What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the gym, Sonny tells Dante, he’s not looking for any specifics. It’s just when he looks into Esme, Sonny wants to know… Dante says he can’t tell Sonny anything, and Sonny says he’s not asking Dante to, but when he does look, he wants Dante to see the whole picture. Brando walks in wearing a suit, and Sonny asks, what’s this get-up? The wedding already happen? Brando says, yeah, and hugs Sonny. Dante says he heard; congratulations. He shakes Brando’s hand and asks where’s his invite? Brando says, it was a short list, and Dante asks, what’s Brando doing? This doesn’t exactly look like gym attire. Brando says he’s heading to The Savoy; big day for his wife.

Lucy, Sasha, Maxie, and Brook walk into The Savoy, which is decorated for their party. Sasha says, how great Lucy looked ringing the bell on Wall Street today, and Lucy says, they all looked great, but they also looked gorgeous, and powerful, and successful. She does admit, she looked pretty spectacular ringing that bell. Maxie says, it was even better flying home. How great was it that one of their investors lent them his private plane? Brook says, it was unbelievable, and thanks them for including her on the trip and letting her stand up there with them when they rang the bell. It’s a big deal. Maxie says, they’re a big deal. She knows Brook isn’t a partner, but nobody would know how fabulous Deception is if it wasn’t for her. Lucy says, exactly. That makes her invaluable. Sasha says, it’s been a rough year, but through it all, they stayed committed to Deception, and Maxie says, and now, they reap the rewards.

Elizabeth is about to go upstairs, when she hears something. She comes back, and the lights go out. She sees a man’s figure in the shadows, and says, what do you want? He says, don’t forget me, and she asks who he is. She wakes up on the couch. She looks around, and says, okay. It was just a hell of a dream. She gets up, and looks at the drafting table, seeing a painting of the beach with the words DON’T FORGET ME painted over it in red. She touches the paint, and sees it’s fresh.

Scotty asks Ava why they’re eating at Charlie’s instead of Windymere. She knows how he likes the brisk ride out there, and the fresh orange juice, and the fancy frittatas. She says she stayed in town last night, and he asks, is there trouble on Spoon Island? She says, trouble with a capital E.

Spencer pours coffee, when Esme walks in. He asks how she’s doing. He was just about to bring this up to her room. She says, tired, and sits next to him. He asks if she wants any breakfast, and she says, no food, just coffee. He says, the usual? Cream and two sugars? She says, it’s nice of him to still wait on her, especially since they know she’s not pregnant after all.

At Kelly’s, Laura tells Finn, Elizabeth means a great deal to her, and she’s glad Elizabeth has Finn in her life, especially with what she and the boys are going through right now. He says he’s helping her as much as she’ll let him. Of course (🍷) Elizabeth’s first reaction is to try and do everything on her own.

Aiden calls downstairs to Elizabeth that he can’t find his P.E. clothes, and she tells him to check in the laundry room. She tries to hide the painting, but Jake comes down and asks what she’s doing. He says, it happened again? and she stops him from reaching for the painting. He says, don’t forget me? She says she doesn’t want him to worry about this, but he says he’s not a kid anymore. He should know if someone broke in. Aiden joins them, and says, someone broke in again? She says she doesn’t know what happened. Hopefully, the police will be able to tell them. Jake says, and if they can’t? and she says she’ll deal with it. Jake says, by herself? and she says, she’ll do anything to protect them, even if she has to do it alone. Jake says she doesn’t have to, and takes out his phone. She asks who he’s calling.

Ava tells Scotty, her husband has not only invited his son to live with them at Windymere, he’s seen fit to invite Spencer’s now ex-girlfriend. He says, the famous Esme? and she says, he’s met her? He says, no, but his client Trina has given him an earful, and she says, right now, at this very moment, Esme is likely propping her feet up on Ava’s furniture, and nibbling Scotty’s fancy frittatas. The best part, she may be nibbling for two. He asks if she’s saying that Esme is having a little baby Cassadine, when Laura comes in and says, what? For the love of God, please tell her that she misheard them.

Esme says she has a confession to make, and Spencer says, what’s that? She says, last night, when the pregnancy test came up negative, she was worried he’d kick her out. He says he told her that he wouldn’t, and she says, that was before they knew the truth, and once they found out, she guesses she just got scared. Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe she should just leave and take her chances on the mainland with Sonny. Nikolas walks in, and asks why she’d be leaving.

Brando tells Sonny and Dante, Deception is going public today, so they’re throwing a launch party at The Savoy, and watch how the stock performs. The celebration’s all day; they should stop in. Dante says, that’s huge news, and Sonny says, he must be proud of Sasha. Brando says, more than anything. He’s just happy to see something good happen to her. After all that’s happened, Sasha deserves it.

Nina tells Sasha, this is a great party, and asks how it feels. Sasha says, surreal, but good surreal, and Nina says, get used to it. She has a feeling this is just the beginning. Anna and Felicia have champagne with Maxie, and Anna says she must be so proud. Maxie says she didn’t do it on her own, and Anna says, but no one else here is Felicia’s daughter. Felicia says, or Anna’s goddaughter. Maxie went from assistant at Crimson to an equity partnership with a company on the New York Stock Exchange. She’s in awe. Anna says, she’s British and they don’t do awe, but… and Maxie says, in that case, to awe.

Curtis tells Lucy that he’s honored they chose The Savoy to launch their IPO, and Gladys looks at her clipboard. She says, they have a very select group. With the exception of Brando, all of their guests are here. Brook asks why Selena Wu is crashing their event, but Gladys says, she isn’t crashing; she’s on the list. Selena comes over, and says, what an auspicious occasion. Brook says, what an honor. How is it she’s here? Maxie says, she’s on the guest list, and Selena says, all major investors were invited, so here she is. Curtis asks if she’s saying she bought a stake in Deception, and she says, almost from the beginning. It only took a little patience. When she sees a good investment, she goes for it.

Laura asks if Ava is saying Esme is pregnant, and Ava says, a mere possibility. At least that’s what she gathered before she walked out on Nikolas. Laura says, what? and Ava tells her, she said either Esme had to go or she did, and Esme’s there and she’s here, so… Laura says, oh my God. What is he thinking? and Ava says she has no idea, but please feel free to get all the gory details from her son. Laura says, believe her, she will, and walks out. Scotty says he almost feels sorry for Nikolas, and Ava says she doesn’t. Let’s discuss why she asked him here. He says, fire away, and she says, as her lawyer, she needs him to tell her what she’s entitled to if she walks away from her marriage.

Nikolas says, all things considered, Esme is better off here, but she says, as it turns out, she’s not pregnant after all. He says he won’t tell her how to feel, but he believes that’s for the best, and she says, since she’s no longer carrying Spencer’s child, there’s no reason for her to stay. Spencer says, the invitation to stay here still stands, and Nikolas says he saw how rattled she was yesterday. She deserves to feel safe. She thanks him, and says she can’t tell him how terrifying that encounter with Sonny was. If he and his Uncle Victor hadn’t come along… Nikolas says, they did and she’s safe. That’s all that matters. Spencer says he’s not sure what Uncle Sonny’s intent was, but he’d never let anyone hurt her. She says, really? Despite everything he still cares enough to protect her? He says, and he always will.

Finn comes into Elizabeth’s house, and asks if she’s okay. He’s sorry. He shouldn’t have left her alone last night. She says, he deserves a nice dinner with his family, and he says, she’s family too; all of them. He thanks Jake for calling, and Jake says, thanks for coming. Finn asks Elizabeth to tell him what happened, and she says, it was the weirdest thing. Laura left, and she went to go upstairs. The lights went out, and she thought she saw someone. Aiden says, she saw who broke into their house? and she says she only thought she did. The next thing she knew, she was waking up on the couch. Finn asks who she thinks she saw, but she says she couldn’t make out a face. The person said, don’t forget me. Then when she woke up, don’t forget me was painted on a piece of artwork on the drafting table. It was still wet. What if they don’t catch this guy? Aiden asks if there’s a way to check for fingerprints, and Jake says, or trace the paint? Finn says, smart boys, and now that they have a lead, they need to call in reinforcements.

Sonny says, Sasha’s been through a lot, but Brando deserves to be happy too. Brando says he is. He knows what people are saying; he and Sasha eloped to distract themselves from grieving their son. His own mother thinks all this is too soon. Sonny says, let him tell Brando something about his mother. Gladys has a lot of opinions, but the only ones that matter are Brando and Sasha’s. Brando says he knows. For a while, he thought his mother was right, and he and Sasha woudn’t have a future without Liam. Sonny says, listen to him. Couples have cracked under a lot less. Dante says, and no one can tell how they’ll react when they’re faced with something unthinkable like that. Brando and Sasha were there for each other. They’re getting each other through it; that’s great. Sonny says, they bring out each other’s strengths; that’s a beautiful thing. Brando says he’d love to think that, but Sasha’s strong all on her own. At first, he was afraid she was going to be in denial, but it turns out he was wrong. Sasha’s just doing it her way.

Lucy tells Selena that they’re so pleased to welcome her to the Deception family, and they’re delighted she’s here today to share in their special celebration. Selena says, the pleasure is all hers, and Lucy thanks her. She says, now if Selena will excuse them, she and her co-workers are going to go huddle and mingle. They leave, and Selena walks over to Curtis, who tells her that she’s full of surprises. She says he shouldn’t be surprised that she has varied interests. Her grandfather always told her, only an unwise farmer plants a single crop. He says, her grandfather’s very insightful. In fact, the last time she was here, she told Curtis his favorite fable. She says, which reminds her. The money tree she gave him, is it flourishing?  

Lucy asks if anyone knew Selena was buying up shares of Deception, and Maxie says, absolutely not. She must have invested under a shell corporation. Brook says, now that the stock is being traded publicly, anyone who can afford it can buy in, including lady gangsters. Maxie says, Brook always knows the best things to say, and Brook says, look on the bright side. If the biggest surprise of the day is Miss Wu being an investor, the rest of the day should be pretty seamless. Maxie says, speaking of surprises, she has someone meeting her here. Felicia says, my God, look. The stock is going up. Lucy and Brook run over to see, and Austin walks in. He sees Maxie, and says, hey, big shot. Do him a favor, and don’t forget about the little people who helped her on the way up. She says she’s sorry; who is he? He asks if she wants him to remind her, and they kiss. Brook sees, and nearly has apoplexy.

Sonny tells Brando that his dad liked Sasha. He called her a spitfire. Brando says, Mike would have gotten a kick out of the fact Sasha proposed to him, and Sonny says, she did? Sonny tells Dante, the way he and Sam are headed, they’re going to be next, when Dante’s phone rings. Dante says, saved by the bell, and steps away. Brando says he has to head out; he’s literally tardy late for the party. Sonny says, tell everybody that he said, have a good time, and Brando says, will do. He and Sonny bro hug, and Brando says he knows he tells Sonny this all the time, but he really appreciates everything Sonny’s done for him. Sonny says, Brando is his family, and Brando says, it’s more than being related. Sonny has been there for him, and if he can ever repay the favor, he’d be honored. Sonny says he’ll keep that in mind. Go. His wife is waiting. Brando says he’ll see them there later, and Sonny laughs.

Felicia congratulates Lucy, and Lucy says, for what? She has no idea. Of course (🍷) she has an idea, but she loves hearing it. Felicia says, for bringing her dream company to life, for taking it public, and for ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange. And choosing the right outfit to ring it in. Lucy thanks her for all of the above. It was harder picking her ensemble than running an entire company and creating it. Felicia says, she made the perfect choice, and they hug.

Curtis says, the money tree is thriving, and Selena says, as could their partnership. Has he given any more thought to her proposition? He says he hasn’t changed his mind, and she says if he won’t let her host poker games in his back room, there are plenty of establishments that will. He says, wonderful. Then he encourages her to pursue them. He’s made his position perfectly clear. She asks why she still feels there’s a chance of bringing him on her side?

Brook marches over to Austin and Maxie, and asks how long this has been going on. Maxie says, not long; it’s new. Brook says, like five minutes ago new? Which is the only acceptable amount of time to justify Maxie not telling her that she’s dating Brook’s arch nemesis. Austin says, her arch nemesis? She thinks so highly of him. Maxie says she was going to tell Brook, and Brook says she gets it. Maxie doesn’t owe her anything. She stomps off, and Austin says he thinks Maxie’s friend just made them all about her, but Maxie says, she’s hurting. She probably thinks Maxie was intentionally hiding this from her. He says, is she? Because if he’s her dirty little secret, it’s kind of okay with him; it’s kind of hot. She says, he is part of the problem. If he and Brook hadn’t been, and remained, so antagonistic toward each other, she would have felt more comfortable telling Brook about them. He asks what he can do to make this right, and she says, make peace with Brook. He says, anything but that.

Dante asks if Sonny is okay, and Sonny says, why wouldn’t he be? Dante says he knows Sonny is happy for Brando, but that’s got to bring stuff up. Sonny says, because his marriage failed, he can’t be happy for anybody else? Dante knows as well as he does, there’s life after divorce. Dante says he does know that, and Sonny asks if he’s ready to box. Dante says he’d love to, but that was a work call. Sonny says, don’t worry about it. He’ll find someone else; someone better than Dante. They laugh and hug.  

Esme says she and Spencer can spend the day together at least, but he says he has plans. They’ll talk later. He leaves, and Nikolas says, Spencer’s transition back to civilian life might take time. Esme says, that’s kind of him, but they both know Spence isn’t struggling with being home; he’s struggling with her being in his home. Nikolas puts his arm around Esme, when Laura walks in. She says, sorry to interrupt, and Nikolas says he wasn’t expecting her. She says she can see that. She ran into his wife, and she thought she might stop by. He says, she saw Ava? How is she? Laura says, maybe he should ask where she is, and he says, okay, where? She says, at Charlie’s meeting with her lawyer.

Scotty and Ava sit at a table, and he says, let him understand this. She’s throwing in the towel because of an unwanted houseguest? She says, Esme has taken up residence in her home against her wishes. Can he blame her for walking out? He asks if this is really about Esme, or is she just looking for a way out?

Brando arrives at The Savoy, and asks Sasha, how’s it going, wife? She says, stock is trading well, husband. Where’s he been? He says, he just ran into Sonny and Dante at the gym. They send their congratulations, about the company and them. Gladys runs up, and says, Brando. He turns around, and she sees a bouquet in his hand. She says, they’re lovely, but flowers are unnecessary. She’s already forgiven him for eloping and leaving her behind, so he shouldn’t have. He says, good, because he didn’t; they’re for Sasha. He takes the bouquet, and gives it to Sasha, who pulls out a rose, and gives it to Gladys, saying, for her. Gladys says, very gracious. Unlike some. She looks at Brando, and he kisses Sasha.

Nikolas asks Laura, Ava is seeing a lawyer? About what? She says she can’t speak to that, but she did hear the Cassadine family might expanding. Esme says, that’s what she thought, but false alarm. Nikolas asks if Laura spoke to Ava, and Laura looks at Esme. Esme says, if they’ll excuse her, and jets. Laura says, thank God Esme’s not pregnant. At least they avoided that catastrophe. He asks if Ava was okay, and she says, Ava told her that she walked out on him. He says, they argued. He told Esme that she could stay without running it by Ava. Laura asks why he would do that, and he says, because she needed a safe haven. Sonny’s been intimidating her. He had words with her over this sex tape that’s been making the rounds. She says, Sonny’s not the only one who thinks Esme is responsible for that. Cam and Joss both think Esme framed Trina Robinson. And then there’s his wife. If Esme should be afraid of anyone, she should be afraid of Ava. He says he’s sorry Ava is upset, but he won’t let anything happen to Esme, and she asks why he’s being so protective of Esme all of a sudden.

Sonny spars with a random partner, when Spencer walks into the gym. Sonny comes out of the ring, and asks if Spencer wants to hold the bag. Spencer gets behind the heavy bag, and Sonny throws some punches. He says, it’s good to see Spencer out of Spring Ridge. How does it feel being a free man? Spencer says, it’s more complicated than he thought it would be, and Sonny says, he knows what it’s like to be away for so long, and come back and get your life on track. Spencer can do it. Spencer says, a lot happened the month he was away, and Sonny asks if he means when Cameron and Josslyn were taped having sex in his cabin, and now that tape has leaked out? Spencer says, like that, and Sonny says, now that they’re on the subject, they need to discuss Spencer’s girlfriend Esme. There’s a lot of things they need to talk about. Spencer says, he’s damn right they do. Starting with why Sonny thought it was okay to scare the hell out of her.

Nina tells Curtis, fantastic party, and says, hi, to Selena. Curtis introduces them, and Selena says she’s long been a fan of Nina’s magazine. Curtis says, she has? and Selena says, of course (🍷). How is one to be taken seriously in business if one has no sense of trends or style? She asks if Nina wouldn’t agree, and Nina says she certainly would. She thinks she and Selena have a mutual acquaintance; Sonny Corinthos. Selena says, yes. Mr. Corinthos has proven to be a valuable friend, and one can never have too many of those. She looks at Curtis, and says, it’s been a pleasure to meet Nina. She leaves, and Nina says, what was that? Curtis says, trouble.

Felicia tells Anna, imagine, she used to be so bored with stocks and bonds, and Anna asks if she thinks she and Mac are going to investing now. Felicia says, no, too risky, and Anna tells her, says the women who went to Switzerland on her own to rescue her daughter. Felicia says, some risks are worth taking. She can’t wait to see Victor Cassadine get his, and Anan says, her too. Tomorrow, they get the bad guy. Today… Felicia says, we celebrate, and they clink champagne flutes.

Dante asks if the new alarm system was armed, but Elizabeth says she disarmed it. The boys kept forgetting and setting it off. Finn says, the patrols are still driving by, right? and Dante says, they are, but they didn’t report any unusual activity last night. In the kitchen, Aiden asks if they shouldn’t call Cam and let him know it happened again last night. Jake says, Aiden heard mom; he has enough to deal with right now. Aiden says, like what? and Jake says, like college stuff; like girlfriend stuff. Aiden says he wants to feel safe in their house again, and Jake puts his arm around Aiden. Elizabeth says, the dream was bad enough. What if she heard that person in her dream because they were right here, standing over her while she slept? Someone was in her house again. Dante says, and it sounds like that someone’s getting bolder.

Maxie tells Brando that he’s looking sharp, and Sasha agrees. Lucy says, she was thinking, today is special, and she thought, maybe the Face of Deception should also be the Voice of Deception. Sasha says she’s not sure she understands, and Lucy says, now that all the guests have arrived and settled in, she’d love if Sasha would say a few words; make a speech. Maxie says, that’s a great idea.

Scotty says, for reasons that defy logic, Ava is in love with Nikolas. For more obvious reasons, Nikolas is in love with her; he’s crazy about her. She says, that’s certainly one way to look at it, and Scotty says, so he screws up a few times. Why pull that ripcord? She says she may have been a bit rash, and he says, let’s take love out of the equation. He suggests she hang on to her marital property; plant her flag. She says, as always, he’s been invaluable. She knows exactly what she needs to do.

Nikolas says, he’s only invested in Esme so far as she affects Spencer, and Laura says, now that they know Esme’s not pregnant, and they’re not a couple anymore, she doesn’t affect Spencer, and she doesn’t need to be here. He says he can’t leave her at Sonny’s mercy, and she says she seriously doubts Esme is in any real danger from Sonny. He says, if he sends Esme away, and anything happens to her for any reason, Spencer will feel guilty for the rest of his life. Surely they don’t want that. She says, he’s right; they don’t want that and don’t call her Shirley. But they don’t want his wife to leave him, do they? He says, it was a rapidly evolving situation. Spencer found out Esme might be pregnant. Does she know who he confided in first? She says, not Victor, and he says she got it on the first guess. That’s why he stepped in so quickly. It seemed like the best solution for everyone involved. She asks if he told Ava, but he says, she was out the door before he could get that far. She says, maybe she can talk to Ava later, but doesn’t he think he should be more proactive about savaging his own marriage? He says, she’s right. He’ll get right on it. He takes out his phone, and excuses himself. He leaves, and Esme comes back. She says, she senses she should go, but Laura says, not before Esme hears what she’s got to say.  

Sonny says he and Esme just had a chat, and Spencer says, in other words, Sonny intimidated her? Sonny says, Spencer’s going to talk to him about intimidation when he just did time for terrorizing his stepmother, and using Sonny’s daughter Avery as a pawn? Spencer says he made mistakes, and Sonny says, he’s still making them. He’s defending Esme, even after what she did to Cameron and Josslyn, not to mention Trina. Spencer says he doesn’t believe she did any of those things, and Sonny says, let’s say it wasn’t Trina. Was it him? Spencer says, Sonny knows he would never do anything like that to Josslyn, and Sonny says, okay then. Spencer says, they granted Esme sanctuary on Spoon Island to keep her safe from Sonny, and Sonny asks if Spencer thinks he’d really hurt Esme. Spencer says, no, but she is afraid, and Sonny asks what exactly she said went down between them. Spencer says, that if his father and Uncle Victor hadn’t shown up, she doesn’t know what would have happened. Sonny says, here’s what went down. He was just convincing her to own up to what she did. Victor and Nikolas came, and then she had all the waterworks, crying and tears everywhere. Spencer says he doesn’t think Sonny would ever harm Esme physically, but even if her fears are unwarranted, he can’t turn his back on her. Sonny says, Spencer’s loyalty should be to the people who have been by his side. He’s backing the wrong horse.

In a secluded area, Sasha takes a pill, and chases it with red wine.

Austin says, cards on the table, and Brook starts to talk at the same time. He says, forgive him; ladies first. She says she doesn’t like him, and he says, great. It can’t come as a surprise that the feeling’s mutual. She says, but she does like Maxie, and he says, so does he. She says, and putting their issues aside, she sees he’s been a really good friend to Maxie, and he says, and Brook’s been a really good friend to her, so they have that in common. What they also have in common is people like Leo and Bailey, who seem to get hurt when they’re gunning for one another. She says, so is he thinking what she’s thinking? and he says, a cease fire. She says, deal, and they shake hands. He asks if she’d be doing this if he wasn’t with Maxie, and she says, hell no, and walks away.

Brook asks Maxie if Austin makes her happy, and Maxie says, so far. Brook says, that’s all she cares about, and Felicia says, same here. Maxie says, Felicia likes him, right? and Felicia says, so far.

Dante bags the painting, and says he’ll have it checked for prints. Elizabeth will have to come down and have hers done so they can exclude her. In the meantime, her house has been accessed multiple times with new locks and keys. It might be a good idea to stay somewhere else. At least until they catch this guy. She says she can’t do that to the boys. This is their home. They’ve been through enough. Finn says, they can stay with him, but she says he doesn’t have enough space. He says, they’ll camp out, and make it fun. Dante says he’ll leave them to figure it out. He’ll let them know if he hears anything. He leaves, and Finn says, maybe his place is not ideal. He’ll book a hotel for her and the boys. She says she can’t let him do that. She guesses she can ask Laura if the boys can stay with her, and Finn asks where she’ll be, and she says, far enough away to keep them all safe.

Lucy clinks something against her glass, and asks if the guests can gather up a little bit. She wants to thank them for being here to celebrate Deception going public today. Everyone applauds, and she says, and to commemorate this special occasion, a few words from the Face of Deception, Sasha Gilmore. Everyone applauds again, and Sasha says, no dream can be realized without hard work. And she works with some of the most dedicated women in the world. Lucy Coe, their founder; Maxie Jones, Brook Lynn Quartermaine – several people go woo-woo with each name – and she thinks they’d agree that their success couldn’t happen without the people standing in this room. The investors, Deception staff, friends and family, as well those who – she looks at Brando – can only be here in spirit. She raises her glass, and says, to Deception, and everyone toasts.

Spencer says, Sonny keeps telling him that he needs to grow up; that he needs to protect, not punish the people who love him. Sonny says, but Esme is not on that list. He doesn’t know what game Esme is playing, and he’s trying to figure it out, but he does know it’s all about Esme, and she’s going to use Spencer and whoever else to get what she wants. Spencer says, that’s Sonny’s opinion, but that’s not how he sees her. Sonny says, if that’s what Spencer thinks, he doesn’t know Esme like he thinks he does. She’s going to use him. Spencer thinks he should get going, and Sonny tells him, be careful. Sonny has made some choices in his life that have hurt so many people he loves. He doesn’t know if he can get that back, and Spencer is dangerously close to walking in his shoes. Sonny picks up his bag, and heads for the door, saying, welcome home, nephew.

Laura says she certainly hopes Esme didn’t have anything to do with this video of Josslyn and Cameron, and Esme says, of course (🍷) she didn’t. Why won’t anyone believe her? Nikolas says, they’ll just have to let the police investigation run it’s course. In the meantime, he’s keeping an open mind. Laura tells Esme, her son has extended his hospitality to her. Laura hopes Esme doesn’t betray that trust. Ava walks in, and says, they already know the answer to that.

Selena tells Curtis, that was a lovely speech. Is he an investor? He says he doesn’t discuss his portfolio, but he’s sure she made a bundle on her shares of Deception. Seems she won’t need to host poker here anymore. She says, she’ll be the judge of what she needs, and if he agrees to her terms, she’ll provide whatever it is he needs. She flounces off, and Maxie yells, it’s going up again. Sasha asks Nina what that means, and Nina says, it means… Brook says, they’re going to be insanely rich. She and Maxie clink glasses, and Gladys smacks Brando’s shoulder and says, that means they are too.

Finn says he was thinking Elizabeth could stay with him and Violet, but she says she can’t. Look at what’s happening. This insanity isn’t about the house; that’s just the place where it’s happening. Her family is being targeted, and she doesn’t know why. She’s not going to put her boys, or Finn and Violet at risk. So the best thing is for her to stay by herself. He says, stay where? Here? She says, it doesn’t seem to matter where she goes, so she might as well stay put. He says, he’ll take the boys to school. When he gets back, they’ll talk about this. She says she’s made up her mind. No one is going to run her out of the house she shared with her husband.

In the kitchen, Aiden tells Jake, he loves spending time with grandma, but leaving mom here by herself? Jake says, it’ll be okay; mom’s tough. And Dante will catch the person doing this. Aiden says, but he hasn’t yet. Someone keeps sneaking into their house without getting caught. How does a person do that? Unless… What if it’s not a person at all? Jake says, of course (🍷) it’s a person. How else would he explain what happened with mom’s ring and her dress, and Franco’s art studio? Aiden says, what if it’s Franco?

Tomorrow, Nikolas asks Ava if that’s an ultimatum; Esme asks if there’s a path forward for her and Spencer; Curtis tells Drew, he’s going to fight like hell until it’s over; and Sonny says, what if he says no?

The Real Housewives of New Jersey

Marge asks Marge Sr. if she can believe she’s 75, and Marge Sr. says she still thinks she’s 50. They go over the details for Marge Sr.’s birthday party, and Marge says, they’re having a big Hungarian menu, a Hungarian violinist, and there will be pictures of Marge when she was little. In Marge’s interview, she says, Marge Sr. was born in Hungary, and in 1956, when she was ten, there was an uprising; the Hungarian revolution. There were tanks and soldiers everywhere. Marge Sr. was harassed, and it was very scary. Austria opened the border, and Marge Sr. and her grandparents fled in the middle of the night with just the clothes on their backs. They were on the first airplane out of Austria to the United States, and since it was Christmas eve, President Eisenhower brought Marge Sr. a doll. Marge Sr. tells Marge that she didn’t speak the language, and in her interview, Marge says she can’t imagine leaving everything she’s known behind. Her grandmother sacrificed to give them a better life. She asks if it’s the life Marge Sr. imagined, and Marge Sr. says, she didn’t imagine. Her mother cleaned house and her grandfather had two jobs. They go over the guest list, and Marge hopes Jennifer can get Bill to come. She knows who’s not coming – Teresa. Marge knows Marge Sr. likes her, but she doesn’t need the drama. Marge Sr. says she’s not interested.

Teresa tells Gia that she’s cleaning out the pantry. Dolores is on her way over to pick stuff for the women’s shelter. Milania calls, saying, practice is over, and she’s wondering where her ride is. Teresa tells Gia to go get her, and in Teresa’s interview, she says, they’re moving in a week. She’s like a chicken without a head, and can’t remember anything. Dolores arrives, and Teresa shows her the ton of stuff she’s donating. Dolores says, it will be a big help, and they sit down for coffee. Teresa asks how Dolores’s mom is, and Dolores says she’s feeling better. She saw David when she was visiting her mom in the hospital, and she has to move on. Teresa says, Dolores needs to get away, and Dolores says she hasn’t had a vacation since long before covid. Ha! I haven’t had more than a long weekend since the late 90s. Teresa says she’d like to get away with Dolores, but not so much the other girls. She didn’t like how Marge said, we’re good, and wouldn’t wear her workout line for the softball game. Traci wouldn’t either. She tells Dolores that Marge is having a party for her mom, but she’s not invited. She thinks Marge’s mom is great, but she doesn’t care. She doesn’t want to be around someone who’s negative to her and Luis. To her, Marge is toxic.

Traci, Tiki, and daughter Teagan go to Melissa and Joe #2’s for lunch. They eat outside by the pool, and Joe says, it was an honor playing softball with Tiki. Tiki says he can’t help but be competitive. Melissa says she can’t walk, and Traci asks if her leggings were too tight. She couldn’t believe Teresa wanted her and Marge to wear them, when she’d just been screaming at Marge at the Treescape event, and mad at Traci because Tiki asked Luis questions. It was beyond scope of reality to be mad at her about something her husband said. Joe and Tiki wisely remove themselves from this conversation to play ball in the yard with the kids. Traci thanks Melissa for letting her bring Teagan, since she wants her daughter to get more social. Melissa thinks she’ll grow out of it, but Traci doesn’t know if Teagan is ready for kindergarten, and got her a tutor. She wants to set Teagan up for success. Melissa says she worries about Antonia. She seems mopey since she got hurt. Melissa had gone through a phase at Antonia’s age, but for a different reason. Her father had passed away and they moved, and she got depressed. It was a sad time, and she rebelled. She was jumping out of windows, and hanging out with the wrong crowd. She went wild. She sees Antonia changing her pattern, and she’s freaking out. In Melissa’s interview, she says, Antonia is at a time in her life when she can slip up, and make mistakes that will haunt her. Traci says, Antonia has a stable, secure life that Melissa didn’t have. She has normal teenage issues.

Jackie takes the kids for ice cream, and gets a small cup. They sit outside to eat it, and in Jackie’s interview, she says, it’s the first bite first bite of anything in the last 18 years that deviated from the rules of how she’s allowed to eat. She feels like she’s walking off a cliff. The voices in her head are telling her to stop after three bites, but the kids are offering her a taste of their ice cream and vice versa. That’s never happened before. She’s never been a participant in getting ice cream. She’s never been part of the adventure. For many people, it’s a small thing, but for her, it’s a turning point. She ate more ice cream in one sitting than she has in her entire adult life, and she enjoyed the time with her kids. I think about how many social gatherings revolve around food, both with family and friends, and I truly feel badly for her. She’s missed out on so much.

Melissa takes Antonia to meet with her trainer Maria at the gym. In Melissa’s interview, she says Antonia has been working with her trainer for a couple of months to get back into moving her knee, and doing gymnastics. To get Antonia used to putting pressure on her knee, Maria suggests working on jumping up first. In her interview, Melissa says, she hasn’t seen Antonia train in a while, since Joe #2’s been taking her. For months, she said she couldn’t work her knee, and it’s been scary. Finally, she’s putting the pressure on her knee that she needs to. Thank you, Jesus. Melissa squeals about how good it is, and how proud she is of Antonia. She loves hearing that Antonia wants to tumble. Antonia says she wants to be better, and Melissa says, it broke her heart when Antonia said she wanted to quit. It was like she gave up on life. Antonia says, Melissa is making it sound like she’s depressed, and Melissa says she got nervous, since that happened to her at Antonia’s age. But she wasn’t accepted at her new school the way Antonia has been. Antonia says, it was stressful, and Melissa says she takes ownership for not taking Antonia’s feelings into consideration. Antonia says, Melissa had a childhood that was bad, and Melissa asks if Antonia wants to hug it out, but gets a hard no.

Jackie has a session with therapist Ilene (I catch her name this time), who asks how she’s feeling since their last session. Jackie says she felt good. Her husband wanted to know how he could help, but she’s not ready for that. She doesn’t want him to think she’s crazy. Ilene asks how long they’ve been married, and Jackie says, 15 years. Ilene says, she thinks he doesn’t know her? and Jackie says she was surprised when he said he notices everything. Ilene says, Evan loves her unconditionally. She wants to help Jackie communicate with him successfully, and deal with her issues in more constructive ways. She asks how the ice cream challenge went, and Jackie says she didn’t have a problem eating it, and ate more than half. It was fun, but then she thought about it all day, and felt guilty. A regular person would skip eating something else, and it took a lot out of her not compensate. Ilene says, a normal person wouldn’t skip eating something else because they ate ice cream. Compensatory behavior shows up in most eating disorders. Jackie is choosing not to give to that behavior because she wants to get healthier. It’s a choice. Jackie says she knows she could do it forever until her heart gives out. When some people are stressed, they stop, but she does the opposite. She’d lost two or three pounds when she had a fight with a friend and her husband was involved. In Jackie’s interview, she says she wants to be okay with food, so she doesn’t have to keep the peace with people she doesn’t want to. They decide for her next challenge, she’ll have a serving of something extra, and Ilene says her body needs extras. Indulge in them, and use her energy to get healthier. Jackie says she wants to sit at breakfast and not just eat strawberries. Ilene says, one thing a day, but no compensating or taking anything away.

Everyone gets ready for Marge Sr.’s birthday party. Well, except for Teresa. Jackie tells Evan, she wants to try new stuff; one new thing each day. She’s scared because she feels like she’ll gain weight. Evan says even if she does, it won’t change anything. She looks great at any weight, but she’s healthier at certain weights. She hopes she’ll enjoy it, and not just be scared, and Evan says, once she embraces it, it will go great. Jennifer tells Bill that she’s excited to be invited again. Now that she’s good with Marge, she wonders if Bill will get back in the men’s good graces. Bill says he’s happy to support Jennifer, and if she’s moving on, he will too. In Jennifer’s interview, she says, she was worried Bill didn’t care enough to try, but him making the extra effort to be nice to her friends for her, gives her hope. Bill says, Joe #2 and Evan said Jennifer didn’t have a good heart, and he can’t accept that, but Evan texted him and apologized. We see a clip of Evan texting, hey man, I’m sorry, and Bill says he has no problem with Evan, but who knows about Joe #2? Melissa asks Joe #2 how things are with Bill, and he says he understands Bill is mad, but he hasn’t apologized. Bill shouldn’t let his wife treat her friends like sh*t. He needs to face it, and Joe’s not afraid to tell him.

Milania points out Nana’s favorite drawer in the kitchen, and Teresa asks if they remember Nono cooking squid. We flash back that, and there’s a collective, eww! from the universe. Teresa says, they’ll make new memories in the new house, and in her interview, she says she can’t believe they’re moving. When they moved in, she thought it would be forever. We flash back to that, ad she says she wouldn’t be making such a big step if she didn’t feel in her heart it was right. Teresa points out some things the buyers are taking along with the house, and says she’s going to miss the staircase. We flash back to Gia coming down in her prom dress, and Milania sliding down the banister. Teresa says she loves the foyer. They move on to the living room, and Gia says she remembers taking the family portrait. We flash back to that, and Teresa says, they always used the room for holidays. Milania says she remembers Joe #1 standing at the banister, and we flash back to Juicy Joe making a speech about family. Teresa says, that’s when the legal problems started, and Milania says, the house is their only memory of dad. Teresa says, there were good memories here, but – she tears up – they’re going to make new ones. She tells the girls, don’t mind her. She’s getting her period.

The party begins. There are beautiful flowers on all the tables, a lot of food, and the violin player begins. In Marge’s interview, she says they practiced Hungarian traditions when she was growing up, and only spoke Hungarian at home. But when her grandparents passed, they lost the traditions. It was important to bring them back for Marge Sr.’s birthday; they brought back beautiful memories. She says, let’s get this party started in Hungarian. Kezdődjön a buli according to Google translator. Tons of people come, and Dolores says she loves a good violin. Who would have thought? The guys gather by the bar, and Joe #3 wonders if Bill will make it, and Frank says he just wants to have a good time. Joe #3 says, if Joe #2 lets loose on Bill, he’ll have to shut Joe down. Frank says he’s on board with that. Melissa and Joe #2 arrive, and Melissa points out that Joey’s (#5?) christening was there, and we flash back to Joe #2 starting a fight with Joe #1. Evan says he texted Bill, and Frank asks if Joe #2 is going to be okay if Bill comes. Joe says, he’ll see how Bill acts, and Frank asks if Joe is going to start with him. Joe says, that depends, and Joe #3 tells him not to start anything here. No arguments. Bill and Jennifer arrive.

Joe #3 asks how Bill is, and Bill says, it’s getting better. They bro hug and go to the bar. Frank asks if everything is good, and in Frank’s interview, he says he sees Joe #2 coming over. He’s going to expect an apology from Bill, and Frank honestly doesn’t think Bill owes him one. The situation might not go well. Joe #2 asks how Bill is doing. They missed him at the softball game. Bill says his surgery ran late, and Frank complains that he only got short texts from Bill. He doesn’t like tension among the men. Bill says he wasn’t happy when Joe #2 texted f*** you to him, and Joe says Bill’s wife kicked them out of the house. He thought he and Bill were friends, and expected a phone call. He should have called, and said, whatever the girls are going through, they’ll fix this. Bill says he understands, and admits his wife was out of place. A lot of stuff happened, and things took place leading up to it. Joe says he was hurt, and Bill says he was too. Joe says, then Bill cut out, but Frank says, they were picking on him. Bill and Evan agree they’re good, and Bill says, this is what happens when they get involved in the women’s issues. Joe #2 admits maybe it was wrong on his part. The women have stupid arguments, and they’re not like that. Everything is all good, and Bill is glad they’re in a better place. Translation: He has his drinking buddies back. Joe #2 asks what Bill is going to do to get back in the group, and Bill says he’ll kiss Joe’s butt like Frank did. We flash back to that, and Bill adds that he’ll carve his initials in Joe’s butt, and write Bill’s Bitch. Alrighty then. Jennifer says, it looks like they’re getting along. She thinks this is going to be a good night. They talk Jersey Shore traffic, which I totally understand. It’s horrible. Frank says Dolores is up for a trip, and Dolores tells the women, everyone is going to Nashville. Jackie says she and Evan went for their anniversary, and Marge says she heard Nashville is like Nash Vegas. Joe #3 tells Frank that the women seem to bond when they go away. Clearly, he’s never watched the show. Dolores says she told Teresa she’d been thinking about a trip, but Teresa doesn’t want to go without Luis. Melissa asks if Marge invited Teresa to the birthday party, but Marge says, not after the softball game. Tracy tells Melissa that Teresa said if Marge was wearing her leggings, her ass wouldn’t jiggle so much, and in Jackie’s interview, she says, body shaming is never okay. Agreed. Tracy says Teresa is mad at her, but not her husband, and Dolores says, Teresa won’t fight with men. Marge says, Teresa puts men on a pedestal, even the ones who don’t treat her right, like her ex-husband. Dolores says Teresa can hold her own.

They go into the main ballroom, and everyone gets food. Jennifer says, goulash sounds like something someone would eat in jail. In Jackie’s interview, she says, there are too many options. She’s going to load her plate with food, and people will see she’s eating, but she’s not going to eat everything. Uh-oh. That sounds like playing games with it a bit. She says she’s watching how Jennifer eats what she wants. It’s a crazy concept to her, and she can’t wait until she can just do that. A guy announces the guest of honor, the one and only Marge Sr., and Marge dances in with Joe #3. Dolores says she wants to be like that at 75. Me too, if I make it. Marge tells everyone to take their glasses in hand. This is a gold circle moment for her mother. She was a Hungarian immigrant who rode a bicycle over the boarder to escape communism at age ten, with only the clothes on her back. She was a single mother, and the best role model. Marge loves her so much. In Marge’s interview, she says, even though she gives her mother a hard time – we flash back to Marge talking smack to and about Marge Sr. – one thing she saw was that Marge Sr. could triumph over the darkest things in life. She never squashed Marge’s dreams, or made he feel less then. Marge Sr. told her that she could do anything she wanted. She tells everyone that she hopes Marge Sr. lives to be 150, because she can’t live without her, and asks everyone to raise a glass to Marge Sr. In Jennifer’s interview, she says, for so long, she had this image of Marge being heartless, and not caring about family the way Jennifer does. But it’s clear she loves her mother and would do anything for her family. She guesses they have more in common than she thought. Bill wonders if Jennifer will ever get there with her mother, and the cake is brought out. They sing Happy Birthday, and the announcer guy really gets into song. Like, really. Marge Sr. says, it’s the best night of her life, and Marge says she’s happy it was such a beautiful night, and hopes to be as vivacious as Marge Sr. at her age. She loves her mother so much, and Marge Sr. means the world to her. Bill picks up Marge Sr. and dances around with her. Everyone joins in.

Next time, Teresa moves, Jackie falls off a mechanical bull, Teresa accuses Marge of spreading rumors about Luis, and Teresa clears the table, literally swiping everything to the floor.

🎼 They Write the Songs…

The winners.

https://www.grammy.com/news/2022-grammys-complete-winners-nominees-nominations-list

The highlights.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2022/04/04/2022-grammy-highlights-best-moments/7224764001/

The fashion.

https://www.eonline.com/photos/34245/grammys-2022-red-carpet-fashion

https://915thebeat.com/news/8725501/grammy-awards-2022-best-worst-dressed-red-carpet/

☄️ Catch a Falling Star, Put It In Your Pocket…

Drop in tomorrow for soap and OC antics. Until then, stay safe, stay gleaning from those around you , and stay knowing, only an unwise farmer plants a single crop.