Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Oh yeah, Ferncliff. We haven’t seen that place for a while.

Ava says she needs to make something very clear, she and Austin aren’t a couple, and they’re definitely not lovers. He says, what happened at Windymere… She says, means nothing. They’re nothing. She had a little moment of weakness. She’s regretted it ever since. He says he’s only regretted they haven’t done it again, and she says, he has an inflated opinion – he rubs her leg under the table – of his sexual prowess. And she assumes as a doctor – she picks up her knife – he has a need for that hand creeping up her thigh. He says, she wouldn’t, and she just looks at him. He removes his hand, and says, she didn’t answer his question. Sonny is a jealous guy? She says, Sonny doesn’t care who she sleeps with, as long as it doesn’t negatively impact Avery. He says, good to know. He assumes she sang his praises when he was away from the table, and she says, what praises might those be? His gymnastics in bed. He says, thank you, and she says, his willingness to help bury dead husbands? She told Sonny as little as possible about him; only what she thought he’d actually believe. He says, then how come he didn’t buy it?

Drew asks, what happened? and Carly says, Curtis was shot. Drew says, is he… She says, no. He’s in the hospital. He asks, how bad was it? and she says, it was touch and go. She heard this morning he’s out of surgery, he’s in recovery, but she doesn’t know his condition. Drew says, who shot him? and she says, they don’t know. It was at the MetroCourt pool. He asks if anyone else was hurt, and she says, no, luckily. He says he doesn’t get it. Who would want to kill Curtis? She says, the PCPD isn’t sure he was the target.

Curtis unsuccessfully tries to move his legs. In the hallway, Portia wipes the tears from her cheeks and puts on a smile. She goes into his room, and says, told him that she wouldn’t be long. He says he’s glad she’s back. Could she make sure they schedule a therapy session for him as soon as possible? She says, it’s way too soon for something like that, but he says, it’s never too soon. He’s not going to sit here in this bed and wait for another miracle. He knows it’s going to take hard work, but he’s here for it. Because no matter what it takes, he’s going to walk and stand up on his own two legs. Who knows? Someday, he might take her in his arms and they can dance the night away again. What does she think about that? She says she absolutely loves it. There’s something she wants to tell him. He asks, what’s wrong? and she says, Dr. Barnsdall got the latest tests and scans back and he consulted with three other surgeons, and none of them think he’ll be able to walk again.

Carly says she’s sorry. As soon as she gets any information about Curtis, she’ll get it to Drew. He thanks her, and says, she told him Portia was with Curtis. Does she know who else was out there? She says, his attorney Zeke, Jordan Ashford… Dante, Anna, and Sonny. He says, Curtis is such a good man. They’d better find out who did this. A guard says, time’s up, and Carly says she’ll come back as soon as she can. Seeing him makes everything better. He says he loves her, and she says she loves him, and leaves after taking a last look.

Portia says, doctors have been wrong before, and this isn’t a death sentence. They almost lost him for good, and Dr. Barnsdall said there’s no reason he can’t live an absolutely… Curtis says, stop. Just stop. She says, but they all love him. No matter what. He says he needs some time, and she says, of course (🍷). Of course (🍷) he does. He says, alone, and she says she understands. She leaves, and stands in the hallway crying, when TJ sees her. In his room, Curtis looks lonely.

Josslyn reads her book, when her phone rings. She says, hello?… This is Josslyn Jax. Who’s this?… Excuse me?… What are you talking about?

Ava says, Sonny rarely makes snap judgements, but when he does, look out, and Austin says, so she doesn’t think Sonny’s judged him yet. She says, probably not, but she thinks she managed to convince him that he has nothing to worry about with Austin spending time around Avery. Austin says, he’s not the only one who can read people. And he gets the distinct feeling Sonny is on to them. Dex listens from the bar.

Cyrus sits on a couch reading, and looks up to see Drew.

Sasha is wheeled out, and Nina says, it’s horrible. Diane promises Nina that she’ll fight this tooth and nail. Gladys says, she’s going to a good place, right? and Montague says, that’s exactly where her daughter-in-law should be. She’ll get all the help she needs. Isn’t that what they all want? He gets in the elevator, and Sonny asks the guard for a moment. He asks if Sasha can hear him. He knows she’s in there. Listen to him. She’s not alone. Does she understand? She’s not alone. She thanks him, and the guard wheels her into the elevator.

On Monday, Carly tells Josslyn that she’s been entrusted with their family institution; Austin tells someone that everything will be okay; and Sonny tells Dex, stay with him. See what he can find out.

🧸 Bye Pilar…

The nanny Mason wants.

⚖️ Come On Back, Jack…

I feel ripped off. I was hoping he was going to be a regular.

👩🏻‍⚕️ Spreading Her Wings…

Now if they’d just give her a love life. Chad was great, but it’s been a minute… or two… or three…

⚓️ Two Stooges On Deck…

He needs to mansplain.

He’s got work to do, he’s just not sure what.

🥗 She’s the Top…

No one can replace Padma, but the show must go on.

⚰️ Let’s Talk About Dead…

Wow. Daryl hasn’t even had his first season yet.

https://www.avclub.com/amc-is-already-tossing-new-seasons-at-its-latest-walkin-1850665927

And coming up behind Daryl.

https://people.com/the-walking-dead-rick-michonne-spinoff-title-teaser-andrew-lincoln-danai-gurira-7564287

City recap.

https://www.cbr.com/the-walking-dead-dead-city-season1-episode5-recap-spoilers/

🩰 Time To Shine…

Barbie in review.

https://www.avclub.com/barbie-movie-review-margot-robbie-greta-gerwig-1850646537

I love this song!

https://slate.com/culture/2023/07/barbie-girl-song-movie-aqua-nicki-minaj-ice-spice.html

When and where you can see it.

https://www.barbie-themovie.com/

📸 Meanie Meanie Jellybeanie…

I included this only because I thought it was odd and kind of funny.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/news/abby-lee-miller-slams-rob-lowe-for-refusing-to-take-a-picture-with-her-at-elton-johns-oscar-party-he-was-mean/ar-AA1e5DmS

🐶 The Old Man and The Sea, and The Dog…

I’ll bet he was glad for the company, and it’s a good pet parent who recognizes their dog would be happier in another home.

https://people.com/dog-lost-at-sea-with-sailor-adopted-by-crew-member-rescued-them-7563071

💫 Quotes of the Week

Today is a new day. Hiding from your history only shackles you to it. We can’t undo a single thing we have ever done, but we can make decisions today that propel us to the life we want and towards the healing we need. – Steve Maraboli

It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about. – Dale Carnegie

To be nobody but yourself — in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else — means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. – e.e. cummings

You are not called to be a canary in a cage. You are called to be an eagle, and to fly sun to sun, over continents. – Henry Ward Beecher

I’m fast, cheap, but average. – Director Higurashi (Takayuki Hamatsu), One Cut of the Dead

🩱 Life In Plastic…

Meet me here on Monday really Tuesday for soap, and who knows what, since I can’t watch one more Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay making your own kind of music, and stay keeping in mind, time is the one thing we’re never sure we have.

July 7, 2023 – Tracy Joins Finn’s Family Dinner, Why, On the Edge, Hotlanta, Crappie, Off Camera Drama, Bye-Bye Fame, VanderNext, She Wins, Dead Talk, Lotsa Cute, Not Ten Quotes & Habit

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the MetroCourt bar, Violet finishes another Shirley Temple, and tells Finn, that was delicious. She asks for another, and he says, she knows it’s 100% sugar, right? She nods enthusiastically, when Chase comes up behind her, and says, guess who? She says, Uncle Chase! and he asks what they’re doing at the bar. She says, they’re having cocktails before dinner. Everybody knows that’s when you have cocktails. He says, we already know that, do we? He asks if they’ve seen Brook, and Violet says, Brook bought her a Shirley Temple. Finn says he didn’t know Brook was joining them, and Chase asks if it’s okay. Finn says, absolutely. He last saw her by the pool with Tracy. Chase says he’d better rescue her… He’d better find her.

Tracy asks, why on earth would Brook confess to downloading proprietary information on The Deceptor? Why didn’t she just let Maxie take the fall? Brook says, because she has a conscience? A soul? A shred of decency? Tracy says, and she doesn’t? and Brook says, and she couldn’t stand to see Maxie and Lucy fight. Tracy asks, why not? and Brook says, because she likes them. That’s why she hates doing this so much. Tracy says she thinks Brook misspoke. She loves working at Deception. Otherwise, her boyfriend Detective Chase is going to know just what role Tracy played in getting his badge back. Chase walks in, and says, just the two he was looking for. Finn said they were by the pool. Brook says, they were, but they’re done, and Chase says, good evening, to Tracy. She asks if he had a busy day keeping the citizens of Port Charles safe.

Anna and Jordan sit at a table poolside, and Anna says she’s glad Jordan called. They haven’t really seen one another since her past was splashed across the newspapers. Jordan says, for the record, that’s not why she hasn’t called. Anna says she knows, but it has to be hard to process how she’s going to be friends with… basically a traitor. Jordan says, not for a second. How’s she handling all that? Anna says she guesses she’s been able to wait out her relevance in the news cycle. It’s almost insulting how reporters stop harassing you and just move on to the next thing. Jordan tells Anna to count her blessings, and Anna says her life is probably returning to a new normal. Jordan asks if she thinks it’s normal to find the word murderer spray painted across her front door.

Elizabeth asks how things are with Trina and Curtis, and Portia says, Trina approached her yesterday, and it’s the first time since the wedding. Elizabeth says, that’s amazing, but what about Curtis? and Portia says, they’ve yet to talk… because she’s been avoiding him.

Curtis says, sorry for the interruption, but TJ says, it’s cool. Curtis has a club to run. He should probably be going and get out of Curtis’s hair (which is funny, since Curtis doesn’t have hair). Curtis says he’ll always make time for TJ, and TJ says he appreciates that. Curtis says he appreciates TJ coming to him. TJ and Molly have been dealing with some pretty heavy stuff. TJ says, that’s an understatement, and Curtis says, if TJ wants to talk, he’s here. TJ thanks him, and says, because right now, he doesn’t know how to talk to Molly about having a child or not having a child without making her feel pressured. Curtis says, which reminds him. TJ never answered his question. How would he feel if Molly decides she doesn’t want to have children? The Davis girls walk in, and Molly locks eyes with TJ.

Having dinner at the MetroCourt, Sonny tells Dante that he has a confession to make, and Dante asks if he should take his phone out to record it. Sonny says, it’s nothing like that. He called Dante out to dinner under false pretenses. He needs a favor. He and Nina are getting married, and he wanted to know if Dante wanted to be his best man.

Brook says, nice talking to Tracy, but she and Chase have dinner plans. Tracy says, romantic night? Just the two of them? Chase says, actually, they’re meeting his brother. He and Violet are at the bar. Brook says, they can’t keep them waiting, and she and Chase leave.

Anna asks how Jordan knew about the spray paint on her door, and Jordan says, how does she think? Anna says, Valentin, and Jordan says, he called her before he left town. He told her about the vandalism at Anna’s house. It’s funny. She checked, but there was no police report on the incident. Anna says she didn’t make a report. It’s kids. It’s just a prank. It’s not a major crime. Valentin shouldn’t have bothered Jordan with that. Jordan says, Valentin is worried about her. He feels it’s a bad time to be gone, and from what she’s hearing, she agrees. Anna thanks her for her concern, but surely as the new Deputy Mayor, she’s got bigger things to focus on. How is the new job going? Jordan says, nice try and don’t call her Shirley, but Anna says she’s interested. Jordan is embarking on a whole new career. Jordan says she hasn’t really started yet; there’s not much to tell. Back to Anna. Has their been any fallout from the article? What about from her family? Anna says, nobody’s thrilled. Robin understands, but Emma… It’s more difficult with her. She’s just hoping with time, Emma gives her the benefit of the doubt. And her friends are her friends. Jordan takes Anna’s hands, and says she’ll always be one of them. Anna says she’s grateful for that, and she does feel, as lucky as she is with the people who love her, there are those that are really angry, and they have a right to be. Because she did hurt a lot of people. Jordan says, that was a long time ago. She’s helped countless others since then, and what she did was dangerous, no matter whose side she was on. Anna says she was on both. Ask Robin. Jordan says, undercover work is risky and complicated, both physically and emotionally. It takes a toll on you, your relationships, your whole life. Believe her. She knows. Anna says she knows Jordan does. What is she looking forward to in this new job? Jordan says, honestly, she’s hoping it will distract her from the rest of her life, and Anna says, what happened with her and the… Jordan says, the kiss, and Anna says, yeah, that. Jordan says, yes and no.

Curtis says he sees the Davis women showed up in full force tonight, and Alexis says, they sure did. Molly asks what TJ is doing here, and Alexis suggests they get a table, and let Molly and TJ have some privacy. Curtis says he’ll set them up. First drinks are on him. Kristina says, he should know, they’re drinking champagne, and Alexis says, club soda for her. Curtis says he’d expect nothing less, and tells them to enjoy their night. They go to their table, and Curtis asks if he can talk to Sam. She asks, what’s up? and he says he just wanted to check in; how’s Drew? She says, that’s a good question. Her head is still spinning. She doesn’t know how Drew’s plea deal went so wrong. Curtis says he heard that judge might be running for office, so maybe the judge wanted to prove he wasn’t soft on white collar crimes. She says, it still doesn’t justify Drew missing three years of his daughter’s life.

TJ says he’s sorry. He just came to talk to his Uncle Curtis. he was planning on leaving before she got here. He guesses he lost track of time. She’s here now, so he guesses he’ll head out. He tells her to have fun with her mom and sisters, and he’ll see her at home. Okay? She says, nothing about this is okay.

Dante says he’ll be honored to be Sonny’s best man, and Sonny says he appreciates Dante’s support when it comes to his relationship with Nina. Dante says, you got to do what makes you happy. Does he know when the big day is? Sonny says, sometime in the fall, and Dante says, pretty close. Sonny says, they want to keep it simple. Nina doesn’t want a big wedding. Dante asks if that’s the only reason, and Sonny asks if Dante thinks no one is going to show up at his wedding. Dante laughs, and says, Sonny could have a point, but that’s not what he was saying. Does Sonny think he should keep a low profile about this wedding because there could be trouble?

Elizabeth says, the last time she and Portia talked about Curtis, Portia was afraid she’d say something out of anger she didn’t mean. She doesn’t know what happened between them, but is Portia still angry… Portia says, yes, and Elizabeth says, no hesitation there. Portia says she’s angry and extremely hurt. The whole situation is sad, and she misses Curtis and knows that they need to talk. A part of her is worried that maybe it’s already too late. Given everything that’s already happened, and given everything they’ve done to each other at this point, do they even want to try again? Elizabeth says, that’s why Portia’s been avoiding him, and Portia says she knows they need to talk. Elizabeth says she totally gets why they haven’t, and why Portia keeps putting it off. After so much hurt, she has to consider is it even fair to ask him to risk his heart again. Portia asks if Elizabeth and Finn are talking about getting back together again, but Elizabeth says, they’re talking about Portia. Portia says, Elizabeth and Finn are getting closer again, aren’t they? and Elizabeth says, they have been talking about doing stuff together as a family for the kids. Portia says, that’s good, and Elizabeth says, it is, but she doesn’t think she should push it. It isn’t just about her and Finn. Violet’s happiness is also at stake. That little girl wants her and her dad to get back together so badly, she arranged for them to go on a date last night. Portia says, that sweet faced little girl is absolutely sneaky, and Elizabeth says, she is. After dinner, Finn just kept apologizing for Violet having the wrong idea about them. And if he wants to just be friends, she doesn’t want to jeopardize that. If they were to try again, and for some reason Elizabeth couldn’t make it work, she doesn’t want to be responsible for breaking that little girl’s heart again. Portia asks if it’s really Violet’s heart Elizabeth is worried about breaking, or is it her own?

Violet says, Chase lost Brook, and Finn says, Chase just found her. How did he lose her again so fast? Chase says, she told him she had something urgent, and asks, where’s dad? Finn says, he should be here any minute, and Violet says, grandpa’s sleeping over tonight. Does Uncle Chase want to sleep over too? He can bring Brook. Chase says, another time. How’s this weekend? She asks if he promises, when Tracy comes over. She says, they meet again, and Finn says, it’s been a whole twenty minutes, but always a pleasure. Violet says, Auntie Tracy, look. They’re having cocktails. Tracy says, you’re starting early, but Violet says, it’s not early; it’s almost dinnertime. Tracy says, that’s not what she meant, but she won’t intrude. She just wants to get some take-out. She hates dining alone. Violet says, she doesn’t have to eat alone, and asks Finn if Auntie Tracy can have dinner with them. Finn says he doesn’t think she’d… and Tracy says she’d loved to. She thanks Violet for her kind invitation, and Violet says, now they’ll have the same number of boys and girls. Tracy says, but Brook is joining them, and Violet says she knows. It will be Uncle Chase and Brook, her and Daddy, and Auntie Tracy and… grandpa! She runs over to Gregory, and he picks her up. Tracy says, this is going to be fun, and Chase asks Gregory how it’s going.

Molly says she can’t believe it’s come to this, and TJ says he swears he wasn’t trying to intrude on her night out. He knows she needs time. She says, that’s not why she’s upset. She’s upset because he thought he needed to sneak out before she got here. Has she made him feel like she can’t stand to be around him? He says, she hasn’t, but to be fair, she didn’t seem all that happy to see him. She says she was just surprised, and he says, then demanding to know what he’s doing here at his uncle’s club. She says she thought maybe this was… He says, like an ambush? and she says, maybe. Everything is so scrambled right now, but one thing she does know is that she’d never want to chase him away. He says, and he wants he to know that he’d understand if she needs some time away from him, but she says she’d never need that. What she needs is a break from her fertility issues, but not from her life partner; never from him. She would never want to shut him out, but if he wants to talk, they should talk. He says, not tonight. She needs a break. Go have fun. She says, only if he stays, and he says, if she insists, and they kiss.

Coming out of the elevator, Brook sees Tracy sitting down for dinner, and says, why God? What have I done to deserve this? On second thought, God, don’t answer that. At the table, Gregory says he didn’t realize Tracy was joining them, and Tracy says, how could she refuse his delightful granddaughter’s invitation? Brook comes over to the table, and Gregory says, speaking of delightful granddaughters… Tracy asks how many he has, and Brook says, he was talking about her. Chase says, she is delightful, and Finn says, now that she’s finally here, try not to lose her again. Chase says, never, and Tracy says she needs a drink. What’s everybody having? Violet says, the Shirley Temples are delightful (WOTD), and Tracy says she needs something stronger. Much, much stronger.

Elizabeth says she doesn’t want to hurt Finn, Violet, or her boys any more than she already has, and Portia says, she’s making it seem like everything that went down was her fault. Elizabeth says, wasn’t it though? but Portia says, no. From what she recalls, they both made plenty of mistakes, and they both were trying to protect people they care about, including one another. What if Finn does wants to try it out again? (Um.. it’s not a car.) Elizabeth says, what if he doesn’t? and Portia says she knows how hard it can be to put your heart on the line. She let her fear come between her and Curtis, and now she’ll never know what would have happened if she’d just told Curtis the truth from the beginning. And Elizabeth will never know what’s going to happen if she doesn’t tell Finn how she really feels. Elizabeth says, Portia’s right. She’s going for it. She walks out the door, and Portia says, she’s going for it right now? Elizabeth says, if she doesn’t do it right now, she’s going to lose her nerve. She knows Finn and Violet are having a date right now at the MetroCourt. So she’s just going to head over there, and see what happens. Portia says, that’s a great idea, but why doesn’t Elizabeth go home first, take a shower, and put something on she feels good in, and then meet him? She can show him what he’s really missing. Elizabeth says she has a better idea.

Anna says, Portia’s brother? To get over Curtis, Jordan slept with… Jordan says, his brother-in-law. Anna says, whoa, and Jordan says she knows; she was there. Had she known who he was, she certainly wouldn’t have told him that she recently kissed her ex-husband. Anna says, would she have slept with him anyway? and Jordan says, no… No. The point is that when Zeke realized who she was, he told Portia about the kiss. Anna says, no, and Jordan says, which was completely unnecessary. Curtis decided he wants to saved his marriage, which is the only reason she was with Zeke in the first place. Anna says, it’s the only reason? and Jordan says, well, not the only reason. Zeke is charming… and funny… and… Anna says, is he hot? and Jordan says, stupidly hot. There’s no reason he should be related to anyone she knows, but it doesn’t really matter now. Anna asks if Zeke left town or something, and Jordan sees Zeke walk in.

Dante says, something went down the night of the Nurses Ball; there were shots fired in the warehouse district; Sonny’s been beefing up his security detail. That’s the word on the street. Sonny says he doesn’t know what to tell Dante, and Dante asks, where’s Dex? Sonny says, why? and Dante says, he’s usually joined at Sonny’s hip. He was even staying with Sonny for a while, wasn’t he? Sonny says, what’s with the questions? What is Dante fishing for?

Sonny says he invited Dante here ask him to be his best man, and Dante says, and he proudly accepted. Sonny says, so what’s with all the questions? Unless the PCPD is trying to pin something on him. Dante says he’s not trying to pin anything on Sonny. They have an agreement, right? Sonny says, right, and Dante says, Sonny doesn’t tell him about his business, and he doesn’t ask. Sonny says, but here he is asking, and Dante says he’s not asking as a cop; he’s asking as Sonny’s son. He doesn’t want details. He’s just noticed some changes in Sonny’s routine. Sonny says he has everything under control. Dante doesn’t have to worry about it. Dante says he can’t help it, and Sonny asks if it’s because he’s a cop. Dante says, no. Because he’s Sonny’s son.

Violet shows Tracy some stuff on her phone, and everyone is laughing and having a good time. Chase asks if Brook is feeling okay, and she says she guesses. She’s sorry her grandmother hijacked their dinner. He says he’s kind of surprised she stayed. Brook doesn’t think… No. That’s a crazy idea. She says, what? and he says he’s just wondering. Does she think Tracy’s lonely? Brook says, she’s something all right.

In the hallway with Curtis, Sam says, so how are things going between him, Trina, and Portia? Curtis says, things with him and Trina were going good, but now he’s messed things up with Portia. She asks what he messed up, and he says he just hopes he and Trina can get through it. He always Admired Portia and Trina’s relationship, and subconsciously, he always knew if he was to establish a relationship with Trina, it would be secondary. There’s something about knowing that she’s his daughter, that he’s her biological father, that makes it different. Sam says she gets that. Before he found out, Portia connected him to Trina, but now he has his own connection whether he and Portia stay together or not. He says he sure hopes they do. He just hopes he and Trina can learn to be father and daughter no matter what. She says, they will, and he asks how she knows. She says she knows him, and that gives her faith that things will work out. He says, sometimes it feels like it takes a lifetime to get to know someone. Then you look back, and you realize it’s just a blink of an eye. Take his father for instance. He thought he’d never let that man back in his life after he abandoned them, but look at them now. He just wishes he’d let Marshall in sooner. She says, exactly, and sooner or later, Trina is going to realize that. Then she’s going to regret all the time she spent being angry at Curtis and judging him. Because in the end, we never have enough time with the people we love.

In the locker room, a nurse tells Portia, looking good, and asks if she’s going home. Portia says, nope. She’s going out. The nurse says, good for her, and Portia heads out.

Anna asks if that’s him, and Jordan says, mm-hm. Zeke comes over to the table, and says hi to Jordan. Jordan introduces her good friend Anna to Portia’s brother Zeke. Anna says, nice to meet him, and he says he didn’t mean to interrupt. Anna says she has to make a phone call, and Jordan says, really? Anna says, really, so if they’ll excuse her… She leaves, and Jordan says, he doesn’t have to stay. He says he knows his timing was bad, coming to her office when Curtis was there, and she says, ya think so? He asks her to please hear him out.

Anna calls Sonny, and asks where he is. She has to talk to him about something. He says he’s with Dante at the MetroCourt. They’re just wrapping up dinner. He can come to her. Where is she? She says she’s here too; she’s up by the pool. He says he’ll be there.

Zeke says he knows Jordan is mad about him telling his sister that she kissed Curtis, but she says she’s not mad at him. He asks if she’s sure. She seemed mad. She still seems mad. She says she was mad at him because he didn’t give her a heads up, not because he told Portia about her and Curtis. Portia is his sister, and he wants to protect her. She gets that. If Portia had found out about the kiss and he didn’t tell her, she’d feel betrayed. And family like that shouldn’t keep secrets from each other. Zeke barely knows her. He says he’d like to change that, now that they’ve cleared the air. Let’s just start over. She says she thinks it’s a little late for that, and he says, it doesn’t have to be, but it’s up to her. How about it? Will she give him another chance?

Dante asks if Sonny is cool with Anna, and Sonny says, she’s good. She just wants to talk to him. He and Dante are good? Dante says, they’re great. He just wants Sonny to be careful. Sonny says, Dante too. She’s by the pool. Does he want to say hi? Dante says he’d like to, but he should be getting home with dessert for the kids. Especially Scout; she could use the pick-me-up. Sonny asks how she’s doing, and Dante says, she’s doing her best, but not great. It’s tough. Sonny says, give her his love, and Dante says, same with Anna. Keep him posted with what he and Nina got going. He doesn’t want to be shirking his duties as best man. They hug, and Sonny leaves.

Gregory asks Brook how it is being back at Deception, and Brook says she’s glad to be back. Tracy says, things must be very busy over there with the success of their new product. What is it called?… The Deceptor. Brook says, yes, they’re very busy, and Gregory says, last time they spoke, she was excited about focusing on her song writing. Will she still be able to do that if she’s working full-time?

Anna thanks Sonny for meeting her, and he says she looks good. She thanks him, and says, better than she did the other night probably. She thanks him for coming over when he did. It made her feel a little less lonely. He says, she didn’t have to see him to thank him, but she says, that’s not what she’s doing. She has a message from Valentin.

Zeke says, his and Jordan’s night together wasn’t just about sex. At least not for him. She says, it was for her… At least that’s what she wanted it to be. He says, but it wasn’t. He thought they at least had some potential. Before everything that went down, before all that crazy, he was looking forward to seeing her again. She says, for what it’s worth (🍷), she felt the same way, and he says, great. Then let’s start over. She says she just started a new job, and she’s beyond busy, and he says, he’s a lawyer. He’s always busy too. But they’re both pretty free right now. Have dinner with him.  

Alexis asks Kristina to tell her about the plans for the shelter, and Kristina says she’s glad Alexis asked. She had a really interesting lunch with the head of the food pantry. Alexis says, where she’s volunteering, and Kristina says, he really helped her understand the whole manpower end of things, like how much staff they have to hire, and what tasks volunteers can handle. Alexis says, that’s great, and Kristina says, it’s a lot, but now that she understands what she’s up against, she thinks she can pull this off. Alexis says she knows Kristina can pull this off, and she’s very proud of her. Kristina says, this may come as a shock, but she’s proud of herself too. Getting this shelter off the ground is going to be a lot of work, way more than she imagined, but she’s going to see this through to the end. Alexis says she knew if Kristina found the right thing, she would soar, and Kristina says she doesn’t know if she’s soaring. She doesn’t know if she’s even on the runway. There’s so much she doesn’t know. Alexis says, if she doesn’t know, she’ll learn. If it’s too much, she can hire someone to advise her. She knows this is going to be great. Kristina can do this. Kristina thanks her.

Tracy says, Brook is just being practical. It’s always good to have back-up when you’re working in the arts. Gregory hopes she keeps writing songs. He really enjoys listening to them, especially when Chase is singing. Chase says, inspiration happens when it happens. Brook can do anything she sets her mind to. Whatever it is, it will work out. Brook says, Finn’s been quiet, and Chase asks how she can tell. Brook asks what he’s been up to, and Finn says, besides work, nothing much. Violet says, daddy, tell them about your date.

TJ asks if the shelter will provide basic medical care, and Kristina says she wants it to. LGBTQIA+ teens tend to avoid going to doctors because they’re concerned their gender identity isn’t going to be accepted, but she doesn’t know if it’s feasible. TJ says, let him know if he can help on that end, or anything at all. Whatever she needs. Kristina thanks him, and Molly says, he should be on the board. Kristina says, it’s not for profit, so she needs to assemble a board before she breaks ground; before she does anything really. Alexis says, she can’t do everything herself. She’s running a business. She’s the boss. Delegation is the key. Molly asks, who is she and what has she done with their mother? and Kristina says she’s worried that she’ll miss being with the kids directly and helping them, being behind a desk all day. Sam comes back with Curtis, and says, then plan it. That’s what mom or Molly would do. Molly says, she has to set time aside on her schedule to talk to the kids one-on-one, and TJ says, that way she can see what kids need more structure, and the ones who need more freedom. Curtis tells TJ, let’s get that champagne, and TJ leaves with him. By the bar, Curtis asks if things are good with TJ and Molly, and TJ says, somehow, they are. Curtis was right; they’ll get through this. He doesn’t know if a kid is in his future, but Molly definitely is. Curtis says he’s glad, and asks if TJ minds if he takes off. TJ says, no, and thanks him for listening. Curtis says, any time, and TJ asks where he’s headed. Curtis says he thinks it’s time he takes his own advice, and leaves.

The champagne has been poured, and TJ is back at the table. Molly asks if he’s ready to dance, and he says he thought she’d never ask. Molly asks if the others are coming, but Sam and Alexis beg off. Kristina says she’ll be there in a minute, and Molly says, don’t wait too long. She and TJ go onto the dance floor. Sam says, it looks like Molly is feeling better, and Alexis says she’s glad Molly is giving herself a break from all the pressure she’s putting on herself. Kristina says she wants to really make sure Molly knows she’s not alone in this, but Sam says, Molly knows they all have her back. Kristina says, of course (🍷). She knows that it’s their decision, but she wishes they’d move forward with having a baby. Sam says, so does she, if that’s what makes them happy, but she doesn’t want to pressure them about anything. Kristina says, of course (🍷), of course (🍷). She knows, but just wishes they could help make their decision easier… That’s it. Why didn’t she think of that before?

Anna says, obviously Sonny is aware Valentin went with Laura to find her son, right? and Sonny says, Charlotte’s staying with Sam and Dante. Dante filled him in, but he’s surprised that Valentin would have her pass along a message. He and Valentin don’t really say much to each other. Anna says, normally, she wouldn’t be a go-between with something quite so precarious, not even for Valentin, and Sonny says, why now? She says, Sonny is involved in a business venture with Valentin? Or rather, Valentin is involved with him. This is all she knows. She doesn’t know any of the details. She doesn’t think she really wants to. But right before he left, Valentin gave her the message. Knowing Sonny would rather do any kind of business in person than over the phone, he wanted her to pass on the message. Sonny says, go ahead, and she says, he’s not to speak to anyone new. If his contact person is to change, do not proceed until he’s spoken with his original contact person. Does that make sense? Sonny says, yeah, and she asks, does he want to tell her what’s going on with Valentin? Why Sonny would be in any kind of business with him?

Jordan says she doesn’t know how this is going to work, and Zeke says, only one way to find out, right? She says, and then what? This situation is just too messy. He says, when she told him that she was done with her ex, did she mean it? and she says, they are over. Whatever happens between Portia and Curtis, she’s moving on. He says, then what’s stopping them from seeing each other? and she says, reality? She’s sure Portia’s already given him an earful on why he should avoid her like the plague. He says he doesn’t let his family dictate who he sees. Does she? She says she doesn’t want to cause problems between him and his sister, and he says, Portia will cope. Portia walks in, and Jordan says, you think so? He turns and sees her.

Violet yawns, and Finn says he thinks someone’s tired and they’re going to be heading home. He reaches for Violet, who insists she’s not tired, as we all did at her age, and he picks her up. Tracy thanks him so much for allowing her to join his family for dinner, and he says, it was surprisingly fun having her here. She says, for her as well, and thanks him. She looks at Gregory, and says, and you? He says, yes? and she says, he’s a lucky man. He says he knows, and thanks her. He tells Chase that he’ll see him at the next tea party, and tells Brook, it’s always a pleasure. She says, he can’t imagine how nice that is to hear, and he says he thinks he can. He leaves with Finn and Violet, and Tracy says she’ll see Brook at home. Don’t stay out too late. She has work tomorrow. Brook says, goodnight, granny, I laugh, and Tracy leaves. Brook asks what Chase says about her and him getting a nightcap at the pool bar, and he says he’d love to. She says, great. The sooner, the better. He says, there’s something he needs to ask her first.

Elizabeth comes out of the elevator, and sees Finn, who says, hi. Violet says, she looks like a princess, and Elizabeth thanks her. Finn says, she looks beautiful, and she thanks him. She asks if they’re leaving, and Gregory says he and Violet are heading home, but Finn can stay. Finn says, he can stay? and Violet nods. Finn tells Elizabeth that he can stay, and hands off Violet to Gregory.

Brook says, whatever it is, can she and Chase talk about it on the way to the bar? and he asks, what’s going on with her? Something’s been off with her all evening. She says she knows, and her name is granny. She’s always on edge around her. Chase says, it’s not just Tracy. When his dad asked Brook about her job, he knew he was right. She says, about what? and he says, her work at Deception. Her heart’s not in it. She doesn’t want to be there. Brook says, of course (🍷) she does. It’s a day job. He says, exactly. She’d rather be writing music and managing artists. So he has to ask; why did she go back?

Kristina says, it solves so many problems. It’s perfect. Alexis says she shudders to think. What? Sam says, what’s her big idea? and Kristina says she can be Molly and TJ’s surrogate. Molly overhears.

Portia says, so this is why Zeke isn’t taking her calls. He’s on a little date with Jordan? Jordan says, that’s not what’s… She and Portia both see Curtis walk in.

Sonny asks what else Valentin said, when Dante walks in. He looks up, and yells, everybody down! We hear a gunshot.

On Monday, Spencer tells Esme, this is him cooperating; TJ asks why Molly doesn’t want to be around her mom and her sisters; Dex asks if Sonny is okay; and Chase reports that shots were fired at the MetroCourt pool.

🩺 Having His Reasons…

He’s one of my favorite actors. I got to see him as Ben in a revival of Follies on Broadway. He was filling in for someone else, and when I found that out, I thought, meh, but he was amazing. I’m glad he took this gig.

👩‍❤️‍👨 The Struggle Is Real…

Two Wives. Two roller coaster marriages.

As Dr. Phil says, better to come from a broken home than to live in one.

🍑 Next Peach…

The upcoming season of RHOA.

🗽 Andy Says It’s Good…

This sounds like a fun one.

https://www.etonline.com/sonja-morgan-and-luann-de-lesseps-on-their-crappie-lake-adventure-and-rhonys-return-to-scary-island

📹 Taking Their Word…

Juicy Joe’s phone call was definitely cringeworthy.

🎸 And Stay Out…

My heart is bleeding for him. For those not familiar with sarcasm, that’s an example.

🍸 Rules Coming Up…

The latest on the next season of VPR.

💃🏼 Dancing Like Everyone’s Watching…

For once, good triumphs over evil, and we all get to see it.

https://people.com/ariana-madix-joining-dancing-with-the-stars-7557819

⚰️ Unearthing The Dead…

Everyone’s looking for Rick.

https://screenrant.com/rick-grimes-walking-dead-biggest-priority-fear-spinoff/

The Fear reunion I’ve been waiting for.

There are no small parts.

A preview of the next Dead City episode.

🦎 Fuzzballs And Fluffballs And A Lizard, Oh My…

I spent more time than I care to admit looking at this page.

https://toofab.com/2023/01/01/celebrities-who-love-to-show-off-adorable-pets/

🎋 Quotes of the Week

Maybe you can afford to wait. Maybe for you there’s a tomorrow. Maybe for you there’s one thousand tomorrows, or three thousand, or ten, so much time you can bathe in it, roll around it, let it slide like coins through your fingers. So much time you can waste it. But for some of us there’s only today. And the truth is, you never really know. – Lauren Oliver

The opposite of a fact is falsehood, but the opposite of one profound truth may very well be another profound truth. – Niels Bohr

The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness. – the 14th Dalai Lama

No one forgets the truth, Frank. They just get better at lying. – April Wheeler (Kate Winslet), Revolutionary Road

We’re here for a reason. I believe a bit of the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark. – Whoopi Goldberg

Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else. – Les Brown

Do your work with your whole heart, and you will succeed – there’s so little competition. – Elbert Hubbard

The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one. – Mark Twain

Music doesn’t lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music.  – Jimi Hendrix

🍺 Didn’t Come Here, Ain’t Leaving…

Come back on Monday really Tuesday for soap and a double Decker. Until then, stay safe, stay not making loud phone calls on the train (text for Pete’s sake), and stay remembering, in the end, we never have enough time with the people we love.

July 6, 2023 – Tracy Asks Martin For a Favor, Can’t Be There, News On Jersey, Over, Vander11, Runway Red, Dead Coming Up, Cuteness & Town

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Finn sits in the locker room eating a sandwich, and reading Parasites and Worms in Humans. Elizabeth comes in and says, hi.

At a nail salon, Sam asks if Kristina was as surprised as she was to get a text from Molly, and Alexis says, she’s not prone to spontaneity. Kristina says, could be she’s out of her funk, and Sam says, or it could be her latest coping mechanism. You can only distract yourself with work for so long. Alexis says, whatever it is, she’s entitled to some fun. Whatever her mood, they’re going to support her. Molly walks in with a bottle of champagne and says, yay! We’re all here. Look out. The Davis girls are on the loose.

Marshall tells Curtis that he should be heading home, and asks if he’s going to see Curtis at home tonight. Curtis says, maybe. Things could get crazy busy here, so he’ll probably just crash in the back. Marshall says, Curtis and Portia are never going to fix things if he refuses to be in the same room, when TJ comes in. Curtis asks if TJ is okay, and Marshalls says, he looks like he just lost his best friend. TJ asks, what if he has?

Lucy asks if Maxie gave anyone the password, and Maxie says, of course (🍷) not. Lucy says, what about that assistant that just quit? but Maxie insists she didn’t give it to anyone. Brook starts to slip out of the room, as Lucy says, what about this? Maybe Maxie wrote it down accidently and left it lying around. Maxie asks what kind of loser Lucy thinks she is, and Lucy says she doesn’t think Maxie wants her to answer that right now. She’s just saying that Maxie has been a teeny bit distracted lately. Maxie says she’s sure. Because she’s been handling the extra workload with zero help from Lucy. Brook stands at the door, watching.

Martin asks what proposition Tracy is talking about and Tracy says, as entertaining as he finds Lucy Coe, a man of his standing needs more to occupy him. She’s prepared to offer him a challenge if he’s up for it.

Lucy says she’s been busting her behind to get The Deceptor off the ground, and Maxie says, sure she has, until Martin calls, and then off Lucy goes, leaving her holding the bag. Lucy says, excuse her for having a personal life. She thinks it would do Maxie good to have one. Maxie says, that would be great. Then no one would work here. Lucy says she gives everything to Deception, and Maxie says she used to think so, but lately, not so much. Lucy says, Maxie’s gone low, and they start to bicker, when Brook says, that’s enough. It was her.

Curtis asks, what’s going on? and TJ says he can’t stay long. Molly is out with her mom and sisters, and they’re going to end up here. Curtis says, that means he has to go? and TJ says he just doesn’t want to be in the way. Marshall asks, since when has he been in Molly’s way? and Curtis asks if something happened. TJ nods, and Curtis says he knows TJ and Molly will figure it out, but TJ says, this time, he’s not so sure. Marshall says, lay it on them, and TJ asks if they remember how he told them that he and Molly were trying to have a baby. Marshall says, that’s not something you easily forget, and Curtis apologizes for not having checked in since he got back from Greenland. TJ tells him, that’s okay. He hasn’t had the chance to talk to anyone since they found out Molly can’t get pregnant.

Alexis asks what they’re celebrating, and Molly asks what she means. Alexis says, Molly is so festive… and the champagne and the nails and the dancing. Any news? Molly says, if she’s asking about the doctor’s appointment, don’t.

Maxie says, Brook snuck onto her computer after she left? What the hell? Brook says she’s sorry. She didn’t realize it was such a big deal. Lucy says, in what universe is this not a big deal? and Brook says she was trying to prove herself. Ever since she came back to work, everything’s been so busy and The Deceptor is blowing up. She just wanted to prove she’s an asset to the company. She wanted to familiarize herself with the products so she could create a social media campaign to solidify The Deceptor as the must have item of the summer. Lucy asks, why all the secrecy? and Brook says, it wasn’t a secret per se. Maxie was swamped when she was called away from her desk, and Brook was trying to be proactive. So she used Maxie’s computer to download the files. Lucy says, files on a shared drive that Brook had absolutely no access to, but Brook says she didn’t put two and two together, that the information was under lock and key. Lucy asks if she knows the words trade secret. Does she know what would happen if their competitors got ahold of this information? They could kiss their cash cow bye-bye.

Martin says, with all due respect, whatever Tracy’s opinion may be, he’s in love with Lucy Coe. So in regard to her rather forward offer, he’s going to say, thanks, but no thanks. She laughs and says she’s offering him a business challenge, not a romantic one. She gestures to a chair and he sits. She tells him, ELQ is a dumpster fire with no one to put it out. With Valentin galivanting off somewhere, and her son MIA… He asks why she cares. He was of the understanding that she’d completely divested herself of any interest in that company. She says she has no interest in taking a leadership position, but it’s her family’s company, and the situation is precarious at best. He says, disastrous at worst, and she says, so with the CEO and second in command out of commission, it occurs to her that the next obvious choice to run ELQ is Martin.

Finn looks at Elizabeth’s soiled uniform, and says, rough day? She says she could use a new top, and he says he’ll relocate, but she says, no, he’s good. Why is she not surprised to find him eating in here? He says, nothing worse than breakroom small talk, and she says she thinks that book would scare people away. Worms and food, quite the mix. He says, this book’s on a lot of hot seller reading lists, and she says she’ll take his word for it. He asks, how’s it going, head nurse? and she says, it’s going… Epiphany made it seem so easy. He says, so will she, and she says, ya think? He says he knows, and she says, about last night… He thanks her for staying and helping with Violet, and she says she loves that little girl; she’d do anything for Violet. Finn says, including going along with her pretend date? He’s so sorry about that. She says, his daughter knows an awful lot about romance, and he says, that’s not unsettling at all. She says, Violet was very sweet with her. It’s been a minute since someone gave her flowers. He flashes back to their hands touching when he handed her the flowers to take home, and he says he had a talk with Violet. She understands she can’t be playing matchmaker like that, so Elizabeth can rest easy. They’ll be no more romantic evenings for them in the future.

Molly says she doesn’t want to talk about all that right now. She wants to talk about Drew. She heard he reported to prison. Sam says, speaking of fun… and Molly says she’s sorry. That was a terrible segue, but she’s thinking about Scout; how’s she doing? Sam says, not good. She’s taking it really bad. Molly suggests taking her to the movies this weekend; some Aunt Molly time? Sam says, that’s sweet of her, but she has so much going on. Maybe another time. Kristina tells Molly that she has a lot on her plate, and Alexis says, more than most. Molly says, that’s when she usually neglects her personal life. She’s not doing this anymore. She wants to focus on the things that matter again.

Marshall tells TJ that he’s so sorry, and Curtis says, him too. TJ says, Molly feels like her body has betrayed her, and he gets that, or he’s really trying to. But now, when they need to lean on each other the most… Curtis says, she keeps shutting him out, and TJ says, it scares the hell out of him. He and Molly cannot go on like this.

Lucy tells Brook, the last thing they need is any of their numerous rivals… If they were to duplicate Deception’s design and poach their sales… Does Brook get how serious this is? This is a horrible offense. Maxie says she thinks they just need to calm down, but Lucy says, calm down? Maxie says, Brook was just trying to do her job. She started just before they launched The Deceptor, and what a whirlwind, right? It was so successful, she’s sure none of them took the time to tell Brook how proprietary it was. She certainly didn’t. Lucy says, okay, fine. Neither did she, but this is still a great big problem. Does Brook understand? Brook says she’s really sorry. If she knew what they were dealing with, she obviously would have asked for permission. Lucy says she can’t stress enough the value of this product. That is why their lawyer said, do not share this; just keep it between the executives. Only them. They have access. Maxie says, and the information needs to stay in the office, and Brook says, copy that. It will not happen again. Lucy says, yay. Hand it over. Brook says, what? and Lucy says, the files. Where are they? Brook says, they’re on a flashdrive. She took them home. Lucy yells, go get them now! and Brook says, right now, and jets. Lucy tells Maxie that she’s going to get gummies. She needs her gummies. She wants gummies. I totally understand this.

Martin says he thinks Tracy’s forgetting he’s only an attorney, and she says, in Valentin’s absence, Martin has his power of attorney; that makes him Valentin’s mouthpiece. Martin supposes that’s true, and Tracy says, therefore, Martin is the perfect person to fill in for him to ensure the company’s stability until he returns, or God willing, her son snaps out of his delusion. Think of it as protecting his client’s interests. He says, when she puts it like that… She asks if she made him an offer he can’t refuse, and he says he accepts. They shake hands, and she says, welcome to the Board. And now for the first order of business. She has something she wants him to do for her.

Elizabeth asks how she can trust a guy who doesn’t even put child locks on his phone, and Finn tells her, Violet said she got the message, but she knows his daughter. She says, strong willed? and he says, to put it mildly. He can’t promise she won’t try to do the same thing again. Elizabeth says, it won’t be the worst thing. They’ve been totally negligent about getting them all together. Aiden and Jake have been kind of at a loss since Cameron moved out. It might do them some good to get together with their cousin. He says, Violet would love that, and she suggests they plan a family night… for the kids. He says, for the kids, and maybe if Violet’s distracted enough, she’ll let up on her campaign to get them back together. Elizabeth says, because that’s what they want, right?

Finn says he doesn’t know about Elizabeth, but what he wants is a little more complicated, and she says, they should probably talk about the other night. Terry walks in, and says, if it isn’t her favorite head nurse and infectious disease specialist. Finn says he has a patient to see, and Terry tells him, that’s what they all say. He says, and he has to meet Violet at the MetroCourt for a tea party, and Elizabeth tells him, have fun. He says, they’ll plan a family party real soon, and she says, good. He leaves, and Terry says she’s so sorry. She obviously interrupted something. Elizabeth says, it’s no big deal, but Terry says she knows Elizabeth for longer than either of them cares to admit. Does she want to talk about it? Elizabeth says, she and Finn had a date.

Kristina asks Alexis how long they’re going to ignore that there’s something blatantly wrong with Molly, and Alexis says she hasn’t decided yet. Kristina says, bottling things up is never healthy, and Molly asks what they’re whispering about; they’re giving her a complex. Kristina asks why Molly wanted to go out tonight, and Molly says, because it’s lady’s night at The Savoy, and she thought it would be fun. Kristina says, except that’s never her idea of fun, and Molly says, Kristina is the one always telling her to loosen up. Kristina says, but she doesn’t listen, and Molly says she’s listening now. Kristina asks, why now? and Molly says, does it matter? Sam says, no, it doesn’t, but Kristina says she disagrees. Under normal circumstances, she’d be all for this – champagne, nails, dancing – but obviously Molly is avoiding something, and she thinks they all know what that something is. Molly says, like Kristina has never avoided the realities of her life? and Kristina says, more times than she can count, but it never works out the way she wanted it to. In fact, it makes things worse. They’re her family. They care about her. Let them in.

Curtis says, maybe he was wrong. Maybe Molly isn’t shutting TJ out. Maybe she just needs time to process. Marshall says, just because their future doesn’t look like they thought it would, doesn’t mean it can’t be beautiful, and TJ says he told Molly that; that they have options. Curtis says, she just might not be ready to hear that right now, and Marshall says, but she will be. TJ says he thinks the hardest part is that she’s not acting like herself. She passed off one of her big cases to a colleague, and then this morning, she decided she didn’t want to go to work, so she called out. Curtis says, people do that, but TJ says, people do; not Molly. Marshall says, they’re both grieving, and grief can do a number on us all, but it’s fleeting. Curtis asks if TJ’s heard the saying, time heals all wounds. It’s true. TJ says he’d never tell Molly how to deal with her grief, or that he thinks she should be done with that. He’s worried it’s more that that, and ultimately it’s going to tear them apart.

Back with her gummies, Lucy says, who does that? A person taking home confidential files to their house. Who hired Brook back? Maxie says, Lucy did, but Lucy says she knows she didn’t. Maxie says, the important thing is they know who downloaded the files. It was Brook, and she’s really sorry, and the files are being retrieved as they speak, so the crisis has been averted. Now, if Lucy will excuse her, she’s going home to relieve her mom and Mac. Felicia shows up, and Maxie says, she’s supposed to be with James. What’s wrong?

Martin says he’s stepping in for Valentin. Normally, he doesn’t answer to Tracy, which begs the question, why would he? She says, what part of her family’s company is tripping him up? and he says he understands the concept. She asks if he understands that the annual corporate GH fundraiser is next week, and he says, the picnic. She says, that’s the one, and if he’s going to be running the company, it would behoove them to bolster their professional relationship. And all of this to say she’d love it if he’ll attend as her honored guest. He says, that’s the favor? and she says, yes, when Brook walks in, but stops at the doorway. Tracy asks if he’ll come, and he says he has to check his calendar of course (🍷). She says, it’s the social event of the year. It will give them an opportunity to get to know each other better, and he can bring his flame Lucy… if they haven’t flamed out by then. He says, if that’s the case, then he’ll be delighted to attend her little soiree, and she says, a pleasure doing business with him. He leaves, and Brook takes his seat. She says she’s been looking all over for Tracy. They have a problem.

Felicia says, Mac is watching James, and Maxie says, Felicia couldn’t have texted that before she came in and gave her a heart attack? Felicia says she’s sorry. She guesses she wasn’t thinking. She just came by to talk to Lucy about something. Maxie says, it must be important. What’s going on? Lucy says she’s looking to get a gift for Martin, and Maxie says, and Felicia thought this was a good reason to abandon her grandson? Felicia says, Maxie is acting like she left James at the nearest fire station; he’s with his grandfather. And it’s a very special gift. Lucy says, it’s so special. In fact, it’s a gift of a personal nature… erotic in nature. If Maxie wants to stay and help them pick it out… Maxie says she’s good, and tells them to have fun. She leaves, and Felicia says, erotic? Lucy says, it’s the best she could come up with on the fly. She doesn’t want her business partners to know she has concerns about Martin. He really, truly is acting squirrely every time she mentions The Deceptor. Felicia says, Lucy doesn’t want to alarm them unnecessarily, and Lucy says, exactly. And who knows? Maybe there’s a perfectly logical explanation for his behavior. Felicia says, there could be, but she doesn’t think that’s the case.

Tracy says, please tell her this isn’t about Brook’s father, but Brook says, Deception. Tracy says, she wants to discuss that here? and Brook says, why not? Tracy says, exhibit A and B, as Violet and Finn walk in. Violet runs over to Brook, hugging her, and asks if Uncle Chase is with her. Brook says, she wishes. She’s stuck with this one. Tracy says, charming. Does Violet remember her? Violet says, of course (🍷). Auntie Tracy. Finn says, she came up with that all on her own, and Violet says, daddy said she had to ask before giving Tracy a hug. Tracy says, of course (🍷), and she appreciates Violet asking permission. Finn says he promised Violet a proper Shirley Temple, and Violet says, with an umbrella in it. Brook tells Violet, get over there. She’s seen Violet rule this bar. Violet says, daddy won’t let her be on his phone after what happened with Aunt Elizabeth, and Tracy suggests Brook do the Shirley Temple honors. Brook says she’d be delighted, and leaves with Violet. Finn sits down and asks, how’s Ned? Tracy says, he’s fully committed to his rock star persona, and refusing to acknowledge his family, and he says he’s sorry. She says, her too. What was that face? He says, what face? and she says, the face he made when Violet brought up Aunt Elizabeth. Call her crazy, but she thinks there’s a story there.

Elizabeth tells Terry that she and Finn went along with it because they didn’t want to hurt Violet’s feelings, and he explained to her afterwards that they were never going to happen. Terry says, because they’re over each other? and Elizabeth says, they’re great as friends. They had a really nice night. They talked, they took care of Violet together… Terry says, it almost sounds like nothing’s changed, and Elizabeth says, except everything’s changed. Terry says, not really. She and Finn were friends first, then developed feelings for each other. Who says the same thing can’t happen again? Elizabeth says, there was this one moment… and Terry says she knew it. Elizabeth says, but it didn’t mean anything; probably not to him. Terry asks if he said that, and Elizabeth says, not outright, but it was implied. Terry says, like nothing’s ever been lost in translation before. She’s just saying, instead of jumping to conclusions, why not ask Finn for the truth? Elizabeth says she can’t.

TJ says he understands that they each need their space sometimes, and Marshall asks if this is different. TJ says, Molly is pulling away from him emotionally and physically. If they don’t face this challenge together, how does their partnership survive? Curtis says he’s not going to pretend they’re not in a tough spot. Infertility can be devastating to a lot of relationships, and some separate because of it. Marshall says, but they’re not just any relationship. He sees how good they are together. How loving and patient and kind. Curtis says, and TJ needs to lean into that patience. Molly will come around, and when she does, TJ will be there waiting for her. TJ says he hopes Curtis is right.

Kristina asks Molly to tell them what happened, but Sam says, only if she wants to. Kristina says she’s guessing this has something to do with the doctor’s appointment Molly mentioned earlier, and Molly asks if she can’t be given one night off from talking about her fertility issues. All it’s been is endometriosis and eggs and babies, and she’s sick of it. Sam says, they don’t have to talk about it, and Kristina says, the last thing she wants to do is upset Molly, so if she really doesn’t want to talk about it, they don’t have to. They love her, and in Kristina’s experience, keeping things in doesn’t help, but they can. Molly says her eggs aren’t viable. She can never have a biological child. TJ can, but she can’t. Is Kristina satisfied? Kristina says, no, and she’s so sorry. Molly says she needs a minute, and leaves. Alexis looks at Kristina, and says, really?

Lucy asks what Felicia found, and Felicia says, a quarterly bank statement. It was shredded and she pieced it together. Every month of the last quarter, Martin has been receiving deposits of $50,000. Lucy wonders if he’s receiving that from Valentin, but Felicia says, not likely, since the deposits come from a bank in Pine Valley. Lucy says, Martin doesn’t have a license to practice law in Pennsylvania, but Felicia says, maybe he does and just never mentioned it. Lucy says, no. Martin likes to take only local cases, and Valentin is his bread and butter. It’s got to be something else. Something illegal? Felicia shrugs, and says, based on her experience, under the table transactions rarely show up on bank statements. Lucy says, right. Based on her experience, which is rather extensive as Felicia knows, deposits like that every month scream affairs, but Marty is devoted to her. Wouldn’t it be kind of weird that he’s the one getting payments? No, no, no. This has got to be something else. So what could it be?

Violet sips her Shirley Temple, and Brook asks, how is it? Violet says, delicious, when Brook sees Martin and tells Violet not to move a muscle. She’ll be right back. She goes over to Martin and says she saw him earlier with her grandmother. He says, suddenly, Tracy’s expressing an interest in having him help out with ELQ. Temporarily anyway. Even invited him to her family’s picnic; him and Lucy. Brook says she didn’t realize he and her grandmother were so close, but he says, they’re not. Definitely more like acquaintances. He has to hand it to her though. That woman is nothing if not sharp. She has a shrewd business sense. Brook tells him, just be careful, okay? and he says, meaning? She says she loves her grandmother, but she can be opportunistic. Just stay sharp around her. He says, duly noted, and Brook goes back to Violet.

Finn says, gossip isn’t usually Tracy’s thing, and she says she read something about Elizabeth and Nikolas trapping a pregnant girl in a tower? He says, good times, and she says she was surprised Elizabeth was involved. He says, it surprised him too, and Tracy says, there it is, pointing to his face. He says, Elizabeth was going through a rough patch, and she says, a rough patch their relationship couldn’t withstand. He says, it wasn’t just on her, and she says, some people are just not compatible? He says, they’re still friends. It’s a concept Violet’s having a hard time wrapping her head around. Tracy says, maybe she likes having a mother figure around – Finn says, yeah – or his oh so perceptive daughter can tell he still has feelings for her aunt?

Terry asks Elizabeth what she means, she can’t? Of course (🍷) she can. It’s easy. Finn, how did you feel about our date? Elizabet says, fake date, and Terry says, whatever. Elizabeth says she has no right to ask him for the truth after she destroyed the trust between them. Terry says, Finn understands why she had to lie to him about that pregnancy, and Elizabeth says, don’t forget all the months she was trying to figure out what was going on with her parents. Terry says, Finn was understanding about that too, but Elizabeth says, understanding and trusting are two different things. She doesn’t think he’ll ever open himself up to her like that again. Terry says, Elizabeth doesn’t know that, so isn’t it time she got out of her own way and found out?

Marshall tells TJ, hang in there, and Curtis says he’ll see Marshall at home. They hug, and Marshall says he’s going to look for Curtis. TJ and Curtis sit back down, and Curtis says he wishes he had an easy answer for TJ, but he will say they’re here to support him. TJ says, believe him, that means everything, and Curtis says, family. It is a bond that can’t be broken. TJ says he was really looking forward to adding to that family, and Curtis says he knows, but like TJ said, he and Molly still have options. TJ says, but he’s not sure Molly wants kids anymore.

Alexis says, Molly just needs some space, when Molly comes back and apologizes for storming off. Kristina says, no, she’s sorry. She shouldn’t have tried to make Molly talk about what’s happening. Molly says, this whole situation is just… Sam says, horrible? and Alexis says, it’s gut-wrenching. Kristina says, it’s impossible to navigate, and Molly says, all of the above. Sam says, they can change the subject, but Molly says, there’s no use in tiptoeing around it now. Sam says, maybe the good thing is, she can start making other plans, like looking into surrogacy or adoption. Molly says she can’t even begin to think about that right now. Because if she does, it feels like she’s going to break. Alexis hugs her and says, if she breaks, they’ll put her back together. Molly says, promise? and Alexis says she promises.

Alexis says, they can go to her house and watch a movie and have ice cream, but Molly says, she and TJ can revisit having a family, but tonight she needs to get out and remind herself of everything she loves. Kristina asks if that includes all of them, and Molly says, it definitely includes Kristina. Kristina says she hears The Savoy calling them, and this time, the Davis girls are causing some trouble.

Curtis says, so Molly’s given up on starting a family altogether? and TJ says, Molly wants to take a break from the planning. Curtis says, it makes sense after everything they’ve been through, and TJ says he doesn’t disagree, but Molly’s lack of communication is so foreign, he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do. He doesn’t know where her head is at. Curtis says, TJ still wants to have a baby, no matter what that looks like? and TJ says, yeah, but what if Molly doesn’t? What if she becomes so overwhelmed, she decides having kids isn’t worth it anymore? Curtis says, those are very big what ifs, and TJ says, it’s all he can think about. Curtis suggests they game this out, and says, worst case scenario, Molly doesn’t want to have kids, but TJ does, and they can’t get on the same page. What does that feel like for TJ, and what does it mean for him and Molly?  

Finn says he’d be lying if he said he hasn’t thought about Elizabeth, and Tracy says, her take? He says, sure, why not? and she says, whatever residual feelings he has for Elizabeth, he should squash them now. Things got messy once before, and he knows what they say about history repeating itself. Does he want to risk Violet losing her aunt again? She’s already lost her mother. Violet and Brook come back, and Finn asks, where’s the Shirley Temple? Violet says she drank it, and he says, that was so fast. It must be a record. He thanks Brook, and she says, anytime. She asks if she can borrow Tracy, and Tracy says, if she must. They leave, and Finn asks if Violet is ready for dinner. She says, and dessert, but he says, dinner first. She asks if they can see Aunt Elizabeth soon, and he says he’ll check the calendar. She bounces up and down, and smiles.

Terry says, if the issue with Finn was lack of honesty, the solution isn’t to make the same mistake again. How can Elizabeth regain his trust if they’re still keeping things from each other? Elizabeth says, they’re finally in a good place, and Terry says, as friends. Elizabeth says she doesn’t want to jeopardize that, and Terry says, even though she wants to be more? Terry’s phone dings, and she says, patient. Elizabeth says, saved by the bell, and Terry says, for now. She knows it seems complicated to Elizabeth, but from an outsider’s perspective, it couldn’t be more simple. Tell Finn how she feels.

Felicia asks if Lucy and Martin are happy, and Lucy says, blissfully. Felicia says, then if he’s not doing anything illegal, and he’s not having an affair, is it really worth it for her to turn over this rock? It could cost her the relationship. Lucy says she doesn’t know if she can just ignore it. Her intuition is never wrong, and whatever Martin is involved with, she feels like she’s got to know. Felicia says, she’s sure? and Lucy says, no… yes. Just turn over whatever little pebble and spin it, or throw the rock, or do something with that rock now. Felicia says, then the next step is for her to go to Pine Valley and find out who’s sending those payments. Lucy’s phone rings, and she whispers, it’s him. Felicia asks why she’s whispering, and Lucy whispers that she doesn’t know. It rings again, and Felicia says, answer it. Lucy answers, saying, hey you, and Martin says he just had a nice conversation with Tracy Quartermaine. Lucy says, that’s weird; nice and Tracy in the same sentence. He says, she’s invited them to the family picnic, and Lucy asks when it is. He says, next week, and she says, that’s nice of Tracy, but she’s not sure if she can make it back. He asks where she’s going, and she says, something came up; a little business trip out of state. He says, what for? and she says, what else – she looks at Felicia – Deception.

Brook says she needs that flashdrive back, and Tracy asks if it’s necessary. Brook says, Lucy knows she has it, she asked for it, so she thinks it’s really necessary. If she doesn’t bring it, they’re going to get suspicious, and where does that leave Tracy? Tracy takes it out of her bag and gives it to Brook, but they don’t notice Sasha watching.

Tomorrow, Sonny says he called Dante for dinner under false pretenses; Curtis thinks it’s time he takes his own advice; and Kristina thinks she can pull this off.

💔 She’s Sorry…

Apparently, Elizabeth has been replaced by Trina at a GH event due to a family emergency.

👠 What Happens In Jersey…

Looks like they’re all coming back.

https://people.com/teresa-giudice-melissa-gorga-returning-rhonj-season-14-exclusive-7557748

Not all that interesting, but I wanted to include a little Luis smack talk.

https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/8529734/rhonj-margaret-josephs-not-safe-taping-teresa-husband-luis-ruelas/

🪅 Pumping No More…

With everything on her plate, LVP probably won’t even notice it’s gone.

🍸 (Not Much) More On Season 11…

There are a whole two pictures.

💃🏽 Seeing Red…

I wasn’t crazy about this challenge, but it was interesting to see what everyone did with the same damn bolt of fabric.

⚰️ That Dead Couple…

The latest on Rick and Michonne.

https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a44433025/walking-dead-rick-michonne-spinoff-title-logo/

🦛 For Your Squee-ing Pleasure…

I’ve always wanted an axolotl and a capybara.

https://paradepets.com/pet-news/cute-animals

🃏 Cards Off the Table…

Join me tomorrow for soap, teatime, quotes, and a song. Until then, stay safe, stay respecting the rules of events, and stay not jumping to conclusions, but asking for the truth.

February 2, 2023 – Memorial For Britt, Renewed, Tea Time In Canada, Salty Friend, Same Old, Gotta Wait, You Get a Puppy (!) & Air

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sam and Dante meet Sasha, Maxie, and Cody at Kelly’s before Britt’s memorial, and Maxie says she could use some good news. Sam says, Willow had her baby.

Nina and Sonny look at the baby, and Nina says, look at her, not a care in the world. She has no idea she almost lost her mother. She was so scared. Sonny says, everything’s okay now, and Nina says, we have a granddaughter.

A custodian is about to take the name plate down next to Britt’s office, when Scotty and Obrecht come along. Scotty tells him that Obrecht is Britt’s mother, and asks if he can give them a minute. They go into Britt’s office, and Obrecht says, there’s nothing left. No sign Britta worked 18 hour days, that she gave people the best – and worst – news of their lives, that she gave this hospital everything, and everything to its patients. He suggests they go to the chapel, but Obrecht says, she’ll be beset by people telling her how sorry they are. As if their words change anything, or could numb this pain in her heart.

Austin tells TJ about Willow hemorrhaging after giving birth, and says, they have her stabilized now. Checking the computer, Terry says, it looks like the stem cells are being analyzed at the lab, so things are looking up.

Laura stops by Finn’s office, and says she and Doc are taking Jake and Aiden ice skating Saturday. Elizabeth thought Violet might want to join them. He says, Elizabeth ran into Violet the other day, and sensed she was upset. Just like her to try and make a bad situation better.

Nikolas says he’s there to support Spencer at Britt’s memorial, and Elizabeth says she just saw her mother. He pretends he didn’t know Carolyn was in town, and asks if she was there to see Elizabeth, but Elizabeth says, Carolyn came to see him, which shouldn’t surprise him since he asked her to come.

Esme peruses the papers Nikolas gave her, and Heather grabs them. She looks at them, and tells Esme, not so fast.

Spencer asks, what happens to the baby if Esme gives birth in prison? and Jordan says, that would be up to social services. An advocate would be assigned to the child to determine what’s best; placing the child with the father or another relative. He asks, what if the father is also in prison? and she asks why Nikolas would be in prison.

Obrecht tells Scotty, it’s a mistake to have the memorial at GH. Public displays of grief are unseemly. He says, having it at GH is a good way to honor Britt’s 18 hour days saving lives. She died saving a life. It’s good those people want to acknowledge that. Brad walks in, and says he didn’t know anyone was there. He starts to leave, but Obrecht asks why he’s here. He says he wanted to leave something, but it’s stupid. Scotty asks what he has in the bag he’s carrying, and Brad says he realized Britt spent more time here than anywhere else. He helped her fill out her Society Set-Ups profile here. Obrecht says, while it pains her to give Brad a compliment, he was a good friend to her Britta. Brad says, she was his best friend. They had a lot of good talks here, a lot of laughs, a few tears – his, not hers. He doesn’t think he ever saw Britt cry. She’s the one person he could be completely honest with. He only wishes she’d felt the same. Obrecht wonders how he can say that. He was as dear to Britt as she was to him. He asks why Britt didn’t tell him she was sick.

Esme asks for the papers back, but Heather says, it looks like she was about to sign away her baby. She asks where Esme got this, and Esme says, from the baby’s father. Heather looks at the papers again, and says, Nikolas Cassadine. Everyone knows the Cassadine family; they’re very rick, very influential, and ruthless. She can’t sign this. Esme says, it’s her own decision, and Heather says, of course (🍷) it is. She just wants to make sure Esme is doing what’s best for her and her baby before she signs away her rights forever. She asks if Esme read this, because that’s exactly what Nikolas is doing. Esme tells her that Nikolas said it would only be temporary until her legal issues are resolved. Ryan is wheeled in, and Heather says, from one mother to another, men lie all the time, and you can’t trust a single one of them. Ryan listens in.

Jordan asks why Nikolas would be in prison, and Spencer says, wishful thinking. She asks if he has any evidence Nikolas committed a crime, but he says, if he did, she’d be the first to know. She says she can’t imagine how angry he is with Nikolas, and he says, having a child with his ex-girlfriend? He’s not sure what bothers him more; the betrayal or how tacky it all is. She asks why it can’t be both, when her phone rings, and she leaves to take the call.

Laura says she’s sorry things didn’t work out between Finn and Elizabeth, and he says, him too. She says, he was such a rock for Elizabeth and the boys when they were struggling, and he says he was glad he could be there for them. They were good together until they weren’t. Laura says she’s glad they remained friendly for Violet’s sake, and he says, of course (🍷), but he doesn’t know if he’d call it friendship. It’s more like a cross between politeness and detente. She says she hopes they can be friends again; Elizabeth could use a friend like him right now. He asks if something is wrong.

Elizabeth brings Nikolas to an empty exam room, and he says he doesn’t know what Carolyn told her. She says, her mother said Nikolas flew her to Port Charles to make sure Esme would never regain her memory. He promises he didn’t trust Carolyn with Elizabeth’s secrets, but she says he’s missing the point. She confided in him, and he saw what she went through trying to regain her memories, and then he turns around and asks her mother to do the same thing to Esme. Thank God she refused. He says, he and Elizabeth agreed the best possible outcome would be if Esme never remembers, but Elizabeth says, she never said to hire her mom to block Esme’s memories. How could he think she’d ever want anyone else to go through what her parents did to her? He tells her, that’s not what she said before. Does she want to go to prison?

Sonny asks if Trina is here for Britt’s memorial, and she says she’s here to support Spencer. She tells Nina that Curtis sends his apologies; he had an emergency at The Savoy. Sonny asks if she’s seen Spencer, and Trina says she left him in the chapel. Sonny says he’s going to find Spencer, and Nina says she’s going to wait for Obrecht. She wonders where Obrecht is.

Finn asks if Laura is worried about Elizabeth, and asks if Elizabeth’s dad is bothering her again. She says she doesn’t think Jeff has contacted Elizabeth since he left Port Charles, and he asks what Nikolas has done this time. Whatever this thing is between Nikolas and Elizabeth doesn’t make a lot of sense to him. Laura says, they’ve known each other since they were… He says, teenagers. He’s heard. She says, bonds like those between Nikolas and Elizabeth are hard to break.

Elizabeth says, of course (🍷) she doesn’t want to go to prison. That’s why she prays every day Esme doesn’t remember. Nikolas apologizes for not relying on prayer. He had to take action to protect them both. She asks why he didn’t let her in on his plans then, and he says he knew she didn’t want to see her mother. Nice try, but lame. She says, he wasn’t protecting her feelings. He hid it from her because he knew she wouldn’t go along with it. He says, what’s done is done. No matter what happens, they’re in this together. She says, not anymore.

Brad says, Britt helped him through everything; losing a child, losing his marriage, prison. He wanted to be there for her like she was for him. Obrecht says, if Britt had told him about her illness, he might have become concerned and caring, and probably would have tried to take care of her. He says, of course (🍷) he would have… Oh. She says, Britt didn’t need him fawning over her, and giving her pillows. She needed him to make cruel observations about unsuspecting bystanders; to fetch her another cocktail that did her no good medically, but made her happy in the moment; to lament about his love life, so she’d know someone had a bed more desolate than her own. But more than anything, she needed someone to laugh with. He says he can live with that, and Scotty says, they have to get going. Obrecht says, there’s nothing left to see here anyway, and Brad says, he’ll catch up with them there. They leave, and he takes a pint of ice cream and two spoons out of the bag. He eats a spoonful, and says he knows Britt wasn’t planning on heaven, but it’s probably where she ended up. He hopes there’s a hot guy there, a wardrobe malfunction or two, angel feathers getting caught in harp strings. She could make a GIF of it. They must have GIFs in heaven. Surely God wouldn’t deprive them of simple pleasures. He misses her, and promises he’ll never eat ice cream, check out unattainable men, or do a single thing without thinking of her. He closes the container, and puts it back in the bag along with his spoon, leaving the other spoon on the desk. I want to cry looking at that spoon.

Spencer listens to Nikolas’s confession again in the chapel, when Sonny walks in. Sonny says he knows it’s a tough day, and Spencer says, Britt meant a lot to him. He appreciates Sonny being here, although he knows it’s mostly for Nina. Sonny says, he’s here for Spencer, and Spencer thanks him. Sonny asks if Nikolas is coming, but Spencer says he doubts it. Sonny asks if Spencer is still going for custody of Esme’s baby, and Spencer says he’s more convinced than ever that his father shouldn’t be anywhere near that child.

Dante and Sam get the hospital, and Dante tells Jordan that he and Sam are leaving soon to check out Maggie Fitzgerald’s last known address. Jordan asks, how much of this will end up in The Invader? and Sam says she and Alexis discussed it. Alexis wants The Hook stopped, so any information they gather will be for police use only. Unfortunately, the last known address they have is at least five years old. Dante hopes Esme’s nanny is still alive, and Jordan says, the more she thinks about it, the more she believes The Hook attacks are someone’s way of punishing Esme’s enemies.

Esme sees Ryan, and asks if that’s Doc. What happened to him? Heather says, it’s Doc’s twin Ryan Chamberlain, and Esme asks why he’s staring at her like that. Heather says, don’t worry, it’s all he can do, and Esme says, Heather told her to stay away from Ryan. Now Heather’s telling her not to worry? Heather says she told Esme to keep her distance, which is easy. She steers Esme to another table, and says, problem solved. He can’t see her. He can’t do anything to her because he can’t move. He’s almost completely paralyzed. All he can move is his eyes. Esme says, that’s awful, but Heather tells her not to worry about Ryan. His mind is as sharp as ever. He’s the last person who needs her sympathy.

People start to file into the chapel for the memorial, and Spencer tells Trina that he’s decided to keep his father’s confession a family matter. For now.

Elizabeth says she’s forgiven Nikolas over and over again. When he let his family believe he was dead, when he slept with his son’s girlfriend, and so many other things. She’s done being pulled into his lies, like when he said they were together at the Quartermaine picnic. He says he was giving her an alibi, but she says she didn’t need one. It’s always an excuse with him for all the lying and scheming. This isn’t who she wants to be. He says he never forced her to do anything, and she says, he’s right; she made her own bad choices. The way her mother told her the truth, and he didn’t; her mother has proven to be more trustworthy than he is. It’s made her realize she can’t be around him anymore. He says he was only trying to protect them both, but she says the only thing she needs protecting from is him, and leaves. Nikolas follows her, grabbing her arm, and says, they’re not done talking. Laura and Finn come by, and Finn tells Nikolas to get his hands off Elizabeth.

Nina goes to the front of the chapel, and says, Obrecht asked her to speak. On behalf of the family, she thanks everyone for being here. Usually, a favorite passage or a poem would be read in remembrance of the one they’ve lost, but Britt only read medical journals, so she’s out of luck. She started thinking about Britt, how she lived and who she was, and it became really clear. Sun Tzu writes in The Art of War, let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt. That was Britt, at her worst, and at her best. Unexpected and unforgettable. She didn’t know Britt nearly long enough, but she’s proud to have Britt as a part of her family. She looks up, and says, Britt, you will be missed, but you will never, ever be forgotten.

Brad says he met Britt at GH ten years ago. Neither of them was particularly popular, and back then, she had a nickname – The Britch – which she earned; she wouldn’t want him to lie. She was mean, selfish, a bully. One time, she set a little girl’s doll on fire, but by all reports, it was a total accident. When it came to people, Britt left destruction in her wake. Then one day, she was just gone, on the run, a fugitive until her luck ran out. She did her time, and when she came back, she was determined to prove she’d changed. Was she successful? All of them are here, but to him personally, she didn’t change at all. Britt Westbourne was, and always will be, his best friend.

Heather says, Esme isn’t really thinking about giving away her baby, is she? and Esme says, Nikolas made a convincing case, and genuinely seems to care about the baby. Heather says, seems being the operative word. How long has he given Esme to sign the papers? Esme says, he told her that he’d be back tomorrow, and Heather asks, what’s the rush? She’s still weeks away from her due date, isn’t she? Why is she so eager to give up this baby? Esme says she isn’t. The baby is the only thing she has in the entire world. She goes to bed and feels the baby kicking, and knows she’s not alone. Heather says, that’s beautiful, and exactly why she can’t sign those papers. She’ll never get over it if she gives up her child.

Finn tells Nikolas again to let Elizabeth go, and Nikolas says, fine, but it’s none of his business. Laura says, Nikolas! and asks if Elizabeth is all right. Elizabeth says she’s fine, and Nikolas asks if they really think he’d hurt Elizabeth. Laura says, not if he’s in control of himself, and Elizabeth says she didn’t want to cause a scene, but Finn says, she didn’t. Elizabeth asks if she and Finn can talk, and they head for his office. Laura says she and Nikolas need to talk now, and he says he knows what she’s going to say. She says, really? Because she’s at a complete loss as to how to reach her son. She walks off, and Nikolas follows.

Scotty says he’s not sure what Britt would make of all of this fuss. She was a very private person; just like her mother. He got to know both of them very well, and fell in love with her mother. Strong women; gotta love ‘em. Britt’s big secret. Now they know. She had a big heart. The world has lost a very special person.

Terry says, Britt was a fierce advocate for her patients. She sees many of them remember how fierce she was. Britt was an excellent doctor, and a smart administrator. It was a privilege to know her, to work beside her, and become her friend. Terry’s voice breaks, and she says, her life and work deserve to be honored by this hospital and this community. She asks everyone to follow her, and they file out of the chapel.

They all stand before the memorial wall of staff photos, and Terry says, this wall commemorates those who dedicated their lives to General Hospital and the people of Port Charles. It’s only fitting therefore, that Dr. Britt Westbourne be added to this wall. Nina tells Obrecht, Britt would love this, and Dante asks Sonny, where’s Spencer?

Trina asks if Spencer doesn’t want to see Terry’s big surprise, but he says he’s sure he’ll see it later. His father was engaged to Britt, and didn’t even show up. She says, they did break up when Spencer was a child, and sits next to him. She says, this, today, isn’t about his father, and it’s not about him; today’s about Britt. Just let it be that. He says, she’s right; he’ll try. He and Britt were friends, and even though he was a kid, she never talked down to him. He appreciated that about her, and doesn’t know as he’ll ever meet someone who connects with him like that ever again. She understood. Trina says, she sounds like a pretty great person, and he says, she was.

Esme promises not to make any decisions until at least tomorrow, and Heather says, now that that’s settled, she has to talk to Ryan. Esme says, Heather told her… and Heather tells Esme that she said Ryan was dangerous to her; Heather can handle him. Stay put. She goes over to Ryan, and asks, how about a little chat? picking up the alphabet board. She lowers her voice, and says, listen up. She assumes he’s known all along about Nikolas and Esme, which pisses her off. Now Nikolas is trying to steal their grandchild, and what’s worse, the cops are on to Ryan.

Nikolas asks why Laura is so scared, and she says she feels like she’s losing him. Victor has some kind of hold over him, and he won’t tell her what it is, so she can’t help him. He’s divorcing Ava, manhandling Elizabeth, and making excuses for all of it. She’d like to say he’s not acting like himself, but she’s afraid this is who he’s become; a man who is careening from one bad decision to the next, and hurting anyone who tries to help him. He says he’s sorry he’s not the son she wanted, but she says, stop it. The son she wants is inside him, and she’s seen him. She’s seen him be the man she’s proud of. A man who woudn’t give up on his own son, no matter how hard Spencer tried to push him away. A man who defied Helena Cassadine, when she tried to groom him to be the next Cassadine heir. He says he’s not sure where that man went, and she tells him to start looking, down deep into that core of goodness and strength she knows is there, that’s somehow eluded him. She needs to believe it’s not too late.

Elizabeth tells Finn that she feels like she’s lost her best friend, but she shouldn’t be talking to him about Nikolas. He says, even though they didn’t work out, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t still care about her. She says, after everything she put him through? He’s a good person, and he deserves the truth.

Nikolas says he thinks maybe it’s not too late, and Laura says she’s glad to hear him say that. Now tell her why. He says, because after everything that’s happened, he’s done listening to Uncle Victor. Instead, he’s going to focus on being a good father to this new baby, and to Spencer… if Spencer ever speaks to him again. Laura says she thinks he will, and he says he wanted to be at Britt’s memorial for Spencer. She says, maybe it’s not completely over, and they head for the chapel.

Finn asks what truth he needs to know, and Elizabeth says she lied to him. She was never pregnant with Nikolas’s baby.

Scotty asks if Brad is okay, and Brad says he will be. Otherwise her ghost will never let him hear the end of it. How is Britt’s mutter? Scotty says, she wanted to be alone.

Obrecht touches Britt’s picture on the memorial wall, and says, auf wiedersehen, mein kind. She kisses her fingers, touches the photo, and looks up.

Sonny, Nina, Sasha, and Maxie look at the new baby, and Maxie says, this was a really good idea. She needed this. Sasha says, her too. She wasn’t sure at first, but there’s no place she’d rather be. Nina says, her neither. Just look at her. Sonny says, say hello to the future.

Laura and Nikolas go into the chapel, and Laura says, oh no. She’s so sorry they missed this. She hugs Spencer, who says he knows she would have been there if she could. Besides, he thinks he knows whose fault it was. Nikolas says he really wanted to be here, but Spencer says, stop it. He asks if Trina would mind giving them the chapel; family business. Trina leaves, and Nikolas says he really did intend to be here. Spencer says, somehow, Nikolas has managed to disappoint him more than he already has, and Nikolas asks if he’s done. Spencer says, not even remotely. Because of the damage Nikolas has done to him, he’s going to make sure Nikolas can’t damage his little brother or sister the same way.

Sam tells Jordan, now that that’s over, they’re off to find Maggie Fitzgerald. Jordan says, keep her posted. Good luck. Hopefully, Maggie will finally lead them to Esme’s father.

Heather tells Ryan, Sam and Dante were here. They’re looking for an old nanny… Maggie something. She’s guessing from his stare that Maggie knows about him. He blinks once, and she says, there’s really only one thing left they can do. They’ve got to bust out of here. He glances at Esme, and Heather says, Esme? Don’t be silly. Of course (🍷) she’s coming with us.

Tomorrow, Dex says he really messed up Josslyn’s life; Spencer asks why he keeps coming in second; and Chase tells Brook that he has to be done with this, and she asks if he means done with her.

🦹🏽 Alum Makes Good…

Glad to hear the ex-Port Charles native is doing well.

🍵 Some Real Tea…

For the Y&R fans – June 4th in Toronto, Canada.

🏆 Off the Soap Grid…

Looks like there are a few GH faves here.

🧂 Thank You For Being a Friend…

She is pretty interesting, but I’m surprised after she ditched the Reunion. Isn’t that a mortal Housewives sin?

💎 Ho-Hum…

So what else is new?

⚰️ Buffering…

Personally, I can’t wait for the Negan/Maggie combo.

🐶 All Your Own…

You, too, can have your own personal Puppy Bowl.

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/puppy-bowl-xix-adopt-watch-2023-b2273064.html

🚧 Taking It Nowhere Near the Streets…

Stop in tomorrow for soap, tea, quotes, and perhaps an earworm. Until then, stay safe, stay not overthinking things, and stay falling like a thunderbolt when you move.

November 20, 2022 – The Ones Who Live, Dead Dissection, Finale Songs, Spin-Offs, Photos & Cult

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

The Walking Dead Finale

Running into the hospital with Judith, Daryl yells for help. He tells Judith that she’ll be okay. She sees a distorted view of the hospital, troopers running in, and Daryl falling. She sees a zombie headed for the doors, and rolls herself off the gurney. She pushes and pulls at the inner sliding glass doors, getting them almost shut as a zombie bounces off of them. More zombies have gathered, and as she shuts the doors the last few inches, hands poke through. They fight to get in, and she shoves a desk in front of the doors. She passes out next to Daryl as zombies pound at the glass.

A zombie advertises DoorDash, and it’s quite funny. Now that I think of it, I wonder what a commercial spot cost for this show.

Maggie and the others kill zombies a million different ways, as their group fights its way through the horde. Jules gets bitten, and Luke spikes the zombie through the head. He tells her that she’ll be okay, but that’s not going to happen, since he gets grabbed. I say, noo! as the zombies pull at him, and he sees Jules getting eaten. Carol, Maggie, Negan and the others jet through somehow, scooping up Luke in the process. I honestly don’t know how any of them could make it through this death machine, she says like this could possibly be a real life situation.

Daryl is lying on a gurney, and hears, hey, it’s me. He opens his eyes, seeing Connie, Kelly, Magna, and Yumiko gathered around Luke on another gurney. Luke’s legs are pretty much gone, and he’s crying, as we all would. Daryl tells Carol that he’s fine, and gets up, but Carol says, no, he’s not. He looks at Judith, and says, she’s lost a lot of blood. Yumiko tells Luke to stay with them, and Carol says, it took everything they had. Pamela is holed up in the gated community, and left everyone to fend for themselves. If they go after her, there are going be troopers. Daryl asks if Mercer doesn’t know people on the inside, and she says, Max thinks so, and he said he’d come back. He asks if they just wait, but she says, no. They’re going to take care of Judith, and him. Kelly starts to cry, and Yumiko takes Luke’s harmonica out of his pocket, telling him, they’ll keep the music alive. Kelly says, for him, and Connie signs, for everyone. They love him so much. Now we’re all crying, and Luke slips away. Magna takes out a knife and stabs him, but we mercifully don’t see that happen, and everyone sobs. Except Carol and Daryl, who are stoic. Daryl asks if Carol knows how to do a blood transfusion; he’s going to give Judith blood. She says, the types have to match, but he says, his goes with anybody. His brother made him sell it when he was a kid. A cover is put over Luke, and Carol sets up an IV. They hear clattering, and Magna says, they have to sweep the hospital. Everyone leaves, except Daryl, who stays to do the transfusion.

Mercer paces a cell in a prison uniform, which seems startling. Zombies shuffle by in the hallway, and he hears machine guns. Princess yells for him to get back and cover his head. She gets rid of the zombies in the way, and busts in. Max runs to Mercer, hugging him, then Princess jumps into his arms, and they kiss. He smiles, which I don’t think we’ve seen before.  

Maggie tells Negan, get ready, and he asks if her weapon is for Pamela. She doesn’t say anything, and he says, the offer still stands. She says she’s good, and zombies begin to come. Mercer is back in his gear, and Ezekiel tells them to wait. Aaron and Lydia run up, and tell them that Jerry and Elijah are still out there. They jump in a truck, and Ezekiel drives.  

The nursery is chaos, and a zombie chows down on someone. Gabriel, Eugene, and Rosita run in, and Rosita says, Coco. She sees a zombie reaching into the crib, but as she runs over, another one grabs her. But she’s mama bear now, so these undead are no match. She goes into hyper-kickass mode, and saves her baby. Eugene runs in, followed by Gabriel, who scoops up another infant. On the radio, Mercer asks if there’s an update on the kids, and Gabriel says, they found them. Mercer says, thank God.

Daryl watches Judith, and she opens her eyes. She asks, what’s happening? Where is she? He says, at the hospital, and she asks, why? Is she going to die? He says, no, but she says she feels like she is. Then she can’t find her mom, who’s finding her dad, so they can all be together. He smooths her hair, and tells her that she’s fine. She says, her mom told her this thing that she told her dad; we’re the ones… She’s suddenly out, and Daryl tells her, wake up. Carol comes back, and says, the hospital’s been breached. They’ve got to go. Daryl says, he can’t, and Rosita radios that they’re in the alley behind the hospital. They went through the horde, and their ride is f***ed. Daryl wheels the gurney to another room. He tells Judith that she’ll be okay, and locks her in. He puts another gurney in front of the door, then knocks over some shelving for good measure. He runs to the front, joining the others, and a zombie is smashing at the glass with a rock. Some zombies are already inside, and the others finally crash through, tons of them pouring in. Daryl and Carol fight them, and Daryl says, they’ve got to move. Run. He goes back to where Judith is, shoving the shelves over, and pulls he bed out. Carol radios that the hospital has been breached. They’re going out the back. When they get there, it’s another cluster of zombies, so they keep going, and find another door.

Eugene comes out of a van, shooting, and Gabriel says, back to back. Eugene says, they’ve got to find a way out. A zombie grabs Rosita, but Gabriel shoots it. Rosita suggests they go up; she’ll be behind him. They climb up a pipe on the side of a building like freaking Spiderman, but then the zombies start climbing too. Rosita gets stuck they tell her, reach up, but she falls backward, along with Coco, in a pack strapped to her stomach. She somehow pops back up, and climbs onto an overturned ambulance. Eugene tells her to jump, and jumps onto the pipe, and gets in the window. That was one heart-stopping moment.

Daryl and company rendezvous with Mercer, who helps get Judith to a safe house, where Tomi examines her. He tells Daryl that it was good he gave her blood. He’ll do what he can. He tells them to prep an IV, and clear the room. Aaron checks on Lydia, and tells her that she’ll feel it sometimes, like it’s still there. Is she okay? She nods, and says, Luke and Jules… He says he knows, and she says, it’s the same with Eli; she knows it. That’s just what happens. People die; cities fall. Things just don’t work out. People tell her they do, but they don’t. Jerry’s not coming back either, is he? Aaron says he hasn’t given up hope. They’ll  find both of them. Carol hears, but says nothing. Maggie asks if Aaron has seen Negan, but he says, not for a while, and she runs off. She finds Negan climbing the stairs with a rifle, and asks if he’s going after Pamela. He asks what it matters, as long as it’s done, and she asks, what’s his angle? He says he has no goddam angle. He’s doing this for her. If she takes Pammy out with this thing, hell will rain down on her, and she ain’t gonna come back, and she has to come back. So he’s doing it. Last night, when he was down on his knees about to lose his wife, about lose everything, he finally understood what it must have felt like. He knows he probably owes Maggie more than this, but he’s so sorry for what he took from her and her son. She takes the rifle from him, and says, you comin’?

Eugene and Max doze, and Eugene sees Rosita watching Coco sleep. He walks over, and asks if she wants to take a break, but she says she just wants to soak Coco up. He smiles, and sits with her. He says he bets she can’t wait for summer. She can finally take Coco for a swim at Oceanside. In his research on child-rearing he came across an outline of the benefits that swimming has. It builds confidence; not that Coco will have a problem. Rosita has it in spades, so it’s in Coco too. He can’t wait for summer, can she? She doesn’t say anything, and he says, when she fell… She looks at him, and he asks, where? She shakes her head, and he pulls back the collar of her shirt, seeing the bite make on her shoulder. She says, it’s okay; no crying. She doesn’t want them to know yet, so pull his sh*t together. He says he can’t, but she says, he can. She’s still right here, and he’s going to be fine. Tears shine in her eyes, but yet she smiles, and Eugene says he just loves her so much. She says she loves him, he kisses her head, and leaves. He sits with Max, and she asks if he’s all right. He says he’s completely fine.

Daryl and Carol watch Judith. She stirs, and Daryl sits on the bed. He calls her a little ass-kicker, and she says, big ass-kicker. He says, damn straight, and she says she’s fine, like he promised. What she said about her mom and dad… He asks if it’s true. Is that why she never came back? Judith says she’s sorry she didn’t tell him. She was scared he’d leave too. He says he’s right here, when they hear gunshots and yelling. Mercer tells them that people are banging at the gate, and they’re shooting anyone who climbs over. Loads people are dying, and he can’t just stand by. The truck is gassed, and can get them home. It’s not their fight; these are not their people. Ezekiel says, they are; so is Mercer. They may not think this place is worth saving, given how they were treated, but it’s worth it to him. The people are worth it. He’s not allowing them to fall without a fight. Not today. Not with him. Who else will go? Aaron says, they can do more than save themselves, and they need to. Everyone is like, let’s go, and Ezekiel tells Mercer, lead the way, brother.

Pamela stands near the gates, watching all the people yelling for her to open them. Maggie looks at her through binoculars, and tells Negan, they’re almost there. Mercer comes out, along with Carol, Daryl, and company, and a group of trooper sympathizers. Pamela says, arrest them, and everyone draws their guns. Mercer says, the people outside want in, and she says, traitor. He says, no, she is. She disappeared hundreds of citizens, and lead the dead to their doorstep. She shot a child, and now she’s left thousands to die. A herd is also coming. The people yell, let us in, and Gabriel steps forward. He says he’s opening the gate, and he’ll kill anyone who tries to stop him. Trooper Vickers says, they’ll be forced to shoot him unless he stops, and Carol says, they’ll fire back. Pamela says, shoot him, and Daryl asks what the hell she’s doing. They all deserve better than this. She built this place based on the old world, a world that f***ed people over. Pamela says, if she opens the gate, the dead will get in, not just living, and he says, if she doesn’t, they lose everything anyway. We have one enemy, and it ain’t the walking dead.

Vickers tells the troopers to lower their weapons, and says, he’s right. Give the priest the key. On your command, General Mercer. Mercer says he’s arresting Pamela for high crimes against the people of the Commonwealth. Cuff her. Maggie tells Negan, she’s getting arrested, and he says, prison like that is worse than death. Gabriel unlocks the gate, and the people swarm in. Several of them help Gabriel to close and lock it behind them, and the zombies grope through the gate, still trying to get in. Eli runs to Lydia, who says she thought she’d never see him again. Jerry calls for Nabila, and Ezekiel says, come with him. Pamela looks dazed, and moves closer to the gate, seeing zombie Lance. She moves even closer, and he grabs her, pulling her toward him. She closes her eyes, and Judith tells Pamela, you have to help them. It’s not too late; it’s never too late. Maggie shoots Lance, and says, now we’ll take this place back.

Mercer says, here’s the new plan. They’re going to get a vehicle out, and clear a path. Don’t engage with the dead any more than necessary. We see them fight their way through the horde, and Aaron saying, hold the line. Mercer says, take the vehicle out back. He’s headed for the town square, and will let them know when it’s clear. Jerry is in charge of dumping the barrels of fuel from the depot into the sewer tunnels underneath. They’ll start the PA system to draw the zombies to the Estates. Eli does some wiring, and Mercer says, it’s almost go time. Get the fuel in the sewers. They only have one shot at this. They pour out the gasoline, and everyone is wiring something or hooking something up. Max says she hopes it works, and Princess says, if it doesn’t, they’re dead.

Living Colour’s Cult of Personality plays at top volume, and the zombies pour into the Estates. When the song stops, the record player arm goes back, and two flints ignite a spark. Everything blows up, and it’s quite an explosion. It rips through the tunnels, and outside, flaming zombies drop like… well, flaming zombies. Everything burns.

Pamela whines, it’s not easy having a good time so many lives in her hands, and she had to make ugly decision. How do you pick who does the jobs no one wants? Who gets the nicer house? Carol says, they had to make an ugly decision to keep alive after everything she’s done, because they’ve all done things. They’ll figure it out. They’ll make sure of it. At least they don’t have to worry about who gets her house. They close the cell door behind them.  

Negan looks at his old Whisperer mask, and tosses it. Maggie sits across from him, and says she was thinking about what he said. She wants to thank him. She can stop wondering if he’ll ever say those words, and if she can forgive him. She knows now she can’t. Glenn was beautiful. She’ll never love anyone like that again. She remembers his smile, his goodness, and the way he made her feel. But when looks at Negan, all she sees is the bat coming down, and blood running down Glenn’s face. She hears him calling for her, and hears Negan mocking her. She can’t forgive him, even though she’s grateful that he saved her son; even though she knows he’s trying. She’s trying too, because she doesn’t want to hate him anymore. She doesn’t want to hurt like that. She doesn’t want her son to see that anybody has that kind of hold over her. If he and Annie want to stay, they’ve earned their place. But if she can’t look at him some days, work with him, or move on, that’s why. All she has are her memories, and she doesn’t want to remember Glenn like that. He nods, pain visible in his eyes, and she leaves.

There’s a big group dinner, where there’s much laughter, Landslide playing on the phonograph. DOG IS HERE!!! Yumiko toasts to Luke, and they all raise their glasses, clinking them. Daryl looks outside, and sees Negan. He nods, and Negan nods back, but keeps walking. Yumiko asks Magna if she can just say… but she doesn’t finish because Magna kisses her. Gabriel sits with Rosita, and asks if she’s okay. She says, everything is perfect. She just wants to remember this moment. She whispers something to him, and he covers her hand with his. She wipes away a tear, and Judith sees.

Carol and Maggie walk Rosita into a bedroom, and she lies on the bed next to Coco. They leave, and she cuddles with Coco, as Daryl stands in the doorway. Gabriel comes in, and kneels next to the bed. He says, receive her into Your arms of mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace. And into the glorious company of the saints and light. May her soul, and the soul of all those departed, in the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen. He takes her hand, and she kisses Coco. Gabriel says, they’ll see her again someday, and takes Coco. Eugene comes in, and sits next to the bed. He says he wouldn’t be the man he is today if he hadn’t met her. He takes her hand, and she says she’s glad it was him in the end. She closes her eyes, and he cries.

One year later. Eugene leaves flowers at Rosita’s grave plaque, and we see plaques for those who are gone. We hear Ezekiel say, my fellow citizens. They’re here together today against all odds. Eugene takes Baby Rosie from Max, and Ezekiel says, they’re here to honor those who sacrificed for them, so they could pursue a more perfect union.  Even though they’re not bonded by blood, they’re family. As Governor, Ezekiel is making Mercer his Lieutenant Governor. Princess lets out a whoop, everyone laughs, and she blows Mercer a kiss. Ezekiel says, they pledge to live by those words, and everyone applauds. He and Mercer bro hug, and Connie hugs Daryl. She signs, what’s up, cowboy? How’s the frontier? He says, quiet for now, and asks, how’s work? She signs, great. She’s keeping the new administration honest. He says, she seems happy, and she signs, she is. Lydia hugs Judith, and gives her a present. Judith asks who it’s from, and Lydia says, it’s a surprise, and leaves. Judith opens it, and finds her compass with JG engraved on it, along with a note that says: This has always helped me find my way. I’m returning it to you in the hope that it can guide you to your dreams. Thank you for letting me use it. Negan.

Daryl and Carol look at the Wall of the Lost in rebuilt Alexandria, and everyone around them does normal stuff. Gracie runs in and hugs Judith, and Eli hugs Aaron. Aaron tells Gabriel that he never thought they’d get back to any of this. He had hope, but they’ve been lucky. Gabriel says, it’s not luck; it’s effort. They have a lot to be proud of; family, community, our future. Maggie hugs Daryl and Carol, and says she wants to talk about the future. There’s a lot out there to find out about, and she thinks it’s time they did. It’s a beautiful day to head out. Daryl says, yeah, and tells Carol that he wishes she was coming with him. She says she knows it will be good for both of them, and he says he’s proud of her. She took Hornsby’s job and made it her own. She made everything better for her kids, and she’ll keep making it better. She says, he will too, and he says, it’s not like they’ll never see each other again. She says she’s allowed to be a little sad, and a tear rolls down her cheek. She says, he’s her best friend, he puts his arm around her, and they look at the lake.

Judith and RJ say goodbye to Daryl, and Judith says, she’ll keep an eye on Dog. Daryl tells her to keep an eye on Carol too. If he sees anything, he’ll find both her parents, and bring them home. She says, he deserves a happy ending too, and he says he’ll be back. She says he knows, and they hug. Ezekiel takes the kids, and Carol straightens Daryl’s poncho. He says he loves her, and she says she loves him too. They hug, and he gets on his bike. He looks at her, starts the engine, and heads into down the road, passing a random zombie who was apparently Greg Nicotero.  

We go heavily down Dead Memory Lane, seeing all the characters we remember and those we forgot about, as…

A match lights the darkness, and we see Rick sitting by a fire, writing a letter. In a voiceover, he says he thinks about the dead all the time, and about the living… who he lost. Elsewhere, Michonne writes in a journal that she tried to get to their kids again and again, but it was too far. But they’ve got each other; they’re connected. He says, he thinks about them all every day; their faces, what he’s learned, how she made him who he is. She says, they’ll always be together, even when they’re apart. We together is the strongest thing. We’re love, and love is endless. We are endless. He says, together we’re the pieces of a whole that keeps going with what we gave each other; one unstoppable life. You showed me that. You gave me that. Michonne looks into the fire at Rick on the other side.

Michonne is in a stable with a horse, and Rick’s meager possessions. She writes, I know your brother is back there. Just as sure as I know he’s out there. Somewhere. Not just as a part of us. He’s alive out there. She will find him. She knows he’s trying to find them.

In another place and time, and with the same possessions, Rick is on a riverbank, wearing a CRM jacket.

Michonne saddles her horse, and rides out, lopping off a zombie’s head as she rides past.

On a beach rife with zombie heads poking out of the wet sand, Rick hears a helicopter, and says, no. He tosses his bag away, and a loudspeaker says, he’s been located. He’s being instructed to surrender. Remain in place with his hands up. He spikes one of the zombie heads with a tool I use for yanking out weeds from the garden. The loudspeaker tells him, it’s like she said; there’s no escape for the living.

As Michonne rides, she says, remember what she told him. It’s what he said. Hold it in your heart. It’s true. Forever.   

We hear, we’re the ones who live, and we see all the highlights of the past seasons. Michonne rides into the fog, ready to do battle. Rick holds up his hands, looks up, and smiles.  

Judith tells TJ, we get to start over. We’re the ones who live.

There was a thank you from each cast member to the fans.

Next on the agenda, Fear the Walking Dead, Dead City, Daryl Dixon, and Rick and Michonne. The Walking Dead Universe – bigger and deader.

👩🏾‍🏫 Explaining the Dead End…

An in depth look at the ending. For those who must.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-finale-rick-michonne-ending-explained/

🎧 Playlisting Dead…

The cast chooses songs for the finale.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-finale-cast-character-playlist-songs/

⚰️ Dead Next…

About that bigger and deader universe.

https://ew.com/tv/the-walking-dead-finale-spin-offs/

📸 Dead Snaps…

Photos from behind-the-scenes.

https://ew.com/tv/the-walking-dead-behind-the-scenes-photos/

👣 Dead On My Feet…

If you got to go to the finale, you’re a lucky dead dog, but the seat in front of the TV wasn’t bad. Lots of laughing, hugging, and reminiscing, and I definitely got the vibe they’d been passing out champagne… or something. Stop in tomorrow for some soap and OG Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay embracing, or at least accepting, the change of seasons, and stay knowing, you don’t have to be bonded by blood to be a family.