Tag Archives: Tamra Judge

March 3, 2023 – Anna Threatens To Haunt Eileen Forever, For His 60th, Another Return, VanderScandal, Salty Stuff, Delays, Rescue Dress-Up, a Half Dozen Brief Quotes & Free It

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Kristina asks if Sam wants to talk, but they hear Dante’s key in the door, and she hides the pregnancy test behind her back. Dante comes in, and says, it’s over? Sam kisses Dante, and Kristina says, they’ve both been holding out. She holds up the pregnancy test.

Diane says, Alexis is going to do something ethically grey, but morally justifiable, isn’t she? and Alexis says, there’s nothing grey, but yes on the morally justifiable part. Diane says she knows how hard Alexis fights for those she feels have been wronged, but sometimes she’s in danger of overstepping. Alexis makes a call to Dean Jeffries in the journalism department at PCU, and Diane throws up her hands.

Gregory tells TJ, it’s a wonder he hasn’t caught the bug from one of his students… yet, when Chase comes along. Gregory asks if Chase is here to see his brother, but Chase says, Finn’s off this morning. He tweaked a muscle in this shoulder and he came to get it checked out. He asks what Gregory is doing here, but Gregory says, it’s nothing. He asks TJ to help Chase; he’ll find the exam room on his own. Chase asks if he’s sick.

Brook asks if Sasha thinks there’s tension between them because of Chase. She’s way off base. That has nothing to do with what’s going on here. Sasha says, then Brook admits there is something.

Spencer looks at a pamphlet along with the car seat in his lap, when Laura comes by, and says, confusing, isn’t it? He says, very, and she explains how to use it. He thanks her, and stands up holding it. He asks how he looks. She asks if she can be honest, and he says, sure. She says, like somebody who’s too young to be a parent.

Eileen backs away, saying, it isn’t real, and bumps into the drawer with the body on it. She screams, and ghostly Anna walks toward her, saying, you’re next. You’re next. You killed me. Eileen screams for help, but Anna says, there’s no one to help her. Eileen says, please. She’ll do anything. Anna says, confess. Confess to what you did to me. Confess or join me. Eileen looks at the body, then back at Anna.

Spencer tells Laura that he’s ready. At least as ready as he can be. Diane filed a petition with the court for him to take custody of his little brother, which is basically just a formality since Esme is going back to prison and his father is gone. Charlotte texted to let him know all the furniture has arrived and it’s been set up. He ordered diapers, formula, parenting books. He’s really trying. She says she knows she is, and couldn’t be more proud of him. It’s just that he’s not this baby’s parent; Spencer is his brother. He says, the baby’s father isn’t here, so it’s up to him to do right by his baby brother. His brother deserves something that ties him to his future instead of his past. She says, something that maybe severs all ties with his mother?

Sasha says, something’s been off between her and Brook. If it isn’t Chase, what is it? Brook suggests they drop it, but Maxie thinks talking things out could really help. Sasha says, Brook told Maxie, but didn’t tell her? They’re better than this. Brook says, nothing is wrong… per se. She might have mentioned to Maxie that Sasha and Chase have grown closer lately, and Sasha thinks it’s a conversation they should have in private. Maxie says, oh man, and gets up. She says she has errands she needs to run anyway, makes a call me gesture behind Sasha’s back, and leaves. Sasha says, let’s do this, and Brook asks if they have to. Sasha says, yes.

Gregory says he was just telling TJ how shocked he is that he hasn’t picked up this bug making the rounds. Now go get his shoulder treated. Chase asks if TJ can help with it, but TJ’s phone chirps. He says he has to see a patient, but tells Chase to check in at the nurse’s station and get set up. He leaves, and Chase asks if there’s a reason Gregory won’t tell him why he’s here.

Diane tells Alexis that she’s going to powder her nose and pretend she’s not hearing this. She leaves, and Alexis tells Dean Jeffries who she is, and that she’s the editor-in-chief at The Invader. She wanted to talk to him about Professor Gregory Chase; he works in the history and journalism department… Can he repeat that?… Is he sure?… No, nothing else. She thanks him for his time.

Kristina asks if Sam hasn’t told Dante yet. She’s so sorry. She shouldn’t have said anything. Dante says, someone should probably say something, and Molly comes downstairs, asking, what’s going on? Kristina says she found this, showing Molly the pregnancy test. She apologizes to Sam, and says she must have opened up the wrong bag. (And accidentally pulled out the test, looked it over, and decided to wave it around.) Dante asks if he and Sam need to talk, but Molly says, actually, it was her bag. The pregnancy test isn’t Sam’s… It’s hers.

Diane asks if it’s over, and Alexis says, yes. Diane says she sees Alexis gave Dean Jeffries a piece of her mind. So when does Gregory start at The Invader?… Is she okay? Alexis says, Gregory doesn’t work at PCU anymore. Dean Jeffries told her that Gregory hasn’t given a lecture or taught a class at PCU all semester. Diane says she doesn’t understand, and Alexis says, neither does she. His sons think he’s working at the university. It doesn’t make any sense; she knows him. Diane says, maybe not as well as she thought, and Alexis says, they’ve become very good friends. When Diane was stabbed, he wouldn’t leave the hospital, even when Alexis insisted he go. Diane says, that was very kind of him, but what kind of a friendship does Alexis think they’re building if he can’t even be honest with her? Alexis says, normally, she’d agree with Diane, but there’s something else at play here. Diane’s phone dings, and she says she has to go. Tread carefully with Gregory. No more investing in this friendship until she’s fully investigated the situation. She leaves, and Alexis says, she’s going to evaluate this all right.

Gregory explains to Chase that he thought he might run out of his migraine medication, and he needs an examination to refill the prescription. He asks about Chase’s shoulder, and Chase says he just worked too hard at the gym. He needs to lay off the heavy bag. Gregory says, Chase is usually good at pacing himself, and Chase says he has a lot going on. He’s trying to get his badge back, and there’s this thing with Brook. Gregory says he should have known. There’s only one person who gets Chase all worked up. Chase still hasn’t made peace with how he feels about her.

Brook says, they’re good, but Sasha says, obviously not. Brook says, if there are problems, they’re hers, and she’ll handle them herself, but Sasha says, it’s not healthy to bottle up your feelings. If anyone would know, it would be her. Brook says she doesn’t want to talk about this. Can’t Sasha respect that? Sasha says she can, but this is becoming a problem. Their friendship is important to her. Brook says, it’s important to her too, and Sasha says, and beyond that, they work together. At the very least, she wants to work it out so it doesn’t impact their professional relationship. Brook says, at least that’s one less thing to worry about. She’s quitting.

Spencer asks if Laura can blame him for wanting to keep his brother away from Esme. She is unfit to be a mother, and will use that baby the same way she used him. Laura says, he’s hurt, and has every right to be after the way Esme manipulated him. Remember, she was doing that on Ryan’s orders before she lost her memory. He says, so…? and Laura says, the Esme she’s witnessed in the past few days seems to genuinely care about that baby. And he knows what it’s like to grow up without a mother. Does he really want that for his baby brother? Spencer asks, what if she regains her memory? Does Laura remember what kind of person she was? Laura says she does. She’s on his side 100%, and the baby’s side, so she’s saying she doesn’t think it’s wise to completely alienate Esme. It would be better to get her to want his support. He tells Laura, say Esme never regains her memory. What kind of mother is she going to be without a past? He doesn’t want his baby brother anywhere near Esme. Period. Victor comes in, and asks, where is the newest Cassadine heir? He can’t wait to meet him.

Eileen says, what happened to Anna was an accident. It wasn’t supposed to go like that. Anna says, but it did. My death is on your hands. Eileen says she didn’t know. Please. Can Anna just leave her alone? Anna says, confess… or meet my fate. Or she’ll haunt Eileen forever. Eileen says, no, no, no, no, no. Please. Anna is right. It’s her fault, and she’ll tell Anna everything.

Kristina says, Molly’s pregnant, but Molly says she doesn’t know yet. That’s kinda what the test is for. Sam says, sorry for being weird, but she knew it wasn’t hers or Kristina’s, and figured Molly didn’t want anyone to know. Molly says, right on all fronts. Sam can’t imagine what Dante was thinking, and Dante says he’s thinking he should leave them to sort it out. He jets upstairs, and Molly thanks Kristina, but Kristina says, if Molly didn’t want anyone to find out, she shouldn’t have left it in the shopping bag. Molly says she was hiding it from TJ, and Sam tells her, she would have said it was hers, but Dante walked in. Kristina asks why Molly is hiding it from TJ, and Molly says she’s not sure how he’ll react.

Sasha says, Brook is quitting? and Brook says she didn’t mean for it to come out that way, but she did tell Sasha that she was exploring new horizons. Chase’s music career is really taking off, and she’s getting interest from a lot of new artists. Sasha says she just assumed Brook would continue to do both, but Brook says, the balancing act is a lot. If she’s going to take on new artists, she has to devote time to them. She wishes she could do both. She was going to tell Sasha and Maxie at work; give her notice. Don’t tell her yet. Sasha says she won’t, as long as Sasha is telling her the truth, and this has nothing to do with her and Chase.

Chase says, there’s no future for him and Brook, not after she lied, and Gregory says, yet he’s still working with her. Chase says, as he recalls, someone lectured him about doing the right thing on Christmas Eve. Doing the right thing is finishing what he started. Gregory says, but he still hasn’t forgiven Brook, and Chase asks, why should he? Gregory says he doesn’t want Chase to have regrets. To look back and think how much time he wasted holding onto his anger when he could maybe work things out with Brook. Chase asks if Gregory is telling him to let it go, and Gregory says, Chase was never a hothead, even as a kid. All of a sudden, he’s losing control at every turn, and it all comes back to Brook. Chase asks, what’s the point? and Gregory says, Chase is still in pain, and hasn’t resolved his feelings for her. Chase was happy with Brook. Chase says, she also drove him crazy, and Gregory says, because she challenged him. She’s different; they’re both different, but they compliment each other. Sometimes that can lead to harmony, sometimes discord. Whether the relationship is worth it is up to him. Gregory’s phone tweedles, and he says, it’s Alexis. He has to go. He’s not telling Chase what to do. He’s just suggesting Chase work out his feelings before he hurts himself again.

As he and Victor approach the nursery window, Spencer says, the baby will be discharged soon, and he’ll be taking him home. Victor says, that’s splendid news. No word from his father? Spencer shakes his head, and Victor says, he and Spencer will just have to fill that void, but Laura says, Victor’s services won’t be needed. She knows her son won’t abandon his child. Victor says he prays she’s right. In the meantime, the remaining Cassadines will step up. He’s taken the liberty of finding them a new home. Spencer can’t be expected to raise a child under Sonny Corinthos’s roof. Laura says, he’s not. Her grandsons are both staying with her. Victor says, that’s generous of her, but her plate is rather full at the moment with taking in Charlotte. She says, her grandchildren are her first priority, especially since they’re missing their fathers. Victor says, Spencer and his brother will want for nothing. He’ll arrange for round the clock care for the baby. Spencer says he appreciates it, but everything is already set up at grandmother’s house. If they’ll excuse him, he’s going to see what’s taking so long. He leaves, and Victor asks why Laura is so hellbent on keeping him from what’s left of his family. She says, her? Both Spencer and Charlotte have wisely chosen to stay away from him, and he has no one to blame for that buy himself.

Eileen says she knew Anna was being framed, and she helped. She was the one who arranged for the tourism drone to be at the waterfront at the right time. Without her, the footage of Holly Sutton shooting Lucy Coe would never have been captured. Anna never would have fled the country; she never would have been in Paris… or in that sewer. She’s so, so sorry. Please don’t hurt her. There are some electronic sounds, and Anna’s voice says, I think we’ve got enough, don’t you? The body sits up, and ghostly Anna disappears. Eileen looks like she might pass out, when Anna walks through the door. The body takes off her latex prosthetics, and Felicia says, this disguise is so convincing, it’s scary. Anna says, so scary.

Alexis flashes back to asking Gregory if he would have accepted the job had PCU not gotten in the way, and him saying, he’d have liked nothing more. There’s a knock at her office door, and Gregory says he came as soon as he could. What’s so urgent?

Maxie says, it’s so good to see Chase… unless he’s sick, but he says he just hurt his shoulder. He’s waiting for an MRI. She says, he must have been working out pretty hard to injure himself. Any specific reason why? He says, it just wasn’t his smartest moment, and she says, love does that to the best of us. He says, what? and she asks if that’s not why he’s throwing weights around; trying to impress the new woman in his life.

Brook says she would never let what’s going on between Sasha and Chase influence her professionally. She and Chase broke up. She just wants Chase and Sasha to be happy. If that’s together… yay. Sasha says, thank you, but there’s no her and Chase. They’re friends, and she’s still grieving Brando. Brook says, Sasha can still grieve and move on. She’s seen the way Chase and Sasha are together. Sasha says, what Brook’s seen is Chase being the awesome guy he is; supporting a friend in need. As for moving on, she hopes to one day. Brook says, but she’s not there yet, and Sasha says, the only romance she and Chase had was staged. He’s just being there for her as a friend. Brook says, for the record, there are more people there for Sasha than just Chase; her too.

Eileen says, this is a trick? What the hell is wrong with them? Anna says, Eileen wants to talk about tricks, after framing her for shooting Lucy? Thanks for the confession, by the way. It’s made their job a lot easier. She asks if Felicia got everything, and Felicia says, every last word, pulling a recorder out of the body bag. She plays back Eileen’s confession, and says, good thing New York is a one-party consent state. Anna says, which Eileen knows about, given her impressive political career. Eileen says she was coerced. It will never hold up in a court of law. Anna asks if she wants to take that chance. She might be right that this would be deemed inadmissible in court, but it can still be leaked to her constituents. Anna feels like the good citizens of this great city need to know what their public servants are up to. Felicia asks how long Anna thinks before Eileen is removed from office, and Anna says, not too long probably. Felicia says, Eileen can kiss her political aspirations goodbye, and Anna says, not to mention her freedom. Eileen says, there’s no need for that. She’ll see to it that Anna’s name is cleared. Anna says, thank you, but I want so much more than that.

Victor says, everything he’s ever done has been for the sake and benefit of his family, and Laura bursts out laughing. He asks what she finds funny, and she says, all of it maybe. He chased his own son away with all of his schemes, and now Charlotte is left without a father. Laura doesn’t think it’s to her benefit. Victor says, not a day goes by he doesn’t ache for his son. He’d do anything he could to bring Valentin back. She says, and Nikolas? and he says he won’t rest until he finds Nikolas and reunites him with his children. She asks if Victor didn’t help him sneak off, and he says, of course (🍷) he didn’t. She laughs again, and says, forgive her if she doesn’t believe him. He asks if she really thinks he’d keep Nikolas away from his newborn son, and she says she absolutely does. They both know the only person Victor cares about is himself. He says, that is simply not true. His family means everything in the world to him, and he’s almost lost all of them. She says, that’s because he puts his lust for power above all else, but don’t worry. His day is coming, sooner than he thinks maybe. And the fallout is going to be glorious. He asks what the hell she’s talking about, and she shrugs.

Kristina says she could be an aunt again; this is great. Sam says, is it? and Kristina says, of course (🍷) it is. She doesn’t know why Molly thinks TJ won’t react well. Molly tells her that she said she didn’t know how he’d react, not that he’d react badly. Kristina says, they’ve been together for ten years, and Sam says, maybe she’s just not ready to say anything to him yet. Kristina says, they’ve never talked about having kids? and Molly says, in the abstract maybe, but once they were established in their careers, and that day is not here yet. Kristina says, TJ won’t care; he’s going to freak. Molly says, if she’s pregnant, and honestly she doesn’t know. TJ wants to be a hands-on father. That’s going to be hard with the hours he works at the hospital, and it’s not like she’s any less busy. This is exactly why they wanted to wait. Sam says, everything is going to be okay, because they’re going to take this one step at a time. Don’t worry. Molly says, don’t say anything to anyone, and Kristina says, only mom… She’s kidding. Sam says, they won’t say anything to anyone. Right, Krissy? Kristina asks why she’s always looked at as the weak link. She’ll keep her mouth shut. Sam says, and she’ll make sure to tell Dante so they’re all on the same page. Dante comes back downstairs, and Kristina says, there’s no time like the present.

Alexis says she’s having an issue, and could use Gregory’s input. He says, all right, and sits down. She says, some of it’s clear; some of it’s obscure. She’s just having trouble sorting it out. He says, let’s hear it, and she says, actually, it might be better if he read it. She wants to turn it into an editorial, and it might be a bit one-sided. Take a look and tell her what he thinks. He says he lives for this, and starts to read.

Maxie tells Chase not to worry. He won’t get any awkwardness from her. She’s friends with Brook, but she’s also friends with Sasha, so… He says, she thinks he’s seeing Sasha? and she says, isn’t he? He says, no, and she says, now there is awkwardness, but he says he’s not dating anybody. What gave her the impression he was? She says, nothing. She just noticed he and Sasha were spending a lot of time together lately. He asks if Sasha said something, but Maxie says, no, but she was just at Kelly’s with Brook – he says, of course (🍷) – and she might have mentioned there was something between him and Sasha. Then Sasha showed up, and said there was tension between her and Brook. Clearly Maxie connected dots that shouldn’t have been connected. She’s sorry. She obviously stirred some things up. He says, it’s okay. Break-ups can be confusing. She says, doesn’t she know it, and he asks if that’s why she’s here; trying to find Austin? She says, she hasn’t spoken to him since The Hook attack, and she wanted to make sure he was okay. Chase says, but she’s debating whether or not it’s her place, and she says, wouldn’t it be great if, when relationships ended, all the feelings just went up in smoke? He says, yes, it would.

Sasha says she’s glad they talked this out, and Brook says, her too. Now she has to tell Maxie that she was right. She’s insufferable. Sasha says, maybe Maxie will surprise her… probably not. Even if she did have feelings for Chase, it woudn’t matter. It’s written all over his face how much Brook meant to him, and probably still does. She doesn’t think anyone is replacing Brook in Chase’s life anytime soon. Brook says, she’s got the past tense right, but Chase wants nothing to do with her, and honestly, it’s a relief. It took her a minute, but she’s completely over him.

Sam asks if Dante has recovered from the shock yet, and he says, almost. She says she told Molly they weren’t going to say anything to anyone, and he says, of course (🍷) not. Their secret is safe with him. She says, when he thought the pregnancy test was hers, how did it make him feel?

Laura says, sooner or later, Victor’s past is going to catch up with him, and she’s hoping it’s sooner. Spencer comes out with the baby, and says, meet the newest Cassadine. Victor asks if he has a name, and Spencer says he’s working on it, but in the Cassadine tradition, his middle name will be Niklosovich, like his. Victor says, may I? and Spencer says, of course (🍷), handing him the baby. Victor fusses over the baby, and says, technically, he’s the baby’s great, great Uncle Victor, but that’s quite a mouthful. Welcome to the family. As he’ll discover, they’re quite a formidable bunch, the Cassadines. Although he admits, in recent months, they rather lost their way. But the baby gives him hope again. Welcome to the family. Somehow, some day, his daddy is going to come back. And when he does, when they’re whole again, he’ll see how strong this family is when they come together. You, my little one, are our future, and I’m going to move heaven and earth to make sure it’s a bright and prosperous one for all of us. Spencer and Laura look at him like he’s Maleficent at Princess Aurora’s christening.

Anna says, of course (🍷) the mayor will ask for Eileen’s resignation, but she has a lot of sway with the DA. If Eileen does as they ask, and helps them to bring Victor down… Eileen asks if they’re crazy, and Anna says, help them bring him down. Working with him puts her in a unique position to get information that will help them put him away for good. Eileen says she can’t go against Victor. He’ll kill her if he finds out. Felicia says, yes, he will, because that’s the kind of monster he is, which is why they need her to get the goods on him. Anna says, they know Eileen sold her soul to Victor because of her political ambition, but she doesn’t believe Eileen is as bad as he is. Why doesn’t she do the right thing? Eileen says, it’s too risky, and Felicia says, suit herself, but once this recording goes public, how does she think Victor is going to react? Eileen says, there must be some other way, but Anna says, there isn’t. There are only two ways out of this. Either she’s with them, against Victor, or she faces the consequences of her own actions. What is it going to be?

Dante says, Sam’s definitely not pregnant, right? and she says, no, but can he just answer the question? He says, if she had been pregnant, he would have been super excited, over the moon, and she says, so would she. He says, but he looks at their life together and thinks, maybe no more kids. She says, no more kids, and he says, they’re two for two. He likes what they’ve built together. If it were to happen by accident, then bring it on, but why mess with perfection? She asks if he’s seen the playroom lately; it’s a disaster. He says, but that’s their mess, and she says, it is, kissing him.

Kristina tells Molly to stop thinking about all the reasons the timing might not be right. What does her heart say? Molly tells her, it says she really wants to have a baby with TJ, and Kristina says, her too. She means, she wants Molly to have a baby.

TJ goes into the exam room to treat Chase, but Chase isn’t there. TJ’s phone rings, and Molly asks if he has a minute. He says, for her, always, and Kristina gives Molly a thumbs up. Molly says, good, because there’s something she wants to tell him.

Outside Kelly’s, Brook tells Sasha that she was upset at first, but not only does she have zero romantic feelings for Chase, she realized not being in a relationship is the best thing that could have happened to her. Now she can focus all her energy on her management business without all the distractions. Sasha says, sounds like she’s in a good place, and Brook says she is. They leave, and Chase comes out from around the corner looking all sad.

Gregory says, Alexis’s assessment is spot-on, and she says, so it does read as one-sided. He says he made some notes as to where the argument needs to be rounded out, and where opposing viewpoints could have benefited. She thanks him for his input and for coming by at such short notice, and he says, not only does he enjoy the work, he’s her friend. She says she thinks he believes that, and he says he does. She says, then why is he lying to her?

Eileen says, fine. She’ll work with them against Victor. Anna thanks her for making the right choice, and Felicia asks if she understands the consequence of double-crossing them. Eileen says, her confession will be leaked to law enforcement and the people of Port Charles, and Felicia says, Victor included. Excellent. They’ll start tonight. Anna says, let’s nail Victor to the wall.

The nurse tells Spencer that they just need a couple of signatures, and he can take the baby home, but Diane suddenly shows up, and says, there’s been a change in plan. She’s sorry, but that baby’s not going anywhere.

On Monday, Elizabeth tells Esme that she couldn’t be more wrong if she thinks Elizabeth owes her an apology; Obrecht says she sees Willow differently; Mason pays Austin a visit; and Sonny says, that’s a lot to celebrate.

🎂 One Is Silver, the Other Gold…

And for his birthday, a blast from Sonny’s past.

🥏 Like a Boomerang…

Well, we’d better find out what the hell Mason is doing with him. I actually think this guy is a better Nikolas. He’s more believable for some reason.

🔥 Fuel For Reunion Fire…

Did not see this coming.

https://people.com/tv/vanderpump-rules-stars-slam-tom-sandoval-raquel-leviss-over-alleged-affair-causing-ariana-madix-split/

📼 That’s My Question…

And where’s the Kathy tirade footage? Is there going to be some grand lost footage special in the future?

In other Salt Lake news.

👵🏼 Because It’s Getting Old…

Honestly? I think the Real Housewives are over. Unless Andy has a magic wand that can revamp it, I think the franchise is done.

🐩 Highest Honor…

I love this.

https://people.com/pets/rescue-dogs-celebrate-jamie-lee-curtis-after-2023-sag-awards-win/

🦞 Quotes of the Week

When deeds speak, words are nothing. – Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

March is the month God created to show people who don’t drink what a hangover is like. – Garrison Keillor

Tough times never last, but tough people do.Dr. Robert Schuller

A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t. – Jack Dempsey (Apparently, I’m a champion every morning.)

When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on. – Franklin D. Roosevelt

I find your tranquility kind of irritating. – Gina Baxter (Hope Davis), Your Honor

🍒 With a Cherry On Top…

Get sidetracked on Monday really Tuesday with some soap and the right captain on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay not getting distracted by the minutiae, and stay not investing in a friendship until you’ve fully investigated the situation.

March 2, 2023 – Laura Sends Eileen To the Morgue, Poem, Bill’s Band, Through the Years, Please Go, Fakey McFake, Monstrous Loss, Everything SAG & Good

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sasha puts a single rose on Brando’s grave, and says, it’s finally over. Heather Webber will never hurt anyone again. Soon they will lock her up. She hopes Heather suffers. He’s too kind to wish that on anyone, but he’s not here, so she gets to wish for what she wants. Of course (🍷) the one thing she wishes, she can’t have. Everybody talks about moving on and living her life. Easier said. She starts to cry, and says she misses him.

Maxie meets Brook at Kelly’s, and Brook asks, how’s her mom? Maxie says, hanging in there. Ryan really put her mom and Mac through the wringer. Brook says, look on the bright side. Ryan is dead, and Heather is being put away until she rots. Good riddance to the lunatics. Maxie says she’s still reeling though. Heather’s last victim was Austin. Brook asks if Maxie’s talked to him, and Maxie says she left a message, but didn’t want to push. Brook says, it’s hard to know where to draw that line with an ex, and Maxie says, now they’re talking about Brook and Chase. Is she right?

Dante comes into the steam room to find Chase rubbing his shoulder. Dante says he told Chase to take it easy. What did that punching bag ever do to him anyway? Chase says he was overcompensating. He’s sick of being in limbo. He wants to be a cop again.

Gregory reads out loud to Alexis, when the sounds of choppers faded from the air above Spoon Island, one notorious criminal was dead, another was in custody, and their legacies were cemented with the birth of their grandson and the trail of devastation each left in their wake. She takes it he has notes, but he says, just one; masterful. Congratulations. She’s nabbed the scoop of the year.

As they approach Sam’s apartment, TJ asks if Molly is up to this, but she says she’s fine. It’s probably just a touch of the bug that’s going around. She hasn’t seen her sisters in ages, and there’s no way she’s missing this brunch. Um… I guess she misses them so much, she wants them sick too? They knock at the door, and Sam tells Kristina, they’re here. Kristina comes out with a cake that has one candle on it, and Sam opens the door. They yell, happy anniversary!🎉

At the MetroCourt restaurant, Diane tells Robert, it’s so lovely, and he says, it’s been a long time coming. He really owes her, and she says, for wasting her time in court with a case that should never have been brought to trial? He says he was thinking more of a moment they shall call the elevator incident, and she says she was only doing what anyone would do when they figured out a colleague had been drugged and swindled. He says, regardless, this is an expression of his gratitude, and she asks if that’s all this is. He says, she’s got him. There was something else he wanted to talk to her about today.

Laura thanks Eileen for meeting her at the hospital, and Eileen says, of course (🍷). Laura says she’s been given a task that feels impossible to her, and she realized that Eileen is the best person to help her with it.

TJ says now he understands why Sam insisted he escort her to this so-called sister’s brunch, and Kristina says, they know TJ and Molly celebrated their anniversary at Curtis and Portia’s wedding. Sam says, the first year of domestic partnership deserves a celebration, and Kristina says, they’re borrowing from birthday tradition, lighting the candle. Sam says, make a wish, and Kristina tells them, then blow out the candle. They do, and everyone laughs.

Alexis says, right place, right time, and Gregory says, thanks to the tip from Smoltz. She says, when he’s right, it reminds her that he’d actually be good at his job if he had integrity. He says, Smoltz may have given her information, but it was her deductive reasoning that unmasked The Hook, and she says, a major get. He says, one she should be proud of, but she says, the glory isn’t all hers. She couldn’t have done it without him.

Dante says he knows Chase hates not being on the force, and Chase says, especially after an operation like the one on Spoon Island. They caught The Hook. Ryan Chamberlain is dead, Esme Prince has been recaptured, and where was he? Dante says he missed out too, but Chase says, because he was in England with Sam working on another case. Dante says, they were tracking down Esme’s nanny. She told them that Ryan was Esme’s biological father. Chase says, see? Dante’s proven his point. It was good work. Dante says, work Chase can do too when he gets reinstated. Chase says, if he gets reinstated, but Dante says he has every reason to believe the Board will reinstate Chase. Will he have some faith? Chase says he’ll try, but in the meantime, there’s another bad guy he can take down.

Brook tells Maxie, soon enough she and Chase won’t have a professional relationship, and Chase will be free of her completely. Maxie asks if he fired Brook as his manager, and Brook says, music was never Chase’s dream; it was hers. He loves police work, and he’s probably going to be reinstated in the next few months. Maxie asks how she feels about that, and Brook says, it makes him happy, and she’s happy for him. Maxie asks how she really feels, but Brook says she’s actually happy for him. He deserves to follow his passion. Maxie says, so does Brook, and Brook says she is. Aside from the ones he already sold, Linc gave her back her catalog. She can shop those around, build her slate of artists… Maxie asks why she still doesn’t seem happy, and Brook says, because she still doesn’t get what she wants.

Eileen says, whatever Laura needs, she’s at her service, and Laura says, she looks tired. Is she sick? Eileen says she hasn’t been sleeping well. Her alarm clock must have a short; it’s been waking her up at all hours. On top of which, the heat stopped working. Laura suggests she stay somewhere else until she can sort out the heat and the wiring, but Eileen says, that won’t help with the nightmares, and Laura says, what? but Eileen says, it’s nothing. Laura tells her, Anna Devane’s body has been recovered… or what the French authorities believe are her remains. Eileen says, her condolences, and Laura gets all teary and thanks her. Eileen says she hopes this gives Laura and Anna’s loved ones the closure they need. When will the body arrive? Laura says, it’s already here. Anna’s body is down in the morgue, and she’s the one who’s supposed to… identify it. She breaks down in tears.

Alexis tells Gregory, spitballing, bouncing theories off each other, that’s what led to her eureka moment with Heather. After that, it was just a matter of confirming her hunch. He says he might have helped get the wheels turning, but this was all her, and she says, take the win. Come on. They’re good together. Why bust it all up? He says he’s sensing a return to a conversation they put to bed, and she says she doesn’t understand why PCU won’t let him work at The Invader. He says he told her; a conflict of interest. (BTW, I think he’s lying to her; I don’t think he even asked.) She says she’s researched six publications, and all of them have professors working in their editorial department. So why does PCU set a different standard for their faculty specifically? He asks why she can’t let this go.

Chase tells Dante that he’s going to stop Linc Brown and his career as a music manager. Maybe get him charged just for good measure. Dante suggests Chase remember Linc was one of the reasons he was suspended in the first place. He adds harassment to assault, he’s not getting back on the force. Chase says, Brown gets handsy with his clients – he means, really handsy. He’s abusive, controlling, and manipulative, and that’s all they know about. There’s probably so much more. Dante says he knew the guy was a sleaze, but didn’t know he was doing that. That’s no good and he needs to be stopped. Why doesn’t he have a chat with Linc? Chase says, that won’t do any good, and Dante asks how working for him is going to change his behavior. Chase says, proximity gives him opportunity. Sooner or later, he’s going to slip up in a way that’s verifiable. Dante says, when he does, Chase better be far, far away from him.

Brook tells Maxie that she and Chase are over. He made that abundantly clear. In fact, she thinks he’s moved on. Maxie says, Chase is interested in someone else? Who? Brook says, Sasha, startling me, since I expected her to say Blaze. She’s not sure sure, but they’ve been spending a lot of time together lately. Maxie says, well, they’re friends, and she’s sure they’re just being supportive, and Brook says, how sure? grabbing Maxie’s hand. Maxie says, 98% sure, prying Brook’s hand off hers. She says, Brook needs to talk to Sasha, and Brook says, why? Whatever’s going on between them is none of her business. She and Chase are over. She doesn’t have him, but she does have her music back. Maxie says, she doesn’t seem that pleased, and Brook says, it came with strings. She had to sign a non-disclosure agreement. One of her main goals when she started was to nail Linc to the wall for sexual harassment, coercion, and all of the other sleazy stuff he does. Maxie says, and she persuaded Chase to help her? and Brook says she did, and he was totally into it. So when he finds out she signed an NDA and can no longer speak publicly about what Linc did to her, he could think she prioritized her career over doing what’s right. Maxie says she doesn’t think the NDA is going to be Brook’s problem. She should talk to a lawyer, but Brook needs to look into the Speak Out Act. An NDA can prevent you from talking about work product, like intellectual property… Brook says, lyrics, contracts, deals, and Maxi says, exactly, but a contract that restricts your talking about how you’ve been treated, misconduct in the workplace, or sexual harassment, those can’t be enforced anymore. Brook should look into it. Brook says she will, but that still doesn’t change what she did, and Maxie says, Chase is understanding. She’s sure he’ll forgive her. Sasha is suddenly there, and asks what Chase has to forgive Brook for. Um… none of your business?

Diane asks how offended she should be that the pleasure of her company wasn’t enough for her and Robert to meet, but he says, the pleasure of her company is reward enough, and she says, stop. He says he wanted to bring her up to speed on some recent events, and she says, he means Heather Webber being identified as the person who stabbed her with a hook. He says, she’s confessed, which means they’re removed from having to go through a trial, and Diane says, which means she doesn’t have to testify. She wasn’t looking forward to reliving that. She puts her clients on the stand every day, but it’s different… He says, when you’re the one being attacked. He gets it. She says, of course (🍷) he would. He was the victim of an attack recently.

Eileen says, shouldn’t one of Miss Devane’s relatives make the identification? but Laura says, her daughter lives all the way across the country. Eileen says, what about DA Scorpio? They were married. Laura says, they were, but the French authorities have made it clear that… the body… there’s been some decomposition. She’s sure Eileen understands why she wouldn’t want to expose one of Anna’s loved ones to a visual like that unless it was absolutely necessary. Eileen says, of course (🍷), and Laura says, unfortunately, it’s her job as city official to assist the gendarmerie, but she’s been here for hours, and she just can’t do it. Eileen says, Laura needs support, and Laura says she needs Eileen to do it.

Chase says he knows Dante isn’t telling him to look the other way while Linc manhandles his female clients, and Dante says, no, but he is telling Chase to maybe report him. He knows it’s difficult, but maybe Chase could convince some of these women to come forward. Chase says, Dante knows as well as he does, these types of allegations are hard to prove. Either everyone comes forward or no one does. Dante says he gets direct involvement, but for Chase, it’s a bad idea, and Chase says, why? These women endure this because they think if they don’t, Linc will end their music career. He doesn’t care if his music career ends; he can’t wait. He’s the perfect person to take Linc down. Dante says, Chase takes Linc down, Linc is liable to take Chase own with him. Then what happens? The CCRB gets wind of his little one-man operation, and there go his chances of reinstatement. Chase says he knows there are risks, but he doesn’t feel right leaving these women in Linc’s orbit to do this alone. Dante says, nor should he, but to be clear, are they talking women plural, or one woman in particular?

Sasha asks if everything is okay with Brook and Chase, and Brook says, nothing major; just music business stuff. Maxie stares at Brook, and Sasha sits down, saying, she admires Brook. She’s juggling two careers. Sasha crumbled under the pressure of just one. Maxie says, Sasha didn’t. What she went through wasn’t a reflection of her capabilities or professionalism. Don’t sell herself short. Maxie tells them that she left her phone in her coat pocket; talk amongst themselves. She stands behind Sasha and eavesdrops, as Sasha says she thinks it’s incredible what Brook has done with Chase’s music career. Is she taking on other clients? Brook says, actually, she thinks it’s time to explore new horizons.

Alexis asks why Gregory is willing to let this go, and he says he knows his limits. She says, the only limits he has are the ones PCU has shackled him with. He should just quit. He says, she finds journalism gratifying? and she says, certainly more than she thought. He says, when she was practicing law, if someone had told her to quit and run The Invader, or just be on the staff… She says she’d refuse, and he says, being an attorney was her first love, was it not? She admits it was, and says, and teaching is his. He says, this may sound flowery or pretentious, but he feels the knowledge he’s imparted is his bequest to a better world. If anyone should understand how hard it is to give up a career you’ve poured your heart and soul into… She says she gets it, and he says, besides, just because he’s not officially working here doesn’t mean they can’t continue to collaborate. She said herself, why bust up a good thing? He’s thinking, there must be a way to build on the momentum of this story, and his ideas are hers, free of charge.

Kristina asks, who’s ready for a toast? and Sam asks for sparkling water. She thinks she got a bit of food poisoning in England. TJ says, sparkling water for him too; he’s due at work. Kristina says, they’re both squares. Molly won’t let her drink alone, will she? Molly says, maybe just a small glass, and TJ says, his dad called to wish them a happy anniversary. Sam asks how Shawn is, and TJ says, great, and not at all surprised Alexis cracked The Hook case. Kristina hopes Heather’s capture brings Gladys and Sasha some peace, and Sam says, that’s why it’s so important for them to celebrate these milestones. To the people we love, and all of the milestones. Kristina says, to TJ and Molly, and they clink glasses.

Eileen says, Laura wants her to identify Anna Devane’s remains? and Laura says, there aren’t many people she could trust with this. Eileen says, forgive her, but she doesn’t have the impression Laura trusts her. Laura rarely calls on her for assistance, and Laura’s often dismissive of her efforts. Laura admits she was short with Eileen when Eileen talked with Warden Brewster about the Spring Ridge escapes. Eileen says, it wasn’t the first time Laura kept her out of the loop, and it was important she stay informed. Laura says, being informed isn’t necessarily being involved. Okay, she admits it. She’s been keeping Eileen at arm’s length. Eileen asks, why? and as they walk down the hallway, Laura says she owes Eileen an apology. She let her personal sensibilities cloud her judgement. They don’t have to be adversaries. Eileen is a strong administrator, and will be a great successor when Laura decides not to seek reelection, but she needs to know she can count on Eileen when it matters. Eileen says, understood. She’ll go to the morgue and make the identification. Laura presses the elevator button, and says she can’t tell Eileen how grateful she is for her stepping up in this way. It’s something she’ll never forget. Eileen gets in the elevator, the doors close, and Laura gets out her phone. She says, she’s on her way.

Diane apologizes for bringing up a sore subject, but Robert says, it’s public knowledge. Holly played him; he fell for it. Diane says she’s assuming Holly is still recovering from her burns in Europe, and he says, Holly has some challenges ahead of her. Regardless of what’s happened, he wishes her well. Diane says she may not know Holly well, but she knows this second chance meant a lot to him. She’s sorry. He asks, why? and she says, because he is. Deep as first love, and wild with all regret. He says, o death in life, the days that are no more, and she says, to Tennyson. They clink coffee cups, and she says, she was hoping Tennyson was getting him through during that time, and he says, not just Tennyson.

Sasha says she hopes Brook finds the perfect singer for every song, and make superstars out of all of them, and Brook says, that’s the dream. Sasha says, it’s hard to make many moves under this guardianship, but she’s starting to think about her future, and Brook asks if there’s anyone else in that future. Maxie jets back to her seat, babbling that her phone was in her purse the whole time, and Sasha wonders if Brook is asking her something specific. Maxie asks what she missed.

Dante says, Chase and Brook teamed up to take down Linc. Is Chase worried about his feelings for Brook coming back? Chase says, maybe they will, maybe they won’t. Either way, it’s worth it to see this through. Does Dante remember how aimless he felt when he was first suspended? For a guy who’s wanted to be a cop longer than he can remember, it didn’t feel good to lose his purpose. Dante asks, what about singing? but Chase says, that’s a paycheck, not a purpose. He wants to help people and if he can’t do it as a cop, he’ll do it this way.

Gregory says, Doc would add a good point of view to a think piece, and Alexis says, Doc is not only Ryan’s brother, he’s his twin, and his victim. Gregory says, to share your exact DNA with someone who’s both you physiological and moral opposite? It’s a great angle. She says she likes it, and he asks if Doc would be willing to talk about it. She says, there’s only one way to find out. She’d also like to interview Esme, even though she’s got some problems of her own right now. Gregory says he forgot. Congratulations are in order; Alexis is an aunt again. She says, that’s mean. She knows Nikolas is having another son, but she doesn’t know where he is. Gregory gets up, and says, it’s a good thing she’s good at solving mysteries, and she says, about the job. He says, just when they were having such a nice chat, and she says, humor her. If PCU hadn’t gotten in the way of taking the job, would he have accepted it? He says, he would have liked nothing more, and leaves.

TJ thanks Sam and Kristina for this very thoughtful surprise. Growing up, he never knew what he was missing, but through Molly, he has sisters. He thanks them for always making him feel like family, and Sam says, he is family. Kristina says, he’s trapped and there’s no escape, but it’s only because they love him. He says he loves them too, and Molly walks him to the door. He says he’ll see her tonight, and leaves. She goes back inside, and says, as they know, TJ is traditional and she’s not, but she appreciates them celebrating the commitment she and TJ made. Sam says, love should always be celebrated, and Molly says, right back at her and Dante. Kristina says, her sisters are happily in love. It almost gives a girl a complex. Sam says, when Kristina meets someone – and she will – they won’t know what hit them. Kristina says, because she’s a wrecking ball, but Sam says, she’s fantastic and smart and beautiful, and Molly says, face it, they’re magnificent. They deserve only the best, and that includes Kristina. Only good things for the Davis girls.

Robert says he’s grateful to have friends, old and new, and Diane says he’d better be calling her new. Alexis approaches the table, and says, if it isn’t her two favorite members of her former profession. Can she join them? Diane asks if it matters, and Robert says he has another appointment. My how time flies. Diane thanks him for breakfast, Alexis takes his seat, and he leaves. Alexis asks if it was business or discovery, and Diane says, it was breakfast. She thanks Alexis for alerting her before the identity of The Hook went to print, and Alexis says, it’s the least she could do. How is Diane feeling? Diane says, like she no longer has any excuses not to go out and live her life, and take a breath. And Alexis? Is she deciding what shelf to dust off for her Pulitzer? Alexis says, that’s a bit of a stretch, but Diane says, she’s on her way. Alexis says she’d be more on her way if PCU weren’t being obstructionist. The school’s administration won’t allow Gregory to join the editorial board. Conflict of interest. Diane asks, how? and Alexis says, exactly. Diane asks what Gregory has to say about this, and Alexis says, nothing. He doesn’t want to give up teaching, so he’s accepting it. Diane says she’s guessing Alexis isn’t, and Alexis says, no. Diane knows how she is.

TJ sees Laura, and says he didn’t get a chance to thank her for stepping in to officiate at his uncle’s wedding. She was incredible. She thanks him, and says, it was her honor. How’s his Aunt Stella doing? He says, on the mend. He asks what brings her by GH, and she says, closure.

Gregory asks the reception nurse to direct him to exam room 3, and she says she remembers him; he’s Dr. Finn’s dad. He says he hadn’t realized he was famous, when TJ comes by and says hello. Gregory says he’s looking for exam room 3, and TJ says he can show Gregory. Don’t tell him Gregory has caught this bug making the rounds. Gregory says, if only.

Eileen goes into the morgue. It’s empty, and she looks at the instruments on the table and shudders. She flashes back to hearing Anna say, you’re next, Eileen. You’re next. The attendant comes in, and she jumps a mile. He says he didn’t mean to startle her. Is she Deputy Mayor Ashby? She says, yes, and he says, he’s Moe (or maybe Mel); he’s been expecting her. He holds out his hand, but she doesn’t take it. She says she’s sorry; she’s just a little jumpy. He says, they get that a lot down here. Mayor Collins said she’d be identifying the Jane Doe from France. She says, that’s why she’s here, and he slides out a drawer holding a body in a body bag. He says he has to step out for a minute. Why doesn’t she take a look, and he’ll be back with the form she has to sign. He leaves, and I don’t think that’s how any of this works.

Dante says, it sounds like Chase is going to go after Linc no matter what, and Chase says, yeah. Dante says, promise if he gets into any trouble, Chase will call him, and Chase thanks him. He suggests Chase get his bum shoulder checked out, but Chase says, Dante knows how he feels about hospitals. Dante says, speaking of hospitals, he heard Willow was released, and Chase asks if that means she’s doing better. Dante says he doesn’t know, and suggests Chase stop by and see her. Chase says he has to meet little Amelia, and Dante says, his mother has fierce baby fever right now. She keeps hinting, and trying to find out if he and Sam are having kids. Chase asks if he wants them, but Dante says, they haven’t discussed it. I’m thinking either Sam, Molly, or both are pregnant.

Sam says she notices Molly switched to the sparkling water. Is everything okay? Molly says she just feels under the weather, and Kristina says she already opened the bottle. It’s a sin to let it go flat. Molly says she doesn’t want any more, but she could use something sweet. Is there any dessert? Didn’t they just have cake? Sam says, in the bag over there, and Kristina goes to get it. Molly says she wants to hear all about finding Esme’s nanny, and Sam says, it was insane. It was beautiful and rural, and they found her in this little place in Devon. She tells Molly about the crazy driving, when Kristina takes a pregnancy test out of the bag. Molly excuses herself, and Sam asks what’s taking Kristina so long. Kristina puts the test behind her back, and Sam says, she had one job. Kristina asks if there’s something Sam wants to tell her, and shows her the test. Dante comes in, and Kristina turns around, putting the test behind her back again. He asks if it’s over.

Diane says, do not meddle, and Alexis says she’s not meddling. She’s doing Gregory a favor. Diane wonders if he asked for this favor, and Alexis says, no. Diane says, then don’t do it, but Alexis says, he wants this job. Diane should have seen him. He just doesn’t want to give up teaching. Diane says, the professor is a big boy. If he wants it so badly, he’ll find a way to get it – on his own. Alexis says, not necessarily. He’s a cerebral guy. He doesn’t like to make waves. She does. She’s action oriented. Diane says, that’s Latin for meddling, and Alexis says, he wants the job, and she’s going to do something about it.

Brook says, sorry to bolt, but she has a full day, and Maxie says, stay. Sasha says, there’s been this really weird tension between them these last few weeks, but Brook says, no. Sasha says she’s sober, she’s calm, she thinks she’s rational. So she’ll be really disappointed if Brook tells her that she’s imagining this. Brook says, she brought out the big guns right away, and Sasha says, something has clearly changed between them, and she thinks it has to do with Chase.

TJ asks what Gregory means by if only, and Gregory says, nothing. It’s just a wonder he hasn’t picked it up from one of his students. Chase comes in, and Gregory asks if he’s there to see his brother, but Chase says, Finn’s off this morning. He tweaked a muscle in his shoulder, and he’s getting it checked out. What is Gregory doing here?

Robert sees Laura, and asks if Ashby went for the bait. She says, hook, line, and sinker, and he says, well done. She says, now let’s just hope it all goes according to plan.

Eileen hesitates, then remembers Laura saying how grateful she is, and it’s something she’ll never forget. She slowly goes over to the drawer, and zips open the bag enough to reveal Anna’s beat up, bluish face. The lights flicker, then go out, and Eileen says, hello? Is Moe (or Mel) there? The lights went out. Hello? The lights come back on, and she sees a ghostly Anna standing in front of her. She looks back at the table, where Anna’s body is still lying, and says, this isn’t real. This isn’t real. Anna floats toward her, looking like a demon.

Tomorrow, Chase asks if there’s a reason Gregory won’t tell him why he’s at the hospital; Kristina says she just found out Dante and Sam have been holding out on her; Laura says, Victor has no one to blame but himself; and Eileen says, please. I’ll do anything.

📜 Poets In Law…

If you want to read the whole poem.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45384/the-princess-tears-idle-tears

🎸 Rock On…

Good for him. I thought he did a wonderful job on GH, and certainly better than the Most Extras’ first song on Vanderpump Rules last night.

🎊 Another 50th

The Y&R Memory Lane. It’s comforting to know some of the soaps we grew up with are still there.

💎 Here’s Your Hat…

Isn’t she gone yet? Please, take Kyle with you.

Well, we agree on LisaR’s exit, but no Housewife is bigger than the franchise? I present Queen LVP. She’s still got it going on elsewhere, and the show began its slippery slope downhill after her departure.

🍊 Phonier Than a Three Dollar Bill…

I’m ambivalent to Kelly – although she does let fly some amusing bon mots – but I agree Tamra is fake. The worst thing was when she decided to become a Christian, made a big production out of it, then never gave a Christian hoot again. I cringe just thinking of it. The loudest wheel gets the screen time.

🦐 Farewell Creature…

He was my favorite monster as a kid. My sister went through a model building phase for a hot minute, and did several classic monsters. I loved him.

https://ew.com/movies/ricou-browning-monster-creature-from-black-lagoon-dies-93/

🏆 And the Not Loser Is…

The winners.

https://ew.com/awards/sag-awards/sag-awards-2023-winners-list/

The best moments. I would usually say, these are debatable, but they’re pretty spot-on.

https://ew.com/awards/sag-awards/best-moments-sag-awards-2023/

The fashion.

https://ew.com/sag-awards/sag-awards-2023-red-carpet-photos/

Afterwards.

https://ew.com/sag-awards/see-all-the-stars-at-the-2023-sag-awards-after-parties/

My personal favorite.

https://ew.com/awards/sag-awards/james-hong-2023-sag-awards-speech-producer-said-asians-not-good-enough/

Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200…

Come to my window tomorrow for soap, tea spillage, what might pass as wisdom, and music celebrating women. Until then, stay safe, stay raising your own bar, and stay celebrating milestones, big and small.

December 16, 2022 – Spencer Says Things Have Changed, Open, Preparing, Miami Takeaways, Unfriended, Ultimately, Inspired, Who Are These People, Pink Pug, Quotes Of an Even Number & Drummer Boy

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Trina runs to Rory, crying, and saying she’s so sorry. He removes his oxygen mask, and says, it was too soon… to tell you how I feel… I’m not sorry… When you know, you know. He flatlines, and the doctors wheel him into the nearest examining room. They use the defibrillator, and Josslyn hugs Trina.

Nikolas sees Laura at the docks, and she says she was just riding over to the island; now they can ride together. He hugs her, and she asks if something’s wrong. He says he just wishes she would have called first, but she says, there is something wrong. Talk to her. What’s going on? He flashes back to Ava asking him, what’s going on? and telling her that Elizabeth is having his child. Laura says, he looks like he lost his best friend.

At the gallery, Ava queues up Nikolas’s confession on her laptop, and makes a call. She tells them, don’t talk; just listen. She presses play, and puts the phone by the speaker. Does she have their attention?… Good. Then come to the gallery right now.

Zaanse Schans, Netherlands. Holed up in a windmill, Anna and Valentin tend a fireplace. Anna says, she burned herself, and she’s seriously not okay. They’ve been on the run since they escaped from Ireland, and what do they have to show for it? Nothing. They have no evidence that Lucy is alive. Even if she was, they wouldn’t know where to find her. She worries that they’ll never get back to the people who love them. He looks at her finger, and says, could have been worse. He could have burned his finger. She says he’s ridiculous, and he puts his arms around her from behind, saying, things can only go up from here, and they kiss.

Cameron tells Trina that his mom and Finn are the best at what they do. They’re going to do everything they can to make sure that Rory… Trina jumps up, and yells, no, no, no! She can’t just wait here. Why haven’t they told her that he’s going to be okay? Cameron grabs her, and says, they’re in there right now working on Rory. That means there’s still hope. She says, they have to save him. They have to. He and Josslyn hold Trina as she sobs.

Nikolas suggests he and Laura go someplace quiet. She can forget she’s the mayor for five minutes, and he can forget he’s a Cassadine. She says, they’ll have plenty of time to talk on the way over. Besides, she really wants to check on Spencer. He says, she can’t, and she says, she can’t see her grandson? He says he just meant Spencer’s not at Windymere right now. She says, then she’ll ask him. How was it that Spencer was able to get out of Pentenville three weeks early? He says, would she believe good behavior? and she says, no, she wouldn’t. What really happened? Who was pulling strings with that? He says he’ll give her three guesses, but he bets she can figure it out in one.

Ava sips a martini, when she hears someone come in. She says, you’re late, and Victor says he came as soon as she called. And for future reference, he doesn’t like being summoned. She says, what he calls being summoned, she calls doing him a favor. Would he care to join her for a drink? She holds out a martini, and he says, given her current mood, he’s not sure he should, but she says, not to worry. Seven parts vodka, one part vermouth; not a drop of arsenic. He says, in that case – he takes the martini – what’s the occasion? To what are we drinking? She says, his wish has finally come true. Her marriage to Nikolas is over. He’s divorcing her. She clinks her glass against Victor’s.

Curtis says, Trina knows what a good doctor her mom is; the same with Dr. Finn. He can promise they’re doing everything in their power to save Rory. She says she knows, but the last thing he said to her, and she didn’t say back to him… Josslyn folds Trina in her arms, and Portia comes out. Josslyn asks if there’s an update, and Portia tells Trina that she’s so sorry. Trina shakes her head, and Portia says again, she’s so sorry. Trina keeps repeating, no, and collapses in her mother’s arms.

In the examining room, Elizabeth tells Finn that he and Portia did everything they could. He says, it just wasn’t enough, and Elizabeth starts to put Rory’s personal effects in a manila envelope. She finds an earring and stops.

Josslyn asks if she can talk to Dante about something, and he says, sure. She asks if Rory was attacked because of his connection to Trina, or was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time? He says he doesn’t know, and I wonder what the blip happened with the other dead guy, who was apparently also a Hook victim. Dante says, it’s too soon, but she says, it fits the pattern. Everybody who’s been attacked, except for Brando, has some connection to Trina. She and Rory were dating. He says, all he can tell her is, they’re chasing down every lead, and he promises they’re going to catch this killer.

Cameron says he can’t believe this, and Spencer says, Rory had so much to live for.

Trina says she wants to see him, but Portia says, Trina doesn’t want that to be her last image of Rory. Curtis says, besides, this has now become a criminal investigation, and Trina says, she just wants to say goodbye. She promises she won’t touch anything. Jordan says she understands. Dante will go with her. Dante says, of course (🍷), and they go in.

Laura tells Nikolas, what she doesn’t understand is, Victor already had Spencer’s loyalty. Why would he need to get Spencer out of jail three weeks early? Nikolas says, things have only gotten worse between him and Spencer, and Victor stepped in. He thinks if the three of them live under the same roof at Windymere, it will improve family relations. Laura says, when she visited Spencer in Pentenville, he did let on that things were a lot worse between the two of them, but he wouldn’t tell her why. She told Spencer that he should talk with Nikolas, but Nikolas says, it’s not that easy. She asks, why? and he says he betrayed all the people he loves the most.

Ava asks why Victor isn’t toasting her divorce. Isn’t this what he’s been angling for all along? He says he can’t pretend he’s not relieved the two of them have finally come to their senses, and she says, he implied that Nikolas was ready to move on from her, and she didn’t believe him. Turns out, he was right. Does he know the gory details? He says he knows Nikolas slept with Esme, but she says she’s not talking about Esme. She’s talking about Elizabeth Baldwin. Victor says, what about her? and Ava says, Nikolas has been having sex with her for some time. He says he always suspected as much, but he wasn’t sure, and Ava asks if Victor also suspected Elizabeth is carrying Nikolas’s child.

Anna and Valentin kiss, and she says, they’re not going to be able to solve everything with romance. He says he thinks it’s worth a shot, and she says, her too. She feels they owe it to Marty to try to find Lucy. He practically sacrificed himself to get them away from Whitten. Valentin says, but they’re not going to find her tonight, are they? He found a perfectly acceptable case of Chateau Marmot in the cellar, and in the pantry, all the ingredients he needs to make his famous Beef Bourguignon. She asks if it’s world famous, and he says, Charlotte likes it. She asks what he thinks he’s going to whip up for dessert, and he says, crème brûlée, crêpes suzette, cherries jubilee? She says, why not just go to bed? and they kiss.

Elizabeth says she’s so sorry for Trina’s loss, and Trina says she knows they tried. Finn says he wishes they could have done more, and Elizabeth shows her the earring, saying, she found this in Rory’s pocket. Is it hers? Trina shakes her head, and Dante takes out a plastic bag. Elizabeth puts the earring in it, and Trina goes over to Rory’s body. She says she’s glad she got to know him. She’s sorry she couldn’t say the things that came so easily for him… and now there’s no time to say them.

Curtis says, Jordan is thinking about Nathan, and she says, at a time like this, she can’t help but remember all the officers they’ve lost over the years. He says, if she wants to talk about it, he’s here to listen, and she says, thanks, but she needs to call Rory’s parents. She leaves, and Portia joins Curtis. He asks, how’s Trina? and pulls her close. Trina comes out, and Portia goes to her and hugs her. She asks if Trina is ready to go home, but Trina shakes her head. She says she just needs to be alone, and walks off.

Trina goes into the chapel, and alternates crying with deep breaths. She looks at the cross, and says, why? All he wanted to do was help people. His heart was so big. Why did You take him? She doesn’t get it. She sits down, and cries.

Cameron asks if Josslyn wants to go someplace private to talk, but she says she’s sorry; Trina needs her. She leaves, and Spencer asks if Cameron is okay.

Laura says, when Nikolas tells her he betrayed those he loves, was he referring to him cheating on Ava, or something else? Laura’s phone rings, and it’s Jordan. Laura says, oh my God. That’s horrible… Okay. She’ll head over to GH. Nikolas asks, what happened? and Laura says, the PCPD lost a good man in the line of duty. She has to go to General Hospital now. Whatever is going on at Windymere, just promise her that he won’t forget what matters the most. He says, yeah, and she promises it will be all right. She tells him that she loves him, and leaves.

Victor asks if Ava is sure. Elizabeth Baldwin is pregnant with Nikolas’s baby? She says, apparently, Victor underestimated his nephew. He didn’t just move on from her; he’s starting a whole new family. Victor says he can only imagine how she must feel. If Nikolas is capable of jumping from her bed to Esme’s to Elizabeth, her marriage was doomed before it even began. The sooner she puts this ugly incident behind her, the better. She says, he’s all heart. Now moving forward, they both know a divorce can happen quick and easy, or slow and bloody. He may have Nikolas’s written confession, but she has this. She plays Nikolas’s confession on the laptop, and says she knows how much Victor values his family name, and if he thinks that video won’t come out in court, think again.

On the phone, Jordan says, she thought their son was exceptional. She’s so incredibly sorry for their loss. Dante asks how she’s doing, and she says, not great. She just got done breaking the news to Rory’s parent; they are understandably hysterical. He says he might have gotten a lead. He shows her the earring, and says, it was in Rory’s pocket. Elizabeth asked if it was Trina’s and she said no. Jordan tells Portia, Finn, and Elizabeth that she needs to speak with them. Finn asks what she’s thinking, and Jordan says she spoke to the lab, pending a post mortem, they ran Rory’s bloodwork. They found traces of snake venom. Dante says, which means, potentially, Esme is at it again, but Elizabeth says, that’s impossible, and Jordan asks why she thinks Esme isn’t The Hook killer. Elizabeth says, she just doesn’t, and calls Cameron over. She says, Cameron doesn’t think so either. Cameron says, that’s true, and Spencer says, Cameron said Esme struggled with his mother, but that doesn’t remotely prove Esme stabbed and killed a bunch of people. Curtis says, Cameron’s not the only one who thinks that, and Elizabeth says, Esme had a chance to kill her, and didn’t. Doesn’t that mean she might not be the killer? Laura arrives, and hugs Jordan, saying, she’s so sorry. Jordan says, Officer Cabrera was only a rookie, but he was well-respected. She saw a long, bright future ahead for him. Laura says, it’s just awful. Elizabeth asks if Laura has spoken to Nikolas, and Laura says, she just left him at the pier; he was headed to Windymere. Why does she ask? Elizabeth says, excuse her. She has something to take care of. She wants Cameron to make sure he gets home safe, and Laura says she’ll make sure. Cameron asks, what’s going on? and Elizabeth says, she’ll talk to him when she gets back.

Victor says, getting Nikolas to confess on tape must have seemed like a winning strategy to Ava at the time. But if she were to show this evidence to the court now, he doubts she’d get the closure she’s looking for. She says, Nikolas confessed to a murder. What judge wouldn’t be affected by that? He says, unfortunately for her, Elizabeth saw Esme alive and well after that. Granted, no one knows where she is right now, but according to Ava’s timeline, Nikolas confessed to killing someone who’s not actually dead. Which raises a whole host of questions. Namely, why did Nikolas confess to a crime he didn’t commit? The obvious answer is that he was trying to protect her, and that she had tried to kill Esme. Ava says, she and Esme were struggling over a letter, and Esme did a little flip off the parapet. She had nothing to do with it; it was an accident. He says, when the court finds out moments before that struggle, Ava found out Esme had sex with her husband, who’s going to believe it was an accident? She says, if she opens Pandora’s box, who knows what might come out? If he wants to risk the spotlight being shown on his duplicitous family… He says he’ll bite. What does she want? She shows him the papers, and says, this is what Nikolas offered as a settlement. He says, very generous, but she says, in her opinion, not nearly generous enough. If he wants an amicable divorce, he needs to sweeten the pot exponentially.

Anna tells Valentin, she just wants to get lost in them. Pretend the world has gone away, and it’s just them. But if Lucy is really in danger… He says he hasn’t chosen this location at random, and she says, he means they’re in this drafty old windmill in the middle of the Netherlands on purpose? He says, this drafty old windmill isn’t far from Amsterdam, one of the diamond capitals of the world. He happens to know a certain diamond dealer who’s not particular about choosing his clients. She asks if he’s not above doing business with Victor, and he says, his father likes collecting things. He thinks with the right amount of persuasion – she says, and a great deal of money, she’s sure – he might be able to tell them where Lucy is. She asks what they’re waiting for, but he says, they can’t be too eager; that would send up a red flag. They have to appear aloof. She says she was born aloof, and he says he’ll reach out to the dealer tomorrow. She asks what they’re going to do today, and he pulls her to him. He says, keep each other warm, and they kiss.

Curtis says, Portia doesn’t have to be strong for everyone, and she says she doesn’t even know how she’s feeling. It’s so complicated. As a doctor, you hate to lose a patient. You feel so much guilt, thinking there’s more you could have done, but as Trina’s mom? Her boyfriend was murdered, and it’s heartbreaking. She doesn’t know Rory’s family or his parents. She can’t imagine what they’re going through right now. He was so young. He had so much more life left to give. It’s just not fair. Curtis hugs her, and I see no one cares about other guy who was murdered.

Jordan tells Dante to make sure the earring gets to forensics in case it turns out to be a lead. There could be DNA or fingerprints on it. He says, will do, and leaves.

Josslyn goes into the chapel, where Trina is lighting a candle. Trina says she tried to pray, but she didn’t know what to say. Josslyn says, she will, but Trina says, it’s too late. She had the chance to say what Rory wanted her to say; what she should have said. When they went to the PC Grill, Rory told her that he loved her, but she didn’t say it back; she couldn’t. Josslyn says, because she wasn’t ready. That doesn’t make her bad. It just makes her honest. Trina says, honesty hurts, and Josslyn says, believe her, she knows. Trina says, Rory was so gentle, so kind, so brave. He gave his life. Why couldn’t she have given him what he wanted? Maybe if she had, he wouldn’t have taken the risk and lost his… Josslyn hugs her.

On the phone at the docks, Elizabeth calls Nikolas, but gets voicemail. She says he needs to call her back right away. She’s afraid he’s walking into a trap.

Jordan finds Finn sitting on the floor in his office, and he asks how her day has been. She says, back at him, but since they both have a job to do, there’s a coroner’s report. Anything else he wants to tell her?

Josslyn lights a candle, and sits next to Trina. Trina asks if Josslyn thinks he knows… Rory, wherever he is. Does she think he knows she won’t forget about him? Josslyn says she knows she’ll never forget Oscar. That’s got to keep him alive somehow, even if there’s someone else. Her mom says, you have to learn how to love. You might not get it right the first time, or the next time, or the time after that, but if you keep putting yourself out there, one day there’s a chance it might work out. Trina says, like algebra, and Josslyn says, yeah, putting her arm around Trina.

Laura hugs Cameron and Spencer, and says, both of her grandsons, even if it is under tragic circumstances. Were they friends with Officer Cabrera? They look at each other, and Laura asks, what’s that look about? Cameron says, he was Trina’s boyfriend, so they hung out a couple of times, and Spencer says, not so much for him. Cameron says, they wanted to support Trina, then tells them, he’ll be right back. He leaves, and Spencer says he was planning on calling Laura to let her know he’d been released, but then they heard the news about Rory… She says she understands. She was talking to Spencer’s dad about his early release just a little bit ago. Spencer says, then she knows he takes after his father, and she asks if he means are they both stubborn and act before they think. He says, more like everything he touches causes someone pain, and she asks if that isn’t melodramatic even for him, but he says, no. Everything that’s going on with Trina, and what happened with Rory, that’s all on him. She asks how that’s possible, and he says, because he’s the one who brought Esme to town. Think about everything that’s happened; it’s all gone to hell. The sex tape of Joss and Cam, Trina going on trial, and now all these hook attacks. Laura tells him that he can’t help Trina or anybody else if he’s blaming himself, and he asks if she doesn’t blame him, but she says she doesn’t He’s not responsible for the things Esme does. She doesn’t blame him at all. She has faith in him. He’s a much better person than he thinks he is.

Nikolas walks into Esme’s room.

Anna and Valentin bask in the afterglow in front of the fire, and she says, it’s just a fantasy, but it would be nice, wouldn’t it? He says, life in a windmill, skating on the canals in the wintertime. She says, picking tulips in the spring; not a care in the world. He says, it does sound nice, even if it’s just a fantasy. They can come back, but first they have to find Lucy and bring her home. Anna says she’s lived in so many cities in the world, that when Robin said she wanted to take her whole family to California, the concept of home is lost on her now. Wherever she is, when she’s with him, it feels like home. He kisses her.

Spencer asks what he’s ever done to make Laura have faith in him, and she says, during Trina’s trial, he knew that if he gave Trina an alibi, it might end up putting him in prison. But he testified anyway. She believes in that young man. He was going down the wrong road for a while, but turned it around. She believes in him, even if doesn’t believe in himself right now. And she loves him.

Trina tells Josslyn, Ava has reason to believe Esme’s not guilty of the hook attacks, which means she couldn’t have done this to Rory. Josslyn says, all they can do is trust the police to figure it out. Curtis come in, and says, Trina’s mom is anxious to take her home. Trina and Josslyn hug, and Trina leaves with Curtis.

Finn says, at this point, Jordan knows everything he knows, and Jordan tells him, then go home. Be with his daughter. His work is done here. He says, something tells him that hers is not. He’s really sorry for her loss. She thanks him, and leaves. Finn picks up Violet’s drawing, looks at it a moment, and follows.

Josslyn watches as Trina and Curtis leave the hospital, and Dante suggests he take her home. She says she’d like that, and Cameron asks if Dante would mind if he had a minute with Josslyn. Dante says, of course (🍷), and tells Spencer, let’s give them some space. Cameron says, before everything went down tonight, Josslyn said she had something important to tell him, but she says, it can wait. She can’t really think about anything but what happened with Rory right now. She kisses him on the cheek, and leaves with Dante. Spencer asks, what was that all about? but Cameron says, he doesn’t know. What about Spencer? Did he tell their grandmother he’s leaving Port Charles? Spencer says, no, because things have changed. Whatever he can do, he wants to be there for Trina, and he’s not going anywhere until Esme is found.

Nikolas tells Esme that he needed a little Christmas spirit like she did, and they look at lights on the tree. Elizabeth stands in the doorway, and Esme says, it’s almost perfect. The only thing missing is an angel on top. She turns, and sees Elizabeth. She asks if Elizabeth would like to help them, and Nikolas says, he didn’t know she was here. Elizabeth backs up, and jets.  

Victor tells Ava that he’s confident they can come to an arrangement that satisfies all parties involved, and she says she’ll need to see the exact offer in writing of course (🍷). He says, of course (🍷). He’s truly sorry her love story had to end this way. She says, no he’s not. This is just the ending he wanted. He leaves, and Ava picks up her glass. She says, to true love, and smashes it on the floor.

Nikolas asks Elizabeth, what’s the matter? She looked like she saw a ghost. She asks if Esme left the room tonight, and he says, no. She says, is he absolutely sure? and he says he’s sure. Why? She says, because a cop is dead. He was stabbed to death by a hook. In the room, Esme picks up an angel tree topper, and Elizabeth says, doesn’t he see what this means? She gave up Finn; he gave up Ava. Esme puts the angel on the tree, and Elizabeth says, everything they sacrificed to protect everyone from Esme because they thought she was The Hook killer. Now they know she can’t be. Esme steps back, looks at the tree, and smiles.

On Monday, Chase says he’ll do whatever it takes so he’s not tethered to Brook; Drew says he doesn’t think Denise told him everything she knows; and Josslyn asks if Carly wants her to leave Port Charles.

⛅️ Does Not Discriminate…

He’s the best. I love a celebrity who gives back in a real way, and uses their power for good.

🎄 Just Like Us…

Although I doubt they’re running to CVS on Christmas Eve in a desperate last attempt for gifts.

🌴 What Happens In Miami…

Lisa spills the tea.

🧂 No Shah, Shah, No Shah…

It’s certainly been a roller coaster with this one.

And a side nugget.

🚢 Marge’s Address…

I haven’t seen one season of this all the way through. There are only so many Wives I can take in one week.

https://www.realitytea.com/2022/12/16/margaret-jospehs-addresses-real-housewives-ultimate-girls-trip-season-4-rumors/

🍼 Mama Kate…

She’ll have the kid folding laundry in no time.

🍺 House Party Pending…

And I still don’t know what they did, or pretended to do, for a living, and why they’re reality show worthy. Not that there’s a high bar for that.

🎀 Barbie Core Pug…

Can’t say I’ve seen this before.

https://www.dailypaws.com/pet-news-entertainment/celebrities/milkshake-the-pink-pug

📯 Quotes of the Week

Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor. – Sholem Aleichem

What I’ve experienced is that I can’t know the future. I can’t know if anything that I do will change what happens tomorrow. I can’t know with certainty, but what I do know is if I do nothing, nothing will change. – James Orbinski (Now to figure out what the something is.)

Risk comes from not knowing what you are doing. – Warren Buffett

It is, of course, quite true that God will not love you any the less, or have less use for you, if you happen to have been born with a very second-rate brain. He has room for people with very little sense, but He wants everyone to use what sense they have. – C.S. Lewis, from Mere Christianity

I do believe that when we face challenges in life that are far beyond our own power, it’s an opportunity to build on our faith, inner strength, and courage. I’ve learned that how we face challenges plays a big role in the outcome of them.Sasha Azevedo

If you’re going to be able to look back on something and laugh about it, you might as well laugh about it now. – Marie Osmond (Who knew she was such a philosopher?)

It is mental slavery to cling to things that have stopped serving their purpose in your life. – Chinonye J. Chidolue

If you’re looking for sympathy, it’s between sh*t and syphilis in the dictionary. – Captain Lee, Below Deck

🤶🏽 Holly Jolly This…

Take a few days off on me, and let’s meet back here on Monday really Tuesday for soap and swabbing the Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay not getting sucked into the holiday rush, and stay continuing to put yourself out there. If you do, one day there there’s a chance it might work out.

October 21, 2022 – Martin Accuses Anna Of Murder, Holly, Renewed, Nuclear, Non-Leak, New Side, RumbleCon, Just Go Away, Joking, Southern Touch, Story News, Pets (!), One More Than Ten Quotes & Anything

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

In Jacksonville, Carly and Drew walk on the beach, Drew carrying the urn with Virginia’s ashes. He says, it’s so beautiful. There’s no rush. She can take as much time as she wants. They can come back tomorrow if she wants. She says, that’s okay; she’s ready.

Robert goes into the boathouse and says, oh my God. Holly is there wrapped in a blanket, and says, hello, Robert. He says, Holly? (like she might be someone else) and she says, it’s me. He kneels down and asks if it’s really her. She says, don’t tell her she looks so awful, he didn’t recognize her (like she doesn’t look like she did 20 years ago), and he says, it’s really her. She’s the most beautiful sight in the world. He hugs her.

Sasha tells Maxie, no one matching Lucy’s description was brought into the ER. Maxie asks if it’s a good thing, or a bad thing, and Sasha says she doesn’t know. On one hand, it could mean she isn’t hurt… Maxie says, but where is she? She’s been worrying non-stop since she got that call from the police. Sasha wonders why the police would be looking for Lucy. Maxie says, Dante was being intentionally vague, giving her that whole, I can’t discuss an ongoing investigation thing. He just wanted to know if she’d heard from Lucy. Austin joins them, and says he got Maxie’s weird text; what’s going on? Maxie says, Lucy’s missing.

Chase meets Brook at the Quartermaines, and asks if everything is okay; he saw the patrol car out front. She says, they found a woman in the boathouse, and he says, that doesn’t sound creepy at all. She says, they were hoping it was Lucy, since no one’s heard from her since yesterday, but Michael and Willow were just here, and apparently, it’s Robert Scorpio’s dead wife. Just another day at the Quartermaine’s.

Holly says she’s missed Robert too. Why does he look like he’s seen a ghost? He says, they all thought she was dead, and she asks why anyone would think that. He asks where she’s been for the last two years.

Victor’s attorney, Roz, says, this is so typical of Anna Devane. Everybody knows she’s made it her life’s work to send Victor to prison. Victor says he’s counting on that.

Jordan, Anna, and Martin look at the drone footage, and Jordan says, there’s Lucy. She turns, reacts, then she’s shot. Martin says, by Anna, but Anna says, she wasn’t there. Martin says, that screen says otherwise, and we see the shooter’s face. It’s Anna’s face, and she says, there’s an obvious explanation, but Martin says, she’s a murderer. She says, no. She’s being set up.

Holly tells Robert, she doesn’t know; everything is mixed up. She was on a boat… she thinks. He says he’d like to have her checked out for a concussion, but she says she’s fine. He says he’d like a doctor to tell him that. Shall we? On the side, Olivia asks how Holly got into their boathouse, but Ned says, her guess is as good as his. Dante comes in, and says, the ambulance is on the way. Holly says, ambulance? and Robert says, hospital, medical people, stuff like that. She says she just needs dry clothes and a shower, and he says, and a guy with an MD after his name. This is not negotiable. She says, still as stubborn as ever, and he says, look who’s talking. Dante introduces himself, and asks if she knows how she got to Port Charles. Olivia says, her last known location was Monte Carlo, and Holly says, she has no idea. Robert says, GH, now. She says, fine, but no ambulance. Where’s his car? He asks if she’d like to drive, and she says, is he kidding? They drive insane in this country. (Agreed.)

Austin says, if Lucy’s brought in, he’ll let Maxie know as soon as possible, and Sasha says she can’t stand to lose anyone else. Maxie tells her, it’s too soon to be thinking like that. Do they know anyone who’s tougher or more resilient than Lucy? Sasha says, no, and Maxie says, she’s a survivor. They have to think about that, and think positive. Mason comes along, and Maxie says she didn’t know he was still in town. She introduces Sasha, and Austin suggests they head home. He’ll give them a call if there’s any change. Sasha says, the thought of going back to her apartment is… and Maxie asks, when was the last time she ate? Sasha says she’s not hungry, but Maxie says, that’s not going to work for her, and steers Sasha toward the cafeteria. Austin says, Mason can’t be here, and Mason says, Austin keeps saying that like it’s his choice. They both know it’s not up to either one of them.

Anna says she didn’t shoot Lucy, and Martin says, they just watched her do it. She says, it’s not her. Jordan joins them, and says, the woman found at the Quartermaine boathouse wasn’t Lucy. Martin says, if Lucy is gone, it’s because Anna killed her, and Jordan tells him to keep his voice down. He asks why he should, and she says, he’s a lawyer. Of all people, he should know video footage can be altered. Anna says, it’s fake, and he says, of course (🍷) she would say that. Jordan asks if he really thinks Anna would shoot Lucy at point blank range, and Anna adds, and stand here and watch a video of it? Martin says, Anna is a lot more complicated, and maybe cold-blooded than she gets credit for, and why not? She’s a trained WSB operative, and he’s sure wrongfully accused is the first song they teach you in spy school. Anna says she knows he’s upset; she is too, but he needs to take a breath. She would never do anything to hurt Lucy. He says, don’t tell him to calm down. The last time he saw Lucy, she was storming off to confront Anna. Now Anna’s here and she’s not. So what happened on that pier? Lucy wouldn’t give Anna what she wanted? She threatened to turn things around, so Anna got rid of her. Anna says, this is all Victor, and Jordan says, wait here. She heads for the interrogation room, Anna on her heels. Roz says, finally, and Anna moves past Jordan, asking Victor, where is she?

Carly and Drew walk on the beach, as the cameraman perfects his crane shots. They get to a cliff, and Carly says, this is it.

Olivia tells Ned, Holly is a gutsy lady, but she could tell Holly was scared. Couldn’t he? He says, not remembering things that happened to you is scary, and she says she hopes Holly is all right. Did he see the look on Robert’s face when he saw her? Ned tells her, go to the hospital. Robert’s her friend, and could obviously use some support right now. Holly’s reappearance is a lot to wrap your head around. Besides, he can tell she’s dying of curiosity. She kisses him, they exchange I love yous, and she jets.

Mason says, he and Austin both answer to a higher power, and Austin says, God? Mason says, as far as they’re concerned, it might as well be. Face it, family’s forever, especially theirs. Robert wheels Holly out of the elevator, and she says, for the last time, she doesn’t need a wheelchair, and he says, for the last time, he wants a doctor to tell him that. And he thinks they found one. He wheels her over to Austin, who asks if he can help them. Robert says, this woman was found wandering on the Quartermaine grounds, but Holly says, she’s not this woman and she wasn’t wandering. Robert asks what she was doing there, and she says she doesn’t know. He says, memory issues. He’s concerned there might be a bit of damage there. She says she doesn’t want to be examined; she’s scared. Robert says he’s going to be with her every step of the way, and if there’s something wrong or there’s a problem, better that it happens here. She agrees, and introduces herself to Austin.

Carly says, this is her mother’s favorite spot. She would sit and watch Carly down below, catching hermit crabs. He says he can see it. Little Caroline, running around on the beach, not a care in the world. Scrambling over the rocks with a bucket. Did she ever try to take one of the crabs home as a pet? She says, she would show them to her mom, who would act impressed and amazed, and then they’d put them back because her mom said, this is their home. Then she would joke, and say, maybe one day it would be her home too. He says, now it will, and Carly says, it feels right. Laying her mother to rest at the ocean. There’s nowhere she’d rather be.

Chase wonders where Holly came from, and asks Brook if the Coast Guard found a boat nearby, but Brook doesn’t know. She brings him inside, and asks where he was this morning. He says he had an engagement with his niece, and she says, aka a tea party. She hopes Violet realizes she was having tea with a rock star. He says, let’s not go overboard, but she says, it’s not an exaggeration. Has he been following his social media accounts? He says, not really. Does that mean his set at The Savoy went well? She says, it didn’t go well; the people loved it. The video she posted has over 100,000 views already. This is huge. He’s going to be the next big thing.

Victor asks, what’s happened? Don’t tell him they found Lucy’s body. Anna says, so he killed her, and Roz tells Anna to watch her tone with her client. Jordan says, there’s no sign of Lucy’s body in the harbor. Tell them where she is. He says he doesn’t know, and Anna says, he’s lying. Jordan says, they watched the footage, and Anna says, his little show. He arranged for a drone to fly over the docks… Victor says, Anna’s become completely unhinged. Will someone tell him what’s going on here? Jordan says, they have a video of what appears to be a woman firing two shots at Lucy Coe, and Victor pretends to be mortified. He says he was clinging on to some hope that she was alive, and Anna flies around the table, but Roz blocks her from getting to Victor.

Maxie asks how Sasha is doing, and Sasha says, some days she feels like it’s going to be okay. Other days, she hangs out at the hospital because she doesn’t want to be home without him. Maxie says she remembers that. One of the worst parts of grief is that it’s not a straight line. It ebbs and flows, and she just wanted an end date. It’s unfortunate it doesn’t work like that. She’s here if Sasha wants to talk. Mason comes by, and says he was hoping to chat with Maxie before he leaves. He needs a favor.

Chase says, so Holly has zero memory of what happened, and Ned says, she doesn’t even know how she got to the US. Brook calls Chase over to show him the comments from his latest performance. That voice, those yes. I’m officially dead. Where can I get this song? Never mind the song, where can I get him? Chase says, that’s embarrassing, but Brook says, it’s incredible. They have to release the single by the end of the week, and an entire album by the end of the month. They have to give these people something to buy. Don’t worry; he’ll still be able to perform live. She misses that feeling of being in the spotlight, in front of hundreds of thousands of people. Her phone rings, and she says, it’s the studio calling about the session she booked. She steps out to the patio, and Chase tells Ned, Brook’s really in her element. Ned says, Brook’s having the time of her life. How about Chase?

Olivia gets to the hospital, and asks Robert how Holly is. He says, Austin is in with her now, and she asks how he’s doing, when Austin tells Robert he can come in. Robert says, well? and Austin says he thinks she’s great; no double vision, no headaches. No case of hypothermia. Holly says, this blanket is doing the trick, and Robert asks when she’s going to be admitted. Holly says she’s not, but Robert says he wasn’t asking her. Austin says, how about if he orders an MRI, and when he gets the results, they can discuss. Does that sound fair? Holly says it does, and Austin leaves. Robert sits down, and asks if anything has come back to her, but she says, not yet. He asks, what’s the last thing she remembers? and she says, it’s all so foggy. She was working for the WSB, and investigating a casino in Monaco. He says, Monte Carlo. He and Ethan turned the place upside down looking for her. She asks how Ethan is, and Robert says, last he heard, Ethan was pretty good, but he’ll be better once he knows his mother’s alive. She says she wants to hear his voice, but she has no way of reaching him. He gives her his phone, and says, it’s on him. He has to talk to Olivia about something. He leaves, and Holly looks at the phone.

Anna is hustled out of the interrogation room, and Jordan says, she needs to pull it together unless she wants to be arrested for assault. Anna says she just couldn’t stand looking at his smug face for one more second, and Jordan says, Anna is a professional; she knows better. Cool down. Anna tries to follow Jordan back in, but Jordan says, uh-uh. After that little display, Anna is out of this. Jordan goes in, and Roz says she wants Anna arrested. Jordan says, for? and Roz asks if Jordan didn’t see what Anna just did to her client, but Victor says, now is not the time. A woman is missing, possibly dead. Roz says, the shooter is female? and Jordan says, it looked that way, but they still have to analyze the footage. Victor says he assumes her tech experts are working on that. Lucy’s attacker has to be identified. In the squad room, Anna leaves a message for Robert to call her back as soon as he gets this. Victor has made his move. He’s trying to frame her for Lucy’s murder. Anna picks up the laptop to look closer, but Martin runs in with ADA Arden, and says, that’s tampering with evidence. Arden asks if this is the surveillance footage, and Martin tells her, watch it. Then have this woman arrested for murder.

Carly tells Drew, she hates that she lost fight to save the cemetery, but thinks Virginia would love being part of the ocean she loved so much. He says, two things can be true at the same time, and she says she’s beginning to see that. He says, life is quite the ride, and she says she hates that her mother’s life was cut short. She didn’t have the opportunity to say so many things she wanted to say. He tells her, it’s not too late to say them now. Go ahead. She takes the urn, and walks away from him. She says, Virginia, you were a good mom; you were a great mom. I’m so sorry I didn’t always make you feel that way. I wish I could say this to your face. I wish you could know my kids. I wish you could be a part of our lives, but we can’t go back, no matter how bad we want to. I hope you’ve been at peace, and I hope you continue to be. I love you, mom. She walks to the edge of the cliff, and pours out the ashes. The wind takes them out to the ocean.

Anna tells Martin, so he’s alleging she followed Lucy to a public pier, and shot her in full view of anyone who might come by. He just said she went to spy school. So surely she’d have had a more clandestine method to eliminate someone at her disposal. She basically put herself out there to get caught. Does he see that this doesn’t make any sense? He says he sees the woman who blackmailed him. The same woman who, when he refused to spy for her, threatened to destroy his life. She uses people any way she has to, to even the score in her petty grudges. With people like her and Victor, that gets dangerous real fast. He watched his own brother do it for years. When the stakes get too high, when something goes wrong, someone like Lucy gets in the way, she’s got to get rid of the problem permanently. Jordan comes out, and asks Arden, what’s going on? Arden says, nice of her to join them, and Jordan says she was questioning a suspect. Arden says, she can tell Victor that he’s free to go.  

Olivia asks how long Austin said the MRI would take, and Robert says, he didn’t. She says, he didn’t answer her question from before. How is he holding up? He says, she means with his deceased ex-wife turning up alive and well? It’s overwhelming, in a nice, warm, fuzzy way. She says, it’s a miracle. Now he gets the chance to say all the things he didn’t think he’d have a chance to say.

Dante tells Austin, he was wondering if he could get an update on Holly, and Austin asks if Dante is family. Dante says, no, and Austin says, then Dante knows he can’t tell him anything. Dante says, it’s for the investigation. He doesn’t need details. Are they going to be admitting Holly? Austin says he’s recommending she stay for observation, but you can’t make a patient stay against their will. Dante says, what about that memory loss thing? and Austin say, so much for no details. There doesn’t seem to be any physical reason for Holly’s memory loss.

Chase tells Ned, singing at The Savoy was great; connecting with the audience, getting lost in the music. Ned says he’s sensing a but, and Chase says, he spent the whole time waiting for it to be over. He enjoys singing… Ned says, but it’s not his passion, and Chase says, he enjoys making people happy, and who doesn’t love a crowd cheering for them? But at the end of the day, it’s not making a real difference. Ned says, like he would be if he were on the force, and Chase says, exactly. He wants nothing more than to be a part of that investigation, and find out who’s going around attacking people with a hook. He wants to take that killer off the streets. Ned asks if Brook knows about this, and Chase says, managing him means so much to her, and he can’t be a cop right now, which is entirely on him. He lost his cool, he punched Linc, and now he’s paying the price. Ned thanks him for defending his daughter’s honor, but Chase says, no thanks needed. He regrets the outcome, but he can’t say he wouldn’t do it again, which is why the suspension is totally merited, but it doesn’t make him miss being a cop any less. It’s pointless focusing on something he can’t have. He needs to focus on something he can control… for Brook’s sake.

Brook finishes talking to the studio, and sees an email from Dante. The subject says: Letter of support to get Chase reinstated. She deletes it, and the phone rings. She says, hello, Linc. What can I do for you?

Maxie says she’ll be glad to help Mason if she can. What does he need? He asks if she can talk some sense into Austin, and convince him to come home to Pautuck for Thanksgiving. They miss him something fierce. Austin walks up behind him, and Maxie says she didn’t mean to take Austin away from his family, but Austin says, she’s not taking him away from anything. He’s right where he wants to be. Maxie would be welcome too, of course (🍷), and her kids; Georgie, James, and Bailey, right? She says, that’s impressive, and Austin asks if Mason didn’t say he had to be on the road. Mason says, always looking out, and tells Maxie, think about Turkey Day. Austin says he’ll walk Mason out, and Mason says, gobble-gobble, as they leave. Sasha says, he’s an interesting guy, and Maxie says, yeah…  Are they cannibals??? I’m intrigued.

Victor thanks Arden for her interest in this case, and Arden says, as soon as she was made aware, she knew it required her attention. Anna tells Jordan, she’s got to get out of here. If Victor set her up – which she believes he has – he’s not going to stop with the drone footage. There’s going to be other false evidence out there against her. Jordan says, go, and Anna moves to the door, but Martin says, no. There’s no way Anna is walking out of here. Jordan says, Agent Devane isn’t under arrest. But don’t leave town. Anna says, understood, and leaves. Martin says, isn’t that sweet? Does Jordan give all her friends preferential treatment, or only the guilty ones? Victor says he’s not following. Does Martin think Anna did something to Lucy? Martin says he knows she did. You can see it plain as day on that video. Victor says, the Commissioner failed to mention that, and Arden says, since Jordan’s judgement is clearly compromised by her relationship with Anna, it’s her opinion Jordan be removed from the case.

Drew asks if Carly is okay, and she says she’s feeling so many things; mostly free. When she thinks about that emergency landing in Jacksonville, she was so frustrated. She just wanted to get where she was going, and that’s exactly what happened. Her mother needed her to be there, and she needed to be here for her mother. He says, divine intervention, and she laughs. She says, it gave her closure with Virginia, and reminded her of who she is, and what’s important to her. Her family and her friends… He says, hermit crabs, and she says, hermit crabs, and him. She’s been focused on everything she’s lost in these past couple years, and it’s been a lot, but she’s also gained something. He asks, what’s that? and she says, him. He dropped everything to help her. He slept on a really  bad couch. He says, the couch was not so bad, and she thanks him for helping her. It meant so much to her. He says, it meant as much to him. Watching her face her past made him take a good look at his own life. She says, what did he see?

Holly is wheeled back to the exam room, and Olivia and Robert join her. Robert asks, how’s the head? and Holly says, still attached. He suggests she give Ethan a call; maybe he’ll pick up now. Olivia says, not exactly the kind of message you can leave in a voicemail, and Holly says, sorry, she is? Olivia apologizes, and introduces herself, saying, she was at the boathouse earlier. She brought Holly some clothes for later. Holly says, that’s really thoughtful, and Olivia says, of course (🍷). It’s so wonderful to finally meet Holly. Although Olivia feels like she already knows her. She was in Monte Carlo with Robert and Ethan when they were looking for Holly. Holly should have seen what Robert went through to find her. She’ll let Robert tell her, but it was really something else. Holly says, he did all that for her? and he says he doesn’t know why she’s so surprised. He’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Brook comes in and tells Chase, they did it. They got him. She just knew this would work. He says, feel free to fill him in anytime, and she says, Linc called. He took the bait.

Austin tells Mason, do not involve Maxie in this, but Mason says, he’s not; Austin is. Because he deluded himself into thinking he can keep Pautuck separate from his life here. He can’t. In all honesty, Maxie and her kids would do better to stay as far away from Austin as possible.

Jordan says she’s following the evidence without making assumptions. Arden saw the video. Can she say, without question, that the shooter is Anna Devane? Arden says, without question? No. Jordan says, she’s sending the video to IT. They’ll do their best to see if it’s been altered in any way. Victor thinks it might be worth mentioning that whenever he was with Lucy and Anna’s name came up, Lucy was visibly uncomfortable. Martin agrees, and Victor says, he didn’t think anything of it at the time, but now he’s wondering if Lucy might have been afraid of Anna. Roz tells Jordan to add that to the evidence she’s following, even though it’s hearsay. Jordan asks if Victor is willing to make an official statement, and he says he supposes so. Arden asks if this means Jordan’s changed her mind, and Jordan says, if the shooter in the video proves to be Anna, she’ll reassess. Martin says he can’t listen to any more of this, and walks away. Jordan says, until then, nothing links Anna to Lucy’s presumed death

Anna puts on gloves, and opens her car. She wonders where evidence would be planted. She feels around the seats, and looks in the glove compartment.

Drew tells Carly, the life he came back to a year ago, wasn’t the one he left, and it took him a while to see it, but there’s beauty in that. She says, in new beginnings. He says, a new beginning for both of them, and she says, new beginnings can be scary. He says, they can, but they also can be exciting and hopeful, and full of possibility, and she says she likes the sound of that. He says, so does he. He smooths her hair back from her face, and asks, is this okay? She says, yes, and he doesn’t have to ask ever again. He kisses her, and we get a spinning crane shot like the one at the end of The Beastmaster when Dar kisses Kiri.

Sasha sees Martin at the hospital, and says she didn’t realize he was back in town. Has he heard from Lucy? He says, nothing, but he’s not giving up until they find her. He was actually here to check the ER. He knows it’s futile… She says, but better than sitting around waiting. He asks how she’s holding up, and she says she’s taking it day by day. It’s hard to think beyond that. He says he heard from the judge, and has an update on her future.

Brook tells Chase, right after she got off the phone with the studio, Linc called. He said he wants Chase to do a duet with one of his rising stars. Brook’s actually heard of her; she has a pretty big following. She thinks she has the perfect song for them to sing together. It will be huge boost for Chase’s career. He says, and one step closer to exposing Linc for the predator he is, and she says, that too. He says, this is really happening, and they hug.

Holly says she’d like to change into these clothes, but Robert says, she won’t be needing them, because she’s staying. Holly says, she’s not, and Olivia wisely says she’ll leave it between the two of them, and gets the hell out of there. Holly tells Robert, Austin said she’s fine, but he says, Austin never said anything remotely like that. She says, she will be once she’s had a long bath and a decent meal, neither of which she’ll get here. He says, he’s not going to win this one, is he? and she says, when does he ever win with her? She assumes the MetroCourt is still around, and he says, it is. She says, perfect. She’ll need a full English breakfast, and some tea, preferably with whiskey in it.

Arden says she’s sorry the police wasted Victor’s valuable time, but Victor says, all that matters is justice for Lucy. As the Commissioner said, just follow the evidence.

Anna looks in her amazingly neat trunk, taking out the few things in it. She lifts the bottom, where there are blankets stored underneath. Underneath the blankets, she finds a gun.

On Monday, Sasha says, the Judge made a decision on her guardianship: Mac says. Lucy may have been the victim, but is Anna the real target; and Anna tells Dante that there’s something he needs to know.

💕 And It Feels So Good…

Who Holly is, for those needing to catch up, and the feelings about her return.

🍻 Another Round…

This show sounds promising.

🧂 ShahBoom…

This does not compare to Teresa Giudice’s situation. I’m not a Teresa fan by any stretch of the imagination, but even I can see she was just a moron whose husband said, sign this, and she did. Jen is a whole other level of thief.

🍊 Was It With Paul…?

Is Noella even coming back? This is kind of a non-story.

🤸 Script Flipping…

I like Taylor, and she’s been through it. I’m interested to see what she brings to the mix.

https://people.com/tv/bravocon-2022-taylor-armstrong-went-through-so-much-rhobh-drama-different-side-real-housewives-of-orange-county/

🤼 BravoCon Smackdown…

I can’t imagine what they were like by the end of the night.

https://people.com/tv/bravocon-2022-melissa-gorga-calls-rhonj-costar-jennifer-aydin-toxic-trashy-for-throwing-drink-at-joe-gorga/

Andy isn’t going to be happy until there’s a lawsuit. And not that any of these cretins with money are any kind of role model, how did it get to be okay to throw drinks on people, shove them, and throw whatever is in front of you at them? I’ve noticed a lot of drink throwing on 90 Day Fiancé lately too. It’s not okay. Stop it. And if you do it to me, you’d best run fast.

💋 Don’t Go Away Mad…

Yeah, that’s the problem. She thinks she’s in the WME when it’s supposed to be a reality show.

💎 Not Funny…

They always say they’re joking when they realize it’s not well-received.

🍹 From Down South…

Patricia picks sides.

And makes no excuses.

https://www.bravotv.com/southern-charm/bravocon-2022/patricia-altschul-explains-whitney-sudler-smith-bravocon-absence-naomie-olindo-update

⚰️ About That Horror…

The latest on American Horror Story: NYC.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/michelelbird/ahs-nyc-cast-guide

https://ew.com/tv/american-horror-story-season-11-ahs-nyc/

🐹 But Of Course…

To make you feel warm and fuzzy after all that angst.

🌩 Quotes of the Week

Many things—such as loving, going to sleep, or behaving unaffectedly—are done worst when we try hardest to do them. – C.S. Lewis, Studies in Medieval Literature, compiled in Words to Live By

What are you waiting for? How long will you keep waiting? Don’t sit back and wait for life to happen to you. Have a plan and take the needed steps to create what you want. – Steve Maraboli (Dude is a real taskmaster.)

Healing comes from taking responsibility: to realize that it is you – and no one else – that creates your thoughts, your feelings, and your actions.Peter Shepherd

We can have peace if we let go of wanting to change the past and wanting to control the future. – Lester Levinson

Dare to be true: nothing can need a lie: A fault, which needs it most, grows two thereby. – George Herbert

Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong. – Ella Fitzgerald

A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success.Elbert Hubbard

This adoration of an artist as a lone genius is quite misled, I think, because they are very much part of their time and their community. – Hannah Gadsby

It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it. – Benjamin Franklin

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less. – Marie Curie

I can calculate the motion of heavenly bodies, but not the madness of people. – Isaac Newton

🛣 Easing On Down the Road…

See you when the bell tolls for the Dead. Until then, stay safe, stay getting all the facts before picking a side, and stay not being frustrated by emergency landings. Sometimes they get you where you’re going.

July 19, 2022 – In the Thick Of Trina’s Trial, Demanding Diamond, Many Spoiled Returns, Get In Line, Aussies On Deck & Hot

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

TJ lets Willow into an exam room, and she says she assumed it was about work, but this is medical? She didn’t even know he was on an OB rotation. He says, this isn’t an OB visit, and she says, okay, then what? He says, after she fainted, he ran a series of tests. She says, that’s how they figured out she was pregnant, and he says, yes, but they have to go over the rest of the results. She has an elevated white blood cell count. She says, that’s it? She knows from nurse’s training that it’s normal to have an elevated white blood cell count during pregnancy. He says, that’s true, but from what he sees, he doesn’t think it’s related to her pregnancy, and she says, he thinks she’s sick while she’s pregnant.

Michael and Dante spar at the gym, and Dante says, Rocco can do better than that. Just because Michael’s having a baby, he’s taking it easy on him? Michael says, Dante couldn’t be more wrong. Willow’s good news makes him feel like he can take on the world. Even losing the ELQ merger with Aurora, seems way more manageable now. Face it, your brother is one happy guy. Cody walks in and says, I’ll have what he’s having.

Britt walks past the elevator as Brad comes out, and he says he knows he’s early, but he figured they have time to get a drink at Charlie’s before they head over to the Haunted Star. She says she’s sorry. She should have called him, but the day got away from her. She has one more appointment. He says, that’s okay. He guesses they’ll have to start drinking when they get to the Haunted Star. Now go tell her patient to take two aspirin and call her in the morning. She says, yeah… That’s the thing. She can’t join him tonight. Something’s come up. He asks if she forgot she had plans, and she says, not exactly. He asks if she double-booked herself, and she says, sort of. He says, and it’s not work related? and she shakes her head. He says, oh my God. Does she have a date?

Esme tells Spencer, even if she could guarantee Trina goes free, why in the world would she? Trina, Joss, and Cam have been badmouthing her all across town. Why would she do them any favors? He says, because if she ever wants to know who her birth mother is, she’ll make sure that the judge knows the truth. She’s the only person who can do that.

On the stand, Josslyn says, she knows Trina was in her bedroom the entire time before she and Cameron went to their bedroom, and Arden asks if she can prove that. Were there security cameras all over the cabin? The cabin belongs to Josslyn’s stepfather Sonny Corinthos, so she can see that as a real possibility. Josslyn says, there are no security cameras inside the cabin, and Arden says, which means what exactly. Josslyn says, which means she doesn’t have proof that Trina didn’t leave her bedroom, and Arden says, to be clear, she can’t account for the defendant’s movements from the moment she went into her room to the moment she and Mr. Webber went into theirs. Because of that, won’t she concede that there was plenty of time for her so-called friend, who has already been established to have been filled with jealousy and resentment, to make sure the phone was set up to record Josslyn’s most intimate moments without her knowing? Diane objects, saying, this is pure conjecture on the ADA’s part, and the judge sustains. He tells Arden to watch her step, and Arden says, no more questions. Rory walks into the courtroom.

TJ says, he was there the first time Willow fainted at GH, and that was months before she got pregnant. That’s what prompted him to run this battery of tests; just to be on the safe side. She says, so he thinks there’s a chance something’s wrong with her? but he tells her, all he’s saying is, they need more information. He knows she just finished nursing school, and she’s been under a lot of pressure. So they might be able to chalk this up to anxiety or stress, but there’s also a chance there’s another medical explanation. They have to explore all possibilities. She says, obviously, he thinks there’s a good chance something is wrong. What isn’t he telling her?

Dante starts to introduce Cody to Michael, but Cody says, Michael’s the one who gave him the tour of the Quartermaine stables; made him feel right at home. Michael says, it’s funny Cody calls himself a mere stable hand, because to Leo, he’s already a legend, and Cody says, Leo is a great kid. He’s positively fearless with that horse of his, unlike some people that he knows. Dante asks if Cody is talking about him. He was a city kid; he did great. Michael says, that’s enough for him. They can stay and beat each other’s brains in if they want. He has to meet Willow at GH. In case Cody can’t tell by the big grin on his face, he and Willow are having a baby. Cody congratulates him, and asks Michael to give his best to Willow. Michael says he has to hit the showers. If he’s late he could catch a hard time. Cody says, really? Willow seemed like such a sweetheart to him. Michael says he wasn’t talking about Willow. He was talking about her OB, Britt Westbourne. Cody says, no kidding; small world. Michael asks if he knows Britt.  

Brad says, normally he would be upset about Britt blowing him off, but since she’s practically on the verge of spinsterhood, he’ll give her a pass – this time. She says, she’d love to argue his characterization of her love life, except he’s spot-on. He says, some friendly advice. All she needs to be is the charming, vivacious woman he knows she can be. She says, thanks for the pep talk. She feels so much better about her date tonight.  He says, if she’s not excited about her date, why is she doing it? Is she jumping back into the dating pool because she’s looking for love, or is she just tired of holding on to all her secrets? She asks what that means, and he says, whatever’s weighing on her; what she can’t tell him about? Maybe it’s past time she did.

Diane reminds the court of the difference between a sex tape and revenge porn. A sex tape is made with consent; revenge porn is made without consent. She asks if Josslyn or Cameron ever consented to being recorded, and Josslyn says, no. Neither one of them knew anything about the video; not until it popped up on the screens at PCU. Diane says, yet despite the prosecution’s best efforts to put words in Josslyn’s mouth, Josslyn claims to know her best friend could never have done this. Josslyn says she knows Trina couldn’t, and Arden objects. She says, to use Diane’s words, it’s pure conjecture on the witness’s part. Josslyn says, it’s not conjecture, because she knows exactly the type of person Trina is. She’s known Trina since middle school. Trina is her best friend in the entire world. Josslyn tears up, and says, Trina is there for her on her good days, and more important, Trina is there for her on her bad days. Trina knows right from wrong, and Josslyn knows exactly the type of friend Trina is. She is the type of friend to stick by you when everybody else turns and runs. Diane says, so knowing her best friend, could Josslyn ever imagine that Trina would go to such extreme lengths to humiliate her and Cameron? Josslyn says, never. She doesn’t think Trina would even know how to get a black market phone, let alone use it against them. Diane asks how Josslyn knows it was a black market phone, and she says she doesn’t. All she knows is, a second phone that was a black market phone was found in Trina’s purse, identical to Trina’s real phone; same model, same case. Diane says, but it’s Josslyn’s belief – her conviction – that someone, anyone, could have purchased that phone, and Josslyn says, not anyone. One person did this, and she knows exactly who that person is.

Esme tells Spencer, once Trina recorded Joss and Cam having sex for the first time – which is mind bogglingly horrific – she made it go global. Those are facts; all the evidence says so. He says he agrees with her that the evidence is stacked against Trina, but there’s one catch. Esme asks, what’s that? and he says, they both know Trina didn’t record that revenge porn or distribute it, because Esme did.

Diane says, if Trina Robinson did not make that revenge porn, who did? and Josslyn says, it’s Esme Prince. When Esme’s boyfriend, Spencer Cassadine, wanted to break up his father’s marriage to Ava, Spencer began to stalk Ava, and asked for Esme’s help. Esme lit Ava’s car on fire, and left the hospital ID badge of Ava’s dead daughter Kiki beside the car. That seems like the kind of demented mind that would make revenge porn, don’t you think? Arden objects, and says, she’s aware of Spencer Cassadine getting convicted for stalking his stepmother, but his girlfriend was never charged with anything. Can the witness provide any shred of proof of her claims? Judge Young sustains, and tells Diane, no more speculation; he just wants facts. Diane says, absolutely. She just has a few more questions. She asks what Josslyn’s GPA was her freshman year of college, and Josslyn says, 4.0. Diane congratulates her, and asks who her dorm roommate was. Josslyn says, Trina, and Diane asks who if Trina will be Josslyn’s roommate her sophomore year. Josslyn says, absolutely, and she and Trina smile at each other. Diane has no further questions.

TJ says he’s not keeping Willow in the dark about anything. There are questions though, and that’s why he’s booked her for another series of tests tomorrow. She says, to be clear, this doesn’t concern the baby. This is about her health, correct? He says, correct. Her issue, if there is one, predates the pregnancy. It’s likely the two situations aren’t related. She has an appointment with Dr. Westbourne later. Keep that, and whatever it is, they’ll deal with it.

Cody tells Michael, you might say, he and Britt ran into each other the other day, and Dante says, what Cody means is, he parachuted into the MetroCourt pool, landed on Britt, and they both fell into the water. Michael says, that was all over social media, and Cody says, to be fair, she was standing in his landing zone. Michael says, skydiver, stable hand; is there anything Cody can’t do? Cody says, plenty. Pay a mortgage, ride sidesaddle blindfolded, make babies. He’s never been able to achieve any of those things, so don’t let him keep Michael from that appointment. Dante tells Michael, good luck, and tell Willow he said hi. He’s sure mom and baby are going to be fine. Michael leaves, and Cody says, Dante’s brother seems like a nice guy. Dante says, the best, and Cody asks if he’s chopped liver, but Dante says, no. Cody is the guy who dogged Britt after he told Cody not to.

Britt tells Brad, all she wants is to give this matchmaking thing a chance. If for no other reason than to get her mother off her back. He says, fair enough. So is her date someone he knows? Someone he doesn’t know? Is he hot? She says, he’s rough around the edges, and he says, on the right person that could be hot. Is he hot? She says, he doesn’t seem trustworthy, and Brad says, not to be redundant, but that could be hot on the right person too. She says, fine. He’s hot, in a rough, rustic, scruffy way. He bruises well, and by that she means, he’s one of those guys who actually looks good beaten up. Weird. And then there’s the fact they have nothing in common, and they don’t even like each other. Brad asks how she knows, if they haven’t even met… O.M.G. It’s him, isn’t it? It’s parachute guy.

Jordan is now on the stand, and Arden asks her how this illicit video came to the attention of the PCPD. Jordan says, they received a report from PCU, where the video was first distributed. Then in the course of their investigation, their office got an anonymous tip on their hotline as to the alleged perpetrator’s identity. Arden says, by alleged perpetrator, she’s referring to the defendant, correct? and Jordan says, yes. Arden asks, what happened when they brought Trina in for questioning? and Jordan says, Trina agreed without hesitation, and never asked for legal representation. She said she would do anything to find the person who humiliated her closest friends, Josslyn Jax and Cameron Webber. Arden asks what Jordan found in Trina’s possession, and Jordan says, she had two cell phones in her purse; one that was hers, and one that was nearly identical that she couldn’t account for. Arden holds up the phone in a plastic bag, and says, this is the unaccounted for cell phone, and this is the forensics report on this phone. She gives the report to Jordan, and asks if Jordan can tell them what it says. Jordan says, the digital footprint confirms this cell phone was used to upload and send the video, also known as the revenge porn, to the PCU community. Arden says, anything else? and Jordan says, after its final usage, this phone was never turned on again. Arden asks if there’s anything else that ties the phone to the defendant, and Jordan reads, Miss Robinson’s credit card information was encrypted and used to purchase images of the artist Richard Molineaux. Arden says, in other words, according to Jordan’s own forensics department, the only person tied to that revenge porn video is the defendant Trina Robinson, and Jordan says, the evidence seems to suggest that, yes.

Spencer tells Esme, at first, he didn’t want to believe it. There was a time when he had deeper feelings for her than he ever knew possible. When he brought her home to Port Charles… She says, he means when he asked for her help with his plot to destroy his father’s marriage, and he says, and when she agreed, she raised the stakes by a thousand. He never asked her to torch Ava’s car, and would have never suggested she put Ava’s dead daughter’s hospital ID beside it. That is just so incredibly cruel. But that’s who she really is, isn’t it? Cruel. Joss warned him about her; Trina warned him about her. Hell, even Cam, who gave her the benefit of the doubt, went out of his way to warn him that she was dangerous, and even still, he wanted to believe in her. But then when that video of Josslyn and Cam came out, she couldn’t wait to show it to him. She pretended to be horrified, but he could see it written all over her face how happy she was. Then she insisted it had to be Trina who made it. That’s when he started to wonder and waver, and when he decided to voice his fears that maybe she was the one behind the revenge porn, she instantly came up with a pregnancy scare. She says, he thinks she made that up? and he says, not then. He still wanted to believe in her. But when Trina was arrested, he couldn’t look the other way anymore. Everything Josslyn was saying, and that Trina had done her best not to say, it was all true. Esme was the one who made that video, and she was the one who distributed it to the world. He yells in her face, it was you all along.

Michael finds Willow at the hospital, and says he wondered if he had the wrong time. Is she okay?  

Britt tells Brad, go on, say it. She’s going out with the bum who parachuted into her life, and couldn’t even apologize for almost drowning her. He says, honestly, he’s happy for her. She’s a smart woman. If she decided to give parachute guy a second chance, good for her. She thanks him for saying that, but they both know this will probably end in disaster, and he says, sure seems like it. So he has to ask again, why is she even doing it? and she tells him, he’s supposed to say, it’s going be great, but right now, she’s late to see a patient.

Cody and Dante go into the steam room, and Dante tells Cody to fess up now. He saw Cody all over Britt on the 4th. What’s going on with that? He warned Cody away from Britt, and first thing, his interest level goes through the roof. It’s classic. Cody says, about Dante’s warning about Britt. Given how Dante feels about Britt, his guess is, Dante isn’t going to feel too good about them going on a date.

Esme says, Spencer is right. When they first met, he was an angry, lost self-centered little boy, and thanks to her, he not only lost his virginity, he turned out to be an angry, lost, self-centered man. She can’t believe, after everything she’s done for him, standing by his side when even his own father turned his back on him, this is how he repays her. He says, all she ever did was work her own agenda, and she says, enough. He had his say, now it’s her turn. If he thinks he can just go riding back to Trina, he’s an even bigger fool than she thought. He’s even sadder and more pathetic than when she first met him. They were together at that cabin, remember? She couldn’t have planted that phone even if she wanted to, because when she’d had enough of Josslyn’s holier than thou attitude, they left – together. His precious sweet Trina could have planted that phone and did. There’s simply no way he can get around that. He says, of course (🍷) there is.

Diane says, so an anonymous tip claimed Trina Robinson filmed and distributed the revenge porn. Is there any way to identify the source of that anonymous tip? Jordan says, no. If people thought their identities could be made public, they wouldn’t get the number of tips they get. That’s why it’s anonymous. Diane says, of course (🍷). So anyone could leave a false tip and suffer no repercussions whatsoever. So how did Trina behave when Jordan hauled her into the PCPD for questioning? Jordan says, there was no hauling her in; she came in voluntarily. Diane says, voluntarily? That’s interesting. Jordan already testified that Trina asked for no counsel to be present, but when Jordan began to question her, was she defensive? Jordan says, no; she was very cooperative. She kept repeating that Josslyn and Cameron were her close friends, and she wanted to do whatever was possible to catch the person responsible for the revenge porn. Maybe it’s because her dad was a officer, but she was very eager to do the right thing. Diane says, so when Jordan opened Trina’s bag, and found the other phone… Jordan says she didn’t open Trina’s purse; Trina did. Diane says, Jordan is saying Trina herself opened her bag and produced the other phone? and Jordan says, that’s correct. Diane asks, in her many years of public service as Police Commissioner, in Jordan’s experience, is that the way a guilty person behaves? Arden objects, and says, they’re not doing a composite sketch of a common criminal. Jordan says, actually, she’d like to answer the question. She thinks it’s relevant. Judge Young says, she may answer the question, and Jordan says, Trina did not act anything at all like a guilty person. As she said, Trina’s main goal was to be helpful. Diane has no further questions, and Arden calls Rory to the stand.  

Willow tells Michael, there’s nothing wrong with her. She’s just nervous about their first consultation with the OB. Britt comes around the corner, and congratulates them. She takes it from the way they’re smiling, this is welcome news. Willow says, they weren’t trying to get pregnant, but yes, it’s exciting, and Michael says, they can’t wait to welcome the newest member of their family. Britt says, in that case, she asks the expectant father to wait here while she does a brief exam. Willow hangs back, and Britt promises it won’t take long. And she hopes to give them both a very pleasant surprise. Willow goes follows her into the exam room.

Dante says, he should have known better. Warning Cody to stay away from Britt is like catnip; it’s like forbidden fruit. Cody says, it’s just one date. What’s the big deal? She’s Co-Chief of Staff at the hospital. She can’t be that bad. Dante asks if Cody remembers when the counselors took them hiking on Olsen’s Peak, and Cody says, of course (🍷) he does. Dante was always a few steps behind him. Dante says, there was a sign that said, in big red letters, do not veer off the path. And what did Cody do? He veered them off the path, and they almost got mauled by a bear. Cody laughs, and says, he’d never seen Dante run so fast. Lighten up. There isn’t any danger, there isn’t any fun.

Esme says, at least Ava tried to buy her off. All Spencer can do is try and bluff her. He says, the truth is, he thought to himself, how can I try to twist Esme’s arm? Then it hit him. What would Esme do? For weeks she’d been pretending to sympathize with Joss because she and Cameron hadn’t slept together yet. She even made a major production  of insisting they get the master bedroom at the cabin. And when they got back from skiing, before she came in with the drinks, she was the only person not in the living room. He, Trina, Joss, and Cam were all there, but she was off by herself. He figures that would give her plenty of time to go into the master bedroom and set up that black market phone. Her back is to him, and she smiles. She says, that’s a clever theory, but he doesn’t have proof. She turns to him, and he says, but he’s not done. When they got back to town, he realized he’d forgotten something, and that gave her the very convenient excuse to go back to the cabin to pick up what he’d forgotten, as well as retrieve the phone that she’d recorded on. Once she retrieved it, she sent the video to the PCU server, and planted it in Trina’s purse. She says, okay, Agatha Christie. How could she have known Trina couldn’t handle her booze well and go to her room. Is he accusing her of being a psychic now too? He flashes back to finding the pills in Esme’s closet, and says, no, not psychic. He tries to touch her, but she backs up, and he says, she’s psycho for sure, but he doesn’t think she’s psychic. The reason she knew Trina would pass out is because Esme spiked her hot toddy with those pills of hers; the ones he found in her closet. He showed them to Britt Westbourne, and she told him what could happen if they’re mixed with alcohol. Esme drugged Trina to set her up, and Britt told him if the dosage had been off, even by a little, she could have injured Trina; maybe even killed her. He strokes Esme’s arm, and asks if she still thinks he’s bluffing.

Arden asks if, when Rory was on duty recently, he was called to a disturbance at a notorious biker bar, The Highsider. He says, that is correct. It was a fairly routine complaint; a fight had broken out. She asks what he found when he got there, and he says he’s not sure he understands the question. There was a bar fight. He arrived after another unit had broken it up. Arden tells the judge that she’s submitting an eyewitness statement from another member of the PCPD. They reported two underage girls who were caught up in this brawl. She asks Rory if they’re in the courtroom, and Diane objects, asking, what does any of this have to do with the charges against her client? Arden says, when Officer Cabrera answers the question the connection will be obvious, and Judge Young allows it. Arden repeats the question, and Rory says, yes, they’re in the courtroom. She asks him to state their names, and he says, Josslyn Jax and Trina Robinson. She thanks him, and says, there’s an even more important question she needs him to answer. Why were Josslyn and Trina in the bar that night?  Um… won’t this ultimately hurt Arden’s case?

Britt lets Michael into the exam room, and says, Willow is a bit early, but there’s a good chance they can detect a fetal heartbeat. Willow asks Michael to hold her hand, and Britt puts the gel on her. They hear it, and Willow says, that’s the baby’s heartbeat. Britt says, sure is, and Michael says, she had him worried there, but it’s strong and steady. Everything’s okay now.

Cody asks Dante why he wouldn’t date Britt. She’s beautiful, she’s successful, and she scraped him up in an alley, and gave him a ride to Dante’s place. Why can’t Dante just be happy for him? Dante says he is happy for Cody, but he’s just looking out for him, since he seems to be incapable of doing it himself. Cody says, so he’s a charity case, and Dante says he’s Cody’s friend. He gave Cody a couch, kept him out of jail, Dante’s mom hooked him up with a job at the Quartermaine stables; what does that say? Cody says, that Dante put in a good word for him, and Dante says, he didn’t do it out of charity. He did it because they’re friends. They hadn’t seen each other in a long time, but he minute he saw Cody falling out of the sky, he knew Cody hadn’t changed a bit. Cody says, Dante has. Maybe it’s because he’s a dad, or maybe it’s the badge, but Dante is different from the kid from Bensonhurst he used to know. Dante says, yeah, he is; he grew up. Maybe Cody should try it sometime.

Spencer says, Esme set up an innocent woman who could potentially go to prison, not to mention what she did to Joss and Cam with the sex tape. He backs her up as he’s talking, and says, he’ll give her this much; she was thorough in her revenge. She found a way to take them all down. She pushes him back, and says, he thinks he’s got it all worked out. What does he expect her to do, walk into that courtroom and trade places with Trina? He says, no, he doesn’t expect her to do that. Doing that would require a conscience, something she clearly doesn’t have. But if she was smart enough to frame Trina, then she’s smart enough to clear Trina without incriminating herself. She says, Trina really means that much to him, and he says he thinks the more pertinent question is, how much does Esme’s mother mean to her? She throws the paper on the table, and says, oh my God, you ass. After all the lies he told her, he expects her to believe he found a match for her DNA. He picks up the paper, and says, he has the evidence. She can look for herself. He can tell her the name. Or she can walk out and let Trina take the fall. It’s up to her. What’s more important to her; ruining Trina’s life or finding her mother?

Rory says, Josslyn and Trina were carrying fake IDs. He confiscated them, and let them off with a stern warning never to try that again. Arden says, very understanding of him, but were they only at that bar that night to drink alcohol as minors? He says he’s not sure what she means, and she puts a folder on the stand, saying, that document is a rap sheet for a bartender, Oz Haggerty, who was working at that same bar. Can he read off the crimes that bartender was arrested for? He reads, petty theft, and he had a prior for trafficking in stolen electronics. She asks if he can be more specific. What kind of electronics? He says, mostly black market cell phones, and she says, he sells black market cell phones. The kind that Trina’s best friend Josslyn, according to her testimony, said the defendant would never know how to buy. Again, Arden might be enthusiastic, but she’s not real bright. Although, outcomes aren’t always logical in Port Charles.

Michael asks if Willow is okay, and Willow says, they just heard their baby’s heartbeat. She’s never been better, or happier. They hug.

Britt thanks TJ for referring a new patient to her. Willow’s pregnancy is progressing nicely. They just heard the baby’s heartbeat. He says, that’s great to hear, but he needs her to keep him in the loop about Willow. She asks why, and he suggests they go to her office, and he’ll fill her in.

Cody tells Dante, he doesn’t have a kid or a steady career, but he’s growing up in his own way. Believe it or not, he’s already making plans for his future. Dante says, by being a stable boy? Come on, man, it’s even got boy in the title. Um… Michael said hand, not boy. Cody tells him, make as many jokes as he wants. He’s going to prove Dante is wrong about a lot of things. Dante says, including Britt Westbourne? and Cody says, the matchmaker herself matched them up. Dante says, here’s hoping the match doesn’t turn into a dumpster fire. If it does, remember his old pal warned him otherwise.

Esme says, Spencer is doing all of this because he thinks he can win Trina over? She clears Trina’s name, and Trina’s all his? Who is delusional now? Even if Trina did have feelings for him, she’s moved on. Or hasn’t he seen her with the hot rookie cop? He asks if that’s her final answer, but she says, he’s given her a lot to think about. He tells her, don’t think long, because this deal isn’t going to be on the table indefinitely, and she says, as a reminder, she’s not the one on trial. And as for him, if she hears he tried to play hero on his own, and go to Trina with this conversation, he will never get what he wants. He holds up the paper, and says, neither will she. She says, if it comes to choosing finding out who her mother is, and hurting him the way he hurt her, don’t be so sure he’ll know what she’ll choose. She leaves, and Spencer drops the paper on the table. Esme paces in the foyer, then leans against the wall, looking sick.  

Diane says she just has a few questions for Rory. When he confiscated Josslyn and Trina’s fake IDs, did he ask why they were there? He says, yes, and she asks what they told him. He says, they were looking for the bartender who sold Esme Prince a black market phone, and Diane asks if it was a referral deal. Esme Prince got a groovy phone (ha-ha) off this guy, and they wanted one too. Arden objects, saying, counsel is leading the witness, but Judge Young says he’ll allow it. He tells Diane to get where she’s going, and she asks Rory if Josslyn and Trina were in The Highsider to purchase a black market phone. He says, no. They were looking for the bartender to ID Esme Prince. Diane says, and did he? and Arden objects, saying, hearsay. Officer Cabrera wasn’t present when Miss Jax and Miss Robinson allegedly spoke to Mr. Haggerty. The officer has no idea what was said, if anything. The judge says, sustained, and Diane says she has no further questions. Judge Young calls for an adjournment, and the bailiff says, all rise, as he leaves the courtroom.

In the hallway, Curtis says he thinks there’s reasonable doubt for sure, and Josslyn says she hates the way the ADA twisted her words. Trina says she doesn’t blame Josslyn. She knows Josslyn is just trying to help her. Jordan comes out, and she and Curtis nod to each other. Rory follows, and he and Trina exchange a look. Portia tells Trina, just hang in there, and hugs her.  

Tomorrow, Cody wants to get to know Britt better, if she’ll let him; Finn tells Chase that something is too good to be true; Brook tells Linc that she’s found something she wants more than fame; Sasha insists she’s not addicted; and Sonny tells Brando that he’ll take care of something.

👠 I Loved Her Too, But…

Lois was better than LisaR on her best day, but she wasn’t a cast member, nor is this The LisaR Show. I totally understand her grief, but this is going overboard with being demanding.

https://people.com/tv/lisa-rinna-slams-rhobh-for-not-properly-honoring-late-mom/

🍊 OC Slam…

Apparently, Tamra is not too happy with Jill outing her return.

https://www.etonline.com/tamra-judge-slams-jill-zarin-after-she-seemingly-spoils-her-rhoc-return-announcement-go-fk-yourself

But Jill claims she’s not the source. They were on Watch What Happens Live together tonight, so they must have kissed and made up. I wasn’t really listening.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1338372/jill-zarin-clarifies-comments-about-tamra-judges-rumored-rhoc-return

💎 Another Day, Another Suit…

I think Erika is a little smarter than Teresa Giudice, who I believe signed things just because Juicy Joe told her too. I wouldn’t say she was in on it, but I think she turned a blind eye.

🦘 I’ve been watching Below Deck Down Under, and while it’s entertaining enough, I’m a little disappointed. Some of the crew could vie with Jax Taylor and the most recent Sailing Yacht cast for worst people ever. It looks like mostly the deckhands are d-bags, one being a very entitled bad sport. I haven’t absorbed enough of it to get a good handle on the interior, except that they flirt shamelessly with the captain. I can’t say I blame them, since he’s movie star handsome. I also love Aesha, originally from Below Deck Mediterranean. She’s the chief stew on this one, and I remember her as always being positive and fun. And of course there’s the Barrier Reef. I don’t think it gets much more beautiful.

https://www.bravotv.com/below-deck-down-under

Beating the Clock…

Join me tomorrow for soap and those awful women from Beverly Hills. Until then, stay safe, stay not beating yourself up over the past, and stay being the type of friend who sticks around when everybody else turns and runs.

June 17, 2022 – Drew Celebrates With Carly, Suits, Finished, RomaDrama, Wife Block, Unconcerned, One More, Spinning Thrones, Juneteenth, 10 Quotes For Dads & Vibe

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly sees someone swimming in the pool, and says, the pool’s closed. Drew gets out, and sexy music plays while she stares at him. Erm… He says he was hoping the owner could bend the rules a little for him.

Nina asks if everything’s all right, and Sonny says, it’s just business. It wasn’t anything urgent. He thanks her for waiting, and she says, it would have been rude, not to mention immature, if she’d just walked away in a huff (or a minute and a huff. sorry). He asks if she was tempted, and she says, a little bit. A part of her doesn’t want to hear his answer about the kiss he gave her, but then there’s another part of her that really needs to know, because it means something to her. Did he kiss her because he got into a fight with his ex-wife?

At a drive-in (!), Anna asks if Valentin has ever been here before, but he says he hasn’t had the pleasure. Her? She says, no. All the drive-in theaters she’s seen have been in movies she’s watched. He says, she wanted him to surprise her, and she says, he did. He’s kind of like this movie. He says, old or notorious? and she says, he seems to be black and white, but in reality, he’s a complex balance of shadows. She got that out of a book on Hitchcock. He says he likes it; it makes him sound classic, yet timeless. She says, this is the part where Ingrid Bergman realizes she’s been poisoned, and he says, like the old days, huh? She says, only if your nostalgic about someone being drugged in an undercover operation, and he says he thinks it’s part of their charm tonight.

Trina tells Josslyn that they have to get out of the bar before the cops check their IDs. The instigator, aka tall bald guy, is taken away, and the cops talk to bar guy. Josslyn says, now’s their chance, but as they start to leave, Rory comes in, and asks what they’re doing here.

Selina walks into The Savoy, and asks why Brad called her back here. He says, there’s a problem with the game. Linc comes out of the back and goes to the bar, while Brook stares daggers at him. He asks for a double vodka on the rocks, and Brook starts to stomp over to him, but Chase intercepts her and asks if she’s going somewhere. Brad tells Selina, Judge Abbott canceled at the last minute, so he let another player come in. She says, without vetting him first? Linc tells N’neka to put it on his tab, when Britt comes up to the bar. She says she was here earlier, and realized she can’t find her phone. Did someone turn it in? N’neka says she’ll check, and leaves. Linc says he hopes she finds Britt’s phone. He hates to see a lady in distress.

In the hallway, Brad tells Selina, when he saw the guy’s bankroll, he figured it would be okay. He knew the password. She says, just spit it out; what happened? and Cody comes out, counting a load of cash.

Sonny says, when he kissed Nina, he wasn’t thinking about Carly, and she says, but he did fight with Carly. He says, yeah. Carly and Michael think he turned his back on his family. She says, that’s ridiculous. His family is everything to him. He says, right, and when he went on the stand, it wasn’t against Michael; he was just there to tell the truth. She says, and he was gracious enough to forgive her, and doesn’t hold her responsible anymore for keeping his identity a secret. He says, the thing is, he always believed and still believes Wiley needs to have her in his life. She thanks him, and says, Carly considers that a betrayal. He says, in Carly’s mind, the biggest betrayal was, when Baldwin was going after Michael, he stood by Nina. Nina says she has to be honest. When he did that, she was surprised too.

Drew tells Carly that he just needed a quick swim. It was a crazy day at Aurora, and he didn’t get a chance to work out. She asks, how quick? and he says, only a mile. Navy SEAL. He hopes she isn’t going to revoke his membership, but she says, he’s exactly the distraction she needed after the day she’s had. He says, bad? and she says, beyond. Frustrating… heartbreaking… deeply disappointing, but also the best.

Trina tells Rory that she and Josslyn were tracking down proof Esme framed her, and he says, in a bar known for criminal activity? Trina says, just the place Esme would go to for an unregistered phone, and Josslyn promises they’ll explain everything later, but right now, they need to get out of here. An officer calls Rory over, and asks if he has ID on Josslyn and Trina.

Chase asks, what happened to their hanging out by the pool? and Brook says she’s sorry, but this was too good of a chance to pass up. Linc had a card from The Savoy, with what was obviously a password written on the back. He says, a strong indicator that something shady was going on, and she says, yes, Mr. Sarcasm. This is her chance to catch Linc in the act, and blackmail him into signing the rights to her songs back over to her. He says, there’s so much illegal in what she just said to him, he doesn’t know where to start.

Linc says he knows Britt. She’s the woman in the GIF that’s gone viral; soaking wet… climbing out of the pool. She says, yes, that’s her, and he says, she has a rockin’ bod. It’s like the beauty from the Black Lagoon. They might be able to recreate that in one of his artist’s videos. She says, excuse me? and he says, oh, did he not mention he’s a music producer?

Selina asks, is this the last minute player? and Cody says, they meet again. All the players raved about her in there. She says, did they? and he says, Brad here was kind enough to let him sit in on the game. Texas Hold ‘Em high stakes is exactly how he likes to play. It’s a shame the game ended so early. She says, isn’t it, and he says, thanks for the hospitality. Goodnight. He starts to leave, and she says, Li! A big guy comes in, and she says she’d like a word with this man – outside.

Anna says she loves this movie, and Valentin says he’s never known anyone so thrilled with this film. She says, come on. Cary Grant rescues Ingrid Bergman. The Nazis are thwarted, and the moment he goes back inside, Claude Reins is a dead man. What’s not to love? It’s so good. He says, if she likes this film, she’s going to love the second feature, and she says, he’s not going to tell her what it is? He says she wanted to be surprised. There’s a concession stand that sells bon-bons. A little pedestrian for such a momentous occasion. She says, a drive-in’s momentous? but he says, not the drive-in; us. Her agreeing to an official first date. She says, that is momentous, and he says, so – he brings out a basket from the backseat – he brought charcuterie, and caviar. She says, it’s lovely… and he says, what? She tells him, she loves popcorn at the movies, and he reaches in the back, this time pulling out a bag of popcorn, saying, it’s a good thing he brought some. This is from Japan, salted with umami, and out of this world. She says, popcorn needs to have butter, and he says he’s usually much better at this. She says, bullseye on the movie, and remembering she loves Hitchcock; that’s all perfect. He says, the master of suspense. He never got more romantic than Notorious. She says, yeah, a libeled lady and a charismatic rogue on a spy mission, longing for each other. He says, what’s not to love?

Brook says, of course (🍷) blackmailing Linc is illegal; that’s why she kept him out of it. He says, she ditched him, and she says, for his own good. He’s so close to being reinstated. He says, she asked for his help, and as soon as he agreed, she bailed on him, so she could do it on her own. Not that she got anywhere. She says she begs to differ. Something went way, way wrong. Linc came out of the back room fuming, and when he gets mad, he gets stupid. And when Linc gets stupid, which is most of the time, Linc makes mistakes, and that’s when they’ve got him.

Linc tells Britt, he manages some of the best talent in the business, and she says, he’s rolling in it? He says, private planes, yachts… and she says, he has more than one? He says, that depends where he’s heading, and she pretends to be excited, saying, which she imagines is all over the world. He says, baby, you would not believe the life I’ve lived, and she says she bets he’s seen some things. He says he’s nothing like the guys she’s used to, and she says, so true.

Li tosses Cody into an alleyway, and Cody says, what’s there to talk about? He bought into the game. He played well, he won, fair and square. Selina asks, what’s his definition of fair? What’s indisputable is, he cleaned out all of her other players in eight hands. Cody says, that’s just how the cards fell, and Selina says, when the game goes on all night, the players’ inhibitions wear down, and the stakes go up. If they lose, they ask for credit. Cody says, which she’s more than happy to extend at a far interest rate, and she says, he cut into her profits, she’ll need to recoup her losses, which will come out of his winnings. He says, now who’s not playing fair? and she says something in Mandarin. Li punches Cody in the stomach, and Cody falls to the ground, doubled over.

Nina says, she and Sonny haven’t addressed what Scotty did to Michael on the stand, and he asks if she knew what Scotty was going to do, but she says she didn’t. Scotty told her that he was going to bring up Claudia Zaccara’s death, but she had no idea about the details of how Claudia died. All she knows is, Scotty said he was going to hit Michael with his criminal record. Sonny says, so it sounds like she didn’t know how bad Scotty was going to get with Michael, and she says she didn’t, but she’s not going to get any medals either. Kidnapping Avery, and again, keeping his existence in Nixon Falls a secret. He says, let him guess. Scotty told her, in order to secure visitation with Wiley, she was going to have to level the playing field. She says, make Michael look so bad, she’d look better by comparison, and he says, listen. He just wants her to know, Michael had no intention of killing Claudia. He was just a teenager, and he was defending his little sister. She says she knows that now, and watching Scotty go after him on the stand made her stomach sink. In part because of what she set in motion, and in part because she was sure she’d lose him over it.

Drew says, it’s kind of nice having the place to themselves, and Carly says, one of the perks of co-owning the MetroCourt. He says, she knows he’s only hanging out for the perks, right? and she says she’s under no illusion. They sit, and he says he thinks he knows what she meant when she said, bad, but for the best. It’s when something crappy happens to you, but you needed it. It gives you a wake-up call and shifts your whole perspective. She says, that’s exactly what happened to her today. She hadn’t talked to Sonny since Nina’s visitation hearing. She won’t go into the gory details, but Nina and her lawyer accused Michael of being violent towards women. Can he believe that? He says he heard that, and he’s so incredibly sorry. She says, it was awful, but what was truly indefensible was Sonny. He was in the court room; he heard everything. And when it was over, he comforted Nina. Drew says, she must have felt so betrayed, and she says, yeah, and furious, and devastated. And now, weirdly grateful.

Nina says, when Scotty got done with Michael, and the judge called for a recess because she wanted to talk to Scotty and Diane in chambers, she stood up and felt so alone. She turned around, and there Sonny was, on her side. He looked so stoic, and she had no idea what he was feeling. She thought he was going to tear into her. He says, there was a lot of stuff happening. He was angry with Scotty for going after Michael, and he was disappointed in Michael for going after her. It was a lot. She says she wanted to play fair. She wanted to let everyone just cool down until Michael and Willow would allow her to see Wiley, but Michael and Willow didn’t play fair. He says, even before the five-part feature in The Invader? and she says, they were never going to cool down. Wiley would have been an adult before she was allowed to see him, and by that time, he’d be so brainwashed, he’d never want to see her. Sonny says, she had every right to go for the petition for visitation, and she says she’s made a lot of mistakes, but so has Michael. Nobody is perfect here. He takes her hand, and says, when he saw her in court, she was hurting a lot. All he could think about was making her feel better. She says she just wanted to explain to him what happened. She felt like her skin was ripped off; all her faults were exposed… and there he was. He touched her cheek – she starts to cry, and he gives her his hanky – and that small act of compassion meant more to her than he’ll ever know.

Drew says, Carly is grateful Sonny sided with Nina? and she says, the Sonny she knew would have defended his son, and the fact that he didn’t, brought it all home to her in a way nothing else could. The man she married, the Sonny she loved, the father of her kids, is gone. For as long as she’s known Sonny, he could make her angrier than anyone, and what surprised her today was the anger she didn’t feel. That’s when she realized… He says, her wake-up call, and she says, what Sonny did in that courtroom severed the last tie. They’re Donna’s parents, and will always co-exist for her sake, but they live separate lives. She’s been saying she’s free for a while, but today, she feels free. He tells her, congratulations, and she thanks him. He says, they should celebrate.

Rory says he needs to see their IDs, and Trina says, which one? The real one that says she’s underage, or the fake one that says she’s 23 and her name is Jane? Josslyn says, look, Trina can’t get arrested, even if it’s a misdemeanor. The Title IX investigation came back against her. He says he’s sorry to hear that, and Trina says, thanks, but it turns out it’s the least of her worries. Josslyn tells him, coming here was entirely her idea; she dragged Trina along. Please, just bust her and let Trina go. She hands him her fake ID.

Li kicks Cody’s ass some more, and Selina says, enough. The money. Li reaches in Cody’s pocket, and Cody says, they can’t take his buy-in money; he brought it to the table. She says he cost her far more than she recouped tonight. He’s still in her dept. He says, she can’t leave him with nothing, and she says she’s not completely heartless, and pulls out a bill, tossing it toward him. She tells Li, let’s go, and they leave. Brad tells Cody, sorry, Selina calls to him, and he goes.  

Linc says he doesn’t want to intimidate Britt or anything. He is rich and famous, but deep down, he’s just a regular guy. She says, regular just doesn’t do it for her; neither does rich and famous. She’s into a very particular type. He asks her to enlighten him, and she says, the kind who keeps his head when literal bullets are flying, who’s not overly fussy in the rule of law, and who doesn’t give a damn about pop culture. The kind of guy who can take a punch, and laugh about it. N’neka brings out a phone, and asks if it’s Britt’s, and Britt thanks her, taking it. She tells Linc, by the way, he’s a loser, even if he’s rich and famous, and walks away.

Chase says, if Britt does something illegal, and Linc can prove it, she’ll be in a far worse position than when she started. She says, look at Linc’s expression. Britt blew him off and he is livid. Now’s her chance. She heads for the bar.

Coming out of the club, Britt sees Cody in the alley.

Carly says she’s up for celebrating; what does Drew suggest? He says, how about a night swim? but she says she didn’t bring her suit. He says, they could skinny dip, but she says she owns the hotel. People could come, so… He says he doesn’t think anyone is around, and the pool’s closed. He won’t tell. She says, raincheck? and he says, absolutely. He says, at least put her feet in the water? and sits at the edge of the pool. He holds out his hand, and she says, she can do that, taking it.

Sonny tells Nina, Carly saw him in the courtroom, and that’s what they were fighting about. He guesses she felt that gesture of comfort meant he was okay with Scotty going after Michael. She says she’s so sorry she put him in that position, but he says, he doesn’t regret it. He was just doing what he felt he should do in the moment. She says, Carly can’t forgive him, but he says, she’s done, which is ironic because the divorce has been finalized for a while now. He guesses she doesn’t… She’s cutting the cord, except for Donna. He gets to see Donna as much as he wants. Nina says, no matter what Carly’s issues are, she’s first and foremost a mother. She’s never going to use Donna as a pawn. He says he never thought this would happen. He always thought he’d be connected to Carly, at least from the past and the kids… He flashes back to Carly saying he consoled the woman who initiated an attack on Michael, and she doesn’t know him anymore. He tells Nina, Carly said she doesn’t know who he is anymore, and he’s thinking, of course (🍷) she doesn’t. A lot has changed since Nixon Falls. He’s not the same person; he’s changed. And it seems like the only one who understands him in his life is Nina.

Rory says he’ll need Trina’s too, and the other officer tells Rory, the bouncer checks out. They step aside, and the officer says, his partner is waiting for him; they got a perp violating parole who needs processing at the station. Clear the scene; send everyone home. He leaves, and Rory goes back to Josslyn and Trina. Josslyn asks, what happens now? Is he going to arrest them? He says, technically, it’s not illegal to purchase a fake ID in the state of New York. Using one is more of a grey area; it’s up to the officer’s discretion whether or not he wants to file charges. Trina asks what his discretion is telling him, and he puts the fake ID’s in his pocket, saying, he’ll let them off with a warning, this time.

Cody coughs and groans. Britt picks up the bill, and says, did he lose something?

Brook tells Linc, what a coincidence. Long time, no see. He tells her, get lost. He’s expecting a call from Korea. She says, and there’s a bridge for sale in Brooklyn, and he says he should know better than to visit Port Charles. First, some cowboy took all his cash in a card game; then some woman doesn’t even have the sense to appreciate what he’s offering. His phone rings, and he says, this is it. He says, min-ho; ban nalYes, absolutely. All I Want is still available. Brook says, that’s her song, and Linc says, they will do a phenomenal interpretation, and he’s listened to plenty of boy bands. Might he say, theirs is the best in the K-Pop biz… Yeah, they can change the lyrics from him to her. They can change whatever they want; he owns the song. Brook grabs the phone, and he says, what the hell. She says, the song in question is no longer available. It’s caught up in a copyright lawsuit that could drag on for years. Bye. She hangs up, and Linc says, does she realize what she just did? She says she saved her song. He says he wants his phone back, and grabs her arm. Chase flies between them, separating them, and Linc says, if Chase doesn’t realize she’s using him, he’s dumber than he looks. He holds out his hand, and says, phone. Or he will sell her entire catalog to a porn producer he knows who’ll use it for soundtracks, She says, what a surprise; he knows a porn producer. Linc says, come to think of it, that’s a market she should explore. She can’t sing anymore, but there are other ways to perform, like lying on your back. Chase punches him in the face.

Anna’s phone dings, and she tells Valentin, sorry. She usually remembers to switch these things off. He asks if it’s important, but she says, it’s just work; it’ll keep. He asks if it’s anything to do with the Jennifer Smith case, and she wonders why he’s asking. He says, just curious. He offered his assistance, and she was strangely quiet. She says, it’s not likely she would need it. The WSB thinks the case is airtight. He says, she doesn’t agree? and she says, no. Jennifer insisted she had this French naval captain up in her room. He says, played by Gary Cooper? and she says she wishes. Anyway, they haven’t been able to locate him or confirm his identity. Valentin flashes back to pretending to be the captain, and says, he thinks he can still be of some use.  

Nina tells Sonny, she’s sorry; she didn’t mean to get so emotional. He says he didn’t call her here for consolation, and she says, she knows. She can tell he’s hurting. Why doesn’t he talk to her? He says he’s tired of hurting. He’s tired of being angry and being sorry. This is who he is. Love him or hate him, with her, it seems to be enough. She says she’s tired of hurting too. She’s tired of the loss and regret. He makes her happy, and she wants to embrace that happiness. He asks how they start, and she kisses his hand, and says, slowly.

Carly and Drew eat ice cream cones, as they dangle their feet in the water. Carly says, this is perfect, and he says she doesn’t think his idea of a celebration is kind of lame? She says, sometimes the simplest things are the best. She’s hanging out with him on this gorgeous night, and her feet are in the swimming pool that she co-owns, and she’s got chunk of stock in a media company that’s soaring by the day. He says, a bigger chunk than she expected, but she says she knows a good thing when she sees it.

Britt sits Cody up, and asks what he did to deserve this. He says, this is how it goes when he’s on a winning streak, and she says, he gets beat up and left in an alley with $50? He says, his luck turns harder and faster than a bucking bronco, and she says, there he was, picturing the hot car he was going to buy, that place in Malibu. He says, a 200 acre spread in Wyoming. Nice place; has she ever been? He was going to buy some horses. She says, purebred? but he says, no, the price is too pricey. He was going to get some workhorses to take care of and ride… He closes his eyes, and she says, he may have a concussion, so stay with her. He says he’s not sleeping; he’s just resting his eyes. She says, then she’ll leave him to it. She starts to walk away, and says, damn Hippocratic Oath. First do no harm. She goes back to him, and says she’s a doctor, so first, she’s going to check his injuries. She’s warning him now; this is going to hurt. She moves his head and he groans. She checks his eyes.

Rory says, Trina and Josslyn were looking for a lead on Esme; did they find one? Trina says, yes and no, and Josslyn says, Esme framed Trina by planting the phone in Trina’s bag. Trina says, the phone she used to record the sex tape, and then send it out in an email blast. Josslyn says, they think they found the guy who sold her the phone, and Rory asks, who is he? Trina says, he was tending the bar when they got there; they don’t know his name. Josslyn says, he was about to ID Esme, but the fight broke out, and he slipped away. Trina says, but he works here, which means he’ll be back. Next time they’ll… Rory says, next time, they won’t be anywhere near here, and Josslyn says, they need to find the guy. Rory says, he’ll ask about the bartender. He’ll get a name and description, and he’ll run it. Rory’s phone beeps, and he says he’s got another call; disturbance in progress. How are they getting home? Josslyn says, a Ride Share; they’ll be here in ten minutes. He tells then, be sure not to miss it, and leaves.

Carly thanks Drew for the ice cream, and says, it was a great suggestion. He starts unbuttoning his shirt, and she asks what he’s doing. He says, what does she think he’s doing? He’s working off the ice cream. The mile he swam isn’t going to cut it. He gets in the pool, and she thanks him for the celebration. He tells her, who says it’s over? As far as he’s concerned, it’s just getting started.

Sonny says, he and Nina have been dancing around each other for a year at least, not to mention their time in Nixon Falls. How much slower can they go? She says she wants nothing more than to dive head first into a relationship with him, and he asks, what’s stopping her? She says, herself. The feeling she had in that courtroom when she stood up and saw him. They’re hot and heavy for each other now, but what happens to her when it fizzles out? She takes his hand, and says, he’s unlike any man she’s ever known, and she wants them to build something real between them. He says he appreciates it, but she’s not the only one who’s feeling alone. Carly and Michael cut him out of their life; he can’t rely on them. There is this connection they have, but if she wants to take it slow, he’s okay with that. She says, okay, and picks up her bag. He asks if she’s going home already, and she says she is, handing him back his hanky. He tells her to keep it to remember him, and she laughs, saying, okay. If she doesn’t leave now, she never will. She’ll call him. He says he’s looking forward to it, and she leaves.

Cody asks, will I live? and Britt says, his ribs are bruised, and maybe some are cracked. She recommends an x-ray. He says he’ll get right on that, as soon as he figures out how to stand up, and she says, for pity’s sake, lean on her. She helps him up, and he grunts and groans. She says he’s such a big baby. Is he the same guy who fell from the sky and into the MetroCourt pool without a bump? He says, she cushioned his fall, and she says, she’s parked over there; she’ll drive him to GH. He says, hospitals are pricey, and he’s down to his last fifty, but she says, she’s not going to leave him in the alley. He needs help. He says he knows who can help him, and they owe him.

Anna says, familiar with a lot of French captains, are we? and Valentin says, profiling 101. First of all, how do they know Jennifer didn’t just invent this gallant seafarer? She says, they know he exists because the hotel bartender saw him, and Valentin says, okay. This is where he suggests the captain’s involvement is incidental. Miss Smith is just implicating him as a red herring. She says, no more Hitchcock for him, but he says, it’s Occam’s Razor; the simplest explanation is usually the right one. She doesn’t want to admit her guilt, so she’s claiming innocence, and pointing the finger at some poor sap she met at the hotel bar. Anna says, perhaps, and he asks what she thinks happened, but she says she’s not sharing her theories with a civilian. He asks who she’s calling a civilian. They’ve worked together on plenty of her cases. She asks what he’s doing, and he says he’s trying to help her, but she says, he’s not. She thought this was too good to be true; is this really a date? Or is this whole drive-in, Hitchcock, charcuterie just a tactic to get information out of her?

Josslyn and Trina get in the car, and Josslyn says, how crazy was that? Trina says, the bar fight? The lead on Esme? Josslyn says, the cops showing up? Trina says, they were so close to getting the bartender to ID Esme, and Josslyn says, things could be worse. We could be in the back of a squad car, charged with misdemeanor use of a fake ID… Jane. Trina says, you’re right… Kara. Rory did us a solid tonight. Josslyn says, us? That had nothing to do with her. Rory did it for Trina. He likes her. Trina says she thinks he does.

At The Savoy, Rory asks, what happened here? and Linc says, he was attacked, assault and battery, and he’s pressing charges. Take statements from all the witnesses. Rory asks if N’neka saw the incident, and she says she’s afraid she did. He asks, who did what to whom?

Brook tells Chase, it’s all her fault; she feels awful. He says, he’s the one who lost his cool, and she says, he had every right to. Linc is such a slimeball. They’ll sneak out the back door, hole up at the mansion, and call the ELQ lawyers. They’ll get them out of this. She starts to leave, and asks if he isn’t coming. He says, it will only make things worse if he leaves the scene. He’ll be labeled a fugitive with an APB on his back.

Linc tells Rory, he was the victim of a brutal and unprovoked attack, but Rory says, according to Linc’s witness here – he indicates N’neka – Detective Chase threw the first and only punch. N’neka says, Linc collapsed like wet cardboard, and laughs. Linc says, exactly. Call an ambulance. Chase broke his jaw. Rory says, excuse him, and goes over to Chase. He says, Chase was on suspension when he joined the force, but he’s heard the stories. Chase says he bets. Rory’s heard the witness, and the victim who clearly wants to press charges. He turns around, putting his hands behind his back, and Brook says, no, no. no. He was provoked. Linc had it coming. Please don’t do this. Chase says, Brook… and Rory read Chase his rights, handcuffing him.  

On Monday (which was supposed to be today), Trina tells Portia that she thinks things are going in her favor; Valentin says he’ll do anything Anna wants; Laura tells Martin, she’s narrowed the suspects down to one; and Spencer tells Victor that he has good reason to keep Esme close.

👃 Smelled This Coming…

I have to admit, I always wonder if people who use their religion to opt out are like vegetarians who wear leather shoes.

🦸🏻‍♂️ Wrapping It Up…

Valentin finishes up his side hustle.

💖 Come On Down…

If you happen to be in the neighborhood and enjoy a little romance and/or soap stars, here’s an event for you.

👉🏻 It’s Fancy Pants’ Fault…

Another one who thinks someone is making it personal, when they’re really just vial and unlikeable, and no one likes them.

⛵️ Reaping What He Sowed…

When will Gary get little Gary under control? Does he want to go the way of Jean Luc?

https://www.eonline.com/news/1334521/below-deck-sailing-yachts-gary-king-responds-to-concerns-over-ashley-marti-incident

👰🏼 Not Sure We Care…

But to round out the excuses of why <fill in Vanderpump Rules cast member> wasn’t at Stassi’s wedding, here you go.

🐉 Thrones For the Spin…

A show about Flea Bottom sounds pretty interesting.

https://ew.com/tv/game-of-thrones-every-spinoff-in-development/

💃🏾 Because It’s June…

What Juneteenth is about.

https://www.history.com/news/what-is-juneteenth

And what to watch.

🎺 Quotes of the Week

Every father should remember one day his son will follow his example, not his advice. – Charles Kettering

The strongest, toughest men all have compassion. They’re not heartless and cold. You have to be man enough to have compassion — to care about people and about your children. – Denzel Washington

A 2-year-old is kind of like having a blender, but you don’t have a top for it.Jerry Seinfeld

A father carries pictures where his money used to be. – Steve Martin

The quality of a father can be seen in the goals, dreams, and aspirations he sets not only for himself, but for his family.Reed Markham

My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, ‘You’re tearing up the grass.’ ‘We’re not raising grass,’ Dad would reply. ‘We’re raising boys.‘ – Harmon Killebrew

Just taught my kids about taxes by eating 38% of their ice cream. – Conan O’Brien

By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong. – Charles Wadsworth

The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get. – Tim Russert (Although I question who this is attributed to, since I remember my father saying it before Russert’s time.)

The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature. – Abbé Prévost

👔 Happy Father’s Day…

To all the father’s out there, be they biological, father figures, or pet dads – enjoy your day! And then get back to work. See you on Monday for soap and Sailing. Until then, stay safe, stay unregretful about the path not taken, and stay remembering, when something crappy happens to you, it could be a wake-up call and for the best.

December 30, 2021 – New Year’s Eve In Port Charles, What’s On, Who’s Gone, Backlash Defense, Lala’s World, Bad Idea, Celebrations, Traditions, 22 Quotes for ’22, Eve Talk & Another One

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Today’s drinking game will include extra words because, New Year’s Eve (🍷).

Portia comes into The Savoy, and Curtis says she looks stunning. She tells him that he cleans up pretty nicely himself. He says, it’s a big occasion, and she says, happy New Year (🍷). He says, not just New Year (🍷); new beginnings. Right here with her, where it all started. He kisses her. Martin comes in with Lucy, and says, good evening and happy New Year (🍷), to Nika, who’s playing hostess. He asks if Valentin has a reservation this evening, and Lucy wonders why he needs to know.

At Kelly’s, Valentin sees Anna, and asks if the seat across from her is taken. He sits, and she asks if this is when he asks her about the conversation with his purported father. He says he couldn’t care less about anything Victor says or does, and she says, her either, but she thought he’d want to hear what was said. He says, not really. He and Anna have been tiptoeing around each other for far too long. He’s over it, and thinks she is too. So why doesn’t she let him take her out tonight? They can kick this wretched year to the curb, and start 2022 (🍷) fresh, the best way he can think of starting it – with each other.

Holding a gift bag, Drew knocks on Sam’s door, and when she answers, he says, surprise.

On the phone, Josslyn says she was really looking forward to them having her dad’s house to themselves, and Cameron asks if she’s sure she can’t get away. She says, unfortunately, something major happened with her mom, and she’s sorry, but she can’t leave. She’s really going to miss being with him tonight. He says, him too; she has no idea. She says she thinks she does. She’ll call him at midnight.

Michael tells Willow that Dante just texted him. He found Sonny. Willow hopes he’s okay, and Michael says, he’ll be fine, but he thinks it’s best if Sonny keeps his distance for a little while after he hurt mom. She says she’s so sorry. She can’t believe the mess she made. He says, she did nothing wrong. She told the truth about his father, which is something his father should have done a long time ago.

Carly takes down Sonny’s stocking from the fireplace, and looks at it. Then she looks at a picture of the two of them. Michael comes in, and says, mom? Carly says, excuse her, but he says, just talk to them. Willow says she’s so sorry about what happened in court, and Carly says, when Willow testified that she’d known for weeks about Sonny and Nina, did it ever occur to Willow to let her know her husband had fallen in love with someone else?

Maxie and Nina sit down at the Savoy, and Maxie asks, what’s wrong with Nina?. She gets to ring in 2022 (🍷) free as a bird; she should be celebrating. Nina says she should, but she’s not exactly in the mood. Scotty’s legal maneuvering kept her out of jail, but he blew up her life. And possibly Sonny and Carly’s.

Sonny knocks back drinks at Charlie’s, a stack of crumpled bills on the bar, when Dante walks in. Sonny asks what he’s doing there, and Dante says, Michael called him. He was looking for Sonny. Sonny says, congratulations. Dante found him. Dante says he can see that. Michael also told him about the hearing, that Willow took the stand and testified that Sonny and Nina fell in love in Nixon Falls. Sonny says he did not fall in love with Nina. That was Mike. He didn’t know who the hell he was, but he can’t get Carly to see that. She kicked him out. What if he never gets her to understand? What if he’s lost her forever? He slugs back another drink.

Drew apologizes for not calling first, and tells Sam, he promised Scout that he’d drop by with something special for New Year’s Eve (🍷). She says, it’s fine. Scout will be happy to see him. He says, here’s hoping, and she says, enough with the false modesty. Their daughter adores him.

Martin says, Valentin is his most lucrative client, and Lucy says, so the more the merrier. He says, no, far from it. As a matter-of-fact, Valentin made it clear that his and Lucy’s association is a bit of a conflict of interest. So much so, he issued an ultimatum; either his business or her. She says, obviously he chose her, but he says he doesn’t see why he should have to make a choice at all. He’s not here, and he’s not going to be here. The way Martin sees it, if they don’t make a scene, he can have his hummingbird cake and eat it too. How does that sound?

Maxie says, so Willow said Nina and Sonny fell in love. In court. On the stand. Nina says, yep, and Maxie says, wow. That is so dramatic. How did she even know? Nina says, Willow overheard her and Sonny talking in private, and she convinced Willow to keep it a secret, but Scotty pried it out of Willow. Maxie asks how Scotty found out, and Nina says she has no idea. Obrecht joins them, telling them, happy New Year (🍷). She sees Nina’s face, and says, what?

Scotty gives Cameron and Aiden what look like cassette tapes, and says he’s sorry he didn’t get these to them before Christmas. He tells Elizabeth that he has one for Jake too, but she says, he’s at a sleepover. She’ll make sure he gets it. He says he didn’t know Violet was going to be there, but Finn says, it’s okay. Scotty says, who doesn’t need five bucks? and Cameron says, Franco used to say that. Finn says, okay, and Violet takes the money, thanking Scotty. Scotty says he bets Franco did; he was always bumming five bucks from him. Aiden wonders what the gift is, and Cameron says, they’re old school tapes of sorts. Scotty says, it’s Franco’s music. He thought they could listen to it and keep Franco’s memory alive on New Year’s (🍷). Franco always liked this really crazy music. What do they think? Elizabeth looks sad.

Michael says, Willow came to apologize, and Willow says she’s so sorry. She never wanted to say what she had to at that hearing, but she had no choice. Carly says, she had a choice before. She chose to keep it to herself. Willow says, was she supposed to tell Carly that she overheard Sonny and Nina talking about how he fell in love in Nixon Falls, when he didn’t know who he was? It was over. Sonny is back, and Carly is the one he loves, not Nina. She didn’t want to hurt their marriage. She didn’t want to hurt Carly. Carly whirls around and says, but you did, Blanche! Oh wait, wrong drama. Carly asks if Willow didn’t want to hurt her, or did Nina ask her not to?

Dante says, Sonny has to give Carly some time. She’s got to remember that Sonny is Sonny. He’s not that guy who fell for Nina in Nixon Falls. Mike is gone; he doesn’t exist. Sonny says he told her, and it doesn’t matter, but Dante says, eventually, it will. How many times have they broken up? Sooner or later – hopefully sooner – Carly will come around and realize there’s nothing left between him and Nina. That’s right, isn’t it? There’s nothing left? Sonny asks if Dante shouldn’t be with Sam, but Dante says he’s got to get Sonny squared away first. Sonny says he just wants to be with his wife. There’s nothing Dante can do about that. Dante says, just like there’s nothing Sonny can do about falling for Nina when he thought he was someone else. That’s love. It’s like chemical stuff. There’s nothing you can do to control that. Nina is the guilty party here. Sonny didn’t do anything wrong, and Carly’s going to see that. Sonny says, that’s not the problem; not the whole problem anyway. He should have told Carly what happened in Nixon Falls before it came out in that courtroom. Dante asks why he didn’t.

Michael tells Carly, attacking Willow isn’t going to make this any better, and Josslyn says, Michael’s right. The blame is not on Willow; it’s on Nina. She’s the one who let Sonny keep thinking he was Mike. Michael says, and when they fell in love, Nina kept this whole sorry charade going. Carly asks Willow if Nina asked her to keep her and Sonny’s secret, and Willow says, yes, she did. Carly asks if Michael knew, but he says, no, not until the hearing. She says, and he’s okay with that; that Willow chose Nina over him. Over the family who welcomed her with open arms.

Nina says, it was Obrecht who told Scotty about her and Sonny, and Obrecht says, gerne geschehen (you’re welcome). Nina says, Scotty figured out that Willow knew something. How could she? Obrecht says Nina is free; that’s all that matters. Nina says, at what cost? She and Scotty might have wrecked Carly and Sonny’s marriage. Obrecht says, pity, and calls for more champagne. She asks why they’re not drinking yet, and Nina says, and destroyed her life. Obrecht says, all the more reason she should be drinking, and she didn’t destroy Nina’s life. On the contrary. She saved it.

Curtis tells Portia, he’s allowed this club and his father to monopolize his attention when he should have been giving her his time and energy. She thanks him, but says, all the time and energy he’s put into this club has been totally worth it. The Savoy is a success. And so is he. He thanks her, and says he didn’t think he needed to hear that, but he did. She says, as far as his father goes… He says, he doesn’t really want to talk about that man when he’s trying to have a special evening with his lady. She says, that’s always nice to hear, and he says, in fact, he’d like for them to be closer. She says, what a coincidence, because she wants that too, and he kisses her.

Scotty says, they’ve got to remember all the times with Franco, but they’ve also got to live their lives; he would want that. He tells Elizabeth that he’s sorry, and asks if he stuck his foot in it again. She says, no. Cameron just said something to her like that, and Scotty tells Finn that he’s got to watch his step. This is his family. They’re his heart. Finn says, his too, and Scotty says, but don’t tell anybody he has a heart. Finn asks who’d believe him? and Scotty says, nobody. He tells them, happy New Year (🍷), and leaves, and Finn asks if Elizabeth is okay. She says she’s just glad he’s here to help her bring in a brand new year.

In the kitchen, Elizabeth tells Aiden to bring the cake in, and she’ll clean up in here. Finn says, he’ll do it, and she says, she’ll wash; he’ll dry? He says, deal, and she puts her wedding ring on the shelf above the sink.

Sam brings Scout downstairs, and Drew says she looks adorable. Does she remember he said he’d bring something special by for New Year’s Eve (🍷)? She nods, and he says he hopes she likes them. He takes a pair of gold 2022 (🍷) sunglasses out of the bag, and asks if he can put them on her. She says, yes, and he does. He and Sam rave about how she looks, and Drew says, 2022 (🍷) coming. He has noisemakers too, and Sam tells Scout not to make too much noise for mommy, but Drew suggests she make noise all night. He thought Sam would look good in a pair of them too, and gives her a silver pair. She says he knows she loves a good pair of sunglasses, and Scout asks if Drew will stay until midnight.

Willow says she saw that Carly and Sonny were happy together. Why change that? Carly says, because Willow knew Sonny was in love with someone else. Michael says, he’s not defending dad, far from it, but Sonny doesn’t love Nina, and Mike from Nixon Falls doesn’t even exist anymore. Carly says, last night, she asked Sonny point blank if he still had feelings for Nina, and he couldn’t answer her. Josslyn asks if Sonny’s been cheating on Carly, and Carly tells her, he says not. Josslyn asks if Carly believes him, but Carly says she doesn’t know. She doesn’t know what to believe. Sonny says he still loves her, but she doesn’t know how he could, when a part of him is still in Nixon Falls with Nina. She says she doesn’t know what the hell to believe, and storms out.

Sonny tells Dante, when he got his memories back, when he knew who he was, he lashed out at Nina, like she was a stranger and enemy. Dante says, when it came to filing charges, it was Michael’s call, not Sonny’s; why? Sonny says, he wanted it to be over. He didn’t want to relive it in a courtroom. He was going to tell Carly privately, then Jason died. They were grieving, then Sasha and Brando’s baby died, and he thought it would be cruel to tell Carly then. He wanted some distance from all the loss, and he waited too long. He asks for another drink, and Dante says, so when it came to Sonny’s testimony, he said what Nina did to him was not a crime, right? Sonny says, she lashed out. She was hurt. That’s what people do when they’re hurt. Dante says, so is he saying he feels sorry for Nina, after she kept him from the people who love him? Sonny tells him, he didn’t say he felt sorry for her, and Dante says, but he felt something? Sonny says, yeah, and Dante asks if he still feels something. Sonny says, yeah, and Dante wonders what that something could be. Sonny says, here’s the problem. It’s like Mike is still in him. He didn’t leave all of Mike behind in Nixon Falls. He still carries a small piece of Mike’s heart, and God help him, that small piece of Mike’s heart belongs in some way to Nina.

Carly goes out on the terrace, and says, Jason, where are you? Why aren’t you here?

The kids bring their dishes into the kitchen, and Violet tells Aiden, that cake was super delicious. Cameron says he agrees, and says, it was top-notch. Aiden says he can’t take all the credit; it was Franco’s idea. Cameron says, Aiden baked it, and Elizabeth says, the fireworks are about to start. She tells them to get ready, and they go upstairs. Elizabeth tells Finn, she’s sorry if Franco’s presence… They just really miss him. He says, it’s okay. It’s nice they can share their memories. Franco obviously did a lot of good for the family, and her. She feels around the shelf, and looks around the sink, and says, her ring; it’s gone. It must have fallen down the drain.

Drew says, he’d absolutely love to stay, but something tells him, midnight past Scout’s bedtime. Sam asks Scout if she remembers that she wanted to wait until her brother got home to celebrate, but Scout says, that was before they got these glasses. Drew says he has to get home, but how about if he gives her an airplane ride all the way upstairs and tucks her in? Sam says, sounds like fun, and Drew says, one… two… takeoff! He picks Scout up and spins her around, then takes her upstairs.  

Dante says, he doesn’t entirely understand what Sonny went through, but Sonny can’t just forget what happened while he was Mike. Those feelings and experiences were real. It’s a real part of him; it doesn’t just vanish. Sonny says, a shadow, an echo; Mike is still in here. Don’t get him wrong, it’s not like the feelings he has for Nina have anything to do with the love he feels for Carly. Nina’s like an ex. He laughs, and says, she’s just going to fade away. Dante says, it might not happen while Sonny is drinking himself into oblivion though, and Sonny says, it needs to start fading tomorrow. Tomorrow is New Year’s Day (🍷). It’s a good time to hit the… Dante says, reset? True enough. Sonny laughs, and says, the last thing he wants is to have Dante sitting with him at a bar, when he could be ringing in the New Year with Sam. Dante says, okay, he’ll go, and asks Sonny where he’s staying; he’ll drop Sonny off. Sonny says, he’s fine, and Dante asks if he’s is sure he’s okay? Sonny says he’s a big boy; he can take care of himself. They hug, and Sonny thanks Dante for being him, and a great son. Dante slips Sonny’s keys in his pocket, and says he wants Sonny to know that everything he said stays between them. Sonny thanks him, and Dante tells him, be good, and leaves.

Josslyn says she can’t believe Sonny did this, and Michael says he gets that Sonny was protecting Carly by keeping it a secret, but that doesn’t excuse it or make it right. Josslyn says, what’s that saying? It’s not the crime, it’s the cover-up. Willow says, sometimes the worst things happen when we try to shield our loved ones from knowing the truth, when Carly comes back in. She says she’s sorry. She knows they’re here for her, and she loves them for that. All of them. She takes Willow’s hand.

Scotty walks over to Obrecht’s table, and asks, where’s the champagne? Life’s a ball, and we’ve got a lot of living to do here. Obrecht says she’s afraid Nina doesn’t see it that way, and Scotty asks if Nina is still upset. Nina says, the last thing she wanted was for her and Sonny’s feelings for each other in Nixon Falls to be used as a weapon. He says, funny. He didn’t think she’d want to rot in a prison in Pennsylvania. If he  blindsided Willow, he had to; they would have lost. Nina says, she would have taken the risk. Now, Sonny and Carly are hurt; the whole family is devastated. He says he didn’t know the Corinthos family morale was of such importance to her. Maybe Nina should have told them Sonny was alive a year ago instead of keeping it a little secret. Nina says she’s so sorry. She can’t stay here. She tells Maxie that she’s sorry; happy New Year (🍷); she loves her. She’s mad at Obrecht, but happy New Year (🍷). She leaves, and Maxie says, unbelievable. Scotty is as tactless as he is rumpled. She follows Nina, and Scotty asks, what’s this rumpled business? Obrecht just looks at him, and he asks what he did. She tells him that he said too much that wasn’t necessary, and he says, he got the charges dropped. She says, he didn’t have to rub Nina’s nose in her mistake, and he asks if they’re having a little love spat.

Martin says, as much as he loves showing Lucy off for this crowd, how would she feel about coming back to his place? She says she kind of knows exactly what he’s doing, and kisses him. She says, okay, and they get up. He sees Valentin come in with Anna, and leads Lucy out the back door. He says, this is not an exit, and she says, it’s kind of like they’re hiding out. He wonders how they’re going to get out of there, and she says, it would be very simple if he’d just fire Valentin as a client and pick her.

Curtis says he’s been thinking about the first time he and Portia were together. It was so wrong, but so much was so right, because it brought him here tonight, making memories with a caring, kind, intelligent, beautiful woman. Portia asks if he’s saying he’s feeling her, and he says he’s feeling her. He’s fallen for her.

Valentin tells Anna, oh look, Martin’s here. That means Lucy Coe can’t be far behind. She asks why that matters, when Martin approaches their table. He says, if it isn’t his favorite client, and his favorite operative. Happy New Year (🍷). He tells Anna that she looks exquisite. As a matter-of-fact, they’re a matched set. Come to think of it, it’s kind of sad. Valentin asks, what’s sad? and Martin says, he looks as good as they do, but he has no one to dance with. He’s alone; bereft of company, on the busiest date night of the year.

In the back, Lucy puts on a New Year’s hat and glasses. She sees Maxie, and says she needs Maxie’s help desperately. If she doesn’t get out of here without Valentin seeing her, Martin is going to lose his most lucrative client. Please, please, please. Maxie relents, and Lucy thanks her. They go inside, and Maxie says, stick with me. She’s got Lucy’s back.

Finn messes around under the sink, and Elizabeth asks if he’s sure he knows what he’s doing under there. He doesn’t strike her as the handy type. He says, really? He’ll have her know, he put himself through two years of medical school working at a plumbing company. She says, really? and he says, really. He drops the wrench, and we hear water splash. He comes out, and she asks if he’s okay, handing him a towel. He wipes his face, and stands up, saying, refreshing. He holds out her ring on his pinkie, and she thanks him. She starts to put it on, but stops, and looks at Finn.

Sam lets Dante in, and he says, nice sunglasses. She says, Drew got them for her and Scout. It was a surprise. Drew comes downstairs, thanking Sam for letting him tuck Scout in. He sees Dante, and Dante holds out his hand, saying, happy New Year (🍷). They shake hands, and Drew says, happy 2022 (🍷) to the both of them. Have a good night; he’ll see them around. He starts to leave, but Sam says, Drew. He turns around, and she hugs him, saying, any time, while Dante pretends to look at something on the desk. Drew leaves, and Sam says, he only stopped by to see Scout. He says she doesn’t have to explain anything to him. He gets it. Sam says, okay, and he says, it’s all good. He takes her hand, leading her to the couch, and says, the countdown’s about to begin. In the hallway, Drew puts on his coat, and leaves for real.

Carly makes a beeline for the door, and Josslyn asks where she’s going. Carly says she needs to get out of the house and unthink. Michael asks if she’s okay to drive, and she says she is. It’s a lot to take in. She needs to deal with her thoughts. He tells her, just be careful, and she says she will. She leaves, and Josslyn says, she’s going to be okay, right? Michael says she knows mom. When things are tough, she puts her guard up. That’s how she deals. Josslyn says she’s going out for a bit, and Willow asks if she’s going to follow her mom. Josslyn says, no. The way she drives, she’s halfway to wherever she’s going by now. Josslyn leaves, and Michael says, it must be almost midnight, and Willow says, pretty close. He says he’s not in the mood to celebrate, and Willow says, yeah. He takes her hand, and pulls her into a hug.  

The guests at The Savoy count down, and yell, happy New Year (🍷)! Maxie brings Lucy through the club. Scotty and Obrecht kiss. Valentin and Anna kiss. Martin slips out after Lucy and Maxie, and he and Lucy leave together, Maxie giving them a thumbs up. Curtis and Portia kiss, and there’s lots of horn blowing, but no confetti. I’m guessing Curtis doesn’t want to clean that mess up.

Sonny looks around, and sees Nina come into Charlie’s.

Curtis and Portia go back to one of their places – a bedroom with a lot of lit candles – and get busy, while a female vocal of Auld Lang Syne plays. Fireworks go off, both figuratively and literally. The song continues to play in the background for the rest of the show.

Anna and Valentin kiss some more. He says, they should do this more often. I concur.

Nina tells Sonny, she just stopped by to say hello to Phyllis, but he says, Phyllis isn’t there. He has to go. She says she doesn’t think he should drive, but he says he’s fine. He wonders where his keys are, and she says if he needs a ride, she’ll drive him home. He says he’s not going home, and she says, then she’ll drive him wherever he wants to go. He grabs a glass of champagne going by on a tray, and drains it. he says, let’s go, and follows her out.

Carly goes to the footbridge, and watches the fireworks. She says, Jason.

Dante and Sam kiss, and Sam asks, what took him so long? He says he was with his dad, and Sam asks if Sonny is okay. Dante says, yeah. He’s going through some things right now, but he’ll be fine. At least he got his dad to open up to him; they talked a little. She says, if Dante feels like he needs to be with Sonny, she’s not kicking him out, but… He says, no. He offered, but… She asks if Sonny is drinking, and Dante says, he took Sonny’s keys. He needed some space, which evidently leaves them here alone. He kisses her.

Elizabeth looks at her ring, and puts it in the drawer of the kitchen island. She turns to Finn, and he holds her.

Cameron watches the fireworks with Avery and Aiden. Josslyn arrives, and he says, she’s here. She says, of course (🍷). She couldn’t let 2022 (🍷) start without this. She kisses him, and the little kids smile.

Willow looks out the window at the fireworks. Michael comes up behind her, and puts his arms around her.

Carly hears something on the footbridge, and turns to see Drew.   

Tomorrow, a rerum from February 24th. Next week, Britt says Victor certainly has a lot to celebrate, Drew asks if it’s possible that Carly blames herself, and Nina tells Sonny to sleep it off.  

🎉 And the Rest…

Which soaps will be on New Year’s Eve.

🥀 Those Who Have Gone On…

The soap stars we lost in 2021. Farewell, sweet prince.

⚖️ In Defense…

Tamra is the worst. I’ll just leave it there.

💋 Giving You Lala…

Like he can do better.

Interesting how she never wanted Randall involved with her brand. No muss, no fuss now.

This surprised me, since GG and Reza were at Lala’s party. And like GG hasn’t stuck with a few red flagged partners.

⚰️ Just No…

Unless Alan Ball is writing it, I say let Six Feet Under stay six feet under. It was the perfect ending. Let it go.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/six-feet-under-follow-up-in-the-works-at-hbo/

🍾 Auld Lang This Syne…

Enjoy some New Year’s Eve celebrations.

https://www.travelchannel.com/interests/holidays/photos/new-years-eve-around-the-world

And some New Year traditions.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/parenting/g25360543/new-year-traditions/

🥠 Quotes of the Week

No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again. – Buddha

Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go. They merely determine where you start. – Nido Qubein

Don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life. – Robin Sharma

Packaged inside of every mistake there lays a great lesson. And while I don’t want to take the mistake into the New Year, I most certainly want to take the lesson that’s packaged inside of it. – Craig D. Lounsbrough

You are never too old to reinvent yourself. – Steve Harvey

You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.Martin Luther King

Be so busy loving your life that you have no time for hate, regret or fear. – Unknown

For last year’s words belong to last year’s language. And next year’s words await another voice. – T.S. Eliot

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

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end. – Seneca

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves. – William E. Vaughan

You do not find the happy life. You make it. – Camilla Eyring Kimball

Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.Benjamin Franklin

If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. – Maya Angelou

Listen. I wish I could tell you it gets better. But, it doesn’t get better. You get better. – Joan Rivers

The most important thing to remember is this: To be ready at any moment to give up what you are for what you might become. – W.E.B. Du Bois

Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on. – Hal Borland

It always seems impossible until it’s done. – Nelson Mandela

It is never too late to be what you might have been. – George Eliot

The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are. – J.P. Morgan

On New Year’s Eve the whole world celebrates the fact that a date changes. Let us celebrate the dates on which we change the world. – Akilnathan Logeswaran

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. – Albert Einstein

🗓 See You Next Year…

We’re back on Deck January 3rd of the New Year. A bit about that. If you’re a resolution maker, start early, and make one not to pressure yourself about resolutions. And resolutions or not, don’t pressure yourself about New Year’s Eve. It doesn’t matter who you spend it with, even if it’s only yourself. I’ve spent it more ways than I can count. On a cruise around Manhattan, in a lavish restaurant, a hot club, and a dive bar. I’ve seen Barry Manilow sing It’s Just Another New Year’s Eve at Radio City when the clock struck twelve, and I’ve stood in the middle of Madison Square Park watching the clock strike twelve. I’ve spent it with a lot of people, a handful of people, as part of a couple, and alone. The only thing I’ve never done (and never will) is Times Square. Back in my single days, my roommate went. She said someone spilled beer on her, somebody else peed on her, and when the crowd moved, you moved. It was a first and last for her, and a never for me. But my point is, one thing for sure, January 1st came and another year began, no matter what I did the night before. In the eloquent words of Bill Murray in Meatballs, it just doesn’t matter.

So no matter what New Year’s Eve path you choose, stay safe in all ways, stay being moderate in all things, and stay having a Happy New Year, no matter where you’re at. Or at least a Tolerable New Year.

June 18, 2020 – A Best Of Flashback, Top Chef Crowned, Fan Fave, Juneteenth Ideas, Is She Or Not, Thirsty, Watching Stars, Coming Up, a Mansion, Gordon’s Back, Say It Three Times & Dad

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What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

And the GH Flashback roulette wheel says… October 15th, 2015. I heard on an ad that this week is the best of Sonny and Carly, which brings cohesion to the randomness. Sonny surprised Carly with a wedding in the hospital chapel, that Maxie jumped through hoops to put together in record time. Josslyn and Kristina looked like babies, Sabrina attended with Michael, and Josslyn played the Wedding March on the flute. I assumed it was actually her playing, and was impressed, since the flute is very difficult to master.

Paul showed up at the gallery, while trying to set up Anna via text using the name Sloane. Paul told Ava to be prepared for the dismantling of the Corinthos organization. His plan was about to come to fruition. He told Ava that Carrrlos’s fate and Anna’s were going to dovetail (who uses that word, except in reference to carpentry?). Ava asked if it was a coincidence, but Paul said it was careful planning. He wanted Ava to launder some money via art collectors he was going to send, but Ava wasn’t keen on the idea. Paul asked if she wanted to go to prison for Connie’s murder, since he had her confession on tape. Ava said she was afraid of losing Avery, and Paul relented, saying he wasn’t heartless, and Ava would be of no use to him if her mind was elsewhere. He told her to deal with the custody case first.

Old Jordan wanted to talk to Anna about Carrrlos’s disappearance, since Anna was the last one to see him. Jordan said her leads had gone cold, and Mayor Lomax was breathing down her neck.

While talking to Dillon at the pier, Maxie saw a body in the water, and Dillon called the police. Jordan determined it was Carrrlos, which wasn’t hard since he’d had his wallet on him. When Paul showed up, she said Carrrlos had been shot at close range. That explained why he avoided detection for so long – he was dead. Yep. That will do it. Paul suggested Sonny had gotten his revenge.

Sonny and Carly said their vows. Sonny told Carly that she saved his life every day, and he was blessed that she chose him. Carly said she’d had a taste of life without him, and promised that neither one of them was going anywhere without the other. Dante’s phone rang during the vows, and he stepped aside to take it. Bobbie suggested Sonny make a change, so no one else would get hurt. Dante told them that Carrrlos had been pulled from the harbor, and he was dead. Sabrina freaked, and Dante went to the station. Morgan told Sonny and Carly that Carrrlos had gotten what he deserved, and Sonny said he didn’t ask for retaliation. Morgan said they were looking at him like they thought he did it, and told them they could think what they wanted to; it was his wedding gift to them, and enjoy it while it lasted. When he left, Sonny told Carly that he thought Morgan wished he had shot Carrrlos, but he would have heard about it if Morgan had done it. He explained that Ava had let the Five Families (not a restaurant) that Carrrlos had shot Sonny and acted alone. The only one who could dispute it was Carrrlos, and he wasn’t talking. Carly said that was convenient for Ava, and Sonny said she was up to her lying neck in it. Sabrina told Michael that she’d known Carrrlos most of his life, and Carrrlos had done awful things, but didn’t deserve to get shot.

Anna went to the gallery, and told Ava that she knew it wasn’t Carrrlos who shot Sonny, since he was on the run for killing Duke. Why would he escape Port Charles, then come back to shoot Sonny? She said Ava claiming that’s what happened implied she had something to hide, and asked who Ava was covering for. Paul called Anna, and told her to meet him at Pier 54.

Nathan assumed that Valerie was pregnant after Maxie found a positive pregnancy test in the trash, and Valerie gave him the business about jumping to conclusions. Valerie saw Maxie in the interrogation room after she gave her statement, and Maxie told her it was like a scene from a scary movie, and kept playing in her head. She told Valerie that she knew Valerie and Dillon were having sex, and Valerie said Dillon was a great guy, but that was a no, and had never happened.  Maxie asked whose baby Valerie was worried about carrying. Valerie said she didn’t know what Maxie was  talking about, and didn’t think Maxie did either. Maxie said Valerie had thrown a positive pregnancy test in the trash, and Valerie said Maxie had assumed because she was near the trash can, it must be hers. She suggested the next time Maxie decided to go snooping, get her facts straight. In the meantime, Dante told Dillon to stay the hell away from his wife.

Sonny joked that he and Carly were going to Iowa for their honeymoon, and Lulu told Bobbie that she and Dante were in discussion about expanding their family.

Ava told Paul that Sonny knew she’d lied about Carrrlos, and was asking inconvenient questions, but Paul said he had everything under control.

Carly cuddled with Sonny in his hospital room, and Sonny said it wasn’t the way he’d pictured their honeymoon, but it did feel like Des Moines. She thought it was more like Cedar Rapids.

Top Chef – Finale

The chefs were challenged with cooking the meal of their lives. The final three were Bryan, who the crown had eluded for more than a decade; Melissa, who had more wins than anyone; and Stephanie, the private chef underdog, who had proven she had skills to be feared. The prize was a feature in Food and Wine magazine, an appearance at the Food and Wine festival in Aspen, and $250K. Not bad. I love that magazine, and that’s a nice chunk of change. Bryan said he’d slap them in the face with heart and soul, and we flashed back to the Italian chefs saying there was no soul in his food. Padma tasked them with making the best progressive four-course meal of their lives – no twists. They would be serving it to the best chefs from all over world. Kevin, Lee Anne, and Brian full of Malarkey came out to give their support as sous chefs. Gregory would have been there instead of Brian, but he was still battling back issues. The chefs drew knives for picking order, and Stephanie was first, choosing Brian full of Malarkey, for his enthusiasm and skills. Stephanie also admitted that during Restaurant Wars she fell in love with him. Not literally. Brian chose Kevin, who said, let’s get the band back together, which left Melissa with Lee Anne. Melissa said they’d never worked together, but Lee Ann knew Asian flavors, and was a beast in the kitchen. She thought they’d do well. Padma told them they’d be shopping in the food hub of Florence, and would have five hours to prep and cook back at the Renaissance Tuscany. They were to make the meal as cohesive as possible, and Tom said the judges expected nothing but the best.

Melissa said her mission was to marry Asian flavor with what she’d learned in Italy, bringing Italy to her heritage, so it would portray her adventure. While this isn’t Project Runway, I have to mention that Lee Anne was wearing the coolest fried-egg-and-bacon crocheted scarf. If I was crafty that way, I’d be making one starting tonight. Bryan said he and Stephanie were yin and yang; their minds were one. In the evening, the judges turned the tables, and Tom, Padma, and Gail did the cooking. The chefs were met outside by Tom, who was doing some rustic farmhouse cooking on the grill, which gave Melissa an idea for her main course. They all sat down to eat together, and Padma wished them luck, telling them to cook their hearts out. After dinner, Stephanie called best friend Kristen, who was also the Season 10 winner. Stephanie said she thought her chances of winning were one in three. Melissa called her mom, and Bryan called his brother Michael.

After three hours in the kitchen, the judges were served the first two courses. You knew it was good by the way they were shoveling it in, especially one guy who reminded me of the drive-in guy Joe Bob Briggs and was wearing a shirt with steer on it. Later, I found out he was an Italian butcher named Dario. Gail said Bryan was a great technician, but this time showed soul and love in his food as well. Drive-in Bob Dario said, mama mia! and the main course came out. Melissa made grilled squab; Bryan went with blackened monkfish; and Stephanie made a veal dish. Padma said the food was universally wonderful, and food editor Nilou Motamed said she didn’t like squab, but was now a convert. At this point, I was pretty sure Melissa was going to win. Then, OMG THE DESSERTS CAME OUT. They were all to die for, and I’m not sure which one I wanted more; Bryan’s dark chocolate and ice cream thing, to which Dario responded, mmm… cardamom; Stephanie’s sticky toffee pudding (I don’t know what the hell that is, but give me two servings); or Melissa’s tea-infused tiramisu with a crunchy topping. When the dinner was done, the chefs applauded themselves, and then the judges applauded them when they were called back out. During the final discussion, Dario teared up over how Melissa respected the Italian traditions with her dessert. He said, a butcher who cries, how embarrassing, prompting one of the other guest judges to come over and give him a hug.

When the chefs were brought out to meet with the usual judges, plus Nilou, for the final time, Tom said he thought they all cooked the best meal of their lives, and Padma said she saw the story of their lives on the plates. She relayed that Hunter Lewis from Food and Wine found Bryan’s beets beguiling. Say that three times real fast. Tom said Bryan had erased the impression that he couldn’t cook with soul and heart. Gail said that Melissa had joined the Asian and Italian cultures, and told her about Dario getting emo over her tiramisu. Melissa said they were all artists who loved hearing that their journeys were understood. Stephanie joked that she was going for fan favorite. She had done damage to people who loved her by being sad, and this showed them that she was okay. Tom said, sometimes the voyage is more important than the destination, because you find out what you’re made of. You have to go deeper, and what comes out is who you are. They all made that journey, but there could only be one Top Chef. Arriving for the announcement were Melissa’s mom, Bryan’s brother, and Stephanie’s husband.

With that, Padma told Melissa, she was Top Chef. In Melissa’s interview, she said it had been a wild adventure, but this time she’d done it for herself, and wasn’t trying to earn her father’s approval. She wanted to prove to herself that she could achieve a goal that she’d set. In Stephanie’s interview, she said she accomplished what she’d wanted to do. She hadn’t felt good about the mental space she was in since her brother died. This would give everyone something else to talk about for a while. In Bryan’s interview, he said he’d learned a lot about himself. There were sixteen Top Chefs, but he was the only one who’d done what he did. He’d been runner-up three times, but was never doing this again. Melissa said, once you believe in yourself, nothing can stop you. She knew it sounded cliché, but the world was her oyster. She could do anything now.

👓 On Watch What Happens Live (@home in the Hamptons – @must be nice), Padma and Tom were guests, and Melissa made an appearance. Padma announced Melissa was also the fan favorite, netting her another $10K. Melissa donated that win to Black Visions Collective, the Trevor Project, and Asian Americans for Equality. And for that, Andy gave the night’s mazel.

🥧 Baking For the Teenth…

An idea to celebrate Juneteenth.

https://thechalkboardmag.com/juneteenth-bake-sale

📺 Watchlist…

Some Juneteenth suggestions for your viewing pleasure.

https://www.tvguide.com/news/shows-and-movies-to-watch-for-juneteenth/?ftag=NLS-04-10aaa2i

📚 For the Bookworm In You…

A Juneteenth reading list.

https://www.essence.com/entertainment/juneteenth-books/#546891

🍑 Pour the Nene Tea…

A Twitter user suggested her ego has become bigger than her entertainment value. I think they might be right.

https://www.essence.com/entertainment/nene-leakes-fired-real-housewives-atlanta/

https://people.com/tv/nene-leakes-denies-shes-not-returning-to-rhoa/

🥃 Give That Lady a Drink…

Like not every single one of them is thirsty. It’s not like they’re on the show to educate people about… anything.

https://hollywoodlife.com/2020/06/17/kelly-dodd-slams-tamra-judge-thirsty-firing-comments-rhoc-feud/

🛸 Where No Man Has Gone…

But you can go for free.

https://www.tvguide.com/news/star-trek-movies-streaming-free-imdb-tv/?ftag=NLS-04-10aaa2i

📑 Head Start…

A list of what’s coming to the small screen, and not.

https://www.tvguide.com/news/features/abc-2020-2021-fall-tv-lineup/?ftag=NLS-04-10aaa2i

👠 Sometimes She’s All Of Us…

While probably none of us will ever have her closet, or will even be able to afford one of her shoes, Sutton sometimes reminds me of how the audience feels. Kind of horrified.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1162587/rhobh-s-sutton-stracke-lists-bel-air-mansion-for-almost-9-million-tour-inside-the-estate?source=email&medium=daily

🛶 Unchart This…

You can catch Gordon in Uncharted on the National Geographic (NatGeo) channel on Sundays at 10 pm. It’s also free on YouTube.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1162499/watch-jason-kennedy-go-crawfishing-with-gordon-ramsay-try-not-to-laugh

📽 Who Can Take a Sunrise…

Candyman returns in a spiritual sequel. Tony Todd and Vanessa Williams will be making return appearances, and Jordan Peele wrote the screenplay, so that’s enough for me.

https://www.essence.com/entertainment/candyman-nia-dacosta-new-teaser/

🤸‍♀️ Is It Friday Again Yet…?

Father’s Day is coming up this weekend, and here’s hoping you have/had a good relationship with yours. My dad was the best. He had a wonderful sense of humor, was ahead of his time, and the fairest person I’ve ever known. Stay safe, stay celebratory, and stay in touch with your family, be they blood relatives or chosen.

June 3, 2020 – Chimera At the Ball, Denise Leaves the Barbecue, Wedding Bells, Denise Speaks, Jim Pays, Vicki’s New Home, New Business, House For Sale, Leah Records, Hannah Quits, a Thought & Stopping the World

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Today’s GH flashback continued with the 2017 Nurses Ball – May 24th, 2017 to be exact. Sonny had found out that the 700 mg of lithium Morgan was supposed to be taking was only 300 mg, but Andre told him everything checked out on the pharmacy’s end. Sonny said he was going to find out one way or the other, and Andre had another test run. There was a fabulous rendition of Brave, and more plugs for Burt’s Bees. Kristina and Valerie did pretty much a full-blown commercial for their lip products. Nina said Valentin couldn’t leave Anna alone, and Valentin told Anna that she’d turned him into a stuttering fool again. Drew (thinking he’s Jason) told Elizabeth about the necklace, but she couldn’t figure out where Jake had gotten it, since he didn’t have money to go out and buy jewelry. Curtis suggested Nina walk away from Valentin, but she wasn’t sure she could. Lucy said Obrecht couldn’t perform, but she had someone just as good, and Valentin sang to Nina, accompanying himself on the piano. Jake told Elizabeth that he didn’t want to do the magic act, but was afraid something bad would happen if he didn’t. Carly wondered why Sonny was there, and what he wanted with Ava; and Andre told Sonny that he thought Morgan might have gotten a placebo, which would explain his erratic behavior and loss of control. Sonny deduced that someone tampered with Morgan’s meds because they wanted him to have a breakdown. Scotty told Ava that he’d covered her tracks, and Sonny would never find out, and Ava insisted she hadn’t wanted anything bad to happen. Morgan had been volatile and erratic, and she’d needed to protect Kiki. He told her none of it mattered, since Morgan was dead and it was over.

Michael was by Nelle’s bedside in the hospital (they were still together), and he spoke to Josslyn on the phone, encouraging her to sing. She did, and he listened in. Nelle woke up, and Michael said, surprise. Jake decided against doing the act, and Franco said Jake could do a command performance at home. Backstage, Emma and Charlotte decided they could do the act themselves, while Anna accused Valentin of wanting his past buried. He said she did it; why couldn’t he? She pumped him for information about the Chimera (boy, did I get the name of that wrong yesterday – it was a DVX bioweapon), and he said the only other person who knew about it was dead. She wouldn’t let it go, until he finally told her that he’d sold it to Helena. Thinking the Chimera had something to do with Jake’s magic act, Charlotte tried opening it, and pressed either the right or wrong button, depending on whose side your on. Carly asked Sonny why he showed up, and he said he was finally getting some answers.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Oh why not? They can’t make the week any worse.

Garcelle was being honored with a Legacy Vision Award for her work with the L.A. Mission. Growing up impoverished in Haiti, she said it’s a cause she identifies with, and she wasn’t passive/aggressive, like Teddi, in asking the women to come. She picked LisaR up, who informed her that Denise said she didn’t want her kids hearing grown-up sex talk. Garcelle told LisaR that she understood how Denise felt. They discussed Kyle’s many inadequacies, and Garcelle said Kyle is always all about Kyle, which I certainly don’t disagree with. At the event, Kyle seemed annoyed that Denise showed up like nothing was wrong when their last meeting hadn’t been a good one. I guess she should have blown into a public event on a broomstick, hurling fireballs (and not the good kind) at everyone. Garcelle thanked her kids, and said her calling was to reach people, and let them know she cared. In her interview, she talked about her oldest son Oliver, who fell in with a bad crowd as a young man, but was doing well now. She also thanked her new best friends, some not so much, indicating the table of Wives and friends. LisaR insisted that Garcelle had locked eyes with Kyle when she said that last part. Erika missed the whole speech, since she was in the bathroom, but Garcelle was gracious about it, telling Erika that she’d better not miss it when she gets her Oscar. In Garcelle’s interview, she said she was glad Kyle showed up, but showing up for charities are what they do in L.A., so was it nice or what Kyle does? In Denise’s interview, she said she didn’t have the energy to deal with bullsh*t tonight, since she had tons of dialogue to learn, and had to be at work at 6 am. Since it’s all about Kyle, Kyle claimed Denise wanted to run away. 6 am? Are you kidding? I wouldn’t have gone at all. In LisaR’s interview, she said there was an issue that needed a resolution, but Denise was avoiding it. LisaR thought part of Denise was regretful about her own openly sexual talk (again, not understanding the difference in audience), and Denise was compensating by being overly protective of her kids – stupid, even for LisaR. As soon as Denise left, they talked about her. Garcelle said she felt uneasy when leaving Erika’s, and felt everything was surface with the group. She also believed Kyle wasn’t present with her, and that she was more interested in what Kyle had to say than vice versa. In her interview, Garcelle said when Kyle is interested in someone, she’s a great friend. Ask Teddi, not Dorit.

Denise and Aaron went out to eat, and Denise told him what happened in Santa Barbara, and how Teddi was saying she’s making them look bad. Aaron suggested Teddi STFU, and in her interview, Denise said her kids already have baggage from being the children of Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen. They didn’t need her friends adding to it. She told Aaron, LisaR calling her a hypocrite hurt the most. In Denise’s interview, she said LisaR never voiced any of her concerns before; why now? We flashed back to LisaR asking if Denise talked to the girls about Charlie’s hookers. Denise wondered why it took LisaR all these years to say it, and why she said all of it in front of the group.

Kyle had a barbecue, where we met Sutton’s boyfriend Michael. On the way there, Denise and Aaron talked in the limo about deciding not to bring the kids, and thought about blowing off Kyle’s altogether and just going to a restaurant. When they got there, Denise said the older kids had sleepovers, and Eloise had a playdate, but she joked to Garcelle that she didn’t want them within earshot. This miffed Kyle, who said in her interview, it was like a slap in the face. Denise said she and Aaron needed to have time away from the kids too, and the last time she was with the group, she was bombarded with questions. Garcelle, who seems to be the only one without a gang mentality, said Denise wasn’t a hypocrite; she was compartmentalizing when the kids were around. Teddi said Denise was making them look bad, like they need any help in that area. Aaron said it was ridiculous, and asked what the issue was, but the conclusion seemed to be, there wasn’t any. In Dorit’s interview, she whined about PK wanting to defend her in the past, and thought Aaron should know his audience. Dorit is too stupid to understand how funny her choice of words is, since the argument is about knowing your audience when it comes to adult conversation. Erika wondered if Denise was more concerned about the kids’ friends being there, and LisaR pumped Denise about Sami’s reaction, which Denise said was between her and Sami. We flashed back to Sami saying she and her friends laughed about it, but that’s not the point. It still might have been embarrassing, and who wants to think about their mother and her friends having threesomes, and my God now my friends know too. Aaron said, so there’s no issue, right? and Kyle said, women handle things differently. Aaron wanted to know why they continue to harp on something, and I wish him luck finding that out. It’s been my question for years, and why I hate reunions. An ongoing stupidity is finally put to bed, and then it gets rehashed and the animosity rekindled. Garcelle said it was Denise’s right to not bring the kids, but Kyle said it felt passive/aggressive. She ought to know since she’s buddies with the queen of it. Aaron asked Kyle to define passive/aggressive, and she said Denise was mom shaming. Aaron said the issue was becoming something it shouldn’t be – again something I’ve said for years – and LisaR decided to go down the blow-up kiddie slide, since she wasn’t dealing with this bullsh*t. Aaron asked what any of this does for them. How does it make them feel? and Kyle said, it’s not comfortable. In Kyle’s interview, she told us Denise was saying she’s above them as a mom, and it’s the thing Kyle is best at, so she’s offended. No. Denise said she doesn’t want her kids listening to adult conversations. She didn’t tell anybody else what to do with their kids, and she had to say something, since the women are involved. Denise told Teddi that she wasn’t upset, and Teddi pointed out that Denise was dropping F-bombs. Aaron said they engage to win, and might as well high-five each other. Denise said Teddi is a sh*t-effing-stirrer, and when they got a facial together in Santa Barbara, she was sh*tting on Dorit. Teddi said, in Santa Barara, when Denise told them she was done talking, that meant she was pissed. We flashed back to Denise saying she was done with the conversation at dinner. Denise told Teddi, that was after two hours of talking about it. She was done. Denise said they’d crossed line, and she and Aaron were leaving. As they walked out, Aaron said the women were off his Christmas card list, and Denise told him not to say anything while they were on camera. Kyle and Sutton trotted after them, and Kyle said she didn’t want them leave like that. Teddi was still complaining that the implication makes them look bad. Denise told Kyle, thanks for having them, as she and Aaron fast walked to the car, and Kyle said she felt bad. Give it a minute, Kyle. It will pass.

Later this season, dancing, falling, falling while dancing; Camille is back, and calls someone an a-hole; a trip to Rome; Garcelle says, they’re going to drop everything negative (hahahahaha!); Brandi makes her presence known by being the disgusting person that she is; Denise disappears; Garcelle calls LisaR the bad guy in this movie; and Denise and LisaR have an ominous looking lunch.

💒 Proud Mama…

I like Garcelle. She has a great attitude, and while she’s already made a difference in this world, I hope she shakes it up good on RHOBH.

https://people.com/tv/garcelle-beauvais-eldest-son-ties-the-knot-little-white-chapel-ceremony/

📣 Clarification Or Plug…?

It looks like Denise might be getting her own gig. I’m in. I loved It’s Complicated, and it was much kinder than the Wives.

https://extratv.com/2020/05/11/denise-richards-sets-the-record-straight-on-reports-she-quit-rhobh/?adid=extra_eme_27500_2020-05-12_rightnow4

🔥 It’s Getting Hot In Here…

Jim should really pay Vicki too. She did call it.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1156903/meghan-king-edmonds-and-jim-edmonds-divorce-heats-up-over-prenup-payout

🍹 New Digs…

If a vacation home in Mexico is wrong, she don’t wanna be right.

https://people.com/home/rhocs-vicki-gunvalson-buys-puerto-vallarta-retirement-home-one-of-my-favorite-places-in-the-world/

🏋️‍♂️ Someone’s Been Productive…

With yet another business in the works, maybe Tamra will have less time for screeching at her co-stars. (And I use the term star very loosely.)

https://www.intouchweekly.com/posts/rhocs-tamra-and-eddie-are-starting-a-new-business-in-quarantine/

🏰 Putting In My Offer…

It’s too bad I’m about $4,999,999 short.

https://people.com/home/get-an-exclusive-look-at-kameron-wescotts-dallas-mansion-which-she-just-listed-for-5-million/

🗽 Leah Looks Around…

The streets of NYC at the beginning of the protests. I would have expected Leah to be less reactive, especially since not much is going on at this point.

https://pagesix.com/video/rhony-leah-mcsweeneys-first-hand-account-of-the-protests-in-nyc/

🛥 Hannah Hannah Quitting…

Hannah moves on to her dream job of being a wife and making babies. Be sure to take a look at the Reality Check video on Captain Sandy’s heart attack. She called an Uber to take her to the hospital. I understand this, since my father drove himself to the hospital.

https://people.com/tv/below-deck-hannah-ferrier-quitting-after-season-5/

🌱🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌱

I believe
the most important
single thing,
beyond discipline
and creativity,
is daring
to dare.

Dr. Maya Angelou, 1928-2014

🌱🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌱

 

🚣‍♀️ Getting There…

It’s amazing how many problems can be crammed into one week. If what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, I’ll be living forever. Hope all is well in your corner of the world, and you stay safe, stay mindful, and stay keeping your eyes on the prize – whatever that may be for you.

April 8, 2020 – Nelle Wants a Magic Makeover, Figuring It Out, Early SUR Drama, Calling the Kettle Fake, Amigas Move On, Alone At Last & Be Happy

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Josslyn shows up at Jason’s place, and he asks how she got there. She says Tony drove her. She told him if he didn’t, she’d get a Ride Share. Jason says it’s not fair putting the guards in that position, but Josslyn says, it’s important. Nelle is suing GH, Monica, and Bobbie for malpractice. He needs to stop her.

Nina asks if Nelle wasn’t over the line just now with Willow. Nelle asks if Nina is going to fire her for being direct, but Nina tells her, she didn’t say that. She knows firsthand what it’s like to know a child as your own, and lose that child. Nelle says what Sasha did to Nina was terrible. Now Willow is teaming up with the Corinthoses and Quartermaines to take Wiley from her. Why should she try to be civil? Nina gets it. Willow told her about the procedure Wiley is going to need in a few months. She understands Nelle’s concerns; Wiley is small for such a big procedure, but it’s truly about the best interest of the child. Prove the naysayers wrong. Nelle asks, how? and Nina says, show everyone that she’s a good mother, and allow Wiley to have the procedure. We flash back to Nelle and Carly on the hospital roof, and Carly saying Nelle is on the verge of overplaying her hand. What if things go wrong, and she’s left empty-handed? It’s her chance to win people over to her side; her turnaround moment. Take it. Nelle doesn’t sign, and Carly locks her on the roof.

Willow joins Sasha and Michael in Sonny’s kitchen. She says they’ll never guess where she bumped into Nelle. At Crimson; she’s working there. Michael says his mom told him, and Willow asks if it doesn’t bother him that Nelle is going to look like a presentable, responsible parent with job. Nelle’s plan is to force him to share custody, and that’s what she’s doing. We flash back to Sasha saying Michael should marry Willow, and that Willow has always acted as Wiley’s mother. Why stop now?

Nina says if Nelle complies with her consent to allow Wiley to undergo the procedure, it’s sure to open up Michael to sharing custody. Everyone wins. Nelle says, it’s not enough. She wants what’s best for Wiley, but Carly isn’t going to get him. Nina says it’s her chance to prove to everyone she’s a good mother, including Wiley. Carly walks in, and says, sorry to interrupt, but she’d like a word with Nelle. Nina says, it’s not a good time, and Nelle says Carly can’t barge into her workplace like that. Carly says, it’s important. It directly affects her grandson’s health. Nina tells Carly to suit herself, and leaves. Nelle says, how dare Carly disrupt things at her workplace? She’s going to tell the court about it. Carly says she thinks Nelle will be interested in what she has to say. She’s about to give Nelle everything she’s wanted.

Chase goes to Sonny’s, and asks if it’s a strategy session on Wiley’s custody. Michael says, it’s more like a meeting of interested parties, and Sasha says they’re not making much progress. Chase says he has more bad news. Nelle is suing the hospital for malpractice, and Willow says they know. He asks if they know he’s also being deposed as a witness.

Jax sees Nina in Crimson’s reception area, and asks if she’s filling in for Nelle during her break. She guesses he could say that. Carly appropriated her office to harass Nelle. He says, Nelle deserves what she gets, but Nina says, it’s not helping. Jax says, them having to deal with Nelle is entirely his fault. We flash back to Jax admitting he’s the one who bought Josslyn’s kidney.

Carly says, Nelle wins. Nelle beat her. Carly is so used to being on top, she forget what it’s like to be outside looking in, but Nelle never lost her edge or let her down guard. She underestimated Nelle, and for that she’s truly sorry. Nelle says, that’s it? She’s sorry? After all the ways Carly hurt her, a stupid apology is going to fix it? Carly says, tell her how to fix it. How does she make amends? Tell her, and she’ll do it. Nelle tells Carly to start admitting she’s just like her.

In a memory, Eden McCoy (Josslyn) is young Carly, and Cynthia Watros (Nina with brown hair) is her mother, Virginia. Carly walks into thier apartment in Jacksonville, Florida. Virginia asks how the interview was. Carly says she was offered the job, and Virginia says she’s happy for her. It’s a nice place, and when she gets experience, she can transfer to the PT department at Jacksonville Memorial. Carly says she turned them down. She said thanks, but no thanks. She’s not staying in Jacksonville. It’s not the life she wants.

Josslyn tells Jason, Nelle tried to kill Michael, and should be in prison. She gave Wiley to Brad, and hid him from Michael, and now she wants to be his mom. Jason says, the legal system… and Josslyn says, that’s why she’s here. Jason doesn’t care about the law. He has to be the one to fix this. He asks what she wants him to do. We flash back to Nelle and Josslyn on the pier. Nelle says her baby is dead, and Josslyn believes Carly’s lies. Apparently, she’s one of Carly’s minions. Josslyn says she’s calling the police, and Nelle says, Josslyn would do that to her after what they’ve been to each other? They’re sisters. Josslyn says, Avery is her sister, and Kristina is her sister, but Nelle is a lying piece of trash who tried to sabotage her family. Nelle says she tried to open Josslyn’s eyes to Carly, but Josslyn is just like her. Josslyn says, damn right. You messed with the wrong family, bitch. Nelle says Josslyn might not be alive if it wasn’t for her. Josslyn owes her. Josslyn says, all she owes Nelle is a call to the cops. Nelle throws Josslyn’s phone, and they tussle. Nelle says, after all she’s done, Josslyn is going to regret this. Josslyn clocks Nelle. In the present, Jason tells Josslyn, he promises Nelle won’t get Wiley. He gives her his word.

Chase says he was present when Nelle learned Wiley had the procedure, and found out the consent form was missing. That makes him a material witness. Michael is sorry Chase got dragged into it, and Willow can’t believe Nelle’s vindictiveness. Michael says it’s not about Wiley or Nelle, but about his mother and Nelle trying to hurt her. We flash back to Carly saying she trusted Nelle, and every time she sang Nelle’s praises, Nelle was tightening the screws on Sonny. Drugging him, planting her bra in his bed. She can’t believe how completely wrong she got Nelle. She fell for Nelle’s angel act. She’s either one hell of a blackmailer or crazy. Back at Sonny’s, Chase tells Michael, the problem is, once again the law is on Nelle’s side.

Nelle tells Carly, let’s hear it. If she’s trash and a gold-digging psycho, so is Carly. Carly came to Port Charles to take down her mother, and got knocked up, using Michael as a bargaining chip. Michael gave Carly leverage, and was Carly’s golden ticket. Wiley is hers. Carly says, if it’s money Nelle wants, she’ll pay it, but Nelle says Carly isn’t hearing her. She wants the magic makeover Carly got. She wants everything she’s done flipped on it’s head. Carly seduced Bobbie’s husband, and it became Tony’s fault. She doesn’t want to face any consequences. She wants to be the heroine. We flash back to the first time Nelle showed up at Sonny’s house. Michael answers the door, and she says she’s there to see Carly. He says his mom is busy with a family party, and introduces himself. Michael tells Carly that Nelle is there to interview for the nanny position, but Nelle says she’s not. She saw the article in Crimson about Josslyn’s kidney transplant, and thinks she’s the donor. Carly thanks her, and says she appreciates what Nelle has been through, but before they proceed, she needs to find out if Nelle is really the donor. Is she willing to prove it? They can run some tests, and Carly will cover the expenses. Nelle says Carly thinks she’s lying. We move on to Carly saying she has the perfect job for Nelle, as her personal assistant. She’ll be working at the hotel, and learn a lot about the business, and she’ll also run personal errands for Carly. Nelle says she appreciates Carly trying to help, and Carly says, it’s not a made up job; she knows that’s what Nelle is thinking. Nelle says she has no experience, but Carly says, the job requires no formal training or education. She’ll be learning everything on the job. Then we see Nelle thanking Carly for the advance, and saying she’ll be ready to start soon. She knows she keeps saying it, but thank you. Carly says, Nelle knows she keeps saying it, but right back at her. They hug. At the Crimson office, Carly says, if that’s what Nelle wants, she’s going about it all wrong.

Virginia says, Carly is leaving Jacksonville? Where is she going? Carly says she doesn’t know yet, and Virginia says, it’s just a fantasy. Carly says, it’s very much real. She’s been thinking about this for a long time, and halfway through the interview, she knew. Virginia asks if he did something inappropriate, but Carly says, she said everyone there was family, and had been there ten to fifteen years. She can’t be someone who never moves, has the same job forever, and marries a good provider. Or worse, a loser who leaves. Virginia says, Carly doesn’t want to be her. Carly says, they’re different people who want different things. She wants to live in a big house, and wear designer clothes, and have more money than she can spend. She wants to travel. There are amazing people out there, doing amazing things, and she wants to be one of them. Virginia says she’s living a pipe dream.

Josslyn tells Jason that she doesn’t care if it makes her a bad person. She can live with it, as long as Nelle doesn’t have a chance to get Wiley. Jason promises her that Nelle won’t, but it’s too soon. She says if he waits until after the custody hearing, it will look suspicious. He asks if she thinks Nelle’s attorney is better than Diane, but she says, no. He asks if she thinks Michael isn’t as good as Nelle, and she says she doesn’t, but face it, Nelle gets away with everything. We flash back to Carly introducing Nelle to Josslyn at the hospital, and telling Josslyn that Nelle is her kidney donor. Josslyn says Nelle gave her the best gift, and they hug. We move to Nelle seeing Josslyn outside Kelly’s, and Josslyn telling her about Oscar. Josslyn says he asked her to go out, and Nelle asks what Josslyn told him, but Josslyn says she didn’t get a chance. When Nelle showed up, Oscar left. Nelle asks what Josslyn’s answer is, but Josslyn doesn’t know. Nelle asks if she doesn’t know the answer, or does, and doesn’t want to hurt him.

Chase says if Nelle’s signature was forged like she says, and Monica and Bobbie covered it up, Nelle has a cause of action. Willow says, there’s been no real harm done to Wiley; she’s just targeting Michael’s grandmothers, hoping Michael will back off, and hand Wiley over, so she’ll leave them alone. Michael says, Nelle is trying to maximize the damage, and pay back his grandmothers for rejecting her. We flash back to Bobbie catching Nelle stealing at the MetroCourt; Monica saying Nelle and Michael should get along in the best interest of the child; and Monica telling Nelle that no one has to prove a damn thing. They’ve proven it by being there, and she has colleagues who will back up her diagnosis of Wiley. Michael says, Bobbie couldn’t stand Nelle. At first, Monica was like him, and believed Nelle, but when she turned, she turned hard. Willow says, who cares why Nelle does what she does? They have to figure out how to keep Wiley safe from her.

Jax tells Nina, all Carly knew about Frank was that he’d walked out on her and her adoptive mother early on. Then one day, she got a letter; a long tale about Frank needing money. Carly threw it away, but another one came. Carly marked return to sender on it, but the letters kept coming. One came while they were waiting for Josslyn to get a kidney, and he opened it. It was a letter from a man desperate to do anything for money. He reached out to Frank, and offered him a million dollars. A few days later, Josslyn had a kidney. We flash back to Carly saying she knows Jax isn’t capable of paying a man to harvest his child’s organs, and Jax explaining what he did. He was desperate, but didn’t know Frank would take a kidney from his own daughter. Carly says, now it makes sense why Jax wanted her to drop the search. He knew where the kidney came from, and put it together when Nelle showed up. She’d assumed he talked to the parents, but she didn’t know Frank was Nelle’s father. Why didn’t he tell her that he paid Frank? He says he didn’t know Frank would use his own daughter, and Sonny says, Jax thought Frank was going to use a nameless, faceless person? Jax says he doesn’t regret what he did, and Carly says, Sonny would do the same thing for his child. Sonny says, he doesn’t have a problem with that. What he has a problem with, is what came after. We move to Jax explaining to Josslyn that did something illegal. He reached out to Nelle’s father, and offered him money to find a donor. It’s his fault Nelle came to town and wants revenge. If he’d been honest, it wouldn’t have happened. Josslyn says, it’s because of him she’s alive, and hugs him. Next, we see Michael asking how Jax pulled it off, and Jax saying, Nelle refused to say anything that would indict him.

Carly says if Nelle wants people to care, she has to give them a reason. Show who she really is, even if she’s afraid she’ll never be good enough. Nelle asks if Carly is a motivational speaker, and Carly says she’s the voice of experience. She wanted her mother to love her, and told herself that when Bobbie saw her, she would recognize her. But that didn’t happen. Bobbie treated her like the stranger she was. Bobbie didn’t mean to reject her, but that’s how she felt. She decided to take everything from Bobbie, and live Bobbie’s life better than Bobbie. Sound familiar? It’s what Nelle is trying to do to her. We flash back to Carly telling Sonny, no good deed goes unpunished. Sonny says, Nelle was working all of them. He asks Nelle, what was her goal? Michael says he’d like to know himself, and Nelle says they could start by asking her real last name. It’s Benson. It’s Carly’s last name too, but they have more in common than a last name. Carly is Frank’s daughter. In the present, Carly says, it was almost the same reason Bobbie was supposed to recognize her. Nelle asks, why didn’t she?

Virginia says, Frank left before Carly was four years old, but he was always making shortcuts and deals, waiting for a big payoff. She never minded because she had a good job, and Carly, but then Frank couldn’t deal with failure, and ran away. Carly asks if Virginia is saying she’ll fail, but Virginia tells her, she’s saying Carly is making the wrong choices. Going to Paris and Reno won’t make her happy. Carly says she’ll let Virginia know when she sees them. Virginia says, before she goes off to make her life better, she needs to figure out what is better. Carly says, maybe Frank is rich now. Virginia doubts it, and Carly says, even if he’s just ordinary, he owes her a lifetime of back child support. Virginia says, assuming he has it, which is highly unlikely, she’ll have to find him first. Carly says she knows Frank’s friend, Mr. Richardson, but Virginia says he won’t be able to tell her anything. Carly says, it can’t hurt to ask.

Willow says she’s sorry; that was uncalled for. Sasha says Willow is just saying what they’re all thinking. Michael says if he had a magic wand, or there was on specific action he knew would work, he’d take it in a heartbeat, but that’s not how it works. Willow can’t believe how little Nelle cares for her own son. We flash back to Jason telling Michael that they have to make a plan, and Michael saying he can do what Nelle can’t; play by the rules. He can afford the best lawyers, and Nelle was just arrested for assault and violated her parole. But in the meantime, she can request supervised visits. Jason says they can’t plan on things going right, and have to figure out what to do if they go wrong. All they know, is Nelle gave Wiley to Brad, and if she gets a sympathetic jury and walks, what does he think will happen? In Sonny’s kitchen, Willow says she’s not doing any good there, and she has to get back to the hospital. She jets, and Chase says he’ll go with her, but Sasha says, let her. Sometimes it’s easier to talk to a girl. Chase asks Michael if he’s worried about Willow. He sure as hell is.

Jason tells Josslyn, Nelle’s power lies in her getting people to believe what she wants them to. She got Michael to believe she loved him, and Josslyn to believe she was a friend. She got Brad to believe he could steal Wiley to make Lucas happy. Nelle didn’t make Brad take the baby; it was his choice. He had the power to step up and do the right thing. Nelle wasn’t in charge of him, and she’s not in charge of the custody hearing. She’ll try to get the judge to believe her story, but odds are, they won’t. The facts are on Michael’s side. We flash back to Josslyn telling Michael, Wiley is lucky to have him as a dad, but it’s unfair how much time Wiley was separated from him. Michael tells her they can’t be angry or sad about what happened, and Josslyn asks if he thinks they survived the shooting to lead them to this. Michael says he doesn’t know, but he realized you have to take life in both hands, and not let go.

Jax tells Nina, he had no idea Frank was going to use his own daughter. He didn’t want to know anything. He just wanted his daughter to live, and committed a morally reprehensible act that he should have paid for. Instead, Carly and Michael did, and Nelle didn’t. It seems like Wiley will pay now. We flash back to Carly seeing Jax after Sonny had him detained. Jax says he cut a deal, and has to leave the country never to return. At Crimson, he tells Nina that he’s questioned himself a million times, mostly in the middle of the night when he can’t sleep, or when he’s watching Josslyn live her life; his beautiful, healthy daughter. All he knows is, he hates what he did, but he can’t regret the outcome. Nina says, he compromised himself to save his daughter. No doubt she’d do the same thing if she had a daughter to save.

Nelle says, Carly should have known her, and welcomed her sister. Carly says, they’re not… related. Nelle says Carly can’t even say the word. Sisters. No matter how much Carly wishes it wasn’t true, they have the same father – Frank. Carly says, Frank isn’t her father. He married her adoptive mother, and ghosted them before she even knew him. She only met him once. She tracked him down in Miami, trying to get a fraction of the child support he owed her. Nelle says Frank wasn’t Carly’s father until she needed money. Carly says she didn’t get a dime, and didn’t know Nelle was Josslyn’s kidney donor. She didn’t even remember Frank had a daughter. Nelle says, that’s a lie. Carly knew. She was there.

Tomorrow, Willow says, it’s not enough, and she has to do something; Jason says, without Nelle, there’s no Wiley; and Nelle says Frank had asked Carly to stay with them.

🐎 Digging Deeper…

Figuring out the riddle that is Westworld

https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/westworld-season-3-14-clues-you-may-have-missed-in/2900-3445/?ftag=NLS-04-10aaa1d

🍸 Digging For Dirt…

This is old news, but something I hadn’t heard about, and this page has a lot of fun VPR discussion.

https://www.reddit.com/r/vanderpumprules/comments/eljx61/new_cast_member_arrested_at_vpr_premiere_party/

Apparently, they don’t know how to use Google though.

https://pagesix.com/2020/01/08/new-vanderpump-rules-cast-member-causes-ruckus-at-premiere-after-party/

💃🏾 You Twirl, Girl…

I haven’t really been keeping up on this show, but I always enjoy a Kenya story. I know it’s been years, but I still can’t get over that Portia thought the Underground Railroad was an actual railroad.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/porsha-williams-reacts-kenya-moore-fake-comments?cid=soc_tw_Bravo_Dish

🍊 The Thirst Thickens…

That didn’t take long. Fortunately Unfortunately, they can’t move ahead with anything further than an idea right now.

https://hollywoodlife.com/2020/04/04/tamra-judge-new-show-vicki-gunvalson-returning-rhoc/

🐼 Panda Love…

Because people finally stopped staring at them every time they tried to do it.

https://www.mic.com/p/after-10-years-without-sex-two-giant-pandas-finally-got-it-on-in-empty-zoo-in-hong-kong-22767457

🛣 Staying the Course…

Every time I hear a politician say that, I hear Dana Carvey imitating George Bush. Well, if nothing else, now would be the perfect time to make that Pinterest fail lamb cake I’ve been dreaming about. Stay safe, socially distant, and try not to think of pink elephants. (Caught you already.)