What I Watched Today
(Weekday bites, Friday’s whole GH enchilada & media minutiae)
General Hospital
🥢 Weekday Bites…
Monday:
Tracy told the unfamiliar woman that her timing was terrible, and it was private property. The woman said she was there to pay her respects to her sister. Her name was Veronica Bard, but Tracy could call her Ronnie.
Spinelli and Felicia were at Bobbie’s with James, who seemed quiet. Felicia asked him to look at the desserts, and he went to the counter. Spinelli said James wasn’t okay, and Felicia said he missed his mom. Spinelli said, now they were about to upend his life all over again.
Obrecht met Nina at the hospital, when Britt came out of the elevator asking, what was the big emergency? Was Nina trying to get her fired? Nina said she was trying to arrange a family reunion.
Willow asked how Nathan was feeling, and he said, great. They introduced themselves and she said she was his niece.
Anna looked over the suspect list, when her phone rang. She said, well, that is a turn of events. She’d follow up.
Ric woke up, and Ava said he seemed restless. She had just the thing for that.
Kristina and Molly went to see Michael, and gave him their condolences, and he introduced them to a friend of his, Jacinda.
Obrecht said she wasn’t interested in a reconciliation, and Britt said she wasn’t either, but Nina said, just stop. Something incredible happened. Whatever they were going through, they’d need each other to get through this. Nathan was alive.
Willow said it was a huge shock finding out Nina was her mother, and Nathan said finding out who his parents were turned his world upside down. She told him about Obrecht volunteering for her bone marrow transplant, and he said family was important. She said they were family, and he said he liked it. A new niece and a son he never met.
Spinelli wondered how they were going to tell James that his father wasn’t dead, but there in Port Charles, and Felicia said they’d done a DNA test and the man in the bed was Nathan. James had a right to know his father was alive. Spinelli asked if his mother shouldn’t be there to guide him, and she said they both wished Maxie could be there, but she wasn’t. So they had to step up and be there for James together. Maxie would want James to know the truth.
Ava said they couldn’t have Ric waking up. It would go easier if he just took another nice long nap. Ric said, no more drugs. Let him go. She said she promised she would, just not today. Open his mouth. She put a pill in his mouth, gave him some water, and said, swallow it. That’s a good boy.
Michael said Jacinda stopped by to offer her condolences, and Jacinda said she lost her grandmother not long ago. She wanted to make sure Michael was holding up okay. Did Kristina run Charlie’s? Kristina said it was her place, and Jacinda said she was sorry about the fire. Kristina said it would be up and running soon, and Molly asked how Jacinda and Michael knew each other. Jacinda said they’d crossed paths and hit it off, and Kristina asked if she could borrow Michael for a second. She and Michael went to the foyer.
Tracy said she’d had Monica investigated before she married Alan and knew about Ronnie. Ronnie asked if Monica never mentioned her, and Tracy said, not a peep. Obviously, Monica didn’t want Ronnie in her life, so why was she popping up now that Monica was dead? Ronnie asked if Tracy always greeted visitors with hostility, and Tracy said just the uninvited ones that showed up at the family crypt. Monica didn’t want Ronnie in her life. Ronnie said they were estranged and had led very different lives, but Tracy was wrong about how things stood between her and her sister. Everything had changed well before Monica died.
Obrecht asked if Nina was certain, and Nina said she was afraid to believe it, but they’d done a DNA test, and she’d spoken to him. Obrecht’s son and Britt’s brother was alive. Obrecht said she needed to see her son, and Nina said she’d take them to him. They followed her to Nathan’s room and Willow opened the door.
Kristina asked if Michael and Jacinda were on a date, but Michael said, Jacinda came to offer her condolences. Kristina asked if he knew Jacinda was the escort with Drew the night of his ketamine bender, and he said, it was one night and just business. Jacinda was a friend. Kristina said he might be her next mark, but he said he was good. She said she was just looking out for him.
Jacinda asked what Molly did, and Molly said she was a prosecutor, an ADA. Were she and Michael dating? Jacinda said they were getting to know each other, when Kristina came back with Michael and said they should head out. In the foyer, Kristina said she wanted a full recap of Tracy throwing Drew out of the memorial, and Michael said he’d make sure she got it. Tracy went full-on Tracy. Kristina and Molly left, and Jacinda told Michael that she wasn’t sure they bought it.
Tracy wondered how Ronnie and Monica conveniently reunited without her knowledge, and Ronnie said Monica wrote her a letter. No one was more surprised than she was. Monica had never reached out, even though she’d been easy to find. She assumed Monica wasn’t interested, but thought has we grew older, we faced mortality and regrets loomed large. Tracy said she assumed Ronnie wrote back, and Ronnie said, of course (🍷). They’d written back and forth for the past year or so, Tracy wanted to see proof. She didn’t know Ronnie, but knew Monica’s handwriting anywhere. She also knew that Ronnie hadn’t darkened Monica’s doorstep in over 50 years, but when she got wind of the fact Monica died, she came circling like a vulture. Why was she really there?
James came back and asked if something happened to his mom, but Felicia said, absolutely not. She talked to his mom’s doctors every day and they were taking excellent care of her. James asked, what’s wrong? and Spinelli said they had good news. There had been a strange mistake, and his dad was alive. James said, he wasn’t. He was an angel who lived in heaven.
Obrecht said, my son. It was really him. She hugged Nathan and cried. Britt looked stunned.
Ava said Ric was missing out on a lot of billable hours. Drew had been shot, and half the town was being investigated. Ric asked if Drew was alive, and Ava said, yeah, and Willow was a prime suspect. He said she had to stop this, and she told him that she said she would, just not right now. It didn’t have to be this way. They’d had a good thing going and were cut from the same cloth. She guessed the heart wanted what the heart wanted, and he wanted Elizabeth, the fairest maiden in all of Port Charles. It allowed Kristina to play him for a fool, but the reason he was here was because he got greedy. He said, so did she, but she said she deserved every penny. In ten days, all the money he stole would be back in the Cassadine estate, minus her divorce settlement of course (🍷). Cheer up. By the time he could form a coherent thought again, it would all be over. Sleep tight. She went back upstairs.
Ronnie said she could see Tracy was grieving. That’s why she was trying to be polite. But she’d stepped over a line no decent person would cross. Tracy said Ronnie showed up unannounced and uninvited to a private memorial, probably to ask for a handout. Ronnie said she didn’t want a thing from Tracy or her sister. She got along just fine. She read that Monica died and knew the funeral was private, so she came there instead to pay her respects. Tracy said the funeral was for select invitees, close family and friends and respected colleagues, of which Ronnie was none. Whatever she came for, she wasn’t going to get, so she could sneak out the way she snuck in. Ronnie said she didn’t sneak. The gate was open. Tracy said she’d have it fixed, and Ronnie said, Monica wrote a lot about her family – Jason, Michael, Michael’s children, and her great-grandchildren. She’d like to meet them and give her condolences to the family. Tracy said the family was nothing to her and she was nothing to them.
Obrecht said her son had been restored to her. Where had he been? Nathan said he didn’t know. The last thing he remembered was being shot by Faison. She said he was found on the road in a car crash. Was he trying to escape someone? He said he really didn’t know. He did know he and Maxie had a son and he wanted to meet James as soon as possible.
Spinelli said they did believe James’s father was in heaven, but it turned out they were wrong. He was in Port Charles. Felicia said she’d seen him and spoken to him. He was in GH. James asked if he was hurt, and she said, no. He was in an accident, but he was okay. He didn’t remember where he’d been. James asked if his father remembered him, but Felicia said they’d never actually met. James was born after he went away. James said he didn’t know his father except for what his mom told him and pictures, and Spinelli said he knew it was a lot to find out. It was for them too, but they were all in this together. If James wasn’t ready, he didn’t have to meet his father until he wanted to.
Alexis came home and asked Ava, how’s Ric? Ava said she’d just given him a sedative and asked how it went with Anna. Alexis said the appointment was canceled. They didn’t reschedule, so she was taking it as a win – for now. Ava asked if she thought she was in the clear, and Alexis said she was cautiously optimistic. They couldn’t let the PCPD know what was in the basement. Ava said they just had to endure 10 more days, and the money Ric stole would be back where it belonged, and they could wash their hands of each other permanently.
Ric spit out the pill and hid it under the mattress. He struggled with the handcuffs.
Anna said she had something of interest to Turner, and Turner asked how questioning Alexis went. Anna said she wasn’t ruling Alexis out, but the evidence was pointing elsewhere, and Turner said, Sonny? Anna said, no. The strike marks on the bullet matched one from an earlier crime and the gun was registered to a highly unlikely suspect – a dead man, namely Edward Quartermaine.
Ronnie said Tracy was making assumptions about her character when Tracy didn’t know her, and Tracy said she didn’t want to know her. Ronnie said maybe Tracy didn’t know Monica as well as she thought, and Tracy said Monica never once mentioned Ronnie’s name in the 45 years she knew her. Monica didn’t want anything to do with Ronnie, and she intended to honor that and follow suit. Ronnie said she and Monica had been separated as children and raised in the foster care system, and Tracy said she knew Monica’s foster mother. Ronnie said she and Monica were estranged by circumstance, not by choice. They didn’t grow up as sisters and when she found Monica again, Monica was already a young woman, married to her first husband, and in the middle of her medical internship. She was building a life that was a far cry from the past they’d shared, and Monica wanted nothing to do with her. She took it hard and said things she regretted. So did Monica. Life took people in different directions, and although her life had different trappings than Monica’s, she was proud of it. She never asked or needed anything from her sister. Tracy said it was a compelling story, but she didn’t believe a word of it.
Alexis told Ava that the situation with Drew had been enlightening. His behavior was so extreme, he pushed someone else to extremes and got shot. Ava and Kristina had gone to extremes with Ric because of their eye for an eye vendetta. It was going to end. The money would be put back, and they’d push the reset button, putting it in the past for all of them. Ava said she was willing, and it seemed like Alexis and Kristina were willing, but one person might not be so amenable – Ric. Alexis said he had no choice. If they went down, he went down. She knew Ric. He’d get upset, lick his wounds, and get over it. It would be fine. Ava said everybody had a limit to how far they were willing to be pushed, and she left.
Anna said the gun was from an entire collection registered to the Quartermaine address, and Turner said, where a suspect lived – Michael. Anna said, Tracy lived there and was discovered first on the scene. She despised Drew, but if she’d wanted him dead, he’d probably be dead. Turner said Drew destroyed Michael’s family and was working to take away his children. Michael had access and plenty of motive. Anna said, just because it could happen didn’t mean it did. Had Turner ruled anyone out? Turner said Carly had an alibi – Jack – but Anna said Jack would lie for Carly in a heartbeat. Turner said Carly once shot a man point blank in court, and Anna said Carly would definitely kill to protect her children. Turner said they couldn’t rule out Curtis, and Anna said he and Drew had been at each other’s throats for almost a year and Curtis held Drew completely responsible for his aunt’s arrest. Turner said, maybe he’d reached his breaking point, and Anna said he’d been a cop and could stage a scene and cover his tracks. Turner said, what about Nina and Willow? and Anna said they had a complicated relationship. They were both sleeping with Drew at the same time (ew!). Turner said, they might both want revenge and were in on it together.
Nina thanked Willow for treating Nathan. She couldn’t believe Liesl had her son back. Maybe she and Willow could call a truce. Willow said that wasn’t going to happen. She was happy Nina had her brother back, but it changed nothing. Nina lied to her and manipulated her. She didn’t want anything to do with Nina. Nina said Willow could hate her all she wanted, but in reality, they needed each other. They were each other’s alibi.
Molly told Kristina that Jacinda was an escort and Michal’s alibi. It had been a set-up.
Jacinda said she wasn’t sure how much it shored up Michael’s alibi, but it was worth a try. She really was sorry for his loss. He thanked her and said he appreciated her help. She said, it was calculated. Most people would be too caught up mourning to think about it. Would his grandmother have approved? He said he hoped so.
Ronnie said she didn’t come to Port Charles to convince anyone of anything. She came to honor her sister and wished they’d reconnected sooner. Tracy said Monica Bard may have been Ronnie’s sister, but the little girl she remembered became Dr. Monica Quartermaine, a skilled surgeon and a pillar of the community. She was too busy helping others to bother to look back. There was no room for Ronnie in the future of Monica’s family.
Willow said she didn’t need Nina, but Nina needed her. Nina didn’t have an alibi and had a history of violence. Drew used her for sex, then threw her away. It was a damn good reason to shoot someone. Nina said, if it came to that, she hoped that’s what the police believed, because Drew was instrumental in Willow losing her children. It was a damn good reason to shoot someone too.
Nathan said, tell him about his son, and Obrecht said James was magnificent, intelligent, and strong. Nathan should see him throw an ax. Britt said they should go. Nathan had head trauma and needed to rest. Obrecht said, family was equally important in healing, but Britt said Obrecht knew she was right. Obrecht told Nathan that his sister was correct, and hugged him. She said, Britt surely wasn’t going to walk out without so much as a hug, and Britt said, sorry. She hugged him and said, welcome back, and they left. In the hallway, Spinelli, Felica, and James came out of the elevator. (Before they left, Nathan gave Britt a really odd look. My theory? Hear me out. Nathan is Faison. Faison has shown up as both Duke and Luke using a mask, but perhaps his brain was put into Nathan this time.)
Kristina told Molly that Michael was going through a difficult time and seeking comfort from a woman he was seeing. She wasn’t the first sex worker he’d hung out with. Molly shouldn’t be judgmental and shame Jacinda for what she did. Molly said she wasn’t, but the run-in was orchestrated. She worked in the DA’s office and knew he was securing an alibi.
Michael said it should have been a day about his grandmother, but Jacinda said she was sure his grandmother loved him and would want him to get out of the Drew situation clean. He said, she would, and Jacinda said she thought his grandmother would have no problem with him doing what he needed to do, even today. He said he just hoped it was enough. They both knew if the cops looked deeper, his alibi wouldn’t hold.
Anna told Turner that she’d secure a warrant to search the estate. If word got out that’s where they were focusing the investigation, the Quartermaines would close ranks. They did what they could to protect their own, even cover up an attempted murder of one of their own.
Ronnie said, in Monica’s letters, she described Tracy as aggressive and abrasive, and Tracy laughed and said, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Ronnie told her that Monica said she got her abrasiveness from her father, but it was tempered by her mother’s heart. She also said Tracy’s good intentions were masked by her armor of entitlement. What she left out of her assessment was how cold Tracy was. Tracy said Monica waxing poetic about her proved Monica was losing control of her faculties. She wanted Ronnie to leave. Ronnie said masks had a tendency to slip and she suspected Tracy may not be entitled to everything she thought she was. Her sincere condolences on this very sad day. She left.
On the phone, Alexis talked to her assistant about what was on the docket, as Ric snuck around behind her.
Tuesday:
No soap – baseball.
Wednesday:
Ditto.
Thursday:
Hit us one more time.
🫔 Friday’s Enchilada…
As Ric sneaks around behind her, on the phone, Alexis asks Suzanne, what’s on the docket for tomorrow?… Right. The reading of Monica Quartermaine’s will. That ought to go smoothly. Do her a favor. There’s a hard copy on her desk… She doesn’t need to messenger it. Just send an email. She’ll be in early in the morning… She turns around, then says, sorry. She must be hearing things.
Nathan reads the headline about himself in The Invader.
Felicia says, Nathan is awake and has a visitor, and Obrecht tells James that his father has been asking all about him. James says, really? and Obrecht says, of course (🍷), and she knows he’ll be delighted to finally meet James. James asks if he can see his father right now, but Britt says, wait. She’s his Aunt Britt. She’ll tell him all about it some time, but right now she needs to speak to the grown-ups for a minute. James says, okay, and she says, because he’s being so understanding – she gives him some cash – he can go get a soda from the vending machine. James asks Spinelli, can he? and Spinelli says, it’s after dark, so… James says, no caffeine, and Spinelli says, go for it. James says, copy, and runs off. Spinelli says, he’s out of earshot, and Obrecht says, good. Perhaps Dr. Westbourne will explain why they’re delaying the long-awaited reuniting of father and son. Britt says, sorry. But they can’t let James see his father.
Sonny looks at Monica’s photo on the memorial wall, when Ronnie approaches. She asks if Monica was a friend of his, and he tells her that he wouldn’t say that. They knew each other and he admired her very much. How about her? She says, Monica Quartermaine was her sister.
At the crypt, Tracy says, just when she thought she’d seen everything, along comes Ronnie. Thanks, Monica, for leaving me a mess to clean up. Michael walks in and she says, here comes another one.
Anna thanks Carly for coming to her office, and Carly asks if she needs Diane for this. Anna says, that’s up to Carly, but she’s just following up on questions from the night Drew was shot. Carly says, Anna already knows everything she needs to know. She was with Jack. End of story. Anna says she remembers Carly telling her that, but it’s not about her. It’s about Michael.
Elizabeth gives Molly the records she requested, and Molly says, the DA’s office is grateful for her cooperation. Elizabeth says she’s happy to help, but before Molly goes, has she heard from her dad?
Alexis thanks Suzanne and says she’s been helpful. She appreciates it. They’ll talk soon. She takes off her shoes and lies down on the couch. Suddenly, the Cassadine dagger is at her throat and Ric says, look what I found.
Obrecht asks, what’s wrong with Britt? James needs to meet his father, and Nathan would like to meet his son. Britt says she’s concerned jumping the gun here. Just because James’s father has resurfaced, doesn’t mean he should be rushed into a reunion. Father and son both need to be ready. Obrecht says, of course (🍷) they’re ready. Nathan said as much, and James wouldn’t be here if he didn’t want to. Spinelli says, Britt makes an excellent point, but Obrecht says, not everyone choses to stay away from a family that wants them. Nathan deserves to meet his son. Britt says, can she forget about her precious son for once and think about James? Do they really think Maxie would be okay with this?
Sonny says he’s sorry for Ronnie’s loss, and Ronnie thanks him. They introduce themselves, and Sonny apologizes and says he didn’t know Monica had a sister. Ronnie says, apparently, she’s the best kept secret Monica had. They didn’t grow up together, and after that, they sort of became estranged. Monica had her life, and she had hers. They only recently got in touch again. She doubts Monica would have told anyone in Port Charles about her. Sonny says, she definitely wouldn’t have told him, and she says, for most of her life, that was true for her too, but here they are. She guesses he was paying his respects. He says, Monica was an impressive woman, and they cared a lot about the same people. His adopted son Michael was Monica’s grandson. Ronnie says she knows that name. Monica wrote about him all the time in her letters. She was so proud of him. Sonny says, there was every reason to be, and she says, Monica adored Michael’s children Wiley and Amelia. Sonny laughs and says, they’re great kids. They were crazy about Monica. So was Michael. They had an incredible bond together, him and his grandmother. She says she was hoping to meet Michael back at the estate, but someone put stop to that, and he says, let him tell her something. Tracy Quartermaine loves to throw her weight around for a woman her size. Too bad. They’d have so much to talk about. She says, then they will. She’s not about to be scared off by Tracy Quartermaine.
Michael asks if he’s interrupting, and Tracy says she was just having a word with his grandmother. He asks if everything is okay, and she says, peachy. Monica left her a hornet’s nest to deal with. He asks if there’s anything he can do to help, but she says, no, considering he’s the one who kicked the nest. He asks how he did that, and she says he can thank his marital woes. Now it falls to her to keep him from getting convicted of the attempted murder of a sitting congressman. He says, it might feel that way to her, but he doesn’t need her to save him, all right? He can take care of himself.
Carly says, Michael has an alibi with that Jacinda woman, and Anna says, the escort. Carly says, it is what it is. Michael is a grown man and makes his own decisions, but an alibi is an alibi. Anna says, well, that’s true, yes, but she still needs to verify his movements for that evening, especially the points that intersect with Carly’s. Carly says, okay, and sits down. Anna says Carly spoke with him that night, did she not? and Carly says, yeah. Anna says, it’s not really a question. She has Michael’s phone records. What was the call about? Carly flashes back to telling Michael that Willow caved and went back to Drew. That meant Drew was calling the shots. Michael asks who told her, and she says, Drew, and Elizabeth confirmed it. She knows Drew is threatening him and saying he has proof that the judge took a bribe, but do not fall for it. Do not give in to Drew. Michael says he agrees with her. Drew has been making a lot of assumptions about what he can control, but he has no idea how quick circumstances can change for him. Carly tells Anna that she talks all the time to her son. She’s sure she was just telling him about her day. Anna asks if Michael can confirm her account, and Carly says, yeah.
Molly says she hasn’t heard from her dad, but she guesses that’s the whole point of the digital detox, and Elizabeth says, but it’s Ric they’re talking about. Frankly, she’s shocked he’s sticking to it. Molly says she’s surprised too. She’s supportive of the whole unplugging thing, but she never thought Ric would last this long. Elizabeth says she knows Ric loves to bend the rules, and figured by now he’d have gotten in touch, and Molly asks if she thinks he reached out to someone else. Elizabeth says, if Ric was skipping out on the detox, he’d contact Molly first, and Molly says, they’re the top two and her dad’s not here. Elizabeth says, she can totally understand Molly’s dad’s need to get away, but he couldn’t have picked a worse time to drop off the face of the planet.
Ric says, remember this dagger? He’s sure Alexis’s mother would. Alexis says, fine. You win. What do you want? He says, a shower more than anything, but first a phone call. She says he doesn’t have his phone, but he says, that’s okay. He’s got hers. She’s going to call the cops and confess everything that she’s done.
Alexis tells Ric that he needs to take a minute and think about this. If she calls the police, they’re all going down. That’s Ava, that’s Kristina, that’s her, and that’s him. He says, that was more of a concern before she decided to trap him in her basement, and she says, he’s going to like the basement more than prison. He says he’s sure he can make the jury very, very sympathetic, but she says she’s not so sure. He brandishes the dagger again, and she says, he needs to calm down. He knows when he’s angry like this nothing good comes of it. He says he’s definitely angry. More than angry, closer to enraged actually, but his thinking is clear. She says, if his thinking is clear, put the knife down, and he says, and deny himself the self-satisfaction of watching the cops haul her and her psycho daughter off? She says, he’ll be right behind them, and Molly won’t like it if he kills her mother. Ric says, she’s right. Molly wouldn’t, but he’s got a better idea.
Ronnie says she went to the crypt to pay her respects and in walked Tracy, and Sonny says, must have been interesting. She says, yeah. It was something. Monica had written about her, but boy, Monica did not do justice to what she just saw live and in person. He says, let him guess. Tracy didn’t welcome her with open arms to the family. She says, no. Tracy kicked her off the property. Someone named Yuri was supposed to lock the gates behind her. He says, sounds about right, and she says, so he knows Tracy. What does he make of her? He says, the honest truth? and she says, yes, please. He says, she’s an entitled snob, and she says, it’s the same word Monica used and the same word she did. She thanks him, calling him Mr. Corinthos, and says she appreciates the validation. He says, call him Sonny, and she says, okay.
Michael says, Tracy may recall he does have an alibi, and she says, the call girl. He’s incredibly naïve. Not only is a call girl a weak alibi… He says, they like to be called sex workers now, and she says, thank you for that. This sex worker also has a history with the victim. He says, a very brief history, and she says, an unsavory history, and that is not a good thing. He says, well, it’s the only alibi he’s got. Had he known he’d need one, he would have gotten an appropriate one beforehand. She says she knows he’s lying because she can place him in front of the house at the time of the shooting, and he says he drove over there, but he didn’t shoot Drew. She asks why else he’d be there, and he says, to confront Drew. She says, did he? and he says, no. She asks, why? and he says, because he realized there was no point. He was standing next to the car, getting soaking wet from the rain, and realized confrontation was exactly what Drew would have wanted him to do, so he didn’t give Drew what he was looking for, okay? Tracy says, so he just hopped in his car soaking wet and drove away, and he says, yes. He swears he didn’t go in the house. She says, there it is. He just proved he’s as Quartermaine as the rest of them. She can’t tell if he’s lying.
Carly says she can’t recall what they talked about, so she has no idea what Michael would say, and Anna says, fair enough. Carly asks if Anna is really going to bug Michael. His grandmother just died. Can she give it a rest? Anna says that’s what she’s doing. Out of respect for Michael’s loss, she’s questioning Carly. She thought, given Carly and Monica’s history, Carly wouldn’t be attending, so… Carly says she’s not grieving the way Michael is, but she’s sad that Monica died, and Anna says, of course (🍷). So things changed between her and Monica then? Carly tells her that she can’t say they got close, but over the years, she and Monica had something in common. Anna says, which was? and Carly says, Jason. Jason, Michael, Wiley, and Amelia were enough for Monica, so they were enough for her. Anna asks if it would be fair to say that Carly is welcomed at the Quartermaine estate, and Carly says, except for Tracy, yes, she is.
Spinelli tells Britt that they discussed it and had taken Maxie’s feelings into consideration. They couldn’t see how they could deny James the chance to meet his father. Britt says, James has already waited seven years. What’s one more night? Obrecht says, we’ve respectfully listened to your opinion, even though no one has asked for it. We can take it from here. Britt asks if they’d consider consulting a child therapist who can think of the best way for James to be introduced to his father, and Felicia says, well, that’s certainly something they could talk about. Spinelli agrees and says he guesses he’ll go break the bad news to James, but Britt says he doesn’t have to be one to disappoint James. She’ll do it. Obrecht says, the perfect choice. After all, who’s more proficient in doling out disappointment? Felicia says, when James comes back, she’ll help him to understand they want what’s best for him, and what’s best for him is to wait.
James goes into Nathan’s room, and Nathan says, hello there. James says, hi, and Nathan says, you must be James.
James says he got Nathan a soda. He didn’t know which kind Nathan liked, so he got orange and grape. Nathan can pick. Nathan says, James isn’t going to believe this, but orange and grape are both his favorites, and James says, really? Nathan says, really. So James has to help out by picking his favorite. James says, orange and grape are his favorites? No way. If he had to choose, he guesses he likes orange a little more. Nathan says he’ll take the grape. He likes that one a little more. They open their soda cans, and Nathan says, you know, we should have a toast. James says, to what? and Nathan says, to having the same favorite sodas as his son. (I gotta say, these two are very sweet together. If Ryan Peavey doesn’t have kids, he needs to get some.)
Outside Bobbie’s, Sonny says, Bobbie’s is the Port Charles institution that everyone comes to. That includes Ronnie’s sister. Ronnie says, Monica never struck her as the diner type, but Sonny says, Monica was full of surprises. They go in and sit down, and Ronnie says she’s been waiting tables since junior high and this place… Sonny says, yeah? and she says, the water glasses are full and the customers are happy. The food smells great and she loves the menu. He says, try the BLT. It’s unbelievable. She says, will do. The place is immaculate. Whoever owns it obviously cares. He says he’ll tell her. His ex-wife Carly owns it and she’ll be thrilled she’s getting rave reviews from a pro. They laugh, and Ronnie says, he’s been so kind and welcoming. She can’t imagine why he and Monica didn’t get along. He says, she had her reasons, and Ronnie says she’s sure Monica did. Even as a child, she had very strong opinions. When they finally got in touch again, she saw Monica hadn’t changed much, but then neither had she. He says, if she doesn’t mind him asking, when did they stop talking? and she says, a long, long time ago and as she said, they’d only gotten in touch recently. When Monica wrote her a letter, it was the surprise of her life. He says, good surprise? and she says, hell yeah. Oddly enough, that surprised her too. She hadn’t realized how much she missed Monica and now that she’s gone, she finds herself… He says, regretting the time she had? and she says, yeah. He says he’s been there.
Tracy tells Michael, congratulations. He inherited the family’s superpower. He says, if she’s so sure he’s lying, why not go to the cops and tell them what she saw? She says she thought she’d made herself clear. She doesn’t care if he shot Drew or not. She only cares that he stays a free man.
Carly tells Anna that her grandchildren live with the Quartermaines. Of course (🍷) they allow her on the property. Anna says, so she can go see them whenever she wants, and Carly says she absolutely can. Anna says, okay then. Great. She thanks Carly for her time and help, and Carly says, someone shot Drew. The SOB had it coming, but it wasn’t Michael, okay? It wasn’t Michael. So why doesn’t Anna do her job and stop trying to pin it on the obvious suspect. Anna says, it’s her responsibility to investigate every suspect, obvious or not, and Carly says, Michael didn’t shoot Drew. He’s not a killer. Anna says, Claudia Zacchara might beg to differ, and Carly says, he was defending her and his sister. Anna says, and she knows Carly would do anything to defend him, and Carly leaves.
Alexis asks what Ric is going to do with Elizabeth, and he says he’s guessing his Porsche isn’t parked in Alexis’s driveway. She says, no, and he says, that means he needs a ride home. She suggests he call a Ride Share, and he says, this may come as a complete surprise, but after being locked in her basement for a while, he’s not willing to negotiate. Now call Elizabeth and put it on speaker. She makes the call.
Elizabeth asks if Molly thinks her dad reached out to Ava, but Molly says, not a chance. So who does that leave? Elizabeth’s phone rings and she says, it’s Molly’s mom. She answers, hi, Alexis, when Ava comes out of nowhere, throwing a liquid in Ric’s face. He screams, aagghh! My eyes! Psycho! (God forgive me, I’m dying laughing.) Alexis disconnects the call, and Elizabeth says, that’s weird. Molly’s mom is texting her. Molly asks what she’s saying, and Elizabeth says, she called by accident. Molly says she guesses it happens, and Elizabeth says, it does, but… Molly says, but what? and Elizabeth says she could have sworn she heard Ric’s voice. Molly asks if Elizabeth thinks her dad ditched his detox without a word to either of them so he could meet up with her mom.
Ava hits Ric in the face and then over the head with something and he falls to the floor.
Sonny says he and his father were estranged for years, but not as many as Ronnie and Monica, but Ronnie says, it’s not a contest. He says, for a while, it was tough. As tough as it was and as many times as he told himself he didn’t care about his father or what happened to him, the time apart didn’t make him love his father any less, and believe him, he tried. She asks if they ever found their way back to each other, and he says, yeah. Their final year together… Ronnie says she knows he’s suffering, and he says, everybody’s different. She says, not so different. Before Monica died, she was working up the nerve to suggest meeting in person. She almost brought it up in her last couple of letters, but she didn’t. Then she said she was definitely going to ask the next time, but then… He says he’s sorry, and she says, her too. He says he doesn’t know if this will help, but his son Michael said, even though in the end her health wasn’t good, Monica was happy with her life, and she went peacefully. She says, that does help, and thanks him. He says, anytime.
Michael says he honestly doesn’t understand the sudden drive to protect him, and Tracy says she thought it would be self-explanatory. He says, if he’s convicted, all his stocks go into a trust which will increase Ned’s standing. She and Ned can broker leadership rolls. Hell, they could even groom Gio to follow in Edward’s footsteps. It’s what she always wanted for Ned. She says she thought he knew better than that. She’s a woman who always pays her debts. He asks what she could possibly owe him, and she says, nothing, but she owes Monica. No matter how many times Monica threw her out. Monica always took her back. Monica wouldn’t want anything to happen hm, so it’s her job, her duty, to see nothing does.
Anna tells Molly that they got the ballistics back, and the two bullets taken from Drew matched a gun already in the system, a gun that once belonged to Edward Quartermaine, part of the Quartermaine collection. Molly says, okay, but a lot of people come in and out of that house every day, and Anna says, Carly and Michael have a strong motive and a weak alibi. Molly seems hesitant, and Anna says, what is it? Molly says she and Kristina were at the Quartermaines this morning to give Michael their condolences. Anna says, and? and Molly says, it’s probably nothing. Anna says, Molly formed a perspective as an ADA. Did something occur at the Quartermaines that could be germane to this investigation?
Britt says, if Spinelli and Felicia want a reference for a child therapist to talk to James, she can find one, and Obrecht says, as can she, if they find it necessary. Felicia says she just hopes James gets in to see someone soon, and Spinelli wonders, where is James? He should be back by now.
Nathan says, now you try the grape one and I’ll try the orange one, and James says, okay, but he thinks they should have water first. Nathan says, good idea. Will he help out? James says, yeah, and Nathan tells him to get the cups. Spinelli, Felicia, and Obrecht stand in the doorway smiling, while off to the side, Britt doesn’t look happy.
Elizabeth says, they’ve been waiting on the x-rays and Britt said she’d be right back, and Britt says, sorry. Her seven-year-old nephew is in that room meeting his father for the first time, a man he knows nothing about and is supposed to be dead, until a couple of days ago. She found that concerning, so she took a break. If Elizabeth has to fire her, go ahead, but she’s not leaving this spot. Not yet. Elizabeth says, okay, and Britt says, okay, meaning what? Elizabeth says they make allowances for family situations, so take all the time she needs. She’ll get the x-rays. Just let her know next time.
James says, guess what? He and his dad have the same favorite sodas, orange and grape. His father likes grape a little more and he likes orange a little more. Obrecht says, isn’t that remarkable? and Nathan says, now that they’ve covered sodas, why doesn’t James tell him what else he likes. Maybe they have more stuff in common. James says he likes comic books, horses, jumping off… In the hallway, Felicia asks if Spinelli is okay, and Spinelli says, they shouldn’t have brought James here.
At Bobbie’s, Carly thanks Sonny for sticking around, and he says, no problem. What’s up? She says, the PCPD thinks Michael is the prime suspect in Drew’s shooting, and he says, why is that? She says, because Anna just called her in for questioning and it became immediately clear Anna wanted her to say something that would incriminate Michael. She should have called Diane. He says, she didn’t give Anna anything, and she says, no, but she feels like she did. She feels like she gave something away.
Molly tells Anna that when she and Kristina got to the Quartermaines, Michael wasn’t alone. Jacinda was there. Anna laughs and asks if Molly thinks they’re involved, but Molly says she doesn’t know. Jacinda claimed she was there for the same reason she and Kristina were there, to give her condolences. Anna says, is that it? Is there something else? Molly says, that’s it. She doesn’t have any proof for this, but she got the feeling Michael orchestrated the whole thing. Anna says, how so? and Molly says Michael knew they were coming over; he invited them. So she feels like Jacinda was there for her benefit. If so… Anna says, Michael was shoring up his alibi.
Alexis and Ava struggle to get Ric back in the bed, and Alexis asks, why is he so heavy? Ava says, it must be his fat head. The more important question is, how his big fat head got loose. (Ha-ha-ha!) Alexis says she has no idea, but he was very lucid for a guy who’s been drugged for a while. Ava says she gave him a pill before she left, and starts feeling around the mattress. Alexis says, not that she’s complaining, but why did Ava come back? and Ava says she came back for her planner. She wasn’t going to, but… Damn it, Ric! Alexis says, what? and Ava says, he must have been spitting them out. She’s sorry. She didn’t see him do it. She should have jammed the pills down his throat with her fist. Alexis says, there are ten pills in there. He’s been trying to escape for ten days. Ava says, he took his shot. He missed and he’s not getting another one. Ava puts Ric in the handcuffs, and Alexis asks if she needs help. Ava says, no thank you. Of course (🍷), after all, they’re in this together, aren’t they. Ric comes to and sees he’s handcuffed again. He yells, nooo!
Elizabeth leaves a voicemail: Hey, Ric. It’s me just checking in. You’re still doing your technical detox and not back in Port Charles, are you? Call me back.
Ava tells Ric, you know what’s funny? If you’d just kept running, you’d be a free man by now, but you couldn’t do that, could you? You had to come back and try to get one over on Alexis. Like I said, you’re a greedy man… and an ass. A greedy ass. Ric says, she can’t keep him locked up here. It’s inhuman. Alexis says, sorry her basement lacks the amenities of the panic room he built to have Carly stashed in, but besides his abominable behavior… He says, his abominable behavior? and Alexis says, there is good news. Because soon, all the money he forced her to embezzle will be back in the Cassadine trust. Ava says, except for her divorce settlement of course (🍷), and Alexis says, yeah. So just wait ten more days… He says, ten days? and Ava says he won’t even notices. It’ll fly by because he will be feeling no pain at all. He says, no, no, no, and keeps his lips tight. Ava says, open up, and tells Alexis, hold his nose. She gets Ric’s mouth open, and says, swallow it. He gulps, and she says, they need to be sure. Say, ah. She checks his mouth and says, all right. Atta boy. Alexis asks if Ava wants to do the honors, and Ava brings out a gag. Ric asks if it’s really necessary, and Ava puts it in his mouth. She says, that’s better, and she and Alexis high-five.
James says he’s glad that his dad is back. Isn’t his Oma? Obrecht says she couldn’t be happier, and Nathan says him too. It’s like he went to bed imagining what his son would be like and woke up to the best present ever.
In the hallway, Felicia says, it seems like they were worried about nothing. James and Nathan haven’t missed a beat. Spinelli says he can see that, and she asks, what’s the matter? He says he’s a bit embarrassed, but he can’t help feeling a little jealous. He’s been James’s de facto dad and now… She says, his real father is back. He knows how much James loves him. He says he does. He’s sure it’s the green-eyed monster talking, but something feels very wrong. Britt watches them, and James tells Nathan, when they let him come home from here, he should go ax throwing with him and Oma. She taught him how to throw like a Viking. Nathan says, she did? And is he good? James says, yes, he is.
Carly tells Sonny that Anna has Michael’s phone records from the night Drew was shot. She knows when he talked and knows how long. Sonny asks, what happened on their call? and Carly says she gave Michael the perfect motive. She told him that Willow was going back to Drew. She didn’t tell Anna that. He asks what she did say, and she says she told Anna to give Michael a break. His grandmother just died, for God’s sake. He asks if she and Anna talked about anything else, and she says, they talked about how she and Monica mended fences. Then Anna asked if she was allowed to visit Wiley and Amelia at the house, and she said yes. He says, so Anna started off asking questions about Michael, then started asking questions about her. Carly says she’s not a suspect. She was with Jack. He says he doesn’t buy that, and she says, if he doesn’t, Anna won’t either. He says, Anna knows she would kill for Michael and so does he.
Molly says, Michael had easy access to the gun used in the shooting, so that gives him means and he certainly had motive. If Jacinda is covering for his whereabouts, then he’d have the opportunity. Anna says, right. That puts him at the top of the suspect list, right next to Carly. Molly asks if Anna is going to secure a warrant to get the gun, and Anna says, it’s in the process as they speak, but the gun is almost certainly going to be wiped down. She guesses she’ll give it to forensics and see what they pull. Molly says, if they can tie gun to Michael or Carly, can that be enough for an arrest?
Michael thanks Tracy for everything she’s willing to do for him, regardless of who she’s doing it for, and she says, Monica loved him. He says he appreciated the way Tracy cared for her and how she’s looked out for the rest of them. He’d truly like to express his gratitude… Tracy says, when he inherits the house – and he will – she would hope he would extend the same hospitality to her that Monica did. This will soon be his house, but it will always be her home.
Sitting down in her hotel room, Ronnie says, what a day. Her phone rings, and she says, oh no. Okay, okay. She gets up, shuffles to the bed, and gets her phone out of her purse. She says, hello… Yep, this is she… Oh yes. Of course (🍷) I will be there. She ends the call and says, well, this should be interesting.
On Monday, Carly can’t shake the feeling that she said something wrong; Alexis tells Curtis that the police are closing in on him and he has to protect himself; and Jason asks why Britt is trying to stop James from seeing his dad.
🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…
My vote is for Tracy, who should in turn give it to Jason. Who would probably not take it. Although Tracy seems to think so, I don’t know if she’d leave it to Michael.
I concur. I think it’s Willow.
They’re pushing the envelope.
💉 A Dose Of Reality…
Below Deck Mediterranean
The first episode of a Below Deck season is always tough for me. I got spoiled when it was the same crew for many seasons in the beginning. Now there seems to be a new set of names every time the boat docks. Aesha is back as chief stew, and of course, Captain Sandy, so there’s that. Nathan of the first boatmance baby was trying as bosun, but crashing a jet ski into a very expensive piece of equipment wasn’t a good look. I’ll pay more attention as the season goes on and the guests get obnoxious. The first charter was a bit of a snoozefest. Not loving Kizzi, who likes to toy with boys. Ugh.
the new cast.
https://ew.com/below-deck-mediterranean-season-10-cast-11820451
Real Housewives of Salt Lake City
It really is hard for me to look at Heather’s hollow cheeks. That being said, Lisa had a luncheon to explain how her dismissed lawsuits had been dismissed, complete with Mad Men easel and storyboards. Apparently, the louder you are, the more believable you are, and Lisa finally got to the point where she was waving around a board like she was on a highway corner advertising for Bob’s furniture, while chanting, dismissed, dismissed, dismissed! The one thought that often comes to mind while watching any Housewives is, are we five? and this was that moment. There was a kerfuffle about Whitney’s failed business, and Whitney ended up walking out, saying Lisa was triggering her. Alrighty then.
Real Housewives Of Orange County
Fancy Pants Heather was offended that no one thought she could possibly be funny, and Gina said she just didn’t know Fancy Pants was a comedian. Fancy Pants asked her, what do you think acting is? Touché. Emily told Tamra about Gretchen and family praying before taking a trip, Tamra said Gretchen was no Christian since she spread rumors, and was hiding behind the Jesus curtain. Here’s where I looked at the camera like Jim from The Office. Not only did Tamra make a huge production about becoming a Christian – water baptism and all – she then proceeded to continue acting like a screeching shrew. When Emily said both she and Fancy Pants trusted Tamra the least of the group, Tamra stomped upstairs in her age inappropriate skirt. She came back down, since it was her house and the planned activity for the day was a lesson in cake decorating. Since Tamra continued hammering at pretty much everyone, the cake decorator lady couldn’t have looked more uncomfortable. Tamra did a take-two, stomping upstairs again after a tirade about Jenn following the boy band member Tamra allegedly banged. She also quit for the second time. I think. As everyone left, Gina asked, should we bring the cake? as we all would have.
Real Housewives Of Miami – Reunion Part 1
Andy said this was the only reunion only to begun with a tequila shot, which I thought was probably a bad idea. There was a lot of non-tequila shot for shot, like when Guerdy said no one backed her when Julia threw water at her. This prompted Alexia to point out how that’s happened to just about everyone. Julia apologized to Guerdy for the 4256th time. I loved Stephanie’s formal introduction to the franchise, where she would not apologize for loving being filthy rich, but did admit to coming off as harsh after seeing herself. They ended with a bang – pun possibly intended – when Julia blurted out that she and Adriana had slept together. Whaaat?
Random Reality Items
Yeah. No.
In case you were worried.
They brought the drama.
https://okmagazine.com/p/reality-tv-drama-exits-style-moments-2025/
👀 Last Weekend’s Watch…
28 Years Later. Netflix. No big surprise, I enjoyed the hell out of this. It was relentless from the beginning, and brought something new to the table with its Alpha zombies. Although I did find them a little reminiscent of the Abbies in Wayward Pines. Young lad Spike lives with his parents on an idyllic island – at least as idyllic as you can be in a post-apocalyptic world. Spike’s dad is taking him to the mainland to learn how to hunt those with the Rage virus (i.e. zombies) and check out what’s been going on out in the world. There are no zombies on the island, and while citizens are allowed to travel to the mainland, if you get in trouble, you’re on your own. No one is going to come looking for you. There was a bit of humor here and there, none of it seeming contrived. One thing that really stood out were the sets, from the bar on the island (seriously, I would never leave this place for the mainland) to the gorgeously designed Bone Temple. Sony Pictures CEO said, the next one (28 Years Later: The Bone Temple) is much more about man’s inhumanity to man. Isn’t that what all zombie films are ultimately about?
Cobweb. Netflix. About five minutes in, I thought, if this is an allegory about child abuse… and it kinda was, but at least less misleading than Woman in the Yard. And also more rewarding at the end. A young boy with horrific parents is hearing something in the walls and he insists on finding out what or who it is.
https://www.slashfilm.com/1978092/the-boys-actor-antony-starr-horror-movie-cobweb-netflix-charts/
You can see the trailer here.
https://www.bgr.com/1977000/the-boys-antony-starr-2023-horror-movie-cobweb-netflix-streaming-charts/
Wayward. Netflix. This limited series sucked me in immediately. Seeing Toni Collette in anything is always a treat. Even when it’s something I’m not crazy about, watching her is like watching a master class in acting. She’s also one of those chameleon actors, like Guy Pearce, who has the ability to absorb a character to the point that you forget it’s her underneath. All I needed to know was that it was about a school for troubled children that’s not what it seems to be, and I was intrigued. The characters are diverse and multi-dimensional, it had a great sense of humor, and the plot keeps you guessing about who’s trustworthy or not. I nearly binged the whole thing, but saved the last two episodes for my next streaming sesh.
https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/wayward-review-netflix-conspiracy-thriller
Here’s hoping.
https://people.com/will-there-be-wayward-season-2-11821438
M3GAN 2.0. Peacock. it’s as bad as the reviews said, but I didn’t hate it. Still, I wasn’t sure if they were trying to be ironic in the stupidity of it all. M3GAN has become a caricature of herself as she comes out of retirement to confront AMELIA, a killer robot bent on destruction. The acting wasn’t bad, and I actually enjoyed the robot dance-off, but I could have done without the Freddy Krueger one-liners. You wouldn’t give your children cocaine. Why give them a Smartphone? Why indeed.
https://slate.com/culture/2025/06/m3gan-2-0-movie-megan-2-review.html
⚰️ The Ambiguously Coupled Duo…
This actually didn’t answer much of anything except they say they haven’t slept together.
https://ew.com/the-walking-dead-addressed-daryl-carol-relationship-confusion-11812991
🎃 And So It Begins…
An interesting, eclectic list. However, I’d go with the original 1977 version of The Hills Have Eyes. Michael Berryman is the best. I’d also stick with the remake of Thirteen Ghosts. The acting is great, but the house and special effects make it so worth it.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/ravenishak/best-horror-movies
🦄 Oddities Of the Animal World…
🦧 So do you think she’s coming up with a story for her husband?
https://people.com/endangered-monkey-with-orange-head-fur-born-oklahoma-city-zoo-photos-11814650
🐢 Giving the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles a run for their money.
https://people.com/rare-conjoined-turtle-twins-separated-with-surgery-hours-after-birth-11817942
🐕 I’m including this because my Golden Retriever was literally afraid of his shadow and would stare at a frisbee until it bonked him in the head. No Air Bud he. Even better, his name was Einstein. It was a false prophecy.
https://people.com/air-bud-returns-talent-search-winners-2-golden-retrievers-buddy-role-11819165
🐦⬛ Quotes of the Week
Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right. – Terry Simpson
You’re going to come across people in your life who will say all the right words at all the right times. But in the end, it’s always their actions you should judge them by. It’s actions, not words, that matter. – Nicholas Sparks
The easiest way to prove them wrong is to do what they say you can’t. – Rita Moreno (Yep. I wanted a chocolate wedding cake. Everyone said, you can’t do that. I did.)
Your great strength is knowing who you are. – Oscar de la Renta
Sometimes the fall kills you. And sometimes, when you fall, you fly. – Neil Gaiman
Life is trying things to see if they work. – Ray Bradbury
A champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall. – Serena Williams
Actions are the seeds of fate. Deeds grow into destiny. – Harry S. Truman
It is better to remain silent at the risk of being thought a fool, than to talk and remove all doubt of it. – Abraham Lincoln
What is this place? It smells like cheap perfume and questionable life choices. – Dani Dupree (Karla Cheatham), Beyond the Gates
👻 Like Steps Of Passing Ghosts…
Until next week, stay safe; stay brushing up on your Halloween pet safety (more on that later in the month); and stay not waiting too long to ask for that in-person meeting with someone you care about.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 