Tag Archives: Rihanna

Mar11

March 10, 2023 – Drew Gives Ned a Proposal, Dear Diary, VanderMore, Southern Smarm, Awards Talk, Vegas Cat (!), Slightly More Than a Dozen Quotes & Lift

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Gladys says she doesn’t know why Sonny is so worked up, and he says he’s not, but he can be if she doesn’t give him an answer.

Nina sees Ava in the restaurant, and Ava says she was hoping to have lunch with one of the owners, and doesn’t mean Olivia. Does Nina have time for her? Nina says, they’re overdue for a proper catch-up, and she wants to hear about all the developments in Ava’s life. Ava tells her to be careful what she wishes for.

At the Quartermaines, Mac tells Michael, this form states that the PCPD has returned all the items taken from the boathouse when Ava was attacked. He just needs a signature, and he’ll be out of Michael’s hair. Another phrase they use a lot, but I never hear it IRL. Michael says he’s glad to have it behind them, and thanks Mac for catching the killer. Mac says, his sympathies for everything Michael’s family is going through, and the challenges still to come.

In the foyer, Maxie says, it’s perfect that Ned answered the door, and he invites her in. He asks, what brings her by? and she says, as a matter-of-fact, him.

Walking into what used to be Sonny’s kitchen, Carly says she and Drew made quite a mess last night. I guess she stepped over everything to get him that brownie. He says, it’s not every day they get the house to themselves. He feels they’re obligated to take advantage of that, and kisses her. She says, sooner or later, they have to clean this up, and he suggests later, kissing her again. I still don’t see the moss bowl🎍. What did she do with it???

Dex says he has to leave soon, and Josslyn says, right. His mystery boss needs evidence against Sonny. He flashes back to Michael saying, if Sonny is telling Dex about his past, he’s got nothing to worry about. He tells her that he can make a lot more than grilled cheese. He can make grilled salmon with grilled asparagus marinated in truffle oil. She says, so he can cook, and he’s just now telling her. Why was he holding out? He says, after what he ate when he was in the Marines, he promised himself he’d learn to cook when he got back to the states. The meals keep them fed, but they weren’t exactly fine dining. He’ll make her grilled asparagus sometime. He kisses her neck, and she says, it’s too cold to grill, having never heard of doing it indoors, and he says, this summer. She asks if he thinks they’ll still be together this summer, and he says, the job should be over by then, and he can spend every minute getting closer to her without worrying about Sonny. She says she can’t wait, and asks if she’ll see him later. He says, she can count on it, and kisses her again.

Mac says he’s so sorry about everything Willow is going through, especially so soon after the birth of that adorable baby. She says, hopefully, there might be some good news on the horizon. She might have a match with a bone marrow donor. He says he’ll pray everything works out, and she says she’ll take all the prayers she can get. She wants to spend as much time with her family as possible. Mac congratulates her on Amelia; she’s beautiful. Michael says he thinks so too, but he might be a little bias. Willow says, no. She’s gorgeous. Mac says, children are a blessing. Enjoy your time with them. It goes by really fast. Maxie walks in with Ned, and Mac says, case in point. He blinked, and Maxie’s all grown up. Maxie says, moral of the story; don’t blink. She asks what he’s doing here, and he says he had police business to finish up. Maxie says, good thing because she has a big announcement for all of them.

Cody says he ran into Sasha’s mother-in-law, and she asks if they’ve even met. How did he know it was her? He says, at some time in the conversation, it came out that her last name was Corbin. She was talking about selling a garage that belonged to her daughter-in-law, so it wasn’t hard to put together. Sasha says she’d been afraid Gladys would sell the garage without consulting her, but she thought she was just being paranoid. She can’t believe Gladys actually did it. Cody asks if there’s anything he can do, and she says, he can tell her who Gladys was selling the garage to.

Sonny says, Gladys was so eager to sell the garage, she wanted him to convince Sasha to get on board. How does he know she didn’t badger Sasha into taking the offer? She asks if that’s what he really thinks about her, and he says he knows how Miss Wu operates when she sets her sights on something, and if she’s pressuring Gladys, he can help her, but she has to tell him what’s going on.

Nina says she’s sorry she didn’t stick around last night, but Ava says she knows Nina wanted to see Willow. Nina says she spent the night with Sonny, but she’s glad Ava decided to stay at her place with all the drama happening at Windymere. Ava says, even with Ryan dead, she didn’t want to be on the island all by herself, and Nina says, anyone in their right mind would need a little break from Windymere for a while, and Ava says, Nina doesn’t even know the whole story. Nina says, Ava is welcome to stay with her for as long as she wants to. Sonny mentioned Nikolas threatened to take Avery. Ava says, it was a miscommunication really, and asks how things went with Willow. Nina says, better than she’d hoped. Willow opened up to her about the affects of her health issues. Liesl asked her to do it, and Willow’s grateful to Aunt Liesl, so she honored her request, but she doesn’t care. Maybe this little thaw is a step in the right direction. Ava asks, how are things with Sonny? and Nina says, they’re fine. Ava says, is there trouble in paradise? and Nina says, yes. Only it’s not her paradise. Ava asks, whose? and Nina says, Carly.

Gladys says, Sonny doesn’t have to worry about Selina Wu for her. He knows how much she loves her daughter-in-law, and she wants to do right by Brando. She always has Sasha’s best interests at heart. Dex comes in, and Sonny motions him over. Sonny tells Gladys that he has some business to take care of. She’d better know what she’s doing. Gladys smiles, and leaves.

Sasha asks, who owns the garage now? and Cody says he really doesn’t want to get anymore involved, but he doesn’t want to lie to her either. He just heard part of a conversation, and really thinks she needs to ask Gladys herself. Sasha says she intends to, and sends a text to Gladys. She says she knows he feels bad, but don’t. She appreciates him being honest with her. At least someone was.

Maxie holds up a binder, and says, the Nurses Ball is back. She wanted to commemorate GH’s 60th anniversary, and celebrate how much GH’s workers have meant to the community. She thought, what better way than the Nurses Ball. Mac says, that is a great idea, and Ned says, normally, he’d say the should skip it – the year of Lucy’s death – but 60 years of General Hospital is too big of an anniversary to ignore. Michael agrees, and Maxie says, since Lucy isn’t here to run things, she’s going to attempt to step into Lucy’s shoes and chair the event. As they can imagine, it’s a big undertaking financially, which is where Michael and Ned come in. Mac says he has some things to take care of, so he’ll leave them to it. He congratulates Willow and Michael again, and leaves. Ned says, whatever Maxie needs, she can count on ELQ and the entire Quartermaine family. She thanks him, and says she imagines things are pretty crazy at ELQ right now, with Valentin being gone also. Of course (🍷), Aurora Media will be at her service. He’s sure Drew will be on board too. She thanks them, and says, they really need sponsors for this event, not to mention musical acts. She looks at Ned, and he says he might be able to help with that, but he has to deal with this text. He leaves, and Willow asks, what about Michael? but he says his performance days are gone, so no thanks. Maxie says, that’s okay. She has a much better plan for him.

Carly thanks Drew for helping, even though he made the mess, and he says he put the mess on the floor. The mess was on the kitchen island from her. She says she doesn’t do a lot of baking or cooking, so she doesn’t see a lot of cleaning up the kitchen in their future. He says, their future; he likes the sound of that. She says, her too, and they kiss. He says he’s confident that his plan to get Charlotte’s ELQ shares and step away from the company is going to pacify Ned, and she says, Ned’s the only person they have to worry about turning them into the SEC, so they’re good.

Ava says, spill it, the dirt on Carly, and Nina says she hasn’t really been able to process it with everything that’s going on with Willow and her new grandchild… Ava says, just tell her. She could use the distraction. Nina says, remember when she told Ava about Drew and Carly hiding whatever’s going on with them? Ava says, vaguely, and Nina says she saw them hugging pretty intimately, and she heard them say they couldn’t show how they really feel about each other in public. Ava wonders why, and Nina says she’s sort of figuring it out, but it’s raising more questions than answers.

Cody sees the paper that dropped on the floor, and picks it up. He wonders if it’s the invoice he was looking for, but he sees it’s his paternity test, and wonders how it got here. He puts it in his pocket, and asks Comet if he’s pulling tricks again, when there’s a knock at the door. It’s Mac.

Gladys asks bartender Jamie why she can’t book a spa appointment from the bar. She really needs a massage. Sasha asks, why is that? Is she stressed out about something? Like Deception?

Drew says, besides Ned, the only people who know he and Carly are romantically involved are people they trust; Sonny, Olivia, Michael, and Joss. The SEC isn’t going to have any reason to look into the timing of their relationship, unless Ned tips them off. Carly says she can’t believe Ned, and Drew says, she’s an investor in Aurora, but the merger never happened. She didn’t actually profit from any inside information, and it was like, six months ago. He thinks they’re good. She says she hears him, but she can’t wrap her head around them being seen as a couple out in public. She’s used to the hiding. The majority of the time they’ve spent together is stolen moments at her house. He says, they’ve been pretty great moments, and she says, amazing moments. She suggests they enjoy the last few moments of secrecy before the whole world finds out, and he says he plans on it, when Josslyn walks in. She apologizes for interrupting, but Drew says he was just getting ready to go. Josslyn tells him not to leave on her account. It looked like they were having a good time. He says he’s going to make sure they have plenty of good times, and leaves. 1) I don’t think the SEC would care if she profited or not, it’s still a crime, and 2) they’ve been together in public plenty. The only difference will be, they’ll be holding hands now.

Dex wonders why Sonny isn’t including him in the Pikeman deal, and Sonny says, if he doesn’t, he’ll have no reason to blame Dex if the deal goes sideways.

Gladys says she doesn’t know what Sasha is talking about; she has the day off work. Sasha says, please don’t tell her that she sold Brando’s garage, and Gladys asks how Sasha heard about that. Sasha says, so it’s true. She actually sold it. Gladys says she did, and Sasha says she can’t believe Gladys would sell her husband’s garage without asking her. Gladys didn’t even tell her. How could she do that? Gladys says, it was time, and Sasha says, Gladys told her that they were going to hold off until she was ready. Gladys tells Sasha that she doesn’t have the final say; the court put her in charge. Sasha says, forget about the damn court. They had an arrangement as family, and in the spirit of that arrangement, Gladys should have consulted with her. Gladys had no right to sell Brando’s garage behind her back. Gladys says she was just trying to do what’s best, and Sasha asks, how was that best for her? Gladys says, it’s not all about Sasha. She did it for herself.

Cody asks what brings Mac here, and Mac says he had some police business with the Quartermaines and thought he’d visit. Cody reached out a few times, and he feels bad for not responding. Cody says he thought Mac might want to talk after what he went through with Ryan Chamberlain. It’s dumb. Mac’s a cop, and obviously dealt with killing a criminal before, so he’s sorry if it seemed like he was hounding Mac. Mac says he should have called Cody back, but Cody says he’s not much of a talker either, especially when it comes to emotional stuff. When he has a lot of things on his mind, he tends to hop on the back of a horse and go for a ride. Did Mac ever try it? Mac says, in his younger days, he spent some time at a ranch in the Outback. Cody asks why he stopped riding, and Mac says he hasn’t had much of an opportunity since he left Australia. Cody says, there’s nothing like it, and Mac says, something tells him that he couldn’t get this old leg over the saddle. It’s not like riding a bike. Cody says, of course (🍷) it is. Horses are just like giant bikes with minds of their own. Mac says, those were the days. Riding out into the bush with his friends, and at the end of the day, go to the pub and put back a few Bludger pale ales. Cody says, Mac drinks Bludgers? and Mac says, Cody’s heard of them? Cody says he did a stunt gig with a guy from Australia, and that’s all he drank. Cody developed a taste for them. Mac says he didn’t think anyone in the United States drank them, and Cody says, don’t tell Mama Q, but he might have put a case of Bludgers on the grocery order. He still has a couple. Does Mac want one? Mac says he’s off the clock.

Michael says, Aurora Media will be at Maxie’s disposal for the Nurses Ball, and he’ll make a personal donation as well. She thanks him, and says, she’s not just here for the money. Don’t get her wrong; she’s taking the donation. But she was hoping he’d join the planning committee. He says, she’s kidding. What about Brook? She’s the one with entertainment experience. Maxie says, but he’s a respected figure in the community. He has tons of connections to local businesses because of his work at Aurora and ELQ. Not to mention, both sides of his family have close relationships with the hospital, so he’s just the person she needs for this committee. Willow says, it is a good cause, and he says, it’s a great cause. It’s just he can’t with everything that’s going on right now. Willow says, before he rules it out, she thinks he should consider it.

Drew comes in, and Ned says he should warn him. Maxie is in there hustling up support for the Nurses Ball. Drew says, hard to imagine without Lucy, but he’s sure Maxie will do a wonderful job. Ned agrees, and Drew says, the family managed to come together for Willow and Michael’s sake, but obviously ELQ is still the elephant in the room. He’s got a proposal to make all this tension a thing of the past.

Nina tells Ava, something’s wrong; Sasha’s not happy. Ava looks over at Sasha arguing with Gladys, and asks if Nina is going to go talk to her, but Nina says, not right now. Sasha knows she’s there for her. If Sasha needs her, she knows where to find her. Ava says, then back to Carly, and Nina says she’s never thrilled when Carly and Sonny have an interaction, but she’s come to terms with the fact that, unfortunately, Carly is always going to have a presence in their lives. And despite her feelings for Carly, she can’t really blame Sonny for wanting to protect her, especially from the Feds. She is his ex-wife. Ava says, so Ned has some kind of trouble that could get Carly and Drew in trouble with the SEC. She wonders what it could be, but Nina has no idea. Ava says, they’re smart; they’ll figure it out. She knows Carly and Drew woudn’t keep their relationship quiet to spare anyone’s feelings. There’s got to be a compelling reason that they’re not going public. Nina wonders if the legal consequences Sonny mentioned could involve jail time. She’s guessing fines woudn’t matter with the Quartermaine money, but what she doesn’t get is the secrecy. The reason Nina owns half this hotel is because Carly was trying to help out Drew and Michael during that whole Aurora/ELQ merger. Ava says, that’s it. She knows what Carly and Drew are so afraid of.

Sonny says he’s leaving Dex out of the Pikeman deal because he sees Dex has potential, and wants to bring him up in the business. He wants to make sure Dex does it well. Dex says he appreciates the faith, but he’d think if Sonny saw potential, Sonny would want to give him more responsibility, not leave him out. Sonny says he just needs to be careful how he brings Dex up, because if the deal goes south, he’ll know Dex had nothing to do with it. Dex says, makes sense, and Sonny says, that doesn’t mean Dex still can’t help him.

Michael agrees the Nurses Ball is a worthy cause, and under normal circumstances, he’d do it in a heartbeat. But Willow’s bone marrow transplant is coming up… Willow says, they can’t do anything about that except wait, and he says, what about the wedding? She says she has the wedding under control, along with help from his mom, his sister, Sasha, Brook, and Olivia. Michael says, what about their newborn baby? and Willow says, they’re lucky enough to have help. Maxie says, it sounds like he’s out of excuses, and Willow says, the community really needs this, and so does she. Do it for her?

Cody and Mac clink bottles, and Mac says, this brings him back. Cody says, him too. It reminds him of simpler times in his life. Mac wonders when things got so complicated, and Cody says he can only imagine how difficult it must be, having to take someone’s life in the line of duty. Mac says he’s been a cop for about 30 years. Killing Ryan, even though it’s not the first time he’s had to take a life while on the job, this was different. He and Ryan had a complicated history. This was a man who terrorized his family for decades because of his obsession with Felicia, but he was also the twin brother of Mac’s best friend, Doc. Even as twisted and downright evil as Ryan could be, it wasn’t that many years ago, Ryan actually managed to switch places with Doc. He had Doc locked up and drugged up in Ferncliff Asylum. Ryan pretended to be Doc. Cody says, this guy sounds degenerate, malevolent, nasty, and a real piece of work pretty messed up, and Mac says, he was, but he was also Doc’s brother. He doesn’t think Doc ever gave up hope that Ryan would change one day, but that day will never come because Mac killed him. Cody says, Mac did that to save Ava and himself, and Mac says he knows they’re all better off, and the shooting was justified, but he killed his best friend’s twin brother, and he knows in some small way, Doc still loved Ryan. He hates that he caused his friend any pain. Cody says, sometimes it’s easier to talk about heavy stuff with someone you barely know, and Mac says he’s glad they’re getting to know each other. They clink bottles again, and Cody says, him too.

Gladys says, the truth is, she had every right to sell the garage, not just as Sasha’s guardian, but as Brando’s mother who’s grieving him. Sasha says she’s grieving him too, and Gladys says she knows. She’s sorry for the tough time Sasha had, but the guardianship has protected her in way she doesn’t even know. She has no idea what it’s like trying to manage all these finances. Getting bills every single month, for the garage, each one with Brando’s name on it, and then there’s when Chamber of Commerce calls the office phone and asks for Mr. Corbin. She gets faced with daily reminders that Brando isn’t here with them anymore. Sasha says she had no idea. Why didn’t Gladys tell her any of this? Gladys says, because her job is to literally protect Sasha as her guardian. Sasha lost her husband; she lost her son. It’s been hard on her too. So she needed to get rid of the garage for many reasons; not the least of which is getting on with her life. She’s sorry if that makes Sasha hate her. It’s just a chance she had to take.

Drew tells Ned, Valentin’s death opens the possibility to get ELQ back in Quartermaine control. Ned says, technically, it’s in Quartermaine control now, and Drew says, Ned is CEO, but this is an opportunity for the family to regain majority ownership of the company. Valentin’s stock went to Charlotte, which means Laura controls it. He’s sure they can negotiate to reacquire the stock that Valentin poached from them. (I’m not so sure about that, but go on.) Ned says, so Drew and Michael can ice him out again? and Drew says, Valentin drove a wedge between them, but he’s gone. The way he sees it, it’s a chance for them to start over. So in the interest of putting the family back together, he’s willing to step away from ELQ entirely. Ned says he honestly wasn’t expecting that, and Drew says, he’ll run Aurora full time; he’s okay with that. The most important thing is making this family a united front again. Last summer, they were all at each other’s throats, then they came together for Willow, and it reminded him how right it feels for them to all be on the same team. He knows they’re Quartermaines, and they’re going to bicker and backstab, but at the end of the day, when it matters, they band together. They have to do whatever they have to in order to make this family whole again, and part of that is to get ELQ back. So what does Ned say?

Ava says, Carly invested in Aurora when the plan was to merge that company with ELQ, and Nina says, right, to get ELQ under the Quartermaines’ control. It was Drew and Michael’s plan and when Carly tried to help them, she invested heavily. When the merger didn’t happen, she lost it all. Ava says, but if Carly bought Aurora’s stock knowing there was a merger on the horizon, isn’t that insider trading? And she and Drew could be open to prosecution if anybody finds out. Nina says, that’s why they have to keep their relationship at a distance, because they don’t want anyone investigating to think they discuss these sensitive business matters. Otherwise, they’re facing jail time.

Dex says, anything Sonny needs, he’s good for it, and Sonny says he wants to take Dex to the warehouse where the Pikeman shipment is going to be stored. He’s not going to tell Dex when it’s going to land; the date’s been changed. Dex asks, why take him to the warehouse? and Sonny says he wants Dex’s assessment of the place. He wants to see how good Dex identifies vulnerabilities. Sonny says, think of it as training, and leaves, Dex following.

Josslyn says, sorry for crashing Carly’s time with Drew, but Carly says, this is Josslyn’s home. She’s always happy to see her. Josslyn says she knows, but Carly and Drew don’t get to spend a ton of time together since they have to keep things on the downlow. Carly says, that may be changing, and Josslyn says she’s so happy to hear that. Carly says, it’s still in the works, but she’s cautiously optimistic. Josslyn says she hopes it works out. Carly deserves to show the world how happy Drew makes her. Carly says, so does Josslyn. A secret relationship’s a lot of fun, but it comes with baggage. Josslyn says, and we’re back to Dex, and Carly says, she’s Josslyn’s mom, and she’s always going to want to protect Josslyn and stop her from getting hurt. Forget about what Sonny would do if he found out Josslyn has been seeing Dex behind his back, but Josslyn grew up in that world. She saw Carly deal with it every day. Is she sure she wants that for herself? Josslyn says, Dex is planning on getting out of Sonny’s organization, and Carly asks if Josslyn is going to hang her future on a vague promise. Josslyn flashes back to Dex saying, option three. He gets evidence on Sonny, turns it over to his real boss, who turns it over to the Feds. Sonny goes to prison; he’s in the clear. Josslyn says, option three it is, and he says, no matter what happens, he can’t walk away from her. Josslyn tells Carly, it’s not like that. Dex has a real plan. Carly says, like what?

Ned says, Drew brings up some good points, and Drew says, it’s a win-win for Ned. They regain Valentin’s stock and he extracts himself from ELQ. Ned says, Drew’s given him a lot to think about.

Willow says, if Michael helps plan the Nurses Ball, it will give them something to look forward to. They won’t be focusing on the transplant, and have something positive to pour their energy into. Something that benefits them, GH, and the entire city. He asks how he can say no to that, and Maxie says, awesome, and thanks him. Their first meeting is tomorrow, and she’ll call him tonight to go over the details. She jets, and Willow thanks Michael. He says, she’s his world. There isn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her. They kiss.

Mac asks if Cody is up for another one, and Cody says, no reason not to. He gets up, and Mac says he thinks Cody dropped something. He picks up the paternity test, and starts to unfold it. Like people do when it’s not their stuff.

Sasha says she doesn’t hate Gladys, and Gladys thanks her. Sasha says, but she doesn’t like that Gladys went behind her back, and Gladys says, understood. Sasha says she gets where Gladys was coming from, and she’s probably right. Left to her own devices, Sasha probably would never have parted ways with the garage. She couldn’t bear it. I guess running it as a profitable business wasn’t an option? Gladys says, just so Sasha knows, it wasn’t easy for her either, and Sasha says she guesses in maybe a not-so-good way, it worked out for the best. Instead of hanging over them, the garage is gone, and they’re forced to move forward. Gladys says she sees why her son fell for Sasha, and Sasha starts to cry. She says she misses him, and Gladys says she does too. They hug.

Nina says, Ava’s theory is good, but that’s all it is; a theory. Ava says, a theory that can turn the tables. Nina has important information about Carly, just like Carly had important information about her. The question is, what is she going to do with it?

Josslyn says, Carly and Drew are figuring out a way they can be together out in the open. She and Dex want that too, and she knows Dex is going to get out of the mob for good. Carly says she knows Josslyn believes that, and Dex probably believes he can leave that world, but take it from someone who has been very close to it most of her life, once you’re in, it’s really hard to leave. Josslyn says, but it is possible, and Carly says, it is, but the way out is usually death.

Sonny and Dex go into the warehouse, and Dex says, Sonny is going to have to put up cameras outside. Someone trains a gun on Dex, and Sonny says he’s got somebody on that, and Dex says, ports of entry? Dex realizes there’s a gun with a gun above them, and pushes Sonny down as the guy shoots.

On Monday, Victor says, he and Elizabeth are finished when he says they are; Cody says he’s the last person Mac should be helping; Josslyn tells Carly that Dex is willing to do what it takes; and Dex tells Sonny, the longer they stay here, the worse their chances.

⛓ Already Making Friends…

Special K? Really? By next year, she’ll be running the place, and have a Ponzi scheme involving the commissary.

https://people.com/tv/jen-shah-adjusting-to-life-in-prison-second-journal-entry/

🍸 And It’s Just the Beginning…

You’d think this was the biggest news since the moon landing. No kidding she was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I can’t even fathom having an affair with a friend’s boyfriend, and looking them in the face every day.

Lisa Vanderpump Calls Raquel Leviss “A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing”; Addresses Future Of Vanderpump Rules

If LVP says it, it must be true.

Lisa Vanderpump Believes Tom Schwartz Knew About Tom Sandoval And Raquel Leviss Affair

I forgot all about Miami Girl.

https://www.etonline.com/vanderpump-rules-star-tom-sandoval-threatens-to-stop-filming-after-scene-with-raquel-leviss-200441

🍹 Charming Taylor…

Does he have BDE? I just don’t get it. And this show is way too incestuous.

https://pagesix.com/2023/03/08/southern-charm-star-austen-kroll-hooked-up-with-taylor-ann-green/

🏆 About Uncle Oscar…

The nominees. I’m kind of surprised about Everything Everywhere All At Once. Don’t get me wrong. It was an amazing film, although a long way of basically telling me to be nice and find happiness in the small things. But it doesn’t seem like the kind of film that becomes so mainstream.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/24/entertainment/oscar-nominations-list-2023/index.html

How to watch. (Turn on TV or streaming service. Watch.)

https://people.com/movies/oscars-2023-how-to-watch-what-to-expect/

The carpet.

https://people.com/movies/oscars-2023-red-carpet-wont-be-red-this-year-details/

The gift bags. My God how I want one of these.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/10/2023-oscars-gift-bag-whats-inside.html

No Gaga. Hey, she’s a busy woman.

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/lady-gaga-perform-2023-oscars/story?id=97740301

Break points.

https://people.com/movies/oscars-2023-best-actors-nominees-big-breaks/

🐱 Viva Las Gato…

What are the odds the next guest would be a vet?

https://people.com/pets/lost-cat-found-in-las-vegas-hotel-room/

🥠 Quotes of the Week

We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet, strange, I am ungrateful to those teachers. – Kahlil Gibran

If you’re trying to achieve, there will be road blocks. I’ve had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. – Michael Jordan (Or kick it down.)

If you are insecure, guess what? The rest of the world is too. Do not overestimate the competition and underestimate yourself. You are better than you think. – T. Harv Eker

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

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. – Dr. Seuss

In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years. – Abraham Lincoln

Life is never fair, and perhaps it is a good thing for most of us that it is not. – Oscar Wilde

Life is a long lesson in humility. – James M. Barrie

Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. – Thomas A. Edison

In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on. – Robert Frost

I think you’re Mozart. – Amy Slaton, 1000-Lb. Sisters, referring to her son’s painting

💌 And the Award Goes To…

Make a return trip on Monday for some soap, what’s on Deck, and smack talk about the awful people on Summer House. Until then, stay safe, stay surrounding yourself with those who uplift you, and stay remembering, a secret relationship’s a lot of fun, but it comes with baggage.

Feb16

February 15, 2023 – Trina Confronts Stella, Celebrating Not Being Open, Anniversary Preview, Possible Not Probable, Après Bowl Plus Puppy (!) & Girl

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Heather asks why Ryan wants to make a stop; he’s jonesing for a Slurpie? He says, hardly, and she says, this is about his precious Ava. He says, the heart wants what it wants, but she doesn’t think it’s his heart calling the shots. Get his head back in the game. The longer he dilly-dallies, the closer Detective Falconari and his girlfriend come to blowing them up.

Sam and Dante go back to their room, and Sam says, the barmaid knows more about Maggie than she’s letting on. They could be closer to finding Esme’s parents than they thought. He agrees, but thinks they shouldn’t get ahead of themselves. They have a hunch, but no proof. Sam thinks he should go to the pub and push the barmaid for more answers. He asks if she’s still feeling jet-lagged, and kisses her.

Maggie flips through Esme’s letters, and shoves them all in her bag. A man named Cyril comes in and asks for his usual lager, but she says, they’re closed. He says he’ll see her in the morning then, and she asks, when’s the next train to London? He says, the express leaves on the quarter hour, and asks if she’s going on holiday. She says, something like that.

Drew says, to the best of the best. Congratulations! The guests all raise their glasses, and say, to the best of the best. Curtis and Portia thank and hug Drew, and he says he meant every word. He announces, it’s the maid of honor’s turn next, and tells Trina to show herself, but Trina’s nowhere to be seen. Portia says she knows Trina was excited to give her toast, and wonders where she could be. Curtis suggests she didn’t know the toasts would be so soon, and says, she can give hers later. Portia says, every wedding has their hiccups, right? She guesses this is theirs. He asks if their hiccup wasn’t Aunt Stella taking a sick day, but she says, that was a hitch. He suggests they go with the flow, and she says, it is their day after all. Molly clinks her glass, and yells, kiss! and they oblige.

Stella asks if everything is all right, and Trina says, it’s fine. The wedding was beautiful, and everyone’s at the reception. She was really worried about Stella, and thought she must really be sick to miss the wedding. They come in, and Spencer asks if she’s feeling better. Trina says, nothing from room service, no boxes of tissues, no cough drops? and Stella says she may have exaggerated the state of her health somewhat. She just needed a quiet evening. Trina says, instead of a major family celebration? She doesn’t understand what would keep Stella from her mom and Curtis’s wedding.

Curtis says, they’ll pick up the speeches later. In the meantime, he encourages them to eat, drink, and be merry. Elizabeth asks to give a toast, and he gives her the mic, conceding to the lovely lady.

Sam asks if Dante is trying to distract her, but he says he’s just trying to collect his thoughts. Sam just told him to go back and hold the barmaid’s feet to the fire. She says she didn’t mean Dante should interrogate her. She only said, the barmaid knows more about Esme’s nanny than she’s letting on, and Dante says, it’s something they can do in the morning. Sam says, and give her time to warn the nanny? By that time, Maggie Fitzgerald could be off in the wind.

Maggie walks Cyril to the door, and tells him, get home safe. She turns the sign to closed, and looks out the window. She looks at her phone, and says, an hour before the train. She makes a call to pub owner Archie, and says she’s coming down with something terrible. Can he open up for her in the morning?… She can’t reschedule because she’s not going to be here. She slams the phone onto the bar.

Heather says she’s trying to save their little family from ruin, and Ryan is planning a rendezvous with that harlot? She grabs her Valentine, and says she’s taking this back. He says, her jealousy of Ava is getting old, and asks if she’s thought of deep breathing. She says, he wants her to meditate while those two nosybodies are on the hunt for Esme’s nanny? He says, they wouldn’t be on the hunt if she wasn’t so willing to talk to Dante, but she says, Dante gave her no choice. She was protecting Esme. While he sits lounging all day long, she’s doing all the work. He says he’s looking for his violin, and she asks, who broke out of prison? Who’s the one seeking retribution for everyone who wronged Esme? Who broke back into prison? He’s never once thanked her for all her hard work. She even let that perky, wannabe princess, Felicia, cozy up to her. He says, you what?

Elizabeth tells everyone to raise a glass to the happy couple, and they all say, to Portia and Curtis! Portia tells Marshall, what a wonderful speech that was (oops, I think I missed something), and he says, all these people express love and admiration for them both. Curtis says, they are blessed.

Josslyn tells Ava that she’s recording wedding messages for Portia and Curtis. Is there anything she wants to add? Ava says, get everything in writing, as she eats the olive from her martini. Josslyn says, what was that? and Ava says, may the road rise up to meet you. Josslyn moves on, and Sonny and Nina walk over. Nina says, at the risk of complementing her own hotel, everything is spectacular, and Ava says, to Nina and her classy hotel. Nina says, half the hotel, and says she’ll go get Sonny some more food. She leaves, and Ava says, she’s overcompensating, but Sonny says, she’s just worried for Willow, and doesn’t want to spoil the wedding. Ava says, it must be tough putting on a brave face. She’s proud of Nina. Sonny says, him too. He asks Ava to keep Nina distracted, and Ava says, will do. He says he appreciates her being such a good friend to Nina, and Nina brings back a plate for him. She asks if Elizabeth’s toast wasn’t sweet, and Ava says, sweet… saccharine, but nice. Sonny goes to see Laura, and Nina asks what Ava thought of Drew’s speech.

Sonny asks if he can sit with Laura, and she says, of course (🍷). It was a nice ceremony, right? He says, the officiant was top-rate, and she says, not too last minute? He says he doesn’t think anyone would know she didn’t have time to prepare, and she thanks him. She feels sorry for Stella; to come down ill in the eleventh hour? He asks if Laura thinks she’s all right, and Laura says she hopes so.

Molly says, will Portia look at that cake just dying to be eaten? and TJ says she’s been eyeing the cake since they got here. Marshall says, she’s not the only one, and Curtis guesses this is their cue.

Stella tells Trina, there was a good reason she wasn’t at the wedding; a reason her mother would understand. Trina says, but Stella didn’t tell her the reason. She said she was sick. Stella says she hated lying, but she didn’t want to make Portia’s day about her, and Trina says, her mom is worried about Stella. Why would she understand Stella’s absence? Did they talk about something when they picked up their dresses? Otherwise, she doesn’t understand. Stella says, it’s not for her to understand, then apologizes, saying, that didn’t come out right. She just didn’t want to complicate things. She knows how difficult it is planning a wedding. That’s why she asked Laura to take her place. One less thing for Curtis and Portia to worry about. Trina says, that still doesn’t explain why Stella wouldn’t perform the ceremony. What is Stella not telling her? Spencer says, in his experience, the longer secrets are kept, the more damage they do, and Stella says, with all due respect to his experience, this is a family matter, and the last time she checked, he’s not family. He says, she’s right, and apologizes. Trina says, but she’s family now, right? and Stella says she is. She wanted to be there, but simply couldn’t in good conscience.

Curtis and Portia cut the cake, and everyone applauds. She tells him if he smears cake in her face, he’ll live to regret it, but he says he wouldn’t dream of it. He feeds her a tiny piece, and asks if she still wants to be his wife. She says, that’s all she wants. Marshall steps away, and TJ asks if everything is okay with him. Marshall says he wishes he could do more to show how much he loves them. TJ says, Uncle Curtis knows, and being here is the best possible gift. Josslyn asks to borrow TJ, and TJ tells Marshall, try not to worry so much. Promise. Marshall says, hell to the no, and TJ says he loves Marshall. They hug, and Marshall says he loves TJ more. TJ leaves, and Marshall takes a clarinet reed out of his pocket.

Josslyn films, and TJ says, welcome to the family, Portia. Molly tells him not to forget about Trina, and he says, Trina, you have always felt like family; now it’s just official. Step-cousin doesn’t do it justice; he sees her as a sister. Molly tears up, and he tells her, this is a happy occasion. She says she is happy.

Ava says she thought the speech was very nice, but Nina says, Ava doesn’t want to hear what she thinks of Drew. Ava says, now she does, and Nina says, he and Carly are involved, and they’re trying to hide it for some reason. Since Carly doesn’t do anything without an agenda, she’s sure the reasons are less than legitimate.

Sonny asks if Laura saw the smile on Spencer’s face when he saw Trina; like the weight of the world was off his shoulders. Laura says, she brings out the best in him. He needs that now more than ever. Sonny says, little chance he’s going to get that from Nikolas, and Laura looks over at Ava.

Ava tells Nina, who knows why Carly and Drew are keeping things quiet? Their reasons might not make sense to anybody but the two of them, but she’s clearly no expert in relationships.

Ryan says, you idiot. Heather knows better than to play games with Felicia Scorpio. She asks if he just called her an idiot, and he says, if the shoe fits. She says, he was with her when Felicia came here with her hubby, threatening to send them both back to D’Archam. It’s not like they were having tea and crumpets. He says, and Heather hasn’t seen her since? and she says, no. The brothers Scorpio ganged up on her when she had her physical at GH, again threatening to send her back to D’Archam. But since of course (🍷) she’d prefer Spring Ridge as her base of operations, she told them that she’d get some useful tidbits about Ryan’s relationship with Esme, which would prove of course (🍷) she’s the one who killed their boy in blue, Officer Cabrera. He asks what she told them, and she says, nothing useful. She was just stringing them along, and protecting him in the meantime. He’s welcome. He says he doesn’t need protection. She knows what he’s capable of. She says, maybe back in the day, but he’s not exactly in practice. He’s not much more than a piece of furniture. He laughs, then grabs her by the hair and slams her against the wall. He puts the knife to her throat, and says, think again. She says, he’s back, ladies and gentlemen. The Ryan Chamberlain we all know and love. The Ryan Chamberlain we need. Just get himself ready to act. She feels it in her bones; the hour is nigh. She opens the door, and says, just in case he feels like exercising his legs tonight… She puts her piece of gum in the door frame to prevent it locking, says, feel free, and closes the door.

Esme reads about bedtime routines for the baby, and says, spend time in the rocking chair. She puts the book down and gets up. Heather tells her not to sweat it. Baby books are for suckers. You know more than you think you do; Dr. Spock. He was the foremost pediatrician of the twentieth century, and a very wise man. Esme says, that may be, but she’s in prison. There aren’t exactly any rocking chairs in here. She doesn’t know what’s going to happen to them. Heather tells her that she doesn’t have to worry about a thing. Everything’s going to be taken care of. Esme asks what that means.

Dante says, Sam might have a point. Who is that barmaid anyway? She says, exactly. They just happened upon the pub and thought she was someone local, but what if she knows more about Maggie than she’s letting on? Dante says, Sam’s not going to let this go, and she says, not a chance.

Maggie pours herself a drink, looks at her phone, and says, come on. She drains the glass, and takes some cash from the register, saying, sorry, Archie. She stuffs it into her bag.

Finn tells Elizabeth that her toast was beautiful, and she says she meant every word. When she was speaking, it suddenly hit her; what if this was her last chance to tell everybody how she feels?

Josslyn asks if Marshall wants to say anything for the wedding video, and he says he’ll try. It’s been his pleasure… no. It’s been his honor to… He’s sorry. He’s not good at speeches. Drew comes along, and says, Marshall will say something later with the band backing him up. Marshall says, right.

Laura says, it means the world to her that Spencer still has Sonny in his life, and he says, Spencer’s all he’s got left of his sister. He loves that kid. Laura wishes Spencer could have that kind of closeness with his father.

Nina says she’s sorry. Here they are at a wedding, and Ava just finalized her divorce. Ava says, Nikolas should have never come back to Port Charles. They’d all be better off.

Portia tells Curtis that Trina isn’t responding to her calls or texts. She’s officially getting worried. Where is she? He says he’ll go look, but she says she’s probably just overreacting. Besides, he’s the man of the hour. He can’t just disappear too. Josslyn comes by, and Portia asks if she’s seen Trina. Josslyn says, Trina texted earlier that she and Spencer needed some air. She’s sorry. She should have told Portia that before. She moves along, and Curtis says, see? She’s fine.

Trina says, good conscience? What does her mom marrying Curtis have to do with Stella’s conscience? Stella says, Trina may be too young to understand this, but as you get older, there are some things you just don’t say. You equivocate, because you want everybody to get along. Most important, you don’t want to hurt anyone. And all that stuff you didn’t say, catches up with you. Trina wonders what Stella hasn’t said, and asks if she’s upset that Portia had an affair with Curtis. That was twenty years ago. Or does she think because Portia cheated on her dad, she’ll cheat on Curtis? Come on, Trina, do the math.

Drew asks if Marshall is ready, and Marshall says, Drew should tell everyone that he’s a little rusty and they shouldn’t expect anything. Drew says he’s going to introduce Marshall, Marshall is going to walk out on stage, and he’s going to play because he’s a pro. He’s got this. Marshall says, right, and Drew says, all right, everybody. He asks if the band doesn’t sound fantastic, and everyone applauds. He asks if they’ve ever wondered where Curtis gets him impeccable style, rhythm, and charm. It’s his great pleasure to introduce the father of the groom. Put their hands together for Marshall Ashford. Marshall comes out to applause, hoots, and whistles, and Curtis wonders if Portia knew about this, but she says she’s just as surprised as he is. Marshall thanks everyone, and says he wants to dedicate this song to his son and his lovely wife. He plays as the band backs him up. If that’s not him really playing, he’s doing a good imitation. I used to play sax; same thing.

Dante asks if Sam doesn’t want to go back to the pub with him, but she thinks the barmaid would be more willing to talk without her there. She’s going to be busy cyber-sleuthing the local school areas. Maybe Maggie was a third grade teacher or something. He says he respects her and her doing this, and kisses her. She tells him, cheerio, and he says, cheerio, my lady, and leaves.

Esme asks what Heather means by it will all be taken care of, and Heather says, she needs to relax. The baby hormones are driving her a little crazy, aren’t they? She just meant, it will all work out, and Esme asks how she knows that. Heather says, her baby daddy is very rich. He’s not going to let her languish in here, or his baby. The guard tells them, five minutes to lights out. Time to get back to their cellblocks. Heather says she’ll take Esme back to her room. She’ll even show her a shortcut.

Marshall finishes playing, and everyone applauds. Curtis says, wow, with tears in his eyes.

Stella says, it’s not about Portia’s affair with Curtis, and Trina says, but that’s part of it. Stella says she’s sure Trina knows she kept a secret from Curtis, and it almost ruined their relationship. Curtis spent 40 years without a father, and her silence was part of the reason. That experience changed her, and she won’t keep a secret like that ever again. Spencer thinks he should leave, but Trina asks him to stay. She’s kind of freaking out. Is there something her mom doesn’t know about Curtis?

Portia thanks Sterling and Zeke for coming, and Sterling says, thank her groom. Zeke says, Curtis made all the arrangements, and Curtis says, they still had to show up. Sterling says, they wouldn’t have missed it for the world. It’s wonderful to see Portia so happy. Zeke is sorry he didn’t get to see more of his niece; it’s so weird. Portia says, she’s off with a friend, and Zeke says, instead of with her mother on her wedding day? but Sterling tells him to go easy on his granddaughter. You’re only young once. They hug Portia and Curtis, and leave.

Stella says, there’s something Portia needs to tell Curtis, and needs to tell Trina too. Trina deserves to know the truth. Trina asks why Stella can’t tell her, and Stella says, even though she’s family now, it’s not her place. The truth is going to be hard for Trina to hear, but she believes Trina will be better off for it, and she trusts Spencer will look after his friend. He says, yes, ma’am, and she hugs Trina, saying, she’s a strong, young woman. She believes Trina is going to make it through. Trina and Spencer leave, and in the hallway, he asks, what was that about? She says she has no idea, but she’s going to find out.

Sam looks at her tablet, and says, come on, Maggie Fitzgerald. What happened? Did you marry? Did you change your name? What am I looking… There’s a knock at the door, and it’s the B&B manager, Miss Buxley. She asks if she can come in, and Sam says, of course (🍷). Miss Buxley says she forgot to ask at check-in if they preferred coffee or tea at breakfast, and Sam says, coffee… Is there something else? Miss Buxley says she noticed Dante went out again. It’s none of her business, but the village closes early, and he’ll be disappointed if he went sightseeing. Sam says, Dante likes to take long walks at night; it helps him sleep. Miss Buxley starts to leave, and Sam asks if she’s been in this village long. Miss Buxley says, her entire life, and Sam says she’s sure Miss Buxley knows practically everyone. Miss Buxley says, indeed she does, and Sam says, and she doesn’t miss much. Miss Buxley says she supposes she’s more observant than most, and Sam wonders if she’d mind if she asks a few questions.

Esme asks where Heather is taking her, and Heather says, she’ll see. A guard comes out, and asks what they’re doing here. Esme asks what Heather has gotten her into.

Stella asks the Lord if she did the right thing. Please tell her that she didn’t destroy her family.

Miss Buxley says she’ll help if she can, and Sam thanks her. Sam says, she and her partner are looking for a Maggie Fitzgerald, but Miss Buxley says she’s sorry. She is observant, but not terribly good with names. Sam asks if she knows of a woman in the village who may have worked as a nanny or possibly a schoolteacher, and Miss Buxley thinks a moment, then says she believes the barmaid at the pub once worked with children. Sam asks if she’s talking about the tall woman with curly red hair, and Miss Buxley says, that’s her. She worked as a nanny in America. Her name’s Margaret. Is that the one Sam’s looking for?

Dressed to go out, Maggie wheels her suitcase through the pub. She turns out the lights, and opens the door. Dante is there.

Josslyn offers to look for Trina, but Portia suggests she throw the bouquet. She doesn’t want Trina to catch it anyway. Josslyn announces that the bride is ready to throw her bouquet, and tells the women to get on the floor and take their chances. Sonny sees Ava putting on her coat, and he says, she’s not going for the bouquet? She says she’d rather crawl over broken glass, and he says, she’s not the only one leaving early. They see Laura go out the door, and Sonny says, Nikolas isn’t taking her calls, and she’s worried. The way he feels, he wouldn’t care for one second if he never saw Nikolas again.

Heather apologizes to the guard, and says, they just got turned around. Esme says, Heather told her this was a shortcut to her cell, and the guard says he’s escorting Heather back. He grabs her arm, and a set of keys falls to the ground. He asks where she got them, and she says she found them in the dayroom. Are they important? He says, don’t move, when Ryan puts a knife in his back. He says, hi, Esme. Road trip?

Terry tells Portia to toss the bouquet already. She’s not getting any younger. Portia turns around, and there’s a drumroll. She throws the bouquet, and it goes over everyone, landing on the floor in front of Trina, who’s just walked in with Spencer. Portia says, they’ve been trying to find Trina, and Trina says, and she’s been trying to find answers. Curtis looks at Portia.

Tomorrow, Sonny asks, who’s buying what Pikeman is selling; Ava says, no more putting this off; and Trina asks what Portia is keeping from her.

Vanderpump Rules

It was two days before Schwartz & Sandy’s Daily Mail party to promote the restaurant, and the Toms’ partner Greg was concerned since they had no chef or staff. As usual, the boys were on top of the important stuff. They interviewed servers, and while Sandoval wanted those who could handle stress and had experience, Schwartz said he’d take personality over experience. Sandoval said they had yet to impress Greg, who was a hard-ass. Translation: Greg actually wants them to work and get sh*t done. Raquel went out with Peter for lunch, and in her interview, she said, some part of her was still holding on to the relationship with James. She didn’t know if she was into Peter, but said, your tastebuds change every five years. Maybe your taste in men does too. Um… I don’t think it works that way. She told Peter she’d been on an all-carb diet since after the Miss California pageant. We saw clips from that, and she said she placed in the top 15. It was heartbreaking, since it was her last pageant, as the top age to compete was 27, and it had sent her into a deep depression. She started crying at the table, and it reminded me of when I went on a class trip to Russia in high school. One of the girls was bawling because she hadn’t been prom queen. Like anyone cares about this stuff 15 minutes afterward. I felt bad for her, but only because I couldn’t fathom something like that being important enough to cry over while on an amazing trip. In Raquel’s interview, she said she hadn’t broken free of the relationship, and was figuring out who she was. She told Peter that she’d used James as a crutch, and was now on her own. She loved it, but it was expensive. Katie and Lala went for a spray tan, and Lala said she wasn’t in a place to practice compassion and forgiveness. She wanted to feel safe again, and it had to be enough not to drink. In Lala’s interview, she said, when she found out about Randall, she went into fight mode. Just existing and not picking up a drink had to be good enough. She needed any extra energy for her kid.

In Ariana’s interview, she said her love language was quality time. These days, the quality time she and Sandoval had was collapsing in bed and passing out. Lala visited Lisa at Villa Rosa, and said she felt happy, but also felt the weight of the custody battle. It was more disturbing with every person who talked to her about Randall. Lisa wondered why Lala hadn’t seen red flags early on, and in Lisa’s interview, she said she thought Lala had been blind, and she’d persuaded herself that the relationship was what she wanted it to be. Someone waving a red flag was doing you a favor. In Lala’s interview, she said she should have listened to what people were telling her, but if she had, she woudn’t have Ocean, who was the only reason she wasn’t banging her head against a wall. Lisa said, Randall had wanted to see her, but she nixed that idea, and Lala said, the girlfriend Randall took up with when she was pregnant had moved in two days after she left. Ugh. That guy is such a troll, inside and out. I can’t imagine anyone’s wallet being that attractive. And that’s not a euphemism. I can’t think of any other reason anyone would want to be with him.

Raquel’s dog Graham did not want cheese, and I wasn’t surprised when she said he didn’t feel good, since cheese is the universal love language in the animal world. In Raquel’s interview, she said she’d recently learned, to make a clean break, boundaries were needed. That meant James could no longer see Graham. I’m no James fan, but that seems like cruel and unusual punishment. Scheana and Ariana came over to see Raquel’s new and fabulous apartment, and Ariana mentioned that Raquel had been making out with Peter when she was drunk. Raquel said she didn’t remember, and Ariana said she thought Peter had feelings for Raquel. In Ariana’s interview, she said, Raquel was free now, and should run like Forrest Gump. In Sandoval’s interview, he said he understood the strain of opening a venue, and was grateful that Ariana had stayed by his side. We flashed back to Greg saying that opening a business could destroy a marriage, and Sandoval said he hoped if they made things look good enough at Schwartz & Sandy’s, no one would notice they were held together by duct tape and hope. James and Ally went out to lunch, and James said he’d felt weird about Raquel seeing Peter. He’d been pissed, but he was over it, and had no anger. He was in a good place. In Ally’s interview, she said she thought the relationship got serious a little quick. He ate food from her mouth which totally grossed me out.

Katie said she was trying to be excited for Schwartz, but had a complicated history with the bar. James arrived early to the party, saying, he brought the funk, and the Toms gave him cases of toilet paper to sit on for nostalgia purposes. We flashed back to his first DJ gig in 2018. In Lala’s interview, she said, Schwartz was on her sh*tlist, but she liked Sandoval, and appreciated hard work. She wasn’t shocked that it looked amazing, but was aware that it was a party to celebrate that they’re not open yet. Lisa came with Ken and Puffy (!), and in her interview, she said, a lot of good music had been created on mushrooms. Apparently restaurants could be too. She asked how James felt about Raquel dating Peter, but Ally said, Raquel just made out with Peter when she was drunk. Peter went to get Raquel a drink, and Raquel told Scheana that it was awkward, and she knew it wasn’t going anywhere. Scheana said she was going to make herself scarce, and Raquel needed to tell Peter how she felt. I actually think Peter is the only promising guy in this bunch, but he’s a bit mature for someone who’s weeping over losing a pageant.

Lisa told Peter that it wasn’t 2012, and he couldn’t be shagging employees. In Lisa’s interview, she said, in the enlightened time of metoo, an employee underneath a manager could no longer literally be underneath a manager. It would be like her shagging Andy, which was a really poor example. Even a producer said, that wouldn’t be happening for other reasons. Raquel asked to have some real talk with Peter, and told him that she didn’t see a future between them. She wanted to break things off now before it became complicated. Peter flashed back to what Lisa told him, and agreed. In Raquel’s interview, she said she was under the impression Peter was more into her, and her feelings were hurt. Apparently, there’s no pleasing some people. She told Peter that he’d consolidated [sic] her when times were tough, and he said, she meant consoled. Yeah, maybe Lala was right the first time, and she is stupid. Scheana asked Schwartz to be on her podcast, and in her interview, she said, all of her friends had been on, but she’d never interviewed Schwartz solo. She told him that he had to get himself out there again, but he said, the thought of going on a date still felt like cheating. Sandoval passed out shots in chocolate shot glasses, and I yawned, since I used those a million years ago at parties. Lisa talked to Greg, who said, trying to get everyone on the same page was exhausting. It wasn’t about bullsh*t. Lisa told him, that’s where the Toms’ strength lies, and he said he didn’t realize how big of a learning curve they needed. They knew nothing about business. Again, why am I not on TV and making millions?

Greg told Lisa, every day they didn’t open, they lost $1000, and we flashed back to Sandoval and his many, many, many ideas for the bar. Lisa said she was happy Greg had adopted her children, and he asked if he could give them back. Katie told Schwartz that the place had good vibes; he’d worked hard. Schwartz said, no amount of success could replace not being there for his family and Katie. He’d been sucked into a parallel universe. Katie said, it broke them, and he said he didn’t want her to think he’d chosen the place over her, but she said he never chose her. Even when she had his back, he never took her side of any argument or conflict. In Katie’s interview, she said, the other woman in their marriage had been the bar, and now she was standing inside her. She told Schwartz that she’d chosen to ignore or try to live with what wasn’t okay. Schwartz said he was trying not to beat himself up about it, but he was self-aware. Ha-ha! Doubtful. He’s not even not-self aware. In Schwartz’s interview, tears streaked his face as he talked about watching The Notebook, and Ryan Gosling saying, it’s still not over. He thought, maybe he should have had more of that, and sometimes asked himself if it was worth it.

Next time, Lala goes on a double-date with Katie; Raquel asks James how many times he had sex with Lala when they were together; Scheana grills Schwartz about making out with Raquel at Coachella; and Ariana tells Katie that she’s left holding the bag while Schwartz looks like the nice guy.

🚑 Sneaky Peek…

Hard to believe it’s been on 60 years. When they talk about the longest running TV show, it’s always about prime time. GH should be given a medal for outlasting, outwitting, and outplaying when most of the other soaps were getting the ax.

A Sneak Peak at GENERAL HOSPITAL’s 60th Anniversary Cast Photo!

💎 VanderReturn…

I wish, but I think it’s doubtful. And why should she waste her time? They should bring back Overserved. That was the best.

https://extratv.com/2023/02/09/lisa-vanderpump-on-rhobh-return-rumors-and-lisa-rinna-s-exit-exclusive/

🏈 After the Bowl Is Over…

The commercials. The good, the bad, and the WTF?

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/super-bowl-2023-commercials-best-and-worst/

https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/best-and-worst-super-bowl-commercials-2023-1234678821/

Rihanna’s bump.

https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/parenting/rihanna-performance-pregnancy/

The movie trailers.

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/super-bowl-2023-new-trailers-movie-tv-marvel-dc

The National Anthem.

https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/babyface-america-the-beautiful-2023-super-bowl-1235252492/

And while this article technically came out before the Bowl, I could not resist including this little nugget of a pup.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/2023/02/12/puppy-bowl-2023-joey-two-legged-dog/11236954002/

🎈 Love Has Left the Air…

Come set a spell tomorrow for soap and tea with a dash of a tune. Until then, stay safe, (which has so many more meanings now), stay straight up, so you’ll never have to keep your story straight, and in the same vein, stay not keeping big secrets. The longer secrets are kept, the more damage they do.

Nov22

November 21, 2021 – Al Crosses Paths With Morgan, Escape Turns To Rebellion & Disturb This

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What I Watched Today

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

Fear the Walking Dead

On video, Al says she never lets anyone ask her questions like this. Since when are you okay with cameras? What do you want me to say? You know why I found you. Same as last time.

In the tank, Al picks up the hula girl with the Uzi, and tells the tank, I’m coming back for you. Not even a nuke could take you out. Just an empty gas tank. She grabs come of her stuff, and goes outside. As she walks, she messes with the radio, hearing Morgan, but there’s too much interference. She tries to get a better signal, and stabs a zombie in the throat. Morgan is at the tank, looking through Al’s bag. Realizing it belongs to Al, Morgan says he should’ve guessed this was where she’d be. He gets out, taking the camera, and says, Al, is that you? You can’t go far without your gear. Is she okay? He tells her to answer him. He goes back to the tank and films himself, saying, he knows she’s going to watch this, so he’ll say this now, and she can take it or leave it. The others said she might have gotten separated, but he’s starting to think she didn’t come back with them for a reason. If she believed the stories were too hard to pass up, then he’s going to remind her of a story she recorded a while ago. She’d interviewed him, and asked questions he didn’t want to answer, but he did. Mostly because she woudn’t let him not answer. Somehow she and John convinced him to stop running, if only for a little while. He’s asking her to do the same thing now. Stop running. Just for a little while. He hears the radio.

Al hears soldiers on the radio. Looking up to see a helicopter, Al says, no. She runs into a shelter, and it flies overhead, but keeps going. She runs to the tank, and dives under it. The helicopter lands, and a couple of men with guns look around. When they’re gone, she says, those a-holes, and goes back into the tank. She sees her bag has been rifled through, and says, dammit. Someone drops down into the tank, and grabs her from behind. She struggles, then realizes it’s Morgan. She asks what he’s doing there, and he says, looking for her; he had to make sure it was her. She says they can’t stay here; she’s fresh out of bullets. He says, they’ve got to find Grace, and Al asks where she is. He says, looking for her; what the hell? Al says she can explain, but not now. Morgan wonders if the men will be back, and she says she didn’t know. He said the last time he saw her, she was in a helicopter; when she disappeared, and Sarah said she’d sent somebody in a helicopter to lift them out of the blast. She says, if they stay there, they die, and Morgan says, then they move. Tell him what this is. They get out of the tank.

They walk, and Al tells Morgan to be careful. He says he wants to warn Grace, but Al says, Grace already has a target on her back; them too. She asks where the rendezvous is, and he says, a couple miles east, where the radiation strike was. They could walk. She says he’ll get killed, but he says he can handle himself. She says, he doesn’t know these people, and he says, it’s Grace. He asks if this had something to do with why Al didn’t show up at the submarine. She doesn’t get to drag him and Grace through a bunch of sh*t, and not tell them what’s going on. She says she was trying to protect them, but he says, he thought she was trying to protect herself, and she says, from what? but he says he doesn’t know. Why didn’t she make the journey with them? They had enough food for everyone; why didn’t she come? She says she belongs on the road. There are stories out there that need to be recorded, and she was doing that. He says, she wants to put a camera between her and everyone else. Maybe it will help her see what was in front of her face.

On video, Al says, what did you find out there?

Morgan and Al walk, and Al says, they’ll be dead if they stop moving. They walk underneath a bridge, where there a bunch of abandoned cars, and she says, the rendezvous is through there. He says he doesn’t understand. If these people are looking to kill them, how did she get them to rescue everybody? Some men start shooting at them, and they dart around the cars. Crouching down behind one, Al takes off her mask, and Morgan asks if it’s safe. Al says, the radiation won’t matter if they’re dead, and he takes his off. He says, this way, and they jump over a car. Ducking behind another car, Morgan says, who are they, and what do they want? Start talking. Al says, they’re called the Reclamation Team. They have one mission, to destroy any evidence. Morgan asks if she means them, and she says, right now, yeah. He asks if she’s the reason they’re here, but she says, not directly. They’re after the pilot who went AWOL after helping them (aka Isabelle). She’s in hiding. He asks why she helped, and Al says, because she asked her to. He asks if they’re together, and she says, no.  

On video, a helicopter flies overhead. Al says, that’s what the video is for. They might never see each other again.

Al says they’ll kill Isabelle if they find her, and Morgan asks if Al knows where she is. Al says, no. Isabelle didn’t tell her; it’s safer that way. Morgan radios Grace, and says, they’re at the rendezvous; at least they will be soon. He tells Al that Grace will be there. She asks why he’s doing this, and he says he’s found a lot of people. People he wouldn’t have found if she hadn’t forced him to answer those questions. They have to make it to the end of the line of cars. She asks why go where it’s so open, and he says, trust him. Let’s go now. They run, and Al tells him to go; she’ll get them away from him. But he says, Grace will be here. Grace squeals in, and says, get in, opening the passenger door. Al says, what the hell is that? and Morgan asks if she thinks she’s the only one with a set of wheels. She says again, she can draw them away, but he says he’s not leaving without her. Grace says, come on, and they jump in the car. Grace peels out and away.

Out of the radiation haze, and on the road, Grace pulls into the woods. Al suggests they cover the car with brush, and Morgan says, the radiated area is about 100 yards from there. They could walk in after they take a course of Russian Blue. Al says, they have something to combat radiation exposure. These people have something better, and Grace asks who they are. Morgan tells her not to expect much of an answer, and Al says, Sarah told her about the baby; she’s sorry. Grace thanks her, and says, it’s hard some days. Other days it’s… still hard, just different. Morgan says they have Mo, and Al says, Rachel’s daughter? Morgan says, Rachel didn’t make it, so they’ve become the closest thing Rachel’s daughter has to parents. Al says, all the more reason to get out. They’re soldiers who will stay on mission. Morgan says, they’ll just keep coming after them and Al’s friend. They need to stop them. Al says, the only way is to kill them, and Morgan says, then that’s what they’ll do. He says, Grace should go, but Grace says she has to help. Al says, if they kill them, they’ll just send more, and Morgan tells Grace again to go, but Grace insists on staying. Morgan said they would have never met had it not been for Al helping him. She wants to do the same for Al. Al says, there’s ammo in the helicopter. She can lead them away, so Morgan and Grace can get close to the chopper. There’s ammo and diesel fuel. Morgan says, he should lead them away, and Al can get the fuel, but Al says, it has to be her. She knows how they think. Morgan says, it’s not too late to find her friend, and Al says she will. She’ll be on channel four.

On video, Al says she has a place for them. When is she due back?

A zombie approaches Al, and she says she has a special job for him.

Grace tells Morgan, the wind is blowing in the right direction; it’s safe. They take their masks off. They check out the helicopter, and Morgan says, they have fuel, but Grace says, there’s no ammo. Morgan radios Al, and says, there’s fuel, but no ammo. Al says she knows; it’s not an Army helicopter. She’s got it covered. Morgan asks where she is, but Al says she needs to get back to the woman she told him about. Isabelle gave up what she believed in to save Al’s friends, and Al wants to help her. Morgan says, but she won’t let them do the same thing? They’re going to kill her. Al says, maybe, but she can take them down with her. He asks her to tell him where she is, and she turns off the radio.

Al says, Reclamation One, into the radio, and a soldier asks what she’s doing on that channel. She says, the people who are out there didn’t see anything. They don’t know anything about them, but she does. She knows why they’re here, and who they’re looking for. She told Al everything, and gave Al her maps and flight plan.

On video, Al says she knows what means to her; a purpose. It gives her a reason to wake up every day, and she’s right to protect it.

The soldier on the radio says, elaborate, and Al says, she’ll give it all back in exchange for an interview. There’s an old house by the ravine. They’ve flown over it. Rendezvous there in three hours. And bring her camera. The soldier says, they have a recovery camera, and she says, don’t be a smart ass.

On video, in protective gear, Sarah says, the Pennsylvania? It’s not the Four Seasons, but at least they have clean water. Morgan asks why she’s interviewing him, and if she ever stops, and Luci asks if she can’t wait until they get back. Grace is looking at the videos in the tank, and Morgan asks if she found that. She says in his pack. He didn’t tell Al he had it. He says, no, he didn’t. He didn’t want to give her an excuse to leave. She thinks they took it. He asks if she found anything, and she says, interviews with everyone they knew. Morgan says, Al knew she wasn’t coming back, and he guesses she wanted to take something of them to take with her. Grace says, maybe there’s a clue as to where Al is going, and Morgan says he’s going to see if there’s juice in the battery.

Al says, as soon as they give her the camera back, she just wants to ask them some simple questions. Did they really think Ground 17 gave her anything? We see she’s talking to a zombie, whose foot is pegged to the ground with a knife, so it can’t walk. She says she knows they’re pissed that she dragged them there under false pretenses. Don’t say she didn’t warn them. She ducks, and a cannon blows the middle out of the zombie. She tells it’s still moving head, thanks for your help. She agrees. The problem is its breath. She gets up and smashes the head.

On the video, we see a rocket go up, and Al says, what hell is that?

Al loads the cannon again. The radio crackles, and she asks if they need new directions, but the soldier says, negative; no rendezvous. She says, she’s going to start visiting the locations on these maps. Is he going to tell ground control that he’s come back empty handed? He says, they have the party she escaped with. Two soldiers have Morgan and Grace down on the ground, and the one on the radio says they’re going to eliminate them. Morgan says he’s sorry, and Grace says, there’s got to be another way. Al says, they don’t know anything; they’re not a part of this. Grace says, they have a daughter who needs them. They have to understand that. Al says, killing them won’t get her to talk, and Morgan tells her to give them the information. Al says, let them go, but the soldier says, they’re about to kill the male. Grace says, tell them, and the soldier says, one… He fires a shot in the air, and says, two… Another shot in the air. Morgan says, Al… and the soldier says, three. Al says, stop. She knows where she is. She agrees to their proposal. The soldier asks, where is Ground 17? and she says, in a cabin in the Smokies. She was with her copilot. He says he thought she didn’t know; they’ll require confirmation. She says, she told them where the cabin was; she’ll take them there. They can kill her afterward, but let Grace and Morgan go. Morgan says, don’t give her up for them, and Al says, they’ll kill him and Grace. He says, they won’t; they need them. The soldier says, negative, and Morgan grabs his gun. Grace kicks his legs out from under him, and Morgan stands up with gun, saying, they’re not killing anyone. Let her go. He tells the other soldier, drop the gun. One… He shoots in the air. Two… He shoots again. The soldier takes off his gun, and Morgan tells Grace to go. The soldier grabs Morgan, but Grace is already in the tank. She radios Al, asking if she copies, and says she’s got the truck. Al tells her to get Morgan on board, and she’ll do the rest. Grace drives right at Morgan and the soldier struggling in the road, and the soldier lets go. He and Morgan split apart, as Grace drives through, and Morgan jumps in the tank. The soldiers shoot at them, but the bullets bounce off the tank.

We see two sets of feet on the video. Al asks if she’s saying goodbye. The feet get closer for a moment, and one set of feet leaves. Al radios Daniel, asking if he copies. If he can, get to coordinates… She gives him a bunch of numbers.

Al radios Morgan, asking what their ETA is, and he says, they’re about five minutes out. Grace asks if he’s okay, and he says he’s fine. Al says, the less they’re on the radio, the better. Morgan copies, and asks if Grace meant it back there when she called Mo their daughter. She says she did, and he says, they did come back home with her. They hear a helicopter, and Morgan looks out. He says, they’ve got company, and tells Grace to keep driving. He radios Al to tell her that the soldiers are on their tail. She says she knows; stay the course. The helicopter flies ahead, and Grace says, they’re giving up? He says, they’re landing. They’re going to beat them there.

In the dark, Al wonders where the hell Morgan is. She shoots a few zombies, then sees soldiers with flashlights. The tank pulls up, and Morgan asks if she’s okay. She says she’s going to get them here, and keep them here, and when she says, drive, drive. She looks at the cannon, which is now rigged with a rope. A zombie toddles along getting in between, and she says, sh*t. She tells Morgan, she can do this; let her. She gets out, and Morgan follows. A soldier approaches the tank, and the gun thing opens up, shining a light on him. He tells Al, hands up in the air, and Al says, maybe they didn’t hear her. They have one last chance. They shoot at the tank, but the bullets once again bounce off, and Al says, she knows where Ground 17 is; she’s got proof. It’s on video. Al comes around the tank, with her hands on her head. Morgan stays on the other side, holding the rope to the cannon. Al tells the soldier to let the others go, and Morgan waits. The soldier relaxes a little, and Al says, now! Grace drives, and Morgan pulls the cord, the cannon blowing the soldiers away. I say, ew! out loud. Quentin Tarantino would have been proud. Morgan asks if Al is okay, and she says she is.

They drive, and Al says, this doesn’t change anything. She’s still going. Morgan says he saved her life. That means she owes him. She asks what he wants, and he says, an interview… please. She smiles.

On video, Al asks why Morgan is doing this. He says, she’s not used to being on that side camera, is she? It’s something to remember her by. She asks what he wants to know, and he asks if she was telling the truth to the soldiers. Does Al know where she is? The pilot? She says, yeah, she does. He asks why Al isn’t going after her, and Al says, this isn’t going to work. He says he’s not trying to pull anything. She wanted the truth, and it’s about the only thing you can’t run from. He couldn’t. The truth knows the where and why, and leaves on its own. She says, it’s complicated. She wanted Al to come. She gave up everything to save people she’d never met, but when she asked Al to give up everything for her… Morgan asks why Al isn’t with her, and Al flashes back to telling Isabelle that she’s sorry. She can’t do what Isabelle did. Al tells Morgan, she couldn’t do the same. She’d have to give this up. She’s sorry. She broke the only rule she ever had; never let herself become part of the story. Morgan asks who Ground 17 is; at least tell him her name. Al takes the camera out of his hand, and gives him the cartridge. They hug, and she goes over to Grace, and hugs her. I want to cry. Morgan asks if Al knows where she’s going, and she says, she knows what path she’s going to follow. Grace says, whoever Al thinks she’s letting down, she doubts they’d want her to miss out because of them. Al says she’ll see them on the road, and walks away.

Back at the rendezvous point, Al tells a soldier’s head, it’s been a helluva ride. She digs around in their pockets, wondering where they’re from, and Morgan shows up. She says, what the hell? She made up her mind. He says, just like he did. She and John still came after him one more time, so… She says she’s sorry, and picks up the radio, and hears something about Ground 17.

Back at the helicopter, Al hears, Reclamation One you’re being recalled. Do you copy? Morgan says, don’t, and Al says, Reclamation One, copy. A woman says, stand by for new target coordinates, and Al asks, who’s the new target? The woman says, Ground 17 remains the target. Her chopper responder places her at coordinates… The woman reads off numbers, and Al tells Morgan, she’s going to find her, no matter where she goes. She hears, do you copy? Al says, Reclamation One, copy, en route. Morgan says, tell him she’s going after her, and not chasing after whatever bullsh*t story these people are up to. Al says, she’s not sure, but either way, it will be one helluva ride. Morgan says, Al’s rule. It’s not about a choice she made a long time ago. It’s not about giving up the camera. It’s about her being scared, and losing herself. She doesn’t know she is part of the story. She was before, and she is now. If you’re alive, you’re part of the story. You can’t pretend there’s no connection there; that you’re not affected, like a piece of machinery, like a camera. She is the story, and he’s grateful that he got to be part of hers, and he’s glad she got to be part of his. Al says, her too, and Morgan says, you go. He gets out, and closes the door. The smiles, and ducks out. She puts hula girl on the helicopter dashboard.    

Al goes to the rendezvous point, and asks if anybody’s there. She goes inside. A fire is burning in the stove, and she turns on the TV, seeing a video of herself. She hears a gun cock, and turns around. She says, they’ve got to stop meeting like this. Isabelle asks what she’s doing here. She can’t stay. Al says she knows the chopper is down, and they’ll probably  be back. Isabelle says Al came all this way over her? and Al says she wants to come with Isabelle. Isabelle says she made peace with Al’s decision, even if she doesn’t understand it, Al says she hasn’t, and Isabelle says, they’ll never stop looking over their shoulders, and Al says, she’s right, but that’s okay. She can handle it. Isabelle says, the only way this can work is if they stay one step ahead, and Al says, Isabelle gave up everything; so will she. She smashes the camera, and says it was never about the camera. She was scared. She is scared. Isabelle says, she knows, but what’s different now? AL says, not trying and not coming here was scarier. They’ll find something new; something for them both. Then at least they gave it a try. They kiss, and Al asks, where should they go first?

Next time, Victor has his portrait painted, Morgan asks for Victor’s help, and Howard asks how long they have.   

The World Beyond

We flashed back to two years ago, when Indira created a globe sculpture for  the CRM with a globe sculpture for outside the facility, a reminder of who they were, and what was at stake. Indira wanted Elizabeth’s word that she’d keep their non-aggression pact after she was gone, and explained she was sick. Elizabeth said they had doctors and dialysis there, but Indira said she couldn’t put her personal interests first. Elizabeth said she wasn’t asking anything in return, and Indira asked, what Elizabeth would gain? Elizabeth said, peace of mind that she was sparing Indira’s children the ordeal she and Huck went through with Huck’s father. It was just between them, no strings.

In the present day. Will came back to the Perimeter alone, looking downcast. At the CRM, Leo told the other scientists that their purpose had been to heal the planet for their children and their children’s children, but they couldn’t do it there with the people who were responsible. Another scientist said they weren’t going to be allowed to leave; Leo was talking escape. Leo said they were past the point of talking, and the plan had been put in motion. They were going to use the CRM’s security protocol against them. He realized he was asking a lot, but they’d have help from the outside. He didn’t have every answer, but they couldn’t stay there. Lyla didn’t die in a lab accident; she’d been murdered like Dr. Abbot and Leo’s security detail. One of the scientists said, the CRM had committed genocide, and they had proof. They could either be a party to it, or be killed. Leo said they were working to stop the monsters, and save people from turning into monsters, but they needed to save themselves first.

Huck told Dennis that she couldn’t risk another trip, and he agreed to help. He told her, no matter how it turned out, she was the only part he didn’t regret. She told Silas that she’d sent him to Dennis because he was a good guy, and Silas said he got it. She said he had to trust her, even if he hated her. Hope and Iris packed, and Hope said it seemed unreal that lives were being put in their hands. Iris said a lot could go wrong, but they’d make it work. They’d do whatever they had to do to make sure they won. Huck told Leo and Felix that she and Dennis would get them someplace safe, and Felix asked what was going to happen to her. She said they were going to let the government know what the military had done. There was a Resistance who could help her get to whoever she needed to talk to, and maybe in the end, she and Dennis would try together. Because you always think of those romantic notions in the middle of an apocalyptic crisis. She said Dennis and Silas were going to relay the plan.  

Silas said Dennis had told him what to do, but not why, and Dennis said the less he knew, the better. Silas said Dennis’s wife had killed people, and let him think he’d done it. Was she just doing her job? Dennis told him that on the inside, they said everything was for the greater good. You went in not knowing who you were, and lost yourself. Silas said there was right and wrong, but Dennis disagreed, and said, not for a long time. Silas said Dennis tried to get him involved, but Dennis said Silas had been going nowhere, just like him. They killed a couple of zombies, and then hid as a horde ambled past.  

Huck went to see Jadis, who told her, the operational monitor was back online after the outage. She showed Huck the diagnostics, and said she was concerned Leo wasn’t keeping quiet. His psychological profile had determined he’d fall in line to keep his family safe, and she was starting to wonder if it was wrong. Huck said she didn’t think so, but Jadis said she was usually right. She needed to show him what happened if he stepped out of line. She told her lieutenant that her team was ready when his was.

Will told Indira that he was sorry, but her son was dead. Indira said he’d gone out there because of her, but Will said that wasn’t true. She told Brody and the core group that she was dying. Elizabeth had offered her treatment so she could live, and she’d been too selfish and scared to let go of her life. Dev died helping her get her medication so that she could hold onto things she shouldn’t be holding onto. She’d handed the CRM control of her life, and because of her decision, they’d taken the life of her boy, and now they could lose everything. She had to assume the non-aggression pact was nullified. Things were escalating, and they all knew what the CRM was capable of. It wasn’t safe there for any of them, and they had to leave. When they got to safety, she’d tell everyone she was stepping down as leader. Elton told Asha that he was sorry about Dev, and she said Dev was like Elton, questioning everything, She wondered if in the end he ever got his answer. Elton said, for some people it took facing the end to really know.

Huck radioed Iris and Hope, telling them that they needed to start everything now. The CRM was sending armed guards, and they needed to head to the rendezvous point. They couldn’t wait. At the Perimeter, Elton told Will, if the plan was going to happen, it needed to happen now. Soldiers came to get the girls, but they were gone, having run out the back. Iris said they had this, and Hope said she’d get their dad and meet Iris there. Jadis strutted around, and her lieutenant (whose name I don’t know) told her Leo was gone. She said some military stuff to him, and told him it would tell her how deep it had spread. There was a mandatory evacuation drill, and Leo tried to act cool. He met up with Felix, Iris, and Percy, and they all kept walking.

Hope found Mason, and said he needed to come with her. He needed to trust her; it was a matter of life and death. The lieutenant showed told Jadis, not only were the scientists AWOL, the civilian research team was too. She wanted a full facility lockdown, and said now they knew it was just the Bennetts. They were going to check room by room, and find where they were hiding. Leo told Iris that the CRM knew something was wrong, when gates started coming down over the doors. Hope ran in just in time with Mason, and they went into another room where all the others were. Hope told Mason that she wished there was another way, but their plan wouldn’t work without him. Percy and Felix took him away.

The lieutenant told Huck that the group was locked in a biocontainment unit. It was failsafe, and blunt force wouldn’t open the door. They’d have to wait two hours for a reboot. She said she’d tell Jadis. Inside the unit, the group had blocked the door, Leo saying this was nothing but reckless. Felix said they’d had no choice. Leo chose to give him life, and he chose to make it count. They smashed up a bunch of computers and whatnot, and Mason was tied up, and trying to figure out what the hell was going on. He saw a bunch of zombies and freaked out, but Hope told him that it was one-way glass. They could see the zombies, but the zombies couldn’t see them. Mason begged to know what was going on, and Hope said the CRM was not what he thought. They did horrible things. He said, if that was true, his dad would know. It couldn’t be that bad. He asked if that’s why he was taken, and she said there was no other way. They needed to leverage him to get what they wanted. Then they’d let him go. He asked, what if they didn’t get what they wanted. Would they feed him to the zombies? Hope promised no one would hurt him.

Idiot Brody ran to the CRM to tattle on Indira, and Jadis told Huck that her mother had been diverting medical supplies to the head of the Perimeter. They posed a significant threat to security. An intruder had been shot trying to ID Indira’s son. He’d said he was actively working with the Bennetts against them. Huck asked if she wasn’t going to investigate that claim, but Jadis said investigations took time and exposed vulnerabilities. The contact had to be removed immediately. At the Perimeter, everyone got ready to leave. Way too slowly IMO. Will told Indira that he lived for a picture of the future with Felix in his mind. He didn’t think it made him wrong, and he didn’t think what she did for her family was wrong either. Group member Robin came in, and said Brody had been ranting that he was going to make things right with the CRM, just as the CRM soldiers rolled in. The soldiers pushed people around, even though everyone was compliant. Will snuck around. Then took off for somewhere on foot.

While Jadis was busy with something else, Huck told Brody that he’d marked the Perimeter for death. He said Indira made a deal to save her own life. Why not him? Huck had been playing both sides, and he knew it. She asked if he was trying to get her killed, and he said if she promised him a permanent residence there, he’d keep quiet. She said she couldn’t do that, but he said, figure out a way she could. At the Perimeter, the soldiers made everyone get on their knees with their hands up. Indira asked to speak to Elizabeth.

 Brody said, if Huck didn’t do this, she was dead, and she shot him in the head, not even hesitating. Jadis came back, and said, what the hell? Huck said Brody was a rat, and had been playing games. He knew about Omaha and the Campus Colony, and said if they didn’t give him residence, he’d scream it from the rooftops. Jadis asked how he knew, and Huck said she had no clue, but he was a security threat. Maybe he had a personal grudge against Indira. Jadis said Indira was a threat too, and radioed the soldiers at the Perimeter, asking to speak to Indira. Indira told Jadis to call her soldiers off. Take her, but let her people live. Jadis said she was impressed by the globe Indira made. She’d been like Indira once, leading an artist community, but they didn’t stand a chance, like Indira’s didn’t now. Her vision was lovely but didn’t portray what is. She couldn’t see it. Huck told Jadis that the Perimeter provided a valuable service; they were a resource. Jadis told the soldiers to eliminate all of them, and leave no one alive. Elton and Asha hooked pinkies, which I smelled coming. Will started shooting at the soldiers, who fired back. Then Will’s gun got jammed, but Dennis showed up, and started shooting, along with Silas. Dennis got on a radio and faked out the soldiers with orders, and they all ran to another area, giving the residents time to get weapons. Indira shot the head soldier just as he was about to shoot Elton. Dennis, Silas, Elton and Indira gave each other silent signals, and worked as a team. Dennis stole a grenade from a dead soldier, and blew the rest of the soldiers to smithereens.

Will said, well played, and Dennis told Silas to get his friends and supplies to the rendezvous. Be ready. Silas asked, for what? What was the plan? Dennis revealed he’d been shot in the side, and keeled over. At the CRM, Mason was hustled out, even though he said he wasn’t going anywhere. He demanded to know where they were taking him. Hope told Iris that Mason hadn’t done anything, but Iris said, neither had they. There was too much at stake. Meanwhile, the scientists had used explosives to create an opening to tunnels below the unit, also keeping the CRM following them. When they finally got into the room, Jadis said every drop of data had been wiped out. They weren’t just escaping; they’d been planning a rebellion. They stood to lose every scrap of progress and knowledge since the beginning. Huck asked what the plan was, and Jadis said she knew where the exits were. She was going to station a soldier at every tunnel exit. When the group emerged, they’d be waiting.

Jadis said they were going to make an example of all of them. She told the soldiers, shoot to kill. Eliminate some to traumatize the many. They’d been safe for too long, and had forgotten too much. She hoped to make them remember.

Next time, Jadis says, they’ll see who blinks first. And oh yeah, zombies.

🙇🏽‍♀️ Better Late Than Later…

Dead news tomorrow, along with the usual soap, and whatever’s on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay edifying to others, and stay knowing, if you’re alive, you’re part of the story.

Feb13

February 12, 2021 – No Bueno, Franco Going, Morgan Coming, First For Marks, That Tweet, No Samantha In the City, Dragging Maury, Real Reunion, Essentials, Ignorant, Erika’s Defense, New Puppy, Happy Lunar New Year, Today’s Fact, Quotes of Ten & Slick

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Nowhere to be found today. I officially gave up somewhere around 9 pm. We’re two days ahead anyway, so pour yourself a cup of tea, sit back, and check out what’s happening in the world of entertainment.

💸 Not Buying It…

I don’t think Franco is going anywhere. I think somehow the radiation will work, or it’s not what they thought, or he’ll stay alive long enough for them to find a cure. Or maybe he’s really his psychopathic twin brother, escaped from Pentenville. Oh wait. That’s Doc.

General Hospital Spoilers: Is Franco’s End Coming Near? What Fans Should Know

🔎 Morgan Found…

It’s a nice theory, but the reason they’re throwing his name around is because Sonny is presumably dead, and being pseudo buried next to him. Mike’s name has come up just as often.

‘General Hospital’ Spoilers: Bryan Craig & Maurice Benard Reunion Sparks Morgan Return?

It’s more than likely, he was around because he was involved in some other project nearby.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/bryan-craig-stars-in-an-inspirational-new-movie

👗 It’s All About That Dress…

I have to say, the girls from Salt Lake were bedazzling. In a good way.

https://screenrant.com/rhoslc-why-jen-shahs-dress-almost-missed-the-reunion/

👠 More on Marks…

She looks like a lady.

https://pagesix.com/2021/02/10/how-rhoslc-star-meredith-marks-got-ready-for-the-reunion/

And acts like a lady.

https://www.monstersandcritics.com/tv/reality-tv/meredith-marks-talks-rhoslc-reunion-says-she-didnt-want-to-bring-out-receipts/

🐣 RiRi Rules…

What a difference a tweet makes.

https://pagesix.com/2021/02/11/rhoslc-reunion-fans-react-to-heather-gays-rihanna-reveal/

💃🏻 Samantha Who…?

We won’t mention she-who-has-moved-on.

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/a35173384/sex-and-the-city-reboot/

👠 Paternity Drag…

This sounds pretty amusing, and certainly better than watching the real Maury Povich.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1237604/watch-the-queens-of-rupaul-s-drag-race-reenact-a-classic-maury-scene-in-the-workroom

🗽 New York Take Two…

I’d actually watch this. I loved The Real World before it turned into the drunken hot tub sex show.

https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-news/real-world-new-york-cast-reunion-paramount-plus-1127961/

📺 For Your Black History Viewing Pleasure…

Some excellent choices.

https://www.tvguide.com/news/15-essential-black-shows-and-movies-to-watch-for-black-history-month/

🍸 Thirsty Girl…

Was she drunk again? Or just that desperate for attention? I find it difficult to believe she used similar wording to his alleged abuse, and was ignorant of it.

https://pagesix.com/2021/02/08/brandi-glanville-claims-ignorance-after-armie-hammer-tweet/

😴 On Defense…

Does anyone even care about this anymore?

Dorit Kemsley Defends Erika Jayne Against Claims She Returned to Pasadena Home, Feels RHOBH Costar’s Being Bullied and Insists She’s “Innocent Until Proven Guilty” as Erika Reacts, Plus Has Tom Girardi Been Disbarred?

🐶 Calming Cuteness…

A puppy brightens any day. Be sure to check out the Instagram video. Kimba is just precious.

Laura Wright and Wes Ramsey’s New Puppy Is the Cutest — See the Photos!

🐃 Xin Nian Kuai Le…

I just hope Google isn’t messing with me, and I just told you to go sit on a coconut.

https://chinesenewyear.net/

Happy Lunar New Year!

📌 That’s a Fact…

It was in 1964 when the author James Baldwin reflected on the shortcomings of his education. “When I was going to school,” he said, “I began to be bugged by the teaching of American history because it seemed that that history had been taught without cognizance of my presence.”

Baldwin’s thoughts echoed those of many before and after him. Half a century earlier, when Carter G. Woodson had the same frustration, he set the foundation for what would become today’s national Black History Month, observed each February.

https://time.com/4197928/history-black-history-month/

📠 Quotes of the Week

It is mental slavery to cling to things that have stopped serving their purpose in your life. – Chinonye J. Chidolue

Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it. – Ann Landers

There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them. – Ray Bradbury

My patience is getting so thin, it’s transparent. – Captain Lee Rosbach, Below Deck

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

Before you become too entranced with gorgeous gadgets and mesmerizing video displays, let me remind you that information is not knowledge, knowledge is not wisdom, and wisdom is not foresight. Each grows out of the other, and we need them all. – Arthur C. Clarke

Today stretches ahead of you waiting to be shaped. You are the sculptor who gets to do the shaping. What today will be like is up to you. – Steve Maraboli

Us Americans are not loud. We just talk in stereo. – Robert Springs, 90 Day Fiancé: Pillow Talk

But instead of spending our lives running towards our dreams, we are often running away from a fear of failure or a fear of criticism. – Erin Wright

I’d rather regret the risks that didn’t work out than the chances I didn’t take at all. – Simone Biles

✍🏽 Signing Off…

Heading off to do some copywriting for an interview with Billy Vera. If you don’t know who he is, you should. He’s part of entertainment history in a million different ways. Watch for his upcoming interview at https://mupoentertainment.com. Here’s to having an entertaining weekend, no matter if you’ve been working, in your PJs, or working in your PJs. And don’t forget to stay safe, stay being surprised by life, and stay supporting at least one cause other than your own.

Dec31

December 30, 2020 – Cyrus Has a Really Bad Day, Elizabeth Tells All, Salt Lake Snowmobiling, Soap Skinny, Celeb-rations, New Love, Leaving, Fan Of a Fan, an Update, a Look Back, Confetti, Happy New Year & Just Another One

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Why not? It’s the last post of the year. I missed the before credits action, but this is what happened. Jackie showed up at Anna’s, and asked how Finn was after his injury. Anna said he was with Gregory in Rice Plaza, watching the Polar Bear Dive. Finn came close to spilling everything to Gregory, but a drunk Alexis came by, wishing them a happy new year. Finn noticed she was bleeding, but she brushed it off, saying she’d broken a glass. Laura told Carly that she thought she was Cyrus’s weakness. Ned, Olivia, and Tracy had lunch in the MetroCourt, and Tracy said Ned was a lucky man to have Olivia. Olivia wondered, since when was Tracy her biggest fan? Jason met Cyrus at the pier, and then…

Jackie tells Anna, she still can’t believe Chase went swimming in the freezing cold. Anna says Jackie must not be a polar bear, and Jackie says, no. She says Anna has a lovely home, and Anna thanks her. Jackie says, it must be fun having a little girl running around, and Anna says, Violet brings the place to life. Jackie asks if Violet is home, but Anna says, she’s napping. She got up at the crack of dawn to play with the dollhouse Finn got for her. Can Jackie believe Finn is a father? Jackie says, yes and no.

Alexis tells Finn, she broke a glass and nicked herself. It’s not like she’s bleeding out. He says, it’s not big, but it’s deep; she’ll need stitches. Why don’t they go to GH, and he’ll stitch her up himself. She tells Gregory, his son is a wonderful friend. He’s just generally a wonderful person in general. Gregory says she gets no argument from him. She says they slept together, and Finn didn’t die. Imagine that? Finn says they should probably get going. Did she drive? She says, no. A, she wouldn’t, and B, her license was taken away because of Tracy. Didn’t he feel a shift in the cosmos? The bitch is back. He says she can tell him about it on the way. She says he can’t make her go, and he asks if she’s going to walk around to spite him. She says, maybe, and laughs, telling him, lead the way. She leans on him, and says, such a gentleman. He really is. They leave, and Gregory follows them.

Laura tells Carly, she and Cyrus have the same father, and Carly says, Rick Webber? Laura says, no. Rick is her adoptive father. Her biological father was Gordon Grey. Cyrus is her half-brother, along with Martin Grey. Carly asks how she found out, and Laura says she was doing the same thing Carly was, trying to find a way to stop Cyrus. She did some digging, and found that Cyrus was paying all the medical bills for a woman named Florence Grey. Obviously, she meant a lot to Cyrus, but Laura couldn’t figure out the connection. She started to wonder if Florence was the same one who was married to her father, so with a lot of help, she found the long-term care facility where Florence was, and managed to get in. Carly says, of course (🍷) she did, and Laura says she was only in Florence’s room a minute, when Martin came in, with Cyrus not far behind. It all just came out. Florence is their mother, and they share Gordon as a father. Carly says, wow, and Laura says, that’s the word. Carly says Cyrus went from being an island to having an entire family, and Laura says, an entire family she’s a part of. 

Cyrus says Jason strikes him as less inclined than Sonny to be influenced by pride and family concerns. He deals in facts, not emotions. That’s why Cyrus doesn’t hold it against him that Jason blew his warehouse to smithereens, and cost him a substantial amount of money. He was acting on Sonny’s orders, but now he has the opportunity to think for himself and make his own decisions. Imagine how much better his life would be, and the people in his circle. Instead of this tedious and costly stand-off, they can finally cooperate. Jason asks, how?

Finn tells Alexis, he’s giving her an antibiotic just in case. She says, thanks, buddy, and he says, got it, pal. She asks if she chased his dad away, but he says Gregory is getting coffee. He heard about Julian, and he’s sorry. She grabs him in a hug, and starts crying, saying, she wants to go home. He asks who he can call. Sam? Molly? She says she’ll take a taxi, and he says he’ll drive her. She insists on taking a taxi, and says, go, be with his dad. He says it will take him ten minutes, but she says she wants to go alone. He says he’s not letting her. Come up with somebody, or he’s her ride. It’s up to her. She tells him to call Ned.

Tracy says Olivia is right. She wasn’t always Tracy’s favorite, but she has to understand Tracy is extremely protective of her family. The Quartermaines have dealt with their fair share of gold-diggers in the past. Monica and Lucy come to mind. Olivia says, Monica is not a gold-digger, and Tracy says, not now. She grew into the role of a Quartermaine, but not in the beginning. Why does Olivia think Alan gave Monica the house? He wanted to buy her love. Olivia says she can’t speak for their history, but Monica loved Alan. Tracy says, when she wasn’t cheating on him, and Ned says Tracy is one to talk. Tracy says she was worried Ned would follow suit, and he did at first. That’s why all of his marriages failed. Olivia is different, and she’s finally opened her eyes to that. Instead of seeing Olivia’s Brooklyn accent, she sees a matriarch in the making, and she’s good for Ned and the Quartermaine family. Olivia fights for her own, like her. She lets Ned be who he needs to be, for himself and the family. Olivia completes him, the same way Luke completes her. Ned asks if Tracy is comparing her relationship with his an Olivia’s, and she says, laugh all he wants. Luke turned out to be the person she’s been looking for her whole life, and Olivia is that person for him. She was glad Ned found Olivia. Olivia says, her too.

Jackie says, Anna doesn’t like her, does she? and Anna asks if she’s giving that impression. Jackie says, just the opposite, but she thought because she’d been spending time with Robert… Anna says she wasn’t aware of it, and Jackie says Robert has been attentive since she’s been there. Anna says they have a history, and Jackie says, as does Anna with Robert. Anna says she loves Robert as a friend, but that’s all they are. Jackie says the times she spent with Robert were the most fun she ever had, and Anna laughs, saying, he is a lot of fun. Jackie says, meeting Anna explains a lot. Holly was great, and Robert loved her, but there was something else going on that he never said; a missing piece. It was Anna. Anna says, having a child bonds you like nothing else, and Jackie says, there they have it. She’s ready to get it out in the open. Anna isn’t sure what Jackie is referring to, and Jackie says Anna knows about her and Finn.

Laura tells Carly, it was eye-opening how desperate Cyrus is for his mother’s acceptance and forgiveness. She saw  a different side of him, and thinks he’s transferring his feelings onto her; the sister who finally accepts him when his mother rejected him. He’s been estranged from the family since he was a teenager, but she doesn’t think it bothers him as much as the rift with his mother. Clearly, he loves and misses her. Carly asks if she’s been in Port Charles all this time, but Laura says, no. She’s in Mountain Landing Long-Term Care in Vermont. Carly says, that’s random. Did they let Laura in as a visitor? Laura says, not exactly. She admitted herself as a patient.

Cyrus tells Jason, he’d like to do what he originally proposed to Sonny; it will be beneficial to both sides. Jason opens the pier so he can bring his product through, but Jason will have nothing to do with it. No distribution. No dirty hands. Although he’d appreciate security being provided to keep the competition out. He’ll give Jason 30% of he profit; gross not net. There will be no risk to him, while he’ll get a sizable return. As an added benefit, they won’t be at each other’s throats, so Jason could either maintain the import business, or focus on the legitimate coffee empire, while he collects the profits Cyrus will shower him with. Come on. Be smarter than Sonny.  

Carly says she can’t believe Laura had herself admitted, and Laura says, it was dicey for a minute, but Curtis was looking out for her. She needed answers. Carly asks if she thinks she got them, and Laura says, she thinks it’s a good start. Carly says, so she’s Cyrus’s soft spot, and Laura says, she’s not kidding herself. She’s not going to tell Cyrus to play nice, and he will, but she thinks it’s an opening. She can capitalize on his vulnerability, and point him in a better direction. If she does it right, she can neutralize Cyrus. Carly thanks her, and they hug. Carly thanks Laura for coming by, and says she appreciates Laura’s words; they mean everything. Laura says she’ll keep Sonny in her prayers, and leaves. Carly gets on the phone, and says, listen to her every word. This is so important.   

Anna tells Jackie, Finn confided a number of things, and Jackie says she appreciates Anna being discreet, but she knows Jackie slept with Finn. Anna says Jackie assured Finn that he wasn’t Chase’s father, and Jackie says she did. It was the best outcome for all concerned, but things were left conflicted. She takes full responsibility for what she chose to do, but what Finn chose afterward is on him. Anna says, no judgement on her part, and Jackie says, it was fine when Harry was a baby, but as he got older, he asked more questions about why his brother wasn’t in their lives. Now they’ve bonded, and those questions are more pressing than ever. Out of curiosity, what camp is Anna in? Should Chase be told or not? Anna says, it’s not her place. She can understand both sides. Resurrecting the issue might cause pain for Chase and Gregory, but doing nothing is causing Finn pain. He’s responsible for the predicament he’s in, but the secret has poisoned his relationship with his father, and now Violet. They deserve to have Gregory in their lives. What is Jackie going to do about it?

Olivia wonders if they should hug it out, and Tracy says, let’s not go overboard. Finn calls Ned, and says he’s with Alexis at the hospital, and she’s asking for him. Ned asks, what happened? and Finn says, she cut her arm on some broken glass, and he put in a few stitches. But they both know that’s not the problem. Ned asks if she’s been drinking, and Finn says, yeah. He doesn’t want to let her take a cab. Ned says he’s on his way. He tells Tracy and Olivia, Alexis hurt herself and needs a ride home. Tracy asks what that’s got to do with him, and he says she asked for him. Tracy tells him not to enable her, and he says he’s not showing up with a martini, just a ride. Tracy says, she’ll go, but Olivia says Alexis isn’t going to want to see Tracy. She’ll go with Ned. Ned says, no. They’re having a lovely time at lunch, which is rare in this family. So sit and enjoy this rare opportunity to have his mother’s approval. He leaves, and Olivia says, poor Alexis. She’s having a hard time. Tracy says, when someone self-destructs, there’s always collateral damage

Jason says Cyrus is making assumptions, but Cyrus says, Sonny’s not coming back. His sources at the Secaucus PD told him the bridge collapsed. Jason was there. No body was found and Sonny hasn’t been in touch. Clear indications that the man is dead. He admires Jason holding out hope, but the time has come for him to shift his perspective. Now all this is for his taking. Jason says, no deal. Cyrus isn’t moving his product through Port Charles ever. It’s Sonny’s territory – Cyrus says, was – and he’s going to run it the way Sonny will want to find it when he comes home. Cyrus says Jason disappoints him. Not just his foolishness in turning down the deal, but more so for convincing himself of something he knows isn’t true. So be it. If he can’t persuade Jason, he can’t. He thanks Jason for taking the time to meet him. Jason says if waiting he’s waiting for Walker to take him out from his sniper nest, he’s not there. Cyrus says he guesses he’ll have to do it himself, and draws his gun.

Cyrus shoots, and Jason ducks behind some crates. He tells Cyrus, drop the gun, or he’ll put one between his eyes. Brando comes in behind Jason, and says, drop it. Jason drops it, but two other guys come on the scene with Carly, who says, drop it or they’ll both be dead. Brando puts his gun down, and Jason tells him to get on the ground. Jason fires a shot missing Cyrus, and says he has one chance. He’s going to put the next one in Cyrus’s head. Cyrus puts his gun down, and gets on the ground. Jason tells the men to get Carly back to the car. She tries to argue, but he says, right now. He tells Cyrus, there will be no escalation. Come after him again, and he’s dead. Jason walks away, and Cyrus pounds the ground. Not his day.

Alexis is snoozing when Ned comes in. He asks, what happened? Does she even remember? She says she’s sorry she asked Finn to call, but he wouldn’t let up. He says she can always call him. Is she all right? She says, it was a small cut, but he says, big enough to require stitches. It’s only a matter of time before she truly hurts herself or someone else. She drove her car off the road, and now this. She says she broke a glass, and what Tracy said happened, didn’t happen. The coffee. He asks what she means, and she tells him, Tracy said she was searching for coffee. It’s right there on the counter, front and center. He says Tracy isn’t familiar with Alexis’s kitchen; she must have missed it. Alexis says, impossible, unless you’re blind. Tracy drove them off the road.

Anna tells Jackie, she has no plans to alter the status quo. What happens next is between Jackie and Finn. Jackie thanks her, and Anna says, but she’ll support Finn in whatever decision he makes to tell Chase the truth or not. Jackie feels the truth would be more harmful than good. They’ve stayed silent this long. Anna says, but it hinged on keeping their distance. That’s not the case anymore. Finn and Gregory walk in.

Ned says Alexis isn’t making sense. His mother drove them off the road? She says she knows it seems strange, and he says, it seems like she’s confused. Tracy drove Alexis home, and Alexis took the car off the road. She says she doesn’t think that’s what happened. He says Tracy and Chase found her, and she admitted she didn’t remember getting in the car. She says, it feels wrong. She doesn’t know how else to say it.

Olivia wonders what happened with Alexis, and tells Tracy, she should have gone with Ned. Tracy says, no, and Olivia asks, why? Tracy says, too many cooks in the kitchen. Alexis might feel overwhelmed or ganged up on. Olivia says, maybe if she was upset with Alexis, but they’re friends. She just wants to help Alexis get through this. Tracy says, trust her. It’s better this way.

Gregory tells Jackie that she looks well, and she says, so does he. Finn says he’s sorry they’re late; Alexis needed help. Anna asks if everything is all right, and Finn says he hopes so. Gregory says Finn’s bedside manner has improved. Anna has been good for him. Anna asks if Gregory wants tea, and Finn says he’ll help her.  

Gregory says Finn invited him to stay for dinner, and Jackie says Finn and Anna make a good couple. He says, they do, and asks if she’s met Violet yet. She says, no; Violet was napping. He says, she’s the most wonderful little girl; full of joy and curiosity, and excited about the wedding. He says, sorry, and she says, don’t be. He shouldn’t be. She might be there. Robert invited her as his date.

Cyrus tells Brando, Jason didn’t hit him because he didn’t want to. As for Brando, he doesn’t know whether he’s an ally or a hidden enemy. Brando says, Cyrus’s meeting was supposed to be done at 3:10, so he came to check. He saved Cyrus’s life. Cyrus asks why Brando didn’t shoot, and Brando says he didn’t know what was going on. Cyrus says, if he’d died, the first thing his lawyer would do is send what he knows about Dev’s identity being falsified straight to the Feds. He wanted to use it to nail Sonny, but there’s more than enough to incriminate all of them. It will be ironic if Jason has walked away from how many murders, including Walker’s, and ends up back in prison for forging Dev’s ID, and Brando will be in the cell next to him. He’ll think about that the next time he wonders where Brando’s loyalty lies. He didn’t shoot when he had the opportunity.

Jason tells someone on the phone, he wants no evidence of what happened, and zero evidence Carly was there. Make sure the guards are with who they’re assigned to. Carly says good thing she was there; she knew it was an ambush. He says, of course (🍷) it was an ambush. He took the guy out. He knew what he was doing. Carly says, apparently not. Brando had a gun on him. He says, next time, send the guards. Don’t get in the line of fire and leave her kids without a mother. She says she had protection, and he says, so what? If bullets start flying, there’s no guarantee. She says he was walking into a trap. What if he’d been hit? He says, then he would have survived like he has every other time. What he can’t survive is losing her. I think, why don’t they just do it already?

Gregory says, Robert Scorpio, Anna’s ex? and Jackie says, that’s the one. He says he’ll finally get to meet Robert. She’d told him about their adventures back in the day. She says, back in the day, before she settled down, and her dreams came true. He’s surprised Anna invited Robert to the wedding, and Jackie says he and Anna are friends., and Finn tolerates him for her sake. Finn and Anna have come back in, and Finn says, it’s a secret, but he likes Robert. Why are they talking about Robert? Jackie says she’s his plus one, but she’ll only say yes if it’s all right with Gregory. Gregory says, Chase would love to have his mom there, but it’s Finn’s day. Finn says, it’s okay with him. It’s going to be a real family affair. Anna pours the tea.  

Cyrus and Brando go to the MetroCourt, and Cyrus says he needs a drink. He tells Brando, wait over there, clearly still pissed. He orders scotch on the rocks, and sits. Laura comes in, and asks if he’s all right; he doesn’t look well. He says, it’s a business complication, and she hopes nobody died. He says it was touch and go, and she says she’s glad she ran into him. She’d like to talk to him about Sonny. He can’t see how that’s relevant, and she says, with Sonny’s disappearance, peace could be destroyed. She’d like to work with him to keep the streets safe and the violence down. He asks what that would entail, and she says, meeting regularly to discuss health and safety issues. She doesn’t believe biology alone bonds people, but as mayor, it’s her duty to keep the people safe. So meet her halfway. He says he appreciates her reaching out, and he’d be happy to work with her on this matter. She says, good. She looks forward to their first meeting. She’ll be in touch. She starts to go, and tells him, she’s really happy no one was hurt at his meeting, and smiles at him.  

Tracy stomps back to table, and finds Olivia gone. She says, dammit. Leave you alone for five minutes, and look what happens.

Ned tells Alexis that she needs to pull herself together. She asks if he’s afraid she’ll drag him down with her, and he says, that’s not what he meant. She says she’s sure he’s thinking it, and he asks if she blames him. She’s doing things she doesn’t remember, it’s not a stretch to think she might say things. She says she has no intention of hurting anyone else, and he says, just herself. Go back to AA. She promises to avoid Olivia at all costs, and Olivia comes out of the elevator. Ned tells her, he said he had this, and Olivia says she knows. she just thought Alexis could use a female friend. She tells Alexis that they love her and want help her through this. Alexis says, that’s sweet, but no help is needed. Olivia says she can’t mean that after what just happened. Alexis says, she’s fine. The only reason she called was because Finn wouldn’t get off her back. She tells them to have a lovely afternoon, and she’s going to do the same. She walks away.  

Carly says, she can’t die, but Jason can? He says he brought her in. She would have had nothing to do with business if not for him. She helped Sonny for his sake, and now she’s in power and doesn’t know how to handle it. She shouldn’t know. If she dies because of it, he couldn’t stand it. She says she’s not sorry, and she’d do it again; alone if she had to. He says they don’t know if Sonny is alive – she says, he is – and he doesn’t want to lose her too. She says she’ll always catch him. Always. He says she blew his shot. He would have killed Cyrus if she hadn’t shown up. She asks why he didn’t take it, and he says, because she was there. If there was a witness, or things went sideways, or she was an accessory… He can’t have it. He had to let Cyrus live, and now things are going to escalate. Cyrus isn’t stupid. Cyrus knows he didn’t kill him because of her, and it makes them more vulnerable. Her phone dings, and she looks at it. She says she thinks things aren’t going to escalate, and he asks, why? She says, things have been solved.  

On the phone at the bar, Cyrus says, what?… How?… When? He yells, son of a bitch! wiping all the glasses onto the floor. Brando runs over, and asks, what is it? He says, they have his mother.   

Next week, Portia needs to speak to Taggert, Jax wants to take Josslyn away, Laura needs leverage from Martin, and Carly says, now they have leverage. Tomorrow, ABC will air a rerun from September 17th, 2020, and on Friday, college football.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

When Braunwyn and Elizbeth took a walk, Elizabeth ended up having a panic attack. Braunwyn asked her to name five things she could see, two she could smell, and one she could feel, and I’ll be damned if she didn’t calm down after those activities. In her interview, Elizabeth said, from 0 to 13 she was raised in a religious environment. Her grandma was the head of the church, and her father one of the main preachers. They couldn’t wear or eat what they wanted, or leave the compound. They knew how to control everyone. Elizabeth told Braunwyn that she didn’t know how to move on, but Braunwyn said she was doing it right now. In Elizabeth’s interview, she said she needed to hide the sadness, and found laughter attracted people to her. It was easier to live in a fantasy of happiness than her reality of depression. She was worried if she started talking about it, everything she’d built would disappear. She said she’d carried the burden of feeling she’d done something wrong, but Braunwyn said she was free now. Elizabeth asked if Braunwyn thought less of her, but Braunwyn said it was the opposite. Now she had context. In Braunwyn’s interview, she admitted she hadn’t been a good friend, and regretted the petty stuff, and would have to make amends. The group went catch and release fishing, and Gina’s first catch of the day was herself.  

John told Shannon that he thought he should stay at the house, because it was inevitable he’d have covid. In Shannon’s interview, she said she’d tested negative when the girls were positive, and had quarantined with John. She had strict rules, but they weren’t necessarily followed.

Shane was still in the hospital, and FaceTimed with Emily and the kids. In Emily’s interview, she said the kids knew he was sick, but didn’t understand the gravity of the situation. It was hard, since she couldn’t imagine a time she and Shane hadn’t been together during something difficult.

Shannon said, on the positive side, she was coming home to take care of the kids. Two seconds in the door, she started bitching about all the laundry, dog sh*t, and dishes in the sink. She said the girls were healthy enough to lay in lounge chairs getting sun, so they were healthy enough to wash a dish. Her WOTD was un-flippin’-believable.

Gina said it was hard to get to know Elizabeth. She didn’t understand her. Elizabeth said she was embarrassed about who she is. She’d told a neighbor what was happening, and the FBI shut down the church. She was vague, but it sounded like there had been sexual abuse going on. She told Gina and Kelly while they were at the lake, and Gina said it was horrifying. Elizabeth told them that when the FBI came, her dad said she’d lost a father. This is why she wants to live for herself now. Gina wondered why they were all so f***ed up.

Elizabeth said had been a trip for cleansing, but she didn’t know it was going to happen for real. In her interview, she said, opening up opened her mind to having real friends, and it was a wonderful feeling. Gina asked if it bothered Braunwyn for them to drink around her, but Braunwyn said it didn’t. Kelly made enchiladas, and in her interview, called her father for a breakdown of their Mexican heritage, then spaced out while he was talking. Shannon called to say she was positive, and John was still negative, so they had to separate. It added another layer to the whole thing, since they were always together. She wondered if it would go to her lungs, and Kelly told her, just get it over with. Gina said this is why she took it seriously, and people who were compromised should be careful. Both Braunwyn and Kelly were concerned, since they’d seen Shannon recently. Braunwyn had been in the house, and called Sean to let him know. He told her it had been seven days since they’d been there, and she said she was feeling dizzy. He told her that wasn’t a symptom. She had him google the symptoms, and go through them, but she didn’t have any. Kelly thought it was crazy that she hadn’t gotten it, since she’d been asking for it by going out. She told the women, a group of Marines told her that type O blood was bulletproof, but in Gina’s interview, she said she didn’t think that’s how it worked. I wondered where Kelly ran into a group of Marines that she discussed her blood type with. Kelly was glad Shannon hadn’t come. Gina said Shane had tested negative, and woke up with a 105 fever. In Braunwyn’s interview, she said she thought she’d take a break, and escape from reality, and now she was scared for her kids and herself. She didn’t want to be in the woods if she got it.

Kelly said there were a lot of roadblocks to her getting married on 10-10-2020, but she wasn’t letting anything get in the way. By hook or by crook, she was going to make it happen. She called Rick, who said they had planning to do, and they talked about a trip to Napa. Elizabeth said she’d slept like a rock, which was no surprise. Gina told Braunwyn, they had to take the virus more seriously; she knew Braunwyn had been going out. Braunwyn talked about her friend Shari, who she calls her wife since they quarantined together. In Gina’s interview, she said when she and Braunwyn first met, Braunwyn told her that she preferred women sexually. In Braunwyn’s interview, she said she and Shari kept each other sane. They traded off. The women called Shannon before they left, and she told them that Sophie came home sick. Kelly remembered John meeting her at the door maskless, and in her interview, she said it was killing her vibe. Maybe she shouldn’t go to Napa.

Kelly spoke with Lisa, the covid test nurse, who told her she might been in contact with someone who had the virus. In Kelly’s interview, she said she had been laisse faire about the virus, but it was hitting close to home, and making her think this was a real thing now. She was getting worried. The nurse suggested Kelly isolate for 14 days in her home away from others. Kelly said, no Napa now.

Emily’s kids made cards and a welcome home sign for Shane. Emily said it had been a long eight days. In her interview, she said she’d actually thought what she would do if he didn’t come home. As a mom, she had to allow her mind to go there. She never wanted to be in that situation again, thinking about taking care of the kids on her own. She appreciated Shane more than she ever had before. She picked Shane up from the hospital, and he said he just wanted to shower and lie down. In Emily’s interview, she said she was looking forward to a normal family life with him back home. It sounded simple, but when you go through the depths of despair, you don’t wish for more than that. It’s all you need.

Gina called Emily, who said Shane had been back a week, and seemed normal now. To verify, she asked Shane how he was feeling, and he said she was annoying him. She told Gina, she had to get in a headspace to enjoy his commentary. Braunwyn called Elizabeth, and said what she’d done was awesome. Braunwyn was happy Elizabeth was taking her power back. She did nothing wrong. Kelly told Shannon that Braunwyn claimed Shannon had brought the information about Elizabeth to her on a silver platter. We flashed back to Braunwyn saying that, but Shannon denied it. In Shannon’s interview, she said Braunwyn could be nice, but she was also a big effing liar. Just tell the truth, people.

In Kelly’s interview, she said dealing with a teen was the hardest. She had zero patience as is. Jolie, who is a young woman now, went over the courses she had to take remotely with Kelly and Rick. In her interview, she said she and Rick got along well; they were really similar. She didn’t like or know Kelly’s past boyfriends, but Rick was a normal person, and if her mom was happy, she was happy. In Kelly’s interview, she said, living in the ‘burbs was the right decision. She’d seen a change in Jolie. It was a great family atmosphere, but as soon as Jolie was out of high school, she was going straight back to the beach.

Elizabeth told jimmy that Arrowhead was crazy. Braunwyn got her open up, and was cool about it. In her interview, she said she took the time to talk to Jimmy about what she’d gone through. He understood her more now, and didn’t shun her. He just loved her. It was the first time she’d been accepted for her weakness. She told him that she was having a hard time. She’d spent her life hiding from the shame, and creating a façade. Jimmy wondered if she was healed now enough to move forward, and put the pieces together. It was important that she show people it’s not the end of the road. In Elizabeth’s interview, she said she’d never had this kind of support.

Emily visited Braunwyn, who told her that she looked good, and Emily said she had that covid glow. She told Braunwyn that she’d lost her sense of taste and smell, but once she got it back, she’d gotten someone else’s. In her interview, she said she still loved tacos, but healthy tacos. She told Braunwyn that she was lucky her symptoms had been manageable, so she could take care of the kids. Shane was at about 80% and looked healthy. She gave Shannon credit, telling Braunwyn that Shannon reached out every day. It gave her the opportunity to get to know Shannon better. Braunwyn said it had been a heavy trip. She thought she’d be getting a break from everything that was going on, but she felt lucky that she was staying at a hotel. She wasn’t there yet. Emily suggested a sober companion, and Braunwyn said Shari was living with her and Sean now. Emily asked how Sean felt about that, and Braunwyn said he got jealous because she spent more time with Shari, and went to her about the hard stuff. Emily suggested if Sean didn’t like it, maybe she shouldn’t do it. She didn’t want Braunwyn to put herself in a situation where she had more than she could handle. Braunwyn said when she and Sean had gone away, it looked like a romantic getaway on her Instagram, but they were deciding whether they should stay married or not. Her not drinking changed the dynamics. Emily said she had questioned what it was Braunwyn was trying to suppress and push down, so it didn’t come up. In Braunwyn’s interview, she said she’d created this perfect life, but she wasn’t feeling it. When she had a fantasy, Sean didn’t have a starring role.  

Next time, Elizabeth’s divorce is finalized, Shannon wants no toxicity in her household, Elizabeth talks to her brother about their childhood, and Kelly tells Shannon that Gina is concerned about her.

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City

Mary spoke with Robert Jr., and called him out for buying his girlfriend a Prada purse with her credit card. She said the purse would outlast the relationship, and not to buy something expensive like that again unless he’s going to marry her.

Heather met with contractor Travis, who was working on expanding Beauty Lab & Laser. In Heather’s interview, she said her personal life wasn’t so great, but she was killing it at Beauty Lab. She’d had side gigs when she was married, but her husband said it wasn’t worth it because they had limitless money. She said it wasn’t about that. It was about her skills and fulfillment. It was like the full circle of redemption. It reminded her of who she was, and how she felt about herself before she was married. She wasn’t all the way there, but it was a huge step forward.

Meredith was on the phone with Brooks when Seth came back. Brooks thanked Seth for missing his show. The runway walk of one athletic ensemble. In Meredith’s interview, she said she felt guilty and responsible, since she was the one who asked for space. Seth said he was sorry he missed, and couldn’t guarantee it wouldn’t happen again, but he’d try. He told Meredith he thought it was a good idea for him to come back and try to repair the damage, and Meredith said Brooks was disappointed he wasn’t there, but she knew why. Seth told her, not knowing what direction their relationship was going in would have overshadowed Brooks’s big day. Their relationship shouldn’t impact the one with their kids. He’d realized he was so focused on his career, he hadn’t grown emotionally as a husband. He asked her to give him another chance. The last weeks were brutal, and if she would put in the work, he’d put in 10 times the amount, He couldn’t stand being without her. Meredith said it had probably been positive for them not to communicate, but she missed him. She wished they could have shared Brooks’s show, and she got a taste of what life would be like without him. She was willing to put the work in. In her interview, she said it was an incredible relief that they’d come to the same realization. They needed to be together. It wasn’t going to be smooth sailing, but they were on a positive path. She told him that she wanted to make it work.

Lisa met John for dinner, and in her interview, she said one of the perks of owning a liquor brand was that she knew every restaurant, bar, and club owner in the state. It was easy for her to get a reservation anywhere. They continued their discussion about working too much, and Lisa said she wasn’t giving up anything, and if a killer opportunity that fit in their portfolio came along, she didn’t want to pass it up. He thought they needed to work at not working. If an email came in at 11 pm, it could wait until the morning. In Lisa’s interview, she said she could get things done while still engaging. While she was messing with her phone, a producer asked if she had a nice dinner with John, and she was like, what did you say? totally disproving her statement. John wondered what it was all for. It was work first, then the kids, then them, with enjoying themselves at the bottom. Lisa suggested they include the kids more in what they were building. In her interview, she said she heard him, and there wasn’t one night where she didn’t go to bed wondering if the kids felt loved. There was guilt.

Whitney and Justin headed to the sober living facility, where they were going to mediation with Steve. Justin said Whitney’s dad thought he’d been there long enough, but they had a different opinion. In Whitney’s interview, she said she’d received an SOS text from Steve, saying he was going to be receiving a roommate, and he was freaking out. She needed to get there before he packed and ran away. She wondered what the real issue was, and said Steve wanted her to make it better, so he wasn’t being 100% accountable and responsible. She understood that he was older and didn’t want a roommate, but thought it was just an easy excuse to leave the program. He thought he was on vacation at the Four Seasons, but he was in sober living. He was there to work at getting better, not acting entitled. Justin told Whitney she had this.

They met with Steve and counselor Elsie. Steve said he felt anxious, and had been clear about not wanting anyone else in the same room. He said he wanted to get back in the game and be productive; pick up his career. Whitney asked if he’d looked for job. Where was he going to get money? The plan she was hearing required someone helping him. In Whitney’s interview, she said the first time her father went to rehab, he wanted her to pay for it. He’d made a list of everything he’d paid for in her life. Since he chose to have her as a child, now she owed him $30K for rehab. She was like, f*** you, but she still paid. She told him that they didn’t want him thinking they didn’t want to help, but he couldn’t expect her to take care of him, whether it was giving him money, a place to live, or a car. She wanted to get away from that pressure and burden; it made her resent him and close herself off to him. She wanted to help him because she wanted to, not because he felt entitled since she’s his daughter. Steve claimed nobody wanted to be as self-reliant as he did, and Whitney said being there was helping him. Their goal was for him to do it on his own, not because it was given to him. She said he should figure out a way get money while he was in there, so he had something to start with. Steve said they’d saved his life, and admitted they had been a security blanket, but he wanted to do it for himself and on his own. Elsie told everyone, good work.

The entire group met for snowmobiling, and in Jen’s interview, she said she didn’t know what was going on. Seth missed the fashion show, but showed up for snowmobiling. Lisa wanted to portray a perfect family, but no one was perfect. The guide said they’d be going 21 miles up a mountain, and having lunch at the top. In Heather’s interview, she said she didn’t mind being a single rider. It was like sex; more fulfilling if you do it on your own. This looked like fun, but I like the snow and cold. I don’t think I could live in the mountains though. It looks pretty, but makes me feel claustrophobic or something. In Whitney’s interview, she said she was confused. Meredith and Seth were being lovey-dovey, but Jen said Meredith was possibly seeing someone else. It didn’t add up.

During lunch, everyone chit-chatted, and in Jen’s interview, she said she was happy when Sharrieff could be there, especially when they were with their friends. She wished she had what the others did. Their significant others were with them all the time. Sharrieff told a story about Jen’s whole family going on their first date with them. In Lisa’s interview, she said Jen and Sharrieff were like yin and yang. Sharrieff talked about how sweet Jen was, and in Whitney’s interview, she said, do you know your wife? and we flashed back to the many tirades Jen’s had within a few episodes.  

Whitney told Heather that Jen claimed she’d heard something about Meredith and Seth, but if Whitney wanted to know anything, she’d have to ask Meredith. Heather said Jen had mentioned it to her, but she wasn’t interested. In Heather’s interview, she said, Jen clearly didn’t keep her word. She’d shown Heather a picture of Meredith with another man, not Seth. It looked like they were in a relationship, and Jen acted like it was a secret they’d never speak of again. Realizing she was getting nowhere, Whitney said if Meredith and Seth had some kind of arrangement, she supposed it wasn’t for them to judge. Heather didn’t take the bait, and said it wasn’t for them to say, judge, or even ask. If it didn’t come from Meredith, she wasn’t interested.

After snowmobiling, Meredith, Seth, Lisa, and John went to Jen and Sharrieff’s place. The guys compared the Mormon and Muslim religions, which are both pretty strict. Sharrieff said they were allowed multiple wives, but Jen said, oh no he wasn’t, and in her interview, she said one Jen Shah equaled 45 wives. In Lisa’s interview, she said she and John weren’t cultural Mormons. People focus on the cultural side, and forget what’s important – a relationship with God. She didn’t think God cared if she owned a tequila company. TBH, me neither. In Jen’s interview, she said what Lisa was following wasn’t the Mormon church. It’s the church of Lisa Barlow.

Jen, Lisa, and Meredith got in the hot tub, while the guys played foosball. Jen said she was lonely when Sharrieff wasn’t there, and was concerned about Omar going to college. Inside, John said he thought he could set goals personally just fine, but doing it together was a different story. The guys discussed their various marriages, and Sharrieff said Jen was super reactionary, which was an understatement.

Jen kept prodding at Meredith to spill something, but in her interview, Meredith said she was feeling confident and positive about her marriage, but she didn’t need to tell anyone. What if it went wrong? She’d let them know when the time was right. She told Jen and Lisa that she and Seth were committed to their marriage, and they were headed in a positive direction. In Jen’s interview, she said Meredith was acting like her life was perfect.

Next time, penguins! Mary isn’t invited to Jen’s party, and Jen pitches a fit at the party.

📺 Is This Thing On…?

A holiday schedule for the soaps.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/soap-opera-soaps-holiday-schedule

🎄 Just Like Us…

The soap stars celebrate the holidays too.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/general-hospital/see-how-your-favorite-soap-stars-celebrated-christmas

And so do other celebrities.

https://www.essence.com/celebrity/celebrity-holiday-photos-2020/

👫🏻 The Second Time Around…

Teresa gets a new man for Christmas.

https://pagesix.com/2020/12/25/teresa-giudice-spends-christmas-eve-with-new-boyfriend-family/

Not to be outdone, Juicy Joe’s new main squeeze.

https://pagesix.com/2020/12/24/joe-giudice-reveals-new-girlfriend/

👠 Gone Girl…

Monique is no longer having it. Scroll down for Robyn calling Michael a creep.

https://people.com/tv/monique-samuels-not-returning-to-rhop/

https://www.thewrap.com/monique-samuels-quits-real-housewives-of-potomac-im-over-it/

Karen has hope for Candiace though.

https://pagesix.com/2020/12/27/rhops-karen-huger-hopes-candiace-will-learn-and-grow/

🏵 Kudos For Karen…

I have to admit, this is pretty interesting.

https://pagesix.com/2020/08/06/rihanna-says-shes-proud-of-rhop-star-karen-huger-during-instagram-live/

💎 I Can’t Keep Track…

Looks like Tom might have really cheated.

https://pagesix.com/2020/12/19/erika-jayne-reveals-california-judge-is-tom-girardis-alleged-mistress/

Looks like Erika is done. With the jewelry anyway.

https://pagesix.com/2020/12/22/erika-jayne-photographed-without-wedding-band/

🗽 Memories…

A stroll through Times Square Memory Lane.

Vintage Photos: The Evolution of Times Square from 1898 to Today

🎊 Something For Next Year…

Did you know the confetti used in Times Square on New Year’s Eve is made up of wishes? Me neither. You, too, can be a part of the celebration. It’s too late for this year, but why not get a head start for 2022?  No one will be there this year anyway.

https://www.timessquarenyc.org/whats-happening/nye-wishing-wall#.VoNmw5MrKgQ

Happy New Year!

Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect. – Alan Cohen

🍾🥂🥡  See You Next Year…

It’s finally time to say goodbye to the year that looked so promising. To the year we thought would be ours. To the number we thought looked so cute. While the light is getting brighter at the end of the tunnel, don’t be disappointed if you wake up on 1/1/2021 and it’s not just a bad dream. It’s going to take a while, but you’re still here. We made it this far, and one day it will seem like it was just a bad dream. Enjoy the New Year weekend however you can, but remember to stay safe, stay smart, especially with your alcohol intake, and stay knowing that there will be an end to this madness before long.

Jun17

June 16, 2020 – Post Wedding Trauma, VanderEnd, a Final Finale, Goodbye Loving, Sandy Correct, Tyler Does Good & Farewell

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Since GH is apparently using a Flashback dartboard, today’s episode was from September 24th, 2013. Morgan and Kiki (who had switched over from being Starr) had just gotten married. Starr Kiki really loved Michael, but Morgan had lied, telling her that she and Michael were cousins, when Kiki’s father was really Silas, but she didn’t know it. Sonny, who was off his meds, spilled the beans at the reception, even though Morgan had begged him to keep the secret. Sonny claimed he was doing it for Connie, who’d wanted him to tell the truth, and who he hadn’t protected. He told everyone that Morgan had tricked Kiki into marriage, and they all went in different directions.

Morgan told Ava that his family was a bunch of hypocrites, especially his father, and his father was dead to him. Ava told him that family stays together, and not to write Sonny off, but Morgan said he’d never forgive Sonny, who had never once backed him. Sonny had, however, stepped up to double-cross him, costing him his wife, who was off with Michael doing who-knows-what. Ava said she knew what it was like to be refused by the person you love, and told Morgan about how the man she loved went off with someone else. Morgan said Ava got him, and had always been on his side, prompting them to get busy.

What Kiki and Michael were doing was talking at the MetroCourt bar. Michael wanted Kiki to give him a chance, and they kissed.

In the meantime, Maxie had been a surrogate for Lulu and Dante, who named the baby Connie, but it wasn’t really their baby; it was Maxie’s baby with Spinelli. Maxie whacked Spinelli over the head, thinking he was a prowler, when he was picking up his gym bag from the apartment. Ellie had told Spinelli the truth, but Maxie thought she’d been given a second chance to make things right, since she’d lost the first baby she’d carried for Dante and Lulu. She figured Spinelli and Ellie would have their own family, and told Spinelli choosing Lulu was the least bad of two terrible options. She said there was no turning back, and she’d be sorry for the rest of her life. Spinelli said he hated what Maxie had done, but didn’t hate her.

Carly had gotten Sonny the hell out of the reception, and told him that his behavior was the result of him not taking his pills. The last time he’d done that, he’d been dangerous to everyone around him, even the people who love him. Sonny said he’d thrown the pills away, because he wanted to feel the pain; he owed that to Connie. Carly asked if he thought Connie would want him to hurt and want him to hurt others. Luckily, the pills were safely balanced on the top of the wastebasket, where no garbage had actually touched them. Carly gave them to Sonny, telling him that his kids needed their dad.

Silas (who would later become Finn) was dating Sam, and brought dinner to her while she was at the hospital with Danny.

Carly told Sonny that taking the pills was the right thing to do. He said he missed Connie so much, but Carly said, then he shouldn’t hurt himself and his family in Connie’s name. This convinced him to take his lithium.

Michael told Kiki, they didn’t have to figure it out tonight, that tonight was for them, and Morgan and Ava got busier.

Vanderpump Rules – The Endless Reunion – Part Three (@home)

I never noticed before that in the opening group pic, it’s a still shot except for Lisa’s hair blowing. I knew she was magical.

We wait for Tom, who had to pee. Ariana asks why Tom didn’t go during the break, and announces that she pooped. Thanks for sharing.

Andy say,s Stassi’s push to be engaged almost sent Beau to an early grave. We flash back to all that, including Stassi catching Katie’s bouquet. Stassi says she’s embarrassed. (FYI, I’m totally refraining from any and all jokes, and working on something about the whole Bravo brouhaha.) Stassi does a mini PSA, saying, if you know you’re asking your SO to marry you, don’t torture them, just tell them. Andy says Beau went to great lengths to make Stassi think he wasn’t proposing, and we flash back to him avoiding the subject, and telling her not to rush him. Beau says the dinner where she thought he was going to propose was the worst night all year. Stassi says Beau put on a mic pad that looked like the shape of a ring box. It convinced her they were getting engaged, and she lost her sh*t. Schwartz asks, what’s sexier, a penis bulge or a ring bulge? Andy brings up Carter texting them not to forget that Kristen introduced them, and asks if Kristen agrees. She says she doesn’t, and if Carter had wanted to say that, he should have waited. Stassi says Kristen defended him in every interview, but Kristen says she doesn’t respect what did, and Lala tells her, leave it there.

Andy says, Lisa has dealt with unruly bartenders and defiant waitresses, but this season, she had to manage the managers. We flash back to Danica getting suspended for putting her hands on the other Brett. Andy asks what makes Max a good manager, and Lisa says he puts in a lot of hours, he’s a great bartender and can step in when he’s needed, and the staff loves him. He fits in perfectly. She wishes he wouldn’t bang her staff though. She thinks Danica needs to grow up and soften up. She sees things in black and white, and gets it wrong sometimes. Raquel says Danica is the best manager. She gets the job done. Lisa says Danica has been rude on many occasions, and she has a personal issue with her. That Danica claimed she was having an affair with Brett, pisses her off. In all the years she’s been in the business, she’s never put a finger on anyone. Danica asks when she said that, and we see a clip of the after-show where she says she can’t see a mother/son dynamic with Brett and Lisa. They’re both hot, so you know they fantasize about each other. Lisa says she has children and a husband. Kristen says Danica is lucky she has a job. She should be thankful, grateful, and bow down. Danica says she’s sorry; it came out the wrong way. Lisa thanks her, and says she’s been married 37 years, and has two children. She doesn’t need to hear stuff like that. Andy asks Max if banning someone for talking sh*t is the manager’s job, referring to him wanting to ban Danica from TomTom. Max says he thinks he handled it incorrectly, and he already apologized. Lisa says Danica felt backstabbed, since she thought they were friends. Danica says whenever she introduced Max to her friends, he’d screw them, and she has to work with him. Max says she’s the one who hooked them up. Kristen thinks there’s a problem because Danica wants to sleep with Max, but Danica says, no way. Andy leaves it there and takes a break.

Brittany’s dog barks, and she gets criticized, which is ridiculous. She says, since there’s a pandemic, she couldn’t get a sitter. I say, bring the dog into the discussion. He’ll give just as coherent a contribution as the cast. Andy asks James what he thought about Scheana and Brett’s video, and he says he thought it was racy. Andy asks if that’s why Brett felt uncomfortable and violated. Brett admits he was being dramatic in saying he felt violated, but he was uncomfortable. Scheana says he should have explained that to her at the time, instead of being a p*ssy. Saying she’d give him a BJ was a joke. Lisa says Scheana did like him when they first met, and thought there was a possibility. Scheana says they clicked right away, and we flash back to her telling Lisa that she admits there’s a crush, but she doesn’t want to date him, then gets all teary. Scheana says she’s flirty by nature. Andy says Charli was completely over him before the first date. What turned her off so quickly? Charli says there was a lot going on prior to the date, and she felt awkward about Scheana. We flash back to Brett saying he can’t have friends that are girls. Andy asks how Scheana and Brett are now, and Scheana says, they’d been fine up until the last few episodes aired. Then Brett said he was going to be so far up her ass apologizing at the reunion, but she’s still waiting. Brett says he felt bad about some things, and Kristen suggests he just apologize for being an a-hole. Brett says he’s sorry he misled Scheana, but he tried to make it clear that he didn’t want anything. Scheana says she didn’t want anything either, and Ariana says, how about apologizing for saying one thing to his friend’s face, and something else behind their back? Brett says he doesn’t think he did that.

Andy says Ariana was forthcoming about her battle with depression, and asks how she’s doing. Ariana says she’s been seeing a therapist for the last few months, and she’s been working hard on herself. She’d be lying if she said it was all positive all the time, but she thinks she’s doing okay. Andy says Lisa had shared with Ariana that she’d also felt that way, and Lisa says she was more prepared for her mother passing away, but her brother’s death was a shock. That it was a suicide made it worse, and that’s why she understood, and didn’t think it should be minimized. Ariana says she’s grateful to Lisa, and thanks her. Lisa says Ariana can call her, any time of the day or night.

Andy says, Brittany and Jax had a fairytale wedding, but once they got home, Jax had left all traces of his Prince Charming persona in Versailles (pronouncing it Ver-sales). We see clips of Jax taking out his sh*t on Brittany, and anyone else in his path. We flash back to Ariana’s interview, where she says, unfortunately, Brittany is married to the problem, and we flash back to Stassi telling Jax, it looks like he’s losing his mind. We see one of Lisa’s interviews, where she says, it’s not just Jax now; that’s the difference. Andy says Jax seems to spiral at the end of every summer. Jax says it’s his downfall, and he’s still working on himself. Ariana says she doesn’t want to spend 45 minutes on the same sh*t. Every reunion, Jax says he’s a work in progress. I hate when people like Jax use that phrase as an excuse for bad behavior. We flash back to Jax saying the same things at every reunion. Jax says he’ll be working on himself for the rest of his life. Tom says, like his tweeting lies. Everyone talks at once, so you can’t understand anyone, and there’s a lot of bleeping on top of it. Jax says he knows they’re perfect and awesome, and he applauds. Ariana says she’s a garbage person. That’s why she’s here. Lisa tells her, calm down, and Jax says it’s not about her.

Andy reminds us, if we lost track, it’s Tuesday. He moves on to the beach clean-up, and Jax’s rage texts. Jax says it was nothing against Max. He just didn’t want to drive for hours to pick up one piece of paper, when there are three parks near him that are full of trash. Which might be a valid argument if he’d been at those parks picking up said trash. Stassi is like, come on. He just didn’t want to do it, and Kristen says, so it had nothing to do with the environment. He didn’t want to go. Jax says he apologized five hours later, and we flash back to more rage texting hours later. Schwartz says, it was personal and pointed, and Jax says he’s good at apologizing. I’m not so sure that’s something to be bragging about. Andy doesn’t think Jax is that great at it, since you can apologize a million times and not mean it. Jax asks if Andy hasn’t ever done that, and Andy says, not really. He asks Brittany if it’s daunting to have to apologize for Jax all the time, and Jax says, no one is perfect. Andy recalls that Jax said that at every one of eight reunions. Ariana makes fun of Jax, which is unbecoming, even if Jax is a total d-bag. Jax says he thought he was doing better, and still has bad days. Stassi says he instills fear in his friends. They have to be scared of pissing him off, and of hurting Brittany’s feelings. They need to be able to be honest, and can’t be in a situation they’re scared to have an opinion of. Jax told them about how depressed he was, and that he couldn’t control himself, so now they want to talk about it. Jax says, it’s fine coming from certain people. Andy asks for Ariana’s reaction to Jax admitting he had a mental problem, and Brittany says, he obviously does. Ariana says her best advice is to find a therapist he connects with, and work through his sh*t. He can’t let it fall by the wayside. It has to be a priority. Andy says, Rand recommended a therapist, and Lala says, he didn’t just recommend one. He paid for a session, and Jax didn’t show up. Tom says, Jax doesn’t want to get better or change, and he doesn’t want to hear that Jax is a work in progress. I totally get this. I know people who cry about needing help, but won’t take it because they’d rather keep using their illness to be a manipulative a-hole. They’re the worst. Brittany says the group obviously doesn’t love them, and Lala says she’d die for them. Brittany won’t look at anyone, and Ariana says she’s fully convinced nothing she said came from an ill place. Brittany says she’s turning her head because she’s trying not to cry. Tom says, after the end of the season, day after day, Brittany always takes up for Jax. Brittany says, everyone does stuff, and Ariana says it’s happening every week. Katie asks Schwartz, what’s happening? and I’m wondering too. Brittany says of course she wants Jax to be better, and Jax says he’s working on it all the time, but it seems like they’re just yelling at him. Schwartz says, it’s a productive thing. Jax alluded to having issues several times, and they’re being corrective. They want him to be proactive, and not do the same thing every time and expect a different result. Ariana says they love Brittany so much, and Tom says he’s wracked his brain for years, trying to help. Ariana says, and Jax acts like they don’t give a f***, and they’re full of it. There’s lots of bleeping, and I wonder what the hell is with Schwartz’s hair, and if he meant for it to look like that. Schwartz tells Jax, please effing do something.

Andy asks where everyone is going, but they’re just stretching their legs. Jax says Andy is always against him, but everyone tells Jax that Andy is on his side. Jax says he feels like Andy goes at him the hardest. He has thick skin, but it’s being worn away as the years go by. Andy says he actually likes Jax a lot, and Jax says he has a weird way of showing it. Andy says it’s his job to call them out. Jax insists he’s the best he’s been, except for three episodes spread apart. We see clips of Jax that would embarrass a normal person. Andy says Jax doesn’t watch the show, and he should if he wants to respond to sh*t. Jax says if he slips up, it’s all they talk about, and Andy says, watch the show; that’s what he’s working off of. Jax says, it’s the worst reunion ever.

Andy says Scheana’s surprise birthday present of a psychic reading for Dayna didn’t go well, and Scheana had first said she didn’t bring the psychic. We flash back to Scheana having the psychic wait outside. He asks, what really happened? and Scheana says she was going to text the psychic after talking to Dayna, and let her know if it was still happening. The experience for her was incredible, and she assumed it would be the same for Dayna. Andy asks why Dayna was bothered, and Dayna starts to cry. She says she knows Scheana meant it in a good way, but she felt put on spot. It’s been seven years since her mom passed away, and it’s still hard. She doesn’t know if she’ll ever be ready. It’s frustrating for her. She wanted to do it, but had to back out. She was scared of a response either way. She says, people think she’s a bitch, but it’s been her only option most of her life. Lisa asks, why? and Dayna says her dad’s not in her life. After her mom died, it was just her and her sister, and she was only twenty-two. She’s never felt at home for one minute since her mother stopped breathing, and she’s been looking for that. I totally get this, since I always say, I want to go home, but there’s no home to go to anymore. Kristen says she wishes they could hug Dayna. If it was a normal reunion, they would be in a giant circle. Jax says he lost both of his parents; he doesn’t speak to his mom. Unless someone has gone through that, they can’t understand the pain. Andy asks if Jax has considered the time he’s losing in not speaking to his mom, and Jax says, it’s been tough with the virus going on. Ariana knows they hate each other, but tells him to try and give his mom a call. Dayna says, people are quick to judge, and say life is short, but every situation is different. She tried hard to have her dad in her life, but it didn’t work, and she has to live with that.

Andy wants to switch topics to the girls. He asks how Ariana felt, finding out it was Lala who had been talking smack about her house, and not Stassi. We flash back to Scheana relaying the wrong shade to Kristen, and Stassi says she knows Scheana is a sh*t stirrer, but how could she be so messy? Ariana can say Stassi is Regina George or a snob, because that’s definitely true, but what she said came so easy, like she was waiting to get it out. She doesn’t know how many years it will take Ariana to understand that she likes her. Ariana says she felt like they’d worked hard on the friendship, and she lost it. She didn’t even know what she’d said until she watched the show. Lala asks on what planet Stassi would say she’s a grown-ass woman. It didn’t sound like her. Ariana says she’s pivoting everything she said about Stassi to Lala.

We see everyone texting in a group chat, and paying no attention whatsoever. Andy says, bromances over romances are easier said than done, and we see clips from the messy triangle that is Max, Dayna, and Brett. Andy says if Max decided he didn’t want to be with Dayna, why did he think he had a say in who she was with. Max says he didn’t. He and Brett were inseparable – he was the Sandoval to Brett’s Schwartz. Brett says Dayna knew he was skeptical to begin with since he was considering Max. Andy thinks Brett and Max should date, and Lisa says, cheers to that. Schwartz says it’s obvious Max’s feelings were hurt, and Stassi asks, why? Dayna went to him first, and he turned her down. Brett says he realized they were moving too fast. Dayna says they were hanging out a few times a week, and sleeping together (these people are so weird, I don’t know if she means having sex or just sleeping), then Brett said they were moving too fast, and she was over it. She has no more room in her life for one more person who’s not sure or not invested in a relationship. She’s learned about herself. She’s beautiful and she deserves it. Andy says he’s leaving it there.

Andy asks Danica what about the Scheana clone bothered her at the party? Danica says Scheana 2.0 was inserting herself in a conversation where she wasn’t welcome. She told her to bounce, and she didn’t want to. We flash back to their altercation, and Stassi says she wasn’t mad about it. Lisa says Danica is in hospitality, and has to check herself. She can’t have a loose cannon representing the business. Danica says she was completely wrong, and Lisa says she can’t afford someone on the floor who’s so explosive. They’re going to have to talk. Danica says Max’s plan worked out; congratulations. Andy asks how intense it was for James to see Rand, and asks how the relationship has been. James says, amazing, and we flash back to his apology and their bro hug. James says he’s come a long way, and he’s glad Rand pushed Lala back into his life. He’s a stand-up guy, and James hopes their friendship grows. Lala says, it’s been amazing to see James’s growth, and Rand is the most incredible human she’s ever met. She thanks James for his kind words.

Andy says before they have their final thoughts, he wonders if Kristen misses her friendships. Kristen says she doesn’t miss the sh*t, but she misses the friendships. She wishes she could have shared her relationship with new boyfriend Alex, her house, and the monumental moments she’s had. Andy asks, what about Jax and Tom? and Jax says he’s happy with the current status of how things are going. Andy says, the current status is on hold. Lisa says, all of their current status is on hold, and she hopes what the world has been going through in the past few months has given them perspective, and caused them to be reflective. She wants them to come back with the same cohesion they went into this with. Brittany thinks if they could have hung out, they could get through it, but she hasn’t seen any effort; it’s only been hearsay. Lisa says when they get back, she expects they’ll have made a concentrated effort to put it together. Andy says, that’s a good transition.

He thanks everyone for accepting the technology needed for the reunion into their homes. He welcomes Ken, Rand, and Scheana’s new squeeze Brock to the reunion. Lisa says it’s the first time she’s seen Ken in a shirt in two months. Everyone waves. Andy asks Ken how it is being trapped at Villa Rosa with Lisa for two months, and Ken says, it’s fantastic. He’s getting three amazing meals a day. Lisa says he’s missing going to work. Andy says Rand was reluctant to be on the show, and Lala didn’t even use his name in the beginning, calling him her man. He asks how the experience was, and Rand says he was petrified, but at the end of the day, this is Lala’s family, and it was time to jump in and support her. Everyone made it easy. Andy asks what Brock has learned about Scheana, and Brock says, Scheana is a good person. He digs her more all the time. He thinks they all really love each other; it’s somewhere in there. Lisa says she’s grateful for all of them. James’s sobriety is extraordinary. She wants to see them on the other side. Bless them.

Andy says what sounds like, to the Banana Republic, and everyone takes a drink of their cocktail or mocktail. Andy says he can’t wait to see them in person, and tells everyone, stay healthy.

If Loving You Is Wrong

It doesn’t say finale in the guide, which rubs me the wrong way, since it’s the final finale. I hope they wrap some things up, and we’re not just left hanging all over the place.

Marcie can’t stop whacking Randal in the head with the fireplace poker. If he’s not dead, he’s a host from Westworld. She bashes him a couple more times for good measure. She pulls a bookcase down, then hits him again, saying she hates him. She kicks him, and says, get up. If he wants to fight, then fight. Did he think it was going to be easy? It dawns on her that Randal is not getting up. Covered in blood, she grabs her bag, and jets.

Bennett comes home, but he doesn’t go home. Instead, he goes to Randal’s house. He sees Randal lying there, and says, no, goddammit. He kicks Randal, and says someone beat him to it.

Marcie goes to Brad’s house, where Alex is still passed out on the couch. Brad asks her what happened? and she says, Randal. He asks if they argued, and she says he attacked her while she was walking to the car. She was going to her car, and he grabbed her, and they fought. Brad asks if she’s okay, and says he warned Randal. He’s going to kill him. He tells Marcie, he’s going over there, but she says she killed him. He’s dead. Alrighty then.

Rick walks into Randal’s house, and draws his gun. He says, police; don’t move, and tells Bennett to put his hands on his head and get down on his knees. Bennett does, and Rick tells him to put his hands behind his back. Bennett says he didn’t do anything. He didn’t do this. He found Randal. Rick says he doesn’t want to hear it. Rick takes him to the squad car. Um… Rick, there’s no blood on him. I think there would be some. Rick calls for an ambulance, and CSI. Bennett repeats that he didn’t do it. He walked in, and Randal was dead. Rick tells him, be quiet, and goes back in the house. He radios that Randal has been beaten to a pulp. He has no pulse, and there’s brain matter. He needs the coroner.

Brad tells Marcie, calm down. We hear sirens, and she says, the police are here. He says, maybe Randal called the police, and she asks if he thinks Randal is okay. He says, why else would they be there? and tells her that he’ll go and check. He asks her again, what happened? and she says she told him. She grabbed a fireplace poker, and stabbed Randal over and over. Brad says he’ll go see; stay there. She tells him, just go, and he leaves.

Brad approaches Rick, who tells him, stay back. Brad asks, what happened? and Rick points to the coroner’s van, and says, that happened. Brad asks if someone is dead, and Rick says, yeah. Brad asks if he’s sure, and Rick says, there’s no way not to be. Brad asks, who is it? and Rick says, Randal. Brad asks, what happened? but RIck says he can’t tell Brad. From the car, Bennett says, he didn’t do it, Brad says, he did it? and I gasp. I can’t believe Brad is going to let this be pinned on Bennett. Rick tells Brad, go back in his house, and Bennett says he’s telling Rick, he didn’t do it. Rick goes back to the car, and asks what Bennett’s name is. Bennett says, Rick knows his name, and he didn’t do it. He drove up, and a bloody woman in a blue dress was leaving. Rick asks what kind of car she was driving, and Bennett says take him to the station and he’ll tell Rick. He needs to get back to his wife. Kelly runs out, with Tyrell behind her, and Brad makes a return appearance. Kelly asks Rick, what happened? and Rick says, Randal; he’s dead. Someone killed him. Kelly asks, who? and Rick says he doesn’t know, but he has a man in the car. Kelly sees Bennett, and says, no way. What did Randal do to him? Brad says, whatever he did, Bennett got him back. Tyrell says, this neighborhood is crazy, and Kelly says, he’s right about that.

Lushion, Steven, and Natalie are at Esperanza’s house, along with a couple of uniformed officers. Lushion tells Esperanza, the FBI is all over it, and she says they better find her. Steven says, it’s all right, but she says, it’s not all right. Where the hell is Eddie? Lushion says he doesn’t know, and she says, it’s all Eddie’s fault. Natalie tells her, calm down, but Esperanza says she’s not calming down. If she doesn’t have her daughter back unharmed, she’s going to… Natalie pulls her back, and Steven and Lushion step aside to talk. Steven asks if Lushion heard the radio, and Lushion says, a homicide. Steven says, on his street, and Lushion says, that’s Randal’s address. Steven asks if Randal is dead, and Lushion says, that’s what he’s hearing. Steven says, no way it’s connected, but Lushion doesn’t know. Esperanza asks why they’re whispering, and Steven says, it’s nothing. She asks if it has to do with Mica, and he says, no. She wants to talk to the FBI, and tells Natalie, if something happens to Mica, she’s dead.

Rick tells an officer that Bennett says he didn’t do it, but he walked in and Bennet had a fireplace poker in his hand. Book him Danno. Kelly asks if Randal is really dead, and Rick says, yeah. She says, wow, and Rick says they really wanted him dead. There was a lot of overkill. He’s got to take Bennett in, but it’s good to see her out. He suggests they go out to celebrate, and she says, a guy just died. Rick says she didn’t like him anyway, but she says, he’s still a human being. Rick asks who the buff guy is who’s standing there, and she says, Justice’s father. Rick says she didn’t tell him. He thought they had… forget it. Kelly thanks him for everything he did, and he says he’s glad she’s out. Rick leaves, and Tyrell asks Kelly, who was that? She says, a police officer, and he says he can see that. She asks if he’s jealous, and tells him, go on in the house. Tyrell says, the way Rick was looking at her, and touching her shoulder; he obviously likes her. She tells him, go in the house, and he asks, how many men she has now. She says, a man just died, and he wants to talk about this? Show some respect. He asks if Randal was a friend of hers too. He’s a little concerned. She says, no; she hated Randal. He asks why she isn’t happy. Why is she acting all broken up? She says she can’t. She’s going to babysit. The same thing he’s supposed to be doing with their son. She tells him, go in the house.

Larry’s wife cries over him at the hospital. Ian comes in, and she leans on his shoulder. Ian asks how Larry is, and she says, he’s sedated. Ian asks what the doctors are saying, and she says, they have to remove his legs, and he has severe hematoma. Ian says he’s so sorry, and she says she wants them dead. He says he’s sure that’s been taken care of, and she says, Casey will do it; he’ll wipe them all out – and his daughter. She wants them to drain the swamp, and tells Ian to create a hashtag that its going. Larry calls to her, and tells Ian, you don’t want to mess with his wife. He asks if Ian is with them, and Ian says he is. Larry says, no more messing around, and Ian says, none. He’s sorry. Larry says, don’t be. Eddie’s not going to make it through the night. Ian asks where the kid is, and Larry says, get him out. Larry’s wife says, Ian played him; he played them. Get out. Larry calls Ian a traitor; after everything Larry did for him. He tells his wife, if he doesn’t make it, burn Ian. She says he’s going to make it, and Larry says, make sure it gets all the way done. He can’t feel his legs, and he’s going to get them.

On the phone, Lushion asks what Ian’s got, but Ian says he tried to get Larry to tell him where the kid is, but now he won’t let Ian near him. Lushion is going to have to find her. Send someone down to get the phone. Lushion says he’s doing it now, and Ian says, hurry up; he’s in bad shape. Lushion tells Steven to go get Larry’s phone. Steven says Esperanza needs him, but Lushion insists. Steven tells Esperanza, it’s a small lead; that’s all he can say. He’ll be back. Lushion tells her that they’re checking all the possibilities, and Esperanza says, they’re lucky it’s not happening to them. They can keep calm and collected. Lushion says, it’s all right, and tells Steven to go.

Brad – who I hate at this moment – runs downstairs with new clothes for Marcie. Marcie says they’re not hers, but Brad says they have to clean her up. She says she did it; she killed him. She really killed him. They’re going to come for her. Brad says, as far as they’re concerned, she did nothing. They already have a suspect. She says, no. She can’t let him take the rap for something she did. Brad says, it’s done. She did nothing. She looks at him, and he says she has to wash her hands and clean under her nails. Marcie keeps repeating, she killed him, and Brad says they have to clean her up. They can’t see her like this. She did nothing. She wonders what if they come over, and he says, it will be okay. She’s going to be fine. He asks if she’s okay, and she says, no. He tells her that Randal got what he deserved, and she says he made her so mad. Brad says, the bastard deserved it, and she says, he did, but Bennett doesn’t. Brad holds her, and says, everything is okay. She says she can’t let someone go down for a crime she committed, and Brad says she doesn’t know him, like this makes it okay. She asks who it is, and he says, the neighbor from across the street. She says, he’s a nice guy; she has to tell them. Brad says, she’ll tell them nothing. Let him do this. They’re going to swap her clothes for Alex’s. Alex won’t know, and they’ll ride off into the sunset with the kids. Marcie says, he’s that angry with Alex? A lawyer brought her there; this isn’t going to work. Brad says, she’s out of it. They’ll say they went to bed, got up, and found out she did it. Marcie says, he’s a lawyer, and Brad says, then he can get Alex off. He tells her to grab her makeup, and give him the dress. Make sure she covers the bruise on her face. Brad takes off Alex’s shoes.

Steven and Rick go to Larry’s hospital room. Steven tells Larry’s wife that he’s there for Larry’s phone, but she says he doesn’t have one. Larry opens his eyes, and Rick asks where his belongings are.  The nurse said they’re in there. Larry says they can’t take his phone, but Steven says they can and will. Larry says they need a warrant, and Steven says he has it right there. Does Larry want to read it? Give him the phone. Steven tells Rick to find it, and Rick starts searching. Larry’s wife tells them, get out, and Steven asks if she wants to be hit with a thorough investigation. Rick finds Larry’s phone in the locker, and Steven asks what the passcode is. Larry says he can’t remember, and Steven grabs Larry’s hand, putting it on the phone. Steven says, got it, and Larry says he’ll sue their asses. They leave, and in the hallway, Rick suggests Steven hurry before it locks again. Steven asks if Rick doesn’t have something to do. Rick says he was just trying to help. He’s out, and hopes Steven finds what he’s looking for.

Natalie gives Esperanza some water, and Esperanza says she needs to move around. She wonders where the FBI is, and Lushion says, they’re on it. She asks why they haven’t called, and Natalie says, they will. Esperanza says she shouldn’t have hit Mica. They never tell you the person you love most in life, you’ll hate with a passion. Eddie poisoned Mica; his flesh and blood. Who does that to a child? Natalie says, Eddie, and Esperanza asks why he had to bring Mica into their problems. She tells Natalie, Eddie hit her too, today, and Natalie asks if that was the first time. Esperanza says, it was, and Natalie asks if she’s sure. Esperanza says, the only thing that matters right now is her daughter. She admits Eddie pushed her and got in her face, and Natalie says, that’s abuse. Esperanza says she knows. Why does Natalie think she left him? Their daughter is the only thing on earth she has. If Mica doesn’t come back, she swears she’ll kill him. Natalie says Mica will be back.

Eddie waits for Ian in the parking garage, and tases him for like, 30 seconds. He tells Ian, he has nothing to lose. Where is his daughter? Ian says he doesn’t know, and Eddie tases him again, asking, where is she? Ian had better think quick. Eddie tases Ian again, and Ian screams. Eddie asks where his daughter is. Larry wouldn’t tell him, so Ian had better think of answers real quick, damn him. Ian tries to get up, but Eddie gets some duct tape (he probably keeps a handy roll in his pocket), and tapes the taser to Ian’s back, so that it just keeps going. He asks if Ian likes it, and tells Ian to think about his daughter. Ian just lies there, and Eddie says he should have talked.

Unless the whole town and everyone in it blows up, there’s no way this story is ending neatly. They’ve only got twenty more minutes.

Eddie walks into Larry’s room, and Larry’s wife tells him, get out. He punches her in the face, and she drops to the floor. He asks if Larry thinks he’s done with him. He grabs Larry by the collar of his hospital gown, and says, tell him. Larry says he doesn’t know, and Eddie grabs a pillow. Larry insists he doesn’t know, and Eddie puts the pillow over Larry’s face, and pushes down. He says he can’t hear Larry. He lifts the pillow, and Larry gives him an address, saying she’s in a container or something; it’s hard to understand him. Eddie asks if she can breathe, and puts the pillow back on Larry’s face. He lifts it again, and Larry cries out. He says he doesn’t know, and Eddie resumes smothering him, and pressing harder. Eddie says, Larry can’t breathe. I’m not sure, but I think Larry is dead. Yep; he’s flatlining. Remind me not to go to this hospital. Ever. Their security is worse than at GH.

A security guard finds Ian, and asks if he’s all right. He removes the taser, and calls for a stretcher. He tells Ian, hang in with him. He sees Eddie coming, and says they need help. Eddie grabs his taser, and the guard says, someone did this to Ian. Eddie says he doesn’t give a sh*t. This wore his battery down. He kicks Ian, and walks off. The guard is like, WTF?

Rick knocks on Brad’s door, and asks for Marcie. I hate Brad and Marcie. Rick says he needs the body ID’d, and Brad asks if it has to happen right now. Rick says, sorry, and Brad says he’ll go with her, and Rick asks if he doesn’t have kids. Brad asks if Randal isn’t next door, but Rick says he’s at the morgue. Rick also has a couple of questions. Marcie asks, about what? and he says, an eyewitness saw a female leaving the house; bloody, and wearing a blue dress. He sees Alex, and asks, who’s that? Brad says, his ex-wife. He invites Rick in, and Rick asks if Brad minds if he asks Alex a few questions. This is probably because Alex is now wearing Marcie’s blue dress, with blood stains on it. Mind you, the dress looks like it has uniform splatters on it, and the rest of Alex is totally pristine. Which is actually hard to believe after the night she had. Brad says Alex is out of it, and Rick asks, for how long? Brad says, she came home drunk, and she’s been doing drugs. She blacks out, and does things she doesn’t remember. Rick rouses Alex, and she swats at him, saying, don’t touch her. Where is she? Rick asks, where was she today? and she says she doesn’t know. How did she get here? Rick tells her, come with him, and she asks, why? She says she doesn’t know what’s going on, and asks what happened to her? He says she doesn’t know? and helps her up. He steers her to the door, and she asks why they’re leaving. She calls to Brad, who doesn’t even react, and Rick tells Brad and Marcie to meet him at the station. He takes Alex out.

After they leave, Marcie freaks, but Brad says, be cool.

Esperanza paces, which has been her natural state lately. She hears over the radio, 187 on a female (187 is dead, for those who aren’t familiar with the lingo), and Lushion tells the officers to go outside. Esperanza asks if it was Mica, and Lushion says they don’t know. She says she wants to hear, but he says he’ll ask outside. She tells him to hurry, and as the officers leave, Eddie walks in, and I gasp. I’ve done that a lot during this episode. Esperanza pushes everyone back. Eddie is crying, and she says, son of a bitch. Did he see her? He nods, and cries some more, and she asks, what happened? He says, that son of a bitch; he did it. She says, that’s right. Eddie never does anything wrong. Eddie says, Larry did this, but she says, no. Eddie did this. He says he didn’t come there for this craziness, and she says, he’s crazy. And he’s going to take responsibility for what he did. She’s going to make him do it. He says it’s her fault. She made their daughter crazy. Esperanza calmly takes a gun out of a drawer in the coffee table, and shoots the sh*t out of Eddie. He slumps against the front door. I’m like, whoa. At least that’s done. Lushion tells Esperanza, put the gun down. Eddie looks at her one more time, and breathes his last. Esperanza cries.

🙋🏽‍♀️ A Note Of Farewell…

This sucks in the most humongous way. I love Tyler Perry, and I loved this show. Some of the plots may have seemed silly, but it’s soap in its truest form. The bad guys were the worst, and the good guys had blinding halos (I’m especially talking to you, Lushion), except for Brad, who’s halo got decidedly tarnished at the end. I’m not sure what happened to him, but I wasn’t thrilled with how he nearly pinned Randal’s killing on Bennett, and then pinned it on Alex. Although we won’t speak of how neither of them had a speck of blood on them.

I’ll never forget the moment I fell in love with ILYIW. Alex had just had the baby – who never even got a name, poor thing – and all the women were looking into the nursery. The baby was obviously Black, and Natalie said, so who’s going to tell Brad? In perfect soap timing, Brad had come in, and said, tell me what? For those who love soap, we’ve seen variations on that scene play out a million times. It gave the show the official soap stamp of approval.

While often called nighttime drama, I like to call a soap a soap, and Tyler evoked the vibe of the nighttime soap’s heyday, the 80s days of Dynasty and Dallas. I don’t know if it’s the type of film he uses, the way it’s written and directed, or a combination of things, but I was hooked on The Haves and the Have Nots right away, as well as If Loving You Is Wrong when it followed. I’m not even sure why I started watching them, although I probably saw an ad while watching OWN. It’s been time well spent. Only half-joking. The writing is awesome, and many scenes make me feel like I’m watching a play, they’re so tight. And I get the feeling the actors are allowed a little freedom. The casts are top-notch too.

Why this show isn’t making a return appearance, I have no idea, but my feelings tonight are conflicted. While I was thrilled to see both Randal and Eddie get what was coming to them – and by exactly the right people – too much was left unsaid. Like WTF Brad? How is Alex being arrested going to play out? Will Ian make it? Now what happens to Esperanza? It wasn’t like Eddie was being aggressive. And who will Kelly end up with? Tyrell, Rick, someone completely different, or will she take a breather and enjoy being single? What about Tanya? Did Brad and Marcie ride off into the sunset? Who the blip is Casey? Way too many unanswered questions. They should have at least given this a two-hour finale.

I’m going to miss this show… sniff…

⛴ Heard in passing. Yesterday in Below Deck Mediterranean‘s recap, I wasn’t sure if it was Captain Sandy’s father or brother who was a cop and hunter, but when I had a rerun on in the background, I heard her say it was her stepdad. Okay. I was close.

🥇 Tyler Steps Up…

The hardest working man in show business puts his money where his mouth is.

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/tyler-perry-pay-funeral-rayshard-brooks/S6RCNBUM3NARFGQ4IMC2FT33DE/

🛌 And So To Bed…

It’s been a long TV night, so stay safe, stay flexible, and stay making a difference.