(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)
General Hospital
Dex comes to the pool in his uniform and tells Josslyn that he’s here on his lunch break. She says she likes his blues, but he says, his unform is nothing compared to hers (i.e. her swimsuit).
John goes to Ava’s hotel room, and she says she’s been looking forward to their meeting all day. She’s sleep deprived though, between hearing the elevator and the people at the pool and being without her daughter and knowing if she’s safe, she’s awake most of the night. He thanks her for being willing to help, and she says she’s at her wit’s end trying to get Avery away from Sonny. He says, the best way to protect Avery and herself is to build a case against Sonny.
Willow goes to the penthouse and asks Sonny if she’s interrupting. He says, she and the kids are welcome any time. What’s wrong? She says, maybe she’s being presumptuous, but she decided to come after she had a conversation with her mother. Sonny asks, since when are she and Nina talking? and she says, since she decided let go of her anger.
Nina slaps Drew and says, you son of a bitch. You kissed my daughter. He says he deserved that, but calm down. (Apparently, Drew doesn’t know that he should never say that to a woman.) He knows there’s no excuse and knows it was wrong. She says, he doesn’t look remorseful, and he says he got lost in the moment – the applause, the congratulations, and the fireworks. He was there with a beautiful woman who was happy for him, and it just happened. Nina wonders how Willow missed his rampant narcissism. Willow is an idealist and can’t see the real Drew Cain… She means, the real Drew Quartermaine. It’s time she broke through that and told Willow that her hero is sleeping with her mother.
Anna asks Jason to hear her out, but he says he has been hearing her. It’s been nearly three years, and he needs the phone. She says, it’s too soon, but he says, it’s the only way to get Carly out from under the FBI. She says she can’t let Cates take Valentin away.
John says, Ava was living with Sonny and has a past with him and the Jerome family. She must have insight into his organization. She says, it all happened so fast, and offers him some wine, but he says, not while he’s on duty. She pours a glass for herself and says she’s feeling unsettled. She’s used to a juggling act with the gallery and scheduling all of Avery’s activities. Without it, she’s felt so out of sync and alone. He says, that’s why she needs to build a case against Sonny to get her daughter back. He puts his phone on record, but she turns it off and says, his help means so much, but to be honest, she’s afraid of Sonny. If she lets him record her, it could make its way back to Sonny, and he’s harsh when it comes to betrayal. It’s the ultimate sin. He says, they have ways to protect her, but she says she’s not going into hiding while Avery is still with Sonny. He’s erratic and dangerous. He’s pushed his family away, except for his daughter Kristina. He actually blames her for outing Kristina’s girlfriend. As if she cares; it’s not her business. John says, his job is to put Sonny away, and if she helps him, it’s to both their advantages. She says, it’s not that simple. Many have tried and failed to put Sonny away, and who among them is still breathing? He gives her his word that he doesn’t give up his sources, and she says she’ll think about it. Knowing she has his support makes her feel more at ease. He leaves and she closes the door.
Willow tells Sonny that seeing Drew give up his grudge against Nina when he had the right to hold onto it forever, made her realize that hanging onto her pain and resentment was only hurting her. She gained nothing by depriving her kids of someone who truly wants to love them. Sonny says, all Nina wants is to love them and be a part of their lives, and Willow says, they’re taking it slow, but she realizes there’s room in her life for her mom. All she wants is for all of them to be happy. He asks if she’s lobbying for him and Nina to get back together, and she says, no, but they’d genuinely seemed happy, and she knows Nina loves him. He says, he wants Nina to be happy, and with Willow and the children in her life, she will be.
Drew says, if Nina was going to tell Willow about them, she should have done it when Willow told her about the kiss, but Nina says she thought it was more important that Willow confide in her than exposing his feet of clay. What was he thinking? Willow is married to his nephew, and they have small children. He should have better control of himself. He says, something happened in that moment, but it was a mistake and won’t happen again. He respects Willow and cares about her happiness and family. It was an isolated moment, like Nina and Sonny in Nixon Falls. He’s not throwing it in her face, but he understands it was a bad impulse and Nina got carried away. Nina says she knows Drew thinks it was just a moment, but Willow is drowning in guilt. She’s agonizing about telling Michael, but she told Willow to make the choice to move on. She hopes Drew allows it. He says, of course (🍷) he will. Whatever she thinks, he has not and will not pursue Willow.
Jason asks if Anna wants Valentin to go free. Did she tip him off? She says, it’s about Charlotte. She’s back from school and home with her father. Think about Danny and Jake. If Valentin goes down, he’ll be gone a lot longer than three years. What happens to his daughter then? He says he can’t believe they’ve been working together, and he finally got what he needed… She says, he will get it. She almost took Charlotte’s life. He says, she keeps punishing herself for that, and now she’s going to punish him. She says, Valentin is all Charlotte has. Her mother is in a coma and Laura is already raising one grandchild. She refuses to separate Charlotte and Valentin. Charlotte forgave her. Her voice breaks and she says she can’t repay that by damaging Charlotte more and leaving her fatherless and alone. She won’t do it.
Josslyn asks if Gio will make sure no one drowns in the pool, and he says, no one is in the pool. She says, even better. She needs to have a word with Dex. They step away and kiss in the hallway. She asks if he remembers how upset she was when he first joined the PCPD, and he says, of course (🍷). She says, because she was so focused on the downside, she forgot the upside – his uniform. He asks if anyone could be wearing it, but she says, the uniform is great, but it’s him in it, confident and sure of himself. It makes him so hot. They kiss again.
Lois comes to the pool and says she has exciting news for Gio. A friend of hers who works in the city lost a violinist for a string quartet used on Broadway soundtracks. The violinist broke his arm, and she talked Gio up. Her friend is going to hold a spot for him. What does he say? Does he hear that? It’s opportunity knocking. Is he ready for the bright lights?
Drew says, what he did was awful, but he’s not so awful that he’d take advantage of Willow, and Nina says she needed to hear him say it. He says he’s seen Nina work to reconcile with Willow and he admires the fact she didn’t give up. He knows it’s good for both her and Willow that Willow confided in her. Nina says, it felt nice, but the details weren’t, and Drew tells her not to worry about the details. It won’t happen again. She says she’s choosing to believe him. Don’t make her regret it. She believes in him and will make sure he has The Invader’s endorsement. He thanks her, but says, it’s not a quid pro quo. She says, her main concern is Willow’s peace of mind, and he says, maybe it’s time they came to a new understanding.
John asks what Ava can tell him about Sonny’s organization, and she says, not much. Julian kept her out of all that. Julian and Sonny’s world is brutal. He says, she must have heard things, and she says she and her brother were close. She was exposed to things, but didn’t want to involve herself. She preferred to focus on beauty, art, and her gallery. And of course (🍷) her daughter Kiki. She was raising Kiki alone, but she’s no longer with them. He says he’s sorry for her loss, and she says, Julian made more than his share of mistakes, but she loved him anyway. He asks why she turned up with Sonny at Selina Wu’s warehouse the night of the sniper attack, and she says, Sonny insisted she go. Maybe as a human shield, maybe to intimidate Selina. The Jerome family name still holds weight. She was in no position to refuse. He says, she seemed defensive and protective of Sonny, and she says she supposes she was. They were getting along better then, and she was trying to appease him for her and Avery’s sakes. On one hand, Sonny was offering protection, but on the other, he was often a target himself.
Jason says he feels for Charlotte. She’s just a kid and doesn’t deserve this, but that’s on Valentin. He made his choices. Charlotte won’t be alone; she’s got family. Anna says, it’s not the same thing, and Jason says he understands. He’s heard the pain in his sons’ voices asking where he’s been, why he didn’t reach out, and wondering if he cares for them. He won’t let them down again. She says, that happened with her and Robin. She won’t ask him to sacrifice his relationship with his sons. She’s just asking him to trust her for two hours more.
Gio tells Lois that he appreciates the opportunity, but he already promised Ava and Trina that he’d play at a gallery opening and he’s committed to PCU’s summer concert series. Lois says she’s sure someone can cover for him at PCU, and she knows Trina and Ava won’t mind. This is professional work. It’s Broadway, baby. Think of the exposure. And once you’re in, you’re in. He says he supposes they could find a replacement, but his scholarship at PCU is contingent on the concert series. She says, they can talk to the head of the department and explain the situation. College is supposed to prepare you for the real world, and this is a real-world professional opportunity he’s being offered on the road to stardom. No one deserves it more.
Willow says she has a confession. She didn’t come here to talk about Nina. It’s about Michael. Sonny protests, but she says, just hear her out. Michael is her everything. They have a beautiful life and he takes good care of her and their children. She knows Michael is in pain over their estrangement. Michael loves Sonny; he still does. Sonny says, some things just can’t be forgiven, and Willow says, they both know what it feels like to be lied to in order to be protected. The insult and betrayal are hard to get past. Michael did both to her in the name of love, but she got over it. Look at her and Nina now. The healing feels so much better. Sonny’s phone rings, and he picks it up. He says, Diane… Where is she? He’s been trying to call all morning… He doesn’t give a damn. She’s on retainer. Tell her to call him back immediately. He hangs up, and tells Willow, sorry. She says, upsetting news? and he says, Diane is annoying. He pays her a lot of money. She can call him herself, not have an associate do it. Ava is trying to take his daughter away and he’s going to fight tooth and nail to make sure Avery stays with him.
John asks about Sonny’s connection to Anna, and Ava says she’s wondered about that herself. They go way back and are thick as thieves. She suspects that’s why Sonny has remained a free man. They bonded over Robin, and John says, Ava was a captive audience when he and Sonny faced off, dredging up that history. Sorry. She says, it explained a lot about both of them. John is still grieving his brother and his wife. He says, that’s all for now. He’ll let her think on things, and he’ll come back when she’s ready to talk. Give some thought to making a statement. He thinks that’s the best way to go. She says she’ll think about it. May she call him John? He says, of course (🍷), and she says, it’s comforting having him around. They’ll talk soon. He leaves, and in the hallway, his phone rings. He says, no. It wasn’t for him. The champagne was for a source he’s grooming… Yemen? This is the first he’s hearing about a shipment… It does seem Pikeman is still in play. He’s narrowing down a person of interest, but needs time …. He understands. He expects information soon…
Anna says she’ll go to Valentin and warn him that he’s done. The FBI is coming for him. He’ll take Charlotte and run. Jason says, the FBI wants the head of Pikeman, but she says, they just needed him identified to let Jason go. They’ll cast global nets, but she bets they won’t find him. But it won’t matter. Jason will have fulfilled his end of the deal. Jason says, she’s asking that he trust Cates will honor his end of the deal without having Valentin in custody, but she says she’s asking him to trust her. It would have taken a lot longer without her help. He has the evidence because of her and all she’s asking is that he wait two hours before turning it over. Please. She’s running out of time. he says, she’d better be right, and she says she’ll do everything in her power make sure he doesn’t regret it. She promises. She gives him the phone and says she’s trusting him now. He sighs and says, okay. He has what he needs. Do what she wants with Valentin. She dashes out the door.
Willow says she’s sorry that Sonny is going through this, and he says, they’ve been down this road several times. Willow says she’s happy to help, and he says he appreciates the effort, but doesn’t want Michael involved. Michael had someone spy on him. It’s not easy to swallow. She says, Michael knows he made a mistake. At least consider forgiveness. He says, she’s sweet and tenacious. He always liked that about her. He’ll think about it. She thanks him, and says she needs to follow her own advice. She’s in no position to judge anyone. They all make mistakes, and she needs to focus on making amends for what she’s done. He says he’s sure she’ll fix it, and she says she hopes so. For him and Michael too. She thanks him and leaves.
Josslyn says she and Dex can’t do this here. She has to work. He says his lunch break isn’t the way he pictured it. It’s way better. She says, it’s his fault for showing up looking handsome, and he asks if he should steer clear from now on. She says, don’t you dare, and they kiss.
On the phone, Ava says, they’ll talk tomorrow at the gallery, when there’s a knock at the door. She opens it to Natalia and asks what Natalia wants. Natalia says, clarity. She regrets her remarks, but she can’t figure out Ava’s endgame in recording her secretly and releasing what she said.
Nina says she thought she and Drew already had an understanding, and he says, instead of mutual loathing, they’ve moved to mutual cooperation. She says she hasn’t been completely mercenary. She admires Larry McConkey and values his friendship with her father. She wouldn’t have introduced him to Drew if she didn’t think Drew had something worthwhile. Drew says, and he never would have facilitated a reconciliation with Willow if he thought Nina would hurt her. His faith in her has been justified. She says she never thought he’d apply those words to her, and Drew says, same. She says, they’ve come a long way, and he says, it’s time to put the contempt behind them. Which begs the question, what – if anything – is left? Nina’s phone rings, and Madison says, Sonny is here to see her.
Sonny goes to Nina’s office and says he doesn’t mean to interrupt, but Nina says she and Drew have reached a stopping point. He tells Drew, congrats on his candidacy, and Drew says, that means lot, but his vote means more. Drew leaves, and Nina asks if Sonny wants something to drink, but he says he doesn’t have too much time. He doesn’t know what Ava told her, but he’s moved her out and he’s filing for sole custody. Avery belongs with her father. Nina says, good, and he asks if she’s seen through Ava. If not, Nina can’t trust her. Nina says her eyes have been opened regarding Ava, and Sonny says, he imagines Nina’s wake-up call was no more pleasant than his.
Ava says, believe it or not, she didn’t intend to record Natalia. She was in the middle of something for work and didn’t realize until after Natalia left. When she listened to the conversation, she thought the world deserved to know what Natalia’s poor daughter had to endure, her judgement about the right to love who she chooses. It was appalling. Natalia says, Blaze’s reputation and career were shattered. She was dropped by her label. Ava says, Blaze is talented and will win out in the end. Natalia has shown herself to be an awful person and a worse mother. Not even Sonny is going to have anything to do with her. Natalia says, Sonny is furious about the recording, but not with her.
Gio tells Lois that he appreciates the offer to play on the album, but doesn’t see how he can take it. She says she just doesn’t want him to miss out on this incredible opportunity, but if it’s not the right gig, no pressure. He says, it would be fantastic if he was still in the city, but he doesn’t like going back on commitments. She says, no Cerullo does, and he says, more important, he likes living here. He likes PCU and the music department, and he likes his job. He likes the people he’s met. Lois says, even the Quartermaines? and he says, especially the Quartermaines. She says, even Tracy? and he says, he doesn’t know Tracy well, but she can be… Lois says, intimidating? but he tells her that he was going to say standoffish. She’s letting him stay at the house. Lois says, it’s not up to her. The house belongs to Monica. Gio says, somebody gave it to her, and Lois says, Alan, God rest his soul, was a wonderful man. He’d love Gio staying there, just like Monica. If…When Tracy decides to bully him, be polite, but don’t let her push him around.
There’s a frantic knock at Valentin’s door, and he lets Anna in. She asks where Charlotte is, and he says, she’s with friends. Anna says, call her and tell her to come home immediately and that he’ll explain when she gets here. She’s still packed, right? Does he have a have go bag? He asks, what happened? What has she done? She says she turned him into the FBI as head of Pikeman. He has to leave the country immediately.
Nina says she was naïve to think Ava was capable of having a female friend. She’s never known Ava to have one. She doesn’t know why she thought that would change, especially given their unique history. They were doomed to fail. Sonny says he’s sorry, and Nina says, it was nice to have someone to rely on, until they became a lying backstabber. Ava played her. Never again. Why did Sonny come to her? He says, Ava filed a custody suit and means to say he’s mentally unstable. He knows he and Nina have been through tough times, but wants to know, when they ask her to take the stand, what will she say? She says she doesn’t think Ava is foolish enough to subpoena her, but she’ll tell the truth. Sonny is an exemplary father and Avery adores him. He says, it didn’t end well with them. He could have done things differently and he’s owning up to that, not just saying it. She thanks him and says she loves Avery and wants the best for her. He says, life goes on. They’re trying. She asks what he’s trying to say, and he says, she buried the hatchet with Drew. Can she do the same with him?
Valentin dumps the books off the shelf where the phone was and asks if Anna did this. She turned him in? She says, they don’t have time to talk about their feelings right now. He has to be ready to go. Listen to her. He asks if any of it was real. Them finding each other, their nights together. Anna cries and says, he knows it was. She’s risking everything to warn him. He’s got to get away. He asks if she wants him to thank her, but she says, it’s not about him. It’s about Charlotte. She needs him in her life, and he needs her in his. He takes out his phone, and calls Charlotte. He asks if she’s on her way home… Good. He’ll see her when she gets here. Anna says, take Charlotte and go and… don’t contact her again. He says, there’s another plan. Come with him.
John knocks on Jason’s door, but there’s no answer. He tries the doorknob, but it’s locked. He yells, open up! Inside, Jason sits looking at the laptop, and John yells that he wants full disclosure. Everything Jason knows or he loses the deal and so does Carly. Jason looks at the clock.
Tomorrow, Gio tells Josslyn that he may have overstayed his welcome; Anna asks Valentin why he risked it all for Pikeman; and Jason tells John that he should think twice before listening to anything that woman has to say.
As of this posting, there was no RHODubai recap available, but there was this. Apparently, she spoke too soon, since it was pretty cringeworthy tonight, Taleen in particular.
Join me tomorrow for soap, tea, LA and (hopefully) Dubai talk. Until then, stay safe, stay not wearing out your welcome as a guest, and stay not going back on commitments, especially if you like it where you are.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Ava goes into Sonny’s medicine drawer and digs around until she finds the lorphenadine. She scratches the number of refills off the label. (FYI, the bathroom is the worst place to keep medicine, even though we all do it.)
At the MetroCourt, Natalia thanks Sonny for all this. She guesses they should probably finish it up and get on their way. He asks if she’s in a hurry, because he’s not. He likes having her here. He enjoys her company. She says she has a personal belief no one should ever have to dine alone, and he says, lucky him.
In her office, Anna takes out the WSB file on Jack Brennan. She flashes back to John telling her that the ties between Pikeman and the WSB go back to her early years as an agent in the 80s. She says she can tell him flat out that she never had anything to do with Pikeman. Jack Brennan, who ended his rather brief tenure as head of the WSB by being shipped off to Pentenville, could tell him more. It’s alleged he was running but Pikeman and the WSB. Unless he thinks she’s the new head of Pikeman, and by packing him off to prison, she was making a big power grab. John says, anything is possible. There’s a knock at the door, and she says, come in, shoving the folder into her briefcase. Dex says, she wanted to see him? and she says, yes. She just wanted to check in, since it was her bright idea to have him apply to the police academy. Detective Bennet thinks his performance in class and training exercise was outstanding, so she wanted to check in with him personally. He says, first of all, he wanted to thank her. It never would have occurred to him to become a police officer, but every day he’s more certain this is where he’s supposed to be. She asks why he feels certain, and he says, the men and women in his class are exceptional. He’s very proud to stand next to them. She says, and the other officers, the rank and file, how’s that going? He says, it’s getting better, mostly thanks to Detective Chase. He’s really gone out of his way to take Dex under his wing and smooth the way a bit. She says, good. He’s very well liked and well respected, so she’s sure that the other officers will trust his judgement. Dex says, Chase invited him to his wedding tomorrow, and she asks if he’s going to attend. He says he wouldn’t miss it, and she says her sentiments exactly. She’s sure she’ll run into him there. He asks if that will be all, but she says, one other thing. Has he had any interaction with Detective Falconari?
Dante meets Sam in the park and apologizes for being late. She says, he’s not going to believe it. She finally got some answers from Jason about what he’s been up to the last few years. Jason is an FBI informant.
Jason is doing actual work at the coffee warehouse, when John walks in. He says, the FBI has some questions for him, and Jason says, John doesn’t have to follow official procedure. There’s nobody here but them. John says he still has questions. Why was Carly visiting the former director of the WSB in Pentenville? What did Jason tell her? What did he say to Carly? Did he mention Pikeman or Brennan to her? Jason says, no, and John says, then why did she drive out to Pentenville? Jason says he doesn’t know. This is the first he’s hearing of it. John asks why she’d visit Brennan of all people. What was she hoping to find out? Jason says he told John, he doesn’t know, and John says, if he even hinted to Carly that he’s been tasked with finding evidence against Pikeman, it violates their agreement. Jason says he only took the agreement to protect Carly. Why would he turn around and give her information that would put her at risk?
Natalia says she could sit here all day if she didn’t have a dozen phone calls to make, and Sonny says he knows how that goes. She says she would imagine he’s a pretty busy man. She knows he was waiting for someone when she showed up. Who would have the audacity to stand him up? He says he didn’t get stood up. It was Ava, the one she met at his place. He brought her here and he said something she didn’t like. She got upset and stormed off. She missed out, but he didn’t. Natalia says, it was a lovely meal, and the conversation was equally so, and he says, it’s amazing how that works. She asks if he thinks things will calm down by the time he gets home, and he says his home, not Ava’s. He brought her and his daughter Avery into his home because… basically for Avery’s sake, but at first it worked out and now it’s… not really. She says she gets it. When a relationship is ending, transitioning, that’s hard enough, but when kids are involved, it’s just so complicated. He says, sounds like she’s been through it, and she says, yeah. She and her husband are separated. That’s Allison’s father and she has a son from a previous relationship. He says, remember he told her that his family is complicated? Life’s a long and winding road. She says, full of all kinds of paths and forks not taken. Ugh. She does hope it’s a little calmer when he gets back. He says, either that, or he’s going home to an empty apartment, and she laughs. He says, Ava could be packing as they speak, but as long as they sip this coffee really slowly, it will give her enough time. She says, okay, and they clink coffee cups.
Ava goes into the hospital pharmacist’s office and says, the print has rubbed off on this bottle. She’s planning an extensive trip and wants to know how many refills are left on her husband’s prescription. They’re going to be out of the country, and she thinks maybe they should be stocking up. Actually, she wouldn’t mind a little more information about the drug itself. He takes the bottle from her and says, normally, he wouldn’t disclose this information, but since she’s gone to all this trouble, he can at least take a little look. He looks at the label and back at her. (Does this guy live under a rock? Making a note that the hospital’s pharmacist takes no security precautions just like the rest of the hospital, just in case I’m ever sick in Port Charles.)
Dex says he and Dante haven’t had much interaction. He thinks they both have the same avoidance strategy. Anna asks if Dante is icing him out, but he says, nothing like that. Dante nods hello when he walks in the squad room. Otherwise, Dante pretends he isn’t there. She says, he told her they have the same avoidance strategy. Why is Dex avoiding Dante? He says, Dante is senior detective. He also just got shot in the line of duty and he’s highly respected here. But he’s also Sonny’s son. Everyone here knows he worked for Sonny for more than a year, so if they’re seen together too much, people might think they’re working together for Sonny’s behalf. A lot of people already suspect him of that, so why put it on Dante? She asks if he has any reservations about Dante. Maybe suspicions that he might act on his father’s behalf?
Sam says she’s only telling Dante until they figure out what to do with this information. Dante says, Jason saved his life. He must have been with the shooter when they tried to take out Sonny. She says, Jason said he’s been working undercover while he’s been away, that he’s been working under an assumed identity, and Dante wonders what Jason was doing. She says she doesn’t know his exact role, but he’s working with Agent John Cates. He says, my God. He already knew that Jason was an FBI informant, and she asks, how? He says, his father told him.
The pharmacist says, Mr. Corinthos has four refills left, and Ava says, that’s what she thought. She just wanted to be sure. He says, as per usual, he’ll call the prescribing doctor when it’s time to renew unless he hears anything else. Will that be all? She says, as he knows, her husband just started taking this new drug. She does have some concerns about it. He says, really? Lorphenadine was recently approved by the FDA, but it’s highly effective and safe in combination with other drugs like lithium in the treatment of bipolar disorder. Has she discussed her concerns with his doctor? She says, not yet. She didn’t want it to seem like she’s undermining the doctor. Sonny is very comfortable with him. She’s sure it’s fine. She does wonder though, what would happen if a patient, for whatever reason, didn’t take the medication as prescribed or took less than the prescribed dosage. Because, as she’s sure he knows, mistakes do happen.
Natalia says, maybe Sonny should go home and talk to Ava, try to resolve things, and he says he was being flip. Ava’s fine. It was just a stupid argument. He was invited to go to some social event. She wasn’t invited. He couldn’t push it because it was the bride’s family calling the shots. It was a wedding. He didn’t even know Ava wanted to go and then she said she wanted to go. He made it clear to her that she can’t go. Then she got upset and stormed off, like he said, and that is basically that. She says she gets it. She empathizes. It’s a pretty terrible feeling, feeling like you’re being excluded. He says, who would exclude her? and she laughs. She says, thank you, but she’s a newbie in a new town and it’s a town that’s got a very tight knit social set. Allison’s going to her manager’s wedding. She might even be performing; Natalia doesn’t know. Obviously, Kristina is her plus one, so she misses out. He says, Brook Lynn Quartermaine’s wedding? That’s what he was talking about.
John says, everything Jason has done up to this point has been to protect Carly, so it doesn’t make any sense to involve her in this, and Jason says he wouldn’t. John says, that leaves them with a big problem. Why was Carly at Pentenville? Could Carly and Brennan have some kind of understanding? Jason says, no. He doubts that. John asks if they know each other. Brennan was arrested at Bobbie’s. Then it was Kelly’s.Carly was the only other person there. She never said anything about this? Jason says he never asked, and John says, ask her now. Jason says, why? and John says, before he was incarcerated, Jack Brennan was career WSB. He rose all the way to director. It can’t be a coincidence that he lands in Port Charles and starts cultivating Sonny’s ex-wife. Carly must be useful to him somehow. Or, and this seems much less likely, he’s of use to her. Either way, it’s in both of their best interests to find out. He’ll leave it to Jason to figure out how. He leaves.
Dex asks if Anna thinks Dante might be protecting Sonny, but she says she asked him first. He says, no, not consciencely anyway, and she says, but he might have an unconscious bias in Sonny’s favor. He says he saw enough of their relationship when he worked for Sonny to know that he and Dante are close. Sonny was estranged from Michael, so he relied on Dante, even though he was a cop. He’s seen them interact as family. It’s easy and relaxed around each other; they trust each other. He doesn’t think Dante would deliberately look the other way if Sonny committed a crime. But he does think maybe when Dante looks at Sonny, he sees what he wants to. She thanks him for his perspective, and he says, to be clear, he thinks Dante’s an incredible officer. Dante is the kind of cop he wants to be. She says, yeah. There’s no one better he could emulate. No one. Okay, that’s all. Thank you. He leaves and her phone rings. She asks, what’s up?… All right. She’s coming over. She leaves the office.
Sam says, Dante knew that Jason was working for the FBI and he didn’t say anything to her? and he says he didn’t remember. It just hit him with all the things she was saying. He was out of it. He was in the hospital. He’d just woken up. He doesn’t know who he saw or what he said. She says she hopes he remembers her, and he says, of course (🍷) he remembers her. But now he remembers Sonny there. Sonny came into his room. He told him that Jason was working as an informant for the FBI. Then Jason came in his room and told him the same thing. It must have been these meds. She says, that actually tracks. So did what Jason said, because he said he and Sonny aren’t close anymore. She just couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that Sonny would actually think that Jason would turn his back on him. Dante says, if he’s working for Agent Cates, Sonny would consider that betrayal.
Dex does push-ups against a bench (please), when Josslyn trots up. He asks what she’s doing, and she says she’s obviously working out. She just heard about the challenge; the stadium run without the stadium. Does he want to race? He says, only if he gets a head start… She says, absolutely not, and takes off. He follows.
Dante says he and Agent Cates didn’t get off to such a hot start. He didn’t trust Cates; Cates didn’t trust him. Cates said he was trying to protect Sonny and he didn’t believe that for a second. Sam says, because why would the FBI be protecting a mob boss? She believes it though, but she thinks it’s probably secondary to whoever’s behind those hits. He says, it’s something bigger than his father. Those four crime lords who were taken out, the big cities, major transportation hubs. She says, some sort of smuggling ring? and he says he’s been doing some digging on his own. What sticks out, these are not mob hits.
Sonny says he knows it’s last minute, but he does have a plus one. If Natalia wants to go to the wedding with him, he’d love to take her. (Smelled that coming yesterday.) She says, what? That’s so generous, but she doesn’t want to impose, especially at this late date. He says, she met Lois, and she says, yeah. He says, she’s a close friend of his. All he’s got to do is tell her that he’s bringing somebody. Unless she doesn’t want to be seen with him. He understands. She laughs and asks if he’s sure. He says, yes. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have asked. They can be like a mom and dad posse for both of their children. She says, they’ll love that, and they laugh. She says, yes. All right. She accepts with pleasure. She thanks him so much, and says, that means she has to come up with a dress, shoes, and she has to somehow talk her way into a hair salon appointment, so she’s out of here. He says he’ll let her know the time and the whole thing, and she thanks him again for everything. The lovely meal, his thoughtfulness. She’s really looking forward to tomorrow. So goodbye for now. She leaves and he smiles.
The pharmacist says he can assure Ava that he takes quality control very seriously, and she says she’s sure he does. But we’re all human. He says, it seems she’s concerned about her husband’s dosage, and she says she doesn’t stand over her husband to make sure he takes his medication on time. What if he takes less than the prescribed dosage? What if he skips? Could his behavior change? For example, could he become aggressive or even violent? He says, that would depend on his behavior patterns when he’s not medicated. The symptoms could return, but that’s beyond his scope. He’s a pharmacist; he’s not a physician. She picks up the bottle and says she was hoping he could ease her mind before the big trip. He says, what he can tell her is that it’s important a person on mood stabilization medication take their medication regularly. And while unmedicated bipolar disorder may manifest in behavioral issues, people generally don’t become ax murderers overnight. She laughs and says, that’s good. Ax murderers are definitely to be avoided. He asks if she’s noticed any change in her husband’s behavior, and she wonders why he asks. He says, if she’s worried about him not taking his dosage, she should speak with him and his doctor. She says, that’s not necessary. This is a new drug and all, and she had some questions about it, so she thought she’d come to the expert. She goes to the door and says she really appreciates him taking the time to explain things to her. She thanks him for all he continues to do for her husband, and he says he’s glad he could help. Good luck with the trip. She leaves.
Jason is back to doing actual work, when Anna comes in. (No wonder nobody gets any real work done. They’re always being interrupted.) He thanks her for coming, and she asks, what’s so urgent? He says he needs all the information she has on Brennan’s arrest here in Port Charles, but she says, it was relatively uneventful. She and Dante made the arrest at Bobbie’s. He asks if Carly was there, and she says, yeah. Why? Did she say something to him about it? He says, no. Cates did. She says, that’s strange, and he says, Cates was asking why Carly would visit Brennan in Pentenville. Anna says, she did what? and he says, Cates didn’t tell her? She says, no. John is not very big on sharing, but that’s fine because there’s a lot about this supposedly join investigation that she hasn’t been sharing with him. More to the point, it’s actually very concerning that Carly would visit Brennan. He says, why exactly? and she says, because when they made the arrest, it looked as if Brennan was going to kidnap her. The man had zip ties in his pocket. This was months ago, but why would she suddenly take it upon herself to go see him now? Jason sighs and says, there’s only one thing I can think of. She thinks she’s helping me.
Dex and Josslyn end up at the bench, both out of breath, and she says, nice race. For a second there, she thought he was going to let her win. He says, and face her wrath? and she thanks him for respecting her enough to beat her. Two out of three? He says, no. It’s a good thing she isn’t at the academy. She would kill herself trying to finish first in everything. She says, like he doesn’t finish first in everything, and he says, not everything. She says, it’s going good though? and he says, yeah. Things are good. He had to face down a lot of people’s doubts, including his own, but it turns out that if you stick with things and don’t walk away, they get better.
Anna asks why Carly would think she’s helping Jason by going to see Brennan, and he says, a couple days ago, he was with Carly. John shows up, and Carly wanted to call Diane, but he said, don’t. He’ll take care of it. Just leave. But she didn’t want to leave, so he’s sure she found a place to eavesdrop in on their conversation (ha-ha!). She says, which was what? and he says, which was John talking a lot about Brennan and Pikeman and possible ties with Sonny. She says, John didn’t mention him working for Pikeman, did he? and Jason says he made sure John didn’t in case Carly was listening. Anna says, thank God he knows her so well. So what does he think is likely she overheard John saying? He says, John went on to talk about Brennan being arrested with a Pikeman guy, and she says, yeah, Hume. Oh no. She hopes Jason is wrong about this. Because if Carly knows the FBI is investigating this Pikeman/ Brennan connection and she inadvertently gives Brennan that information, then she just made their job exponentially harder.
Dante tells Sam, these four crime figures that were taken out, it wasn’t by rivals. It was all in the same way, long range, professional, clean sniper shots. She says, which backs up his belief that Jason did something to prevent them from killing Sonny, and he says, the other thing is, these bosses that were taken out, it’s not like their organizations collapsed afterwards. The next in line took over with almost no interruption to the organizations. Which tells him that this wasn’t to cause chaos or some kind of takeover from outside forces. So if it’s not that, what’s it for? She says she’s definitely not going to lose any sleep over some dead mob bosses, but she does care about Sonny, and she knows Dante cares about him too. And she hopes he doesn’t take this the wrong way, but she cares about Jason too, and she believes him when he says he didn’t stay away voluntarily, that he was coerced. And she thinks that they should help him. Actually, she wants to help him. Danny can’t lose his father again.
Outside the penthouse door, Sonny takes several deep breaths. He goes inside and Ava is there, and he says he’s surprised to see her. She stormed off at the restaurant. He makes a drink, and she says she’s really sorry about that. It was so silly of her to let her feelings get hurt over a social event. Of course (🍷) she understands the Cerullos and Falconaris don’t want her there. He says, that’s the point he was trying to make, and she says she knows. She realizes that. She’s embarrassed actually. She likes to think she has pretty thick skin and she does with most people, but not with him lately. She’s so appreciative about how they’ve been able to connect and come to trust each other. She really cares about their relationship. And that’s why, for Avery’s sake, it’s time for her to move out.
Dex asks, how’s school? Are they on summer break yet? She says, just about. She’s turned in most of her labs and her papers. She has a few exams left, but she actually just got a new summer job at the MetroCourt. She’s going to be a lifeguard there. He says, that’s more fun than working at the front desk, and she says she hopes it’s fun. He says he thought she’d have some high-powered internship lined up, and she says she thought about it, but she’s actually in the middle of switching her major. He says he’s glad she figured it out. So what does she want?… For her major? She says she’ll be taking much of the same labs and classes as last year, just with a different concentration – environmental science. He says, sounds like a good fit, and she says, really? She feels like she’s so late to change her major. He says, just trust herself. He has no doubt she could save the entire planet if she set her mind to it.
Sonny asks if Ava is sure this sudden need to move out has nothing to do with what happened earlier? and she says, yes and no. Once she cooled down, she realized the most important thing here is the friendship they’ve developed over these last few months. She really values that. Plus, she never wants to put Avery in the stressful situation of watching her parents fighting. So it will take her a few days to find the right living situation for the two of them, one that meets the terms of their shared custody agreement. He asks if this is really what she wants, another place, and she says she was looking for a place of her own after she sold Windymere,. Then he wanted them there when they were under threat. but that threat seems to be gone and she’s starting to feel like she’s overstaying her welcome. He asks if he ever said that, and she says, no. He says, then don’t put words in his mouth. He likes having Avery here, taking her to school, putting her to bed. She says, what about her? and he says he likes having people around. He likes the company. But just so she knows, he didn’t ask her to leave. That was her call. So if she wants to get a place, he’ll help her get a place, but just for the record, he likes the way things are.
Sam says she hopes Dante understands why she wants to help Jason, and he says, of course (🍷) he does. They have a history together; he’s Danny’s father. He’s not threatened by any of that stuff. She says, Danny is a big part of this, but it’s more than that. When Dante was in the hospital and she found out Jason was on that roof, and everyone thought he was the shooter – she thought he was the shooter – she was so angry and cold to him. She was just so terrified she was going to lose Dante, she wanted someone to pay, and she had lost all faith in Jason. He says, so she wants to make almonds amends. She wants to help. She says she supposes she does. She knows that Jason loves Danny and Danny has obviously formed some sort of a bond with Jason. It’s just that Danny needs his father in his life. Dante says, 100% he does. He needs his father. And he feels like he owes Jason. He just doesn’t know how to help him. She says, they’re going to figure that out together. That’s what they do. He takes her hand and says, the thing is, he doesn’t know what this is. This can’t be just a simple undercover operation that guy’s got Jason doing. She says, they need to figure out exactly what it is the FBI has on Jason.
Anna tells Jason, so far, the FBI has been under the radar. And Jason being found out to be who he is didn’t exactly rattle Pikeman’s cages too much. He says, yeah, but Cates thinks they’ll still target him because he knows too much. She says, Pikeman obviously doesn’t know he’s with the FBI, so that’s a good thing at least. And he’s absolutely certain he never told Carly that he was undercover at Pikeman. He says, absolutely not. He wants her to stay out of this. She says, that ship’s sailed. So in all probability, Brennan now knows the FBI is on his trail, which means that they’re blown. And that’s a big problem. Because Brennan’s tentacles, they reach from Pentenville to Pikeman to the WSB to God knows where. He asks if she’s afraid of this guy, and she shrugs. She says, Brennan’s a bit of a charmer. Very smooth. But behind those sparkling eyes is a mind constantly working, processing, reading everything, everyone in the room. He is very smart. He’s very shrewd. They all learned as trainees, the most dangerous weapon was to give Brennan information of any kind. He says, so what do they do now? They just wait for Brennan to make a move? How do they know he’s going to make a move? She says, he will. He’ll find his target and then he’ll act. And the FBI won’t know what hit them. She thinks what they need to do is find out exactly what Carly told Brennan. He tells her, Cates said the same thing. There’s one problem. He can’t be the one to do it.
Dex does more push-ups, and Josslyn says she thought she could escape taking Bio-Chem by switching to environmental science, when actually she has to still take environmental chem, which is just as difficult, and she has to do all of the papers, all the labs, and she has to get her master’s after her undergrad break. He says, there’s no escaping. She’s going to have to be awesome. She thanks him and thanks him for what he said earlier. It means a lot. She should go. He says, him too. It’s really good to see her. She says, it was really good to see him. Take care. She runs off as he watches her.
Ava thanks Sonny and says she knows Avery wants to stay. So does she. She realized something. She’s let herself become a bit of a recluse since the Nikolas thing. And after she sold Windymere, she wanted a fresh start, but other than the gallery, she doesn’t get out too much. She guesses that’s why she made the assumption about Brook’s wedding. He says, she doesn’t have to be cooped up here or at the gallery all the time. She should be able to get out, have fun. She was always the social type. She doesn’t have to cramp her style on his account. She laughs, says, that’s some solid advice, and thanks him. She asks if there’s anything she can do to help him get ready for the wedding. She can get his tie, or she can get a gift. How about a painting from the gallery even? He says, cash is king (truth!). There’s a lot of ties that he doesn’t even wear, but he thanks her for that. She asks if she can give him a ride. She can drop him off and she can pick him up. That way, Frank doesn’t have to waste the day waiting around outside the wedding and the reception. He says he can drive himself. Besides, Blaze’s mother is coming as his plus one. She says, oh. Natalie, right? He says, Natalia. Blaze and Kristina are going, so he thought it would be nice to include Blaze’s mother. She says, that’s very generous of him, and he laughs. He goes in the back, and Ava smiles until he’s gone.
Dante says he gets Sam wants to help. It’s important to her and it’s important to Danny. And please don’t get angry at him for saying this, but he thinks she should stay out of it. She says, wait a minute. He just said he had some digging of his own to do, which means he doesn’t know the whole story. He says, no, he doesn’t, but he can tell it’s a delicate situation. And to get involved with Cates and the Feds, and then maybe she’s in the line of fire… There’s nothing she can do. She says, oh no. She has a hard time accepting there’s nothing you can do as a policy. (Me too.)
Anna says, but Jason is Carly’s best friend. Who better than him to find out what she knows and what she’s done? He says, she just answered her own question. Carly can read him like a book. If he questions her, she knows something’s up. And even if he mentions Brennan, that’s it. She’ll decide she can help him by working Brennan for information. Anna says, oh God. They don’t want that. He says, no. She cannot suspect anything more than she already does. So they have to find a way to stop Carly from doing anything else to help him. She says, all right. If Jason can’t question Carly, she’ll have to talk to Carly herself.
On Monday, Gregory says he would have enjoyed it more with Tracy; Sasha says she should have asked Michael before she said yes; Trina says she knows what Stella is doing; and Anna tells Carly that she’s just compromised a major investigation.
❤️🩹 Another Non-Divorce…
Yeah, things weren’t looking too good last season. PK getting sober sounds like a good sign, but it’s a tough road in the music biz. And what is this, a RHOBH curse?
I never thought Brandi’s claims had any merit. It was just her way of trying to deflect from her own bad behavior. I have no doubt it happened – it sounds like something stupid Andy and Kate would do – but they certainly weren’t serious. As for Leah, I have no clue about the coke, but I’m sure the producers don’t discourage drinking alcohol, especially if it leads to drama. Just not too much. Still, is that Andy’s fault? I dunno, but the responsibility ultimately lies with the cast member on that one.
I’ve been to this several times, and the set-up is much better now. They used to do the whole thing at Madison Square Garden, with the benching area (where the dogs are kept in between their shows), the prep area, and the shopping area all in one place. It was always packed with people and like, 110 degrees. On top of it, dog hair dryers were going half the time. Now it’s in two buildings by the river, with only the main show in the Garden. At last attendees can breathe. Go Pekes!
This is a great organization. No one who’s being abused should have to choose between that and keeping their pet. I’d sleep in the street first. Even though I’d need a pretty big box.
Sooner or later, we all quote our mothers. – Bernard Williams
I’ll join this conversation on the proviso that we stop bitching about people, talking about wigs, dresses, bust sizes, penises, drugs, night clubs, and bloody Abba! – Bernadette (Terrence Stamp), Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted. Do it now. – Paulo Coelho
Motherhood seems to be a no-win battle: however you decide to do (or not do) it, someone’s going to be criticizing you. – Celeste Ng, Little Fires Everywhere
We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals. – Immanuel Kant
Thus far the mighty mystery of motherhood is this: How is it that doing it all feels like nothing is ever getting done. – Rebecca Woolf
The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty. – Winston Churchill
Mothers are fonder than fathers of their children because they are more certain they are their own. – Aristotle
Even dads need their moms. – Brandon Gibbs, 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way
Silence is golden. Unless you have kids. Then silence is suspicious. – Nicole Fornabaio, The Noun Project (This goes for dogs too.)
Happy Mother’s Day – Juliet, July 11, 2007
🌻 Easy Like Saturday Morning…
Wishing a Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms, stepmoms, pet moms, and mother figures. We’re all moms to something, even if it’s a plant. Join me again on Monday really Tuesday for soap and God knows what on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay sharing with those who have less than you, and stay sticking with things and not walking away. They get better.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
At the MetroCourt, Carly hugs Sasha, saying, she hasn’t seen Sasha in forever. She asks if Sasha is alone or waiting for someone, and Sasha says she’s waiting for Nina, but Nina seems to have gotten hung up. Carly says she knows how busy Crimson can get. She hopes Sasha isn’t waiting too long. Sasha says, no worries. The longer Nina takes, the longer she has to look for a new place. Carly asks if she’s moving, and Sasha says her rent is too high. She really needs to downsize. Carly says she heard Sasha left Deception. She’s sorry she didn’t text Sasha about it. Not such a good friend, huh? Sasha says, it’s fine. She’s doing great. She sits at the bar, and Carly says, really? She knows how much Sasha put into that company. Sasha says, with all the changes that were happening, it was time to go. She’s really glad she did. Carly says, the appearance on Home & Heart? and Sasha says, a one-time thing. She doesn’t miss the job at all. She just still hasn’t figured out what to do next. Carly says, since she’s looking, would she be interested in working here at the MetroCourt?
Tracy walks into the nook where Leo is snacking and asks Leo why he’s putting that processed garbage into his body. He says he likes it and he’s hungry. He didn’t eat lunch. She says, why not? It’s not like him to forget his lunch. It’s not like him to forget anything. He says he gave it away, and she asks, why? He says, it was a peanut butter sandwich, and she says she thought he liked those. He says he did, but it’s all Yuri ever makes. He’s tired of them. Olivia comes in and asks Leo if he’s ready to go. She has to pick up his friend Teddy and take them to the aquarium pronto. He says he’ll get his backpack, and runs off. Olivia grabs a piece of whatever Leo was eating and says she’s so starving. She didn’t get a chance to eat. Tracy says, do tell, and Olivia says she realizes that dinners have been a little hit or miss lately, but if she makes a couple of lasagnas today, it should last for the next couple of dinners. Tracy says, no, and Olivia says, Tracy doesn’t like her lasagna? Tracy says she loves Olivia’s lasagna. Everybody here loves her lasagna, but this situation is madness. Olivia is running herself ragged at the hotel and she’s condemning everyone in this house to life in leftover manor. Clearly, it is time to hire a cook. Olivia says, bite your tongue.
Walking into the apartment, Gregory says he told Finn that he was fine, and Finn tells him that he keeps saying that. Gregory says his doctor agrees. Last night’s little episode… Finn says, a temporary paralysis? And Gregory says, temporary, yes. He’s made a full recovery. Is Violet here? He doesn’t want to argue in front of her. Finn says, no. She’s still at school. They’re not arguing. He’s just looking out for Gregory. Does he want to lie down? Gregory says, the couch is fine, and don’t worry. He’ll take it easy for the rest of the day. Isn’t Finn needed at the hospital? Finn sits next to him and says he thinks they’ve come to a point where Gregory shouldn’t be left alone for long periods of time. Gregory asks, what exactly is he saying? and Finn says he thinks they should get Gregory an in-home caregiver. Just in case anything like last night ever happens again. (I’d like one of those and I’m not even sick.)
Molly goes to Alexis’s office and asks if she’s got a minute. Alexis says, for her, always. Isn’t she supposed to be in court? Molly says, court’s in recess for lunch, and holds up a to-go bag, asking if Alexis is interested. Alexis says she doesn’t know. It depends. What’s she got? Molly says, turkey club with avocado, and Alexis says, yes, taking the bag. Not that Molly needs an ulterior motive to see her mommy… Molly says she needs Alexis’s help. Alexis says she knew it. Legal advice? Molly says, Kristina, and Alexis says, ugh.
On her phone at the gallery, Laura says she’ll be in soon, and tells Ava, sorry about that. City business. Ava says, of course (🍷). She certainly doesn’t want to keep Laura from her mayor duties. Laura says, so she gathered, because Ava never answered her question, and Ava says, which was? Laura asks, how does she like living with Sonny? when Sonny walks in. He asks if he heard his name, and Laura says, yes. Ava asks, what’s up? and he says he needs their help, both of them. Laura says, with what? and Sonny says he wants to commission one of Ava’s artists to create a piece so he can donate it – he asks Laura if she’s ready for this – to the city. Laura says, what makes him think the city would be interested in that?
Olivia says she appreciates Tracy’s perspective. She realizes she’s been a little overbooked lately. Tracy says, a little? and Olivia says she can feed her family. Tracy says, Olivia needs to face facts. She is spreading herself too thin. She’s reduced her son to eating Snackaroos and peanut butter a la Yuri. Olivia says, Carly’s back at the MetroCourt… and Tracy says she’s missing the point. The Quartermaine family has always had a cook. They need one. Olivia says, Tracy is trying to kick her out of her own kitchen, and Tracy says, it’s Monica’s kitchen. Alan gave it to her, and Olivia is not staff. She’s a Quartermaine. She lives here; she doesn’t work here. And while Tracy admires her concerted effort, she can’t be responsible for feeding this family. Tracy is calling an agency and getting referrals. Olivia says, no! She’ll agree to a cook, but only if she hires the cook.
Carly says she’s co-owner of the MetroCourt again, and Sasha asks, how’d that happen? Carly says, Nina sold her half, and Sasha says, congratulations. Carly thanks her, and Sasha says she’s really happy for Carly. She’s just caught off-guard. Nina never said anything about selling. Carly says she thinks it happened pretty quickly. So does that mean Sasha will consider working for her? Sasha says, of course (🍷) she’ll consider it. She really appreciates the offer. Carly says, but it’s not what she’s looking for, is it? and Sasha says she doesn’t know. She’s trying to look around and see what feels right. Carly says she’s been there, and Sasha says, but you know what does feel right? Carly back here at the MetroCourt. Carly laughs and says, yes, and Sasha says, and Nina back at Crimson. Carly says, better there than here, yes. She’s going to take menus to a customer. If Sasha needs anything, let her know. She’s happy to help. Sasha thanks her and says she will. And she will definitely keep this place in mind. Carly leaves and Sasha sends a text to Nina: Where are you?
Molly tells Alexis, Josslyn and Krissy had another blow up. And this time Josslyn had some very specific things to say about Sonny. Alexis says, Kristina has great big feelings about her father. He’s her hero. Nobody knows that better than she does. Molly says she thinks that’s really why Kristina was upset. Because deep down she knows the things Josslyn was saying were true. They talked, and she was calmer by the time she left, but when TJ found out she’d come over so late and how wound up she’d gotten, now he’s worried that all this stress is going to hurt their baby. Alexis asks what Molly said, and Molly tells her that she tried to defend Kristina’s feelings. It is upsetting – she can’t even imagine – but there are other things to consider. The stress can’t be good for Kristina or the baby. It certainly isn’t good for TJ. Alexis says, or Molly, and Molly says, it’s gotten to the point where prosecuting criminals is how she relaxes. Alexis says, been there, and Molly says, so she was hoping Alexis would talk to Kristina.
Finn says, there are caregivers out there who can keep a low profile, but Gregory says, there should be a babysitter when he’s alone with Violet. For Violet, not for him. Finn says, what if Violet hadn’t been here last night? What if she hadn’t getting him his ventilator? Gregory says he knew something was wrong and asked Violet to get the ventilator for him. If he’d been alone, he would have called 911. Finn says, what if paralysis had hit and he was unable to dial? and Gregory says, fortunately, he’s not quite there yet. Finn says, not this time. What about the next time? Because they both know it will happen again. And the time after that, and the time after that. Gregory says, they don’t need to think about the time after that yet. He just needs to be ready for the next time and he will be. He promises. He starts to leave, but Finn says, that’s not good enough.
Laura says she knows they’re in Ava’s gallery, but can she have a moment alone with Sonny? Ava says, by all means, and leaves, but she listens from around the corner. Sonny says, it’s just you and me. What’s on your mind?
Finn says, Gregory can’t see his point of view, but maybe he can see Violet’s. He’s never seen her more scared than what she was last night. Think about that. Put himself in her shoes. Watching her grandfather collapse, running to get his ventilator, watching him lie on the sofa unable to move. What does he think that did to her? Gregory asks if Violet is afraid to be alone with him now, but Finn says, no. She probably never will be. She loves Gregory and wants to spend all the time with him that she possibly can. What if things had been worse? Gregory says, they weren’t, and Finn says, not this time. But what about next time? What happens if he starts to aspirate or collapse or convulse or pass out completely? Knowing Violet, she’d probably try to save him, and if she couldn’t, she’d probably blame herself. Gregory says he would never allow that to happen, and Finn says, at the risk of being devil’s advocate, how would he stop it? They have a responsibility to make Violet feel safe in her own home, right? Gregory says, that’s emotional blackmail, and Finn says he knows. It’s also reality. It’s the reality they have to accept. The bottom line is, Gregory needs help, and when he’s not here, Gregory needs a caregiver. Period. Gregory says, or what? and Finn leaves the apartment.
Sasha reads a text from Nina: Sorry! Be right there. Olivia sees Sasha and asks if she’s got a second. Sasha says she does. What’s up? Olivia says, first of all, she wants to thank Sasha for saving her neck the other night with the shepherd’s pie. It was absolutely delicious. Dante won’t stop talking about it, and frankly, she’s a little bit jealous. Sasha says she’s happy to give Olivia the recipe. It’s one of those dishes that, once you make it a couple of times, you can start to play around with it and add your own touches. Olivia says she does want the recipe. She can’t wait to make it. And that leads her to what she actually wants to talk to Sasha about. Ever since the last cook left at the Quartermaines, she’s been doing all the cooking. And when she gets very busy, which does happen sometimes, the family is left to fend for themselves. So she’s come to accept… It’s been pointed out to her that it’s time for the Quartermaines to hire a new chef. Fend for themselves means different things to different people. For Leo and Monica, it means Yuri makes eggs for breakfast and peanut butter sandwiches for lunch.
Nina walks into the restaurant and asks Carly if she can have a moment. Carly says, that depends. What’s it about?
Olivia says she’s got to find someone she can work with. She won’t go back… She cannot go back to the days when the Quartermaines were banned from the kitchen. Before Cook 3 left, she doesn’t think Tracy knew where the kitchen was. Sasha laughs and says, that tracks. Olivia says she loves cooking for her family. She actually finds it very therapeutic almost. Sasha says she feels the same way, and Olivia says, there are people who find joy in life because of the labor intensity of her lasagna. Sasha says, cooking to her has always been peaceful, grounding. Maybe it’s because she cooked with her grandmother. The times she spent in the kitchen with her is definitely what she missed the most about her. Olivia says, Sasha really loved her, and Sasha says she still does. Olivia says, and Sasha loves cooking through her, huh? and Sasha says she guesses she does. Olivia says, and she’s good at it. So what does she say?
Alexis tells Molly, women have earthquake hormones during pregnancy. They live through it. Babies ride through it. Molly says she knows that intellectually, it’s just… Alexis says she knows Molly is worried. She knows Molly is terrified. Molly says, very much, and Alexis says, on the bright side, she knows how thrilled her sister is to do this for her, and Kristina is oddly thrilled about the ups and downs of the pregnancy. Molly says she’s so grateful to Kristina for doing this, and she loves how excited Kristina is about it. Alexis says, but there’s something more, so what is it? Besides Josslyn. Molly says she just wishes TJ could relax a little. Kristina’s emotions go to 11 over Sonny, then TJ’s go to 11 over Kristina. Alexis says she can imagine TJ’s 11 is a lot different than her sister’s, and Molly says, oh yeah. Because he’s always been so even keeled… whatever that means. Alexis says she thinks it has something to do with boats… Never mind. Go on. Molly says, so when he’s this upset, it doesn’t look like a lot, but if you know him… Alexis says, it’s sizeable, and Molly says, and when he’s upset, she gets upset. Then she starts to think maybe this is all her fault, because TJ has spent years and years listening to her side of her disagreements and arguments wit her sister. So maybe because of that TJ doesn’t trust Kristina.
Laura asks, what’s behind this latest burst of philanthropy? and Sonny says, his kids. Port Charles has always been their home. If they visit city hall and they see something beautiful he donated, then they can feel as proud of the city as he does. Laura says, and proud of him? What if one day his little girls find out he nearly beat a man to death with his bare hands? Does he think it’s all going to be okay because he donated art? He wonders why she’d ask him that. They’ve been friends for how many years? Is she going to turn on him?
Molly says she doesn’t think TJ thinks Kristina is a bad person, not that she would ever do anything to intentionally harm the baby, and Alexis says, of course (🍷) not. Molly says, but she is who she is, and he is who he is, and the two of them are emotional opposites. Alexis says, that they are, and Moly says she and TJ are just so excited and nervous to be parents, and they’re treating every bump in the road like it’s this huge mountain to overcome, but there are bound to be bumps. Alexis says, oh, there are and there will be, and Molly says, and Kristina has every right to be worried about her father, but she doesn’t know how Kristina is going to handle it if things get worse for Sonny. Alexis asks what he did now, and Molly makes a zipping motion across her lips. She asks if Alexis will just check in with Kristina, and Alexis asks if she has to. Molly says, please, and Alexis says, okay. Molly thanks her and says she has to get back to work. She tells Alexis that she loves her, Alexis says she loves Molly too, and they hug.
Gregory opens the door to Tracy and says he sees Finn called in reinforcements. She says, not this time. Should he have? Gregory asks if he’s expected to believe Tracy isn’t here to check on him, and Tracy says, that’s a ridiculous question. Of course (🍷) she’s here to check on him. That’s what friends do. Is he trying to pick a fight with her? He says, no. He’s sorry. He saw his doctor today. She asks what he said, and Gregory tells her that the doctor said he’s back to what passes for normal for him these days. She says she’s no expert, but that sounds like good news. He says, it is, but it’s not good enough for his son. Finn is insisting that he hires an in-home caregiver to monitor him. She says, that sounds sensible to her, but he says, it’s not sensible; it’s overreacting. And it’s not going to happen.
Sasha asks if Olivia wants her to help interview potential cooks, but Olivia says, no. She wants Sasha to be the new cook. Sasha says, her? and Olivia says, yes. Sasha says, that’s her second job offer today. Olivia says, what? and Sasha says, never mind. Olivia says, here’s what she needs. She needs someone to do breakfast, lunches, including school lunches for the endless parade of kids going through that house, and dinners on weeknights. She’ll do dinners on weekends and any other time she wants, but she promises to give Sasha a proper heads up. She knows cooking for the Quartermaines isn’t the same as cooking for herself, but she promises everyone will be very patient with Sasha while she gets used to the job. So what does she think? She knows it’s a lot to take in. Sasha says, it is. She never thought she would end up in a kitchen again. Olivia says, again?
Nina says, there’s an electrical problem in her office, and Carly says, really? They can’t have that. What kind of an electrical problem? Nina says, they’ve been experiencing random surges, and Carly says, has she? That’s terrible. Nina says, and it’s been happening more and more frequently, and Carly says, funny. That never used to happen since the emergency maintenance crew was ordered for no apparent reason. (So much for Carly saying she didn’t want to hurt Nina anymore.) Nina says, the reason was flooding, and Carly says, yet nothing was wet. But Nina is having an electrical issue, so she’s going to hire the contractors Nina used since she liked their workmanship so much. Nina says, great. As long as the problem is addressed. And one more thing. Jason may have bought the MetroCourt back for Carly, but the person she should really be thanking is Ava.
Laura says she doesn’t see how trying to tell Sonny the truth means she’s turned against him, and he says, okay, fine. She wants the truth? She tells him that she’s just saying that’s the least he owes his kids, and he asks if she tells her kids the truth about everything. She says, the important things, she really tries, and he tells her, let’s say Donna and Avery come to him one day and they say, dad, why’d you beat that guy up? He’s going to say that he lost his temper. He had his reasons, but he regrets his actions. Is that okay? She says, it’s just that she hasn’t seen any evidence of that regret, and he says, they both know Cyrus is not a victim. Laura says she knows what Cyrus is capable of, and Sonny says, that’s the thing. He doesn’t think she does. Cyrus belongs in prison until he meets his Maker. She asks if he really thinks he’s in a position to judge who deserves to be behind bars and who doesn’t, and he asks, since when does she care about Cyrus? He’s been her brother for what, five minutes? She says, it’s because of what Sonny did to him, and Sonny says he and Laura are family. They’re blood. They’re connected through Spencer and Rocco. She says she knows that’s true, but that has nothing to do with this. He says he doesn’t even know what they’re talking about, and she says, what they’re talking about is a lifetime of crime and violence that she’s looked past time and time again. And she can’t do it anymore. She just can’t. Okay? And she can’t turn a blind eye anymore to his business, the things that he’s done, the crime, the people he’s hurt… the people he’s killed. Ava continues to listen, and Laura says, putting a wing on the hospital and donating art to the city doesn’t just make all of that go away. They still happened. They’re still there. They matter. It doesn’t just disappear because he did his daily good deed. (What’s bothering me about this storyline is, aside from nearly everyone turning on Sonny without even giving him a heads up, he’s not behaving normally. Even his physical movements aren’t the usual. How come no one is noticing?)
Carly asks what Ava has to do with Jason buying the MetroCourt, and Nina says she didn’t accept the offer right away. She talked it over with Ava first. Ava led her to believe Sonny would like it if she sold the MetroCourt to his best friend. Carly says, Ava sandbagged Nina. Ava was standing right there when Sonny called Jason a traitor and threw them both out of the penthouse. Nina says she figured it out. After the deal was done. Too late to change her mind. Carly says, it’s a pattern with Ava. She uses people until they’re no longer useful. That’s what she did with Carly’s son. In the end, all Ava cares about is getting what she wants. Nina says, in Ava’s defense, not everyone has a Jason to get her what she wants (I wish I did <heaving Jason sigh>), like losing a hotel fair and square. So much for Carly earning the MetroCourt back on her own.
Finn stops by Alexis’s office and asks if it’s a bad time. She says she hopes so. If not, she’ll have nothing to report. He says he’s sorry to bother her at work. He was on his way to a meeting and he just… She asks, what’s going on? and he says his father had a seizure last night. She says, no, and he says, it resulted in temporary paralysis. He’s okay. Alexis tells him to sit, and he says, when he walked in and saw him lying there, unable to move, and Violet beside him, terrified, not knowing what was going on… Alexis asks if she’s okay, and he says he thinks seeing her grandfather collapse… and after lying there, she had to run and get his ventilator. He thinks it’s something she’ll never forget, but right now she’s as good as can be expected. She says, how is Gregory? and he says, his ALS is progressing rapidly, but his dad… He gets it. His dad wants to be independent. He wants to make up for all those risks he never got to take in life. Jumping out of airplanes and whatever it is that makes him feel alive, but… He talked to Gregory today, and he told Gregory that he thinks they need to get some sort of in-home help for when he’s not there, and his dad flat-out refused and they had this big argument. Alexis says she’s sorry. She’s not shocked, but she is sorry. He says him too. He gets it and he’s trying to do everything he can to support him, but this time he’s going to have to put his daughter first.
Gregory tells Tracy, the day is coming when he’ll be completely helpless, and he’ll need people taking care of his every need and every bodily function, watching over him all the time, every single moment, but he’s not there yet. She says, he’s not far from it, and he says, thank you. Why is it such a sin for him to hold on to what little autonomy he can for as long as he can? She says, it‘s not, and he says, she’s being very agreeable, and he finds it suspect. She laughs and says, he has every right to hold on to his autonomy for as long as he possibly can. He says, thank you? and she says, just as Finn has every right to have a safe emotional environment for his daughter. He can’t risk Violet finding Gregory if he’s unable to move. Or worse. He says, she’s not telling him anything Finn hasn’t already told him already, and she says, then she assumes Finn’s already asked him the obvious question. He says, what question is that? and she says, what is more important to him, his pride or his granddaughter’s well-being?
Sonny asks Laura what he’s supposed to do. Confess to everything he’s been accused of? She says, that depends. How many of the things he’s accused of are true? He says he’s done far less than Cyrus, and she says, but Cyrus’s crimes don’t absolve his. Sonny says, Cyrus held her at gunpoint and he’s the bad guy? and she says she’s sorry. She thinks there are two bad guys. He says he does everything he can to protect his business, his family, and everybody he cares about, and that includes her. Does she know why? She says, why? and he says, so the bad guys don’t come after her. (He doesn’t even look good. He has giant circles under his eyes.) She says, being a good man when you’re not committing a crime, doesn’t absolve him from the times he does commit a crime. And being really good at covering up his tracks doesn’t make him less guilty. He rubs his forehead, and she says, at some point he has to be held accountable. He says, by who? and she says, think of his children, okay? His little girls, Donna and Avery. What’s going to happen when they’re old enough to figure out what their father does for a living? And they will. He’s not going to be able to keep that from them. What is he going to say? He says he’s going to do what he always does. He’s going to do everything in his power to protect them. She says she knows he will, but who’s going to protect them from him?
Sasha says she worked as a line cook and a part-time chef for a few summers in the Hamptons, and Olivia says, it was meant to be. Sasha says she was never the head chef. She was the substitute sous chef when the real chef was out. Olivia says, she worked in a busy restaurant. Cooking for the Quartermaines is going to be a piece of cake. An overly ornate five-tier pain in the butt piece of cake, but still, it’s a piece of cake. Sasha says, this is really flattering, but is Olivia sure she wants to offer her a job based on one shepherd’s pie? Olivia says, she loves to cook. She’s a great cook. They need a cook. Oliva says, it’s a match made in heaven. Or an opening in the universe, depending on your spiritual beliefs. Not to mention the fact that Cody shows up for dinner several nights a week. She’s sure he wouldn’t mind having Sasha around.
Finn asks Alexis to tell him if he’s wrong. Tell him that he shouldn’t just give into his father and give him everything he wants. She says she can’t tell him that, and he says he wants to give him everything he wants. Go parasailing. Go get shot out of a cannon. Go out in space and see the earth from orbit. Do all the things. He’ll do them with his dad, but he doesn’t think his dad can do those things right now, so shouldn’t he give in and give him this one thing? Alexis says, maybe. It’s certainly worth trying to talk to him again, but she doesn’t know that he’s going to end up with different results. He says, she’s right. He’s going to go back and talk to him. She says she thought he was going to a meeting, but he says he can do that later. She says, when the oxygen mask drops from a plane, what do you do? and he says, you put your mask on first, but this… She says, this is the same thing. This is as challenging as it gets. And in order for him to navigate through this, he’s going to have to take care of himself, which means taking care of his sobriety. He says he knows what she’s saying. He gets it. But in this moment, he just feels so selfish. She says, then be selfish. Can his dad wait for an hour for him to go to a meeting? He says he’s not sure, and she says, what do the doctors think? He says, probably. He doesn’t know. She says she understands that his father needs to hold on to his autonomy for as long as he can, but she also knows there’s nothing more important to him than Violet.
Gregory tells Tracy that he never wants Violet to be afraid the way she was last night. He was scared too. When something like that happens, you never know when it’s going to end, if ever. But when he was trying to stay calm, the worst part was knowing he couldn’t comfort his granddaughter. She asks how he thinks Violet felt, not being able to comfort him, and he says he understands what she’s saying, but she and Finn need to understand what he’s saying. She says, okay. There is another solution. He says, great. He’s all ears. She says, first, he has to decide what’s most important to him. If it is in fact spending the time he has left with Finn and Violet here in their home, then he has to abide by Finn’s wishes. But if his independence is his top priority, then he simply moved in to an assisted living facility – Turning Woods is supposed to be really nice – and he can have Violet visit him there.
Laura says she didn’t intend for them to have this conversation here today, and she mean for it to go like this either. She hopes Sonny will take some of this to heart. Please. Just think about it. Just think about doing the right thing. He doesn’t say anything, and she says, at any rate, the City of Port Charles will not be accepting his donation of art. Not while she’s the mayor. She walks out, and Ava walks in, since she didn’t have far to go. She asks, what happened to Laura?
Alexis tells Finn to take the time and go to his meeting to give his dad some time to think things through. When Finn talks to him again, tell him that he and Chase and Violet are worried about him and want someone to take care of him when Finn can’t be there. And she thinks sooner rather than later, he will see Finn’s wisdom. Finn says, here’s hoping, and she says, and whether he does or not, he can’t take care of his family until he takes care of himself first. He says, that’s good advice, and she says she’s good. in fact, she’s so good, she’s going to follow her own advice. Would he like company at his meeting? He says he’d love it.
Gregory says, she’s good, and Tracy says he’s going to have to narrow that down a little bit. He says, the art of persuasion, and she says, oh, that. He says, obviously if he has to choose between Turning Woods and here, even with a caregiver, of course (🍷) he chooses here. She says, that’s not persuasion, that’s just commonsense. And by the way, if she were in his shoes, she’d be handling this much, much worse. She wouldn’t sit for it. She wouldn’t stay. She’d run away to the far corners of the earth where her family couldn’t find her to help her, to care for her. And no matter how miserable and lonely she got, she’d still have her dignity and her freedom, and have no one to share it with. But luckily, you my friend, are so much smarter than I am. He says, she’s the smartest woman he knows.
Sasha tells Olivia that she can’t say it isn’t tempting. She left Deception because she wasn’t satisfied there anymore. She wanted something completely different from what she was doing, and working as a chef at the Quartermaines would definitely be different. Olivia says she doesn’t want to pressure Sasha, and Sasha says, of course (🍷) not. Olivia says, but she would be remiss in not telling Sasha that it’s a live-in position, which means she’d get free room and board in a beautiful mansion with all meals included. Sasha says, so she’d get to eat what she makes, but Olivia says, better. Sasha gets to eat what she makes. And get paid for it. Come on. What does she say? Sasha tells her, she says, that’s exactly what she needs right now.
Carly says, other than fixing the electrical issues Nina brought on herself, is there anything else she can do for Nina? (I’m all about their outfits today. Kudos to wardrobe.) Nina says she might as well just tell Carly. She signed the divorce papers. She and Sonny are no longer married. But Ava is closer to him than ever. From one ex-wife to another, she doesn’t think Ava is good for Sonny. In fact, she thinks Ava could be toxic for him. Carly says she doesn’t agree with Nina on much, but she does agree with her there.
Sonny tells Ava that Laura didn’t want his gift to the city, and she says she was surprised by Laura’s reaction at first, but she thought he could talk her into it. Public art benefits everybody. He says he guesses not when it comes from the wrong person, and she asks, since when is he the wrong person? He’s been unfailingly generous to the City of Port Charles. There are wings in the hospital and playgrounds in the park because of him. He says, it doesn’t matter to Laura. She can’t get past what he did to Cyrus. She asks if Laura knows that Cyrus provoked him. That he orchestrated his own beating? It wasn’t Sonny’s fault. He says, Laura thinks it was. He owned up to it, and now she wants to punish him. He’s been good to Laura for so many years, and he thought she was loyal to him, but he guesses not.
On Monday, Michael asks, what’s with this mystery meeting; Nikolas asks if Ava is in love with Sonny; Valentin says, Anna is not going to be a problem; and Anna tells Jason that he’s putting this entire investigation at risk.
A confirmation of yesterday’s news from a different source. Mostly the same info, but I thought it was weird how he looks like Jim Parsons in the photo.
The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof. – Richard David Bach
Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts. – Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Winners do things losers don’t want to do. – Dr. Phil McGraw
Sometimes you have to do what you don’t want to do to maintain the life you’ve created. – Judge Lynn Toler, explaining to a man why he has to work to feed his children (sigh)
To be really great in little things, to be truly noble and heroic in the insipid details of everyday life, is a virtue so rare as to be worthy of canonization. – Harriet Beecher Stowe
I won’t undertake war until I have tried all the arts and means of peace. – François Rabelais
If you just go with the flow, no matter what weird things happen along the way, you always end up exactly where you belong. – Tom Upton
She is the apple that goes in the pig’s mouth. – Marie Calvet (Julia Ormond), Mad Men
A lifetime isn’t forever, so take the first chance, don’t wait for the second one! Because sometimes, there aren’t second chances! And if it turns out to be a mistake? So what! This is life! A whole bunch of mistakes! But if you never get a second chance at something you didn’t take a first chance at? That’s true failure. – C. JoyBell C.
Golden rule, motherf***er. – Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell), Fallout
🐼 Leaving Them Laughing
A panda walked into a café and ordered a sandwich. He ate it and then pulled a gun out and shot the waiter. The panda then plunked a badly punctuated wildlife manual onto the table. Look me up, he growled as he walked out the door. The wounded waiter opened the book to the entry for panda. It read, Panda: Large, black and white bear-like mammal native to China. Eats, shoots & leaves.
🌸 Shine On Pink Moon…
In the next two days, do one thing you’ve never done before. Then join me on Monday really Tuesday for soap and a new chef on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay never reaching past someone without saying excuse me, and stay putting on your own oxygen mask first.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Laura stands on the deck of the French Haunted Star when Dante comes out. She asks if he’s spoken to the French authorities, and he says he did. They’re very thorough and very professional. She tells him, just say it. Where is Spencer?
Trina sits in her stateroom, flashing back to the struggle with Esme, when Portia and Curtis come in. Trina hugs Portia and takes Curtis’s hand.
Felicia finds Josslyn at the hospital and says she heard Josslyn’s friend Adam needs a patient advocate.
Nurse Willow tells Adam that she has a friend of his outside, and he says, if she’s talking about Josslyn… She says she isn’t. She’s talking about this. She brings in his guitar and he smiles. He says he wasn’t sure what happened to it, and she says, they were keeping it for him. He thanks her, but she says, thank Josslyn. She was the one who brought it from the park the night he was admitted. She thought he might want it. Killjoy Mr. Wright aka Adam’s father comes to the door and says he was hoping Adam had outgrown this thing. It’s time he got his priorities straight.
Lois asks Chase and Brook if they can imagine anything more appropriate or beautiful than St. Anthony’s in Bensonhurst. The entire neighborhood will be there. All the Cerullos and the Falconaris and Father Tom. He does a great service. (Yeah, but isn’t Aunt Gloria not allowed near that church anymore?) Brook says, they already asked Gregory to officiate, and Lois says, not to worry. Father Tom is very liberal. She’s sure he would have no problem sharing the pulpit. So have they thought about the reception? Brook says, one idea is a yacht, and Lois says, that is romantic in theory. It’s risky in practice. The night of her second wedding to Ned – the one that was actually sanctioned by the church, as opposed to the quickie one where she thought she was marrying Eddie Maine – they had a yacht cruise. The ship ran aground and almost sank with the entire wedding party and family and friends on board. Chase says, so they should be looking at venues on dry land, and Lois says, but some risks are worth taking. Could they imagine a moonlight cruise off Coney Island? They can welcome all of the guests on board under the Brooklyn Bridge, and they can sail around Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. And when everybody’s ready to disembark, they can send them off with popcorn. Doesn’t that sound spectacular? (It sounds like, one of these things is not like the others.) Gregory says, spectacular, and Chase tells her, he has to say, they’re… Brook says, speechless, but Tracy says she’s not.
At Crimson, Drew asks Carly how it’s going, and she says, ask her in a couple of days because they’re in the middle of putting out the first issue of the magazine with her name on it. Her head is spinning. He says, with her here and Nina gone, Crimson has already improved, but Carly says she doesn’t know about that. She despises Nina, but Nina knew a lot more than she does about putting a magazine out. He says, Nina learned on the job. She’s going to learn on the job too. She’s a natural leader, runs a big company, and she’s got great taste, if he does say so himself. It’s only a matter of time before she surpasses Nina. She says she loves his confidence, and he says, nobody is even going to remember Nina ran this place. She says, Nina who? and they kiss. He says, the best business decision he ever made was making her Editor-in-Chief of Crimson. (I just had a thought, have the angry shareholders started calling yet? They might still be smarting from the merger debacle.) Michael walks in and asks if Drew has a minute.
Felicia tells Josslyn, after Carly called, she took a look at Adam’s recent psyche evaluation, and it turns out it’s up to him if he wants to go home or go back to school or stay here at General Hospital for observation. Josslyn says she thinks Adam just wants to live his life and not feel like he’s one big disappointment. Can Felicia help him? Felicia says she’ll do her best. There’s no underestimating the hold a parent has on a child.
Lois says, before Tracy insists the wedding be at this house with a bunch of snooty waiters and unnecessary etiquette, she wants Tracy to think about what Brook and Chase want. Tracy flashes back to Gregory saying, no more petty fighting with Lois and Olivia about the reception and arguing with Ned about anything. All that matters is that those two beautiful souls belong together, and we do everything to make that happen. He asks if they understand each other, and she says, they do. Lois tells Tracy, because this is supposed to be a celebration, and celebrations are supposed to be fun. She knows it’s important to have gorgeous flowers and beautiful table settings, but that is not as important as the food and the music and the dancing, especially the dancing. Because what’s really important is for the bride and the groom to enjoy the occasion. And what is more enjoyable than for Brook to be married in her neighborhood, surrounded by the people who’ve known her and loved her for her entire life? Brook tells Tracy, say something, and Tracy says she couldn’t agree more.
Dante tells Laura, the police found the captain locked in a closet, unconscious. When he came to, he confirmedSpencer chartered the boat to cruise the river to the English Channel.When the boat left the pier, he found an American woman on deck. She said she was lost, but he didn’t believe her. When he tried to take her into custody, she fought back and smacked him in the head with a fire extinguisher. Laura asks if the captain was able to ID her, and Dante says, he picked out Esme’s picture right away. She asks, what about the search for Spencer? and he says, they have every boat at their disposal in the water, searching. So far there’s no sign of Esme or Spencer. She says, then they can still be alive, and Dante says, yeah. He’ll check in again and see if there’s any updates. She thanks him, he says, of course (🍷), and leaves.
Trina asks, when did they get here? and Portia says, they just arrived. Ned Quartermaine kindly let them borrow the ELQ jet and they came as soon as they heard Esme was on her way to Paris. Curtis says, Laura and Dante are coordinating with the French police. He promises they’re doing all they can to rescue Spencer. Trina says she knows Spencer is alive, and Portia asks, so what happened? The police told them that Esme tried to stab Spencer with a needle. Trina says, she ambushed him from behind. Whatever drug she was using was so powerful, he couldn’t even stand. Then Esme tried to come for her and tried to inject her with the needle. Then Spencer grabbed her and they both went over the side… He saved her life like he did in Greenland. Curtis says, thank God for that, and Trina says she thought she lost him then too. Then he came back to her, so – Laura comes in – she just knows in her heart that he’s alive still. Laura tells her to trust her heart.
Michael congratulates Carly on the new job, and she thanks him. He says, the MetroCourt’s loss is Crimson’s gain. She says, don’t worry. She’s definitely getting her half of the MetroCourt back one day, with her own money. She’s not going to take loans from anyone. So until then, she’s just going to enjoy her time at Crimson. Michael says, she’ll knock it out of the ballpark, and she thanks him for the vote of confidence. But that’s not why he’s here, is it? He says, no. He was looking for Drew. His office said he was here. Drew suggests they relocate, but Carly says she’s going to GH because she thinks Josslyn could use some back-up. She hugs Drew, saying, take it easy on him, in his ear. She leaves, and Drew says, it’s late. Anything Michael needs to say to him, he can say to him in the morning. Michale says he’s afraid not. He’s resigning.
Mr. Wright says, this has got to go, trying to take Adam’s guitar, but Adam says, no, it doesn’t. Willow says, he’s upsetting the patient. Please wait outside. Wright tells Adam that they have far more important things to discuss than his musical hobby, like the reason he’s here in this hospital. Josslyn walks in with Felicia, and Wright says, then moving on to the many lies Adam’s told. Adam owes him that. Josslyn says, Adam doesn’t owe him anything, and Wright tells Willow that he thought he made it clear that this young woman was not to be allowed near his son. Felicia tells him, please do what Nurse Corinthos says and wait outside, and Wright asks who she is. She says she’s Felicia Scorpio. She’s on staff here as a patient advocate and she needs to talk to Adam, just the two of them.
Lois says she’s sorry. She doesn’t think she heard correctly. Did Tracy just agree with her? Tracy says, as mother of the bride, Lois is traditionally hostess of the wedding and the reception. She knows their tastes differ and Quartermaine traditions are not necessarily right for everyone. Lois says she always thought Tracy was too snooty to see past her own stuck-up nose, but clearly, she was wrong. Tracy says, live and learn, and Brook asks if she and Chase can have a word with grandmother privately. Gregory says, of course (🍷). Shall we? Lois says, delighted, and they leave, Gregory closing the door. Tracy says, now that they’re all on the same page, the wedding can proceed. The ceremony at St. Anthony’s in Bensonhurst, the festival hall of their choosing for the reception, and the streamers, balloons, and bunting in whatever color palette Brook’s mother desires. No need for them to thank her. Brook says, thank her? They were counting on her to say no.
Portia asks if Laura has any news, and Laura says, Dante is with the police now, but no word yet. Trina says she knows they’ll find him, and Laura asks if Trina can just tell her what happened and what Esme thought she was going to accomplish. Trina says, Esme wanted to take Spencer hostage to force Nikolas out of hiding and trade him for Ace, but Laura says, Esme’s a tiny little girl. How could she possibly overpower Spencer? Did she have a gun? Curtis says, that’s why she planned to drug him, and Trina tells them, Esme said the drug would make Spencer docile, but it didn’t work. He found a way to fight it, and then Esme came for her with the needle, and he grabbed her. That’s how she knows he loves her, and she knows he’s alive. Dante comes in, and Laura asks if there’s an update, but Dante says he’s sorry. He doesn’t have good news.
Tracy says she doesn’t understand. She thought Brook was on board with her mother’s vision. Brook asks if Tracy knows how many weddings she’s been to at St. Anthony’s. Don’t misunderstand. They’ve all been beautiful and a lot of fun, but as much as she loves the old neighborhood, she doesn’t want to be married there. Chase says he and Brook met in Port Charles. They fell in love here and the people they love and are closest to live here. Brook says, they want a Port Charles wedding. Whether they have the reception here at the house or at The Savoy or at the MetroCourt ballroom, they just want it to be in a place that has meaning for them as a couple. Chase says, it’s not that he doesn’t want to get to know Brook’s family in Bensonhurst. He does. Brook says, just not on their wedding day. They want it to be a day to celebrate their love, not a meet and greet with the Falconari and Cerullo clans. Tracy says, if that’s the way she feels, why doesn’t she tell her mother? and Brook says, because she’s her ma’s only child and she’s a daughter. A big neighborhood wedding is like a rite of passage. Her ma has always been rebellious, but when it came to marrying her dad, they did the ceremony in Bensonhurst. Tracy says she remembers the stories, running around Brooklyn in their wedding attire, hoping to make it to the church on time, and Brook says, now it’s her mother’s turn to be mother of the bride. To have all the uncles and cousins and nonnas congratulate her. And since she divorced Brook’s dad and raised Brook as a single mom, it’s an even bigger deal for her. Tracy says, so maybe Brook should defer to her wishes? and Chase says, she’s got a point. Brook says she doesn’t want to hurt her mom’s feelings, but she just wants their wedding to be their wedding. Tracy says, it will be. She promises.
Michael hands Drew his resignation and says he’s happy for his mom. He knows she’ll make Crimson even better, but Drew fired Nina and hired his mom without even asking him. He knows it’s Drew’s call, but as somebody who’s been handling the day-to-day for years, he should have at least been consulted. Drew says, like Michael shared the inside information about Nina with him? and Michael says he found out Nina tipped off the SEC at their wedding reception. He was on the phone call with his source when he looked over and saw Nina dancing with Willow and his son. Drew says he understands it’s complicated, and Michael says, that’s why he needed proof. He recorded Martin Grey admitting to everything. He went to his father. He was going to play him the recording and expose Nina; get her out of his father’s life, Willow’s life, and his kids’ life, once and for all. Drew says, Michael doesn’t have to explain it. He didn’t want to break Sonny’s heart. Michael says he and his father had been estranged ever since he chose Nina over Michael’s mom and his family. They finally reconciled, so if Michael was to go over to him and basically say, see? I was right. Nina’s a liar and you were a fool to choose her over us, he felt it would break their relationship for good. Drew says, he could have found a gentler way to bring it to him, but Michael says, no matter how he would have said it, that’s what Sonny would have heard. That’s what he heard when Michael told him the truth finally. Drew says, Sonny blames Michael as much as he blames Nina, and Michael says, if not more. That’s for him and his father to work out, or not. The point is, he owed it to Drew to let him know everything and he didn’t. He’ll stick around and help with the transition as long as Drew needs him, until he can find someone he trusts with the position. Michael starts to leave, but Drew says, wait. The truth is, his anger was misdirected toward Michael. Nina is the one who caused all the harm. Now that Carly is here in her place, the books are balanced. Michael asks what he’s saying, and Drew tells him that he’s saying he wants Michael here. But with new ground rules in place.
Wright says his son doesn’t need an advocate. He has his father. Josslyn asks how that’s worked out, and Wright says, if she doesn’t leave now, he’ll call security. Carly arrives and says, no, he won’t. Wright asks who she is, and she says she’s Josslyn’s mother. And instead of insulting her daughter, why isn’t he thanking her for saving his son’s life? Felicia says, if they’d all just step outside and give her a moment alone with Adam, but Wright says he’s staying. Willow says, Adam? and Adam says he’d like to talk to the advocate. Willow says, he heard his son. He needs to leave. Or should she call security? Wright tells Adam that he’ll be right outside, and Josslyn says she’ll be right outside too, in case Adam needs her. Everyone leaves, and Adam asks Felicia, what happens now? She says, it’s his life. He’s been given a second chance to live it. How he does so is up to him.
Dante says, the authorities are dragging the river. They’ve got divers out there and helicopters along the shoreline, but the currents are stronger the closer the river gets to the Channel. Trina says, there must be something more they can do to rescue Spencer, but Dante says, the problem is this. They’ve been in the water for more than 24 hours now. Given the temperature and whatever Esme gave to Spencer, they’re no longer calling this a rescue mission; they’re calling it recovery. Trina says she doesn’t care what they call it, recovery or rescue. What matters is they get Spencer back. Dante tells Trina and Laura that he’s so sorry. Spencer is now presumed dead. Laura starts to cry, and Trina says, they’re wrong. He’s alive. She knows he is. She runs out, crying.
Portia asks if Curtis minds, and he says, of course (🍷) not. Go after their daughter. She runs after Trina, and Curtis tells Laura that Spencer was her grandson and he’s very sorry. She thanks him, and Curtis asks who Dante’s contact is at the local police. Dante says, Captain Auboire. She has a command station set up on the bridge. She can give him all the details. Curtis says he’s going to need to hear that so he can relay it to Trina when she’s ready. He leaves, and Dante asks Laura if there’s anything he can do. She says, find her grandson, and he says he wishes he could. She says she knows. She knows Dante would bring him back if he could. They all would. But nothing can be done. She sobs and Dante puts his hand on her shoulder.
Felicia says, Adam tried to end his life. She and his medical team are going to make sure he knows they’re going to continue to support him even after he walks out the door. He’s not alone. He has help. All he has to do is ask for it.
In the hallway, Josslyn says, there’s something Wright needs to know. When she found Adam in the park, he was clutching the thing he loves most, that guitar. Does he know what she likes to think? That even when he was out of it and about to drift off forever, he heard music, and it gave him a reason to live. He believes he’s doing what’s best for his son, but what’s best for Adam is for his father to see him and accept him for who he is.
Tracy asks Lois and Gregory to join them, and Lois makes a beeline for Brook, while Gregory asks if Tracy is okay. She says, no thanks to him. Agreeing with Lois took years off her life. Lois says she doesn’t want them to worry about a thing. The cost of the boat and the food… she’s going to foot the bill. Tracy says she’s footing the bill. And on further review, she’s decided the wedding is going to take place here in Port Charles. Formal attire, flowers by Genevieve, string quartet, and French champagne. Lois asks if that’s really what they want, and Chase says, as much as he wants to meet Lois’s extended family, he and Brook are based here, and this is where they would like to have the wedding. Brook says, a formal reception with flowers and champagne and a string quartet sounds beautiful, and Lois says, beautiful, yeah, but where’s the fun? Tracy says she’s so glad Lois brought that up, because it’s the night before the wedding when the fun really happens.
Portia finds Trina on deck, and Trina asks how she’s supposed to walk away from him. How can she let him go? Portia hugs her.
Brook and Chase both say, Coney Island? and Tracy says, it may not be the proper venue for the wedding, but it’s perfect for the rehearsal dinner. Lois says, of course (🍷). Why didn’t she think of that? Tracy says, nail polish remover. Silent killer. They can recreate all the outer borough charm right on the wharf. They can hire a carnival… and rockers. Whatever. Lois says, that’s true, but Tracy could do even better than that, right? Because why recreate Coney Island, when they could have the real thing? Chase says, the rehearsal dinner is the night before the ceremony, and Brook says, they can’t get everybody down there and back to Port Charles. Lois says, is she sure? What does Tracy think? Tracy says, they can charter buses, and Lois says, buses? What about jets? Tracy is a fancy shmancy cosmeticsy old lady. She can fly everybody down there and back in one night. She can rent out the whole park. Lois can just see it now. Waiters on roller skates handing out pigs in blankets, the Salt N Sizzle, the sideshow, and oh! The Cyclone. Gregory says he’d pay money to see Tracy on The Slingshot, and Lois says, and maybe they can get the groom to serenade the bride on the beach. Brook looks at Chase, and Lois says, what? No. They’re going to tell her that they hate it? Brook says, she couldn’t be more wrong, and Chase says, they love it. Lois says, they do? and Brook hugs her. Gregory and Tracy go into the foyer.
Felicia says, Adam would like to see Josslyn now, and Josslyn goes to his room. She says, looking for her? and Adam says, the nurse told him that it was her who brought his guitar from the park to the hospital. She says she knew he’d want it, and he says, but she didn’t know if he’d be around to use it. She says, no, but she hoped, and he thanks her. She says, it wasn’t a big deal, and he says, not just about the guitar. For him. He tried to kill himself. If it hadn’t been for her, he would have. She says she was just doing what a friend does, and he says, even after everything, the way he treated her, she can still say that. She says she just did, and she promises to keep on saying it as long as he promises to hear it.
Wright tells Felicia that he still needs to see his son, when Josslyn comes back with Adam and his guitar. Wright says, oh good, he’s dressed. Enough talk. They’re going home. Adam says, no, he’s not.
Drew says he needs to know that he can trust Michael. That was never an issue before. Michael always had his back and he always had Michael’s back. He’s not blaming Michael for making the choice to protect his family, but he’s saying Michael has to remember he’s family too. Michael asks how he rebuilds that trust. Where does he start? Drew says, him firing Nina and putting Carly in her place, that’s just the beginning, and Michael asks if he’s planning more changes at Aurora. Drew says he’s planning more changes for Nina. He’s going to make her pay for every single day she kept him away from his daughter, for every scar he carried with him when he walked away from Pentenville. That woman thinks she’s lost everything. She has no idea. She’s going to keep losing until she’s alone, as broke, and as empty as she deserves to be. So is Michael with him? Ugh. I’m not liking this new, dark Drew. I wasn’t exactly a Drew fan to begin with, but he’s kind of creepy now.
Laura tells Dante that she knows better than to play with what ifs. She knows it’s not going to change anything, but she can’t stop herself. What if Spencer had just refused to give Ace to his father? Or what if when Esme finished in court, she just took her son and went back home? Then they would all just be in Port Charles tonight, wouldn’t they? And Spencer and Trina would be together. They’d be young and in love and in Paris. She cries and says, instead, they have this. She can’t imagine a world without Spencer. She just can’t.
Portia tells Trina to take her jacket, but Trina says, no. Portia says she doesn’t want Trina to get cold, but Trina says she doesn’t care. Think about how cold the water is. Spencer loved to swim, but he hated the cold. She remembers when they were at the cabin, and he couldn’t wait to make a fire… At the cabin. That’s when Esme showed her true colors. Why didn’t they pay attention? Why didn’t they get away from her then? Even Spencer… especially Spencer. Portia says, Esme can’t hurt anyone anymore. Spencer saw to that. He really was a hero. She suggests getting Trina home, since there’s really nothing they can do here now, and Trina says she’ll meet Portia at the stateroom. Portia leaves, and Trina asks Spencer, how do I do it? How do I say goodbye?
Lois says she got carried away and suggested a wedding and reception that’s very similar to… Brook looks at her, and she says, okay, almost identical to her wedding to Brook’s father… and her cousin Teresa’s… and her cousin Angela’s… All right, and to Luciana Falconari’s, which all happened this past year. Brook says, and they were all beautiful, and Lois says, yes, and Brook’s wedding will be beautiful too. As long as it’s the wedding of Brook’s dreams, not hers. Brook says she loves Lois, and Lois says she loves Brook too. Brook says, as long as they have their families wishing them well… Chase says, their wedding will be perfect. Lois agrees.
Gregory says, Tracy never ceases to amaze him. She has all sorts of hidden talents when she lets herself show them. She says, sometimes all she needs is a little encouragement. However, there is no amount of encouragement that will ever get her on anything called The Slingshot. He says he begs to differ. If he can get Alexis into a parachute, he can get her onto The Slingshot. (See below.)
Wright says, don’t be foolish. Adam’s proven he can’t be trusted on his own. After some time home with family, he can enroll in another college. Get a fresh start. Adam says he’s going back to PCU. He’s got unfinished business there. Besides, there’s a really great music department there. Wright asks, who will pay the tuition? and Felicia says, with his musical talent, perhaps PCU will want to recruit Adam. Adam says, or he’ll get a job, put himself through school, and Wright says, this is a mistake, but Adam says, it’s his to make. He has his dad’s phone number, and his dad has his. Whenever he feels like talking, they’ll talk. Wright looks disgusted, and leaves. Josslyn hugs Adam, and he says he’s not complaining, but what was that for? She says, for being you, and Carly looks on proudly.
Michael says, if regaining Drew’s trust means pursuing a vendetta against Nina, he’s sorry, but the answer’s no. Drew asks if Michael thinks he’s being too hard on her, but Michael says, it’s not worth what he stands to lose. He already went behind Willow’s back in order to protect her from her mother, and it nearly cost him his family. He can’t do that again. He wants Nina to lose everything, but he can’t be involved in making that happen. Drew had better start screening for a CEO. Drew says he already has his CEO. Michael just proved it right now. Michael asks if this was a test, and Drew says he told Michael what he was planning. Michael declined to be involved and he respects Michael’s reasons and respects his honesty. That’s what they need. They need transparency. Collaboration can’t happen without it. He rips up Michael’s resignation and says he expects to see Michael at his desk first thing in the morning.
Portia asks what the police had to say, and Curtis says, they’re going to extend the search for the next 48 hours. If they don’t find anything, they’re going to assume Spencer and Esme’s bodies were swept out into the English Channel and lost. She says, any idea on the odds of recovering their bodies? and he says, less than 50%. He doesn’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. On one hand, if they don’t find the body, Trina will never accept Spencer’s gone. If they do find the body, she’s going to insist on viewing it. He just doesn’t want her to see Spencer that way. He wants to spare her that. Portia says she wanted Spencer out of Trina’s life. He brought trouble and she wanted to protect Trina from all of that. But the thought of that young man losing his life saving Trina’s and how Trina’s feeling tonight… She didn’t want it to happen like this. She cries and says, not this way.
Laura and Dante go out on deck, and Laura goes over to Trina. Trina asks if Doc is okay, and Laura says, he still has a headache. Other than that, he’s fine. Trina says she knows Laura wants to get home soon, so she promises she won’t be long, but Laura tells her to take as much time as she needs. She kisses Trina on the forehead, and she and Dante go back inside. Trina flashes back over her and Spencer being in Paris before Esme came along, and there’s a song part. She says, this isn’t goodbye. Somehow, some way…
We see the turtle dove washed up on a rocky shore.
Tomorrow, Olivia says, it’s best for everyone; Laura says, we owe each other the truth; Trina says, this time it won’t be a happy ending; and Ava tells Nina to prepare herself for a life without him (presumably Sonny).
🛟 Sweeping Down the Seine…
Never fear, Spencer is making a series for Netflix. This doesn’t say much about his ex-partner in crime. Only that yesterday was her last day on screen. My hopes of Spencer and Esme both having lost their memories and being stuck in a Blue Lagoon scenario are officially dashed.
Check in tomorrow for soap, amusement, knowledge, and as always, music. Until then, stay safe, stay refraining from posting every moment of your life on social media, and stay not playing with what ifs. They won’t change anything.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Laura says, Cyrus’s health must be improving. He looks better. Cyrus thanks her and says, dropping the charges against Sonny Corinthos has revitalized his spirit. His soul is unburdened, so his body can heal. She asks, what led to this unburdening? and he says, accountability. He acknowledged his role in the attack. How he provoked Sonny at the wrong time instead of giving him grace. If he’d simply turned around and walked away, the beating would never have happened. Once he realized that, he was able to let his anger go, and he found peace. She asks if that’s why he called her last night and wanted her here first thing in the morning, to share this epiphany? He says he called her because there’s a lost soul in need of her help. Spencer walks in and Cyrus says, welcome, nephew. You’re right on time.
Ava hears someone come into the gallery, and says she told Trina to take the day off. She turns around and sees it’s Esme. She asks what the hell Esme wants. She’s not welcome here. Esme says, please don’t kick her out. She needs Ava’s help.
Willow says hi to Adam, and he asks where he is. She says, he’s at General Hospital, and he asks, why? She says, because his friend saved his life.
Carly finishes with an interview for a Kelly’s Bobbie’s manager, when Sam walks in. She says, Carly looks underwhelmed, and Carly says, she’s perceptive. She guesses that’s what makes Sam such a great P.I. If she’s looking for something new, perhaps Carly can interest her in the exciting world of shift management.
Nina goes to her office, where movers are removing everything. She asks what they’re doing here, and one of them says, moving. She says, they must be on the wrong floor, but he says, they’re on the right floor. She says, they can’t be because this is her office. They have to leave immediately and tell that guy to bring her stuff back or she’s calling security. He says, they’re just doing their job, and she says, what job? Who ordered this? Drew walks in and says he did. He tells the guys, good work, and suggests they take a break, giving them money for coffee (which I notice he says like caffee) and muffins. They leave, and Nina says, what the hell? He can’t just order her out of her own office. It’s trespassing. He says, no, it’s business. He owns Aurora; Aurora owns Crimson. He knows she’s the Editor-in-Chief of Crimson, but he’s still her boss. Until now. She’s fired. (Okay. I won’t get into how many shades of wrong this would be in the real world, and the lawsuit that would happen. I’ll just keep telling myself, it’s only a soap…)
In the chapel, Josslyn asks how Dex found her, and he says, when she didn’t answer his calls, he went by her dorm. He ran into her RA Kylie, and she told him what happened. He came here and looked around until he found her. She says, her phone died. She’s sorry she didn’t pick up his call. So much was going on. He says, obviously. Why didn’t she call him when she got here? She says she didn’t want to bother him. She knows how he feels about Adam and figured he had enough. He says, if she’s going through something, he wants to know and help if he can. That’s how this works. Got it? She says, got it. She suggests they check on Adam, see if he’s awake. She needs to apologize to him. He asks what she needs to apologize for, and she says, he freaked out because she told the RA that he was in trouble, but Dex says, she has nothing to apologize for. The people who need to be apologizing are Adam’s parents.
Willow asks if Adam remembers anything from last night, but he says, not really. He’d had too much to drink at a frat party. She says, Josslyn Jax found him alone in Rice Park, and he says, sometimes when he drinks, he wanders. It’s a bad habit. She says, he also ingested a lot of pills, and he says, for a cold. She says she’ll let the doctor fill him in, but he says he’d really like to get back to his dorm. She says, he’ll have to be cleared by the attending before he can be released, and he asks when that will be. She says, he had to have his stomach pumped last night. She doesn’t want to alarm him, but he’s lucky to be alive. He says, lucky me.
Carly tells Sam, business is going great, really great. That’s why she has to hire more staff. It’s a really good problem to have, but she just wants Bobbie’s to live up to its namesake. Sam asks what she’s talking about. Bobbie’s is thriving because of her. Onward and upward. Carly thanks her and says she needed to hear that. What can she get Sam? Sam says she’s going to wait to order until Drew gets here, and Carly says, she’s meeting him now? Sam says, actually, five minutes ago. He’s running late. Carly says she hates to break it to Sam, but she’s going to be waiting a long time for Drew.
Nina says, Drew is making a big mistake, and he says, maybe, but it’s his mistake to make. She asks if he honestly thought she’d just roll over and accept this. What about Michael? Drew might own Aurora, but Michael runs it. What does he think Michael will have to say about this? Drew says, hooray?
Cyrus says he’s grateful Spencer came, and Spencer says he didn’t know Laura would be here. She says, nor I, you, and asks Cyrus, what’s going on? He says he thought they should both know he had a visitor here late last night. Somebody who needed his help, who was desperate and alone, who felt everything had been taken from her. Spencer says, Esme, and Laura asks why Esme would come here. Cyrus asks if Spencer wants to explain the rest or should he do it for him? and Laura says, enough with the mystery. Somebody better tell her something. Spencer says he saw his father last night.
Ava says, one too many knocks to the head? and Esme says, does Ava think she wants to be here asking for her help? Ava says, at least she didn’t have to break in. Now leave or she’s going to call the cops. Esme asks if she hasn’t already done that. Ava tried to send her to prison. Ava says, funny. That’s where she thinks criminals belong. Esme says, Ava’s right. She shouldn’t have broken into Windymere, and what Ava did is entirely justified. Ava asks what she wants. Spit it out. Esme says, has she seen Nikolas? and Ava says, why? Has she? Esme says, no, and Ava wonders why she asks. Esme says, because he’s kidnapped her son.
Laura says, Nikolas came back to Port Charles? Where is he? Spencer says, he was here last night. He’s already gone. Laura says, her son came and went without her even knowing. At least Spencer got to see him. It must have been quite a shock though. Did he say why he risked coming back to Port Charles? Spencer says, he came here to take Ace with him… and I let him.
Dex says, Josslyn told him about the pressure Adam’s parents put him under. No wonder he cracked. She says she just can’t believe he’s this messed up about his grades. They’re better than hers, and hers are pretty good. Dex says, it’s not about his GPA. He feels shame for letting his parents down. He wants them to be proud of him. She says, but he acts like he can’t stand them, and Dex says, just the opposite. Adam loves his parents and feels like a failure because he can’t live up to their expectations. She asks if that’s how it was for him, and he says, not exactly. If there was any part of him that wanted to please his parents, it got burned out pretty quickly. He only found peace with his family when he walked away. He just hopes Adam doesn’t have to make the same choice. She says, he really needs help, doesn’t he? and Dex says, he’s going to need a good friend, and that’s what she’s been. She says, let’s go see how he’s doing.
Adam apologizes to Willow for being edgy. He just wants to get out of here. She says she bets, but they need to have the attending check him out first, okay? Portia comes in and says, he’s up. How is he feeling? He asks if she’s the attending, and she says she’s Dr. Robinson. She’s the Co-Chief of Staff here. He says, wow. Then she can definitely sign him out. When can he leave? Willow says she’ll check on the attending and see if Dr. Wallace is available. She leaves, and Adam says he’s really sorry, but last night was just a complete, huge misunderstanding. He’s sorry if he caused trouble, but his friend Josslyn just overreacted. So if she could sign him out, that would be great. She says she happens to know Josslyn Jax, and she doesn’t overreact much. Neither does the staff here at the hospital. She thinks it’s pretty clear what happened here, and anyway, he’s going to have to be cleared by a psychiatrist before he can be discharged. It’s hospital policy. He says, Dr. Robinson… Is she Trina’s mom? She says she is, and he says, Trina’s told him a lot about her. She says, he’s friends with Trina, so she has to take especially good care of him, right? He says, cool. So let him out. She says, if after his evaluation, they all agree that what happened last night is just an unfortunate accident, then he can be discharged. If not, then they’ll have to take the next steps. He asks what that even means. Are they going to keep him here or something? Doesn’t he have rights? What if he doesn’t consent to it? She says, of course (🍷) he has rights. Absolutely, but some of those rights are determined by his diagnosis. They want the absolute best outcome for him, and if they determine he’s a threat to himself or anyone else, they can’t let him leave. It’s hospital policy and standard practice. The on-call psychiatric attending should be here soon, and his parents… He says, they can’t know, and she tells him calm down. He says, please. They can’t know.
Ava asks when Nikolas took Ace, and Esme says, during the hearing. Spencer was supposed to bring Ace to the courthouse, but he never showed up. Nikolas came to the apartment and convinced Spencer to give him her baby. Ava says, that’s unbelievable. And she never saw Nicholas in Port Charles? Esme says, no. He hid from her like the coward that he is, but Spencer let Nikolas take Ace. She can’t believe Spencer would betray her like that. She thought they were getting along. She thought Spencer hated his father… Ava says, like father, like son, self-serving, duplicitous, and Esme says, Ace doesn’t even know Nikolas. He’s going to be so scared and so confused. Nikolas doesn’t know what Ace likes. He needs his mother. She can’t be without her son. She cries and says, he’s all that she’s got. Ava says, it’s a terrible thing to be separated from your child, and Esme says, so she understands. Ava says, unfortunately, she does, but why come to her? and Esme says she thought Nikolas might not be able to stay away from her. Ava says, unfortunately, and Esme says, so she’s right, isn’t she? Nikolas came to see her. Ava says, Nikolas was here, and Esme says, thank God, but Ava says, he’s gone now, and Esme’s never going to find him.
Laura says, Spencer let Nikolas take Ace? How could he do such a thing? He says he had no choice. His little brother wasn’t safe with Esme. She says, come on. She’s proven herself to be a good mother and he knows it. Does Esme know Nikolas took her baby? Cyrus says, that’s why she came to see him last night. She wanted his help tracking Nikolas down. Laura asks why Esme thought he could help her, and Cyrus says, she thinks he has powerful contacts and thought he’d be amenable because Nikolas and Ace are his relatives. Of course (🍷) he’s related to them through Laura, so he knew he had to do the right thing and inform her. He asked Spencer here so he could be the one to explain. Spencer says, Cyrus is all about his soul, right? And confession being good for it? Cyrus says he’d hope so. Spencer is the one who took a child from his mother. Spencer says he did not take Ace, and Laura says, no. He just handed Ace over like he was returning a package. How could he do such a thing? She can only imagine how Esme is feeling right now. How could Spencer take a baby from the only family he ever knew? Spencer says, because he loves his brother, and he’s not going to allow him to be raised by some psychopath, but Laura says, he goes back to that whenever it’s convenient for him. Esme’s worked hard to overcome her past. Spencer says, Laura doesn’t understand. He knows the truth now. Esme’s been lying. She remembers everything.
Portia says, they had to call Adam’s parents because according to his PCU medical records, they’re his emergency contact. Adam asks what she told his parents, and she says she told them he was here and that he’d had a medical emergency. He asks if she told them about the pills, that he tried to hurt himself, and she asks if that’s what happened. He says, no. It was just an accident. She says, okay. Here’s the deal. He’s over 18, so he’s considered to be an adult. As far as they’re concerned, they can’t share any of his information without his permission. He thanks her, and she says, but his parents are still going to have questions. And whether or not last night was an accident, he’s still going to need a support system in place. So she’s imploring him to please be honest with the doctor who’s going to evaluate him. Be honest with his parents, and most importantly, be honest with himself.
Portia leaves and asks if there’s any word on the psyche attending. Is it Dr. Wallace? Willow says, he’s still doing rounds in the west wing. He’ll be down in a second. How’s Adam? She feels so bad for him. Josslyn said he’s under a lot of pressure at school. She just hopes if Wiley or Amelia ever feel pressured at school, they come to her. Portia says she doesn’t get it. Kids these days have so much pressure on them. The bullying, the isolation, school shootings, everything that’s going on in the world. Depression and anxiety are an epidemic for this generation, and it breaks her heart. Josslyn and Dex come by, and Josslyn asks Portia if Adam is awake yet. Portia says she didn’t know Josslyn was here. Did she sleep here last night? Josslyn says she just wants to make sure Adam is okay, and Portia says, he’s awake. He cannot have any visitors right now. That’s really all she can tell Josslyn. A man goes to the reception desk and says he’s here to see Adam Wright. He was brought in last night. He wants to see his son.
Carly says, Drew mentioned he had a meeting at Aurora this morning, and Sam says, they’ve had this on the books for a week. Carly says she’s sure it was last minute. He must have forgotten. Drew would never leave her hanging. Sam says, so she thought. Never say never, she guesses. Carly asks what that means, and Sam says she and Drew have been out of step lately. That’s why she scheduled this meeting, to see if they could iron some things out. Carly asks if this is about the situation with Scout’s school. She doesn’t believe Drew meant to undercut Sam. Sam says, actually, they’ve resolved that issue, but things are still really tense, and they have been since he got home from Pentenville. Maybe it’s just her… Never mind. Carly says, don’t do that. Talk to her. What’s going on? Sam says, Carly probably spends the most time with Drew. Since he’s been back, hasn’t she noticed that he’s changed?
Drew says, as Nina pointed out, Michael just runs Aurora. He happens to own it, so he gets the final say. Nina says she gets it. Either Micahel disagrees with him about firing her and running Crimson into the ground or he doesn’t know. Michael may have Sonny’s last name and he may hate her, but he’s a Quartermaine through and through. He doesn’t let his personal feelings interfere with the balance sheet. Drew says, don’t forget he’s a Quartermaine too, and she says, maybe he should take a page out of his nephew’s book. She has run a tight, profitable ship for years. She saved Crimson from bankruptcy when Julian Jerome tried to run it in the ground and use it as a tax write-off. Now Crimson is one of the top fashion magazines in the country. It is Aurora’s flagship title and it’s her baby. Speaking of, what kind of father tanks his company and destroys his child’s legacy? Isn’t Scout a major shareholder? He gets in Nina’s face and tells her, don’t you dare bring my daughter into this. (I say, or what? You gonna hit me? which is what Nina should say.)
Carly tells Sam, Drew had a horrific experience in Pentenville, and he’s struggling. She thinks that’s to be expected after 3 years in a dungeon in Crete first that affected him not at all. Just when he was getting his bearings, they found out Nina was the one who called the SEC on them. And that very same night, they found out her mother died. She thinks Drew’s angry. She’s angry. Sam says she understands that, but Drew is angry at the world. Carly is directing her anger toward Nina, and rightly so. Carly says, her instincts are telling her to strike back, but she wants to be more like her mom. She wants to focus on what’s important, and right now, keeping her legacy alive and honoring her is so important. She hopes she’s succeeding, but she doesn’t know. Sam says, Bobbie would be really proud of her right now. Carly thanks her and says, but Bobbie also gave people second chances. Maybe that’s what they need to do for Drew. Give him some grace and double down on their support. Sam says she hears Carly, and don’t get her wrong, she’d do anything to support Drew, aside from the issue with Scout and the school. If there’s any way she can help him… Does Carly have any idea how she can do that? She’s listening.
Drew asks what he ever did to Nina. Did he harm her in some way? She says, it wasn’t about him. It was always about Carly. He says, two people were reported to the SEC. Did she just forget about him? She didn’t care that he was collateral damage? She didn’t care that he just got back into his daughter’s life, and he was ripped away again? Right after he helped save Nina’s daughter’s life, so she just cares about her daughter, not his? She says she’s sorry, and she was very grateful. She didn’t know he’d be the one to go to prison. He says, she didn’t want to know. She didn’t care. She was just so hellbent on destroying Carly. He thinks it’s insecurity. She asks what he’s talking about, and he says, Wiley and Amelia love Carly. They’re so much closer to Carly than they are to her. Willow too, for that matter. And Sonny and Carly. Their bond is dysfunctional, but it’s also unbreakable, and he doesn’t think she can stand that, so she wanted to get Carly out of the picture. Nina wanted her out by any means possible. Nina asks if he can just stop talking. Yes. She did what she did, and she won’t deny it, but she thinks this is a perfect opportunity for him to acknowledge his part. He is responsible for putting himself at risk. He says, Carly’s investment was a well-intentioned act of support, with no nefarious motive whatsoever. Nina, on the other hand, just wanted to take Carly out. And now he wants to take Nina out. Nina says she wants to give him fair warning. Don’t use all these feelings to influence his business decisions. Talk to legal. He can’t just fire her. She may not own the company, but without her, there is no magazine. He says, she’s not telling him anything he doesn’t know, and she asks if he’s telling her that he would shutter Crimson just to get rid of her. He says he’s telling her that he would do anything to make her pay for what she’s done.
Portia introduces herself to Adam’s father, and he asks, where’s Adam? Is he okay? She says, he’s resting and he still needs to be seen by an attending. He says, Adam drank too much and made a fool of himself. Does that really require further consultation? She says, it requires them to be as thorough as possible, and he says he doesn’t want her running up their bill with all kinds of extra charges. Adam’s already squandered the money they’ve invested in his education with this foolishness, which is exactly what they were afraid of. Now when can he take his son home? Portia says she’ll go check his status, and walks away. Josslyn follows her and says, Adam can’t go. He needs to stay here and get help. He absolutely cannot go home. Wright says, and why is that? What does she know about his son that he doesn’t? (Hint: Probably everything.)
Esme asks if Ava helped Nikolas kidnap her son, but Ava says she would never do anything like that. Esme says, then why was he here? Why did he come looking for Ava? Did he want Ava to help him get her out of the way? Is that why Ava pressed charges against her? Ava says, that’s ridiculous. She didn’t know Esme had broken into Windymere. She didn’t know Laura was going to convince her to confess to it. Esme says, just tell her how to find Nikolas, please, but Ava says she can’t. He’s a Cassadine. He’s got money, he’s got resources, he’s got the private islands. If Laura couldn’t find him, does Esme really think she’ll be able to? Esme says she’s not giving up on her son. She has resources too. Ava says, Esme has no idea what she’s getting herself into, and her resources can’t possibly compete or compare. Esme asks if she looks helpless. She’ll do whatever it takes to find her son. Maybe she has a dangerous ally of her own. Ava says, oh really? Like who? Esme says, Cyrus Renault.
Cyrus says, Esme told him that Spencer threatened to have the old charges reinstated against her. When he questioned her, she wouldn’t say how this might be possible. Spencer says, because she doesn’t want anyone to know that she’s regained her memory, and Cyrus asks how he knows that. Spencer says, because of the little things she was saying. He was with her before her arraignment at the PCPD. She kept going back to how everyone hated her and how she was the one being persecuted. Then he pointed out to her that these are things that sound like the old Esme. As soon as he said that, she backed off. Laura says, how would he expect her to react? She confessed and she expressed true remorse over what was really a Class-A misdemeanor, and still Ava had to press charges. Spencer says, she told him that Ava wanted her to pay for what she supposedly did to Trina, as though Ava and Trina are the ones overreacting, and she’s the one being persecuted in this situation. Laura says she’s sorry. She doesn’t see this as proof that Esme regained her memory. Spencer says, she called him Spence. That’s what she used to call him, back when they were together. She hasn’t used that name for him since she lost her memory. Laura says, so she called him by his nickname, and he says, when he told her that his father had taken Ace, she told him that she was going to the police and was going to report the kidnapping. He threatened her and said, if she does that, he’s going to tell the police that she has her memory back and they’re going to reopen the investigation. As soon as she heard that, she seemed like she couldn’t risk it. Laura says, maybe she couldn’t risk being thought of as a suspect when she’s so desperate to get her son back. He gave Ace away based on a suspicion, not based on something he knew, and certainly nothing he could prove. Spencer says he does know that Esme has regained her memory, and Cyrus says he’s sorry to interrupt, but memory or not, Esme is still going after her son. She came to him asking for his help. Who else is she going to go to? And if Esme is successful, what will she do when she finds Nikolas?
Carly tells Sam that she thinks the best thing they can do for Drew is, just be honest with each other and keep talking, and to give him some time. She’s going to do everything she can on her end. Sam says, just so she knows, she’s not alone in this. There are plenty of people who care about Drew. Carly says, but what happened to Drew is on her. She’s the one who bought the Aurora stock because she had to inflate the price, even after Drew told her not to, over and over again. And he took the fall just to protect her. Sam says, he insisted on doing that, but Carly says, he wouldn’t have been faced with that choice if it weren’t for her to begin with. So she’s going to do everything in her power to make up for it. Sam says, as long as helping him doesn’t come at her own expense, because that’s the last thing he would want.
Nina asks Drew, what about the staff? They’re hard-working, they’re loyal, some of the best in the business. He’s willing to lay off all of those people just to get back at her. He says, that’s on her. He takes out an envelope and says, she signs this termination agreement or Crimson, with all its staff, is going out of business. One of the movers asks if they should start loading the boxes on the freight elevator, and Drew says he’ll have a look. He tells Nina that he’ll give her a moment to think about it. He leaves, and Nina tosses the papers in a box. She pauses and takes out a photo of Willow with Wiley and Amelia. Drew comes back and says, time’s up. Is she going to sign, or is she taking Crimson down with her? (I’m starting to think this is a dream or he’s really gone bonkers. A lot of it doesn’t make sense, even for a soap.)
Portia says, Josslyn found Adam in the park yesterday, and called emergency services. Wright says, she found him, or she was out drinking with him? and Dex says, Josslyn wasn’t drinking. She went to look for Adam because she was concerned for him. Josslyn says, Adam was alone and nearly passed out, and Wright says, they’ve been concerned about his behavior for quite a while. Josslyn says, really? and Wright says, this incident proves Adam is just not mature enough to live on his own. Josslyn says, it’s not a question about maturity. Adam needs help. He says he appreciates her concern and he’s grateful she called for help when she did, but he’ll take it from here. Josslyn says, he doesn’t understand. Adam has been hiding everything from him because Adam is afraid of what he’ll do. Wright asks why he would be afraid. He and his mother only want the best for Adam. Josslyn says, he just feels so much pressure, and Wright says, Adam has a very promising career ahead of him. He had the test scores to get into PCU. He’s maintained a 4.0 up until now. If he stays on track, he’ll be admitted to a top tier medical school. But now Adam is drinking and partying and squandering everything that he and his mother have worked hard to give him. She says, Adam isn’t partying. He’s self-medicating, having panic attacks. Portia thanks Josslyn and says she thinks she can take it from here. Why doesn’t Josslyn go home and get some rest? Wright asks who he has to speak to, to remove his son, and Dex tells Josslyn, let’s just let the hospital handle this, okay? Wright says, yeah. She’s done her part. Now please leave. This doesn’t concern her. Josslyn says, it should concern him that his son tried to kill himself last night.
Laura says she’s got to alert the police, but Spencer says, if she does that, the FBI could get involved, and who knows who else. Plus, if his father is captured, then Ace is going to get returned to Esme. (He really doesn’t get it, does he?) Laura says, they don’t even know if she’s regained her memory, and if she has, she still might do the right thing by her son. Cyrus says he agrees with Laura. He believes in the power of redemption. Spencer says, well, he doesn’t. Esme’s redemption is fake, and why is Laura still believing her? Is she really choosing Esme’s well-being over Ace’s? Laura says she’s being realistic, and the reality is that Ace would be safer if he was with them. He should have stopped his father. She just doesn’t understand why he didn’t come to her with his suspicions. She would have listened to him. They could have gone to the police together and made Esme face the things she’s done. Spencer says, what about his father, who up until ten minutes ago was the biggest asshat in the world? Should he have reported him as well? Laura says she would have never asked him to turn his own father in, but she knows Ace should be with them while all of the other stuff is getting sorted out. Spencer says, and what if it got sorted out in Esme’s favor? As far as he’s concerned, his father just saved Ace’s life. Laura says, don’t get her wrong. She’s glad that he’s starting to realize his father isn’t the heartless man Spencer’s made him out to be, but he has demonstrated some spectacularly bad judgement here and so has Spencer. His father is on the run. He’s being pursued by the authorities. This little baby has never been in more danger.
Portia tells Josslyn, that’s enough, and Dex says, let’s just go, but Josslyn says, Adam took a pack of antihistamines and washed it down with vodka. He knew what he was doing. Adam is so afraid of his father, he’d rather not live than face him. Wright says, she’s lying, and Josslyn says, doesn’t he even care? He pushed and he pushed until Adam reached his breaking point. Wright says he wants her gone – now! And if this girl comes within 50 feet of Adam, he’ll sue. (Um… we’ve already established Adam is over 18. I don’t think he can. Why is everyone being weird today?) Portia says, that’s unnecessary. She’s tired, she hasn’t slept all night, and she’s leaving right now. Why don’t they go to her office, and she can explain everything that’s going on with Adam, and they can wait for the attending there. Wright leaves with Portia, and Willow goes over to Josslyn and Dex. She says, Dr. Robinson won’t let anything happen to Adam, and Dex tells Josslyn, anything she says will just antagonize Adam’s father. She says, because he refuses to see the truth, and Dex says, Wright isn’t going to listen to her, but if she’s not here, he might listen to Dr. Robinson. Josslyn asks Willow to promise to keep an eye on Adam, and Willow promises. Josslyn says, okay then, and walks to the elevator with Dex, but then she quickly walks off.
Ava says, Esme is joking, but Esme says, Cyrus is going to help her find her son. Ava says, why? and Esme says, because he cares about his family. Ava says, Esme’s not his family. Ace may be a part of his family, but she is not. Esme says, but he promised, and Ava says, promised what exactly? Esme says, nothing. He promised her nothing. She starts to cry again, and says, her son is kidnapped. No one will help her and she’s all alone. She heads for the door, and Ava says, wait, but Esme says, stay away from me, and leaves.
Laura thanks Cyrus for coming to her, to them, about Esme, and he says, they’re family. Where else would he go? She leaves, and in the hallway, Spencer asks if she sees now. Esme went to Cyrus for help. Isn’t that proof she can’t be trusted? Laura says, it’s proof she’s desperate and will do anything to get her baby back, and he says, fine. Both can be true. She takes out her phone and calls the PCPD, asking for Dante. Spencer tries to take the phone, but she says, stop it. She has to do it. She tells them, it’s urgent… Dante answers, and she says, it’s Laura. My grandson Ace has been taken.
Josslyn looks in on Adam through the door window. Dex comes up behind her and gently guides her back to the elevator.
Nina signs the papers, and hands them to Drew. He says he’s surprised she gave in so quickly. She tells him, like she said, Crimson is her baby, and she’ll do anything to save her. (Besides this whole scene being in a parallel universe, is there some weird parallel with Ace here?) She’ll do anything for the employees, even if it means giving up everything she cares about. He asks if she thinks he’d really sabotage Aurora’s flagship title for her. Crimsonwas always going to be just fine. She says, so this was his plan all along, manipulate her sense of duty to her employees. He says, or maybe she just couldn’t pass up an opportunity to play martyr. She says, her employees are going to lose their jobs eventually anyway, and he says, former employees. She says, this magazine is nothing without her. Does he really think he’s going to get the photographers, the designers, the advertisers? The editorial staff will quit immediately. She made this magazine. This is her magazine. She’s irreplaceable. He says, and yet, he’s already replaced her. Carly walks in, and he says, meet Crimson’s new Editor-in-Chief.
On Monday, Nina says, they’re finally even; Martin asks where Lucy thinks she’s running off to in such a hurry; Esme says, you’re the only person I can turn to (Heather maybe?); and Dante says, maybe he should be arresting Spencer instead.
💭 I dunno about this. I’m guessing the closest Carly has come to editing a magazine is reading one, and wasn’t she just talking to Sam? Hard to believe Nina would say she’s irreplaceable along with all the other big talk, and this would also hardly be moving on for Carly after her speech on letting go. The whole thing was just weird.
🪆 Her Toy Story…
I keep forgetting she was in Five Nights at Freddy’s. I still haven’t seen it.
Things just tend to accumulate after Labor Day. What can I tell you? – Little Edie Beale, Grey Gardens
Your journey has molded you for your greater good, and it was exactly what it needed to be. Don’t think that you’ve lost time. There is no short cutting to life. It took each and every situation you have encountered to bring you to the now. And now is right on time. – Asha Tyson
Hold fast to dreams. For if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly. – James Langston Hughes
Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you. – Henry Ward Beecher
At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict, or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent. – Barbara Bush (Or your pets.)
Comparison is the death of true self-contentment – John Powell
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
It’s almost nostalgic for a time that never existed. – Ruth Washington (Myha’la Herrold) referring to the TV series Friends, Leave the World Behind
Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity. – Henry van Dyke Jr.
Don’t stop until you see the whites of his pockets. – Don Draper (Jon Hamm), Mad Men
Your greatness is measured by your kindness; your education and intellect by your modesty; your ignorance is betrayed by your suspicions and prejudices, and your real caliber is measured by the consideration and tolerance you have for others. – William J.H. Boetcker
It’s going to be a long learning curb. – Amy Slaton, 1000-Lb. Sisters
⛸ Skating On Thin Ice…
Bounce back on Monday really Tuesday for soap and turbulent seas on the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay using your turn signals (you learned that in driver’s ed, right?), and stay focusing on what’s important, even when your instincts are telling you to strike back.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
At the Quartermaines’, Carly says, this seems a little too familiar, and Michael says, turnabout’s fair play. She says, it was almost a year ago when he accused her of playing God with Willow’s life because she hid the fact that Nina was Willow’s mother, and Michael says he was terrified. He was desperate… She says, don’t do that. He accused her of making a very crucial decision without considering the consequences for anyone, and he was right. He says, now he kept the truth about Nina being the SEC informant to himself, knowing that information would affect her and Drew and Willow and so many others. He should have seen this blowing up, but he didn’t. She says, when protecting their families, they can all have tunnel vision, but he tells her, just say it. He chose dad’s happiness over hers, and that he’s also a giant hypocrite.
At the Bistro, TJ asks if Jordan is tired or just full, and she says, content. This was really nice, and long overdue. He says, that’s on him, but she says she realizes he’s got a lot on his plate right now. Her phone dings, and she says, and so does she. He says, a Deputy Mayor’s work is never finished, and she says, something like that. He says he’s glad her new role is fulfilling, but he hopes it leaves room for a personal life. She wonders if he’s asking about her love life, but he says, more like hoping she’ll have time to babysit, because if everything goes according to plan, her grandchild was conceived today.
Kristina looks at the aftercare information for intrauterine insemination, when there’s a knock at her door. She opens it, and Blaze says, greetings, stranger. Remember me? Kristina asks what she’s doing here. She thought Blaze had another out of town stop on her tour. Blaze says she did, but a blizzard knocked the power out at the venue. So if Kristina doesn’t have any plans tonight, how about it? Can she come out and play? Just a thought, but why does no one ever look through the peephole or ask, who’s there? when someone’s at the door?
Drew sits next to Anna at the bar at Charlie’s and orders scotch, neat. Make it a double. Anna says, tough day at the office? and Drew says, tough decade. (I hear you, Drew.) Every time he thinks it’s taken a turn for the better, the universe kind of shuts that down. She says she’s sorry, but he says, no, he’s sorry. She’s sitting here with her drink, enjoying her book, and he just lays that on her and brings her down. He asks the bartender for another drink for Anna on him, and she says, that’s okay. He didn’t bring her down. He just made her realize how much she relates to everything he just said.
At the hospital, Esme tell Cyrus, wake up. She needs his help. He asks what she’s doing here, and she says she had nowhere else to go. He says, why? What’s the matter? She says, her baby’s gone. He’s been kidnapped by his own father.
TJ says, Kristina underwent intrauterine insemination today, and Jordan says, congratulations. She’ll be praying that the procedure is successful. He says, her and him both. He can’t believe it’s finally going to happen, even though they didn’t get here the way he thought they would. Not in his wildest dreams did he think Kristina would be their surrogate, much less their egg donor. She says she knows it took some time to get comfortable with that, and he says, it did, until he sat down with Kristina, and they talked it all out. He came to a real understanding about her thoughts and feelings about the whole thing. Kristina is as prepared as she can be, emotionally and physically, which is more than some people can say, right? She says, absolutely, and he asks, then why is she so quiet? She’s not weighing in nearly as much as Molly’s mother. Is she comfortable with Kristina being their surrogate? She says, it’s not up to her, and he says he knows. He’s asking. What does she really think?
Kristina says she was just planning on having an evening in tonight, and Blaze says, that sounds a lot better than anything thrown together by someone who just showed up at her door. Any chance she feels like having some company? Kristina says, sure, yeah, come on in. She’s not a great chef or anything, but she was going to make some pasta… Blaze says, she doesn’t have to entertain or play hostess. She was excited about seeing Kristina and totally forgot common courtesy. She should have called first. She apologizes. Kristina says, it’s okay, but Blaze says, no, it’s not. But in her defense, Kristina hasn’t been the easiest to get on the phone lately. Kristina says she knows. She’s been really busy. Blaze says she knows Kristina has a lot going on. Can she ask Kristina a question? Kristina says, okay, and Blaze says, why does it feel like she’s started pulling away?
Esme tells Cyrus that she went to Laura’s apartment to pick up Ace, and Spencer was there. He told her that he wanted to talk, and she should have realized he was just stalling her. Cyrus says he’s not sure he understands, and she says, well, understand this. While she was in a courtroom because of some stupid broken window at Windymere, Spencer was conspiring with his father to steal her baby. He says, this doesn’t sound like Spencer, but she says, yes, it does. He doesn’t know the real Spencer or the real Nikolas. He asks what the police said, but she says she hasn’t called the police. Spencer told her if she called the cops, he’d have her old charges reinstated against her. He says, that’s not Spencer’s call, but she says, he’ll convince the DA. Cyrus says he doesn’t know how. The way he understands it, she could easily sway a jury based on her memory loss. So how can Spencer hold that against her? Has something changed?
Michael tells Carly that he knew he couldn’t cut off Nina completely because Willow would be suspicious, but containing Nina would mitigate the damage. She says, blackmail for the greater good? and he says, if that makes him a hypocrite, so be it. He’s been called worse. She says she thinks that makes him his mother’s son. No one knows why he did the things he did better than she does. Although she can’t say it doesn’t hurt that he kept the things Nina had done to himself. He says he thought he was lessening the hurt by keeping quiet, and she says, how? He says, for Willow mostly. And for his dad. He seemed happy in his marriage, and she seemed happy with Drew and was moving on. She says, that’s all true, but he forgot the lesson they both learned about keeping secrets last year. Even with the best of intentions, keeping things buried can have unintended consequences. He says, and nothing ever stays buried.
Kristina says she’s been really busy with her youth center and everything with her sister and work, and Blaze says, she’s got a lot going on, but come on. She obviously did something to hurt Kirstina’s feelings and she never wants to do that. So help her. Kristina says she pulled away because Blaze pulled away, and Blaze says, when? Kristina says, at Rice Plaza. They were talking about their family traditions… Blaze says, Kristina said her presents a year ago were a pepper spray holster and free legal advice, and Kristina says, among other things. They’re hands sort of found each other and it was really nice. Then Brook and Chase came, and Blaze literally dropped her hand like it was on fire. Blaze says she didn’t realize she did that, and Kristina says, she did. She knows there are certain things Blaze hasn’t shared with her family, but that hurt. Blaze says she’s so sorry, and Kristina thanks her. She says, does Blaze think maybe that’s because she’s not out to her family? but Blaze says she’s not used to public displays of affection. She never has been. Her performance life is in the public eye. She shares so much of herself with her music, she wants to keep her private life just for herself. Kristina says she gets that. She understands Blaze’s life is more complicated than hers in that way, and that’s fine, but when she likes someone, she likes to show it and likes if they do too. Blaze says she’d like to be more like Kristina, but old habits die hard. It might take a bit before she’s as comfortable being in public as Kristina is. Can Kristina be a little patient? Kristina says she doesn’t know.
Jordan says, after everything TJ and Molly went through, she got the impression they wanted to take a break to process and regroup before they tried again. TJ says, they both thought waiting was their best option. But after Kristina volunteered to be their surrogate, he and Molly agreed it wouldn’t be fair to ask Kristina to put her life on hold for them indefinitely. Besides, is there ever a right time to have a child?If you wait for everything to be perfect, you’ll wait forever, right? She says she can’t answer that, and he says, this is the right decision. She says she’ll answer his question with one of her own. Would her opinion change his mind? He says, no, and she says, if it wasn’t clear, how his child comes into this world will never change how much she loves them. Got it? He says, got it, and she says she does love that he values her opinion, and she appreciates how thoughtful he is with every aspect of his life. If he ever truly feels he needs her take on something, she’ll give it to him, but from where she’s sitting, he’s doing just fine in determining his own destiny. And she couldn’t be prouder.
Michael says, part of him wishes he’d never gone looking for the truth, but Carly says, come on. Would he really be happier not knowing, while Nina was settling in to her happily ever after with his dad, getting closer to Willow after everything she’s done? He says, she’s right. he needed to know. He just regrets the way he handled the information. And to top it all off, he hurt the two most important women in his life. She says she’ll survive, but he says, she deserves better. She’s always had his back. No matter how many times he screwed up, he knew she always loved him unconditionally. She says, that’ll never change, and he says, even if the man she loves doesn’t feel the same way?
Drew says he just feels like a stranger to himself lately, and Anna says, angry, but impulsive? He says, yeah. How did she know? She says she feels the same. She guesses a lot has happened to them both since Greenland. He says he heard about her house being burned down and he heard about the other incident, and she says, this life she’s chosen, she’s seen a lot of terrible things, but shooting that young girl… Charlotte… that was the worst moment of her life. He says, she must have been devastated, and she says she doesn’t have words. She’s just been cycling through so many different emotions. He says, it’s exhausting, isn’t it? and she agrees. Then when you think about the people you believe you know the best, and you find out they are unrecognizable… That hurts. And it makes you feel so naïve, and stupid, and very, very sad. But she thinks mostly what she feels right now is anger.
Michael says he doesn’t remember the last time he saw Drew lose his cool like that, and Carly says, it doesn’t happen a lot. He says he’s sorry he put her in such a terrible position, but she says, Drew’s mad, but it’s not all about Michael. He’s struggling. He’s going through a lot since he got attacked in Pentenville. Michael says, no one ever comes out of Pentenville the same way they went in, but you move past it. With honesty and support and maybe talking to somebody, Drew will be able to move past what happened to him in Pentenville. Carly says, yeah. Of course (🍷) it might take a little time, but Drew’s an amazing man. And he’s not the only one. Michael says, not so amazing lately, and Carly says she’ll talk to Drew. He says he’s amazed at her love and forgiveness, and she says she’s always going to forgive him and she’s always going to love him. Know that. His apology tour’s not over. He’s going to have to make things right with Willow. There’s nothing more important than his wife and children, and he cannot let Nina damage this family more than she already has. The nanny says she’s sorry to interrupt, but Wiley is asking for his daddy. Michael thanks her and she leaves. He tells Carly the kids are upstairs because Willow’s working the late shift. He hasn’t seen much of them lately. Carly says, go, tuck in his son, and he thanks her. He leaves, and she takes out her phone.
Drew asks how Anna shook the anger, and she says she’ll let him know when she does. Did he know that anger is really just a byproduct of fear? (I did, from Dr. Phil.) He says, so it’s a symptom, and she says, according to her book, yeah. He asks if there are any other nuggets of wisdom in there, and she says she’s sure there is. She’s only on chapter one. Her focus is a bit off these days. She thinks she read one page three times, but she did grasp that anger/fear connection thing. He says, maybe the fourth time is the charm, and she says, maybe. She’s just biding time until her friend gets here. He says, it looks like she’s got a little bit of time to give that page another shot, and she says she wonders whether an antidote to betrayal is a sort of fellowship, in a way. He says, she might be on to something there. Her company has been medicinal. She says she’s never been called medicinal before, and he says, talking to her, he realizes he’s got to get the toxicity out of his life. She tells him to let her know how that goes.
Jordan’s phone dings, and TJ asks, who is blowing up his mama’s phone? She says she’s working on a special project, and he says, for the mayor’s office? She says, with the mayor’s permission, but the project is off the books, and he says, got it. Say no more. She says, it’s no secret from him. She and Curtis have been looking into his shooting. The alerts she’s getting could be her first solid lead. TJ says, promise him that she’ll be careful.
Esme tells Cyrus that she has no idea what’s going on in Spencer’s mind. All she knows is that she has no faith that the PCPD will help her get her son back from the mayor’s son. He says he’s sorry, but he was under the impression that his sister has been good to her and little Ace, and she says, Laura is the reason she’s in this situation. Laura told her to turn herself in and insisted she’d get a slap on the wrist, and then Ava pressed charges. He says, perhaps it’s time she turned to his brother Martin. He’s a lawyer. She says, he’s her lawyer. He was at her hearing. But a lawyer’s not going to do her any good. There’s no way she’s going to find Nikolas with traditional channels. Cyrus says, he’s also very resourceful, but she says, even if Laura and Martin can help her get Ace back, it won’t do her any good if she’s behind bars. He says, so she doesn’t really fear for Ace’s safety. This is less a matter of protection and more about possession. She asks if she’s being lectured by an ex-con, and he says, she sought him out. Besides, a rap sheet doesn’t preclude morality. Or motherhood, right? She says, right. Which is why she’s appealing to his better angels. He says, what makes her think she can trust him?
Kristina says she has no idea what it’s like to be a public figure. So she can’t even pretend to relate to Blaze’s sensitivities there. Blaze says she’s glad. She wouldn’t want that for Kristina. Kristina says, if she were dating someone in the public eye, she’d be willing to make some compromises, but it would really depend on what they were. It took her a lot of time and a lot of work to get to where she is today, to live authentically her truth, and she’s never going to go back to anything less than that. Blaze says, okay, so if she tries to do better and she’s conscious of her attitudes and behaviors, can they just pick up where they left off? Kristina says, that would be kind of tough. Her life is about major league change. Blaze asks if she means with the youth center opening, and Kristina says, that… and this, showing her the aftercare handout. As of this afternoon, she might be pregnant. Blaze looks at the sheet and says, this is major. No wonder she’s lying low tonight. How is she feeling? Kristina says, all right. How is Blaze feeling? Blaze says, it’s not a total surprise. Kristina made it very clear that she was going to be her sister’s surrogate. Kristina says, but now it’s a reality, and Blaze says, people get pregnant all the time and they find ways to hang out with other people. So will they. At least that’s what they talked about. Kristina says, but now that it’s actually happening, it’s a little hard to see how they’ll juggle that and be together, right? Blaze says, maybe, and Kristina says, here they are, taking the sheet from Blaze. It’s been really nice getting to know her… Blaze says, hang on. So their timing isn’t perfect. She’s missed Kristina, and she likes her a lot, a lot. Kristina says she likes Blaze a lot too, but she doesn’t know if that’s going to be enough.
Blaze says she feels so stupid. She should have picked up on the distance between them sooner, but it sounds like Kristina has made up her mind. Kristina says she’s not sure about much these days, which is why she thinks it’s probably best if they call it. Blaze says she guesses so, and gets up. She goes to the door and says she should have held Kristina’s hand at Rice Plaza and never let go. She walks out, and Kristina says she’ll see Blaze around. Blaze says, sounds good, and leaves. Kristina is pissing me off now. They have more chemistry than most of the couples on the show.
Carly leaves a message for Drew, telling him that she loves him, and Michael comes back downstairs. He says, Wiley is playing with a truck Nina got him. It took everything he had not to chuck it out the window, along with everything else associated with that woman. She says, okay, but being out of the family is going to kill Nina, and she has no one to blame but herself. He says, but is that justice? They both know Drew was just collateral damage. Nina wanted the SEC to get Carly sent to prison. Carly says she knows that, but now everyone knows that. And for her, the silver lining is, she doesn’t have to co-exist with Nina anymore. She doesn’t have to bite her tongue around her. She doesn’t have to serve Nina at her restaurant. She doesn’t have to listen to another sappy speech about why the two of them need to get along. She hates Nina for what she did to Drew, but now she doesn’t have to pretend otherwise. He says, she doesn’t want payback? and she says, yes, she wants payback, but she wants peace of mind more. Since her mother passed, she’s realized closure only comes from letting go. And she’s ready to move on. She suggests he does the same, and she leaves.
Anna says she doesn’t really have a picture of what her life is like after the WSB, and Drew asks if she knows what she wants it to look like. She says he thought she did, but now… He says, there’s no clock. She doesn’t have to put pressure on herself. She says, that’s very good advice. She doesn’t suppose he’d take it. His phone rings and he says, it’s Carly. She’s probably wondering where he is. She says, that’s really nice, to have someone wonder. It’s been her experience that after you ignore the first call, it just gets easier and easier to ignore the rest. They both have a lot of questions that they want to answer for themselves. But Drew has one thing for sure that she doesn’t. He says, what’s that? and she says, he has someone who loves him and wants to support him.
Esme says she doesn’t trust Cyrus. Not for a second. She doesn’t trust anybody. For all she knows, Laura could have known about Nikolas’s plan. He says, she’s accusing his sister of being party to a kidnapping, and she tells him that she’s saying she needs help. There must be something he can do. When she met him in the visiting room at Pentenville, he told her that he cared about family. Were those just empty words? Ace is his family, and he’s also hers. He’s been taken from her. He’s been taken from both of them. Is he going to let that stand?
Jordan tells TJ not to worry; she’s taking precautions. He says he hopes so, and she says she is. Especially now that Curtis is focused on his recovery and can’t provide back-up. He says, she’s not going to forget she’s not the top cop anymore, and she says, it’s not something you forget. If she discovers anything that even flirts with putting her in danger, she’ll turn over the investigation officially. Her phone dings, and he says, go. Take care of her investigation, safely. No danger flirting. Jordan says she hates to ask which one of them is the parent, but she guesses she can’t ask that for much longer.
Kristina sits on the sofa and says, I don’t know if you’re in there or not, or if you even exist yet, but hi. It’s me. Your Auntie Kristina, the crazy one. I am a mess. Clearly. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be talking to you. But you’re the only person who heard what just happened, so please just tell me whether I did the right thing or not. There’s a knock at the door, and Kristina opens it to Blaze holding a shopping bag.
Cyrus tells Esme that his own means are greatly reduced, but he still knows people who can make discreet inquiries on her behalf. And if there’s a trail, they’ll pick it up. She thanks him and asks, what’s the next step? He says he makes a phone call, and she says, that’s it? That’s all he can do? He says, no. He can also pray with her. He picks up his Bible.
Carly comes into Charlie’s and says, there’s the man she adores. Looks like he found some good company. Drew says he did indeed, and Anna says she didn’t get a chance to say, the service for Carly’s mother was really beautiful. They’re all going to miss her so much. Carly thanks her, and Anna says she’s going to call her friend to see where they are. It was nice talking with Drew. He says, her too, and she tells them to have a nice night. She leaves, and Carly sits down. She thanks him for calling her back and says she knows why he’s mad at Michael. He should have told them the truth. She wishes he would have. But she’s made some missteps herself when it came to protecting her family from Nina, so she really does understand. He says he and Michael are going to have to hash this out, and they will, but the bulk of his anger is reserved for Nina. Carly says, blech. Join the club. He says, the failed merger and her investment would have never been on the SEC’s radar if it wasn’t for Nina’s actions. It left him to the mercy of that judge and violent prisoners. It took him away from his daughter, his only child. She says she knows. She understands all that. It’s like she told Michael, there’s a silver lining. They don’t have to pretend to play nice with Nina anymore. They can put Nina in the rearview. He says, not him.
Willow walks into the Quartermaine mansion, and Michael says he didn’t expect her back so soon. He’ll get out of her way. He goes into the living room, and she follows him. She says, wait. How is he doing? She knows he had to have some rough conversations today. He says he got quite the beating from Drew, which he deserved. His mom gave him grace and understanding, which he really appreciated. She says she wants him to know that she didn’t tell Carly or Drew anything about his part in this, and he says he knows. It was Nina. She says, Nina approached her at the hospital. Carly and Drew found them, and it didn’t take Nina 30 seconds to throw it in their faces that he’d known the truth for months. He asks if she understands now why he went to the lengths that he did to protect her from Nina, and she says she does. And that’s the problem. Nina is petty, vindictive, envious, because – let’s be real – she wanted to send Carly to prison so that she couldn’t be a grandmother to Wiley and Amelia or competition for Sonny. Her mother is manipulative, insecure, and a liar, and she had the right to know that. He says he knew how hurt she’d be. Like he said, he was trying to protect her… She says she doesn’t want his protection. She wants the truth from him. Always. Nina’s awful, but that does not absolve him. He says he’s not looking for absolution; he’s looking for forgiveness. She says, that can’t happen overnight, and he says, it can’t happen if they’re apart like this. She says she’s too tired to get into this right now, and he says, then when? Wiley is at the door and asks if it’s time to go home.
At the pier on the phone, Jordan says, so they can tell her where the gun came from… Name the time and place… Okay. Got it. She starts to leave, but a man blocks her path. (For all her talk of being careful, she’s there by herself, and wasn’t even aware this dude came along?) She says, excuse me, but he won’t let her pass, and she asks if there’s something she can help him with. He says he can help himself, and she turns to face another man. He says, going somewhere?
Kristina says, Blaze is back, and Blaze says she thought she heard Kristina talking to someone. She can go if Kristina has company. Kristina says she doesn’t know if she has company or not yet. Did Blaze forget something? Blaze says, not exactly. She just wanted to tell Kristina that she may be right about everything. Maybe she’s not ready. Maybe Kristina has too much going on. Maybe this won’t work, but how will they know if they don’t try? Kirstina says, they won’t, and Blaze says she’s not a quitter, and she gets the feeling Kristina doesn’t like what ifs any more than she does. So what does she think? Will Kristina take a chance with her? Kristina says, it depends, and Blaze says, on? Kristina says, what’s in the bag, and Blaze says, all the ingredients for the dinner she’ll make while Kristina relaxes. She did a quick internet search on foods to avoid after an IUI, so there’s nothing processed, spicy, or hard to digest. She promises. Kristina says she’s going to guess there’s no wine in there either then, and Blaze says, no, but Kristina did mention she wanted to try coquito, so she got some stuff to make some… minus the rum. Kristina says, wow. She thought of everything. Blaze asks if it’s enough, and Kristina stands aside to let her in. All is forgiven by me.
Willow asks what Wiley is doing up. It’s way past his bedtime. Wiley says, daddy never came back up to read to him, and Michael says, if he’s still interested, he can read Wiley a story now. Wiley asks if they can do it at their house. He likes their house better than this one. Michael says, so does he, and Wiley asks, then why he hasn’t been home? Michael says he’s just been a little bit busy with work, but how about if he carries Wiley and Amelia to the gatehouse, and he can read Wiley a story there. Wiley says, yes, please. Will he stay with them tonight? Michael says, probably not tonight, and Wiley asks when they’ll all be together again.
Esme tells Cyrus, no offense, but she’s not going to waste time praying when she could be doing. She dashes off, and he gets out his phone. He says, apologies for the late hour, but when you get this message, please come see me right away. It’s of vital importance.
Drew says, Nina needs to pay for the damage she caused them and their families, and Carly says she agrees. And someday, she hopes Nina will. He says, not someday, now. And he knows exactly how to make her pay.
Anna leaves a message for Jordan, saying, she’s at Charlie’s Pub. She thought Jordan would be here by now. If she can’t make it, just let her know. Call her back.
At the pier, Jordan asks what the men want. Money? She starts to reach into her bag, and Dude #1 says he’s sure Deputy Mayor Ashford keeps her pepper spray in her purse. She asks who they are, and Dude #2 says, they’re going to need her to come with them. She says she’s not going anywhere until they identify themselves, and Dude #2 says, they’ll save the introductions for the ride. They hustle Jordan off, one on either side of her.
Tomorrow, Sam asks if Carly has noticed Drew’s changed since he’s been back; Nina asks if Drew thought she’d just roll over and accept this; Dex asks what Josslyn has to apologize for; and Laura lets Spencer have it. I can’t wait for that one.
Southern Charm – The Reunion – Part Two
After Olivia calls Taylor a sh*t friend and a sh*t human, they take a break. Shep tells Taylor to take a page out of his book. Silence is golden right now. She tells him, thanks, even though she didn’t need coaching. Rodrigo and Rod arrive, and Olivia continues to bitch about Taylor even though she really outed herself about T-Rav. Wow. She must have been blackout drunk. He reminds me of somebody’s creepy uncle who hangs out with the teens by the pool. Taylor says she was this close to not coming, and Austen wants to put a muzzle on the chihuahua that is JT, while JT whines to Rod about Austen.
They reconvene, and Andy welcomes Rod and Rodrigo. He points out that Rodrigo has been in a relationship the longest and asks why Rodrigo thinks the Charleston guys have a hard time settling down. Rodrigo says, it’s a college and tourist town, and a rotating platter of girls. Andy reads a post from a viewer who says, Rod got Olivia gluten-free bread. Don’t let this one go. Olivia says they have fun together, but the timing is off. A nice way of saying, not in a million years. Venita says, Rod is sweet and a gentleman, and Olivia needs someone to take care of her. Women supporting women. Andy says, they got a lot of comments about Olivia’s bra, and we flash back to Rod telling JT about the bra on the ottoman. Olivia says she knows how it looks and sounds, but she was getting comfortable. She was halfway out the door when Austen realized her bra was still there and she told him to throw it away. Madison says, it must have been beige, and Andy asks who thinks they did more than they’re saying. Shep isn’t too sure, and Rod says some vague thing about how he knows for a fact they didn’t. Olivia apparently has a new guy named Alex who lives in Dallas, and we see a clip of Austen golfing with them. Olivia says she took Madison’s advice to look outside Charleston. Even though Charleston still seems to be tagging along. Craig explains that Austen brought Olivia to the club, and now they both get invited there. Andy wonders why Austen gets a pass and not Taylor, and Olivia says, Taylor lied to her face multiple times, but Andy says, Austen also lied. Dodging around that, Olivia says she really tried with Taylor, but it didn’t get her anywhere. In watching the show back, she could see Taylor wasn’t thinking about her. Rodrigo tells her that she keeps saying she doesn’t want to kick Taylor when she’s down, but she was doing it all the time. Olivia says, she kept it positive and looked like an idiot, and when Rodrigo tries to talk, she tells him, shut up. He says, f*** you, since he’s the only one on stage with balls, and he’s had enough of her playing the death card.
Andy gives Olivia condolences about her brother Connor, and after floundering a little, since she doesn’t want to thank Austen and Taylor, Olivia says, everyone stepped up and she appreciated that. Andy asks how her family is, and she says, not good. Her parents are trying to get through and figure out their new reality. We find out that Taylor’s brother also passed away after filming wrapped, and Andy gives Taylor his condolences. There are a lot of jokes and sarcasm I can put in here, but I’m going to show restraint. As awful as they are, these are still people. Andy says, it must have been hard for Olivia to be on the outs with Austen when her brother passed. Olivia says, it was good they could put that aside, since Austen understood more than anyone. But then she does a 180 and says, everyone came to her room except Austen and Taylor. Then Austen was calling her inconsistent. We flash back to that, and I’m thinking, inconsistent? What we just saw was weird; her thanking them, then saying they weren’t there. She says, there was no grace and understanding from them, then Austen expected an apology from her. Okay, I agree with her there. He should have just let that one slide. Austen says, when they were in Jamaica, everything was fine, but then she turned on him and he wondered what happened. Andy wisely moves onto Venita disinviting Taylor to girls’ night, and we flash back to that. Venita says she was trying to protect Olivia’s peace, and Andy points out that last year, Venita and Olivia butted heads. I’d actually forgotten about that, but they flash back to remind me. Andy says, this year, Venita was Olivia’s champion. He asks, what changed? and Venita says, they made an effort between seasons. Olivia says she’s grateful; it helped them grow. Andy asks how Taylor felt about the women talking about her all season, and Taylor says, they were right. He asks if the women think, with time, they’ll be friends again, and Leva says she doesn’t want to see Taylor like this. Taking on the role of your parents, Venita says, they don’t hate Taylor. They’re just disappointed in her behavior. Madison says, there won’t be any sleepovers at her house – BA-DUM-CHH! – and they take a break. The producers tell everyone not to play with their mics so much.
Andy suggests they talk about Austen some more. A viewer points out that when Austen started on the show, he was called Shep’s protégé, and now he’s exactly like Shep. Austen says he only watched half the season, and Craig says he thinks Austen still has a chance to make a choice. He needs to stop making decisions where he’s disappointed in the consequences. Next to take on a parental role, JT says, who you hang out with is who you become. Craig needs to be careful. Craig asks if he should just cut Austen loose, but JT says, he should keep Austen at arm’s length. Craig says, if Austen wasn’t trying to get better, they wouldn’t be hanging out. Translation: Paige wouldn’t let them hang out. Craig says, if Austen stops working on himself, they won’t be hanging out. Translation: If Paige sees no progress is being made, Austen will be cut loose. Olivia thinks Craig is harder on Shep than he is on Austen, and Craig says he and Shep have a longer history. Andy says, Austen felt misrepresented on the show, and asks, what was misrepresented with his and Olivia’s relationship? Austen says, the merry-go-round of Olivia wanting to hang out with him, then being angry with him. Olivia says, they did a full stretch of traveling together after last season, and Shep says, Austen had every opportunity to commit to Olivia; she was ready. Austen found a loophole, saying their relationship wasn’t defined, so he could do what he wanted. It broke his heart seeing Austen throughout the season. He laughed about kissing Taylor. Craig says, Shep had suppressed his feelings, and he’s glad Shep is talking about it. Shep thought if he admitted he was mad at Austen, it would make him look weak. Shep says he felt like they were all in this together, and watching it back was super hard seeing Austen’s blasé attitude. Andy asks Austen what they didn’t show that he wants people to know, and Austen says he wasn’t prepared to answer that. He asks if Shep is angry because of the show or is it because of the past week or two? and Shep says he showed Austen grace (WOTD) and hoped he’d seen the light. Andy asks if he hopes they can get back to a good place, but Shep says, Austen has zero self-awareness. Craig says, Austen was loyal to Shep at BravoCon, and Rodrigo says, when Austen gave Shep the cold shoulder, it hurt Shep’s feelings. Austen says he doesn’t want to deal with Shep right now, and Rodrigo says, that’s why Shep is upset. Austen says he thought they needed a break.
Andy says, new kid on the block, JT, aimed to be the perfect Southern gentleman, and was determined to prove nice guys don’t finish last. He asks how JT’s first season was, and JT says, it was one of the most coolest things in his human experience. Andy says, JT’s mom Bunny got lots of love on social media, and JT says, fans at BravoCon wanted him to FaceTime her. She was cooler than him there. Andy asks if having four sisters played a part in JT’s gentlemanliness (yes, it’s a word!), and JT says he had an older sister and a brother, then three stepsisters later on. It turned the tide of power. Andy says, JT took heat from the guys this season, and we flash back to them making fun of JT all over the place. Andy asks Shep if JT is the new Craig to him, and Shep says he thinks JT likes the ribbing. Craig tells Andy, that’s what Shep said about him – Craig likes it – and Shep says, maybe he’s reading the room wrong. Andy says, JT came in saying he wasn’t in love with Taylor, when he clearly was. JT says he started off playing it cool, but he fell hard and he’s not ashamed to admit it. Andy says, JT has all the things Shep lacks, and Taylor says, JT is an amazing human being and fun to be around, but that’s not happening. Craig says, nice guys finish last, but Olivia says, Craig finished first. Craig says he had to be a little bad. Andy asks why JT brought up the sleepovers, and JT says, if he was in that situation, he’d want a buddy to tell him. Austen says, it was brownnosing at its finest, and Olivia says she doesn’t think she would have known if JT hadn’t said something. Rodrigo says, JT saw an opportunity to weasel his way in with Taylor, and then said he was here for Shep, using him to get to Taylor. Leva says, Rodrigo can’t gaslight someone for doing something right, and I’m trying to figure out how questioning JT’s motive is gaslighting. Genius of the year Rod says, things would have been different if it hadn’t happened, and Craig says, maybe JT thought he’d get the competition out of the way and be Olivia’s knight in shining armor. Leva says, over the summer, people came to her and said something was going on, and Shep says, JT brought the truth to light. Andy asks if Shep thinks they’re still lying, and Shep says, Taylor swore to him nothing happened, but he knows Austen and it’s hard to believe. Venita says she doesn’t think she’d tell her mama that she was thinking of dating someone if they weren’t f***ing, and Madison mimes dropping the mic. Andy says, it’s a good time for a break.
Andy says, things came to a head in the finale, and the group came to a place they’ve never seen. We flash back to Austen pushing that little troll JT off the barstool, and Austen says he attributes it to JT getting a rejection. We flash back to JT professing his love for Taylor, and Taylor saying she needs time. In other words, not a chance in hell. JT says, Austen pushed him first, and Austen asks if JT thinks he’d be with Taylor if it wasn’t for him. JT says, they have to bifurcate those two things because he wants to use a big word, and everyone is like, huh? He told Taylor that he loved her, and he called out Austen for being a sh*tbag. Taylor has nothing to do with that. Austen needs to wake up and learn how to be a man. Austen says, it’s JT’s first season and no one knows what a POS he is, just because he calls himself a gentleman. Andy asks, who’s to blame for the fight? and Shep says, JR was aggressive and forced Austen’s hand. He left when he saw where it was going. Leva says, you can’t make someone punch someone, and I want to throw a pie in her face. Austen says, JT got in his face, and Andy asks if they’ve talked since then, but Austen says, they haven’t spoken. Andy asks if either of them has apologized, and JT fails to see what he should apologize for. Andy says, he got in Austen’s face. Come on. He was trying to get Austen to punch him. Everyone is laughing at this point, and even JT has to smile, but he’s not budging, and says he was minding his own business. Craig says he would have knocked JT down, and Andy asks why JT holds Austen accountable and not Shep. JT says, Shep is upfront about who he is, where Austen manipulates women and lies his way out of things. He’s a narcissist egomaniac. A viewer says if they hear JT tell one more guy they need to apologize, they’re going to scream. We flash back to JT telling various dudes to apologize, and Craig asks if there’s anything Austen could do to better himself in JT’s eyes. JT says, Austen need to do the work. He wants to root for Austen, but he needs to be held accountable. This is the real therapy. Andy says, they do this every year, and we flash back to other Reunions. Austen says, JT claimed he coached Taylor to lie, and we flash back to Austen telling her, there’s no good time to tell Olivia. Taylor says she’s not good at this stuff and she was trying to protect Olivia. She didn’t know how to handle it and genuinely apologizes again to the people she’s hurt and Shep as well. Olivia says her heart breaks for what Taylor’s family is going through. She’s even more sad that she couldn’t be there for Taylor. She doesn’t wish any bad on her. Andy asks how they can move forward, but Olivia says, that’s not happening. They won’t be friends again, but she’s not going to make Taylor miserable or be negative. They’re moving forward, but not necessarily together. During the break, the girls complain about their dresses being uncomfortable. They look great though.
Andy says, they’re wrapping up a season that created cracks in the foundation of the group. He’s been watching the way Taylor looks at Shep and he feels there’s still emotion there. Taylor says, love is still there. She’s here for Shep. She’s happy for him and proud of him. Shep says he has love for her too, and Craig thinks they’re going to get married one day. Andy asks if Taylor loves Shep, and she says she always will. He asks if she’s in love with him, but she says, no. He asks if Shep is in love with Taylor, and Shep says he’d be lying if he didn’t say he made a mistake. He’s scared he’s going to look back at the one who got away. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t love her. Andy says, Shep is finally accessing his anger with Austen, even though he wasn’t in touch with it while living through it. And Austen feels like he’s had to take care of Shep when he’s misbehaving or drunk. Shep says he appreciates it. They’re working through it and Austen needs space. Andy wonders how they move forward, and Austen says he’ll always want to. He doesn’t know what the world looks like where he and Shep aren’t buddies. But he’s been an enabler for a long time. Andy says, they have to redefine what they do together. He asks what Shep thinks is the reason things went down, and Shep says he was suppressing everything because of his love for Austen. Maybe it’s time he cultivated relationships with other people. Craig says, they have a history, but he thinks Shep is finding his new normal. It’s important. Andy says he thinks they all agree that they should find people outside the friend group to date. He asks if JT exorcised the f***boy, but JT says, they’re not even halfway there. Austen says he took it all, and Andy says, they’ll try again next year.
In the spirit of good vibes, Andy produces glasses of Jamaican rum punch, and tin foil hats for everyone. He points out that Shep is drinking only juice and asks Shep to give the toast. Shep goes into a long thing, my takeaway points being, he’s soared like an eagle, slithered like a snake, and everything in between. There are no guarantees in life, and life owes you nothing. He ends with toasting to perseverance in the face of adversity, and they clink glasses.
Good on all of us who made it through this season of awful.
🪄 Gilding My Age…
Join me tomorrow for soap, a spot of tea but little sympathy, and pre-weekend fun. Until then, stay safe, stay praising publicly and criticizing privately, and stay realizing closure only comes from letting go.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
If you didn’t need tissues yesterday, get ‘em out today. This is the real memorial.
Anna looks at the hospital memorial wall, when Robert comes along. He says he always thought Bobbie would outlive all of them. Anna says, and now her picture is next to Epiphany’s. This year they’ve had to say goodbye to people who were there for their daughter when they couldn’t be. It just doesn’t seem fair. He says, no, it doesn’t.
At the Koffie Hub in Amsterdam, Carly tells an employee that she’s visiting here from America. Her mom used to meet a colleague here, pretty frequently she thinks. She shows him a photo of her and Bobbie, and says, that’s her mom. Does he recognize her? He says, no, sorry. He can’t help her. Felicia brings some coffee to the table and says, they talked about this. The people who Bobbie worked for do everything they can to keep their sources anonymous because they’re working against some very dangerous people. Carly says, yes, but they’ve been here for hours. What are they supposed to do, just sit here until the mystery person shows up? Felicia says, Tracy followed Carly’s mom here to this café. She said Bobbie was here all hours of the day. The contact has to be here. Carly says, they don’t even know if the contact is a man or a woman, and Felicia says, sometimes in the P.I. business, it’s not about what the person looks like; it’s about knowing what to look for.
At Kelly’s, Maxie is looking at Angela’s business card, when Angela walks in. Maxie says, she’s here. Maxie hugs her and says she was beginning to think she dreamt Angela up. And she just hugged her, which is weird since they just met yesterday. Angela says she really enjoyed talking to Maxie and her mom about Bobbie, and she thinks after all the stories and tears, it’s okay they moved into hug territory. Maxie says, there are plenty of people with memories of Bobbie to share. They’re going to be coming here throughout the day to officially share them for Angela’s article. Angela says, that’s great. The more anecdotes she can get, the better the story will be. Maxie says she appreciates Angela letting her help with her profile on Bobbie. She feels like it’s something she can actually do, especially with her mom and Carly off to Amsterdam. Angela asks if Maxie thinks they’ll be able to find Bobbie’s contact at the rescue organization, and Maxie says she sure hopes so. She’s learned not to doubt either of them. And now they have each other so… argh!
Carly and Felicia sit at separate tables and talk on the phone. Carly says she knows her mom was doing really good work here, and important work, but she still can’t believe she chose to spend Christmas here. She really loved Christmas. Felicia says, Bobbie used to host the best Christmas parties at the brownstone. Even Tony was welcome after they split up. Those parties were so much fun. Carly says she never knew that, and Felicia says, it was a very different time. Carly wasn’t exactly on the invitation list then. Carly says she guesses she wasn’t, and Felicia says, don’t move. Carly asks, who’s here? and Felicia says, don’t turn around. She thinks they just might have found her mom’s contact. We see a woman talking with the employee.
We see Bobbie one last last time – in the credits.
Angela puts her phone on record and thanks Laura for joining them. It’s not every day she gets to sit with the mayor of a major metropolitan city. Laura says, Port Charles is hardly as cosmopolitan as Amsterdam, but she does think it’s a special place to call home. As far as Angela’s article on Bobbie Spencer, Laura doesn’t know how much more she can say that she didn’t already say in her eulogy. Angela tells her, everyone has said such beautiful things about Bobbie, and sometimes in death, people tend to deify a person, forgetting some of their rough spots. She wants to write about all of Bobbie. Laura says, okay, and laughs. They did have some rough spots, especially in the early years. Angela wonders if she can ask why, and Laura says, it’s really the oldest story in the world. They were fighting over a boy. We flash back to when we were all children, and Laura knocks at Scotty’s door, but Bobbie opens it. She says, Laura couldn’t go on treating Scotty like dirt forever. Unless she wanted him to turn to someone else for comfort. She’d invite Laura in, but considering what she and Scotty have in mind for tonight, three is definitely a crowd. Laura tells Angela, looking back on it now, she thinks she and Bobbie butted heads because she was brought up to believe politeness and manners and being sensitive to everyone else’s feelings was the most important thing in the world. Bobbie just said what was on her mind. Back then, it ruffled a few feathers, but now she really wishes they had more people like that. Angela asks if she can be more specific, and Laura says, someone who can listen with a sympathetic ear, but also provide you with a reality check. We flash back to Bobbie telling Laura that she gets how Nikolas came into being. Laura was stuck on that horrible island, married to Stavros, and Stephan was standing under some olive tree, looking at her with those eyes. Then Laura has to wait and see how long she can hold on before she tells Luke the truth. Then what does she say to him? Oh, by the way, I’ve got a kid who’s not yours. Why does she always wait until the house is burning down before she dials 9-1-1? Laura tells Angela that Bobbie was never afraid to be honest with her. She loved her for that.
When the woman and café guy are done talking, Carly says, excuse me. She shows the woman the photo of her and Bobbie and asks if she knows her mom. The woman says she’s sorry. She has to go. Carly says, it’s so important. Her mom passed away.
Sitting at a table with Felicia and Carly, the woman says she’s so sorry Bobbie died. Carly’s mother was a remarkable woman. Felicia says, Bobbie was her best friend. They go way back. Carly says she’s learning there was a whole side to her mother that she didn’t know anything about. How did she get involved with the organization? The woman says, Bobbie was a regular customer here. She’d see her from time to time. You can’t miss that red hair. One day, she was reading an article in the newspaper about a human trafficking sting. She opened up about her own past. She wanted to do more to help. Felicia asks what exactly she did for the organization, and the woman says she and her friends shelter young people escaping from being exploited. Bobbie opened up her home, one person at a time, as a refuge, until the paperwork came through. Carly says, a reporter her mom trusted told them that she was helping a young woman, and the woman says she’s very surprised Carly’s mother would have shared that information. Secrecy is key in their organization. Felicia asks if she knows anything about this young woman, and she says, yes. Her name was Cornelia. Bobbie brought clothes to her. They were concerned that the people she was running from would find her in Amsterdam. So Bobbie said she knew a place Cornelia could stay closer to America until her asylum paperwork came through. Carly asks where Cornelia is now, and the woman says she arranged for Cornelia to board a freighter to Canada, but that was weeks ago. She assumed that Bobbie had successfully gotten Cornelia to America. Carly says, Bobbie passed away here, in Amsterdam.
At Kelly’s, Lucas says, for someone who had a million nicknames in her family, his mom could barely tolerate them. No, scratch that. She hated them. He remembers at one point, his dad started calling him Champ. His mom put her foot down right away. She said, Tony, our son’s name is Lucas. Not Luke, not LL, and certainly not Champ. Of course (🍷) his older sister thought that was the funniest thing in the world. So just to needle their mom, BJ called him Champ until the day she… Anyway, he guesses what he’s trying to say is that his mom was a very principled and strong-willed person. She had no problem standing up for what she believed in, or her family. He flashes back to Bobbie telling Tracy that Lucas is her son. He’s a wonderful young man and she’s very proud of him. And if Tracy ever insults her son again, she’ll bitch slap Tracy all the way to the Canadian border. Tracy says, she’ll what? and Bobbie asks if Tracy would like her to demonstrate. They used to beat up rich girls like her in Florida for sport. It’s one of those street things you never forget, so lay off her kid or she’ll do more damage to Tracy than she ever dreamed of. Lucas tells Angela that he guesses that makes his mom the champ. She was always the one you wanted fighting in your corner.
The woman says, Bobbie told Cornelia to wait for her in a secure location in Canada, but if Bobbie never got the chance to meet up with her… Carly says, that means Cornelia’s been waiting for her mother this whole time, and Felicia says, and Bobbie never got the asylum paperwork to that poor girl seeking asylum into America. Felicia excuses herself and steps away.
Anna’s phone rings, and she tells Robert, it’s Felicia. She answers, saying she heard Felicia ran off to Amsterdam. Felicia says she’s sorry. She doesn’t have a whole lot of time. Does Anna have any contacts in the State Department that would help someone seeking asylum in America? Anna asks if this has to do with the human trafficking rescue, and Robert says, human trafficking? Anna tells Felicia, hold on. Robert’s with her and she’s putting Felicia on speaker. Go ahead. Robert asks, what’s happening? and Felicia says, it’s a long story, but there was someone Bobbie was in the middle of helping when she passed away. Anna says, most of her contacts at the Bureau got burnt when they took away her badge, and Felicia says, just like Frisco. Robert says he has a few contacts, and he’s probably in better standing than Anna right now. Let him make a few calls. Felicia says, that would be great, and thanks him.
Carly says she doesn’t understand. There’s no way to contact Cornelia? The woman says, no. For her safety, the only person who knew she would be waiting for her visa was Carly’s mother. They have no way of contacting her. Felicia comes back and says, Robert and Anna are going to pull some strings to get the asylum paperwork fast-tracked, but Carly says, it doesn’t matter if they can’t track Cornelia down. The woman says, that poor girl is probably freezing to death in some cabin in Canada just waiting for Bobbie to arrive, and Carly asks if she said cabin. The woman says, Carly’s mother once mentioned to her that the people she was helping would be safe in some cabin in the woods. Carly says, oh my God. She knows where Cornelia is.
At Kelly’s, Josslyn asks if Michael remembers when Bobbie went to his wedding to Nelle. Willow says, Nelle was a very unpopular person, and Josslyn says, Grandma Bobbie showed up in a black veil to protest. Michael says, that was one wedding Bobbie didn’t support, and Willow says, Bobbie was nothing but supportive at their wedding. Willow flashes back to saying, Bobbie always made her feel like a part of the family, and Bobbie showing her a beautiful bracelet. Bobbie says, her brother Luke gave this. Luke admired people who had lots of courage, and Willow has an abundance. She puts the bracelet on Willow, and Willow says, this means so much to her. Bobbie says, and Willow means so much to all of them. Willow tells Angela that she didn’t grow up in a big, extended family like Michael and Josslyn did, but with Bobbie, she made sure you knew you finally found one.
Robert says, that was an ordeal, and Anna asks if he had any success. He says he called in every favor he ever had. A friend of his at State is waiting for their call as soon as they hear from Felicia. Anna says, those human trafficking people are dangerous. She hopes Felicia and Carly aren’t in too much trouble.
In a car, presumably in Canada, Felicia asks if Tracy said how far from the border Luke’s cabin is, but Carly tells her, she said she’d never been. Felicia says she still doesn’t have cell service, so an ETA on the map is out, and Carly says, this is the most she’s traveled in 48 hours. How about Felicia? Felicia says she used to be married to Frisco Jones. A lot of traveling came with that deal. Carly says, at the very least, this is the most time they’ve spent together. Why does she think that is? It’s kind of crazy she hasn’t spent much time with her mom’s best friend. Unless it’s not that crazy to her. Felicia says, about what she said earlier… Carly says, look out! and the car swerves.
Out of the car, Felicia checks a cut on Carly’s forehead, but Carly says, a couple bandages will fix it up. She’s just glad they didn’t hit that deer. Felicia says, that wasn’t a deer they almost hit; that was a moose. (Seriously? Carly didn’t know the difference? Those moose are big.) Carly says, Felicia’s got to be kidding her, and Felicia says she’s just glad they’re in one piece. Has Carly ever changed a tire before? Carly says, more than she’d like to remember, but it’s been a while, and Felicia says, it’s like riding a bike. You never forget how.
Scotty says he’s sure everyone has told Angela how optimistic and upbeat Bobbie was, and she certainly was. She didn’t take any guff from anyone. Not her bosses, anyone who looked down on her, and she certainly didn’t take it from him. He flashes back to telling Bobbie that he can explain, but she says, there’s no explanation that would make her understand why he’d cause havoc at a hospital he represents. He says, there wasn’t any havoc, only a couple of disturbances. Nobody was hurt… She says, it was a hospital. There could have been a panic. People could have been killed. What’s the matter with him? So his precious Medic Tech can come in and take over? He says, she knows a lot about this stuff, huh? and she asks if he thought she was just some stupid roll in the hay. Don’t ever touch her again. He tells Angela, Bobbie did mellow over the years. She became the best damn nurse at General Hospital. However, she could still throw words around. Lucy says she can attest to that, and flashes back to saying, Bobbie doesn’t have Noah, so she’s going after Scotty again. Bobbie says, Lucy just had to head that off at the pass, didn’t she? She had to make a point to Scotty. She had to make a point to her. Just like when Lucy sicced Damien Smith on her. Lucy says, wait a minute. That is not what happened. Bobbie says, let her finish. So this, Lucy, is karma. Angela says, for someone who didn’t get along all that well with Bobbie, to keep showing up for her, it’s almost like they were the original frenemies. Lucy says, that sounds right. She guesses that is a good way to describe them. Angela asks why Lucy thinks that is, and Lucy says, Bobbie’s daughter BJ was very special to her. Angela asks if she can elaborate, and Lucy’s voice breaks as she tells Angela that she’s heard it said, if you want a true test of someone’s character, it’s not in taking stock of their friends. It’s taking stock of their rivals. So if she’s walked through this life with Bobbie Spencer as her worthy adversary, she guesses she’s one very lucky woman.
Felicia says, Carly was right, and Carly says, not that she doesn’t love hearing that, but about what? Felicia says, Carly is her best friend’s daughter, and it was no accident they never became close, because she was there when Carly first came to Port Charles. She destroyed Bobbie’s life and not for nothing, Tony was her family too, so Carly didn’t just break up a marriage. It was two people she considered to be her home base. Carly says she never thought of it like that, and Felicia says, but she does. Bobbie was so distraught about the affair Carly had with Tony; it was her shoulder Bobbie cried on. And it was really hard to watch her friend get her heart shattered. So she guesses she has a little bit of resentment. And as she says it out loud, it feels a little embarrassing because it was decades ago. She knows that Bobbie forgave Carly because Carly was her daughter, but it was hard for her to let go because she’s always had this protective streak for her best friend. And she’s so sorry. Carly says, don’t be. She gets it. And she’s not blameless in this distance between them. She’s close to Maxie. Felicia was gone a lot and she saw what that did to Maxie. Then she came back, and Maxie forgave her, and she judged Felicia. Felicia says she gets that too. Well, if Bobbie can forgive Carly and Maxie can forgive her, maybe it’s high time they forgive each other. Carly says she likes that idea, and Felicia says, who knows? Maybe this was part of Bobbie’s big plan to find a way to bring her daughter and her best friend a little bit closer. Carly says, it would be just like her, and Felicia says, she liked to meddle. They laugh, and Carly says she thinks maybe they should lean on each other. Few people were as close to Bobbie as they were. Felicia gives the nut one more turn and says, they have a new tire. Shall we, partner? She holds out her hand, and Carly takes it, saying, we shall.
Elizabeth tells Angela that she didn’t talk about it at the funeral because it wasn’t the time or place, but when she was a teenager and fairly new to Port Charles, she was sexually assaulted. And Bobbie came to her and took care of her, because that’s who she was. Kind and compassionate and always ready to offer her empathy. Oh, her sons don’t know about her attack. Does Angela think they could keep this in the spirit of Bobbie’s kindness and leave out the details of her past? Angela says, yes, of course (🍷). She totally understands. Elizabeth thanks her, and says, at the time of her assault, she was living with her grandmother, and she did not know how to deal with that. She flashes back to Bobbie saying, when a woman has been raped, she needs very special, very specific attention paid to her feelings because she’s been traumatized, and her body because she may have been hurt. That’s the most important thing. She came prepared for any eventuality because she promised her nephew that she’d take good care of Elizabeth. Elizabeth tells Angela that she was really confused, but Bobbie never made her feel ashamed. Angela says she’s glad Bobbie was there to help Elizabeth, and Elizabeth says, her too. Bobbie was the one who told her, even though she survived something traumatic, that she was the one in charge of how she let that define her. And Bobbie offered her love and support, and it inspired her to send that love back out in the world by helping others. When she was younger, she thought she was going to be a painter. She loved to paint – she still loves to paint – but her true passion became healing others, just like it was Bobbie’s. She never takes for granted walking across GH’s tenth floor, when she’s walking in Bobbie’s footsteps.
Walking on a path through the woods, Felicia says she finally has cellphone service, now that they don’t need GPS, and Carly says, this is definitely the right address. Felicia says, nothing to do now but knock on the door, and Carly says, let’s do this. They go onto the porch of a cabin, and Carly knocks on the door. She listens, and Felicia asks if there are any noises inside, but Carly says she doesn’t hear anything. Felicia says, knock again, and Carly does, calling, Cornelia! Cornelia, please open up. They’re here to help her. They’re friends. They door opens and a young woman peeks out. Carly asks if she’s Cornelia, and she says, who wants to know? Carly says, they’re friends and they’ve come to take her someplace safe. Cornelia comes out brandishing a shovel, and Carly and Felicia jet off the porch. Cornelia takes a swing, but misses.
Carly says, please don’t do that. She has picture on the phone in her pocket. She can prove that they’re friends. Cornelia says she doesn’t care who they claim to be, she’s not going back, but Carly says she promises it’s okay. Still holding up the shovel, Cornelia asks how they know her name. How did they know she was here? Carly says, because they were sent by a friend and they’re here to help her. She promises Cornelia is safe. Cornelia sees the B on Carly’s necklace and says, that’s Bobbie’s necklace. Why is she wearing it? Carly says, because Bobbie’s her mom. She has a picture of them together on her phone. Can she pull her phone out of her pocket? Cornelia says, yes… slowly, and Carly takes out her phone, showing Cornelia the picture. Cornelia cries and says she doesn’t understand. Bobbie was supposed to meet her here. Why didn’t she come? She lowers the shovel, and Carly says, Bobbie died. She’s so sorry her mom had Cornelia waiting here, but she wants Cornelia to know that they know her story and she’s safe now. Carly promises her that. Felicia says she can back up everything Carly just said because Bobbie is her best friend. She can trust Bobbie’s daughter just like she can trust Bobbie. Cornelia drops the shovel and falls into Carly’s arms. Carly hugs her tight.
Anna’s phone rings, and she tells Robert, it’s Felicia. Felicia says, know the favor she and Robert called in? She thinks they’re ready for it now. Behind her, Cornelia and Carly sit at the table in the cabin, talking.
As they walk out of Kelly’s, Angela says she can’t believe Maxie went to all that trouble to arrange that so she could speak to some people who loved Bobbie. Maxie says, it’s not like she had to twist anyone’s arm. The people Angela spoke with love Bobbie. They all miss her so much. Angela says, is Maxie kidding her? The hardest part now is going to be deciding which stories to include, there were so many. Maxie says, Angela is going to send her a copy when it’s done, right? and Angela says, of course (🍷). She just has to say, it’s been really great getting to know Maxie. Maxie says she hopes Angela is staying in town for a while. She was hoping they could hang out. She thinks they have a lot in common. Angela says she thinks so too, but her bosses said she could only stay in Port Charles for so long. Maxie says, those kind of bosses are the worst, and Angela says, but she promises that Maxie will be seeing her around. Maxie says, okay. Don’t forget to send her that article. Angela leaves, as Maxie’s phone rings, and she says, hang on. It’s her mom. But Angela is gone. She says, mom?…
Maxie runs into the hospital and sees Felicia and Carly. She runs to Felicia and says she’s so glad she’s okay. She hugs Felicia, and Elizabeth says, why doesn’t Carly let her check out that cut. Carly says, that would be great, and goes with her.
In an exam room, Elizabeth tends to Carly’s forehead and says, Robert and Anna told her what Carly’s been up to. It sounds like quite an adventure. They went out of their way to help a stranger. Carly says, yeah, but her mom was the one who helped Cornelia. She and Felicia just got her across the finish line. Elizabeth says, either way, she’s sure Carly’s mom is very proud of her. She puts a bandage on Carly and says, she’s good to go. Carly thanks her and says, Elizabeth offered to paint the new sign for Kelly’s. Elizabeth says, the offer still stands, but Carly says she has something else in mind.
At Maxie’s house, Felicia finds Maxie digging through her bag and asks, what’s going on? Maxie says she thought Felicia would have slept in after all the international travel she’s done in the last two days, and Felicia says she’s jetlagged for sure. Maxie didn’t have to let her sleep in her bed last night. Maxie says, after what she and Carly pulled off, completing Bobbie’s last rescue? They’re heroes to her. Giving up her bed was the least she could do. Felicia says she appreciates it. What is Maxie searching for? Maxie says, does she remember that journalist from Amsterdam, Angela Brighton? She gave Maxie her business card and Maxie wanted to email her, let her know that Felicia and Carly found the woman Bobbie was helping. She thought that would be a great ending for her article, but she can’t find Angela’s business card anywhere. (Are you thinking what I’m thinking?) Felicia asks if she possibly threw it out, but Maxie says, absolutely not. She remembers putting it in her wallet, but it’s not in there. She seriously can’t find it. She’s starting to think it disappeared. Felicia says, maybe she can track Angela down online. She knows Angela’s name and knows the organization she works for. Maxie says she did that already. There’s no mention of her online anywhere. Felicia says, maybe it’s a different spelling, and Maxie says she supposes she could have spelled it incorrectly. Felicia says, let her help. She’ll start tracking Brighton down. Maxie asks if she hasn’t done enough sleuthing for the week, but Felicia says, it’s just a phone call. Hardly life in the fast lane. She’ll see Maxie soon. She leaves, and Maxie gets on her laptop.
Carly looks at the sign along with Lucas and Laura, and Elizabeth says, well?What does everyone think? Laura says, it’s beautiful. She loves it. She thinks the people of Port Charles are going to love it. (Somehow, I think she means us.) Lucas says, it’s perfect, and Carly agrees. She says, it’s so perfect. This place has always been a comfort to everyone and a safe haven to anyone who needs it. Now that her mom’s gone, people need to know that’s still true.
On the phone, Felicia asks if this is the Associated Press in Amsterdam, and a woman says, yes, it is. How can she help Felicia? Felicia says she’s hoping to get a message to one of their reporters, Angela Brighton. The woman says, I’m sorry. Who? Felicia says, Angela Brighton. She was doing a profile on Felicia’s best friend Bobbie Spencer, who unfortunately passed away while she was visiting their city. The woman says she’s sorry. She’s been here for years and nobody by that name has ever worked here.
Lucas says he has to go catch his flight, and Carly says she hates that he has to leave. They hug, and she says, please don’t be a stranger. She loves him. He says he loves her too, and leaves. He sees Angela in the courtyard and says, people are looking for her. She saved the day. She says she’d love to celebrate with them, but she has to go back home. He thanks her and she says, anytime. He turns to leave, and she adds, Champ. He stops and turns around, but she’s gone.
Felicia looks stunned, and flashes back to BJ saying she wants her mommy and daddy and wants to go back home. She hugs BJ. In the present, she says, oh my God. That was Barbara Jean. She laugh/cries.
Maxie sees No Results for Angela Brighton on Spyder-Finder and says she doesn’t understand. Brighton is a journalist. How could she not have any online presence? She slams the laptop shut and gets up. She puts her hand to her chest and says, BJ’s heart. Felicia walks in and Maxie says, BJ? They hug.
Laura asks if Carly would like some company, but Carly says she thinks she’d like to spend some time by herself. She and Laura hug, and Laura leaves with Elizabeth. Alone, Carly says, oh, mom. You lived such an incredible life. You’re an amazing woman. I hope I brought you some peace – she touches her necklace – because that’s what you gave me, and everyone else. She flashes back to telling Bobbie that she’s really grateful for the relationship they have now and Bobbie saying, her too. Carly says, and you did it. A nursing degree – we see Bobbie as a young nurse, saying she graduated at the top of her class – a family – we see Bobbie with Lucas, and then with BJ on life support, saying BJ is the daughter she prayed for, except BJ went beyond her wildest expectations. We see Bobbie kissing BJ goodbye and saying she loves her, then BJ flatlining. We flash back to Bobbie telling Maxie, you want to forget the good times and the bad, because you think you can’t go on, but you can. I did. She reminds Maxie that BJ lives on in her and they hug. We flash back to Bobbie leaving a frantic message for Luke to call and Laura telling her, Luke is gone, and hugging her. We flash back to Carly introducing Bobbie at the Nurses Ball. This amazing, beautiful woman has been helping people for the past 45 years. We see Bobbie telling Carly that she’s here for her. We flash back to Scotty saying, they’ve had a number of flings over the years, and later asking Bobbie to marry him. She asks if he’s insane. We see them clinking spoons and sharing an ice cream cake; and Scotty saying, they’ve still got their friendship and he hopes she doesn’t forget that.
Carly goes outside, looks at the sign, and smiles. She gets on a stepladder and hangs it.
Felicia and Maxie hug, and Maxie puts her hand on her heart. Felicia puts her hand over it.
Carly looks up at the sign, smiles, and goes back inside. We see it says Bobbie’s, and we hear Carly say, you should be so proud of yourself. I’m extremely proud of you, mom. Bobbie says, thank you, honey, and we hear BJ’s heartbeat.
Tomorrow, Esme asks Spencer to do something for her; Robert tells Diane, it sounds like a threat; Ava tells Nina that when Sonny feels betrayed, he’s downright dangerous; and Stella wants to spread the good news.
Southern Charm – Reunion – Part 1
I always hate Reunions because inevitably, people all talk at once and you can’t understand what any of them are saying. And there’s usually yelling. A lot of it.
I hate JT already and we’re not even out of the dressing room. Shep gives the advice to never interfere with your opponent when he’s making mistakes.It’s rude.
Andy does the usual welcomes. We find out Paige heavily influenced Craig’s choice of wardrobe, but everyone looks great. JT says he’s performing the first f***boy exorcism on Austen, and Shep says, the power of JT compels you. Andy suggests JT scale it back; they’re just starting. Andy asks who thinks pandas are real, and Taylor says she’s questioning it now. We flash back to Craig broaching the subject and Craig says he thinks it’s people in suits, but the way he’s smiling, I think he’s just goofing around with this conspiracy theory stuff. Andy asks about Madison’s long-distance marriage, and they talk about Austen’s lack of enthusiasm for Brett, and Brett being a stepdad. Andy asks about the bully that picked on Hudson, and Madison says, the parents weren’t home, but she spoke in the Ring camera. The mother has taken care of the situation. Venita says, Madison has a grown woman aura now, and Andy asks if Shep is inspired to settle down. He says, he doesn’t know if that’s in the cards for him; he’s a restless person. Leva says some of the things she thought would be monotony are things she looks forward to now, and Shep says, being with Taylor was his happiest time, but Taylor says she’s good with them as friends. Andy asks about Austen calling Madison a bored housewife, and JT gives a side-eye so hard, his eyes are going to slide out of his head. JT says, blah-blah-blah, and Austen says, JT is Commonus [sic] (he means Commodus) of Gladiator. He suggests JT look at himself, but JT is too obsessed with Austen for that possibility.
JT babbles about Austen during the break. When they reconvene, Andy says, Craig did the impossible, being a man in Charleston who wanted to settle down. JT asks if Craig likes bondage, which isn’t anything I needed to know, but Craig says, light bondage, and there’s some spirited sex talk. Andy questions Shep’s ability to satisfy a woman, and Shep says, every girl’s finish line is finicky and crazy. In other words, he doesn’t want to put in any work. Taylor says she could count on one hand when she was satisfied. Shep… What difference does it make? Moving on. Andy asks about the pillow business, and Craig says he’s turned it into an eight-figure business, with 30 employees who have health insurance. Bravo, Craig! Andy asks who thinks Paige will ever move to Charleston, and Austen, Madison, and Olivia raise their hands. Madison says she doesn’t think full-time though. Shep says, it’s hard to have a relationship on camera and thinks Craig is strategic. Craig says, he’s not, but there have been times they didn’t want to deal with the group. They had experiences with Shep that weren’t great, and he doesn’t think their relationships are similar. Shep says he thinks he and Taylor would be married and he’d be a different person if it weren’t for the cameras. Taylor says she agrees, but thinks he’s right about it not being in the cards for him. Shep says she was right about a lot of things in her analysis of him, and he’s realized a lot of things they need to talk about. Ugh. Are they getting on that roller coaster again?
Andy says, Taylor was single, unfettered, and unfiltered this season. Was she finding her voice or losing her manners? He asks why Taylor was so emo around Shep, and she says, it was out of sight, out of mind, and when Shep came back from his travels, it was a rehash of emotions. She thought she’d moved forward, but she hadn’t. Her dildo gift to Madison is discussed, and Madison says, maybe Taylor needed it more. Taylor says she was trying to be funny, but Madison says it was Taylor’s first time meeting her husband. If it had been her bachelorette, bring on all the dildos you want. She’s not wrong. She suggests putting one in Shep’s mouth to shut him up. Hmm… I think I missed something. Andy brings up Taylor’s nakey photo, and says, why Whitney? Taylor says she asked herself that the next morning, but she’d heard he was hanging with Shep, and she was being petty. Andy doesn’t like that she was shamed for it, and Craig thinks it’s f***ed up that Whitney showed anyone. Venita says, they didn’t shame her for the photo, but that she sent it to someone in their friend circle. Madison says, Whitney’s girlfriend is the one who told Patricia, and Taylor says someone should tell her that Whitney hooks up with every girl in Charleston. Shep says he doesn’t want to see his girlfriends in that way, so I guess he’s that saint in the living room/whore in the bedroom type. JT can’t believe Shep doesn’t like getting nudes and can’t get girl to the finish line, and Shep offers to show him a list of satisfied customers. Taylor insists the photo wasn’t explicit, and Leva says she doesn’t want to throw Taylor under the bus, but she saw it. She saw the whole thread. I don’t know what it is about Leva. I liked her at first, but there’s a wicked look in her eye when she meddles. I think it’s less out of concern for others than for her own stirring the pot.
Leva tells Taylor that the text said, come eff me in Nashville, and Taylor asks, when was she in Nashville? She has no receipts because she deleted everything from Whitney, and Andy asks how Leva saw it. Leva said she’d asked Whitney why he showed all the guys, and he said he was embarrassed. Craig says, Whitney isn’t here to answer for it, when he’s the villain, but it’s weird Taylor was sexting a friend. JT says, grace needs to be given to people grieving, and Olivia says she’s tired of hearing it. Taylor says she made a mistake, but she’d never say it’s because of Shep. Andy says, Shep seems to have guilt over it, and Shep says he brought her into this. A viewer says, when Shep takes responsibility for what Taylor does, it robs her of her agency, but Shep says he takes pride in her development. Taylor says, he can’t be responsible for her, and Andy mentions Taylor’s new boyfriend Gaston, who’s from Republic, since these people can’t stop being incestuous. Shep says he met Gaston at BravoCon, and Leva thinks Shep sounds like a dad. Shep says, Gaston upset Taylor, but Taylor says, Gaston was upset because Shep greeted her by slapping her on the ass. Shep says, that’s not how he says hello, and Andy asks if he was drunk. Shep says he was, Andy asks how he knows then, and Shep admits he doesn’t. Andy says, Shep told him that he had something on his mind that he wanted to say to the group, and we see a clip of Shep telling Andy that he’d love to go on a ramble. Andy thinks this would be a great time to ramble, and Shep says he’s glad everyone is here. This is sort of a mea culpa. He’s at a crossroads and BravoCon was the impetus. He was out of control drunk in Las Vegas and doesn’t remember much. That scared the sh*t out of him. Andy asks him to explain what happened, but Shep says he can’t. He was blacked out. He was drinking margaritas and drank more when they did Watch What Happens Live. Andy says he saw Austen trying to take care of Shep and trying to make him presentable, but Shep didn’t even realize he was doing it. He was being a real friend. Austen says, it’s not the first time, and Craig says, that’s why he and Austen didn’t go to the meeting when Shep asked to talk to all his friends. It’s happened 17 times. The road Shep is on ends off a cliff, and he can’t be in that car anymore. After BravoCon, it was dark, and Craig realized he had to be okay with Shep ruining his life. They’ve been here before.
Shep says, they don’t owe him anything, and Austen says he’s been Shep’s best friend and been there for him. JT is like, WTF? forgetting that he just got here, and Shep says he’d love Austen’s support and help anytime. Andy says, it sounds like Austen and Craig have been doing that and they’re at the end of their rope. Craig says, Shep has to put some effort in, and Shep says he’s in a headspace to make major changes. He might start with not talking like he’s from the 1960s. He says, the other guys have a podcast and Craig has pillows, but he has nothing. How is he of value? Physiologically, he can’t do the same things he used to. His mind and body are telling him, no. He’s listening to his body and mind, and mixing it with fear, but he was Mr. Fun and has a reputation. Craig says he misses it, but doesn’t miss what Shep is feeling now. Andy wonders what Shep is doing about it. Has he quit drinking? Shep says he’s just drinking beer, and Andy is pretty certain they’ve heard that before too. Craig says he didn’t drink liquor for two years and now he doesn’t drink at all now. Watching Shep was a lesson. He was asked if anything could be done to salvage the friendship, and he said if Shep did one thing he’s be there, but Shep is too proud to turn off this road. Shep says he’s lost his pride, and Andy asks Taylor’s reaction. She says she’s happy because she knows the real Shep. He feels empty and overcompensates by acting like an idiot. Shep says that Taylor would tell him that he thought he was a rockstar and she was right. Andy asks for Venita’s reaction, since she also got here five minutes ago, and Venita says, it’s a lot to admit on a large stage. She knows he must have been thinking that way for a long time, and he has to cut the alcohol out completely for a true change. Leva says, Shep needs to want something more. Find the things he wants more, like marriage or a career. Shep says, stay tuned. He thinks he can do it. Andy says, he has a lot of support, and Shep thanks everyone for listening. Craig and Austen look like they don’t believe it. As they leave for a break, Shep thanks Andy for the platform and Andy tells him that he needs to relitigate his relationship with alcohol.
Still on break, Shep tells Taylor that he wanted to say those things to her privately, and she says she’s happy about it. He jokingly tells her to quit telling people he’s bad in bed. Back onstage, Andy says, Shep spent time with Austen in Australia, and Shep says, they had moments they could have talked. Andy asks how Shep would have reacted had Austen told him about Taylor, and Shep says he would have thanked Austen for being honest, then try to process it. Austen says he’s sorry. He thought it was a non-factor. Nothing came of it and it was going nowhere. Shep says, Austen told him that he wouldn’t have gotten with Taylor if he came along first, and it was arrogant, but Madison agrees with Austen. Olivia says, that’s probably how it should have went [sic] down. They should give shot since they made a mess of things anyway. Taylor says, Shep captivated her and she wasn’t interested, and Leva says, Taylor keeps thinking about the moment, but she lied to all of them for a long time. Taylor says she understands the severity of the betrayal, and Craig says, if they had the desire, they shouldn’t have even gotten close. Andy explains, it was the cover-up, not the crime, and Olivia says, Taylor acts like it’s their fault for not understanding. Taylor lied so many times, and Olivia didn’t hop on the forgiveness wagon. Taylor tells her that she never said that, and Olivia says, shut up. Taylor says, forgive as you want to be forgiven, and Olivia tells her, go ahead and say it. Andy says, Taylor seems to be implying Olivia did something, and Taylor says, to a friend and confident. Olivia outs herself by saying she slept with Thomas. She was fresh out of college, and it was a dumb choice on a drunken night. She wanted to take it to her grave. Who wouldn’t? I can agree with her there, but I don’t think I’d ever be that drunk. Olivia says, Madison mentioned it last year, and we flash back to the Reunion. Yes, she did. Olivia says, afterward, she thanked Taylor for sticking up for her, and told Taylor that something did happen. Taylor was the only person she told. Andy asks why Olivia needs to be forgiven, and Taylor says, Kathryn was her friend. It was after baby number two. Andy asks if she was with Thomas, but Olivia says she doesn’t think so. Taylor’s been chomping at the bit to use it, and not only is she a sh*t friend, she’s a sh*t human too. Andy says, we’ll leave it there.
While I’m not suggesting Olivia hop on the forgiveness wagon if she doesn’t want to, Madison is really the one who outed her if anyone was paying attention. And if no one was, Olivia is the one who brought it up and outed herself. So in saying it’s Taylor’s fault, Olivia is once again calling the kettle black.
Next time, Rod and Rodrigo make an appearance; Shep gets a call; JT wants Craig to hold Austen accountable; and Andy asks Olivia why Austen gets a pass and not Taylor.
Happy 17th Birthday, Sir Marco of PeeWee, Last Born in the Line of Juliet!
🪱 Wiggling It Just a Little Bit…
Kiki with me tomorrow, when there will be soap, a little bit of this, and a little tea about that. Until then, stay safe, stay letting someone know when you’re proud of them, and stay being in charge of how you let your experiences define you.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Portia asks Nurse Rachel if she has any resolutions, and Rachel says, maybe not working on New Year’s Eve next year. Portia says she’s with her on that, and Rachel asks why their Co-Chief of Staff is working the late shift tonight of all nights. Portia says she was doing a favor for Dr. Batel, and Rachel says, hopefully their bad luck on New Year’s Eve isn’t an omen for the coming year. Portia says, it certainly won’t be for her. She has big plans for 2024.
Going into her dorm room, Josslyn says she’s glad Dex got along with her friends, and he asks if she was afraid that he wouldn’t. She says, no, but you never know what can happen when mix different parts of your life together. He says, for her to consider them friends, he figured they had to be pretty great, and they were, and she says, most of the time. He wasn’t bored, was he? He says he could never be bored with her, and she says, judging by how it’s going, she thinks 2024 is going to be a very good year. He says he has no complaints, and they’re about to kiss, when someone starts fiddling with the door handle. Dex opens it to find Adam there, and Adam asks what Dex is doing in his room.
Still at the PC Grill, Doc takes Laura’s hand and says, she’s thinking about Bobbie. She says she’s thinking about all of them. First Luke, then Bobbie, then Lulu. She knows Lulu’s not gone, but she’s lost to them for now. And then Lucky, who’s out there searching for…something; some part of himself she thinks. The Spencers have lost an awful lot. Doc says, they have, and he’s so sorry. She thanks him, when her phone rings. She says, it’s Ace’s babysitter, and answers. She says she doesn’t know. When did Esme say she was going to be home?… It’s not like her to be an hour late, no… Oh my goodness. Where could she be?
Nikolas says, Esme only came to town because that psycho Ryan Chamberlain told her to, and Ava says, he means, that psycho her father. He says, whatever the reason, she came here to ruin their lives. Now it’s time for payback. She asks what he’s planning to do to Esme, but he says, no. It’s what they’re going to do together. FYI: Ava’s lipstick matches her blazer. I appreciate how she always looks put together.
Esme says she needs a drink and walks into the Grill, where she sees Doc and Laura. Still on the phone, Laura says, she just walked in…. yes, she’ll tell her. She says she’s relieved to see Esme. Where was she?
Willow asks if Michael knows why Nina has been canceling plans with her lately, and he says, because he told her to limit the time she spends with Willow and the kids. She says, and in exchange he kept quiet about Nina turning Carly and Drew in to the SEC? and he says, yes. She says, he was blackmailing Nina?
Carly opens the door to Nina, and asks what she’s doing here. Nina says she’s sorry. She knows it’s late, but there’s something she has to tell Carly. Carly invites her in, and Drew comes out. Nina says she didn’t realize he was back in town. Actually, she’s glad he’s here. There’s something she needs to tell them both.
Sonny looks at the Christmas tree in All Saints, when Cyrus comes out behind him and says he’s glad Sonny found his way here in his hour of greatest need. Give up your burden to God. The truth will set you free.
Portia goes into her office to find Curtis there holding a red rose. She says, what a wonderful surprise, and asks what he’s doing here. He says, ringing in the New Year with the woman he loves.
Dex tells Adam, this is Josslyn’s room, and Adam says, that’s why the door was locked. Josslyn says, they just got back from a New Year’s Eve party. She looks at the Solo cup in his hand and says, looks like he found one too, but he says he just had one Kama…something. Maybe two. Josslyn says, he’d better sit down before he falls down, and he stumbles inside, sitting on the bed. She asks, what’s going on? He’s not a drinker. He tells her, it’s over. It’s all over. His parents know the truth about him.
Ava says, Nikolas thinks they’re going to work together? and he says, look at it as giving them closure. He thinks she’ll find it very satisfying. She says she looks at it as not happening. That ship sailed when he threatened her daughter. He says, they both made mistakes. Yes, he threatened to take Avery in the heat of the moment, but as angry and upset as he was, it was still wrong. She thanks him for saying that, and he says, but she thought she killed him. And after a few minutes of calm reflection, she decided to ditch his body and walk away. She says, that’s not calm at all. She was completely panicked. She couldn’t even think when she thought she’d killed him. She just wanted to stop him from taking her daughter. She didn’t want him dead. He says he guesses that’s something. Their marriage wasn’t all bad, was it? She says, they had their moments, and he says, they did. She says, they were talking about Esme. Esme has no memory and she’s completely devoted to her son. He says, his son, and she asks if he thinks she’d forget that. He says, she knows he’s sorry about that, and she says, according to Trina, so is Esme. He says, Esme will never change. Eventually, she’ll return to her selfish, spiteful ways. That’s who she is. But if they work together, they can get rid of her before she does any more damage. Ava asks him to level with her. Is he planning to kill Esme?
Sonny tells Cyrus, get out of here. He has no place here. Cyrus says, there’s a place for everyone in God’s plan, but Sonny says he’s never going to buy Cyrus’s religious saved act. Stop pretending. Cyrus says, Sonny is so certain in his judgement. Has he never been wrong about someone? Sonny says, not about Cyrus. Tonight is not the night to be pushing him. Cyrus says, she told you, at last, and Sonny asks what he’s talking about. Cyrus says he’s sure Nina only did what she thought was right when she reported Carly and Drew to the SEC.
Nina says, let her start by telling them that she’s sorrier than they’ll ever know, and Carly asks how she found out. Nina asks what she’s talking about, and Drew tells Carly that they’re waiting to hear back. Carly asks if he can handle it. Whatever he decides, she’s okay with it. He asks if he’s sure, then tells Nina, let him get the door, but Nina says, please. Can he just listen? She has something to tell them. Carly tells Drew that she doesn’t want to keep them waiting. She’ll handle Nina. He leaves, and she asks Nina, what’s so important? Nina says, as Carly knows, she was very angry when Willow was dying, and she found out Carly had kept the truth from her when Willow needed her the most. Carly asks if this is what Nina came here for, because she can’t do this again. She can’t do this tonight. Nina says, beyond angry, and so she wasn’t considering the consequences. What she’s trying to say is that she’s done making excuses. She’s not going to make excuses to herself, and she’s not going to do it to Carly. Carly says she’s not Nina’s friend and she’s not Nina’s therapist. So if she has something to say, please say it. Nina says she’s the one who tipped off the SEC about Carly’s insider trading.
On the phone, Esme says, Ace is still asleep though, right?… Great. She’ll be home right away. She says she’s so sorry she worried Laura, but Laura says, it sounds like a simple miscommunication. It happens. Doc comes back with a coffee with whipped cream on top (hopefully, Irish coffee), and tells Esme, this should warm her up. He picks a glove up from the floor and says he thinks she dropped this. Esme thanks him, but says, it probably won’t do her much good. She already lost the other one. Laura asks if she knows where. Esme doesn’t say anything, and Laura says she does. Windymere, when Esme broke in Christmas Eve.
Michael says he didn’t want to tell Willow or his dad what Nina did to his mom and Drew, so he thought it would be best to mitigate the damage. Willow says, so Michael went behind her back and interfered with her relationship with her mother? and he says he was just trying to protect… She says, he was manipulating her, but he says, that’s not what he was trying to do. She tells him, no, stop. She didn’t know where her relationship with Nina was going to go, but instead of letting her make up her own mind, he blackmailed Nina? She doesn’t understand. If he was so worried about Nina’s influence on their kids, why wouldn’t he tell her the truth?
Carly says, Nina is the one who called the SEC? She’s the reason Drew went to Pentenville? She took him from his daughter. because she can’t help herself, Nina says, well, Carly kept her daughter from her, and Carly says, Drew was almost beaten to death and Nina’s still the victim? Nina tells her, what she’s trying to say is, the emotions were running high back then. There was a lot of hostility. There was a lot of pressure, and she felt like Carly’s family’s punching bag. She reached her breaking point. She snapped and she lashed out. Carly says, children lash out. Nina was trying to get back at her and Drew was just collateral damage? That man has been nothing but decent to Nina, and she almost got him killed. Nina says she had no idea the judge was going to give him such a harsh sentence. Everyone was shocked. It shouldn’t have happened. Carly says, he shouldn’t have been sitting in the courtroom to begin with, and Nina says, they did commit… It doesn’t matter. What she’s trying to say is, she knows Carly will never forgive her. She’s just trying to set the record straight. Carly asks, why? Nina was doing just fine keeping her mouth shut. Why? Nina had no problem. Everyone believed Ned called the SEC. Why? Nina says she did feel terrible about that, but Carly says, not terrible enough to tell the truth. Why tonight? Nina says she knows Carly isn’t going to believe her, but the guilt was eating her alive. She regretted all of it. She just came to a point… She didn’t know how to fix it. Carly laughs and says, really? Nina doesn’t feel guilt or regret for anyone but herself… Oh. She got busted, huh? That’s why she’s here. Who knows? Nina says, Sonny.
Sonny asks what Cyrus knows about Nina, and Cyrus says, in her time of distress, she also found her way to this place for guidance. He offered her his counsel. There should be no lies between husband and wife. He’s glad that his simple truth could help them both. Sonny punches him in the face, and Cyrus stumbles back. He says, whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn the other also, and Sonny punches him again. Cyrus says he forgives Sonny, and Sonny pushes him. He says, fight back. Come on. Cyrus says, God forgives Sonny, and Sonny hits him again, this time knocking him down. Sonny says, fight back, as he beats the crap out of Cyrus.
Carly says, of course (🍷). Is he the reason Nina came over here? Nina says, Sonny suggested she apologize to Carly. He is very angry. Carly asks if Nina can blame him. She’s been lying to his face for months, and more importantly, she snitched on his family. Nina says she never meant for any of this to happen, and Carly says, Nina never meant to get caught. She’s not here to make things right. She’s not here to set things straight. She’s here because she doesn’t want to lose Sonny. Nina says she’s here because she wants to make things right, but Carly says, Nina is the most selfish person she’s ever met. She does nothing but hurt everyone around her, mostly the people she claims to care about. Nina says, that’s not fair, and Carly says, Nina is going to talk to her about fair? It’s not fair that Drew almost died in prison because Nina had a temper tantrum. It’s not fair that Nina gets to show up whenever she wants with a fake apology because she wants Sonny to forgive her. Nina is nothing but a selfish bitch, and she hopes Nina rots in hell.
Opening a bakery box, Curtis says, Eckerd’s was closed, but the donut window was open all night, and Portia squeals. She says, he never has to apologize for Eckerd’s lemon donuts. She takes one and says, as he can see, she’s not offering him any. He says he noticed, and she says, this is the best. He’s the best. He says he’s impressed. There’s not many people who would be happy to work on New Year’s. At least they don’t have to set an alarm. They can sleep in and make up for these late-night donuts. She says she doesn’t know if she’ll be able to sleep; she’s so excited about his upcoming surgery. If this works, he could be on the way to walking again. He says, that’s the plan. What if it doesn’t work?
Nikolas says he doesn’t want to kill Esme, and Ava says, he can see why she might be the tiniest bit skeptical, right? He says, yes, but he’ll settle for getting her out of his sons’ lives, and she says, is that all? He asks if she really thinks Esme is equipped to raise a child – his child? and she says, obviously, she doesn’t. She just doesn’t know what he wants her to do. He moves closer and says, what he wants from her… He’s sorry. He has trouble concentrating when he’s around her. He touches her hair, and she asks what he’s doing. He says, remembering the good times. And there were a lot of them. She says, there were a couple, and those days are over, and he asks if that’s why she doesn’t want to help him with Esme. Because if they spend too much time together, she won’t be able to resist him?
Laura says, Esme was at Windymere on Christmas Eve, wasn’t she? and Esme says, yes. She’s really embarrassed. Doc says, speaking of warming up, he’s going to get a little more coffee and let them speak privately. Laura thanks him and he leaves. She tells Esme, breaking into Windymere was dangerous and illegal. What was she doing there? Esme says, Elizbeth Baldwin told her that’s where Nikolas kept her prisoner last Christmas, and she thought if she was there at the same time as last year, it might help spark something that helped her remember. Laura says she sees, and Esme says she’s really sorry she broke in, but she was really cold and a little crazy. She never should have damaged the property. She’ll pay for the broken glass right away. Can she borrow the money? Laura says she’s sorry Esme had such a bad night. Esme should have called her; she can do that. Esme agrees she should have and thanks Laura for understanding. Laura has always been so good to her. Laura says, they’re family, and they all have their crazy moments, and Esme says she’s glad it’s not just her. Laura says, it’s not. Did it work? Did she remember anything?
Dex trades a bottle of water for Adam’s Solo cup, and Josslyn asks what his parents found out about him that was so bad he started pounding Kamikazes? Adam says, they know he lied about the internship he said he was going to do over winter break. They just kept pushing and pushing about why he didn’t come home for the holidays as planned, and it all just came out – his lousy grades. She says she was sitting next to him when he got an A in Organic Chemistry, and he says, A minus is what he got. (Ha! If I’d gotten close to an A in any chem class, my father would have bought me a car.) And there’s no way he can get away with that B he got in Anatomy. She says, that Anatomy class is killer; a B in that class is like top of the curve. He says his parents don’t care. They’re threatening to pull him out of PCU and send him to a local college so he can live at home. They don’t want to waste their money paying for PCU if he’s not performing up to their standards. Josslyn says, that’s crazy, and Adam says, that’s why he went to that frat party. He just wanted to forget for a while. His parents are really mad actually. Why is he such a scrub?
Michael tells Willow that he had every intention of exposing Nina. He went to his dad first. He was going to tell him, but his dad was so happy and so in love, he couldn’t do it. If he couldn’t tell his dad, he couldn’t tell her. Then he realized, why should either one of them hurt even more because of Nina? So he made a deal with her. He told her that he’d keep quiet if he gets to decide when and if she can see Willow and the kids. Willow says, he had no right, and he says he knows that and he’s sorry, but she’d already been through enough. He’s not going to apologize for trying to protect her. She says, it’s not that. He didn’t trust that she could protect herself. She thought they were partners. He says, they are partners, but she says, neither of them acted like it. She didn’t tell him that she had cancer, and he didn’t tell her what Nina did. They’re not honest with each other. What kind of marriage is that?
Nina says, what she’s trying to do is, make things right, but Carly says, too little too late. Drew went to prison because of her. She deserves every bit of payback that’s coming to her. Nina says, Carly should be thanking her. All the horrible things Carly has done to her, and she made herself the bad guy for Carly. She’s welcome. I get distracted by the Christmas decorations, and Carly says, Nina has no one to blame but herself. And her coming over here trying to apologize, is she kidding? There’s no way she’s coming back from this. No way. Nina says she knows Sonny values loyalty more than anything, and Carly says, he sure does. She’s going to be really clear here. She’ll never forgive Nina. She knows Nina doesn’t care, but Willow, Nina’s daughter, is going to see Nina hasn’t changed and she’s still just as toxic as ever – Drew comes back in – and she’s never going to see Amelia and Wiley, ever. Nina says she never meant for things to go this far, and Carly says, Nina never meant to get caught. Let’s be honest. But she did mean to make her and Drew suffer. Drew says, suffer how?
Back at the penthouse, Sonny takes a bottle of liquor out of a paper bag, sets it on the coffee table, and looks at it.
Carly tells Drew that Nina is the one who called the SEC, and he says, is that right? Nina says she’s so sorry about what happened to him. She had no intention… He says, yes or no? Is she the one who called the SEC? Nina says, yes, and he asks what he’s supposed to do now. Nina says she doesn’t understand, and he says, because he can’t do all the things he could do if she was a man, right? He backs her up as he talks, and says he can’t grab her and he can’t hit her, but she’s vile and she’s the worst kind of hypocrite. Scout told him that she saw Nina at the Halloween party and Nina was so nice to her, and the whole time, Nina knew she’s put Scout’s father away in prison. Nina says she had no idea Drew was going to be put in prison, and Drew says, and Donna and Wiley were there, and they had no idea she tried to put Carly away, but they will. Nina says, no, but Drew says, why shouldn’t they find out after living a lie? They think Nina is some good and kind person when she’s not. She doesn’t even love her kids. Nina says, of course (🍷) she does, but Drew says, she has no idea how to be a mother and a grandmother. She could never put her kid’s needs ahead of her own, and that’s what she needs to do. Nina says, do not tell her how she feels about her daughter or her grandchildren. He and Carly are standing here like they’re so saintly. They did commit a crime, by the way. Let her remind them of that. Carly is the one who set all this in motion anyway. Carly kept the truth from her about both her daughters, first Nelle, then Willow. Carly kept her away from Willow for months. Carly yells, stop! She can’t handle this tonight. Her mom died. Nina says, Bobbie’s dead? She’s so sorry. She didn’t know. Carly says, she didn’t care. And Nina isn’t here for her or Drew. She’s here for herself, and she’s said everything she needed to say, so get out of her house. Nina says she didn’t know, and Carly says, get the hell out of her house. Get out! Nina leaves, and Drew closes the door. Carly says she doesn’t want to live in a world where Nina gets to exist and her mom can’t. Drew holds her, and she asks why her mom is gone. While that’s mega sad, I’m going to say it, Nina’s motivation stinks, but she’s not wrong. And it’s not surprising that she doesn’t know how to be a mother or grandmother, considering who she had as an example. Carly just got done talking about how vile she was until Bobbie came into her life.
Ava tells Nikolas not to flatter himself. He’s quite resistible. He asks why she’s running away then, but she says she’s not running anywhere. He says, then she’ll help him get to Esme? and she says she’ll admit, she’d be happier with Esme out of the picture. He says, that’s great. Now all she has to do is throw a party. She says, come again? and he says, and make sure Esme is among the attendees. He’ll get her a full guest list. She asks why Esme would come to a party she threw? and he says, Ava has one of the most fertile imaginations he’s known, just one of her many alluring traits. She says, that’s true, but a party? and he says he’s sure she’ll think of a reason to throw one. Who doesn’t love a party? She asks if he really expects her to believe that he’s not going to hurt Esme, and he says, hand to God. And if she can’t take him at his word, who can she trust?
Esme tells Laura that she walked around Windymere and… nothing. She doesn’t remember a single memory. Laura asks if Esme was still at Windymere when she got there, and Esme says she was. She panicked and ran out before Laura could see her. Laura says, but she left her glove, and Esme says, it must have fallen out of her pocket or something. She’s sorry. It’s kind of hard to explain, but she couldn’t risk getting arrested. She didn’t want to miss Ace’s first Christmas. Laura says she understands. She really does, but Esme broke the law. She’s going to have to turn herself in.
Drew calls Josslyn and says he’s sorry to disrupt her night, but her mom needs to talk to her. Can she come home? Josslyn says, of course (🍷). Is her mom okay? He says, yeah. Just come home and she’ll explain everything. So drive safe, and they’ll see her soon. Josslyn tells Dex, that was Drew. She has to go home. Her mother wants to talk to her. Adam says he should go, but Dex says, stay here; don’t move. Dex walks with Josslyn to the hallway and asks if she wants him to go with her. He can take Adam back to his room first. She says she’s worried about leaving Adam alone like this in his condition, and Dex promises to keep an eye on him. She thanks him, and he asks her to text when she can. She leaves, and Dex goes back inside.
Michael says, he and Willow have both made mistakes, but they love each other. They can get through this. She says, Nina’s lies are one thing, but he’s her husband. His hurt so much worse. She’s going to need some time to sift through all of this. He says, let’s go home. He’ll do anything he can to make this right. She tells him, sleep somewhere else tonight, when his phone rings. He wonders who’s calling at this time of night, and she says, answer it. It might be about the kids. He says, it’s Drew, and she says, take it. There’s nothing left to say. Not tonight. She leaves, and he asks Drew, what’s going on?
Curtis tells Portia, the surgery is experimental. There’s no guarantees. If it doesn’t work, is she going to be upset? She says she’s going to be upset because she knows how much he values his independence, but she loves him and she’s going to love him no matter what, whether he can walk or not. That’s it. That’s the truth. He says he does know that, and she asks how he’s feeling about the procedure. He says he’s trying not to be too hopeful. He just wants to be able to sweep his brilliant, kind, absolutely beautiful wife off her feet – she says, he’s doing that now – and carry her to their bedroom, where they make love. She sits on his lap and says, he sweeps her off her feet every single day with that smile. He smiles, and she says, that’s the one, and kisses him.
Portia and Curtis come out of the elevator, and Curtis asks how he is. She says, the attendant said it was touch and go in the ambulance. She should call… He says he’ll make the call. Just go. She thanks him, and goes into one of the rooms.
Esme tells Laura that she can’t go to jail. What about Ace? Laura says she thinks Esme will be granted bail. She probably won’t even have to stay overnight. Esme says she doesn’t get it. She thought Laura understood. Laura says she does, but actions have consequences. But if Esme turns herself in and admits what she’s done, she’ll probably just get some community service, maybe a fine. Esme says she should have known better, and Laura says, yes, she should have (even though it’s doubtful they’re talking about the same thing). Laura says, breaking into Windymere was a very foolish thing to do, but if Esme takes responsibility for what she’s done, she thinks Esme is going to feel better. So tomorrow morning, they’ll go together to the PCPD. Esme says, Laura is coming with her? and Laura says, of course (🍷) she’ll go with Esme. She wouldn’t make Esme do something so awful by herself. Laura’s phone rings, and she tells Esme, Curtis. Curtis says he hopes he’s not bothering her, but she needs to get to the hospital. It’s about her brother.
Dex tells Adam that he never felt like his parents saw him for who he really was. He could have used a friend like Joss back then. Adam says, it’s amazing Dex can relate to his problems. He’s so together. Dex says, things got a lot better for him when he got out of his parents’ house, and Adam asks how he got out. Dex says he enlisted, but Adam says he can’t do that. Dex tells him that he’s not saying Adam should. He’s just saying there’s a big world out there, way beyond his parents’ judgment. He’s just got to stick with it until he can see it. Things do get better. Adam asks if he really thinks so, and Dex says he knows so.
Josslyn meets Michael at Carly’s door and asks if he knows what this is about. He says, only one way to find out, and Drew opens the door. He thanks them for getting here so quickly. Their mom’s in the living room. They go in and Josslyn asks Carly, what happened? Carly says, it’s about grandma. She passed away.
Sonny sets a glass down near the bottle. He flashes back to Nina saying she’s sorry, and him telling her, stop saying that. Ava comes in and asks what he’s doing in the dark. She sees his grim face and asks, where’s Nina? He says, gone.
Dex puts a blanket on Adam in and turns out the light. He gently turns Adam on his side and puts pillows behind him so he can’t roll back. Adam thanks him, and Dex says, happy New Year.
Josslyn asks, what happened? and Carly takes her hand. She says, grandma was staying in Uncle Luke’s apartment. She went to sleep, and she never woke up. She passed away peacefully. Josslyn says, grandma seemed fine when she spoke to her on Christmas. She was happy. Carly says, she was happy, and the two of them were a big reason why she was. Michael says, grandma always had his back no matter how many times he screwed up, and Josslyn says, she was their rock. What are they going to do without her? Carly says she doesn’t know, but they’re going to get through this together, and she hugs them as they all cry.
Doc and Laura go into the hospital, where Curtis is waiting, and Laura thanks him for calling her. He says he’s glad he could help, and she asks what he knows about what happened. Curtis says, the paramedics told them the priest found Cyrus at the All Saints chapel. He was alone. He’s inside.
On the phone and leaving the PC Grill, Esme tells the babysitter, she’s on her way now. She’ll be there in ten minutes. She runs off, and Nikolas steps out of the shadows, watching her.
Laura sees Cyrus hooked up to machines and on oxygen, and gasps. She asks, how is he? and Portia says she got him stabilized, but he hasn’t regained consciousness yet. Laura asks, who did this to him?
Ava suggests Sonny get his hand cleaned up. Avery can’t see him like that. He goes in the back, and Ava hears the door. She opens it to Nina, who’s looking for Sonny. Ava asks if she told him the truth about the SEC, and Nina nods. Ava says she doesn’t think Nina should be here. He’s in a bad way. Nina says she just needs to talk to him, just for a minute. She told Carly and Drew everything. She just came from there. Sonny comes back out and walks slowly to the door, looking ominous, full-on old Sonny. Ava steps away, and Nina says she just came from… Sonny slams the door in her face.
Tomorrow, Cyrus says, once Laura knows the answer, she may be sorry she asked; Drew asks if Sam gets the final word on what’s best for their daughter; and Sasha tells Nina to let it be, and she might get what she wants.
Southern Chumps Charm
I get confused since I expect it to be New Year’s Eve on the show. Whitney calls the others about the soirée he’s having to christen his new cottage/pub/office. The theme is Russ Meyer arty 60s softcore movies, and he suggests channeling Return of the Valley of the Dolls or Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! for inspiration.
Leva meets Olivia, who’s wearing Connor’s jacket, for soup. Leva says, the soda has a strange aftertaste, and Olivia says, it sounds like their trip. Leva says she wondered how healthy it was for Olivia to be in Jamaica with Austen, and Olivia says she thought they could do the friend thing, but she catches him saying things she wants to hear. Leva says, that’s wrong knowing where she’s at, and in Leva’s interview, she says, Olivia is super fragile, and you have to be conscious of what you’re saying and how you’re acting with around someone in that space. She doesn’t think Austen can. Olivia says, it’s inconsistent with Austen. They were laughing in Jamaica, then yelling at each other. We flash back to that, and Olivia says she doesn’t want to fight. She wants to figure out their friendship. Leva says, Olivia is giving Austen more power than he has. In Olivia’s interview, she says she was hanging on to the shred of hope that Austen could change, but after Jamaica, she’s done with him. Leva says, Olivia has a lot going on, but she’s learned she’s strong.
Rod comes by JT’s event space, and they try on their party outfits. Rod says he’s rocking 60s leggings. Was that a thing then? Isn’t that more 80s or 90s? JT says, they talked about his feelings for Taylor, and Rod thought he was eligible. Rod says, there’s a slight possibility, and in JT’s interview, he says he’s had a crush on Taylor, but since Jamaica, his feelings are getting real. They laugh all the time, and it means a lot. If you can laugh together, you can overcome a lot. He wonders if he should tell Taylor, and Rod says, it’s what he’d do. JT says he’s nervous about the party. He’s not talking to Austen. He’s just going to have some snacks and be on his way. He has no respect for Austen, and he’s good with never talking to him again. In his interview, JT says, Austen cares about nobody but himself. Deep down, he’s a self-serving, insecure, me-first coward. He tells Rod that he’s going to ghost Austen and make Taylor giggle at the party. Good Lord, he is obsessed with Austen.
Brett brings Madison champagne for breakfast, and she calls it the breakfast of champions. She tells him, no more champagne once he gets a baby in her. She can’t wait, but she’s scared. She’s going to be fat and pissed off. He says he doesn’t care, and suddenly, she says she feels nauseous. She runs to the toilet and throws up, making us all wonder if she’s already pregnant, but she says she took her vitamins on an empty stomach. Hmm… In Madison’s interview, she says she’s freaked out. Selfishly, she doesn’t want to do it, but it’s definitely worth it. It’s hard in the beginning.
Patricia is in a wheelchair after her compression fracture. In her interview, she says she can’t move, but she has health care professional Paul, who also does her makeup and skincare. She says, why look like a tousled mess because you can’t bend your back? (Agreed!) And she still wears nice lingerie. Whitney comes over, and she asks for Peaches. I love Peaches. Whitney tries to wrangle the dog, who barks at him and hides under a chair. He brings the next best, Roy, to her. She says, it’s her hour up. She feels 60% better, but gets tired after 40 minutes. Whitney tells her that his party is tomorrow, and his cottage is almost there, about 80%. The party’s overriding homage is Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, a softcore film from the mid-60s by his favorite filmmaker Russ Meyer. Patricia says, no one but him knows who Russ Meyer is, and asks if he invited any young ladies? He says, no, and you can’t rush these things. Patricia says, but he has to look, and he says, it’s not as easy as she thinks. In Patricia’s interview, she wonders if her having had three husbands affected Whitney’s outlook. She wants him to get married. She tells him, when she kicks the bucket, who’s going to take care of him? and he says, Shep. (Can you imagine? Shep can’t even take care of himself.) In her interview, Patricia says she wants Whitney to have a family. He’s an only child, and with his father passing and her accident, it seems like life is slipping away. She gives Roy back to Whitney, and says she’s got dog fur in her mouth. Yep. Rich people. Just like us when it comes to their pets.
Everyone gets ready, and Shep tells Little Craig that Whitney wants to be one of The Who, so now they have to dress like what he wants to be. Whitney supervises the party set-up outdoors, but it starts to rain. On the way there, Paige and Craig discuss the moon landing being fake. It begins to pour, and Paige tells Craig that her hair is the most important thing here. The cottage is impressive, and in Craig’s interview, he says, if Whitney was trying to build a place to bring single Charlestonian girls, he achieved his goal. Shep comes in and says he’s Dieter from Dusseldorf. He likes fashion and new wave sh*t. While getting ready, Taylor tells a friend Chelsea that Shep said he wants to talk to her. Their friendship is confusing, and everyone says he still loves her. In Taylor’s interview, she says, her interactions in the last few weeks with Shep have been positive and good. We flash back to that, and she says, she’s glad to be able to have a good friendship with him, but sometimes she hopes there’s something still there. She still loves him and misses their relationship. Austen tells sister Katie that he’s hoping Olivia apologizes. He can’t walk on eggshells anymore around all these people.
In Shep’s interview, he says, he may not be able to have a friendship with Taylor at this point. What they’re doing isn’t working. We flash back to Whitney saying that Shep may be leading her on, and Shep says he wants to draw some lines in the sand. In Olivia’s interview, she says, it’s a relief not to act like her friendship with Taylor is worth fighting for, because it isn’t. In Taylor’s interview, she says she’d hoped to mend things in Jamaica. She’s owned up to everything and can’t do any more. Whitney says, Madison looks like a porno Jackie O, and she asks if that’s not the point. There’s brick oven pizza, lots of food porn, and whatever you can think of to drink. The party half-moves to Patricia’s house, and Madison says she wants to take Patricia some champagne. She asks Brett to get a coupe for her, and goes upstairs, Brett following with the goods. Patricia says she feels like in another couple weeks, she’ll be back to getting into trouble, and Brett wisely leaves the women to it. Patricia says she’s never seen Madison’s boobs so contained, but Madison says, it still gets the point across. Patricia asks about Jamaica, and Madison says she looked at it as her last hurrah, since it’s time she had a baby. Patricia asks how she feels, and Madison says, scared. Patricia says she saw Madison at nine months pregnant with Hudson, then didn’t see her for three months because of her broken pelvis. Madison says she was on bedrest and had to use a walker. She has no idea how long it might take her to get pregnant since she never tried. She loves Hudson, but she’d love to have a daughter. Who will take care of her? Patricia says, Whitney is an only child. When she kicks the bucket… Madison says, she’s never kicking the bucket, and Patricia says she’s not planning on it, but Whitney is an only child and needs to have a family. In Madison’s interview, she says she doesn’t think Whitney is ready. He hasn’t found the right girl. She hopes and prays he does, but until then, he’ll have to put up with her as his sister. She tells Patricia that if she has twins, she’ll give her one. In my head, I see Patricia as Rumpelstiltskin.
JT asks if he can talk to Taylor, and they go out on the porch. He asks if she knows she’s one of his best friends. They had a lot of fun laughing in Jamaica. Taylor agrees, and says, when she needed comedic relief… He says, he’s her guy. When they when hung out, it was constant laughter and joy. He says a few other things, but way to quickly he says he loves her and would marry her tomorrow. She looks super uncomfortable, as we all would. Venita, Madison, and Olivia are hanging out together when Austen asks to talk to Olivia. Since Olivia is incapable of speaking for herself, Venita says, that’s not happening, but Olivia says, okay.
Taylor says, she and JT haven’t crossed the friendship threshold. He doesn’t know her. She could be a psychopath. JT says, she is a psychopath, making her laugh and him hopelessly hopeful. Going for full awkwardness, he says, what’s psychopathic is, knowing they could die tomorrow and not giving it a try. She tells him that she’s got a lot going on. Shep is still in her head, and she still needs time to process, heal, and move forward. In Taylor’s interview, she says she wishes she could wake up tomorrow and JT would be her person, but she’s more attracted to a-holes. I’m not sure what to say here, since JT is a total a-hole, just in a different way. And I’m not sure he’s anyone’s person. Shep approaches, which I’m sure thrills JT. Shep says, JT is looking like Justin Bieber (again, not very 60s), and JT says, he’s washed-up Justin Bieber’s dad. Shep asks to talk to Taylor, and Taylor takes this opportunity to run from one a-hole to another one. JT says he’ll go back to suppressing, and in his interview, he says, the good guy never wins. It happens in every movie, except Braveheart. Maybe he’s not the one for Taylor, but he knows she’ll eventually find a good guy, and guys like Austen will lose. He says this, even though it was Shep who interrupted. Obsessed. Inside, Shep asks what JT was talking about. Did he and Taylor hook up in Jamaica? Taylor says, nooo. They haven’t crossed that threshold. Shep says she doesn’t want to do it again, but Taylor says, she doesn’t regret what happened with Austen. Shep looks stunned.
Austen tells Olivia, in lieu of Jamaica, he wants to get to the bottom of things. I don’t think in lieu means what he thinks it means. He says, it seems one way when they talk like this, and another way in public. Olivia says she knows she’s been inconsistent, but it’s not a good friendship. Nothing is genuine. Austen says he’s trying to be here for her, but she says, he’s not. He gets off on getting two girls pit against each other. Look at the paper trail of pissed off women he’s left behind, and they all say the same thing. He needs to stop having these conversations and have one with himself. I’m not backing Austen or anything, but he is the one going to therapy and seems to actually be working his program.
Shep tells Taylor that he wants to get to a place where they can be super supportive and kind. He thinks they made a cool step. Taylor says she’d hoped for something more, and Shep asks if she wants to get back together. She says, possibly. Olivia says she appreciates Austen having been there at times, and Austen tells her that he thought she’d say her emotions got the best of her. She says, he thought she was going to apologize? In Olivia’s interview, she suggests he take his head out of his narcissistic a-hole. She’s going through a lot of things, but an apology to him isn’t one of them. Austen says, things are not right. There’s a major f***ing disconnect. Olivia agrees and leaves. Taylor says, Shep loved and cared about her, but she also cared about them as a couple. He tells her, us is over; it’s not reparable. She asks why they’re talking then, and he says he wants to if they can be supportive of one another. Taylor asks, what if she wants to date Austen?
Shep wonders if Taylor wants to date Austen, but she says, what if she did? He says he’d shake his head and be like, wowza. She asks if it would bother him, and he says, if they were genuinely in love, he wouldn’t stand in their way. Outside, JT acts like a two-year-old, banging his wineglass on the railing like he’s winding up to have a tantrum. Rod brings bourbon shots over, and JT says he told Taylor that he loved her. And she was like, I appreciate you, bud. Shep takes Taylor’s hand and asks why she’s mad at him, and she says she’s not, but she doesn’t get it. He asks if they can co-exist and be supportive and forget the romantic stuff. He’s still going to message her, but if it messes with her head, tell him. Taylor says, she might need to be selfish and take some time, and he thanks her for talking. They give each other a side hug, and Shep says he’s sorry for anything from the past. In the future, he’ll try to be her biggest advocate. She says, water off a duck’s back, and leaves. Outside, she cries. In Shep’s interview, he says, it breaks his heart. He wants to make her happy, even if he’s not with her. He made the right decision. Maybe they can be happy for each other in the same realm. That’s his big goal.
30 minutes later. Everyone is hanging around the bars and drinking, and Austen tells Craig that he’s done with Olivia. In JT’s interview, he says he can’t stop thinking about Taylor kissing Austen. And she doesn’t want him, an actually successful, good, positive man. JT is kind of kneeling on the bar stool, and Austen says, they’re finally eye-to-eye. JT says, Austen is a snake coward, the genesis of so much pain and tears, and in Austen’s interview, he says, JT is the one initiated the whole thing when he put his nose where it didn’t belong. We flash back to JT talking about the sleepovers, and Austen says, what the f***? like four times. JT says, Austen is an at arm’s length friend who can’t be trusted around women, and Austen asks why he’s upset. JT says he wants to understand how Austen can be such a piece of sh*t. How many people has he hurt? Taylor asks why JT has to come after Austen, and JT gets pissed that she’s taking Austen’s back. She says she’s not, but JT says he’s never going to forget this, like the kindergartener he is. Austen asks what he’s upset about, and in his interview, he says he gets it. JT is jealous of him. JT wanted Taylor so bad, but he gets the girl and JT doesn’t. Guys like him don’t. JT says, Shep had it right in saying Austen is like a boy in a sandbox who wants everyone else’s shiny toys. Austen asks why JT is so upset, and JT says, Austen f***ed Shep’s girlfriend. Everyone in the whole place goes, whoa, and Austen calls JT a child and pushes him off the stool. JT is unfazed and headbutts Austen like a tiny wrestler. They start to fight, and production comes in to break it up. JT says, Austen loses. See him never. Austen says, JT can’t help himself, and JT tells Whitney that he didn’t want to go there. Whitney suggests he go outside, and tells Austen to calm down. In Shep’s interview, he says, his and Austen’s relationship is frayed. He gave Austen the benefit of the doubt. He did wrong. He was a bad friend, and it hurts. He hates to say it, but Austen kind of deserves it. No one can dispute that.
Next time – the Reunion – JT wants to do a f*** boy exorcism; Shep wishes the finish line for girls was simple like it is for guys (apparently, he doesn’t want to even put any work in there); no one thinks Paige is moving to Charleston; JT says, blah-blah-blah-blah Austen; Austen says, JT is obsessed with him; Andy asks if Taylor hooked up with Whitney; Shep says he made a mistake with Taylor; and Olivia and Austen argue.
🧀 Confused, Full Of Cheese, Unsure Of the Day Of the Week….
Revisit tomorrow for soap and post New Year combo platter of nonsense and wisdom. Until then, stay safe, stay open to changing your mind, and stay not putting your nose where it doesn’t belong.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
At the hospital, Carly tells Laura that Christmas Eve never gets old. Did she see how magical it was for the kids? Laura says, it’s the same for her. It was even more magical because she got to see Ace seeing it for the first time. Where does the time go? Carly says, Josslyn’s in college. How did that happen? Sonny joins them and says he thinks he enjoyed Laura’s reading more than the kids did. Laura says, rumor has it that Sonny funded the festivities at the hospital, even more generously than before. He says, rumor has it, and she says, a lady never reveals her sources, but thank you.It’s a shame Nina wasn’t here to see it. She remembers the year Nina headed the committee to plan the party, so obviously, it means something to her. Carly says, Sonny told them she was coming, and Sonny says, Willow told him that she decided to stay in church a little bit, but she’ll be here.
In the confessional, Nina tells the priest, really Cyrus, that she’s never been to confession before, but she didn’t know where else to turn. She wonders if it’s okay that she’s here, but Cyrus says, God is eager to help all His children. Go on. She says she did something terrible. She was spiraling out of control and knew the second she did it, that it was wrong, but she had no idea it would hurt so many people so much. He asks who she hurt, and she says, people who may not be saints, but they didn’t deserve what happened because of her. He asks who these people are, friends, family? and she asks if it matters, but he says, to truly advise her, he needs more information. Let go. Open her heart. God wants to hear everything.
Spencer tells Trina that he doesn’t think he’s ever seen Ace fall asleep that fast. He was out before his head hit the pillow. She says, he’s probably exhausted from all the excitement of the party. He was so happy being around all those people fussing over him. Spencer says, not half as happy as he was. How did he get so lucky to spend Christmas with her and his little brother? She says, Esme was generous to let him have Ace for the night, and he says, maybe this is part of her turning over a new leaf thing, and Trina says, maybe. Or maybe there’s another explanation. Maybe she wasn’t being generous. Maybe she just had plans. He says, doing what? and she says, maybe Esme had a date.
At Windymere, Esme flashes back to setting up the revenge porn, then turning in Trina for it. Then she remembers telling Spencer that he’s delusional if he thinks she’s going to let Trina off the hook, and she remembers taunting Ava, saying Ava drove Kiki to her death. Then she flashes back to setting the Christmas tree on fire in the tower room.
Ava comes into Windymere, and sees the broken window. Her phone rings, and it’s her security company. They tell her that they received a signal of a break-in, and the PCPD should be there shortly. She thanks them, takes out her gun, and says, it may be too late. Dante says, police, don’t move, and then realizes it’s Ava. He asks what the hell she’s doing here.
Spencer asks Trina who Esme would be dating. She doesn’t know that many people here, and the ones she does, know her history. Trina says, Esme’s circle might not be as small as he thinks. She’s got a new job and a new apartment. Maybe she met someone who only knows the new Esme, a co-worker or a neighbor. He says, and she thinks Esme’s on a date with that person? and she says, it’s possible. Would that bother him if she was? He says, absolutely not. Esme is a grown woman; she can do what she wants. If Esme were to start dating, the only thing he’d worry about is how that person treated Ace. Esme should feel free to go off and have a life of her own. Trina says, good, and he says, especially if it leads to more nights like tonight where Ace is asleep in the other room and they’re here alone. They have the place to themselves. Whatever will they do? She says she wonders what, and they kiss. His phone rings, and he says, speak of the devil. Trina says she’ll get them something from the kitchen, and Spencer answers. Esme says she’s so glad he picked up. She has something to talk to him about. He asks if something is wrong, and when she doesn’t answer, he says he gets it. It’s her first night away from Ace after getting the new place, and she’s naturally worried about it, but she doesn’t have to be. Ace had a fabulous time at the party, and now he’s asleep in the other room, dreaming about all the presents he’s going to open tomorrow. She says she’s glad, but that’s not exactly what… She hears Trina asks if Spencer wants cinnamon in his eggnog.
Laura says she thinks this is the first time she can remember being at this party without Bobbie being here. It’s taking her so long to settle Luke’s estate (😕). Carly says she thought Bobbie would be done weeks ago, and Sonny says, estates can be complicated. Knowing Luke, he’s sure Luke left Bobbie a few surprises. Carly says she spoke to Bobbie on the phone earlier, and she sounded cheerful, but when isn’t she? She did say Luke’s affairs were a mess, but she’s making headway. Laura says she guesses they’ll hear all about it when Bobbie gets back.
Nina says, if she had one wish, it would be to turn back the clock. Then she wouldn’t do all the damage she’s done. Cyrus says, this spiteful act, did it cost someone their life? and she says, not their life, but something almost as bad. His freedom. Someone went to prison because she reported them to the authorities when she didn’t have to, and he suffered, and so did the people who love him. She’s also letting an innocent man take the blame for reporting that crime, because she’s a coward. People are so angry with him when they should be angry at her. Cyrus says he understands. Go on. She says she’d like to change it, but it’s too late to make it right. he says, it’s never too late, and she asks if he really thinks so, because she’d do anything to fix it. He says, then she needs to confess to the people she hurt, not just him in this confessional, but she says she can’t. She wishes she were strong enough to tell the truth, but if she tells her family what really happened, she might lose them. She could lose everything. He says, if she doesn’t, the guilt will continue to eat away at her conscience, and it will destroy any chance she has at future happiness. The truth will always set you free. She says, to be free of this burden, this pain, if only, and he says, anything is possible. Be courageous. Be strong and correct the wrongs she did, and remember, she doesn’t walk alone. God is always with her. She says, God is with her, and thanks him. She says she won’t forget, and leaves the confessional. He says, neither will he.
Dante says he thought Ava and Avery moved into Nina’s place, and she says, they did, but she hasn’t sold Windymere yet. It’s still her property. He says he guesses he can’t stop her from wandering around her house with a loaded weapon, and she says, so he’s not taking her in… for defending herself in her own home after a break-in? He asks if she’s defending herself or looking for an intruder to shoot.
Carly says she couldn’t get over the kids’ faces as Laura was reading, when Nina comes out of the elevator. She hugs Sonny and says she’s so sorry. She can’t believe she missed everything. How did it go? Laura says, it was amazing, due in no small part to her husband’s generosity, and Nina says, the man she married is pretty great. Did he take a lot of pictures? He says, no, but Carly took a great picture of Donna. Could she send it to him? Carly says, sure, and Laura asks if she can see. Carly shows Laura her phone, and Nina asks if Willow didn’t tell Sonny where she was. He says, at church, but he expected her sooner, and she says he didn’t have to worry. Frank drove her here and she felt totally protected and safe. He asks if she got what she needed at the church, and she says she thinks so. He tells her that Willow said she was thinking about Nelle, and she says, yes, Nelle… and others.
Esme tells Spencer that it sounds like there’s someone else there, so she’ll make it quick. Trina asks Spencer what she’s calling about, and he says he doesn’t know, but it’s not going to take long. He asks if Esme is still there, and she says she just wanted him to know that she’s not going to be picking up Ace tonight. He can wake up with Spencer on Christmas morning, and she’ll pick him up later tomorrow. He says, okay. Wow. That’s great. He’d love to be able to spend Ace’s first Christmas morning with him. Is she sure she doesn’t want to take him home? She says, positive. Merry Christmas. He says, merry Christmas, but she’s already gone. Trina asks what all that was about, but he says he’s not sure, but he’s starting to wonder. Maybe Esme does have a heart after all.
Nina tells Sonny that she really needed something tonight, and found it at All Saints, with a new understanding. He says, about what? and she says, it’s probably… His phone dings, and he says, it’s Ava. There’s been a break-in on Spoon Island. Nina says, what? and Laura says, tell her to call the police, but Sonny says, the police are there right now. Dante’s there, but Ava wants him to go because Dante’s his son and he can keep it unofficial. Laura says she might be able to help; she’ll go with him. Sonny says he doesn’t think it’s a big deal, but Laura says she wants to go. It was her son’s home and if this break-in is somehow related to him in any way… If for some reason he might be back, she wants to be there. Sonny says he understands, and asks Carly to tell Donna that he loves her and merry Christmas. Nina says she’ll take care of Avery. She wishes she could go with him. He says he’ll talk to her later and thanks her for picking up Avery. She says, of course (🍷), of course (🍷), and Sonny and Laura leave. Carly says she’s going to pick up Donna and go home, but Nina asks if she can wait a second. She has something to say to her. She stayed at the church today because she wanted to ask the priest for guidance… about Carly.
Spencer tells Trina that Ace didn’t even flinch when he stubbed his toe and said a word his grandmother definitely wouldn’t approve of. He thinks it’s safe to say he’s out for the night. Trina says she should get home because her mom is planning a whole breakfast and opening presents tomorrow morning. She has to get started early. He says, that’s a bad idea. Stay here, because it’s so much harder to be away from her, especially after their trip to New York. She say she feels the same way, and they kiss. He asks if something’s wrong, and she says, it’s just that she can’t stop thinking about something else. He says, that’s just what every man wants to hear after he kisses the woman he loves, and she says, it’s Esme. He says, of course (🍷) it is, and she asks if he really believes what he said, that she’s had a change of heart. He says he doesn’t know. He’d like to. She put his grandmother and Ace first tonight. That’s a big step for her. Trina says, it is, and he says he’d really like to think Esme’s turning a corner here, but they don’t know that. So doesn’t she think they talked about Esme enough for one night? She says, they’ve talked enough about Esme for a lifetime, and he leads her to the sofa, saying, so maybe they should stop talking about her altogether. They kiss.
Ava asks if Dante thinks she’d be reckless enough to go after a burglar all on her lonesome, and he asks if she really wants him to answer that. There’s a knock at the door, and Ava open the door to Sonny and Laura, who says she decided to tag along. They go into the living room, and seeing the broken window, Laura says, whoever did this wasn’t looking to hide themselves, were they? Ava says, and everybody knows this place has a security system. Whoever did it thought it was worth risking getting caught. Sonny says, let him take her home. Let Dante do his job. Ava says, absolutely not. She’s not leaving until she finds out who broke in here. Laura suggests she and Dante take a look around, but Dante says he doesn’t think it’s a good idea. The house has been declared a crime scene. She says she used to live here, and her son owned the property for many years. She knows her way around this very large, very confusing home. She’s happy to show him around if it doesn’t interfere with his procedure at all. He says, it probably falls under some kind of grey area, and she says, great, let’s do it, but he says, they don’t know if the house is empty. Please stay behind him. She says, sure, and follows him out.
Esme looks at a photo of Spencer on her phone and wonders what she was thinking. Did she believe she was just going to own up, and he’d forget about all the things she did to Trina? That he’d congratulate her and say, great news, and forget all about Trina, and the things she did? And she, him, and Ace would have this happily ever after? He only cares about Trina and protecting her, and if she told him what she did… She cries and hears footsteps. She puts her ear to the door.
Sonny says, so Ava thinks whoever broke in here is the same person who sent her the pictures of dead Austin? It’s possible, but there’s no way to know. She says she’s sure the intruder is long gone by now.
Carly says, Nina asked for guidance about her? and Nina says she did. Whenever they’re together, they’re always sniping and arguing, and since it’s Christmas Eve, in the spirit of Christmas Eve, she thought it would be nice if they spent some time talking. Carly says, talking about what? and Nina says, when she was sitting in church, she realized, after all the pain, everything she’s been through in her life, she’s so blessed to be able to spend Christmas Eve with her family. She never thought she’d be able to say that. Spending Christmas Eve with her daughter and her children… Carly says, she’s a lucky lady, and Nina says she is. She’s very grateful for all of her family. She and Carly thinking a lot of family in common, and she started thinking about Carly and what she’s been through this year. The accusations of insider trading and financial problems and Drew going to prison… Carly asks if there’s a point to this because she has to go get Donna, and Nina says, there is. She’s sorry, and she’s trying to ask for Carly’s forgiveness. Carly says, forgiveness for what?
Nina says she not proud of herself, that her need for revenge is what drove her to hurt Carly and not tell her that Sonny was alive in Nixon Falls. Carly says, Nina has told her this before, and Nina says, something shifted. She wants to be a better person. She wants to be the kind of mom Willow brags about and the kind of grandmother that Wiley and Amelia are proud of. Sitting in that church – maybe it’s because of all the love around her, and support and peace – she realized there’s still a part of her that’s broken. There’s a part of her that still wants revenge for her daughter… Carly says she’s going to stop Nina right there. She knows what Nina is going to say.
Ava tells Sonny, anyone could have broken in here tonight. Maybe some kids playing a prank. He says, on Christmas Eve? and she says, why not?There’s no neighbors on Spoon Island, and it’s not exactly a professional job, right? It looks like something kids might do. He says, it’s possible, but there’s somebody out there sending her pictures of a dead guy and leaving a gun in her apartment. Now he’s broken in here. So does she think that would be kids or somebody playing mind games? She says she’s so sick of the whole damn thing, and he says, sick enough to do something reckless? That’s not going to happen, because he’s going to do everything he can to keep her safe. She thanks him, but says she thinks he knows she can protect herself. He says, what if she’s not the real target? What if he is?
Esme runs around looking for a place to hide, as Laura and Dante approach the tower room. They go in and Dante looks around with a flashlight. He says, the turret door is open. He’s going to check it out. She says, not without her, and he tells her to please just stay behind him. As they go into the turret, Esme runs out, dropping a glove.
Laura asks if Dante saw anything, but he says, nothing. Maybe forensics can find something. She says she’s sure they can. This person wasn’t really concerned with hiding their footsteps. He says, whoever was here didn’t get out by jumping off the turret, and she says, can they really be sure the intruder was in here? It’s possible Ava left the door open before she moved out. He says, it’s freezing in here. If Ava left the door open, it would be colder than the city. Someone must have left the door open more recently than that. She says, he’s right, and it is cold. She’s going in. They go inside, and Laura says she’s going to check on Ava. She seemed really shaken up. Dante says he’ll be down in a minute, and she starts to leave, but he says, wait. He picks up the glove with a pen.
Sonny tells Ava, the cops haven’t found the gunman who put Curtis in a wheelchair. The target could have been Anna, but it could have just as easily been him. She says, so he thinks whoever took that shot at the MetroCourt pool is sending her pictures of dead Austin and breaking into Windymere. He says, could be if it’s Cyrus, and she says, so he thinks Cyrus is stalking her to get to him? He says, they can’t rule anything out, but she says, as much as she’d like to blame him for her current situation, she does have enemies of her own. He says, whoever hurts her, hurts Avery, and he can’t allow that. So that’s why he’s taking a personal interest in her security.
Nina says, Carly knows? and Carly says, it’s really not that hard to figure out what’s going on here. Nina went to church and got caught up in the emotion of it all. Maybe it was the glow of the candles, or maybe it was the way the priest looked at her. She doesn’t know, but Nina’s guilty conscience started to get to her and now she feels the need to apologize. Nina says, that’s partly… and Carly says, but what’s really going on is that Nina feels that forgiveness is the last gift under the Christmas tree, and she really wants to open it and enjoy it. It makes sense because Nina’s gotten everything else she’s ever wanted. She’s got Sonny, Willow, her grandchildren, and the MetroCourt. Nina says, yes. She’s been very blessed this year. Carly says, at least Nina isn’t going to insult her by pretending she doesn’t see it. So why not feel entitled to ask for forgiveness too? She’s sorry to disappoint Nina, but she’s going to have to seek redemption somewhere else. Carly walks away.
The priest sees Cyrus and says, excuse me. Cyrus asks if there’s something wrong, and the priest says he was supposed to hear a confession and he was unavoidably delayed. Did he see a lady waiting? Cyrus says, as a matter of fact, there was someone here, but he saw her leave. The priest says he’s sorry he missed her, but hopefully, she’ll be back soon. Cyrus says he’s curious. How does he do it? The priest says, do what? and Cyrus says, when the lost come to him, unburden the heaviness of their souls, how does he help them? The priest says, it sounds like Cyrus is asking about someone in his own life, or himself, and Cyrus says, he’s very perceptive. He is asking for someone he knows, but it’s not him. He’s thinking about a friend who’s feeling lost and alone tonight. The priest says, the holidays can often make people feel that way, and Cyrus says he’s felt that way a time or two himself, but tonight he wants to help them, and he’d appreciate any advice the priest might have about how best to do that. The priest says, his friend is lucky to have him looking out for them. Confession is good for the soul. Merry Christmas. Cyrus says, merry Christmas, and the priest leaves. (Not very good at giving advice, is he?) Cyrus says, confession is good for the soul, but if Nina doesn’t do what’s good for her soul, he might have to do it for her. He dips his hand in the holy water, blesses himself, and leaves.
Nina follows Carly and says, please. It’s Christmas Eve. It’s a time when people are supposed to come together, and Carly still won’t give her an inch? Carly says she’s given Nina more than an inch. She’s given Nina more than a mile. She’s invited Nina to family gatherings and stood there while Wiley’s given Nina a hug and a kiss, and bit her tongue until it bled. And she tells herself over and over again that for his sake, she has to try and make things work. Then she has to remind herself that Sonny’s happiness affects Donna and Avery, so she keeps things pleasant, but that’s not good enough for Nina. Nina helped herself to Carly’s husband and her hotel. Now she wants Carly’s forgiveness on top of it? And she assumes she’s entitled to it. That sappy smile and saccharine speech is going to get her everything she wants? She doesn’t get to demand forgiveness; it’s a gift, and she’s not giving it to Nina. Nina says she’s come to Carly with the best of intentions, and Carly’s decided to stomp all over them. She’s not even listening. So much for peace on earth and good will to men. What does Carly want to do next? Does she want to kick over that Christmas tree? Carly says, Nina is unbelievable. She doesn’t get what she wants, and she’s so put upon. She loves playing the victim. Nina says she doesn’t want to fight with Carly. She didn’t come here to fight with Carly. She came here to make peace, to tell Carly her truth. She’s been sincere. Carly says she’s had a really long day. She wants to grab her little girl and go home to her family and enjoy what’s left of Christmas Eve. She walks out. I just have to interject that Carly keeps making it sound like Nina stole the hotel out from under her. She stole Sonny maybe, but Nina didn’t want the hotel in the first place, Carly had to sell it because of financial problems of her own making, and I’m sure Nina paid top dollar. I’m tired of them making it sound like she swindled Carly out of it.
Spencer asks Trina to tell her mom that she couldn’t get a Ride Share. Because of all the holiday parties, they were just awesome busy, so she had to stay a little bit longer. She says, they’re trying to get her mom to like him, remember? So keeping her daughter away from her on Christmas Eve is not a good idea. He says, that’s true, and she says she stayed longer than she planned, and she promised her mom and Curtis that she’d open one present at midnight. He says, fine, but if he had it his way, he’d spend this entire holiday with her. She asks how he’s so sweet, and he says, must be the Spencer side of his DNA. They kiss, and her phone dings. She tells Spencer, it’s her car, and he says, fine. He’ll let her go as long as she promises he can see her in the morning. He kisses her hand, and she says she still has to give Ace his present. He says, then it’s a date. Merry Christmas, Trina Robinson. She says, merry Christmas, Spencer, and they kiss.
At a sparse cemetery, Esme says she doesn’t even know what she’s doing here. It’s not like he was some great father who raised her from birth, and it hurts to live without him. He was as far from that as possible. But she can’t tell anyone else that she’s got her memories back. She thinks he and crazy Heather Webber are the only people who would understand her keeping it a secret. How messed is that? Her parents would be the ones telling her to lie. She guesses it’s true what they say, Christmas Eve is the loneliest night of the year. This year, she’s talking to a serial killer who just happens to be her dad. Talk about desperate. But why is it so hard? It should be easy to be a good person. She should want to take that path, but he never showed it to her. She had to learn it all on her own, and even then, it’s only because she lost her memory. But she’s made a good life here in Port Charles. She has a good job and an amazing child and her own apartment. With Ace’s stuff scattered all around the place, it really feels like home. Their home. And she’s happy. At least she thinks she is. The feeling is still so new to her. But there is another path too, the crooked one that he showed her. It would be so easy to go back, but what if she doesn’t have a choice? What if it’s out of her control and she’s supposed to be bad because it’s in her DNA? That is the legacy he left her. She goes to put on her gloves and realizes there’s one missing.
Dante puts the glove in an evidence bag and asks if Laura recognizes it. She says she doesn’t know. Does he think it could be Nikolas’s since he’s always been into ladies’ gloves? Dante says he knows she’s been looking for Nikolas, but he doesn’t see anything to indicate Nikolas was here, and this isn’t a man’s glove. This wouldn’t fit him. She says, of course (🍷). He’s right. She’s sorry. She’s not thinking rationally, is she? She guesses because it’s his house, she just thought maybe… She doesn’t know. He says, it’s okay. Maybe it’s Ava’s.
Ava says she doesn’t want or need Sonny’s goons following her around. Does he know what it’s like trying to get anywhere with them in tow? He says, very well actually, and she says she can handle whatever this world throws at her and he knows it. She always comes out swingin’. He says, sometimes she needs a little help. Like the help she got from Dante and Dex when she was kidnapped by Mason. She was grateful to them. He has to do what he needs to do. It’s not just about her. She asks what he has in mind, and he says he doesn’t like this any more than she does, but Avery will. She says, why? and he says, until the figure out what’s going on, she’s living with him.
Tomorrow, Brook tells Chase that it’s going to need to happen faster than they anticipated; Felicia asks why Robert can’t get over it; and Alexis tells her daughters that she doesn’t think it’s entirely true.
Stop in tomorrow for soap and an assortment of useless knowledge. Until then, stay safe, stay not drinking and driving on New Year’s Eve (there are so many options today, there’s no excuse), and stay making sure it’s a priest you’re confessing to if you go to confession.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
At the penthouse, Sonny tells Avery that he thought she found the terms of his last offer acceptable, but she says, let’s review. He says, tonight, they open whatever he wants, then open whatever she wants, and then they open the rest tomorrow. Nina opens the door to Dante, and says, what a nice surprise. She invites him in, and Sonny asks if everything is okay. Dante says, yeah. Sorry. He just wondered if he could have a word with Sonny in private. Ava says, on Christmas Eve? and Dante says, it can’t wait.
Kristina leaves a message for Blaze, and says she hopes Blaze is enjoying the holidays with her family. She can’t wait to see Blaze when she gets back. Merry Christmas. TJ tells Alexis that Dr. Bilson (so it wasn’t Navarro) told them that they’d basically be starting over, beginning with an egg donor. Molly says, and they be at the bottom of the waitlist, and Alexis says, that doesn’t seem fair. Sam says, after everything they’ve been through, the last thing they should be doing is waiting any longer. Molly says she’s honestly not even thinking about them right now. What happens next lands on Kristina.
Sasha puts some presents under Maxie’s tree and says, Maxie’s outdone herself. Felicia says, Maxie’s always been great at decorating, and Maxie says she had to get a little creative this year because of the whole Deception situation. Fortunately, she’s no stranger to decorating on a budget. Sasha says she’s so sorry… when there’s a knock at the door, and Sasha asks if Maxie is expecting anyone else. Maxie says, it is Christmas Eve, and opens the door. Cody stumbles in, wearing a Santa hat, carrying a big, red bag, and saying, ho-ho-ho! He tells Sasha, hey.
Olivia says she feels so bad for Monica, and Brook says, she twisted her ankle, but it could have been so much worse. Tracy says she warned Monica, be careful on the driveway; it’s a sheet of ice. Did Monica listen to her? No. Brook says she’s sure Tracy was happy to tell Monica that she was right, and Tracy says, see? Brook gets her. Olivia says, oh my God, and Willow comes in wearing light-up reindeer antlers. She says, Wiley and Leo are so adorable. They absolutely love wearing these antlers. Olivia says, what’s not to love? and Tracy asks how long she plans on wearing those antlers. It’s one thing for children, but doesn’t she feel a little self-conscious being the only adult wearing those antlers? Lois comes in and tells Tracy, don’t you worry. She brought enough for everyone. Tracy says, of course (🍷) she did.
At the stables, Michael flashes back to Nina telling him that Ned knows she tipped off the SEC, and he wants information about Aurora to keep his silence. Ned comes in and asks what Michael has to say to him that he can only say in front of the horses, and Michael says he wants a truce. Ned says, this ought to be good, and Michael says, like it or not, they’re family. It’s Christmas and he wants to move on. So as a gesture of goodwill, he has a gift. He holds out a manila envelope, and Ned asks, what’s this? Michael says, everything Ned ever wanted.
Lois tells Tracy, come on. Loosen up. Enjoy the fun. Tracy says, what Lois calls fun, she calls torture, and Lois says, tell her something. Do those three ghosts still visit her every Christmas Eve, or did she finally scare them off? There are three children in this house trying to enjoy the holidays. Would it kill her to put on these antlers? Tracy says, those three children are inundated with gifts and treats. They will not notice her lack of headgear. Lois says, this is a gift. Just take it. Tracy says, Lois being here would be gift enough, except she already lives with a bridge and tunnel chick – Olivia and Lois gasp – and she doesn’t need another one. Brook says, all right, everybody, it’s Christmas. So before they say or do anything they can’t take back… Olivia says, they’re way past that, and Lois says, why doesn’t Tracy take these antlers and her attitude, and shove them where Santa’s reindeers are afraid to fly? Tracy says, why doesn’t Lois take the A train back to Bensonhurst? and Lois laughs.
Cody tells Maxie not to mistake this for Christmas spirit. He’s just trying to get in good with his new boss. Maxie says, he did, but prepare himself; her kids can be tough customers. He says he lives to be judged. He has Sasha’s present, wrapped and ready to go. He just didn’t know she’d be here tonight, so he’ll drop it off later. She says she can’t wait to see what he got her, and he says he hopes she likes it. He digs in the bag and says, one for you, giving a gift to Felicia. And he has one for Mac. Felicia thanks him and says, tell her, does he usually buy presents for his boss’s parents? He says, no, but she and Mac have been good to him. Where is Mac, by the way? She says, Argentina, and he says, since she’s not with him, it’s clearly not a vacation. She says, it’s more of a fact-finding mission. All very hush-hush. He says, that’s a shame, and Maxie says, it’s too quiet. That means the kids are up to something. (That goes for dogs as well.) Cody says, like what? and she says, yesterday, she caught James making a boobytrap to catch Santa, and Georgie, being the good sister she is, was teaching him how to camouflage it. So she’s going to check on them. If she’s not back in five minutes, send help. She leaves, and Spinelli comes in with several shopping bags. He says, greetings, and sees Cody. He asks what Cody is doing here.
Michael says he’s giving Ned the voting proxy on half of his ELQ shares. He had his lawyer draw up the agreement. Ned can have his check it out. Ned asks if there’s a catch or is this an out-and-out trap? and Michael says he knew Ned would never agree to a truce without a bribe, so there it is. Ned says he knows it hasn’t been that long since he recovered his memory, but he wasn’t born yesterday. Michael says he doesn’t understand. Doesn’t Ned want the proxy? Ned says he wants to know why Michael is doing Nina’s dirty work.
In the hallway, Dante says he guesses Sonny heard what happened at the docks, and Sonny says, there was a shooting, and Dante and Anna stopped the gunman. Does Dante want to tell him why it had to go down that way? Dante says, it was about Anna, and it was about Sonny.
Molly says, when Kristina offered to be their surrogate, they thought this was all going to happen within the year, but now… TJ says, realistically, it’s going to be another six months at least, just to get to the fertilization and implantation. Molly says, not to mention the pregnancy. This is going to take a lot longer than any of them thought. Kristina says, that’s okay. She understands and she’s still on board. Molly says, she has her LGBTQ+ center and everything that’s coming up with it, but Kristina says she’ll make it work. Molly says she appreciates Kristina’s devotion to this, but don’t decide until she’s thought about it. Kristina says she has thought about it, and Molly says she means really, really thought about it, because none of this has been easy or gone even remotely according to plan. TJ says, facing yet another setback after getting their hopes up… Molly says, they’re just not sure how much more heartbreak they can stand.
Sam asks Alexis, what’s with this brochure? Is she doing an article on skydiving or something? Alexis tries to take it, but Sam grabs it away. Alexis says, no, not exactly, and Sam says, it’s not a Christmas present, is it? Alexis says she would never encourage her daughters to do something so insanely dangerous as jumping out of a plane, and Sam pulls out a paper. She says, this is a liability waiver with Alexis’s name literally on it. Please explain. Alexis says she doesn’t think she can, and Sam says she can’t get Alexis to show up at Pilates, let alone sky diving. She can’t actually see Alexis jumping out of a plane, unless someone was pushing her. Alexis says, or dragging her, and Sam says, this doesn’t make any sense. Since when was she interested in going skydiving? Alexis says, never. And she doesn’t want to go now. Sam says, then what? and Alexis says she has to.
Ava says, is it just her, or have Sonny and Dante been out there a long time? and Nina asks why she’s worried. Ava says, they both know someone is trying to set her up for something. And now one of PCPD’s finest shows up on Sonny’s doorstep? Nina says, his son on Christmas Eve, and Ava says, trust her. Those two aren’t out there swapping eggnog recipes.
Sonny says, so this Brennan guy has ties with Pikeman? and Dante says, that’s why he’s here. The government is coming down pretty hard on Pikeman. If Sonny’s had any business dealings with them, he’s just letting Sonny know he might be getting a visit from the Feds. Sonny says, they’re not going to find anything, and Dante says, good. Sonny says, speaking of the Feds, what are they going to do about Brennan? Does Dante think he had anything to do with the shooting at the MetroCourt? Dante says, he denies it, and Sonny says, what a surprise, but Dante says, he might actually be telling the truth this time. He’s the director of the WSB. He’s going to hire a shooter with a gun that can be traced back to his own organization? If the shooter wasn’t working for Brennan or Cyrus Renault… Sonny says, whoever was targeting him and Anna is still out there.
Lois says, the A train doesn’t even go to Bensonhurst, and Tracy says, don’t care. Lois says, well, there’s a whole lot of bridge and tunnel people trying to get into the city who care a whole lot. Not that it should matter to Tracy. Tracy says, she’s right; it doesn’t. Lois asks if Tracy has any idea how long it takes to get from Bensonhurst to JFK? and Olivia says, it’s not that far as the crow flies, but the train… Lois says, it’s a nightmare. You either gotta take a cab or you gotta take a Ride Share, but if you’re gonna take the train, it’s gotta be the D. Tracy says she’s never going to need this information, and Olivia says, you could take the N or the R. Lois says, what? The Never and the Really? Olivia has been out of Brooklyn way too long. (I laugh at the N/R joke because it’s true.) Oliva says she’s not claiming it’s as efficient. She’s just saying it’s possible. Lois says, no. You cannot take the R because it terminates in Bay Ridge. Olivia says, Lois is right. Maybe she has been away too long. Tracy says, maybe it’s time to move back, and Brook says, couldn’t you take the F and transfer to the bus? Olivia and Lois both say, the bus??? and Brook says, oops. (I laugh about this too. I tool the bus once to get across town. I could have walked faster. Never again.) Lois and Olivia laugh, and Brook asks if Willow doesn’t need some help with her kids. Please tell her that she needs help with the kids. Olivia and Lois continue to chatter, and Willow says, actually, she was just wondering how long this is going to go on for. Brook says, the 12 days of Christmas, right? and Willow says, in that case, she’s going to have to sneak out with Michael. They’re spending Christmas Eve at Sonny’s. Brook says, go. She loves her. Willow dashes out, and Tracy says, stop. They win; both of them. Lois asks if there was a prize attached that they were unaware of, and Tracy says, this endless digression about transportation to the outer boroughs. They were doing it to badger her into submission. They succeeded. Give her the damn antlers. She snatches them from Lois, and says, okay – she puts them on her head – she’s conformed. Now that she has, she has one request please. That they have a civil, peaceful, tasteful Christmas. Is that too much to… She hears the door and turns around. Yuri is there pushing Monica in a wheelchair. Lois and Olivia are obviously happy, as am I.
Tracy says, given that Monica is recuperating from an injury, doesn’t she think it would be a good idea if Lois found other accommodations, so she can have a peaceful home while she’s convalescing? Monica says she likes a full house, and Tracy says, well, there’s full and overflowing. Brook says she doesn’t know if Tracy has noticed, but there are lots of bedrooms in this house, for family and guests, and Monica says, if Tracy does find this house too crowded for her, she can spend the Christmas season elsewhere. Lois, on the other hand, can stay as long as she likes. Lois smiles and adjusts her antlers.
Felicia asks, what’s Spinelli’s problem with Cody? and Cody says, he and Spinelli got off on the wrong foot. Spinelli says, that is a heinous simplification, and Cody says he doesn’t want to get into it, because frankly, he’s not proud of it. Let’s just say that when he came to town, he wasn’t the nicest person to Spinelli. He tells Spinelli, but honestly, he thought they worked through all this. Spinelli asks, what instilled that delusion? and Cody says, when they teamed up to help Sasha. Spinelli says he was pleased to provide assistance to Sasha, and Sasha says, and she appreciated it. Obviously, so does Cody. Cody says he really does, and Spinelli says, then he’s sure Cody can agree, Christmas Eve is for family. Cody says, absolutely, and Spinelli says his family’s here. Cody says, and he’s not a part of it. He’ll see himself out. Felicia says, that’s not necessary, but Cody says, he really just stopped by for a minute, and drop off presents and go. Sasha asks, what are his Christmas Eve plans? and he says, the Qs have invited him to join them, and he’s probably going to be late if he doesn’t get a move on. So merry Christmas everybody, and that goes for Spinelli too. He leaves, and Sasha says she realizes she and Spinelli don’t know each other that well, but he was completely out of line just now.
Molly says she loves that Kristina wants to commit to this, but it’s a complicated process, with a lot of steps and a lot of waiting in between. They can’t even say when they’ll settle on an egg donor. Scout asks Molly to play a game with her, and Molly says, sure. She leaves with Scout, and Kristina tells TJ that she’s sorry. It must be brutal for them. He says, it’s a lot, and it’s not like their lives stop. Molly has a big case coming up and he’s been offered a fellowship. Kristina says, that’s great, and he says, but he thinks he’s going to have to turn it down.
Ned says he and Michael both know that Nina was the one who turned Drew and Michael’s mother in to the SEC. He told Nina that he’d need some compensation in return for keeping quiet. Now here Michael is, essentially giving him control of the company. Michael says, temporary control, contingent on his continued silence, and Ned says, what he doesn’t understand is, if Michael now has the power to drive Nina out of his family for good, what’s stopping him? Willow calls to Michael, and Michael says, in here. Willow comes in and says hi to Ned. She asks if everything is okay in here, and Michael says, they’re just talking shop. She says she’s thinking now would be a good time to head over to Sonny’s, and he says he’ll be right there. She says she’ll get the kids ready and leaves. Ned says, now where were they? and Michael says, if it were up to him, Nina would already be gone, but that would devastate his father and Willow. And exposing Nina won’t bring back all the time Drew spent in prison, or the time his mom spent blaming herself. So Nina gets to stay, and Ned gets the benefit. He’s the single largest shareholder in ELQ, and he’s giving Ned the voting proxy to half of his shares. Ned takes the envelope out of Michael’s hand and opens it. He looks at the papers, and Michael says, merry Christmas. He starts to leave, but Ned calls him back. He says he hopes Michael knows what he’s doing. He wouldn’t trust Nina if he were him.
Dante says he’s sorry for interrupting Sonny’s Christmas Eve, but Sonny says, he’s never interrupting. He appreciates Dante telling him this. Does he want to say goodbye? Dante says he has to get going, and they hug. Sonny tells him, merry Christmas.
Nina says, whoever this person is, has access to where Ava lives. Just tell Sonny. Ava says, absolutely not, and Nina asks, why? She told him about Mason and Austin when they were causing trouble, and he helped her solve the problem. Ava says, if she went to Sonny every time someone was threatening her, she’d be moving in with the newlyweds. No. She can handle this herself. Sonny comes in and says, handle what? but Ava says, nothing, waving him away. Nina says, someone left Ava a gun.
Sonny asks Nina to give him and Ava a minute, and she says, of course (🍷). She’ll go check on Pilar and Avery. He thanks her and she leaves. He says he wants Ava to tell him everything, and do not leave anything out. She says, the first envelope was sent to Windymere, and there was a picture in there. It was Austin, dead, presumably at the house in Pautuck. And a note that said, you’re welcome. He asks why he’s only hearing about this now, and she says, and the day she was moving into Nina’s penthouse, there was another envelope. Somebody had slipped it into her handbag. It was the picture again, Austin, dead, and this time, the note said, don’t tell anyone. And after the workers left, there was a gun and a third note that said, you never know when you’ll need it. He asks, where’s the gun? and she says, in a lockbox in her apartment. He says, bring it to him tomorrow, and she says, it’s Christmas. It’s not very festive. He says he’ll have Brick trace the gun, and she says she’ll bring it as soon as she can. He says, tomorrow.
Spinelli says he knows Sasha thinks fondly of Cody, for reasons which escape him. She says, for starters, Cody risked his life, his freedom… Spinelli says, all right. He has been heroic – she says, thank you – on occasion, but even she must agree, he has a duplicitous streak. Cody may be the new Face of Deception, but forgive him, he thinks that new moniker is meant to be ironic. Cody is literally deceptive. She says, if it weren’t for Cody, she wouldn’t be here. Not celebrating Christmas with friends; not free to go about with her life. She literally wouldn’t be breathing. So Cody may be deceptive, but he also literally saved her life. He’s earned their trust. At least hers. She’s going to see if Maxie needs help with the kids. She leaves, and Felicia says, no one is saying Spinelli isn’t entitled to his opinion about Cody. But whatever he may have done wrong, he’s done a lot that’s right. What Sasha said is true. If not for him, she may not be alive. He says, while he’s not going to forget Cody’s previous misdeeds, he should be more receptive to who Cody proports to be at this moment, until incriminating evidence proves otherwise. She says she can’t tell him what to do… and he says, but she’s strongly hinting at that course of action? She says she’s glad he picked up on that, and he says, perhaps he should try to catch up to Cody. Maxie will be disappointed to see he didn’t say goodbye, and when she realizes he’s the reason Cody left… Felicia is as wise as ever, as always. She says she didn’t say a word, and he says, even so. Clarity is one of her many gifts. He goes to the door and says, it’s just that he’s the only one who knows Cody has something up his sleeve. He leaves, and Felicia says, he’s not the only one.
Sam asks what Alexis means by she has to go skydiving, and Alexis says, Gregory is determined to go, and he wants her to go with him. Sam says, just because she told him that she’d go doesn’t mean she has to go, but Alexis says she wants to. She takes the paper from Sam, tosses it on the table, and says, she wants to want to. Gregory is a very nice person and he’s been very helpful to her at work. Sam says, cool. So she’s going skydiving. Alexis says she gave him her word, and now he has it. Sam says she doesn’t seem very excited about this, and Alexis says, it’s jumping out of a plane. The only thing that separates her from certain death is twine and some poufy fabric. Sam says, and an instructor strapped to her back. They’re certainly not going to let her jump alone the first time. Alexis says, it’s so funny that Sam would think she’s doing this a second time, and Sam says, then back out. She has the perfect excuse built in. Just say it’s her osteoporosis. Alexis says, her doctor doesn’t recommend it, and Sam says, see? Alexis says, she doesn’t forbid it, and Sam says, Alexis can lie and say that she does. Alexis says she can’t lie to Gregory, and Sam says she understands Gregory is a dear friend of hers, but if she told him that she didn’t want to go skydiving, he’d understand. Alexis says she gave him her word, and besides, she’s got to prove to herself that she can do this. Dante comes in and says, sorry he’s late. What’s this? He picks up the brochure and says, skydiving. Who’s going skydiving? Alexis says she is, and he says, it’s amazing. She’s going to love it. Sam shakes her head, and Alexis says, he’s done this before? Dante says he’s done it a few times. It’s awesome. You get up there and you can see the curve of the earth. The first time he did it, the instructor kind of messed with him and told him the shoot wasn’t going to open. Which isn’t that cool when you think about it. You’re traveling 120 miles an hour, hurtling toward the ground, and it’s getting closer and closer. Then you can see people… Alexis runs upstairs, and Dante asks if it was something he said.
Lois thanks Monica for sticking up for her, but she doesn’t want to overstay her welcome. So if Monica wants her to go, all she has to say is, beat it, Lois, and she’ll pack her bags. Monica, now wearing antlers, says, Lois is welcome to stay for as long as she wants to. She happens to enjoy Lois’s company, and her energy. And most of all, she enjoys watching Lois stick it to Tracy.
Tracy says she wants to apologize to Olivia for calling her a bridge and tunnel chick. She shouldn’t have said that. Olivia asks if she meant it. Be honest. Tracy says, of course (🍷) she meant it; she just shouldn’t have said it. Olivia laughs and says, at least she’s consistent. Tracy asks if Olivia accepts her apology, and Olivia asks if she apologized to Lois. Tracy says, no, and Olivia asks if she intends to. Tracy says, why would she? She’s not sorry she said it to her. Olivia tells her, like she said, Tracy is consistent. Yes, in the spirit of Christmas, she accepts Tracy’s apology. Tracy thanks her and says she would like to point out that she was standing up for Olivia, and Olivia asks how she figures that. Tracy asks if Lois’s reluctance to leave doesn’t bother Olivia at all, and Olivia says, no. Why would it? Lois is her oldest friend. They grew up together. Tracy says, and it doesn’t bother Lois that Olivia married her former husband? And Olivia makes a face. Tracy says, oh my God. After all these years of being married to Ned, Olivia and Lois have never hashed this out? Ned walks into the living room and says, what’s with the antlers?
Arriving at Sonny’s door, Wiley says he wants Santa right now, and Willow says she’s sure he’s on his way. Once they’re settled, they’ll check the Santa tracker. Nina opens the door, and tells them, merry Christmas. Willow says, something smells wonderful, and Nina says, it’s hot cider for the adults and hot cocoa for the kids. Nina takes their coats and tells Wiley that he looks super handsome and festive. She thinks he should go check under the Christmas tree. Wiley runs off, and Willow asks, where is everybody? Nina says, Ava and Sonny are in the kitchen with Avery and Pilar. They’re making cookies. Wiley asks if he can go see, and Nina says, of course (🍷). Willow says she’s going to see if Amelia needs a change, and tells Nina and Michael to be nice. Michael says, always, and Willow leaves. Michael says he took care of the Ned problem, and Nina thanks him. He says he doesn’t need her thanks. He did it for his dad and Willow. He just hopes he doesn’t live to regret this.
Sasha and Maxie come back, and Maxie says, of course (🍷) he did. Spinelli may be living here, but it doesn’t give him the right to kick anyone out of her house. Felicia says she likes Cody very much and she knows he’s been great to Sasha, but she thinks Spinelli might be right. Something seems off. Maxie says she thinks she knows where this is coming from, but this is not a Peter situation. Cody freely admits he used to be a con man. He doesn’t present himself as too good to be true. And bonus, he’s not a sociopath. Sasha says, if anything, Cody is too hard on himself, and Felicia says she just keeps thinking back to when they thought he might be Mac’s son. Sasha flashes back to Cody telling her that he is Mac’s son and he lied about it. Felicia says she knows the test result proved he wasn’t. At least that’s what Cody said. Maxie asks if she thinks he was lying, and Felicia says, how would she know? He wouldn’t show her the results. Maxie says, he wasn’t lying to her. Cody was just disappointed. And who wouldn’t be? Who wouldn’t want to be Mac’s son?
Cody sits down in the stables, when Spinelli comes in. Cody asks if he’s here for riding lessons, and Spinelli says, what makes Cody assume he’s not already an accomplished equestrian? Cody says, is he? and Spinelli says, not remotely, but the point is, one should not assume. Which brings him to the reason for his visit. Cody says he’s all ears, and Spinelli says he simply wishes to say that he regrets his behavior toward Cody at Maxie’s. Cody says he’s not exactly hearing an apology, and Spinelli says, nor will he. Cody says, fair enough. Spinelli doesn’t need to pretend to be his friend. Spinelli says, nor will he, but he will refrain from outbursts objecting to Cody’s presence. Cody says he appreciates that, and Spinelli says, it’s becoming clear to everyone that Cody is growing closer to Maxie. Cody says, they’re good people and they’ve been good to him, and Spinelli says, it’s important Cody bear in mind a certain set of facts. He is Georgie’s father. And Cody is a part of Maxie’s business, which is a big part of her life, and he understands and accepts that. It means they will naturally cross paths, especially since he’ll be staying at Maxie’s for an indeterminant length of time. Cody says he doesn’t really spend a lot of time at Maxie’s, but Spinelli says, even so, he’ll be around. So he wishes to extend a truce, even if just to keep the peace. Cody says he gratefully accepts, and Spinelli says, but be warned. If he steps out of line, any misbehavior, any maleficence, and he shall find himself prey to The Jackel. Spinelli is moving back as he talks, and he’s nearly at Comet’s stall. Cody says, why doesn’t he step away… and Spinelli asks if he’s threatening violence. Because despite public opinion and his general appearance, he can assure Cody that he can defend himself. Cody says, that’s great, but he might want to… Spinelli yells, and Cody says he has a first aid kit.
Alexis comes back downstairs, and Dante says he’s sorry. He didn’t know she was so nervous about the skydiving thing. She says, now he knows. He actually helped her make a decision. Gregory is really embracing this challenge and she admires that attitude. And while she’d like to think of herself as a brave person, when it comes to jumping out of a plane, she’s not. She’s a coward. Dante says, she changed her mind, right? and she says, thank you. On the other hand, you can’t show courage if you aren’t scared in the first place.
Molly wins the game, and TJ asks how she did that. Kristina says, it’s all about strategy, right? and Scout says she thinks Molly is just lucky. Molly says she thinks so too.
Lois tells Olivia that Monica has mellowed a bit since… Olivia says, since Lois was married to Ned? and Lois tells her that she was going to say, since Brook was a baby, but same def. And Monica invited her to stay longer. Olivia says, that’s great. Is Lois going to take her up on it? Lois says, maybe, but she doesn’t want to cramp Olivia’s style. Olivia says her style is uncrampable. If she wants to stay, she’s gotta stay. Lois says, mostly she wants to stay so she can continue to annoy Tracy, and Olivia laughs. She says, she annoys everybody else. It’s only fair that she should get hers. Lois says she just wants to make sure she’s not overstaying her welcome. You know what they say, the best part of getting out of Brooklyn is – they finish together – going back. Oliva says, if Lois wants to stay, she wants her to… Scratch that. She wants Lois to stay whether Lois wants to stay or not. Lois asks if she’s sure, and Olivia says she doesn’t think until Lois showed up, that she realized how much she misses the old times. So she means it. Ned says, eggnog anyone? and gives them cups. He says, the sooner they finish the child friendly batch, the sooner they can break out the adults only stash. Lois says, a man after her own heart, and Ned and Olivia clink cups.
Wiley says, Sonny’s tree is bigger than theirs, and Michael says, they cut down their own this year, so it’s on the smaller side. Sonny says, the reason the tree’s big is so they can fit all the presents underneath. And a lot of them are Wiley’s presents. Go check it out. Wiley runs off, and Ava asks, who put coal in Nina’s stocking? Nina says she just had another conversation with Michael, and Ava says, that’ll do it. Nina says, he will never stop blaming her, and Ava says, oh well. What can you do? Nina says, wait. It sounds like she’s siding with Michael. Ava says, trust her. She will never side with Michael. Nina says, thank you, and Ava says, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t right. Nina has done hurtful things to people he cares about. Nina wouldn’t take that lying down; why would she expect him to? Nina says she gets this. Ava is upset with her because she told Sonny about the gun. Ava says, no. She’s just frustrated because Nina always seems surprised when people that she’s hurt don’t just forgive her. She’s Nina’s friend. She’s got her back. But she can’t wash away her sins. No one can. (If Cyrus was here, he’d tell her, the Lord can. Just sayin’.)
Cody says, sorry about Comet, and Spinelli says, that horse should be named Jaws. He rubs his shoulder, and Cody says, that horse is kind of protective of yours truly. As Cody opens the first aid kit, Spinelli tells him to keep his distance. His equine minion has done more than enough damage. Cody says he’s just going to clean the wound, so it doesn’t become infected, but Spinelli says, it’s just a bruise. He’ll be fine. Cody says, still have it checked out, okay? and Spinelli says, Cody’s concern for him is touching. If only it was sincere. Cody says he is sorry about everything he did to Spinelli. All of it. And Spinelli coming here and… not apologizing, he appreciates it. It shows him what kind of man Spinelli is, and that they both care about Maxie’s family. He wants Spinelli to know he’d never do anything to hurt them. Spinelli says, Cody’s word means nothing to him. So just remember, from this moment forward, Spinelli will be watching him. He leaves.
Felicia says, it would be one thing if the test revealed Cody was Leopold Taub’s son. Then it would make sense for Cody to lie and claim that Mac was his father. Not the other way around. Maxie says, that’s kind of her point. She can’t see why Cody wouldn’t want to share the bad news, but Felicia tells Maxie that she’d say Cody went out of his way to hide it. Sasha says, Cody can be very guarded, and Maxie says, and Felicia on occasion can be a professional busybody. Felicia says, even so, it doesn’t add up. And she hates not knowing. And she can’t stop thinking about it.
Sam tells Alexis that she’ll call Gregory. She’ll say she’s sorry to disappoint him, but she’s a concerned daughter and she’s going to exercise her veto. Alexis says, that’s very thoughtful of her. And she certainly can’t think of any reason why Sam shouldn’t do that. Sam thanks her and says, it’s not like Alexis is getting any younger or anything. Dante says, who is, right? and Sam says, so even if it would be a lifetime experience that Alexis would look back on with pride – knowing that she was frightened, but did it anyway – she would just have to put her foot down. She went too far, didn’t she? Alexis says, subtle. All right, fine. She’ll jump out of the toy plane. Dante says, she’s going to have the time of her life, and Alexis says she hopes she lives to tell about it.
Kristina says she needs TJ and Molly to hear her out. TJ says, sure, and Molly says she’ll try her best. Kristina says, what if they didn’t have to find an egg donor? What if there was someone they knew who loves them both and wanted them both to be parents? TJ asks what she’s saying, and Kristina says, what if she wasn’t just the surrogate? What if she was the donor too?
Tomorrow, Adam says he doesn’t want to go home; Alexis asks what’s wrong with Sam and Dante; Gregory tells Brook that he wants to live to see his son marry the love of his life; and Jordan says she’ll never forgive Cyrus.
Southern Charm
Taylor gets up and says she wants to put the conversation they’ve been having for 2½ months to rest. She’s apologized a bunch of times and doesn’t know what else she can give. What happened is what happened. Madison asks, what happened? and Shep suggests they not get bogged down in the details. Taylor asks if they can put it to rest, and Olivia tells her not to act like it’s nothing. She’s sorry Shep’s kumbaya moment didn’t fit. She’s allowed to react and ask questions. Shep says he wouldn’t take that away from her, and Olivia says, it sounds like Taylor is tired of talking about it. Taylor says, it’s her fourth apology. Do they want her to lie? Shep tells her to sit down and relax, and Taylor asks if Olivia wants her to say Austen f***ed her. Olivia says, that’s what happened, but Austen says, that’s not what happened. Taylor says, it’s not what happened, and she’s not going to claim somebody f***ed her without them actually f***ing her. Madison says she appreciates Taylor standing up and talking about what they’re assuming. Austen won’t do it. JT says, Austen needs to stand up, and Madison calls Austen a sloppy mess. Austen says she’s a clown, and Craig says he thinks it freaked everyone that Austen and Taylor talked to their parents about them dating. Taylor says she talked to her brother. She had a moment and went to someone who she loves and adores. She knows Olivia loves and adores her brother. There are crickets for a moment, and in JT’s interview, he says he thinks Taylor is emotionally charged and didn’t realize what she said. In Olivia’s interview, she says, before this, she would feel like Taylor didn’t mean it how it came out, but now she doesn’t see Taylor coming back from saying that. Taylor says, it’s the first time she’s breached Olivia’s trust, and Venita tells her, don’t act like it’s small. Taylor says she lied one time, and Olivia asks what scoreboard she has. Taylor says, Olivia is calling her a liar and saying she hates her, and Olivia says, because it’s true. Taylor says, hate is so strong a word, and Olivia tells her, that’s why she said it. Taylor says she doesn’t need to be verbally abused, and Venita says, she slept with someone’s man. What world is she living in? Craig insists it’s not unfixable, and Taylor leaves. Olivia fast walks in the other direction, and Venita follows her. Craig says, Olivia wants to hear Taylor say she f***ed up, instead of, she only f***ed up one time. Venita says, the same conversation keeps happening. She can’t do it again. Rod says, Taylor apologized to the group, but Olivia thought she was saying, let’s call it a day and forget about it. JT says, at least Taylor stood up. Austen says nothing. In JT’s interview, he says, Austen can’t say he’s sorry. There’s always an excuse. He’s never in the wrong, and it’s sociopathic to think you never mess up. Austen tells JT to drown himself, and JT says, Austen hasn’t stood up like a man, and he’s been nonapologetic. He was watching two girls cry and there he sits with his perfect hair. In Shep’s interview, he says, JT is calling Austen out on his bullsh*t. He’s like Eliot Ness and Austen is Al Capone, and he’s going down. Whitney asks why they care, and Madison says, JT is a gentleman. Austen laughs and decides he’s had enough. He calls JT a p*ssy and leaves.
JT tells Austen, it’s a coward move, but enjoy the walk. He tells the others, Austen’s a straw house and he’s a brick house, which sounds like some kind of rubber/glue thing. Craig says, they can’t keep their stories straight, and Whitney tells JT that he doesn’t know the dynamic. To comment on a man’s character without knowing the deal sounds disingenuous. He feels bad that JT drove Austen away. JT says, Austen hooked up with his best friend’s girlfriend, and Craig says, Whitney is riding hard for Austen. Taylor goes to her room and calls her brother, while Olivia cries to Venita in her room. She says, Taylor crossed so many boundaries. Keep her brother’s name out of her filthy mouth. What was she thinking? Taylor says, she apologized so many times. She stood up at the table and apologized, and Olivia still said shove it up her ass. F*** you. She doesn’t know what else do. In the other room, Venita says, that is not Olivia’s best friend. Dinner is done, and Madison suggests she and Craig walk into the ocean and keep walking. Craif says, they’re crazy. And that’s a lot for him to say because he’s crazy. Taylor tells her brother that Olivia said she hates her, and her brother tells her to move on. Austen should be in trouble too. Taylor says, Olivia loves him and hates him. She’s the devil, but Olivia cuddles with Austen with her bra off. She doesn’t know what the big deal is since they never claimed to be boyfriend and girlfriend. Olivia and Venita listen at the wall, and although Venita begs her not to, Olivia marches into Taylor’s room. She asks if Taylor is f***ing stupid. Talk quieter. She’s right next door with her ear to the wall. She calls Taylor a dumb bitch, and storms back out. Taylor’s brother tells her that she’s not the bad guy. What would Jesus do? Taylor says, keep quiet, and she’s been trying to. Her brother says, good for her. He loves her. Madison and Craig are still at the table drinking, and Craig says he gets what they’re all saying; the stories don’t add up. Madison gets the hiccups, and says she gives Taylor credit for standing up and not crying. Craig says, they don’t know what story the other one is telling, and I’m thinking, what the hell is he talking about? They are telling the same story; they just made out. Craig tells Madison to say, I’m not a fish, something about breathing and hiccups, but it doesn’t work.
JT says, they came, they conquered, it’s time to go. I’ll bet it’s gonna be a quiet flight home. Back already, Whitney brings Chaucey to Patricia, and suggests the dog needs Ozempic. Brett is home, and Madison tells him that she’s still hung over. He says, it’s not her last hurrah. They’ve got to do something else. Madison says she’s celebrating every day she’s not pregnant. What if she’s boring? Brett insists she can’t be, and Madison says she’s thinking about doing a dinner and inviting Craig and Paige. JT FaceTimes with Rod and says, if Austen comes on the next trip, he’s out. He doesn’t want to be around Austen. Rod says, JT and Taylor were like two peas in a pod, and JT says, on every flight, they were side by side. Rod says he can still hear them giggling behind him, and we see a clip of that. JT says, whenever they’re together, they’re laughing and playing, and Rod says, they’re vibing. He suggests JT do something there. Taylor’s mom Leslie calls and asks how the trip was. Taylor says she wasn’t expecting it to go the way it did. She thought they put everything to rest, but it was the opposite She cries and says she thinks she’s not used to be broken down by someone she cares about. It’s hurtful. Olivia tells her mom Robin about eavesdropping on overhearing Taylor. She says she doesn’t understand how Taylor could have said she and Austen didn’t even date. She’ll never look at Taylor the same way again. Robin says she doesn’t know where Taylor’s head is at. Olivia doesn’t need more to deal with, and she thinks Olivia should steer clear for her emotional well-being. Leslie tells Taylor, at the core is what else has gone on in Olivia’s life. She needs grace, and Leslie wants Taylor to move forward. Be humble and kind and be with friends who love her. I’d find a new friend circle. Does she really want to be on the show this much?
Austen and sister Katie drink champagne, and Katie asks how Jamaica was. He says, good, he thinks, and we flash back to the messiness of it all. Katie says she thinks he’s in denial, and he says he was being attacked and Shep was upset with him. Shep prides himself on giving people the horns. Austen doesn’t know the correct path, but it stings more when someone you care about says negative things. Shep and Olivia are triggered by his presence. He knows he pissed Olivia off, and her feelings are valid, but then she calls him or sends him things on the internet. She acted like he didn’t exist at the mountain house, then called him on the way home. She was yelling at him in Jamaica, and after they came back, she was calling him and asking if he wanted to walk on the beach. In Austen’s interview, he says, a perfect example of how Olivia is hot and cold was the Oscars. After Jamaica, they were live texting the whole night. Then when they’re in front of their friends, she bites his head off. He thought they were good. He tells Katie that his therapist described it as being gaslit, and Katie asks if it always went on or was it post what happened. He says, post what happened to Olivia’s brother, and Katie says, Olivia has a lot going on. He says, emotions are flying high, and Olivia has a lot of reason, but at a certain point, he’s paid his penance. Katie says she thinks they need to take time apart. She doesn’t think they can make progress if they’re around each other and keep getting upset. He says he doesn’t think he can ever completely close the book on Olivia.
Madison starts setting up for dinner, and I love, love, love the little branches with tiny oranges (or whatever) on them in vases decorating the table. She calls Patricia, asking how she is, and Patricia says, every day, she’s better. She reads, talks on the phone, and watches bad movies. It could be worse. Madison says, when Brett is out of town, they’ll have a sleepover and talk about everybody. Patricia says, not them, and Madison says she needs help. She’s having a dinner party and hired a chef to cook. She’ll heat it up and take credit. In Madison’s interview, she says, this is out of her comfort zone. It’s the first time she’s being an actual present wife in the home, doing things she wasn’t able to do before. She it wants everything to be perfect. She’s turning into a Type-A. Patricia gives her advice on glassware, and says, Madison is now a married woman, and she’s got to start entertaining. Madison asks if it’s bad she’s not cooking, and Patricia says, not in her book.
Paige is in Charleston and tells Craig that she can’t believe Madison is married. Craig says, Brett and Madison met after they did, but everyone has their own timetable. In Craig’s interview, he says, after all the dysfunction he’s witnessed, he appreciated just having someone he gets along with and loves. All that matters is that he’s happy and she’s supportive. And technically, until they decide to have children, it doesn’t matter where they live. He says, Madison asked if they were going to be long distance forever, and he said, not if they have kids. He knows she’s not ready and he’s prepared to wait. He knows she’s not in a hurry, and it’s not the end of the world if they don’t end up together. He believes he’s a stable person with or without her. She got him there, but he’s stable to the point where if he had to let her go, he’d be sad, but he wouldn’t freak out. He asks if she hopes it works out with him, and she says she wouldn’t be here if she didn’t. She’d be in New York. She’s dressed all in pastels. Obviously, she loves him.
Shep and Whitney meet for bourbon, and Whitney springs for a $1000 a bottle booze. He tells Shep that he’s stocking his new bar with these people, and in his interview, he says, the cottage is Michael’s former house. It needed a gut renovation. We see a clip with Mike the contractor, and Whitney says, the bottom floor is going to be an understated bar/pub/hang out spot. After it’s finished, he’s never leaving again. Shep says his recovery time is becoming weak. He didn’t move for a couple days after Jamaica. Whitney says, people were screaming at each other, and Shep says, Austen was targeted pretty hard. When it comes to females, Austen is not to be trusted. In Shep’s interview, he says he has questions about Austen’s trustworthiness, and it makes him sad. He tells Whitney that he and Austen have seen too much together and laughed too much together to let that go. He hopes Austen learned a lesson after Jamaica. Switching topics, he says he was at the house with some girls and Taylor came by unannounced with Penny. She’s been leaving her dog when she has something to do. Whitney wonders if Shep isn’t giving her the wrong impression and leading her on, and Shep says, that’s a good question. It’s caused friction with her asking, who’s over there and what are you doing? He intends to talk to her and tell her that he’ll love her forever, but they’re not together. They need to establish parameters.
Getting ready for Madison’s dinner, Paige says, Craig looks like a stressed-out accountant. He says he doesn’t know what to wear, and she says, welcome to her world. (Mine too.) She dresses him, and they drive to Madison’s house. Paige says it looks like something out of a movie, and points out a couple sitting on the porch. Nobody does that. He says, it is idealistic, and a nice place to raise a child. They park in front of the house, and Craig almost brings in his to-go drink. Paige tells him to put it in the car, and he pours the remaining drink on the tree lawn. Paige tells him to act like he’s been someplace before. After checking out their impressive house, Craig asks if they bought the house together, and Madison says, they did. He says, that’s very adult, and in Craig’s interview, he says, they’re grown-ups now. He doesn’t know how they got here, but he’s excited about it. Paige says, this is the first moment she’s wanted to move here.
Paige asks Brett how he likes Charleston, and he says he loves it. He’d never even been to South Carolina, but he loves it now. Madison tells him stuff about someone sleeping with someone’s ex, and he wonders what they do out here. Paige says, they asked what happens when they break up in NYC, and she said, never see them again. Craig says, it’s an incestuous town, and I totally agree. Brett asks about Paige’s flight, and she says, sometimes it takes her longer to get to the airport. Craig says, Madison and Brett are the only other long-distance couple, and Madison says she doesn’t know if Brett could put up with her 24/7. Paige asks if Brett feels like he has friends here, and Brett says he has friends aside from Madison’s friends. Madison asks if Craig would like to apply for a position. Brett asks if they have plans, and Craig says, they have plans to make plans. They’re letting the current take them wherever it’s going. One day, they want kids, but Paige isn’t ready. Paige says she’s not ready to move, live in a cul-de-sac, and have a baby. In Madison’s interview, she says she never had plans to do that either. Then she met Brett and asked, which cul-de-sac? Brett says, they can take other steps. Getting engaged doesn’t mean they have to get married quickly and have kids. Paige says, but if they get engaged and she didn’t move here, wouldn’t it be weird? Madison says, they did it for almost a year, and Paige asks how Brett knew what kind of engagement ring to get Madison. He says she sent him some shapes. Paige says she doesn’t know what she likes. She’s tried on her friends’ rings, but none of them feel like her. Madison asks if Paige would like to try on hers, and of course Paige says, yes. It’s really beautiful, a single oval stone in a simple setting. Madison says, oval, 3.5 carats or more.
Next time, the finale – a New Year’s gift! – Whitney has a Valley of the Dolls theme party; JT tells Taylor that he loves her; Shep asks if Taylor wants to get back together; and Austen finally has enough of JT, and slams him. Somebody had to.
🥁 Keeping Time With the Ox and Lamb…
Come back tomorrow for soap and a pre-holiday display of wisdom and nonsense. Until then, stay safe, stay rolling with the punches and keeping your sense of humor, and stay appreciating it if you have someone you get along with and love.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 