Tag Archives: Steve Burton

November 23, 2021 – The Excavation Team Looks For Jason, Hospital Exit, Remembering OLTL, NYC Woman, Bad Behavior, All About the Parade & Macy’s

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sasha tells Dr. Navarro, their son is in an incubator and can’t be moved, right? Which means they have to go to him. She asks Brando to get her a wheelchair, and he says, she can’t even sit up right now. She says she’ll do whatever it takes to be with her son, but Dr. Navarro says, that’s not the problem. In her post-operative condition, she can’t visit the NICU right now. She needs time to heal first. Sasha says her baby needs his mother, but the doctor says, he needs his mother to be healthy and whole for what’s to come.

Gladys asks Maxie if that’s Sasha’s room, and Maxie says, Brando is with her, and they’re talking to Sasha’s doctor. Gladys stands outside the door, and Dr. Navarro says she knows it’s hard, but she strongly advises Sasha to use this time to rest. Gather her strength, so when she’s cleared to visit her son, she’ll be prepared. Brando says, prepared for what exactly?

Carly runs into the hospital and finds Sonny. She thanks him for calling her, and asks how Sasha and the baby are. He says, Sasha is out of surgery, and recovering in the ICU, and Carly says she doesn’t understand. Last she heard, everything was fine. How did he hear Sasha and the baby were rushed into surgery?

At the reception desk, Epiphany tells Valentin that the doctor wants him to spend one more night for observation, but he says he’s going to take care of himself; effective immediately. She says, that would be an ill-advised decision, but it’s his choice. He’s going to have to sign a form saying he’s leaving against medical advice. He tells her to give him the form, and she says, fine. Wait here. He asks her not to take too long, and she gives him a look. Nina comes along, and gives Valentin a hug. She asks why he’s leaving, and he says he has to move out of the Quartermaine mansion, and find the strength to say goodbye to his daughter one last time.

As they walk in, Chase asks if Brook doesn’t think it’s a little sacrilegious to hatch a plot in a chapel, and she says, a non-denominational chapel. He asks what that means, and she says they need place to talk away from Valentin. He says he’s listening, and she says, enough of his self-assured, nothing bothers you attitude. Does he have any idea what he’s gotten himself into, pretending to be Bailey’s father? If the truth is found out, he’ll have two enemies – Valentin and Peter.

Anna asks if she can call Maxie back; she’s in the middle of something. Maxie says, Peter just called her. He promised he was going to see her soon. Anna says, they have Peter in custody, and Maxie asks if she’s sure he’s in custody. Anna says, he’s in handcuffs, and waiting to be transferred back to Port Charles to stand trial. Maxie asks if Anna is saying it’s really over, but Anna says, it’s not over yet.

Obrecht examines Drew, and Britt says, let her know when she’s done. She wants to make sure Obrecht’s stitches didn’t open up when she fell in the tunnel. Obrecht says, she’s fine, but Britt is going to have to recite the alphabet backward to make sure she doesn’t have a concussion. Britt says, Z, Y, X, W, V. Is that enough? Obrecht says, for now, and asks if Drew has any other injuries he needs to tell her about. He says, just what she saw. The last time she examined him was when Peter wanted to make sure he was in tip-top shape to kidnap Maxie. She says, thankfully, that plan never materialized, and Britt says, Maxie’s safe, but at what cost to Jason?

Maxie asks, what about Liesl and Britt? Has Anna seen them? Anna says she’s with them now; they’re fine. Maxie says, thank God. She knew Jason wouldn’t let anything happen to them. She thanks Anna for bringing Peter to justice, and Anna says she owed it to Maxie; it’s long overdue. Maxie asks her to thank Jason and Britt for her too, and asks when they’re coming home. Anna says, the situation is quite fluid right now. She’ll be able to have a longer conversation when she gets back. All she wanted was to keep Maxie safe. Maxie hangs up, and sees a text from Brook, saying, must talk. 911. Where are you?

Nina tells Valentin that she doesn’t understand. Is he sending Charlotte to boarding school? He says, not Charlotte, and she asks, what’s going on with Bailey? He says, she’s not his, and Nina asks, what makes him say that? He says, Brook lied to him, and she says, he must be devastated. He says, Brook used Bailey as a bargaining chip to get her ELQ shares back. It was nothing more than an elaborate ruse to get back in her father’s good graces. Nina says, Brook actually said that? and he tells her, she said a lot of things, but it was about ELQ, plain and simple.

Brook asks if Chase has any idea what he signed up for, and he says he wasn’t thinking long term; he was thinking on the fly. She says, until they know Peter’s not a threat anymore, he’s going to have to continue with the fly. He’s going to have to tell everyone. Is he ready to tell his parents that they’re going to be grandparents again? He’s going to have to tell Finn, and how about Willow? It’s not the first time he’s had to tell a lie for the greater good. He says, and the lie worked. It kept Nelle from getting custody of Wiley. She asks if he’s ready to tempt fate again, when her phone dings. She says, Maxie is freaking out about something. She wouldn’t blame Chase if he didn’t want to take this charade any further. Maybe they should go back to Valentin, tell him the truth, and beg for his help. Then Chase wouldn’t have to be part of the charade, and get in any deeper.

Nina asks if Valentin is sure it’s about ELQ; maybe there’s another reason. He says, like what? and she suggests giving Brook the benefit of the doubt. Even his biggest detractors have to admit he’s an amazing father to Charlotte. Maybe the biological father isn’t a good guy. Could that be the reason Brook lied to him? He says, no, because Chase is the real father. Chase told him, and Brook confirmed it.

Carly tells Sonny, if there’s a problem with Sasha and the baby, Brando must be losing his mind. Sonny is the only family Brando has in town besides Gladys, so of course (🍷) Brando reached out to him. Maxie walks past, and Sonny asks, what’s the latest? Carly asks if the baby is okay, and Maxie says, which baby? Carly says, Sasha and Brando’s baby, and Maxie says, of course (🍷). She’s sorry; she has a lot going on. Sasha had a baby boy, and needed an emergency C-section. She’s fine, but the baby is in the NICU. Her phone dings, and she says she’s sorry. That’s all she knows. She walks the other way, and Sonny wonders if it’s just him, or was Maxie all over the place? Carly is sure all this reminded Maxie of the trauma surrounding Louise’s birth. He says it reminds him of what they went through with Donna, and she says, she’ll never forget, but like Sasha, she had one advantage Maxie doesn’t. He asks, what’s that? and she says, a loving, supportive partner by her side.

Elizabeth tells Gladys that she can go in; she knows Gladys is family. Gladys thanks her, but says she doesn’t want to intrude. The doctor sounds so serious. That’s never good, right? Elizabeth goes in, and Brando asks if she’s seen their baby. Sasha asks, how is he? and Elizabeth says, he’s currently in an incubated on a ventilator to assist with breathing. He also has an umbilical line to administer steroids and antibiotics. Brando says, that’s standard procedure in the NICU, right? Because babies are born with under developed lungs all the time. Dr. Navarro says, in this case, it’s not a question of lung capacity. During the placental disruption, their son was deprived of oxygen, and in some babies, that can result in <insert medical term here>, a condition that, depending on the severity, causes disabilities, brain damage, and in some cases, death. Elizabeth says, those are worst case scenarios; they don’t have all the answers. Dr. Navarro says, Dr. Fleming and the wonderful team in the NICU have started a very advanced treatment called hypothermic therapy, which calms the baby down, and has been shown to give the brain an opportunity to slow brain cell damage. Sasha cries, and Elizabeth says, they need to think positively. Sasha asks how she can think anything positive when her baby is hurting, and it’s all her fault?

Sasha says she must have missed a sign, or ignored a symptom, but Dr. Navarro says she’s not to blame. There’s nothing Sasha could have done to prevent what happened. Her placenta separated from her uterus, a completely involuntary medical condition. Sasha says she felt a twinge or something. She definitely knew she wasn’t comfortable, and didn’t reach out to the doctor. Brando tells her to listen to Dr. Navarro. She didn’t know this was going to happen. He’s not going to let her blame herself. Elizabeth says, and most discomfort during pregnancy is harmless. The doctor says Elizabeth is correct. It’s possible what Sasha felt had nothing to do with the abruption. They need to focus on the next steps, when the hypothermia treatment concludes. Brando asks how long it takes, and she says, it can take up to 72 hours. Once it’s done, Dr. Fleming will order an EEG to determine brain function. Brando can visit the NICU now, and if Sasha is strong enough in the morning, she can be wheeled down to see her son. She’ll check in on Sasha later. She leaves, and Elizabeth asks Sasha to listen to her. She knows as moms it’s easy for them to blame themselves, but Sasha  did everything right. She went to her doctor’s appointments, she had bloodwork done, she went on bedrest when she was told to. No one has a crystal ball. Sasha says, so all they can do now is wait? and Brando says, wait, and pray.

Anna says, the excavation team has landed, and they’re headed to the tunnels. Drew says he wants to help, and Britt says, her too, but Anna says, it’s too crowded and dangerous for them to go down there. This is a highly trained team, and they’re equipped with the latest technology. The best thing they can do for Jason is stay out of their way. There’s going to be a formal debriefing with the WSB, but before that happens, she needs to know what the hell went on down in those tunnels. Obrecht says, Peter activated Drew, and when Jason and Drew were fighting, Peter dragged her and Britt into those unstable tunnels, and then got lost. Anna says, by activated, she means conditioning? and Drew says, Peter used Faison’s old shortcut. Anna asks what he had Drew do, but Drew has no idea. The first time was in Crete, and he came to in his cell, grazed by a bullet and bleeding. Anna thinks he sustained the injury during the assassination attempt, and he asks how she knows. She says, she was the target.

Maxie walks into the chapel, and says, please tell her Gladys… She stops, and says, Chase. If he doesn’t mind, she’d like to speak to Brook in private. Brook says, if it’s about Bailey, anything Maxie has to share with her, she can say in front of Chase. He knows everything.

Nina says, Brook told Valentin that Chase was Bailey’s biological father? and he says, yes. She says she’s so sorry; she knows how painful it is. He says he knows she does, because she knows what it’s like to love someone like a daughter, and find out she was deceived, because he did that to her. Call it karma or poetic justice, but what he inflicted on her, Brook inflicted on him. She has every right to gloat.

Sonny says he’s happy that Donna has so much strength and is so healthy, and Carly says, they’re so lucky. She prays the same for Brando and Sasha; that whatever comes their way, they can weather it together as a team. Sonny says, they did it, and she says, they did. She knows it’s a weird time, but they didn’t get to finish their conversation earlier about Nina, and there’s something she needs to say.

Sasha says, she knows she and Brando haven’t taken the most conventional route as a couple, and there’s still so much they don’t know about each other, but he never struck her as the praying type. He says he guesses he’s old enough to admit there are things in the universe he doesn’t understand. Is there God? He doesn’t know, but he’s seen a rainbow after a storm. He’s seen some pretty awesome sunrises and sunsets. In Iraq, in the war, he saw some pretty awful things, but he also saw some of the most profound acts of human kindness. All this is a long way to say he doesn’t know what he believes, but he’ll consider anything that gets them a happy ending with their son. She says, her too. Does he think it’s possible? He says, an hour ago, he didn’t know if she and their son were going to make it. He never prayed like that, even in the war. Now she’s out of danger, and their son is alive. She tells him, people always say babies are resilient, and he says, Maxie was just telling him that James was born on the side of the road, and he’s fine now. Babies can have shaky starts and still grow into healthy strong kids. Their kid has their genes. She says, which makes him a fighter, and he says, damn right. She says, faith is not her strong suit. What if it’s not enough? He says, they have each other, and their son has them, not to mention some of the best medical care there is. Whatever the EEG tells them, he’ll be cherished and loved. If he needs a little help, they’ll provide that. There’s not a thing they can’t see him through. She says, what about what he needs right now? Being stuck in this bed, she can’t help feel… She cries, and he says, it’s okay. They’re in the same boat. They’re both first time parents, and their son is in trouble. Talk to him. She says she feels like she’s already a failure as a mother.

Nina says, when she found out Valentin hired Sasha to pretend to be her daughter, she was devastated. She was so angry and hurt, but she woudn’t wish that pain on anyone. She’s certainly not enjoying watching him lose his daughter. He says, because she’s a good person, but she says she’s done some things lately that make her question that. She does know one thing; when you’re driven by love, you’re pretty much capable of anything.

Carly says, she and Sonny have to resolve the issue of Nina. He referred to Nina as his friend, and she can’t tell him how bad it hurt her. He tells her that he didn’t exactly say that, and they sit down. She says she knows he was talking about his days in Nixon Falls when he was Mike. She wants him to know that she understands he had a life there, and it felt like home. He says, when he got his memory back, coming back there, they were his home; her, his kids, and his grandkids. She says she doesn’t want him to feel like he has to defend life he didn’t choose, but he has to understand she has a big problem with Nina, and what she did to him. She doesn’t want that to come across as her not trusting him. She has 100% faith that he’ll always do what’s best for their family. So as hard as it may be, if he feels what’s best for their family moving forward is for her to lay off Nina, she promises to do her best to try and respect that. He says, try? and she says, it’s her. He can’t expect miracles here. He says he knows it’s not easy. This whole thing… he just… He doesn’t want to talk about this anymore or fight about it. Can they not do that? She says she feels same way. She suggests they go find Sasha’s room, and see if there’s anything they can do for Sasha and Brando.

Maxie says, in this situation, Brook is going to need to define what everything is, and Chase says he knows Bailey isn’t Valentin’s daughter, or even Brook’s. She’s Maxie’s, and Maxie and Brook cooked up this plan to hide her in plain sight to protect her from her actual father, Peter August. Maxie says, sounds like everything, and Brook says, don’t look at her; she didn’t tell him anything. He figured it out on his own, and it’s a good thing. After Gladys came to tell Valentin she was deceiving him, she almost confessed everything. Thankfully, Chase walked in, and said he was the father. Chase says, the timing works. Brook was bunking with him around the time she supposedly got pregnant. Maxie says she needs a second to process this, and sits. She asks how Valentin took the news, and Brook says, how does she think he took it? He’s a wreck. He’s really angry at her for lying to him. Poor guy. Maxie says she knows how much love he has for her baby. Do they think he believed Chase is the baby’s father? Chase says, he seemed to. Chase even acted mad at Brook for lying to him. Maxie says, okay, good. Because now that Peter is coming back to Port Charles, they can’t take any chances. She called Anna, and she said Peter had been apprehended in Greece, and they were extraditing him to Port Charles. Chase says, then their problems are solved. With Peter in custody, Maxie can reveal Bailey is really Louise, and take her daughter back. Maxie says, as much as she wants that to happen, they can’t tell the truth about Bailey anytime soon.

Sonny and Carly see Gladys, and Sonny says, congratulations are in order. She’s a grandmother now. She says she hasn’t been able to see baby. She’s sure he’s beautiful; how could he not be? Carly asks if everything is okay. Did something happen to Sasha or the baby? Gladys says, Sasha is recuperating, but her grandson might not recover.

Valentin says, he wanted to protect what he and Nina had so much, that he ended up hurting her very, very badly. He doesn’t think he understood how much it hurt her to lose Sasha until now. And here she is, giving him a sympathetic ear. She’s just amazing. She says she doesn’t know about that. It’s easy to absolve someone when you realize you need absolution yourself. Maybe one day he’ll find it in his heart to forgive Brook’s deception about Bailey, the way her heart has forgiven him.

Maxie says, even though Peter is in custody, he doesn’t sound scared. He promised he’d be seeing her really soon. So she and her daughter are nowhere near safe. Chase says, she told them Peter is in WSB custody. He’s going to face charges in court. Maxie says, Peter has proved over and over again that he always eludes justice, but Brook says, try finding a jury in the state of New York that wouldn’t convict him. Maxie says, there’s one thing she’s learned from this nightmare, and that’s don’t count Peter out. Until he’s exhausted every legal challenge, and is in prison for life, she’s not comfortable revealing the truth about Bailey. Brook says, understood. What does she need from them? Maxie says, right now, she needs them both to be her daughter’s parents.

Britt suggests Obrecht call Scotty. She knows how badly he’d like to hear her voice, and know she’s coming home. Obrecht says, she will, but first, she wants Britt to tell her how she is. Britt says she’s fine, but Obrecht says she doesn’t have to put up a front for her; the stress must be affecting her. Britt lowers her voice, and says, if Obrecht is talking about Huntington’s, there’s no evidence that trauma causes early onset. Obrecht says she not talking about Britt’s physical condition. Not knowing whether Jason is dead or alive must be taking a toll on her emotions. Brit cries, and says, Jason was only there because she asked him for help. If he dies, how does she live with that?

Gladys tells Sonny, the door to Sasha’s room was open enough for her to hear what the doctor told them. She wants to be supportive to them, but they might think she’s overstepping; she knows she tends to do that. Sonny says, at least Gladys is here, and she’s thinking about them. Gladys says he doesn’t need to be so kind, given… everything. He says, hey, family’s family.

Brando says, Sasha didn’t fail their son. She took better care of herself than any mother. She bought books to read to him, put good things into her belly. The nursery she created, it’s so warm and cozy; it’s a child’s wonderland. She was a wonderful mother before their son was even born. She says she feels so helpless. She wants to hold their son so badly. She wants him to know his mother is there for him. She wants to protect him and comfort him. That’s her job. He says, that’s their job, and she asks if he’ll do something for her. He says, anything, and she says, go see their son. He says he wants to see their son, but he doesn’t want to leave her alone. He can text Maxie or Lucy… She says she’ll be fine, but their son needs at least one of his parents to be with him right now. The best thing he can do for her do right now is to do what she can’t. Go tell their son that she loves him.

Valentin thanks Nina for forgiving him. He was so caught up in his own stuff, he hasn’t seen her since she came back. Is she okay? She says, she’s good. She’s fortunate her return to Port Charles wasn’t met with a group of people carrying pitchforks. He says he can’t imagine her doing anything to deserve that. If she ever wants to talk about it… She thanks him, and says she might take him up on that, but tonight is about Sasha. She went into labor, had complications, and needed to have surgery, and that’s all she knows. He says, my God. He made this all about him. Go be with Sasha. He tells her that she set an example, taking the high road, and she says, he can do the same with Brook. At least she hopes he’ll try. She leaves, and Epiphany slams a clipboard on the desk next to Valentin, saying, was that fast enough for him? She keeps walking.

Brook says they have to decide how to break the news to everyone, and Chase says, he should probably act mad at her for a while. She asks if that’s really necessary, and he says, if she kept his baby a secret from him in reality, he’d be furious. She says, so he still has to be a liar in this scenario? and he says, in all fairness, she faked the pregnancy. She says, that’s true. So they’ll go with Valentin’s theory that she always knew Chase was the father, and pretended Valentin was the father to get back the ELQ stock. Maxie says, people will believe that, and Brook says she knows. Maxie says, please know she’s grateful to the both of them. It means everything to her to know she has at least some control over her child’s well-being, especially in light of everything going on with Sasha. Chase asks, what happened with Sasha? and Maxie says, she went into labor, but there were some complications. Chase says, she was so excited the last time he saw her, and asks if she’s okay. Maxie says, Sasha made it through the surgery, but she’s waiting for an update. Brook suggests they keep everything in perspective, and says, the most important thing is to keep Bailey safe from Peter. They can do this. Chase says, they can and they will.

Gladys sees Brando, and runs to him, saying, she was so worried. She hugs him, and Sonny asks how he’s holding up. Brando says, kind of numb actually. Sasha thought it was important that he see their son. He’s downstairs in the NICU. Gladys says she’ll go with him, and Carly asks, when was the last time Brando had something to eat or drink? He says he doesn’t know, and Carly says, then she’ll go to the cafeteria and get him something. She asks Gladys to come with her, since she knows all of Brando’s favorite things, and takes Gladys’s arm. Gladys says, he has to keep up his strength, and Carly tells Brando that she’s sending all of her love to his baby. Gladys lets Carly lead her away, and Sonny asks how Brando is feeling; talk to him. Brando says he’s scared, and Sonny says he wouldn’t be a father if he weren’t. He just has to get past all that. He’s got a brand new son coming into the world, who’s going to need his father and his love. Brando says, what if he doesn’t know what to do? and Sonny says, that’s just fear talking. When he sees that little boy, it will take care of everything. They hug, and Sonny says, got it? Brando says, yeah, and leaves. The elevator opens, and Nina goes to the reception desk. She tells Elizabeth, she’s there about Sasha Gilmore. She knows Sasha gave birth, and needed surgery. Are there any updates? Elizabeth says, Nina knows she can’t give out confidential patient information, but Sasha is recovering in the ICU. Nina says, it’s that bad? How is Sasha? What about the baby? Can Sasha have visitors? Elizabeth says, only family right now, and Nina says, she and Sasha were family once. Please? Elizabeth says she’ll see what she can do.

Brando goes to the NICU, and Epiphany tells him to get dressed so he can meet his son.

Elizabeth asks how Sasha is doing, and if she’s in any pain. Sasha says, nothing physical. She supposes that’s because of the painkillers. Elizabeth says, if Sasha ever wants to talk mom to mom, she’s just one call button away. Sasha thanks her, and says, Elizabeth has been so kind to her. Elizabeth asks if she’s up for a visitor. She’s not family, but wants to see Sasha, and Elizabeth can look the other way. Nina stands in the doorway.

Epiphany tells Brando, she’s there to help. Does he have any questions? He asks if the baby is in any pain, but she says, no; he’s sedated. He asks if it will hurt if he touches the baby, but she says, it won’t hurt; go ahead and touch him. Talk to him. Let the baby know he’s there. If he’s been talking to Sasha’s stomach, the baby is already familiar with his voice. He goes to the incubator, and says, hello, son. I’m your dad. I’m here now.

Outside, Anna tells the excavation guy, run another scan. She goes back in, and Britt asks if the excavation team found Jason. Anna says, they penetrated the tunnel, using radar based technology, to search for a heartbeat. Drew asks what they found, and Anna says, there was no signal. Nothing. Obrecht says, maybe the equipment was faulty, but Anna says, they have both audio and video devices. She’s really sorry, but there’s no sign of life in the tunnel where they last saw Jason. Britt looks out the window.

Maxie says, now that they’ve agreed on the best way to move forward, she’s going to see if she can get an update on Sasha. Chase says, keep them posted, please, and Maxie says, of course (🍷). She leaves, and Brook says, well, baby daddy, she thinks it’s time they told her family. He says, have fun with that, and she says, if he thinks she’s telling the Quartermaine clan herself, he has another thing coming. She can promise him one thing. It will be a helluva Thanksgiving.

Valentin asks if Maxie’s heard the news, and she says, about Peter’s capture? He says he figured Anna would reach out to her first, and she says, actually, Peter beat her to it. He used his one phone call on her, and promised he would see her real soon. He says he hopes she knows Anna would never let that happen, and she says she wishes she could wake up from this nightmare unafraid, but Peter’s pretty relentless. So far, he keeps evading justice. Valentin says, those days are over. Now Peter will pay the price for his actions. Maybe he’ll divulge some information on the fake nurse Chloe that will lead them to Louise. Whatever he can do to help, he’ll do. He knows now there is no greater pain than having a child ripped away from you.

Carly asks if Gladys and Sonny want to see if Sasha’s ready for visitors, but Sonny suggests they sit for a second. Elizabeth said it’s going to be a little more time, and Sasha’s going to get some rest. Why doesn’t Carly give Gladys some pointers on how to be a grandmother? His grandson Wiley adores Carly, just like Gladys’s grandson is going to adore her. He’s going to think she’s irreplaceable.

Sasha tells Nina, she doesn’t know if it’s in her head, but she keeps hearing babies crying. How will she know his cry? Nina holds Sasha while she cries.

Brando tells the baby that he has a message from his mom. He opens the hatch, and touches the baby. He says, she already loves him more than anything. So does he.

Tomorrow, TJ asks why Marshall is there now, Olivia tells Austin that she doesn’t want to waste more time, and Ned asks if Brook is going to tell him who the father is.

⚾️ Another One Out…

Looks like Jason might be staying under that rubble for a while.

https://people.com/tv/steve-burton-out-at-general-hospital-after-refusing-to-comply-with-covid-vaccine-mandate/

🎬 End Of Life…

I recall the end of OLTL too. <SOB!> Even though their characters changed on GH, Kristen Alderson’s final scene with Roger Howarth was made all the more poignant because they really were saying goodbye after a long working relationship.

🗽 Roxy Rocks NYC…

I met her years ago. She was funny and very down-to-earth. This is exactly how I would have pictured her home.

Tripping…

I don’t know if it’s going to be an ongoing thing, but Bravo showed the premiere episode at 8 pm tonight (Tuesday). Since that’s a bad time for me, I didn’t see much of it, but there was drama already. I don’t know why anyone should be surprised that Ramona acted like a brat. She’s been like that since forever.

🦃 That Time Again…

Everything you need to know about this year’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

https://www.macys.com/social/parade/

🌜 Wynken, Blynken, And Nodden Out…

Tomorrow, it’s a dose of soap and the horror show that is Winter House, which looks like it’s drawing to a close. It’s a short TV week for the usual, since GH will be airing a rerun on Thanksgiving – the February 5th episode – why, when they have a wealth of Quartermaine emergency pizzas? – and on Friday, it’s football. But no matter what’s on your viewing schedule, stay safe, stay aware that words hold power, and stay knowing that, although there are some pretty awful things in the world, there are also profound acts of human kindness.

October 1, 2020 – Surprise! The Friends Head To Homecoming, Harika, RHONY Memory Lane, New Icon, a Promo, a Promise, an Accusation, She Was Pushed, a Sequel, Halloween Viewing, So It Starts & Amy Sings

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Well, this was a surprise. Both the soap sites and the digital guide claimed MLB would be on today. The iffy day was Friday. Ten minutes after 3, I said to myself, I should check, and GH was on. So I missed that ten minutes, but here are the takeaway points. Brando brought Dev to Jax’s for the pre-homecoming thing. Before Brando went inside, Cyrus called him, and said some of his men went rogue, and were the ones who beat Brando up. Nice try. Cyrus wanted to make it up to Brando, by getting him some new shop equipment, but Brando said no. Cyrus wanted Brando on his team (even mobsters use Zoomspeak now), and when Brando asked, which one? Cyrus said they’d talk, and went into Charlie’s. Sam was following Jason, who was following Cyrus. In the bar, Cyrus told Julian that if he needed help, just ask for it. Nina called Ava, who was at Windymere, wondering what was going on with the blackmailer thing. Ava acted like it was all good, but said she didn’t want to talk about it right then, and didn’t want to give Nikolas any ammunition. That’s about all you need to know. Here’s where I came in…

Nikolas goes through the mail, and pulls something out. Ava asks if something is wrong, and he asks how she could do this behind his back.

Jason and Sam look peek in the window at Charlie’s, and see Julian with Cyrus. Sam wonders why Cyrus is there, and Jason tells her that Julian had dabbled in drug trafficking long ago. Maybe Cyrus is trying to recruit him. Sam says, there’s one way to find out.  

At Jax’s place, Carly takes a ton of pictures of the kids, who are ready for homecoming. She says Sonny is going to love them. Jax asks how Carly is feeling, now that she knows Nelle was found. She says she’s relieved. She hated keeping it from Sonny, but she did it because of Mike. She’s not sure now was the time to tell Sonny, because Mike’s passing is so recent, but Jason made her realize she was robbing Sonny of the chance to be able to support her. They’ve had too many secrets between them. Jax says he hates keeping a secret from Nina; the last thing she needs is another Valentin. But if it comes out that he helped cover it up, he doesn’t want Nina being pulled in as an accessory. Carly says, that won’t happen; there’s no evidence to be found. He says Nina couldn’t help being sympathetic to Nelle, at least on the level of being a mom who wanted to be with her child. Nelle’s death hit her hard. Portia overhears, and asks how Nelle died. Carly says, her body was found on the Pennsylvania side of the river (🍷), but no cause death has been determined yet. Elizabeth says she’s glad they found Nelle. Everyone will have closure, including Wiley. Now Carly doesn’t have to look over her shoulder. Josslyn asks what they’re talking about, and Carly says, how beautiful she looks. Jax says homecoming is going to start soon, but Josslyn says he knows they can’t be the first ones there.  

Cameron asks how Trina is feeling. She asks if he means about going to the dance, since the last time, they were kidnapped and her dad was killed. He says, sorry. Sometimes he should just shut up. She says, sometimes he should, but not this time. It’s hard, but the only thing she needs to feel safe is him. Dev hears them, and tells Josslyn that she looks… some word that sounds like eureka. He says, too bad Mike isn’t there to see her. She says she’s hoping he can. She hopes Mike is looking down, and telling her to have fun. He says he didn’t mean to bring it up, but she says she’s glad to hear about Mike. She goes to join the others, and he looks after her longingly.

Ava tells Nikolas that she can explain, and he says, $10,000 for sheets and bedding? She says she has sensitive skin. Besides, they can afford it. He says not if she keeps throwing his money away on pointless extravagances. She says she expected a certain lifestyle when she moved there. He says cotton sheets were fine in Sonny’s cabin. She could have been sleeping on straw. She asks what that’s supposed to mean, and he says when they were having sex, the thread count was the last thing on her mind. She tells him, says you, and he says sex wasn’t part of the contract. She says she hasn’t forgotten that; she just hasn’t given it much thought. He asks if she regrets sleeping with him.

Sam and Jason go into Charlie’s, and Cyrus says, a pleasure, as always. Sam asks to talk to Julian privately, and Cyrus says, of course (🍷). He says he was sorry to hear about Mike. Family is precious. It’s terrible to lose someone you love.

Julian asks Sam to what he owes the pleasure, and she says she’ll cut to the chase. What’s the deal with Cyrus? He knows Cyrus is a drug trafficker and murderer. She doesn’t believe he just came in for a beer. He says, even kingpins get thirsty. He tells her, Cyrus expressed interest in buying Charlie’s, but he turned Cyrus down. Sam asks why Cyrus is still there, and he says hell if he knows. He’s in no position to turn away business, and doesn’t appreciate the sudden interest. He has to wonder why she’s wasting her time interrogating him, when she should be focusing on her mother. Cyrus tells Jason, his deepest sympathies about the ordeal everyone has gone through, especially Sonny. He must have been torn between his professional demands and his father’s last days. Did his business suffer? Cyrus answers his own question, saying, of course (🍷) not. Jason has Sonny’s back, but there has been trouble, hasn’t there? Jason says he doesn’t know what Cyrus is talking about, and Cyrus says he’s referring to the vicious attack on Brando. It was lucky Jason arrived before Brando was seriously hurt. Jason says Brando insists he can take care of himself, which is fine by him. Cyrus asks if Brando hasn’t been taken under the Corinthos wing.

Brando says he saw Dev talking to Josslyn. He’s no expert, but it looked like there was a connection. Dev asks if Brando really thinks so, and Brando tells him, relax and be himself. He’s got a big night ahead.   

Portia wonders if she’s doing the right thing, letting Trina go, and Elizabeth says she’s not going to lie. She’s spent some sleepless nights over it, but she thinks they’re ready. Portia says they are ready, but at least she and Elizabeth are chaperones; chaperones with benefits. Carly tells the kids that Tony is ready with the car, and Jax says, no drinking. Josslyn says she learned her lesson last time, and Cameron says he did too. Carly says, no leaving the dance without Tony, and Jax says, the same rule applies after the dance. Wherever they go to eat, Tony will be watching from a discreet distance. Josslyn suggests they include Tony in the photos, since he’s part of the night. Carly says she told Sonny that she’s going to capture every moment, but Josslyn says he hardly needs more photos. Carly says she doesn’t think so. She tells them to smile, and show how happy they are. The kids pose as she takes more pictures.

Ava asks if Nikolas regrets sleeping together, but he says he asked her first.  She says Nina thinks she’s crazy, and he says, she told Nina? Ava says, they’re friends now, and he says, if what they did was so unimportant, why confide in Nina? She says, unlike him, she happens to have friends who care about her life. He says he’s not surprised Nina thought she was crazy, bringing sex into an arranged marriage from hell. She says as she recalls, there were two of them, and he didn’t object. He says, point taken, and she asks what they do now. He says, go back to the way things were, and she says, just forget they ever had sex? Nikolas smiles.

Julian says he heard Alexis was with Neil when he died from an OD, yet Sam is focusing on him being at the pub with Cyrus. Sam says she thinks he’s up to no good. If he had anything to do with Nelle’s death, it will mean war with Sonny. He says she’s worried Jason would get caught in the crossfire. It’s a valid concern. The best way to take Sonny out would be to take Jason out first. She asks if he’s speaking about Cyrus, or his own experience. He says it’s not his battle. He’s washing his hands of any blood Sonny wants. He’s got his own problems. He excuses himself, and walks away.

Cyrus tells Jason, it sounds like Sonny and his cousin aren’t getting along, and Jason says he can think what he wants. Cyrus says he heard about Dr. Bern… Mr. Bern. He lost his license, then he died from a drug overdose. It’s a terrible shame. Sam says they were all shocked that Neil was using hard drugs. Cyrus wouldn’t happen to know where Neil would have gotten those, would he?

At The Haunted Star, Trina says Portia and Elizabeth aren’t walking in with them, are they? Portia tells her to go in; she and Elizabeth have some catching up to do. They won’t be long. On the way in, Cameron asks how Trina is holding up? She says she’s smiling, right? and he follows her in. Portia tells Elizabeth, it’s taking every ounce of restraint in her being to let Trina out of her sight. Elizabeth is glad she’s not the only one, and Portia suggests they talk about something other than the kids. Elizabeth says she did want talk someone; Britt. Portia says she’s so sorry Elizabeth’s hours were cut, but Elizabeth says she doesn’t have to apologize. Portia says she went to bat for Elizabeth and Epiphany, but she was overruled. Elizabeth says she and Britt have a history. She’s sure that’s one reason. Portia says she’s an excellent nurse. Britt must have an outside vendetta. What reason would she have to sideline them? Elizabeth flashes back to telling Jason what happened, and saying she thinks Britt is trying to get rid of the old guard; the people who know how the hospital is run. Jason says, that makes sense, and it’s no secret the both of them are close with him and Sonny. Cyrus wants them away from whatever he’s planning. Elizabeth tells Portia it’s got nothing to do with her. She’s glad Portia remained in her position at the hospital. They need doctors like her. Portia wonders if Britt knows what she’s getting into. Being Cyrus’s puppet sounds like a dangerous job to her.

Carly told Brando that Dev looked adorable, and Brando suggested Carly not say that to Dev’s face. Carly says it’s great that Brando is looking out for Dev, and he says, Dev is a likeable kid. Although he wears his heart on his sleeve. He thanks Carly for inviting him to the festivities. He had a better time than he thought he would. She says he’s family now. He’s going to get invited to come to events like this whether he wants to or not.  

Jax asks if Nina is okay, and she says she’s just being silly. He says, tell him, and she says she was wondering if her son or daughter had a night like this. He says he hopes so, and she says she does too. She hopes they’ve had a happy, normal life. She just wishes she could be a part of it.   

Josslyn and Dev walk out on deck, and Josslyn says she’s glad to have a social life after being stuck under house arrest for so long. Dev says, Sonny’s house and grounds are huge, but he still felt confined. She says she’s glad he was there with her, and he says she was glad for someone else to talk to other than her family and the guards. She says he made her laugh, and he tells her that he’s glad he was good for something. She says they’ve been through a lot together, and he tells her again that she looks eureka. She hopes that’s good, and he says, it means gorgeous, which she is even when she’s not dressed up. An aside here. I looked this up, and the word for gorgeous in Turkish is muhteşem, which doesn’t sound like eureka to me. (See more on this below.) Josslyn tells him, that’s what it means to be part of a family; you ignore the messy hair and bunny slippers. He says he knows they’re pretending to be cousins, but he doesn’t see her that way. Not anymore.

Dev says he wants to tell Josslyn… something. She says he might not be her cousin, but she’s happy being his friend. It’s a good thing they get along. She tells him that she said she’d catch up with Dena and Kelsey from volleyball, so she’s going over to say hi.  

Cyrus says he’s not sure why Sam would think he knows the drug habits of her mother’s late beau. Sam says maybe he should think harder, and he asks, what’s her point? He reminds her that the charges were dropped that the late DEA agent Taggert and his associates trumped up. He says, this is his cue to leave, but do give her mother his condolences. Sam laughs, and tells him, mention her mother again, and they’ll have a problem. He says he sees, and leaves. Sam tells Jason that she doesn’t like what’s happening here. Apparently, Cyrus tried to buy the bar. His mentioning her mother made her feel like he was taunting her. Jason says, he was definitely pushing the boundaries of the agreement. She asks if Sonny knows, and Jason says, he will.

Trina sits alone, and Cameron brings her some punch. He says, talk to him; what’s up? She says, it turns out homecoming was a big mistake, and he says he gets it. Her dad passed away, and she feels guilty. She suggests he set up a booth in the corner, and he says her dad would want her to live her life and be happy. It’s okay to miss him when she’s hanging out with friends. She says she wishes that night… She’s got to go. He asks her not to leave, but she says she needs a minute, and says, promise she’ll be back. She does, and hands him her drink before she runs out.

Elizabeth says, having Cyrus as Chairman of the Board is bad, right? and Portia says, it’s worse than she can possibly imagine. Elizabeth says she knows Cyrus killed Portia’s ex, and kidnapped her daughter… Portia says, and Elizabeth’s son. Elizabeth says they’re supposed to say allegedly. She can’t imagine what it’s like dealing with him. Portia says Elizabeth has no idea, and thanks her for checking in and caring. Elizabeth says, the good guys have to stick together, and watch each other’s backs. Is she in? Portia says, does Elizabeth have to ask? They go onto the boat.

Cameron asks if Dev has seen Josslyn, and Dev says, she was talking to her friends from volleyball. Cameron says he was talking to Trina, but she ran off. He needs to find her.  

Ava tells Nikolas, their marriage is a business arrangement, so sex ought to be off the table. He asks if that’s what she wants, and she asks what he wants. They’re about to kiss, when there’s a knock at the door. Nikolas answers, and it’s Julian. Julian asks if his sister is there, and Ava asks, what’s wrong? He says he needs to talk in private, and slams the living room door in Nikolas’s face. He tells Ava that he’s in trouble, and needs her help.

Brando asks Carly if Jason is with Sonny, but she says she doesn’t think so; why? He says there’s something he wants to talk to Jason about, but it’s not important. Jax asks if anyone wants something else to drink, and Brando says he should be heading out. He thanks Jax for hosting, and Jax thanks him for coming, and says he’ll walk Brando to his car. Nina says she’ll understand if Carly cried, and Carly says if she had, Josslyn would have ignored her for a month. Nina says, the kids probably won’t realize what this night means for years; it’s a watershed moment, even though they think it’s a night out with friends having a good time. She can picture her own child with them, although she knows they’re not the same age. Carly says she missed that moment, but Charlotte will be in high school soon and have her own homecoming. Nina says, that’s unacceptable. Charlotte has to remain a little girl forever. Carly says, damn kids. They grow up anyway. Nina says she’ll be happy to see her child grown up. Thanks to Jax, she’s a little closer. Carly says, tell her about it, and Nina says, there was a nurse named Phyllis Caulfield. She was kind and caring, and seemed like she cared about Nina as a person. She and Jax went to New York and found the jeweler who divided her pendant, and he had an order from 1991 under the name of Phyllis Caulfield. Carly says, the woman who took care of Nina when she was in a coma? and Nina says, her theory and hope is that Phyllis had the pendant divided, one for her and one for her child. If that’s the case, Phyllis may know where her child is now.

Cameron finds Josslyn, and asks if she’s seen Trina. Josslyn says, no; why? and he says, she kind of ran off. They were talking, and she said she’d be back, but she seemed upset. He feels like she shouldn’t be alone. Does Josslyn think he’s overreacting? Josslyn says, no. He’s being a great friend. He thanks her, and says, it’s tough figuring out the right thing to do. She says, tell her about it. At the end of the day, you’ve got to be honest with yourself and the people around you, and follow your heart. He asks if that’s another way of saying, don’t second-guess yourself, and she supposes it is. He asks what she’s doing out there. Dev said she was talking to friends. She says she was, but she needed some fresh air. He asks, what’s up? and she says she’s just tired of letting people down. He asks, when has that ever happened? and she says she can’t always be what people expect. He asks why she’d want to; she’s amazing the way she is. He asks if she remembers when they were counselor’s for Lila’s Kids. There was a kid who was getting bullied. She says, Bijou, and he says Josslyn took Bijou under her wing, and made her feel like she was Josslyn’s best friend. Josslyn says, she was a sweet kid, and he says, Josslyn was the coolest counselor. By the end of the summer, everyone wanted to be friends with Bijou because of her. Has anyone else done the same? He says, at the risk of sounding incredibly dorky, he’s glad she’s always been in his life. She says, it’s not dorky. She’s glad he’s in her life too. He says, just so she knows, she could never let him down. She asks if he means that, and he says, absolutely.

On the phone with Sonny, Jason says there’s been an update in regard to Cyrus. Can Sonny meet with him?  

Jax asks what he missed, and Nina says she was bringing Carly up to speed on her search for her daughter, and how he’s helping. She knows it’s a long shot. What are the odds Phyllis would know her child’s whereabouts after all these years? Carly says she and Bobbie found each other years after she’d given up. Nina says they had a rough start, and Carly says look at them now. She can’t imagine life without her mom. Nina says, what if she chases her dream, and instead of a pot of gold, she finds nothing? Jax says, if she stops looking, she’ll never know. Carly says she doesn’t know if Nina’s child had a good or bad life, but she knows Nina has to find them – for their sake. They need to know who their mother is, and how they want be in her life, whatever way works for them. They need to know where they came from. Where they got their eyes; where they got their nose; where they got their crazy hair. Why they’re a terrific dancer. Carly takes Nina’s hand, and says Nina deserves to be a mother.

Dev finds Trina and asks where she went; Cameron was looking for her. She says she tried to rally, but she’s not going to make it. It’s too hard. Her stomach hurts, and she’s going home. He says she should tell Josslyn and Cameron she’s leaving. I’m adding, and her mother. She asks if he has any idea where they are.

Josslyn says they should head back, and Cameron says they should. He moves in for a kiss, confusing the hell out of me.

Ava says Julian came barging in like his hair was on fire; he’s not very subtle. He says it’s about Nelle. She never gave Martin the letter. Someone else has the proof that he was in on the plot to keep Sonny’s grandson from him. She asks, who? and he says, it could be Nelle’s manicurist for all he knows. Nikolas walks in, and Ava says, it’s a private conversation. He says, too bad. This is his living room. Ava says it’s her living room too. There are fifty other rooms in the house, and he has to be there now? Nikolas says, clearly they don’t want him knowing what’s going on. Well, yeah. FYI, Nikolas, that’s why it’s called a private conversation.

Ava gets a call from an unknown number. She answers, and an operator says she has a collect call from Pentenville from Ryan Chamberlain. Will she accept the charges?

Just for the record, it would have said Pentenville, not Unknown. I know. I once got a call from someone in the slammer. Not for anything huge.   

There was no preview. Your guess is as good as mine whether it’s on tomorrow, but I’ll be prepared. It wasn’t supposed to be on today, so they are playing with us. Stay strong.

📑 About that word. It wasn’t eureka; it was harika. While I was rooting around, trying to find out what happened in the first ten minutes without actually having to watch it, some diligent recapper surprised me by including it. However, it still doesn’t mean gorgeous, as Dev said. According to Google’s Turkish to English translator, It means great. I know. I’m hopeless, and such a nerd.

🗽 Tonight’s Bravo offering was The Real Housewives of New York City: Secrets Revealed. They’ve started to get a little better with these shows, experimenting with format, although there’s never anything particularly shocking or revealing. Leah talked about her rookie season being a roller coaster ride of emotions. We saw Ramona melting down over men, Dorinda being angry, and a lot of eating. Personally, now that the seasons of RHONY and RHOBH are over, I’m trying to stay away from the vanilla wafers. Dorinda and LuAnn had an egg-off, where LuAnn’s eggsà la Française competed against Dorinda’s scrambled then poached eggs. She explained how she makes this fluffiest-of-all egg concoctions, but she lost me halfway through. It was declared a tie, and Sonja informed us, nobody loses because everyone gets eggs. I could agree with that, although in her interview, Leah said she didn’t like either one, and preferred her own. She gave no recipe though. They did a segment with never before seen footage, and a multiple choice Guess What Happens Next? Nothing very telling or exciting, although it was interesting to see Sonja and Ramona – two grown women – hide under a restaurant table in Newport when they wanted to extract themselves from a conversation. We watched how the women keep in shape, and Leah and Sonja went to a workout that uses electroshock. I’ve seen this technique before, and I’m not so sure I’d do it. Sonja tried to sneak out, and it reminded me of the time I took a dance class with a friend who suddenly hurt their ankle – <making an I don’t think so face> – and left me to fumble along fend for myself. There were outtakes from interviews; interruptions, words mispronounced, and made up words. The women talked about their interview outfits throughout the seasons, and how their styles had changed. There were dating tips, but no advice you’d actually want to take.

Andy and Ramona walked through the set from the last reunion, and Andy pointed out artifacts from reunions past. We also saw clips from the moments he mentioned, like when Ramona walked off after Alex’s nude photos were brought up during the first reunion. Tinsley said the only redeeming factor of the reunion was getting to wear a big glamorous dress. She claimed she wouldn’t want to have an argument in jeans and a T-shirt, but she could do it in a ballgown. I laughed at the waiter at one of their lunches desperately trying to find out if they wanted still or sparkling water, while Dorinda prattled on about Ramona eating too many oysters, and saying Ramona was going to turn into a huge vagina. We saw other innocent bystanders as well, including Martini Mike, who apparently became an instant icon (see below). Dorinda told us, when they were in the groove, it didn’t matter what was going on around them.

All in all, the show wasn’t a bad thing to watch, but nothing new to see here. Except Martini Mike.

🏥 And Away We Go…

A new promo from your favorite hospital.

🏍 The Man In Black Stays…

Jason never breaks a promise.

👠 Not Having It…

The ball is now back in NeNe’s court.

https://pagesix.com/2020/09/30/madina-milana-accuses-nene-leakes-of-cheating-on-husband-with-french-montana/

🛣 Pick a Lane…

Now she says she was pushed out. Please pick a reason you left, and stick with it.

https://extratv.com/2020/10/01/nene-leakes-opens-up-about-rhoa-exit-says-she-was-pushed-out/

🧹 Double the Fun…

Bette’s excited to fly again.

https://comicbook.com/movies/news/hocus-pocus-sequel-bette-midler-return-confirmed-talks-excitement/

🎃 Halloween Hijinks…

Seasonal fare for free from Peacock.

https://comicbook.com/movies/news/peacock-halloween-movies-streaming-best-highlights-october/

And not so free from Disney Plus.

https://comicbook.com/movies/news/disney-plus-halloween-streaming-movies-tv-shows/

👺 It’s Never Too Early…

October is here, so as far as I’m concerned, Halloween is too. I love these weird vintage Halloween costumes. If I saw anything like this coming down the street, I’d pee myself and run for my life. Yet I can’t look away.

🌆 Calling It a Day…

We still call them days, right? Until the new normal becomes an old memory, stay safe, stay making new plans, and stay double-checking the TV guide.

October is the fallen leaf, but it is also a wider horizon more clearly seen. It is the distant hills once more in sight, and the enduring constellations about them once again. – Hal Borland

September 18, 2020 – Sonny Gets His Bike, Two To Know, Goodbye Chuck, Not Cast, Kenya’s Gain, Runway Shocks, an Ending, South Special, Your Choice, Season Two, Six Quotes, a Poem & Race

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Ned brings Alexis to the hospital, and Portia asks what she can do for them. Alexis says she can reassure Ned there’s nothing wrong with her. Portia says she’ll need a few more details, and Alexis says she fell at the gym and aggravated an old injury. Ned says it was weeks ago, and Alexis is still in pain. Portia says she can examine Alexis and Ned can come if Alexis is okay with it. Alexis says she wants Ned to be there when Portia tells her there’s nothing wrong.

Outside Kelly’s, TJ tells Brando he’s being too hard on himself. He just got out of the hospital, maybe it was too early for him to get out on the field. Brando says, from now on, they stick to basketball, and TJ says he should have said that earlier. Moving forward, they’ll stick to the court. Molly sees them together and looks horrified.

New York City. Nina asks Jax, how is it this woman who paid to have her necklace divided became her nurse twenty years later? He says, it would be quite the coincidence, and she says, there has to be a connection. She knows what happened to Nina’s child.

Josslyn tells Jason, it might sound crazy, but she wanted to feel her lungs fill up with air. He says it doesn’t sound crazy, and she wonders how long it’s been since Mike ran until he was out of breath. Little by little, everything was taken away from him until there was nothing left. She cries, and says she doesn’t even know what she’s saying anymore. He was a great grandpa. She’s going to miss him. Jason says he’ll miss Mike too, and she says Mike dies, and all she wants is to feel alive. He says, that’s what Mike would have wanted. Mike made some big mistakes, but he lived his life. He didn’t stand on the sidelines, watching and criticizing. Mike made sure he lived. He took chances and had to live with the consequences. There are people who run the race, and people who stand by and do nothing but watch. He knows she’s going to be someone who runs the race. She’s won’t know who’s going to win, but those are lessons she’ll learn. She’s going to live her life to the fullest, and it’s all Mike would have asked for.

Sonny looks at the picture of the boy on the bike, and shows it to Carly, asking if she saw this picture that Avery drew. His dad loved it, and said it looked like Sonny when he was a kid, but he doesn’t think it looks like him. They laugh, and Sonny says his dad never gave him the bike he wanted when he was a kid. He nursed that broken promise for years, and thought it was proof Mike wasn’t a good father. He didn’t know it haunted Mike. Even when his mind was gone, he needed to get Sonny the bike, and keep his word. Carly says Mike knew Sonny loved him, and Sonny says he knows. He asks if she can imagine them riding bikes together after all these years. The laugh some more, and Sonny says, it hurts.

Winston tells Ethan and Robert to keep their hands where he can see them. He says, this must be Ethan Lovett. He was afraid the calvary would come riding to the rescue when Holly placed the call. Robert says Winston knew Holly was alive.

Winston says, he takes their lack of professional detachment to mean there’s a personal interest. Robert calls Winston a smarmy bastard, and says, tell him where Holly is, or he’ll rip Winton’s throat out with his bare hands. Winston says Robert showed up for a gunfight with no gun, and tells his henchmen to restrain them, without shooting if possible. He tells Robert, Holly was investigating their less than reputable businesses that were being run from the casino. When he learned of her interest, he arranged for her ship to sink, but brought her there to manage her. They wanted to know just how much the Bureau had. Ethan tells him to take them to Holly, but Winston says she managed to distract a guard, and appropriate his phone. By the time they knew what was going on, it was too late. Robert says he knew it was her voice. Where is she? Winston says she had to be dealt with, and Robert asks what that means. Winston says, he’ll demonstrate. He raises his gun, but Olivia comes up behind him, and hits him over the head with an automatic weapon that she got from who knows where.

Nikolas tells Ava, he squandered his son’s chance at being close with this grandfather, and having a connection to his own mother. Mike knew Courtney better than he did; the things could Mike could have shared. It goes to show how messed up his priorities are. Ava says they’ve all been there, but he says, not as much as he has. The truth is, he keeps making the same mistakes. He doesn’t see how valuable something is until he lets it go.

Chase brings Brook to Turning Woods, and Brook thanks Michael for letting her know. She asks if Sonny is in Mike’s room, and Michael says he is, so she goes to  find him. Chase tells Michael that he gave Brook a ride. He’s sorry about Mike. Michael thanks him for bringing Brook. He thinks it will do his dad good to see her. He knows she had a big fight with Ned, and she’s too prideful to accept help. He’s worried about her being by herself. She didn’t say anything about a plan, and he wonders if she has a place to stay. Chase says he thinks she’s going to crash with him.

Nina tells Jax, after all the years of unanswered questions, she has an actual fact. He tells her, be prepared; she might not like what Phyllis has to say. She says she knows, and thanks him. Because of his connections, she’s closer than ever before to knowing what happened to her child. It would mean the world to her. He says he’d give her the world if he could, and she says she knows he would.

Molly joins TJ and Brando, and TJ says he believes Molly is a couple of minutes late; she’s obnoxious about being on time. Brando says he’s guilty of it too; it was drilled into him in the military. Molly says she didn’t know Brando was joining them, and TJ says they’re having a drink after their game. He’s buying; a consolation prize for beating Brando in all 8 innings. Brando asks if they don’t have plans, and Molly says, just studying medicine and law. TJ says they can take one night off, but Molly says, maybe Brando has someplace to be.

Portia presses on Alexis’s wrist, and asks if it hurts. Alexis says, ow! and Portia says, it’s definitely swollen. It might be more than a sprain. Ned says Alexis got an injury last summer, and Alexis says she thinks Portia was speaking to her. He says, sorry, and she says she slipped on the porch steps, and when she tried to steady herself, jammed her wrist. It ached for a week or two, then it felt better, until she fell at the gym. Portia asks if there was any weakness, and Alexis says, some in between incidents. Portia asks if it was continuous, and Alexis says not that she can recall. Portia asks, what about this time? and Alexis says this time, it’s been aching since she fell at the gym. She’s left-handed, and trying not do things with her left hand, and icing it. Portia asks if she’s done anything besides icing it, and Alexis says, nothing stronger than taking over the counter medication. She’s a recovering addict, and also highly sensitive after Neil’s death. Portia says she can prescribe a non-narcotic pain medication. They can take x-rays, and take it from there. She’s sorry to hear about Neil. She didn’t work with him very long, but he was a good man. Portia leaves, and Ned says, it’s okay to cry. He won’t judge.

Olivia says, a little help here? and Robert and Ethan deck the guards. Robert takes the gun from Olivia, and Ethan punches a guard one more time, saying, that one was for his mother. Robert gets on the phone, and says, it’s former field agent Robert Scorpio, and he’d like a direct line to the field office for District 3. He has a prisoner of interest.

Alexis cries, and says, the last place she expected to be was an examining room. Ned says he’s sorry, and suggests she get checked out; not just her wrist, everything. She says Neil was only in her life for two years, but changed it so much. He got her to dig inside for answers, and believe she’s worth being loved without conditions, secrets, or pain. If she hadn’t met him, she wouldn’t have risked her career for happiness. Now he’s just gone, and she’s in there getting a check-up for her aching wrist, like it’s any other day. Life just goes on, but it doesn’t. It’s not fair. Ned holds her, and says he’s so sorry.

Molly says Brando doesn’t want to hang out with a couple of studyholics. He might have someone to see. TJ says, the ladies are probably lining up, but Brando says he’s going through a dry spell. TJ says Molly can hook him up with one of her friends from law school. Ashley and CJ are smart and fun. Molly says she’ll see what she can do, and TJ says he’ll grab some ice teas, and Molly can arrange something with her friends. Molly says, no pressure, and TJ goes inside Kelly’s. She says TJ and Brando are bonding all over the place, and Brando says TJ is a good guy, but he’ll start making himself scarce.

Ava comes running in, and tells Nikolas, Avery is gone. The sliding door was open, and she’s gone. He says, she couldn’t have gone far.

Looking in the phone directory, Nina says she told Jax that she just wanted a trail to follow, and this is it. The woman she remembered, and will recognize when she sees, but she still has to find her. Who knew there were so many Phillis Caulfield in NYC? He says, there’s more than one? and she says, a lot more. Jax gets a call from Josslyn, and asks if everything is okay. Josslyn says, actually, no, and he says, Mike? Josslyn says, he’s gone. She knows it’s a good thing. It was time, and he doesn’t have to suffer now, but she just wanted to call and hear his voice, and know he’s still there to talk to. He says, always.

Sonny thanks Brook for everything she did for his dad. When she would visit and sing, Mike lit up like a kid. She says she’s glad Mike liked her singing and company, but the person he lit up for was Sonny. He loved Sonny so much, and Sonny was with him to the end. He did good. So, so good.

Avery walks through the woods with a flashlight.

Molly says, so Brando is just going to take off and leave her to explain? He says, isn’t that what she wants? She says she’s asking him not to be rude. When TJ challenges him to a basketball game or whatever, he can be busy. He tells her not to worry; he’s not getting in her business. She says she and TJ are in a great place; she’s not worried. There’s not going to be a repeat them. He says, no offense, but he’s not looking for one. She says, no offense, but she’s clear about what she wants in life, and it’s TJ. He says he likes hanging out with TJ; he’s a cool guy. TJ likes hanging out with him and wants to be friends, but he doesn’t lie to friends. She says neither does she, and he says maybe they should tell TJ the truth.

Ned waits in the hallway, and Portia says she wanted to give Alexis privacy, since Ned isn’t a family member. The orthopedic specialist confirmed it’s a fracture, which explains her limited movement and pain. Alexis says it’s not like when she fell in the spring, and it healed on its own. Portia says women lose bone density rapidly after menopause, and can get a fracture easily. They’re going to put her wrist in a cast. They stay on six to eight weeks, sometimes longer, but that only addresses the immediate injury. She suggests Alexis consult with the specialist, and have more tests to see if bone loss is the reason for the break. A fall shouldn’t result in a fracture, and there could be an underlying condition.

Jax tells Josslyn that he’ll be home first thing in the morning. In between, if she needs to, what should she do? She says, call him, and he says, that’s right. He loves her. She says she loves him too.

Avery finds Nelle’s half of the heart necklace, and hears Ava calling to her. Avery says, ooh, pretty. Ava calls again, and she says, coming, mom.

A WSB agent tells Robert his people are doing a sweep of the casino. There’s a laundry list of illegal activities there, enough to put Winston and his cronies in Steinmaur until they’re old and grey. Ethan asks if they found his mother, but the agent says, there’s no sign of Holly. She’s not there, if she ever was. Robert grabs Winston by his lapels, picks him up and shoves him against the wall, saying, you bastard, where is she?

Josslyn says, it must be strange for Willow. She joined the family five minutes ago, then has to jump into this experience. Willow says it’s sad, and she’s sorry about their grandfather, but what she’s experiencing is really how close they are, and how much they love each other. She was never part of a family in that way. To see them help sustain each other makes her more grateful than before.

Winston says, Holly is gone, and Robert says, son of a bitch. The agent says, let him go, and Robert drops him. Robert says, he’s lying, but the agent says it’s out of Robert’s hands. The Bureau is taking over. Ethan says, hell, the Bureau sent her there, and kicks Winston, asking, where is my mother? Winston says, gone. Disparue. What’s Mandarin for gone? The agent tells Ethan, don’t make them arrest him. They’ll search the grounds. The WSB is grateful for their help, so they avoided running Ethan’s name and finding out he has outstanding warrants. He’d like to see Ethan walk out a free man, so don’t kick Winston again. He tells another agent to help him load the prisoner for transport, and they take Winston out. Ethan says, Winston is lying. He has to be.

Molly says she thinks about telling TJ every day, and Brando says he thinks if she tells him the actual reason – that she thought he was ghosting her – he’ll realize there’s nothing to forgive. She says, except for keeping the truth from him. He says he’ll keep his distance, and she says she doesn’t want that; obviously TJ doesn’t want that. He says TJ can’t force him to shoot hoops; he has a garage to run. And if she keeps driving her hybrid like a tank, she’s going to severely damage it. TJ comes back with the drinks, and says, sorry. He was phoning a guy in his study group. He asks if Molly gave Brando contact with CJ and Ashley.

Willow asks if Michael is going to wait for his parents, but he says he thinks his dad would like to be alone with his mom for a bit. He and Willow leave.

Carly tells Sonny that she spoke with administration, and he can have all the time he wants with Mike. Sonny asks if they’re ready to take him, and she says if he’s ready. He says, let’s do this. He goes over to Mike, and picks up the drawing. He says he got his bicycle. He loves this bike; he loves this picture. And I’ll always love you, dad. He cries a little, and joins Carly.

Back at the cabin, Ava tells Avery, no more woods. Promise her. Avery promises.

Portia tells Alexis, a nurse practitioner will come in to cast her, and she can consult with the orthopedic specialist. They might be able to run more tests tonight. Alexis says, it’s kind of her to offer, but she’d like to get home. She’s dealing with a lot, and just wants to take a moment to catch her breath. She promises to make an appointment. Portia says, obviously, it’s her call, but she doesn’t advise putting it off, since any underlying condition needs to be addressed. Alexis asks what tests the specialist will want to run, and Portia says a big term that means bone density scan. Alexis asks what condition Portia thinks she has, and Portia says, the specialist will explain in depth. Alexis says the specialist isn’t there, Portia is. What does Portia thinks she’s dealing with? Portia says, based on her symptoms, Alexis might have osteoporosis.

Brando tells TJ, the garage needs his attention; he has no time for a social life. TJ says he’s said the same thing a million times. If not for Molly, he’d have no social life. Brando says, there’s only one Molly, but TJ says, her friends are really cool. What if the set up a meeting while supporting a righteous cause? They have a group who’s standing with GH. Brando says, against what? and Molly says, not what; who. Cyrus Renault, the Chairman of the Board.

Ethan tells Robert, the agent told them they have enough on Winston to send him to Steinmaur. They can use it as a bargaining chip, and trade Holly’s whereabouts for a lighter sentence. Robert says, Holly wasn’t an agent; she did contract work. They’re not going to bargain for her return. Ethan says, they have to. They said she was investigating the casino. She risked her life for the Bureau; they have to find her. The agent comes back, and says, they did find her. They found a shallow grave, containing a woman’s body burned beyond recognition. Ethan says, it could be anyone, and the agent says, they’ll find out when they do an autopsy, but the body matches Holly’s height and build. And they found this. He gives Robert something, and says, it was on the body. Ethan asks, what is it? and Robert shows him a ring.

We see Holly and Robert back when we were all so much younger. He says she should have a ring. He bought it a while back, and after tonight, he realized she might want it for appearances sake. He puts it in her hand, and she thanks him.

Robert tells Ethan, it’s Holly’s wedding ring.

Outside Turning Woods, a staff member says they have something for Sonny. It came several weeks ago, and they put it in the back for safe keeping. Sorry no one told him. They bring out a bicycle with a big bow on it, and my heart sings. Carly says, how… and he says, who cares? He hands her the picture, and opens the card. Sonny reads, Sonny, this is late, but I hope it’s not too late. I love you. Dad. She says, it’s a beauty, and he says, it’s perfect.

Nikolas asks Ava if Avery is all right, and she says, Avery is snug as a bug in a rug. She thanks him for helping her look, and being wonderful with her. She thinks he’s got himself a fan in her daughter. He says Ava must be relieved they found her. She’s quite an adventurous girl. He wonders where she gets it from. Ava asks if he’s leaving, and he says, yeah. He thinks there’s been enough excitement for one night. He asks if she’s returning to Windymere tomorrow, and she says she is. It’s her home. He tells her, goodnight, and she says, drive safe.

Jax says he hates to bail on Nina, but she says, is he out of his mind? Of course (🍷) he has to be with his daughter. This can wait. He says she could continue without him, and she says she could, but she wants him to be with her, no matter how it ends, if he wants to be. He says he does, and she asks if he’d mind company on the flight back. He says he’d love that. We see the necklace around her neck.

Avery takes the necklace out from under her pillow, and puts it in her backpack. She gets back in bed.

Brando says he understands why the hospital isn’t thrilled by Cyrus being on the board – Molly says, Chairman of the Boar – but maybe they could volunteer for another cause. TJ says, GH is the heart of Port Charles. They can’t let Cyrus corrupt it. He’s signing up staff members, and Molly is pulling some people from law school. Brando says, Cyrus could bring them a lot of trouble, and TJ says, let him bring it. The hospital is worth fighting for. Brando asks if Molly agrees, and she says she backs TJ all the way. Brando says, okay; he’s in. TJ says he knew it. Brando might be a sorry softball player, but he’s a man with principles. Brando hopes Molly’s friends are worth the trouble.

Alexis asks if osteoporosis isn’t common in women older than she is, but Portia says, that’s a misconception. Post-menopausal women over 50 are at risk. She can’t say for certain that’s it though, until the test results come back. Alexis says she’ll make arrangements. Ned pops in, and asks if everything is okay. Alexis says she’s waiting to get a cast, and tells him, go ahead and say it – I told you so. He says he’s just thankful she’s being treated. He tells her, he’ll wait outside, but Alexis says, they’d like to run more tests; it could take time. She’ll grab a Ride Share. He says, nice try. He’s not going anywhere. For once, stop arguing and say thank you. She says, thank you, and he says he’ll be outside.

Ned calls Olivia, and says, come on. Call him back.

Olivia gives Robert a drink, saying she thinks he could use this. Ethan says Holly was wearing the ring the last time he saw her. They met in Singapore to run game on a billionaire. Robert says he gave it to her when they got married. One thing after another happened, and it wound up in a safety deposit box in Switzerland. He gave it back to her after a two-year separation, saying, while they were separated, they were never going to be done with each other. He says he never should have given Ethan false hope that she was alive, but Ethan says now they know the truth, and who’s responsible. Robert says he should have gotten there sooner, and Olivia says he did what he could, but he says, it doesn’t feel like it. The agent comes in, and says the Bureau sent for a plane to take them home; it’s waiting on the tarmac in Nice. Robert wonders why the Bureau is so accommodating, and the agent says they’ve wanted the casino shut down, and now they were given a way to do it. Olivia says, as a girl from Kansas said, there’s no place like home. Robert asks Ethan if he’s going somewhere, and Ethan says, any continent but this one. When they leave, a man comes out and makes a call.

We see a woman’s hand pick a phone up. The man says, they’re gone. Scorpio and Ethan were given proof she’s dead. The casino was shut down, but the Bureau might be able to link the place to her. Winston knows to keep his mouth shut about what she really did with Holly. On one of the screens, we see a room with a woman sitting on the floor, leaning against a bed. She gets up, and starts yelling, open the door. Holly looks at the camera, and says, you bastard, let me out of here.

On Monday, Lulu asks Curtis what his fascination with her mother is; Curtis tells Jordan that she should have skipped this visit; and Jason tells Brando, he told Sonny they need a plan, but it will take both of them.

🏥 In Case You Haven’t Met…

All about Winston.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/winston-rudge-david-s-lee

All about Courtney.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/general-hospital-courtney-matthews-alicia-leigh-willis-168882

🎸 The Boys In the Band…

Think it was creative differences?

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/steve-burton-says-goodbye-to-port-chuck

💎 Anything’s Better Than Brandi…

I don’t even know who they are and wish they’d been cast.

https://extratv.com/2020/09/14/jana-kramer-and-mike-caussin-on-auditioning-for-rhobh-and-fighting-through-the-tough-times/

🍕 She’s Not Going Out Anyway…

The quarantine twenty-five’s got nothing on Kenya.

https://people.com/health/rhoas-kenya-moore-doesnt-mind-25-pound-quarantine-weight-gain/

👠 It’s An Outrage…

Fashion scandals should be our worst problem.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1187374/relive-16-of-the-biggest-fashion-week-scandals-on-and-off-the-runway

⚰️ Explaining the Dead…

But will it line up with the show?

https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-walking-dead-comic-ending-explained/

🤡 Laughing In the Face Of Pandemonia…

Think they’ll kill Kenny?

https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/south-park-season-24-release-date-pandemic-special/

✉️ Almost Time To Vote…

For the People’s Choice Awards.

https://pca.eonline.com/window

🛸 Break It Down…

Because, Baby Yoda.

https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/star-wars-the-mandalorian-season-2-trailer-breakdown-analysis-spoilers/

🧾 Quotes of the Week

The problem with doing nothing is not knowing when you are finished. – Nelson De Mille

It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity. – Albert Einstein

Technology without morality is barbarous; morality without technology is impotent. – Freeman Dyson

You don’t develop courage by being happy in your relationships every day. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.Epicurus

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

Maturity is achieved when a person accepts life as full of tension. – Joshua L. Liebman (Hmm… Apparently I’ve been mature since I was 5.)

I Call You Dog

Author Unknown

When God had made the earth and sky,

The flowers and the trees,

He then made all the animals,

The fish, the birds and bees.

And when at last He’d finished,

Not one was quite the same,

God said, “I’ll walk this earth of mine,

And give each one a name.”

And so He traveled far and wide,

And everywhere He went,

A little creature followed Him,

Until its strength was spent.

When all were named upon the earth,

And in the sky and sea,

The little creature said, “Dear Lord,

There’s not one left for me.”

Kindly the Father said to him,

“I’ve left you to the end,

I’ve turned my own name back to front,

And called you DOG, my friend.”

🍂 A New Season…

We made it to autumn, and another weekend. Or whatever name you’ve made up for what used to be your weekend. No matter the term, stay safe, stay discriminating, and stay running the race instead of watching from the sidelines.