Tag Archives: Snowpiercer

March 21, 2024 – Cody Quits the Modeling Biz, True Story, Star Studded, Excuses, Nope, That Awful House, Back Again, More Waiting, Tiny Hippo & Fine

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone, Nina says, Alexis isn’t in. It’s their other boss, and she needs help. Every time she tries to use this computer, she just gets an error message, 3331. What does that even mean? There’s a knock at the door, and she says, finally. She tells the person on the phone, never mind, and thanks them. She says, come in, and Drew walks in. She says, this was unexpected. Does she need to call security? He says, they both know there’s no such thing as security, don’t they?

At the photo shoot for Bellpo magazine, the photographer tells Sasha that he wants big energy from her. Not so accessible. They want a little bit of distance. She’s strong and nobody can touch her. Sasha says, got it, and he starts to take photos. The Bellpo rep says he has some notes for the model, and the photographer tells Sasha that they just have to make a little adjustment. Everybody take five. Lucy goes over to Sasha and Sasha asks if there’s something wrong. Lucy says, no. It’s going great. They just need the photographs to be a teeny, little bit different. Why doesn’t she pretend like she doesn’t really want to be here. Like she’s kind of doing them a favor. Get it? Try that.

Spinelli gives a handout to Tracy, Brook, and Maxie, saying, lovely ladies of Deception. Follow along as they go through… Cody comes in and says, sorry. He didn’t mean to interrupt. He thought he could swing by any time. Maxie says, it’s totally all right. They’re just about to go through their new security protocols. He should stay because he does work for Deception. He says he does, and Tracy tells him, pull up a chair. Why should they be the only ones to suffer? Maxie says she thought he’d be at Sasha’s photo shoot, and Cody asks, why? It’s a solo photo shoot. He doesn’t need to be Sasha’s keeper. Maxie says, that’s true. Sasha does have Lucy there to smooth out any problems. Tracy laughs and says, doesn’t she mean create problems? Does anyone know Lucy Coe?

TJ says he’ll be observing Dr. Enoch during Heather’s surgery. While prepping, he observed there were some gaps in her chart, and he needs more information from her before the surgery. Heather says, fire away, doc, and he asks if she has any allergies. She says, only to other people, and he says, great. No allergies. Has she had any adverse reactions to anesthesia? She says, is being forced to wake up from it count? and he says he’ll take that as a no. (Ha! Sounds like me. I had it once and it was the best sleep I ever had.) His phone dings, and he says he’ll be back. Heather says she’ll be here, showing him her handcuffs. He leaves, and Willow starts to follow, but Heather asks if Willow’s not going to shave her head. Willow says she’s sorry, what? and Heather says, shave her head for the surgery, but Willow says, that won’t be necessary. The surgery is on her hip. Heather says, but she thought heads were shaved for every surgery. If not, finally things are looking up. Willow says, if she needs anything, use her call button, and leaves. Heather tells Laura that she still looks such a fright with her hair all in knots. Oh well. She used to have such pretty hair, didn’t she? Laura says, yeah, and Heather says, it’s been so long. Remember? She used to set it all the time. Laura says, it was beautiful, and Heather says, a long time ago. Another life.

TJ says he’s sure Elizabeth knows Heather Webber’s surgery is this morning, and Elizabeth says, the metalosis diagnosis is kind of crazy, but she doesn’t know a lot about that condition. He says, cobalt poisoning from the breakdown of an artificial hip can be extremely painful and it can disrupt normal organ function in the body. He asks her to excuse him and steps away. Deanna tells Elizabeth that there’s a discrepancy in the med storage area, and Elizabeth says, which is? Deanna says, simply put, the inventory doesn’t match. It’s short. Willow overhears. (Geez, it’s not like it’s opiates.)

Looking at the computer, Elizabeth says, this is the first she’s hearing about a discrepancy. Oh yeah. She sees what Deanna is talking about. Deanna asks if this is something they need to worry about, but Elizabeth says, not yet. It could be a mistake. Sometimes the pharmacy is slow with an update. That could be the issue. Willow texts Michael, and Elizabeth says, when people are selling drugs, it’s the painkillers they’re taking, not the antibiotics. (Thank you.) Willow asks if it’s okay if she takes her break a little early, and Elizabeth says, she can go. It’s actually pretty quiet right now. Willow says she’ll be back, and heads for the elevator.

The photographer tells Sasha, more defiant. Can’t be bothered… A little more edge… more danger. The rep tells Lucy, this isn’t working. There’s no risk, no aloofness. She’s too accessible, too sweet. He tells the photographer, let’s do some motion, and the photographer tells Sasha, let’s do this. Turn her body to the left and look over her shoulder. She hears Lucy talking and asks if they can just stop for a minute. They’re clearly not happy with what they’re seeing, so just tell her exactly what they want, and she can do it. The rep says, it’s not that. She’s doing a great job. Lucy says, the best, and he says, unfortunately, he just doesn’t think the shoot is going to work, for reasons that are beyond their control. Sasha says, oh wow. Okay. That’s too bad. The rep steps away, and Sasha tells Lucy that she guesses they have a free morning. Lucy says, great.

Spinelli says, the improvements he’s made to Deception’s cybersecurity have made it virtually impenetrable. Maxie will not only be the queen of Deception, but also queen of the passcodes. So to access any company file, each of them will need a new code from Maxie every day, while Maxie herself will be getting a new code every morning. Brook says, sounds super secure, and Tracy says, sounds super annoying. Spinelli says, this much security does require extra steps, but it should provide security to the companies, and it should prevent intrusion to the companies indebted and proprietary holdings, such as the ones that threatened The Deceptor not long ago. Tracy asks if he means the one that was created to find intellectual property theft, and Brook says, grandmother… Tracy says, it’s what they’re all thinking, when Maxie’s phone rings. Maxie says, it’s the rep for Bellpo. She has to take this. Excuse her. She leaves, and Spinelli tells them, as he was saying…

On the phone, Maxie asks how the photo shoot is going… It’s canceled? What do they mean?… That’s ridiculous.

Nina says, as Drew can see, she’s extremely busy. He says he sees her staring at the computer screen, but she’s not actually doing anything. She says she can’t log on and the tech is taking forever to get here, and he says, allow him. She says, why? and he says, because he wants her to finish whatever it is she’s doing so she can focus. She asks how he thinks he’s going to log her on. Telepathically? He doesn’t work here. He knows nothing about The Invader’s system. He says, since she’s sitting at Alexis’s desk, he would consider using her password, but she says, they’re not contacting Alexis. They don’t exactly see eye to eye on this writer she hired. She’s trying to post his column before he gets here to derail it. He says, lucky for her, Alexis’s password is on a little sticky note right there. She might want to try that. Nina says she’ll eventually have to talk to Alexis about that potential security risk, after she uses it this one time. She puts in the password and says, yes! What she needs to do is drag the file underneath the header and then just hit post it and done. She laughs and Drew looks like he wants to. She says she’s leaving and she’s going to lock the office, so he’ll have to wait for Alexis outside. He says he’s not actually here to see Alexis. He’s here to see her. She asks, why is that? and he says he’s just wondering how she’s enjoying running The Invader. She says, he wants to know how she likes the job she took after he fired her, and he says, just humor him. She says, okay. It’s not exactly the job she was born to do, and Alexis hates her and all her ideas for making the paper more successful. Then again, she’s getting used to being Port Charles’s favorite punching bag. Why does he ask? He says he’s just wondering, does she miss Crimson?

Laura finishes brushing Heather’s hair and Heather asks if it looks any better. Laura takes out a mirror and says, why doesn’t Heather have a look for herself? What does she think? Heather looks and says, seeing herself in a mirror isn’t something she does much these days. She usually looks better or worse than this? Laura says she thinks Heather looks really good for somebody who’s about to go into surgery, besides, hospital lighting doesn’t do anybody any favors. Heather says, it’s just so strange having this older lady staring back at her. She’s not used to it. She used to be pretty, didn’t she? Laura says she thought so. They all age, and it’s not such a bad thing considering the alternative. Heather says, that’s true, even if they’re not girls anymore. Now they’re co-grandparents. She bets Laura didn’t see that coming. She laughs, and Laura tells her that she can’t say she did. Heather asks how Ace is. Did the antibiotics work on that ear infection of his? Laura says, yes. Worked like a charm. He’s back to his normal, happy self. Heather says, good. One of the disclaimers on the form she filled out said she could die during this operation. Laura tells her not to worry about that. It’s standard procedure for anybody who’s having surgery in the hospital. Besides, her doctor is a very skilled surgeon, one of the best in New York. She’s going to be fine. Heather says, maybe she will, maybe she won’t. It was so nice of Laura to come this morning. She’s the mayor. She has a city to run. She doesn’t have to stay. Laura says, nobody should be alone before surgery. Besides, there aren’t many of us Webbers left, right? Maybe they should stick together. Heather says, it’s nice that Laura remembers her the way she was. She’s glad somebody can.

Willow meets Michael in the stable and says she’s on her break. The meds she took to treat Jason have been flagged in the system as missing. Thank God she didn’t take painkillers, or the police would have already been called, but Elizabeth will have to look into it. He asks if there’s anything that will lead back to her, and she says, no, but Elizabeth is in charge. She’s going to have to answer for the discrepancy. Michael asks if there’s any chance it’s a computer glitch or paperwork error, but she says, no. Everything that goes out of that pharmacy is scanned electronically. This was not. They know it’s missing. He says, they’ll figure this out. Don’t panic. He promises they’ll figure it out. She asks, how? and he says he doesn’t know… yet. She asks if he’s seen Jason this morning, and Michael says, he’s doing okay. He’s moving around better. She says she’s glad Jason is getting better, but she can’t see a way out of this situation for them or him. He says, it’s hard to come up with a plan when they’re still in the dark about so much, and she asks if Jason told him what happened at the warehouse that night, or where he’s been, or why he came back now. He says, what Jason told him, he already told her. Just that he was working as a mercenary for someone who has leverage over him. That’s all he’d say.

Maxie comes back and says, sorry for the interruption. Everything’s fine. Brook says, everything is not fine, and Maxie asks what she means. Brook says, Cody just texted Sasha to let her know how Dante’s doing, and she let him know the photo shoot got canceled. What’s going on? Cody says, sorry, and Brook says, Bellpo is one of the biggest fashion magazines in the world. Sasha being on the cover would have meant huge exposure for Deception. Tracy asks what she wants to bet Lucy messed this up somehow, but Maxie says, it’s not a big deal. She knows how fashion people can be. They run hot, they run cold, they probably just wanted to regroup and find a new direction for the photo shoot. She asks Spinelli what other systems they’re upgrading, and he says he’s glad she asked. He installed the strongest antivirus software available… Lucy comes in with Sasha and says, oh. The gang is all here. Tracy asks what she did to get the photo shoot canceled. Lucy says, I beg your pardon? Tracy says, they know it was called off and they also know she was there, so it must be her fault. Sasha says, it wasn’t Lucy’s fault. She doesn’t know what happened. The shoot just felt off from the start. The Bellpo creative director clearly wasn’t happy, but couldn’t articulate to her why, and the photographer just seemed annoyed that he wasn’t getting the shot. She feels like she did everything she was asked to do and still, it wasn’t working. Brook says she doesn’t get it, and asks Lucy, what happened? Lucy says, a simple problem that can easily be fixed. Sasha is just too wholesome.

Sasha asks, what is too wholesome? and Lucy says, don’t take this the wrong way. It’s just her photographs are too approachable, too radiant. They’re just too darn nice. Maxie asks what Lucy is doing, and Brook tells Sasha not to listen to her. She’s beautiful. Any woman would kill to look like her. Sasha says, let Lucy talk, and Lucy says, it’s intangible. It’s aloofness. It’s edgy. It’s like the model is just out of reach. Kind of like Kate Moss. There was a reason she was on all those covers. Because she had that look. Tracy says, so she wants Sasha to model heroin chic. They think she didn’t do her research before she took over a cosmetics company? Cody says, this is insane. Sasha’s gorgeous and if a photographer can’t capture that, they’re clearly incompetent. Lucy says, obviously she’s gorgeous. No one is saying otherwise. She doesn’t mean to be rude. This isn’t nice or polite to say, but they need exposure. They need Sasha on the covers of those magazines, and they need that kind of exposure now more than ever. So think about it. She is the Face of Deception. Beautiful, yes, but they need mystery, unavailability. They need edginess. Does Sasha think she can do that for them?  

On the phone, Elizabeth says, it’s only a small amount, no street value, only known to medical professionals. She’s going to pull the records of everybody who logged in and out of the pharmacy storage in the past few days, and she’ll get back to them. Deanna asks if she was able to clear up the discrepancy, and Elizabeth says she’s still looking into it. It’s not really enough to affect their standing supply, so it could still be just a reporting error. Deanna asks, what if the meds are really gone? and Elizabeth says, that would mean their system isn’t secure, and that would be a much bigger issue. Deanna asks if someone could lose their job over this, and Elizabeth says, the person in charge. That would be her.

Willow says, what happens if that FBI agent who tried to question Danny questions them? Do they lie? Is that perjury or obstruction of justice? And even if that doesn’t happen, what do they do about the drugs? She can’t let Elizabeth take the fall for the meds she stole. Michael says he doesn’t know. He’s trying to figure this out just like her. What he does know is, he was sent to prison when he was 17 years old. He was just a kid. He was beaten so badly. She knows what happened to him. He couldn’t protect himself. He couldn’t stop the hell he was in, so Jason got himself sent to prison too, to protect him. Jason saved his life. He wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Jason, so whatever he needs right now, however he can help Jason, he’s going to do it. He’s asking her to stand with him and help Jason too.

Nina brings in some coffee and says she thought Drew could use some caffeine and sugar, and he asks if he should have her taste them first. She says, ten people saw her buy these. If she was going to poison him, she’d be more discreet. He says, she’s had time to think about his question, and she says she has. She could lie to save her pride, but what’s the point? She misses Crimson. Crimson is her baby, so she misses her. She has to say, being Editor in Chief of Crimson did not prepare her for the newspaper business. The Invader is like a jigsaw puzzle with the pieces constantly moving. He says, it’s the Peter Principle playing out in action. She’s advanced to her level of incompetence. She asks if he can spare her his psychoanalysis of her abilities, and he says, it’s very simple. She was successful enough at Crimson, and she’s failing at this job because subverting the truth about beauty and fashion is practically why magazines like Crimson exist, but when you lie in a newspaper, that’s not good. You’re going to get cot caught. She says she sees what’s happening here. He’s framing this as if it’s her who’s not able to do her job. She thinks it’s the opposite. Is Carly failing at running Crimson? He says he pushed Carly into taking that job. She was never the right fit. She says, and he’s expecting her to believe at some point in their pillow talk, Carly suggested giving Crimson back to her? She knows she has a youthful glow, but she wasn’t born yesterday. He says, Carly and Crimson have parted ways. He fired her. She says, that can’t have gone over well. Carly was so happy to watch her get fired. She was almost giddy when she was able to tell Nina that she was her replacement. He says, after what she did to Carly, can she blame her? Carly never wanted that job at Crimson anyway. She says, so here they are. He and Carly were so united in humiliating her, but he’s alone, asking her if she misses Crimson. Oh my God. Carly dumped him.

Cody says, Lucy owes Sasha an apology, but Sasha says, it’s fine. Lucy’s right. The beauty industry is very different from the real world. Tracy looks at her phone and says she’s sorry. As much as she would like to stay, she’s just gotten an alert that there’s something at the hospital the board members need to be aware of, so she has to go. She congratulates Lucy on another fabulous meeting, and leaves. Maxie says, might she remind Lucy that Sasha is her hand-picked Face of Deception? She can’t hire Sasha for her look, then ask her to change into something she’s not. Cody thanks her and says, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with Sasha. She radiates warmth. Her smile could light up a city block. Lucy says, that’s true, but they desperately need that exposure and magazines do not want wholesome. They want mystery. They want edge. So they need another face, a second face. Spinelli’s phone rings and he says he’s sorry. He has to take this. He dashes out.

In the hallway, Spinelli says, Michael? Michael thanks him for picking up and asks if he’s ever hacked into the GH pharmacy control system. Spinelli says he’s not sure. Perhaps in his wild, misspent youth. Why?

Drew asks if Nina is almost done, but she says, not quite. Not even close. He had his moment of victory, so she’s going to enjoy hers. He says, there’s really nothing uglier than expressing joy at somebody else’s misfortune (maybe Drew needs to be tested for cobalt poisoning), and she says she completely agrees. She’s had extensive experience with that, usually as the target, so this is a nice change. Let her guess. Carly ditched him 30 seconds after Jason reappeared. He says, it wasn’t like that, and she says, after he went to prison for her and everything. He says, Carly wasn’t the one who sent him to Pentenville, it was his own fault she was, and she asks what he wants. Obviously, he’s still angry with her. Is he really going to give her Crimson back? He says, maybe. He hasn’t decided whether he’s going to let it die or whether he’ll give it another chance at success. The magazine is costing him a lot of money right now, which they both know he can afford, but he really doesn’t like his name being associated with failure. She says, if he wants to attach Carly’s name to that failure instead, she’s good with that. (My motto: never go back to a job or a man. There’s a reason you left.)

Heather tells Laura, it doesn’t matter how good a doctor is, with surgery, there are always risks. She’s just been wondering what would happen if she didn’t wake up. Does Laura ever think about death? Laura says, of course (🍷) she does, and Heather says, and? Laura says, after the last few years she’s had, where she lost Luke and she lost Bobbie and then Spencer, those were people she never thought she’d have to live without. Heather says she knows how that feels. Laura probably hated Esme, but she misses her baby girl too. Laura says she knows, and she didn’t hate Esme. She was Ace’s mother and she treated Esme like part of the family. Heather thanks her, and Laura says she hated some of the things Esme did. She really hates the last thing she did. Heather says she gets it. She never used to care about dying. She just thought, hey, the world was fine before she was born; why wouldn’t a world without her just be fine too? But she can’t stop wondering now. If she’d just made better choices, maybe she could have had a better life. Laura knew her back in the day. Was she always this… wild? Laura says, she always took a lot of risks. She was never happy with the status quo, and she always went after whatever she wanted, whether it was men or money. She doesn’t think she would have gone about things the same way Heather did. Heather says, but was she this crazy? and Laura says, no. Heather starts to cry, and Laura says, no, she wasn’t. This is a more recent development. TJ comes in and tells Heather that they’re ready for her in the OR. They’ll give her anesthesia and then the surgery. Heather says, then what happens? and Laura asks what she means. Heather tells them, say she goes to the surgery and it’s all successful. Now she has no more pain. All that poison is gone from her body, so she’s less crazy and some people hate her less because now there’s an explanation for why she did all those horrible crimes. Then what? Her life gets better just in time for the DA to send her to that prison all the way across the country for the rest of her life? Laura says she doesn’t know how to respond to that. She doesn’t know if Heather has any options. Heather says, all right then. At least she’ll have her shows. She hears in California, everybody’s got cable TV in their cells. So she can watch Jeopardy. Come on. Let’s go. Laura tells her, good luck, and Heather thanks her, Laura taking her hand for a moment as she’s wheeled out. Heather yells, let’s get this show on the road! and Doc walks in. He says he thought it might be time for Heather’s surgery and asks Laura if she’s okay, but Laura says, no.

Laura tells Doc that she’s been so busy hating Heather and being afraid of Heather, she lost sight of how sick she really is. Or maybe was. What if she wakes up after the surgery and she’s different? Doc says, change is possible, but in the case of mental illness, even with cobalt poisoning, it’s unrealistic to think it might reverse itself overnight. Laura says, but in time she could heal, right? Get back to… Get close to the person she used to be. He tells her, look at it like this. The cobalt has been poisoning her mentally and physically for a long time, so Heather’s skewed way of thinking is now imprinted on her brain. It’s like a bad habit and they both know any habit is hard to break, even under the best circumstances. She says, which these are not, and he says, no. Then again, he’s not a neurologist and he’s never studied the effect of toxic metals on the brain, so anything’s possible. She says she just can’t help but have some empathy for Heather. She’s had her own issues with mental health. She had people around her who loved her and made sure she got the help she needed and that she was okay. What if Heather had had the same thing? Would they have noticed the cobalt poisoning earlier, and how much did that influence the crazy things that she did? What if Heather is not really responsible – she means in the most humane definition of that word – for these crimes she committed?

Drew says, there she is. There’s the Nina they all know and love. When presented with the option of getting something she loves or punishing someone she hates, she chooses revenge every time. She says, he’s the one who brought it up, and he says, there’s no scenario here where Carly is the fall guy if Crimson goes under. So she can just stop fantasizing about that. Nina says, fine. He has his pride. What would it look like if people knew he not only lost his heart, but lost his magazine because he was so blinded by love that he couldn’t see the truth about Carly Spencer? He says, there are two things he feels for her that he could never feel for Carly, and those are rage and contempt. (Way to get someone to do what you want.) She says she’s become familiar with him directing both of those things in her direction lately, and he says, but… She says, ooh, there’s a but here, and he says he’s got to admit, there’s a couple of things she’s pretty good at too. One of them is crimes of the heart, and the other is running Crimson. It seems to him that her being reinstated as the Editor in Chief of Crimson could be her ticket to people admiring her, giving her respect. Doesn’t she want that back?

Spinelli works on his laptop in the hallway and says, almost there.

Sasha says, Lucy wants to replace her as the Face of Deception, but Lucy says, no. Not replace, not ever. Just include another face. Think of it as addition, not subtraction. Cody says, this is ridiculous. If she’s suggesting changing Sasha’s position at Deception because she’s somehow too approachable and wholesome, this isn’t the kind of company he wants to be involved with. So they might as well change his face too. Sasha says, no, and Maxie fans herself and says, let’s just take some deep breaths here. Cody doesn’t mean that. He says he doesn’t? and Brook says, Lucy should have run this past her and Maxie first before she just blurted it out. Lucy says, okay, so maybe she blurted it out, but she knows a smart business decision when she makes one. She sorry, but she doesn’t really want to listen to a stable boy who posed for a few pictures. He’s not going to tell her that she’s wrong. If he wants to quit, go ahead. He’s really not a very good model, and they just kind of agreed to keep him around to keep Sasha happy. Maxie says, that is not true… but Cody thanks Lucy for finally being honest with him. Because you know what? He’s never hated a job more than he’s hated this one. Standing around with a fake smile on his face, petting an alpaca, pretending to stare adoringly at any woman, even one that he actually does adore, isn’t for him. He’d rather spend the rest of his life picking up after horses than working for her. She doesn’t have to fire him; he quits. Lucy says, that was so beautiful. That was really a great speech, but he can’t quit. Unfortunately, he does have a contract. He says, so sue him, and walks out, slamming the door.

Maxie says, let’s just give him some time to cool off, and then they’ll have a rational conversation and smooth this over. Sasha says she knows Cody pretty well at this point and can tell he’s made up his mind. He won’t come back. Lucy says, okay. If he wants to quit a great, easy job, then that’s his problem. She’s just being honest. This whole beauty business is tough, it’s brutal, and they all know that. She hopes Sasha isn’t as upset, because her perfect gorgeousness has never been in question. Sasha says she’s not offended. This is not her first rodeo. She’s heard a lot worse. Maxie says she’s glad Sasha’s not mad, and Sasha says she’s not. She promises. But hearing Cody talk about modeling and how he perceives it has made her think. He obviously finds it tiresome and pointless, and hearing his words makes her realize she feels the same way. Maybe it’s time she quits too. Maxie hyperventilates, and Brook tells Sasha not to make any rash decisions, then tells Lucy, look at what you’ve done.

On the phone, Elizabeth says, they can see all the meds have been accounted for, so can they please call off the bloodhounds?… Thank you. She turns around to see Tracy, who says she understands there was some discrepancy that the hospital board was to be made aware of, but Elizabeth says, everything is fine. That message should have never gotten to Tracy until they knew there was an actual problem. But she has to tell Tracy, their reliance on IT security has its drawbacks. The computers are so slow to update, it created an alert that suggested there was a theft in the pharmacy storage. If Tracy wants, she can see everything that’s been accounted for now. She apologizes that Tracy was brought down here for nothing. Tracy says, the timing was perfect. She was actually rescued from something that was even more tedious and more pointless. She thanks Elizabeth and leaves. Willow breathes a sigh of relief.

Doc tells Laura, given the number and gravity of Heather’s crimes, he can’t see her convictions being overturned. She says, he’s probably right, but still, to have a prosthetic implant that’s poisoning you has to carry some weight in court. He says, it seems reasonable to him, but they have to remember that reason and the law don’t always see eye to eye. Why is this weighing on her so much? He thought she’d be happy that Heather’s finally paying for what she did. She says she thought so too, but she’s known Heather most of her life and she just wasn’t this crazy before. She wasn’t. She thinks she also realizes she hasn’t been very sympathetic towards her and all the things she’s been through in her life. Life really hasn’t treated her well. He says, it hasn’t exactly been easy for Laura either, but she didn’t turn to a life of crime, and she says, there but for the grace of God, go I. Maybe it’s that the pain of losing Spencer is so fresh and watching her go through the pain of losing Esme. When she thinks about little Ace and how wonderful it would be for him to grow up without his other grandmother being in prison for a string of murders she committed… He says, she really has a heart of gold. It’s a lot more gold than his. Even with everything Heather has done, she still manages to find compassion for her. He loves her for that. She says she loves him too, and he says, first thing in the morning, he’ll do a search for any psyche diagnoses that have resulted in a conviction being overturned. He’ll let her know what he finds. She thanks him and hugs him. He says, anything for you, Mrs. Collins.

Nina asks why she’d sign up for a daily helping of Drew’s rage and contempt. That’s not exactly appealing. He says his supervision of her work at Crimson in the past was very minimal. He’ll agree to continue with that because he doesn’t have time to dedicate to a monthly scratch and sniff anyway. (Really? I was just thinking he needs a job.) She asks if Carly has even started to put together the new scratch and sniff issue. Or did she just look at a couple pictures, raid the beauty closet, and call it a job well done? He says, that’s very cute. He knows Carly was talking to advertisers and making assignments, so she and Carly can work together on this next issue. She says, that is not happening. Crimson is her baby, her vision. It’s a success because of her. She’s not going to put her name on something full of Carly’s trashy biker chick style. Not even for one month. He says, fine. The decision is made. Hell, Crimson’s sell by date has probably expired by now anyway. Easier to just let it die. He starts to walk out and she says, wait.

Tomorrow, Chase asks Brook if she’s sure it was the right thing to go back to Deception; Cody wonders if he made the right decision; Diane says she’s been expecting this call; and Michael says he’s found a way for Jason to disappear.

🔬 Art Imitates Life…

Unlike many of Heather’s delusions, metal poisoning is a real thing.

🪩 She’s the Host…

This sounds amazing. I wish it was happening closer to me.

🍹 Grief Made Her Do It…

I see she’s taking the LisaR route and blaming the passing of her mother for her poor decisions. I believe there was another car if you do. And haven’t any of these people heard of Uber?

https://people.com/real-housewives-of-potomac-karen-huger-charged-with-dui-dwi-8612507

🍑 Refusal To Film…

I’m guessing there’s more to this story.

https://people.com/nene-leakes-slams-porsha-williams-allegedly-refusing-to-film-show-together-she-is-not-star-8610146

🏊 Not Ready For the Summer…

Because even the reality site recappers need to recover after watching, a capsule of what the most awful people in reality are up to this week. Unfortunately, the only palatable part – Paige looking for a bigger apartment in NYC with Craig at her side – was left out.

🩰 Tiny Dancers…

May 1st on Lifetime

https://ew.com/dance-moms-the-reunion-trailer-maddie-ziegler-absent-8605423

📺 Banner Year Already…

2025 will be here before we know it, right?

https://ew.com/snowpiercer-saved-by-amc-season-4-will-air-2025-8609438

https://ew.com/black-mirror-returns-2025-uss-callister-sequel-8609387

https://www.thewrap.com/yellowjackets-season-3-preview-ashley-lyle

https://comicbook.com/horror/news/yellowjackets-season-3-update-tone-confirmed-tease-first-season

🦛 Hip Hippo Hooray…

Can you imagine this little nugget following you around the house?

https://people.com/rare-pygmy-hippo-birth-at-athens-zoo-has-staff-absolutely-thrilled-8611563

🌈 Following the Color Block Road…

Stop by tomorrow for a dose of soap and Friday shenanigans. Until then, stay safe, stay tasting food before seasoning it, and stay being sympathetic toward those whom life hasn’t treated well.

January 20, 2021 – No Soap Or Radio, a Dallas Version Of St. Tropez, More On Moon, OC Reunites, Mormon Girls Taste the Dark Side, Sonny’s Savior, One Chris Too Many, Renewed Engine, DC Style & New

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

I tried, but alas, it was not to be. The video was there, but Skeletor from Castle Grayskull the powers that be restricted access. So tomorrow it is.

The Real Housewives of Dallas

Kameron and Fancy used side-by-side treadmills, since Fancy was supposed to walk an hour every day. Kameron was planning  a 50th birthday party for Kary, and met with some party planners. She wanted a white-themed party, evocative of St. Tropez where Kary had wanted to spend her birthday. D’Andra told her that she was pushing it, requesting they wear white bathing suits. In Kameron’s interview, she said she was shocked about Tiffany’s hosting skills, since she’d tried to force them to eat chicken feet. If I know the Housewives, this will never, ever be forgotten.

Travis took the kids fishing, and in her interview, Stephanie said she hated worms, fish, and hadn’t even eaten fish growing up, except for fish sticks. She’d started the Hollman Foundation to manufacture lockers for needy schools, and said she’d forced Travis to get involved. In her interview, she said she has a vagina, so he does what she wants most of the time. She felt that she didn’t have the facets to life that he did, and said the person with the money controls the situation in a relationship. The power wasn’t equal.

Tiffany’s parents were super quarantining, since her father suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and her mom was afraid of bringing it home to him. Tiffany went grocery shopping for her mom, and said running errands with the kids was spending quality time. She called it having an adventure. She brought a ton of groceries to her mom, who seemed disappointed that there were no chicken nuggets. In Tiffany’s interview, she said she’d once surprised her mom with a Porsche, and the first words out of her mouth were, it’s not purple?

D’Andra meditated, while Brandi’s daughters acted like the spoiled brats they are, as opposed to Tiffany’s children, who seem like a delight. In her interview, Tiffany said her mother was a better grandmother than she’d been a mother to her. There was tremendous pressure on education and to get a good job, so she could pay them back for being her parents. She said her mom was the muse for the Asian mother segment of her Tik Tok. We saw a clip, and I definitely want to see more. It looked like something Margaret Cho would do. Tiffany said her mother didn’t even know what Tik Tok was, and she intended to keep it that way.

Kameron told the party planners that Kary had wanted to go to St. Tropez for her 50th birthday, and they said they’d bring the beach to Dallas. Like one of the preference sheet instructions on Below Deck, Kameron said Kary wanted to dance on the table and be sprayed with champagne, and she wanted hot models to spray her. Meanwhile, Kary did a sexy photo shoot for her jewelry line, and Stephanie came by to give support. In Kary’s interview, Stephanie said she thought she was good cheerleader for Kary. Stephanie told Kary that she wanted something for herself after leaving her career to be a wife and mother. Kary said she hadn’t had much of a childhood, and wanted to make up for it.

Kameron used her father-in-law’s house for the party, since her house was on the market. She couldn’t afford red wine being spilled. Kameron said a pet phrase of Kary’s was, this is a situation, and it was stenciled across the front of the bar, and there were a lot of balloons and gorgeous flowers. Kameron was concerned about the seating, since Brandi had flown to Florida recently. In Kameron’s interview, she said, that wasn’t exactly socially smart. Brandi and Stephanie shared a ride over, and Brandi said she’d been super cautious, carrying a tub of anti-bacterial wipes with her. She’d laminated her test results, and put them on a lanyard to wear, and also wore a shield and gloves. She said it was time to party.

Kameron’s friend Jen was the first to arrive, and I wondered if she was bucking for a Texas star to hold, since she keeps popping up all the time. In Tiffany’s interview, she said when she got home from work at the hospital, she went through a full decontamination procedure, taking an outdoor shower, and putting on clean clothes before hugging her kids. Kameron told Jen about the chicken foot situation, and said she’d hid it under the table, Tiffany had belittled her, and tried to pressure her into doing something she didn’t want to. I’ve said it before, I’m very adventurous about food, but if someone tried to force me to eat something I didn’t want to, I’d tell them I’ll gladly do it, if first, they bend over, and I’ll force it somewhere else. I hate that kind of behavior.

Brandi also had a tape measure with her, which was pretty funny. In her interview, Kameron said she wasn’t the type to have shirtless waiters, but they couldn’t have a St. Tropez party without hot, shirtless guys. The waiters were indeed shirtless, and wore white shorts with white suspenders. Tiffany handed Kary a gift bag with a bottle of tequila, and said she didn’t know what it was, but they’d said it was good sh*t. In her interview, she said, growing up, it was all about grades and success, and this was everything she’d missed out on; parties, friends, and life. She wished she was more like Kary, and could enjoy the moment without worrying. Tiffany joked about being near Brandi, the covid girl, and in Kameron’s interview, she said she got her head chopped off when she’d made a remark at Tiffany’s dim sum party. The rules didn’t apply to her. Brandi kept trying to eat and drink through her shield, and in her interview, she said if she could make a shield with windshield wipers, she’d be a millionaire. The chicken foot struggle came up again, and Brandi thought it was the dumbest conversation she ever heard. I agreed. In Tiffany’s interview, she said she had no idea it would become Feetgate. She told Kameron that she was sorry a food her culture ate grossed Kameron out, but Kameron said it had nothing to do with Tiffany’s culture. Kary said the chicken foot situation was full of sh*t. Again, agreed. Tiffany said Kameron needed to loosen up, but Kameron was insulted, and said Tiffany didn’t respect her. She shouldn’t push people to do things they weren’t comfortable with. In Stephanie’s interview, she said the only way to get Kameron off the wheel was to apologize and move forward.

In Kary’s interview, she said it meant the world to her that Kameron had put together the party. She believed she was where she was supposed to be on her 50th.  The waiters brought out the cake, and champagne bottles with sparklers. Kary got on the table, and was sprayed with the champagne. In Tiffany’s interview, she said Kary was partying like it was her 21st birthday. Her 35 year old self was going to keep up if it killed her. Kary pushed Tiffany in the pool, and then found out Tiffany couldn’t swim. In Stephanie’s interview, she said, you can’t push someone who can’t swim in the pool after they’ve had several shots of tequila. In Kary’s interview, she said, in the Latin culture, they want to include their friends. I really hate when someone says something is their culture, when it’s something pretty much everyone does or feels the same way about. As Kid Rock so wisely said once, dude, there’s more to life than just you. Kary said when she got pushy, it meant she wanted to have fun with you and accept you. Which really means, she wants them to have her fun. In Tiffany’s interview, she said she wanted to loosen up, but at a certain time, it was her responsibility to go home and be rested so she could be a doctor the next day.   

Next time, a trip to a vineyard, Tiffany talks to her kids about being away a lot,  Kary discusses her daughter’s anxiety with her, and D’Andra and Kary argue.

🌜 Moon Over Dallas…

How Tiffany does it all – wife, mother, doctor, Tik Tok star.

The Real Housewives of Orange County – The Reunion – Part One

Can you believe it’s season 15? I rarely like the reunions though. Most of the time, they’re all talking or yelling at the same time, and I can’t understand half of what they’re saying.

No one had cool masks – they were generic – so I assumed they were provided by Bravo. There were the usual opening niceties, and then Andy said a viewer thought Shannon had seemed fake when touring Gina’s sad and depressing house. She kept saying everything was nice. This led to Shannon saying Braunwyn was good at deflection, and they started fighting two seconds in. Another viewer asked why Gina thought Sean was coming on to her, when his text hadn’t been NC-17. Shannon said Sean had to walk Gina out, and she thought he was just concerned because she was hammered. Gina said she’d thought he was trying to communicate that he’d just banged his wife in their love shack. Wow. She must have had to dig deep for that one, or it was Gina with her mind in the gutter. Emily said when Braunwyn made socio-economic comments, she felt she had to defend whoever Braunwyn’s target was, and Braunwyn said, no, you. Emily said Braunwyn’s big excuse was, she was lashing out because she’s an alcoholic. Shannon said Braunwyn had put effing lies in her mouth, but Braunwyn insisted Shannon had said it. Sean was there. Shannon said Sean was an enabler, and Andy asked where Gina and Braunwyn were now. Braunwyn said she’d gotten a text from Gina, saying Gina thought she was an a-hole, but would always be there for her. Gina said the relationship was one-sided.

Shannon said she and John had been together a year and a half. Andy asked if John and David had ever met, and Shannon said they hadn’t, and at this point, it would be awkward. David wouldn’t communicate and co-parent. Emily said when Shannon drank and called them up, they got concerned. Andy asked why Braunwyn thought John had a problem, and we flashed back to Braunwyn’s comment that a drunken John had to be taken off the golf course by his father. Shannon said John hated golf, didn’t play golf, and hadn’t seen his father in years. It wasn’t good or fair to talk about him, since he’d been nothing but kind. Andy said he’d invited John to the reunion, but he chose not to come. Shannon said he was a private person, and hadn’t even seen the show when they met. It was a lot to be in front of a camera all the time. A viewer asked Braunwyn if she thought Shannon had a problem with alcohol, and Braunwyn said she did.  

While getting a touch-up during the break, Shannon called John, and said Braunwyn was mean and crazy. She was walking around like she was in a flipping music video, and was naked under her dress. John had said she was a sobered alcoholic, and wanted to point fingers to make herself feel better. When they reconvened, we flashed back to all the pandemical stuff during the season. Kelly thinking it was no big deal; Shane getting sick; Shannon going insane. Andy asked what they were most excited about doing after it was over, and the consensus was seeing people and traveling. Andy asked what Emily’s biggest fight with Shane was, and she told him that Shane had said something about her parenting in front Annabelle. She got in the car and drove away, then realized she had nowhere to go, and came back. He asked what was Kelly’s stance on masks? and she said she hated wearing them, like probably most people, but she wore them because she had to. She didn’t know whether they were really helping, and posed the question, do pants protect you from a fart? I dunno about that, but probably more than a fart with no pants. Andy said Braunwyn did an interview, where she said Kelly wasn’t taking it seriously, and asked if Kelly said some things she regretted. Kelly said she thought it was horrific. She was taking it seriously, but she was also frustrated. Andy said he got messages saying she was uneducated, and spread misinformation. Kelly said she got messages too, saying Andy is anti-American, and yapped about his political views when people didn’t want to watch a political show. Andy brought up her remark about God thinning the herd, and she said it was a stupid thing to say, but she didn’t mean to hurt people. Andy said they got a lot of negative comments on social media. People wanted to boycott the show. Kelly said she felt horrible, but Andy was making it worse. He asked if she felt she’d be on wrong side of history, and she asked what he wanted from her. I think Kelly can be a little out there too, but I’m glad she stood up to Andy. I admire his business acumen, but he can be effing annoying. Kelly said she was sorry for hurting anyone’s feelings. It wasn’t her intent. Braunwyn said Kelly had an amazing opportunity to say that she’d learned something, and Kelly said she’d seen the adverse effects of the virus; businesses that were not coming back, suicide, alcoholism, and divorce.   

Emily talked about Shane being so sick, and said he’d texted his oldest daughter, basically saying goodbye. She said Shannon had shown concern for her, her family, and Shane, and had texted every day. It meant a lot, and she’d always be grateful. Andy introduced Elizabeth, the richest bitch in Newport, and we saw an Elizabeth highlight reel, ending with the women saying her story wasn’t adding up. Andy said Elizabeth had known Emily, Kelly, and Braunwyn before she started filming, and asked how she felt meeting the Gina and Shannon. Elizabeth said she wasn’t sure what to expect. She was warned on social media that she’d be eaten alive. A viewer asked if she’d gotten around to donating the Ferrari, and she said she will. Andy asked, now that the divorce was finalized, how was Elizabeth and Jimmy’s sex life? Elizabeth said they were having a hard time. Jimmy was an introvert, but had been there for her when no one else was. It was hard seeing everyone dogging their relationship, and questioning their sex life. It was no one’s business. He came from a conservative Mexican family, and his mother watched the show. Andy asked Elizabeth if she still loved her husband, and she said she would for the rest of her life. They’d known each other for twenty years, and he’d been very generous to her when she was broke, and given her structure. He’d changed her life. Braunwyn, who can’t stand to be left out, said a friend of hers was a friend of Elizabeth’s ex’s fiancé. Elizabeth said she wasn’t aware her ex had a fiancé, and maybe it was a girlfriend, but Braunwyn said they’d been together five years. She’d spoken with Elizabeth’s ex, and the story was very different. Emily said it had been a contentious divorce, and Elizabeth said Braunwyn was mean, and didn’t know the truth because she didn’t want to. Braunwyn said Elizabeth had lied to her, and Elizabeth told Braunwyn, don’t Judge her with her cynical behavior, backlashes, narcissism, and two-faced personality. Wow. Then she told Braunwyn, f*** you. It was wrong, and Braunwyn wasn’t her friend. She hadn’t wanted to be on the trail with Braunwyn in Arrowhead, because she knew Braunwyn was a backstabbing bitch. Andy asked why Braunwyn had looked into Elizabeth’s finances, and Elizabeth said Braunwyn was jealous. Braunwyn said she’d heard from Shannon that Elizabeth was a nice girl, but full of sh*t. Shannon said that was wrong, and when Elizabeth had been announced as a cast member, she’d gotten phone calls and texts saying that Elizabeth was full of sh*t, but she didn’t want to judge. She and Elizabeth got along great, but Gina and Emily had thought it wasn’t adding up. Braunwyn said, all she did was google Elizabeth, and Elizabeth said Braunwyn wasn’t building up women; she was tearing them down. Braunwyn claimed that she supported women, but held them accountable. Elizabeth said Braunwyn was the worst lesbian ever. After screaming at everyone to shut up and move on, Andy promised they’d get back to Elizabeth’s time in the cult later. Elizabeth said she was out, got up, and started to walk off, but then said she was kidding. That was funny.

We flashed back to Braunwyn’s climb out of alcoholism; or her journey, as we say these days. Andy asked how Jacob was doing, and if he was bullied in school. Braunwyn said he was great, and went to art school. When he wore heels, the kids said, nice shoes. He asked how the show helped her sobriety, and she said it was her third time trying to get sober, and it held her accountable. Emily said she would have thought coming from a pregnancy would have been an easy transition, but Braunwyn said, not drinking and being sober were two different things. She wasn’t dealing with her reasons for drinking, and she’s not just an alcoholic. She’s an addict who can get addicted to anything. Kelly said a lot of people were like that, and her alcoholism was for the story plan. Braunwyn said Kelly had seen her at BravoCon drunk at 7 am, and Kelly said she’d done that too. I literally lol’d. Kelly said Braunwyn was a liar, and Braunwyn said Kelly was disgusting, and it was vile, even for her. Andy said someone could be a functioning alcoholic, and Kelly had seemed to be against Braunwyn’s sobriety. Kelly said, it was contrived. Braunwyn’s agent told her to clean up her act. Braunwyn said her mom told her if she didn’t take back what she’d said about her, she’d tell everyone about Braunwyn’s drinking. Shannon said she’d blocked Deb on Instagram. Andy suggested that there were parts of her mother’s narcissism that Braunwyn shared, and Braunwyn said she had been tested, and just has a large ego. Shannon said Braunwyn was only concerned with how to make herself more famous. She’d said her and Sean’s favorite thing was to go out and get recognized. Andy said during the first season, it’s not surprising, and Kelly said the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Andy pointed out how nice Gina had been to not drink with Braunwyn, and accompany her to meetings, and Gina said no one in AA was pretending. Emily agreed with that, and said they saw a different person. Gina said Braunwyn was really an alcoholic, and Shannon said she wasn’t sure she was going to mention this, but as a mother she was going to. When Stella was 14 and at her first beach barbecue, Braunwyn went up to her, and said if Stella wanted the good stuff, to text her. What kind of good stuff? I guess we’ll have to wait and see…

Next time, the conclusion, Emily says everybody feels bad for Sean, Elizabeth talks about getting out of the cult, Kelly screams that she’s Black, and Braunwyn needs a moment.

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City

At the cash register in the grocery store, Brooks mistook dog treats for people food, and I identified. Some of them sound damn good.

Whitney’s half-brother came by, and in her interview, she said they weren’t your typical Mormon family; the dynamic was complicated. They had multi-marriages and children, and when her dad became addicted, it created a bigger divide. Will had been on the fence, but her sister Shaylee wanted nothing do with their father. We saw a clip of Whitney inviting Shaylee to dinner. Shaylee joined them, and dad Steve said by being there they’d showed that their family means something. In Whitney’s interview, she said Shaylee and Will had felt hurt and abandoned, and it was important they shared those feelings with their dad. Steve told them it was a huge motivation, and Whitney said, the point was, this time he’d taken action. He asked them if they’d participate in a process group at the sober living facility, and they agreed. It sounded like group therapy, although I’ve never heard that term before.

Jen wanted Heather to know she loved her, so she was setting her up with Sharrieff’s  friend, Big Daddy. Sharrieff told Jen that he wanted get this thing with Heather and his friend sparked out. The four of them went out to dinner, and Sharrieff said he’d known Big Daddy for 30 years; they’d played ball together. In Heather’s interview, she said he was tall, dark, handsome, and alive. Jen knew what she was looking for. He reminded me of Tyler Perry, but burlier. He ordered a Shirley Temple, and in her interview, Heather said Big Daddy was drinking like a big baby, but she’d get drunk enough for both of them. She wasn’t looking for anything long term, and it wasn’t going to be a problem. It was a big effort from Jen, who did a good thing, but… She shook her head.  

In Whitney’s interview, she said, after the party, they needed a break from each other to process, but she’d learned from her family, the longer you leave things, they get worse. She knew she wasn’t a fan favorite right now, and taking a risk, but she thought it was time to have a fun girls trip to Vegas. In Mary’s interview, she said she had a beautiful home there, but would rather be on a plane full of mice, than in Vegas with Jen. Meredith told Lisa, it wasn’t her scene, but she was game. In her interview, she said she wasn’t thrilled with Whitney engaging on any level, but it appeared to her that Whitney might just be messenger. Lisa wondered why she’d been invited when she hadn’t gotten an apology, but had business to do in Vegas.

The women met at the airport. Whitney found out Lisa had gone ahead because she had business there, but hadn’t bothered to call her. In Heather’s interview, she said it felt so good to be a bad Mormon. In Vegas, there was gambling, drinking, and debauchery; everything that was the opposite of Mormon. It was a Mormon girls taste of the dark side. Whitney called Lisa, and went to voicemail, but then Lisa called back – to Meredith. In Whitney’s interview, she said she knew Lisa was trying to make a statement, but it was rude and selfish. In Jen’s interview, she said she knew Lisa was still pissed at Whitney. She wasn’t 100% okay with Whitney. We saw a clip of Lisa telling Jen, she wanted to go just to hear how Whitney came to the conclusion she’s afraid of Jen.

They were greeted at the hotel with champagne and roses. Whitney said they were going exotic car racing, but Jen said she had a special surprise for Heather that was by appointment, and this was the only time they could do it. In Whitney’s interview, she said, first, Lisa didn’t meet her at the airport, and now her plans were being hijacked. The intention of the trip was so they would be together. If she’d wanted them to pair off, they would have stayed in Salt Lake. The suites were beautiful, and looked like small houses. Lisa met Meredith in her hotel room, and in her interview, she said she didn’t owe anyone an explanation. It wasn’t like Whitney was flying her to Italy. Whitney told Heather that she’d been excited to put the trip together, and wanted the opportunity to talk to Lisa and Meredith. Lisa told Meredith that she could chalk it up to Whitney having too much to drink, but she didn’t know what Whitney was talking about. It seemed like every time they were together, Whitney had a problem with her, and they were weird problems. We flashed back to a couple of past issues, and Lisa said Whitney had caused a problem at Jen’s party, and didn’t take accountability. Whitney told Heather that Lisa just didn’t show up, and Heather said, then she called Meredith back. Clearly, there’s an issue. Meredith told Lisa that she wanted to see what kind of a friend Heather was, and suggested they ride the trip out and see.    

When Jen’s plan of a new man didn’t work out, she decided to buy Heather a new outfit, and set up a private shopping experience. Jen tried on this dynamite tropical print pantsuit, and modeled for Heather, who was taking social media photos. While posing, Jen took a spill off the bar onto a chair with casters that she couldn’t have choreographed better, and they went back in slo-mo. She told Heather that Whitney, Meredith, and Lisa were the oddest trio for driving. The three women met at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and in Whitney’s interview, she said, it was awkward AF. She’d rather be at church. In Lisa’s interview, she said despite Whitney being the last person she wanted to be with, she was into this. She could put up with Whitney for a Ferrari. Whitney apologized to Lisa, who told her, instead of repeating what someone thinks was said, talk to the source. Meredith said it had nothing to do with Whitney, and Whitney apologized again. In her interview, Lisa said she was choosing to accept Whitney’s apology. She suggested they move forward, and have fun.

Heather asked how Jen thought Whitney was surviving, and Jen said, probably not well. Lisa wasn’t happy, and she was adamant she’d never said anything. Heather said Whitney was just looking out for Jen, but Jen said she couldn’t bring something up, and then not put closure to it. She, Lisa, and Meredith would chew Whitney up and spit her out. If she came to them with information, Whitney had to take it to the end. She couldn’t just throw something out there, and say, just kidding. In Heather’s interview, she wondered why they were talking about this again. She saw Whitney and Jen apologize, embrace, and move on. Why were they back here? Jen said, the second Whitney opened her mouth, she picked the wrong party. She was still hurt. Heather asked if Jen was blaming Whitney for throwing the glass, and Jen said it was her husband’s birthday party; the first party she’d thrown him in 25 years. In Jen’s interview, she said she was confused as to why Heather was covering for Whitney, and not understanding the pain she was feeling. Heather needed to let Whitney be a big girl. And if Whitney wanted to be a big girl, stop sitting at the kids’ table eating chicken nuggets. She told Heather that Whitney had ruined her husband’s birthday, and in Heather’s interview, she said she thought Jen’s version of a good friend was being her henchman. Whatever mood she was in, they should help pile on that person. There’s no opportunity to be objective or helpful. You were either on her team or dead to her. Jen said the only reason she hadn’t bitch-slapped Whitney was because she was Heather’s friend. Heather suggested Jen talk to her. Heather thought they were good and things were settled, and so had she. Jen said if Heather was signing up for this girl, make sure Whitney acted right. Heather was putting her name and reputation on the line for Whitney. It was only because the women cared about Heather that they were putting up with that sh*t.

Next time, Heather talks to Whitney, Meredith says no one tell her who to be friends with, Jen comes at Whitney, and Whitney beings in someone to help the women find their inner voice.

🚙 Hey Mikey…

It’s lucky he came along. Hopefully, Sonny remembers the favor when he remembers he’s Sonny.

🤯 Too Many Chrises…

It’s worse than when he messed up Ineeda Pretzel’s name.

https://people.com/movies/arnold-schwarzenegger-confuses-chris-evans-with-chris-pratt/

🚝 The Eternal Engine Returns…

Not only is Snowpiercer returning to the small screen on Monday, January 25th, it’s also been picked up already for a third season.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/snowpiercer-season-3-renewed-tnt/

👗 Inaugural Fashion…

Because it’s all that really matters.

https://www.vogue.com/article/history-of-inauguration-day-fashion

🥾 Hitting the Road…

Hopefully, balance is brought back to the soap world tomorrow, and all is right with the world. Or at least as much as it can be. Until then, stay safe, stay sociable from a distance, and stay wanting more for your birthday than being sprayed with champagne by shirtless waiters.

November 22, 2020 – A New Kind Of Taxidermy, a Split World, the Eternal Train Returns & a Duet

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

Fear the Living Dead

The dead feed on a deer. Some Rangers on horseback shoot them. In a car with Victor, Dakota says the Rangers are slowing them down. Without an escort, they’d be there already. He says, without an escort, they might not make it. She asks if he thinks the Rangers are there to keep her safe. He says he assigned them, so yes. She says they’re keeping an eye on her. They’re just a bunch toy soldiers. They’re keeping an eye on him too. Ginny doesn’t fully trust him yet. He says, she will, and Dakota asks when he’s going to do it. He says, do what? and she says what he was planning at the molasses plant. He says he has no idea what she’s talking about, and she says she’s sure he doesn’t. She looks out the car window, now covered in blood. She says they could run away; there aren’t enough Rangers to stop them. A lot of the Rangers are dead, and John has been missing for a week. Now is the time to do it. Victor says, people are at their most dangerous when they feel threatened, and calls Dakota a font of sisterly love. She says he doesn’t know the half of it. A Ranger says, hold up, and they slow to a halt. Victor tells Dakota, wait here, and gets out. Terry’s horse comes back without Terry.

Victor and Ranger Samuels ride forward, and Victor says, Terry was scouting ahead. He tries to get Terry on the radio, but there’s no answer. He thinks they should check to see if there’s a horde in front of them, and he and Samuels ride on. They come to a downed tree, and Victor said they’d need to get men with saws out there. He tries Terry again, but still gets nothing. A team of riderless horses gallops by. Samuels and Victor follow them. When they get back to where the convoy was, they find everyone dead, lining the road on both sides. The dead begin to rise, and Victor and Samuels shoot them. Samuels asks if Victor thinks it’s the same a-holes who attacked Tank Town. He says, there’s only one person who matters, and she’s gone. Victor gets down, and looks through the people, but Dakota isn’t there.

Alicia looks at a map in a ranger station in the woods. Charlie is out on the balcony, looking through binoculars, when Victor’s voice comes over the radio. Charlie looks in at Alicia. Victor says, it’s an emergency; he needs her. He sees walker activity. Charlie says, he’s been trying all day. Maybe Alicia should see what it’s about. Alicia says, they’ve been there six weeks. What has Victor done for them? Nothing. So that’s what they’re doing for him. Victor says he needs to talk to Alicia. She’s the only one who can help. She finally picks up the radio, and says, what does he want? Talk.  

Alicia and Charlie meet with Victor and Samuels. He asks if he can trust Alicia; lives depend on her agreeing to help them. Samuels takes the horses, and Victor says their convoy was attacked. Alicia asks if he knows who, and he says he thinks it’s the same people who attacked Tank Town. She asks, what happened there? and he says, it’s gone. Luci and Wes are okay though. Alicia asks what they were doing out there, and he says he was taking Dakota to a safe house. She asks where Dakota is, and he says he thinks she fled on foot. He’s screwed if Ginny finds out he lost her sister. She knows they were delayed, and it should be a half a day before heads start rolling. Alicia asks, what makes him think she’ll have a better chance of finding Dakota? and he says Dakota looks up to her and trusts her. If she helps him, he’ll deliver Dakota to the place she’s meant to be situated, then finally do the damage they talked about. He promises. She asks if he means that, and he says that’s what it’s all been for. He tells Alicia, when she finds Dakota, click three times, and she says she knows the drill. She tells Charlie, come on, and Victor thanks her.

Alicia and Charlie walk through the woods. Charlie asks why Alicia is helping Victor, but Alicia says she’s not. It’s not about Victor, it’s about the Rangers who brought her back when she ran. They need someone to deal with the Rangers. Whoever attacked the convoy and Tank Town, can do the damage they need. Charlie wonders if Alicia is going to ask them for help, and Alicia says she wants to see who they are; know who they are. Charlie asks if she thinks Dakota can tell  them, when a couple of zombies toddle out of the trees. Dakota and Alicia stab them in the head, but Alicia spaces out as a third comes toward her. The zombie knocks her down, but Charlie stabs it in the head. The zombie looks like it’s been modified, and Alicia says, someone did that. Charlie says, whoever did that is crazy. They see an old hunting lodge, and Alicia says if she was kidnapping someone, she’d go there. She tells Charlie to be the look-out. She’ll go in and check. They have no other choice. They need to find Dakota. She goes to the lodge while Charlie waits.

Alicia smashes a window with her pokey weapon, and goes inside. She looks around with a flashlight. She sees a taxidermied bird, and keeps walking hears music, sees more taxidermy. (Useless trivia: The song playing is Tonight You Belong to Me. Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters sang it in The Jerk.) She goes upstairs, following the sound of the music. She hears sounds of the dead from below looks down, seeing a guy experimenting on a zombie strapped to a table she backs away. She looks again, but doesn’t see him. He comes up behind her, and says, don’t worry, it won’t hurt much. He sticks her with a syringe.

Alicia opens her eyes sees a counter with things like eyeballs in a jar sitting on it. Her hands are tied, and she’s strapped down.  She struggles up, and she’s able to cut the duct tape on her wrists, sawing it against a pair of antlers. She hears someone at the door, and looks around for a weapon. She breaks one of the antlers off, and stands to the side of the door. It’s Dakota, who says, no one saw her. Alicia says they have to get out now, and the guy who was working on the zombie says, what’s the rush? Alicia tells him, don’t come any closer, but he says he thinks it was a misunderstanding. Dakota says the convoy she was with got attacked, and Ed thought maybe it was her. Ed says he found Dakota while he was hunting, and she seemed shaken from what happened with Ginny and her community. Alicia says she’s not talking until he tells her what he was doing with the walker. He says he was working on something to scare people; keep them from getting close. Dakota tells Alicia, he’s okay, and Ed says he doesn’t suppose any of them are chess players.

Ed puts on some music, and plays chess with Dakota. I wonder where Charlie is. Ed says Dakota reminds him of his daughter. They used to come there every summer to get out of the city. The last summer they came, it rained the entire time. They stayed in the game room, which wasn’t the worst way to pass the time, especially after the world went south. There’s something comforting about at least one thing not having changed. It’s nice to play with someone again. Dakota asks, what happened to his family? and he says, the same thing that happened with most people’s families. Dakota says, Ginny killed her parents, and Alicia says they should get going. Ed says they’re not going anywhere. Whoever attacked the convoy is still out there. This is the safest place there is. Alicia says she’s cold, and asks if Ed will start a fire. He says he will, but in the meantime, he has blankets. He tells her where they are, and Alicia takes a lantern to go looking for more than blankets. She finds Charlie, and asks how she got in there. Charlie says when Alicia didn’t come out, she snuck in, but now the doors are all locked, and the windows are shut. Alicia says, there’s got to be a way out, and Charlie says, not without making noise. Alicia tells Charlie to stay hidden, and opens a closet, looking at tools. Dakota joins her, and asks, what’s going on? Alicia says, the whole place is locked; they can’t leave. Dakota says she doesn’t want to leave. By now, Ed is there too, and says he’s trying to keep them safe. Alicia says, if that’s what he really wants, he has to let them go. Dakota is Ginny’s sister, and Ginny is going to come looking for her. Letting her go is the only way. Ed says they can leave at dawn. They’ll have a better chance when it’s light. He leaves, and Charlie asks why Alicia told him about Dakota. Alicia says she’s keeping Dakota alive. He’s not who they think he is. The walker he was working on was a Ranger. Charlie wonders why he was doing that, and Alicia says she doesn’t know, but if they stay, they’ll end up like that. Dakota says, when they were attacked, she thought she could finally get away from her sister, and thought this was the place to do it. She can’t go back. Alicia asks if Ginny really killed their parents, and Dakota just looks at her. Alicia asks, why? but Dakota says she doesn’t know. Alicia says they’ll leave first thing in the morning. Get some sleep.

Alicia finds a radio, and shuts the door. She fiddles with the dials, and asks if Ginny copies.

Ginny picks up, and asks what Alicia is doing on that channel. Alicia says she’s with Dakota. The convoy was hit; the Rangers are dead. Ginny says, and Victor? but Alicia tells Ginny, Victor wouldn’t tell her what happened until she found Dakota. Ginny says, smart man, and Alicia says, she found Dakota, not him. Let her and Charlie go, no questions asked. They get a fresh start, and Ginny doesn’t look for them – ever. Ginny asks where they’re going to go, and Alicia says she knows a place. Do they have a deal? Ginny says they do.

Charlie watches Alicia sleep, while outside, the zombies gather. Ed watches from the balcony, and Charlie asks what he’s doing. He says bringing back all of his creations. Alicia wakes up, and seeing all of the zombies outside, asks, what the hell is this? Ed says, they won’t leave until he tells them to. It wasn’t safe; he’s making it safe. He’s not letting it happen again. Alicia says, what? Ed comes downstairs, and says, his father did taxidermy. He couldn’t understand how his father could do that to an animal who was vibrant and alive; freeze them in time. His dad said he was preserving them in their most perfect state forever. It’s the same reason he came up there. He wanted to be able to hold onto things as they were, what the place was to them. They had food for years, and they were happy there. The trouble was, things inside were preserved, but not out there. When he was on a supply run, the Rangers got there, and took over. Emily and her mom tried to protect the place. Ginny killed his family too. He should have done more. He could have done more. He bangs on the door, and the zombies clamor. He says he started making them. He wanted them to be scary (like regular zombies aren’t scary enough). Alicia says, to keep people away, and he says, yes. The kind of people who would hurt them, and her. He can keep them safe. He takes out a gun, and says, let’s go upstairs.

Loud music plays, and the zombies gather outside. Dakota tells Alicia that she should have kept going. She was just looking for a way not to feel trapped. She knows it sounds stupid, but Alicia says, it doesn’t. The door opens, and Charlie comes in. She says, he’s asleep and she got his keys. Alicia says, he’s going to wake up, but Charlie says, not anytime soon. Alicia says, they’ll lower the music, and wait until the zombies clear out, then go. Dakota says she knows a place where Ginny can’t find them. The music stops, and the zombies start to wander off. Alicia says, it’s working. Ed appears, and says, you have to hit a vein to make it last. He holds a gun on them, and Alicia asks why he’s doing this. He says he’s just trying to keep them safe, but she says he can’t keep them there. He makes her put her weapon down, and she says he’s going to get them killed. Dakota is coming with them. Ed tells her, no, she’s not, and Alicia asks if he’s doing this for Dakota, or for himself. He says Alicia is one of Ginny’s people, but Charlie says she’s not. He asks how come his radio was set to Ginny’s channel? Alicia rushes him, and he ends up impaled on one of the many pairs of antlers lying around. Poetic justice, I’d say. Dakota tells him that he’s going to be okay. The zombies outside get energetic again, and Charlie says the zombies heard them.

Alicia pulls out the antler, and Ed cries out. The zombies push at the door, and Charlie says, it’s not going to hold. He tells them to go out the side door. He’ll buy them time. Leave now. He’s resigned to be with his family. Alicia tells him not to do this, but he says the first one he was working on got loose, and it was his fault. Alicia says he did it because of his family, but he says again, it was his fault. He created them, but couldn’t control them. He tells her to go, as the zombies start to break through the door. She leaves, and the zombies start to pour in. Dakota watches from the balcony, and Alicia joins her. Ed opens his arms, as if embracing his fate, and the zombies take him down. Upstairs, the three girls break open the door. They see the zombies leaving the house, and Dakota wonders where they’re going.

Alicia runs downstairs, and sees a zombie with antlers approaching. Morgan comes through, slicing and dicing, and Alicia begins to help. Dakota and Charlie watch from above. When they’re finished, Alicia and Morgan hug. She asks how he’s there, and he says he heard the music. She says, no; how is he alive? Charlie and Dakota join them, and Charlie says they heard what he said on the walkie and a gunshot. Morgan says he had help, and Alicia asks, from who? He says he’s been trying to figure that out.

Ed is buried, and Dakota says he was just trying to keep her safe. Alicia says, he did. Morgan says they should get going, and Dakota asks why he’s wearing Emile’s clothes. He says Emile tried to hunt him down, but it didn’t go his way. Alicia asks who Emile is, and Dakota says, a bounty hunter Ginny sends after people who run. Morgan says, he won’t be going after people anymore. They need to leave before Ginny finds this place. Alicia asks where they’re going, and Morgan says, it’s a spot he’s been building up. Al and Dwight are there already. Pretty soon it will be all of them. They should go.

Alicia sits on a porch swing, and Charlie asks if she’s okay. Alicia says, yeah, and Charlie says what happened to Ed isn’t her fault. Alicia is silent for a moment, and says, he was right. She did make a call to Ginny’s radio. Charlie asks where she was taking them, and Alicia says, the stadium. It’s not as far as Charlie thinks. She just couldn’t figure out how to shake the Rangers. Charlie says, the stadium is overwhelmed. Is that why Alicia was training her to kill walkers back at the watchtower? Alicia says she was trying to do what Ed was, bring back something that was gone. Charlie says, she’s not turning Dakota over? but Alicia says she doesn’t know. Ginny is expecting her to deliver her sister. Charlie says she can’t do that to Dakota.

Inside, Morgan packs whatever supplies he can find. Alicia asks where the place is, but he says it’s easier to show her. She says they’re bringing Dakota, right? Morgan puts his hand on his chest, and she asks if he’s okay. He says they’ll talk about that, but now, how to get everyone back. Alicia says Ginny has people who are important to them, and they have someone important to her. Morgan says, that’s what they’re up against; doing things they never would have done before. Alicia says, it was him. He attacked the convoy. Morgan says he gave them a choice, and they chose Virginia. She says he killed all of them? and he says, there was no other way. They’ve got to get the ones they haven’t lost back. She asks if he blew up Tank Town, but he says it wasn’t him. She asks if he knows who it was, but he doesn’t say anything. Alicia says she gets what he’s doing. She was going to trade Dakota in for herself and Charlie. After seeing what Ed did, creating things that destroyed the people he cared about… They don’t have to do that. Morgan says, it’s the only way to get everyone out. Charlie and Dakota join them, and Charlie asks, what’s going on? Dakota asks why they’re fighting, and Alicia tells them, let’s go. They’re taking Dakota to the place Morgan talked about, but they’re not going there. Morgan says, it doesn’t have to go this way, but Alicia says they can’t do it his way. He begs them not to go. He can’t watch them walk out; he can’t let that happen. Everything they’ve done, they did to get all of them back together. It doesn’t work if it’s not all of them. He’ll do whatever takes to get them all there, and Dakota is welcome. They all are. Alicia says, okay. Alicia, Charlie, and Dakota head out, and Morgan nods, saying, okay.

Outside, Victor picks up a necklace, and radios that he’s checking on the house. Alicia comes out, and he asks, what happened? He saw the smoke, and knew he could count on her. He sees Dakota, and says he’s glad she’s all right. He’s taking her back. Alicia says, Dakota isn’t going there, and Victor asks, why? Morgan comes out, and says, they’re coming with him. It’s good to see him. Victor looks stunned, and asks if Ginny knows Morgan is alive. Morgan says, she does, and he’s guessing she doesn’t want him to be. He found a place that’s safe, where she won’t find them. He’s getting the others; Victor should come join them. Victor says they’ll be targets for the rest of their lives. Ginny is on her way there, and he’s taking Dakota. He draws his gun, and Morgan draws his whatever that new weapon is. Victor asks if he really wants to do this, and Alicia draws her pokey weapon, asking, does he?  Morgan says they’ll do what they have to, and Alicia and Victor’s eyes meet. Victor ponders a moment, and says he won’t be there to protect them. He tells Alicia, this is going to dismantle everything they’ve been working for. He gives her the necklace, and we see it’s a St. Christopher’s medal. She says she’s just doing what he asked her to do. She tells the others, let’s go, and they leave.

Victor gets back to Lawton, and Ginny asks where Dakota is; is she safe? Victor says, yes, and she asks if he and Alicia are in cahoots. They made a deal for him to bring Dakota back. He says she’s with Morgan, and Ginny grabs Victor, getting in his face, asking, which side is he on? He says, hers, and she touches his badge. She says, okay; come with her. She knocks on a door, and they go through it into an alleyway. She says she told him the day would come when she’d call him for the big show. Today is that day. She moves aside some shelves to reveal a secret door. She goes inside, and he follows. Grace is there, and Ginny tells her, get up. Victor suggests Grace do what Ginny says. Victor asks where they’re going, and who does Ginny want next? Ginny says, all of them. She wants every single person they took from that damn gulch.

Next time: Death, destruction, and decay; it’s inevitable, but from this death comes life. Someone has been looking for someone like Alicia for a long time.

The Walking Dead: World Beyond

Silas was tied up outside, taking deep breaths, while the others discussed what to do about him. Iris insisted that Tony and Percy must have had enemies out for revenge, but Huck said there was no evidence. Silas was passed out at the scene, covered in blood. Hope said she didn’t want to believe it, but she’s heard the stories. Elton said Silas was their friend, and had earned their trust. There had to be an explanation. Iris said they never found Percy’s body; what if he was alive? Felix said they followed a blood trail to the river, and he was most likely dead. Elton wondered why Silas would attack those who tried to help him. Huck said she thought she knew when she saw this at camp, and pulled a copy of the Tiger poem and Iris’s drawings out of Silas’s bag. Iris said those were hers.   

This week, we got more of Silas’s backstory, seeing how abusive his father was; screaming at him. throwing things at him, slamming him up against the wall, and trying to choke him. Finally having enough, Silas cracked his father over the head with a picture frame, and punched the crap out of him. His father seemed to be dead, when there was a knock at the door.

Hope thought it was messed up. Iris had thrown the drawings away. She said Silas liked Iris, and was different with her. Maybe he’d seen that she liked Percy. Elton said all they had was what they carried on their backs, and Silas thought it was important, but Hope thought he had no right to take them. Huck told Felix that they should take Silas back for a trial, but Felix was hesitant. The girls weren’t going to turn back, and Huck wondered if they should leave them behind. Elton disagreed with Silas’s hypothesis, since the only time he’d seen Silas be violent was in self-defense or defending someone else. He didn’t think Silas would hurt anyone without just cause, but Silas said he didn’t remember.

Silas remembered his dad ripping his headphones off at the dinner table. In his flashback within a flashback, the knocking on the door continued. Silas finally opened the door to a woman who wanted to see his mother. She said she didn’t want to alert the authorities, but she knew people who could make sure Silas and his mother were safe. Silas asked her to leave, but when he went back to where his father had been, his father was gone.

Elton told Silas, if he couldn’t believe in himself, he’d do it for him. He was going to find proof Silas wasn’t involved. If he didn’t, Silas was going to be left behind. Huck and Hope dug a grave for Tony.

Felix checked on Silas, and Silas asked, what if it wasn’t him? He couldn’t remember, and his dad was the same way. Felix asked if Silas had killed his dad in self-defense, and if he could trust Silas not to put anyone in danger. Silas said he didn’t want to be like his dad.

Silas flashed back to looking around for his dad. When he saw the picture in the now-broken frame, he remembered the good times they’d had. Silas kept looking, and called to his dad. He followed the blood trail to the bedroom, and remembered his mom covering her bruises with makeup when he saw a bloody towel. He heard noises upstairs, and went up.

Huck told Hope that she had to keep asking herself how to serve the greater good, and Hope said she had the wrong sister. Huck said it wasn’t always about right and wrong, but about doing your best for everyone, even if it was going to hurt. Every choice Hope made had to be about getting her and Iris to their dad, and getting where they needed to go. Iris told Hope, none of it made sense. Even with everything that happened, she had the feeling that Silas didn’t do it; he wasn’t capable of it. One mistake didn’t make you a bad person. Hope said they were so close, they couldn’t let anyone stand in the way of getting to their father. Iris said maybe Silas thought he was protecting her, but Hope said that would make it worse.

Felix found Elton by the river, and told Hope to keep an eye on him. Elton said he’d been following Percy’s trail, looking for evidence that would exonerate Silas. The only fact he knew was that he hadn’t had a family in a long time, and now he did. Hope asked if that meant he’d let Silas get away with murder, but Elton said, you don’t get away with it; it’s something you have to live with. Hope said they had to do whatever was for the greater good, and Elton said he thought that meant staying together.

In his mind, Silas went up an excruciatingly long staircase until he finally found his father. He said he just wanted his dad to stop, but it was too late; dad was zombiefied. He attacked Silas, who was pretty stunned, and pushed him away a couple dozen times. Silas locked himself in a room, and was like, wtf? He tried to get out a window, but there were bars on it, and then I was like, wtf? Going back further in time, Silas remembered his father telling him to lie down on the floor, and putting a speaker blaring loud music next to his head. He told Silas to close his eyes, and said, that’s what a concert sounded like before it all turned to sh*t. He turned it up louder, got on the floor with Silas, babbling about 1988 and how this was what music should be like. You needed to feel it with your entire body. This bummed me out, since obviously there had been better times in Silas’s household. While his zombie father scratched at the door, Silas put on his headphones, and turned the music up louder, until zombie dad finally wandered off.

Here’s where it got kind of scary. While Silas was reminiscing within reminiscing, a zombie came by. It was outside he fence but started banging itself against the seam, which started to give way. In Silas’s head, the tape ran out, and he listened at the door. He heard his mom come home, and then scream. He ran downstairs. In the present, the zombie got through, and moved closer to Silas, while in the past, Silas fought with his zombie dad, finally smashing his head on the floor, and finishing him off. His mother quietly freaked out. Silas got as far away as possible from the zombie, but then seemed to accept his fate and looked up at the stars. He opened his eyes to Hope saying, what the hell? She asked why he didn’t yell, and he asked why she saved him. She said enough people had died, and fixed the fence.

Iris went to Silas, and asked why he kept the drawings. He said they were too beautiful to throw away, and she said if he told her that he didn’t kill anyone, she’d believe him. He didn’t say anything, and she started to leave, but he told her to wait. He showed her that he’d gotten himself free, and said he wished he could tell her what she needed to hear. He just remembered being angry, and it had happened before. He thanked her for believing in him, and wanting him to be a hero. He killed his dad, Percy, and Tony; he was a killer. He didn’t want to cause any more problems, and while he was sorry she met him, he was glad he met her. He said he’d never forget her. Iris went back to the others, and I felt mega dissatisfied.

Iris told the group that Silas was gone. Huck wondered if Silas would come back for them, but Felix said, no. Silas wanted a fresh start. Maybe he would finally get one. Elton told Hope that he’d come to a difficult decision. He was going to join Silas. Silas’s odds of survival would be better, and if Elton didn’t do this, Silas would spend the rest of his life thinking no one believed in him. Silas would be believing a lie, and he couldn’t let that happen. Hope asked, what about family? and Elton said Silas was family too. He told her, everything happens the way it’s supposed to, and he was supposed to find Silas, and his mother and sister. Hope said, what if they weren’t out there? She admitted she’d lied to him, thinking she was protecting him from the truth, but she’d only made it worse. She couldn’t let him look for someone who wasn’t there. She gave him the necklace she’d taken from his mother, saying, he forgave Silas. Maybe he’d forgive her one day. She told him about shooting his mother, and no surprise, it didn’t make him want to stay. He put on the necklace, and headed out to find Silas.   

Silas trekked on, wearing his headphones, which was probably a bad idea. Then he whacked a zombie in the head with a 2×4, which was a good idea. Before moving on, he left his headphones, which was the best idea, although just carrying them would have been sufficient.   

Flashing back to a few days earlier, Elizabeth, who I all but forgot about, told her guard to bring someone in; her daughter was late, but she made it. She was risking everything because there’s no easy way. The guard brought Huck in, who said she could only get away for 48-hours. Elizabeth asked about their asset, and Huck said, safe. Elizabeth said, and her? and Huck said she was fine. Elizabeth told her to clean-up, and she’d be debriefed. But first, here was her dad’s watch. 

Next time, a two-episode season finale. No surprise, lots of zombies, and Elton finds Silas.

🚝 Because I Can’t Wait…

Snowpiercer is coming! Snowpiercer is coming! Not only does season two begin January 25th, season three has already been ordered. 2021 is really not that far away, and it’s got to be a better year, right? Right?

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/snowpiercer-season-2-release-date-trailer-cast-plot-nycc

➖ Dashing Off…

See you on Deck tomorrow, and hoping you continue to stay safe, stay tough, and stay doing your best for everyone.

July 27, 2020 – When Nelle Was Late, Good News, Kiko Is Struggling, Three More Escape, New Project & Rush

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Today’s GH Flashback was from May 14th – we’re getting close to the flashback finish line (see below). If you want to keep it short, I got you here, but if you like it long, go to:

https://tvwiththeresa.wordpress.com/2020/05/15/may-14-2020-the-custody-hearing-begins-getting-lost-in-a-maze-chefs-at-camp-alive/

At Charlie’s, Finn talked to Anna, and realized she wasn’t paying attention. He told her that he’d come across a rare case of alienitus, quarantined the patient, and last night, his chest burst open and a big slimy alien crawled out. She told him, that’s interesting, and he said it was friendly. So he gave it bath, called it E.T., and gave it to Violet for a pet. Finally listening, Anna said, very funny, and he asked if her mind was on Holly. Anna told him that she and Holly were frenemies. She’d always expected Holly to turn up again one day, but it wasn’t going to happen now. Finn said sometimes the best response to a sudden loss was a life affirming decision. She asked if he had something in mind, and he said he did. Sasha was still sleeping, fully dressed, when her phone woke her up. It was Maxie, who told her that she had five minutes to get to the photo shoot, or they’d find another model. Sasha flew out of bed. Maxie told Lulu that the photo shoot was about to implode, and take her career with it. At the MetroCourt, Laura told Jax that she just came from a fundraising breakfast, and thanked him for his generous donation to the homeless center. He apologized for not being there in person, but he had a breakfast meeting himself, and was waiting for Nina. He asked how things went, and Laura said, better than expected, thanks to him and some other generous donators. Jax said Laura had been good for Port Charles, and he was grateful for her hard work and integrity. She said she was only as good as the people she represented, and he said she had the ability to inspire people. Sasha ran into Nina in the elevator, and Nina asked if Sasha was having a tough morning. Sasha said Nina had no idea, but Nina thought she did. Martin met with Valentin, and told him that he’d acquired numerous ELQ shares from Quartermaines far and wide. Valentin said he still didn’t have controlling interest yet. Carly went to see Chase at the PCPD, and said she was sure he was aware that Willow and Michael had gotten married. She regretted what the decision had cost him. Michael got home where Diane was waiting. He told her that he’d been to Turning Woods, and told her about Mike. She said she was sure Sonny appreciated his support, but moving forward, he needed to make Wiley’s custody a priority. Stripping custodial rights from a mother was difficult, even a mother as bad as Nelle. He told her things might have gotten easier, and Willow walked in. Diane said, what a gorgeous ring, and Michael said it had belonged to his great-grandmother. Diane wondered if it now belonged to his wife, and Michael said they’d gotten married last night.

Finn told Anna that he thought it was time they planned their wedding, when Robert came in, saying, isn’t this cozy? They were acting like nothing had happened. He told Anna to stop going around town, telling people what they could or couldn’t say to him. Chase told Carly that he hoped Willow and Michael gave Wiley the life he deserved, and she said that was the plan; the custody hearing was today. He asked why she was there instead of at the courthouse, and she said there was someone she needed to thank. Nina said she’d heard Sasha and Michael broke up, and Sasha said Nina was right about her; she wasn’t good enough for Michael. Nina said Sasha had hurt herself most of all, and hoped she found peace and love, and that the pain she was feeling was gone forever. Lulu said Maxie worked best in a crisis, and Maxie said it was supposed to be her moment in the spotlight. She was taking a 90s cosmetics company and making it a power brand, but all she saw was her hopes and dreams disintegrating. Sasha ran in, and Charlotte told her that she looked terrible. Maxie asked the makeup artist to work her magic, and Sasha went to be transformed from a toad to a swan. Lulu told Maxie, the model was there, the makeup artist was working her magic, and Maxie had hot coffee. It was a straight road from there. Maxie said, until the next crisis. It was easier being number two, and all she could think about was, what would Nina do? Nina walked in, and said she would just ask the person whose opinion she trusted the most – Maxie.

Anna told Robert, the WSB was still investigating Holly’s death, and there was no evidence so far of foul play. If any was found, he’d be the first to know. Robert wondered if the investigation was evidence enough. Nina said she’d seen Sasha, and was there to offer Maxie moral support. Maxie said she appreciated it, but it was just making her more nervous. Lulu asked Nina to take Charlotte to watch the shoot, and Nina said no one knew how to manage a shoot like Maxie. She hadn’t left Crimson to second guess herself. She’d left to be the one who made the final decisions. Those who freaked out and played it small weren’t stars, and never would be. She told Maxie, toughen up, get the job done, and be a star. Jax told Laura that he was surprised Valentin hadn’t fought harder to hold on to the estate; he could have dragged it out for years. Laura said maybe Valentin realized it was a blessing and a curse, and she was sure he’d find a way to make money. Martin told Valentin that he’d used an intermediary to acquire the shares he’d gotten, but the Quartermaines seemed more preoccupied with Brook getting arrested and the custody battle for Wiley, for which he had to get to court. Valentin said it was time they looked into the other heirs. Drew was dead, and Jason had no interest in ELQ, but he wanted Martin to find out who was controlling the children’s shares. Diane said Willow was brave to marry into the Corrinthos and Quartermaine families. They were a bit difficult as individuals, but as a group, they were fearless, intelligent, and never boring, and Michael was the best of the lot. She thought they were a perfect match, and they’d be genuinely happy. She couldn’t imagine better parents for Wiley. She said to let her know where they were registered, and Willow told her, the only gift they needed was knowing Wiley was safe from Nelle. Carly told Chase that she’d thought noble people were stupid and suckers, until someone she loved gave up their happiness for her child. She eventually realized their sacrifice had changed everything. Michael had been a baby at the time, but it had made his life better. Chase hoped it worked out that way with Wiley, and Carly said the judge would see two people who loved Wiley, and would do anything to insure he had a happy and safe home. She said if he crossed paths with the person who’d made the sacrifice for Wiley, make sure they knew she would always cherish their selfless actions. Chase said he’d let them know.

Nina brought Charlotte to the MetroCourt, and Charlotte told Valentin how awesome the shoot was. She said she used to be mad at Sasha, but now she felt bad for her. Valentin praised her compassion, and said it wasn’t good to be angry and resentful all the time. Charlotte thanked Nina, who said maybe they could have a girls night out this week. Laura and Jax came by, and Valentin left to take Charlotte to school. Nina apologized to Jax for being late, saying she had a special delivery. Laura thanked Jax again, and left. Jax asked what Nina wanted to talk about, and she thanked him for his help with Charlotte, but said she couldn’t lean on him forever. It was time for her to take control of her own life. Maxie barked orders at everyone, and Lulu said she’d make an excellent general. Maxie said she knew her bossiness would come in handy one day. Sasha came back and asked where Maxie wanted her, and Maxie left to find the photographer. Lulu wanted to ask Sasha some pre-shoot questions, and wondered what it was like to be involved with the launch, and where Sasha saw herself in five years. Sasha said she was trying to take it one day at a time, and couldn’t imagine tomorrow, much less five years from them. She started to cry, and Maxie returned. Maxie asked what Lulu said to her, and Lulu said she’d just asked Sasha about her future. Maxie said the makeup artist had probably left, and asked for a moment alone with Sasha. She told Sasha that Lulu shouldn’t have asked about the future. Sasha probably had no idea where Chase fit in. Sasha said they weren’t together, and started to cry again. Maxie said she wanted to care about Sasha’s personal life, but not today. Today, they were businesswomen, whose future depended on the launch. Sasha needed to pull it together. They didn’t have the time or money to postpone it. Get it together and smile. She could cry afterward. Maxie told Sasha not to make her regret giving up her career. At the courthouse, Carly asked Martin if his client was still sleeping under her rock, and Martin formally introduced himself. Carly told him that she’d be lying if she said it was a pleasure, and he asked if she didn’t believe everyone was entitled to a fair hearing and to be represented. She said she believed in justice for those who deserved it. He agreed, and she said she’d tell her husband how he felt – Michael’s father, Sonny Corinthos. Martin knew who he was, didn’t he?

Sasha fixed her makeup, and flashed back to Michael confronting her and Chase, and asking how long the affair had been going on. Anna told Robert that there was no proof the ship went down, and Robert asked if she thought Holly might be alive. She said that’s why she didn’t tell him. If there was a glimmer of hope, he’d chase ghosts like he always did. Robert told Finn, they’d thought Holly had died in a plane crash, but she was really in a coma from a car crash. Finn said that was quite a coincidence, and Robert said she’d tried to return. Anna finished for him, saying that she and Robert were involved by then, and Holly stayed away, but she wasn’t the only one missing this time. Robert said there were enough discrepancies for Anna to talk to his brother, and asked if she believed Holly wasn’t dead. She said she wasn’t sure, and Robert said he had calls to make. One of Maxie’s assistants found Sasha in the makeup room, and handed her a vial of cocaine – a little something to get her through the shoot. Sasha said she didn’t, and the assistant said she didn’t either, except on really tough days. (So, would that be every day?) Chase showed up at the photo shoot, and asked Lulu if it was over. Lulu said Maxie had sent everyone on break; she was trying to salvage the day. Chase asked, what happened? and Lulu told him to tell her. Sasha was a mess. She overslept, was hungover, and couldn’t stop crying. Chase said he was sorry, but Lulu said it was too late for apologies. She’d thought he was a decent good guy, but he was just hiding the jerk underneath. Lucy and Maxie were going to lose their investments and reputations if the shoot didn’t happen. She told him to talk to Sasha, and maybe they could salvage their careers and their lives. Martin told Carly that he knew who Sonny was, and how those who displeased him disappeared. Carly said she didn’t know what he meant, and he said he was sure she was well-instructed on how not to incriminate herself or Sonny. She said her husband was a businessman, but he did have powerful connections; connections that a lawyer might find lucrative. Diane arrived with Michael and Willow, and Martin said, a sudden marriage before court, and wondered if he had to keep an eye on them. Diane said who was she to stand in the way of a happy, committed, stable family? and everyone went into court.

Valentin found Laura sitting at his table, and she asked how Charlotte was. He said she was fine. He’d dropped her off at school, and they were going riding later. He appreciated whatever she’d said to Lulu. She said he should thank Charlotte. She ran away when she thought they’d separated. Valentin said he’d intended on letting her go for her own good, but he realized it looked like abandonment, and would have the opposite effect. He was abandoned, and look what happened to him. Laura said she’d persuaded Lulu to compromise for Charlotte’s sake, and not to make her regret it. Lulu told Maxie that she’d sent Chase in to talk to Sasha; it couldn’t get worse. Maxie said Chase was the guy who’d blown up Sasha’s life, and if he and Sasha had a mutual meltdown, this was over. Sasha asked Chase what he was doing there, and he told her Carly told him that she was grateful for what they’d done. Sasha asked if Carly admitted she knew they’d faked the affair, and he said, not in so many words. She said she appreciated what she called their sacrifice. Sasha said she didn’t think it would be this hard, and he said, neither did he. Nina told Jax that Sasha wasn’t having a good morning, and she’d felt the need to comfort her. Then she dropped by the shoot, where Maxie was drowning in self-doubt, and she wanted to boost Maxie’s self-confidence, and gave her a pep talk. After that, Charlotte needed her. Her point being, she knew she’d told Jax that she didn’t want go down that rabbit hole and look for her daughter, but denying her feelings wasn’t helping. She needed to know. Jax asked if she wanted his help, and she said, absolutely not. Michael asked what Carly said to Martin, and she said she just reminded him of who Michael’s father was. Diane told her not to try to intimidate Martin. He was going to do his best to goad her, and paint her as a domineering, controlling woman, who wanted to wrest her grandson from the arms of his loving mother. Martin came in, and Diane said, underneath his Southern charm, Martin was a shark, ready for blood. Judge Lowe took the bench, but Nelle was nowhere to be seen.

Finn said he’d never seen Robert so upset, and Anna said, Robert and Holly had a unique relationship. They would fight and makeup, Holly would leave and Robert would go after her. She didn’t think Robert had ever stopped loving Holly. Finn said he could see Robert’s need for her to be alive, and Anna said she was afraid Robert was going to lose himself, and neglect everything else in his desperate quest. Finn asked if she thought there was a chance Holly was alive, and she said there were always questions with a maritime accident. Until and unless Holly’s body turned up, she didn’t think Robert would accept she was gone. Chase told Sasha, when Michael and Willow had custody of Wiley, they’d see it was worth it. Michael and Willow may never know the part they played, but they did a good thing. She said Chase was coping better than she was, and he said he’d barely gotten out of bed; the Chief of Detectives had called him. All he can think about is Willow’s smile and the sound of her voice. Sasha said she couldn’t get out of her own head, and she was ruining Lucy and Maxie’s dreams. Chase said they were her dreams too, and to make them start happening today. She asked him to tell Maxie that she’d be right out. Laura said it was proven Valentin wasn’t a Cassadine, and he said he was aware of that. What was her point? She wondered if Nikolas and Spencer were free from his retribution, and he said he was no fan of Nikolas, but he had no plans for that. They were safe. Laura said second chances were rare. Valentin could write his future, and decide who he wanted to be. She hoped he used it wisely, and became the man he was meant to be. He asked who that was, and she said, a man who puts family first, before money and power. He asked if she thought he could be that man, and she said, the question was, did he want to be?

Maxie asked Chase if he was 200% sure Sasha was okay. He said he thought so, and she said that didn’t sound like 300% (not a typo). He said he explained what matters, and Sasha breezed in. She asked why everyone was hanging around, when they had a dream to make come true. Let’s get this party started. Maxie told Chase, get out. We saw the makeup table, with the empty vial sitting on it. Brilliant of Sasha to leave it there, especially with a cop walking around. Nina said she didn’t need Jax or anyone else to undertake the journey that should be hers. If her daughter was out there, she’d sure as hell find her herself. In the hallway outside the courtroom, Martin called Nelle, leaving a message for her to get there now. He went back in and thanked the judge, assuring him that Nelle would be there soon, and sent her deepest apologies for being late. Diane told Michael not to  get ahead of himself, and Michael asked what the best case was if Nelle didn’t show up. Diane said the judge had all the documents, and could rule in his favor. Judge Lowe asked if Martin’s client was in the courthouse, and Martin said he was sure she was. The judge said they’d waited long enough, when Nelle blew in, wearing a wedding dress and carrying a bouquet. She said, the most incredible thing just happened, and flashed he ring at everyone.

It Finally Happened…

On Monday, the wait is over for all new GH episodes.

https://deadline.com/2020/07/general-hospital-resumes-production-original-episodes-to-begin-airing-next-month-1202993569/

Below Deck Mediterranean

Captain Sandy tells Kiko that she doesn’t want to ruin her reputation, but it’s not a beat-up session; it’s a reality session. The food has to be spectacular, and he needs plating and organizational skills. He also needs to learn how to take the pressure. In Kiko’s interview, he gets weepy, and says the captain’s words hurt a lot. He tried his best. Jess ices her finger. She wants to show Hannah how squashed her finger is, but Hannah doesn’t want to see it, and asks if Jess can just help scrub the bathroom.

It’s time for the preference sheet meeting. The primaries are Sean, an entrepreneur (isn’t everybody?), record label owner, and a dabbler in real estate; along with his wife Crystal, an ad executive. They’re going to be celebrating their anniversary, want to take a shopping excursion, and want a Vegas party, as well as a hip-hop themed 90s night. It’s a four-day charter, and in her interview, Hannah says, one extra day added makes a difference. It’s harder for interior and the chef. Captain Sandy says she doesn’t want guests to see an empty table, and wants to kill it this charter. Rob is ready to have a humdinger. I’m not sure if he means a good time, some kind of drink, or something completely different.

Rob snuggles Jess, and in her interview, Jess says she’s due to have an actual successful relationship. A producer asks if she and Rob are in one, and she says she thinks so… kind of. Alex flirts with Bugs in the crew mess. She tells him to be up front, like Rob, and not play hard to get. In Alex’s interview, he says, last night was terrible. We flash back to his shrinkage in the cold hot tub. He says when he’s drunk, he gets out of control and doesn’t have a chance. The crew gets ready to go out, but Kiko wants to rest. He has a lot of sh*t to do. Bugs comes out in a really cute mini dress, with tons of hair ornaments and jewelry. She says she loves accessories. It’s her thang.

The crew goes to a restaurant, while back on the boat, Kiko tries to organize the galley. In his interview, he says he comes from a country where there wasn’t a lot of support for his choices. He thinks whether or not you can do something, you should always try to do well with your chance. Alex says things went sour in the galley, and asks Hannah if she thinks Kiko is going to last. She says she hopes so. Rob feeds Jess, and Alex says he loves Bugs’s passion. Malia asks when they’re moving into the same cabin. In Bugs’s interview, she says she thinks Alex is cute, but she holds back from potential relationships because of fear of rejection. When she was fourteen, a guy told her that she wasn’t the one for him, and it was a huge turning point. She’d never allow herself to be set up for heartbreak again. Wow. She gave up early. Rob tells Alex that he has a chance, and just keep going the way he is. They move on to a club that’s very Vegas; an outside elevator, lots of flashing lights, and people in costume. Malia tells Jess that Hannah seems off. In Hannah’s interview, she says she’s connected with one person, and he isn’t there. Bugs tells Malia that, to be honest, the chef is a great guy, but… Malia says, that doesn’t cut it. If Hannah and the captain keep supporting him, it could have an impact.

Kiko plays guitar alone in the crew mess by himself. In his interview, he says he’s freaking out, but he’d never quit. He keeps imagining his father and mother. They had a painting store, and it grew fast, but people started stealing from them, and at fifty-four, his father was broke. He’s a fighter, and he’s back now, so Kiko learned to never stop trying. The crew heads back to the boat. Rob and Jess cuddle in Jess’s cabin. In Jess’s interview, she says she thinks she manifested him. Her spiritual therapist made her write a list of what she wanted. She listed sensitive and intuitive, but not an emotional trainwreck. A former bad boy, but a nice guy. In the crew mess, Alex tells Bugs that he respects her a lot, and thinks she’s an awesome person. At the end of the day, she might not care, but he’s having a hard time explaining. She takes his hand across the table, and he says he’ll see her in the morning. In Alex’s interview, he says she wishes he had a breathalyzer that said, buddy, stop talking. He sees a red light, but he’s still going 90 mph through it.

Hannah tells Kiko that she needs him to stay. Malia tells the deckhands, they’re going from top to bottom, and Hannah meets with the stews. She says Bugs will do lunch and dinner service to insure service flow. There are issues in the galley, and Kiko needs support as much as possible. The deckhands talk about their laundry, and Rob says his underwear was a different color. Hannah tells Jess, she doesn’t know what’s going on in laundry, but it needs to change. Bugs suggests shelves with the crew numbers on them. Provisions arrive, and Captain Sandy hears Malia tell the deckhands that she wants a quick chat on the aft deck. Malia tells them that they need to step up as a team. If a guest is out there, greet them, and don’t assume someone else did. They need to keep the pace up. The captain hears Malia tell Hannah, Jess claimed laundering the uniforms wasn’t a priority. Captain Sandy joins them, saying, that’s not the case. She tells Hannah that Jess either gets it right this time, or she’s getting another strew. She’s tired of excuses. Jess has a great attitude, but she needs someone who does their job, and Hannah can tell Jess that she said that. Malia is excited that boyfriend Tom is coming to visit, saying, it will be refreshing to have intelligent conversation with a man on board.

Hannah says tells Jess what Malia said about the uniforms, but Jess says that wasn’t the case; she didn’t say they weren’t a priority. Hannah says Captain Sandy overheard Malia, and said Hannah needs to whip her into shape or she’ll find a replacement. Jess asks if she going to be fired over a miscommunication, and Hannah says, make sure she’s giving 100%. Jess says she is, and in her interview, she says she loves Hannah and loves working with her, but she’s also making Jess’s job more difficult, and making her look bad. Being the third stew is like being her little bitch. She’s not supposed to remember everyone; it’s not her job. We flash back to the dinner where the guests sat unattended. Malia says she’s psyched for the next charter. Jess tells Malia that she wants to clarify something. She’d said the crew’s personal clothing during charter wasn’t a priority. Next time, talk to her, so it doesn’t get to he captain. Malia says Captain Sandy was sitting there, and had asked about her uniform. In Malia’s interview, she says she has no time to supervise Jess, but she feels for her. Instead of being hard on her and hurting her feelings a little, Hannah keeps throwing Jess under the bus, but Jess has no voice to stand up to what the problem is. Jess tells Malia that the captain threatened to fire her, and Malia says the laundry doesn’t just fall on Jess; things need organization. She didn’t mean to throw Jess under the bus. Captain Sandy radios for the crew to get in their whites.

A load of gorgeous people arrive, and the crew greets them. Captain Sandy says she wants to get off the dock as soon as possible, and Crystal says she wants a conversation with the chef to make sure everything is copacetic. In Kiko’s interview, he says, the guests are going to be very picky. The guests are given champagne and warm towels. Alex takes a look at all the luggage, and says he didn’t know they were having twenty guests. Hannah gives the tour. When they get to the galley, everyone says hey to Kiko, and a guest steals an oyster. The boat starts to move out. In Alex’s interview, he says he had a 1.9 GPA and a disability, while his sister’s GPA was 4.0. When he found yachting, he was in his element. He didn’t need to open a book to know what he was doing. Rob steals a kiss from Jess. Oysters are served, and the table is set for lunch.

Hannah tells Kiko to get as much information as he can from the guests. He goes up to meet with them, and Crystal and Sean joke that they don’t want any vegetables, meat, or fish. Kiko says all the preference sheets are different, and he’s going to follow what’s there, so everyone is happy. One guest tells him that when they do a making-it-rain gesture, he’s good. Everyone cheers. In his interview, Kiko says this will make his life much easier. The ship is anchored, and Hannah tells Kiko to put the steaks on. Hannah tells the guests that they can be seated when they’re ready. They’re ready now, and paella and filet mignon are served. The guests declare the food great. Captain Sandy comes by, and they tell her it’s fantastic. Crystal invites the captain to join them at their anniversary dinner, and she says she’d be delighted. The guests toast to living their best and their blessed life. The captain tells Kiko to put the gravy on the side next time. In his interview, he says, it seems like she wants to change him, and not help him anymore. Sean and Crystal go out on a jet ski, and take a spill. Malia is a rescue diver, and dives in. Alex and Pete follow, and right the jet ski, while Malia helps the couple back to the boat. She asks if Crystal is good, and says, it can be scary. She tells Alex, it was their first emergency, and he handled it well; nice job. In his interview, he says, Malia is a badass; she’s awesome.

Hannah tells Kiko that the captain will be at the anniversary celebration. Malia tells the captain that the guests had a rough go at water sports, but everyone is fine. Crystal  tells Malia, they need more girls on deck. Captain Sandy sees a squall coming, and says, it’s getting rough. They’re going to have to go to the dock. Everything is brought in, and they head for Sóller, Spain. Some of the guests nap on deck, and Bugs tells them, enjoy. Hannah phones boyfriend (another) Tom, and says she needs to help Kiko; he’s struggling. She’ll be home soon, and can’t wait to get back to normal life. Bugs creates a beautiful burgundy and gold table setting, and in her interview, she says she has mad drive when comes working. A captain told her that she’d never last as chief stew because she lacked experience, and she burned to prove them wrong. She puts up balloons that say, 15, and Captain Sandy says she’s so talented. Hannah mumbles that she hates this boat. The guests are seated, and Sean says, twenty-five years ago, it was love at first sight, and he looks forward to another twenty-five. The table toasts to their anniversary. Kiko is nervous about the captain being at the table. In his interview, he says he’s not fancy. That’s not how he cooks, and he can’t change himself. The guests keep calling him everything but Kiko – names like Keedo and Kido – which I find really rude, and I’m surprised.

The guests say the starter is beautiful, and Hannah relays that to Kiko, and says they’re raving about the food. Keep it up. Bugs and Alex help in the galley. One of the guests says, Kido makes it delicious, and Hannah tells Kiko, everybody’s happy. Hannah tells Malia that she was thinking about sending Bugs and Alex on the excursion, and asks if that’s okay. Bugs says, but is it okay with her? Alex jokes that he doesn’t feel comfortable. In Bugs’s interview, she says she’s become a weirdo with relationships. Crystal says Kiko’s presentation is superb, and Captain Sandy tells Kiko, nice job; she liked it. In her interview, the captain says she’s never had a problem with the flavor, but Kiko needs more super yacht style. She hopes he blows it out of the park tomorrow. After dinner, it’s lights out.

In his interview, Kiko says he’s totally ready for the second day. Jess sets the breakfast table, and Bugs tells her how pretty it is. In Jess’s interview, she says, Bugs is a good influence. Jess tells us that she generally does her jobs as best as possible, and she’s probably at 90%. She thinks that’s good. A guest wonders what they’re going to see today, and Sean says he doesn’t know; that’s part of the adventure. Bugs and Alex bring the guests to what looks like a trolley. In Bugs’s interview, she says, it’s one of the world’s oldest electric trams. It gets thisclose to the shops and restaurants, I get nervous. In Alex’s interview, he says he likes Bugs. She’s weird, and can go from working hard to goofy. It’s super cool and cute, and he’s definitely into it.

Kiko confers with Hannah on the Las Vegas party. He’s thinking finger food, and Hannah suggests truffle fries and nachos. The guests go to the south side of Sóller, which is charming and quaint. In Bugs’s interview, she says, it’s beautiful, and the perfect date… day. Now she’s embarrassed. Everyone tries on hats, and Alex buys a visor for Bugs. She asks if she looks bougie. He gives her a hug, and the guests cheer.

The guests begin their return, and Bugs radios Hannah that they have a twenty minute ETA. When they get back to the boat, they’re met with fancy shots. In Kiko’s interview, he says he’s never been to Vegas. On TV, it sounds fancy, but he’s trusting Hannah. Crystal tells Hannah that she wants to do something wild, and wants the crew to do it with them. The crew talks about Vegas, and Alex suggests the guys wear bow ties with no shirts. Bugs says they can be the Wellingtondales, and finds Columbina masks for the women to wear. Bugs decorates the table, and Captain Sandy says, it captures the spirit of the night. Kiko uses a blow torch on the nachos. In Hannah’s interview, she says when she sees what he’s sending out, it’s not what she had in mind. In Malia’s interview, she says she doesn’t want to be the one to tell him what he can serve to the guests, but the nachos are disgusting. They do look awful, and so do the fries. Crystal says, Kiko better get it together, and Sean says it’s the most fried food he’s eaten in years. No one looks happy, and Crystal says, it’s not like last night. Kiko gives Bugs a plate of brownies decorated like dominos, and in her interview, she says serving brownies with nachos is unheard of. Captain Sandy wonders what’s up with the brownies, and Bugs says Kiko told her it was like a buffet. The captain says this concerns her, and tells Kiko, the guests can eat the brownies afterward. She asks the guests how dinner is, and they tells her, good, but too much fried food. Sean says, to each his own, and the captain sees the nachos. She asks Hannah, what is that? In Hannah’s interview, she says, this is really not good. After this, she’s definitely going to need therapy, Xanax, and Valium; anything she can get her hands on. Crystal says, it’s like a kid’s birthday party. In the captain’s interview, she says something like this would never be served on a super yacht in a million years.

Captain Sandy asks, who put out the nachos? and Bugs says she did; she was told to. The captain says Bugs should have called her. In Bugs’s interview, she says, if this is Hannah and Kiko’s idea of Vegas night, what is she going to do? The captain asks Hannah why she served the nachos, and Hannah says she didn’t; Bugs did. She’s sorry, but that’s what came out of the galley. In her interview, Captain Sandy says, it’s shocking, especially after the last charter season. We flash back to Mila making crappy nachos. Sean says the service was great, and the guests toast to great service, and to Captain Sandy keeping it real. Kiko asks Bugs if everything was okay, but she says she doesn’t know. She caught the tail end of a conversation. He says Hannah told him it was okay, and Bugs tells him the guests thought it was like a kid’s birthday party. In Kiko’s interview, he says he did what Hannah told him, and now he’s getting nervous. The captain goes to the galley, and says the nachos were really awful. He says he was never in Vegas, so he googled it and spoke with Hannah. She tells him, leave Hannah out of it; it’s not her fault. That should never be served on a super yacht. She’s seen things at a kid’s birthday party that were better. It’s beyond. Bugs tells Hannah, she loves Kiko, but he’s spiraling. The captain tells Kiko, the clients are being nice, but the others are looking at her. He asks if he should apologize, but she says, no. Don’t bother. That he has to google something concerns her. He asks if she liked the food yesterday, and she says it’s what would be served to the crew. He says, if she wants to fire him, he tried. She tells him, just get through the charter. Do his food. He says he understands. If he leaves, he leaves. She says, finish the charter, and he says, don’t worry. He’ll leave.

Next time, Malia hunts for Rob, the 90s party happens, Hannah hates her effing job, and has a panic attack.

🥀 Gone But Not Forgotten…

Another spate of celebrity deaths, in order of demise. First, John Saxon, who did his share of horror films, most notably, Nightmare on Elm Street.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/john-saxon-dead-enter-dragon-nightmare-elm-street-actor-was-83-1095778

Regis Philbin gets his final answer.

https://nypost.com/2020/07/25/the-late-regis-philbin-was-a-one-of-a-kind-tv-talent/

I have to admit, I thought Olivia de Havilland had died already, but she was 103.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/26/entertainment/olivia-de-havilland-dies/index.html

✂️ Cutting It Short…

I’m writing articles for a new website, and haven’t quite gotten my scheduling down yet. I have an article due tomorrow, and still need to do some editing, but I’ll have some tea and real estate for you in my next post. If you want to check out my first article on the Snowpiercer TV series, go to:

https://mupoentertainment.com/theresa-krakauskas/

Until then, stay safe, stay present, and stay away from gatherings of hundreds of people. Apparently, that is not going well.

July 13, 2020 – What’s Goin’ On, When Cyrus Struck a Deal, Pete Gets Called Out, More Goodbyes, Piercing TV, Engaged, Trek Trailer, Too Close, Bringing Back Broadway & Fight

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Methinks we’re getting closer to the goal of seeing new episodes, since today’s dart landed on April 28th, 2020 (even though the guide said May 6thwth?), which was like, five minutes ago, and after quarantine started. You can find the short version below for a catch-up, but If you want the whole shebang, it’s at:

https://tvwiththeresa.wordpress.com/2020/04/29/april-28-2020-sonny-makes-a-deal-stassi-gets-her-wish-scheana-weirds-us-out-alex-goes-to-the-cowboy-bar-a-light/

🎥 The Latest…

What’s up with GH.

https://www.soapcentral.com/gh/news/2020/0626-general_hospital_plans_mid-july_resumption.php

⏱ The Short Of It: Today’s Rerun Flashback Recap

Nina’s fashion shoot on a tropical island got rained out, so she got permission to shoot at the fine arts museum. Jax showed up at her office, saying she seemed like she was in crisis mode, and she told him that she’d had to go with Plan B. He asked if he could help, and she asked for a hug. He wondered why her assistant Nelle wasn’t helping, and asked if Nina had taken his suggestion and fired her. Nina said she’d sent need on some errands because she didn’t want her telling tales, especially to The Invader. Sasha had cheated on Michael, and since he was Sonny’s son, it was going to be news.

Alexis saw Valentin in the MetroCourt bar, and said he looked like he’d lost his best friend. He said he did, but they were better off without him. Lulu asked Laura why she thought Valentin gave up on Charlotte, and Laura flashed back to Valentin telling her that she was a good person, and he needed her to teach Charlotte to be good, since clearly he couldn’t. Lulu thought he was being manipulative, but Laura thought something was different after Violet’s birthday party. Lulu asked if Laura meant when she was advocating for Valentin, and Laura said she’d been advocating for Charlotte. Charlotte listened in on their conversation, and Laura said it sounded like Valentin was walking away from Charlotte for her own good. At the garage, TJ wanted to pay Molly’s bill, but told Brando there was something wrong. Molly, Kristina, and Sam were at Charlie’s, where Molly told her sisters about the accident she’d had. She said they’d just met the mechanic; it was Brando.

On the pier, Sonny told Cyrus to crawl back in the hole he came from, or there would be a war. Cyrus said he couldn’t go back to Seattle, and Sonny said that left only a nuclear option left. Cyrus said he had an offer that would work for both of them. Chase came home to an empty apartment, and flashed back to happier times with Willow. Finn showed up, and wondered why Chase wasn’t his annoyingly upbeat self. Chase said he’d cheated on Willow, she found out, and he’d lost her. Valentin told Alexis that he wasn’t planning on challenging Lulu for sole custody. Charlotte wasn’t little anymore, and had witnessed some regrettable behavior on his part. He was walking away, and not looking back.

Nina told Jax that the scandal could affect Michael’s custody fight for Wiley. Jax said, Sasha and Michael were happy together and crazy about each other. Nina said she’d warned Michael, but he’d been determined to believe Sasha was a fallen angel who needed him. She said Sasha was weak at best, and an opportunist at worst. Cyrus said he and Sonny could both do business, and not interfere with each other. After being in prison, he wanted the opportunity to put down roots. He enjoyed the fresh air and sunlight, and Port Charles was a friendly place. Jason asked if it was friendly of Cyrus to have a sniper on the roof watching them, and Sonny asked if this was how Cyrus wanted it to go down. Molly told her sisters that she’d slept with Brando, and Sam said she’d go pick up Molly’s car. TJ told Brando, the price seemed low, but Brando said it was a discount for first time customers; it kept them coming back. He said Molly had told him TJ had been in the hospital, and asked how TJ was doing. Laura told Lulu that Valentin thought Charlotte was better off without him, and Charlotte flashed back to telling Valentin that she’d seen what he did to Ava (he’d pushed her off the parapet before the wedding). Lulu was skeptical, but Laura thought Valentin was putting Charlotte’s well-being before his own. Alexis asked why Valentin had come to his decision, and remembered Sam calling her out about Neil, and saying she didn’t look up to Alexis anymore, and how she had a drink afterward. Nina told Jax that she didn’t miss Sasha, but missed who she’d thought Sasha was. Jax said if she wanted to look for her daughter, he’d be happy to help, but Nina said she’d put a lot of time and effort into standing on her own two feet. It was tempting, but it was like he was always offering her the best dessert, and she could only have it on special occasions.

Chase lied to Finn, telling him that Willow was baby-obsessed, and Sasha was actually present when they were together; she gave him her full attention. She felt the same way, and they’d slept together, and kept sleeping together. Finn said it was the biggest load of crap he’d ever heard, and to tell him what really happened. Lulu asked what Valentin had told Laura to convince her that he was putting Charlotte first, and Laura said it was the state he was in. She felt that he’d changed. Lulu said he was the same guy who had shot Nikolas, and Laura said, the brother Lulu couldn’t forgive for surviving. Lulu told her to stay on topic, and that it made no sense. Valentin would do anything for Charlotte. Laura said maybe he loved Charlotte that much, and was willing to walk away. Jax tried to get Nina to take the afternoon off, but Charlotte showed up. She screamed at Jax to get away from Nina, and said Nina had to get back together with her papa – today. Cyrus told Sonny, it was just a precaution in case Sonny had his own guy on the roof, but Sonny said he had all the back-up he needed, indicating Jason. Cyrus called his man off, and Sonny said he had an offer. Take it or leave it; one time only.

TJ said Molly had the accident before he’d gone to the hospital, but Brando said he’d run into Molly at Charlie’s that morning. Sam came into the garage, and TJ told her about the special discount Brando had given Molly. Lulu told Laura that she didn’t doubt Valentin loved Charlotte, but it was the way he showed it that she disagreed with. He ran off with Charlotte after the wedding didn’t happen, intending on kidnapping her. Laura said they didn’t know that, and he might have just wanted to get Charlotte away from what was going on. She thought he’d had a life-altering experience. Lulu said when Valentin came off as wise and compassionate, it was time to count the silverware. Laura wondered how they were going to tell Charlotte. Charlotte said Nina and Valentin belonged together, and Valentin wasn’t fighting for her anymore. Jax told her, dads were forever. Alexis told Valentin that she tried to help someone, and might lose her license because of it. Valentin said it wasn’t the end of the world; she was more than her job. She said now that they found out they weren’t related, she almost liked him. Who was he? He said he’d like to know that too. His phone rang, and it was Nina, asking him to come to her office. Charlotte was there, and needed her father. Chase acted offended, and Finn said his story was a doozie. He wasn’t so good with feelings and emotions, but even he could see Chase loved Willow. Normally, Chase was a walking Valentine’s Day card with a candy heart attached that said something embarrassing. He said Willow had seen what Chase wanted her to, and Chase asked why he’d do something like that. Finn told Chase to clue him in; why had he pushed Willow away? Kristina told Molly not to be hard on herself, but Molly wondered how she and TJ could have a future, when she fell into bed with the first person who came along when she didn’t hear from him. Kristina said Molly hadn’t known if TJ was out having wild and cray sex too. Molly said she wasn’t going to rationalize having a one-night stand, and knew what she had to do.

After TJ left, Sam said she didn’t know Brando, but knew why he came to Port Charles, and that he’d brought baggage with him. She told him, forget about Molly; it never happened. Jax told Charlotte that her dad loved her, and explained that dads had a special handbook for daughters, since daughters had special powers over them. Valentin arrived, and Nina told him Charlotte was afraid he didn’t want her anymore. Sonny told Cyrus that he could live in Port Charles, but had to conduct his business elsewhere. Cyrus couldn’t move his merchandise through Sonny’s territory, and couldn’t touch Sonny or his associates. Cyrus said Sonny had a large territory, and such deference would be expensive. Sonny said, take it or leave it; it wasn’t his problem. Cyrus said, fine, they had a deal, and they shook hands. I’d forgotten how much I like Jeff Kober in this role.

Lulu and Laura hunted for Charlotte. Nina called Lulu, and told her that Charlotte was at her office. Charlotte was physically fine, but she was upset. Valentin was with her now. Lulu said she’d be right there. Valentin told Charlotte that he loved her, and Charlotte said she’d heard Laura and Lulu saying he wanted to leave her. Valentin said he never wanted to leave her, but wanted her to know the difference between right and wrong. She said if he loved her, he would take her away, and begged him take her wherever he was going. Jax went to the MetroCourt bar, and sat with Alexis, saying he needed her level head. Charlotte had seemed afraid Valentin was leaving her. Alexis said Valentin had made a decision about his and Charlotte’s future. His life had been knocked off course, and he wanted to do right by Charlotte, even if he suffered. Finn said Chase was laying it on thicker than Violet put hot fudge on ice cream at a sundae bar. Chase said he’d tell Finn the truth if Finn promised to keep it between them. Finn said he would, as long as it was the truth. Chase said he needed Willow to think he’d cheated on her so she’d marry Michael. Molly told Kristina that she needed to be completely honest. She was going to tell TJ everything. Brando told Sam that he hadn’t even known Molly had a boyfriend until after they’d slept together, and she hadn’t done anything she hadn’t wanted to. Sam asked he wanted, and he said to run his garage, if she’d leave and let him do it. She said if he tried to make trouble for Molly, he’d have a world of trouble with her.

Cyrus and his bodyguard went to the MetroCourt, where Cyrus had been thrown out recently. Cyrus said it had been too easy. Sonny thought he’d lowered his guard, and was going to kill him, but he didn’t play by Sonny’s rules. He was going to start by getting rid Jason. At the pier, Sonny told Jason that he was going to let Cyrus get comfortable, and when Cyrus stopped looking for Sonny out of the corner of his eye, he would take him out.

Below Deck Mediterranean

I got confused for a second. I saw Bugs and thought, is this a rerun?

When we last left, Jessica had smashed her finger in a door the day before charter.

Jessica tells Bugs what happened, and hopes it isn’t broken. Bugs asks if she felt a snap, and Jessica says, yeah. Bugs radios Captain Sandy, who tells her to send Jess to the hospital, and Bugs puts her in a taxi.

It’s time for the preference sheet meeting, and Captain Sandy says primary Bernardo is a real estate mogul from Miami, who’s bringing along some entrepreneur and model friends for one of their birthdays. There are also some vegans in the group, and in his interview, Kiko says he hates cooking vegan. He misses the protein. He’s from Brazil, and likes meat and fish. Bernardo wants a mariachi band, who plays as they approach in a tender while the guests are having dinner. Kiko says, they look chill, but Captain Sandy says, they’re from Miami; they’re not chill. Jess returns, and tells Rob her finger is fractured. They hug. In Jess’s interview, she says she doesn’t know if she’ll be able to keep her job, but she hopes so. Her other fingers work good. She shows Hannah and Malia her splint. She tells them when she’d gotten breast augmentation, she still worked, and Hannah says she hopes Jess’s hand heals as quickly as her boobs. Jess tells the captain, it’s a hairline fracture. Captain Sandy tells her to talk to Hannah, and see if she can figure it out. They may have to bring someone else in, but she’ll see how it goes. In Hannah’s interview, she says she needs a third stew with two hands, but Jess will have to do this charter. Bugs tells Malia she thinks Pete says things for shock value, but it’s gotten inappropriate. Malia says he crossed the line, and suggests Bugs chat with the captain. Jess tells Rob, she hopes this doesn’t affect her job, but if it does, the captain will have to find someone else. They kiss.

In the crew mess, Kiko looks at the sheets and sees dairy/gluten free, and dairy/gluten free vegan. He says he needs to be confident, or he’ll mess up. The captain calls Hannah to the bridge. She says it’s obvious they have to get through next charter, and Hannah hasn’t had a fair shake. She tells Hannah to let her know how it’s going. At least she’s got Bugs. Hannah says, yeah, and her lack of enthusiasm is obvious. Hannah tells Kiko that she doesn’t want Jess fired. She’s afraid she’ll get another effing Lara, and she doesn’t trust Bugs. She asks if Kiko has her back, and he says, don’t worry.

Four hours before charter. Hannah has a pre-charter meeting with the stews. She says, obviously, the charter is going to have some challenges, and Bugs says she doesn’t mind helping. In Hannah’s interview, she says, one good thing about Bugs is, she knows what she’s doing. Hannah can let Bugs pick up the slack and manage Jess. They don’t need more drama. She tells Malia, obviously, Jess can’t do service, and asks if she could help. Bugs tells the captain that she had a strange encounter with Pete. She thought he said certain things for shock value, like how he talks about women, but after the charter in the crew mess, he was rude in a sexual way. We flash back to him telling Bugs about how he likes to bang stews. She says he was slightly threatening, but she’s not accusing him of anything. He did nothing physically, but they live in close quarters, and she’s concerned for the girls. Captain Sandy tells Bugs, for her to say she’s uncomfortable means something. She asks if Bugs is all right with the next charter, and Bugs says she just doesn’t want it to happen again. The captain says she’ll speak to Pete, and calls him to the bridge.

The captain tells Pete that she’s seriously considering letting him go because of what she’s heard. The way he talks about women and treats them is not okay. She tells him, this is serious, and he admits he might have said inappropriate things. He’s too much of an open book. Apparently, Pete doesn’t understand what that expression means. Captain Sandy says, it’s not okay out in the world, much less on the boat. He needs to get his head on right, and consider what comes out of his mouth. He’s lucky she’s not leaving him on the dock. She tells him, just do your job.

Jess forgets to turn on the vacuum cleaner before vacuuming. Hannah calls for the mariachi band, explaining they need to be playing as they approach the boat while the guests are having dinner. Maliah calls Pete to meet her on deck. She tells him, this isn’t going to be easy, but he’s no longer the lead deckhand. She needs to put her foot down. It’s impacting the whole crew. They have a professional code, and the things he says are vulgar. He has a female captain, a female bosun, and a female chief stew, and he’ll have to respect that. His ego and cockiness are putting the safety of the vessel in jeopardy, and she’s baffled as to why she has to explain this to someone who calls themselves a captain. In her interview, she says, from the beginning, he talked back and didn’t listen. This is the next step. She tells Pete consider this his one, two, third warning. She’s not putting up with it. He says he understands, but we’ll see. The provisions come in.

Pete asks Bugs to meet him on the bow. Malia tells Rob and Alex that Pete is no longer lead deckhand. She thinks it’s the best decision for the team, and Rob agrees. She says she doesn’t want Pete to feel left out, but he needs to learn a lesson. Pete apologizes to Bugs, saying if he came at her any way, he didn’t mean to make her uncomfortable. Bugs says, in the beginning, she thought it was shock humor, but it got extreme. He’d said he felt she was flirting with him, but she’s just a friendly person. They can move past what happened. In her interview, she says she’s all about second chances. The chance to redeem yourself is important. Thank you. Fairness is key, even if it’s Pete. Captain Sandy calls the crew to the dock. Jess fumbles at buttoning her shirt, and asks Rob to help her. He says, damn, girl, and she says it’s the first time he’s buttoning it, instead of unbuttoning it. Hannah puts Jess’s deodorant on her. Everyone gets on dock.

Captain Sandy says she can tell already the guests will be so much fun. She welcomes them, saying there’s going to be great weather, and the crew is going to show them an amazing time. In Hannah’s interview, she says, they look interesting and fun. She’s hopeful that she won’t have to bring out any of her non-existent Spanish. She gives the guests the tour. In Malia’s interview, she says she needs someone else to step up. She’s giving Alex the responsibility, and hopes he can run with it. It’s a broken hope. Hannah says they’ll have lunch on the water, and set up the beach club. Guest Joel admires Kiko, and Hannah tells Kiko, somebody has a crush on him already. They’re off the dock, and Captain Sandy says, amazing job. Malia gives props to the deckhands as well. Jessica is looking for lemons, and asks Kiko if he has any. Bugs says, that’s Hannah’s responsibility, and wonders if Hannah ordered them. She tells Kiko not to give them any of his; they need to take care of themselves. They’ll use limes. Bernardo asks Hannah if he can get some mushrooms on the side, and if someone can unpack for him. Alex tells Pete, be a man about it, and Pete says, it’s all good. Watch out for Professional Pete. It’s a side they haven’t seen yet. The guests take loads of picture for social media. Hannah asks Jess to unpack Bernardo’s suitcases, and asks Kiko for the mushrooms. Bernardo goes to his cabin, and tells Jess to just unpack the one suitcase. Hint: it’s not the one she’s already unpacking. In her interview, she wonders how he doesn’t feel guilty. She’s got a broken finger, and she’s unpacking for him. Is it really necessary? She tosses his stuff on bed.

In his interview, Pete says he got kicked in the teeth a little bit; he needed it. All he can do now is bring out Professional Pete. It’s not always Party Pete. I gag. This guy could give Jax a run for his money in a few years as worst human being on earth. Hannah calls the yacht provisioner, and asks for lemons. Bugs brings Bernardo his mushrooms. Ron kisses Jess in the laundry. Hannah says, these people are going to be a nightmare. Kiko tells Hannah about Bugs claiming she was responsible for the lemons. In Hannah’s interview, she says it’s Bugs’s second charter, and already Bugs is throwing her under the bus. Kiko tells her to open her eyes, and she says she sleeps with one eye open. Malia tells the deckhands, once they have anchorage, get everything out in thirty minutes. Guest Giancarlo is picky about his juice, and Bugs concocts something for him. Giancarlo pronounces it amazing. They drop anchor in an unbelievably beautiful cove. In Malia’s interview, she says Pete is taking his demotion well. She doesn’t know if it’s genuine or he’s playing the long game. She’ll see how he holds up. She tells the guests the rules for the jet skis. No surprise, they don’t listen, and get way too close to some paddleboarders. Jess does some ironing. In her interview, Hannah says Bugs’s over-enthusiasm drives her up a wall. If Bugs thinks she can do Hannah’s job, then do it. The deckhands have the usual struggle with the slide. In Kiko’s interview, he said he hates cooking vegan; it’s not his style. He’s going to try his best to make the guests happy. They guests are served ceviche tropical, with quinoa salad for the vegans. It all looks good to be. Bugs says she’ll just keep feeding them. Bernardo wants more mushrooms, and Kiko says vegan cooking is a challenge. He makes a pan of mushrooms, but Bugs, a vegetarian, says they’re too chewy. He says it’s the quality of mushrooms, but it’s all he has.

Bugs makes up something about the mushrooms not coming in. In the galley, Kiko says, pressure, pressure, pressure. One of the guests asks Jess about her injury. Having had the same thing, the guest says it pains her to see Jess like that. In her interview, Bugs says, Kiko is a hot mess. She feels bad, but it’s just the job. The yacht provisioner calls, and says she can deliver mushrooms today. In the crew mess, Bugs tells Malia, what a day, and Malia says, it’s only up from there. Bugs says the thing with Pete turned into the biggest drama, and Malia says maybe he’ll recognize he has a problem. They need to give him a chance. Hannah asks Kiko about the vegan main course, and he says, the mushrooms need to get there on time. If they don’t, he’s screwed. Everyone gets ready for dinner. Guest Edwin asks Hannah to press his jacket, which is a rumpled mess. Hannah buttons Jess up for dinner. Captain Sandy tells the crew, good job; they worked hard today. The guests gather in the lounge, and everyone makes a fuss over Bernardo’s suit, but I don’t see it. I guess he’s paying for the trip. In Jess’s interview, she says she can’t dress herself, and has to figure out how to hold drinks, but she has Rob. She’s got this. Rob brings the drinks upstairs for her. Pete tells Malia, he’s sorry they started off wrong, and she says, it happens; learn from it. I don’t know what Bugs has going on with the table décor, but it has fairy lights, so I love it. A guest gripes about the time, and Bugs’s interview, she says Kiko is under a lot of pressure, but he brings some of it on himself. She’s keeping the drinks flowing and the party going. It’s part of what they do. The mushrooms arrive, and Kiko gets to work. It’s nearly 10 pm by the time the guests are seated, when dinner should have been served at 9:30. In her interview, Bugs says there was a set time, but it’s come and gone. It’s hard to cover this up. In Kiko’s interview, he says, timing is hard on the galley. His mind is messed up over the mushrooms, and he feels like sh*t. Everyone except the vegans get their meals, and Kiko works frantically. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says she’s confused. The last dinner was 72 plates, and it was incredible. Now she’s at a loss. Kiko says mushroom teriyaki is an art, and comes up personally with the vegan meals. The guests chant his name, and the food is declared delicious. Malia puts Pete on anchor watch, and explains the monitor. In his interview, he says he needs to be professional. He let the crew down, and he needs them to believe in him again.

The guests are anxious for the next course, and Hannah asks Malia for help serving. Everyone says the fish entrée is perfect, but Bernardo says his is raw, and asks for it to be cooked more. Bugs brings it back to the galley, and Kiko says, f***, aye, aye, aye. He asks her to apologize for him, and she says she already did, but she’ll do it again. In his interview, Kiko says he messed up. He knows Bugs is helping him, but everything is on him. Jess cleans the cabins. Joel says, Kiko, my pal. Jess and Rob kiss, and she says she wants to snuggle. Rob says he’ll ask Kiko, since they share a cabin.

The guests are still hungry, and guest Victor says they want more food. Hannah goes back to the galley, and says he needs to work on portion sizes; the guests are still hungry, and want more everything. Some of the guests start jingling some kind of doodad they have like they’re ringing a bell for the help. In Kiko’s interview, he says he feels like sh*t. It’s like he’s not good enough. He tells Bugs, he doesn’t understand it. He just served 72 plates, and today is the worst day of his life. Bugs says, we all have those days, and tells Hannah that Kiko is down. In Hannah’s interview, she says she hopes he pulls himself out of his funk. He’s the chef, and they kind of need him.

Next time, Rob says there’s tension on the boat, the food is late again, Captain Sandy says she doesn’t see Hannah leading, Jess and Bugs argue, and Captain Sandy talks to Kiko.

😥 Two Sad Farewells…

This is starting to get just a little weird. Is it me, or are there an inordinate amount of people dying? And I don’t mean just from the virus. I only knew her work on Glee, but I liked her outspokenness.

https://www.intouchweekly.com/posts/naya-rivera-dead-glee-star-dies-at-33-after-body-found/

Tributes:

https://www.tvguide.com/news/glee-cast-reacts-to-naya-rivera-drowning/

She also seemed like a decent human being. And this after living through her son passing away. Poor John Travolta.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/kelly-preston-actress-jerry-maguire-more-films-dies-at-57-1302960

Tributes:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/kelly-preston-dead-josh-gad-maria-shriver-more-stars-pay-tribute-1302963

🚝 It’s Not Just a Movie Anymore…

I love the film Snowpiercer, and from what I’ve seen of the series (which hasn’t been much, two episodes), it’s captured the same spirit.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/snowpiercer-review-1294195

💍 I Love His Mum…

It’s no secret I love The Spice Girls, and Posh is my second favorite (after Ginger). Victoria Beckham not only is a fabulous designer and has a wicked sense of humor, she seems to be a wonderful mother. And these two seem like a lovely couple.

https://pagesix.com/2020/07/11/brooklyn-beckham-confirms-engagement-to-nicola-peltz/

🛸 Trekking On…

When there’s no more room for live action, animation will rule the earth.

https://www.space.com/star-trek-lower-decks-animated-series-1st-trailer-premiere-date.html

👩‍👧 Feeling sMothered…

I found out the New York Post co-produced this show. I’m not surprised. And in case you didn’t know, Alexander Hamilton founded the newspaper. Again, I’m not surprised.

https://nypost.com/2020/07/13/smothered-recap-mom-gets-plastic-surgery-with-daughter-to-bond/

🎭 The Show Must Go On…

You know the really sad part? A friend of mine from high school lives in the city, and every once in a while, we go to the theater together. He’s the Best. Date. Ever. He pays for everything, and wants nothing but my scintillating company. We had just been planning on seeing Patti Lupone in Company when the pandemic hit. …sniff…

https://nypost.com/2020/07/09/broadway-may-be-dark-but-people-are-working-hard-to-bring-it-back/

🍳 This is Your Brain On Quarantine…

While it’s quite the roller coaster ride right now, don’t give up hope. If Samuel Pepys made it through the bubonic plague – better than a lot of people are dealing now – you can get through this. Stay safe, stay out of trouble, and stay looking out for one another.

May 20, 2020 – The Custody Hearing Begins, An Astrological Evening, Goodbye Basement Artie, Farewell To the Best, Child Reunion, Togetherness, King Costume, TNT Train & Raining

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Sonny tells Jason, the disease takes away everything that makes you who are, and you’re left with an empty shell. When he asks what Mike wants, Mike doesn’t say anything. Sonny doesn’t know if Mike doesn’t want to say anything, doesn’t understand, or he doesn’t know. If his dad wants to stay and fight, he has every right to do that. Jason says, of course (🍷), and Sonny says, then again, what is Mike fighting for? He has no quality of life – the doctors made that clear – and he has nothing to look forward to. His heart is still beating, but his brain can’t hold his memories. He’s lost his appetite, and they’ll have to feed him by putting tubes in him. Sonny doesn’t know how much more he should do, and his dad is confused. That’s where they’re at. Jason knows Sonny wants answers, but can only tell him what he’d want if he was in Mike’s place.

Laura opens the door to Lulu, who holds up an envelope. She says, see this? Nikolas and Ava are having a party to celebrate the unveiling of Franco’s portrait. Laura says she got one, hand delivered; fancy stuff. Lulu says she can send regrets for both of them if Laura wants, but Laura says, actually, it’s not what she wants.

At the MetroCourt bar, Nikolas tells Ava that he saw some of Avery’s drawings. She’s quite the artist. Ava says she can’t wait to show Avery’s stuff at the gallery, and he says, speaking of art, he ran into her favorite painter at the gym. She hopes he didn’t use Franco as a punching bag, and he says, why? Is there something or someone they should be fighting about?

Elizabeth tells Franco that Nikolas is trying be the person she used to know; trustworthy and loyal, and someone who values honor and integrity.  If he ends up being that person, she’ll most likely be friends with him again. Franco says Nikolas is also the person who ran her sister out of town, and Violet has no mother now. Does she want to be friends with that guy?

Diane tells Michael and Willow to go ahead; she needs to talk to Carly. She asks if Carly is ready to be cross-examined by Nelle’s attorney. It’s not going to be pretty. Carly says she’s going to present herself as a loving grandmother and mother, who wants the best for Wiley, which happens to be true. The judge needs to know Nelle should never get custody.

Willow looks at a picture of her and Chase. She asks if Michael still has photos of Sasha, but he says he’s deleted them. Willow says she knows Michael is hurting like she is, but what makes it bearable is not being alone; they’re going through it together. Michael says when he needs a reminder of why they married, and why they’re there, he looks at this. He shows her a picture of Wiley.

Nelle practices her testimony. She say she doesn’t claim to be perfect, but has been given the most precious thing anyone can possess. She’s not asking for custody for herself, but for her son Wiley. Martin says, too saccharine, and not enough sincerity. Once more, with feeling.

Lulu asks if Laura is thinking of going to this charade. It’s just Ava’s excuse to patronize the little people, now that she’s queen of Spoon Island. Laura says Nikolas is still her son and Lulu’s brother, and Lulu says, he brought Ava into their family, and brought it on himself. She doesn’t see why he should inflict her on the rest of them. Laura says it’s important to show they still love him and he’s still part of the family, but Lulu says Laura wouldn’t be attending that ostentatious overblown party as Nikolas’s mother. She’s the mayor, and represents the city of Port Charles. Laura doesn’t think it’s a big deal, but Lulu says attending is giving Ava her stamp of approval; knowing Ava coerced Nikolas into marriage, and they’re both miserable, and that Spencer would rather stay in France than be there. Is she sure she’s prepared for that?

Ava tells Nikolas, like most talented artists, Franco is moved by powerful emotion, and she’s promoting his art. He says she’s promoting Franco’s ugly past, but Ava says he doesn’t mind. Nikolas says, Elizabeth does. She asks if he showed Elizabeth the letter from Spencer, and he says he told her that Spencer is willing to restore their relationship if he divorces Ava. Ava says Elizabeth must have loved that. Did he tell her how he responded to Spencer’s proposal? Did he choose his son or his fortune?

Nelle asks if Martin has any other unwanted advice. Is her dress too short? He says, just tell the truth, and let it stand up next to Michael, Carly, and Willow’s version. She says she’ll have Nina as a character witness. Julian comes in, and she says, her husband. He says, hello darling, and Martin asks if he’s been drinking. Julian says he had one shot for court, and Martin gives him a tin of mints. Martin leaves, and Nelle tells Julian that if she wins, Sonny need never find out that Julian knew about the baby switch. Stick to the script. Losing is not an option.

Diane asks Carly if Sonny will be in court, but Carly says, no; he’s with his father. Diane says it’s probably for the best, since his presence in the courtroom might be construed as intimidation.

Michael asks if Willow is ready to go head to head with Nelle’s attorney, and she says she has nothing to hide. He says he can’t say the same. He and his family are going to be dragged through the mud, and some of it is bound to splash on her. She says, for better or worse, and he says, they’re starting off worse. She asks if he means the honeymoon is over, and he says, when this is over, they’ll take Wiley and go somewhere fun. She says she’ll take him up on that.

Jason says he told the doctors before his first surgery, he didn’t want tubes and machines keeping him alive. Sonny says Jason didn’t have kids then. How would he feel for his kids to lose him? Jason says he’d never want his kids to go through what Sonny is going through; seeing him in bed, knowing he can’t recognize them, and can’t even feed himself. Sonny asks if he’d want them to sign a DNR, and Jason says he wishes Mike hadn’t put it on Sonny. Sonny says there’s a lot he and his dad didn’t talk about; a lot they didn’t share. Now it’s too late.

Ava says she’ll take Nikolas’s silence to mean he hasn’t talked to Spencer. Nikolas says, what if Spencer doesn’t want him without his money? Is Spencer really willing to lose the money and prestige that comes with being a Cassadine? She says, Spencer is still young. He’s still figuring out what’s important. But if he didn’t care, he would have been indifferent upon Nikolas’s return. Spencer loves Nikolas, and wants him, money or no money. He says, she’d like that because she gets it all. Guess again.

Elizabeth tells Franco, she knows Nikolas can be selfish, but he’s also incredibly sensitive, kind, and patient. Franco says it sounds like she’s already halfway there in forgiving him, and she says she’s trying to understand why one minute he’s a stranger, and the next, she sees flashes of the friend she used to know. He says, sorry; they don’t have to talk about it, but Elizabeth says they should talk. He admits they can’t pretend their feelings don’t exist, and she says her feelings for Nikolas are complicated. Like his for Ava.

Carly takes the stand, and Diane asks what the nature is of her relationship to Michael. She says she’s Michael’s mother, and Diane asks where she was when Michael got engaged to Nelle. Carly tells her, Ferncliff, a hospital for the criminally insane. Diane asks what was the reason she was there, and Carly says Nelle accused her of pushing her down a flight stairs at her baby shower. She was forced to plead temporary insanity. Diane says, with the help of friends, she managed to escape; isn’t that criminal as well? Carly says it is, but when the truth came out, she was exonerated, and her sentence vacated. Diane asks if Nelle ever visited, and Carly says she did, when she and Michael became engaged. Nelle said Carly was trapped, and she was going marry Michael, and in time, the family would forget Carly, and she’d be left to rot. She wanted Carly to know she’d won. Martin objects, saying her testimony is highly inflammatory, and Diane says, withdrawn.

Martin asks Carly what kind of business she’s in, and she says, hospitality. She owns the MetroCourt. He asks what business her husband is in, illegal or otherwise, and Diane says Sonny isn’t there to testify. Martin says, withdrawn, and asks Carly to explain what happened on April 24th, 1988. She tells him that Tony Jones kidnapped Michael, and received a suspended sentence. He asks what happened to Tony next, and she says she shot him. He asks what punishment she received for shooting her former lover, who was also her stepfather, and she says she went to Shadybrook mental institution. He says, and she’d believe her grandson would be safe in her less than stable care? Diane objects, and he says, withdrawn. Diane says, it’s a matter of public record that Nelle perjured herself in an attempt to secure a conviction against Carly for attempted murder. In simpler terms, Nelle lied to cause Carly grievous harm. She asks if Carly tried to retaliate, but Carly says, no. She would never do that. She loves her son and grandson too much to stoop to Nelle’s level. Michael is called to the stand.

Laura says Lulu always looks out for her, and Lulu says, translation; Laura appreciates her concern, but she’s going anyway. Laura says, someone has to look out for Nikolas, and Lulu says, he has a wife for that. Laura says, she’d love it if Ava would be the person to bring out the good out in Nikolas, but they know that’s not going to happen. Lulu asks if Laura thinks there’s still good to bring out, and Laura says, of course (🍷). Nikolas just needs the chance to show it. Lulu says Laura sees it that way because she’s Nikolas’s mom. What if he’s become a Cassadine through and through, and is as deceitful as the rest? Laura says, not Nikolas. She would never give up on him, just like Lulu wouldn’t give up on Rocco or Charlotte. There’s a knock at the door, and it’s Nikolas bearing flowers.

Franco tells Elizabeth, there’s nothing complicated about his relationship with Ava. She cares about his career. Elizabeth says, second only to Ava’s concern for herself. Ava comes by, and says that sounds like something her husband would say, and she wouldn’t put too much stock in someone who pretended to be dead for two years. She says she has something for Franco, and reaches into her bag. He says she doesn’t have snakes in her bag, does she? but she says, no; a check. It’s the balance due on her portrait, and he deserves every penny. I try to read it, and it looks like $16K.

Martin asks when Michael got to know Wiley. Michael says when he was asked to be Wiley’s godfather. He was honored to be included in Wiley’s life. Martin asks if that’s all he felt, and Michael says he felt a connection to Wiley; nothing supernatural, just the instinct that Wiley needed him. When he learned Wiley was his son, the bond grew stronger. He made a promise – a vow – to never let Wiley down or let anyone hurt him. Martin says, no one doubts his love for Wiley is true. He submits Michael and Willow’s marriage license as evidence, dated yesterday; the ink barely dry. Diane objects, and Martin says, he’ll rephrase. Given the timing, does Michael love his wife? Michael says, Willow is loyal and generous, and inherently decent. She’s courageous and compassionate, and sees the best in people, but she’s nobody’s fool. Yes, he loves her. Martin asks, then why didn’t he marry her earlier? Which begs the question, is he in love with her?

Michael says he loves Willow, but he’s not in love with her. Nelle whispers to Julian that she loves it. Martin says, Michael didn’t marry for love. He married to put on a show for the court; to project an image of a loving, stable couple. Michael says, it’s not that at all. He married for love. Willow’s love of Wiley is equal to his. Martin says he’s not asking if Michael loves his son. He’s asking if there’s mutual love that’s the bedrock of a genuine marriage. Absent of that, it’s a marriage of convenience.

Sonny tells Jason, he wonders if Mike is listening to music, something in his head, or nothing. They watch Mike, and Sonny says, they didn’t get lot of time when Mike left him and his mom. Jason says, Sonny got him back, and Sonny says he’s grateful for that. Jason says, not everyone gets a second chance. Look at Michael, fighting for the son he thought was dead. Now here Sonny is, fighting for his father, so Sonny will have him in his life. Sonny says he’s losing Mike a little more every day.

Nikolas asks Lulu how Charlotte is, and Lulu says, fine. He says, of all the mistakes he made, one of the worst was letting Charlotte believe he was her secret bodyguard. He hears Lulu is fighting again to keep her safe from Valentin. Does she have a court date yet? Lulu says she and Valentin agreed to continue with their 50/50 custody agreement, and Laura says she’s proud of Lulu, putting Charlotte’s needs first. Lulu hopes Nikolas doesn’t intend on giving her advice about raising children, and he says he supposes he can’t, but that’s why he’s there. He’s hoping they can give him some advice. Laura asks if something is wrong, and he says Spencer said he’s willing to welcome Nikolas back into his life if he dumps Ava. Nikolas gives Laura the letter, and she asks if Nikolas answered him. He says, not yet, and Lulu asks what he’s waiting for. His son in his life, and the wife he despises kicked to the curb. It’s a no-brainer. Laura asks, what’s stopping him?

Franco tells Elizabeth, check it out. Maybe they can plant the check, and get a money tree that will pay for Cameron’s college. Ava says the unveiling will be a huge success, and he’ll be swamped with business. Elizabeth says, along with a reminder of the past he worked hard to put behind him. Ava agrees it’s unsavory, but there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Elizabeth suggests Ava try working on bringing out the best in Nikolas, and Ava asks what makes her think it’s there? Elizabeth says she’s seen it.

Michael says he and Willow will work to provide a loving, stable home for Wiley. A marriage of convenience? Far from it. It came at a cost, but Wiley is worth it. Martin has no further questions.

On the stand, Willow tells Diane, adoption was the hardest thing, but she had to protect her baby from his father. Diane says, who was? and Willow says, David Henry Archer. He changed his name to Shiloh when he founded the cult Dawn of Day. Diane says, and before he married Nelle, he was previously convicted of murder, drugging women before he raped them, and kidnapping. The trial transcripts show the depositions of the women this man drugged and raped; this man whose widow wants to assume sole custody of Wiley. How did Willow feel when she learned another child was alive and her son was dead? Willow says, the grief was unbearable, but at the same time, she was so happy for Michael. Diane asks why she didn’t stay away, and she says Michael asked her to stay in Wiley’s life. Wiley had already been through so much, and been through so many changes, Michael knew the best thing he could do for Wiley was to give him a real family. One with the both of them. Martin asks if there was another side, a darker side of her involvement.

Laura says, so if Nikolas divorces Ava, he loses his money, Windymere, and Spoon Island. Nikolas says, Spencer’s legacy, and Lulu says, Ava is no dummy. Spencer is a good kid with expensive taste, and a long list of necessities. Laura says, all Spencer needs is his father. He felt betrayed because Ava backed up Valentin, and he’d do anything to punish her. Nikolas doesn’t need them to tell him what to do. Just be a father, and everything else will take care of itself. Lulu says she needs someone to translate, and Nikolas says their mother will. He leaves, and Lulu asks, what was that about?

Ava hopes Elizabeth can put aside her misgivings, and join Franco. Not for her, but for Nikolas. Elizabeth suggests she and Franco go back home together after work. She goes to finish up, and Ava says she thought by promoting Franco it would be good for him and his family. If he feels like he’s being exploited, or that it will have any negative impact on the boys… He says the boys know who he is, and the mistakes he’s made. He wants to be honest, and a good stepdad. He hopes one day they forgive him for who he was.

Martin says, Willow became a teacher of the third grade, and he asks if she’s still employed by the school. She says, no, and he asks, why not? She says her employment was terminated because of parental complaints. They said she kept inserting herself in her student’s lives, and disregarding their parent’s wishes. He asks if that’s how she intends to care for Wiley; ignore the wishes of the woman who gave birth to him. What if she decides she knows better than the father himself? Who will be there to protect Wiley from her?

Diane says the principal must have refused to give Willow a letter of recommendation, but Willow says, no; she received one. Diane submits into evidence, Willow’s glowing letter of recommendation, and asks who Willow’s current employer is. She says she’s part of a pediatric teaching program at GH, and Diane submits her current performance evaluation. She has Willow read it out loud, and it says she’s compassionate, caring, and respectful of other employees, her students, and their parents as well.

Jason asks if Sonny remembers when Mike was bartending. He could always connect, and find something to talk about; some crazy story. Jason didn’t realize it then, but he can see now that Mike was trying to win back Sonny’s trust, and be someone Sonny could count on. Then he’d gamble, lie, and get in trouble, and after that, Sonny would shut down. The disappointment was like a wall between them. And then Mike would go back to work, and try to find something else to talk about, trying to tear down that wall. Sonny says he should have been more forgiving, and not so hard on Mike. Jason says maybe he’s not saying it right. Mike never gave up. He just accepted the wall, because he knew it was his fault it was there in the first place, but he kept trying to tear it down because he’s Sonny’s dad. Mike loves him, and wants him to be okay. What Mike wants is for Sonny to be okay. If Sonny wants to keep him there or let him go, he’s going to be doing what Mike wants. Jason wipes his eyes (!), and says he’s going to take off. Sonny decides to stay a while longer. He wants to be with his dad. He tells Jason that he appreciates it.

Sonny says, all right, dad, taking the earbuds off Mike. He asks if Mike wants to watch TV. Maybe the Yankees are on, and continuing their home run streak. He knows Mickey Mantle is up there, looking down on the Yankees, cheering. He says, guess what? He still has the baseball card Mickey signed and gave to Mike. He’ll never forget Mike telling him it was going to be worth more than gold. He remembers that.

Laura tells Lulu, she’s just reminding Nikolas not to underestimate Spencer. She thinks if he’s open and completely honest, Spencer won’t disappoint him. Lulu asks if there’s something Laura isn’t not telling her, and Laura says she can’t see into the future; she could be wrong. Lulu says, even if she is – which is highly doubtful – her capacity for forgiveness and understanding are amazing. Lulu is in awe of her. Laura says she’s in awe of Lulu, her sweet, loving, and smart daughter. She hopes Lulu’s brother has learned his lesson and is willing to change.

Nikolas calls Spencer. He says he got Spencer’s letter, and he’s ready to respond.

Ava says she looks forward to seeing Franco at the party, and kisses him on the cheek. She says, Nikolas is hoping to see him as well. She leaves, and he asks if Elizabeth is ready. She says, yeah, but seems distant, and walks past him. He takes the flowers, telling her not to forget them. They get into the elevator, Elizabeth still being weird.

Martin calls his first witness – Nelle. Willow takes Michael’s hand, and squeezes. They look at each other.

Tomorrow, Brook accuses Olivia of having an affair, Valentin says nothing is ever as black and white as it seems, Nina tells Jax that she doesn’t know if she should stand up for Nelle, and Martin asks Nelle why she deserves sole custody.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Garcelle got together with her equally gorgeous group of non-Housewives girlfriends. They talked about Garcelle’s divorce, and Garcelle said she’d been blindsided by her husband’s cheating, but her girls had been there for her.

Kyle said Denise would like them to think nothing ruffles her feathers, but Kyle wasn’t buying it. She was seeing another side of Denise, and wondered where it came from. I guess Kyle is so one-dimensional, she can’t understand that people can have different facets to them.

At Denise’s house, Sami was getting ready for her Homecoming date. Last year, she had gone with friends, but this time around, she had a real date with a boy she’s crushing on, and was getting pink hair for the occasion. In Denise’s interview, she said she was  struggling with parenting. Sami was starting to behave badly, hoping for a reaction. She said she and Charlie hadn’t been the wild couple people thought. He was sober when she married him, and she was six-months pregnant when they divorced. Erika griped about Denise having an issue with her talking about the threesome in front of the kids, when Denise was free with her happy ending story, and no one judged her. Man, this issue is really pissing me off. For one thing, Denise isn’t coming from a place of judgement. She didn’t want her kids hearing an adult story. And apparently, Erika doesn’t understand, it was a different audience when Denise talked about her sex life. It was just the women on a camping trip. Like, is it really that hard to grasp? Erika had a private dance rehearsal for Chicago, because, you don’t want other people to have to work doubly hard to make your ass look good. The cast also sent her a welcome video that was really sweet.

Harry Hamlin was off doing a play with Stephanie Powers. He was loving it, but sorry he couldn’t go to the DNA launch. Dorit and PK had a meeting with the restaurant guy, as Dorit was going to design a room in one. PK said by the time she was done, she would design the whole restaurant, put on another level, and add on a hotel. Dorit said she always gave 120%, which is mathematically impossible, and always irritates me when someone says it. I know, very Sheldon of me. PK was all interested in whether LVP knew about Dorit’s project (the guy said he had no reason to be telling her, and rightly so), and Dorit said she wasn’t trying to compete with or follow in LVP’s footsteps.

Erika invited everyone over to her house for a meeting with her astrologer friend, Shawn. LisaR showed up in the exact same pink jacket dress Erika was wearing, which caused LisaR to scream at the top of her lungs. Tom hung out for a drink with the girls, and was quite charming, telling a story about how he was in a John Wayne movie. He played a guy who was shot, and fell off a roof. In her interview, LisaR thought the evening could either be fun or an epic disaster, and we flashed back on several of the parties that were the latter, including the dinner party from hell. When Shawn arrived, Tom wisely took that as his cue to leave. Shawn talked about each woman’s sign, their moon sign, and ascending sign. He said Denise had an intensely complicated side, hidden to most. Kyle’s eyes bugged out, and got even buggier when Shawn said that if you break Denise’s trust, inside, she’d be figuring out how to even the score, and taking her time with it. In Denise’s interview, she said, she’s never plotted revenge. At least not yet. In Kyle’s interview, she wondered what Denise had in store for her. Because even in Denise’s sign traits, Kyle has to be the center of attention. Unless there was a lot we didn’t see, it seemed like all Shawn did was tell the women what kind of people they were, which seemed like a waste of time. He pointed out that Teddi gravitated to one person, usually an earth sign (Kyle), and Dorit said, if Kyle would just admit the rules that apply to the others don’t to Teddi, it would be all good. In Garcelle’s interview, she said that Kyle wants to be liked by everybody. They went over the Dorit freaking out because Sutton said she might freak out issue. Sutton said she didn’t deserve the way Dorit reacted, and Dorit said they weren’t friends yet, so she didn’t know if Sutton would make a scene. In a voice-of-reason moment, Kyle said that was the dumbest thing ever.

In her interview, Garcelle said, the more she got to know Kyle, she could tell Kyle was great with surface stuff – like, I love your bag – but she didn’t care enough to get to know people. These women were so wrapped up in themselves, she could do naked cartwheels on the table, and they wouldn’t notice. On the way back from Erika’s place, Garcelle, Denise, and Sutton shared a limo. Denise said Kyle always comes back to Kyle. In Garcelle’s interview, she said they were being catty, but that’s what girlfriends do. And Kyle deserved it. I like Garcelle. So far. Denise said Kyle talks at you, not to you. Back at Erika’s house, she said she thought the relationship between Kyle and Teddi was strange because Teddi could do no wrong, and Kyle claimed Erika had no close friends. Erika said she had plenty of close friends, and considered Kyle to be one of them.

Next time, a trip to Santa Monica, Teddi thinks Dorit possibly dislikes her, and LisaR confronts Denise – who can’t catch a break – about allowing Charlie’s hookers into her children’s lives. Unreal. Even Jesus ate with hookers, and I’m sure Denise doesn’t introduce them that way.

🗽 The Real King Takes a Final Bow…

Jerry Stiller left behind some fine work, and watching him in King of Queens never gets old.

https://pagesix.com/2020/05/11/jerry-stiller-seinfeld-actor-and-comedian-dead-at-92/

And the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

https://people.com/movies/ben-stiller-reflects-final-days-dad-jerry/

🐕 One Of the Best…

I was surprised to find out Fred Willard was 86 years old, and then I realized how many things I’ve enjoyed him in for so long. It’s like he’s always been there.

https://pagesix.com/2020/05/16/fred-willard-best-in-show-comic-actor-dead-at-86/

https://extratv.com/2020/05/16/modern-family-mockumentary-star-fred-willard-dead-at-86/

🧼 Reunion Of Children…

On Friday, May 22nd, Pine Valley will be taking an online meeting.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/all-my-children/online-reunion-2

😎 Some Good News…

Not everyone is going stir crazy.

https://nypost.com/2020/05/13/coronavirus-pandemic-may-actually-be-bringing-families-together-devine/

🐯 It Saves On the Red Paint Bill…

I don’t agree with PETA on everything, but this was pretty clever.

https://nypost.com/2020/05/13/peta-mocks-joe-exotic-with-160-tiger-king-halloween-costume/

🚝 A Virtual Train…

Snowpiercer is one of my favorite films, so I definitely want to put this on my must-see list.

https://pagesix.com/2020/05/16/tnt-series-snowpiercer-hosts-virtual-premiere/

Speaking of films, I caught The Joker this weekend on cable. Hey, I know I’m behind, but I’m not going to put a second mortgage on the house to go to the movies – God forbid I want popcorn. I thought it was well worth watching, but I did wonder if Joaquin Phoenix was allowed to direct himself. Just do what you want, Joaquin. I have to make some calls.

🌧 When It Rains…

I have a second sick dog. Thank God for small favors, it’s not as bad; an old eye injury has come back to haunt her. But it’s like, come on already. Entertainers are dropping like flies, along with the general public, but at least it looks like we’ll be able to venture out soon. How weird will that be? Stay safe, stay alive, and stay true to your school.

August 30, 2015 — Dating Cait, Dead People & a Train

Standard

What I Watched Today

(random, rambling thoughts on today’s TV)

 

I Am Cait

I don’t blame Cait for being apprehensive about dating. Any woman getting thrown back into the dating pool at 65 would be scared. Unless you’re Tina Turner or some other mega-fabulous being. Cait and friends go to a club where gorgeous guys are pole dancing and dollar bills are being thrown around. Poor Cait is so uncomfortable, it reminds me of Benjamin’s date with Elaine in The Graduate.

Quote of the episode – Cait referring to the club: “In The Abbey they’re all packin’.”

Um…just because Cait is uncomfortable with the strippers doesn’t have anything to do with her liking/not liking men. Seriously, Jenny? Jenny can be pretty astute though, pointing out that Cait has always escaped her problems through work. IMO, it’s better than escaping through drugs. At least you make money rather than spend it. Cait suggests that being with a man might make a transgender woman feel like “a real woman.” When Jenny asks what she means by that, she says “any other woman you see on the street.” Jenny then gives her the advice we should all heed, that Cait is “normal” right now and a woman doesn’t need a man to validate her and make her a woman. I’m sure there’s a country song in here somewhere. Welcome to my world Cait.

What was interesting is that Jenny also said Cait has too much work on the brain. Wasn’t she the same person who suggested Cait be a one-woman educator for the masses? I’m glad she’s come to see that Cait does care about the rest of the world and not just what’s in her shoe closet.

One of the sadder things brought up tonight is how often transgender women are made to think they’re only good for one thing once their transgender status has been revealed. That men will romance them until they find out, and after that’re reduced to late night booty calls. The words that have been hanging silently in the air throughout the series are finally given a voice. Maybe Cait should date Candis. I think she should. Candis is the whole package. I’d date Candis.

Cait tells Candis that the worst thing is to not have hope for the future. I totally agree. Lots of pearls of wisdom tonight.

Fear the Walking Dead

Who is this kid with the acne – in other words, the 30-year-old they’re trying to get us to believe is in high school – who keeps skulking around and obviously knows something? Ok, now he’s talking. Conspiracy theories and how when society crashes, it’s like Lord of the Flies. He’s also gotten the knife back that Madison confiscated from him in the first episode. Except a pocket knife against a zombie is hardly going to be effective, especially a fresh zombie. The knife’s metal is quickly tested on Principal Artie and Tobias (the acne-faced kid) has a hard time getting it through Artie’s thick skull.

Curtis and his ex are looking for their other son who is not Nick. He’s at some kind of protest where things are about to get out of hand. Everything is getting dicey with dead people coming back to life and of course the looters are busy. It’s nice to know that some things never change. A tragedy has happened? Quick! Let’s steal some TVs! The three hole up in a barber shop. As it gets even creepier outside, there is no way Travis can leave to meet Madison, the plan having been to leave Los Angeles together. Madison is at home with Nick & her daughter, Alicia. Things are not going well outside there either.

Will Travis be able to get away to meet Madison? Will Madison be able to get away to meet Travis? Why is it 2 weeks until the next episode?

Snowpiercer   (WARNING: SPOILERS)

Just to prove I don’t just watch schlock, let’s talk movies. I caught Snowpiercer on Showtime over the weekend. It was so good, even though I was at home, I didn’t even want to get up to go to the bathroom.

Giving a Reader’s Digest Condensed version of the plot, in trying to fix global warming, a huge miscalculation has been made and brings on another ice age, killing all life. Apparently, however, there was some warning, because the survivors are now bound for nowhere on a gigantic train. The train (the number of cars never talked about, but in the graphic novel, it’s 1000+) is a microcosm of society, with the elite being in the front cars, and the dregs of humanity in the back. Kind of like your everyday flight on a major airline. It’s a nightmare living in the back – they’ve been on the train for 17 years now – so it’s time for a revolution.

As the group of rebels goes forward through the train, I was reminded of The Warriors (1979), where a gang has to get back to their home turf, fighting various rivals (in various costumes and makeup!) as they make their way through New York City. Snowpiercer is very detail oriented, and I was fascinated with the different cars and the different groups of people.

There are lots of great fight scenes, which made me wonder if those In the tail section (or “the shoe” as Tilda Swinton reminds them, while the people in the front section are “the hat”) had been watching Ninja movies and doing strength training all those years, since they have extreme fighting down to a science. There is also a very weird break In the action because the new year arrives.

A lot of the characters are weird, although I guess I’d be weird too, if I was riding a train for 17 years. I hate being in the car for more than two hours. Tilda Swinton is remarkable as Minister Mason, a somewhat androgynous second in command, chewing the scenery, using words like “hooliganism,” and spewing forth great lines, such as, “You suffer from the misplaced optimism of the doomed.”

One of my favorite scenes was in the aquarium section (an absolutely gorgeous set!) where sushi is also served twice a year, and It just so happens that this is one of the times. As the insurgents prepare to dig in, leader Curtis stops Mason from eating, handing her one of the protein bars that the rear cars have been eating for years. No doubt she knows what it’s made out of – insects – something Curtis and crew discovered along the way. Although truthfully, that’s supposed to be one of the best sources of protein. I know. You eat it then.

The train itself reminded me of Coney Island’s rickety wooden roller coaster, Cyclone, the scary way it bounced along the tracks at breakneck speed. None of the parts are getting any younger either, and when she blows, it’s a phenomenal scene. Somehow, I missed this in the theater. It’s a shame because it’s just the kind of film I like to see at the movies. Lots of special effects and blowing things up. It makes me feel like I’m getting my money’s worth, since it costs as much as a cruise for a ticket now. Thank God for the dollar store, so I don’t have to take out a second mortgage to get candy.

I can understand why, at the end, Curtis doesn’t want the job of overseeing humanity. My first job in NYC was with a place that took ticket orders for shows before TicketMaster was born. I was a supervisor for a while and I hated it. I didn’t want to tell other adults when they were allowed to have a bathroom break. So I know how you feel, Curtis.

The story was taken from a graphic novel, but I wish it was a “real” book because I have a few questions. The most pressing of which concerns a polar bear seen at the end of the film. If the earth had was uninhabitable, and all life dead (we saw this to be true looking out the windows throughout the film), where did it come from? It can’t be evolution, because there was nothing to evolve from except snow. Did God put it there? Did it fall out of the train? Will it eat those kids who survived?

Snowpiercer made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me watch it a second time. It was one of those movies where afterward, you don’t want to watch anything else, because you know it will pale in comparison.