What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Nikolas says, someone set fire to Ava’s car, and Trina says, no. He says, Ava is shaken up, but Dr. Robinson is looking after her. Doc asks, where did it happen? and Nikolas says, at the hospital. Doc says, far from here; far from Spencer. Laura says, so Spencer is innocent. She wishes she could say the same for Nikolas. Nikolas tells them, he’s not sure what to say. He was so sure it was Spencer, and was horrified that he could be so cruel. Spencer says, so Nikolas decided to show hm what real cruelty looks like. Congratulations, father. Mission accomplished.

Jax sits at The Savoy, wondering what’s wrong with his phone, when Obrecht asks if she can join him. As friends, of course (🍷). She’s very much taken these days. He says he’d be delighted, but has to warn her, he’s not in the best mood tonight. She says then they won’t make banal small talk, and asks what’s troubling him.

Cameron tells Josslyn, he knew Spencer’s father might be mad about the party, but this is ridiculous. Should they go back inside and back him up? She says she thinks it’s a personal family matter, and they don’t want an audience, but the question is, should they extract Trina? Carly calls to Josslyn, and Josslyn thanks her for coming. She asks if Carly saw Tony; did he tell her what happened? and Carly says, he told her what happened from a security standpoint. She says hi to Cameron, and tells Josslyn, Tony said they weren’t in any physical danger, but it was an unstable situation, and he wanted her out of there. Josslyn says, they want to get out of there too. What happened here tonight, was all kinds of wrong.

At The Savoy, Sam asks if she can talk to Curtis a moment, and he asks, what’s up? She says she got a call tonight. The caller ID said it was an unknown caller, and it was a man’s voice. He said he was Drew.

Guard Russ asks how many times he has to tell Drew, he’s not leaving. Drew says, the law of averages is on his side. Russ has to stop him every time; he just has to get away once. Russ says he’s going to tell the boss. Maybe he’ll finally agree Drew is more trouble than he’s worth, and he’ll let him kill Drew. Drew says, tell his employer that he managed to steal Russ’s phone on his watch, he’s going to fire him. He’s got to look to his future. Russ says at least he has a future. That’s more than Drew can say. Drew says, all Russ has to do is give him a ride to the nearest airport, and tell him the name of the bastard who’s kept him locked up for two years. That’s it. Russ says he doesn’t look like a wealthy man, but Drew says he is. Russ says the world thinks he’s dead. (Which isn’t necessarily true, but okay.) If he made money double-crossing the boss, he wouldn’t live long enough to spend it.

Jason arrives for the meeting, and one of the family heads congratulates him on his exoneration. Some people have all the luck. Jason says, now that they’re all assembled here, he wants to discuss some recent actions by a member of the Novak family. Ms. Wu asks where his fiancé is, and Jason says, she couldn’t be here tonight. He’s speaking for the Corinthos Organization. She says she’s sorry. That’s unacceptable. When he called this meeting, it was their understanding that both he and Mrs. Corinthos would be there. He says he speaks for both of them, and Mr. Novak says, the last time their group met, Mrs. Corinthos proclaimed herself head of the Corinthos Organization. Jason says, as they all know, he was unavailable for that meeting. Ms. Wu asks why Mrs. Corinthos isn’t there tonight, and Jason says, something came up. She says, something more important than this meeting? He called this meeting, and they managed to make the time. I think, Carly has officially set women back by trying to prove you can’t have a career and children. He thanks them, and says, if time is an issue, he’ll be brief. Mr. Novak’s nephew Joey approached his fiancé’s daughter. That is unacceptable. Novak says, forget it. If Mrs. Corinthos isn’t coming, he’s not staying. He gets up, and Mr. Buscema says, neither is he. Jason says, it’s their choice. This meeting will continue, and repercussions will follow.

Curtis asks Sam to run that by him again, and she says she got a call from an unknown caller. Actually, she got two calls. The first call she got, she sent straight to voicemail since she thought it was a telemarketer. A little while later, she got another call, and that one, she picked up. It was a man’s voice on the phone, and he called her by her name, and said that he was Drew. He said he needed help. He said they were coming, and there was all this commotion, and the line went dead. She had one of Dante’s techs run the call, but they came up empty. He says, she went to the police? but she says, no. She and Dante happened to be together when she got the call. Dante thought it was just a hoax, or intended to throw her off the case. It makes sense, but she just doesn’t know. He says, Drew’s plane went down in the Gulf of Adan. There was a search, which turned up nothing. There were no signs of any survivors. She says, he was a Navy SEAL. If anyone could survive a plane crash into the ocean, it would be Drew. Curtis thinks Dante’s right, doesn’t he? He says he thinks what’s more important is what she thinks. Does she believe Drew is still alive?

Obrecht tells Jax, maybe his phone is just out of power. She finds phones get temperamental after a while. Has he updated? He says, it was just 98% charged a minute ago. He was hacked. He’s pretty sure he knows who it was. He drains his glass, and signals for another, and she says he wasn’t kidding about his mood. He says, sorry. He did try to warn her. She says she can think of only two things that cause such consternation; a woman or a child. She’s guessing the latter. Is his daughter all right? He says, very good, but Josslyn is fine. He just wishes Josslyn’s mother was as concerned as she is for her safety.

Josslyn tells Carly, they showed them the creepy writing in front of the fireplace, then Trina and Spencer came in, saying, Spencer had been stabbed. Carly asks how badly he was hurt, but Cameron says, he wasn’t actually stabbed. Josslyn says, it was a retractable knife, like a prop in a play. Spencer thought it was Ryan Chamberlain, until Nikolas came in and said he was behind it all. Carly says, Nikolas stabbed Spencer? and Cameron says, he wasn’t actually stabbed, but yes. His grandmother was very upset. Josslyn says, they were headed for a dysfunctional family trainwreck, and Cameron tells Carly, he never thought he’d say these words, but he feels bad for Spencer. Carly wonders, what the hell was Nikolas thinking?

Spencer says Nikolas turned against him once again. He guesses he shouldn’t be surprised; it’s not the first time it’s happened. He never should have come back. Nikolas tells him, please don’t say that. He never turned against Spencer. Spencer says, Nikolas never chose him either. He’s just supposed to live with whatever horrible decisions Nikolas makes. Roll with the punches, and suck it up in the end. His neglect was hard enough to deal with, and now he wants to dole out the punishment too? Nikolas says he wanted Spencer to understand how damaging his actions have been, but Laura says, the incident tonight with Ava’s car proves he was wrong. Even if he’d been right, he took this way too far. He chose to terrorize his own son and his friends to teach him a lesson. There’s no excuse. Spencer says, it’s obvious Nikolas will always choose Ava over him, and Nikolas says, it wasn’t about choosing Ava. Spencer says, oh please. Nikolas was afraid he’d drive Ava away, and he decided to retaliate. Nikolas starts to protest, but Doc says, Spencer’s not wrong. His actions are more those of a thwarted lover than a concerned father. Nikolas says, was he angry when he thought Spencer was behind everything? He was furious, but he was also concerned, and wanted Spencer to see the error of his ways, so they could get it out in the open, and hopefully move past it and move forward together. Spencer starts to cry, and says Nikolas decided to invoke his mother in order to manipulate him, telling him to be the man she would want him to be. Nikolas says he’s sorry, and Spencer says, just because Nikolas decided that he’s guilty. Nikolas says he pushed too hard. He was wrong. Please forgive him. He loves Spencer. Spencer tells Nikolas not to call him his son, and don’t claim to love him. He storms out, and Laura says, Nikolas almost had him; his son was back. He let his rage blind him, and decided Spencer was the stalker, that Spencer was the one who took Ava from him. Spencer was right; Nikolas decided to retaliate. He thought his way was the only way, the very definition of arrogance. And where has it gotten him? For God’s sake, now is he willing to listen to her?

Nikolas says, he never meant… and Laura says, stop. He could have just paused for a moment, and thought it all the way through. She hoped he’d be able to see how disastrous this could be, but no. He wanted to do what he wanted to do, and even Ava couldn’t talk him out of it. How did he think this thing was going to turn out? He says he hoped Spencer would admit what he did, and she says, he didn’t do it. Was Nikolas so intent on making him pay, he didn’t even consider Spencer might be innocent? The damage he could do if he was wrong? She wants to be with her grandson now; he’s in pain. Doc suggests they let Spencer have some time. Trina’s with him, and it might be easier for him to process this with a friend; someone who isn’t family. Carly comes in, and asks if Nikolas has lost his mind.

Trina asks if Spencer is okay, and he says, a party’s not a party until someone gets stabbed. She says he doesn’t have to do that, and he says, do what? She says, be all cavalier about what just happened, or pretend his father didn’t just break his heart. Spencer says, he really hates me.

Drew says, this is progress. He made a phone call. Sam picked up. Of course (🍷) Sam thinks he’s dead, but it’s not the first phone call she’s gotten from a dead man. She’ll start asking questions. Come on, Sam. Ask questions. He wants to go home. He misses his little girl so much. He flashes back to talking to Scout, who’s in an incubator. He says, she had a bumpy ride, didn’t she? She’s probably wondering where her momma is. She would be there if she could, but for now, Scout gets him. He’s her daddy. He’s been waiting and waiting for her. He’s going to tell her a little secret. Not much scares him, but she does. He wants so badly to give her everything she needs. To love her and protect her. He’s going to make sure nobody hurts her. He’s going to give her the world. Back in the cell, he says he misses his little girl. Not so little anymore; he’s been gone so long. He wonders how tall she’s grown. He wonders what she’s like, and what makes her laugh. He’s so sorry. He didn’t mean to be gone so long. He promises her, whatever it takes, he’s coming home to her.

Sam tells Curtis, she honestly doesn’t know what to think. Logically, none of this makes any sense. He tells her to throw logic aside; what does she feel? She says she feels that she owes it to Scout to see who made that call. Danny too. Drew was a huge part of their lives. He says he gets it. He does miss his man, and wishes he was back. He could show Drew his nightclub, and they could argue over football games the way they used to. He was a good friend, but he has been gone a while. Where the hell has he been, and why did he wait until now to make contact?

Obrecht tells Jax, co-parenting can have many obstacles, especially when co-parents aren’t on the same page. She got lots of emails about this when she had her column in The Invader. (Speaking of which, who’s running that paper now?) However, she always thought he and Carly managed very well. He says, they did… until now. She asks if one of his obstacles happens to wear a black leather jacket, and he says he tried to make Carly see that some of her associations might be putting their daughter at risk. She asks if he regrets these actions, and he flashes back to his argument with Carly in the hallowed halls of the moss bowl.🎍 He tells Obrecht, only that it didn’t work.

Jason says, their leaving sends a clear message that they’re not interested in cooperation. That’s too bad, but he’ll adjust. Mr. Buscema sits back down, and says, forgive them for being confused, but it’s tough to do business when you’re not sure who you’ll be dealing with. Ms. Wu asks if Jason is challenging Mrs. Corinthos’s leadership. At the last meeting, she proclaimed she was head of the Corinthos Organization. Now he’s saying that he’s head of the organization. It seems the only way to solve this problem, is to eliminate Mrs. Corinthos.

Trina says, despite everything that happened, she doesn’t think Spencer’s father hates him. He asks if she’s okay with what Nikolas did, and she says, no; that was seriously messed up. His father honestly thought he was the stalker, and did all those horrible things to him and Ava. He says, for a moment, he thought she did too, and she says she admits she was shaken up, but he does hate Ava, and he’s made no bones about it. He asks what that even means, and she says he doesn’t hesitate to show his disapproval of her. He doesn’t want his father and Ava together, just like the stalker, but she should have known he wasn’t capable of something so twisted. He says, what if he was?

Russ comes into Drew’s cell, and says the boss wasn’t happy with his latest stunt. Drew says, so he told after all, and Russ says, stealing the phone was another pointless attempt on his part. Or does he really think Sam McCall is going to come for him? He heard Drew tried to convince her that he was still alive. He’d better pray she thinks it’s a crank call. If she decides to look for him, she’ll be dead before she leaves the US.

Curtis tells Sam, let’s not assume anything definite right now. Why don’t they go over this phone call? Tell him anything she remembers. She says, the caller said her name a few times, said his name was Drew… The connection was bad. He says, bad reception, like a call from overseas, and she says, yes. He asked if she could hear him. Curtis says, like he knew there might be bad reception, and she says, right. He knew he was calling with bad reception, asked if she could hear him, and then there was all this commotion. He asked for help, and then the line went dead. He says, commotion? Like there was a struggle? She says, maybe, and he says, other than the bad reception and the struggle, could she hear anything else in the background? She says, just static, and he says, whoever this guy is, he wants her to believe he’s Drew, and that he’s on the run from someone or something. He asks if she thinks he could have been running all this time, but she doesn’t know. Why wouldn’t he have tried to contact her earlier? He says, maybe this was his one shot to make a call before he was recaptured, or at least that’s what this guy wants her to believe. Does she?

Nikolas says he’s not in the mood right now, but Carly says, too damn bad. She had something really important planned for tonight, and had to race over there because she thought her daughter was in danger. Only to show up and find out he’s playing boogie man, trying to scare his son and his friends. He says, sorry for the inconvenience, but he’s not taking parenting lessons from her, of all people, or does she want to discuss why Josslyn had a bodyguard tonight? She says, thank God she did. Leave them out of his family drama. She has enough on her plate without his asinine decisions making her life more difficult. She apologizes to Laura and Doc, but Laura says, it’s really okay; it’s been a rough night all around. Carly says, they’re out of there, and leaves with Josslyn and Cameron. In the foyer, Josslyn asks her to wait. She can’t leave yet.

Jason says it sounds like Ms. Wu just threatened Carly, and she says, this isn’t a club. Their alliance is a carefully constructed balance of power; one built on mutually assured destruction. He says he knows what it is. If one of them goes down, they all go down. She says, yes, and when Mrs. Corinthos joined their ranks, she was made privy to information that could destroy every one of them. Jason says they can trust Carly, but she says, that hasn’t always been so. There were reports that she threw a valuable shipment of guns into the Port Charles harbor as a protest against their business. He says, that was a different time, different set of circumstances, and Ms. Wu says, yes. She’d since accepted Carly’s word that she’s changed, but here they all are, and she’s nowhere to be found. Perhaps she’s doing something more advantageous to her, like talking to the Feds. Jason says, that’s ridiculous, and she says, is it? The Feds have been circling the Corinthos family for a long time. Maybe the good widow decided to cut a deal so she can be free of them for good. Mr. Buscema says, Madam Wu might be right. What if Jason’s fiancé decided to cut them all down, so she’s in the clear? Ms. Wu assures Jason, if that’s so, there will be consequences.

Trina asks why Spencer is playing into this game. He didn’t do any of those horrible things, so why even go there? He says, he was just wondering, hypothetically, if he’d done those things to Ava and his father, would she hate him? She says, but he didn’t, and he says, what if he had? Would she be able to forgive him? She asks if this is about him and his dad? Is he trying to decide if he can forgive Nikolas after everything he’s done tonight? That’s not a decision she can make for him. He asks what she means, and she says when her dad first deceived her, when he pretended to be dead, she swore she hated him. She never wanted to see him again. Spencer says, been there, done that, and she says, but he got over it, like she did. But it took some time. He says, years, and she says, now his dad’s disappointed him again. He says, this goes so far beyond disappointment. He had to walk away earlier, because he actually wanted to punch the guy. He thought he was going to die tonight. When this knife came at him, he thought it was over, and he was done. What kind of father does that to his son? How is he supposed to forgive that? She says she’s so sorry he’s going through this, and he says, that’s it? That’s all she has to say? She asks if he was expecting something else, and he says she’s not going to tell him what to do?

Nikolas leaves a voicemail for Ava, saying, he knows she’s dealing with a lot right now, but call him. He needs to hear from her. Doc says he’ll go to GH and check on her, and Laura thanks him. She’s really worried about Ava, and wants to stay there a little longer. Can he take the boat and send it back to her? He kisses her goodbye, and leaves. Nikolas says she should have gone with Doc. He already feels terrible. There’s nothing she can say that will make him feel worse. She says she just wants him to understand how his thinking led to his actions, and he says he doesn’t want to lose his son again. Should he go to him? She thinks Nikolas has to give Spencer a little time to cool off. Maybe let Spencer come to him. He says he’ll be waiting a long time. Another three years; maybe forever. She asks what he thought was going to happen when he made the decision to stalk and stab Spencer? How could he possibly think that this was the right way to deal with his son? He says he thought Spencer was the stalker. It angered him, but it also scared him. He felt that he had to do something drastic to get through to him. He wanted Spencer to understand on a visceral level, by making him feel how he made Ava feel. She says, so he struck back at him. At his own son. Like any good Cassadine would.

Jax tells Obrecht, Carly and Jason’s marriage has been on his mind. He can’t believe she’d associate herself with another mobster now that Sonny’s dead. She had a chance to start fresh and stop putting Josslyn and her other kids in danger. Instead, she chose to double-down. She asks if he’s tried telling Carly how he feels, and he says he’s tried  talking to her. He went as far as trying to get leverage to force her out of that life. She gathers his phone is a casualty for his quest for leverage. There is an art to gathering covert evidence, you know. Lucky he’s come to a pro for some tips. She’d love to see Carly squirm. And Jason Morgan, even more so.

Josslyn tells Carly that she’s sorry, but they need to talk to Spencer. She heard Doc on his way out; Spencer ran off somewhere and Trina went with him. He’s probably devastated over what his father did. Carly says she’s sure he is, but she has to get back to the mainland. Josslyn asks Cameron if he can find Trina, and see if she needs a ride back. She’s going to stay and talk to her mom… alone. Cameron leaves, and Carly asks what she wants to talk about. Josslyn says, you. What’s going on? Did they interrupt something important?

Jason says, the idea of Carly going to the Feds is laughable. She’s known everything there is to know for years as Sonny’s wife. Mr. Novak says, Sonny’s dead, and Jason says he’s aware of that. He and Carly will be getting married. Ms. Wu says, will be, but they aren’t now, so Carly could be coerced to divulge what she knows about their operations with or without his consent. He just said she already knows everything. He can’t see the risk this poses to all of them? He says, there’s no risk. They’re sitting around speculating about something that’s not going to happen. Ms. Wu says, when and if they’re married, Carly can’t be compelled to testify against her husband. Fiancés don’t share the same legal protection. So he must understand, until he and Carly are husband and wife, Carly is a liability.

Trina says she’s not Yoda, and not there to tell Spencer what to do. He says, why not? Everyone else does. What to do, what to think, especially about his father and Ava. She says she has her opinions, but now’s not the time for them. She understands how it feels when your parents let you down. That’s why she followed him, to listen in case he wanted to talk. He thanks her, and she says, what are friends for? He asks if that’s what they are. Friends… buds… She says, why not? Cameron joins them, and Spencer asks what he’s still doing there. The party of the summer is over. He should hang on to that wristband; it might be worth something someday. Cameron says, Joss wanted to make sure he was okay. She also wanted to ask if Trina needed a ride back to the mainland. Trina says she’s good; she’ll take a launch back later. Spencer says he’ll make sure Trina gets back safely. The launch should be freed up, so Cam and Joss should be able to get back okay. Cameron says, Mrs. Corinthos brought her own boat, so… Spencer says, Carly’s here? She’s going to kill him for involving Joss in this mess. Cameron says she knows his father is responsible for all this; she let him have it. Spencer says, tell Joss he’s sorry tonight was a fail, but enjoy the novelty with his compliments. Cameron says, what novelty? and Spencer says, for once, he’s the innocent party.

Nikolas tells Laura, it’s true; he’s a Cassadine. There’s nothing she can do to change that. She says he just needs to tame these dark impulses he has. He has to recognize it and turn away from it, for Spencer’s sake. He says, or he’ll pass those traits on to Spencer. It’s too late for that. He’s not the stalker, but he has a cruel streak. She’s already seen that. She says she has. Spencer grew up with a sense of entitlement, just like Nikolas did, but it is not too late to change; to break the cycle of trauma. He could start by just setting a good example for Spencer. He says he’s trying, and she asks if that’s what he was doing when he decided to terrorize his son. When he made Spencer believe that he was going to stab him and kill him? If Nikolas isn’t careful, he’s going to end up going down the same path his father did.

Josslyn says she should have never asked Tony to call Carly. She’s sorry for pulling Carly away from whatever she had going on tonight, but Carly says she did the right thing. Josslyn and all her kids are her top priority. Josslyn says she just feels so bad for Spencer, and Carly says she does too. Josslyn asks why his father would do that, but Carly doesn’t know. She doesn’t think Nikolas has any idea what it’s like to be a parent. He grew up spoiled and selfish, and turned around and raised Spencer the same way. Cameron comes back, and tells them, Spencer said he’s fine and they should go. Carly says, works for her, and Josslyn says, what about Trina? Cameron says, she wants to stay, and Spencer will make sure she gets home okay. Carly says, she’s in good hands; let’s go. They follow her out.

Curtis says, if that phone call was fake, he’s really not okay with someone using Drew’s memory to get to Sam. Sam says, her neither. She’s had people from her past showing up to settle a grudge, but this didn’t feel like that. Why would someone want to send her on a wild goose chase looking for Drew? He says he doesn’t know. Does she have any big cases coming up, or a trial coming up soon? She says, Naomie Dreyfuss is the only thing she has going on right now, and clearing Shawn’s name, but she doesn’t see how it could be related to Drew. He says she still hasn’t answered his original question, and she says because she didn’t have an answer. Until now. The more she thinks about it, the way he spoke to her… his voice… it sounded real. She thinks it was Drew on the phone.

Drew says, Russ’s boss is targeting Sam? and Russ says, the boss has a long reach. They plucked him out of the ocean, didn’t they? Got him there without anyone realizing he survived that crash. They went to a lot of trouble to extract Drew from his life. He won’t hesitate to kill anyone sniffing around. Drew says, because he wants him alive. Russ is losing it. First the phone, now the loose lips… He probably needs a vacation. The stress of the job is getting to him. Russ says he’s not going anywhere, and neither is Drew. Drew slams him up against the wall.

Trina says she keeps picturing Spencer lying on the floor, and he says he’s sorry she had to deal with that. She says, it’s not his fault, and he says, still, he appreciates her listening to him. People don’t always do that. She says, it’s hard to hear him between all the flash and snarks, and he says, but she manages. He moves closer to her, and she says she hears him.

Nikolas asks if Laura thinks he’s as bad as his father, but she says, no. Stavros was insane. He was sadistic and cruel. He had no remorse, but Nikolas does, which means he’s capable of so much more. But the Cassadine instincts are so much a part of him, it terrifies her. He asks what she means.

Jax asks if he can walk Obrecht to her car, but she says, no need, and thanks him for the drinks and conversation. He says he should be thanking her for listening and for her support. She says he has it. And remember, come to her next time, if he wants to try again. She’s confident they can bring down Carly and Jason by working together. Auf wiedersehen.

Carly runs into the meeting like she’s late for a parent/teacher conference. Mr. Buscema and Ms. Wu nod to her as they leave, and Mr. Novak tells her, you’re too late, Mrs. Corinthos. He guesses he’ll have to get used to calling her Mrs. Morgan. He’ll be checking his mail for his invitation. She asks Jason, what happened? How’d the meeting go? He looks grim, but that could mean anything from the meeting was bad, to he wonders what they’re having for dinner.

Sam asks Curtis to tell her. She’s crazy, right? He says, no, she’s not. She’s level-headed, and has great instincts. If she says that’s Drew’s voice she heard, he’s going to trust her on that. She says, Drew’s alive. Scout’s father is alive.

Drew tussles with Russ, but Russ gets the better of him, and literally kicks him when he’s down. He tells Drew, one of these days, you’re really gonna piss me off, and I’m going to snap your sorry neck. Russ leaves, and Drew writhes in pain for a hot minute, then sits up looking at the pen he swiped off of Russ in the fight. He takes it apart, and gets to work on his handcuffs.

Tomorrow, Ava wonders if there’s anyplace left this psychopath can’t get to her; Laura tells Nikolas, one more terrible choice and he can lose everything; and Epiphany is back from vacation.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Sutton was concerned, wondering what they’d gotten themselves into, being supportive of Erika. She wasn’t sure how much she wanted to be around Erika, and said she was just protecting herself, lest there be guilt by association. In her interview, she said, Ruth Madoff had no friends. People don’t like liars, cheaters, and stealers. In LisaR’s interview, she said, a friend is going through something major, and you’re worried about your reputation? Princesses worry about their reputations; queens don’t. Who knows where the hell she got that fakakta bon mot. I’m pretty sure queens are on top of their PR. Dorit said they didn’t want their support to be misinterpreted, and Sutton said  there was a red flag years ago, when one of the partner’s wives told him something was off, and he left the firm. There was another escapee recently too, and some of the stories didn’t add up. Crystal said it seemed to have started three years ago, with Tom’s decline, but Sutton didn’t buy it. Dorit said the LA Times said the firm’s swindling had been going on for a decade. She didn’t know what to believe. Sutton pointed out that Erika was saying the same things Tom’s attorneys were saying, and in Sutton’s interview, she said, two plus two equaled four, and she wasn’t even good at math. LisaR said there was no proof that what Erika was saying wasn’t true, and believed her. In LisaR’s interview, she said that she knew she was going to get sh*t for not backing Denise, but supporting Erika, but she didn’t care. Dorit said Erika’s life was the opposite from what Erika had presented to them, and we flashed back to Tom tooting his own horn about being a do-gooder. Sutton said she didn’t think ignorance was an excuse when Erika was so smart, and thought the mistress discovery was a distraction. They agreed to ask Erika if she knew what had been going on. At Kyle’s holiday dinner. Another brilliant choice for a confrontation. In Kyle’s interview, she said she felt like the Grinch who was stealing Erika’s Christmas.

Garcelle did a huge Haitian family dinner, and the dishes looked so very good. In her interview, she talked about her oldest son Oliver, and how he’d been a drug addict. To see him now, as the father and man he’d become, was amazing. His partner/wife/not sure Sam had three kids from a previous relationship, and they had Oliver Jr. together, who was quite a cutie. They’d become a family. She told Oliver that she couldn’t believe he was a dad, and he said the diaper in his pocket made it official. Garcelle said you couldn’t pay her to deal with four kids in quarantine. When they said they wished she lived closer, she said she was good. Meanwhile, Kyle told Dorit that Teddi would be coming to the dinner, and Dorit suggested plying her with alcohol, since she was no longer pregnant. Kyle said Erika was also coming, and Dorit said they’d have to figure out a way forward. First world 1% problems. Kyle said she wanted to be supportive, but had questions.

It was Christmastime in Beverly Hills, but it’s just not as pretty as it is on RHONY.

Garcelle thoght Teddi was annoying for no reason. I think she’s annoying too, but I can think of plenty of reasons. LisaR wore her wig named Heather, and Kathy ho-ho-ho’d her way in, saying she was discombobulated, which I thought was her natural state. Teddi talked about baby Dove’s neurosurgery, and we saw clips of Dove in her little helmet at 10 months. Kyle got lots of free booze as hostess gifts, and she wondered if Erika would skip out at the last minute. LisaR reminded everyone, innocent until proven guilty, and said Erika might not be able to answer questions because of legalities. Kyle thanked Erika for coming, and Erika thanked Kyle for having her, since she was a little radioactive these days.

They sat down for dinner and a ticking time bomb. Sutton bugged Garcelle about saying hello to Erica, and in Garcelle’s interview, she said she hadn’t seen Erika since Erika had flipped out on her. Sutton asked if Garcelle was nervous to talk to Erika, and Garcelle said it was awkward, but she wasn’t afraid. Kyle made a full Christmas dinner, and told the women, there was no chef. She’d put her heart and soul into it. LisaR said it was like Christmas on a plate. Erika thanked Kyle for inviting her, and Kyle said she wasn’t just there for the good times. In her interview, Kyle said seeing Erika down like that made her feel bad. She wanted to be able to support her, but with a clear conscience. Kyle gave a toast to happy holidays, and a special thank you to Erika for coming. She hoped 2021 would be better than 2020, as we all did. Kathy toasted to health, happiness, and the best to everybody. Erika said her doctor did tell her she was healthy, so there was that. I’ll bet a lot of people would give everything for that. Kyle asked if Erika ever wondered if it was a dream and she’d wake up, but Erika said she woke up thinking, this is really happening. She said she was so tired, and Dorit said she must keep being blindsided by everything that was coming out. Erika said, more is coming, and there were crickets for a moment. She added, it was far from done, and Sutton asked if she was truly blindsided, or did she have some sort of… Erika told her to go ahead and ask the question, and Sutton asked if she was able to get a heads up on the information about to come out before it hit the press. Erika said she had no access to that, and Sutton said she thought the timeline in the LA Times article was confusing. Crystal said Erika had told them about Tom’s deterioration, and what had happened three years ago. We flashed back to Crystal comparing it to her father’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. She said things had been happening with the firm further back than three years. Erika said she it was only recently litigated, and she couldn’t answer those questions. Dorit said no one was looking to pry, and in Garcelle’s interview, she said Dorit apparently didn’t remember being supportive when they had their sister circle moment. Dorit told Erika that they’d all met the other day. Sutton had asked them to get together.

Sutton said she’d wanted to see where they were, and Erika asked if it was a committee to discuss if they were supporting her or not. In Erika’s interview, she said, there were holes in the story, it’s what they heard; is this the grand jury? Sutton said she didn’t think Erika had anything to do with it, but wanted to make sure… and Erika said, that she addressed the allegations in the LA Times. In LisaR’s interview, she said Sutton was there, but left her spine at home, and told Sutton to be real. Sutton said Erika was going through a lot. She’d talked to an attorney… Erika said, about her case? and Garcelle said she didn’t think Sutton was the only one who got a legal opinion. Erika was like, who else? like anyone would confess, and Dorit said she spoke to her husband and Boy George. Erika asked what Dorit’s husband said, and Dorit said he told her they were by no means legally in trouble, but would be dragged in, like it or not. Kyle said they talked about the LA Times article, and thought it was likely Erika had no idea what was going on. Erika said that was true, and Sutton said she just wanted to make sure. She was protecting herself. Erika asked how she was involved, and Kyle said Sutton was worried about her reputation. In Sutton’s interview, she said she was on all kinds of boards and committees where it would not be cool for her if Erika was complicit. She told Erika that it was a personal issue, and Erika asked if Sutton was that afraid of her. Sutton said, no, but there was a $20 million elephant in the room. Why was the press saying it went to Erika’s LLC? Kyle said the obvious question was, did Erika know? but quickly added that she didn’t think so. In Garcelle’s interview, she said Erika’s answers seemed surface, and she wondered why Erika didn’t seem angry at Tom for being implicated in bad things. She needed Perry Mason or someone to try and explain. Sutton thought it seemed like Erika might have noticed or questioned things, and Dorit said the headlines were hard to digest. The thought of ripping off orphans and widows made her feel sick. Erika said if they wanted to know where the money was, talk to Tom. $50 to $80 million in cash was gone, and no one knew the answer but Tom. Dorit said most people believed Erika was innocent, and it would come out. Erika said it wasn’t nice to repeat things that weren’t true. In Sutton’s interview, she said she was disappointed in Dorit, since they’d been sympatico. We flashed back to a hot minute ago when Dorit was agreeing with Sutton, and saying they didn’t want their support misinterpreted. Teddi said everyone was making it about themselves, and a big portion of the had a lawsuit under their belt, and no one else was involved. She had to believe Tom was the a-hole. Sutton wondered if Erika had any discussion  with an attorney on how to navigate through the story. Dorit said she was getting uncomfortable, and I had to agree that was an intrusive question. Erika said she hadn’t, which I actually found hard to believe, and in Garcelle’s interview, she told us that Dorit had a lot to say when Erika wasn’t around, but now that Erika was there, Dorit did a 180. Now it was, I support you. <kiss, kiss> Garcelle told Erika, to be 100% honest, her sister had a kidney transplant, and was supposed to have been awarded money. She was concerned her sister had been stiffed, when her sister said it was just taking a long time. If what they said Tom did was true, f*** Tom. She personally knew what it was like to be waiting for compensation.

Erika said it was terrible, and Tom would pay the price if what they said happened, happened. He wasn’t mentally capable, and had sole control of the firm. She thought it got away from him. They were dealing with a man who had diminished capacity, who was in control and not doing the right thing. If he did steal the money, she wanted to know where it was. Dorit said if they didn’t love and care about Erika, there would be no situation. They all loved and cared about her. For some reason, this turned into a who-knew-Erika-longer thing, and Garcelle asked if it was a competition. The victims were the most important thing. Erika would always be okay. Erika said, of course. She wasn’t worried about herself. She was the last in this, and at the forefront were the people who were owed money. She needed to see what he’d done. LisaR wondered if they’d ever know, and Kathy thought they would get to it. Erika said it was going to be a long road. Those who wanted to be her friend, thanks, and if anyone was more comfortable away from her, she understood and respected that. In Erika’s interview, a producer asked if she felt strong, but she said she didn’t know if she was strong. She was just trying to put one foot in front of the other. She wouldn’t do herself any favors by being hysterical. She had to be calm, and work though all of this. Kyle said she felt bad about asking questions, but Kathy said it was good practice. BA-DUM-CHH! Erika said that was one way to look at it. In Kyle’s interview, she said the dinner was so awkward, she was looking for the eject button.   

They moved to the living room for dessert, and Sutton took Dorit aside, asking if Dorit threw her under the bus. She and Dorit had the same feelings, but Sutton felt like, once in front of Erika, everyone disagreed. In Sutton’s interview, she said she felt like she’d been set up, and they’d decided to rally to Erika’s side. Everyone abandoned ship. They got her. Erika left, and in her interview, she said you really knew what people were made of when you were going through a troubled time. She didn’t know if the rat was leaving the ship, or she was leaving the rat.

Next time, LisaR shows Nona’s wedding dress to her daughters, Kathy and Kyle discuss American Woman, Dorit confronts Garcelle, and Garcelle tells everyone, f*** you.

📻 See You On the Radio…

FYI, tomorrow (Thursday) Bravo will be having a marathon of Southern Charm’s first season, starting at 6 am. Yes, you read that right. No matter how early you start to consume media, stay safe, stay being a trailblazer, and stay consulting a pro in the area of gathering covert evidence. It’s an art.