Tag Archives: Southern Charm

Dec4

December 3, 2020 – Cyrus Gives Trina Surprising News, a Not-So Charming Pandemic, About That Emoji, Seasonal Happenings & Collective December

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the bistro, Trina tells the man to stop saying her name. She doesn’t know him, and has no business with him. He says, even if it’s about her father?

Sonny asks if Cyrus thinks Julian is responsible for bombing The Floating Rib. Cyrus says he’s not 100% sure, but it’s a well-informed guess. Not long ago, Julian reached out to him. He was desperate, and convinced that Sonny was sending Jason to kill him. Cyrus is aware of Julian’s many transgressions against Sonny and his family, and although Sonny had reasons to eliminate Julian, he chose not to. He thinks Julian feared Sonny was going to uncover a new transgression. He’d begged Cyrus to get rid of Jason before Jason got rid of him. Sonny asks what Cyrus’s response was, and Cyrus is surprised Sonny needs to ask.

Carly runs into Taggert outside, and he wonders where Trina is. Carly says she’s in school, and he hopes she has a bodyguard. He’s aware of the bombing at The Floating Rib, and says, Trina could have been there. Carly says, Trina could have, but she wasn’t. Jason was the target, and it had nothing to do with Trina. Portia didn’t want a guard, but she’s taking extra precautions to protect Trina, who’s eager to have some normalcy in her life. Taggert says he doesn’t want Trina to be in any more danger, and Carly asks what he’s going to do. Blame himself for framing Cyrus, blame Cyrus for retaliating, or use his default, blame Sonny for everything?  

Trina tells the man to go before she calls the cops. She knows the Commissioner personally. (That’s funny, considering she wants nothing to do with Jordan.) The man says he doesn’t want any trouble, but he has important information about her dad.

Portia sees Laura, and asks how she’s doing. Laura says she’s managing, and tells Portia that she talked to Lulu’s caregivers; she’s settled in and comfortable. She’s glad to have Curtis and Jordan back, and Portia says she’s been consulting with Jordan on her medical condition. Jordan says the mayor knows the details, but they should continue their conversation in the examining room, since they don’t know who might be lurking. Portia and Jordan go into the exam room, and Laura asks Curtis if they found anything. Curtis says, a name, but it remains a mystery as much as the PCPD file Cyrus wanted. Laura says she wants to be honest about what she knows about the file, and Curtis wonders how much she could know about a homicide case from the 70s. She says she knew the victim. She’s the one who killed him.

Ava stands on the parapet, thinking about being there with Julian the night before, when Nikolas comes out. He says he’s sorry for startling Ava, and she says she supposes she has a bit of PTSD. Valentin pushed her from the parapet. It was blind luck that she hit the water, and not the rocks, and blind luck that Nikolas was on the bluff and rescued her. Without him, she surely would have drowned. Nikolas says he saw her walking on the bluff earlier, like a Thomas Hardy character. She looked like she was looking for something, maybe someone. Ava says she was thinking  about the explosion at The Floating Rib, and wondering how anyone could plant an explosive device for the express purpose of harming as many people as possible. She was trying to make sense of what happened to his sister, and searching for a way to comfort him, and ease the pain she saw on his face when they took Lulu away. She hugs him.

Martin walks into his office while he’s on the phone. He says he’ll get the files over asap. Funny… Not them. He could have sworn he left the blinds open when he left last night… No, everything else seems as it should be. He tells them they’ll talk later. Someone comes up behind him, but he turns and sprays them in the face with something. We see it’s Julian, who says, what the hell…?

Laura tells Curtis, it happened when she was a teenager. David Hamilton was a friend of her stepfather’s, and he seduced her as a way to get back at her mother. There was an ugly confrontation. She shoved him, and he hit his head and died. Curtis says, it was an accident, and she says she was hysterical. She didn’t even remember it for months, and her mother took the blame. When it came out, she got a suspended sentence. He says he’s sorry; she was so young. It must have been painful. She says, it did a lot of damage to her and her mother. When they showed her the file, she was stunned, but she didn’t say anything. Curtis says she needs to know that she can tell him anything, and she thanks him.

Nikolas tells Ava, he has to believe Lulu will fight with everything inside her. Somewhere in her mind or soul, she knows Rocco and Charlotte need their mother. Ava says it’s okay for him to admit he needs Lulu too, and he says he doesn’t think he realized how much he depended on Lulu as his moral compass. She says, as angry as Lulu was because he let them believe he’d died, she’s still his sister. Sisters forgive their brothers. At least they’re supposed to, right? That’s what being a family is. Nikolas asks if she’s talking about Lulu and him, or her and Julian.   

Martin says Julian has to forgive him. Since he was mugged in the parking garage and his briefcase was stolen, he keeps pepper spray at the ready to make him feel safer. Julian wouldn’t know anything about that, would he? Julian says, no, sorry, and Martin says, normally he doesn’t offer refreshment to people who break into his office, and if Julian doesn’t make his point soon, his manners are going to evaporate. Julian asks if their conversation is under attorney/client privilege, and Martin says, for the right price. Julian says, the price is right; trust him. Sonny and Jason want him dead; his sister does too. Martin asks what gave rise to this belief, and Julian says Ava tried to shoot him, and he thought the best way to get away was to jump from the turret. Which he did, as Jason and Sonny arrived, also brandishing pistols. They think he’s dead, but they’re going to keep looking for him until they find his body. He needs to leave town or they’ll kill him, and if not them, Cyrus. Martin says this doesn’t fall under his job as an attorney. What’s his role? Julian is glad he asked. He needs Martin to help him get out of town.

Sonny tells Cyrus, it’s a simple question. Julian asked him to murder Jason. What was his response? Cyrus says he flatly refused. Eliminating Jason would be a violation of the truce, and downright stupid. He has no desire to provoke a war. Enough people have been hurt already. He turned Julian down, but clearly Julian was desperate. Cyrus assumes Julian took the matter into his own hands. Sonny says, so Julian bombed The Floating Rib? and Cyrus says, Julian was willing to blow up the whole city if that’s what it took. No one has seen Julian, and he imagines Julian is making his way to some country that won’t extradite him. Good luck to the police. He hopes they succeed in tracking him. He tells Sonny that he’ll see himself out. He calls for Brando, and says, let’s go. Brando looks at Sonny, and they leave. Sonny tells Jason, Cyrus really wants them to go after Julian, doesn’t he?

Taggert says Carly is absolutely right; Cyrus is the real problem. All roads point back to him. Carly says, Sonny is on Taggert’s side. He gave Taggert a place to stay, and protected him and Trina. It might not look the way it used to, but at least he’s not really dead. He says, it’s an adjustment, relying on Sonny, and Carly says their daughters are best friends. Trina and Portia are welcome in their home anytime; their families are connected. She remembers when Taggert worked for the PCPD. He was relentless in trying to take Sonny down. He had his justifications, but today, this is where they are, united in a common enemy. Taggert says, agreed, but he wishes Sonny would work faster. He needs to get the job done now. He tells her, truth be told, he should have thrown his badge away years ago, and taken on Cyrus himself.

Trina asks the man what he knows about her dad, and he tells her, stick around. Someone will be by to tell her what she needs to know. He disappears. Not literally, but he’s gone quickly.

Jordan tells Portia, she’s so sorry. The Floating Rib was bombed on her watch. Portia says Jordan wasn’t there, and Jordan says, that’s the problem. She knows Trina and Dev were friends, and Portia says, it’s been hard, especially so close to the death of Trina’s father. Jordan says again, she’s so sorry. She and Curtis thought they were so smart, getting out of town, and out from under Cyrus’s thumb. She left in the middle of a crisis. Maybe if she’d been there, Cyrus would have given her a heads up, and she could have saved lives. Portia says, then what? If Cyrus found out she’d gone against him, he would have threatened TJ again.

Curtis says, maybe Cyrus is dredging up the case to hurt Laura, but she says, that’s the thing. It’s a matter of public record, and she’s never hidden it. He says, maybe this new piece of the puzzle will shed some light on that. He asks if the name Florence Gray means anything to her.

Ava tells Nikolas, she was thinking about Lulu. As devastating as her condition is, she’s alive, so there’s hope. There’s a chance Lulu will wake up one day, and there will be one less death on the hands of whoever planted the bomb. He says, two people are dead, and his sister is comatose. Whoever planted the bomb should go straight to hell. They just need to figure out who it is. Has she heard anything he needs to know?

Martin tells Julian, he’s not a travel agent, and Julian isn’t asking for legal assistance. Julian says Martin might want to help him. When he was hiding there, he started snooping around. He found a safe, and figured there was cash in it that Martin didn’t want to declare. Martin says that’s not Julian’s business, but Julian says, it is. He might want that cash as well as Martin’s car keys. If he goes back to his place, or uses his car or bank accounts, they’ll know he’s alive, and that’s not good. Martin asks, why on God’s green earth does Julian think he’d agree? Julian says he figured Martin would say that, so while he was snooping, he happened to find an interesting picture tucked away in one of Martin’s old law journals. It seems as if Mr. Gray has secrets of his own.   

Laura tells Curtis, Gray is a common name. He says, that’s what they  thought when they ran into Martin, but the name Florence is more distinctive. She asks if they think Florence Gray is connected to Cyrus, and he says they’re fairly certain that’s who Cyrus was keeping at the Wilson address. Laura says, and the recipient of the loving postcard? and he says, that’s the theory. They traced the medical supplies to a company in Mexico City. They looked at the records, and came up with an account at that address. Any chance she recognizes it? He tells her to remember she can tell him anything. Laura says, her biological father was married to Florence Gray.

Portia asks Jordan if Cyrus is responsible for the explosion, and Jordan says they’re almost certain. Portia says if Jordan had been in town, Cyrus would have threatened her to get her cooperation, so it’s best she was out of the equation. Mac Scorpio is sparing her grief. Jordan says, true. Cyrus doesn’t have the same history or leverage with Mac, and Portia says, maybe Mac can actually make a case, and Trina can see the man responsible for her father’s death brought to justice.

Carly says she knows Taggert is getting anxious to see his daughter, but Sonny knows what he’s doing. Taggert says he’s tired of just doing nothing, and thinking of Trina grieving another loss. He saw Dev on Halloween night , and he seemed like a decent kid. Carly says, it’s not Sonny’s fault, but Taggert says, it’s Sonny’s fault he hasn’t gotten Cyrus yet. Maybe Carly’s daughter is used to danger, but his isn’t. She says, how dare he act holier than thou with her? He would have framed Sonny if he’d had the chance. Compromises have consequences, and his didn’t just affect him, but they affected her family. All of this is on him.

Cyrus approaches Trina’s table, and she says she’s supposed to be meeting someone. He says the someone she’s supposed to meet is him, and she says she’s out of there. He says he only has her best interest at heart, and she says, like what he did to her father? Cyrus had her kidnapped, so he could ambush her father, and her dad died saving her. Why would she want to listen to him? He says she’s mistaken. Her father didn’t sacrifice his life to save her. He’s not actually dead. He’s very much alive.

Portia tells Jordan, they came to a meeting of the minds when Jordan told her the truth about her relationship with Cyrus. Is there anything else Jordan has to tell her? Jordan says, actually, there is something she hasn’t told Portia.

Laura tells Curtis, her biological father is Gordon Gray, and his wife’s name was Florence. Is it even possible it’s the same person? Curtis says, Florence Gray lived in Port Charles. Coincidence? Maybe. Laura says, they lived in Port Charles for a few years, but then they moved. She doesn’t know where they went. He takes it they weren’t close, and she says, not at all. Gordon was her mother’s mentor, and they had an affair. When she was born, they told her mother that she was dead. He says he’s sorry; that’s awful. Laura says, fortunately for her, she was raised by a wonderful family, but she didn’t actually live with Leslie until she was a teenager. He says a lot has happened in her life, and she says she was no easy teen either, but Leslie never gave up on her. That’s why they became close. She was fortunate they had such a close relationship. If Cyrus is responsible for what happened to her daughter… He says he feels the same way, but if they can figure out if Florence Gray was the woman married to Laura’s biological father, and can figure out why Cyrus was taking care of her, they might have leverage.

Carly tells Taggert, Instead of complaining that Sonny hasn’t taken down Cyrus the way he’d like, he might want to be grateful for his life. They’re doing this for Trina, not him.   

Trina asks if Cyrus really just said her father was alive. She’d be an idiot to believe anything he told her. She was there when her father died. She was at the funeral, and watched when they put the coffin in the ground. She doesn’t know where he’s coming up with this information. He says he never did anything to her father. Her father pretended to be dead to protect her from the criminals who kidnapped her to get to him.

Ava tells Nikolas, there are rumors Cyrus was involved, but he’s too slippery to let himself be implicated. Nikolas says, if evidence shows up pointing to Cyrus, he’s a dead man, and Ava tells him, let the police do their job, so when Lulu wakes up, she doesn’t have to visit him in prison. They go inside, and Nikolas thanks her for being optimistic about Lulu. Despite the miserable way their marriage started, he’s relieved to have her by his side. When Lulu was taken away, he needed her support. Ava says, by his side is where she was meant to be, and Nikolas says, not just for show? She was so late getting there, he was worried. Ava says she had to move heaven and earth to get there, and she was willing to do that. Is he? Nikolas asks, so are they married for real? She moves toward him, and says, last night she heard herself say, I love Nikolas, and she meant it. As far as she’s concerned, their marriage is as real as gets.

Martin tells Julian the photo is doctored, but Julian asks if he’s sure, considering what it says on the back. He wouldn’t mind if the picture found its way into Sonny’s hands? Martin moves for the pepper spray, but Julian grabs it. He suggests they play it nice and simple, and tells Martin to open the safe

Sonny tells Jason, he’s convinced Cyrus has something to do with the bombing, and believes Julian helped, but he doesn’t think it was Julian’s idea. Cyrus is trying to put enough air between him and Julian to make them think his hands are clean. He thinks he covered his tracks, but he’s wrong

Cyrus tells Trina, he admires the way Taggert protected her. A parent’s love for a child is the most beautiful thing in the world, and her father is brimming with love for her. She says, if it’s true, where is he?

Taggert wants Carly to know he’s truly grateful to her and Sonny for hiding him, and everything they’re doing for Trina. He’s getting angry and frustrated, and has time on his hands. He’s been thinking about how Trina had to hear he was a corrupt cop. Carly says Josslyn told her that Trina is determined to set the record straight and clear his name. She refuses to see him as anything but a hero. He says he told Sonny that the only reason he hasn’t killed Cyrus is, if he’s caught, he’ll go to prison, or he’ll be on the run his whole life, and he’ll lose Trina forever. She tells him to trust Sonny. He’ll know when the time is right. Taggert asks what if Cyrus gets rid of Sonny first?   

Nikolas tells Ava that he doesn’t want any threat to their happiness, including Ryan. She says, Ryan’s not a threat; he’s in a coma from the stabbing Nikolas claimed he arranged. Nikolas says, as long as Ryan is alive, there’s a chance he’ll continue to blackmail her, and demand they divorce, or he’ll expose what he knows about Julian. Ava says they don’t have to worry about Julian. He’s not a problem anymore. Nikolas asks what she means.   

Martin opens the safe, and tells Julian, relax. He doesn’t keep a firearm, but he’s rethinking that for the future. He does have a letter written by Julian’s late wife. The original was delivered to Ryan per Nelle’s instructions. It makes for interesting reading; how Julian helped steal Sonny’s grandson. Julian says once Sonny realizes Martin has been sitting on that information for months, he’ll kill him. Martin should destroy it for his own sake. Martin takes out a bunch of money stacks, and puts them on the desk. Julian picks them up, and Martin says he gave Julian everything he has. Now it’s Julian’s turn. Give him back his photo.

Portia asks what Jordan needs to tell her, and Jordan says they uncovered a clue that could lead to Cyrus’s vulnerability. They can use it against him, and get the upper hand. What she’s trying to say is, this could be over soon, and they can stop agonizing about their kids. She’ll know TJ is safe, and Trina will get the justice she deserves.   

Laura tells Curtis, she doesn’t know much about her biological father, and even less about his wife. She doesn’t see how there could possibly be a connection to Cyrus, and wondered why the interest in David Hamilton. What is Cyrus doing, and where is it leading? Curtis said the only pattern that jumped out was that Laura seemed to be at the center.

Cyrus tells Trina that he’s sorry; he has no idea where her father is. He only knows her father is still alive. She asks if he has any photos or videos, and he says he doesn’t, but he got the information from a trusted source. He didn’t think she should continue to hurt and grieve over someone who’s still in the land of the living. If he could locate her father, he would, but most of the people in town are hostile toward him. Trina says she wonders why, and Cyrus says he admires her spirit. He sincerely hopes she finds her father. There’s nothing better than a child reuniting with the parent they love. Trina suggests he stop acting like she believes what he’s saying; she doesn’t. Not one word. Cyrus jets.

Taggert tells Carly, the odds are good that Cyrus will kill more people than he already has, the longer Sonny waits.

Cyrus joins his righthand dude, and says he met with Trina. Mark his words, she’ll find Taggert if he’s there. And when she does, he’ll be there to kill Taggert – again.

Jason tells Sonny, Cyrus paid the bartender to call Julian, who delivered the bomb for Cyrus. Sonny says, they’re both responsible, and Jason says, Cyrus is the bigger threat. Sonny says he hopes they find him alive. They can use him against Cyrus. Jason says other people have survived the fall. There’s a good chance Julian is alive. Sonny wonders where he is, since Ava isn’t hiding him. They have to find Julian.

Julian tells Martin, no can do. He needs the photo for insurance purposes. He starts loading up Martin’s briefcase with the money, and Martin says, for heaven’s sake. Not another briefcase. He gave Julian what he wanted; that was the deal. Julian says, it wasn’t a deal, and don’t mention he saw him. If he finds out Martin mentioned his name, he’ll make sure Martin’s deep, dark secret gets exposed. He closes the briefcase, and asks if Martin isn’t going to wish him good luck and God speed. Martin says, go to hell, and Julian says he’s going to spend his life looking over his shoulder. He’s already there.

Nikolas tells Ava he knows how desperate Julian was. He kept finding excuses to stay in Port Charles. He prays Julian is gone now, and asks how certain she is. She says she knows, and wants him to leave it there. He asks where her brother is, and she says, he’s not a problem anymore. Nikolas says Ava told him that she loved him. If that’s true, tell him. She says, Julian is dead, and he’s dead because of her.

Jax asks if Nina forgives Valentin, Ava and Nikolas come to an understanding, and Carly asks Sonny to tell her that he’s going to make Julian pay

Southern Charm

A state of emergency was declared in South Carolina, and Craig’s voiceover (I guess he’s officially replaced Cameran) told us, as Georgia and the rest of the world went into lockdown, they got used to their new normal. We saw what everyone was doing at home, and the Black Lives Matter protests after the death of George Floyd. Craig said, after two months that felt like two years, restrictions were lifted, and Charleston was back – sort of. 

June. People were masked and cleaning like mad. Michael waited for Patricia, as she grilled him about what supplies he had in the car, like antibacterial wipes and masks. Patricia came out wearing a black lace skirt with slits up to there, and Michael joked that her skirt was indecent. She said, good; too bad no one was around to enjoy it. In Patricia’s interview, she said that both she and Michael were at an age where they were vulnerable, and had started a self-imposed quarantine in March, along with Whitney, who had come to visit. She told Michael, her hair was so long, she felt like an aging hippie, and in her interview, said Michael had been coloring her hair, and she looked like a skunk. They drove to Krispy Kreme, as we all would want to.

Craig’s new girlfriend Natalie was staying with him. In his interview, he said he was pretty sure he loved her. He said, at this point, only the major cities had problems with the virus, and he thought people were overreacting. He claimed he was careful, but we saw clips of him and Shep being not so careful. All of his major deals were on hold, and his business partner thought they should throw an HSN virtual pillow party. Craig balked at the idea, saying his chemistry was better in person, but dude was like, um… we’re in the middle of a pandemic. Shep’s girlfriend Taylor was staying with him as well, and told Shep that she couldn’t smell her armpits. In Shep’s interview, he said, at first he was crazy about taking precautions, but then started not caring. Quarantining with Taylor, he’d gotten a peek into the white picket fence life. He’d looked over the fence and didn’t hate it.

Madison said homeschooling sucked, but luckily son Hudson was smarter than her. Austen met his parents and sister for dinner, and even though they were sitting outside, it looked like no one was observing much of any kind of restrictions. In his interview, Austen said his entire business was based around bars and restaurants, and they were down 46%. The beer was sitting in a warehouse going bad. Madison got together with her mom and aunt, and told them that before quarantine, she and Austen had been good, but she had a five-year plan, and Austen had been doing the opposite. Austen griped that Madison had put him in the backseat, while she was bettering her life by doing things like going to the gym. His sister suggested maybe Madison was on to something, and he should grow up or get out. Reaching for justification, Austen’s mom wondered if Austen and Madison were really compatible. Madison said she was conflicted, and her mom said she was successful and independent. She’d done it all herself, and was a good mom. She didn’t need to have a man. She told them that she was having a birthday party for Austen on a private island.

John said he finally got his boys. They couldn’t come for spring break, but now it was dad camp. Madison called and told him about the birthday party. Leva called Danni, and asked if she’d talked to Kathryn. (This was at the time of the monkey emoji debacle.) Danni said she’d reached out, but she knew that Kathryn needs her space sometimes. Leva said Kathryn had reached out to her a lot, asking for advice. She thought maybe she was Kathryn’s only non-white friend. In Danni’s interview, she said it was a f*** you to her. She’d been there for Kathryn when her mother passed away, and had even been the one to tell her. Leva asked if Danni knew about the statue of John C. Calhoun, who was one of Kathryn’s ancestors. He’d been Vice President twice, and fought to keep slavery, it being his last dying wish. Leva said they were having a conference about taking down the statue, and invited Danni. In Leva’s interview, she thought being able to have a conversation without it being radical was like a weight being lifted. She thought it would be healing for the community, and a powerful first step.

We saw several news clips about Calhoun being 7th Vice President, and supporting slavery. The meeting was at the base of the statue, and Leva said Calhoun Street used to be Boundary Street, and Calhoun was looking down on the boundary between Black and white people. The other Madison from Gwynn’s joined them, along with a few of Leva’s friends. State Representative and minority leader Todd Rutherford gave a speech about why the statue should come down, and said it was time to move on. There weren’t that many people, but that could have been due to the pandemic. In her interview, Leva said Charleston was an old Southern city that was used to everyone being quiet and staying in their place. Leva said she thought it was a beautiful first step. They had more work to do, but taking down the symbols that triggered old pain was a start.    

Kathryn told us, during quarantine, she and Thomas were week on/week off with the kids. She had to figure out homeschooling now, and was trying to make the best of it. Madison called, and Kathryn told her that she had to be creative with entertaining the kids. Madison told her about the party, and said it was really a reason to get everyone together and have fun. Kathryn said she was super depressed about the emoji thing, but Madison didn’t know what was going on. Kathryn said it was a genuine mistake, and had nothing to do with politics or race. In Kathryn’s interview, she said a friend was promoting a Trump party, and although she wasn’t a Trump supporter, her friend was being bullied. Someone started trolling her, and she posted it along with, that’s how seriously I take this, thinking the emoji looked funny. Madison said she had to watch what she said, and think about other people. Kathryn told her that she’d gotten so much hate online, she’d been in a bubble lately.

Leva and friends went to Republic for some food and drink. Danni said Kathryn never talked about her family history, and Madison said she thought Kathryn should be doing more. They toasted to what could be an important day in history, and to change. Danni admitted to being ignorant, and everyone agreed full history wasn’t taught enough in school. Leva said they needed to remove the things that glorified enslavement, and one of the women said these historical figures lived in a time period when they fought for a right they thought existed. Germany wasn’t still flying Nazi flags. Leva said she struggled with Kathryn, and thought Kathryn had to know what was a trigger. If it was her great-grandfather’s statue, she’d know. One of Leva’s friends said Kathryn should speak out; use her voice in a positive light and move on. In Leva’s interview, she said Kathryn should have been there to say it was okay. She told the group that she informed Kathryn about the statue being taken down, and Kathryn said she didn’t care; it was ugly. Leva thought Kathryn was trying to be funny, but she was offended. Madison suggested Kathryn didn’t think that way because of her privilege, and one of the other women said she wished she knew what privilege felt like. Danni thought Kathryn was just selfish, saying, she had no empathy, and couldn’t put herself in other people’s shoes. She ignored everything. Madison said, obviously Kathryn couldn’t help who her ancestors were, but she should speak out. The monkey emoji was brought up, and Madison said there was more to it than that. Kathryn feigned ignorance, but she’d told the person to stop using their minority claim, and they were what was wrong with Charleston. Kathryn had tried to say she didn’t know who she talking to, but with a statement like that, she did, so they fired her. We saw a news blurb that said Kathryn didn’t reflect the values of the brand, and had been terminated. Leva asked if Danni was going to continue their friendship, but Danni said they hadn’t talked in months. Madison said Kathryn reached out when it benefited her, and Danni knew that. IMO, Kathryn wasn’t necessarily thinking in a racist way, but she definitely wasn’t thinking. (Read all about it in the links below, and decide for yourself.) I also think what Danni said is true; she lacks empathy, and she’s very focused on herself, but I don’t know why. She’s been through a lot, and you never know what’s really going on with a person. This is why I don’t think cancel culture is a good look. Most of the time anyway. People make mistakes, and while they should be held accountable for their actions, icing them out isn’t going to teach anybody anything, and I would hope that would be a part of the change we’d like to see in the world. Okay, getting down off my soapbox now.

Shep met with his trainer at an empty gym, and brought Lil Craig along, the real star of this show. He wondered where Austen was, and said it wasn’t like him not to show up. He called Austen, who said something wasn’t right. He was feeling flu-y, and achy. Shep said that was scary. He thought if Austen felt better the next day, he was in the clear, but he wasn’t a doctor. Austen promised he’d bounce back quick, and in Shep’s interview, he said, if you feel sick during a pandemic, and the symptoms are flu, it’s covid. He called Craig, and told him Austen had bailed because of he was feeling flulike. Shep said he was wigging out, because they’d all gone out the past weekend, and Craig said he felt fine. Shep said he did too, and wondered if Madison was still going to have the party. Shep said again that he was wigging out about Austen.

Three days later. Austen made a Zoom call to Madison, but struggled trying to tell her, since he’s such a big baby. He finally spit out that he’d recently tested positive for corona, and obviously they’d just gotten together. We saw a clip of Austen and Madison out with Craig and Shep, and Austen said he was surprised since he’d just tested negative. Madison said he and Craig went out to bars, stayed out all night, and had people over. Now she and Hudson were at risk. She called him selfish, and said she was trying to throw a party for him. The salon had been closed for months, and just reopened. Now everything was legit ruined. He said he could have gotten it from her, since she was working. That’s where I would have hung up, and never talked to him again, but Madison called him an effing idiot, and asked if he’d never heard of protection. She stayed pretty calm, but she was definitely seething, and said her son could have been exposed. Austen said he was praying Hudson wasn’t positive, and hoped and prayed the important people in his life, like her, were negative. He said they didn’t need to hash all this out right now, and she told him that he wasn’t setting foot in her house unless she knew he was negative. He said he understood she was pissed, but they’d talk when he came out of it. She hung up on him, and he said, really? Yes. Really, Austen. As Madison said, you’re an effing idiot.

Next time, Shep tests negative, but everyone else is positive; Austen says it’s not good with Madison; John chats up Madison; Craig joins QVC virtually to sell pillows; the Calhoun statue comes down; and Dani confronts Kathryn.

🐒 It’s All About That Monkey…

Take your pick of viewpoints.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/kathryn-dennis-addresses-monkey-emoji-controversy-southern-charm

https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/814462/southern-charm-kathryn-dennis-sends-monkey-emoji-to-black-activist/

Kathryn Dennis Addresses Monkey Emoji Controversy Again; Admits She Was Wrong

🎅 Have a Holly Jolly Pandemic…

You’ve missed a few, but there are many TV specials to come.

https://nypost.com/2020/11/30/must-watch-2020-christmas-specials-to-get-in-the-holiday-spirit/

NYC preps for the holidays. Such as they are.

https://nypost.com/2020/11/27/nyc-holiday-season-is-underway-the-posts-week-in-photos/

At least the tree doesn’t look so skimpy anymore.

https://nypost.com/2020/12/02/midtown-a-ghost-town-before-rockefeller-center-tree-lighting/

🏀 Gotta Bounce…

There will be time for tea tomorrow, but for now, stay safe, stay thinking before you speak (or post), and stay skeptical of mob bosses bearing good news.

Nov21

November 20, 2020 – A Package Is Just a Package Until It Isn’t, Supporting Erika, Emily’s Loss Is a Gain, Juicy Attempt, the Countess Dates, Craig On Charm, Closet Reveal, Salt Lake Talk, Finale of Fear, a Dozen Quotes Per Bakers & Giving Thanks

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

While my weeks are usually a blur of going from one thing to the next, this week has been a particularly demanding one. Which is my excuse for being late to the party today, but not by much. Here’s what you need to know. Molly thought Kristina should be at the intervention, but Sam nixed the idea since she’s a control freak. Diane arrived, bringing Valentin, which didn’t make Sam and Molly happy. Sonny found Dante punching the heavy bag, and Dante admitted to having Lulu on his mind. Elizabeth told Franco that she’d made an appointment with Patrick Drake for him, and said they’d be leaving next week. At The Floating Rib, Lulu told Laura that she still loved Dante, but she loved Dustin too. Laura said Dante was part of her past, and she couldn’t erase that, but she had to decide who was right for her future. Cameron and Dev went to The Rib, and Cameron told Dev that Franco’s brain tumor had returned. Julian met Cyrus at the pier, carrying the bomb in a backpack, and said he wasn’t blowing up a bar full of people. He wanted Cyrus to take the bomb back. And away we go.

Jason tells Danny, it’s all about the angles. He needs practice and skill, and to keep a cool head. He asks if Danny is getting tired, but Danny says he’s glad they’re hanging out. He thinks Grandma Alexis is acting weird. His mom tried to hide it, but he can tell she’s upset. Jason says when he sees Danny’s mom upset, his instinct is help and try to fix it. Sometimes the best way to help is to just let some know you’re there, and let the person figure it out for themselves. Danny says his mother isn’t worried about herself. She’s worried about his grandma’s drinking. 

Sam asks why Diane invited Valentin, especially tonight. Diane says her best friend has fallen off the wagon. She’d be friends with the devil himself to help get her back on. Valentin says he’s enjoying his newfound friendship, but is this about him? He thought it was about Alexis. Sam says, it’s a delicate situation. She’s not sure his presence will help. Valentin says he knows Alexis in a way they don’t, and won’t judge her, and Diane tells them, Valentin can probably get through to Alexis easier than they can. What will it be? Can they tolerate Valentin for the sake of their mother?   

Cyrus tells Julian, he has the wrong idea. No savvy businessman would accept collateral damage. If they wanted to take Jason out, they’d arrange it when he was alone at a meeting in a closed bar after hours. A business meeting requires preparation, so everything will be in place when the time comes. Until then, a package is just a package. Julian asks if Cyrus is telling him it won’t go off until Jason is alone. Fine. Cyrus gives Julian a phone, and says his burner number is already programmed into it. Call him when it’s done. Cyrus leaves, and Alexis comes around the corner. She says fancy meeting him there, and Julian says, it’s a bit of a surprise. Alexis says imagine her surprise seeing him and Cyrus together.

On the phone, Elizabeth says she’ll check the schedule, and call Patrick back. She tells Franco, everything is falling into place, and he says he’s not sure how she does that. He wishes it was catching. She says, what? and he says, her hope and faith; her plugging away. He’s a little terrified. Part of him wants to give up and accept his fate. She says, it’s a delicate balance. How long do you keep hoping, and when is the time for acceptance, but they’re not there yet. They’re still hoping. It’s not just his fate; it’s their fate. She’s willing to face anything to keep their family together. He says she’s right. From now on, he’ll do anything and everything to beat this. He holds her, and says he wants to be with her when she’s old and grey.

Britt calls Jason, and gets voicemail. She says he dumped this Cyrus stuff in her lap, and now he won’t take her calls. He told her if she saw something, say something, and she saw something. He needs to get to GH right now. She turns around to see Cyrus, who says, problems?

Alexis asks what Julian has gotten himself into now, but he says he went out for some fresh air. Cyrus keeps bugging him to sell Charlie’s, and he keeps telling Cyrus to buzz off. He asks if she’s been drinking, and she says, the roadways are safe; she’s walking. Julian says, it didn’t happen in a vacuum, and she says she’s not mowing anyone down tonight, even him. Relax. He says, what about her? and she says she’s bored with everyone’s misplaced concern that she’s self-destructive. She thinks she’s a survivor. She’s survived the past few years, starting with him, and she’s entitled to do what she needs to in order to get through the night. He says she’s made herself clear, but it hurts him to see her drowning her pain in a bottle of booze. She says she had two drinks. She was clearing her head before she went to say goodnight to Danny and Scout. Sam has lifted the moratorium on her seeing her grandkids. He says, it’s a positive start. They’re lucky to have her. Speaking from personal experience, she’s been a positive light in his dark life. She pushed him to be a better man. If it failed, that’s on him, not her. She asks why he’s talking like that. He sounds like he’s saying goodbye.

Diane asks if she’s convinced Sam and Molly to let Valentin stay, and Sam says if he tries to undermine the intervention, she’ll kill him herself. He says he accepts her terms. When is Alexis getting here? Sam says, soon she hopes. Alexis is supposed to come before the kids go to bed. He asks if Jason is coming, but Sam says she asked him to take Danny out, so he wouldn’t be there when they confront Alexis. They’re at The Floating Rib.    

Jason asks why Danny said that about Alexis, and Danny says he wasn’t spying or anything. He would walk in when his mom was talking about his grandma’s drinking, and she would stop when she saw him. Jason says he’s right. His mom has been worried about his grandma. Sometimes people drink too much, and can’t stop. That’s probably why his mother asked his grandma not to see them until she’s better. Danny says he misses her; Scout too. He hopes she doesn’t forget about them. Jason says, that’s not going to happen. Families have disagreements, but they don’t give up on each other. They’re not giving up on Danny’s grandma; no way.

Cameron tells Dev, Terry says it doesn’t look that good, and Dev says, that’s a lot. He’s sorry to hear it. If Cameron doesn’t want to hang out, it’s okay. Cameron says he’s glad he’s there. What did Dev want to talk about? Dev says, something else happened, and Cameron asks if it was when Dev was with Trina and Josslyn. Dev says, it’s something about Josslyn, but it’s not new. Cameron asks, what is it? and Dev flashes back to making the fake journal. Dev says he did something he regrets, and he wants to make it right.

Laura tells Lulu, plans change, and Lulu says, that’s all she’s got? Laura says, life is unpredictable. She says she doesn’t want to minimize what’s going on in Lulu’s life, and Lulu says her life is wonderful, but it’s difficult and messy at the same time. Laura says, if you find love in the midst of that, it’s a gift. Dante is Rocco’s father, and her husband. It’s not surprising the decisions she made when he was gone might change now that he’s back. Lulu says, that’s the thing. She doesn’t know if she wants them to change or not.

Dante tells Sonny, he divorced Lulu. He didn’t want to wait until his recovery. Sonny says Dante was in a bad place, and needed help. Everyone respected that. Dante says he didn’t know how to take it when he came home, and Lulu was with another dude. Sonny says he wasn’t there, but can’t imagine being willing to accept she’s with another man. Dante says he’s already disrupted Lulu’s life by showing up. He doesn’t want to disrupt it again. He loves her. Sonny asks if he thinks Lulu wants him to just give up.   

Lulu tells Laura that she’s happy with Dustin, and the kids love him. They have a solid life together, but she saw Dante, and all this history and love started bubbling up. Laura says what she needs is time and space, and has every right to ask for it. Maybe she should tell Dustin that it’s not the time to move in. If he’s the man she says he is, he’ll understand.

Dev asks if Cameron remembers when he showed him Josslyn’s journal. Cameron says Dev saved him from making a complete fool out of himself. In the moment, it was hard to hear, but he appreciates that Dev had his back. Had he gone for it, he might have lost a friend for good. Dev says, the thing is… Danny calls over to Cameron, and says his dad is teaching him to play pool. He just sunk two balls. Cameron tells Dev that he’ll be right back.  

Lulu tells Laura, it’s a good idea. Knowing Dustin, she knows he’ll understand, and want her to have clarity, so they can move forward with a clean slate. Laura thinks so too. She’s come to like and respect Dustin. Lulu says, that means a lot, and Laura says she has to get going. She wishes Lulu good luck, and kisses the top of her head. When Laura is gone, Lulu calls Dustin, and asks if he’s busy. She was hoping they could meet at The Rib.

Danny says, it’s all about finding the right angles, and Cameron says if Danny gets good now, it will be a breeze later. Laura texts Jason that she needs to talk, and to meet her in the alley. Jason says he has to make a quick call, and asks if Cameron will watch Danny. Cameron says, no problem, and tells Danny, rack them up.

Diane reads to the group from a paper, the guidelines say speak personally from your point of view. How does Alexis’s drinking affect you, and how does it make you feel? Not in a way that assigns blame. It’s not about shaming her, but about how much they love her.Valentin tells them, be prepared to be attacked, and Sam says his comment isn’t helpful. That’s why she didn’t want him there. He says he might be more helpful than she thinks, and Molly says, let them talk first. Valentin says he’s not convinced that Alexis is coming. She should have been there by now.

Alexis asks if Julian is leaving, but he says, no. He’s doing everything to stay. His kids and grandkids mean everything to him. She asks if he’s sure he’s all right, and he laughs. He says she’d better get a move on before the kids go to bed. She asks if he’s trying to get rid of her, but he says he’s just in a melancholy mood. Everything will be better tomorrow. She tells him, take care, and he says, her too. She leaves, and Julian picks up the backpack and walks in the other direction.

Elizabeth tells Franco she got her shifts taken care of, and he says he’s starving. They head for the elevator while talking about the kids, and Franco asks if she’s seen Jake’s graphic novel. It’s amazing. She asks if he has, and he says they’re reading it together. The elevator doors close.

Dante tells Sonny, he can’t go all caveman on Lulu. He’s already crossed boundaries. Sonny says, even if Dante hadn’t gotten treatment, Lulu would still be his wife. It’s understandable they would have feelings. Dante says, listen to Sonny, talking about feelings. He likes it, and he does still love Lulu. He wants to be with her. Sonny suggests Dante tell her, but Dante says he doesn’t want to pressure her. Sonny says they know she can make up her own mind. She may be stubborn about the feelings she has, but the life they had together, what was between them, is still there. Dante asks, what makes Sonny think he’s not the only one who has feelings? Sonny says he doesn’t know, but he has a radical idea. Ask her.  

Julian goes into The Rib. He sees Danny, Dev, and Cameron playing a video game, and having a great time. He sits at a booth, and looks in the backpack.

Alexis arrives at Sam’s, and Sam says she’s glad Alexis made it; she was starting to worry. Alexis says sorry she’s late, and they hug. She says she should go upstairs and say goodnight, but Sam says, actually, Scout is sleeping and Danny’s not here. Alexis asks where he is, and Sam says, he’s with his father. Molly says they love her. That’s why they’re doing this. Alexis says, doing what? Diane and Valentin come out, and Alexis says she sees. They’re having an intervention.  

Britt tells Cyrus that she wouldn’t be a very effective Chief of Staff if she ran to the Chairman about every minor crisis. She wonders why he’s there at this hour, and he says he likes to keep tabs on his hospital. He never tires of looking for ways to improve things. He’s made progress with some excellent staff choices, like herself, but there’s still much to be done to make it a world class hospital. He looks forward to her playing a part in that.   

Jason meets Laura outside, and she says she needs an update on Cyrus. He says, the truce is holding on the surface, and she says, and underneath? He thinks she should talk to Sonny, and she asks where she can find him. He says he Sonny is having a workout at the gym. He can tell Sonny that she’s looking for him if she wants, but she says she’ll track him down.

Dustin joins Lulu, and says he’s glad she called. He wasn’t too far away. He was picking something up. She says, it sounds secretive, and reminds him that she’s a reporter; she can sniff out a story. He says he’s not worried, and asks what she wanted to see him about. She says, us.

At the video game console, Danny says he’s just warming up, and Dev says he has more quarters. Danny tells them, this is the coolest part, and they watch, then say, whoa! Julian takes out his phone, and looks at pictures of his kids. He flashes back to Cyrus intimating that the bomb won’t go off until Jason is alone. Until then, the package is just a package. Julian says, God help him, and gets up. He walks out, leaving the backpack under the table. The boys continue playing. Julian should know better. He was a mob boss, for God’s sake. 

Alexis says, this is an ambush. Sam lured her there under false pretenses. Molly says they care about her, and she says, if they did, they wouldn’t have set a trap. Valentin says they want to talk to her, and she asks, why? Talk is deceptive. She’s not listening to how much they love her. You don’t betray people you love. Diane says, no one betrayed her. On the contrary; they’re all on her side. Sam asks Alexis to hear them out, but Alexis says Sam weaponized her love for her grandchildren. First by prohibiting her from seeing them, and then using them as bait to lure her there. She’s sure as hell not staying there now.

Jason calls Britt back, and asks what she wants. She says she has something for him, and can’t talk about it on the phone. She needs him to come to the hospital asap. He says he can’t; he’s with his son. They’ll have to talk tomorrow.  

Laura finds Sonny at the gym, and they hug. She says she’s eager for an update, but Sonny says she might want to say hello to someone first. She says, who? and Dante says, me. She hugs him, and tells him, welcome home. He says he’s sorry he was gone so long, and she says she completely understands the choice he made. He kept his family safe. That’s all that matters. In time, Lulu will figure things out. Dante says he was thinking of stopping by, and Laura says she just left Lulu at The Floating Rib. He says he’s going to take off, and tells them, goodnight. Laura and Sonny smile at each other.

Lulu tells Dustin, she’s been turning some things around in her head. Dante coming back threw her for a loop. Dustin says he gets that. She and Dante were together for a long time. He says, it makes sense that things would feel unfinished, and she says, it doesn’t take away from how she feels about him. She loves him, and values their relationship. He says he’s glad to hear it, because he loves her too. That’s why he’s been reevaluating moving in. She says she’s so glad he understands. Him officially moving in doesn’t feel totally right anymore. He says he doesn’t want her falling backward in confusion and uncertainty, and doesn’t want her to doubt his commitment to their life together. He takes out a jewelry box. Rut-roh.

Jason comes back into The Rib, and asks Cameron if everything is good. Cameron says, it’s great. Danny might not be much at pool, but he’s a shark. He may have spent all of Dev’s quarter’s. Jason tries to give Dev some money, but Dev won’t take it, and Jason says, at least let him buy them dinner, and hands Dev some cash. Dev and Cameron go to order, and Danny asks if Jason wants to see how good he is at the video game. Jason guesses he can stay longer, and Danny drags him over to the console. Dev says he needs to tell Cameron something about Josslyn’s journal, when Elizabeth and Franco come in. Cameron says, first, he wants to say hi to his parents, and tells Dev to grab a table. Dev sits down, and his foot hits the backpack. He says, what the hell…? Ooh, he might know what something like that looks like, considering his background.

Alexis tells Sam to get her coat, and Sam says, mom, please. Just an hour. Alexis says she doesn’t want to talk, especially to Sam. Valentin says her daughters are desperate and scared, and don’t want to lose their mother. He tells Alexis that she doesn’t want to lose her life, but she says it’s her choice. If she wants to drink, she will. Diane says, here you go, handing Alexis her coat. She doesn’t want Alexis to get pneumonia on top of everything else. Sam says if Alexis leaves, she’s going to lose her support system. Alexis fought like hell for her, and now it’s her turn. Is Alexis willing to throw all of them away? Stay and hear them out.

Sonny says it’s good what Laura said to Dante, and she says she has a sneaking suspicion that he and Lulu will be just fine. Sonny says, him too, and asks how she knew he was there. She says she ran into Jason. She’s sorry, but she has to talk to him about something that can’t wait.

Britt brings Brad something for his pain. He asks if she reached Jason, and she says, they spoke, but she couldn’t get into it on the phone. He says, Jason is coming, right? If Jason doesn’t help, he’s as good as dead.

Julian stands at the docks.

Dev touches the bag.

Cameron tells Franco and Elizabeth that he’s sorry for freaking out, but Franco gives Cameron credit, saying, he took the bad news well. Dev tells the bartender, there’s a suspicious bag under the table. Dustin tells Lulu, she’s right. He doesn’t want to just move in; that’s not enough. He wants them to build a life, and to make what they have permanent. Lulu says, she thought… and he says he’s doing this wrong. He gets down on one knee, and shows her the ring, which is beautiful, no surprise. He says he loves her with all his heart. Will she marry him?

Julian looks at the phone, and calls Cyrus. He says Cyrus better pick up.

Dante starts to cross the parking lot toward The Rib, when it explodes.

On Monday, the aftermath of the explosion, Dante calls for help, Laura says Cyrus is coming after her, and Sonny says, don’t die on him. He could be referring to any number of people.

💰 Cash Is Queen…

I read they didn’t have a prenup. Is he out of his mind?

Erika Jayne Requests Spousal Support Amid Divorce From Tom Girardi

👙 Hip-Hip-Hooray…

Not that she wasn’t gorgeous before, but that hip replacement definitely changed Emily’s life.

https://extratv.com/2020/11/11/reality-star-emily-simpson-shows-off-30-lb-weight-loss-transformation/

🕺🏽 Juicy Takes On Tik-Tok…

The key word in the headline is attempts.

LOL! Joe Giudice Attempts TikTok Dance With Daughters Gia and Milania

💋 Damn the Virus, LuAnn Ahead…

The dog groomer turned out to be married.

https://extratv.com/2020/11/20/luann-de-lesseps-is-dating-hamptons-trainer/

🍹 Southern Refresh…

Craig gives his rambling astute opinion on the new season.

https://tvdeets.com/craig-conover-talks-southern-charm-cast-changes-it-was-kind-of-time-to-refresh-things

👠 Coming Out Of Lisa’s Closet…

Hint: She likes a little sparkle.

https://pagesix.com/2020/11/18/real-housewives-of-salt-lake-city-star-lisa-barlow-shows-off-her-closet/

🔨 Break It Down…

A dissection of Salt Lake’s start.

https://pagesix.com/video/breaking-down-all-the-real-housewives-of-salt-lake-city-drama/

⚰️ Preparing For the Dead…

Not too much of a spoiler, but if you’re like me, you’ll be watching on Sunday wondering why you think you’ve seen this one. The opening of Fear’s finale.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/fear-the-walking-dead-season-6-midseason-finale-opening-minutes-damage-from-the-inside/

And a little more.

https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/fear-the-walking-dead-mid-season6-finale-clip

📬 Quotes of the Week

Life is essentially an endless series of problems. The solution to one problem is merely the creation of another. – Mark Manson

The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction. – Rachel Carson

Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. – Robert A. Heinlein

The most common form of despair is not being who you are. – Soren Kierkegaard

There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. – Soren Kierkegaard

I had an epiphany a few years ago when I was out at a celebrity party and it suddenly dawned on me that I had yet to meet a celebrity who is as smart and interesting as any of my friends. – Moby

A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to be well-known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized. – Fred Allen

The question is whether any civilization can wage relentless war on life without destroying itself, and without losing the right to be called civilized. – Rachel Carson

There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed. – Ernest Hemingway

True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice. – Martin Luther King Jr.

Those who are not grateful soon begin to complain of everything. – Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude

My songs will pass and be forgotten. What counts, however, is that I sang them. – Father Andrew Greeley, American Priest, Author and Sociologist (I loved his books!)

If she married her grandpa, she should probably get used to the smell of a hospital. – Kate Chastain, Chat Room, referring to Mary on Real Housewives of Salt Lake City

🏄🏽‍♀️ Sliding Out Of This Post Like…

Either your favorite day of the week, or that pesky reminder of how life used to be is here. Change it up a little. Enjoy the nice autumn weather if you have it, or get away from your screens and accomplish something from that endless to-do list we all have. You’ll feel better for it. See you when the Dead are feared, and no matter what, stay safe, stay thankful, and stay not believing a kingpin who tells you what you want to hear.

Nov20

November 19, 2020 – Carly Walks In On a Dead Man, Charleston Shuts Down, Farewell Little Chef, Whoose That In My Tree & Almost

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

🎤 Testing, testing. Is this thing still on…?

General Hospital

Carly sees Jason at the hospital, and he asks how Sasha is. She says Sasha survived the overdose, and she’s going to make it. She’s worried about the fallout, and how it’s going to affect Michael. Jason asks if she told Michael that Sasha never cheated on him, and she says she did. He was really upset that she hadn’t told him the truth. He understands intellectually, but that doesn’t change the betrayal. Jason says all she can do is give it time, and she asks why he’s there. He says he’s following up on a lead, and she says she knows better than to ask what it was, but was it promising? He says it’s too soon tell.

At The Floating Rib, Laura tells Scotty that she just got back, and she needs to talk to him. She found out something so disturbing that might put him in danger too. He asks, how much?  

Dante stands at the docks, complete the mission going through his head. Lulu startles him, and says she didn’t mean to sneak up on him. He says he was just in his head, and she says she could tell. He had his thinking face on. He says, his what face? and she says that’s what Rocco would call it when Dante was lost in thought; furrowed brow, faraway look, and a clenched jaw. He says he thought that was everybody’s think face, and she says, no, but it’s definitely his, and their son’s.

Britt asks the guard in Brad’s room for a minute alone with him. He’s hesitant, but she says she’s the Chief of Staff, and Brad’s not due to wake up any time soon. The guard leaves, and she tells Brad, she spoke to his surgeon. They said he came through with flying colors. They were concerned about the amount of blood he lost, but that seems to have stabilized. The surgeon said the rest was up to him now. She takes his hand, and says, don’t crap out on me, Cooper. I need you. She tells him that he can’t leave her there with her mother. He knows she can’t trust her, and she doesn’t know yet if she can trust Peter. Nathan is gone, and he’s the only friend she’s got.

Sam sits with Danny at a table in the MetroCourt. Danny says he thinks two Thanksgivings is awesome, and Sam says, at least one will be traditional. Danny says, that’s what’s so cool. He’ll get turkey and stuffing at Uncle Sonny’s, and there will be eating and singing at Grandma Monica’s. Sam says he made a good point. They’re both traditions, just two different ones. Danny says he loves having pizza; Scout and dad too. She wonders where Jason is, and Danny says, he’s probably busy.    

Sonny tells Taggert, the cold war with Cyrus isn’t going to stay that way much longer. Taggert says, all the more reason for him to keep his eyes on Portia and Trina. Sonny says he has eyes on them, and so does Cyrus. Julian knows about him too. Taggert says he thought Sonny got Julian to back off, and Sonny says, it depends on who Julian is more afraid of, him or Cyrus. Julian has a history of not knowing what’s good for him.

Julian answers the door at Charlie’s, expecting trouble, but it’s Ava. She asks, what’s wrong with him? and he says, where would she like to start?

Peter punches the heavy bag at the gym, and hears Maxie say, it’s the mother of his child. She says she was identifying herself, since he didn’t know her voice the first seven times, but it’s a nice view. She’s surprised he’s there, and there’s not an emergency at The Invader. He says, is there an emergency? and she says she thought it would be the only reason he’d stand her up for dinner. He apologizes, saying he totally lost track of time, and she says, clearly, something is on his mind that he needs to punch his way through. He says, now more than ever, he needs to get into fighting shape. She asks if he’s planning on having a fight, and he says he has to be ready. He’s never going to let anyone hurt them again.

Carly asks Jason if it’s about Cyrus, and he says he thought she wasn’t going to ask. She says, no details, but she needs to know if she needs to make arrangements with the kids. She’ll have to wrangle with Ava to take Avery, and talk to Jax, since Josslyn isn’t going to want to go, and she’ll need to know if it’s safe to leave her. He says they’re not there yet, and she asks, how close? How long before the truce comes to an end?  

Dante asks Lulu what she’s doing there. He knows it’s not his business. She asks if he’s checking up on her, or is it just friendly conversation? and he says, friendly conversation. She says she has a deadline. Charlotte is with Valentin and Rocco is at his grandmother’s. She was getting take-out from The Rib, since she’ll be burning the midnight oil. She should probably ask him to join her, so he doesn’t have to shadow her for her own protection.

Scotty tells Laura, he’s a lawyer. He gets death threats all the time. Otherwise, he’s not doing his job. She says she’s not talking about one of his clients, and he asks if it’s someone he took to the cleaners, but she says, it’s not that. He says, this is fun; let him guess. Is it a woman? She says, no; not this time. He says, Sonny, and she says, it’s Cyrus Renault. He asks what the hell he’s done to upset the alleged reformed drug kingpin, but she says, nothing that she’s aware of. Cyrus is after her, and Scotty is in her radius. Cyrus has some kind of connection at the PCPD, and had a case file pulled. A case from 40 years ago. He says, that case?

Sam tells Danny, don’t worry. His dad will be there. His Uncle Michael has a friend who’s sick in the hospital, and he wanted to check on them. They hear some loud talking at the bar, and Danny says, it’s grandma.   

Jason tells Carly, it can’t hurt to get things ready on the island, and talk to Josslyn about a potential trip, but he’s hoping there’s a better way handle this. She says, which is? and he says, Britt could have inside information about Cyrus. She asks why he’s talking to Britt; everyone hates her. He says everyone used to hate Carly too, but she says they were all wrong about her, and he was right. He says he didn’t listen to people, and made up his own mind. he knows Britt made a deal with Cyrus, but he’s guessing that didn’t include acting as a front while Cyrus used the hospital to bring in drugs. He thinks Britt is realizing what Cyrus dragged her into, and it pisses her off. She asks if he thinks Britt is mad enough to feed him inside information, and he says they’ll see.

Julian says, it’s not a good time, but Ava walks in anyway. He says she has to leave, and she says she will, as soon as she catches him up to speed. Today has been a very eventful day. He tells her to give him the bullet points, and she says, funny he should say it that way. She and Nikolas were picking up Avery, and Sonny was asking questions about Ryan, and how he got stabbed in Pentenville. He asks what she told Sonny.   

Scotty says, Cyrus already established a mole at the PCPD? and Laura says, it doesn’t matter how he got it done, the point is, he wanted it. It was heavily redacted, so maybe he won’t be able to put the pieces together and find out who was involved. Scotty says she did, and she says she did, but it’s about her and what she did when she was a kid.

Dante says he interfered with her piece on Cyrus, and she says, a little bit. He says he could say it won’t happen again, and she says she’s not buying that. He says he could apologize, and she says he could, for undermining her. Feel free. He says he apologizes for undermining her, and she says, apology accepted. He says, as far as protecting her goes, he’s never going to stop caring, and she says she won’t either. She tells him she should get going, and leaves. Dr. Kirk comes out of the shadows, and asks if she’s gone.  

Alexis babbles away at the bar, and Danny says, she looks like she’s having a good time. Sam asks him to wait there a minute, and goes over to Alexis. She says, hi, and Alexis introduces Sam to some colleagues from the first firm she worked at. Sam asks if they can talk a minute, and they step aside. Alexis tells Sam, before she says anything, she only had one drink, but Sam says they both know it doesn’t stop at one for her. Alexis asks if Sam is going to be tallying her cocktails, but Sam says she just wanted to make sure Alexis had a ride home. Alexis says she called a car to bring her there, and she’ll call one to bring her back. Sam will have to find another on ramp for her next lecture. Sam says she’s done with lectures. She’s done with begging, pleading, and threats. She’s just done. She walks back to her table.

Sonny tells Taggert that Epiphany is their eyes and ears at the hospital, but he needs people on the ground. Carly comes in, saying, she just ran into Jason, and stops short when she sees Taggert.

Ava tells Julian, Sonny was putting the pieces together, and just when she thought all hope was lost, Nikolas confessed. He told Sonny that he’d arranged to get rid of Ryan to protect her. He says, Sonny bought that? and she says, strange as it seems, Sonny was willing to believe her husband would go to extreme lengths to protect her. Which is good for him. Sonny believes Nikolas is responsible, so he’s in the clear. He says, maybe with Sonny. She says that’s the other reason she came there. So they can discuss the deal he made with whoever was responsible for the attack on Ryan. Please tell her that he didn’t accept a favor from Cyrus.

Scotty says, this isn’t happening, is it? and Laura says she’s afraid it is. He says his role in that was minor, and she says she knows that, but he was in her life at the time. Cyrus might try to blackmail him to get information. He wonders, why go to the police and get a file that was redacted? Anybody who lived in Port Charles back then could fill him in the details. She says clearly he wanted something more official, and he asks if she thinks Cyrus wants to try and blackmail her, embarrass her, or what. She’s sure it’s more than that.

Kirk says he’s as surprised as Dante that he was chosen to be Dante’s handler. They thought it was for the best, a long standing doctor/patient relationship. Can Dante catch him up? Dante says he accessed Peter’s computer at The Invader, and got to a private server. He found some interesting intel. Kirk says, enough to prove Peter’s guilt? Dante hands him the flashdrive, and says, you tell me.

Peter tells Maxie, Alex is dead. He should let her rest, and not question her motives or actions, but he can’t help wondering why she took Maxie. Maxie says Alex is a total psychopath. He wasn’t at Anna’s or The Haunted Star. There’s nothing he could have done that would have made any difference. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong person. Alex probably would have shot him too. Alex is dead, and she won’t be a threat to them or the baby again. He says, true, but there are other enemies lurking; enemies of his father’s, allies of his father’s, and Jason. She says, is he kidding her? Why would he think Jason is a threat to them?

Ava asks if Julian has a death wish or something, and he says, death is what he’s trying to avoid. She says, and this is his strategy? Offending as many crime lords as possible, so they fight over who’s going to kill him first? They’ll kill him, revive him, and kill him again. He says he chose the lesser of two evils. She says he’s keeping secrets from Sonny while owing Cyrus a favor. If he’s not careful, they’re going to realize they share a common enemy. Tell her how bad it is, and what he owes Cyrus.

Danny asks Sam if grandma is joining them, but she says, not tonight. Alexis is about to order another drink, when Cyrus asks if she’d mind if he gets the next one. He asks her to allow him to introduce himself, but she says she knows who he is. Port Charles’s drug pusher. He hopes she means GH’s vast array of healing pharmaceuticals, but she says she means drugs like cocaine, ketamine, and a vast array of opioids, including heroine. The drug Neil died from, presumably thanks to him. He says she doesn’t want her to make a scene and embarrass him, or he’ll have no choice but to embarrass her. He puts his hand on Alexis’s shoulder, and Jason says, that’s enough.    

Brad opens his eyes, and Britt says, wake up, you slacker. He asks, what happened? and she says he doesn’t know? Someone tried to kill him.

Maxie says she’s not super chummy with Jason, but he’s Spinelli’s best friend, and he’s had her back. He’s been her secret protector, who’s always around when she needs him. He says, despite their history, and she asks if that wasn’t resolved ages ago. Jason always steps up. She’s perjured herself for him. You don’t have to hang out with someone all the time know they’ll come through for you, and Jason will. Why waste time worrying about what’s lurking around the corner? He says she’s right, but he see the items that come across the city desk. Mob activity is escalating, and they or someone they love could easily get caught in the crossfire. He’s trying to say you can never be too careful. Maxie tells him, now it’s her turn to say he’s right. There have been losses, people they’ll never see again, but she doesn’t think those people would want them to live in fear. Even with all the bad stuff, there’s been so much more good; friendship, joy, love, children. Those matter more than what they stand to lose. He loves that she sees it that way, and she says he was starting to see it that way. She has to ask where all the worry came from.

Dante says, this proves the links between Obrecht and the attacks on Andre and Franco were fabricated, and Kirk says, this is a goldmine. Dante says he can’t find anything that ties it to Peter; he has to keep digging. Kirk says, in the meantime, this suits his need. Dante says, his needs?

Laura tells Scotty, it’s the way Cyrus talks to her. He was questioning Doc and Lulu about her when she was out of town. This is personal. Scotty asks if she’s done anything to anger Cyrus, and she says she had the warden throw him in solitary, and Scotty says, off the record, that could be a violation of Cyrus’s rights. She says, off the record, it’s the least he deserved. Scotty says, anything else? and she says she also asked Doc to assess him and declare him criminally insane, so he would be considered too dangerous to let out. Scotty says, and she wonders why Cyrus has a beef with her. Lulu approaches their table.

Britt tells Brad, he had her worried sick. At least he didn’t get stabbed in his handsome face. He says he was stabbed? She says he doesn’t remember the attack, or what he might have done to provoke it? He swears he’s been a model prisoner, keeping his head down and doing what he can to qualify for parole. Except… She says, what? and he says he thinks he knows who did this to him. She says, who?

Alexis tells Cyrus, Mr. Morgan would like him to unhand her. A point on which they have a rare moment of agreement. Cyrus backs off, and makes a dusting off motion with his hands. He says he and Jason’s paths keep crossing, and Jason says it would best to avoid that from now on. Cyrus says he wouldn’t dream of jeopardizing their little detente. He trusts the same is true on Jason’s end. Sonny wouldn’t be keeping any secrets of his own, would he? He just came back for his credit card; he left it behind. He goes to the bar, and Sam asks if Alexis is okay. Alexis says the second that reptile came on to her, she let loose about Neil. It doesn’t make sense. Nothing about it feels right. If Neil was a user, why would he shoot up in bed right next to her?

Carly says she doesn’t mean to be rude, but isn’t Taggert supposed to be dead? Taggert says, as long as he was alive, Trina had a target on her back. The only way to keep her safe was to let Cyrus think he got rid of him. She asks if Sonny knew about this, and Sonny says, only since the Nurses Ball. Epiphany and Jordan faked Taggert’s death. She says, him, her, Epiphany, Jordan, she assumes Jason, that’s a wide net. Who else knows?

Ava says, let her help him, but Julian says the less Ava knows, the safer she’ll be. She says she doesn’t care about covering her tracks. She cares if he lives or dies. She loves him very much. She doesn’t think they say it that much, and he says they haven’t in a long time. She tells him, she said it to him, but he didn’t say it to her, but now he can’t; it won’t count. She says she doesn’t know why she said it; some kind of reflex. All that matters is he’s her family, and  that will never change. Please, for her. She’s begging him. Please let Nikolas help him get out of Port Charles tonight.

Alexis tells Sam, she’s getting out of there. She refuses to let that bastard be the reason she has another drink. Sam says she’s been thinking, and keeping Scout and Danny from Alexis may have been a little extreme. Alexis says she didn’t like it, but she understands. Sam says, how about a reset? Why doesn’t Alexis go home and get herself together, then come over and say hello and goodnight to Scout and Danny? Alexis says, really? and Sam says she thinks it might be good for Alexis. Alexis says she would like that. She thanks Sam, and thanks Jason, and leaves. Jason says he thought Sam was against Alexis being around the kids, and she says she is, but Molly is at the house watching Scout, and it’s the perfect time to confront her about her drinking. He says, an intervention? and Sam says Alexis will be pissed about it, but Molly is there already. She asks if Jason would mind taking Danny somewhere; it will probably get ugly. Jason says Danny has been asking to learn how to play pool. They can swing by The Floating Rib. The bartender watches them, and Sam says, perfect.

Brad says he was in the cafeteria, eating alone by choice, when some guys from Cyrus’s crew approached him. Britt says, Cyrus’s crew? and Brad says, they’re bad news. Everyone knows to steer clear of them. They work with Cyrus, and committed violent crimes dealing drugs. She says, Cyrus was cleared of the charges, and Brad says, they sure as hell weren’t. He wasn’t on their radar. Britt says, until today. Why does he think that was? He says he’s never laid eyes on Cyrus. How does Cyrus even know he exists?. 

Julian tells Ava, he appreciates her help, and she says she’ll do whatever is necessary to keep her family safe. She’s not sure if what he’s saying is true, or it’s a story he’s telling himself to feel noble. She starts to leave, and he says, by the way, he loves her too. She sees the package on his doorstep, and tells him to get his mail. She almost tripped over it.

Lulu says she thought Laura wasn’t coming back until tomorrow, but Laura says she managed to get an earlier flight. Lulu says, after all these weeks, her first stop was Scotty? and Laura says they had a legal matter to discuss, and Scotty says, campaign financing. He’s joining her reelection committee. The election is less than two years away. Laura says, nothing is carved in stone, but she appreciates that Scotty was willing to meet with her. He says, always a pleasure, and Laura asks if he minds giving her and Lulu some privacy. He says they’ll talk soon, and leaves. Lulu asks why Laura would want Scotty anywhere near her campaign, and Laura says he made assumptions because of what they were discussing. Lulu says they have so much to catch up on, and Laura says they certainly do. She asks how things are going with Lulu and Dante?

Dante asks if Kirk doesn’t think it’s premature bringing the evidence to the Bureau. All it will do is get Obrecht released. Kirk says, call him idealistic, but he thinks people should only go to jail for crimes they commit. Obrecht isn’t their target though; Peter is. Dante says, if Obrecht is released, won’t it give Peter a heads up? He wonders why Kirk would jeopardize the assignment. Kirk clicks his pen and says, complete the mission.

Lulu tells Laura, so much has changed at the same time, and Laura says, so much has happened; it has to be confusing. Lulu says she knows she’s in love with Dustin, but part of her will always love Dante. Laura thinks there’s more to it than that. Lulu says she loves Dustin so much, but God help her, she’s in love with Dante.   

Kirk tells Dante, don’t worry. Tomorrow, all this will make sense. Dante says, complete the mission, and Kirk says, exactly. See him later. Dante walks off, and Kirk gets on the phone. He says, it’s him. He knows it’s late, but he has amazing news. She’s as good as free.

Peter tells Maxie, he thinks the worry is coming from them. This is still new to him, not just joining a family, but building one. He’s been beyond blessed. Never in his entire life did he have more to treasure or more to lose. She says they’re not losing anything, and she knows that, but she also knows he’ll do what it takes to protect his family. He hugs her, and says she has no idea.

Carly says, Trina has been grieving for almost a year, and Taggert says he had to make a choice; Trina grieving his death or her own. It was a no brainer. Carly says she has no idea how Trina will react, and Josslyn. Sonny says, they can’t know, and Carly says, maybe Taggert shouldn’t be visiting. Josslyn is good at respecting closed doors, but she’s always on the terrace or at the boathouse with Trina. Sonny says he explained already that Taggert has to be more careful. Taggert says, when Cyrus is dealt with, he can tell Trina the truth, and pray she forgives him. Carly says, she will. Eventually. They have to protect their kids by any means necessary, even if their children hate them for it.   

Brad says the only person who would want him dead and could do something about it, is Julian, and Britt says, that smarmy bastard. Jason told her that Cyrus was trying to make a deal with Julian. Brad says, about killing him? Now Cyrus is the Chairman of the Board, and controls the hospital. One of his guys could come in dressed as an orderly, and hold a pillow over his face. She says there’s a guard on his room, but he says there are plenty of guards in Pentenville, and they still got him. Even if he survives, and gets sent back, they’ll just finish the job. Nowhere is safe for him to go. He’s a dead man. She says, no, he’s not. She knows someone who can help them.

Sam calls Diane, saying she really needs her tonight. It’s about her mother. The bartender comes by Cyrus’s table, and says he knows where Jason will be tonight.

Julian picks up the package. He comes inside and his phone starts ringing. The bartender tells him that he has the drop off location for the package Julian just received. The Floating Rib.   

Scotty leaves The Rib. Laura and Lulu continue talking. Jason shows Danny how to play pool.

Tomorrow, Britt tells someone to get to GH now, Cameron asks Dev what he wants to talk about, Jason tells Danny he’s not in a hurry, and Sonny tells Dante that he doesn’t need to pretend with him.

Southern Charm

We started off with news of the coronavirus and schools closing. Craig went to Patricia’s, and asked to see Whitney. Whitney said Craig wasn’t coming in, but he’d open the gate. He tossed a package of toilet paper to Craig, who said it was absurd, but he ran out. Whitney said Craig owed him, and Craig said he’d stocked up on alcohol, but had zero food. He asked if Whitney was coming over to play video games, but Whitney said he wasn’t going anywhere near Craig.

A week earlier.

Danni and Leva waited outside Kathryn’s house, and Danni said she was having an aneurism from the virus. Kathryn apologized for being late, and let them in. She said after she heard about the new little one, she wanted to speed up the process of moving back into her own house. We flashed back to last week, when everyone found out Thomas was about to have a child with another woman. In Kathryn’s interview, she told us there was another boy Ravenel on the way. Danni and Leva helped measure and hang things. Madison joined them, ready to organize, and they had a champagne toast to new beginnings.

Craig needed a break, and had stayed at a friend’s house, since he didn’t want to start another week hungover. Austen told him not to drink the tap water because coronavirus was a thing, but Craig insisted it wasn’t. Craig said he wanted some routine, and not to live out of a suitcase. Austen said there had been a late night at his house, and John had hit on Madison. He was learning that too much of a good thing – i.e. partying – wasn’t good.

Madison told the girls about the same night, and said John told her that he was conflicted about his relationship with Austen and how he felt about her. Austen told him to get TF out. In her interview, Madison said she loved it. She just wanted to sit back and watch them fight over her. Austen told Craig that he couldn’t believe John had conflicted feelings about him and Madison. Craig thought it was creepy, and in his interview, he said he followed the guy code. Charleston was a bachelor’s paradise. Why hit on a friend’s girlfriend? He asked if Austen thought Patricia was fueling the fire, and Austen said he did. Craig wondered how the upcoming dinner at Patricia’s was going to be.

7 days before lockdown. We saw school closures on the news. John FaceTimed with his sister Jenny. He said his kids would be visiting dad’s house for the first time, and he wanted them to feel like it was their home. He got them Fortnite sheets. In John’s interview, he said, moms are better at it, and we all know it. He was worried about corona, but thought it would blow over in two weeks. Yeah. We all did. He said he and Austen got in a yelling match about Madison. Jenny said she got it, but there were so many women he could choose from. In his interview, John said a lot of drama came with Madison, but I thought a lot of drama would come with anyone he hit on who was already in a relationship. Jenny said she knew he’d survive. Shep and Taylor played tennis, and in Shep’s interview, he said he knew it sounded snobby, but he’s good at country club sports. Golf, tennis, and croquet are his all his strong suits. Taylor said he wasn’t too bad for an old man. He said it was fun the other night, and they’d had the talk. He asked why she hadn’t said something to him about DTR, but she said it wasn’t the girl’s job. He said she was completely secure, and it was attractive. In his interview, he said he couldn’t talk himself out of Taylor. He didn’t want to be Oedipal about it, but she was like his mom.

6 days before lockdown. On the news, NYC was shutting down, and there weren’t enough medical supplies. Craig called his parents, and they asked what was going on with the house abatement. Craig said it was going to be around $38K, and since they were going to do demo the kitchen, he thought they could do a renovation at the same time. In his interview, he said the asbestos was in his heating and air system. He didn’t know when he was going to get back in. He was having fun at Austen’s, but found a rental. We saw a clip of him looking at the house, which was really nice, and the agent telling him it was $3900 a month. He said he and Austen weren’t the best influences for each other. He was excited to move into new place.

John called Craig about finding a suit for Patricia’s party. He said he’d tried Shep, but it was before 2, so the call went to voicemail. Craig said if he had more than two outfits, he was more stylish than Shep. They arranged to meet. Kathryn told her boss (a different) Madison that she was moving out of Thomas’s. She asked Madison if they were pulling out some things to photograph for the website, and said, ABC: always be creating content. In Kathryn’s interview, she said since she’d been at Gwynn’s, she’d created an online presence. It reminded her that she could be more than a mom. She modeled a dress, spinning in circles, while a guy photographed her. Madison said she was proud of Kathryn. Kathryn mentioned a buying trip to NYC, but Madison said she was concerned about the virus. The whole city was shut down. Kathryn said she had no idea, and her boss said, sorry to be dropping bombs. Kathryn guessed she needed to google it.

5 days before lockdown. On the news, we were told the virus is spread by face-to-face contact, but the CDC said there’s no cause for public alarm. Individuals were responsible for their own actions and hygiene. Craig went to Jordan Lash to meet John, but did a little shopping for himself. He explained to the clerk that they needed something elegant for Patricia’s party. In his interview, Craig said his style fluctuated. First he was preppy, then he was louder. Now he’s digressing to subtle. John arrived, and Craig said they’d refresh his game. In John’s interview, he admitted it was important to him to impress Patricia, and he wanted her approval. Craig said John needed to get out of his comfort zone. John tried on a jacket, but passed when he saw the $1400 price tag. He went for a suit, and Craig thought he was going to become more of a threat. John said he was dangerous.

Madison called Patricia, who was busy bidding in an auction online. Madison said she was going to keep washing her hands and staying away from people. Patricia wondered how Madison was going to protect herself if she had clients, and told her not to let anyone breathe on her. Madison thanked Patricia for lending her the necklace, and Patricia asked how the dinner went. Madison said, afterward, she crashed boys night.

Craig asked if John liked Madison, and John said he did. He thought he had a chance, but was conflicted because of his relationship with Austen, and how Austen felt about her. He told Craig about having drinks with Patricia and Whitney. We flashed back to John saying he thought Madison was stunning, but she was with somebody, and Patricia saying, she didn’t think for long. Austen’s beer was no Budweiser, and Madison deserved Budweiser. John told Craig that he liked Madison, and found her attractive. In Patricia’s interview, she said she took a little responsibility for putting the idea in John’s head, but she had no guilt. There’s nothing wrong with trading up. She asked Madison how things were going with Austen, and Madison said John must have put the fear of God in him, since he’d been wonderful. Patricia said maybe things would change, and hung up on Madison to make a bid.

John told Craig, he’d found himself on a dangerous path. Craig said he thought Patricia might have led John down it, and John admitted she had. Craig said Patricia had it out for Austen, and it should be an interesting dinner. He thought John should either drop it and be friends with Austen, or… John said, TBD.

4 days before lockdown. We see on the news that the tourism and restaurant industries are taking a hit. Leva said they weren’t ready to push the panic button just yet. She asked Lemar if he thought it was going to affect their businesses, but he said they’d have to listen to what the city said. In Leva’s interview, she said they weren’t New York or L.A., so she didn’t think they would get it the same, but she still had anxiety over it. What if travel stopped. She met with the staff, and said they had to come up with a plan. Events coordinator Jeremy said they were getting cancelations, but he didn’t think the bar crawl was going to be cancelled. They were moving forward as normal. In her interview, Leva said what was at stake was everything financial. They could lose seven years of everything they’d built, and might not recover.

Craig moved into his new rental. Shep came by, and was impressed. Craig once again said the virus didn’t exist, and in Shep’s interview, he said Craig was a conspiracy nut. He thought 5G was responsible for this. Shep thought they could throw righteous parties at the house. Craig said it was a more mature bachelor pad. Whitney called, and said, to be prudent, Patricia was postponing dinner. Craig said he’d probably still have his housewarming, but Whitney thought they should practice social distancing. Craig said they wouldn’t hang out with people they didn’t know, and Whitney said they were walking petri dishes. Shep thought it was just the beginning, and was legit worried. Craig said he had some important meetings coming up, but Shep thought he should cancel them. It was uncharted territory, and there was no easy fix.

Madison and Hudson met Austen for ice cream. In Madison’s interview, she said it hurt Austen’s feelings that Patricia thinks he’s not good enough for her, but he has nothing to worry about. She loves how he’s been stepping up with Hudson. They were like a little family. She could see Austen as a step-dad if things continued to go the way they were. She told Patricia that she and Austen were in love. She planned to take two weeks off work, and Hudson said he wanted to go to Disneyworld.

4 days later. We saw on the news, the governor declaring a state of emergency in South Carolina, and heard more about the rising threat of coronavirus. Craig couldn’t stop coughing, and we heard that schools were closed, events were being canceled, and no more than 50 people were allowed at gatherings. John called Craig, and said the virus had f***ed his world. Craig asked if the kids weren’t coming, and John said he’d called the airline, and they asked if he really wanted to fly. It was like the panic after 9-11, when everything stood still. Leva said she woke up worried, not just about the business, but the city itself, and wondered what they were going to do. How were they going to survive this thing? They couldn’t afford 100 employees on salary, and had to make some difficult decisions, since they were closing down.

The schools were officially closed, and Kathryn called Danni, who was out of breath. Kathryn said she felt like she was too. She’d been inside for four days. Boy, nobody had any idea back then. Austen watched CNN, and talked to Madison, telling her that the news was making him depressed. She said she was canceling clients, and Austen said they were living off tuna packets and ramen. Craig talked to Shep, who was at his parents’ house. Craig said he still wanted to call it crazy, but he couldn’t have his party. Shep said he’d invited Taylor to Hilton Head, but she wasn’t sure she hadn’t been exposed. Traveling was the worst thing you could do. Craig said it was a mess, but he guessed it really was a thing.

To be continued…

Next time, things start opening up again, Austen is feeling flu-y, Madison says Austen is an idiot, Kathryn gets backlash and hate, and a statue is taken down.

👼🏿 Cooking For the Angels Now…

I remember this kid. He was very sweet, and apparently very brave. He faced a lot of tragedy in his short life.

https://www.essence.com/celebrity/masterchef-junior-ben-watkins-dies-cancer/

🦉 Hitching a Ride…

This year, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree came with its own ornament.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/animal-news/tiny-owl-rescued-rockefeller-center-christmas-tree-travelled-170-miles-n1248166

🪓 Logging Off…

It’s been a long day/week/month/year, especially year, but someday, we will look back at this and laugh. Okay, maybe not, but you’re still here to tell the tale. So continue to stay safe, stay sanitized, and stay completing your mission, whatever it may be.

Nov14

November 13, 2020 – Phyllis Tells Nina Everything, New Nurse, Former Stripper, Julian Jumps Ship, Bay Chat, Madison’s Lift, Atlanta’s Halt, Not Too Discreet, Learn This, Reunion For a Prince, Nearly a Dozen Quotes & Fresh

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Unlike Susan Lucci, I did not break my streak, and missed the first 2.0567 minutes. Here are the takeaway points. After Sasha discovered the drugs Cyrus had slipped her at the MetroCourt, he asked if she’d lost her appetite. She wondered how he knew about her appetite. Woowoo. Ned told Monica that Valentin was using Brook, and Monica told Ned to quit treating Brook like a baby. Sonny read a bedtime story to Avery called The Enchanted Penny, and she showed him her lucky half-heart necklace. Michael kissed Willow, and admitted that he didn’t want to sign the annulment papers. At Pizzulo’s, Carly asked for Jason’s help with Sasha, and Sonny joined the conversation. And away we go.

Brook tells Chase, the threat is gone, and Nelle is dead – thank God. He needs to tell Willow the facts. He says he thought she was tight with Michael. Why is she trying to break Michael and Willow up? She says, there he goes again. She thought he said Willow and Michael were getting an annulment. They’re breaking themselves up. She loves Michael, she loves Willow, and loves Michael and Willow together. Willow is probably the only woman on earth who gets along with both the Corinthos and Quartermaine families, and the only one good enough for Michael. But she’s not suggesting Willow drop-kick Michael to the curb. She’s suggesting honesty. If Willow has to decide between two awesome men – Chase says Brook thinks he’s awesome? – then she needs real information. Like, one of the guys pretended he was having an affair, thought he was doing a good thing, but was still madly in love with her kind of information.  

Michael tells Willow, just because they have the paperwork, doesn’t mean they have to sign it right away. They don’t have to change anything right now. She says she wasn’t expecting to see it so soon, and she’s not ready to sign them either. Michael says, so they’re on the same page, and Willow says, pun intended. He says the paperwork will be there, and they can sign it when they’re ready. She tells him that she’s glad he said that; it was brave. He doesn’t know about that, but she says she does. Now it’s her turn. She thinks she’s still afraid he thinks he’s obligated to her, and she’s been tripping over herself, thinking she should set him free, but she doesn’t know what he wants. Michael says he’s been doing the same thing. She’s an amazing person, and deserves everything in life, including choosing who she’s with, instead of… She says, marriage choosing them? So what do they do now?

Carly tells Jason and Sonny, she had a strong suspicion in the beginning, and Sasha confirmed it. She never slept with Chase. They pretended, so Michael and Willow could present a united front. Jason says, so Michael could get custody. Carly says she went along with it, and looked the other way because Wiley was the priority, and Michael and Willow were great together, but Sasha can’t handle it. She’s spiraling out of control. She’s doing drugs and having dinner with Cyrus. She must be getting the drugs from him. Sasha’s life is falling apart, and Carly has to do something. Jason says, she doesn’t.

Cyrus tells Sasha, he doesn’t think either of them is inspired be the menu. Why doesn’t she come back to his place? He makes a killer coq au vin. Sasha flashes back to Chase saying, Nelle is emotionally damaged, and will emotionally damage Wiley. It will destroy Willow. Sasha tells him, it will destroy Michael too. Chase says, they’re the only ones in a position to stop it, and Sasha says she’s committed. She tells Cyrus, why not? He says, excellent, and they leave.

Nina says, so her baby survived, and Phyllis says, yes; she had a daughter, a beautiful perfect little girl. Nina says Phyllis told her she wasn’t there at the birth, and Phyllis says she wasn’t, but got to spend a fair amount of time with the baby afterward. She’ll explain everything. Nina says she knew it. She always knew her baby survived. Jax says, before they go any further, this has been a torturous process, and they’ve been told a lot of lies. He encourages transparency; they’re going to have everything vetted. Phyllis says they should, and Nina asks why Phyllis didn’t tell her when she woke from her coma years later. Phyllis says Nina was so disoriented in the beginning, she thought about it a lot, but felt she should wait until Nina was stronger. Then Nina left abruptly. If she’s being honest, she wondered if it was even her place to get involved. She was very relieved when Nina’s P.I. contacted her. All she ever wanted was the best for Nina. She’s been carrying the secret for so long, waiting to be asked. Nina says, the wait is over, and Phyllis says, ask her anything. Nina asks, what happened to her daughter?  

Phyllis tells Nina, she’s been waiting all this time; now she hardly knows where to start. As Nina knows, she was part of a private nursing staff Nina’s mother hired. They were paid to be discreet, and not ask questions. Her mother made it very clear that the baby’s father wasn’t to know. She told them the baby’s father had something to do with Nina being in a coma. Nina says her mother was trying to misdirect them. She’s the one who put Nina in a coma, not her husband. Phyllis says she’s so sorry. She thought she was doing the right thing, and couldn’t have been more wrong.

Carly says there has to be something they can do. Sonny could kidnap Sasha, like he did Kristina, and they could do an intervention; get Sasha help. Jason says he gets it. She feels bad because Sasha made a huge sacrifice, and now she’s suffering. Carly says, to the point that she’s hurting herself, but Jason says, there are two issues. One, Sasha chose to take drugs, and chose to see Cyrus. Carly can’t take charge of Sasha’s life to make herself feel better. Two, now Sasha is connected to Cyrus. If they get involved, it could go sideways, and that won’t be good for anyone.

Brando opens Cyrus’s apartment door, and Cyrus and Sasha go in. Sasha asks where the bathroom is, and Cyrus gives her the standard answer, down the hall, second door on the left. He tells Brando to take the rest of the night off, and Brando asks if Cyrus is sure this is the best idea. Cyrus says, excuse me? and Brando says, never mind. He gets paid to drive Cyrus’s car, not give Cyrus his opinion. Cyrus says if Brando has something on his mind, he’d like to hear it. Brando says, that girl is trouble he doesn’t need.

Monica says Brook is Ned’s child, but she’s also an adult. He says, that’s debatable, and she says, right there. He’s got to find some humility, and stop thinking he knows better than Brook what she needs. They both made mistakes; big mistakes. Ned says, agreed, and she says, either both of them won’t forgive he other or they both will, but stop thinking he’s running the show. Does he know who he reminds her of? He says, grandfather, and she says, and his self-righteous attitude toward Tracy. Look where it got him.

Brook tells Chase, Willow deserves to know his feelings haven’t changed. He says, what if she chooses Michael? and she says, then she chooses Michael, but Willow gets to decide. Willow has a better handle on her own life than Chase does. Chase asks if Brook’s resolved things with her dad, and she says, way to change the subject. He says he’ll talk to Willow, but he’s not the only person who owes someone a conversation. Go to her dad and settle things. She won’t feel good about leaving unless she does. They get in the elevator, and she says he was trying to trick her into going to the Quartermaines with him. He asks if it worked.   

Michael says he thinks he and Willow have something remarkable, and now’s their chance to find out for themselves. Willow says, with no outside force, and he says, no Nelle hanging over their heads; no court dates looming; and no time constraints. He looks at Willow, and says, what? but she says, nothing. He says they need to be honest, and he promises not to judge or laugh or anything. She says, the other night at the gym, he looked hot; ridiculously sexy. He laughs, and she says he promised he wouldn’t. He says he’s laughing because he felt the same way. Not about himself, but her. He’s surprised she didn’t notice. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

Brook and Chase go to the Quartermaine mansion, and Chase explains to Monica that he’s off-duty. He’s there to see Willow. Brook says she came to see her dad, and Ned comes out. Monica suggests Brook and Ned go into the living room, and she’ll show Chase upstairs. Brook asks Chase to stay a minute, and Chase says, sure. Ned wonders if maybe Monica should join them too; a referee of sorts. Not that they need one. Brook and Monica agree, and Monica tells Ned, this may be his last chance. Don’t blow it. Brook thanks Chase for the moral support. She knows he didn’t come there to babysit her. He says he gets it. What’s another few minutes?

Apparently, a lot. Michael says, it feels weird considering… Willow says, they’re married? He says he doesn’t want to pressure her, but she says she doesn’t feel pressured. She feels very attracted to him, and she has for a long time. He says, him too. Attracted to her, not himself. She says, since they’re into each other, they should do something about that. He says he thought she’d never ask, and kisses her.

Jason tells Carly, one thing they don’t want is a war before they’re ready. Sonny says, especially since Cyrus is tied to the hospital, and Jason says, they could put a lot of people in harm’s way. They don’t want a fight just yet. Carly says she gets it, but they know her. She can’t sit and do nothing. Jason tells her, he never said do nothing.

Brando tells Cyrus, Sasha used to date Michael, and Cyrus says, used to. Brando says, still, she’s involved with Sonny, even if peripherally. It might piss Sonny off to find out Cyrus is hanging around her. Cyrus asks what Brando suggests, and Brando says he thinks Cyrus should ask himself, after everything he’s built, is she worth it? Cyrus appreciates the warning, but he can handle the girl. Sasha comes back, and asks if she missed the fun, and Cyrus says, Brando was just leaving, and the fun is about to begin. He closes the door in Brando’s face.

Nina understands Phyllis thought her life was in danger – Phyllis says, from the wrong person, but yes – but what happened to her daughter? Phyllis says there were no guarantees Nina would emerge from the coma, although it happens; she’s living proof. At the time, she didn’t know what was going to happen. Madeline was in no position to raise a child, and found a couple who desperately wanted a baby. One who could provide one with a stable, loving home. At least that’s what they told Madeline. Nina takes it that Phyllis doesn’t know where the baby went, but Phyllis says she not only knows where, she took Nina’s daughter there herself. Jax says, she personally delivered the baby to a new family? and Nina says, oh my God. Who were they?  

Michael and Willow bask in the afterglow. I don’t know why, but this makes me cringe. Michael says he thinks they’re compatible, and Willow says, really, really, really compatible, and I cringe some more. She says, more than she expected, and he says he’s glad. She says, her too. He’s got some moves. He says she’s got some surprises up her sleeve as well, and I might have to leave the room. He says it’s like he’s seeing her for the first time. He never allowed himself to look at her like this, or feel about her like this. He had blinders on. She calls him Mr. Compartmentalization, and he says, the family thing, the work thing, the illegal thing. It was a new box that he didn’t let take over, but he doesn’t want to compartmentalize her. She asks what he wants right now, and he says, now works right now. She says she was thinking she wants to do this, and they get busy again.

Brook tells Ned, sometimes when you lay down a track, you think it’s great, but when you play it back… Ned says, you wonder, what was I thinking? She says, that’s how she felt the last time she was there. Everything she said was wrong. He says he felt the same way, and she says, maybe if they could stop blaming each other. Ned says he never… and Monica says, Ned. He says, sorry. How can he make her see he’s not the enemy? She says she doesn’t think he is. Does he think she is? He says, God no. She’s his daughter, and he loves her. If he ever made her feel like he didn’t… She says she didn’t come there to rehash everything. She wanted him to know that she’s heading home to Bensonhurst. She called her mom, who has a room ready for her. She’s going to live with her mom until she figures out what’s next. He says, for what? and she says, me.

Phyllis says Nina’s daughter was a trooper on the bus. The ride was long; they traveled through the night. They made some stops on the way, and got off at a little town in north Florida. Calling it a town is a stretch; it was more like a rest stop off the highway. The couple met her in a black town car. Jax doesn’t suppose she got the license plate number, and she says, it all happened fast. For a split second, she considered getting back on the bus, but they were so nice. They melted when they saw Nina’s girl, the mother especially. Nina asks if she has a name, but Phyllis says, no name, no way to trace them. That was the deal. Nina says, so Phyllis just gave them the baby, and that was it? Phyllis says, the woman smiled at the baby with such adoration, it made her feel like it was okay. They got in the car, and drove off. She never saw them, or Nina’s daughter, again.

Jason says Carly can reach out to Sasha as a friend if she wants to help make a difference. Does she know how he knows? Carly says, because she’s the best friend to have in the world, and Jason says, sometimes the nuclear option is not the way to go. She says she hears him, and accepts it, for now. But if Sasha keeps going down this road any option is on the table. Jason says, fair enough, and she says she has to get Avery ready for Ava to pick up. Sonny says, her bedtime book is in her overnight bag, and asks Carly to kiss her for him. Carly leaves, and Sonny thanks Jason. Jason says, for what? and Sonny says, talking her down. Saying everything he said. Sonny couldn’t have said a word of it.

Sasha uses the remote to turn up Cyrus’s music system, and dances around. Cyrus asks if she’s all right, and she says, never better.  Whatever he gave her, she’s never had anything like it. Is it new? He asks if she approves, and she says, on a scale of one to five, she gives it a ten. She laughs, and Brando listens in. Cyrus tells her, take it easy. The coco van won’t be ready for another hour. She says, dinner can wait. He gave her something amazing, and she’s ready to return the favor. Cyrus asks why she’s there. To punish someone else or herself?

Ned tells Brook, it’s all his fault. He messed up everything. Not freeing her from that predator’s contract, forcing her to work at ELQ, massively overreacting when she sold her stock. Of course (🍷) she wants to leave. Why would she want to stay? Brook says, half was her choice, the other half, random things no one anticipated. Ned says, like Nelle slashing her throat, and she says, he didn’t cause that; Nelle did. Ned starts to talk, but Monica tells him, let Brook finish. Brook says she can’t be running around, desperately trying to hold on to what she had in motion. She tried, but it didn’t work. So this her being a grown-up, taking the time to regroup and figure out what she wants. She’d like him to support that.

Willow says she’s not like Michael. She can’t compartmentalize. It’s not a problem, but she lets her emotions spill onto everything. Michael says she wears her heart on her sleeve. Willow says, sometimes, like with their situation, she thinks more like him; everything in its proper place. He was a friend – an amazing one, but still a friend – then Wiley’s father. She was someone to help him fight Nelle, and then they were co-parents. She thought of him as someone she could be with, but wouldn’t let herself feel it. Now she has, and it was incredible. He says, it was, and she says, she’s trying to say she’s finally allowing herself to see him for who he is, and feel what she feels for him – which is all good things. They take each other’s hands.

Nina says, so this is how it ends. Her little girl riding away in a black car, never to be seen again. Jax says, it’s a place to start. Maybe the people still live there, or the neighbors know who they are. Nina says, knowing her mother, there’s zero connection to her. Phyllis said she tried to put her foot down, but Madeline told her to let it go. But they’re not without hope. Should Nina’s daughter want to come looking for her, Phyllis gave her a piece of Nina to take with her.

Sonny tells Jason, they’re two totally different circumstances, but the reality is, Karen Wexler was messed up on drugs that Sonny gave her. It makes him look back to a time he doesn’t want to see. He doesn’t want to be anything like Cyrus, but he gave Karen drugs. It’s something he has to live with for the rest of his life. Jason says Sonny didn’t sell her the drugs; he wasn’t a dealer. Sonny says, no, but he gave them to her to relax. What matters is that he exploited her. He’s not making excuses.

Sasha tells Cyrus, if she wanted a shrink, she’d pay for one. Who the hell is he to try and figure her out? He’s not exactly a poster child for empathy, and his spiritual act fools no one. He thinks they should call it a night, and says he’ll have Brando take her home. She gets manic, and says she doesn’t need his driver. She doesn’t need his pity. Does he know who she is? She’s Sasha Gilmore, the face of Deception. Nothing and no one is going to control her. She strides toward the door, but suddenly clutches her chest, and doubles over.  

Chase asks Monica where he can find Willow, and she says she thinks Willow is painting the playroom; she’ll point him in the right direction. She and Chase head upstairs, and Ned says he does support Brook. Brook says, but…? and he says hears her. He admires her soul searching, but he’s hoping instead of going back to her Bensonhurst, she’d do it there, in Port Charles. It’s been unbelievably full of turmoil and he messed things up, but he really loved having her there. He loves that they’ve been able to be in each other’s lives again. It would mean the world to him. Please move back. Stay here and figure things out.

Michael tells Willow, what a great new view. Besides the obvious, of course (🍷). She says, of course (🍷), and he says, no artificial limitations. They’re free to let things happen, and explore what that means to each other. It’s all about exploring. She says, so he’s into exploring, and takes his shirt off. Chase gives himself a pep-talk outside the door, and says, tell the truth. He walks in see Michael and Willow half-dressed.

Cyrus asks, what’s happening? and Brando listens at the door. He hears Cyrus say, for God’s sake, not here. He comes in with his gun drawn, and sees Sasha convulsing on the floor.   

Sonny tells Jason, he has three daughters and a step-daughter. If someone did to them what he did, he’d kill them. Jason says, the same with Scout, but the reality is, they can’t change what happened. What Sonny has done in the time since… Sonny says, no one is giving them medals for their career choices, but Jason says, when Sonny took over the territory, he didn’t allow drugs. Twenty-five years later, there still aren’t drugs coming through. He’s not saying it balances the scales – that’s for God to figure out – but ultimately, Sonny switched directions, and did a lot of good for a lot of people. Life is a series of choices, and in this case, he made the right one. Sonny says they all know his conscience will rest easier once he’s eliminated Cyrus.

Phyllis says she insisted Nina’s mother give Nina’s daughter something of hers to hold onto. She had the heart necklace split in half, and half went with the baby she gave away. Nina takes the necklace out from under her blouse, and Phyllis says, that’s it. Wherever she is, Nina’s daughter must have the other half of the heart. Nina says, they’re back where they started.

On the phone, Carly says she needs Michael to call her as soon as he can. Avery comes downstairs, and she asks if Avery is packed and ready for her sleepover. She tells Avery how pretty she looks, and sees the necklace. She asks Avery what it is, and Avery says it’s her good luck charm. Carly flashes back to talking to Nina, and Nina showing her the necklace, saying, her daughter has the other half. Carly says, oh my God. It’s Nelle.  

Super sleuth Carly does it again.

On Monday, Michael asks what Chase is doing there, Nina says the universe is telling her the story is closed, Brando says they have a situation, and Cyrus says he won’t have this tied to him.

👩🏾‍⚕️ Found In the Last Place Curtis Looked…

All about Phyllis.

Phyllis on GENERAL HOSPITAL — Everything You Need to Know

👙 Karen Who…?

Sonny gave her drugs to relax.

https://soap-operas.fandom.com/wiki/Karen_Wexler

🍻 Goodbye Charlie…

So does Cyrus get the pub now?

William deVry Says Goodbye to GENERAL HOSPITAL

🧼 The Bay Of Soap…

Even though it’s in its 6th season, I’ve never heard of this, but Jackie Zeman looks fabulous for 110.

Don’t Miss a Live Chat With the Stars of THE BAY

And for the Bay curious.

https://thebaytheseries.com/

🩱 Whatever Makes Her Happy…

Madison decided to get a post-baby tune-up.

https://people.com/style/madison-lecroy-shows-off-new-breasts-after-surgery/

🍑 Rut-Roh In the ATL…

Looks like RHOA has to take a step back.

https://pagesix.com/2020/11/11/rhoa-shuts-down-production-after-a-production-staffer-tested-positive-for-covid-19/

🏑 Like a Bad Penny…

Like the shark in Jaws, just when you think he’s moved on, he’s back. However, he doesn’t have the brains of a shark.

https://people.com/tv/southern-charm-kathryn-dennis-says-thomas-ravenel-hid-baby-news-from-her/

🎸 Learning Curve…

In today’s finding of a silver lining, musicians grounded from touring have turned to teaching virtual lessons.

https://www.billboard.com/index.php/articles/business/9466630/musicians-virtual-lessons-touring-artists-revenue

🏀 His World Got Flipped-Turned Upside Down…

The Fresh Prince reunion is on its way. Although it won’t be the same without Uncle Phil, there will be a tribute to James Avery.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/fresh-prince-reunion-gets-hbo-max-premiere-date-trailer

🎺 Quotes of the Week

If you don’t believe me, then google it. – Cesar Faison (Anders Hove), General Hospital

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. – C. S. Lewis

If you set your goals ridiculously high and it’s a failure, you will fail above everyone else’s success. – James Cameron (This sounds like he might have been high.)

Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game. – Babe Ruth

Books may well be the only true magic. – Alice Hoffman

Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier. – Mother Teresa

I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate. – Julia Child

Leaders who win the respect of others are the ones who deliver more than they promise, not the ones who promise more than they can deliver. – Mark A. Clement

No man can tell whether he is rich or poor by turning to his ledger. It is the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has. – Henry Ward Beecher

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving. – Albert Einstein

Limit your always and your nevers. – Amy Poehler (I try to not use those two words.)

🤾‍♂️ Here Comes Another One…

Whether it’s time for a couple of days off work, or two more days are coming while you wait this thing out, try something different on the weekend. Commune with nature, hug a tree, skip a rock, or stream something you haven’t seen. There’s a wealth of good stuff out there. See you on the Deadside, but don’t forget to stay safe, stay rolling with the punches, and stay away from artificial limitations.

Nov13

November 12, 2020 – Nina Confronts Cyrus About Sasha, Leva Throws a Persian Princess Party & Rebellion

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

I seem to be on a streak, and missed the pre-credit warm-up. What you need to know is, Brook tried to get in to see Finn at the hospital, pretending to be his second cousin once removed, but the nurse knew she wasn’t family. Chase showed up and wondered who she was trying to commit fraud to see, and she said, Finn. Michael came home to find Willow painting Wiley’s room, drop cloths everywhere, and dancing around to loud music. Elizabeth didn’t believe Franco’s tumor had returned, and Nina saw Carly and Jax with their heads together at the MetroCourt. She asked Sasha if she was feeling better, and off drugs now, but Sasha didn’t think Nina really cared. Carly was pissed that Cyrus had booked the terrace table, but told Jax she was keeping the peace. She also told him that she had news about Nelle. Cyrus told Brando that his job was to keep Carly at bay while he had dinner with Sasha. That’s where I came in.

Elizabeth says, Franco kept this to himself? and he says Terry wanted him to tell her. She says, Terry knew? Her friend Terry? He tells her to blame him. He asked Terry to keep patient/doctor confidentiality, but she wanted him to talk to Elizabeth. She asks what he was going to do. Pretend he was painting while he snuck off to surgery? He doesn’t say anything, and she asks what else he’s not telling her. He says, it’s inoperable.

Chase says he didn’t know Brook and Finn were that close, but she says she was looking for Finn’s room because she knew she’d find him there. She wanted to see how he was doing. He says, good. Finn is going to make a full recovery, but heart surgery is never a joyride. She says he must have been losing his mind, and he says his dad showed up after his mom called. Finn was not thrilled. She asks if Chase has a problem with his dad, but Chase says, no. They’re great, but his parents are getting a divorce. At least that’s what his mom thinks. His dad is holding out hope the marriage can be fixed. She asks if he wants to grab some coffee, and talk about it, but he says he’d rather hear how she’s doing. She says, after that karaoke trainwreck? and he says, it wasn’t that bad. She says, it was a disaster, but something did come of it. She’s vacating his couch, and got a one-way bus ticket to New York City.

Willow says she should have run it by Michael first, but he was busy, and when Wiley wants something, he wants it now. He asks if Wiley told her that he wanted to be an astronaut. She says he did, and Michael says Wiley told him too, at breakfast. Willow says, Wiley wants stars on the ceiling so he can visit them in his rocket ship. Michael says so she went to the store and bought paint and drop cloths, while he called a painter. They’re coming tomorrow. She says, Wiley has a very specific vision. She doesn’t think they can trust stranger with this important task. Michael says, done. Wiley will like her stars better anyway; he loves everything she does. She says she’s lucky Wiley has faith in her, and Michael asks if she needs help. She says she wouldn’t mind an assistant, but he’ll have to change. Her art projects can get messy. Her students tend to tease her about it. She drips some paint on his head, and starts coming down the ladder to help clean him up, but almost falls. Michael grabs her.

Brando tells Cyrus that Carly is a piece of work. Cyrus says Brando rescued Carly from an ambush at her husband’s warehouse, and took a bullet for her, and Brando says, and how does Sonny thank him? By setting him up in a garage. Sonny doesn’t think he’s good enough for the family business. Cyrus says he thought Sonny protected his family, and Brando says he and his mom are the exception. His mother was good to Sonny’s dad, but Sonny couldn’t get her out of Port Charles fast enough. Cyrus says Sonny will come to regret not embracing Brando and his mother.

Nina says she cares about Sasha. When she brought Sasha to her place, she’d asked if there was anyone she could call, but Sasha told her there was no one. It made her sad how alone Sasha must feel. Sasha thanks Nina for talking to Jax about her, but Nina says, it’s not like that. Sasha says she’s sure it was like that. She tells Nina that she’s late for a meeting, and jets.

Carly tells Jax that she got a call from the DA in Hanover. After reading her interview, and reviewing her statement to the PCPD, Nelle’s death has officially been ruled an accident. Jax says so they don’t have worry about the detective anymore, and she says he wanted her to be responsible, but there was no proof she was on the cliff. He says she’s free now. Hopefully no more dreams, and she won’t be looking over her shoulder anymore. She says, yeah, and he asks why she’s not happy.

Elizabeth tells Franco, they’ll get a second opinion, but he says Terry is the best oncologist around; he’s not getting one. She says she’s not accepting it’s inoperable; she’s not accepting he’s going die. He says he’s trying to be realistic about a terrible situation. She asks if he wants to leave their family or her, and he says he doesn’t like when she leaves the room. He loves her. She’s made him happy in a million different ways. She’s a gift he doesn’t deserve. She says he does, and they’ll find alternative treatment. He says they won’t, but she insists they will. He’s saying he doesn’t want to leave her, but all she’s hearing is that he wants to die. He says maybe he’s not being clear. There’s a fate worse than death, and that’s what he’s trying to avoid.

Willow tells Michael, she got most of the paint off. She thinks he should know, when she found out Finn was shot, she went to the hospital to see how Chase was doing. He told her Finn was going to recover. Michael says, Chase must be relieved, and she says, he is. She said she wanted to let him know she was thinking about him and Finn, and show support. He says she doesn’t have to explain. Of course (🍷) she cares about Chase and wants to support him, and he’s glad she did.

Chase says, Brook is leaving Port Charles? and she says it’s not like her life is full of options. He says he thought she’d patch things up with her dad, and she tells him, like she said; no other options. He asks what she’ll do; how will she live? and she says she’s moving in with her mother. He says, it was just one night. She’s got to keep going. She promises to give it a try, and see a specialist, if it will make him happy. He asks if she knows what would make him happy, and she says, arresting her again? He says he was thinking of getting a drink, but he does need a collar. She asks if he’s filling his quota. She can’t spend the night in jail though. She’s leaving tonight, but he could read her rights to her for old times’ sake. He says she’s not getting off that easy. If she wants to hear the Miranda again, she’ll have to stick around. She asks if he’ll miss her.

Carly tells Jax, it’s a relief to know Nelle’s death has been ruled an accident, and the case is closed. It’s the truth, but like she told him, there’s something about that night that keeps nagging her. Jax says, maybe she’s so used to looking for Nelle, she can’t let it go. She doesn’t have to worry. Nelle can’t hurt her anymore, and she can go on with her life. Nina joins them, and says, it’s been a frustrating day. She talked to Sasha, but Sasha took her advice as much as she did Carly’s. Carly thinks Sasha is worse off than they realize, and Jax asks, what makes her say that? Sasha appears, and asks if they’re lives are so boring that they need to talk about her. She doesn’t need their pity.  To give Nina more fuel for her firepit, she’s going to see someone who doesn’t judge her, and doesn’t get in her business. Carly says, like Cyrus, and Sasha walks away.

Brando thanks Cyrus for helping him; he appreciates it. Cyrus says, don’t thank him before hearing what he has to do, but Brando says keeping Carly away from Cyrus and his guests isn’t a big deal. Cyrus says, that’s the short term request. He has bigger plans for a man with Brando’s skill set. Much bigger. Sasha comes in, apologizing for being late, and Cyrus says, that’s okay; he and his driver needed to catch up. Brando asks if that’s all, and Cyrus says it is, and thanks him. Brando leaves, and Cyrus pulls out a chair for Sasha, saying, he deliberately reserved this table so she’d feel more comfortable. She says, that’s thoughtful, but beside the point. She just announced to Carly and Jax that she was meeting him. He says he’s surprised they didn’t stop her, but she says she didn’t give them a chance. Maybe she should have. He says he thought he’d persuaded her that he’s not the big, bad wolf. She says, after she left him the last time, she got a delivery in the elevator; an envelope full of blow. She doesn’t think it was a coincidence, and thinks it came from him. He asks why she would think that. He respects her, and wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize their relationship. She says she won’t force the issue, but insists he answer one question honestly. What does he expect from her in return?

Cyrus says he doesn’t want anything; just her friendship, if that’s possible. She asks, why? and he says because she’s the only person in Port Charles who hasn’t attacked him for what they think he’s done. She says she’s the last person who should judge anyone, and he says, still, she agreed to meet despite the Page Five item on them in The Invader. She says The Invader must be desperate, to talk about them having dinner. He says he had no idea the paparazzi were lurking, and she says, the fake daughter and the phony philanthropist; a match made in hell. He says sorry about his notoriety. He hopes it didn’t cause her any harm, but she says the publicity is good for Deception. She hopes she didn’t cause him any harm. If he can put up with her, she can put up with him. He says, there’s nothing to put up with. Would she see him again for the occasional meal and conversation? They hear Nina arguing with Brando outside, saying the last time she checked, it was a free country, and she wants to talk to Cyrus. Brando says, she’ll have to make an appointment. She asks if Brando is Cyrus’s personal secretary, and Cyrus comes out. He thanks Brando, and says, it’s perfectly okay. He’s been wanting to meet Nina. He’s heard glowing reports about her.

Chase asks if Brook knows why he kept arresting her, and she says, he enjoys seeing her behind bars? He says she’s outrageous and impulsive, and made his life fun. It was an excuse to have her in his orbit. She says she thinks that’s a compliment, and he says, it is. She asks why she should believe him. How does she know he’s not just feeling sorry for her? Chase says, when he thought his brother was going to die, he decided not to waste time anymore. He doesn’t want to leave things unsaid, or talk around stuff. He wants to be honest. He’s going to miss her. She asks how far his honesty policy goes. Is he going to tell Willow that he’s still in love with her?

Willow tells Michael this is a good place to raise his son, and he says, once the adoption papers come through, she’ll officially be Wiley’s mom. She says she likes the sound of that. She sees an envelope in his hand, and says, it looks serious. He says, a messenger dropped it off from Diane. She says, it must be serious, but he says, not necessarily. He loves Diane. She’s a wonderful lawyer and family friend, but she’s not shy about billable hours and fees. He opens it, and says, it’s a copy of the annulment paperwork.

Franco tells Elizabeth, he can handle losing his sense of smell and taste, but he can’t handle losing his sense of time, and having periods where he’s not aware of his surroundings. During that time, he could undergo a shift in personality. Elizabeth asks if that’s what scares him, and he says he could turn back into the person who used to take pleasure in hurting people, including her.

Chase tells Brook, he said he was going to be honest, but that doesn’t mean she can make assumptions. She says, Nelle slashed her throat, but didn’t damage her eyes. She’s seen the way Chase looks at the pictures of Willow on his phone. He says Willow is married to his ex-best friend. She tells him, she’s not saying break Willow and Michael up; that’s their business. But his feelings aren’t going away. Maybe he should acknowledge them, and tell Willow how he feels. See what she has to say. He says if he tells her something, promise she won’t think it’s a sign. She says, no, but tell her anyway, and he says, Willow came to check on Finn. She told him that she and Michael are getting an annulment. Brook says she wasn’t expecting that, but it definitely helps. Tell Willow he never stopped loving her. He says he can’t. He cheated with Sasha, and broke Willow’s heart. Brook says, the cheating thing was over before it began, and Chase says, once they were found out, he and Sasha felt guilty. She says, cough it up. What really happened with him and Sasha?

Michael says, Diane made it seem like it would take a while, but Willow says they knew this day would come. He says he didn’t know eventually would be so soon. What does she think they should do?

Sasha says she’ll give Nina and Cyrus privacy, and leaves. Cyrus tells Nina to sit, but she says she’s going to keep this short. Stay away from Sasha. He asks if she doesn’t think that’s up to Sasha to decide, but she says, Sasha isn’t in a place to make decisions, and she doesn’t like him taking advantage of her. He says he’s not. She’s a delightful young woman whose company he enjoys. Nina tells him, said the spider to the fly. He says, it’s not very complimentary to speak of Sasha as a fly, and she says, Sasha isn’t in a good place. She’s asking that he respect that, and back off. He says he’s a big fan of her magazine, Crimson, and she laughs. She says he doesn’t seem like the typical Crimson reader, and he says he doesn’t suppose so, but the articles are intelligent and thought-provoking. She says, and the models are sexy and beautiful. He says he’s not blind, but the recent article on women governors made for compelling reading, as did the article on women in shelters. She says, no amount of flattery will convince her that he has good intentions toward Sasha. He says, the magazine celebrates women’s independence, strength, and intelligence; the ability to think for themselves. Doesn’t she believe Sasha embodies those same qualities? 

Outside the room, Sasha says, Brando is Sonny’s cousin. What’s he doing working for the man who tried to kill Sonny’s family? He says, that was never proven, and Cyrus was in prison when it happened. She asks how much Cyrus is paying him, and he asks if she wants to go down that road, since she’s dating Cyrus. She says, they’re not dating, but he says, that’s not what it looks like. She says they met once for dinner, and she’s not defending herself to him. He says, ditto, but he is going to say this. Up until a few moments ago, she was with Michael. Now she’s out with the guy who tried to have him killed.   

A woman asks the MetroCourt hostess if she could be directed to Nina’s table. Jax overhears, and says, Nina is busy at the moment, but he’s her boss. The woman says she heard he was looking for her.

Elizabeth asks if that’s what Terry told Franco; that the tumor could turn him back into the man he used to be. He says, no, that’s not what she said. She said he might skip when it comes to time, and that’s when he realized that there were times he couldn’t account for. She asks, when? and he says when he was painting Ava’s portrait. She says, it’s not abnormal for an artist to lose track of time, and he says, true, but it’s the personality change that’s really scaring him. It should scare her too. She knows the damage he’s capable of. He couldn’t stop himself. He was completely addicted to doing horrible things to people, and getting away with it. If he gets like that again… She tells him, stop. She’s seen a lot of patients who have brain tumors, and none of them have the same symptoms. Just because the tumor returned, that doesn’t mean it will affect him the same way. He says she doesn’t know that, but she says, the compulsion to cause harm and get away with it was removed with the first tumor. Those feelings are gone for good. He promises her that he’ll do anything and everything not be that person, but she needs to promise him if there’s even a hint of danger, no matter how small, to her and the boys, she’ll cut and run. Promise him.

Chase tells Brook, Sasha is a good person, who was trying to do the right thing. Michael was trying to get custody fo Wiley, and his lawyer said getting married would help. Since Sasha had scammed Nina, she would have been torn apart in court, and the odds would be against Michael getting his son. Willow loves Wiley like her own, and they needed a push in the right direction. Brook says, so they pretended to have an affair, and arranged to get caught. He asks, what’s more important? Their hearts or the future of an innocent child? Brook tells him, he’d said it was time for him to be honest. He should be honest with himself first, and then Willow.   

Michael asks if Willow wants to sign first, but she guesses a paintbrush won’t work. She’ll have to get a pen, but doesn’t he think they should read it first? He says, Diane told him it was all boilerplate, no surprises, but if she feels the need to read it before she signs, why not? They look at the paperwork, then look at each other.

Sasha tells Brando, to be honest, she’s not sure what’s going on between them. She ran into him the other night at The Rib (wasn’t it the MetroCourt?), and she was in a bad way. He was supportive and kind. Brando says, and she could use an ally. She’d lied to Nina, and made Nina believe she was her daughter. Of course (🍷) she regrets it, but what she regrets most is that she and Nina were really compatible; for a time they were more than friends. Nina was like a mother to her, and the lies didn’t change how she felt. She thinks it was that way for Nina too. That why Nina is talking to Cyrus. Nina genuinely wants to look out for her. Brando says he doesn’t think she’ll score any points.

Cyrus asks why Nina thinks Sasha can’t take care of herself. Unless she doesn’t believe the foundation of her own publication. Nina says they’ve written many articles on unique and different women who control their own destinies, but they don’t say every woman can. He wonders if she hasn’t read her magazine. He doesn’t talk down to Sasha or treat her like an infant. Why is she telling him to stay away? Sasha has a strong voice. If she didn’t want his company, she would say so. Nina says, Sasha needs to be surrounded by friends, not people who will use her. He says he couldn’t agree more, but she says he’s not Sasha’s friend. She’s a strong woman too, and not to be underestimated. He says her attempt to control Sasha will only serve to alienate her. How would she like it if someone tried to do that to her? Nina says, if he hurts Sasha, she’ll destroy him.

Jax asks who the woman is, and she says the P.I. who found her mentioned his name. Curtis said she was the last call on his list, and he was about to give up all hope. He’d asked if she’d worked as Nina’s nurse, and she said she had. She was happy to hear Nina is not only healthy, but doing well. Jax wonders why Curtis didn’t call him or Nina, and Phyllis asks if he’d like to call to confirm her identity. She also has a driver’s license. Nina comes out and says, Phyllis? She’d recognize Phyllis’s voice anywhere. Phillis says, Nina Reeves, as I live and breathe. They hug.

Elizabeth says she knows Franco thinks he’s going to hurt her, but their love is stronger than the tumor. He says, the tumor is getting bigger. He’s going to turn back into a monster. She says they’re not going to let that happen. They’ll find a way to fix it. He asks if she has a magic wand, and she says, their love. It will give them the strength they need to not give up. He cries a little, and says he just wants to grow old with her. She says, he will, and he’s going to survive as the man she knows now and loves with all her heart.

Brook says Chase can’t play God with Willow’s life. He has to tell her the truth. He says, what’s done is done, but she says, Willow is making decisions based on false information and lies. Not telling her isn’t fair to her or Michael. She can’t leave until he sets it right. He asks how he’s going to do that, and she says he’s going to talk with Willow and tell her that he never had an affair.

Willow asks how it looks to Michael, and he says, legal. She says, the words are kind of a blur. It’s hard to concentrate or focus. He says he knows what she means, and moves in for a kiss.

Carly asks Brando if there’s any chance Sasha intends to kick Cyrus to the curb, but he says, not from what she told him. Does Carly want him to do something about that? She says he’s in a delicate position, but she’d like him to keep an eye on Sasha. Sasha has been good to her family. Brando says he’s on it. Whatever it takes.

Nina tells Cyrus, she saw the look of thunder Nina’s face when she left. She assumes Nina told him to back off. Cyrus says she assumes correctly. He doesn’t like people telling him what to do, and didn’t think that’s what she’d want. As his friend, that’s what matters. She thanks him for being a good friend, and he asks if she’s hungry. She says she supposes she could eat something, and when she lifts up her menu, there’s a new envelope of coke underneath it. They smile at each other.

Phyllis says Nina is so beautiful and healthy. Is she happy? Nina says she’s officially very happy, and Phillis says, seeing Nina, she feels the same. It’s been too long. Is that why Curtis called? So they could reconnect? Nina says she realized Phillis wasn’t just her nurse. She took care of Nina when she was first in a coma and pregnant. Phillis says she did, and Nina says there’s something Phyllis needs to tell her. What happened to her baby?

Tomorrow, Monica tells Ned not to blow what could be his last chance, Sasha says Cyrus knows her appetite, and Jason says there’s a possibility things could go sideways, which won’t be good for anyone.

Southern Charm

Austen griped about how many shoes Craig had around the living room, and Craig accused Austen of finding things to complain about, telling him the house was legit spotless. Austen said Craig saw spotless, but he didn’t, and Craig called him a crybaby. Craig thought the festival was blast, and said he drank 30 of Austen’s beers. That’s a lot of beer, and I wondered if Craig was exaggerating or still drunk. He said Austen needed to prioritize and not be self-destructive, like Austen was the one sponging off of him. Madison visited the chaos that was Kathryn’s house, and Kathryn was in the midst of color coordinating her books. She said her last memories of her mom were in that house, since she’d taken care of her at the end. She was still staying with Thomas while her house was being worked on, and she told Madison, no, they weren’t back together. She didn’t think. In her interview, Kathryn said Thomas was the father of her kids, and she’d thought about it more than a few times.

Shep took Lil Craig to the dog park/bar, where Lil Craig immediately paddled around in the marsh. Danni joined him with her Australian Shepherd, and said she loved seeing Shep act like a parent. He guessed he was a little domesticated. He told Danni that he was forty now, and had a dog and a girlfriend, and Danni said he looked happy. He told her Taylor was chill, but Danni wondered what if she had a goal of getting married? Shep said he would be roadblocked, but he was seeing a therapist. He’d told the therapist he wondered, what if he met someone else? but the therapist said everyone thinks that. He told Madison that he was never getting involved in Austen’s personal life again, and was plugging his ears to any information. Danni thought that was the best thing to do, especially since she’d been on the receiving end of something similar, and we flashed back to when Madison let fly that Shep had given Danni chlamydia. Shep apologized, and said he was glad their friendship survived the craziness. Lil Craig and Danni’s Shepherd took a swim in the marsh together, and Shep told Lil Craig that he was the biggest slob in dog park. He said he’d need a hazmat suit to get Lil Craig home.

Leva told us that she hadn’t achieved a work-life/mom balance yet. I can see why, since Little seems like a handful. Her mom Nahid came by to help do some cooking. Leva said most of her friends didn’t know their story, so she was having a Persian dinner. It was a nice way for them to see that side of her. She’d asked Nahid for help, since she wanted to make a big dinner the way her mom used to back in the day. Nahid said her philosophy was to get inspiration from talking to other people. In Leva’s interview, she said she didn’t want Little to grow up being treated like a novelty. She was Persian by descent, grew up in Winnipeg, and ended up in the deep south. It was like taking part of her mask off. She told Nahid that she’d gotten what she thought was a Persian tea set from Amazon, thinking it was a fantastic price, but didn’t read the measurements. What she got was a miniature. Yep, you’ve got to read that description thoroughly, and always read the reviews.

John visited his sister Jenny, brother-in-law Alan, and their dog who sure looked like a Pekingese or a Peke mix. In John’s interview, he said he and Jenny were twins, and grew up together raising hell. He told us that his kids were the greatest thing that ever happened to him. Quinn was sweet and sensitive, and would do anything for anybody. Asher had the swagger. He FaceTimed with them, and Asher called him a butthole. He told us that his ex-wife got pregnant early on in their relationship, and they’d done their best, but they were better friends now, and did a good job co-parenting. He thought the hardest part of being back in Charleston was being away from his kids. He saw them ten days during spring break, and for half of the summer, and wanted them to feel like Charleston was home. Jenny asked if saw himself dating, but he said dating was work, although being in love was the best. Jenny said he could have the pick of the crop. He showed her Madison’s picture, and she said he was screwed.

Leva talked to her middle sister Mona about the Persian dinner, and said someone was coming in to do her house like a Persian palace. In her interview, she said she and Mona were best friends. She told Mona that she was thinking of inviting Kathryn, but was anxious about it. Mona said everyone deserved a chance, and Leva thought she and Kathryn should have a do-over. She called Kathryn, who was psyched to come, and Leva said the dinner theme was Persian princess. Lots of layers, and a headpiece, but don’t show up looking like Jasmine from Aladdin.

Austen came by to take Madison out, and helped her son Hudson with his math homework. In Austen’s interview, he said, two years ago, he wouldn’t have swiped right on someone with a child. Now, he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about what if with Madison – and he’s helping with homework. They were meeting Shep and Taylor for dinner, and Madison said she was going to be as positive as she could be. Already at the restaurant, Shep told Taylor that he was putting the final nail in the coffin of his angst with Austen. After Austen and Madison joined them, Taylor told Austen how much fun she had at the festival. Austen gave Madison a kiss, and Taylor said she could tell they were in love. Austen asked where Shep stood on PDA, and Shep said if he gives Taylor a nibble, she wants the whole steak. Austen asked if they were an actual couple, and Shep said he was ready to have the talk when Taylor was. Madison wanted them to have the talk right now, and in her interview, said she liked to see Shep squirm. Shep said he and Taylor were together, and Taylor asked if they were dating. Shep gave a thumps up, and Taylor said she approved of this message. Shep said, that was the talk, and they toasted to defining the relationship. Shep said he didn’t want it to be too serious, but Madison said it already was. In his interview, Shep said it was hard to say out loud that he had a girlfriend. Shep got something in his teeth, which Austen and Madison pointed out. Shep thanked them, and Austen said that’s what friends do. Madison asked if this made it official that she and Shep were friends now. Shep asked if she wanted to have the talk.

Leva and Nahid cooking was amazing to watch, and in Leva’s interview, she said cooking together was a big deal, and a gesture of friendship. Leva tried to get Little to eat a date, but he preferred a piece of squash. It mystified me that a kid would choose squash over something sweet. Craig’s assistant Anna-Heyward called him, telling him that he was still living with Austen, but had a lot to get done removing the asbestos from the house. He said it was effing stressful, and she said he kept wanting to go out instead of getting stuff done. She thought he needed to find a rental, since fish and houseguests stink after three days. Craig said he’d never heard that. Proof that he’s not from this planet.

While getting ready, Kathryn wondered if they were supposed to wear belly dancer stuff, and Madison reminded her they weren’t supposed to look like Jasmine. Leva and her home both looked spectacular, and even her dog wore a statement necklace. The spread of food reminded me of a dinner on Shahs of Sunset, and as usual, I was fascinated. There were five different rice dishes alone. Leva’s friends, Jackie and another Madison (Simon), joined them. Kathryn asked if Leva felt weird being Persian in Charleston, and Leva said her roots were completely different. Her parents left a country in turmoil, lost and rebuilt everything, and could never go back to Iran. After her parents got married, her mother had said if she got pregnant with a girl, they were leaving the country, and they did. Leva said she was aware of the sacrifices her parents had made, so their children could do what they wanted. There were things North American women took for granted, like education and wearing what they liked, that were denied to eastern women. She said when she’d moved to Charleston, there were different lines for Black people at clubs, and she wondered where to go and how she fit in. The city wasn’t as open minded as she’d hoped. In her interview, she said she got questions like, did she speak English? Was she legal? Was that her car or her boss’s? Kathryn said when Leva and her husband opened Republic was when life began for everyone. It’s where she met her baby daddy. Leva said she was at that party, and told her husband to watch the red head. She was so young, and the dude she was with was so much older than her. Kathryn thanked her, and Leva said, live and learn.

Craig, Whitney, Austen, and John met at a beer bar. They did tequila shots along with the beer, and in Craig’s interview, he said he had to pace himself. If he didn’t stay disciplined, it was a slippery slope. John struck up a conversation with a table of girls, who barely understood what he was saying. In his interview, he said his game was having no game. Shep joined them, and chatted up the girls, getting everyone Goldschläger shots. He said he could still flirt. It doesn’t matter where you get your appetite as long as you eat at home.

Everyone admired Madison’s necklace, which was from Patricia’s closet. Madison said she couldn’t help but look up to Patricia, and in Kathryn’s interview, she said she thought Patricia was meddling in Madison’s life. Patricia was like the puppet master on the N’Sync album cover. At the bar, Whitney wondered if Madison and Austen broke up, would John… and John joked that he’d definitely sleep with Austen. They moved on to another bar that had a mechanical bull, and Shep begged John to get on it. Madison told the girls that Austen took the guys out for a boys night, and they talked about John. Madison said he was cute and had great manners. At the bar, John took off his shirt and got on the bull, but fell off pretty quickly. Kathryn was asked if John was a good kisser, but all she said was, y’all, come on. Kathryn got a message on her phone, and got up. She said Thomas was an effing liar, and called Danni over. She told Danni that Thomas had gotten a girl pregnant, and she was having the baby. She was six or seven months along. Kathryn’s lawyer found out, and just confirmed it. Kathryn came back, and told the others about Thomas. She said when she asked why he didn’t tell her, he said, why would he? She told him that their children were the baby’s siblings, and he responded, just half. Madison asked if Thomas was dating the girl, and Kathryn said she heard he’d been spotted at an OB/GYN with someone who was showing. She couldn’t believe she’d been living with him, while he’d been hiding a secret, and she’d been thinking about being together again. Leva said Kathryn just threw down a bomb, and Danni thought it was f***ed up, and not fair to Kathryn and the kids. Madison said she’d thought everything was perfect, and Danni said Kathryn couldn’t be living there anymore. Kathryn wondered what she was going to do, and Madison said they were getting Kathryn out of there.

Next time, Craig tells John to drop thinking about Madison, Covid hits, and Taylor isn’t sure if she was exposed.

🚣‍♀️ Rowing the Boat Ashore…

Time for tea tomorrow, but for now, stay safe, stay lucid, and stay getting inspiration from talking to people outside of your cultural sphere.

Nov6

November 5, 2020 – Franco Asks Jason For a Favor, Shep Apologizes – Twice, Andy’s Bad Sweater Day, a Peach of a Dog & Tom’s November

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Since it’s been that kind of week, I missed the beginning, but here’s what you need to know. Alex (pretending to be Anna), Peter, and Maxie went to Charlie’s for dinner. Peter suggested inviting Finn, but Alex/Anna said Finn was busy. While Jason waited for Franco at The Floating Rib, Robert asked to talk to him about Spinelli. Lulu met a source at The Rib, and asked how he knew Cyrus. He suggested doing the interview in private at his place, and Dante appeared, saying Lulu was taken. Curtis flew into the hospital, and asked Cyrus what he’d done to Jordan, but Cyrus said he was the reason Jordan got medical attention so quickly. And that’s where I came in.

Lulu tells Dante, he may not have noticed, but she’s doing an interview. She thanks him for suggesting a secure location, but says she doesn’t need rescuing. Dante tells her, he didn’t say she did. He’s just laying the ground rules so there’s no misunderstanding. The source says he knows Dante. Is he with the PCPD? Lulu says, Dante used to work there, but he has a new job. He probably should be studying up for it. Dante says, okay, but he’ll be right over there, pointing to a nearby table. Lulu apologizes, and asks where they were. He was about to tell her how he become acquainted with Cyrus. He says, never heard of him, gets up, and jets. Dante comes back, and says he didn’t think that guy was a reliable source anyway. Lulu says they use plenty of unreliable sources, and she can just check out the information they give her. That was the next step, but now she’ll have to start over with a new source. She worked like hell to get that one. Dante says, he’s a dirtbag, and she says, at least they agree on that. Dante, of all people, should know when you investigate a crime boss, you don’t meet the best people. He says when he was investigating a crime boss, he met her, and she says, look at how that turned out. She tells him, sorry; she shouldn’t have said that, and tells him not to take it the way it sounded.

Jason says, Spinelli would rather see Maxie with a broken heart than dead, and Robert says he never thought he’d see the day Jason took the moral high ground. Jason says, Robert hasn’t changed his mind about busting Peter, even though it will hurt Maxie, has he? Robert says he owes it to the Bureau and his family. You’d think Spinelli would be a better liar. He’s a surveillance man, a hacker, and a P.I., but he constantly trips over his own feet… Jason says, when it comes to Maxie. Robert says, he told Spinelli, no more pot shots, support the marriage, support Maxie, but Jason says, it’s not easy. Robert says they’re not looking at easy; they’re looking at necessary. When it hits the fan, Maxie will see this bastard for who he is, and will need every friend she can find, especially Spinelli.

Cyrus says, he would never wish harm to Curtis’s wife. She’s far too valuable a member of the community of Port Charles. He assures Curtis, he had nothing to do with Jordan’s collapse. Portia asks Curtis to join her and his wife – privately – in Jordan’s room, where she’ll explain everything. Curtis says, they’ve wasted too much time standing with Cyrus, and goes into Jordan’s room. Cyrus asks if he can have a word with Portia, and she asks if that’s an order. He says, a request.  

Curtis asks, what happened? Is she okay? There’s no response at first, but Jordan slowly turns her head and looks at him, motioning him closer. She says she’s never been better.

Franco asks Elizabeth how he got so lucky. He’s actually asking; it’s not rhetorical. He loves her, and after the life he’s led, he’s just the luckiest guy in the world. She asks if he’s okay, and he says, right this second, he’s better than okay. His life, their life… He says he has to go, and Elizabeth asks where he’s going. He says he’s got to see a guy about a commission.

Finn sees the envelope from the lab in the wastebasket. He looks inside, but it’s empty. He makes a call, and says he’s at the house. How soon can they get there?

Alex tells Peter and Maxie, she wants to hear all about the wedding plans. It means so much to share moments like this together; it’s more rare than they realize. Maxie says she doesn’t know what she’d do without Anna. It means a lot to Peter to have her in his life. Peter says, more than she knows, and Alex says, nothing or no one is ever going to tear them apart again.

Valentin tells Anna, sorry. She says, if that’s an apology there are some things she can forgive; others, not so much. He says he should have taken Alex out when she called Peter her son. He missed his shot; sorry. She says he can make it up to her by helping to get them out. He says if they do get out, he’s going after Alex immediately. Anna doesn’t want that, and he says, she won’t commit to killing Alex, even after what she’s done? Anna says she’s not killing her own sister, and Valentin says maybe Anna should send her a thank you card. Be sure to tell… He says, Charlotte, and Anna says they’ll find a way. Valentin says he may have one, and makes a Hulk noise.   

Lulu tells Dante, it’s not that she doesn’t appreciate a rescue, but she didn’t need a rescue. She knows how to take care of herself. He says he just wanted her know that he never stopped wanting the best for her, even if he’s not a part of it.

Epiphany and Terry go to Elizabeth’s house, and Epiphany asks, what’s in the medicine cabinet? And she’s not talking about the bathroom. Elizabeth says she’s got a nice cabernet, and Epiphany says, perfect. They can give her input after they empty the bottle. She suggests Terry use her skilled hands to open the vino, and goes to the kitchen to get glasses. Elizabeth says she heard Epiphany gave the department head such a hard time, he went in his office, locked the door, and wouldn’t come out.   

Cyrus tells Portia, he knows the hospital treats all patients equally, and she says, as equal as their medical coverage will allow, since he took over. He says, if there’s such a thing as VIP treatment, make sure Jordan receives it. She tells him not to worry. She’ll make sure Jordan gets everything she needs.

Jordan tells Curtis, she passed out in front of Cyrus, or that’s how it seemed. Portia was there to treat her like they’d arranged. They staged the whole thing. They’re going to tell Cyrus she has complications from the transplant. Portia comes in, and Curtis asks if Cyrus is still out there. Portia says she sent him on his merry way, and asks if Curtis is up to speed. Curtis says he is, about his wife. Portia, not so much. Jordan says Portia suspected she was on the take, so she told Portia the truth, that Cyrus threatened to kill TJ. Portia says, now that she knows, she’s offered to help. Curtis says, so they have a new teammate. What’s the plan? Portia says Jordan needs time to regroup; doctor’s orders. Curtis says, it’s the perfect cover. They can get away from that bastard, and turn the tables on him.  

Terry asks Elizabeth where her hubby is, and Elizabeth says he’s finding out about a possible commission. He’s been networking like crazy, and lining up work. He’ll be busy for another year. She asks why Terry is so quiet.

At the Floating Rib, Franco thanks Jason for meeting him. He knows he’s not Jason’s favorite person, and it’s something he’s relying on. Jason tells him, get to the point, and Franco says he likes that Jason doesn’t waste time. He’s grateful for that, since he doesn’t have time to waste. Jason asks what Franco wants, and Franco says he wants Jason to kill him.  

Robert arrives at Anna’s, and asks Finn to tell him again why he’s there. Finn asks if Robert has spoken to Anna, and Robert asks, why? Finn says he hasn’t seen Anna since yesterday. They were supposed have dinner with Chase and his mom, but Anna canceled at the last minute. She said she was waiting for test results. He shows Robert the envelope, and says, according to the lab, she got the results last night. She had them when they spoke. Why would she lie? Robert asks if something is wrong with Anna, but Finn says, the tests aren’t about Anna. They’re about Peter.

Maxie excuses herself to go to the restroom – again. She leaves, and Alex tells Peter, she remembers what it was like expecting him. He says she’s never talked about that before, and she asks why he thinks that is. He says he assumed it was too painful a subject. She says, seeing him with Maxie, and about to become a parent himself, she thinks she’s made peace with that time in her life. He asks, what changed? and she says, funny he should ask.

Valentin says he can’t use his hands, and Anna says he’s still too drugged. She fiddles with the handcuffs.

Lulu tells Dante, she knows there are no guarantees in life, but she needs them. Not for herself. When he left, Charlotte still had Valentin, but Rocco lost his dad. He needs to stick around. He says, that’s the plan, but she says she needs more than a plan. Rocco needs his father. She needs a guarantee that Dante isn’t going to leave again. It would be worse than if he hadn’t come back at all. He says he’s not going anywhere, and if she ever needs anything, all she has to do is ask.

Jason says, Franco wants to be killed by him, and Franco says, trust him. It’s as big a surprise to him as it is to Jason. Jason says, don’t call him again, and starts to leave. Franco says, don’t make him beg. How many times has Jason thought about killing him? How many times has he tried? Think it over. It’s what he’s always wanted.   

Terry tells Elizabeth, it’s just been a long day with patients. Epiphany says she thought they were supposed to be cheering her up, and they wanted to take her mind off her losing her man. They could bring down the mood at a funeral. Elizabeth says she thinks she knows what it is. Terry gets the bottle of wine open, and pours. Epiphany says she’ll take that transfusion.

Portia says, Jordan needs bed rest, and time off work; and no working at home while she recuperates. Curtis asks, for how long? and Portia says, there’s no time table, but don’t press his luck. Jordan says they have to look into a homicide that from 40 years ago, and Portia asks what Cyrus has to do with that. Jordan says, that’s what she’d like to know. The file has been heavily redacted. Curtis says, for some reason it’s important to Cyrus. Cyrus asks if he can come in, and says, what happened? Is Jordan okay?

Robert asks Finn what the tests prove, and Finn says, Peter has a genetic marker that Anna doesn’t have, and neither did Faison. If Peter didn’t inherit it from them, that means he got it from Alex. Robert says, making Alex Peter’s mother. No wonder Anna was on tenterhooks. Finn wonders, why lie if she had the results? and Robert says, now she’s missing. Finn asks if it can be a coincidence that Anna and Valentin wanted to lure Alex out of hiding. Robert asks what Valentin has to do with it, and Finn says, for whatever reason, Anna trusts him to help bring Alex in.

Alex tells Peter, she realizes if not for her choices and the ruthless way she pursued her career, using Faison, she wouldn’t be sitting opposite the one person who made it worthwhile. Peter says, all of it? and she says, a lot of it. He says he’s never heard her speak this way, and she says, they’ve come so far. From here on out, she’s never going leave anything unsaid between them. Moving forward, they’re stronger together than apart. He tells her that she’s saying what he’s always wanted to hear his mother say. Alex says Peter needs to assert himself; the real him. He asks how she knows that, and she says she knows him. He’s her son, and she knows him better than he knows himself.

Valentin and Anna continue to cough. Anna gets out of the cuffs, and undoes her feet. She goes around, and helps Valentin. He’s still weak, and tells her to go, but she says, stand up, and puts his arm around her. He says there’s no time, but she drags him to the door. The pressure cooker vibrates.

Anna and Valentin make it outside, just as the building blows up. Valentin says, nice job, and she asks if he’s okay. He says he’s fine.

Lulu tells Dante, she needs him to take of the kids. She can take care of herself. After he left, it was really hard. She missed him, and doubted herself. She needed him to rescue her at that moment, but he wasn’t there. He says, but Desmond was there, and she says, Dustin was wonderful to her and the kids. She can’t set that aside or ignore it because he’s back. He says he’s not asking her to, and she says, not yet. He says he’s not going to, and she asks why he’s there.

Jason says, no matter how many times Elizabeth tells him that Franco has changed, he’s still the same sick bastard he always was. Franco tells him that the tumor is back, and it’s inoperable. He doesn’t know if it will affect him the way the other one did. He doesn’t know what he’s capable of doing, and doesn’t want to find out. This is the ask. If he starts to repeat the same behavior, will Jason stop him?

Jordan insists she’s fine, but Portia says she’s not. She needs to see a specialist. Portia tells him she thinks there might be complications with the transplant. Curtis says, Jordan needs to see the doctor who did the transplant, and Cyrus asks if they’re on staff. Curtis says, they were, but they were part of Cyrus’s cost-cutting casualties. He’d like to take her to see the doctor tonight, and Portia says she’ll arrange it. They all agree Jordan should see someone familiar with her condition. Cyrus asks if there’s anything he can do in the meantime, and Curtis says he’s done enough. They’ll take it from there. Goodbye. Cyrus leaves, and Jordan sits up. She guesses this means Curtis is in.   

Alex tells Peter, it’s just the two of them right now, so she can talk. She considers them to be extraordinary people. They may blend in, but their ambitions and needs are greater than what the world is capable of offering. It’s on them to shape the world. Normal and everyday doesn’t apply to them. If he trusts her, she can help him become the man he’s destined to be. Maxie comes back, and asks what she missed. Alex says they were just talking about the future, and it’s so much brighter than they ever thought possible. She touches Maxie’s baby bump, and says, isn’t that right, Peter?

Finn tells Robert, Valentin’s phone is going straight to voicemail. Robert asks if Finn thinks Anna shared the test results with Valentin, and they concocted a plan to lure Alex out. Finn says he’d like to think Anna would let him know first. Robert’s phone rings, and he says, ooh. He’s on his way. Finn asks, what’s ooh and what’s wrong? Robert says, there was a gas explosion at a warehouse, and Finn asks what he’s thinking. Robert says, a gas explosion, Valentin and Anna are both gone. Oh yeah, it’s got to be a coincidence.

Dante says he knows he gave up on his and Lulu’s life when he left, but that doesn’t mean he stopped caring. Lulu’s phone rings, and he says, Dustin? She says, yes. He’s checking see how her interview went. He says, sorry about that. He didn’t mean to mess it up. She says, it’s okay. He really was a dirtbag. Dante gets up, and says she should go. He happens to know firsthand the risk of leaving someone waiting.

Jason tells Franco, he’ll do some research. He wants to make sure Franco is telling the truth. Maybe he wants to set Jason up to go down for his murder. Franco says he’s counting on Jason being professional, and covering all the bases. He doesn’t want Elizabeth blaming Jason or feeling any pain. Jason says that’s what Franco would tell him if he was setting him up. Franco says the only thing they have in common is Elizabeth and the boys. He’s counting on Jason to do what needs to be done for them. He’s straight up begging. Please do what he’s asking.

Elizabeth says Epiphany has been blaming herself for Milo leaving for the last fifteen minutes, and Epiphany says, she practically pushed him out the door. Elizabeth says she encouraged him to follow his dream, and Epiphany says Elizabeth is right. She was supportive and encouraging, and she was there, but now he’s gone. She starts to cry, and says, at some point, Milo stopped giving the relationship attention and love and care it needed and deserved. She was too busy to notice, until she did. Terry says she knows what went wrong. Now it’s time to dry her tears, and get back out there. Epiphany says, tonight? and Terry says, when she’s ready. They toast to new beginnings, and clink glasses.

Portia says they’re all set. She’s made up an order for Jordan to visit her neurologist, and the appointment is set up, so it’s on the books. Curtis says they’d better get out of there before Cyrus sends in one of his doctors in for a consultation. Once they get out of sight, they know exactly where they’re going. Portia says, don’t mind her; she just made it possible. Curtis says, 1257 Wilson Avenue, an arts and crafts classic. He wonders who Cyrus has stashed there, that he sends them monthly payments of five or six figures. Portia asks, what about the murder? and Jordan says they’ll work on it when they’re on the plane. They’ll come back with leads, and get Cyrus on two fronts.

Alex says she has to get back to Finn, and tells Peter to take care of Maxie; Maxie is carrying her grandchild. Peter says he will. He worked hard to get the family he deserved. Alex says, that’s something they have in common. When she’s gone, Maxie asks, is it just her, or did Anna seem different? Peter says, she did.

Anna tells a fireman, there was no one else in there; just the two of them. He says paramedics are on their way, and she says she needs to talk to the DA. Robert walks in, and says, why did he know she was involved in this? Anna says, not her; Alex.  

Curtis asks if Portia is sure she covered all the bases. If Cyrus finds out they played him… Portia says, everything is done on her end, but she has no control over what happens after. Jordan says, it’s great to have another ally. Trina would be proud if she knew. Portia says, she better not. She’d march up to Cyrus and do or say something to let Cyrus know they were bringing him down. She leaves, and Cyrus sees her in the hallway. He asks if everything is all set, and she says, the arrangements have all been made. She tells him, goodnight, and walks down the hall. He looks at the closed door to Jordan’s room.   

Jordan says she always wanted to take Curtis to the Pacific Northwest; her old stomping grounds. This isn’t what she had in mind though. He says, it’s not ideal, but if they pull this off and bring Cyrus down, it will be the best vacation ever. He asks what they’re waiting for, and she goes into the bathroom to get dressed.

In the alleyway, Dante takes out his phone. He reads a text that says, complete the mission, which we haven’t heard in five minutes. He takes a pill and moves on.

Jason tells Franco, he’ll do what it takes to protect Elizabeth and the boys. Franco thanks him, saying he knew he count on Jason.

Elizabeth asks if Terry and Epiphany want to wait inside, but Terry says their Ride Share is only a block away; they’ll be fine. Epiphany thanks Elizabeth for the vino and the veritas. Maybe there is life after Milo. Elizabeth says she knows there will be. Outside, Epiphany asks what’s going on between Terry and Elizabeth? Terry says, shop talk, and Epiphany says, uh-huh.

Finn calls Elizabeth, and asks if Violet is still up, but she says, Violet has been down for hours. She asks if something is wrong, and he says he’ll explain when he gets there. Lock the door, and don’t open it to anyone. He’s on his way.

Robert tells a fireman to contain the fire, and Anna asks to use Robert’s phone. Robert hands it to her, and tells the fireman, the woman who lit the fire is dangerous. There might be surprises waiting inside that they don’t know about.  

Finn answers the phone, saying, Robert? but Anna says, it’s her. He says, thank God, and she asks where he is. She says if he’s at the house, he needs to leave. Alex walks in, and Anna says, Finn? What’s happening? Can he hear her?

Tomorrow, Sam tells Alexis that she’s never allowing her around the kids again, Peter tells Lulu that there’s no way he can publish this, and Sonny says he’s going to have to tell Carly someone is alive.

Southern Charm

We were still at Shep’s Dumb and Dumber party. Craig has now taken Cameron’s place as narrator, but it’s not the same. Leva and husband Lamar, who reminds me of a shorter Ving Rhames, arrived, and Leva asked to speak to Kathryn in private. Leva asked why Kathryn was going after her friend, meaning Cameron, since Kathryn had told Craig gossip about Jason having an affair. Leva said Cameron had a beautiful family, and she didn’t want this happening, but Kathryn said she had a family she thought was beautiful too, and Cameron had no problem going after her. We flashed back to that on many occasions, and it wasn’t good look. In her interview, Kathryn said, what goes around comes around. Leva said if Kathryn hurts someone she cares about, Kathryn was going to have a problem with her, and she didn’t want a problem. She was letting bygones be bygones. Kathryn said, sounded good to her, but in her interview said, if it was her or Madison, they’d get on a group text about it. Shep told Craig about Madison and Peter having hooked up. Then Peter’s girlfriend Liz tried to stir the sh*t by telling Austin that Madison had a fling with Peter, and he should be careful about who he dates. It was so stupid, since it wasn’t like Peter had cheated on her with Madison. I just didn’t get it. Maybe Peter needs to be careful about who he dates. Liz seems like she has serious insecurity issues. Patricia and Whitney took off early due to lack of food. I actively looked for a chair, or seating of any kind, and saw none. Madison said something to Shep about being a d-bag for inviting Peter, and left. Shep made a speech saying his guests were the coolest in Charleston. They were the best, and he never wanted to leave because of them. Outside, Madison told Austen about Peter.

Craig had a meeting with his partners, and distribution to Wayfair and Bed, Bath, and Beyond was discussed. I’m impressed. Kathryn’s place looked like a cyclone had hit it, since she’s renovating and moving in. She wanted to get things finished as soon as possible, so she could move the kids back. Austen said he’d felt ambushed, and in his interview, he said Shep couldn’t help himself. Now everyone was talking sh*t behind his back. Shep vowed to Taylor that he wouldn’t gossip anymore. In his interview, he said new girlfriend Taylor made him a better human being. She wasn’t trying to change him, but maybe fine tune him. Austen pouted, and Madison said they’d been through enough sh*t. It was just another test of their relationship

In Danni’s interview, she was doubtful as to whether Shep’s relationship would last. She said as soon as Shep felt cornered, it was peace out. Kathryn told Danni that John kissed her, but he was legit recently divorced, so it wasn’t happening again. We found out Kathryn and Thomas hooked up a few months ago, and I wondered why she’d want to even go near him at this point. Were they drunk? Austen got together with Whitney and Craig for dinner, and Whitney said, how lucky was he, to be with the pillow and beer magnates? Austen said he had beer on tap in the highest volume bars in Charleston. He asked what he was supposed to think about Shep inviting Peter to the party, and Whitney thought Shep had a good heart. Whitney toasted to pillows and beer, and Craig thought that sounded like a sex tape.

Leva’s son’s name is Little? I can’t imagine him not being bullied for that. In Leva’s interview, she explained that she and Lamar were restauranteurs, owning Republic, Bourbon n Bubbles, and Medu; and getting ready to open a sports bar called 1st Place. They’d wanted to bring Miami and New York to Charleston, built it, and they came. She told us when she and Lamar first started dating, people stared. There weren’t many mixed race couples in town. She’d told Lamar that she didn’t know where they fit, and he said people like themselves were needed to change the social climate.

Craig, Shep, and Austen went to the gym. Shep insisted that inviting Peter and Liz wasn’t a set-up, but he was sorry. In Craig’s interview, he said he was fascinated. He’d never seen Shep apologize. Austen wanted nothing more than for everyone to act like adults. New guy John visited Patricia, and wisely brought flowers. He asked for a vodka martini, but got a lecture on the how much better gin was instead. Michael told him that gin was botanical, and vodka came from a potato in the dirt, and Patricia added that vodka was déclassé. I don’t know about that, but I don’t drink gin. I had gin once, and had a hangover for three days. In John’s interview, he said his family had been in Charleston for eight generations. He’d gone to school with Shep, and Patricia asked if Shep was wild and crazy then. John said he was an absolute lunatic. John had come back to Charleston after his divorce because San Diego wasn’t home. Charleston put him in a good headspace, and he was a better co-parent when he was in a good headspace. I rolled my eyes at the word headspace. Patricia asked what he thought about Madison, and he said she was stunning, but also with someone. Patricia said she didn’t think for long. Madison was career driven and ambitious, and her boyfriend was lackadaisical. Whitney said Austen was making an effort, but Patricia said he only had his beer in a couple of places. He wasn’t Budweiser, and Madison deserved Budweiser.

Austen set up a booth to showcase his beer at the Charleston Food and Wine Festival, which he said was the premiere springtime festival in Charleston. Craig said he liked Austen’s merch, but hated the word merch. In Craig’s interview, he said that Madison was maybe not the best for Austen’s mental health, but invaluable businesswise. Kathryn told Danni that she’d decided she was going to act like the kiss didn’t happen when she saw John. In Kathryn’s interview, she said Madison was more John’s type. An old lady came to check out the beer, and said they were pathetically good looking. Madison said the beer must be working. In Madison’s interview, she said Austen hawking his beer was super sexy. The more beer he was slinging and selling, the more she was liking it.   

Shep came by, and Austen told Madison to let him handle it. She said if Shep gave her sh*t, she was going to give it back. Shep told Madison that he felt bad, and apologized. Austen said he heavily preferred that they talk about this another time. Shep said he was coming hat in hand, and Madison asked how many times they were going to do this. Austen interrupted, saying he didn’t think this was the right place, but in Shep’s interview, he said he thought it was the perfect place. When they meet someone in the Mafia, they always pick a crowded place, where no one can do anything crazy. Shep said he wanted to stay out of their relationship, and Madison told him that she wasn’t going anywhere. Shep said he didn’t want Austen to get hurt, and Austen was crazy about Madison, so if she didn’t feel the same way, let Austen know. Madison insisted she did feel the same way. Austen said this was the last place he wanted this to happen, and Madison said she and Shep were good. They never needed to have this conversation again. Then Madison guilted Shep into buying a hat. In his interview, Shep said it was like the cold war between Russia and the United States. We have our rockets pointed at you, just so you know, but we don’t want a war. In Madison’s interview, she said she got off on the fact that she owned any conversation she had with Shep. She and Austen kissed. 

Next time, Austen and Craig get on each other’s nerves, Austen asks if Shep and Taylor are an actual couple, Leva has a ladies lunch in her Persian palace, and Kathryn tells Danni about Thomas getting someone else pregnant.

👀 On Watch What Happens Live, Craig and Shep were both guests. Andy is usually so stylish, but tonight he was wearing a sweater that was no, just no. It looked like a mohair turtleneck, but what it mostly looked like was bad. It was not his color (a pinkish shade of red) and it made him look fat. Maybe he got fat and he was trying to hide it with the sweater, but if so, it didn’t work. Whatever reason he had for choosing it, it didn’t work. Craig said he’d run into Naomie and Metul at the airport sky lounge, and they chatted for an hour, which made me miss Naomie and Metul.

🐶 A Peachy Pup…

I was worried that maybe Chauncy had passed away, but apparently, new pup Peaches is obsessed with him.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/patricia-altschul-new-puppy-peaches-obsessed-with-pug-video

⌨️ Puter Pita…

AOL is giving me grief tonight, so I’m off to fight with it. No matter how your technology is treating you, stay safe, stay buoyant, and stay knowing you deserve Budweiser.

Oct30

October 29, 2020 – Darth Vader Is Unmasked, a Return From the Dead, Back To Charm, a Tease, Craig Speaks, Bad Guest, New Atlanta, Runway Baby, Sanderson Sequel, Flicks For the ‘Ween & Moon

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Ava visits Franco in the hospital. She asks what he’s got in his hand, and he shows her a can of spray paint. She says, the other hand, and he shows her a bloody knife. Franco wakes up, and he really is in the hospital.   

On the phone, Carly leaves a message for Sasha. She says the Do Not Disturb sign is still on Sasha’s door, and housekeeping can’t get in to clean her room. If Sasha doesn’t call back, she’s coming up and using her passkey. Cyrus comes in, and says he needs a table for two.

At one of the lounge tables, Sonny says it’s good Spinelli came to see him. What’s troubling him? Spinelli says he knows Sonny has more important matters to attend to than his personal issues, but he’s in desperate need of Sonny’s astute advice. Sonny says he’ll do the best he can, and Spinelli asks, how do you stand back and do nothing when someone you love is about to ruin their life?

At Anna’s, Anna, Peter, Finn, and Maxie toast. Maxie says she shouldn’t gloat, but she has so much to celebrate. An incredible career, James is healthy, Georgie is back in Port Charles, she has a baby on the way, and a loving, handsome fiancé on her arm. What more can she ask for?

Portia tells someone on the phone that she has correspondence needing immediate delivery. Ava comes into the hospital, and Portia asks if everything is okay. Ava says she doesn’t know. She’s looking for Franco. She heard he was admitted.  

Elizabeth stops by Franco’s room with Cameron. She asks if Franco is okay, and he says he thinks he had too much Jell-O; it gave him nightmares. He asks if Cameron shouldn’t be somewhere else, but Cameron says, it’s just a lame party. Franco says, dude, I’m fine, and Cameron says, dude, you fainted. Franco insists he’s fine; it’s a total overreaction. Elizabeth says now that Cameron has seen Franco for himself, he can go to the party. Franco tells Cameron to save some TP. Windymere is long overdue for a good trick.

Nikolas walks into Charlie’s, and Julian says, if it isn’t the Prince of Darkness himself. Nikolas says Julian has no time for wisecracks. Whatever scheme he’s dragging Ava into, drop it. Julian says he doesn’t know what Nikolas is talking about, and Nikolas says Julian is obviously in trouble. Lucky for Julian, he’s going to save his sorry ass.

Portia tells Ava that Elizabeth and Cameron are in with Franco right now. Anything else she can help with? Ava says, actually, she wanted to thank Portia for allowing Trina to continue working at the gallery. She trusts Trina is keeping up her grades. She’s been stressing the importance, and she’s all about the GPA. Portia says she did want to talk to Ava about something that’s come to her attention. Trina is trying to rehabilitate her father’s reputation, and she heard the whole thing was Ava’s idea. Ava says, she was just trying to… and Portia says she’s wanted Trina to have a goal; something to focus her concentration on, instead of feeding her sorrow and anger. She wishes she’d thought of it herself, but she’s glad Ava did, and thanks her.

Trina, dressed as Princess Leia, meets Josslyn, dressed as a cheerleader, outside of Charlie’s. She says it’s no surprise Cameron is late, and Josslyn says she’ll text him to hurry up. They go inside, and Trina says they have important business to discuss about her dad. They sit, and someone in a Darth Vader mask watches them through the window.   

Elizabeth makes an excuse to leave, and Franco asks Cameron, what’s going on? Cameron says, it’s just a stupid party. Franco tells him, don’t blame the party because he’s interested in two girls, and can’t settle on one. Cameron says he and Trina figured it out, and they’re staying in the friendzone. He’s good with it. Franco says, and Josslyn? and Cameron says, the same. It’s senior year, and he doesn’t want any obligations. Franco says he should never say that about someone he cares about. Cameron says Josslyn isn’t interested, and Franco asks if she said so. Cameron says not in so many words, and Franco asks how he knows then. Cameron says, trust him; he knows. Franco says if Cameron wants to talk, they can do it any time. Now go have fun. Good talk. Cameron says, good talk, and leaves. Elizabeth comes back, and wonders how Franco got Cameron to go to the party, and Franco says they have an understanding.  

Julian tells Nikolas, he’s fine, thanks, and Nikolas says, Ryan called Ava out of the blue, and she drops everything to visit him. Why? Julian says he doesn’t know what Ava is thinking, and Nikolas says, when she came back, she was jumpy and anxious. She seemed desperate, and said lives depend on it. He was wondering whose lives matter to her, and boiled it down to Julian. What did he do this time, and who wants to kill him because of it?

Spinelli asks Sonny to pardon his presumption, but Sonny doesn’t seem like he’d stand idly by while someone he loves risks their future because of an unenlightened decision. Should he step in? Sonny says, don’t get involved in somebody’s personal life. It could backfire in his face, and in Sonny’s experience, it usually does. Spinelli says Sonny isn’t the first to caution him. The superspy from down under went so far as to tell him to play the role of supportive friend. He doesn’t think he can convincingly pull it off. Sonny says, stop trying so hard. Don’t pretend. Give honest support. Spinelli says he has no choice, and Sonny says, just because Spinelli can’t do something, doesn’t mean someone can’t do something in his place.

Carly says she’ll have a waitress seat Cyrus, but he says he doesn’t mind seating himself. He asks how her mother is, when Sasha comes out of the elevator. He says, there’s his dining companion now. They can seat themselves, but he’d appreciate her sending over a server; he’d like a drink. Sasha says hi to Carly, who’s obviously displeased, and they sit.

Spinelli is on the phone, but sees Cyrus and Sasha. He says he’ll text when he gets there, and literally runs into Valentin. Valentin says he’d like to talk about a collaboration. Word is on the street that Spinelli is spectacular at hacking. Spinelli says he wouldn’t consider working for Valentin any more than he’d support Maxie getting married… in polka dots. Valentin thinks they should get to know one another. Peter is Anna’s son, and he guesses that makes that makes Spinelli family if he marries Maxie. Spinelli says he has somewhere to be, and jets.

Maxie opens a gift from Anna, and squeals over a new bag, while Finn talks to Peter on the side. Finn says if Peter has a request, name it. Anna tells Maxie that she’s proud of her, as a creative trailblazer, a mother, and wife-to-be. She thinks it’s Maxie’s time right now. Maxie says Anna is going to make her cry, and Anna knows she’s hormonal. She hopes she can balance work and parenthood as good as Anna does, and Anna says she thinks Maxie will do better. Finn tells Peter, it may require a cummerbund. He’ll keep the party nonsense to a minimum. It means the world to Anna, but he doesn’t want Peter to feel pressured. Peter says he’s honored to be part of the family. Maxie tells Peter, they have to go if they want to make their reservation. They thank Anna, and leave.  

Julian tells Nikolas to keep his nose out of Ava’s business, but Nikolas says, Ava’s business is his business. Julian seems on the defensive. One reason could be his late wife Nelle. Nelle and Ryan had some dealings with each other in prison. Julian says, Ryan stabbed her, and Nikolas says he was wondering how Nelle survived. Julian says, maybe she got lucky, and Nikolas says, what if it was planned? He’s willing to bet Ryan and Nelle got to know each other pretty well. Well enough that she left some leverage against Julian, and the possibility of it being shared with someone makes Julian nervous. How’s he doing?  

Ava goes to Franco’s room, and asks how he’s doing. He asks how she knew he was there, and she says she stopped at the art therapy room. She ran into Epiphany, who told her that he’d been admitted. She’s worried… He says he’s stopping her now. Whatever she wants, he won’t say yes until she comes clean. What has she done? She asks if he’s delirious, but he says he’s in a hospital bad, it’s given him time to have a clear focus. Ava says she tried to push Nikolas and Elizabeth together, so she could divorce Nikolas and keep the money. He says, and…? and she says, it was a lousy thing to do, and she’s sorry. She hopes he can forgive her. Now it’s his turn. He says he doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Whatever he did was in response to what they did. She says she knew it. Not only did he and Elizabeth get Scotty to blackmail her, but they blackmailed Nikolas as well.

Josslyn starts to text Cameron again, when Darth Vader walks in. Trina looks outside, and says, the guys are here. She asks if it’s going to be weird, and Josslyn asks why it would be. Trina says she only has one thing on her mind, and Dev and Cameron join them; Dev dressed as a vampire, and Cameron, a sailor (he looks like the one on the Cracker Jack box). Dev says he didn’t know they were having a planning session before the party, and Josslyn suggests they skip the party, and use the time to help Trina with her dad. Unless someone has other plans. Cameron asks why she’s looking at him, and she says she knows he might be too busy for a big commitment.  

Portia asks Elizabeth how Franco is, and she says, hungry and grumbling about the food. She thinks he’s back to normal. Portia says, maybe a visit from a friend will lift his mood. Ava came by.  

Ava tells Franco, admit it, but he insists he doesn’t know what she’s talking about. She says she saw them after Scotty handed over the money. He had a check from Nikolas as well. What did Nikolas and Elizabeth do? If Nikolas cheated, and Franco has proof, she needs to see it. Franco says, so she can get her greedy paws on the Cassadine millions, and she says, also to save a life. He asks her to leave, and she says, this is real. If he ever gave a damn about her, give her proof that Nikolas cheated.

Nikolas tells Julian, this doesn’t have to end badly. Julian can disappear. Nikolas has the money for him to go somewhere else and start a new life. Julian asks why Nikolas thinks he would run, and Nikolas says because his life is in Ryan’s hands, and Ryan isn’t known for his kindness and mercy. Julian says he’ll do things his way. When his sister comes to Nikolas for a divorce, give it to her.

Anna looks at two different witch costumes, one white and one black. Finn says he has bad news. There’s an emergency at the hospital, and he has to go in. She says, he’s not trick-or-treating with Violet? but he says Violet understands, and still wants to go to the sleepover at Elizabeth’s. She says, he’s leaving her on solo candy duty? and he says, she has the special skill set for it, and can handle it. She asks which costume he likes, and he asks if this is a test. She says she wants his opinion, and he says he likes what she likes. She says, normally, she’d let that slide, but she can’t decide. He says she’ll look just as beautiful in either, and she says, good job covering. She’s got a lot on her mind, waiting for the test results. He says, you wouldn’t know it, and she says, her training. He says, the WSB? and she says, no; the British. Stiff upper lip. Keep smiling and they won’t know you’re dying inside. He tells her, no matter what the tests say, Peter is still family. She says she knows. She’s not getting ahead of herself, just waiting for the results. She’ll try not to climb the walls or eat too much candy. He says he has to go, but for what it’s worth (🍷), he thinks he likes the light one.  

At the MetroCourt, Peter says he loves how Maxie is so open about enjoying her birthday. She says, of course (🍷) she loves her birthday. She loves the presents and attention, but also how much she has to be thankful for. They’re about to kiss, and suddenly, Spinelli is between them.  

Carly watches Cyrus and Sasha from the bar. Cyrus asks if Sasha is ready for another drink, but she says, to be honest, she’s not sure what she’s doing there. He says she’s having dinner with a new friend, and she asks if that’s what they are; friends. He says he’d like them to be, but supposes if he never makes it beyond concerned bystander, he’ll be fine. She says she doesn’t mean to be rude. She appreciated his kindness last night. She was in a bad place. He asks if he can be blunt. She doesn’t seem to be much improved. Would it help if she confided in someone? She says, someone like him? He says he is right there.

Sonny comes in, and tells Carly, sorry he’s late. He was talking to Spinelli. He asks, what’s wrong? and she says, that. He looks at Cyrus and Sasha, and Carly shakes her head

Ava tells Franco, give her proof that Elizabeth was with Nikolas, and she can get a divorce. He says, and save someone’s life. Whose life? She says she wants to tell him, but she can’t; it’s too dangerous. He says, just stop. He’s over being her pawn. She sits next to the bed, and says, he’s angry; she gets it. He has every reason to be. Franco says he does. She tried to drive a wedge between him and the woman he loves more than air. She says she won’t leave Nikolas without getting the money, and he says, she and Nikolas are both addicted to the game they’re playing. They deserve one another.

The doorbell rings, and Anna comes out as a witch in white. It’s Valentin, who says, trick-or-treat. She asks, what’s up? and he comes in. He says he thinks Peter has a Damien Spinelli problem, and Anna says, Spinelli is never going to accept that Maxie is getting married to Peter. He needs to get over it, like Robert. Valentin says, where Spinelli goes, Jason tends to follow. 

Maxie tells Spinelli, she and Peter are one a date; it’s her birthday dinner. Spinelli says he couldn’t help overhearing, and wanted to wish her many happy returns. He asks if she got his gift, and she says, The Beginner’s Guide to Dungeons & Dragons; so thoughtful. Spinelli says, the nature of the game lends itself to her imagination, and he begins to babble about it, saying how it can be a family effort. She says she has no idea what he’s talking about. Georgie is too young to play. Spinelli says, she won’t always be, and he thinks it could be great family fun.

Nikolas goes to the hospital, and tells Elizabeth, they need to talk. She asks, what’s wrong? and he says, everything with him and Ava. She says she can’t do this, but he says if he doesn’t get some honest advice from someone he respects, he’s going to lose his wife.   

Sonny wonders what Cyrus is doing with Sasha, and Carly says, his guess is as good as hers. She’s been trying to get in touch with Sasha. Sonny asks if she thinks Cyrus has something on her, and Carly says she doesn’t know, but she’s worried. Sasha was at Nina’s apartment last night, and didn’t look good. She hates to say it, but she thinks Sasha is using drugs.

Sasha says Cyrus doesn’t seem like the listening type, and he says, that’s fair. If he makes a mess of it, there’s nothing stopping her from walking away. He promises not to hold it against her, but admits he’d be disappointed. She seems like a friend worth having. She says, he had to help her to her room last night, and just now, he basically said she was a mess. Why would he want to be her friend? He says he enjoys spending time with her. She has a generous heart, given all the things she told him last night before they parted ways. Besides, he has a knack for reading people, and he’s confident their friendship could be mutually beneficial.

Carly tells Sonny, she spent 15 minutes trying to clean Sasha up; fix her hair and makeup. She tried to get Sasha to talk… Sonny says, and…? She says, the way Sasha was acting… and Sonny says, and now she’s having drinks with a drug trafficker.  

Cameron and Josslyn go back to the table, and Trina asks, what’s going on? Cameron tells her, he said he’d be there for her and he will. Trina asks, who wants hot chocolate? and Josslyn says she’ll get it; her treat. Cameron says she’ll probably need help, and follows her. Dev wonders what that’s about, while Darth Vader continues to watch them.  

Cameron asks what Josslyn means, he’s too busy for commitments? She asks if that isn’t what he said, but he says he’s not too busy to help a friend. If that’s what she thinks he implied, she’s misinterpreting it. Dev asks Trina if she thinks they’re okay. Cameron seems tense. She says, everyone is tense. They should just go to the party. They have time to figure it out. Halloween is just one night, and a party awaits.

Portia gets Franco’s chart from a nurse, and looks at a scan.

Nikolas tells Elizabeth, he thinks he screwed things up with Ava. It’s a convoluted and dysfunctional mess. Elizabeth is the only person he trusts to help him figure it out. She says, sorry, but he can’t trust her either.

Ava runs into Julian outside of Charlie’s, and says she came to get a drink. Where is he going? He says, to get some air, and clear his head. Nikolas was there. She asks what Nikolas wanted, and he says Nikolas suspects what Ava is up to with Ryan. He doesn’t know exactly, but he’s close. He wants to send Julian packing on his dime, and give him a shiny new life. She wonders why Nikolas would do that, and Julian says, because of her. If he’s alive, she’s happy, and if she’s happy, Nikolas is happy. Julian thought Ava had hooked Nikolas just to take advantage of him. She says she doesn’t know what to think or believe about Nikolas anymore, but she still has the fake divorce papers; she can use them on Ryan. He asks if she thinks Ryan will go for the papers being real, and she says, they were done by an expert forger. She wouldn’t have known they were fake if Nikolas hadn’t told her. She can convince Ryan for long enough to get the letter back. She’ll be back later, when she really needs a drink. 

Maxie tells Spinelli that she’s happy he suggested a family game. Olive branch accepted. She’ll make time to teach Georgie, but they need to start with something simple, like charades. She says she needs to powder her nose, and leaves. Peter says Spinelli’s about face isn’t lost on him either. He appreciates Spinelli making an effort, but hopes it’s on the level.

Valentin tells Anna, he offered Spinelli work, and Anna says, and Spinelli turned him down. He says, it was the way Spinelli turned him down. He said he’d no sooner work with him than approve of Maxie marrying Peter. Anna says, of course (🍷) Spinelli feels that way, but that doesn’t mean Jason is involved. He says she knows Jason better than he does. Tell him. If Jason thought Peter was a threat… Anna says, Peter’s not a threat. He was exonerated. Obrecht framed him and Jason knows that. They have an arrangement. She told Jason to back off, and he has. She doesn’t think they need to worry about Jason. The doorbell rings, and it’s a registered envelope. Anna signs for it, and comes back in,. Valentin says he hopes she doesn’t mind. He took the liberty of opening a bottle… He looks at her, and says, good Lord. Is she all right? She says, it’s the test results. If Faison had the marker, then it’s over. She’ll never know for certain if Peter is Alex’s son or hers.

Trina wants to take a picture with Darth Vader, her Star Wars long lost family connection. If he doesn’t mind. Darth poses with her, and Cameron takes the photo. Dev is worried they’re going to be late, and Trina tells him, chill. They start to leave, and she turns around to tell Darth, may the force be with you. She’s forgotten her phone on the bar, and it rings. Darth picks it up. He sees a call coming in from Portia, and looks at a picture of Taggert and Trina.   

Franco toddles out to the reception desk, and asks Portia if she’s seen his wife. She says she’ll track Elizabeth down; go back to his room, please. She goes back to the phone, and says, sorry, Terry. The schedule says she’s on call. Is she in the building? She asks if Terry can meet her. She’s in need of an oncology consult.

Nikolas asks why he can’t trust Elizabeth. She’s the only person he can talk to. She says she has no idea what they did with this whole stupid post-nup thing, but when Nikolas and Ava were playing her and Franco, they were playing him and Ava.

At Pentenville, the guard tells Ava that Ryan will be there shortly. Have a seat. She sits on her side of the glass.

Julian grabs Darth Vader, who says he just found the phone. Julian wonders if he’s interested in the phone or the girl it belongs to. He’ll make sure she gets it. He tells Darth to beat it before he calls the cops. Darth says he hasn’t done anything, and Julian says, let’s keep it that way. Get out. They struggle, and the mask comes off. Its Taggert.

Sonny asks Carly if Michael knows about Sasha’s possible habit. She doesn’t think so, and feels she should tell him. She knows Sasha has made mistakes, but she’s a good person. Sonny asks, why get involved? They know what Cyrus really is, and what he wants is to get information.

Sasha tells Cyrus, she’s sorry, but she has to take off. She has an early day tomorrow. He says, it’s okay. Clearly, she has trepidation about him. He imagines she’s heard gossip about him from Michael’s parents. He’ll settle up. She has his number. If she need  someone to talk to, or anything, call him day or night. He always has her well-being in mind. She says, he’s very generous, and goes to the elevator. A man comes out, and hands her a purple envelope, saying, she dropped this. She says she didn’t, but he says, sure she did, and puts it in her hands. He jets, and she looks inside. There’s a baggie of coke in it. The elevator doors close.

Anna tells Valentin, Doc asked about her history with Faison, and she told him how reckless she’d been. He says, maybe she wasn’t, and Faison was with Alex the whole time. She says Valentin is desperate to exonerate her, and he says, she was a double agent. She has blood on her hands, as they all do. He thinks she’s wasted years feeling guilty about something she didn’t do. He doesn’t need proof, but he thinks she does.

Spinelli says that Peter is skeptical of his good intentions is understandable. He assures Peter, he’s doing his best to support Maxie with the utmost sincerity. His perfect wish for her is to have a happy, stable life. Peter says he’s going to do everything in his power to fulfill that wish. Forgive him for doubting. Since he has a new life, a life he never dreamed possible, it’s hard to shake the notion that something, or someone, is waiting to take it away. Maxie comes back, and says, maybe Jenga. Giant Jenga. Peter’s phone rings, and a female voice says, hello, Peter.

Anna takes the results out of the envelope, and says, she has an answer.  

Peter asks, who is this? She says, he doesn’t recognize the voice of his old friend Helena Cassadine? 

Tomorrow, Anna says, it’s nothing but lies; Franco wonders what’s happening to him; Ava tells Ryan what he wanted is delivered; and Jason suggests Cyrus has found an alternate route.

🧟‍♀️ She’s Alive…

I told you she’s not dead. Helena will never die. Neither will Faison. He’ll figure out some way to come back without a brain. Or it was his eviler twin who died.

If General Hospital’s Helena Cassadine Is Really Alive, These Five Characters Should Be Shaking In Their Boots

Southern Charm

It’s a new season, and Cameron (as well as Naomie and Chelsea) has left the show, so no more narration. We started off with different scenes showing various things that happened when the pandemic started. Then…

Six months earlier. Shep’s pup Craig is a little dog now, and the cutest thing. Michael gave Patricia some dog apparel to go through, and she chose a tutu for her new Pomeranian pup Peaches. Human Craig told us he’d been living in a professionally decorated house, and felt like an adult, but a pipe blew, and asbestos went everywhere. Now he’s living with Austen until the house is cleaned up. His pillow company is doing well, and he’s making over 1000 pillows a month. Not him personally, but a manufacturer. I actually love his pillows, although I doubt he would have gotten very far with them without the advantage of being on the show. Austen marveled that a plant Madison had given him was still alive. I identified since I’m terrible with houseplants.

Austen explained that he and Madison had decided to take a break, which IMO means broken up, but they came back together after six months or so. They checked out Instagram, and heard Thomas in the background of one of Kathryn’s posts. Kensie and Saint are getting big, and Kathryn told us, custody has been settled at 50/50 after three years. She said she and Thomas were getting along, and she’s hoping it sticks. Thomas, who made a briefer than brief appearance, looked fat. No judgement, just an observation. In her interview, Kathryn admitted she was staying at his house (see yesterday’s post links – she’s having her townhouse renovated), but they’re not back together. I didn’t think she was that much of an idiot. We flashed back to Kathryn wondering how she was going to explain it to the kids if Thomas went to jail. In her interview, she said her grandmother passed away after a battle, a reprieve, and a final battle with breast cancer, and she thought her grandmother had a lot of guilt in not preparing her for the world – i.e. Thomas. Kathryn wished she could have given her closure.

Madison said she was glad to have a son, since a mini version of her would be a nightmare. Hudson is quite the little man, and she also co-parents with her ex. She said having a child had pushed her to be successful. I wondered, why is she dating Austen then? and apparently, I wasn’t alone in that thought. In her interview, Madison said everyone asked if she’s out of her effing mind, but they just can’t stop. I guess she can’t quit him.

Patricia told Michael that Shep was coming over, and she wondered if they had enough liquor in the house. She tolf Shep that she had a new watchdog, Peaches, and Michael brought out a tiny white cloud of a pup. He told Patricia that he was having a life-is-good party, and wanted it to be nice, but funky; no fox trots. He was considering a Dumb and Dumber theme, and Patricia thought that would be appropriate. He said he was inviting everyone, and Patricia would get to meet new girlfriend Taylor. Patricia asked if he was inviting Madison, and he said, of course. Shep said it didn’t give him joy to have strife in his life, and Patricia said it was a modest start. In Shep’s interview, he said you could fight the elephant in the room, or dance with it. He was going to dance with it. We flashed back to Shep being combative last season, and he admitted he can take things too far. He wanted to slow the process of becoming an angry old man, since he was showing the signs, and started seeing a therapist.

Shep settled on a Dumb and Dumber Formal, and Craig suggested he invite Cameron. In Shep’s interview, he said Cameron hadn’t been hanging around with any of them, since last year left a bad taste in her mouth. He didn’t blame her. Craig and Kathryn met for lunch, and Kathryn ordered a bourbon and Coca Cola. In Kathryn’s interview, she said she went to rehab for weed, and that’s it. She’s at the point now, if she wants a drink, she’ll order one, and it’s nobody’s business. They talked about Shep’s upcoming party, and Kathryn asked about Taylor since they hadn’t met. Craig said he’d cut Shep off for months; Shep was being an a-hole. Kathryn said he’d be a d*ck to her, then act like nothing happened. Craig said, between Taylor and a therapist, Shep was a better person. But not wonderful, since he’s still Shep. In his interview, Craig said Shep is happy when he’s with Taylor, and not a lonely, miserable POS. He said he’d been trying to get Cameron to come out, but she gets mom guilt. Kathryn said she heard Jason was having an affair, but Craig said that was absurd and not true. He said he loved gossiping, but this was out of line.

Taylor and Shep gave dog Craig a bath. Shep explained that he and Taylor had met in a bar. She lied, saying she was a marine biologist and her specialty was shark sex. He grilled her since he knew about shark sex. He didn’t elaborate, and I don’t think I really want to know anyway. They saw each other a little bit here and there, then it became more, and now she’s at his house five nights a week. He says he’d been so single-minded, and single, for so long, it was hard to change. but she was making it easy. She’s blond and cute, and looks like most of the other girls he’s dated. Shep definitely has a type.

While they got ready for the party, Austen asked if Madison was nervous, but she said Shep should be the one who’s nervous. In Madison’s interview, she said if she could forgive a threesome video, she could forgive someone calling her white trash.

Craig met with new cast member Leva, who’s one of Cameron’s best friends. He told Leva about what Kathryn said, but Leva said, no way would Jason have an affair; it was a miserable Kathryn move. WTF? She told Craig, back in the day, Cameron wasn’t so nice to Kathryn – we flashed back to that – and it was Kathryn’s way of getting back at Cameron. She thought there also might be some jealousy, or maybe Kathryn felt alive in the middle of drama. I’d thought it was all good at the end of the last reunion, but who knows what happened between then and now.

I wasn’t sure how Dumb and Dumber was supposed to factor in, but I guess it was the attire. Austen wore a powder blue top hat, and Shep had a matching ruffled tuxedo shirt. Madison wore black and white striped pants with orange suspenders, which I thought was closer to Beetlejuice, but I don’t really know Dumb and Dumber that well. I saw it, but it was like, a million years ago. Shep also invited a guy named Peter, who apparently slept with Madison at some point. Somehow this ended up in the conversation, and Peter’s girlfriend Liz wasn’t too pleased.  In Shep’s interview, the producer asked if he’d invited them to screw with Madison, but he said he didn’t even know they’d slept together until it came out at the party. Shep admitted to having planned things like that in the past, and we flashed back to when he invited Austen’s threesome girls to a party Austen and Madison were at. He told the producer, it hadn’t crossed his mind that it would be a problem. In Madison’s interview, she said when she saw Peter and Liz, she knew Shep hadn’t changed, and that bitch was trying to set her up. Entertaining a one-night stand she’d had when she was single, was on him. Whitney escorted Patricia, who she said she’d thought Shep had been kidding about Dumb and Dumber. We met new cast member John, who has two sons in San Diego, and just moved back to Charleston. He’s a nice looking dude; a little shaggy, but I like it.

Patricia wondered where the food was, and in her interview, said you can’t have a party and serve liquor without serving something to eat. It was a typical Shep party; not her kind of party. I wondered where the seats were too, since I saw zero pieces of furniture other than the bar and a couple of tables. In Patricia’s interview, she said Madison acted like a grown-up, and Austen was a child. She thought Madison needed someone successful and ambitious. Not a frat boy. John made the rounds, and we saw a clip of him playing guitar and singing. His attractiveness rating went up a few points since he’s pretty good.

Kathryn told Craig that Cameron had texted her regarding what she’d said about Jason. Craig admitted he’d told Cameron that Kathryn said rumor had it, Jason was having an affair, even though he’d promised not to say anything. Kathryn said she was glad he was being honest, although I can’t imagine she didn’t want to thump him in the head. In her interview, Kathryn told us that Cameron said, give her a break, and be a good human. Kathryn said she was, but she doesn’t give a flying what Cameron thinks. Cameron had hurt her to the core, and Cameron’s an a-hole.

This season, Madison breaks up with Austen; Leva wants to see change in this town; Thomas gets a girl pregnant, and ♫ she’s havin’ his baby ♫; Leva confronts Kathryn about her white privilege; Madison and Kathryn argue; covid hits; and the monkey emoji is addressed.

😉 What a Tease…

Craig talks about what’s ahead this season.

https://tvdeets.com/craig-conover-teases-southern-charm-season-7

📡 Breaking Craig…

Saying, I don’t know what happened, but something happened, is hardly opening up.

‘Southern Charm’: Craig Conover Finally Breaks His Silence After Naomie Olindo, Chelsea Meissner Quit

👰🏻 Don’t Be Their Guest…

I’m sure there are worse guests than Shep.

Jax Taylor & Brittany Cartwright Explain Why Shep Rose Was “The Worst Wedding Guest Ever”

🍑 The Peach Is Back…

RHOA is back for another round.

https://tvdeets.com/real-housewives-of-atlanta-season-13-trailer-drew-sidora-latoya-ali

👶 Project Baby…

My first thought was, but how will this affect the next Project Runway? Will it be a special pregnancy edition?

https://people.com/parents/karlie-kloss-pregnant-expecting-first-child-josh-kushner/

🧹 They’re Ba-a-ack…

The Sanderson sisters return.

https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2091416031119/bette-midler-confirms-original-hocus-pocus-cast-will-return-for-sequel

🎃 Classically Halloween…

I wouldn’t call all of them classic, but here’s Purewow’s list of very decent horror films. Since I love the genre, some of my personal favorites are Reeker (an unfortunate title for a good movie), Ravenous, Quentin Tarantino’s Grindhouse: Death Proof/Planet Terror (each is good on their own as well), The (original) Howling, American Werewolf in London, and 13 Ghosts (the remake with Tony Shalhoub). My all-time favorite film to watch on Halloween is The Midnight Hour, but it’s a little difficult to get your hands on. It was a TV movie from the 70s, starring LeVar Burton and Shari Belafonte, and I had to buy a bootleg DVD since I had zero luck finding it. It’s not exactly scary, although it has a couple of moments, but it epitomizes Halloween for me.

https://www.purewow.com/entertainment/classic-scary-movies

👻 Counting the Hours…

The trick-or-treating seems to be an iffy proposition at this moment, but regardless, the dogs and I will be dressing up, and eating our traditional Halloween meal of Taco Bell’s Nachos BellGrande. Whether you’re counting down or not, stay safe, stay inventive, and stay not getting involved in someone’s personal life. Have someone else do it for you.

Oct29

October 28, 2020 – Dante Gives Michael a Brotherly Lecture, Shannon Has a Party, Elizabeth Rechristened, Charm’s Here, News Of the South, Not All In, a Picture Show To Remember & Big Bad

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the vending machine, Franco apologizes to Epiphany, saying, he didn’t realize she was waiting. He had a hard time making a decision. She looks at the machine, and says, did he just take the last chocolate bar? He says, did he? and she says she’s just spent the last solid eight hours in pencil pushing hell. The only thing that made it bearable was knowing there was a chocolate bar waiting, and he seized the last one. He asks if she wants half, and she says she wants satisfaction. She wants justice. She wants her old job back. Cyrus appears, and says that’s not all she’ll get with that attitude.

Chase finds Brook at The Floating Rib, and he says he’s been looking for her. She congratulates him, adding, he found her. She’s alone; no Valentin. She’ll be out of his hair soon, and he can go back to his awesome life. He says, clearly, she’s never looked in his underwear drawer. She asks why she would do that, and he says she’d see there aren’t any G-strings.  

Michael punches the heavy bag, and thinks about Willow. Dante asks what he’s angry about, but Michael says he’s just letting off steam. Dante says he thought Michael was going to town on the bag because he couldn’t stand the thought of losing Willow.

Elizabeth runs into Willow at the hospital, and says, it’s been a while. Willow says she was given time off for the custody hearing, and Elizabeth tells her, congratulations. She asks if Willow is back at work, but Willow says, actually, she was notified that they don’t need a full-time teacher, so she’s looking at her next step. She shows Elizabeth a booklet, and Elizabeth says she’s applying for the nurse’s training program. Willow says she’s fortunate to have the option. It’s one way her life has never been better. Mostly. Things are going so well, she and Michael are getting an annulment.

Carly is hugging Jax, when Nina and Sasha walk in. Carly tells Nina, just the person she needed to see. Nina says she’s surprised to see Carly, and tells Jax that she’s sorry she had to abandon him, but glad to see he has company. He asks how it went with Curtis, and she says Curtis has a new lead, and she’s a step closer to finding her child. Jax says, congratulations, and Carly says she didn’t know the search was back on. Nina says she didn’t broadcast it. Sasha says Nina has company, and it’s been a helluva day. She’s going to take off. Nina says she’s not, since she’s not feeling well.   

Ava sees a romantic table set, and smells a rose. There’s a storm going on, and Nikolas is on the terrace. She joins him, and he says he sees she got his message. She says, it’s lovely, and stormy. Tell her why he lured her out there. We see Ava has a knife behind her back, and Nikolas says he didn’t lure her out. He invited her. She says he’s not the first person to invite her out there. She’s sure he remembers what happened; he witnessed it firsthand. He says, he did. Then he saved her life. She says, then hours later, they were married. It was a whirlwind. He says, that’s one word, and she says, any regrets? He says, hundreds. Her? She says, the same, and he asks what she’s holding behind her back. She says, insurance, and he asks if she thinks he’d go through all this trouble to toss her back in the harbor. She says she thinks it would be a permanent solution to their situation, but he says, believe it or not, he doesn’t want her dead. She says he just wants the family fortune all to himself, and he says, it is his family’s fortune. She says, not to mention Elizabeth.

Brook says Chase wouldn’t know what to do with a G-string if he had a fistful of singles. He says he’s trying to charm her after being a jerk, but she says she gets enough of that from her father. Just because she’s staying with Chase, doesn’t give him the right to weigh in on her life. He says he knows that, and if she’d stop talking, she could hear him. He’s saying he’s sorry.

Nina tells Sasha where the shower is, and says there’s a fluffy robe with her name on it. Take all the time she needs. Sasha says, it sounds great, but… Nina insists, and Sasha goes to the bathroom. Jax asks, what’s wrong with Sasha? and Carly says, she doesn’t look good. Nina says it’s not her place to say, but trust her. She wouldn’t have brought Sasha back if she didn’t think it was absolutely necessary.

Willow tells Elizabeth, she and Michael got married to protect Wiley from Nelle. Nelle isn’t a threat now, so staying married isn’t necessary. Elizabeth asks if Willow will still be a part of Wiley’s life, and Willow says, absolutely. Elizabeth says, if that’s what Willow feels is best, she’s happy for her. It’s no one’s business but theirs. Although sometimes people who have to craziest reasons for getting married, and the marriages you think will crash and burn, are the ones that last.

Michael tells Dante, he’s not losing Willow. They’re going to stay together until the annulment is finalized, and afterwards, they’re going to be co-parents. Dante says it sounds like they have it sorted out, and Michael says they made the decision together. Dante has one question. Did Michael say what he said to Willow because it’s what he wanted, or was it what he thought she wanted to hear?

Cyrus says he’s sorry it took so long to make Franco’s acquaintance, and introduces himself. Franco says he knows who Cyrus is; he saw his picture in the company newsletter. Epiphany adds, and on the news. Franco says Cyrus is a busy fella, and Epiphany says, he is. Firing half the staff and alienating the rest. Cyrus is sorry to hear about the low morale, and promises to bring it up to Britt. Franco says, everyone just wants to be heard, and Cyrus says he has a few minutes if Franco wants to meet with him, but Franco says tonight, some of them go to The Floating Rib. It’s karaoke night. Cyrus says, it sounds fun; he won’t keep Franco from it, but the door is open. He starts to walk away, but Franco says, hold on. How’s his singing voice? Want to be Simon to his Garfunkel?

Nikolas asks where Ava is getting the idea about him and Elizabeth, and she asks if she’s wrong. There must be at least a little something to it. He flashes back to kissing Elizabeth, and he says, in this case something is nothing. She says she knew it, and he says, fine. What he and Elizabeth have goes beyond friendship. In his darkest moments, he’s reached out to her, but it’s because they share a history; not because he wants to be with her. Ava says, that’s the most eloquent rationalization she’s ever heard. He says, look him in the eye, and tell him that she’s never sought out something she’s not getting from their marriage. She thinks back to kissing Franco, and he says he thought so. She tells him, she didn’t say anything, and he says she’s not as good a poker player as she thinks. She says he begged her, trapping her into what she thought was a fairytale romance. He says she asked him to talk about things, and he told her about his feelings. She says, so? What are words? Hot air without the action to back them up. To prove he wants her… He says he has to divorce her. Done.

Cyrus thanks Franco for the kind invitation, but he doesn’t want to infringe on the staff’s private event. Franco says it’s not like they close the place; everyone is welcome. Cyrus says, in that case, he has work to finish up. Perhaps he’ll see them later. He leaves, and Epiphany looks at Franco. He says, what? and she says he’d better run. Run.

Chase tells Brook, sorry for coming on too strong, but she says she’s actually impressed. He almost turned her around. He says, it’s working for him then, and she ask what’s the rest. As long as he’s not going to tell her that he’s kicking her out on the street.

Jax asks if Sasha needs a doctor, but Nina tells him not to push it. It was all she could do to get Sasha there. Carly says she’ll talk to Sasha, and Nina tries to stop her, but she keeps going. Nina tells Jax, even when Carly means well, she’s impossible. He says, she did bring wine, and Nina says, red wine. He says, Carly wanted to apologize for the scene she caused in the cemetery, and Nina says, when she accidentally pushed over Nelle’s gravestone? The only thing Carly is sorry about is Nina caught her

Sasha goes into the bathroom, and takes out her baggie of coke. Carly knocks on the door, and Sasha says she just needs a minute. Carly says, let her in, but Sasha keeps trying to get a hit of coke together using her Amex card. Her hands shake.

Dante says Michael doesn’t want an annulment? and Michael says, if it was up to him, they’d find a way to stay together, and make the marriage real. Make a life together, for Wiley’s sake, but also for themselves. Dante asks if Michael said this to her, and Michael says, of course (🍷) not. Dante says Michael wants to set Willow free from her obligation. He’s an idiot.

Willow tells Elizabeth, after Chase, she can’t think of starting something new. Michael has so much to give that’s going to waste in their so-called marriage. Elizabeth says she’s known Michael a long time. He’s a decent guy. Willow says, for the past few months, she’s been lucky to see that every day; how he is with Wiley and his family. Michael is honorable and kind, and sees the best in people. He should be able to share that with someone. Elizabeth says, it sounds like he already is.

Brook asks Chase to just give her more time, and he says he will. Eventually, she’ll have to find another place though. Brook says, don’t tell her to go back to her father, and Chase tells her not to worry. He was recently reminded that bringing families together by force of will isn’t in his skill set. She thanks him, and says she’ll definitely find a new situation. Not tonight though. She has other plans. He asks what they are, so he can disapprove of them, and I laugh. She shows him a flyer that says, Karaoke Night.   

Dante tells Michael, don’t make life altering decisions based on what you think another person wants. It’s stupid, or at least a disappointment and a regret. It’s not fair to Willow either. Michael asks what he should do, and Dante says, be honest. Tell her how he feels, and let her decide. Don’t think the only decent thing is to separate. Michael says Willow deserves someone to be in love with, and they’re not in love. Dante asks how he knows, and Willow walks in. She asks if she’s interrupting.   

Carly tells Sasha, open up; she’s worried. Sasha pops out, and says, all hers, but Carly says, nice try, and turns Sasha around. She tells Sasha to look in the mirror. Does she really want to go out looking like that? What’s a nice girl like her doing with a face like that? Sasha says she’s not that nice, and Carly says, really? Is she coming down with a cold? Sasha says she’s fine, but Carly says she doesn’t look fine.

Jax tells Nina, he knows how it looks, but he and Carly talked. She had no intention of knocking over Nelle’s headstone. She says he doesn’t have to lobby for Carly anymore. It’s nice that Carly came over with wine – red wine – and she apologized. They never have to speak about Nelle again. Jax is sorry it came to this. It will be a while before Carly stops looking over her shoulder. Nina doesn’t doubt it, and says it’s great Carly has him in her corner. Carly is Josslyn’s mother, and other people might not understand their relationship, but she does. He asks, what other people?

Back at the table, Ava asks what Nikolas is doing. He says, divorcing her. It’s what she said she needs for him to prove he’s not playing her. He lifts a dish cover, and underneath is a rolled up document. He says, voila! takes it off the plate, and tells her, the pages are flagged where she needs to sign. He’s following the conditions of the post-nup to the letter, and relinquishing 90% of the estate to her. Ava asks, what’s the catch? and he says, no catch. She says, of course (🍷) there is. She wonders if it’s some kind of trap, and he says, there is a price. She says, here it comes, and he says she can have everything she asked for – money, property, material things – but she can’t have him.

At The Floating Rib, Franco tells Epiphany that he did a good thing. She says, inviting the devil himself to their safe space? He says, even the devil gets lonely, and Elizabeth suggests he buy them round. She steers Epiphany to a table, and asks, what’s going on with her? Epiphany says, nothing; certainly nothing she wants to bring up at karaoke. Elizabeth asks how much they’ve been through, and how many times they’ve had each other’s backs, and Epiphany says, more times than she can count. Elizabeth says, then tell her, and Epiphany starts cry. She says she and Milo are breaking up, and I make a sad face.

Jax asks Nina what she means by other people. Did someone say something? She says, it’s not important. She wishes they were the only people in the relationship, but Carly will always be a part of his life. When co-parents get along… people talk. He says, all it is, is talk. They’re just two people trying to do the best for their daughter.   

Sasha thanks Carly for her concern, but it doesn’t matter if she’s fine. Carly says she’s wrong, and doesn’t think Michael would agree. Sasha says she went out of her way to make sure her life is none of Michael’s business. Carly says she did it to protect Wiley from Nelle. If Michael knew what she did, the sacrifices she made, and that she was still hurting, he’d have something say. Sasha says, he won’t. Michael finally has Wiley, and Wiley has Michael, and they both have Willow. They’re a family now, and she can’t take that away from them. Even if she could, she wouldn’t, and neither should Carly. She walks out, leaving Carly with her mouth hanging open.

Michael tells Willow that he was in the middle of a brotherly lecture. Dante says he hopes Michael sees the benefit in his wisdom, and takes his advice. Willow says, if it came from Dante, it must be worthwhile, and Dante tells Michael, his wife is a wise woman. Willow says her class is about to start. She took a Ride Share there, and was hoping to go home with him. He says he’s still got to work out, so he can wait. She says she’ll see him later, and leaves. Dante says he rests his case.

Chase says, Brook is going to sing? He thought the doctors said she couldn’t. She says, they told her it was unlikely, not impossible. He says, so she’s going to get up there and see what happens? She says, it can’t hurt to try.

Franco stands at the bar, and Cyrus comes in. He tells Franco, this round is on him.

Elizabeth tells Epiphany that she’s sorry. What happened with Milo? Epiphany says, Milo has been away, traveling and opening gyms for the franchise across the country. They haven’t seen each other in months. Meanwhile, she’s become a paper pusher. Elizabeth says, Milo adores her. She can’t imagine they can’t make it work. Epiphany tells her, he said he’d come back, and Elizabeth says, great, but Epiphany says she told him no. It’s not the same anymore. As much as she hates to admit it, they’ve grown apart. Elizabeth asks how she can help, and Epiphany says, first, she doesn’t want a fuss made. Elizabeth says Epiphany can’t keep it inside; she has to let it out. Brook takes the stage, and Epiphany says, not another word about it. I note that Brook doesn’t have much of a scar. She tries to sing, but struggles. She says, wrong key, puts the mic down, and runs out. Chase goes after her. This is driving me nuts, since I’ve sung most of my life, and Brook is supposed to be a professional. I doubt she would have just gotten up there without even attempting to practice first, or even warm up, and she sure gave up easy. Instead of saying, wrong key, she should have said, too soon. It’s not like everyone doesn’t know what happened. This is frustrating the hell out of me.

Ava asks what Nikolas is trying to pull, and he asks if she thinks he wants to sign the papers. Of course (🍷) he doesn’t. He had them drawn up to force her hand; get her to move forward with the marriage or end it. She says, it’s an elaborate ultimatum, and he says, it’s a gamble that their night in the cabin wasn’t a one-off. Tell him she feels the same way. He thought instead of signing the papers, they’d burn them together. Ava says, there are certain considerations. There are people who will be affected if they end the marriage. He says he took a leap and owned up to his feelings. Do the same, or he’ll have to admit he’s a jackass. She says, of course (🍷) she has feelings, but it complicates things. He says it’s simple, they’ll stay married, but she says certain people may be made to pay if they remain married. Let her think things through; she needs a minute. She walks away, her back to him, and he says, once and for all, decide now. She doesn’t realize how close he is to her, and when she turns around, she stabs him accidentally, her knife going into his abdomen. I gasp out loud. I was not expecting that.

Sasha comes back out, and Nina asks if she found everything okay. The guest room is down the hall. Sasha says she’s not staying, but Nina says she should. They can have breakfast tomorrow. Sasha says it’s kind of Nina to bring her there, despite everything. She just needed a moment to catch her breath. Don’t give her another thought. She jets, and Carly comes out. In the hallway, Sasha makes a call. She says she needs a refill. She’ll be there in 15.   

Michael does crunches in the ring, and Willow walks back in. He asks if her class was canceled, but she says she blew it off. Curiosity got the best of her. She wanted to hear Dante’s advice in person. Michael says, Dante left, but she says he can tell her. He says, Dante thinks they should stay together. Those weren’t his exact words, but it was the overall idea. She says the closer they get to the annulment, the more fans they have. He says he was thinking the same thing. He says he’ll get cleaned up, and she says, her too – even though she didn’t have a class. She says she’ll meet him back there, and gives a lingering look to his back before she walks out.

Chase finds Brook outside and asks her to come back. They can sing a duet. She’ll sound like an angel in comparison. Highly doubtful, since I still remember him singing Feel It Still for the Nurses Ball, and he rocked. He says maybe she jumped in too soon. Now that she has that out of the way, he knows she has another performance in her. She says, that wasn’t a performance; it was her swan song. It sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

Franco brings Cyrus over to the table, and says, look who made it. Epiphany tells Elizabeth, she’s back in hell again, and Cyrus asks if anyone has seen the songbook. Elizabeth hands it to him, and Franco jokes that he’s probably a fan of Miley Cyrus. What does he want? Gilbert and Sullivan? Sammy Hagar? Cyrus says, the 70s, and Franco tells him, pull up a chair. Epiphany says, not today, Satan, and gets up to sing. Franco says, she’s having a bad day. Epiphany sings. I give up trying to find out the titles, but it’s something about waiting, and debating if her love will come back to her.

As Epiphany sings, we see Michael in the shower, pondering. He turns around, and Willow is there in a towel. She lets the towel fall, and I’m not sure I’m on board with this. He drops his towel, and they move closer. Okay, now I’m guessing this isn’t real because they keep switching to them being alone.

Ava takes out the knife, and tells Nikolas, he’s bleeding. He says, yeah; he’s been stabbed. She drops the knife, and takes off his shirt. Is this some kind of weird foreplay? They kiss…

Afterwards (we assume), Nikolas says, well…? and Ava says they’re going to have to do something about these, and picks up the divorce papers. He says, it doesn’t matter; they’re not real. He wasn’t going to risk anything. She’s too proud to admit she’s crazy about him. Now he’s sure. She calls him an arrogant SOB, and he asks, is it arrogant if he’s right? She takes the papers, and opens the door. He asks where she’s going, and she says, to find the cyanide. She leaves, and he smiles. He says, she likes me. She really likes me.

Chase tells Brook, it’s going to be okay. She says, it will be something, but it will never be okay. If she can’t do the one thing that gives her purpose, what purpose does she have?

Everyone applauds for Epiphany. Cyrus says he can’t imagine how anyone can follow her, and Franco says, if anyone could, it’s the Chairman with Sinatra. Cyrus says he could be persuaded. His phone dings, and he says, however, he’ll have to take a raincheck. Epiphany says, convenient, and he promises to revisit. I’m very disappointed.

Carly says she tried talking to Sasha, but Sasha wouldn’t hear her. Nina says, maybe Sasha heard, but didn’t agree. Carly says, Sasha needs help, but Nina says she can’t keep Sasha against her will. She did the best she could, at least for tonight. Carly says she can do better, like it’s a competition, and leaves.    

Willow meets Michael, and they leave the gym together.

In an alleyway on the phone, Sasha asks, where the hell are you? Don’t leave me hanging. The dealer hangs up, and she throws her phone, saying, dammit. Cyrus comes along, and says, there are cheaper ways to channel her frustration. What’s the trouble, and how can he help? 

Elizabeth says she’ll be right back, and Franco tells Epiphany that she sounded great. Epiphany thanks him, and says she’s decided he can have the chocolate bar. He says, good, because he already ate it. He’ll get her next time. She says he can get another round, and she’ll call it even. He gets up, and she says she hopes he knows how good he has it with Elizabeth. He says, doorknob. She tells him, say that again? and he keels over.

Tomorrow, it’s Halloween in Port Charles, Valentin thinks Peter has a Spinelli problem, Ava hopes Nikolas can forgive her, Nikolas says he’ll save Julian’s sorry ass, Cyrus tells Sasha that they can have a mutually beneficial friendship, and Carly tells Sonny that she thinks Sasha is a drugs.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

Shannon talked to John about her concern that Emily was dismissive with her. John told her she didn’t have to be best friends with Emily; just be okay. Elizabeth and Kelly met Gina at Farmhouse for dinner. Elizabeth said there was a gag order over her divorce details, but she was going to have a great party afterward, where she’d spill everything. Gina didn’t understand how Elizabeth was not having sex with Jimmy, and in her interview, Kelly thought that he had to be getting something done. Elizabeth said she liked Shannon, and Gina said Shannon had kicked her under the bus, saying her house was sad and depressing. In her interview, Gina said don’t bring her 9 lemons in an f-ing bowl, then say sh*t about her. She felt Shannon wasn’t authentic. Kelly said Emily had tried with Shannon too, but it wasn’t easy. They talked about how much better 2020 was going to be than 2019, and I laaaaughed.

Braunwyn said she was a basket case, either being so happy or so miserable that she wanted to jump out of her skin. In her interview, she said the only thing that might be bigger than her problem with alcohol was her love for her kids. She told Sean that she hadn’t been as present as she should have been, and realized she wasn’t a good mom. She didn’t know how she let it get so bad so fast. It was the one thing she wanted to be good at, and she wasn’t. He told her it was going to be okay. Lots of okay stuff today, both on GH and this.

Kelly took possession of her new house, which looked huge, especially with nothing in it. She told us it was 4500 square feet, with a pool and spa, but it’s suburbia. She met with her interior designer, and in her interview, she said the moms there were buttoned up, prim and proper, and cooking with aprons on. It was a Beaver Cleaver neighborhood. She said Shannon was a Stepford Wife, and she was scared she was going to turn into that. Rick had lived in NYC forever, and was ready to settle down, but she was mostly doing it for Jolie, who wanted to be in a family community. She wanted Jolie to have the best childhood possible, and see what a good relationship was like. She said it goes by fast. Truth!

Braunwyn picked up Shannon to go see Dr. Moon, and told Shannon about going to her first AA meeting. Braunwyn admitted that she’d told Emily about Shannon saying Gina’s house was sad. In Shannon’s interview, she insisted she hadn’t said that, and told Braunwyn that she had to set the record straight. Shannon said her fear was that Dr. Moon was getting older. She wondered what she was going to do when he retired. Braunwyn told Dr. Moon that her life had become unmanageable (part of the first step in the twelve), and she’d been drinking and hiding it. His solution was to stick a needle in the middle of her ear, which he said was for addiction. In her interview, Braunwyn said she was more grateful for Shannon’s support. Shannon made the usual loud noises when Dr. Moon needled her in the back of the neck for a sacroiliac problem. (I’ll have you know, I spelled that right on the first try.) In her interview, Shannon said she was trying to help Braunwyn, who was making her look bad and putting words in her mouth. It was the ultimate betrayal. I dunno about that. I could probably think of worse things.

Emily said she’d never had relationship or friendship with Shannon, and was going to her housewarming party. On a side note, we found out Shannon’s kids aren’t allowed to swear until they’re 18. Shannon gave her house a once-over, which I totally understood. I should have done that when I discovered a pair of underwear thrown on a chair after a party, and I don’t mean by a guest who had too good of a time. They were my underwear. I was mortified. In her interview, Braunwyn said she hadn’t figured out how to navigate her bedroom yet, but she was going to a party. She wanted a drink badly, but couldn’t say anything, or she’d be that weird alcoholic girl. I dunno about that either, but her friends would definitely not want to drink in front of her. At least if they’re decent people. Oh yeah. I forgot, we’re talking Housewives here. Someone would probably yell at her, and then put her under a microscope, while they guzzled pinot in front of her the whole time.  

When Gina saw Shannon’s house, she said she could see why Shannon would say hers was sad. Her home could fit inside Shannon’s home. It was like a Polly Pocket home. Gina jumped on Shannon the second she got there, but Shannon insisted Braunwyn was the only one talking smack about Gina’s house. Moving whichever way the wind is blowing, Gina said she didn’t trust Braunwyn. In Shannon’s interview, she said she was grateful Gina believed her, but she was angry that Braunwyn put words in her mouth. Yeah, yeah, the ultimate betrayal. Shannon told Gina that she was a renter, but Gina was an owner, and there was nothing sad about Gina’s life right now.

In her interview, Emily said part of her would like to imagine Shannon wanted her at the party, but she knows Shannon doesn’t. Shannon’s dad Gene arrived with his young girlfriend, and when Kelly was introduced, she called him big d*ck daddy from Cincinnati. In Shannon’s interview, she said she’d never call someone’s father that, but I say, it depends on the father. FYI, not this guy. Shannon didn’t waste time taking Braunwyn aside, and told Braunwyn that she was hearing wrong. She hadn’t called Gina’s place sad. That wasn’t even in her vocabulary. Braunwyn stuck by her memory, saying she’d been totally sober, while Shannon had a couple of drinks, but Shannon insisted she was wrong. Braunwyn said either Shannon was lying or she didn’t remember, and Shannon said Braunwyn crossed the line. Shannon ended the conversation by saying how dare Braunwyn do this at her party, and I had to laugh when Braunwyn said she wasn’t the one who brought it up. Another truth! Shannon made a beeline for Emily, telling her that she never said Gina’s house was sad. In Braunwyn’s interview, she said every time she’s tried to be nice to Gina, it’s gotten thrown back in her face. We flashed back to all the times Gina has shut Braunwyn down, and it looks to me that Gina just plain doesn’t like Braunwyn. And I don’t think anything is going to change her mind. Braunwyn told Sean she didn’t know where to go from here.

Shannon made it sound like Braunwyn had accused her of being drunk, and in her interview, said Braunwyn was now using her sobriety as a weapon. Like always, they played telephone, and by the time Gina repeated what Shannon had said, Braunwyn claimed Shannon was so wasted. Gina brought up the text from Sean, and Emily thought it wasn’t unreasonable that she found it creepy, in context of his and Braunwyn’s lifestyle. A love shack! A sex apartment! Threesomes! In Elizabeth’s interview, she said she’d never seen women act like this, and Braunwyn was just as big of a nut. Shannon, who’d told Braunwyn earlier that she’d never do two against one, attacked Sean and Braunwyn with Emily, Gina, and Kelly in attendance. Emily thought Braunwyn was pretentious, and Shannon told Sean, maybe they should start being authentic. Gina said Braunwyn looks down on her because she doesn’t have as much money as they do. We flashed back to some instances where Braunwyn said something Gina didn’t like, and I see it as Gina being the one who feels defensive about not having money. Gina got in Braunwyn’s face, screeching that Braunwyn was a sloppy chihuahua, and wasted all the time. She told Braunwyn to go get wasted again, which is really nice, and Braunwyn said she was 30 days sober today, bitch. Braunwyn ran off, telling Gina, f*** you!

Next time, the party continues, Braunwyn never wants see them again, Kelly thinks Braunwyn is better when she drinks, Braunwyn insists Shannon isn’t telling the truth, and Shannon says she doesn’t move on when people call her a liar. Great. We’ll be on this for the rest of the season.

👀 Elizabeth and Gina were guests tonight on Watch What Happens Live. I really like Elizabeth. She kind of reminds me of Garcelle on RHOBH. She stays above the fray, and laughs a lot. She said she was surprised she’d been chosen to become a Real Housewife, especially with the pandemic going on. Her divorce had been finalized, and we found out she and Jimmy finally had sex. Or as she put it, she’d been officially rechristened. I tried to ignore Gina, since she’s on a par with Teddi for me. She’s a follower, and an a-hole. Both the guests and audience were remote, and it was actually kind of fun. The Countess made a guest appearance, and sang Viva la Diva, while the audience danced in their Zoom boxes. Under normal circumstances, you rarely see the audience, so it had a different vibe. The sound people also made LuAnn sound a lot better than she really does, unless she’s been taking lessons. I want those people for karaoke. If I ever see karaoke again. I miss singing… and bourbon… sniff…

🍹 Don’t forget – The new season of Southern Charm begins tomorrow – i.e. Thursday.

👩🏽‍🏫 Brush Up On Your Charm…

New cast member and first woman of color on the show. She looks a lot like Lily Ghalichi from Shahs of Sunset.

‘Southern Charm’ Newbie Leva Gets Real About Talking to Kathryn About Race

Might Shep finally be settling down? Omg, he’s 40. He should probably pick a lane now.

Shep Rose: There’s No Reason to ‘Weasel’ Out of Taylor Ann Green Relationship

Kathryn co-parents up close and personal.

Kathryn Dennis Lived In Thomas Ravenel’s Guest House Earlier This Year; Thomas Allegedly Appears In Southern Charm Season 7 Premiere

One of the few really decent people in reality TV.

https://extratv.com/2020/10/15/reality-stars-eliza-limehouse-and-mark-struthers-mcbride-jr-expecting-first-child-weeks-after-their-wedding/

🍋 The Stirrer Gets Stirred…

I wouldn’t last two seconds in this program. I’d be All Out.

https://www.refinery29.com/en-ca/2020/09/10030895/all-in-by-teddi-mellencamp-diet-business-scam-twitter

👠 Because It’s That Time Of Year…

And because I was the first one to throw something. True story.

https://nypost.com/2020/09/25/how-rocky-horror-went-from-tiny-musical-to-filthy-phenom/

⏰ The Clock Is Ticking…

It’s almost Halloween, and also almost time to change the clocks. Don’t forget to fall behind an hour this weekend. Yay! I’ll finally get some sleep. No I won’t. And also don’t forget to stay safe, stay truthful, and stay not being the one who takes the last chocolate bar from the vending machine. Especially if Epiphany is behind you.

Oct24

October 23, 2020 – Carly Can’t Let It Go, Ramona Who, Tyra’s Correction, He’s Alive, Laguna Reunited, Marketing Charm, Houses To Haunt, an Octet of Quotes for October & a Classic

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

✍🏽 Since I’m attending a 3-day virtual business conference, I wasn’t able to see GH at its regular time. It’s slightly condensed, because I need that pesky sleep, but I’ll be back to my regularly scheduled excruciatingly long transcripts on Sunday night.

General Hospital

Julian wants Ava to call him if she hears from their friend in Pentenville (i.e. Ryan). Sam tries to get nosy about it, but Julian blows her off, asking if there’s something he can help with. She says, it’s her mom.

Alexis is busy getting drunk at the MetroCourt bar.

Josslyn tells Dev that she’s going to talk to Cameron face-to-face, since he’s been ignoring her calls and DMs.

Trina shows up at Kelly’s while Cameron is working. She says they haven’t hung out in a while, and wonders, what’s up?

Jax sees Curtis at the MetroCourt with Jordan, and says he heard Nina hired him to help find her child. Curtis asks if it was Nina’s idea, or Jax’s.

Carly shows up at Nelle’s gravesite, and Nina says, wrong turn? but Carly says she’s right where she’s supposed to be.

Cameron tells Trina that he’s been busy with work, but she doesn’t buy it. He flashes back to when Dev showed him Josslyn’s journal, where Dev faked Josslyn’s writing, saying she didn’t like Cameron kissing her. Trina asks if he’s too busy to help her clear her father’s name, but he says, of course (🍷) not. She says the injustice of Cyrus walking around while her dad’s name got trashed is making her crazy. Cameron tells her not to worry; they’ll fix it. Trina thinks they should find out why Taggert came back to Port Charles in the first place, and Cameron suggests looking at his old reports. She says she’ll pretend she’s looking for mementos in his stuff. There’s no way her dad would set anyone up. He was a good cop. Cameron says he knows, and they’ll make sure everyone else does too.

Jordan excuses herself to let Curtis and Jax talk. Curtis walks, and Jax follows him. Jax says he senses mistrust on Curtis’s part, and Curtis says he doesn’t want to see Nina get hurt. Jax says, that makes two of them. Curtis asks if Jax is manipulating Nina the way Valentin did, and Jax says, absolutely not. He’s just there for support, but he appreciates Curtis looking out for her. Curtis says he was going to say the same about Jax.

Nina asks if Carly is going to create a problem. She made sure Nelle’s grave wasn’t near Mike and Morgan. Carly says she’s not going to cause trouble, and Nina asks why she can’t let Nelle go.

Sam tells Julian that Alexis is drinking again. She thinks it started after Neil died. Julian asks if she’s sure, and Sam tells him about Alexis drinking right in front of her, saying, Alexis almost seemed defiant. He says he’ll do what he can to help.

Jax tells Curtis, Nina knows they might hit a dead end, and Curtis says, or maybe there was never a baby in the first place. Jax says, Nina’s intuition tells her that her child is out there somewhere, and Curtis prays that’s true. Jax says, but he’s worried about Nina if it isn’t, and Curtis asks, isn’t Jax?

Carly tells Nina that she can’t wait for the day Nelle isn’t even a factor, and Nina says, apparently, that’s not today. Carly says she doesn’t know why she’s there, and Nina asks if she’s okay. Carly says she will be, and Nina asks if it’s possible to forget about Nelle completely, when she’s the mother of Carly’s grandson?

Trina tells Cameron that she needs their help; there’s strength in numbers. She says she knows him well enough to know he’s holding back. He says he wants to help her, and so does Josslyn, but he’s afraid he’ll mess things up. She asks, how? and he says, by having feelings for her. Possibly more than friends feelings. He feels like a jerk, since he feels the same about Josslyn. Trina says it’s her fault for sending mixed signals. She’s confused about her feelings too.

Josslyn tells Dev that she and Cameron haven’t talked since they kissed, and Cameron also kissed Trina. She doesn’t want to mess things up for them. Dev says, if Cameron is avoiding her, she has her answer.

Britt orders a drink at the bar, and Alexis says, the more, the merrier. She suggests Britt switch to vodka, but Britt says she has a meeting. Alexis says she remembers those. Britt asks if there’s someone she can call, and Alexis says, a dating service. Her last boyfriend died, and she’s looking for a new one.

Sam tells Julian, she’ll handle her mother on her own, when Cyrus walks in. Cyrus says he wants to purchase the bar, and believes Julian will find his offer impossible to turn down.

Britt asks how many Alexis has had, and Alexis asks if she’s reporting to Julian. Britt says no, and Alexis says Britt just sleeps with him. Britt says, not anymore, and for the record, she had zero idea that Alexis and Neil were a secret. Alexis says, so Britt didn’t actively try to destroy her life; she appreciates the distinction. Britt says, even though Alexis is hammered, she could take it down a notch. Jordan comes in, and asks if Britt has a minute. Britt says, lead the way, and tells Alexis, it’s been a pleasure.

Jordan tells Britt, law enforcement and public health go hand in hand. She had a collaborative relationship with Britt’s predecessor, and is hoping to carry it forward. Britt is in agreement, and asks how GH can help the PCPD. Jordan says, off the top of her head, combating child abuse, domestic violence, and of course (🍷) drug abuse.

Sam says she’d love to hear about Cyrus and Julian’s business together, but Julian says, there isn’t any. Cyrus says, there could be, and Julian should jump at the chance. Molly calls Sam, who steps away. Julian is miffed that Cyrus brought his proposal up in front of Sam, and Cyrus says he’s had ample time to consider it. He asks if it’s the size of the offer that’s the problem, but Julian says, it’s everything. He’s not parting with the pub. Cyrus suggests keeping him on as manager. He’d have the windfall of the sale, plus revenue from the job. Think of it as the evolution of the partnership they already have. The one that formed when he provided Julian with an alibi.

Jax says he doesn’t want to see Nina get her heart broken again, but it’s what she wants. Curtis says they know Nina won’t take no for an answer when she wants something. Jax says, she’s spent so much of her life wondering; he thinks she’s ready for an answer. Curtis says, even if the answer isn’t what she wants? and Jax says, yes. Curtis says Nina is going to need Jax if that’s the case. Jax says she’ll need Curtis too, and they agree to be there for her.

Nina tells Carly, Nelle is Wiley’s mother. One day he’s going to grow up, and want a headstone to visit. Nelle was a human being before her life unraveled. She’s not minimizing the horrible things Nelle did, but Nelle is dead now. Help her rest in peace. Carly says, Nina sentimentalizing a nightmare doesn’t make it less of one, and it’s going to be hard when Wiley finds out his mother was disturbed and killed people. Would it serve him better believing a lie? Nina says, there has to be middle ground, but Carly says, there isn’t when it comes to Nelle. She slit Brook’s throat and kidnapped Wiley. Carly thinks it’s all about Nina. She’s projecting. Nina did some bad things, and turned her life around, and she thinks Nelle could have too if someone had stepped in. Carly tried. Nina was nowhere near as toxic as Nelle on her worst day. Nelle couldn’t have been saved. Nina says, Nelle is dead. Carly won. Why can’t that be enough? She leaves, and Carly tells Nelle’s headstone she doesn’t know why she’s there. She doesn’t know why Nelle still matters. Why can’t she let Nelle go? A Carrie hand comes out of the ground, and Carly struggles with it, knocking over the gravestone. Nina comes back, and looks at Carly.

Julian says he didn’t ask for Cyrus’s help, and Cyrus says, Julian can’t deny he needed it. Be grateful. If Cyrus hadn’t stepped in, the police might have found out what led to Martin’s mugging. Julian says he doesn’t know anything about it, and Cyrus says, of course (🍷) not. Martin probably made many enemies, just representing Nelle. Perhaps as many as Julian made when he married her. He might want to think twice about rejecting a hand extended in friendship.

Sam tells Molly, mom has been off lately, and suggests they meet later.

Jax sees Alexis at the bar, and she says, this is what it looks like. Don’t sound the alarm; Sam already knows. Does he want to join her? For a drink, not a pity party, and not an intervention. Just sharing a drink with a friend. Some people don’t like to drink alone. She’s not one of them.

Britt says her boss has brought up drugs as well. It’s of interest, given the nature of his false imprisonment. Cyrus was deeply moved by the recovering addicts he encountered in the system. He wants to find a way to break the cycle. Jordan says, very admirable. Britt sees Jax, and says, her meeting is here. She tells Jordan that she looks forward to working with her.

Jordan joins Curtis. He asks if she’s wondering the same thing he is, and she says, why is Britt with Jax? He says, exactly.

Britt and Jax sit in one of the side alcoves, and Britt says her mother is obsessed with him. He asks how Obrecht is, she says they haven’t spoken since the WSB picked Obrecht up. She was hoping her mother had cleaned up her act, but not so much. He congratulates her on her new job, and assumes that’s why she wanted to meet. She says she needs money.

Dev says Josslyn and Cameron have been friends most of their lives, and Cameron has been ghosting her since they kissed. Dev doesn’t want to see her hurt, but doesn’t think Cameron’s that into her. Josslyn asks if they shouldn’t talk about it, and he says they can, but he doesn’t think Cameron is comfortable with it. Then there’s the whole Trina thing. She wants them to get together to help her clear her dad’s name, and Josslyn wouldn’t want things to be awkward between her and Cameron.

Trina says she might have feelings for Cameron too, and he wonders why things have to be confusing. She says, because feelings are messy. They change from day to day, minute to minute sometimes. Cameron says, it’s like going through a maze. You think you know where you’re going, then you’re lost. Trina says, the past few months felt like that. She thought about their kiss a lot. He says so did he, and she says, it doesn’t make sense. They were both messed up. She doesn’t know if the kiss was good or bad. He asks what they do, and she says, this, and kisses him.

Julian says, sounds like a threat. Go ahead. Cyrus says he’s merely reminding Julian that he did him a good turn, and could continue to. When it comes to secrets, he’s the exception to the rule that says, two people can only keep a secret if one of them is dead. He walks out, and passes Sam. She stares at Julian.

Trian says, wow, and Cameron says, wow good, or wow bad? She says, wow as in he’s an awesome friend, and that’s where they’re supposed to be. He says, she’s friendzoning him? He should be offended. She says he’s more sensitive than he gives himself credit for, and he says, don’t tell anyone. It will ruin his rep. She says she thinks he was picking up on how she thought she might have feelings for him, going back to their Niagara Falls trip. She didn’t want to go there, since he was in love with Josslyn. He tells her, nobody said anything about love, and she says she was creating a situation, when in reality there was none. The feelings she has for him are friendship. He says, what about him? She says if he wants to crush on her for the rest of his life, go ahead. He says, what about Josslyn? and she says, that’s for him and Josslyn to decide. He says he just wants everything to go back to normal. It’s their senior year. Before they know it, it will be mid-winter formal. She says she can’t wait to go to the dance with someone she really wants to kiss. He says, speak for herself. This last year has been tricky. He’s taking a break from relationship drama. She asks, for how long?

Nina asks, what happened? and Carly says she tripped. She was saying her piece, and lost her footing, and tripped. Nina says, and in the process, she accidently knocked over the gravestone? She couldn’t just leave this alone.

Jordan tells Curtis that she talked to Britt. She was feeling Britt out. Seeing if she’s worth it as a means to get to Cyrus. He asks what she thinks.

Jax asks Britt what the money will be used for, and she says she’s developing a new research program. Hopefully, it will return GH to it’s rightful place as a top medical institution. He says, it’s ambitious, and she says, it’s expensive. The recent legal issues tainted both the hospital’s reputation and finances. She needs his help. He asks, why not hit up her boss? Cyrus already bought his way onto the Board. She says, he’s already making a substantial contribution, and Jax says, that’s not enough? She says, not to sustain project, and from her understanding, he and the hospital go way back. He says, so did he and Monica. Britt says she’s channeling her inner Monica, and wants to restore the hospital back to its former glory. She understands he’s hugely respected. He says, he’s told Cyrus calls the shots now – literally – and she says, that’s out of her control. He says, he understands business is business, and sometimes you have to work with people you don’t care for, but Cyrus is in a whole other category. He was hoping Cyrus was deceiving her somehow, but she knows who Cyrus is, and it doesn’t bother her. It’s her prerogative, but he doesn’t do business with people like that. She says, that’s it? and he says, sorry. As long Cyrus is in charge, the Bank of Jax is closed. She says, interesting, his lofty standards, given who is brother is. She thought they’d be sympatico; the daughter of Faison and Obrecht, and the brother of Jerry Jax. Still, he judges the rest of them. He says he separated from his brother years ago. She says, keep telling yourself that. Jax’s phone rings.

Nina asks Jax to come to the cemetery. His ex-wife is having a moment.

Trina visits Josslyn, and says she talked to Cameron. He’s going help with her dad. Josslyn asks if Cameron is all good with them working together as a group, and Trina tells her, he said the important thing was, they all remain friends. He said he’s spending senior year free of relationship drama, and making no commitments. Joss says, sounds good to her. The less time they spend on drama, the more time they can focus on clearing Taggert’s name.

Dev sits with Cameron at the counter in Kelly’s. He says he’s checking in to see how Cameron is doing after what Josslyn said. Cameron says, those things were private, and Dev says if Cameron wants to tell Josslyn that he found the journal, go head. Cameron says he doesn’t want her to know he knows. She’ll make excuses that she didn’t mean it.  

Jordan tells Curtis, Britt said Cyrus was all about using GH’s resources to combat drug abuse. He asks if Britt is in on it with Cyrus, or looking the other way, but she doesn’t know. She says, Cyrus didn’t sink his money into the hospital to become a patron saint. He’s got something else in mind. Curtis says, and he’s arrogant enough to think he can get away with it.

Britt calls Cyrus, and says she met with Jax. He asks if she secured the financial backing, but she says, not exactly.

Julian leaves a message that he needs help. He needs someone to disappear. Sam tells Julian, his meeting with Cyrus confirms what she’s known all along. He says, forget Cyrus. He wants to get back to her mom, but she says, after what she witnessed, leave her mother the hell alone. He says, in some way, her mother trusts him, and Sam says, look where it got her. Now he’s cozying up to Cyrus. Leave her mother alone, and if she comes in, don’t serve her. He says he’d never serve Alexis alcohol, but Sam says, the list of things he’d never do gets smaller every day. She walks out.

Alexis continues to drink. She says, one more. She’s got nowhere to be.

Carly tells Nina, she’ll pay to have it set. Jax arrives, and asks, what happened? Carly tells Nina, she said it was an accident. Nina tells him, Carly said she tripped. Carly doesn’t know why Nina called him, and Jax says, because she was worried. Carly says she’s fine, and Nina says, is she? She’s going, and hopes Jax has more luck with Carly than she did. She leaves, and Jax wants to know what’s going on. Carly says, it’s nothing. It’s nothing that needs to be discussed. It’s over and done with. She looks at the gravestone, and the leaves move. Presumably, it’s the wind.

On Monday, Alexis says Robert is the reason she’s an alcoholic, Dante thinks Maxie is making a mistake, and Sam wonders why Jason didn’t say anything to her.

🍊 Who’s Ramona Indeed…

I say, who’s Dave Portnoy?

https://pagesix.com/2020/10/22/dave-portnoy-denies-hanging-out-with-rhony-star-ramona-singer/

👠 Smize This…

Tyra isn’t having it.

https://pagesix.com/2020/10/22/tyra-banks-slams-reports-she-doesnt-want-real-housewives-on-dwts/

🔮 He Didn’t See This Coming…

I love when a fake psychic is exposed.

https://pagesix.com/2020/10/22/psychic-summons-drew-barrymores-dead-relative-who-is-still-very-much-alive/

👩‍👩‍👦 But Does It Feel Good…?

And does anyone really care?

https://www.eonline.com/news/1201490/watch-lauren-conrad-kristin-cavallari-and-laguna-beach-cast-reunite-for-first-time-in-14-years

🍸 Charming Collection…

Patricia launched her own pillows, since she’s still waiting for Craig’s.

Patricia Altschul Launches Luxe Home Collection with HSN

👻 Spookiness Abounds…

Nice places to visit, but you don’t want to live there.

https://www.travelchannel.com/interests/packages/haunted/halloween-and-horror-film-houses

🤏 Quotes of the Week

A woman’s heart should be so hidden in God that a man has to seek Him just to find her. – Maya Angelou

Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life, but define yourself. – Harvey Fierstein

Money and success don’t change people; they merely amplify what is already there. – Will Smith

Happiness is for dogs and Americans. – Dr. Obrecht (Kathleen Gati), General Hospital

Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. – William James

The oak fought the wind and was broken, the willow bent when it must and survived. – Robert Jordan

The person attempting to travel two roads at once will get nowhere. – Xun Kuang

If I had to rate Pedro on a scale of one to ten, he’s a three. – driving instructor, The Family Chantel

🍭 Blowing This Pop Stand…

See you when it’s Dead time, but in the meantime, stay safe, stay amused with life, and stay away from Carly. She’s a little clumsy.

Oct23

October 22, 2020 – Nina Gives Nelle a Decent Burial, Remote Charm, New Season, NJ Lawsuit, NY Divorce, Dead News, Fashionable Country, Appreciate Bats & Some Cranberries

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly is resting, and Sonny asks, what’s up with Josslyn? She doesn’t look good, and said Nelle stole something from her. Carly says she’ll talk to Josslyn, and gets up. Sonny says, this is probably it. Nelle came back to get it. Carly sees what I’m guessing is a bloody kidney in his hands. She screams. And wakes up. She wonders why this is happening.

Chase tells Willow, she, Michael, and Wiley make a wonderful family. He’s glad she’s happy. She thanks him, and he says it’s all he ever wanted for her. He hopes Michael does better by her than he did. He starts to walk away, and she asks him to wait. She wants to tell him something about her and Michael, but he says whatever it is, it’s better if she doesn’t.

Jax asks if he can talk to Michael, and Michael says, if it’s something about Aurora, he doesn’t have much to contribute yet. Jax says they can talk about whatever he wants, but keep him distracted. He looks over at Nina talking to Valentin. Nina tells Valentin, it wasn’t easy to shut him out and start over, but he left her no choice. He says if she means that, she wouldn’t care who he sleeps with, but she obviously does. Maybe she’s not as over him as she thinks. She says if by over him he means indifferent, she never claimed to be, but she’s determined to move on. He says, then let him do the same. Or did she expect him to wait around indefinitely?

Carly finds Jason in the kitchen, and asks him to pour her a cup of coffee. She could use the caffeine. He asks, what happened? and she says she hasn’t been sleeping well, so she took a nap. Big mistake. She dreamed about Nelle – again. She can’t keep going like this.

Nikolas walks in, and Ava says, good; he’s home. She has something important to discuss. He closes the door, and says he does too. Something he should have told her a long time ago. She says she’s sure it can wait a little longer, but he tells her, for once in her life, lower her guard enough to listen. She asks what makes him think she’s interested in anything that comes out of his mouth. He thought she liked his mouth, and she says she’d like to slap it. So unless he’s about to confess… He says that’s exactly what he’s doing. He hasn’t been honest with her. About him, and about them.

Ava says, speak, and he says he’s been thinking for a while about how things are going. Not just with them; there’s the whole family to consider. She tells him, spit it out, and he says she’s not making it easy. She says clearly he hasn’t thought out what he needs to say, and he suggests she let him say it, instead of being smug, cynical, and ready with a cutting remark. She says he knew how she was when he married her, and he says, a conniving, treacherous opportunist. She says she can never live down her bad choices. She’s selfish and ruthless; never mind his history. He says he knows who he is, but he’s just starting to get to know the real Ava, the woman behind the façade. He’s realized that in their marriage of convenience, he has inconvenient feelings.

Nina says she doesn’t want Valentin to wait for her. There’s no chance for them. He says he doesn’t believe that. Jax is a rebound, and she’s his plus one; his companion, a trophy. She says Valentin knows nothing, and he says he knows she and Jax like each other. He knows they have certain things in common, and knows it’s a safe relationship, because both of their hearts are otherwise engaged. Jax loves Carly, and she loves… She says, no. She’s not threatened by Jax’s connection to Carly.

Jax tells Michael that Valentin wants Nina back. He can’t say he blames him; she’s an incredible woman. Michael says she seems happy with Jax, and Jax says he’s happy with her. But when you’ve been married to someone, you develop an understanding of each other that doesn’t go away just because the marriage ends. Michael hopes he’s right.

Chase tells Willow, he set all of this in motion. He did what he did, and she ended up with Wiley and Michael, and he’s truly happy for her, but he’s no longer a part of her life. Not the way he used to be. So whatever she was going to say… She flashes back to Michael saying there’s nothing selfish about being in love; it’s what he wants for her, but he considers their marriage a success. She tells him, she does too. She tells Chase, it’s not what he thinks, but he says, it doesn’t matter. Whatever she was going to say, it’s best she holds onto it. Michael walks up to them.

Jason asks if Carly wants to talk about it, and she says she keeps having nightmares. The details are different, but they’re horrible and all about Nelle. Even though she’s dead, she’s not. He says Carly just had to sit through a police interrogation about Nelle; it makes sense that she’d be dreaming about her. She says the interrogation was frustrating because the detective accused her of pushing Nelle. Jason says, but she didn’t, so there’s no case. She  tells him, that’s what Diane said, and he says he can see why she’s still worried. She says she is, but not because of the cops. It’s because Nina is giving Nelle a proper burial this afternoon at Woodlawn Cemetery. She says she’s doing it for Wiley, so he can visit his mother’s grave, but that’s BS. She’s doing it for herself.

Carly says, Nina had a breakdown a few years back. She kidnapped Avery, and wound up in Shadybrook, but she was able to get the help she needed, and turned her life around. But Nelle didn’t, and Nina can’t let it go. He asks if she thinks Nina feels guilty because she got saved and Nelle didn’t, but Carly doesn’t know. She doesn’t care about Nina’s motives. She cares that Nelle is going to be buried in the same cemetery as Morgan and Mike. She cares that Nelle is going to have a headstone in Port Charles, where she caused so much misery. If Nina wants to do something, pay to have her buried in Florida. I get distracted momentarily by the bowl of moss, and Jason says, who cares about Nina? Why does Nelle bother Carly so much? She says it doesn’t make any sense, but he says, tell him anyway. She says she knows Nelle’s dead, but it seems like Nelle isn’t done with her.

Nina tells Valentin that she admires the way Jax and Carly co-parent, and she’d like to think they could do that with Charlotte. Show her the best of them without the fallout from the relationship they both messed up. He admits he’s responsible for the lion’s share of the damage. He wants to be there for Charlotte, and wants Nina to stay in her life. She says it would make things easier if he’d stop needling her about Jax. He agrees, but wants her to extend the same courtesy to him. She says she doesn’t needle him, and he says she did when he walked in with Brook. She says, that wasn’t needling; she’s appalled. She’s not jealous, and he should know that. Brook isn’t in the right frame of mind to decide if she wants to sleep with him. She’s recovering from a brutal attack. He says he didn’t take advantage of Brook, and she says, Brook is traumatized. Jax asks if everything is okay, and Valentin calls him Jasper, saying, they were just talking about Nelle. Jax says he despises Nelle, but Nina wants to give her a proper burial. Valentin says, she what?

Michael apologizes for barging into the conversation, but Chase says, no big deal. It’s not like when Brook walked in with Valentin. His jaw was on the floor. Michael says, Brook was with Valentin? and Chase says he’s not gossiping. They were pretty open about it. Brook spent the night with Valentin. Michael wonders what she was thinking, and says, Ned isn’t going to like this. Good thing she isn’t living at the house. It’s going to be World War III. Chase asks if he should be looking forward to Brook sleeping on his couch for the foreseeable future. Michael asks if Brook would accept money from him, but Chase says, she’d rather walk on glass. Willow says its good Brook has Chase to help her. He says she means it’s good he’s a sucker, but she says he’s not, and Brook wouldn’t take advantage if he was. She’s not a user like… Chase says, like Janelle.

Ava asks Nikolas what that means exactly, inconvenient feelings? He says it’s not supposed to happen in a relationship like theirs, and she asks him to be more vague. He says he wishes he had done it differently. He wishes he’d returned to his family as soon as he got back. He wishes he’d contacted her without the subterfuge, and that they hadn’t started out at each other’s throats. Being with her is more good than bad. She says, Ava Jerome, more good than bad; that’s a phrase fit for an epitaph. He says he’s falling for her. No, it’s already happened. He’s fallen for her.

Carly tells Jason, maybe it’s PTSD. Nelle has been after her for so long, she can’t let her guard down. He asks why she’s doubting herself. If she thinks something is off, it probably is. She has great instincts. She says, not with Nelle. When Nelle first came to town, she fell for Nelle, hook, line, and sinker. She played right into Nelle’s hands. Jason says she was grateful about Josslyn, and she says, too grateful to see what was in front of her. She didn’t recognize the girl from Frank’s apartment. She couldn’t go back and fix Nelle’s life, which is what Nelle wanted. When she caught up to Nelle in the clearing, Nelle blamed her for everything; every choice, every horrible thing that happened to her. She begged Nelle to turn herself in for Wiley’s sake, but she refused. She was fighting to hold on, and Nelle was fighting for her life. Nelle came at her, scratching and clawing. She feels like there’s something she’s supposed to remember. Like how you can’t remember a name, but it’s on the tip of your tongue. He tells her, don’t push it. It will come to her. She says, or she could confront it.

Valentin asks why Nina is paying for Nelle’s burial. She says, not that it’s any of his business, but Nelle left a son behind. He might want to visit her grave. Valentin asks why he’d want to do that. If Michael is honest with him about the pain Nelle inflicted, why would he want anything to do with her? He’s glad he didn’t know Helena was his mother while she was alive. Nina says he can’t compare Nelle to Helena, and he says, how about the pain Madeline inflicted? Nina isn’t going to romanticize her mother; why romanticize Nelle? She says, it’s none of his business. She doesn’t want to be late for the graveside service that she paid for. She flounces out, and Valentin asks if Jax isn’t going with her.

Chase tells Michael, Janelle is being buried today, and Michael says Nina called and asked if they wanted to attend. When Wiley is an adult, and he wants to visit, that’s up to him, but he has no reason to. Willow says she feels the same way. Nelle was incredibly damaged, but she caused a lot of hurt, and she hurt Willow. All Willow wants to do is leave the past behind and focus on Wiley. Chase said he felt like that at first, but now he thinks he needs to face Janelle one last time.

Ava walks up to Nikolas, and says, so he’s fallen for her. He says, without meaning to. Against his will, and against good advice from people he respects. She says, so this isn’t the first time he’s spoken of these inconvenient feelings. He says he needed a sounding board. Someone to talk to about it, while he tried to talk himself out of it. She says, yet here he is. He says, here we are. They’ve come a long way since she burned his grandmother’s portrait and threatened to shoot him. She says he has no idea how close she came to pulling the trigger, and he says, why shoot him when she could blackmail him into marriage? She says, her sentiments exactly, and drains her martini. He says, it’s different for him, so he has to believe it’s different for her too. Is she in it with him? Yes or no? It’s not just him, is it? She feels it too? She flashes back to when she found the piece of check with his signature on it, and says she feels annoyed and insulted that he expects her to fall for his declaration. He says, it’s the truth, and she says his relationship with the truth is somewhat casual. He asks why he’d leave himself open to being vulnerable if it wasn’t true, and she says, to get her to lower her guard. He says telling her his feelings doesn’t get him closer to his inheritance; it gets him closer to her. She says he’s been working on her for months, trying to wear down her resistance. He asks if that’s what happened at the cabin. She says, yes, and makes a beeline for the door. He gets in front of her, and says, tell him that she didn’t want him as much as he wanted her that night. Tell him it wasn’t real for both of them. She asks if it’s as real as it is when he’s with Elizabeth.

Jax sits down and tells Valentin, it pains him to say this, but he agrees. It would be better for Wiley if Nelle was in an unmarked grave. Valentin assumes he pitched that argument to Nina and it fell on deaf ears. It’s all wrapped up in her head with the loss of her child. Speaking of which, he’s aware what Jax is doing, encouraging her to keep up the search. If he’s doing that, he’d better be damn sure there’s a child out there to find.

Michael asks if Willow is okay, then says, forget that. It wasn’t a question as much as a demand for reassurance. He wants her to tell him she’s okay, and obviously she’s not. She says she doesn’t know what she is. She hates Nelle and always will, and it’s beyond ironic that everything good in her life comes from something Nelle did. He says Willow had every reason to use her pain as an excuse to hurt others, but she didn’t. She says, maybe because at her darkest moments, she had people to support her, and Nelle didn’t. He asks if one of them was Chase, and she says, Chase was there for her, until he wasn’t.

A pastor says a prayer at Nelle’s gravesite. Fastest. Headstone. Placement. Ever. Chase arrives, as Nina says, amen.

Jax says he’s not like Valentin. He’s not hiring someone to pose as Nina’s child. He’s going to help her as much or as little as he wants. Valentin says, and when the search hits a dead end, and Nina is devastated, what then? Jax says, what’s the alternative? Is he supposed to shield her from disappointment? He’s not in charge of her life. Valentin says, aren’t we enlightened? Someone’s done a lot of work on themselves. He wonders if Jax would be so objective if it was Carly about to break her own heart.

Michael tells Willow, there was a moment where Chase was the same Chase he’d always been. She says she felt it too. Before Michael came over, Chase said he was glad she was going to adopt Wiley. She knows he was sincere and he really wants her to be happy. It’s like there are two Chases. The one who loves her, and the one who threw her away. Michael says he can see how much Chase regrets it, and how much he still loves her and wants her back.

Sonny comes home, and apologizes for keeping Jason waiting. His got held up. His dad had Diane draw up a will after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He didn’t have a lot, just some personal stuff, and this. He hands Jason a picture and says, a race horse. One quarter share of a thoroughbred, and now it’s his. They laugh, and Jason says, Mike never told him? Sonny says, Mike might have been concerned he’d think Mike was gambling again. Maybe he forgot. Another thing Alzheimer’s took from him. Jason says, Mike loved horses, and Sonny says, he doesn’t know if the horse ever won a race, or if Mike even cared. He didn’t buy it for an investment; he bought it for part of a dream.

Michael says he was being intrusive, but Willow says she’s not offended by what he said. She doesn’t think it matters if Chase wants her back or not.

Valentin asks Jax how far he would go to protect Carly. What boundaries would he cross, or rather what boundaries wouldn’t he cross? Jax asks how many times Valentin has had this conversation with Nina. That is the angle, isn’t it? Playing up his relationship with Carly, so Nina feels more insecure? Valentin says he’s not the only one who sees Jax’s relationship with Carly for what it really is.

Nina thanks the pastor, and tells Chase that she’s glad he changed his mind. He says, if he hadn’t met Janelle, he’d probably still be a cop in coastal Maine. He’s not grateful, and she never did him any good, but in the end, he benefitted. He’s there to acknowledge that, and put her behind him once and for all. Nina says, Nelle had so many gifts, she could have accomplished a lot if just one person was looking out for her. He says, if Nina really believes she could have been the one to save Janelle, then she fooled Nina in death like she fooled him in life. Nina asks if he doesn’t think Nelle’s life would have been different if someone had intervened, but he says, Janelle had plenty of chances to turn her life around. She had plenty of people willing to help. Carly, for one, and Michael. If she’d just put down her vendetta, and tried to become the person she pretended to be, they wouldn’t be standing there right now. But Janelle was broken. She couldn’t accept kindness or support, much less love. Nina says she can’t help but think about it differently. She has a history of making horrible, disastrous choices, and turned herself around, but she had the privilege of having friends and family who cared about her. Nelle didn’t have anyone. Not one person. Maybe he’s right. Nina thought she could save her, but in the end, all she could do is give her a decent burial, and hope that she rests in peace.

Jax says he and Carly have a child together, and Valentin says, it must be difficult to watch him build a life with another woman. Jax says, not as difficult as it is for Valentin to see him building a life with Nina. Valentin says, he’d be more comfortable with Nina’s choice if he believed Jax cared about her half as much as he does. It’s obvious Jax isn’t entirely over Carly, and Valentin doesn’t think he ever will be.

Willow tells Michael, it’s hard for her to imagine getting back together with Chase, and not seeing the betrayal every time she looks at him. She can imagine getting excited over a special dinner, but it wouldn’t be real; she’d just be playing a part. Pretending he never cheated. And pretending would hurt more than accepting they’re over.

Sonny tells Jason, he’s having Diane locate the other shareholders. He wants to buy them out. If the horse still wants to race, he’ll let him, but if not, he’ll find him a pretty pasture. Jason says, Mike would like that. Sonny says he thinks Mike would, but more than that, he keeps doing it over and over, wondering what Mike would want him to do. He’s gone. Sonny loves him and grieves, but has people there who need him. He has to let his dad go, and focus on the present.

Nikolas says, Elizabeth has nothing to do with this, and Ava says she’s seen how Nikolas looks at her; how he watches her. How he grovels for her attention, her approval, and God knows what else. Elizabeth has always been his ideal, hasn’t she? It was Elizabeth who he was hoping was waiting for him when he got back. He says, Elizabeth is his oldest friend. The romance they had was over years ago. She says, look her in the eye and tell her that he hasn’t dreamed of leaving her for Elizabeth.

Nikolas says, it’s true. He thought of starting over with Elizabeth. Ava says, then spare them more of this farce, but he says, it was just a fantasy. Elizabeth is his past. She says, and she’s his future. He says, that depends. Is he hers? Does she return his feelings? Yes or no? She says she refuses to play this game. He says, she doesn’t have to; he got his answer. She says, believe what he likes, and he says he’ll say it as many times as it takes. She tells him, save his breath. Actions speak louder than words. He asks what he can do to prove himself. Name it. She says if he wants to prove his feelings, divorce her.

Jax says he’s been clear on Carly’s place in his life, and Valentin says, he’s holding nothing back? There’s nothing in his history with Carly that Nina can’t know? Jax flashes back to being on the cliff with Carly when Nelle fell, and telling her that she can tell the truth or save herself/ He tells Valentin, if he ever feels the need to settle his conscience, he won’t be talking to Valentin about it. He leaves, and Valentin wonders what he’s hiding.

Michael says he doesn’t want to make Willow uncomfortable, so no is an acceptable answer to what he’s going to say. She says, okay… and he says he doesn’t know a lot about wine. As CEO, he’s going to have a lot of business dinners, and he needs to study up. While they’re still married, would she like to study with him? He could have a broker send over a selection, maybe once a week. Cook could make dinner. They could make it themselves, but Cook would never let them in the kitchen. He doesn’t want to do something too close to what she and Chase enjoyed, but she says she’s not going to give up wine for the rest of her life because she used to drink it with Chase. She’d love to study wine with him. It sounds like fun. They clink glasses, and she says he’s making the annulment more difficult. The more she’s around him, the more she realizes what to expect from a relationship; someone she can trust, solve problems with, and study wine with. She doesn’t want what she had with Chase. She wants this. While thy’re still married, she’s going to honor that for as long as it lasts. He says he is too. 

Sonny asks Jason if there’s any word on Brando. Jason says, Brando went to work for Cyrus this morning. He should be safe for a while. Cyrus won’t test him too soon. Sonny says, eventually, Cyrus is going to want Brando to prove his loyalty, and Jason says, then Brando knows what to expect. Sonny says, what if Cyrus orders Brando to kill Jason? and Jason says he thinks the motorcycle sabotaging was a one-off. He doesn’t have to try for a while. At lest not in public. Sonny asks if Jason thinks Cyrus would risk a war with what he’s got going on at the hospital, and Jason says, he got rid of the long time staffers. He cut Elizabeth’s hours, and put Epiphany on administrative duties. Sonny says, so no one would notice Cyrus is moving product through the hospital. Sonny asks what Jason thinks the end game is, and Jason says, if Cyrus controls the mayor’s office, the cops, and the hospital, he gets Sonny isolated. He takes out Sonny, and he owns Port Charles. Sonny asks if Jason thinks it’s that simple, and Jason says, no. You have to control a lot of people, and in an organization like that, you need secrecy and loyalty. Cyrus has neither. Sonny says, the more Cyrus wastes his time, the more Brando moves closer. Jason says, what if Cyrus openly breaks the truce? Sonny says, then they take him out. It could get messy, but they have too much to lose; too many people in the line of fire.

Nina kneels at Nelle’s grave, and says she doesn’t know what to say. Sorry seems inadequate, and anything more than that seems like a lie. The people Nelle hurt didn’t deserve it, but she didn’t deserve the kind of life she had. Nina wishes things could have been different for Nelle. She hears footsteps, and looks up. It’s Carly.

Tomorrow, Curtis asks Jax if it was his call to continue the search, Alexis asks if someone wants to join her, Cyrus says Julian will find his offer impossible to turn down, and Carly says she’s where she’s supposed to be.

👒 Tonight, Bravo gave us the gift that keeps on giving. Ashley from Southern Charm made an appearance to watch the season 5 finale, along with Kathryn. Well, not exactly with Kathryn. Since it was remote, we could see both of them, but they couldn’t see or hear each other. Believe me, it was better that way. Starting off, Ashley said she was terrified, and Kathryn said it was going to be funny. Kathryn said she was going to be watching all by herself… sort of, and Ashley said, what do you mean Kathryn will be watching? She seemed more amused than embarrassed, and said once you’re a villain, there’s nothing you can do to redeem self. Apparently, she forgot Kathryn, since that’s pretty much what happened with her. Ashley told us, the opening music got her heart rate up. It was a horrific time for her, and she could feel the anxiety; whereas Kathryn said it was a new beginning for her; she’d come full circle with her relationships.

We found out Kathryn never finished Patricia’s book, The Art of Southern Charm. I have to confess, I haven’t either, but I really just bought it for the pictures of Chauncy. Kathryn also informed us that Craig’s finger was permanently crooked from the butter knife incident. She said she and Craig both had houses that were a wreck, but at least she had the excuse of having children. Yep. I have pets is my excuse. Ashley said Craig was one of her favorites, but she was still waiting for her pillow. I’m guessing she’ll be waiting a long time. She said Shep had been the kindest to her, but made it clear that she loathed Naomie, saying she’d rather watch Kathryn, and hated Austen too. She made fun of the way Austen talked, which was extremely mature of her, made fun of the majority of the cast, called them bitches, and said she hated them. Kathryn’s attitude was just the opposite. She laughed at herself, and gave us various details that weren’t on camera.

The episode featured Patricia’s Christmas party, where Ashley called Kathryn an egg donor. In a completely Twilight Zone moment, Ashley said that Thomas had told her to wear a red dress, and Kathryn said she bet Thomas told Ashley to wear a red dress. ♫ Do-do-do-do do-do-do-do ♫ When Cameron said the party was like the Titanic, Ashley felt compelled to inform us that it sank. No surprise to me, Ashley said JD (bleh) was her favorite. She harped a lot on Naomie being a bitch, and how abusive she was to poor Craig. As Captain Lee would say, Craig wrote Naomie a check his ass couldn’t cash. Neither one of them communicated well, and I like Craig, but she had a reason to be unhappy.   

The takeaway point was  that Ashley is definitely still bitter, and still proving she’s a nurse, as she showed us her credentials. She also talked to herself in third person, like, run Ashley! She’s still clueless too. When, during the episode, she told Kathryn that she was living the life Kathryn wanted, she confirmed her original assessment, telling us that Kathryn still did. I find that highly doubtful. At the end, she insisted she wanted nothing but the best for Kathryn, even though she talked sh*t about her. On the other hand, Kathryn laughed her way through it, and said she was glad to say goodbye to that chapter. I don’t know what the hell was in her head with that monkey emoji, but sometimes decent people can be thoughtless. I like Kathryn, also want nothing but the best for her, but won’t be talking sh*t.

This was followed by How They Got Here 2020, which basically gave a quick review of seasons past. The new season begins next Thursday, October 29th.

🍹 Returning Charm…

A couple of newbies and the Covid affect.

https://tvdeets.com/bravo-reboots-southern-charm-for-season-7-browse-cast-photos-and-check-out-the-trailer

⚖️ With Friends Like That…

I remember this woman zero. You’d think with a name like Elvira, she would have stayed in my head.

https://pagesix.com/2020/10/17/rhonj-pal-accused-in-lawsuit-of-keeping-boys-bar-mitzvah-money/

🗽 It Was Bound To Happen…

They didn’t exactly seem happy.

https://pagesix.com/2020/10/20/former-rhony-star-jules-wainsteins-divorce-from-michael-finalized/

⚰️ News Of the Dead…

Lennie James directed last Sunday’s episode of Fear the Walking Dead. Which explains why Morgan was only in it for two seconds.

https://www.tvguide.com/news/fear-the-walking-dead-lennie-james-directorial-debut-interview/

What goes on in World Beyond.

https://www.tvguide.com/news/features/the-walking-dead-world-beyond-set-visit/

👗 Award Winning Fashion…

The best looks at the CMT Awards. At least according to Parade.

https://parade.com/1107627/paulettecohn/cmt-awards-2020-red-carpet-fashion-photos/

🦇 Go Batty…

It’s Bat Appreciation Month. Show them you care.

https://www.discovery.com/nature/batty-for-bats-pictures

👼🏽 Say a Little Prayer…

I actually have to get up early tomorrow for an online seminar, and schedule changes aren’t high on my list of fun. So until we meet at GH and Tea, stay safe, stay self-possessed, and stay not expecting a pillow from Craig.