Tag Archives: soap opera

Jan4

January 3, 2018 – Franco Has a Dream, Teresa Apologizes & Viva Tulum

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What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

Elizabeth unwraps the painting of the brothers. She tells Franco it’s all his – again.

Molly asks Alexis to breakfast at Charlie’s. TJ and Curtis join them. TJ starts to talk about their landlord, and Alexis has the feeling it’s not just breakfast Molly invited her for. They want to take the landlord down, and Alexis says they’ll need good counsel. Molly says, that’s her.

Ned and Michael meet at the MetroCourt. Michael doesn’t want to sacrifice the character of the Charles Street neighborhood for development, but Ned says there’s a way to keep it, and still make money. Since Mayor Lomax is out, it’s a whole new ball game. Michael says they need to make sure they’re not pitting ELQ against the residents.

By the bar, Julian tells Olivia-Q that she has knack for business. She asks what he wants. He says the same thing she does; what’s best for their son. That means more time with his father.

Jordan brings Anna coffee at the hospital. Finn is stable. Anna explains that Cassandra forced a dose of her synthetic opioid on him. She says they’ll have to charge her with assault or attempted murder, but Jordan says first they have to find her. She’s disappeared.

In Tulum, Mexico, Laura peruses a travel book. Doc thinks they should skip sightseeing, and explore each other. She says they have the rest of their lives to do that. He wants to save the Mayan Ruins for next time, and spend time with her now, before she becomes mayor.

Molly tells Alexis that the heat was off again last night, and it’s not the only thing. There’s been no basic maintenance either. Alexis says negligence isn’t exactly harassment. They have to prove deliberate intent. She tells them to keep a record, and Molly says she’s been documenting everything. Alexis says they’ll have to write a letter, and take it to the court, but the landlord will probably just end up paying a fine.

Ned shares Michael’s concerns about Charles Street, he’s just asking Michael to keep an open mind. A man joins them, and Ned introduces him as Jim Harvey from Niagara Equities. He says they share ELQ’s vision for Charles Street. Michael says he’s aware of their reputation of closing a deal – better to apologize than ask permission. Jim says they take pride in finding diamonds in the rough, and turning them into precious gems. Michael reminds Ned that Tracy used to say, even the most expert jeweler has to be careful in cutting a diamond. One small slip can destroy it.

Franco tells Elizabeth he’s not hanging the painting in the house. It’s just another monument to his mom’s secrecy, like the card she sent. Elizabeth says he’s been distracted since he saw it. He says he doesn’t know what’s true or not, and it’s the latest reminder. Elizabeth says at least she took the negative energy and secrets with her. Now they deal in the truth. They kiss, and Franco suggests she call in sick, but she has to go to work. When she leaves, he looks at the painting.

Anna tells Jordan there’s no way Cassandra roused herself and walked off. Jordan doesn’t know what to say. If Anna hadn’t seen it for herself, she would have thought it never happened. Anna says it sounds like a professional wipe-down. Jordan says they have a missing woman who allegedly assaulted her and Valentin, and Finn is in the hospital with an OD. What kind of operation has Anna been running?

Laura is flattered, but asks why Doc is bringing it up. He thinks she’s uniquely qualified to be mayor. She says she has every intention of fighting for Charles Street, but wants the subject tabled. She’s excited to be there, and wants to see the ruins.

Jordan says Anna had a WSB operation in her jurisdiction. It would have been nice to get a heads up. She asks what possessed Anna to involve Finn? Anna says that Cassandra is a hypochondriac, and Finn is a disease specialist; it was a match made in heaven. She tried cutting him loose after they got back from Morocco, but he wanted to stay involved, and he was a good operative. Jordan says she was led to believe he made a mistake somewhere, and asks how Cassandra got wise. Anna says he didn’t make a mistake; she did.

Olivia tells Julian not to push his luck. He says he needs more time with his son. She knows it’s a foreign concept, but doing the best for Leo comes first. Julian says he was exonerated, and he’s rebuilding his life. He just bought a new business.

Kiki drops in on Franco. He thought she was visiting with Dillon, and she says that was the plan. She’s so angry, she wants to break something, and asks if he has a vase he doesn’t like. He gives her Betsy’s card to tear up. He asks if she feels better, but she says not really. She got to the airport, and because of snowstorms, flights were either delayed or canceled. Dillon had to get back to Los Angeles, and she had to get back to studying. She sees the painting, and Franco says it’s like a karmic boomerang. She thinks maybe it’s trying to tell him something.

Anna tells Jordan that the OD was forced on Finn. Cassandra turned her product into a weapon. Elizabeth arrives to check on Finn. Jordan says they still need to question Valentin, but Anna says he won’t know anything. He was tied to a chair with her all night. Elizabeth comes back, and says Finn is asking for Anna.

Finn motions for Anna to come near the bed. She tells him she’s sorry, sorry, sorry, and he tells her to shut up. He came back to her place to celebrate, and found Cassandra there instead of her. She did this to him; he didn’t use. Anna says she never thought he did, and hates that he has to go through this again. He takes her hand, and Anna asks what happened. He tells her that Cassandra knew everything. She threw white powder into his face, and said she was going to keep him on drugs to force him into working on the formula. Then she threatened Anna, and he couldn’t let Cassandra hurt her.

Jim shows Ned and Michael an artist’s rendering of the idea for Charles Street. Luxury condos and office space, incorporating the existing architecture. They can preserve the existing façade and character on the outside, while inside, it’s state of the art. It’s visually less disruptive, and ties everything together, but it’s all brand new. The most exciting thing is the ELQ Arena, designed to host professional hockey and basketball, but it will also be the home to concerts, conventions, and high-profile events. Michael says they thought of almost everything. What happens to the residents? Will they be incorporated in, or forced out to pave the way for the arena?

Molly doesn’t understand why the lack of heat and maintenance isn’t harassment. Alexis says they have to prove intent. She suggests they find out who else is having problems in the area, and go for a class action suit. Molly says they’ve never even seen the landlord, but Curtis says he’ll get the proof to nail them.

Jordan asks Anna how Valentin is involved. Anna says he had a history with Cassandra, so she went to him. Jordan wonders why he’d comply, and Anna tells her about Cassandra wanting him to work with her, and threatening his wife and child. Jordan asks where he might have gone, and Anna thinks probably the MetroCourt, since it was their anniversary. Anna believes one of Cassandra’s associates must have gotten her. She’s concerned Cassandra will come after Finn, and says they need to get her in custody. Jordan says she seems worried about him, and Anna says he’s her responsibility. Jordan says maybe more than that.

A blizzard warning interrupts the show, but I don’t miss much.

Curtis is all for family helping family, and says while he tries to work within the law, he might have to go into some grey areas. Alexis reminds him that she can’t use anything illegal. He suggests a don’t ask, don’t tell approach, and asks if she can live with that. She smiles.

Julian tells Olivia that he owns Charlie’s Pub now. She asks if this makes him a paragon of virtue, but he says he’s trying to put down roots, and it’s the cornerstone of the neighborhood. He proved that when they fed the homeless on Christmas. He wants Leo to be proud of him as a father, unlike her trophy husband. He walks over to Ned’s table, and helps himself to a piece of bacon, calling Ned “Ted.”

Ned asks where they were, and Michael says talking about the high cost of progress. He asks what about affordable housing? Jim says they’ll do what’s best for everyone. It’s not the first time they’ve encountered pushback from a neighborhood, but the former mayor supported their vision. Michael says he’ll give the proposal consideration. Jim tells him to take his time, but not too much. They have other investors who are interested, but ELQ is their first choice. Jim leaves, and Ned asks if Michael is trying to kill the deal. Michael says since he’s been at the helm of ELQ, there’s been growth potential, but they also need to practice good corporate citizenship, and doesn’t think Ned gets it. Ned says they still need to turn a profit. Charles Street will make someone a boatload of money, and he’d like it to be them.

Franco says he should destroy the painting. Kiki grabs it, saying it means something. He wanted a clean slate, but hasn’t painted single thing. Whatever was in the past, is still in the present, and the painting reminds him of it. He has unfinished business. A lot of that going around this week.

Anna tells Jordan that Finn is her friend, and she has feelings about what happens to him. She had him plant a bug; something simple, since he wasn’t an experienced operative. That also made it more easy to detect. Cassandra discovered it, realized she’d been betrayed, and targeted him. Jordan gets a call, and steps away. Elizabeth approaches Anna. She says she doesn’t know the details, but Finn pretends to be impervious and that the world is a joke, but he’s susceptible to the same feelings they all share. Life is random and uncertain, and what gets us through is the people we connect with. If there’s a chance of happiness, she should go for it.

On the phone, Jordan says she’s still at the hospital. She asks when and where? She tells Anna that an agent got word to her that Cassandra has been located. Anna says, get her.

Doc explains symbols on a piece of pottery to Laura. He says the most important one is the sun. Legend has it that if they don’t have someone good and wise to lead them, the private and public worlds collide or fall apart. Civilization can disappear. She asks if he found the pottery in the ruins. He says he did, and he could get locked up for having it. She wonders about the ancient hieroglyphic that says made in Taiwan. Doc says the point is she can do the job and be great. He’ll give all his support, and even kiss a baby and wear a First Dude T-shirt. She has to want it though; it’s up to her.

Alexis says what Curtis doesn’t disclose doesn’t concern her. TJ and Molly are to keep their heads down, and let Curtis do his job. They don’t want the landlord tipped off. Julian arrives, and they basically ignore him. TJ and Molly are going to check code violations, and Alexis tells them to go on ahead. Julian asks if she wants to talk about it. She says, nope, and he says he didn’t think so.

Michael recalls Edward’s cardinal rule of never seeming too anxious. Ned is concerned they’ll find another partner, but Michael says they want the Quartermaine name as a stamp of approval. They can’t buy that kind of endorsement. Ned asks if Michael is willing to risk losing the deal to save some crummy apartments. They start to argue, and Olivia steps in. Ned says Michael brought him back on board to deliver, but Michael says he needs time to go over it. Ned says there’s no such thing as a perfect deal, and Michael reminds him that he’s the CEO. Ned tells him to shove his title. Michael can run ELQ into the ground if he wants. He quits.

Franco tries to give Kiki the painting, but she thinks it’s there for a reason only he can figure out. She has to go, and brought some Christmas gifts for him and the family. She hopes he realizes how lucky he is, and he says he does every night. She tells him whatever is haunting him, he needs to deal with it before he loses the best thing that’s happened to him.

Elizabeth checks Finn’s vitals. Anna pops in, and she says he just went to sleep. Anna stands by the bed. Finn is shaky, and she touches him. He grabs her hand, and says there’s something he needs to tell her.

Julian is glad the kids are standing up for their rights. Alexis tells him that Curtis is helping, and he asks if she thinks they might be in over their heads. She says they don’t know what they’re dealing with, and Julian says the landlord doesn’t know what he’s dealing with. He says since he’s right across the street, does she want him to keep an eye on things? She says it’s probably best he doesn’t, and he asks if that’s a yes.

Olivia tells Ned that they have to sit down and talk it through. Ned says he’s done talking; he’s out, Michael says he’s sorry it didn’t work out, but he has to use his best judgement. Since it’s a family company, the door is always open. He leaves, and Ned says the new year is starting out with a bang. Olivia says maybe he should think of it as a blessing in disguise. Maybe ELQ’s loss is the city’s gain. He should run for mayor.

Laura loves Doc’s faith in her. She’ll go to every town hall meeting, hand out flyers, write emails, and continue to fight, but she doesn’t have to do it from the mayor’s office. Doc respects her decision. Laura points at the pottery, and tells him this hieroglyphic says they should hang a do not disturb sign on the door and get busy before catching their flight back.

Franco sleeps. He dreams about the boy in the painting telling him to open his present. He opens it, and it’s a rabbit’s foot keychain. He says it’s the best present ever. The boy says Franco is his best friend ever. Franco wakes up, and gets the rabbit’s foot out of a drawer. He says if that’s his best friend, why did he try to kill him?

Jordan asks Elizabeth to convince Anna to go home. Whatever Finn has to say can wait. Inside Finn’s room, he tells Anna that he killed Cassandra.

Tomorrow, Anna asks what’s the last thing Finn remembers, Jordan questions Valentin, and Spinelli says he got one lead that sparked two more.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey

When we last left, Siggy admitted Margaret wasn’t anti-Semantic, but thought she was anti-Siggy. At this point, so am I.

Melissa goes to the boutique, where her package has arrived from Italy. The trip to Milan opened doors for her, giving envy an advantage over the other boutiques in Jersey. Joe #2 stops by, and she shows him the purse that came. He wonders if she went all the way to Italy for that, which she knew he would say. In her interview, she says she doesn’t love serving food; she loves dressing people. Family and business is tricky, and a huge reason why she’s not into the restaurant. Joe suggests throwing parties there. Melissa says he gives her space with envy, so she’s backing off. He doesn’t think it’s fair. Really? He helps with the store? Yeah, I didn’t think so. He says maybe they’ll see each other at home.

Margaret goes by the office, and the luggage line is discussed. She says she thinks they need to work with a larger factory, and tells them the Siggy story. She felt like she had to force an apology out of her. They’re throwing her birthday gala soon, and she’s all about the dancing. She wants to walk the property to figure out the logistics, and tells Joe #3 that he has to pick up all his sh*t. Yes, he does. There are tools and construction materials everywhere. Margaret grew up on disco, and was obsessed with it. There are going to be disco balls everywhere. A renegade bee flies by, and after everyone flails their arms at it, they decide to go in. Planning over for today.

Teresa has a photo shoot for her book cover. Siggy (bleh) joins her. Siggy says in life certain people won’t mesh with you, but she’s going to try and get in a good place with Margaret. She thinks they should treat each other with kindness and respect moving forward. She and Teresa talk about Joe #1. Teresa says she can’t tell him exactly how she feels, even though Siggy is pressuring her. She’s been honest in her book though. Joe has not really apologized or taken full responsibility for putting her and the rest of the family in a horrifying position. I’m sure plenty of people think she got what she deserved and knew what she was doing, but I don’t. For one thing, I think because they’re well-known, the judge made an example of them. Like with Martha Stewart. The crime they committed was nothing extraordinary, and judging by how their marriage looked, I think he said, sign this, and she did. However, I don’t think that would ever happen again. This experience wised her up quickly. Teresa comes out in a black glittery jumpsuit, and it’s not the first time I’ve thought post-jail looks good on her. In her interview, she wants to tell Joe #1 how she feels, but to look someone in the eye is different from writing it down. She wonders where they go if he doesn’t apologize.

Frank and Dolores are taking Frankie on a college tour to Sacred Heart. They talk about his various options. Frank is liking it, because it’s like a family trip. Like the Griswold’s. Dolores says it’s a proud moment; they got their kid this far. They parented together, and it wasn’t easy, but they held it together. She’s not ready for an empty nest, and it’s starting to hit her. My advice is to get more dogs. She says it’s terrifying, and she doesn’t get scared of anything. She never went to college, and it was her goal for the kids. Geez, the rooms at Sacred Heart are huge. As big as my first apartment. Frankie wasn’t expecting it to be this nice. Frank says he’s scared, since it will just be him and Dolores in the house now.

Margaret’s ex, Jan, comes by with bagels. She makes coffee. She says they’re better friends than a couple. They’re good in small doses together. She asks who he’s bringing to her party, but he’s coming alone. She asks if there would be a chance the kids would ever speak to her again. She’s been wanting to bring it up since the retreat. She starts to cry, saying she wishes things were different. He’s the only one who lived it with her, so who else is she going to talk to? He says for a long time she was a great mother to his kids, but chose a different life. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t care. He resents what she did, but doesn’t hold it against her. She takes responsibility for hurting her husband and kids when she left. She says he’s still her family. Since the kids’ biological mother was gone early on, the two mom figures in their lives left them. She says she’s not giving up, and asks Jan to tell them she loves them. He tells her he won’t charge much for the session.

Frank and his girlfriend are on a break. Dolores says it’s simple. He needs her right now, and is back home. He says the reason he’s there is, so she can see her boyfriend. David delivers elevated risk babies, and they don’t get a lot of time together. She wants to discuss it with David, but doesn’t think there’s much more he can do. Frank asks if she thinks David appreciates her. He feels badly about their own marriage, but she says he’s made up for a lot. She thinks the timing was off, and he needed to grow on his own. He asks what if David won’t give her more time, and she says it’s the second-half of her life, so she needs to think about what she wants to do with it, and who she wants to spend it with. Oh for God’s sake, just get remarried.

Teresa is on her way to Danielle’s house to apologize to her daughters. That’s very grown up. She’s nervous, wondering how they’re going to take it. Melissa thinks it will be good for all of them.

Danielle has made tea. Teresa says they’re in a good place, but it’s hard to know her actions affected her kids. They’ve been sitting on it a long time. Danielle thanks her, but says Christine isn’t willing to sit down; she doesn’t believe anyone has changed. in her interview, Danielle says the past can’t be erased, but now that she and Teresa have reconnected, it’s not her job to make it right, but Teresa’s. Teresa thanks Jillian for meeting with her. She tells Jillian that a lot of things have happened, not all of them good. When she was in jail – it’s hard for her to even say the word – she wanted to reach out and apologize to Danielle. She says she’s open to any questions or whatever. Jillian says that when she heard that Teresa and her mom were going to yoga together, she flipped out. Danielle insisted Teresa had changed, and Jillian hoped she was right. She says she still gets repercussions that cascaded into other things. Danielle says at the time, she she told the kids to pack a bag; they were moving. It was the beginning of a rough time. Teresa says she also has daughters, so she would never want to hurt them in any way. She feels horrible, and had no idea she caused all this hurt all this time, but she’s glad they spoke. If she could, she would take it back. She says in the heat of the moment, you don’t think, and she takes full responsibility and is sorry. Jillian accepts the apology. She’s glad things are better, and they can move on. She hopes Christine can get on board, but it’s harder for her. Danielle is proud of both of them, and thinks it’s a big step to healing from the past. Wow. Even that kid is more mature than a thousand Siggys.

At Gorga’s, Joe #2 says it’s a disaster today, and they have to step it up for the launch party. Teresa and Melissa are late, and he’s behind. It hurt him that Melissa doesn’t want to be involved with the restaurant.

Margaret says her mom is going to the opening of a casual restaurant, and thinks she’s a Vegas show girl. Marge Sr. says in case she has to go off on Siggy, she’ll look good. Margaret says she got a nice text from Siggy, saying how excited she was to be invited to Margaret’s birthday party, and it’s about the Gorgas, not them.

Siggy brings her dad some food to eat outside. He’s teaching classes on the Holocaust. Siggy tells him that she just got back from Italy, and needs his opinion on something. She introduced a friend to the group, but she and the friend aren’t getting along. She tells him about Margaret calling her “Soggy” like a mean girl, and how she told Siggy that she shouldn’t be walking in the fashion benefit, because Kim D had said nasty things about Teresa. She says Margaret didn’t understand, and should have minded her own business. She told Siggy that Hitler wouldn’t have killed her, but does it make him a good person? Siggy’s father asks what’s the question? In her interview, Siggy says she’s the daughter of a Holocaust scholar and survivor. Her father says to stay away from Margaret. The whole thing doesn’t need philosophizing (we’re in agreement there). It’s never appropriate to mention Hitler, and she should apologize. Siggy says she did, but then Siggy called her an anti-Semite. He says Siggy shouldn’t have done that. He doesn’t know Margaret’s personal feelings, so he can’t be sure of it. Of course, Siggy is leaving out that Margaret’s husband and children are Jewish, along with a few other facts, but okay. Siggy says Margaret brings out the worst in her, and her father says the best way to handle it is to not to get involved or say things she might regret. Siggy says Margaret has succeeded in turning her upside down. Her father tells her to be polite, but keep a distance.

Teresa arrives at the restaurant, and Joe #2 asks her to do something. She starts cutting the pizzas. The food looks phenomenal. She asks where Melissa is, and Joe tells Teresa that Melissa doesn’t want to be involved, but they’ll make the best of it. Melissa walks in (not much later than Teresa), and Teresa tells her that she’s shocked Melissa doesn’t want to be part of the business. Melissa tells her that she never said that. She said she didn’t want to boss Joe around. Teresa says it’s a family restaurant. She has to take it seriously, and stop with the attitude. In her interview, Melissa says she and Teresa are great alone, but when it’s the three of them, they gang up on her. I agree. She tells them to dial it down.

The guests start arriving. Marge Sr. starts looking for Siggy, and Margaret reminds her that they made up. In her interview, Margaret says if she didn’t know better, she’d think Siggy was avoiding her, but she’ll take it over an ambush. Dolores says it’s a little rude of her to ignore Marge Sr., but that’s how she is. Joe #2 calls Teresa and Melissa up for a toast. Margaret says Siggy is three feet away, and still hasn’t acknowledged her. She’s definitely purposely ignoring her. Joe says that they lost their mother two months ago, but before she got sick, they had talked about opening a restaurant. They decided to do this in her honor, and to keep the memories and recipes going forever. In her interview, Melissa says she’s not mad anymore. She loves them, loves the family, and is proud they did this for her mother-in-law.

Melissa explains to Teresa that she’s a control freak, and just wanted Joe #2 to have his own thing like she has envy. It didn’t mean she wouldn’t help. Teresa says in the beginning, Melissa was annoyed about Joe not telling her about it, but Melissa says that’s more like he surprised her in buying it. In her interview, Teresa says she’s learned that couples have to communicate, especially when it’s something big, and Joe should have informed Melissa about any business decisions. Teresa offers to help Melissa at envy if she needs it. In her interview, Melissa says she forgets sometimes that Teresa’s husband isn’t there, and she might like to spend time with her brother.

Marge Sr. asks Margaret how it’s going with Siggy, and Margaret says it’s not. Danielle thinks Marge Sr. should meet her, and goes over to ask Siggy to be cordial. Siggy refuses, because she’s a big ass rude jerk. She says she’s not walking across the room to meet someone’s mother when she doesn’t get along with the daughter. Is it me? Didn’t she say they were going to be kind and respectful? In her interview, she says it would just be another ambush and “The Sig” ain’t stupid. Yes, she is, and apparently doesn’t know the definition of polite, which is what her father suggested she be. Danielle says she’s not going to force her. In her interview, Margaret wonders why she’s being so rude. After she got the text about the birthday party, she thought they’d made up. She doesn’t rescind invitations, and has good manners, but also wouldn’t say she’s never effed anything up. She tells Danielle she’s never kicked anyone out of her home, and Danielle says there’s a first time for everything.

Next time, Siggy is apprehensive (please), Teresa visits Joe #1 in jail, and Margaret’s party happens.

👑 A Quote Too Appropriate to Wait

Kim D is like a character on Game of Thrones. – Robin Lord Taylor, on Watch What Happens Live

🌎 I’m In…

TulumMexico

Tulum, Mexico

 

 

 

Jan3

January 2, 2017 – Griff Reveals Ava’s Gift, Dorit Celebrates a Birthday & Not Quite Feeling the Fab

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

It’s still midnight on New Year’s Eve in Port Charles. Sonny asks Carly what she did exactly.

Jason and Sam are where we left them, kissing on the deck of the Haunted Star as fireworks happen.

Griff calls Ava from the hospital, and says he wishes he was there with her. He anticipates good things in 2018 for them. He tells her happy new year, and says he’ll see her later. She picks up her hat, horn, and coat, and dashes out.

On the phone at the MetroCourt, Nina says she got the text, but it’s not a party without them, so get there already. I’m confused as to who she’s leaving the message for. Valentin?

Finn asks Cassandra where Anna is. She says Anna is indisposed for the moment, but she and Finn have some unfinished business. Omg, she’s like something out of James Bond. I love it.

Anna is indisposed with Valentin. They’re tied together, back to back. Eric says they’ll be dead in an hour, and Valentin tells Anna, happy new year.

Sam and Jason stare at each other for a while, and Jason says he’ll see if he can get the engine started. He thinks it can’t be much different than a motorcycle, but Sam says it can. She asks who used to be a salvage diver? That would be her. Drew shows up, and asks what’s going on?

Nina tells Carly that there’s something she needs to do, so if Valentin arrives, tell him to contact her. Sonny won’t let it go until Carly tells him what she did. She says she went to Aurora to see if they liked the champagne, and happened to hear that Drew and Sam would be on the boat by themselves. She sent Jason on a wild goose chase, thinking he was meeting Sonny who had information about Faison. She tells Sonny that the ends justify the means, and he tells her it’s not going to end well.

At the hospital, Ava overhears Griff telling Kiki thanks for sticking with it. He knows it’s not easy. Kiki says she’s always had a hard time keeping things from her mom, but it’s worth it. They hug. Ava pops out, and says apparently, they’re busy. Kiki asks if she’s okay, and she says, definitely not.

Anna says it’s in Eric’s best interest to let her go. Valentin tells him the WSB doesn’t take kindly to having their agents killed. Anna tells him he’s just a lackey; it’s Cassandra they’re after. They take turns telling him how relentless the WSB will be, but he says Cassandra isn’t to be underestimated.

Finn tells Cassandra that they have no business until he knows where Anna is. Cassandra says she’s tied up at the moment. BA-DUM-CHH! He’s in over his head. Did Anna say she’d protect him, or did he think he could take her on himself? Finn keeps asking where Anna is, and Cassandra smashes the champagne glass she’s been sipping from. She tells him that he has two choices; do what she says, or die.

Eric leaves Anna and Valentin alone, and Valentin says he thought the WSB were on their way to put Cassandra in custody. He tells her this is her fault for tapping the phone with an elementary bug. She says it helped them to hunt down her operation, and it was a success. Valentin says he would shake her hand, but…  He tells her that had she put him in the loop, he might have made a different decision. Cassandra was sure that he planted the bug, and he had to tap dance his ass off to convince her it wasn’t him. She connected the dots, and realized it was Finn. I’m actually surprised that Cassandra has gotten as far as she has, since her decisions aren’t the best.

Cassandra tells Finn, that as her doctor, he knows she shouldn’t get riled up. He says some of his patients might die without his care, and she accuses him of having a God complex. He won’t be leaving entirely without notice. Anna will send a note to the hospital that they’re running off someplace romantic. By the time anyone notices they’ve disappeared, Anna will be disposed, and the two of them will be ensconced in their new venture in China. Finn says he’ll do whatever she wants, but leave Anna out. She has a daughter and grandchildren. Cassandra asks where they live? She would love to meet them. If she had a mustache, she’d be twirling it.

Kiki tells Ava that they were discussing a patient, and Ava asks if their discussions typically end in a hug. Kiki says she’s done with it, and recommends Ava get counseling. She has a problem, a need to control Kiki’s life, and she’s acting out. Ava says she doesn’t control Kiki, but Kiki asks how she can say that after Morgan? She suggests Ava seek help before she ruins someone else’s life or her own. Kiki leaves, and Griff says Ava was happy when they spoke on the phone; what happened? She says he’s cozied up with her daughter, and she can’t compete with someone young and beautiful with no scars. Griff says there’s no competition, but Ava says every time he looks at her, he’ll see imperfections, and she can’t bear it. Seriously, they could have at least made her look like she really had scars if she’s going to obsess about this.

Kiki gets a text from Dillon, who sends her a picture of the bus ticket from last New Year’s Eve. Nina blows into the hospital, saying she needs to cover all her bases. She asks Kiki if there have been any unconscious accident victims. Kiki says since it’s New Year’s Eve, there have been several, and asks if she’s looking for someone in particular. Nina says yes, her husband.

Sonny tells Carly that if she keeps poking the bear, it’s going to blow up in her face. She says Sonny wants Jason to be with Sam too, but he says that’s for Jason to decide, not her. Carly says it’s a mess, and Sonny says it’s going to get messier.

Sam says Drew wouldn’t believe the comedy of errors that happened. The boat started to leave on autopilot, and she hit the emergency shut off, but it also cut off the engines. Drew says he was worried that she was out there her on own, and asks why Jason is there. Jason explains that he was supposed to meet someone on the boat, but they weren’t there. Sam tells Drew she tried calling him, but there was no service. He tells her that his car wouldn’t start, and this has Carly written all over it. She wants to rekindle Sam and Jason’s romance. Jason says he’ll speak to Carly, and Drew says while he’s doing that, tell her to back off or she’s going to create a real problem for both of them.

Carly wants Jason to be happy. He’s spent his life making sacrifices for others, especially her and Sonny. He lost five years, his wife, his kids, his entire life, and everyone is acting like it’s wrong for him to take them back. Sonny tells her that Jason has to decide what makes him happy. She whines that he won’t decide for himself, and Sonny says she’ll have to learn to live with it.

Sam tells Drew to blame her; she’s the one who pulled the emergency stop. Drew asks about the tow master, and Jason says he was called. Jason leaves to take the boat Drew arrived in back to shore, and make sure the tug is on the way. Drew tells Sam that Jason sat back and let it happen. He’s not honest or brave enough to pursue her, and let Carly do it. Sam says Carly had no right to interfere, but Jason had nothing to do with it. Carly didn’t get what she wanted; nothing happened.

Griff follows Ava back to the apartment, asking what she meant by not the first time. Ava says when he and Kiki left the other day, she followed them. He asks why, and she tells him it’s difficult for her to trust people. He says he just needs her to trust him. He and Kiki share a love of medicine. Ava asks if that’s all, and he wonders if she’s accusing him of having an affair with her daughter. He doesn’t know what to say. Ava says she doesn’t blame him. What man in his right mind would choose her over Kiki? Griff says he would. He’s disappointed, and asks when she’s going to realize he cares for her more than he ever thought possible?

Anna works to free Valentin, while he gripes about her compromising the project because of her infatuation with Finn. Anna tells him to stop moving around. Finn risked a lot, and if wasn’t for him –  Valentin finishes that they wouldn’t be in danger. She says Finn deserves his gratitude, not his disdain, just because he’s carrying a torch. Valentin suddenly says she’s wearing a bracelet. It might be their only chance for escape. She can use the sharp edges to work through the bonds.

Finn says Cassandra didn’t get what she wanted, and now she’s pissed. Cassandra says he was playing with fire. He tells her they both know the WSB will get her. Add killing Anna to the list, and it will be even worse. She asks if he thought it would be easy. Does he think he can say some harsh words, and she’ll crack? He asks where Anna is, and Cassandra says he seems tense. Let her help him relax. She blows some powder from a compact into his face. He asks what she just did, and she tells him it’s just the beginning of his pain.

Michael arrives at the MetroCourt, and tells Carly and Sonny that Monica ran tests on Nelle. Everything is fine with her and the baby. Carly calls Nelle a liar, but Michael says she does have low blood pressure. Monica said she needs to take it easy, and lower her stress. Carly says don’t look at her; Nelle brought it on herself. She gets that Michael needs to protect the baby, but he also needs to keep his eyes wide open, and never trust Nelle. Jason joins them, and Sonny steers Michael away to let them talk.

Carly asks how mad Jason is, and he just shakes his head.

Sam tells Drew that Carly doesn’t run her life; she does. She knows he’s upset. Drew says he’s very upset. He wanted to spend New Year’s Eve with the person he loves most, but she spent it with her ex. He sees the tequila and dominoes on the bar, and says they could have done anything else. Sam gets that it’s a complicated situation, but does he believe she loves him? He does, but doesn’t want her pretending she has no feelings for Jason. She says she isn’t pretending. She’s like any other widow. She loved her husband, lost him, and fell in love with someone else. Drew has a past too; he just doesn’t remember it. Drew says she’s not a widow, and Jason isn’t lost; he’s right there. Sam understands that it makes things more difficult, but it doesn’t change her feelings for him. She’s in love with him, and wants to be with him. Drew says he loves her enough to step aside if she wants to be with Jason. He tells her to be honest with herself. Sam says when she met Jason, she was a mess. He helped her become the person she is today, and she’ll always be grateful, but that person loves Drew. She’s marrying him again because she wants to share her life with him.

Griff says he sees Ava’s imperfections, but they have nothing to do with her scars. She’s a powerful, beautiful, brave woman. Ava says she’s the opposite of brave. He points out the hardships she’s endured, but she says she caused them herself. Griff says she repented for them in a million ways. He sees the imperfect perfection that is Ava Jerome, and wants her to see it. She says it probably sounds shallow, but she thinks her scars will always be a barrier. She’s not even comfortable in her own skin, and it’s not fair to either one of them. Griff refuses to accept that, and says it’s high time he gave Ava her Christmas present.

Kiki tells Nina that no one matching Valentin’s description is there. She asks if Nina checked with the police. Nina says the police aren’t interested in helping Valentin, but she knows someone who is.

Valentin is getting impatient, but Anna says she’s going as fast as she can. She says he really does care about his wife and daughter. It’s not just lip service; he actually feels it. He says they’re his whole world, and she says they changed him. He’s still contemptible, but contemptible with a heart. He starts talking about Finn, and Anna says she’s free. Valentin says love will do that, but she says, no, she’s free, and takes the bonds off her ankles. They hear footsteps, and Anna waits behind the door. Eric comes in, wondering where she is, but she slams him up against the wall and knocks him out. She cuts Valentin loose, knocking over the loudest metal chair ever. She gives him Eric’s gun, and tells him to get to his wife and daughter. They wish each other good luck, and Anna jets.

Finn is all weird and dizzy. Cassandra says it was a concentrate of the opiate she’s marketing; a strong dose, but not lethal. She asks if it feels like old times, and he staggers around. She tells him that she knows drugs have a greater impact on former addicts, so she played it safe-ish, whetting his appetite. He can make the opiates, and she can pay him in the product. What a perfect combination – addict and chemist. He says he won’t do it, and she holds up a syringe, saying he’s a milligram away from an OD. Or should she save it for Anna? He lets out a yell, and rushes her.  I just have to say it. His reaction to what’s supposed to be an opioid doesn’t seem correct. He seems more like he’s drunk or on Xanax.

Griff tells Ava that he and Kiki have been spending time together, and keeping something from her, but it’s not what she thinks. He’s been studying Klein’s formula, and using the lab to find another angle through legal means. Kiki volunteered to be his lab assistant. Ava wonders how she can she thank them, after she accused them of sneaking around? Griff says they didn’t want to get her hopes up, in case it didn’t pan out. He showed the research to another doctor, who agreed to reexamine the protocol. Griff wants her to know he didn’t do it for himself. He thinks she’s beautiful the way she is, but he did it for her, and so did Kiki. Ava says she’s overwhelmed. No one has ever gone to these lengths for her before. He tells her get used to it, and kisses her. She thinks she might, and kisses him.

On the phone, Kiki tells Dillon that she loved the picture, and will never forget the bus ride. She misses him, and hates being apart too. She says LA is too far to go right now, and then says, halfway? She tells him he did not already buy the ticket, and when he convinces her that he did, she tells him to let her think about it. She can stay there, eat old take-out, and study by herself or study on the plane. Omaha, here she comes.

Michael tells Sonny that he has to make sure the baby grows up safe, happy, and loved; that’s the number one priority. He hopes to be half the father Sonny has been, but Sonny says he’ll be better. Sonny respects the man Michael has become. He’ll love his kid, and in the end, that’s all that matters. I’ll just say it. Nelle is the most interesting part about Michael.

Jason tells Carly that he’s not mad, but he needs her to hear him, not just listen. He loves Sam, and always will. He wants her to be happy, and she’s happy with Drew; they’re a family. Carly tries to interrupt, but Jason stops her. He says every time they’re together, it hurts Sam. He knows Carly meant well, but he’s asking her to stop.

Ava and Griff bask in the afterglow. As he sleeps, she says soon she’ll be whole again, and maybe he’ll fall in love with her the way she’s falling in love with him. She snuggles against him.

Sam tells Drew that Carly can do her worst, but it’s not going to change anything. Drew asks if she doesn’t think Jason wants her back. She says maybe he does, but he can’t offer her the life that she and the kids need. She’s not the same girl anymore. She can’t be hanging off the back of a motorcycle, or picking locks in her spare time. None of them are responsible for what happened. It was done to them, but they are responsible for how they deal with it. She tells him not to look for fights. They won. Drew says it’s never been about winning, but about loving her. She asks if he does, and he says, yes. She says, good, because she loves him too. They kiss. He asks if she wants to wait on the tug, and she tells him that she’ll wait anytime, anywhere with him. He suggests fixing the engine, reminding her that he was in the Navy. He tells her, happy new year, and they kiss again.

Carly says she, Sonny, and Jason haven’t had a New Year’s Eve toast yet. She gives them glasses of champagne. Jason asks to do the toast. He tells them he’s been meaning to say thank you for believing him. He felt lost, but as soon as he saw them and their recognition, it was okay. He loves them, and is sorry he was gone, but happy to be home. Carly says he’s not nearly as happy as they are. They clink glasses, and she and Jason drink at the exact same time, in the exact same way. It’s kind of cute/funny.

Valentin runs into the MetroCourt. He tells Nina sorry he’s late. She says she was thinking the worst, and he hugs her.

Anna comes walks into her house to find Cassandra unconscious on the floor, with the syringe sticking out of her. Finn stumbles out, and falls. She tells him to stay with her.

Tomorrow, Franco won’t hang the painting of the brothers in the house, Doc says he has the key to Laura’s future, and Finn has to tell Anna something.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Ken wants Giggy cloned. Giggy! LVP says he’s only eight, and has more life in him than Ken does. Ha-ha!

Dorit organizes her sunglasses. PK asks how Vegas was, and she says there were moments when she connected with Erika. He asks how it went with LisaR. Dorit tells him that she apologized all over the place. She has precaution [sic], but PK thinks she should invite them both to her party if she’s inviting one.

Loud construction is going on at Kyle’s house. Kyle says Croatia couldn’t come at a better time. Mauricio wanted to get a new house, but Kyle loves the one they live in so much, they decided to just change it up. Now they’re living in renovation hell. She doesn’t care what happens, as long as there are floors when she gets back.

Teddi meets LisaR for lunch. We flash back through LisaR’s problems with Kim, and she says she’s trying to get to know people more slowly now. They discuss how expensive schools are. In her interview, Teddi says she was warned about LisaR, but she’s making her own assessment. She tells us that there’s a lot of keeping up with the Joneses in Beverly Hills, but she’s from South Carolina and doesn’t care. She doesn’t even know who the Joneses are. She explains to LisaR how horses kept her on a good path when she was growing up. They gave her empathy, and something to focus on. She invites LisaR to a show she’s doing.

PK asks LVP to create a dinner for Dorit’s birthday, and she’s happy to host. Giggy!

As Dorit gets ready, PK sings Happy Birthday, and presents her with a cake, daughter Phoenix on his shoulder.

At the dinner, Teddi introduces her cute and personable husband Edwin to LVP, who pronounces him not bad. LisaR and Erika enter next – #WhereIsHarry – and Dorit arrives in a barely there dress. LisaR considers her invite a big plus. The last time she saw PK, they had some bumps. We flash back to the reunion, and it was more like mountains. Camille joins them with girlfriend Kimber. I’m glad we’re seeing more of her this season. While the appetizers are being passed, PK leads Jagger in, bearing balloons and wearing a tiny tuxedo. In her interview, Dorit says Jagger is her heart and soul. She loves that PK dressed him up, but also loves the Birkin he got her. Jagger tells Erika she’s the bad guy. In her interview, Dorit swears he didn’t hear it from her. Then he calls LVP a bad guy. LVP says he was spot-on until then. He’s having a bit of a bad guy fixation.

Edwin says he used to be a background dancer. In her interview, Teddi says he has stories. Teddi tells Erika there was a moment in Vegas where she felt dismissed by her. Erika apologizes, and in her interview, Teddi says regardless of feeling uncomfortable, she’ll tell someone if something is bothering her. LVP declares Vegas a nice experience. LisaR gets up to give a toast, saying it’s a miracle she was invited, and they’re in a really nice place. She thanks Dorit for including her, and wishes her happy birthday. In her interview, she says it shows how willing she is to move forward.

Fast party. Erika meets with her co-author, Bryan. Her book is currently titled Pretty Mess. She says it’s a chance to tell her story the way she sees it. She liked some of Bryan’s work, and reached out to him for help. She talks about not meeting her dad until she was twenty-five, when he invited her over for Thanksgiving. She tells Bryan about seeing a toddler there, and asking about her, but her father said neither he nor his wife had children. Um…  She says he’s never acknowledged her, and she’s only seen him three times. Bryan asks if it was a break up or petered out, and she says they both seemed to lose interest. In her interview, she tells us that you can’t go back and repair what didn’t exist. She tells Bryan that it’s a parents decision to stay in a child’s life, and her ex has been great with their son. Bryan asks how she doesn’t have negative emotions after coming out of that experience. She’s not sure, and says it is what it is.

Ponies! Hanky and Panky! LisaR goes to Villa Rosa, where LVP is cleaning poop off the footbridge. Dorit joins them, as they’re going to Teddi’s horse show together. In her interview, Dorit says she’s the only one dressed appropriately. LisaR is dressed like a cowboy, and LVP isn’t attired correctly either, in basic black pants and a blouse. On the bus, LisaR wants to see LVP’s license. She claims to be three years older than LisaR, and she wants proof that LVP isn’t really seventy-five.

Teddi says there are few things she loves more than riding. She introduces herself to the horse, Virtue, who’s owned by one of her trainers. Virtue is gorgeous, brown with a white spot on her head. Teddi says horses are more expensive than a child.

Dorit says she couldn’t help herself from wearing Kentucky Derby regalia, and now realizes the other two are actually dressed more suitably. In her interview, Teddi says she told them there would be horse sh*t and porta-potties. Don’t listen to her advice. She was a professional equestrian for twelve years, and even today when she wants to escape, goes to the barn. She feels extra nervous, because the girls are watching. LVP says she’s ridden for many years, but Teddi is a consummate professional who takes it to another level. Sure enough, she gets the blue ribbon.

Erika video chats with mom Renee about the book. She asks what Renee might have for her. She’s important in helping Erika frame her childhood. Her mom sends some pictures from Erika’s early modeling days. In her interview, Erika says her mom was affectionate, but wanted her to be self-sufficient. Renee asks if she wants any childhood photos of her father, but Erika says no. She tells us that her grandmother used to send pictures of her to her grandfather, but her father wasn’t interested in seeing them, so her grandfather would return them. What a creep. Two creeps.

Teddi and Edwin are going to Dorit and PK’s house for dinner, so the couples can get to know one another better. Dorit is excited over unboxing some new china. The bill is $950, and when PK comes in, she pretends the box came from downstairs, and hustles him out of the kitchen. She tells us her mother is like a professional chef, and she loves to cook.

Dorit tells them she was engaged twice before PK, who was a father at twenty-six. They discuss having more children, and Teddi says they’re done. She tells them about her son having a heart condition, and how difficult it was when he was small. They both feel guilty for having chosen a boy through IVF, thinking his illness was some kind of retribution, which is ridiculous, and I’m kind of surprised they’d think that way. PK says his son came out blue with a conehead. I think he’s just trying to lighten the mood, but as usual, his jokes are ill-timed, and go over like a lead balloon.

Kyle video chats with LisaR, and shows her the Croatian water. I’m so jealous. LisaR tells her about Dorit’s birthday, and Kyle asks how it was with PK. She says it was surprisingly nice, and everyone is getting along. Kyle tells her to hold down the fort and keep the peace.

Dorit’s cooking is impressive. PK calls it the Moroccan dish, even though it’s not Moroccan. I don’t know what it is, but it looks fabulous, and I’d definitely eat it. PK tells them about the dinner party they had with LisaR in attendance; how it seemed fine, and then she attacked their character later. Dorit says PK thinks LisaR is schizophrenic. In her interview, Teddi says it’s a big accusation, and unless you have a medical license, you probably shouldn’t go there. Lighten up. He’s not making a diagnosis, just a point, albeit using a poor choice of comparison. Dorit tells them about being on the boat, and how LisaR kept coming at her with things designed to hurt her. She’s one person one minute, and another the next; she has rage and regret over and over. Dorit says LisaR making a toast on her birthday was so preposterous it’s funny. In her interview, Teddi thinks this isn’t forgiveness. She tells Dorit she’s shocked to hear it, and PK says, you wait, babe.

Next time, the girls visit Tokyo, Teddi enjoys family time, and Dorit calls Camille names, but I think she’s joking around. I think…

💃 I checked out My Big Fat Fabulous Life, and I liked it, but wasn’t overwhelmed. I thought the people were naturally funny, in the Sweet Home Oklahoma vein, although not quite that good. (I so hope that show comes back.) I wasn’t sure how fabulous it was either. There was a lot of petty fighting, and it kind of reminded me of how life would be in my hometown, which isn’t all that exciting of a place. The most real moment was when two exes sat in the same room for the first time since breaking up. The tension was so palpable, I could feel it through the television. This falls into the I’ll watch it if it’s convenient category.

Croatia5

Croatia (sigh…)

 

Dec30

December 29, 2017 – Yes They Kiss, This, That, Some Dogs, a Shower & a Cornucopia of Quotes for the New Year

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What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

Anna tells Robert that Cassandra was on Spoon Island. She asks him to let her know when Cassandra is in custody. She loves it when a plan comes together. Finn asks if she just quoted The A Team. He guesses he should start packing. He and Roxie can now move around the cabin. Anna tells him that he was never her prisoner, and Roxie can stay as long as she wants, but he says they’re a package deal. He asks if she’s glad to get rid of him, but she says Cassandra isn’t in custody yet. Maybe he should stick around.

Valentin asks Cassandra if this is necessary. Cassandra tells Valentin that he’s lucky she brought him there, instead of leaving his body for his Amazon wife to stumble over. She reminds me of Natasha in the Bullwinkle cartoons, but toned down a hundred notches.

Nina texts Valentin yet again. She wonders why he’s not there for their anniversary.

Dante asks Lulu what the next big story is, but she hesitates to answer the question.

Carly and Sonny make out at the bar. He asks where Jason is, but she says she doesn’t know. Sonny says he tried talking him out of going to Russia to look for Faison, but wonders if he found an earlier flight to St. Petersburg.

Drew looks for Monica at the hospital, but Kim says he missed her. He was hoping for a ride. His car won’t start, and he needs to meet Sam. It’s an hour wait for a cab, and Kim asks where they’re supposed to meet. He tells her the Haunted Star.

Sam asks what Jason is doing there. He says he’s supposed to meet Sonny, but she tells him that she and Drew rented the boat for the evening. He realizes they’re moving, and asks if Drew is driving. Sam says no; Drew’s not there yet. It’s on autopilot, and they have to stop it.

As Anna putters around to make a New Year’s Eve spread, Finn says there’s no reason to stay while she and the WSB take down Cassandra. She says any minute now, but you don’t pronounce the patient cured until the tests come back from the lab. She tells him to do what he wants, and he asks if she wants him to leave. She calls him impossible, and he says she’s deflecting and not facing her feelings. She says what she feels is satisfaction; Cassandra is going to be put away for a long time. She would feel ecstatic if Finn could acknowledge her success. He says if it wasn’t for him, she’d still be eating croissants in Monaco. She tells him he’s grown a huge ego. He says if he’s reading it correctly, she’s asking him to leave.

Cassandra tells Valentin that life with a wife and child hasn’t just made him soft; it’s made him stupid. He betrayed her in the most obvious way. She’s surprised he doesn’t realize his mistake. When he knocked the phone out of her hand, Eric discovered the bug. Cassandra doesn’t realize the obvious. If Valentin had planted that bug, he never would have knocked the phone out of her hand.

Nina calls Valentin, and gets voicemail. She wonders why he isn’t there yet.

Lulu tells Dante that she wants something bigger than the Lomax story. She and Peter kicked around some ideas. He asks what they settled on, and they see Nina frantically talking. She tells them that Valentin is late, and not answering his cell or the house phone. Lulu asks if she thinks there’s something wrong with Charlotte. Nina says the babysitter isn’t picking up either. She doesn’t know what to think.

Carly tells Sonny that Jason is more than capable of taking care of himself. Sonny asks what she did. Did she do what she always does, stepping in? Carly says it’s what Sonny wants. Didn’t he just try to convince Jason that Sam was the one for him? Sonny says he got nowhere, and so will she. Whatever she was planning, is not going to work.

Kim gives Drew a ride. He tries to call Sam, but says the reception on the boat is sketchy. Kim asks if there’s someone else he can call, and he explains that there is no one else. He rented the boat, so they could have it to themselves. He tells her that there’s no captain, because it’s on autopilot, and Kim is amused about the technology.

Sam tells Jason the autopilot did what it was supposed to, and pulled away from the pier. Now they’re adrift because they shut it off, and when they did that, it also cut the engine. They shut it off, and the wrong people are on board. She says she should have known how the emergency shut-off works. Sam starts to babble about how the boat should have an analog control system, and says they’re going to be stuck for a few hours. She tries to call Drew, but there’s no service.

Jason tells Sam, sorry. She says it’s not his fault, but thanks him for not saying, I told you so. He thinks this is happening because of him. Carly told him to meet Sonny there. Sam says she was at Aurora and heard their plans, since Lulu announced them, and she must have found a way to delay Drew. Jason says she took things too far, and he needs to talk to her. Sam says there’s nothing he can say or do to change her mind. Carly isn’t trying to convince him, but her. Carly wanted to put them alone together to try and change her mind.

Carly tells Sonny to wait and see, and let nature take its course. He wonders when has she ever done that? She says whatever is going to happen, will happen, and it’s out of their hands. Sonny says Jason is with Sam because of her.

Nina gets ahold of the babysitter. Charlotte is fine, and Valentin left a while ago. She says he should be there soon. Lulu wonders why she’s worried, and Nina says he’s probably picking up gift. It’s their one-year anniversary. Lulu says it’s been one year since they teamed up to keep Charlotte from her mother. Lulu is too old to be such a brat, and I’m really starting to dislike her. Dante asks what’s going on, and Lulu says Valentin is up to something, and Nina is covering it up. I hope her career bombs. Making wild assumptions is not what a good journalist does.

Valentin tells Cassandra not to blame him for her carelessness. She hired him because he was the best. If he was going to bug her phone, she’d have never known it. Cassandra says he lies like breathing, and needs some incentive to tell the truth. She tells Eric to beat the truth out of him.

Finn accuses Anna of practically pushing him out the door. She says just because she pointed out his massive ego, he doesn’t need to go out in the cold. She tells him they could celebrate the new year together, or he could act like an adolescent who can’t wrangle a date with his crush, and leave. She’s proved he’s terrified. Finn says if he’s terrified, she’s petrified. She can’t admit she wants him to stay. She asks if he wants to stay, and he says he’d love to.

Jason calls the harbor master, but they’re not a priority. It will be at least three hours before a tow comes, but they can figure out something in the meantime. He looks behind the bar, and brings out a set of dominoes. He challenges her to a game. She asks if the rules are the same. He says whoever loses a round, takes a shot of tequila. Sam tells him that he’s on.

Anna tells Finn that she has champagne for her, cider, and several kinds of sparkling water. She also makes a killer grilled cheese. He can’t think of better way to ring in the new year.

Cassandra’s phone rings (when did she have time to get another one?). She tells Eric to take a break, and answer the phone. Cassandra wonders if Valentin was planning on taking over himself, but he says he never wanted anything to do with her organization. He wanted to be left alone with his wife and daughter. He tells her it’s their one-year anniversary, and Cassandra says he takes new beginnings literally. Valentin says Nina asked him spontaneously. She wanted to strengthen his position in his custody case, and risked everything for him. Cassandra says he makes it sound idyllic. Valentin says, not idyllic, but real. As long as Nina and Charlotte are by his side, the rest of the world can burn. Cassandra realizes he really means it. He says she knows he didn’t do this, and she’s wasting her time. She needs to find the leak in her organization. Eric comes back, and Cassandra tells him to let Valentin go. Eric says that the authorities just seized her factory.

Dante asks if Nina has reason to believe Valentin is involved in something criminal. Lulu says it’s not like he hasn’t killed anyone – like her brother. Please. Give it a rest. Nina says she’ll find him herself.

Carly goes off to play hostess. Sonny tells Dante and Lulu that he got thank you cards from the kids. Lulu says it was Charlotte’s idea. She told the kids that you always send a thank you when you get a gift. They talk about the kids, and Lulu says it’s amazing that Sonny is willing to drop everything for his family. A huge question mark hangs over my head, since not long ago, Sonny gave up trying to get out of the business for them. She tells Sonny that with Dante, sometimes work gets in the way. Dante says he’s looking for Faison, and asks if Sonny is looking too. Sonny asks if he’s had any success, and Dante says he was going to ask the same thing.

Kim and Drew are stuck in traffic. She says it looks like everyone is trying to get somewhere before midnight. He tells her, sorry, and she asks him to get her glasses from the glovebox. He wonders if she needs glasses, why she’s not wearing them now, but she says it’s only when her eyes are tired at night. Me too. Drew gives her the glasses, and sees a CD marked 2003. He asks if it’s the one that she gave him. She asks if he listened to it, and if it triggered any memories.

Sam says it’s only her first shot, but Jason has already had two. He tells her she’s gotten good at the game, and she tells him that she and Drew play sometimes. She doubts this is what Carly had in mind. She was Carly’s least favorite person, and now she’s the only one who can make Jason happy. Jason says Carly feels bad because she pushed Sam to Drew when she thought it was him. Sam says nobody pushed her. She’s not with him because of Carly, but because she loves him. A lot has changed; she changed. Jason says it wasn’t five years for him. He woke up at the clinic, and had no idea how much time had passed. All he could think about was coming home, but he’s glad she didn’t wait, and went on and lived life. She has Drew, Danny, and Emily Scout. He missed her, but can’t miss the life they didn’t have. As long as she’s happy, he’s good.

Cassandra says someone located the factory by using the bug; her operation is completely lost. Valentin says she got played, and had better get out of the country, and live to fight another day. She wonders if it wasn’t him, who did it? She was always so careful. The lightbulb comes on, and she says, Finn. Valentin asks how he would know how to do something like that, and Cassandra says his girlfriend would. She knew Anna had ties to the WSB, but since Anna didn’t try to hide her identity, she assumed Anna wouldn’t go after her business. She says Finn played her perfectly. Valentin tells her to leave him out of it, but she says she has to take care of Finn, then him. His marriage won’t see the new year; what a shame. She leaves with Eric, and Valentin struggles against his bonds. I totally get why she wants to go after Finn, but what did Valentin do? Or is he just a reminder that she’s stupid?

Anna and Finn toast to a happy new year, and better days. Finn says the water was a good year. He suddenly tells Anna that he has to go. He just needs to go out for a while. He wants to make a fresh start between them, and it will be worth it. He won’t be long. I say, oh no, don’t leave, to the TV.

Sonny doesn’t know Faison’s location. Dante tells him it’s an active investigation. The bartender tells Sonny that he can’t find Carly, and asks if he’ll give her a message. Tell her that he’ll be happy to take care of any special projects she has moving forward.

Sam asks if Jason is drunk. He says no, and she tells him the game is fundamentally unfair. He can drink five times as many shots, which means she has to win fives times more. She doesn’t think she’s ever achieved it, since she’s never seen him drunk. He moves a domino, and she asks why he made such a stupid play? He tells her that he was distracted, but she says he’s losing on purpose. He doesn’t want to see her drunk. Jason, the tough hitman, is too polite to get a lady drunk, unless she’s his lady. They agree that maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Jason says it’s almost midnight. If they get up on deck, maybe they’ll see some fireworks. He helps her on with the coat that Maxie picked out.

Robert calls Anna, saying they haven’t found Cassandra yet. She says she’ll lock up, and stay armed until they do. She starts to go upstairs, and the door opens. She says, Finn, we have a problem. By the look on her face, I don’t think it’s Finn.

Nina keeps texting Valentin, and wondering where he is.

Lulu toasts to a new career. Dante asks Sonny to make a resolution to share information on Faison, and Sonny says he will if Dante will. Lulu wants to text Laura to see if she’s enjoying her honeymoon, but Dante suggests she’ll enjoy it more if Lulu doesn’t text her. Sonny tells Carly that she seems happy, and she says she is. He asks if it has anything to do with the bartender. He told Sonny to tell her that he’d be happy to do any special projects for her. She says the employees are always looking for extra work. Sonny tells her that if you start the new year with a lie, you’ll be lied to for the rest of the year.

Dante wonders why Lulu was asking about Faison, and tells her that she has to work on her technique. Is she going after him herself? She avoids the question, and he tells her that Faison is dangerous and a psychopath. Stay away from him. She says she will, if he will. He says he’s a cop; it’s his job. She says he has to accept her career the way she does his. He says not when she’s on the path of a predator. She says they have a problem then.

Carly tells Sonny that she may have arranged for Sam and Jason to get stuck somewhere. Sonny asks if it’s somewhere dangerous, and she says, no, but private. He asks what about Drew, and she says she paid the bartender to tamper with his car. Sonny says she’ll be the first person he’ll blame, but she doesn’t care; she’s doing him a favor. He’ll never be happy with Sam, because Sam won’t be happy without Jason.

Kim tells Drew that he believed in staying in the moment, and not looking too far ahead. He also liked to enjoy a song and a sunset. He used to say, don’t waste chance to live what’s right in front of you.

Sam’s coat deserves a mention. It’s white, soft military style, with a nipped waist and pleats. She tells Jason that Danny loves fireworks, just like his dad. She asks when Jason gave the city money to rebuild, if it was because the fireworks were good from there? He says it was for a lot of reasons, but that was one of them.

Finn gets back with flowers, but there’s no one there. He puts them on the desk, and looks for Anna.

They’re just going to leave me hanging all over the place in this episode, aren’t they?

When Finn comes back, Cassandra is there, smelling one of the flowers.

Valentin continues to struggle. He remembers his and Nina’s wedding, and saying the vows.

The countdown begins. Alone, Nina says, happy anniversary, Valentin.

Dante and Lulu kiss. He wants her to be an award winning journalist, but wants her safe. She promises she will be.

Sonny tells Carly that he knows her intentions are good, and he loves her for that. She’s a force of nature, and his life means nothing without her. She loves him the same way. They kiss.

Kim is like, sorry, happy new year. Drew says he’ll go the rest of the way on foot. He says to tell Oscar, happy new year, and she says the same to Sam.

Sam and Jason watch the fireworks. She says it’s beautiful. He looks at her, and says, beautiful. They look at each other, and he holds out his hand. They get closer. We flash back to when she was drunk, and they danced. They begin to dance on the deck, and we flash back to when they danced under Chinese lanterns in the rain. They dance, and gaze into each other’s eyes. They kiss, while Auld Lang Syne plays.

We get the end-of-the-year full credits, but no preview.

✈ I’ve probably seen it a million times, but suddenly realized that’s Ashley Jones (Parker, General Hospital) in a Priceline commercial with Kaley Cuoco (Penny, The Big Bang Theory). Turns out they’re good friends, and last spring, Kaley helped throw Ashley a safari-themed high tea baby shower. You don’t see one of those very often, and how’s that for useless trivia?

Since we’re still in holiday TV interruptus, I watched two episodes of Hell’s Kitchen tonight. I’m so out of the loop with this show, it didn’t really matter, but nothing makes it feel like home more than Gordon Ramsay bleepity-bleep-bleep-bleeping his way around a kitchen. Especially when he tells the contestants they’ve made a blunder that’s “the worst in the history of this competition.” I wish I had a quarter for every time he’s said that. I know the phrase is supposed to be a nickel, but, inflation.

 🎊 Some Quotes to Usher in the New Year

The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts. – C.S. Lewis, from The Abolition of Man, Compiled in Words to Live By

It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old, they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams. – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Knowing what must be done does away with fear. – Rosa Parks

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another. – Charles Dickens

A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness. – Albert Einstein

To thrive in life you need three bones. A wishbone. A backbone. And a funny bone.
— Reba McEntire

I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something. – Neil Gaiman

Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties. Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man. – Benjamin Franklin

New Year’s Day. A fresh start. A new chapter in life waiting to be written. New questions to be asked, embraced, and loved. Answers to be discovered and then lived in this transformative year of delight and self-discovery. Today carve out a quiet interlude for yourself in which to dream, pen in hand. Only dreams give birth to change. – Sarah Ban Breathnach

😸 Here’s Where I’m Supposed to Say…

See you next year – ha-ha! but I’m not going to. It’s so cliché. Whether you rock your new year in at home or take it to the streets, enjoy, but enjoy safely. As for me, been there, done it all, when it was safer and less expensive. I’ll be ringing in the new year with Chinese food, liquor and Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time. Stop laughing.

Wishing you all good things in 2018 – and all the best in TV!

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🐆 And if You’re Inclined to See What a Safari-Themed High Tea Baby Shower is All About…

http://celebritybabies.people.com/2016/04/08/ashley-jones-baby-shower-kaley-cuoco-photos/

🎅 And Because I Can’t Resist…

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Casey’s First Christmas

 

Dec29

December 28, 2017 – New Year’s Eve in PC Begins, a Little Chef, a Little Real Estate, a Little News & a Lotta Laura

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

At Aurora, Peter proposes a toast. He complements everyone, and toasts to a great new year at the company. Nina hopes the champagne didn’t come out of Crimson’s budget, but he says it was a gift from their landlord.

Carly tells Michael she can be there if he needs back up with Nelle. He tells her to enjoy the night, and happy new year. Sonny isn’t surprised, and Carly wonders if it was Nelle’s plan all along to start the new year with Michael. Sonny is like, in the hospital? And she says, could happen. Jason comes b,y and tells them that he has a plane to catch.

At the hospital, Nelle asks if her dizziness is normal, and Michael says that’s what they’re here to find out. Kim is off for the day, and Monica is her replacement.

Anna is working two laptops, and tells Finn don’t touch that or that or that; one tweak in the wrong direction, and everything is useless. She thinks he should go for a walk. I might point out it’s like, zero degrees today where they’re supposed to live. Finn calls her a glory hog, and says she’s stuck with him whether she likes it or not.

Valentin comes home to Cassandra and her companion in his living room. Or whatever they call it at Windemere. She’s bringing him good tidings. He asks if she’s leaving town, and she says she is. And he’s coming with her.

Finn asks if the bug is working, and Anna says it’s great. He’d be happier if she’d admit he’s not a bumbling amateur, and she says he has his uses. He says she can’t do it, even though she blackmailed him into this mess. Anna says he’s the one who refused to stop. She says they’re at the end, and can now pinpoint the location. Finn says, thanks to his bug, but she says technically, it’s hers. He tells her that he installed it, and she calls him impossible. He asks how long this will take, but she’s not sure yet, and it makes Finn a little nervous. Anna says she thought he said he had Cassandra eating out of his hand, and he says Cassandra needs to keep hands to herself.

Cassandra wants Valentin to put in appearance, and familiarize himself with the product. He says he has nothing to do with quality control, and she tells him to consider it a gesture of solidarity. He says it’s her brainchild, but she insists it’s time for him to get his hands dirty, and eliminate Sonny.

Jason wants to go back to Russia. He thinks somebody at the clinic might know something about Faison. Sonny says he might get killed, Jason he insists that he has to go. He steps away to take a call. Carly says he can’t get on the plane; he needs to be here with Sam. Sonny says whatever she’s planning – no. She runs off to talk to the chef, but he notes she’s going in the wrong direction.

Peter asks if their fearless leaders care to share any plans for the new year. Drew tells him they’re off the clock; take it easy. Maxie reminds Peter that tomorrow is a holiday. Carly pops in, and they thank her for the champagne. She says anything for her favorite tenants, and invites them to the party downstairs. Drew and Sam have other plans, and Lulu tells everyone that they rented out the Haunted Star to watch the fireworks, because it’s totally her business. Well, the Haunted Star is her business, but not shouting out Drew and Sam’s plans. Drew says, first, he’s dropping by the hospital to wish Monica a happy new year. Carly tells Sam it looks like Aurora has stabilized, and Sam says she’s looking forward to a profitable year. Carly is glad it worked out. She sees Sam’s ring, and asks if it’s new. Sam says Drew gave it to her after they agreed to remarry. She thought it was great for a fresh start. Carly says everyone could use one, and congratulates her.

Finn tells Anna that Cassandra toweled him off like he was a grease fire. Anna says maybe it was more innocent than that, and he says, employee harassment. She says, the nerve, especially since he’s completely unavailable. Finn says he is as far as Cassandra is concerned, and Anna wonders if he gave the wrong impression, and led her on. Finn says he would never cheat in a fake relationship – or a real one – but he guesses they’ll never know.

Valentin asks if Cassandra wants him to assassinate Sonny, and she wants it dealt with before they leave. It’s time to refocus, and he was right. Sonny is a paragon of virtue when comes to drugs. Valentin says he doesn’t tolerate traffic in his town, and Cassandra asks what he thinks will happen when his town is the hub of opiate traffic. It’s self-preservation. He has to kill Sonny, before Sonny kills him.

Jason tells Sonny his flight was delayed, but he has to find Faison now. Sonny thinks it’s more like he wants to get away from Sam, but Jason thinks it’s a good idea to keep his distance; Drew isn’t handling it well, and it’s killing Sam. Sonny says at some point they have to stop this, and make it okay. They need to figure it out for themselves. Him leaving isn’t going to change Sam’s feelings, and either Drew moves forward, or it will consume him; it’s not on Jason. Jason says Sam made her choice, and he needs to honor it.

Maxie tells Sam that they’re going to feel like the only ones in the world on the boat. Sam says that’s the idea. Maxie asks if that’s what she’s wearing, and when Sam says it is, she asks how many times she has to ride to her rescue in dressing appropriately. Friends don’t let friends do drab. She asks Nina for permission to raid the Crimson closet.

Michael waits for Nelle, and Drew walks in. He tells Michael that he came to see Monica. Michael says it’s good to see they still have a relationship. Drew says he’s a lucky guy, and asks why Michael is there. Michael says he’s there for Nelle.

Nelle thanks Monica for seeing her. Monica says even if she wasn’t on duty, she would have made herself available. Nelle says the Quartermaines stick together, and Monica says, you’d better believe it. Nelle asks if that’s a threat, and Monica says, no. It’s a promise to her unborn baby. Monica asks about the dizzy spells, and Nelle says they’re usually the same; she gets lightheaded and has to lie down. Monica tells her that everything looks good, but wants to do a full workup to be sure. Nelle asks if she wants to make sure she’s not lying; it’s clearly what she’s thinking. Monica tells her not to get upset; it’s not good for the baby. Nelle says it’s frustrating to consistently judged, but Monica wouldn’t know what it’s like. Monica says she does.

Sonny tells Jason if he thinks it’s the right move, he’ll back him, but doesn’t want him to take off and disappear. Jason says he’s not giving up his life there. His kids know he exists, and he can’t cut out on them; he would never do that. Sonny asks if he’s spending time with them. Jason says he saw Jake on Christmas, but Jake wanted nothing to do with him. He says Jake has been thrown so many curveballs, and now he shows up out of nowhere. Sonny says it’s not his fault. Jake needs time to process. Jason thinks maybe it’s good for him to go away, and give Jake time. He got lucky with Danny. Sonny says eventually, Jake won’t be able to deny it any more than Sam will.

At the Haunted Star, Maxie gets impatient. Sam comes out in a bodycon red number, with a keyhole neckline. Maxie says, me likey. Me too, but come on. Sam is gorgeous, and does her makeup impeccably every day, yet doesn’t know how to dress?

Lulu asks if Peter is going to the party, but he has a few things to finish up. She thanks him for giving her an opportunity. He says she’s the one brought the story, and thanks her. She wants to follow up with something just as big, or bigger, and wonders if he has any ideas. He says one comes to mind. The question is, does she have the guts to tackle it?

Anna balks at the two of them in a real relationship. She says Finn would drive her crazy. He says ditto, with her tea and crumpets, and accent. She says he loves her accent, and he admits that he does.

Cassandra’s phone rings, but she ignores it, and asks Valentin why he’s so squeamish? Just take Sonny out.

Anna gets a signal from Cassandra’s phone. She thinks it’s the factory, and calls Robert. She asks if he’s getting it.

Cassandra answers the call, and tells Valentin that the lab agrees Finn’s formula will work. She says they’re to leave immediately, and get packing. Valentin says his daughter is sleeping, and his wife is expecting him. Cassandra threatens to call Nina herself. Valentin throws her phone across the room, saying there’s only so far she can push him. Great. Now what? Eric! Her companion’s name is Eric! Cassandra has Eric fetch the phone, and says she’s capable of compromise. They can leave in the morning. It’s what’s best for everyone; trust her. And you know when someone says that, it’s the last thing you should do.

Anna looks at a map along with Robert. She tells him she’s looking for a water source; it would be needed to produce drugs. They find one, and she tells him to look for a road. Finn watches as she works. They find an airstrip, and Anna says to send in the strike team. They’ve got her.

Nelle is surprised to find out that Monica didn’t know who AJ’s father was. Monica says they didn’t have DNA tests then. Nelle says she hasn’t been with anyone else, and it’s obviously Michael’s baby. Monica says she’s not implying her story is the same, but maybe Nelle can learn from her experience. Nelle asks how she handled it, and Monica says it wasn’t easy, but she learned to focus on what was important – her child. Nelle needs to focus on that. Being born a Quartermaine comes with host of things. Nelle says for the baby, but not for her. Monica tells her that she’s not the first woman to have a Quartermaine baby, and she won’t be the last, but if it makes her part of the family remains to be seen.

Drew asks Michael if he’s sure the baby is his. Michael says they’ll know once they have a test, but the timing is right. Drew congratulates him, and says it turns out he has child from a former life. They agree at least their lives are interesting.

Peter suggests Lulu write an article about Jason and Drew. He can’t think of a more interesting story. Lulu says everyone else is covering it. He adds, except them. He figured it was on purpose because of Sam and Drew. Lulu says the story might never see the light of day, but Peter thinks maybe with a friendlier approach, and they can control it themselves. He suggests instead of focusing on the victims, focus on the perpetrator – Caesar Faison. YES!!!

Jason tells Sonny that Sam deserves a safe life for her and the kids, and Drew can give it to her. Sonny says she also deserves to be happy. Jason says if that’s what she wanted, he’d thank God, but she picked Drew. Sonny says that Jason is the person she’s meant to be with.

Maxie tells Sam that Drew will combust when he sees her. Sam isn’t totally in, and tries on the next dress. It’s black, very low cut, and sleeveless with sparkly shoulders. Maxie says that’s good too. Both are good choices, so she should just go for fit, style, and comfort. Strike comfort; it has no place in fashion. She tells Sam that they both match the coat she’ll need if they’re going to be outside. Sam says she has a coat, but Maxie scoops up her motorcycle jacket, saying it’s not appropriate. She says her work here is done, and leaves.

Monica sees Drew, and they wish each other a happy new year. She wants to steal Michael for a minute, and says she’ll be back. She tells him that Nelle and the baby are fine. He asks if she has any idea what’s causing the dizzy spells, and she tells him, low blood pressure. She’s been pushing herself too hard, and needs to take better care of her health, but the baby fine. Michael thanks her. She says they’re family, and that overrides everything. Focus on the now.

Jason tells Carly that his flight was delayed. He asks where she went, and she tells him, Aurora. She was hoping Drew would admit they own the company because of him. Jason says it doesn’t matter, and he doesn’t want her handling his battles for him. She tells him that he and Sam belong together, and she needs to realize that. He tells her, Sonny just said that. She suddenly gets a text from Sonny, and tells Jason that Sonny wants to meet him at the Haunted Star; he might have information on Faison. What? How dare they be so far up in Jason’s business?

Lulu tells Peter that people have a morbid curiosity about Faison, and would probably eat up a profile on him. He tells her to think bigger – a profile and interview. She wonders if she’s supposed to track him down, and pray he doesn’t kill her. I dunno. He’s kind of an egoiste. He might actually go for it, especially if he thinks Anna would read it. She asks how she’s supposed to find him when the WSB couldn’t? Peter says she has a gift. She has two things, aside from raw talent. One is her husband. She says Dante isn’t going to tell her anything, but Peter says he’s sure she has ways of convincing him. She also has her father. The feud between Luke and Faison is legendary. He tells her to sleep on it. If something comes from it, career made.

Nathan is still waiting for Maxie at the party. Dante tells him they’re wasting valuable time. When the baby comes, they won’t have any time, and the time they have will be spent talking about kids. Nathan says he’ll trade that for the baby being okay. He still isn’t sure who his father is. Nina says, that’s why Maxie pulled a hair out of Valentin’s head.

Cassandra tells Valentin they’re expected on the tarmac at nine am. He says he’ll see her in 2018. Outside, she tells Eric what way to start the new year. She’s going to need a phone replacement before the morning. Eric hands her the card, saying it fell out. Oh, Valentin, what have you done?

Anna tells Finn the factory was just hit. They were taken by surprise, and there was minimal resistance. A mass quantity of drugs was found; it was a large-scale production. They’ve officially secured the factory, and taken it over. Finn asks what that means. Did they win? She says the battle, not the war. He says, but it’s over and no one got hurt. He grabs her and spins her around. Yep. I like these two together. Finn says Anna could benefit from loosening up once in a while, and she’s like, says man who organizes his flatware. She says they still have one more thing to take care of. He asks if it’s Cassandra, and she says, make that two.

Nina is wondering where Valentin is. Nathan suggests maybe he stopped for a crime spree or a kidnapping.

Anna calls Valentin, telling him that her investment paid off. He’s concerned about retaliation, but she says they have a team out after her. Valentin tells her where Cassandra is headed, and she thanks him. He tells her to thank him after she’s in custody. Anna tells Finn that it’s finished. He guesses so is their partnership.

Cassandra walks back into Valentin’s house, along with Eric, who has a gun pointed at him. He’s wondering what the what, and she tells him not to play innocent; it doesn’t suit him. She doesn’t want him killed there, and tells him to come quietly, for his family’s sake.

Nina texts Valentin, but there’s still no answer. Lulu and Peter arrive at the party. Lulu tells Dante she’s his for the rest of the night. Maxie joins them, saying she was late for a worthy cause.

Michael tells Nelle that Monica said to take it easy. She says she’ll try. She found a job, and starts the day after New Year’s. He asks if the hours are flexible, and she says she needs the money. He says they can revisit the financial support issue. She’s not supposed to have any extra stress. She blows him off, saying she has the feeling this job will solve all of her problems.

Sonny tells Carly the party is off to a good start. She tells him it was rude to leave his date, and he points out that she actually left first. He asks what she’s up to, and she says he’s off the clock. Sonny asks where Jason is, and Carly says somewhere he needs to be. Oh, I see. She just said the message was from Sonny. I didn’t think Sonny would get that involved.

Jason runs onto the boat. He sees Sam in the black dress. They soap opera gaze at each other.

Tomorrow, Finn would like to stay, Sonny tells Carly that her plan isn’t going to work, and Cassandra has the crap beat out of Valentin.

💣 I have to mention that I’m really enjoying Jessica Tuck playing he hell out of Cassandra. As over-the-top as the character is, she makes it believable with a very understated, controlled performance. I’ll bet she’s having a good time too. Cassandra is a world away from One Life to Live’s Megan. I don’t suppose it will happen, but it would be fun if she were in a scene with Dr. Bensch (James DePaiva, Max, OLTL).

🍲 Television is still in holiday limbo, but I’m catching up with Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles and Top Chef, both having new episodes this week. Tonight, the chefs cooked meals that were “pieces of themselves.” Most picked something reminiscent of their childhood, bringing to mind my father’s neckbone soup. While we probably ate things no kid would touch today – he often cooked “Depression food,” since that’s when he grew up – it was one of my favorites. I joke a lot about my avoidance of cooking, but can get ambitious occasionally, and did make it myself once when I lived alone. IMO, it was good, but not the same. Probably because the love was missing.

🌉 I knew long ago I could never be a chef, top or otherwise, but the jury is in on my being a broker too. My career would be over the first time I smacked a condescending client with a superiority complex, and way too much money, in the face. Tonight, one of Madison’s clients wanted to be on a certain road at a certain price for two months. It was the peak season, and she waited until the last minute. Like what I do when I’m getting my hair cut before the holidays begin. He did find her something slightly (slightly in terms of the wealthy, so I mean $100K) more than she wanted, but she compromised. I’d like to think her demanding attitude was to play for the camera, but holy! She was a witch of the highest order, and not very couth. Bringing up the price in front of the client is never good form. My interest was also piqued when James and David checked out what they deemed to be the future of real estate in LA, namely, luxury apartments. At first, when they used the term “vertical living,” I thought it must be some futuristic Japanese design. I was pretty surprised when everything looked like what it’s looked like in NYC for as long as I can remember, but it was cheaper.

🎭  Tyler Perry will joining us again soon, but this season, it’s The Haves and the Have Nots on Tuesdays, and If Loving You is Wrong on Wednesdays.

❗Good Advice

🎬  Steven Spielberg‘s advice to Laura Dern: From New York Magazine’s new profile of the actress: “’When I was 23,” says Dern, “right before a close-up on Jurassic Park, Spielberg said to me, ‘People will tell you what you could do to your face years from now. Don’t you ever touch your face.’ He was saying, ‘Your face is perfect, it’s female, it’s emotional.’ I am determined to be human in my acting, and when you own your power and your womanhood, you grow into your beauty. Your face finds you.” (Thank you.)

JurassicPark

JurassicPark2

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😉 And Because I Couldn’t Resist…

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Jurassic Pug

 

 

 

Dec28

December 27, 2017 – Nathan is Gifted a Clock, No New Jersey or Siggy, WWHL Talk & Another Clock

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

At the hospital, Kiki congratulates Laura and Doc. Laura realizes they never discussed her last name.

Maxie needs to talk to Amy, and tells her it’s important. Amy says so are her patients. Maxie says she needs a DNA test done – fast.

Obrecht meets with Nathan at Kelly’s for breakfast. She tells him she’s been waiting a lifetime to give him this present.

At the station, Lulu finds out that Mayor Lomax has been indicted. She asks how long Lomax will still be in office. Jordan says a couple of months. The still have to do an investigation. Dante tells Lulu that she blew it open; now, the police have to connect the dots. Alexis says Lomax is an embarrassment to Port Charles, but an elected official can’t be fired.

Ava and Griff wait for Kiki at Ava’s place. Ava gives him her gift, a nice watch. Like a sports watch, not a blinged out Rolex. He tells her he can’t accept it. Sigh. What now?

Anna tells Finn he has two objectives. One is to put a card inside of Cassandra’s phone, so she can spy on her. She tells Finn to call her when he leaves, and keep his phone on so she can hear. His other objective is, don’t die. He tells her that he knew what he was getting into, so wish him luck.

Laura says she’s always been Laura Spencer. She and the name have survived a lot, and it’s who she is. Except it isn’t anymore. She wants to be Laura Collins. Doc says has a ring to it, and I start wondering if there was ever a Laura Collins on Dark Shadows.

Amy tells Maxie it’s against the law for her to just do a DNA test without following procedure. Maxie says so is fraud, but Nathan did that for her. She needs a comparison test. Amy asks what it’s for.

Nathan unwraps one of those old-fashioned cuckoo clocks with little doors. Like in the Geico commercial. Obrecht explains that she got it in Bavaria when she was pregnant with him. It reminds her of the fantasy she had of their life together, traveling the world. Her hopes were dashed, and they had to hide from Victor. Now the clock can hang in the nursery. She finally has a chance to set things right. Nathan says as much as he appreciates the gift, everything is not all right.

Ava thought the watch was as special as Griff is. He says it’s beautiful and thoughtful, and he appreciates the gesture. She says it’s not a gesture; it’s a present. Griff says he’s spent his entire adult life detaching from material things, and doesn’t feel comfortable with such an expensive present. For having been around the block and then some, Griff has zero social skills. Ava says she got him something from her world. She’s an art dealer, and her life is about expensive objects. She thinks his perspective must be liberating. She asks if he would keep it, if she promises to never get another one, and he agrees. She puts it on his wrist. Geez, seriously, it’s nice, but not like what they’re making of it, and the wristband sounded like it was plastic, for goodness’ sake. They kiss.

Cassandra tells her companion (does he have a name?) about Finn coming by. He says not to give him too much access. She appreciates that he’s protective. If she’s misjudged Finn’s character, he’ll be nearby to correct her mistake. Finn arrives. He tells her they have something important in common. With the business they’ll be doing, they can help people and make money at the same time. Cassandra says that pain management is both merciful and lucrative. On her end, Anna tells him to finesse. Cassandra tells Finn that she loves that he has no tolerance for nonsense; she’s the same way.

Alexis tells Lulu that if handled properly, Mayor Lomax might not want to stay. The key to getting rid of her once and for all lies in digging up dirt. Dante drags lulu into the interrogation room, and kisses her. She tells him that she needs to take down corrupt officials more often. He’s impressed with the way she stood up to Lomax, and asks how it feels. She says like she never wants to stop. They start making out, and I think, isn’t there a window there? Did he lock the door?

Maxie asks Amy if she’ll make it happen if she tells her why. Amy says her odds will improve. Maxie says it’s for Nathan. She starts to tell Amy about his mother, and Amy interrupts, asking if she means the obnoxious, demanding mad scientist? Maxie says she was going for squirrely, but it would insult the squirrels. Maxie explains that they think Obrecht might be lying about Victor being Nathan’s father. Amy says Nathan won’t go for it, and Maxie says not to tell her what her husband would do.

Obrecht says she adores Nathan. She’s overjoyed to be oma to their little one. He says her first test as a grandma is to say what isn’t she telling him about his father.

Griff tells Ava that he’s still planning her gift; it’s a work in progress. She loves the anticipation. He tells her to be patient; it will be worth it. Kiki knocks at the door. She and Ava hug, and Ava asks if she’s spoken to Dillon. Kiki tells her that Dillon said the movie is still in production. She misses him, and they’re supposed to exchange presents when they see each other, but she’s brought Ava’s. Ava says she and Griff had an adventure on Christmas, serving dinner to the homeless in Julian’s bar. She leaves the room to get Kiki’s gift. Griff asks Kiki if it’s set for tonight, and Ava overhears.

Cassandra tells Finn that the chemist assures her that the formula is better than anything currently on the market. Finn says they all say that. She says that once he reads it, the deal is officially sealed. She tells him that she’s not comfortable having meetings with phones on, and he turns his off. He says now it’s just the two of them. Anna freaks out. Felicia sees her, and asks if she’s okay.

Stella congratulates Laura, and thanks her for speaking up at the meeting. Laura says she couldn’t watch the neighborhood being dismantled. Stella tells her about several buildings losing power and heat on Christmas. Laura asks if she thinks the landlord did it on purpose, and Stella says no question about it. Laura says the community can’t stand for that; it’s harassment. Stella tells her the landlord owns a lot of property, and with the mayor in his pocket, she’s afraid of what he might do next. Laura says they’ll see about that.

Nathan tells Obrecht there’s no proof Victor is actually his father. A simple screening can tell him. She says that he has the medical dispositions he needs, and his suspicions hurt her. As his true mother, she’s asking him to let this go.

Amy tells Maxie she didn’t mean to imply that she knows Nathan better, she’s just affirming that he’s an honorable man. Maxie says that’s why she’s there. She asks Amy how she spent her Christmas. Amy says it was great; she spent it with Chet. Maxie tells her that the Driscoll family yuletide wouldn’t have happened without her and Nathan’s help. Now help her put Nathan’s mind to rest.

Ava continues to listen. Kiki asks Griff if it’s better that Ava knows the truth. He says she can’t know yet. I know what she’s thinking. That these two have something going. That’s stupid, even for these people.

Anna tells Felicia that she was just listening to a podcast, but Felicia says she knows what surveillance looks like. Anna says she just got cut off. Felicia says if she didn’t know better, she’d think it was about Finn. Robin told her about them moving in together, and moving the relationship to the next level. Anna stumbles over her words a little, and says they’re just cohabitating. Felicia says, with benefits. Why else move in?

Finn points out to Cassandra that a banned element is in the formula, and says replacing it would be crude at best. He suggests something he developed for his immune protocol, but to change the chemistry of the product line, he’ll need access to the lab. Cassandra says he’s not the man she thought he was.

Laura tells Doc that the mayor caused deliberate sabotage. He says her fight is his, and he’s behind and beside her 100% – a week from now. Meanwhile, their honeymoon awaits. Laura doesn’t think they can leave right now.

Nathan tells Obrecht that whatever she’s hiding, whatever truth is, he can handle it. He needs her to be honest. She tells him that she’ll share her most shameful secret.

Alexis announces that the Port Charles charter has an ethics clause. Any elected official can have their salary withheld if they’re under investigation. They can refuse to pay Lomax, and how long will she want the job if there’s no money? I won’t mention that usually mayors have other jobs because the pay is not that much.

Ava gives Kiki a present, saying it’s a token of faith in her. Kiki unwraps a doctor bag. I note that they actually unwrap their gifts, as opposed to the old days, where soaps always gave gifts in a pretty box with a matching lid and built-in bow. Ava says she couldn’t have gotten through that horrible ordeal without Kiki’s comfort and support. Kiki gives Ava her gift, and Griff annoyingly reminds them that the true gift is their relationship with each other. He adds that Ava taught him to accept a gift with grace. Ava removes a scarf, and says it must be to hide in. Griff says that wasn’t the intention, and Kiki says she was the one dragging her outside not that long ago. Ava sarcastically says they always give her the other two most important things in her life, faith and honesty. She’s acting like a real jerk.

Anna tells Felicia that she and Finn are just getting to know each other. Felicia says he’s easy on the eyes, but Anna says looks only get you so far. She tells Felicia that Finn is very smug, irritating, and pays attention to detail. He’s also socially backward. Still, he’s a kind man, and funny, but what he doesn’t know, or refuses to believe, is that he’s caring. Worst of all, he’s a morning person, but she’s grown accustomed to his smile, and he knows how she likes her tea. Felicia says it says sounds like she’s in love.

Cassandra thought Finn would need more time to work out any problems, but he’s more of a genius than she thought. She says it’s a cause for celebration, and pours some champagne. Finn asks if she always has it around in case of a celebration, and she says all civilized people do. Uh-oh. I guess I’m out. They toast to civilization, Cassandra saying, may it be ours for the taking. Finn spills it on himself, and Cassandra leaves to get something to wipe it up. While she’s out of the room, he puts the card in her phone. Cassandra comes back just as Finn is finishing, and she asks what he’s doing.

Doc understands that it’s important, but asks Laura if it can’t wait. Someone else can fight the good fight until then. Stella comes by and says she’s on her way to the station to file a complaint. She asks if Laura will join her as backup. Laura tells Doc that she can’t run off; the people could get intimidated. She can’t ask others to do something, if she’s not doing the same. Doc says they can all go on the way to the airport. Stella is fine with that compromise; it’s good sense. Standing up against the mayor is important, but so is their honeymoon.

Amy says she’ll find a way to make the test happen. Maxie tells her to worry about the test, and she’ll worry about the means. If Nathan gets answers, he won’t care how they got them. I dunno about that.

Obrecht tells Nathan that she hopes the child is a boy. She was able to raise his sister, but wasn’t given that privilege with him. She hopes she can imagine those years with her grandson. Nathan asks what she’s not telling him. Obrecht says she told him what he needs to know. She says to look to the future, where the answers lie ahead, not behind him. Don’t look there anymore.

Kiki says she’ll return the scarf, but she doesn’t know what Ava means. She’s always been honest; can Ava say the same? Griff tells them not to leave it like this. He tells Ava that Kiki didn’t think about her hiding behind the scarf, and Ava tells him not to think he knows her daughter better than she does. Scarves are a reminder of what she lost. Kiki says she got it all back and then some. Whatever she’s got going on today, get over it. She leaves, and Griff asks what happened? Ava tells him to ask Kiki. Maybe she’s missing Dillon or sad about having to work, but she also has work, so it’s best if he goes.

Felicia tells Anna it’s been a long time since she was in love, not since she lost Duke. She’s happy, and in love. Anna says the problem with people like her, is that they think everyone else should be like them. Felicia says she was practically gushing. She’s fighting it tooth and nail, and Felicia thinks she’s afraid of love. She’s terrified, but that’s stupid. Felicia tells her that she’s been given another chance. Dive in. She says that you don’t get to choose who you fall in love with, but get to choose what you do with it. If he feels the same, don’t fight it.

Finn tells Cassandra that he was clearing his work schedule. She wipes at him with a cloth, and says she can think of more inventive ways to celebrate. He suggests a waffle stand, but she’s thinking a side trip after the factory. Finn says he’s flattered and tempted, but can’t. She tells him no one has to know, but he says he would. He wouldn’t feel right. Cassandra asks, because of Anna? and he tells her, yes.

Felicia sees Doc at the station, and he explains that he and Laura were on their way to their honeymoon, when there was some community activism to take care of first. Jordan tells Felicia about the landlord, and how he owns several buildings. Lulu joins them, and says she wrote a follow-up about the board confirming massive voter fraud, and how Lomax stole the election. So, I guess there’s a daily newspaper at Aurora? Dante says she was indicted this morning. The results will be overturned. Lulu asks if this means Felicia is mayor, and no surprise, Felicia isn’t exactly interested anymore, but Alexis says there will be a special election in four weeks, if she wants to run. Felicia says she’s moved on, and they’ll need a viable candidate. Doc knows who his vote would go to. Someone with the character, history, and heart to protect the people and legacy of Port Charles. His wife, Laura Collins.

Maxie comes running into Kelly’s, saying she’s sorry she missed breakfast with his mom. He doesn’t believe that, but she says Obrecht is never boring, and Maxie loves the way she pronounces the names of the pastries. Nathan shows her the gift, and she’s like, great, a cuckoo clock that will wake up the baby every hour, and suggests maybe Obrecht had one as a child and that’s why she’s the way she is. Nathan says there’s been no headway on the father front. Maxie says maybe they can solve the mystery themselves.

At the hospital, Kiki tells Griff that it’s becoming a problem. He asks if she has any second thoughts. She says exactly the opposite. She can’t wait to see where it leads. He says, him too, and they part company. In another unsurprising moment, Ava sees them.

Finn tells Anna, mission accomplished. She sees his wet shirt, and he says he can double glass with the best of them. He tells her it was like James Bond meets The Three Stooges. Anna says she didn’t hear anything after he hung up. He says he told Cassandra he cleared his schedule to see the factory, and she proposed a private getaway. Anna says as soon as she places a call to the factory, she can trace it and get the location, and have it destroyed. He asks, then what? and she says then this whole charade will be over, and they can go back to their lives.

Tomorrow, Lulu wants to follow up with something just as good, Cassandra wants to eliminate Sonny, and Sonny accuses Jason of wanting to get away from Sam.

🍅 While there was no new episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey tonight, I did hear the news that Siggy Flicker is not coming back to the show next season. I’m guessing that her behavior hasn’t been good for business. It’s hard to be credible as a relationship expert when you can’t seem to handle your own. Whether it’s a hormone issue or not, she comes off as irrational. I watched the last two episodes again, and it’s mind-boggling. She makes excuses for everything, and can’t apologize to save her life. And, wtf Dolores?

🎉 I’m not sure why there was nothing new tonight. God knows, Andy Cohen takes more vacations than anyone I know, so maybe the whole place had off this time. (Watch What Happens Live will be back after the first of the year.) I know he has a gig with Anderson Cooper on New Year’s Eve, but I’ve always wondered why he never did a WWHL New Year’s Eve party again. He even said he was never doing one again, and I’m pretty sure I heard distaste in his voice. What happened? Sadly, the night I watched it was one of my best New Year’s Eves. I can never resist Giggy.

😂 At least it gave me leave to watch Carol Burnett’s 50th Anniversary on CBS. For those who never saw the show, or are too young to remember it, it was one of the funniest programs ever on television. And it was on Saturday nights, when TV is often a wasteland.

⏰ Geico’s Clock

 

Dec27

December 26, 2017 – Drum’s Christmas Message, Nina Gets Tough, Beverly Hills Leaves Vegas Unscathed & a Ferris Wheel

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

🎄 First Things First🎄

DSCN7029 (2)

🎅 Drum sez: Hope youse had a Merry Christmas! 🎅

Moving on…

General Hospital

Anna and Finn go to the gym. He wonders why she wanted him there, and she tells him self-defense lessons.

At Kelly’s, Valentin tells Nina that Lulu is late with Charlotte, but he’s not giving her the satisfaction of being annoyed. Lulu and Charlotte arrive, and Nina tells Charlotte that they waited to open their presents. Charlotte tells Valentin that she asked Santa for something special, and asks if he thinks Santa brought it. He says Santa is magic, so perhaps he did. Lulu asks if they read her article, because that totally fits with the conversation.

Maxie and Nathan talk to Kim about Nathan’s medical history. He wonders if the records really belong to Victor.

Peter goes to Sam’s office. She asks if he’s ready to go over the projections for next year, and he says he’s more concerned if there’s going to be a next year. He asks her who actually owns the company?

Sonny knocks on Drew’s door, telling him, merry Christmas. Drew says it was yesterday, and Sonny says he knows, and their families didn’t even check in with each other. He’d like to fix that.

At the station, Jordan tells Dante that Mayor Lomax canceled their meeting. She’s been in a closed-door meeting of her own all day. Jordan wonders where Lulu got the proof about the election, and Dante tells her at Windemere.

Valentin tells Charlotte to get some cookies to take home. Lulu wonders if there’s something about the article Valentin doesn’t want Charlotte to know. He says not unless she wants to explain to her how she used Charlotte’s Christmas list to snoop around Windemere. The election happened before he moved there, and Spencer had found the ballot box. While Spencer had no idea what he’d found, Valentin says the ballots had been counted then. Now, all these years later, Lulu finds them, and it leads her to believe the election was thrown. She says she doesn’t think Spencer did it, and Valentin says that would be sophisticated even for him, but not for his father. He thinks she should start working on a follow-up article on how Spencer’s father threw the election.

Peter tells Sam that he doesn’t mean to be obtuse, but Jason Morgan’s money was used to buy the company, so isn’t the company his? Sam says it’s already been discussed, and Jason gave the company to them. Peter says it’s a generous gift, and Sam says Jason is a generous guy. He wonders if she wants to put it on record, and do a story about the brothers from a personal angle. She tells him absolutely not, and he says she can’t blame him for trying.

Drew invites Sonny in. Sonny says the last time they saw each other was at the police station, when Drew accused him of paying Andre to lie. Drew admits he was wrong, but says it made sense at the time. Sonny says he thought Drew was Jason, but now that they know truth, he wants Drew to know he’s still his friend.

Anna tries to get Finn to warm up. She tells him that he could be in a fight for his life. He says he’s not completely helpless, and thinks he can look after himself. She flips him onto the mat.

Nathan tells Kim that his mom could have put Victor’s name on someone else’s records. Kim says that’s illegal, but Maxie says that’s not a problem for Nathan’s mother. Nathan tells her about the Cassadines’ blood disorder history. Kim says Nathan has been tested, and isn’t a carrier, but whoever the records belong to, was never tested. Maxie tells Nathan that there’s really no way to know who his father is without a DNA test. Nathan says he’s only worried about the baby being affected.

Lulu says the ballots don’t prove that Nicolas did anything untoward. Valentin asks if it isn’t her job to find out, or at least the job of a journalist with integrity. Charlotte comes back, saying they’re making a new batch of cookies. Lulu tells her how great it was to spend Christmas together, and is looking forward to many more. When she leaves, Nina asks Charlotte how her Christmas was, and Charlotte says it was fine, but she missed her and papa.

Anna helps Finn up. He says he was trying to bow out gracefully, and she tells him that she was making a point. He tells her that later, he’ll dazzle her with his doctor moves. Anna says he’s going up against professionals. Finn says his only goal is putting Cassandra out of business. Anna says the whole thing could be trap, and it’s her operation. She brought him into this kicking and screaming, and then he refused to go. She can’t let anything happen to him. He asks why not? Isn’t he just another asset? She says he’s more than that, and he knows it.

Peter tells Sam that he’ll have the projections by the first of next week. Crimson is still the most consistent performer, and there was a bump in circulation from the Ask Man Landers story; it touched a lot of hearts. That’s what he meant by a personal angle. The publisher in him can’t help regretting the story that got away. They discuss the Lomax story, and how it looks like she stole the election. Sam says according to her mother, apparently Lomax likes to abuse the power of her office. Peter asks if Alexis would like to talk about it for the magazine, but Sam says no. He says it seems like her family wants to publish the news, not be in it, but if she was to publicize a story about Drew, some people might come forward with information.

Drew appreciates and respects Sonny coming, and doesn’t want to disrespect it by saying meaningless words. Sonny is still his friend, and he’s looking at his best friend and brother, but those feelings aren’t real. He doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do with that. They belong to someone else.

Sonny says he never knew Drew like he knew Jason, but that doesn’t change that Drew saved his life. It wasn’t Jason who kept him alive or went after Morgan to save him from himself; it was Drew. Drew says he loved Morgan, and he’s sorry. He should have been able to save him. Sonny says he tried, and he honors Drew for that. He’ll always be grateful, and he’s still his friend.

Kim tells Nathan that the goal is to get records that are as complete as possible, but the key word is “possible.” Is he reasonably sure these are his father’s records? Nathan says, reasonably, and Kim says then he’s done what he can. They’re on track to have healthy baby. Out in the hallway, Nathan asks Maxie if he’s paranoid. She says as long as the records are accurate, who cares about the name on them?

Sam drops by Kim’s office, and wants to talk to her about Drew.

Lulu comes to the station. Jordan tells her that whatever she hears there is off the record. Lulu agrees, unless it’s something good. Then she’ll ask whoever said it if she can use it. Jordan says she can live with that compromise, and tells her, nice work. Dante tells Lulu that if the election is invalid, Lomax could face criminal charges, so why doesn’t she seem happy? Lulu says maybe she didn’t dig deep enough. She’s going to have to do a second article, and Nicholas probably threw the election.

Nina tells Charlotte about how Valentin let the staff have the night off, and made dinner himself. Then they went outside for a walk, and watched for Santa. Valentin says it’s hard for grown-ups to see Santa, but he thinks he saw a sleigh out of the corner of his eye. Nina tells her that when they came back, the stockings were filled, and presents were under the tree. Cassandra walks in, and says, what a charming sight; Valentin Cassadine and family.

Finn thinks Anna is implying that she might care about him, and she says she cares about his safety. He asks if the kiss meant nothing, and Anna calls it an unwanted distraction. Finn asks if she’s sure, and she says she doesn’t know. He moves closer as if to kiss her, and places his hand on her neck. She keels over, and he says he’s not entirely helpless.

Lulu tells Dante that Nicolas was living there at the time. He could have swapped out the ballots, but he was supporting Felicia’s campaign. Dante says he had a lot of secrets, and might have wanted someone he could bribe in office, but there’s no real evidence anyway. A man from the board of elections comes in, and asks to see Jordan. He tells Jordan that the ballots are authentic, and the election is invalid.

Cassandra gifts Charlotte with a sparkly skating costume. Nina says what a coincidence that she happened come in with a gift just when they happened to be there. She tells Valentin to go with Charlotte to pick up the cookies, and that she’s got this. Cassandra says she hopes she hasn’t overstepped, and Nina startles all of us by grabbing her hair, and pulling her close. She tells her to never get near Charlotte again. Nathan and Maxie walk in, and Nathan asks if everything is okay. Nina says it is, and Cassandra was just leaving – unless she wants Valentin to escort her out. She doesn’t. Nathan asks who that woman was, and why was Nina trying to rip her hair out by the roots?

Finn helps Anna up, and tells her that he’s a doctor. He knows how to put pressure to carotid arteries. She says no one will let him get close enough, and he says she did. She tells him it was one time, and it won’t happen again. He begins to get close to her again, but his phone rings. It’s Cassandra. He says he was just thinking about her. She tells him that she wants him to review the formula, and they make plans to meet at her suite in the morning.

Drew is glad he could be there for Sonny when he thought he was Jason, but Sonny wasn’t just looking for friend. Sonny wanted a guy to do what he needed to have done, despite the effect on his family and friends. Sonny says what gives him power, could turn on him and his family if he tried to walk away. Jason has a certain loyalty that Drew didn’t have. He isn’t questioning Drew, but was just confused when he tried to distance himself.

Sam tells Kim that she spent the morning fending off the CEO of her own company. He wanted to do a story on Jason, and he made a valid point. Someone might come forward with information. Kim asks if coming to her was the next best thing, and invites Sam to sit. She asks what Sam wants to know, and Sam asks her to start off with how they met. Kim says they met in a bar in San Diego. Drew was charming, funny, respectable, and polite. He didn’t hit on her, but asked her out. He was clear right away about being deployed, and Sam asks if there was no hope for a future. Kim says, none. Their three-month relationship was about living in the present. The farthest they thought ahead was the next weekend, and the most they talked about their past was where they’d spent the Christmas before. After he left, his correspondence was vague. The only thing he’d say was that it was cold, and he had an incredible view of the night’s sky. Sam asks about him growing up, but Kim says she only got bits and pieces. He grew up in a group home. She thought he might have been lonely, but maybe it was just her own projection. He liked high school, and attended one somewhere upstate (that’s New York state for those who don’t live in the area). Kim wonders if she was any help, but Sam doesn’t know. She thinks maybe she’s doing it wrong. Andre said Drew’s past was obliterated, but when he saw Kim, he thought she seemed familiar. He had the feeling he knew her, but couldn’t pinpoint from where, and Sam thought it might be a memory coming through, the way wallpaper bleeds through when you paint over it. She was hoping if she found some information, it could jar his memory. Kim doesn’t think has anything else that can help, and Sam says sorry to bother her; it was a long shot. Kim thanks her for being kind about Oscar. Sam says he seems like a great kid, and Drew is looking forward to being his father. She’s happy for them. After Sam leaves, Kim looks at Oscar’s picture, and makes a soap opera face.

Lulu is looking for Sam at her office, and Peter sees her. He asks if she’s looking for kudos from the publisher, and she says she would like him to hold up his end of the bargain. He tells her that she got paid, but she says he promised her a position on the staff.

Nina tells Nathan that everything is fine. Hopefully, she’ll never lay eyes on that woman again, and if she does, she’ll try to control herself. Nathan tells her things going well and the baby is going to be healthy. She gets all excited, and hugs him. She has to get back to her family, hoping she can persuade Charlotte to get rid of the tacky outfit. Maxie brings Nathan some coffee, saying he looks stressed. She asks if he’s still hung up on the Victor thing. Without the DNA, there’s nothing they can do. He says he’ll have to live with uncertainty, since his mom is never going to give him any information. Maxie decides to stay at Kelly’s for a while.

Finn says the lesson is over. Anna says it wasn’t much of one. She threw him on his ass, and he gave her the Vulcan death grip. Finn is certain he can lure Cassandra into close proximity. He tells Anna that before she gives him a litany of warnings, he has no intention of getting killed. He has too much to live for – Roxie, his patients… and other things. He has this. He tells her to wish him luck. She says he’ll need more than luck.

Sonny says that when Drew said no to a legit project, he accepted it, but it didn’t make sense. When Jason came back, it did. Drew tells him it sounds like Jason does whatever he asks. Sonny says they understand each other. As soon as he saw Jason, he knew it was him and said so, but he didn’t betray Drew. Drew apologizes, saying he can wrap his head around it now, but hopes Sonny understands he couldn’t at the time. Sonny’s brother is back, and he’s not Jason. As much as they might still be friends, their lives are moving in different directions, and don’t fit together. Sam walks in.

She asks if everything is okay. Sonny says he was just about to leave. He respects Drew’s choice, but if they ever need anything, just ask. Sam asks Drew what just happened. He says two guys coming to grips with reality. His life doesn’t start and stop with Sonny, but does with her, because he loves her, and that’s all that matters.

Lulu tells Peter that he said if she brought him a major story, he’d find her a position on staff. Peter says one article is only like one brick in building a house. She needs to follow up. She tells him that it was confirmed the election was invalid. He tells her to get to work; she’s on a deadline.

Dante tells Nathan it’s official, and maybe Felicia will be the mayor after all. Nathan says it’s all thanks to Lulu, and her career is off to a good start. Dante compares her to Maxie, saying they never miss an opportunity to go rogue.

Charlotte asks about Lumiere, and Nina says she’s waiting for Charlotte to feed her the Christmas presents she got. On her way out the door, Maxie plucks a hair from Valentin’s head. He’s like, hey! and she says she was just helping him polish his appearance; he’s welcome. He asks Nina what happened to playing nice with Cassandra, and she says Cassandra threatened Charlotte. He says she’s going to be leaving soon one way or another.

Anna tells Finn that she doesn’t want him unprepared or undefended. He tells her that he won’t carry a gun, but she wouldn’t dream of violating his principles. He says, that’s a change, and she says there are other ways to defend yourself.

Kim shows up at Drew and Sam’s place. She says that a strong trigger for memory is music, and gives him the CD. She tells him that he made it for her, and it contains songs he liked or had meaning for him. He says that Oscar told him about it. She suggests he listen to it, and maybe it will bring something back.

Tomorrow, Griff says Ava can’t know, Maxie asks Amy to put Nathan’s mind at rest, and Cassandra says Finn isn’t the man she thought he was.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

When we last left Vegas, LisaR had just arrived. She’s introduced to Teddi, and pretends it’s great to see everyone. Kyle feels since she extended the invitations, it’s on her, and hopes they’re all able to get along. Good luck with that. LisaR thinks the birthday celebrations are a good way to start fresh.

Erika is channeling Russian hooker along with supermodel. Whatever that means to you. Adrienne Maloof joins them, and her face looks like a balloon. Why do these women always over do it with the fillers? Erika shows up looking more like a dominatrix than anything else. Adrienne is there for a hot minute, and then disappears never to be seen again.

The ladies go out for dinner. LisaR says it was a nice surprise to be invited, and in her interview, Dorit says it was a surprise for her too. Kyle says LVP is obsessed with the huge Ferris wheel, so it’s on the agenda. Teddi explains that she’s an accountability coach for fitness. This is a thing? I could do that, yell at people to quit making excuses and work out. She says she’s struggled her entire life with her weight, and at one point weighed two hundred pounds. She wants to help other women meet their goals.

Erika and Dorit talk children. Dorit feels that Erika is a lot warmer. Erika wants to see LisaR shake her groove thing, and they move on to a club. What happened to the Ferris wheel? BTW, they look as stupid as the rest of us on the dance floor after having a few drinks. There are happy birthday messages projected onto a screen on the stage for Teddi, LisaR, Dorit, and Erika, along with their photos, which makes them all dance harder.

LisaR calls her daughters and finds out that one ordered a $280 steak. On her card. Dorit checks in with PK, and video chats with baby Phoenix. He asks about LisaR. Dorit says she’s okay, but she needs to get some things off her chest. In her interview, she says she has some unresolved issues, and she’ll feel fake if she doesn’t say anything.

Kyle, LisaR, and Camille go to the pool, while Erika, Dorit, and Teddi do some gambling. Not my thing. I played the slots in Atlantic City for a few hours once while waiting for a concert to begin, and I’m good for life. Teddi wins $800 right off the bat. In her interview, she talks about living with a roommate and eating ramen, which is why she’s tight with her money. Erika says time doesn’t exist when she’s gambling. They order cocktails. At ten in the morning. Dorit says it’s five o’clock somewhere. They discuss having a budget for gambling. That’s what I did on my foray, but I’ll bet (ha-ha) that they brought more than a few rolls of quarters. In her interview, Teddi says she’s not impressed with how much anyone is willing to spend; she’s not throwing it away. I’m with you, sister. I came home only a quarter shy. Dorit wins, and gets excited all over again about her birthday. She says dinner is on her tonight. True story. Gamblers are nuts. When I was at the casino, they still had the old pull-the-lever slot machines. Everything is electronic now, so they took away the one aspect I thought was fun. Anyway, I saw an empty one on the end of a row, and started moving toward it. This old lady pops out of nowhere, and hisses, this one is mine! I was like, lady, take it. I guess she was playing several at a time. Honestly, she frightened me.

After Vegas, Kyle is going with her family on vacation to Croatia. (sigh) LisaR wonders why there’s no young people at the pool. LVP joins the gamblers. In her interview, Erika says Vegas isn’t the place to be accountable for anything. They decide to go shopping, but frugal Teddi opts for the pool.

LVP is glad Dorit and Erika have set aside their differences. Erika says everything was said that needed to be, and it was time to move on. LVP wants to get to know Erika better. She responds to texts, but LVP isn’t feeling the warmth of friendship. In her interview, Erika says she needs to work on her TLC with the girlfriends.

Kyle commends LisaR on her entrance, and LisaR says she doesn’t tend to hold on to things. Dorit talks with the others about clearing things up, as LisaR wonders who would want to rehash anything. Erika treats LVP to some expensive skincare products.

At the pool, Camille actually gets in the water. Teddi thought going to Vegas with strangers on her birthday was going to be a disaster, but she’s having fun. Oh, just wait.

Kyle talks to Erika about Harry confronting her about Kim on the hiking trail. She told him she’s not responsible for her sister’s actions. Erika says she should let LisaR know what happened, but tread lightly.

Finally, the Ferris wheel. It’s called the High Roller. Kyle is afraid of heights, and is hesitant. She says omg over and over while getting in. She’s glad there’s a bar. Wait, this isn’t like a real Ferris wheel. This is a rich person’s Ferris wheel. The cabs are little rooms with bars in them, and the whole thing moves very slowly, taking forty minutes to go around. Kyle feels embarrassed. Geez, no one is even looking at the view. In her interview, LisaR says everyone is pretending like it’s okay, when it’s not. Kyle says it’s her last chance to talk to LisaR about Harry. Too late. Dorit hijacks her moment.

LisaR doesn’t want to rehash the past, but Dorit doesn’t want to feel like she’s going to be attacked. Erika wonders if this is the place. LisaR says PK had some harsh things to say about her, like calling her schizophrenic. She’s flummoxed that Dorit isn’t buying that he said anything bad. Apparently, Dorit didn’t watch the show. Kyle thinks Teddi should do an intervention, but she’s not interested in getting involved. Somehow, these girls have mixed up being a fitness accountability coach with being a therapist. Dorit tells LisaR she did nothing to her, and in her interview, LisaR wonders why she’s not taking responsibility for her part. She tells Dorit she knows she can seem like a bitch, but she’s not. Erika asks Kyle if she’s going to say something. Dorit says she felt like LisaR had bad intentions. LisaR says she can’t force Dorit to like her, but would like Dorit to give knowing her a chance. Dorit says LisaR hurt her, and LisaR says she’s sorry for that. Dorit agrees to start clean, and they shake on it, saying they’re grown-ups. LisaR feels like a weight has been lifted. She wants to show her girls you can be a strong woman without being a bitch.

Dorit says they agree it’s a slow process, but got it out. Kyle feels she has to say something. She tells LisaR that the day after Kim gave back the bunny, something happened, and she feels badly not having shared with her. LisaR says Harry told her about it. Kyle says she felt like Harry was an extension of LisaR, and thought it was amazing how he defended her, but she’s not fighting her sister’s battles. LisaR is sorry it happened, and says the timing was bad, but Harry loves Kyle. In her interview, Kyle is glad LisaR apologized. LVP says LisaR should understand PK’s position. LisaR says she’s learned more during her time with this group of women than in her entire life, but doesn’t say what she learned exactly. LVP has hope. LisaR says it’s hard to admit when you’re an a-hole. Erika thinks it’s a miracle that everyone is getting along, and is waiting for the other shoe to drop. Me too.

Kyle has to pack, but the others go to a really cool bar. It looks like a library with a huge gas fireplace along one wall. Erika takes the ice out of a drink, and pretends it’s a sex toy. Good thing Kameron from Dallas Housewives isn’t there. They pass the ice around. Kyle joins them, and they ask her what it looks like. She says a wiener. Ding-ding-ding! We have a wiener winner! She says she has to get moving, but she’s amazed that the trip went so well. There’s still time.

Dorit asks Teddi about growing up with her dad. Teddi says he’s laid back and chill, so there was no difference to her. Erika says she wouldn’t know, since she was twenty-five when she met her dad. It was like meeting a stranger. Her mother was eighteen when she was born, and he left when she was nine months old. In her interview, LisaR says she has empathy, and it’s another piece of the puzzle. Erika must want to protect herself. Erika says she missed out, but at the same time doesn’t feel like something is missing in her life. She has other fabulous relationships. In her interview, she says no matter what some people think, she didn’t marry her dad; her dad is much younger than her husband. In her interview, Teddi says Erika comes off like she’s too cool, but maybe she shouldn’t be trying so hard with her. Teddi tells the group that if she says anything that offends them, to tell her. They say they will. I’m surprised she even thinks she has to say that. I guess no one noticed that Teddi was asked a question, and Erika made it all about her. Just sayin’.

It’s time to leave Vegas. Dorit goes to Teddi’s room, where there’s a breakfast spread. Teddi tells Dorit that she had fun and is glad she came. They seem like a fun group. She didn’t have an immediate connection with Erika though, and thought she might be trying too hard. Dorit says it’s the first time she and Erika connected, and you have to earn her trust. It might take a while, but let things happen naturally. They toast to the successful trip. I go into shock that there were no fights. Although there’s still the airport and the plane ride home.

Next time, the construction on Kyle’s house is driving her mad, Teddi shows off her equestrian skills, and we learn more about Erika’s father.

🌆 New show Bethenny and Fredrik, revolving around real estate, begins on Tuesday, February 6th at 10 pm. Should be interesting. They both have steamroller personalities.

🎡 The High Roller

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Dec23

December 22, 2017 – Christmas in Port Charles & a Christmas Quote Quartet

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What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

Nelle tells the baby not to worry. Mommy will think of something.

Sonny tells Michael to quit working while he decorates the tree. Sonny says last year they were drowning in sorrows and grief; they’ve come a long way. Carly jingles Morgan’s ornament, and asks if they think he got his wings. She isn’t sure how he’d like them, since he hated putting on a sportscoat.

Molly sets the dinner table. TJ suggests not putting Aunt Stella next to his mom. Molly thought there was truce, but he says today isn’t the day to push it

Stella tells Alexis that Thomas was born on Christmas. Alexis says it must be a bittersweet holiday. She says, like our Lord, he was taken too soon.

Julian remembers a Christmas past with Alexis. Someone knocks at the pub door. Ava is bearing a gift. She tells him she came to celebrate the season and congratulate him on his new life. Julian appreciates the gesture, but wonders what possessed her to bring Griff.

Laura says barring a Christmas miracle, she doesn’t think they’re getting married tonight. Lulu hears someone at the door and asks if someone ordered a miracle. It’s Laura’s mother. Laura can’t believe it. She welcomes Doc into the family. Dante asks how she worked it out, and Leslie says she has a close friend who’s a storm chaser and flew her there. The storm wasn’t the problem; the icy roads were. They had to rent an all-terrain vehicle. She introduces everyone to Marcello, her significant other. Maxie says there’s no one to perform the ceremony, but Lulu says Leslie can. I was joking, but I guess she is a minister. Laura says no, she can’t.

Jason arrives at Sonny and Carly’s. Carly says she gets to bask in the attention of her favorite men. She hasn’t done that since Michael was a toddler. Michael says he wants to know how he wound up a Corrinthos and not a Quartermaine.

Ava says Griff was driving her to church, and she asked to stop. Would he prefer Griff wait in the car? Griff says he would have, but didn’t want her slipping on the ice. She asks if Julian wants to see Kiki later, but he says she hates him. She asks if he’s just going to sit in an empty restaurant, and he tells her to light a candle for him. They leave and Julian pouts. No Santa for him.

Alexis asks TJ to turn up the heat, but TJ says the super isn’t around today. Molly has made tofurky. TJ says his vegetarianism is a recent development. Curtis says it must be really recent, since he was chowing down on burgers yesterday. TJ says he’s more vegan at home. Alexis finds out Kristina sent Molly a present, and says she hasn’t spoken to her in weeks. Stella thinks Alexis should call her – since she still can.

Michael says if the DNA test proves the baby is his, he’ll need to know some things. It will help him make decisions for his own child. Carly tells him she was a messed up young woman, and blamed his grandmother. She had an affair with Bobbie’s husband, and everyone was miserable. One night she ran into AJ when she was looking for Jason, and they got busy. She told Tony he was the father, but AJ suspected the baby was his. They both tried to prove she was unfit, so she told the lie she knew would save her – that Jason was his father. She ran to find Jason in the rain. Jason says he was in the middle of a meeting when she showed up. She told him she’d done something he wasn’t going to like, but she was wrong. It was the best thing that could have happened to him.

Leslie says she married Laura and Scotty. Laura says that’s her point; she feels it would be wrong. Doc agrees not wants specter of Scotty hanging over the vows. Marcello says something in Italian. Leslie tells them that he can officiate the wedding.

At Molly and TJ’s, the lights are out, but there’s no outage or blown fuses. Molly says they paid both the electric and gas, but they’re off. Alexis suggests her house, but the roads are closed. Curtis says has to be something open. Stella suggests Charlie’s. Alexis makes a soap opera face.

Curtis bangs on the door, but there’s no answer. TJ suggests going back to the apartment for veggie dip, and Curtis adds, cocktails. Ava and Griff show up, saying they spun out on the icy roads. Ava yells for Julian to open up. He hears Alexis say, forget it, and opens the door. They all come in.

Leslie tells everyone that Marcello has married American couples in Italy, and the unions are legal and binding. He doesn’t speak any English though.

Carly says AJ filed for custody, so she came up with a plan. Marry him, drive him back to drinking, prove he was unfit, and get sole custody. Michael asks why Jason didn’t stop her, but Jason says she makes her own choices. He realized she’d never stop fighting until she got Michael back to him. He didn’t want Michael torn in two, so he left Port Charles. Carly says then she and Sonny got involved. AJ was willing to give her a divorce, but wouldn’t let her have Michael. Sonny says he blackmailed AJ, and Carly moved in. He was afraid to be a father, but overnight, he loved it. Carly lost their baby when AJ pushed her down the stairs, and they almost broke up, but basically Michael connected them. Carly says they had his back, but she learned to be a parent because of Sonny. Michael asks if having him made her a better person, but she says, no; loving him did. It’s one thing to give birth, and another to be a parent. The doorbell rings. It’s Nelle. She collapses in Michael’s arms.

The girls prep Laura for the ceremony. Leslie says it’s a perfect time in her life. Bobbie asks if they’re ready to move on to the good luck charms, and Maxie says they can’t afford to ignore them. They already have the something new and blue covered, and Bobbie says she has the something old and borrowed. She’s loaning her Aunt Ruby’s handkerchief. She tells Laura to feel free to put it to good use. Aunt Ruby always said, tears of joy are a gift from the angels, so cry all she wants.

Nelle says she’s so sorry. She was going to get dinner, and nothing was open. She was driving home, and came to a downed tree. She didn’t know what to do, so she got out of her car. Sonny brings her some broth. She swears she didn’t mean to come there. She started feeling faint, and no one was at the gate. Sonny says the guards have the night off, and Jason’s here. She says, you’re Jason, and Jason says, you’re Nelle. She tells Michael that she thinks she and the baby will be fine.

Julian tells his guests what the menu is. Molly says she and TJ will handle it, since they were hosting the family dinner. Ava tells Stella that she hopes to see her at gallery again soon. Jordan is surprised they know each other, and says, that’s right, Stella brought back the sculpture Jordan gave her. Stella says she donated the money to the homeless in Thomas’s name. Jordan asks if she has to bring him up in every conversation. Stella says she’ll never stop missing him. To ask her to on his birthday, is asking too much. Curtis begs for peace on Christmas, and Stella says she’d leave if she could, but is stuck with Jordan instead.

Julian brings up a Christmas kiss that he and Alexis had. She asks him not to take a walk down Memory Lane. He says he doesn’t want her to erase all the memories; they weren’t all bad, like the kiss. She’s not interested in revisiting anything. Griff interrupts, but Ava says he’s just making sure Alexis is fine. Molly and TJ slip out while everyone is arguing.

At the chapel, the bride walks down the aisle. Ooh, she looks gorgeous, in a midnight blue, silky, off-the-shoulder gown with a tiny train, accessorized with sparkly jewelry. Marcello begins, and Leslie translates. She says he’s sorry he doesn’t speak English, but love in any language is the same; selfless, joyous, enduring, and beautiful. He starts the vows, and Doc doesn’t need a translation for those. He tells Laura that what started as a quest to solve a riddle, turned into love between them. His best decision ever was answering her ad, but he didn’t know it would turn into finding the love of his life. Laura says she thanks God every day for having him in her life. She never thought she’d get to do this again. How would she know a year ago, when she flashed Santa, she hit the jackpot? She vows to stand by his side, no matter what. She’ll love him every day for the rest of her life. They exchange rings, and Marcello pronounces them man and wife. Everyone applauds.

Ava apologizes, but Jordan says this is their family, and how they do things. How does she do it? Leaving a path of destruction and just saying, sorry? Griff says they’re all stuck here. Can’t they put their differences aside, and be decent for one cold Christmas night that means so much to so many?

Laura thanks everyone for braving the elements to share the ceremony with them. Lulu says Italian is the language of love, so it was perfect. Nathan tells them that there’s been a weather alert, and Dante says they can’t go anywhere until the crews get out there. Doc says there’s going to be a delayed honeymoon, and Lulu adds that it’s a friends and family wedding night.

Jason asks if Carly is okay. She tells him no, but she’s not staring a fight on Christmas. It’s what that snake wants. Jason says, probably, and she tells him not to tell her to be compassionate. Then she wonders how it’s any different than her showing up on his doorstep. He says she didn’t show up to manipulate him, but as a friend. She still remembers the relief when he didn’t judge or turn against her. Instead, he gave her a place to stay and money. She remembers she has present for him. It’s a keychain, and he says it looks familiar. She tells him she couldn’t find an exact replica, but it’s similar to the one he gave her, and is mostly symbolic. It’s the key to their house. He’ll always have a home; this is his home. He says he knows that, and she tells him, welcome home, and hugs him

Griff says it’s a night of peace, harmony, and forgiveness. Julian tells him that he should practice what he preaches, and asks if there’s any takers for forgiveness. Stella says forgiveness is a gift, and badgering it out of someone produces an empty gesture. Jordan wonders if Stella is an expert on forgiveness now. Stella says those who willingly destroy others’ lives always want to be forgiven. Curtis tells them that the kids just wanted to host a decent Christmas dinner, and as the adults, they should be supportive. Julian says they’re not there. Griff volunteers to look for them, and Julian calls him Dudley Do-Right. TJ and Molly come in, and tell them to stop fighting. TJ explains that the homeless shelters are filled to capacity, and they have no blankets. Someone suggests the tablecloths, but Julian has a better idea.

Leslie toasts to the happy couple. Dante welcomes Doc into the family, but says he already felt like a part of it. Maxie steps aside, and Nathan asks if she’s crying. She tells him it’s from happiness. She can’t believe that this time next year, they will be celebrating their baby’s first Christmas.

The food is brought out at Charlie’s.

Carly says Nelle’s room is ready, and there’s an extra quilt. Nelle doesn’t want to be any trouble, and Carly says it’s no trouble; they have plenty of room. Nelle thanks Sonny for the broth, and tells everyone Merry Christmas. Michael takes her upstairs.

Sonny asks Carly if she’s okay. She says she is, because Nelle can’t win. She can cause heartbreak, but they’ve been through worse than Nelle, and they’re still standing. They have each other. Sonny toasts to those they love, those they lost, and those who came back. He wouldn’t be standing there if not for them. They always have his back, and he’ll always have theirs. He loves them, and says, to family.

I doubt they have a new episode on Christmas, so…

On Tuesday, Nathan tells Kim his concern about the medical history, Jordan asks where Lulu got the evidence, and Peter wants to know who actually owns the company.

⛄ Both Z Nation and Once Upon a Time have finished their seasons, so unless something incredible comes along, see you after Christmas. My two must-see movies over the weekend will be the musical version of Scrooge with Albert Finney, and the Rat Pack film, Robin and the Seven Hoods. Hope it’s a happy and a merry one for you!

🎄 Quotes of the Week 🎄

Christmas is the spirit of giving without a thought of getting. It is happiness because we see joy in people. It is forgetting self and finding time for others. It is discarding the meaningless and stressing the true values.  – Thomas S. Monson

Christmas is the perfect time to celebrate the love of God and family and to create memories that will last forever. Jesus is God’s perfect, indescribable gift. The amazing thing is that not only are we able to receive this gift, but we are able to share it with others on Christmas and every other day of the year. – Joel Osteen

I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. – Scrooge, Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

God bless us, every one. – Tiny Tim, Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

Donovan-August2-2010

And to All a Good Night

Dec22

December 21, 2017 – Oscar Meets the Quartermaines & Falling Behind

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What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

Franco sets up some toys while Star Wars music plays. He puts on a VR headset, and has a light sabre duel with an invisible opponent. Elizabeth sees him, and laughs.

Josslyn meets Jason. She shopped for his gifts to the kids, and has to explain Frozen. She tells him that Jake loves to draw.

Sam comes downstairs, and tells Drew that Scout is asleep. They’re supposed to be at Monica’s, but Scout is teething, and it’s been hard on everyone. Sam doesn’t want to wake her, and tells Drew to go ahead. He says he shouldn’t leave until the gifts are exchanged, and he has something special for her – a new engagement ring.

Monica shows Leo a dancing Santa. Olivia-Q is more impressed than he is. Ned remarks to Olivia that she and Monica are getting along. She says it’s not a bad thing, but he tells her that a good old-fashioned Quartermaine brouhaha about Jason and Drew is looming, and he wants her to be on his side when it happens. The bell rings, and Monica says she invited some extra people. It’s Kim.

At the chapel, Laura and Doc get ready for the wedding. Lulu says friends and family will be there soon to celebrate. Maxie interrupts, saying no way the wedding is taking place today. Laura is like, what? Maxie says they’re not supposed to see each other before the wedding, and tells them to close their eyes. Doc says they’re a little too experienced to fall for a superstition. Maxie tells him mocking makes it worse, but Laura says it’s a perfect day for a weeding. Maxie tells her, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Monica introduces Kim to Ned and Olivia. She asks where Oscar is, and Kim says he wasn’t ready to meet everyone yet. Monica tells her that Oscar is always welcome there. When Kim is out of earshot, Ned asks if it isn’t a little early, and what about a DNA test? Monica says she doesn’t need a test, and isn’t turning anyone away who’s family.

Jason tells Josslyn that he shopped for Danny himself, and got a bunch of stuff for the dog. Josslyn says he’s a better gift-giver than he thought; Danny loves the dog. Jason tells her that she’s like her mom, and thanks her. He runs into Oscar on his way out, and asks how he is. Oscar says okay, and sits with Josslyn, who explains that she did the shopping for Jason. Oscar says it was nice of her, and she says that Jason is her mom’s best friend and she likes figuring out gifts. She gives Oscar his gift, a book by Edward Quartermaine. She tells him that’s his great-grandfather.

Franco shouts, score one for the rebellion! Elizabeth applauds. Franco says he should be embarrassed, but she tells him it was awesome. He puts the headset on her, and shows her how to use the light sabre. He tells her trust in her emotions. I wonder if the kids will get to play with this at all.

Drew says he should have waited, and given Sam the ring on a walk. He wonders if he should save it for later, but Sam says save the walk for later; put the ring on now. He asks if she’s sure, and she says she’s never been more sure of anything. She tells him she loves him, and will wear it as a symbol of their love, their life, and the promises they made to each other as Mr. and Mrs. Drew Kane. They kiss.

Maxie is nervous, and wishes Doc hadn’t seen the bride. Laura tells her to calm down. Maxie apologizes, saying it’s Laura’s wedding, and it should be what she wants. What a concept! Maxie says, Sam had a lugnut for a ring, so who is she to say? Bobbie arrives. Laura says it means a lot to have her there. Bobbie says they’re family, and have come a long way. They laugh about fighting over Scotty, of all people. Bobbie says Doc is a great guy, and plus, it will drive Lucy bonkers, which is a good thing.

Elizabeth wants to play again. There’s a knock at the door. Franco says his dad isn’t expected until dinner. It’s Jason, who has something for Jake. Jake comes downstairs, and asks what Jason is doing there. Elizabeth says Jason is his father. Jason tells Jake that he wanted to say Merry Christmas, and has something for him. Jake says he already has a dad, and doesn’t want him there. He runs upstairs, and Franco follows. Elizabeth tells Jason that it’s been hard on him; he had his world turned upside down again. Jason asks if Jake is afraid after he saw him in the park, but Elizabeth says that he felt safe; he’s just overwhelmed. He loves Drew, and doesn’t want to lose him. Jason says he has no intention of pushing Drew out. Elizabeth says eventually Jake will get that, but give him space right now. She tells Jason that she has something to tell him. She doesn’t expect him to like it, but to accept it. She and Franco are getting married. She explains that he’s a different person than the one Jason knew. Jason says it’s her life, but Franco did what he did. Elizabeth says he had a tumor, and it had everything to do with who he is. She wouldn’t have let him in to her life or the boys’ lives if that hadn’t changed. Jason says when and if Jake is ready to see him, he’s there. Franco overhears.

Monica is glad that Drew came over. She says nothing has changed. He’s her son; he always was, and always will be part of the family. Michael joins them, and Monica leaves to get drinks. Michael asks where Sam is, and Drew says she wanted to let Scout sleep longer. Ned interrupts, saying after the holidays, they have to discuss ELQ, and grandfather’s will. Everyone’s shares have been affected. Drew is like, Merry Christmas to you too, and goes into the living room. Michael says Drew he just walked in, and asks what’s going on? Ned is pushing ELQ to make big moves. He wonders if he made a mistake bringing Ned on board.

Drew sees Kim, and asks about Oscar. She says she hopes he comes, but meeting the entire family was a bit much.

Oscar thanks Josslyn, saying now he can read about his family. He gifts her with a CD he made. He thought of all the hours they listened to the CD from his father, and thought she deserved one of her own. They’re songs that make him think of her. Josslyn says she’ll have to kick her stepdad out of the living room, so she can listen to it. Oscar says he can’t have Sonny mad at her, and gives her a portable CD player, saying he found it online, and it’s cool and retro. She says it’s the best Christmas present ever, and kisses him.

Sam looks at a lugnut on a chain. There’s a knock at the door. It’s Jason

Elizabeth asks Franco is Jake is okay, and he tells her that Jake is dueling with Darth Vader. He asks what about her, and she says it’s not easy. Jason has every reason not to trust him. Franco says it’s his intention to go the rest of his life not antagonizing another person, so he’ll steer clear of Jason. Elizabeth thinks it’s a good plan for now, but hopes at some point they can be civil. Franco says that would be a Christmas miracle, and she says at least he has a truce with Drew.

Kim gives Monica and Drew photo books of Oscar growing up. Monica says he has Alan’s smile. She leaves to show Michael, and Kim asks Drew if it was too much. He says he’s just getting used to the idea of having a son, and he missed a lot.

Jason has a present for Danny, but Sam says he’s at the Quartermaines. She’s going there later. He says he can see Danny another time, but she tells him that he can put it under the tree if he wants. He comes in, and says the tree is a far cry from the runt tree they brought home. She says she remembers. He asks if that’s a new ring, and Sam tells him, yes; they’re getting married.

Laura tells Lulu that Doc is wonderful. He loves her quirks and foibles. Lulu is glad she found the love she deserved, and says she told her so. They hug. Laura doesn’t want to cry and ruin her makeup. Lulu tells her to relax and enjoy the day. Laura says it’s ridiculous, but Maxie’s superstition bugged her, and got in her head. Bobbie comes in, saying they have a problem.

Sam tells Jason that she and Drew are getting married again because they love each other, and it would be illegal not to. She realizes they brought other things to the relationship that belong to him, like the penthouse. Jason says it’s her home, and her son’s home. He has no interest in taking it back. She thanks him, and says Aurora was definitely purchased with his money, and they’ll find a way to pay him back. He says he’s already talked to Diane, and it will stay in her hands. Sam says it’s a lot to ask, and he tells her to consider it a gift for Christmas. She thanks him, and they wish each other a Merry Christmas. He leaves, and she gazes at the tree.

Elizabeth tells Franco that a card came for him. It’s from Betsy.

Bobbie tells Laura that flights are being rerouted. Lucky and Spencer are in Boston. They’ll drive in, but won’t make it for the ceremony. Laura says they got bad luck anyway. In the chapel, the reverend says he has to leave. His wife’s water just broke. Seriously? He can’t spare five minutes?

Sam and Scout arrive at the Quartermaines, with Oscar right behind them. Sam tells him the Quartermaines can be an unusual bunch, but promises they won’t bite. She introduces him to his little sister. Scout is super cute, wearing a hat that has pompoms on it like ears. Sam asks if Oscar is staying, but he’s afraid if he walks through the door, he’ll have to accept his old life is gone, and a new life and family are taking its place. Sam tells him change can be scary, but also exciting. She didn’t know her life would be where it is now, but she loves it. She has a past that will always be a part of her. She tells him to take his coat off and stay a while. They can walk into a new life together. Drew comes out and smiles. He’s glad they came. Oscar says, Merry Christmas, I guess. Drew tells him that his mom is inside.

Elizabeth tells Franco there was no postmark on the card. She asks where Betsy is, but she didn’t say. The card says she hopes the holiday brings Franco the peace he deserves, and her sincere wish is that he can forgive her. Elizabeth says it’s really Drew’s life that was affected. Why does she think this is about him, and what else could she mean?

Oscar goes inside, and Monica introduces herself, telling him that he’s just in time for dinner. Olivia introduces herself and Ned. On the side, Olivia asks Ned what’s the matter? She hates the cynical streak he’s developed since they found out Jason and Drew were twins. He says he’s just protecting his family. She tells him that Kim doesn’t want anything, and Oscar is a kid. Ned says Oscar has no loyalty to the family. They have no idea who he will become, but he’s not “one of us.” Olivia says, and Leo is? She hopes the man who invited her son into his heart and family can do the same thing for Oscar.

Josslyn runs into Jason. She asks how Jake and Danny liked their presents. Jason tells her that he left both, and she asks if he wants to ride back to the house with her. He tells her that he’ll come by later, and she says her mom wouldn’t want him to spend Christmas alone. He promises he’s fine, and she leaves. Jason heaves a sigh, and I laugh.

Monica tells Oscar that Alan would be proud to know he had another grandson, and he has Alan’s smile. Drew tells her that he overheard Olivia saying something about helping in the kitchen. Monica says she promised to stay out, and goes to run interference. Drew tells Oscar that being thrown into a family like this can be a lot. He knows how Oscar feels, but promises their hearts are in the right place. He gets it, and if it becomes too much, Oscar can flag him down. He’ll pull a circuit breaker, the lights will go out, and they can split. That’s what family is for, but he doesn’t want to be presumptuous. He’s there, he’s going to be there, and wants to let Oscar know he’s not going anywhere. Oscar says that means a lot. Kim watches them.

Laura asks to talk to Doc. He says the bad news all happened, and the only way to go is up. Laura says she appreciates everything, but face it, there’s not going to be a wedding tonight. Doc says he’s not giving up; there’s still time to make it happen today. She says maybe their victims of bad weather, but barring a Christmas miracle, she doesn’t think they can get married tonight. Someone is at the door, and Lulu answers. She asks if someone ordered a miracle.

Franco tells Elizabeth that Betsy probably feels guilty for keeping silent all these years. Elizabeth knows what she put in motion, but wonders what she has to feel guilty about. Aiden comes downstairs, saying Jake defeated Darth Maul. Elizabeth wants revenge, and tells him to set up the game again. Franco says he’ll be there in a minute.

Oscar sees Ned’s guitar, and Ned asks if he plays. Oscar says he plays guitar and piano. When he picks up an instrument to mess around, the next thing he knows – Ned finishes that it’s five hours later. He asks if Oscar does any composing, and Oscar says sometimes. Ned says him too, and guesses it runs in the family. He tells Oscar that his great-grandfather, Edward, always insisted they sing on holidays. When he was around, there were always carols before dinner on Christmas and Thanksgiving. Oscar is surprised there’s a Thanksgiving carol, and Ned says he’ll hear it next year.

Ned picks up the guitar, saying it wouldn’t be right if they didn’t sing. He asks Oscar to give him a hand. It would have been funny if Oscar started clapping, but that doesn’t happen. Monica tells them dinner is served, but Ned says, singing first, then eating. He plays Silent Night, and seems to be mostly singing by himself. Monica takes Drew’s arm, and apparently Ned also only knows one verse, since he repeats it.

Sam remembers bringing the puny tree home with Jason. In her memory, she tells him that she couldn’t bear to leave it, and with a little TLC, it will be beautiful. Jason also remembers. He looks up as the snow falls.

Tomorrow, Nathan is the bearer of bad news, Nelle passes out, and Laura’s mother arrives. Is she a minister by any chance?

🎅 That’s all she wrote for today. After all these years, I still can’t get the hang of this Christmas thing, and I’m making out cards tonight. Maybe I should just send Valentines instead.

😸 How I Think It Will Be…

Carlton-Dance-

😏 The Reality…

ChristmasKid

😟 And the FOMO…

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Dec21

December 20, 2017 – Lomax Holds a Meeting, Siggy Holds a Grudge & Four Days

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

Nathan says there’s something wrong with the records. It’s probably nothing, but he has follow-up questions for his mother.

Well, I don’t think George Stephanopoulos is going to answer those questions, but he’s suddenly on my TV.

🎥 Missing Reel 🎥

It was only ten minutes, and I figure it’s not worth hunting for. Faison isn’t here yet. Ha-ha! Julian says Griff seems to pick and choose who deserves forgiveness. Griff says Ava is different, and Julian asks why, because she defrocked him? Griff says she’s really repentant, and wonders if Julian has ever even admitted the things he’s done are wrong. Julian says Griff has no idea. He just came to drop off gifts, but clearly it’s a bad time, and Griff and Ava have things to discuss. He gifts and runs.

Lulu fills Peter in on the election. She tells him about finding all the ballots, and says the polls suggested Felicia would win. He says polls aren’t always right, but she says it seems Felicia’s opponent stole election – how’s that for a story?

Laura asks Doc how it went with Dante. Doc says he’s on board, and asks about Lulu. Laura says Lulu was always supportive, but she’s distracted by the story she’s working on. She says Doc knows how it is when sets her mind on something. Laura looks through the pub window at the town hall meeting. Doc says he wonders where Lulu gets it, telling Laura that she’s scowling while shooting hate rays at the mayor. He says her fight is his fight.

TJ, Molly and Alexis talk at the pub. Julian walks in. Molly accuses him of being on the mayor’s side, saying since he couldn’t destroy her mom, he’s going to try to destroy the neighborhood. He says they’re on the same side. He’s a small business owner now. She asks what business he owns, and he tells her she’s standing in it.

Griff apologizes for putting Ava in the middle. She says she’s the one who did it, and he says he should have kept his anger in check. Ava says she loves her brother, but he’s smug and arrogant. If he regrets anything, he’s good at hiding it. What Griff said is true. He asks what about her, and she says that she’s somehow more worthy of forgiveness? He says he’s seen a change in her.

Nelle reads the paper at Kelly’s. She remarks that something is interesting, grabs her stuff, and walks out.

Michael meets with Ned at the pub. He says if Mayor Lomax gets her way, the people’s lives will be turned upside down. They’re going to lose their homes, and he’s not sure ELQ should be a part of it. Ned says he didn’t have a problem with the redevelopment years ago, but Michael says they weren’t tearing down people’s houses. Ned asks if he wouldn’t prefer a family who cares about Port Charles getting involved. If someone else gets the project, it could be worse. Michael tells him that he’s not saying no – yet.

Julian tells Molly that he decided it’s time to make an honest living, and used the media company sale to buy the pub. Molly asks Alexis if she was hoping to run into him, but the mayor interrupts, saying the town hall meeting is coming to order.

Lulu shows up at the station, and Dante asks what’s going on? She tells him that she needs his advice as husband, not a cop.

Mayor Lomax talks about a building a privatized park, and how it’s going to be a new chapter for the neighborhood. They’re going to make Port Charles a mid-sized business district. Molly asks what about the families who live there, and the students? Where will they go? The mayor says they’ll take questions later, but Julian says he wants to hear what they have to say, so she agrees. TJ talks about his family being new to Port Charles, and how he and Molly are renting a place there while working toward their degrees. He’s concerned about the property values skyrocketing even if they stay. The so-called progress will drive people out of their homes. Lomax says one of the reasons rents are rising is because of the influx of students living off campus. Molly says she’s deflecting by bringing in an irrelevant statistic that may or may not be true. Lomax says that TJ said his family was new to Port Charles, and Laura gets up, saying hers isn’t.

Maxie tells Felicia that she’s feeling a tsunami of doubt and anxiety. She’s never cared for an infant before. What if she’s not good enough to be a mother?

Obrecht meets with Nathan at Kelly’s, and asks what’s so important? He tells her he was on his way to drop off the medical records, and noticed some inconsistencies. She says she looked them over herself, and between her Swiss accuracy and German precision, pronounced them flawless. Nathan says Victor seemed to be in perfect health, but there’s no evidence he was tested for beta thalassemias, when it runs in the family. (I looked this up, and it’s a blood disorder.) He wonders why.

Ava tells Griff that she has a lot to atone for. When she committed those sins, her brother was a part of it. Griff doesn’t want him leading her down the wrong path, but she says she can falter on her own, despite his best efforts to redeem her. Nelle asks if she’s interrupting, but Ava tells her that Griff is on his way to work. He leaves, and Nelle asks if everything is okay. Ava says, just fine, and Nelle says she saw that Ava is hiring an assistant. Ava says she’s hired.

Laura says she’s been a resident in Port Charles since she was fifteen. It’s the place she calls home, and raised her children there. She thinks she’s qualified to speak to the historic significance. What drew her there was that it was charming and affordable, but what kept her there was the people. She talks about Mary May Ward, and how she fought passionately to preserve the community. She explains that the dock workers first settled the neighborhood, and turned it from a sleepy hamlet to a bustling city. It was a haven for diversity when the rest of the country wasn’t. She tells everyone to look at the pictures that are hanging up. They’re not just a reminder of who they were, but who they are. The city shouldn’t push out the working class, but help them thrive. She has nothing against progress, but not at the expense of their past or the people who live there. She encourages everyone to vote, and vote no. Peter just looks at her, while everyone applauds. I wonder what’s up with that guy.

Felicia says Maxie is already an excellent mother. Maxie says she was careless and selfish, and Georgie was taken from her. Felicia says she went through a troubled period, but look at her now. Maxie tells her that she’s a train wreck with great hair, but Felicia says she’s successful with a loving partner. Everything will be fine.

Obrecht tells Nathan that he’s been tested for beta thalassemias, and doesn’t have it. She says fatherhood brings out a healthy paranoia in men. The doctor will tell him all is well, and he can stop worrying. She leaves, but outside, she gets a really weird, complicated look on her face.

Lomax says they’ve heard from the rezoning committee and the residents. The only thing left is the vote next month. She adjourns the meeting. Doc tells Laura that she was amazing, and everyone gives her kudos. Molly says Laura would make a good politician herself. Laura says Port Charles is lucky to have young people willing to fight for its history.

Julian says Alexis has been there twice since she found out it was his pub. She tells him that she came for her scarf, and thanks him for defending her daughter. He says he was just doing what he thought was right; it’s a new thing he’s trying, and still figuring out. Molly asks Alexis why she’s talking to him, and says no matter how hard she tries, Alexis can’t shake him.

Nelle is surprised Ava is hiring her just like that, and Ava says her staff found other jobs after the fire, and she knows how good Nelle was at her job with Carly. Nelle says she knows how that ended, but Ava says it wasn’t because of poor work. Nelle tells Ava she’s not a saint. Ava says no one is, and she has no husband for Nelle to prey on, so they’re okay on that front. Nelle hopes the reason is that she’d be a good fit, not to stick it to Sonny and Carly. Ava says that has nothing to do with it. Just like it has nothing to do with Nelle applying for the job. Touché.

Michael tells Ned that everyone made excellent points. Ned says they had emotional appeal, but at the end of the day, it comes down to dollars and cents. Michael says it’s purely business, but he’s not sure; there are a lot of facets to consider, including public scrutiny. Ned thinks that’s a valid concern, but if they don’t give their support now, Lomax will find some venture capitalists who will. They can count on the project breaking ground as long as she’s the mayor. What say you? I think there’s going to be a new election once the fraud is exposed, and Laura will end up as mayor.

Dante tells Lulu that if she’s right, there’s going to be a huge controversy. Lulu says good, but Dante says Lomax could accuse her of making up fake news. Lulu says she’s thought about that, but major changes are happening because she won the election. If she didn’t win legitimately, the voters have a right to know the election was stolen, and that their voices still count for something.

Maxie says Felicia is right. Felicia says first trimester hormones aren’t blameless. Maxie and Nathan will make great parents, and she and Mac will always be there.

At the hospital, Nathan runs into Griff, who tells him congratulations. Nathan asks if Griff could do him a favor and look at the medical records. He needs to know if they belong to his father, or if he’s being lied to again.

Tomorrow, Monica tells Ned that she’s not turning away family, Maxie interrupts the wedding, and Jake doesn’t want Jason there. Saw that coming.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey

Melissa is going bike riding with Siggy and Danielle. She tells the others she’ll meet them later. Teresa found a local private chef, so she, Dolores, and Margaret are taking a cooking class. She’s hoping the food works magic on Siggy and Margaret. Food, the universal language.

Teresa Dolores and Margaret go to the market for what Teresa calls “ingredientses.” Oooh, nice market. BTW, they just put the eggs in a bag when you buy them. Good to know. Dolores came from a huge Italian family, and thinks in another life, she was an Italian lady who stayed home, cooked and cleaned. That’s always been a dream of mine. Not really.

Melissa meets the bike guy, saying it will be the two of them if the girls don’t show, but Danielle and Siggy finally join her. Siggy tells us she had her bags packed, but decided to concentrate on the people she loves. I guess that means everyone except Margaret. Danielle says the bike is hurting her who-ha. Siggy is excited about a drama-free day. They stop to take pictures. Today, Siggy is an honorary Italian.

The chef gives the girls aprons, and they start with pasta. He tells them they’re not using a machine, and proceeds to concoct it with his hands. Margaret says no one ever married her for her cooking. My joke has always been that my husband didn’t marry me for my cooking in the kitchen. Dolores is happy, and doesn’t care if the others kill each other at this point. Margaret is concerned about being in the same room with Siggy, since Siggy is a loose cannon. Next is chopping beef for steak tartar. Teresa chops it on a wooden board, and gets splinters in the meat. Apparently, she was a little too enthusiastic, and tells us it’s the first wood she’s seen in a long time. BA-DUM-CHH!

The bicyclists stop for some champagne in the park. Melissa asks Danielle how she and Siggy’s talk went, and she thinks it went well. Siggy can’t get over Margaret’s insensitivity. Melissa says Margaret is harsh, but she’s not a hater, and Siggy overreacts. In her interview, Siggy says she’s never seen people ignore bad behavior (really?), and thinks she expected too much. She says the holocaust is part of who she is. Danielle – who seems to be the new voice of reason – says Siggy has a script of how she wants people to behave, but Margaret doesn’t know her rules. Melissa says they’re not dismissing her feelings, but Margaret has feelings too, and she’s also upset. In her interview, Melissa says Siggy needs to meet Margaret halfway, but she doesn’t think it’s going to happen. The best they can hope for is things not getting worse. She says if you’re going to cry, do it when you have to go back to New Jersey. I second that.

Teresa has visions of shaking the champagne, and squirting the other girls when they come in. Margaret doesn’t know what to say, since it will only be used against her. If the pasta is delicious, Siggy will say she choked on pasta once, and Margaret is trying to kill her. Everyone sits down, and Teresa makes a toast to friendship. Siggy is uncomfortable, and trying to put on a brave face, but hopes Margaret doesn’t talk to her.

Margaret thinks everyone is skirting around the obvious – the last time they ate together, they were thrown out of a restaurant, In her interview, Melissa says Margaret is in the position of damned if she does, damned if she doesn’t. Melissa asks Margaret to come with her to get some water. Outside, she says that Margaret is being quiet, and asks if she’s okay. Margaret says it’s still raw. Melissa tells her about talking to Siggy, and doesn’t know if they got through, but they made an attempt to get her to understand. In her interview, Margaret says if they weren’t such a great group, she would fake her own death.

When they get back to the table, Siggy is in the middle of telling everyone that “Hitler” is a trigger word. Teresa says when she came home, hers was “jail.” In her interview, Margaret says she doesn’t understand Siggy, but won’t use it again. She tells Siggy she didn’t know it would hurt her to her core, and would never have said it had she known. She apologizes, and gets silence. Siggy barely looks at her. I’m just going to say it. Siggy is the biggest, most immature a-hole on the planet. Vote her off the island.

In her interview, Margaret says she gave a genuine, heartfelt apology, and got crickets. Danielle thanks Margaret, and Teresa says it brought tears to her eyes. In her interview, Siggy doesn’t care what Margaret says, she’s not making up. Siggy tells us that you don’t get over a comment like that in 24-hours, so she just concentrated on eating her meal. The next course is announced – steak tartar with woodchips. Ha-ha!

Back at the ranch Teresa’s house, the sink is leaking. Joe #2 arrives to fix it. He asks Milania if she can get him a dry rag, and she tells him he can get it himself. He asks to talk to the girls. He tells them that their mother is going through a lot. She works hard to support them, and they’re not easy. They can actually be a nightmare. He thinks they should do something nice for her birthday, and they decide on a surprise party

Margret says trip has turned into an international incident, and she needs a break from all the emotion. She takes a bubble bath. Siggy decides to spend time with Teresa today. Danielle is going to the shoe factory with Margaret because she’s a shoe geek. Melissa is going for gelato with Dolores.

Melissa tells Teresa they have one last dinner, and she wants to acknowledge what Margaret said.

Siggy admits to Danielle that Margaret said a nice thing. Danielle tells her it took a lot of courage. Siggy said she wanted an apology, but when she got what she wanted, she didn’t return anything. Dolores says if Siggy made amends with Danielle, it’s none of her business, but if Danielle tried to counsel her, she’d throw her ass out.

Danielle asks Margaret if she’s excited about going to the factory. She is, but says she has to put the pedal to the metal to get her shoe line out. Danielle tells her about Siggy, saying that Margaret went out of her comfort zone, and Siggy can’t give back the same thing she wants. Margaret says it wouldn’t be genuine. Siggy aligned her with a hate group, and she doesn’t want apology, but wants Siggy to acknowledge that’s not who she is.

Melissa and Dolores discover that Italy still has phone booths, and take pictures. They’re never making fun of tourists again.

Danielle thinks she might have a shoegasm. Margaret wants to make sure she’s on the same wavelength as the manufacturer. They check out the production department. She asks questions, and finds out that one pair takes three hours to make. She says she might be able to move past that because of the superior craftsmanship. She loves the factory, but the price point turns out to be a little high, so she feels it’s not exactly the right fit. I’m not sure if the pun is intended or not, since Margaret didn’t notice.

Teresa asked the chef to recommend a beautiful place to pray for her mom, and she takes Siggy to where there’s a gorgeous rendering of Jesus. She tells Siggy since she didn’t share the beach memorial with her, she’s sharing this. She doesn’t know what she’s going to do without her mom. Siggy says Teresa being away gave her mom an opportunity to bond with the banshees girls. In her interview, Teresa says she gets angry about the time she missed with her mom, but she’s glad her daughters were able to spend that time with her. She tells us that Siggy really does have a good heart. I think Siggy thinks she does, but it’s very selective. Siggy tells Teresa that she’s been holding a lot in. It started with Margaret calling her “Soggy.” Oh, for the love of all that’s holy. This woman is worse than a dog with a bone. Teresa thought they were done with that. Yeah, so did everybody else, since Siggy said they were. Teresa says she was called an adultery [sic] by Kim D, but Siggy thinks the hurt is the same. In her interview, Teresa doesn’t. She says for one you go to the hospital, and for the other, you put on a Band-Aid. Teresa thinks Margaret doesn’t realize how sensitive Siggy is, but says she did apologize. Wait for it… Siggy says that Margaret should have apologized that night. Teresa tells her, in all the chaos, when would she have been able to? Siggy promises to think about it. I have so many things to say, it would take up volumes. During the commercial, I jet over to the show’s page on Facebook, and many people are thinking the same things, so I refrain from posting, but like a few.

Melissa and Dolores wander around. Dolores says her man doesn’t demand a lot of attention, and it bothers her that he doesn’t care if he doesn’t hear from her in 24-hours. She says at her age, she’s not into just dating, and having Frank around is the best of both worlds. She goes out on dates, then comes home to Frank. They stop to eat. Dolores says having Frank around makes her realize she wants more than David. Melissa brings up Margaret’s apology, and says she was shocked. Siggy looked like she saw a ghost. Dolores tells her that Siggy isn’t emotionally ready to respond. If she wanted to respond in a snobby or nasty way, she would have done it already, but she contained herself. I can actually understand that, but cluing everyone else in might be a thought. Melissa says that Margaret always acts like the bigger person. Siggy called her anti-Semantic, and she needs to take that back. Dolores says she has Siggy’s back, but they need peace. Melissa says she knows why Dolores hangs out with men all the time.

The ladies get dolled up for their last dinner. Melissa stops by Margaret’s room. She can’t believe they’re leaving tomorrow. Melissa says she got Margaret a little something. She appreciates the invite. In her interview, Margaret says she’s glad she was introduced to Melissa. She’s Margaret’s spirit animal. Melissa gifts her with a charm bracelet, with the charms all reminiscent of Milan. Margaret tells Melissa that she was the most positive part of the trip. Melissa says it was good of her to apologize, and Margaret says she didn’t even know there were trigger words until she met Siggy. Melissa hopes Siggy can find it in her heart for taking back her comment to Margaret. She wants it cleaned up before they go back.

The table has a gorgeous fresh flower centerpiece; I think they’re peonies. Teresa says they have a private room in the hotel. If it gets out of control, the damage will be contained. Melissa reminds them that they have an early flight. She says let’s make tonight memorable, and enjoy it. Siggy says last night, Margaret gave a sincere heartfelt apology, and thanks her, saying she needed time to process. She starts getting weepy, and says she doesn’t think anyone should reference Hitler. She must really hate Vincent Bugliosi, who wrote an entire chapter in Helter Skelter about the parallels between Charles Manson and Hitler. Margaret says she’s sorry, but does Siggy genuinely feel she’s anti-Semantic?  Siggy says she wants to believe she’s not, but it wasn’t out of the sky. All the moments she felt attacked, and then the Hitler statement. Siggy doesn’t know where it came from, but if it hurt Margaret’s feelings, she apologizes. In her interview, Margaret says she’s trying to take it the best way possible, but it’s Apology 101. You shouldn’t be sorry for how someone feels, but what you did to make them feel that way. Thank you. My example is, I’m sorry they’re dead, instead of, I’m sorry I murdered them. Margaret says Siggy aligned her with a hate group, and her relationships outside are mostly with Jewish people. A remark like that is relationship ending, career ending, scathing, and hurtful. Siggy says how she felt could ruin her life. Margaret told her she said “Soggy” in the heat of the moment, not thinking it would hurt her, but she doesn’t think so. Melissa thinks Siggy doesn’t understand the gravity of what she said, and it would be a huge leap from that, to her really thinking Margaret is anti-Semantic. Siggy says it’s like she brought Margaret to a wedding, and was deserted at cocktail hour. Oh ho! This is why she’s so unreasonable. She’s jealous that her friends like Margaret. Margaret asks if Siggy thinks she’s always compassionate; she doesn’t always keep to her own rules. Siggy says she’s far from perfect. Margaret says if she gives herself a pass, she needs to give one to others. She would never say something to hurt her on purpose. In her interview, Margaret thinks she had no choice; she was forced to bond with the others, and Siggy realizes she’s here to stay. Teresa says all of them are friends. Dolores says let things mend, and it will all be good. Who would have thought Teresa and Danielle would make up? On that note, Margaret invites everyone to her Studio 54 disco birthday party, and everyone gets all excited.

Next time, Teresa poses, Margaret talks to her ex about the kids, Teresa apologizes to Danielle’s children, and Melissa has a not-listening-to-anyone attitude.

🎄 Cue the Shark Music…

4DaysToChristmas

TheOfficeChristmas

ChristmasVacation

 

 

 

Dec20

December 19, 2017 – Sam Proposes, Beverly Hills Goes to Vegas & a Little More Vegas

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

At the pub, Curtis says he is bereft without Aunt Stella, who moved out yesterday. She thinks the second she left, he and Jordan were whooping it up in the altogether. Curtis says, maybe. He asks how the new apartment is, and she says a nonstop party. TJ and Molly brought out the neighbors to welcome her, and it lasted until two am. Curtis says she’s already the party girl of the Charles Street district. She says it’s a shame it’s not going to last.

Maxie says the tree feels right, and Nathan says it’s perfect. She tells him that her dad came through with his medical records. Now all they need is his father.

Obrecht talks to Britt in German, and asks how dare they lock her up like a common criminal? Britt says she is one. She was on the run with one of the world’s most dangerous fugitives. She tells Obrecht that if she delivers Faison to the authorities, she can get a drastically reduced sentence. Obrecht asks how she can think of betraying him?

At the gallery, Ava gets flowers. The card congratulates her on taking her life back. Kiki and Griff come in, and Ava says she’s not sure she deserves praise for going back to work. Kiki says it was Griff’s idea, and he tells her it was the least he could do for putting her at odds with her brother.

In the park, Alexis and Danny contribute to Toys for Tots. Julian sees them, and asks if Danny has a hug for grandpa.

Sam answers a knock at the door. It’s Jason. He asks if Drew is home. Drew appears, and says sorry, he should have told Sam that he’d invited Jason over.

Nathan tells Maxie that Obrecht is being squirrely about his father’s medical records. Maxie asks if that isn’t normal, since she lives her life in secret. Nathan confesses he’s not sure about Victor being his father.

Britt says Obrecht is always defending Faison, but it wasn’t the same for her. Obrecht says she was strict with Britt, because she wanted her to live a long and happy life. Britt says that’s why she wants to get the reduced sentence, but Obrecht tells her that she’d be signing her own death warrant.

Kiki leaves to unpack the deliveries. Ava understands why Griff feels the way he does, and is glad he’s honest. He knows she doesn’t want Julian to be found guilty, but it would go a long way in making people feel better about his other crimes, including his father’s murder. Ava says, about that…

Alexis suggests Danny play on the slide while they watch. Julian tells her that he just came to drop off some gifts. She ran off so fast at the pub, he didn’t get a chance to tell her the good news. The charges have been dropped. He’s officially a free man.

Sam asks what’s going on? Drew says they all deserve to know what happened and why. Andre was transferred to a federal facility, but Jason was the last person to see him, and Drew wanted to ask him about it. Jason says Andre took a baseline map of Drew’s original memory, and he wondered if it still exists.

Julian tells Alexis no more ankle monitor. Olivia-J’s statement nullified the case, and he’s trying to rebuild his life. He’s starting from scratch, since he sold the media company. Alexis says she’s not sure the sale is valid, since it was under Jason’s name, but Julian says it was made in good faith, and he’s not going to challenge it. The idea of owning a pub feels like a new beginning, and he’s not being pulled back into his old life. Alexis says it’s his life, and he can live it however he likes, good or bad. He tells her that she took off pretty fast when they ran into each other. She says it was awkward, so she arranged to meet her date elsewhere. He says it must be serious, and he wants her to be happy.

Griff asks Ava if all is forgiven, just like that. Ava says Olivia-J threatened him; he didn’t commit the crimes willingly. Griff says he still willingly ordered his father’s murder. Kiki comes back, saying Dillon is coming home tomorrow, and she can’t wait. In perfect soap timing, Dillon calls, and she leaves to talk to him. Ava tells Griff that Julian offered to make himself scarce, but he doesn’t want her to have to choose. She asks how he’s going to handle it then?

Britt tells Obrecht it’s not like she framed Faison. He did everything he’s wanted for. Obrecht says her father is a genius, untroubled by empathy and remorse. He’ll destroy her if she goes against him. Britt says he’ll be in prison, but Obrecht says he’s escaped from countless prisons, and he doesn’t forgive a traitor.

Nathan talks to Maxie about meeting Victor, and how he told Nathan that he was his father. He wonders if his mother never told him because it wasn’t true. She might have backed him up, but maybe she thought it was safer. She’s dragging her feet about the records, and he doesn’t trust it. Victor is dead, and they might never know who the baby’s paternal grandfather is.

Stella tells Curtis that investor types are eyeing the neighborhood for gentrification. They could be forced out by greedy landlords. Curtis says it’s not happening anytime soon, so enjoy her bachelor pad. She says the first thing she unpacked was a picture of him and Tommy. Christmas makes her feel his absence more keenly; his senseless death and the part Jordan played in it. Curtis says he thinks about Tommy every day. He would be glad they’re in each other’s lives, but would kick Curtis’s ass if he didn’t give her a housewarming gift.

Jordan visits the gallery, and says it looks good. Ava remembers when Jordan worked there, and says it could have been a great friendship if Jordan hadn’t been working undercover to get her brother. She adds that Jordan did get her out of some tight spots more than once.

Griff sees Kiki crying in the hallway. Dillon can’t come home for Christmas.

Maxie wonders why Obrecht would lie. Why would any mother lie, and say Victor was their child’s father? She can’t think of a worse candidate than that psycho.

Britt promises Obrecht not to betray her father. She doesn’t even know where he is. Obrecht says her life at stake. She’s sure Britt’s lawyer can get her only a few months in minimum security. She tells Britt that she doesn’t want to bring her father’s wrath down on both of them. She can stand between them, and is a formidable woman, but she’s no match for him. Britt knows him better now, and must realize what would happen. Britt tells her not to worry; she won’t say anything. Obrecht tells her that they must move forward. Once her legal troubles are settled, she can rebuild her life. Right now, Britt would rather focus on Nathan’s new baby. Obrecht says they made her feel like family at the party. Britt says why not return the favor, and give Nathan the medical records he needs?

Julian tells Alexis that the best Christmas gift for him, is for her to be happy. She calls for Danny, and he asks if she’s making another hasty exit left. He tells her that when she made the last one, she left her scarf at the pub, and to stop by any time to pick it up. Alexis guesses she should be resigned to seeing him. Julian tells Danny that he’s going to see Santa, and asks if Danny has anything special he wants. Danny says Santa already knows what he wants, but what about Julian? He says he wants something special. It’s a long shot, but Santa has magic.

Jason explains that Andre put his methodology about the baseline on a flash drive, and put the drive inside an ornament and gave it to someone. Jason thinks he wanted out, but wanted a record of his work. Drew asks if he was unable to retrieve it, and Jason says it was put in with ornaments for the community tree by mistake, and it’s missing. Sam asks if it’s completely gone, and Jason says it’s more complicated than that.

Britt asks if Obrecht doesn’t want her grandchild to have every advantage. Obrecht says she’s arranged for the medical records to be sent. She had so many failings as a mother, and wonders if she’ll do better as a grandmother. Britt says she can start by not telling the story of Krampus. Obrecht says she’ll tell the story of how Britt is the best aunt a child could want instead. Britt promises she’ll be back, and they’ll find a way to be happy. Obrecht agrees that they will.

Nathan marvels at the baby growing inside Maxie. He asks if it’s okay to… and she says, definitely.

Kiki tells Griff that Dillon is taking a leave of absence to be the director on a friend’s Indy film. She hasn’t seen him in months, and now he’s going to be surrounded by actresses on the beach. What if she puts all this work into being a doctor, and she turns out to be a big fat loser with no boyfriend or career? She’s going to California, and forgetting her delusions of grandeur.

Jordan asks Ava about a sculpture that she wants. Ava says it was one of a pair, and Kiki must have sold the other one unknowingly. She says she’ll give Jordan a good deal.

Jason explains about the ornament being missing. Sam says someone knew, and Drew says, and didn’t want them to find it. Alexis comes back with Danny. Danny sees Jason, and says he came back. He tells Alexis that Jason is mommy’s friend from when he was a baby. Sam tells Alexis that they’re just sorting through a few things, and Alexis says to call if she needs help. After she leaves, Danny says Jason looks like someone in the pictures at Grandma. Jason says he knows her, and she’s a nice lady. Sam distracts Danny with some new juice boxes. Jason thinks he should go, but Drew says he doesn’t think so. Danny needs to know Jason is his father.

When Danny returns from the kitchen, Sam says they found out something he needs to know, but it doesn’t change how much they both love him; nothing will ever change that. She tells him that they found out daddy and mommy’s friend are actually brothers, like him and Jake. There was a mix-up, daddy is actually his uncle, and mommy’s friend is actually his daddy. Danny asks if Drew isn’t his dad, and Drew says no; he’s Danny’s uncle. He doesn’t care what Danny calls him; he’ll always love him. Sam says it just means he has more people to love. Danny asks if Jason loves him, and Jason says he does. Danny asks why he was gone so long? Jason tells him that he didn’t want to go away, and tried his hardest to get back. Danny asks if he was sad when he was gone, and Jason says he was, but when he got back and saw Danny, it made him feel better that Danny had a great family. Danny asks why he didn’t say something right away? Jason says there was a lot to figure out. There still is, but he’d like to get to know Danny when he feels ready. Danny says he’s ready now. Wow. This kid is really taking this well. Jason asks if they should shake hands, but Danny asks for hug. Jason hugs him.

There’s a knock at Maxie and Nathan’s door. Nathan answers shirtless. It’s Obrecht who thinks he just got up, and asks if no one taught him about the early bird. Maxie comes in, saying she thought he was joining her in the shower, and Obrecht says, oh, he was catching something better than worms. She gives him a folder, saying it’s the medical history of an extraordinary man. Maxie says Nathan is the one thing Victor did right. Obrecht has busy day, but says on Christmas, she will bring her famous strudel, and they can play cards and dream about the little one. When she’s gone, Maxie says she was stranger than usual. Nathan thinks she knew what she was doing.

Stella unwraps a sculpture, and Curtis reminds her of when she used to drag him and Tommy to the museum in Philadelphia. Afterward, she would ask about what they saw, and how it made them feel. She says they hated those trips, but Curtis says he just wasn’t willing to own up to the fact he liked art. The piece reminds him of those trips. Stella says she’ll cherish it. Jordan enters, and congratulates Stella on her new home. She says Curtis told her about how she taught him to appreciate art, and gives Stella a box. It’s the same piece in a different color, and Stella says it’s a pity. Jordan says the gallery owner said they were companion pieces. Curtis says, great minds think alike, and now she’s the proud owner of a matching set. Stella sees no reason to have two, and says she’ll return the one Jordan gave her, and donate the money to those not as blessed.

Griff tells Kiki that the road to be a doctor is a difficult and terrifying one. He questioned himself every day. He says she can do it, one step at a time, and keep her eyes on the prize. He tells her to shoot for her dreams, try her best, and she’ll never be a failure in his eyes. Ava has been listening, and says, or in hers. Griff tells Kiki it will be all right; trust him. Kiki says she does. She needs to have a serious conversation with Dillon, and hit books. Ava tells Griff that he got through better than she could have. Julian pops in.

Jason tells Danny that he’ll see him soon, and Danny suggests he come to Grandma Monica’s, so he can see how he taught Annabelle to shake hands. Jason leaves, and Danny goes upstairs to play. Sam is choked up, saying it was hard. Drew says he’s sorry she has to go through this. He thought after Jake, it couldn’t get harder, but it breaks his heart into more pieces. Sam knows he feels like he’s losing everything, but he still has everything. He has Danny, Jake, and Scout, and he’ll always have her. He asks how he can have any of them? He has nothing to give. He doesn’t even know who he really is.

Stella steps away to take a call from TJ. Jordan thought they were doing well on Thanksgiving. Curtis says Stella gets this way around Christmas; it’s all about Thomas. Jordan says, and she’s the one who took him away, so she’s the Grinch. Curtis says that’s not true. When they’re done with the holidays, things will be better. He kisses her.

Stella runs into Alexis, and thanks her for Thanksgiving. Alexis says too bad dinner ended up on the floor. Stella tells her about the time Curtis’s birthday cake was trampled by the pony she hired. She says she likes David, and that they cross paths occasionally. He had been enthusiastic about the Charles Street district; now she lives there. Alexis says David has a thing about it, and Stella recommends it highly. TJ told her that this was the neighborhood place, so she’s sure they’ll be running into each other.

Julian asks what they’re going to do about this? Griff seems to have a problem with him.

Maxie tells Nathan that his mom wasn’t lying for once. His father was super healthy, and their baby will have super genes. He hopes she’s right. There’s something wrong with the records.

Sam tells Drew that she knows who he is; the man she loves, but he took the proposal off the table. He says with everything she has in her life, how can he ask her to choose him, when he doesn’t even know who he is. He owes her to know who she’s married to. Sam says he doesn’t owe her anything. She asks him to marry her. He calls her small and mighty, and asks if she’s sure this is what she wants. She gets down on her knees, and he does too. He wants her to remember this is the moment they decided, because they love each other. Sam says it’s a moment they’ll remember forever. Drew tells her he’ll marry her. She grabs his face, and kisses him. He tells her that he loves her.

Tomorrow, Alexis asks Ned what he’s doing there, Laura has to ask Lulu something, and Maxie doesn’t think she can do this.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Erika talks to her creative director about a new project. She says yes to everything, since you’re only given an opportunity once, and the moment is fleeting.  So she’s maximizing her m-f-ing time. She never thought she’d be where she is in her mid-40s. We see a clip of Erika being parodied on SNL. Yep, she’s in the big time now. She tells us she’s where she is because of her husband’s support. Her life has exploded.

LisaR has a rat problem, and I don’t mean one of the other girls. Actual rodents. Her daughters are modeling now, and she’s making a trip with them to New York. LisaR says she’s managing everything and everybody. God love Harry Hamlin, but he’s not doing sh*t. A doctor comes over to give them vitamin injections. She wants to keep her daughters grounded, so the attention doesn’t go to their heads, and I wonder how that’s working out when the “concierge doctor” makes a house call for nonsense.

Kyle meets LVP at a restaurant. Her bag needs its own chair. Kyle’s show, American Woman, is inspired by her life with her mom in the 70s, and is finally on the air. She tells LVP she’s planning a trip to Vegas for Erika and Dorit’s birthdays. LVP informs her that LisaR’s birthday is also around the same time. In her interview, LVP wonders how Dorit will take being with LisaR in Vegas, since LisaR got down and dirty last year. She hopes LisaR has learned her lesson. Kyle says they’ll have to get over it, and wonders if they need a bouncer for the plane. She feels like she’s in the middle, and doesn’t want that anymore. She’s inviting everyone, and too bad. If somebody doesn’t like it, they don’t have to go.

Dorit takes Jagger to his music class. They’ve always had a close connection, but now that he verbalizes, he can make his thoughts clear, and is into being with other kids. New Housewife Teddi is hosting the class. Afterward, they discuss trampolines as they sip champagne. Dorit sees a big change in Jagger’s personality. He’s a more confident, fun, and excited child. Dorit says they’ve spent the last four and a half moths in Miami while renovations are being done on the house. Now that she’s back, she wants to connect with other moms. Teddi says she rode horses for so many years, she didn’t know any moms, and that’s why she started the class. Dorit tells her about LVP, who builds her vacations around where she can take her horses. Wow. I can barely remember what a vacation is.

Kyle visits Erika at her office. Coolest. Office. Ever. Omg, I love the banana leaf patterned chairs. She shows Kyle her makeup room, where the light can be adjusted to be like daylight. Scary, but a good way to put on daytime makeup. Kyle says they’re going to Croatia, and a pool is being put in while they’re gone. She apologizes for not being able to see Erika in Dancing with the Stars. Erika says it was a new experience, letting someone else take control. Kyle asks about the girls’ trip, saying Erika’s birthday is between Dorit’s and LisaR’s. Erika makes an are-you-kidding? face. In her interview, Erika says the bottom could fall out; pack your own chute. Erika wonders about the elephant in the room, but says okay. We flash back to her telling Dorit she’s willing to try again, but it’s a slow process.

Teddi tells us that growing up, she lived well, but always knew the value of a dollar. Her husband was supposed to be a one-night-stand. The next morning, she thought his name was Edward, and it’s Edwin. That’s actually a funny/cute story. Her dad is John Mellencamp, and when she was a kid, thought everybody’s dad was on the radio. I can identify somewhat. My father designed and built the house I grew up in, and having a wife and two daughters, made the bathroom quite large. I was shocked when I saw other people’s bathrooms. I’d just assumed everyone had a bathroom that big. Teddi tells us that her father didn’t act like a famous guy, and nothing was just handed to her. She wants the same for her kids, and doesn’t want them acting entitled. She’s about a million times more down-to-earth than LisaR.

Dorit says they’ve gone way over budget with the renovations. She wanted an indoor/outdoor space, a kitchen facelift, and a bigger master closet. PK is surprised she’s going to Vegas with Erika and LisaR. He says last time he saw Erika, she was horrible to him. We flash back to the reunion. He adds that LisaR was a joke. In her interview, Dorit says LisaR came after her to defame her character. We flash back to the reunion some more. PK says he’s going to keep his opinions to himself.

Dorit and Teddi meet for drinks. LVP joins them, and says she loves the name Teddi. Teddi tells her that her name was originally Teddi Joe; it was very country. LVP grills her, and says if she has a sense of humor, they’re good. Teddi says her sense of humor is very dry. They talk horses. LVP tells them about the Vegas trip, and how it’s everybody’s birthday. Dorit hasn’t had any communication with Erika, and tells them it remains to be seen how it goes. She’s a little worried, and says it depends on what attitude Erika brings. She’d thought she and Erika would be fast friends, but Erika wasn’t very warm. She’s prepared to move past it though. Teddi’s birthday is tomorrow, and Dorit asks her to come along. LVP adds, if she’s brave enough. Dorit gets all excited.

Everyone packs for the trip. Their closets all look like stores. Erika is bringing her glam squad. She says pretty soon she’ll need an aircraft hangar for her clothes, and informs us that Cary Grant had one. I didn’t know that.

Camille joins the ladies at the airport. She just flew in from Hawaii, and is already exhausted. In her interview, Kyle says Dorit’s hair is different every time she sees her, and she could really be bald for all Kyle knows. Teddi is introduced around. Erika says, fresh beginnings, happy birthday, yay. Kyle explains that LisaR is still in New York, but will be coming later if she’s able. She invited Eileen, but she couldn’t make it. Right. She’s probably washing her hair. We find out Teddi doesn’t like to shop, and it gets very quiet. That’s it. She’s off the show. Erika talks about buzz shopping, saying she buys more once she’s had a cocktail. Lisa callsR, and says she has the girls covered, and will meet them in Vegas tonight. In her interview, Dorit says she has unresolved feelings, and it would be a better trip without LisaR, but the time is guaranteed fun with LVP and Kyle.

We’re off. Happy birthdays and champagne all around. I would love to fly like this just once. There’s turbulence, and Kyle gets weird. LVP spills champagne on Kyle’s Birkin bag, and chaos and hilarity ensue.

A butler comes with the hotel suite. Kyle says LVP always wants the best room, but she’s taking it this time. Like any of these rooms are shabby. Camille, LVP and Kyle hang out in LVP’s room. Camille asks if things are cool with LisaR now. Kyle tells them about running into Harry on a hike, and how he said her sister can never be around the group again. Since Kim isn’t on the trip (or the show this season), I don’t see this as being a problem, but really? #WhatDidHarryDo  We flash back to the bunny incident at the reunion. Kyle says Harry was clearly upset, and it was weird. She’d rather have an enema or root canal than discuss it with LisaR. LVP thinks it will be a recipe for disaster with Dorit.

Dorit has brought her hair and makeup stylists, because she can’t live without them. Erika’s squad works on her. She tells them no polite lip. Everyone looks fantastic, and make me wonder why I even bother. The ladies gather for a kiki before going out. Teddi has a fabulous body, and is wearing the shortest dress in the world. LisaR shows up, and Dorit says, help.

Next time, fun at the club, a sex toy made of ice, gambling, Erika admits to being an a-hole, and Dorit confronts Lisa.

🎡 Las Vegas

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😜 Emojis of the Week

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