Tag Archives: Tamra Judge

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

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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

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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

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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.)

February 22, 2020 – The Aftermath Of Brad’s Confession, NeNe’s Future, NYC Relief, NuBethenny, Tamra’s Reason, Reunion In Italy, Drita Is Free, Ariana Insured, a Half-Dozen Quotes Twice & Tap Baby Tap

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Sonny comes in along with Michael, who’s holding Wiley. Carly says it’s good to see Wiley, and asks, what about Nelle? Sonny says, the cops have her. Lucas comes up  to Wiley, and says, hey, buddy. Michael says Wiley is a lucky guy. So many people love him. Julian says, he’s happy and safe, and asks Lucas if he needs anything. Sonny says, it’s been a tough night; Julian should probably go. Julian tells Lucas to call or drop by if he needs anything. Michael says they have a lot to figure out, and they will, but one thing they agree on is making this okay for Wiley.

Curtis says, body count? Is Jordan in danger? Taggert says he and Jordan both are, and Jordan says she doesn’t want Curtis involved, but Taggert says, he already is by being married to her. Jordan tells Curtis, it was an undercover operation for the DEA. Curtis says, and it came back to haunt them. Jordan says they were part of a four agent team, assigned to investigate a major drug trafficker, who covered the entire Pacific Northwest. He brought drugs in from Russia through the Canadian border, and distributed them to the western states. Taggert says, he sold drugs to everyone, from CEOs to middle school kids. Jordan says, they infiltrated the organization to get evidence and bust him. Curtis asks, what happened? and Taggert says, he covered himself well. Whenever they found someone who’d turn on him, they’d turn up dead. Curtis says, but here they both are; alive and unharmed. Taggert says, they got the break they needed, and Jordan says, they took the dealer down, and left with their covers intact. Curtis says, no one knew who they were? and Jordan says, that’s what they believed. Taggert says, until their partners turned up dead.

Nelle is put in the cell across from Brad. Brad asks where Wiley is, and what she did with him. She tells Brad, he’s despicable.

Willow wakes up, and Chase says she has a minor concussion, but she’s going to be all right. She asks, what happened? The last thing she remembers, she was watching Wiley. She sits up, saying, oh my God. Nelle was there and wanted to take Wiley. Chase says she was arrested, and Willow asks if Wiley is okay. He says, Wiley is fine; he’s with Michael, and she says, thank God. He says he has a lot he needs to tell her, and she says, it’s bad? He nods and she says, okay. Just give her a minute to be glad her son is okay.

Carly says, Michael is right. Wiley has had a confusing, big night. She knows he’s tired, and it’s past his bedtime. Maybe he’d like a snack first. Michael asks if Lucas wants to give Wiley a snack; they’ll talk later. Lucas says, yeah, and takes Wiley, asking if he’s if hungry. He tells Michael, he’s so sorry.

Carly tells Lucas that he has nothing to be sorry for. He didn’t do this. Bobbie says, no one is blaming him, least of all Michael. Michael says Lucas isn’t responsible, and Bobbie suggests giving Wiley his snack. She and Lucas go into the kitchen, and Carly says, what Michael did just now, giving Lucas time with Wiley, was so generous. Michael says he needs their help, and thinks Lucas could use Carly right now. Carly asks if Michael is okay, and he says he’s still figuring it all out, but he’ll be fine. Carly says Michael is a good man, and she loves him. She hugs him, and he says he loves her too. She goes to the kitchen, and Michael tells Sasha that he forgot to thank her for calling Chase. She says she’s glad she could help in a small way. Sonny says, now that Wiley is in the other room, tell him what the hell happened. How did Brad get his hands on Michael’s son, and keep it a secret for more than a year?

Curtis says, Bob Endicott, Jordan’s former boss, the one she said couldn’t have possibly OD’d. He was part of the team too? She says, and Mark Simon is also dead. Taggert says, also from a drug overdose. Two down, and him and Jordan left. Curtis says Jordan thought she shouldn’t tell him she has a target on her back?

Julian pours a shot of whiskey, and Ava runs in, asking if he’s all right. Is he hurt? He says, no, and she asks, what is it? He said he needed her, and it was an emergency. He hung up, and she thought she’d find him bleeding to death. He says, it’s nothing that simple, and she asks, what’s going on? He says, Brad confessed, and she says, to what? He says, Wiley isn’t Willow’s son; he’s Michael’s son, and Sonny’s grandson. The baby Lucas and Brad adopted was Nelle’s baby. He only saw the baby once. Lucas was in surgery, and Brad took the baby home. He laid the baby in his crib, and when he came back, the baby wasn’t breathing; sudden infant death syndrome. From there, things happened, and Nelle gave Brad the baby she’d had with Michael. Ava asks what he means by things happened, and he says, they switched babies by the side of the road. Somehow, Nelle convinced Brad to take the baby home that she’d had with Michael. Ava asks if Sonny knows, and Julian nods. She asks where Brad is now, and he says, in jail. She says he’s got to be terrified, and Julian says, he’s not the only one. She says, please tell her that he didn’t help Brad steal Sonny’s grandchild. He says he didn’t but… She says, if Sonny finds out… Julian says, he’s a dead man.

Chase tells Willow, it’s going to be confusing. She’s going to have a lot of questions, but he’ll do his best to answer them. The details are pretty hazy, but the central factor is undeniable. She says, okay… and he says Wiley isn’t her son. Nelle and Michael are his birth parents.

Nelle asks if Brad knows how she felt, waking up on a cold, damp road to find a dead baby in her arms. He asks what she’s talking about, and she says Jonah meant everything to her. He was the only thing she had left of Michael, and Brad stole him from her. Brad says, no. She said he had to take the baby. She asks if that’s the story he’s going with; he’s the innocent victim. He says she knows it was her idea, and she tells him to stop lying to save himself. She was overwhelmed with grief, and so was Michael. They were mourning a child they thought was dead because of him. Brad says she told him the baby would be better off if he and Lucas raised him. She didn’t want the baby anywhere near Michael. She says Brad was her only friend; stop pretending. Stop pretending he cares, when on the worst night of her life, he stole her child.

Julian tells Ava, a few days afterward, Brad told him that it wasn’t the original baby, and the first baby died. He said he’d gotten a new baby from some random homeless woman. Ava asks if he believed that, and Julian says he thought it was convenient, but it didn’t occur to him that Brad had helped himself to Sonny’s grandson. She says, Brad eventually told Julian the truth? and Julian says, eventually. She asks what the hell he was thinking. Why not go to Sonny the minute that loser told him that he’d switched babies? He says, unfortunately, Brad is his son-in-law, and when Brad came clean, Wiley was more than a year old. Lucas had time to bond with Wiley, and he wasn’t taking Wiley away from his son.

Willow tells Chase, someone made a mistake, and he says he’s sorry, but it’s true. Wiley is Michael’s son. She says, it doesn’t make sense, and he says he can explain. When Willow gave birth at Mercy Hospital on July 29th, 2018, Alexis brought the infant to GH, and delivered him to his adoptive father Brad. Lucas was in surgery, and Brad brought the infant home. Willow asks him to stop calling the baby the infant; his name is Wiley. Chase says, Brad placed Wiley in the crib, but when he came back to check on him, he wasn’t breathing. She says, no, and keeps repeating it as Chase talks. He says, Brad tried CPR, but the baby was unresponsive. Willow gets up, but sinks to the ground, yelling, no! He holds her, and says, it’s okay. I guess because he can’t think of anything else to say, since it’s clearly not okay.

Bobbie says she could wring Brad’s neck, and Lucas says he wishes he could hate Brad as much as she does, but he knows Brad. He knows Brad loves him and Wiley. Bobbie says, forgive her for not being kind and understanding, but Brad created incredible harm. That’s not love; it’s selfishness. Carly agrees, and says what Brad did was wrong, but at least they know Wiley spent his first year in a loving home. Lucas says Wiley gave it right back; he misses Wiley already. Bobbie says he’s Wiley’s father. It’s not like ripping off a name tag and moving on. Carly says Bobbie is right. No one expects him to stop loving Wiley. Lucas asks, what happens now? Wiley chomps on a cracker, oblivious to all the anxiety around him.

Julian tells Ava, the look on Lucas’s face when Brad confessed… He’d give anything not to see it again. She says, it was never going to end well. The problem is, eventually Brad is going to tell everyone that Julian was in on it. Julian says, it’s going to kill Lucas, and Ava says, Sonny is going to kill Julian. They have to get him out of town; out of the country. He says, if Sonny wants revenge, Sonny will hunt him down until he gets it. He’s not running. She asks what the brave act is for, and he says she should know more than anyone what it feels like to fail your own children. When Lucas became a father, he saw a crack in Lucas’s armor, and thought the relationship could be repaired. She says, with Brad in a constant state of panic, and him keeping the secret? He says he had a plan to shut Brad out, and the constant threat. She takes it the plan didn’t work, and he says, none of it would have happened if Lucas hadn’t gotten in that car.

Jordan says she was managing things, but Curtis says that’s not how they do things. When trouble is coming for her, he’s her first line of defense, not Taggert. Taggert says they were traying to figure things out without worrying their families. Curtis says, call Anna, but Jordan says, no. Taggert says they have to do it alone, and Curtis says he can’t believe this. As major drug trafficker has them in his sights, and they don’t want to call for backup? There’s something they’re still hiding. Taggert says Curtis is still jumping to conclusions, but Jordan says Curtis is right. They are.

Willow asks Chase how it happened. How did her baby get switched with Michael’s? He says, Brad was heading back to the hospital, but he was too emotional to drive. He pulled over same road where Michael and Nelle had the accident. Michael was trapped in the car; Nelle left him there. She must have given birth a short time later, since she had the baby with her when she knocked on Brad’s car window. He sits on the floor next to her. Willow says, which one came up with the idea? He says, Brad swears it was Nelle, and she says, of course (🍷) it was. She says that twice, so (🍷)

Michael says, when he and Chase got to the apartment, Nelle was on her way out with Wiley. He distracted Nelle long enough so Chase could grab her, and he took Wiley. He was holding Wiley like he’d done a thousand times before, but now he knew he was Wiley’s father. Sonny tells him to get used to the feeling like his heart is going to burst and he wants to give everything to his child. It doesn’t go away. Michael says he feels for Lucas, and Sasha tells him, they all feel terrible, but don’t let it stop him from feeling joy. It’s not selfish to be happy that his boy is alive. Sonny says both sadness and happiness in your heart is called being human. Michael says it’s not just about him. Wiley is losing the only parents he’s ever known. Sasha says, he’s gaining a father he already knows and loves, who’s always been present in his life. Michael says being the special occasion guy is a whole different thing than being Wiley’s dad, the one he trusts the most. Blood didn’t make Sonny his father. It was the way Sonny took care of him, and how he trusted Sonny. Sonny says, Wiley feels the same way, and knows in his heart Michael loves him. Michael wonders if the right way to love Wiley is to make him leave a house he already knows, with one of the fathers who he already loves.

Brad says Nelle knows what she’s doing won’t work. He’s not taking the blame for what she did. She says, all she did was pass out with a baby in her arms. Brad says she was wide awake when she told him to take the baby. She said it would make Lucas happy. It never would have entered his head if she hadn’t put it there. She says, now she’s a liar? He says that’s what she does. She cons people, and plants thoughts in their heads, so they don’t know right from wrong anymore. She says she’d just delivered a baby. She was weak and unconscious when he took Wiley from her. He says, what about Obrecht? She delivered Nelle’s baby; Nelle wasn’t alone in the woods like she told Michael. She says she had no idea what happened when she was alone. Waking up on the side of the road, all she remembers is that she had a dead baby in her arms. Brad says she has no idea what it’s like to lose a baby, and she says she lost Jonah. First Brad steals him, and now he’s telling her that Wiley loves him more than her. Brad says, that’s not true, and she says he robbed her of time with her son. He knew the truth, that her baby was alive. He says he’s going to make sure everyone knows Nelle gave him to Brad. He and Lucas gave him a home and family, and she’ll never love him the way they do. She calls the guard, and says Brad is antagonizing her. Get him out.

Taggert says, wait, but Jordan says, they started this. That means they’re going to finish it. Curtis says, she’s right. Taggert can’t come up in there saying they were working undercover with the DEA, and not give him the whole story. Jordan says, they’re not guessing about the attacks. The dealer knows who they are, and came there to burn her city down. She knows this because she went to see him at Pentenville. Taggert asks, when? and Jordan says he didn’t come out and say he was after them. It was what he didn’t say that alerted her to what he was doing. Taggert wonders what Cyrus is doing in Pentenville, and Jordan says he got moved. He was always good at making political connections. Curtis asks, who is this guy? and Jordan hands him a file, saying, Cyrus Renault. Curtis looks through it, and says, sounds like a good dude. She says they believe he’s behind the attacks on Sonny, but Curtis says, drugs are not Sonny’s thing. She says, Cyrus gets a fresh new market in taking over Sonny’s territory. Taggert says, after everything they did to put him away; now he’s back. He’s not going to surprise them anymore. He’s going to check with some people. He tells Curtis, now that he knows everything, go easy on her. She was just trying to protect him. Taggert leaves, and Curtis says Jordan never fails to surprise him. Tell him the full story. She says he won’t be happy she did.

Carly tells Lucas, whatever happens next, they’ll get through it together. Bobbie says, his sister is right. Don’t let what Brad did push him away from his family. Carly says, it’s hard. Lucas has every right to be angry, mad, and hurt. Let them be his safe space. Bobbie tells him, never forget he’s done an amazing job raising Wiley. Carly says, nothing can change that. Everyone came together to keep Wiley safe and make him feel loved.

Willow says, of course (🍷) it was Nelle. She hates Michael, and wanted to hurt him. What could be worse than… Chase says, Brad took the baby home, and when the police found Nelle, she had her baby in her arms. The took her to the hospital, where she gave the baby to Michael. Willow says, Michael talked about it in their grief support group. How still the baby was. He wanted to tell himself the baby was just asleep, but he could feel the truth. Even then, he didn’t want to let the baby go. He went to the chapel to ask God why, but God didn’t have an answer. Eventually, the nurse came, and he had to give the baby up. He said it was the worst moment of his life, and she thought she understood. She had to give her baby up when the nurse came to take him for the adoption. She was just missing her baby. Michael was grieving his. Now it’s her turn to grieve her child. She starts to cry.

Jordan tells Curtis, the four of them worked their ways into different parts of Cyrus’s business, but they couldn’t gather enough evidence to bring him up on charges. All that work for nothing. Curtis says he knows the feeling. She says she was in too deep, and losing touch with who she was on the inside. He says, the part of her that’s a mother, and she says she needed to go home, see her kid, and remind herself of what’s truly important. He says it sounds like she reached a turning point, and she says they’d been involved long enough to manufacture evidence, and leave a trail for the FBI to find. So that’s what they did. They framed Cyrus crimes he actually committed. Curtis says, it worked; Cyrus got life, but Jordan says, because they broke the laws they swore to uphold. They were just as dirty as Cyrus. Curtis says, no, no, no, no, no. They didn’t sell drugs to little kids; they saved lives. She says he should be upset, and he says he is. How could she not tell him, and shut him out when trouble came? If the roles were reversed, she’d be furious with him. She says he’s right. She was selfish, and didn’t want her undercover work to touch the life she has with him. He says she’s got to be all in, or it’s not going to work. She says, on the other side, he doesn’t know Cyrus. He’s a monster, and just set up base in their backyard. Curtis holds her.

Sonny says Michael is thinking of giving up his son? All he’d be doing is dragging out the pain. Everyone knows, and more important, Michael does. Even if Lucas moves to China, there’s no amount of distance that can sever that tie. They can’t fix what Brad and Nelle did, but can give Wiley the best life they can. Michael says he’s right about everything, but how does he tell Lucas? Sonny says, say the words, and Lucas will respect that. There’s only one way this can end. Michael knows this. Michael says he still wants Lucas in Wiley’s life, and Sasha says, tell him. It will be a different relationship, but that doesn’t make it any less meaningful. Sonny says, she’s wise; listen to her. Michael says he does. It just hit him, Lucas isn’t the only one facing a loss. Chase is telling Willow that the child she loved all this time isn’t hers, and her own son is gone.

Willow tells Chase, now she understands why Brad was so tense around her. She thought he was afraid she’d change her mind and take Wiley back. If she’d gone through with rescinding the adoption, she would have taken a baby that wasn’t hers, and when Shiloh tried to get custody, Brad could have stopped it at any time. All he had to do was tell the truth. Chase says, Brad’s weak, and easily manipulated. He’s been under Nelle’s thumb since they switched the babies. That’s why Brad was at Nelle’s parole hearing, and let her stay at his apartment. She’s been blackmailing him. Willow says, he let her.

Bobbie asks if Lucas believes it was all Nelle’s idea, and he says, Brad has told his fair share of lies, but it seems like something Nelle would come up with. Carly says it was the perfect opportunity to hurt Michael, and by extension, hurt her. She’s Nelle’s real target; the focus of Nelle’s envy and obsession. They’re collateral damage. Lucas says Wiley likes to be read to after his snack. Brad usually packs his favorite book. He digs in Wiley’s bag, and brings out a sippy cup. He says if you freeze them, it’s good for teething. Carly says, that’s sweet, and Wiley laughs. Lucas asks if she remembers when he asked her what the hardest part of parenting was, and Carly says, knowing what’s the right thing to do.

Jordan thanks Curtis for loving her, and he says, of course (🍷). He always will. Anyone who comes for her, will have to go through him. She says that’s not what she wants. She doesn’t want him to be the price she pays for her mistakes. He says he can protect himself, and she says, do that, and keep an eye on TJ as well. It will be easier for her to do what she has to. He asks, what is it she’s going to do? and she says she’s the Police Commissioner. No one is going to burn Port Charles down on her watch.

Julian tells Ava, she’ll want to steer clear. Brad is spineless, and could break at any point, and spill his guts. Ava says then they’ll have to intervene before Brad has a chance to give him up.

Nelle says she finally had a chance to be with her son, and now she’s trapped because of Brad’s terrible lies. The guard says they can’t have him badgering other prisoners, and takes him out. Brad says, she’s lying, and when he’s gone, Nelle smiles.

Willow tells Chase, she tried to like Brad over and over, but she didn’t; she couldn’t. Part of her knew what he was like. Brad is a lying coward who cares more about himself than Wiley. Wiley could have had his father the whole time, had Michael raise and love him, and now… He’s so young, and his whole world is upside down. Brad did this to him, his so-called father; the man she chose to raise her son. Chase says, she picked Lucas, but she says, no. She trusted her son to Brad, and Brad let him die. She says, oh my God. Brad traded him in like a faulty appliance. She cries, and says, there was no one there who loved him. No one knew him. She sobs, and Chase takes her in his arms.

Lucas brings Wiley out, and Michael asks if Wiley enjoyed his snack. Lucas says, he did; he ate all of it. Michael says, he loves his animal crackers. Lucas tells Wiley, hey, buddy. He knows his Uncle Michael, and knows how much he loves to play games with Wiley and tell him stories. He has a nice surprise. Wiley is going home with him. He gives Michael Wiley’s bag, and says, there’s more snacks, a bedtime book, and diapers. He tells Wiley, I love you buddy, and kisses the top of Wiley’s head. He gives Wiley to Michael, and tries not to cry. He says, take good care of your son, and Bobbie hugs Lucas. Everyone looks sad.

The acting was so good, even though I can’t relate at all, they had me tearing up.

On Monday, Nikolas needs Elizabeth’s help, Ava asks Franco if Nikolas and Elizabeth had an affair, Julian tells Brad that it’s on him, and Carly tells Sonny that Nelle is the mastermind

🍑 Like She’s Ever Going Anywhere…

They’ll have to pry that peach out of her cold, dead hand.

https://extratv.com/2020/02/20/nene-leakes-talks-kenya-moore-her-own-future-on-rhoa-and-more/?adid=extra_eme_27396_2020-02-21_rightnow6

https://radaronline.com/exclusives/2020/02/nene-leakes-very-undecided-about-real-housewives-atlant-return-amid-drama/?utm_source=email&em_hash=72048a93bc8188334dc1071a32fe8f3b

🗽 Make Room…

LuAnn’s life is once again a cabaret.

https://pagesix.com/2019/10/29/luann-de-lesseps-says-rhony-cast-was-relieved-bethenny-frankel-left-the-show/

✈️ Life Beyond the Wives…

https://pagesix.com/2020/02/21/bethenny-frankel-claims-her-real-housewives-paycheck-was-astronomical/

https://pagesix.com/2020/02/19/bethenny-frankel-announces-business-competition-series-at-hbo-max/

🍽 A Lot On Her Plate…

Although I thought the usual strategy was to just throw it.

https://radaronline.com/exclusives/2020/02/tamra-judges-real-reason-behind-rhoc-exit-exposed/?utm_source=email&em_hash=72048a93bc8188334dc1071a32fe8f3b

🛌 It Would Be Weird…

Seriously. Did he think she was going to share his bed?

https://radaronline.com/exclusives/2020/02/teresa-giudice-refuses-share-bed-joe-italy-reunion-rhonj-episode/?utm_source=email&em_hash=72048a93bc8188334dc1071a32fe8f3b

She should have just dropped the kids off.

https://pagesix.com/2020/02/21/heres-the-first-look-at-teresa-and-joe-giudices-awkward-reunion-in-italy/

🥂 That’s Good, I Guess…

Although it might have been parlayed into another season of Mob Wives.

https://pagesix.com/2020/02/21/mob-wives-star-drita-davanzo-has-charges-dropped-against-her/

🩺 Some Of Us Still Don’t Have It…

I’m on the get better or die plan myself.

https://pagesix.com/2020/02/18/ariana-madixs-skin-cancer-diagnosis-was-prolonged-by-lack-of-health-insurance/

🎤 Quotes of the Week

It takes a lot of time to be a genius. You have to sit around so much, doing nothing, really doing nothing.Gertrude Stein (I might have found my calling!)

Confidence is 10 percent hard work and 90 percent delusion, just thinking foolishly that you will be able to do what you want to do. – Tina Fey

If his grades get any lower, we’ll have to start renting him out as a speedbump. – Charlie (Charlie Sheen), Two and a Half Men

Every now and then I like to do as I’m told, just to confuse people. – Tamora Pierce

The worst part of success is trying to find someone who is happy for you. – Bette Midler

I’ll try anything once, twice if I like it, three times to make sure. – Mae West

Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door. – Coco Chanel (Love that! Now if I can just learn it…)

There is no passion to be found in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living. – Nelson Mandela

The price of greatness is responsibility. – Winston Churchill

Death, taxes, and childbirth! There’s never any convenient time for any of them. – Margaret Mitchell

So, your kids must love the iPad? I asked Mr. [Steve] Jobs, trying to change the subject. The company’s first tablet was just hitting the shelves. They haven’t used it, he told me. We limit how much technology our kids use at home. – Nick Bilton

Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one. – Dr. Seuss

👠 Friday Night…

I went to see a revival Mack & Mabel on Broadway. I couldn’t find a version of this from the performance I saw, but close enough. Since no good time goes unpunished, this is an appropriate song for today. See you when the Dead return.

January 30, 2020 – GH Catch Up, Sheer Runway, Beyond Plus, Adios Amiga, For Laughs & Billy’s January

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

It looks like ABC will have caught up to me tomorrow. FYI, they are showing new episodes on their site (ABC.com) and on their app after 8 pm EST. The shows will also be aired on HULU and On Demand the following day. Why not at 8 pm? Who knows?

In case you’re not caught up, and just want to read all about it, here are the links to the transcripts recaps for the past two episodes not aired on regular TV. They’re in order – i.e. the oldest is first.

https://tvwiththeresa.wordpress.com/2020/01/22/january-21-2020-no-trial-soap-for-you-jims-kidnap-plot-thickens-tom-rains-on-stassis-book-signing-morning-gibberish/

https://tvwiththeresa.wordpress.com/2020/01/27/january-27-2020-extra-extra-a-new-gh-episode-has-appeared/

👗 Project Runway

This week’s challenge was to create an editorial look using sheer fabric; editorial meaning it told a story. Brandon told the designers there was nothing more important than making a woman feel good, and they were to celebrate the female form using a provocative trend; a barely there editorial look. He emphasized that it wasn’t about exposing a woman, but about getting creative in a sexy, but not obvious, way. Since last week’s winner was Brittany, she got first pick of the models. Nancy chose the same model, wanting to redeem herself from having swallowed the model with fabric the previous week. It was a one-day challenge, and they were to work with the models during sketch time, to make sure they were comfortable and confident with the designs. It would also be the last challenge where immunity was given. The designers were cautioned that the finishing had to be spot-on because everything would be shown with a sheer fabric. A medic had to be called early on for Dayoung, who still wasn’t well. She said her mind was saying keep going, but her body said she’d done enough. She decided she was a human before being a designer, and chose to leave the competition, saying it was the most difficult decision she’d made in her life. She was grateful for everyone who’d helped her, and told us that her story wasn’t done. She’d be designing up until her last day.

Because Dayoung left, Marquise got a save, and came back to the competition. He said it would be his revenge moment, when he proved why the judges shouldn’t have sent him home. The contestants were given $300 and 30 minutes at Mood. Victoria mulled over disappointing herself last week, and got pouty in the store, claiming she didn’t understand what sheer meant, even though Christian explained it to her. The designers started working, and Christian interrupted, asking, who’s ready for a twist? striking fear in their hearts. But there was no twist. He said he wasn’t that evil, just a little. As he walked around giving encouragement and advice, he told Victoria that she couldn’t keep doing the same dress over and over. She insisted what she was designing was different (it wasn’t), and acted like a big baby. Sergio said it was a tough competition, and sometimes made you question who you are as a designer and person. Victoria again insisted she didn’t understand sheer, and walked out, Brittany following. Victoria told her that it was better to leave than be on the bottom, and grabbed her bag, ready to jet, basically wanting to quit before she was fired. Brittany was pissed because there were talented people who had been eliminated, and Victoria was trashing her opportunity. She told Victoria that they still had four hours, but Queen Victoria said she was tired. As she reclined on a chaise lounge with her water bottle, Chelsey promised her that they were all tired. Personally, I wanted to kick her ass. She decided to stay for her husband, who had always been super supportive. It’s probably easier than listening to her complain.

Paloma Elsesser, an extremely accomplished plus-size model, was guest judge. Victoria whined that she didn’t want to look at her own design, saying there was nothing of her aesthetic in it, and she was embarrassed. It wasn’t horrible – a yellow asymmetrical (no surprise) number using a lot of lace – but it wasn’t sheer either. Christian remarked that it was the worst fabric ever. Karlie said, overall, it was clear it was a one-day challenge.

Brittany and Delvin were deemed safe, and I was surprised neither one was in the top. Although I guess it’s getting to be a pretty small pool. Brittany had designed the cutest pink romper with humongous puffy sleeves, and Delvin concocted a black crop top and maxi skirt ensemble. The top was unmemorable, but I thought the skirt was fantastic, kind of prairie style. Rather than just being grateful they were still in the game, they both seemed annoyed, and exchanged a lot of commentary backstage during the critiques.

Having scrapped her original design of a blue baby doll dress, Chelsey had designed a long, fitted, trench coat style jacket. This might have been okay, but she chose to hang on to sleeves that hadn’t matched the baby doll dress either; a series of horizontal loops, held together by a vertical strip running down the outside of the arm. Frankly, they didn’t look like they’d match with much of anything, they were just plain odd. Nina asked why she’d used a nude slip underneath, rather than matching the blue, and Brandon remarked that he kept waiting for a nip slip from the demi-bra on top. Elaine said the fabric choice was just wrong; there was no fluidity. So, it was in the bottom three for Chelsey.

On the opposite end, Nancy designed a prom dress for her model who had never been to prom, black and silver, with a dramatic stole/collar that exposed one shoulder. Nancy said it was also zero waste, which impressed the judges. Nina thought the shoulder drama was everything, and Elaine liked the glamour – it was taking her someplace she wanted to be. Karlie remarked that she loved a pocket in a ball gown, and I said, me too! I think there should be a law requiring at least one pocket in all garments. Marquise also designed a stunning black and silver gown, taking it a step further by making a matching, but more low-key, T-shirt for himself with the extra fabric. Brandon said he loved a comeback story.

Joining Chelsey in the bottom were Geoffrey and Victoria. While it was no surprise about Victoria, I’d liked Geoffrey’s dress, a sheer blue above-the-knee creation, with a black and white trim at the waist, collar, and cuffs. The judges were in agreement that it was too sheer at the bust (the model was fine with that, and had fleshtone nipple covers). They also felt that the cinched waist was too much. When they got to Victoria, she blamed her bad English and started crying, saying she was ashamed she’d done so poorly. Paloma suggested she put her big girl panties on, and Nina said she didn’t want any more excuses. My thoughts exactly. Nina told her to find the lesson in a difficulty. It’s when she should look deep within herself, and find her inner strength to accomplish her dream. They’d all had failures, but you don’t quit. Brandon told her that sh*t days were when you found out what you were made of.

Rounding out the top three was Sergio, who’d designed a gorgeous sleeveless gown – another in black and silver – with fringe adornments. His inspiration was his model and her husband, German and Chinese respectively, and a story about them meeting in the rain. Nina said the fringe was so strategically placed, you couldn’t even tell the model was naked underneath. Paloma said it was a dress that all of the models could have worn.

While the designers went backstage, the judges deliberated, Elaine saying that Nancy had already proven her chops as a technical designer, and had now added a cool (i.e. relevant) factor. Sergio’s tailoring was also praised, and Nina said his piece was highly editorial. Paloma said Victoria’s sob story left a bad taste in her mouth; the humility was lacking. She hit the nail on the head with that comment. Nina said she was scared Chelsey’s model was going to lose her underpinnings, and everyone agreed. Backstage, Nancy thought none of them were going home, and Christian would use a save.

When the designers came back out, Karlie reiterated the challenge was about creating an editorial look that celebrated the female form, and embraced sheer fabric. Sergio was the big winner, and the last one who will get immunity. Moving on to the bottom three, Geoffrey was deemed safe. The consensus was that Chelsey had made poor design choices, and there were flaws in Victoria’s construction and attitude (ouch!). Chelsey was out, surprising me, and pissing me off. Elaine told Victoria that she was safe today, but she needed to save herself. Brandon said it was like two women they love both had a bad day, and they had to pick the worst of two evils. He told Chelsey that it didn’t take away from her talent. She thanked them for the opportunity, got a hug from Karlie, and told her compadres, it’s not a cryfest. When Christian came to gather her, he said everyone is so good at this point, it’s hard to judge. In her interview, Chelsey said she wasn’t 150% proud of what she’d done, but was surprised she was going home. Again, me too. She wasn’t mad that she fell short, and was leaving with her head held high. She believed the women in her family would be proud, and she was a shining example of a strong Black woman. She planned to do what she does best; make everyday clothes for not so everyday people.

Next time, the designers are challenged to reinvent the tux. Sebastian (last season’s winner), and Alan (too cool for school, and voted out this season) pay the designers a visit.

💋 She’s Got It Goin’ On…

Meet Paloma, model extraordinaire.

https://www.businessoffashion.com/community/people/paloma-elsesser

🍊 I’m Shocked, Pleased, and Slightly Annoyed…

Shocked because she brought on the drama; pleased because I can’t stand her; and slightly annoyed because the reason might be ageism. If they’re judging by her character though, I’m 100% behind it. Bye, Felicia.

https://radaronline.com/photos/andy-cohen-confirms-tamra-judge-quit-rhoc-refused-film/?utm_source=email&em_hash=72048a93bc8188334dc1071a32fe8f3b

https://www.eonline.com/news/1115766/tamra-judge-is-leaving-real-housewives-of-orange-county?source=email&medium=emn-content-2&cmpid=evening&content=emn-news

🍸 And Now For Some Snark…

I love the Betches’ Vanderpump Rules recap.

https://betches.com/vanderpump-rules-seaon-8-episode-4-recap/

📌 Saving It Up…

I’ll finish the tea party tomorrow, hopefully, with a new episode of GH. Until then.

December 16, 2019 – An Auction Sets Fire To the PC Art World, Master Pearson Returns, a New Deck, Wives Alert, Hair In the OC, Cynthia’s Take, Meghan’s Stress & Some Nonsense

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Cocktail hour before the auction at the gallery commences. Trina tells Ava, anyone who is anyone in Port Charles is there. Ava says, not everyone. Not yet. She thinks it’s going to be a lucrative evening. It will be interesting to see what happens when Helena’s portrait is put up for auction. 

Cameron finds Elizabeth asleep on one of the couches in the hospital waiting area. She says she didn’t mean to fall asleep, but she wanted to be there the second Franco wakes up.

Andre tends to Franco, while Peter watches through the window. Andre sees Peter, and beckons him to come in. Peter says he’s sorry he’s hovering. How’s Franco? Andre says, his vitals are strong. He’s just waiting for Franco to regain consciousness; then they’ll know more. He thanks Peter again for saving his life. Peter says he’s just glad Andre and Franco are okay. Andre says, it’s the second time someone tried to prevent the procedure from being performed. Someone has gone through a lot of effort to interfere with his work

In the hallway, Anna is on the phone with Finn. She wants to let him know things have calmed down at the hospital. Finn says her friend Andre has more lives than a cat. He asks if she wants to join him and Violet for dinner at Kelly’s. She says, she’d like to, but she can’t. He asks, why not? and she says there’s something more pressing she needs to take care of.

At Kelly’s, Chase asks if Willow is okay. She says she is, but he tells her, It’s okay if she’s not. Most people wouldn’t be; she’s had a rough couple of days. He asks what she’s thinking about. Lucas? Nelle? Her mother? She says, all of the above.

Charlotte and Rocco run into Kelly’s, arguing about Charlotte doing a triple-axel. Charlotte says Rocco is just jealous because he can’t do it, and he says he’ll race her to the table. Dustin asks if Lulu wants to race, but she says she got her cardio in with ice skating. He says she’s pretty good, and she says he’s a saint, spending his day off with her and the kids. He says, the kids are good, and she says, what about her? He says she’s not so bad. He wouldn’t turn down some alone time. She kisses him, and tells the kids they’re just getting ice cream. She has to get Charlotte home, and Rocco is having a sleepover. Charlotte asks if Lulu is having a sleepover with Dustin.

Laura and Curtis arrive at the gallery. She tells Jax, sorry they’re late, but he says they didn’t miss anything. She sees Helena’s portrait on display, and says, there it is in front of them. Jax says Ava is nothing if not shrewd. She’s giving all of them a chance to buy it, fair and square. Laura asks if he thinks Ava knows the codicil is in the painting, but he tells her that couldn’t say. Jax’s phone dings, and he steps out to the hallway. Curtis is glad Jax and his deep pockets are on their on side, and Laura says, it can’t hurt. She looks around, and Curtis says he knows she’s not worried. There’s no way in hell anyone else is leaving with the portrait. Laura says she wouldn’t be so sure. Nina and Valentin walk in.

Jax meets Nikolas in the alleyway behind the gallery. He’d hoped Nikolas was joking, and had the good sense not to be there. Nikolas asks where else he would be? and Jax says, hiding at his house. He and Nikolas’s mother have it covered. Nikolas says not until they have the portrait, and Jax says, then stop interrupting him so he can make it happen.

Willow tells Chase that she’s trying to focus on what she can control. There’s nothing she can do about Lucas or Nelle. He says, that leaves her mother. Willow says she wants to rebuild their relationship. She misses her mother, but it got complicated with Shiloh. Her mother regrets what she did, and Willow can forgive her, but doesn’t change what Shiloh did, and what Willow had to give up. Chase says, being Wiley’s mother. Willow sees Finn coming in with Violet, and says they’ll talk later. Finn asks if Violet remembers Willow and her Uncle Chase, and Violet says, of course (🍷) she does. Chase asks if her dad has been boring her, and Finn says Chase is a bad influence. Chase says it’s an uncle’s prerogative, and he’s the luckiest uncle in the world. Violet asks, why? and he says he has the coolest niece. Violet might know her; her name is Violet. Violet says, that’s her, and Chase takes her into his lap. Willow says she has to get going. She wants to see Brad and Lucas before visiting hours are over. She tells Chase to stay; she’ll see him at home. When she’s gone, Finn asks if it was something he said.

Willow leans on the wall outside. Maxie comes along with James, and asks if she’s okay.

Elizabeth tells Cameron, Franco knew the risks of the procedure not working, but he said he’d come back. She’s choosing to believe him.

Andre and Peter come out, and Andre thanks Peter again. Peter says he only did what anyone would have done. Anna says, not everyone would put themselves in the line of fire, but he did. Andre says he and Franco owe Peter big time. He tells them that he should give Elizabeth an update, and goes to the waiting area. Anna asks how Peter is feeling, and Peter says, fine; why? She says it’s normal to feel uneasy after shooting a man in the OR, and Peter admits it was a first. Anna says, hopefully, the gunman will pull through, and they’ll be able to question him about who sent him.

Elizabeth asks Andre if there’s any news. He says, Franco’s vitals are excellent. He’s just waiting for Franco to wake up, to see how the procedure affected him; then see where they go from there. Elizabeth asks if Andre is confident that he’ll wake up, and Andre says everyone who has gone through the procedure has regained consciousness, so he has no reason to believe Franco will be any different. He tells Elizabeth and Cameron that Franco did understand the risks beforehand, and signed a DNR order.

Ava tells Curtis and Laura, J. Garrin is considered divisive, and Curtis says, not the appreciation for his work. Didn’t one of his abstracts sell for $100K at Christie’s? Nina asks if anyone wants a drink, and Ava says she’ll show Nina to the bar. Laura asks Curtis to give her a moment alone with Valentin. Valentin asks if he should prepare for one of her signature tongue lashings, and she says, always. But this time she doesn’t want to talk about him. She wants to talk about Charlotte.

Lulu asks why Charlotte would think she was having a sleepover with Dustin, and Rocco says grown-ups have them too. She asks how they know this, and Charlotte says, Nina slept over when she and papa were boyfriend and girlfriend. Are Lulu and Dustin boyfriend and girlfriend? Lulu says, um… and Dustin give the kids money to get ice cream, saying he’ll save their seats. Dustin tells Lulu that he doesn’t think Charlotte fell for it, but Lulu says, Charlotte will be back to trying to convince Rocco that she pulled off a triple axel in no time. She’s sorry they embarrassed him, but he says, they didn’t. She says she keeps forgetting he works with teenagers. He says, it’s natural for them to be curious. He and Lulu have been seeing each other a while. Lulu says it sounds like they’re getting serious, and Dustin says, aren’t they?

Valentin says if Laura has a legitimate concern about Charlotte, he’ll listen. But if she’s just going to parrot Lulu… She says Valentin can’t make a decision about Charlotte’s safety without sharing it with Lulu. He should have told Lulu about Charlotte’s bodyguard. He says, what bodyguard?

Jax tells Nikolas that he has no reason to be there; he’s a liability. Nikolas disagrees, and Jax asks what can he do, besides lurk? Nikolas says he’s streaming the security footage on his tablet. There’s room filled with prospective buyers, including his wealthy and murderous uncle, who want the portrait. He wonders what Valentin and Laura are talking about. They don’t seem to be enjoying the conversation. Jax says, someone has to deal with Valentin, and he’d rather it be him than Nikolas’s mother.

Dustin asks if he brought up serious too soon. Lulu says, no, but he says the panic in her eyes suggests otherwise. She says she likes that things are getting more serious, but they skipped some of the bases on their way to home plate. He asks if she means having sex on the first date, and being walked in on. She says she’ll send him her therapy bill. He says it’s been three months, and she asks if he’s counting. He says, a little, but it’s okay if they take it slow. She asks if he’s sure. What if Charlotte is on to something? Does he want to sleep over? She kisses him. At the counter, Charlotte tells Rocco that she’ll do a triple axel next time. She needs more practice, so she’s going to be on the ice every day. He says she’s going to crack her head, but she says her bodyguard will make sure nothing happens to her. Rocco laughs, and says, what?

Valentin tells Laura that he didn’t hire a bodyguard. She says, not even after Charlotte was abducted? He says he has private security, but no one is watching Charlotte, and if they were, he’d tell Lulu, so she would realize Charlotte is being watched, not stalked. Laura believes him, and says, Charlotte is convinced she has a secret bodyguard. Is it possible that she has an imaginary friend? He says, absolutely not. That doesn’t sound like Charlotte at all.

Nikolas tells Jax that he’s taking the portrait home, and he’s prepared to do it by any means necessary. Jax asks, how? Does he plan to sneak in and grab it? Nikolas says, of course (🍷) not, and Jax says, then what? Oh, wait. He’s going to wait for the winner’s driver to load the painting, and then whack them in the head and steal the car? Better yet, is he going to threaten the driver’s family if they don’t leave town, and tell them they’ll never see their daughter again? That’s his M.O. Nikolas hopes it doesn’t come to that. It’s on Jax to win the portrait, but he has a contingency plan if Jax fails. Jax says, that’s not happening, and Nikolas says, prove it. Jax goes back inside, and Nikolas goes back to his tablet.

Nina asks Ava if it’s all set, and Ava says, trust her. None of these fools will know what hit them. Nina says, cheers to that, and Curtis says, cheers to what?

Finn tells Chase, Willow took off after he showed up. He didn’t shower. Is Chase sure it wasn’t him? He’s been told by some that he can be an acquired taste. Chase says they told Finn the truth, but Willow leaving had nothing to do with him. She has a lot going on. Finn says, by looks of it, he’s not the only one who heard Nelle was admitted to GH. Chase says, thankfully, Willow doesn’t  even know what Nelle looks like. Finn asks if Chase is going to tell him what’s going on or keep him guessing. Chase looks at Violet, who’s coloring, and Finn says, she’s in her own world. Chase says, for a minute, Willow thought she was pregnant. She’s not, but she didn’t tell him until after the fact. It’s like Pandora’s box. Once you start thinking about parenthood, it’s nearly impossible to stop.

Willow tells Maxie, she’s just overwhelmed. Willow asks James how he is, and Maxie says, he had too much fun at the park. Willow asks how Maxie is, and Maxie says, it’s been a bittersweet couple of days. Lucas hasn’t woken up. Willow says she’s headed there now, and Maxie says she’s been keeping her mind elsewhere, so she doesn’t not lose her mind. Willow asks if she’s had any luck, and Maxie says she started with the Kon Mari program. She needs to get rid of the clutter in her apartment. It’s been chaotic since Peter moved in. She’s been boxing up Georgie and James’s old clothes, so someone else can use them. James has grown a lot since last year.

Peter tells Anna that he doesn’t want the man’s blood on his hands. Anna says, don’t. Even when forced to kill for the greater good, it says with you. It was fortunate he didn’t want to send a reporter, and he says it was out of consideration for the family. She says Elizabeth should know the lengths he went to in order to spare them. Did he always do his own reporting? He asks what’s up with the third degree? Does she think he’s lying? She says, of course (🍷) not.

Andre tells Elizabeth and Cameron, if Franco ends up without brain function, he didn’t want to be on life support. He didn’t want to live that way. Cameron tells him, Drew decided that, but Elizabeth says, he won the right to determine his own medical care. Cameron asks how long they have to wait before the DNR kicks in, but Andre suggests they not get ahead of themselves. He has every reason to believe Franco will regain consciousness. They have to be patient. He’ll give them some privacy. Cameron flashes back to Franco giving him his phone.

Laura asks if Trina is a fan of art, and Trina says she is, but she’s interning at the gallery. She’s studying fine art, and not so fine art. Laura says if she’s referring to Helena’s portrait; she couldn’t agree more. If it was up to her, every image of that horrible woman would be wiped off the face of the planet. Trina asks if she knew Helena, and Laura says Helena was her son’s grandmother. Trina asks if Laura is bidding for him, and Laura says, in a way. Her son died a few years ago, but his legacy and family are important to her. In a strange twisted way, the portrait embodies that legacy. Trina hopes Laura wins, for her son. Laura says, her too. It would mean a lot to his son, and the rest of the family. Trina says she’s rooting for Laura, and Laura thanks her.

Valentin says, let him guess, Jax is bidding on the piece that’s a collision of technology and nature. Jax tells him, save the pretense, but Valentin says, that’s no fun. Jax says he’s glad Valentin came. He’s going to enjoy watching him fail. Valentin says, may the best man win, and Jax says, he always does.

Curtis approaches Nina, but she says, now is not a good time. Ava says they’re almost ready, and Curtis steers Nina into the hallway. She asks, what is it? and he says she’s been dodging him. She says she’s been busy, and he tells her that he has important information about Valentin. It’s clear Valentin has been lying about Sasha, and he has proof.

Ava says, ladies and gentlemen. She can’t  tell them how thrilled she is at how quickly some pieces have moved, but she believes she knows why some of them are there. The auction centerpiece, a rescued J. Garrin original portrait of Helena Cassadine, matriarch of the Cassadine family. They’re ready to start the bidding. She introduces the auctioneer, Mr. Key, and says he’ll take it from there. Mr. Key says he’s starting the bidding at $10K. Valentin bids $50K.

At the pier, Lulu says the launch isn’t there yet, and Rocco asks if he and Charlotte can watch the boats. She says, of course (🍷), but stay away from the edge. Dustin suggests he grab some things from home, and meet her later. She kisses him, while Charlotte and Rocco skip rocks. Charlotte pulls Rocco back, and says if he falls, she’s not going to save him. He says maybe her imaginary secret bodyguard will. She says she’s not making it up. Her bodyguard is real, and she’ll prove it to him.

Nina asks Curtis, what proof? and he says he followed up on the DNA test that was supposed to indicate Sasha was her daughter. As it turns out, the sample is from a mother and daughter, just not them. She asks what that means, and he says, all he’s saying is, he didn’t watch Sasha use the swab. He gave it to her, and returned for the sample. Valentin could have given Sasha another swab, and she had help from someone who knew their way around the lab. Nina says, Obrecht, and Curtis says, call him crazy, but she doesn’t seem surprised about Valentin lying to her. She says she’s not, and goes back into the auction.

Valentin bids $100K, and Jax bids $150K. Mr. Key says, going once… Going twice, and Valentin says, $300K. Nina tells Jax, whatever he thinks he’s doing, stop it now.

Anna says she doesn’t think Peter is lying. She just asking because there’s going be an extensive follow-up. The police are going to want to know everything that happened in detail, and she doesn’t think he’s prepared to tell them what they want to know. Andre goes by, and Peter says maybe Andre has an update, and they follow him. Elizabeth asks, what’s going on? Is Franco waking up? Andre says, there’s been no change yet, but he’s gotten an update on the man who tried to kill him.

Elizabeth asks if the gunman is out of surgery, and Andre says, yes; he didn’t make it. Peter asks if he’s dead, and Andre says, yeah, and with him any chance to find out who hired him to kill himself and Franco. A sound from one of Franco’s machines is heard, and Andre does an about-face. Anna asks if he’s okay, and Cameron and Elizabeth follow Andre. Andre says, there’s been a spike in Franco’s heart rate. Cameron asks if that’s bad, and Franco’s eyelids flutter.

Finn asks Chase, what’s the matter? Didn’t anyone ever talk to him about using protection? Chase says he and Willow were responsible. Besides, it was a false alarm. Finn says, good. Kids are amazing, but he’s barely ready to be a father, and he has a few years on Chase. Chase says, a few? and Finn says, hilarious. What would Chase have done if it hadn’t been the preferred outcome? Chase says he’s not ready to be a father just yet, but he’s committed to a future with Willow. He loves her, so he’d be all in; the stroller, the minivan, the whole thing, but he’s not going to lie. He’s not ready. Finn says Chase will be a good dad when the time comes. Everything will work out, so what’s the problem? Chase says he just thought it brought back feelings about Wiley for Willow.

Maxie tells Willow, it’s amzing how fast kids grow from week to week. In a couple of months, you forget what they used to look like. She apologizes for rambling. She realizes James isn’t much older than Wiley. Willow says, it’s fine. Maxie doesn’t have to walk on eggshells around her. Maxie says she does have some understanding about how Willow feels. She went through a messy custody situation with Georgie, that she created herself. She thought she could give Georgie up, but she couldn’t. Willow says she’s sorry. It was different with her. She gave Wiley up to protect him from Shiloh, and she can never regret that.

Mr. Key says, $300K. Going once… Going twice… Nina tells Jax that she said stop, and drags him out. She tells him that if he keeps bidding, he’ll regret it.

Nikolas watches on his tablet. Valentin bids $400K, and Mr. Key says, going once… Going twice… Laura says, $450K. Ava is thrilled. Me too. This is fun.

Mr. Key says, a bid for $450K from the mayor. Ava says, that was quite a bid. Is Laura sure? Laura says, Ava heard her, and Mr. Key says, $450. Going once… Going twice… A waitress slams into Valentin, distracting him, and Mr. Key says, sold! Curtis and Laura fist bump, and Valentin looks furious. Suddenly, the painting is ablaze. Nikolas says, dammit! No! Everyone watches in shock as the portrait burns. Nina smiles, and Ava looks satisfied.

Dustin and Lulu kiss. Charlotte asks Rocco if he wants proof, and jumps into the water.

Willow tells Maxie that she doesn’t regret it. She protected Wiley from Shiloh. She’s so grateful he has two parents who love him. Maxie says, that doesn’t make it hurt any less, and Willow says, not really. She says, she’d better run before visiting hours are over.

Chase tells Finn that he knows Wiley is in Willow’s heart. He overestimated how well Willow was coping with giving him up and still seeing him. Finn says, it’s got to be hard. Anna still grapples with her decision to give up Peter.

Anna asks if Peter is okay, and he says, yeah. It’s a lot to process. She’s sure he can take comfort in having saved Franco and Andre’s lives.

Andre says, a rising heartrate means Franco is closer to consciousness. He tells Elizabeth and Cameron, talk to him. Help him find his way. Elizabeth touches Franco’s face, and says they’re here for him. They love him so much, and he said he’d come back to them. They’re here waiting. Cameron has no idea what to say, and Elizabeth says they just love him so much. Franco’s eyes start to open.

Tomorrow, Trina asks who Nikolas is and what he’s doing there, Valentin says the portrait is gone along with its many secrets, and Dustin tells Lulu to call 911.

Below Deck

Ashton tells the deckhands that the captain was in the crew mess, and Kate had the audacity to throw their clothing all over the place. He doesn’t care what Brian said; it doesn’t effing matter. Who TF does Kate think she is? Kate goes to her bunk, crying. Brian is upset that Courtney took Kate’s side, and she says she tried to talk to him about it, but he shut the car door in her face, dismissing her. In Brian’s interview, he says Kate is the issue, and is starting sh*t to get a reaction. It’s disappointing and frustrating that Courtney is taking her side. Kate tells Rhylee, the entire crew hates her. In Kate’s interview, she says she’s not feeling so great. Everywhere she turns, she’s being attacked. We flash back to incidents with Simone, Kevin, and Brian. She doesn’t know what she did to these people. She doesn’t feel it should be her job to point out that they need to respect her stripes, but she wishes somebody would.

Tanner texts, U up? to Simone. She texts that she can’t sleep, and Tanner tells Brian that they’re pulling the old switcheroo. Simone goes to Tanner’s bunk, and Brian apologizes to Courtney. In Simone’s interview, she says, she’s weak. Brian tells Courtney, he misses her, and gets in her bunk. In her interview, she says, he’s like a lost puppy.

Courtney helps Kevin, while the deckhands finish up getting the boat ready. Rhylee says, it’s hot already, and Ashton says that’s why he likes being on deck early. And he’s still drunk. The captain calls Kate to join him for a cup of coffee. Rhylee asks how Ashton feels about the elephant in her room, now that he’s sober. In her interview, Rhylee says, Kate is used to the captain jumping to her defense. She doesn’t want to betray Kate, but she does get favored, and runs the ship however she wants. Ashton says she’s taking advantage. Maybe the previous crews allowed her to get away with it, but he doesn’t think this crew is going to.

Captain Lee tells Kate he’s not going to tolerate someone blowing up. She says if she hadn’t been drinking 10 am, she probably wouldn’t have thrown the clothes on the floor. He says she’s got to be above that. In Kate’s interview, she says it’s never great to have a talk with Captain Lee about behavior he’s witnessed the night before. She’s so hungover, and there’s make up on her face from crying. The captain tells her that they have a good crew their responsible, and Ashton has to make sure it stays that way. In his interview, Captain Lee says he’s worked with Kate for five years, and she’s earned preferential treatment, but her behavior is inappropriate, and he’s disappointed. It can never happen again. She says she’s sorry she threw the uniforms on the ground. The captain hopes it’s the worst thing she ever does. She promises it won’t happen again.

Courtney tells Kate that everyone washed their clothes, and left hers in a pile. In Kate’s interview, she says, thank God Courtney is good at her job. It feels like Courtney is the only person who respects her at all. The captain calls Ashton, Kate, and Kevin in for the preference sheet meeting.

He says he wasn’t pleased about last night, and going forward, he expects them to act like adults. This shouldn’t be a difficult charter, and he suggests they not screw it up. He passes out the sheets, and Kate says, Master Pearson. It’s repeat guests, Torrie and Albert. Kate says the kids have grown up so much. Captain Lee says, one of the guests who’s coming back, is the one Chandler dropped on her ass. We flash back to that, and he says he wants to send her back with less bruises this time. In Ashton’s interview, he says, it was a sh*t show. We flash back to Chandler dropping the guest, the guests getting stranded with no supplies, and Pearson wailing when he stepped on broken glass. Ashton says as much as he and Kate are at each other throats, they need to put their personal differences aside. They can’t mess this up. The captain says they want to see a traditional Thai dance performance, and Torrie wants to surprise husband and children with Albert’s parents, who live there. He tells Kevin  that he’ll have two more guests for lunch that day. They also want a roaring 20s party. Kate asks if there won’t be any alcohol, since there was Prohibition, and the captain suggests bathtub gin.

Ashton calls Kate, and asks if she has a minute. Kate says she hates today so much. In his interview, he says, at this point, it’s obvious Kate has no respect for his position or the rest of the crew. They should be setting the example, and Kate thinks she’s better than everyone. It’s frustrating that she gets away with murder. She asks. what’s up? and he says, obviously there was a bit of a scene in the crew mess last night. She says Brian called her a bitch, and she got mad at Brian. Ashton says, it’s important for him to find out why something brings him to that level, and I’m surprised Kate shows so much restraint in not slapping him for acting like her elementary school teacher. Or A therapist. He says, when they’re told a time to be ready before an excursion, he feels like she and Rhylee don’t care. That’s where his frustration is coming from. In her interview, Kate wonders who Ashton thinks he is. Has he lost his mind? She thought he was going to apologize, not bitch about something else. Kate says, sorry he got frustrated.

Kevin tells the captain that the exhaust fan in the galley isn’t working, and the engineer has no clue what’s wrong. In his interview, Kevin says, this is going to be a problem. If there’s a smoke smell, nothing will go up. Captain Lee suggests getting another fan, and they’ll try and work with it that way. Kevin goes back to the galley, and the captain says, what else? Ashton tells Brian that Kate didn’t apologize. She said she’s sorry he feels that way. Kate gives Courtney an extra stripe. In Kate’s interview, she says it’s a reward for Courtney, and a punishment for Simone. Between Simone’s bratty behavior, and Courtney being good at her job, Courtney deserves the extra stripe. She tells Courtney that it comes with extra responsibility, and Courtney says, yeah. What she’s doing already. In Courtney’s interview, she says, it’s awkward, but not unwarranted.

Tanner tells Ashton that he got sh*t for dancing with the girl by the pool. He doesn’t want to be with someone who gets jealous this easy. In his interview, he says he likes Simone, but he loves being single. How many people say, thank God I got married? (No comment.) Courtney says it’s hot in the galley already, and Kevin says, it’s just going to get hotter. Simone calls her mom, and explains what happened last night, saying, apparently, Kate threw stuff on the floor. Then she gave the other stew a new position. Her grandmother says, no one is indispensable, and Simone says, she’s evil. In Simone’s interview, she says Kate’s got the wrong person if she wants to get a reaction. She’s not that basic bitch. The provisions come in.

Captain Lee calls a staff meeting, and Tanner says, it’s like being called to the principal’s office. The captain isn’t happy about something. He has two rules; don’t embarrass yourself or the boat. It seems all of them aren’t getting that message. He got an email from the beach club about the behavior of the crew. Cannon balls into the pool resulted in damaging the DJ equipment. We see a clip of Ashton jumping in, and water going all over the boards. In his interview, Ashton says, f***. The captain says they want to be compensated, and it’s justifiable, so the crew will iron it out and pay for it. In Kate’s interview, she says, hilarious. Ashton’s not so perfect. In Ashton’s interview, he says he’s ashamed of it. He’s not perfect. He apologizes to Captain Lee, who appreciates it. Ashton says he’ll cover the cost and apologize to the club. The captain says they’ve been working together for years, and Ashton knows what he expects. In the captain’s interview, he says, Ashton got a pass this time, but the pond Ashton is skating on has thin ice. He gives Ashton the printout of the damage, and says he hopes they get a good tip.

The captain says, fifteen minutes until the guests arrive. Ashton apologizes to Kate for his behavior at the beach club. She’s sure he built up frustration waiting for her and Rhylee, but he says they’re separate issues. In his interview, Ashton says he’s going around with his tail between his legs, and the queen bee bitch needs to have the last say, and drive a knife in his side. He tells Kevin that he doesn’t think it’s cool. Rhylee tells Kate not to make her late. Kate hopes she’s using deodorant and not hair spray on her armpits.

The guests arrive. In Kate’s interview, she says she likes returning guests. It takes away some of the stress of not knowing. But these guests had miserable experience last time, so there’s more pressure to make sure it’s perfect. The captain tells them that Kate will give the tour, and they’ll get out of there and have some fun. I guess he can’t get this party started because, little kids. Torrie says it’s a different vibe on the Valor, and they ship out. Albert thinks it’s more beautiful than Tahiti. After the guests settle in, Courtney asks Albert if he’d like another drink, and he says, the answer will almost always be yes.

Kevin wants to avoid making anything hot, and says, a caprese salad is refreshing on a hot day. Lunch is ready, and the toys are put in the water. Tanner points out all the jellyfish, and Ashton tells the guests that they have a pool they can put in the water. In his interview, he says the pool has a protective net to prevent sea creatures from coming in. He’s definitely been avoiding it, since he’s heard it’s a massive pita to put together, but this is the charter they need to redeem themselves with, so… A guest finds hair on her cheese. In Kate’s interview, she says, it’s disgusting. It’s one of the worst things anyone can experience, and not a good way to start the charter. She shows Kevin. In his interview, he says he can’t believe they’re starting this way. It’s a nightmare. Albert says, strike one, first meal.

In his interview, Kevin says, the first meal sets the tone, but it’s not his fault; it’s not his hair. I’ve noticed nothing is ever Kevin’s fault, but it is his fault. He should have noticed. He sends out a new hair-free plate. Ashton tries to figure out the pool, and he, Brian, and Rhylee set it up, and lower it into the water. Kate calls for a Thai dancer and some décor to go with the performance. In her interview, she says she loves local culture, whatever their location. The guests and crew like it, and while everyone is distracted, it gives her a break. The pool is brought back, and Ashton says, all that work for 40 minutes of play.

Kate says, even the limes are sweating. She’s going to get the fans. In Kate’s interview, she says, it’s just effing hot. If an oscillating fan is blowing on you, you’re somewhere depressing, like the DMV. Packing up the pool is taking forever, and Ashton says, this thing is a sh*t show. Brian tells Rhylee to calm down, although for the life of me, I can’t figure out why. She says she is calm, and tells him, don’t start with her. He says he’s not, and tells her not to get excited. She walks away, saying , he’s an effing moron. She’s not saying anything, and he’s telling her to calm down. She’s effing irritated. The dancer arrives. Kate asks if Rhylee wants some stripes, and Rhylee tells her to give them to the boys. She thinks they know all about stripes. She’s pissed off at Brian, and wonders how somebody so good looking could get under her skin. Ashton tells Brian that if he has an issue with Rhylee, and needs to speak to her, pull her aside. In Ashton’s interview, he says it’s like walking on eggshells dealing with Rhylee. He needs to be careful how he says or explains things. Fighting fire with fire is not going to work, and he doesn’t want to deal with more drama. Kate tells Rhylee, they’re a bit of a bitch, huh?

Lanterns are hung and decorations are put up. Ashton tells Kevin that they can smell smoke on the deck, and Kevin says he’ll just make salads from now on In Kevin’s interview, he says, lunch wasn’t perfect, and he wants to step it up for dinner. He’s making pineapple fried rice, and serving it in baby pineapples, along with meat on a lemongrass skewer. It’s fun for the kids, and looks cool. Kate tells them that they have a surprise before dessert. The dancer comes out, and does her thing. It’s pretty cool, and I love her costume, but she’s wearing… tube socks? In Kate’s interview, she says, the dancer is so festive. Kate respects her; she has commitment to her craft. Everyone takes pictures, and dessert is brought out. No one except Albert is into the dessert. Guest Scott bitches that he expected Michelin star quality food. Ground pork on a stick? He hopes they can do better tomorrow. Kate tells Kevin, and in his interview, Kevin says, obviously, Scott wasn’t looking for meat on a stick tonight, but he thinks there’s no pleasing these guys. Sorry.

Tanner tells Simone, the deck crew has lost seven pounds sweating. He asks if she’s cool with keeping their relationship casual, and she says as long as there’s respect. In Simone’s interview, she says she doesn’t get what’s in his mind. She likes being with him, she likes making out with him, and waking up next to him, but maybe she shouldn’t. Maybe she should be like, stop – she slaps her own wrist – leave the hot man alone. Tanner says as long as they’re on the same page.

The captain tells Ashton and Brian that the water taxi is bringing Albert’s parents out. In Ashton’s interview, he says it’s a surprise arrival of the kids’ grandparents. They already have two kids on board, which is a safety hazard, and now they’ll have two elderly people. Everything they do needs to be calculated. The water taxi heads for the yacht, and on deck, Torrie tells the kids she wonders why the boat is coming so close. The kids see who it is, and get all excited. In her interview, Kate asks if it gets cuter than this. Has this yacht turn into a Hallmark movie? She loves old people. They’re cute and have wisdom. Kevin asks how long the guests will be on the beach, and Kate says, as long as they want. He suggests they put the food on table. In his interview, he says family style is a fairy tale for him. Growing up, he had a small family. He likes how you can sit back and look at the food, and get into it.

On deck, Pearson feels rain, and Torrie says, the wind is getting strong. Driving the first boat to the beach, Ashton isn’t comfortable with the waves, and says he’s sorry he teased them with a beach excursion, but they can’t do it. He doesn’t want the boat to be smashing them. In his interview, he says they’ve dealt with injuries already. The narrow approach, and crashing waves are a bad combination. They can’t have injuries or the guests will pack their bags. Ashton radios Captain Lee, and says he’s not comfortable. The captain says if he can’t do it safely, don’t do it at all. In Kate’s interview, she says they had it on their preference sheet, and the guests were excited. Canceling is a big deal. They’re all screwed. Torrie says, they can’t go? but she’s told, it’s rough, and they can’t risk it.

In Kate’s interview, she says she and Kevin were going to have lunch set up for when the guests came back from the beach, but thanks to Ashton, there’s no beach, they have disappointed guests, and they wasted their time. The captain tells the deckhands to break out the toys; all of them. In Ashton’s interview, he says he avoided one problem, but created another problem. Now they have to rush to make sure the guests aren’t bored and mommy is happy. Captain Lee tells Ashton to put out the pool, and they’ll give the guests as much fun as they can. Kate tells the guests, they’re going to proceed with lunch; it’s one large feast. Tanner tells Ashton, it was the right call. Pearson wants the toys, and Torrie says, they’re setting them up. Kate says, we took circulated air for granted. It’s getting smoky. Tanner says the current is working against them, and asks Rhylee to tie off the line on the pool. She says he just asked her to untie it. Ashton complains about Rhylee’s fishing knots.

It’s really smoky in the galley, and the fire alarm goes off. Torrie says they can go to the island to eat. Rhylee and Tanner continue to bicker over the line. Kate holds up the fan, and tells Kevin that she’s his biggest fan. BA-DUM-CHH! In Kate’s interview, she says the guests are disappointed, and she’s frustrated. It’s hard to think when you’re just trying to survive. It’s chaos. The most wild experience of her life.

Next time, Captain Lee says they have to pull out all the stops, Ashton tells Rhylee not to come at him with that attitude again, Smashton’s out of his cage, and Kate walks.

⛵ A new member of the franchise, Below Deck Sailing Yacht, will premiere on Monday, February 3rd. You can check out a nugget about it here. No sign of Abbi though.

https://www.bravotv.com/below-deck/bravocon/below-deck-sailing-yacht-sneak-peek-of-new-show-bravocon-2019

FYI – The finale of The Real Housewives of Orange County is tomorrow (okay, today really), Tuesday, December 17th,  but Part One of the Reunion will be the following day, Wednesday, December 18th, at 10 pm. That makes the line-up, New Jersey, Dallas, and Orange County, starting at 8 pm. That’s just too many Wives in one night, so I’ll see what I can conjure up.

👧 Maybe It’s Me…

It sure looks like they both have the same hairline in the pictures.

https://pagesix.com/2019/12/13/rhoc-star-kelly-dodd-trashes-tamra-judge-over-receding-hairline-joke/

Just in case that wasn’t enough.

https://celebrityinsider.org/kelly-dodd-responds-to-tamra-judge-making-fun-of-her-hairline-350949/

🍑 Cynthia Sets It Straight…

Because we’ve all been waiting with bated breath.

https://pagesix.com/video/cynthia-bailey-on-where-she-stands-with-the-ladies-of-rhoa/

🍔 I Suppose It Could Be Worse…

Hopefully, the internet is being kind, but I’m guessing if she’d gained fifty pounds, the haters would be all over that.

https://pagesix.com/2019/12/14/meghan-king-edmonds-believes-shes-too-thin-im-a-stress-non-eater/

💫 Now For Something Completely Different…

While ’tis the season and all that, I recently read this article:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/deep-roots-italian-song-sounds-like-english-american-medieval-comedy-nonsense

and it led me to this song. I love foreign language pop, but this is unique in that it’s nonsense. It’s also pretty catchy, and sounds like it could have been written a lot more recently than 1972.