What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly keeps trying to get ahold of Nelle, and leaving messages. Sonny asks who she’s talking to.

Michael wraps Nelle in a towel. He says the fire will do the rest. They almost kiss, and she says she can’t.

Ava calls for the guard, saying she wants to see the commissioner. She’s going to sue everyone because of a gross miscarriage of justice. I wonder how I can get a denim prison shirt like she’s wearing. Orange will never be the new black, but that shirt looks amazing, and apparently the Port Charles jail is fashion forward. Julian shows up. Ava asks if he’s there to get her out. I thought she didn’t want to be out?

Tracy is impatient, and Hayden says to let her work. Tracy asks if the Quartermaines will be able to save the hospital or not.

Jason sees Monica at the hospital, and tells her about how he was supposed to meet Sam there. He says the wires must have gotten crossed because there wasn’t an appointment listed. Monica thinks that’s odd. Jason says she’s probably on her way back home.

Olivia-J tells Sam about starting over. She notices Sam looking at her keyring, and asks if Sam knows what it says and if the characters mean anything to her.

Julian says he doesn’t like seeing Ava behind bars. She tells him to spring her then; tell them she had nothing to do with the bomb. He says if he could get her out, he would. She says he can tell the police it’s not her on the recording. She tells him that when he was on trial, she did everything she could to make sure he was acquitted. She blackmailed Paul, and this is how he repays her? Julian says he’ll get her out soon.

Olivia-J says the characters obviously struck chord with Sam. Sam says it’s beautiful. She tells Olivia she knows a  little about the Chinese culture, and was married in a Chinese restaurant. (Not the Chinese food pawn remedy shop.) She tells Olivia about the family who owned the restaurant. Olivia says that for those who believe, the symbols can infuse you with power and remind you of who you are against tremendous odds. Sam asks what it means to Olivia. Olivia says it means reincarnation.

Monica tells Jason that Hayden and Tracy are crunching the final numbers. The board meets tomorrow and will decide. She thanks Jason for his contribution, and he says he knows what the hospital means to the family. Monica gives him a blanket, and tells him that Lila knitted it when he was born. She was thrilled, and thought he’d be a blessing, and she was right. Jason thanks her, and they hug.

Hayden tells Tracy that it’s only a quick assessment and needs adjustment. Tracy asks if they can keep the hospital open. Monica pops in, and seconds that. Hayden says she thinks they did it.

Michael tells Nelle that he knows it’s awkward, but he won’t try to kiss her again. She says it can’t happen. He says he knows she has an agreement with a guy, and he can respect it if that’s what she wants, but if it’s her boyfriend’s idea, he’s crazy.

Carly tells Sonny not to worry, and it’s about his surprise. He wants to know what it is, but she says that she’s going to dangle it until she springs it. She says it involves a magic trick to make the whole world disappear. She has errands to run and leaves. Sonny calls Jason. He says they need to talk.

Hayden tells Monica and Tracy that nothing is settled, but they can risk a little celebration. Tracy says the board might still want to sell. She says some are concerned with the hospital’s well-being, but others are greedy bastards – to put it delicately. She says Fred Gray is leading the charge, and she thinks he’s made deals with the developers. She tells them that they don’t have time to prove wrong doing, but they need to make sure they have the necessary number of board members on their side. She tells Hayden that’s her job.

Ava asks Julian when she can expect to go home, and Julian tells her to be patient. She says another night kind of patient, or the next few years will fly by kind of patient? He says he’s left instructions with Alexis. Ava says Alexis hates her, but not as much as she hates Julian, and wants to know how Alexis will get her out. Julian says she’ll know soon, and to trust him. He says Alexis won’t know the instructions until she doesn’t hear from him, puzzling Ava.

Sonny tells Jason about talking to Robin, and that Ava isn’t Julian’s only sister. Jason says they did some digging, but she died in 1990. Sonny wonders if there’s another sister, and Jason suggests that maybe she’s not dead.

Olivia-J tells Sam that reincarnation has a particular meaning in her life. Sam flashes back to talking to Jason about Julian’s family. She asks Olivia what it means.

At Carly’s office, Bobbie talks to Felicia on the phone, and asks if she’s found out anything about Nelle. Carly comes in to get some champagne for the cabin. Since she keeps all the champagne in her office. Bobbie tells her that she was going through mail so that things didn’t get to behind, but now Carly can do it while they chat. Bobbie rests her hand on Nelle’s envelope.

Michael tells Nelle that he knows it’s none of his business, but he wouldn’t have said anything if he thought she was happy. She says she is, but he says she doesn’t seem like it. He says she plays things close to the vest, and she says it’s a defense mechanism. If you don’t give people details, they can’t use them against you; if you don’t share secrets, no one can betray you. Michael says if you keep yourself so closed off, it helps keep away those who will hurt you, but also keeps away the ones who could care about you.

Carly says the mail can wait; she has to get going. Bobbie asks about the latest Ava development. Carly says she wanted to kill Ava, and Bobbie says it does no good for her to throw her life away for that. Carly tells her that Sonny said the same thing. Bobbie says despite her objections in the past, she’s glad they’re back together. Carly tells her about the cabin, but Bobbie says the roads are impassible, so no romantic getaway.

Nelle says Michael means well, but doesn’t know her. She says not everyone is as lucky as he is. He doesn’t know where she got the idea he’s led a charmed life. He says he always had money, but he’s also been betrayed. She says he can get past it because he still has a loving family, but it won’t work out that way for her.

Jason tells Sonny that supposedly Julian killed Olivia-J (also Olivia St. John), shooting her in the back. Sonny says it’s possible she survived. Jason says if she did, there’s a good chance that she killed Morgan.

Ava asks Julian what’s going on, and Julian says it’s too dangerous; he can’t tell her. She asks who’s stopping him, and says that he seems terrified. She begs him to trust her. She might be able to help him even if she can’t help herself. She says they’ve betrayed each other and threatened to kill each other, but those experiences brought them closer. When it really matters, they stand together. Whatever danger he’s in, it affects her too. She asks what the hell is going on.

Olivia-J sneakily takes a picture of Sam in the car with her. She tells Sam that she had a defining moment when she became sober, and left her past behind. It was the epitome of reincarnation. She asks Sam if she’s ever had a defining moment.

Ava tells Julian that she’s the only family he can rely on. He says he wishes he could tell her. She says if their bond means anything, he will. He says okay, but his phone rings. It’s a text message from Olivia-J.

Sam tells Olivia-J that she’s a social drinker, but she knows she doesn’t have a problem, since she easily gave it up when she became pregnant. Olivia says she wasn’t referring specifically to drinking, but a turning point where she thought all was lost, and an opportunity presented itself. Sam asks her to pull over.

Hayden wonders how she’s supposed to convince the board members. Monica says Michael and Laura are on their side. Tracy says even if Hayden’s powers of persuasion aren’t great, they have a reasonable certainty of winning. She tells Monica to get out the bubbly. It’s almost a done deal.

Carly calls the caretaker at the cabin. She hopes Nelle doesn’t try to get off the mountain, but thinks she should be fine. She thanks Bobbie for not trashing her. Bobbie admits to being unfair.

Nelle tells Michael that when she was little, she dreamt of growing up, getting away, and finding someone to love her. But the older she got, the clearer it became that the deck was stacked against her. She made the decision that if she couldn’t have happiness, she’d settle for satisfaction, and she’ll do whatever is necessary to get it. Michael says it sounds like she’s fighting for something less than she deserves. He asks if it’s what she wants, and she says it’s all she’s going to get, and that she doesn’t deserve to be happy. Michael hugs her and says, yes, she does. Playing Michael must be the most boring acting job in the world.

Jason talks to Spinelli on the phone. He tells Sonny no luck yet, but if there’s any trace of Olivia-J on the internet, Spinelli will point them toward it. He talks about the picture of Julian as a kid that they found, and the Chinese characters. Sonny wonders if they’re false leads, and if Jason isn’t seeing what’s in front of him. Maybe it is Ava.

Olivia-J sends Julian the picture of her and Sam in the car. Ava wonders what he’s looking at, but he says he can’t tell her.

Sam tells Olivia-J that she has to go to the bathroom. Olivia suggests going to a gas station, but Sam says she has a friend who lives just over the footbridge. Olivia says she can’t let her do that.

Tracy, Hayden, and Monica toast to the hospital.  Hayden is going to call Finn with the good news. Tracy says to tell her backgammon partner that she scored the biggest win of all. Monica says they all did.

Jason tells Sonny that they need to make the right person pay. Carly walks in. She tells Jason that she heard he doesn’t think Ava planted the bomb. Jason tells her that he wants to be sure before moving on anything; he wants to do some digging, but they’ll be the first to know if he finds anything. After he’s gone, Sonny tells Carly not to keep him in suspense, but she says the surprise has been canceled.

Olivia-J tells Sam that she’ll drive her to the house. Sam says the roads aren’t paved, and if no one is home, she knows where the key is. Sam gets out of the car, and starts walking across the bridge. She begins to call Jason and drops phone. Olivia kicks it, saying that Sam must think she’s stupid and underestimates her, as many have. She says they might as well drop the pretense.

Monica says it’s a good end to lousy day, and she’s going home. Tracy says she’s glad she thought of the solution, and Monica says she didn’t. Hayden tells Tracy that Finn isn’t answering and when she called the hotel, he’d canceled his reservation.

Nelle tells Michael that she’s done awful things. He says he’ll still be there. She says she almost believes it, and he tells her that she should, since he’s a terrible liar. He says that he’s a Corrinthos, Quartermaine, and Spencer, which makes him arrogant and determined, with a tendency to gloat. Nelle says she thinks she’s ready for a new path.  He asks if he’s on that new path.

Bobbie tells Felicia that she almost got caught, and ask if she’s found out anything about Nelle. She says, oh God no, and that’s what she was afraid of.

Sonny asks what the surprise was going to be, and Carly tells him about the cabin. She says they can’t go, since there’s a blizzard. Sonny tells her that they don’t have to leave to block out the world. They have champagne, a fireplace, and each other. They kiss.

Julian tells Ava that he’s sorry. Ava says he was about to talk, gets a mysterious text, and clams up. He says in time he’ll explain. She says she doesn’t know why she thought he’d help, since he’s the reason she’s in there. She’s done with him playing games with her life. She tells him that she should have let him go to prison, and he’s dead to her. He says she has no idea.

Sam says Olivia-J is freaking her out, and to give phone back. She says if Olivia won’t give it to her, to give it to Alexis the next time she sees her. Sam starts to walk across the bridge, and Olivia draws a gun. She says Sam has figured out who she is, and no one else can know.

Tomorrow, Anna asks Valentin to tell her what she doesn’t remember, Gray tells Julian that complications have come up, and Hayden wonders why Finn is still taking the drug.

🌟 Still loving Star, although it’s the kind of show that breeds kids who can’t carry a tune in a bushel basket, yet audition for American Idol. You know the ones I mean. The ones who claim that music is “their whole life” and their parents have told them that they sing like Mariah Carey. And then they open their mouths to sing. Jahil’s (Benjamin Bratt) latest vocal find is a girl he saved from white slavery about five minutes ago, who can suddenly shake, rattle and roll better than J-Lo — and also suddenly speaks perfect English. Although I have to admit, I’m obsessed with the distressed knee-high boots she was wearing. This week, there was also an excellent musical fantasy jailhouse sequence that included Queen Latifah, who is too fabulous for words. The minor characters are exceptional as well. Besides my fondness for Miss Lawrence (who knew he had such lovely acting chops?), one of my favorites is Maggie (Helena Kallianiotes, who was in one of my favorite movies of all time, Kansas City Bomber – 1972), who rules the local strip club like an aging Elizabeth Taylor.

I’m surprised I don’t hear more about this series, or that it hasn’t been slammed for being inappropriate in some way, either by the overprotective or the ultra-PC. Like a favorite dog breed or design of jeans, it’s become a double- edged sword.  I want more people to like it so that it sticks around, but I don’t want it to become so popular that it implodes.

🎭 Another newbie that’s growing on me, with only three episodes under its belt, is Imposters on Bravo. The plot centers around a group of con-artists, at the middle of which is Maddie (Inbar Lavi), who marries rich men, or women, and absconds with their fortunes. While there are a couple of familiar faces (like Brian Benben and Mary Kay Place), most of the cast is relatively fresh. Uma Thurman has just made an appearance, and I can’t wait to see what she stirs up. Maddie is also developing feelings for a man she met on the way to a mark, which doesn’t make her boss too happy. It airs Tuesdays at 10 pm, so it’s a nice break for me between The Haves and the Have Nots, and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Bravo is doing well with its scripted shows. There’s an astounding amount of great television now – especially for those of us who remember having only four channels and a sign-off at one am – but the cable is still too damn high.

🍳 BTW, I can’t bring myself to watch My Kitchen Rules, even though I want to. Because, Brandi Glanville. What happened to the show with Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg? Is that gone already? I thought it was a brilliant idea.

🌺 Southern Charm returns on Monday, April 3, 9 pm. I was just thinking about that show, and wondering if it was coming back during my workout. There’s a triceps exercise that always reminds me of Thomas “raising the roof” in his election ad.

🏛 The Real Housewives of Potomac also makes a comeback on Sunday, April 2, 9 pm. So much to look forward to! Kind of sad that I just said that.