(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Valentin runs back into the safehouse, and tells Lucy and Anna to get down. Another shot is fired through the window.
Linc tells Josslyn that she was born to be a performer. She just needs the right person to guide her. Brook stomps over, and pretends to bump into Linc, spilling her drink all over him.
Mac says, Maxie and Bobbie are doing a fantastic job. The show is going off without a hitch. Bobbie says, the trick is to make it look effortless, which Maxie is doing effortlessly. Good thing no one knows what goes on behind the scenes. Felicia can’t wait for the big act coming up, but Maxie says, there are a lot of great ones before that. Which reminds her, she has to check on them. She excuses herself, and Felicia says, Maxie was younger than Georgie at the first Nurses Ball. Now look at her; she’s running the show. Bobbie says, time sure flies, doesn’t it? One thing she knows for sure, if the Nurses Ball could have all of its unexpected acts happen, including Mac’s surprise acts over the years, it could handle anything. Felicia says she remembers her first performance. She was absolutely petrified. Everything was a big blur. We get a little flashback of Felicia in a clown costume, and she says, when it was over, one thing she knew for sure; she was better off in the audience. Mac says, he remembers being furious at Robin and Stone’s Romeo and Juliet scene. He was so mad at Doc and the kids, his stand-up became a tirade. Felicia says, they can laugh about it now, and Bobbie says, what about her act? At least their situation with Robin didn’t end up in an out-and-out brawl. Mac says, they had no idea what the Nurses Ball would come to mean to Robin, and the whole community. Bobbie says, with all of its traditions and the loved ones lost, she’s really proud of what they started in those days. And she’s even more proud of continuing it on tonight.
Brook tells Linc she’s so sorry, and stomps on his foot as she tries to wipe him off. She says, Josslyn’s mother is looking for her, and Josslyn asks if Brook is okay. Brook says she’s fine. She and Linc have some business to discuss. Josslyn leaves, and Linc grabs Brook’s arm, asking, what the hell was that?
Valentin sets up the coffee table as a barricade, and tells Lucy and Anna, the house is surrounded, front and back. Lucy says, they’re trapped, but Anna tells her to remember the window she climbed out of, and Lucy says, right. They can all go out that way. Valentin tells them to leave now, but Anna says, no, and Lucy says she’s not leaving Anna. Anna tells her, go, and Lucy says, all right. She’ll get help. She slips into the back, and Valentin says, it’s Anna’s last chance to get out, but she says she’s not leaving him. He says, they’re going to be in here any minute, and she says, they won’t like what the find. Victor’s goons bust through the front door. Shots are fired back and forth.
Cody gives Sasha a glass of champagne, and she thanks him, but says, he really doesn’t have to wait on her. He says, it gives him a chance to escape the muckety-mucks and an excuse to talk with her, but she says, they’re not all muckety-mucks, and he never needs an excuse to talk to her. He says, good to know, and asks how things are with Gladys. She says she’s not sure what he means. He spoke to Gladys earlier; she seemed fine. He says, Gladys is having a great time. He was talking about her. When Gladys sold her husband’s garage, Sasha was pretty upset. She says, actually, it still bothers her, but Gladys had good reasons. Gladys walks in, and Sasha says, it had to be a painful reminder for Gladys to deal with that every day; paperwork, constantly seeing Brando’s name… She sold it to give them both closure. He asks if Gladys even went over the details of the sale with her. Does she know who the new owner is? Sasha says, actually, she doesn’t think so. Why is he…? Gladys comes over, and says she wondered where Sasha disappeared to.
Anna and Valentin are on their knees with their hands up, Victor’s men behind them, and Watkins comes in, saying, clear. Victor walks in, and says, Valentin, you’re alive. The question is, for how long?
Gladys looks at the bracelet on her wrist, and says she must be the luckiest mother-in-law in the world. Sasha thanks her, and says she loves seeing Gladys enjoying herself. Gladys says she almost forgot. Dante was asking for Cody; it sounded important. Cody thanks her, and says he’ll go check it out. He leaves, and Gladys looks at Sasha, who says, what? Gladys asks if she’s all right, and Sasha asks why she wouldn’t be. Gladys says, that Cody fella. She’s heard things about him. He’s not a reliable character.
Jordan asks if Mac has time to talk shop, and he says, about the late Deputy Mayor? She says, yeah. She got a call on the red carpet. The preliminary autopsy indicates there was no air in her lungs. Eileen Ashby didn’t drown. She was killed by a fall. He says, so she either jumped, she slipped, or… Jordan says, they pushed her. He says, they need to check her known associates, and Jordan says, start with Victor Cassadine.
Linc says, what Brook did just now, interrupting him when he was recruiting new talent… comes perilously close to violating their agreement. I don’t know how he figures that, but okay. Brook says she mentioned nothing to Josslyn about him being a sleazebag, and he says he paid well for her silence. She got her songs back. Sometimes he thinks he overpaid; those songs were good. Who would believe what she had to say about him anyway? He’s going to track down Josslyn Jax. I wonder why Brook didn’t mention that Sonny’s her stepfather.
Cody sits with Sam and Dante, and asks if he’s told Sam how beautiful she looks. She thanks him, and says, he looks handsome himself. He thanks her, and asks why Dante needed to see him. Dante asks what he’s talking about, and Cody says, Gladys Corbin said Dante was looking for him. Dante says he tries to avoid Gladys as much as possible. You know. The whole not being able to choose your relatives thing. Sam asks if Gladys really said Dante was looking for Cody, and Cody says, I kid you not. Sam wonders why she’d do something like that.
Portia asks if she can sit with Elizabeth and Finn, and Elizabeth asks if everything is okay. Portia says, Trina’s having such a good time. It’s all she can do not to go over and talk to her, but she doesn’t want to put a damper on Trina’s evening. Elizabeth says, it’s not always going to be like this, and Portia says, that’s what she keeps telling herself. Finn says, for what it’s worth (🍷), he and his dad were estranged for a lot of years, but his dad never gave up on him. And he doesn’t think it’s going to take Trina nearly as long to realize she needs Portia.
Deanna takes the stage, and introduces herself. She says, tonight, she has the pleasure of introducing a phenomenal talent. This amazing artist was already established and accomplished in her career as a public defender. She stepped out of her comfort zone to pursue her dream of touching people with her God given talent, and they should all be grateful she did. She asks everyone to welcome, Danielle Ponder. Danielle comes out and sings Someone Like You. Luckily, she has her own band and doesn’t have to rely on the invisible musicians and back-up singers that everyone else does. She’s good. Macy Gray-ish. I also love the dress she’s wearing.
Victor asks if there’s any sign of Lucy, but Watkins says, no. There’s an open bedroom window. Victor says, so the bird has flown. No matter. He’ll deal with that later. Valentin says, he wasn’t exactly subtle taking the house. Someone from the neighborhood will have contacted law enforcement. He’s sure they’re on their way. Victor says, is that so? and Valentin says, it’s the suburbs. If Victor doesn’t want a lengthy gun battle with the police, he thinks Victor should probably leave. Victor asks if Valentin thinks he’s just going to turn around and walk away after going through all this trouble to track Valentin and Anna down. He’s not going anywhere until he gets what he came for, and Valentin is going to give it to him.
Backstage, Maxie thanks Danielle for performing, and Danielle says, the Nurses Ball does important work, and she’s happy to lend her voice to the cause. Maxie says, she did more than lend her voice; she blew everyone away. They’d still be applauding if the curtains hadn’t closed. Carly runs in, and shakes Danielle’s hand, introducing herself. She says her mom is Maxie’s co-chair, and she shamelessly used her connections to come back and meet her. She was so amazing. Of course (🍷) for her incredible voice and lyrics, but just as much for leaving her law career and following her dream. How did she have the courage to do that? Danielle says, it got to the point where she knew she couldn’t do both, and she couldn’t leave behind music, so she completely surrendered. Carly says, she followed her instincts, and Danielle says, it sounds like Carly knows something about that. Maxie says, Carly is kind of known for following her instincts… no matter where they lead. Carly says she’s never regretted it, and Danielle says, neither has she. They high-five.
Gladys says, apparently, Cody was dating Dr. Britt Westbourne, the late, may she rest, and Sasha says she knows that. Gladys says, but she overheard Maxie saying that Britt found out he was no good, and broke things off; something to do with a necklace. She doesn’t know the details, but it concerns her. Sasha is just getting her life back on track. She’d hate to see it derail by somebody trying to work her for her money.
Dex asks for a shot of tequila at the bar, and ever putting his nose where it doesn’t belong, Spencer asks if his uncle knows Dex is drinking on the job. Dex says he doesn’t know. Maybe Spencer should run and tell him. Spencer says, Dex is here to work, not suck down tequila shots and pretend he belongs. Ugh. I hate when Spencer does this stuff. Dex says he’s got a ticket like everybody else, when Trina and Josslyn walk in. Spencer says, a ticket his Uncle Sonny bought Dex. He’s an employee, so how about if he gets back to work? Trina asks Spencer what he’s doing.
Bobbie is checking things off a list backstage, when Sonny comes in, and says, the Ball’s going great. She asks if he needs something, and he says he was thinking about starting up an Epiphany Johnson scholarship fund for the nursing students, so he wanted to add to his donation in the name of Stone Cates. He gives her an envelope, and she looks at the check inside. She says she’s never been okay with the way he treated her daughter, but he’s always been very generous when it comes the to the Nurses Ball. And the way he took care of Stone was nothing short of heroic. He says, Stone was a special person. They did everything they could for Stone, and when Stone lost his fight with AIDS, Sonny vowed to continue in his memory. Giving the Nurses Ball donation for AIDS/HIV research is the least he can do. She says, damn him. He has his moments, and this is definitely one of them. He laughs, giving us dimples, and she says, Stone would be very proud of him.
Victor says, he wants the Ice Princess necklace; the real one. Valentin says, last he heard, it was destroyed by fire, and Victor says, this is Valentin’s very last chance. He wasn’t able to claim Valentin as a child, but he watched over Valentin all along, smoothing the way for him. He’s the one who got Valentin into the WSB. That turned out to be a bad mistake, since that’s when Valentin first became fixated with Miss Devane. Valentin says he proved himself worthy of the WSB on his own merit, and Victor says he’s sure Valentin would like to believe so, and it’s true, Valentin was a brilliant analyst. But this life he’s so proud of building for himself was built with Victor’s influence. Valentin did nothing without his help. So imagine his disappointment after stepping forward to claim Valentin, after acknowledging Valentin as his child, Valentin rejecting him. Valentin lied, he manipulated Victor, he sided with Victor’s enemies. Valentin even faked his own death, for God’s sake. Victor spent weeks arguing with French bureaucrats trying to claim Valentin’s body. Weeks consumed with guilt, mourning his son, who wasn’t even dead. He should kill Valentin right now and be done with it. But he won’t. He’ll give Valentin one more chance to redeem himself, to step up as a Cassadine. Do what’s right for his family, and give him the necklace.
Dex says, if they’ll excuse him, he’s due backstage. He leaves, and Trina asks Spencer, what was that, calling Dex an employee? Spencer says, that’s what he is. He’s supposed to be protecting Spencer’s Uncle Sonny, not drinking tequila shots. Trina tells him, stop. She can’t believe this. He says, listen… but she says, you listen. She hates when he acts like this (we high-five in my head); like some ugly, entitled jerk, lording his privilege around. She thought he was done doing that. She guesses she was wrong. She hates that she’s always wrong about him. She flounces out, and Spencer says, wait. Josslyn says, nice work, Spencer. Once again, he’s hurt Trina. He says, like she does with Cam, and she says, like he’s in any position to judge. Ever since he got back to Port Charles – bringing the lovely Esme with him – he’s caused nothing but misery. Why doesn’t he do them all a favor, especially Trina, and go back to Europe and stay there.
Dex asks how Dante’s table is doing, and Dante suggests he pull up a chair. Dex thanks him, but says he can’t. He tells Cody, it’s time, and Jordan asks, time for what? Cody says, she’ll see, and leaves with Dex. Gladys fingers the bracelet.
Finn tells Elizabeth to wish him luck, and she asks why he needs it. he says, let’s just say, there are things you’d do for your family that you wouldn’t do for anyone else. He goes onto the stage, and Maxie gives him the mic. He says, when he joined the staff at GH seven years ago, he was amazed at the way the city of Port Charles shows up for the hospital, the way they’re all showing up tonight. He says, one of their next two performers is very dear to his heart, and asks them to welcome to the stage, Harrison Chase and the fabulous Blaze. Blaze and Chase sing a song that the closed captions say is Arrest Me, but I think they might be screwing with me, since that phrase isn’t in the lyrics. It’s good, but nothing will ever beat Chase’s rendition of Feel it Still.
Everyone cheers, and Blaze says, their new single drops Wednesday. Don’t forget to download it. Linc grabs a microphone, and says, weren’t they great? He puts his arm around Blaze, and kisses her cheek. Brook runs up on stage, and tells him to get his hands off of Blaze, calling him a disgusting creep.
Valentin says, Victor has been very upfront about his life and accomplishments. Does Victor mind if he returns the favor? Victor says he’d rather Valentin return the necklace, but Valentin says, it was never Victor’s necklace. Victor says, he is head of the Cassadine family. The Ice Princess, by rights, belongs to their family. Valentin says, Victor has a tendency to equate his megalomania with the family. Whatever his grand plan, no other Cassadine cares. Not Spencer, not Nikolas – wherever he is – not Alexis or her daughters. And certainly not him. This is just a giant waste of time. He doesn’t have the necklace. Victor says, Valentin is going to make things difficult. He’d have expected nothing less. He has to admit, he’s going to enjoy the next part. Watkins grabs Anna, lifting her up by her neck, while one of Victor’s goons holds back Valentin. Victor says, unless Valentin gives him the necklace, Watkins will break the lovely Anna’s neck, and leaves her paralyzed. Valentin says he doesn’t have the damn necklace, and Anna gasps, Valentin… no… necklace… Victor says he thought of killing Anna, then he thought, what is the fun in that? He wonders how long Anna’s boyfriend will go on loving her when she can no longer stand. Wow. He doesn’t give Valentin much credit for being a decent human.
Brook says, this man deserves no credit for Chase and Blaze’s appearance here tonight, nor for their talent. He calls himself a manager; he’s a parasite. Linc tells her to watch herself, and she says, he latches himself onto young talent and exploits them, both financially and sexually. Ned gets up, but Olivia holds him back. Brook says, Linc told her that he’d kill her career if she didn’t sleep with him, which he tried to do. He held all her songs, and the only way she could get them back was to sign a non-disclosure agreement. But she’s breaking that agreement here tonight. She refuses to remain silent about whom and what Linc Brown is – a sexual predator. Linc snatches the mic back, and says, these are obvious lies. No one will corroborate a word.
A man tells Spencer that he’s here to deliver a message. His uncle will be contacting him soon. Be ready when he does, and do as he’s told. The man leaves.
Linc says, Brook could have been a star, but now she’s just a jealous has-been, making up stories to try and keep herself relevant. Maxie says, it’s time to clear the stage, but Blaze grabs the mic, and says, she’s not lying. Everything Brook said has happened to her. She cries, and says, Linc Brown is a predator, and he’s been holding her career hostage. Gladys slips out, and Blaze says, but she didn’t sign a non-disclosure agreement, and she’s going on the record tonight. Linc says, don’t get caught up in her hysteria, and Blaze says, go to hell. Chase puts his hand on Linc’s arm, and says, it’s time to clear the stage, but Linc shakes him off, saying, Chase isn’t a cop anymore. Dante says he’s a cop – he walks up on stage – and Linc is creating a public disturbance. Let’s go. He takes Linc’s arm, and walks Linc out to applause. Ned stands up as Dante goes past, and Chase looks at Brook.
Spencer comes back, and sits with Sonny. On stage, Nina says, it’s a great night, isn’t it? She thanks them for being here, and says, as co-owner of the MetroCourt – Carly and Olivia roll eyes at each other – she’s happy to be able to be able to use this ballroom for a worthy cause. It also affords her the privilege of announcing the next two performers. Please welcome to the stage, Georgie Spinelli, James West, and their oma, Liesl. Obrecht comes out with James and Georgie, and Georgie says, ladies and gentlemen, tonight you’ve seen singers and dancers… James says, llamas, and Georgie says, and now it’s time for some real magic. Tonight, with the help of their incredible assistant… James says, they’ll perform wizardry to surprise and delight them. Georgie says, now for their first illusion, and Obrecht picks up a large tube. James says, they have an empty tube, and puts his hand through it. They can see there’s nothing inside or outside. But they add a little bit of magic… He and Georgie touch the tube with their wands, and he pulls out a long strip of material in different colors, which I suspect is coming from Obrecht’s sleeve. There’s applause, and Obrecht drapes it around her neck. James says, for their next illusion, they’ll make water disappear. Obrecht wheels over a cart with a pitcher and two Solo cups on it. Georgie says, they have a pitcher of water; nothing unusual. She pours some water into one of the cups, and says, before they make the water disappear, what’s Obrecht’s favorite color? Obrecht looks at the colors around her neck, and says, blue. Georgie tells James, a little magic please, and he taps the cup with his wand. She pours the water into the other cup, and it’s blue. James says, now to make the water disappear. They need some more magic. Georgie taps the second cup, he turns it over, and it’s empty. The audience applauds, and they bow. Georgie says, for their next illusion, they will make their assistant disappear. Obrecht feigns surprise, and wheels over a large cabinet. Georgie opens it, and Obrecht gets in, waving to the audience as the door closes.
Gladys sneaks around backstage, and ducks behind the costumes. Walking past, Dex says, he’s seen combat, but this seems scarier, and Cody says he’s fallen off a bull and a whole bunch of stupid other stuff. When they’re gone, Gladys finds a hanger with Cody’s name on it, and slips the bracelet into his jacket pocket.
Georgie opens the cabinet, and it’s empty. James says, now they will bring their assistant back. Georgie closes the door again, and James taps on the cabinet with his wand. Georgie opens the cabinet, but all that’s there is the material from the first magic trick. Everyone laughs because they think the kids just messed up the act.
Obrecht lies in the trunk of a car, out cold. Victor’s messenger closes the trunk, and walks away.
Valentin comes out with the necklace, and Victor says, finally. That’s more like it. He whips out his jeweler’s loupe, and checks it out. He says, release her, and Watkins lets go of Anna. Victor says he and Valentin could have done this together, father and son. Instead, he’s had to choose another heir to carry on the Cassadine name. Valentin’s betrayal broke his heart. So it’s only fair he returns the favor. He takes out a gun, and shoots Anna. Maybe.
Tomorrow, Bobbie says, the next act is the one they’ve all been waiting for; Victor says, make sure things are prepared for their guests; Trina tells Spencer, that’s the wrong answer; and Sasha asks where Gladys’s bracelet is.
Take a break here tomorrow for some soap, the latest in tea, random quotes, and specific music. Until then, stay safe, stay leading by example, and stay following your instincts, wherever they may lead.
In Dolores’s interview, she says, Paulie is recovering well, but has a different idea of what a nurse should be, since he wants her to dress up in a hot nurse outfit. She tells him about her conversation with Frank at the luau, and how he took it personally that she didn’t stay at his house. Paul says, Frank needs to grow up. He and Dolores had a good relationship, but now it’s gone. In her interview, Dolores says, Paulie has a good relationship with his ex-wife, but she and Frank are closer. Paulie wonders if Frank realizes he made a mistake, but in her interview, Dolores says, Frank realized he made a mistake before he walked out the door. It’s about change, not a personal attachment. She tells Paulie that she’s having lunch with Jennifer, and we flash back to their whatever-it-is, and in Dolores’s interview, she says, it’s like being in a hamster wheel. She feels like enough time has passed, and they can have a real conversation. She tells Paulie that Jennifer needs to stay in her lane, and he says, meet Paterson Dolores. I’ve never been to Paterson, so I’m not sure exactly what that means. I assume it’s a tough, earrings off town.
I think Rachel should escape this show, and possibly New Jersey, immediately. In her interview, she says she’s a perfectionist. She comes from a corporate background, while her husband comes from the streets; that’s why she’s handling buying the school supplies. Why? Would he just give the kid a stick and a rock? She tells John that she wants another baby, but stepson Jaiden isn’t crazy about the idea. In Rachel’s interview, she says, Jaiden is going off to college in a few years, and it’s scary. She reminds John about wanting to adopt Jaiden, and he says, there’s a process they have to go through. Jaiden’s biological mother would still have to sign off, even though he has full custody, and he doesn’t feel like dealing with her. In her interview, Rachel says, her few interactions with Jaiden’s mother were uncomfortable since Rachel is parenting her child. To have to tell somebody’s birth mother about their kid’s life is sad. She knows the best thing is for his birth mother not to be in Jaiden’s life, and she wants to protect Jaiden and their family, so she feels like she’s earned the title. John suggests they sit with an attorney.
Dolores meets Jennifer, and it’s all how are you and you look cute. In Jennifer’s interview, she says she thought they were good friends, but didn’t receive their recent interactions that way. Fighting got her nowhere, so she can find another way forward or not be friends with Dolores. Dolores says, Paulie likes Jennifer, and felt bad when they were fighting, and Jennifer says, what broke the camel’s back last year, and made it hard, was Dolores becoming close with Marge. She felt like Dolores wasn’t defending her, and joining their ship. Little things bothered her. I double check, and Jennifer is 45; a little old for high school. Dolores tells Jennifer that she should have said something, and in her interview, Jennifer says she let her anger get the best of her, but she doesn’t want to keep fighting. Dolores suggests they call a truce, and promises to watch how she speaks to Jennifer in the future. In her interview, Dolores says, if Jennifer had told her instead of just getting angry, she would have curbed herself. Jennifer talks about raising the kids, and how Bill thinks therapy is unnecessary. She says, even when he’s home, he’s not home. When he does have free time, he’s still not choosing to spend it with the family. Dolores says, she and Frank weren’t married when she raised the kids, and lived separately, so it wasn’t an issue. In her interview, Dolores says she remembers hitting the breaking point. She was tired of catering to Frank, when he thought his job was more important than hers. Jennifer says she avoided Marge at the luau, and Dolores says, the fighting is getting bad amongst all of us. Jennifer says she knows a woman who reads Turkish coffee cups, and she was thinking of getting the girls together for a reading. She wants to invite everyone, but doesn’t want Marge at her house. Dolores suggests doing it at her house, since it’s neutral territory.
Melissa and Antonia go to the new house, where Joe #2 is working. In Melissa’s interview, she says she feels like she’s finally seeing what the house will look like. She’s sick of living in Disney princess houses, and she’s ready for something more sophisticated and classy… like her personality. She laughs. She suggests Joe send the molding back to 1999, where it belongs, but he tells her to let the builder build, and stick to fashion. She says she’s doing a pop-up at Envy for Danielle’s children’s line. She sees herself in Danielle, having little kids and wanting to get into business. If she can help, she wants to.
Danielle calls Teresa, who’s sick. Teresa says, her immune system is low from dealing with Melissa, and Danielle asks ,what happened at the luau after she left? Teresa says, it was terrible. Louie wanted Melissa’s mother’s phone number so he could invite her to the wedding, and Melissa refused to talk to him. I don’t think it went quite that way, but moving on. Teresa tells Danielle that Joe said she was miserable, and she said, he and Melissa were miserable, then Joe and Melissa left. Louie went out to talk to them, and came back crying. Louie always comes back crying. He and James Kennedy could have a cry-off. And I’m by no means making fun of anyone having feelings, but these two are drama kings. We see a clip of Louie bawling and saying, he feels Joe and Melissa’s pain, and it sucks. Teresa says she feels bad for Louie.
At the house, Melissa tells Joe that Marge said, Louie was sobbing after they left. Joe says, Louie only needs to fix one person – himself. He’s two-faced with that kumbaya stuff; it’s fake. Then it came out in the press that Teresa had a falling out with Dina. We see a headline about Dina’s husband having beef with Louie over business, and in his interview, Joe says, Dina’s husband David called him because they’re friends. It was Pizzagate, part two. Louie f***ed up another relationship in Teresa’s life. He tells Melissa, Louie says he wants everyone to be nice, but he needs to be real. He comes in like he’s God.
Theresa tells Danielle, that’s the only family she has, and they’re being mean to Louie. Louie needs to draw a line in the sand. Danielle says, Teresa has a built-in excuse not to go to the coffee reading, so she’ll bring Teresa’s feelings along with her own, and unleash for both of them. She tells Teresa, Rachel told Marge what she’d said, but she was only talking about what she heard other people say. Why was she the bad guy? Rachel was just as catty. It became her against Marge and Rachel. In Danielle’s interview, she says, she was bullied in high school because she was an athlete and hung out with the guys. The girls bullied her, and she has a lot of trauma from not being accepted (she’s 37, BTW). She tells Teresa that Rachel caused this and messed her up. Then the women were gossiping about her and her brother, saying there must be another side to the story. She doesn’t like to leave a situation, so it’s been bothering her. In her interview, she says she’s worked hard not to let people affect her, and she’s pissed that she let it. She’s not letting them get away with it. Teresa says, they’re all showing their true colors. I dunno. Is it me? Teresa whines that Joe is her only family, yet she continually bashes Joe and Melissa, and excludes them. Danielle decides to repeat something negative that may or may not be true about Marge, then gets pissed because it’s repeated to Marge. Is this Bizarro New Jersey?
Dolores tells the caterers, if things start going crazy, pretend it’s not happening, which is probably the best advice I’ve ever heard on this show. In Jennifer’s interview, she says, Angie saw N in her coffee reading, and Bill’s real name is Nebil. What better way to bring the women together than telling their futures? Jen walks into Dolores’s house, and in her interview, she says she’s trying not be jealous, but it’s Fifty Shades of Grey, and she’s desperate to find the red room. In Melissa’s interview, she says, Dolores is doing something right. Frank built her a house. David built her a house. Now she’s sitting pretty in this house. If they were playing Monopoly, Dolores would be winning. Melissa asks why Dolores and Jennifer are throwing a party together, and Dolores says she suggested a truce, and Jennifer wanted to have a party, but didn’t think everyone would come to her house. Yeah. That’s believable. In Marge’s interview, she says, she knows Dolores doesn’t want any negativity, but does she really like Jennifer? Does anybody really like Jennifer? They talk about Danielle leaving the luau, and in Jennifer’s interview, she says, if someone is in pain, she’s not going to play Inspector Gadget. My mind boggles. Maybe she has short term memory loss. Jennifer says she never would have wondered what Danielle did to deserve it, and Marge says, nobody thought that. Danielle shouldn’t have said she had an arsenal. Jennifer says, she just repeated stuff she’d heard, and Marge says, don’t be seeding this around. Danielle arrives, and in her interview, she says she’s happy to be here. She actually lost sleep over leaving the luau. It’s her vindication day. Dolores tells everyone that Teresa has covid and won’t be attending, but while she was meditating on her wedding, she pictured Dolores and Jennifer being in the wedding party. We see a clip of Teresa asking them to be bridesmaids. Marge drops that Dina is out, and Melissa says, Dolores wasn’t even invited to the engagement party. Again my mind boggles, wondering who is really the most awful in reality TV when there are so many candidates.
In Dolores’s interview, a producer asks if she thinks she wasn’t invited to the engagement party because Dina was, but Dolores says she’s not talking about Dina – ever. (She later changed her mind, saying on Watch What Happens Live, that were no problems between her and Dina, and they just grew apart.) In Melissa’s interview, she says, Dina’s husband and Louie argued over business, and now Dina isn’t Teresa’s friend or bridesmaid. The meditation moment is convenient. They sit to eat, and Danielle is seated next to Marge. In her interview, Danielle says, she’s uncomfortable right now, but they were seating themselves, and she’s not glued to the chair. She tells Marge, it’s awkward, and Marge says, Danielle stormed out of the luau. In Danielle’s interview, she says, Marge is lucky she needs energy before she rips heads off. Geez. Maybe she was ostracized in school for some other reason. Dolores says she thinks they’ve all been under stress, and they haven’t been away in a long time as a group. She went to Ireland with Paulie for Valentine’s Day, and came back a different person. She’d like for them all to go. In Dolores’s interview, she says, since she’s going to be a bridesmaid, she wants to plan a trip for Teresa, and put the other stuff behind them. They should do something different to bring different energy into the group. She tells them, it’s also the bachelorette party capital, and I’m pretty sure that’s Las Vegas and she’s making that up. Cup reader Angie arrives, and in Jen’s interview, she says she’s been to psychics, but they’re not often looking into a cup of Nescafe. Angie says, Dolores’s reading is short and sweet; a ring is coming soon. In Melissa’s interview, she says she thinks marrying Paulie would make Dolores happy, but Frank would be sad. Paulie isn’t going to suggest going on playdates. Angie tells Rachel that she’ll have a big victory in the next three months or three years. Something significant is going to happen. Rachel says she wants to adopt her stepson, and Angie says, she’ll win at the end. In Marge’s interview, she says, that’s the way she feels about her kids. They needed her because their mom didn’t live here. She needed a family to love, and someone to love her. Angie tells Marge that she’s sees something about a close friend Marge grew up with. She’s seeing the letter L, and seeing a knife in Marge’s back. In her interview, Marge says, how convenient, when Jennifer has been talking non-stop about Laura. Angie says, they went from friendship to fighting, and in Jen’s interview, she says she’s gullible, but not that gullible.
Angie says, the friendship is going to be rekindled, but Marge says, never. In Jackie’s interview, she says she knows she’s cynical, but come on. Jennifer is next, and asks Angie if there’s anything about her life with her husband. He’s been putting a lot of pressure on her, and she’s struggling. Angie says, he loves her a lot, and she sees Jennifer is all about family. She sees people offering Jennifer endorsements, and we flash back to Jennifer at Jen’s house, saying she was more in demand than Marge, and Marge asking what endorsements she had. Jennifer then tells Marge that she turned them down because her family is her endorsement. In Marge’s interview, she says she’s never seen such a set-up in her life. In Melissa’s interview, she says she’s embarrassed for Jennifer. Angie says, when Jennifer’s youngest is older, the endorsements will start coming her way, and in her interview, Marge says, no one’s endorsing Jennifer. Maybe Charmin, since she has 16 bathrooms and is full of sh*t. Jackie says, that felt obvious, but Jennifer insists she barely knows Angie. In Jennifer’s interview, she says, it’s ridiculous. They’re just mad that somebody is saying she’ll have good vibes in the future. Angie says, not everyone believes, and that’s fine, which annoys me. She says, in Danielle’s cup, she sees a conflict between Danielle and her brother. She sees him in a wedding, but doesn’t see her. This hurt Danielle, and they both cry about it, but there will come a day his anger goes away. It gets better, and they make a connection. Danielle says she didn’t like everybody questioning her about this, like she must have done something, but Rachel says, that wasn’t it at all. Jackie says, they just felt there was something missing in the story, and Jen says, she didn’t understand it. Danielle says she doesn’t get it herself, and it should be done. Period. In Melissa’s interview, she says, it’s enough. Leave her alone. Danielle says she doesn’t like to walk away from situations, but she felt blindsided, especially after Rachel made it sound like she was sabotaging Marge. Rachel says, that’s not what she was doing, but Danielle says, Rachel threw her under the bus. In her interview, Marge says she was upset at Danielle repeating negative things, when she’d never been anything but good to her. Rachel says she doesn’t care, and Danielle says she does, nearly launching herself over the table. Everyone is like, whoa, and Rachel says, just because she repeated it, doesn’t mean she was using it against Danielle. In Rachel’s interview, she says, she didn’t take anything out of context, and she wanted Marge to know what was being said. Danielle says she learned she can’t talk to Rachel that way, and in her interview, she says, guilty, insecure bitches aren’t capable of apologizing. If you want to be on your high horse, go ahead. I hope you fall off. Dolores says, I love you all but… get out.
Next time, Danielle calls Rachel a rat; look out Ireland; Danielle asks Jennifer what Laura told her that she won’t repeat; and Jennifer says it’s about someone they all know.
🍕 Break It Down…
A blow-by-blow of Pizzagate, part two, although there’s still not much detail about what the business was.
See you tomorrow for (hopefully) soap and hunting for VanderEggs. Until then, stay safe, stay balancing productivity with some fun stuff, and stay not getting involved in business dealings with Louie.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Anna says, they never should have let Eileen go without wearing a wire, but Valentin says, it’s not like they had a choice. She refused to go otherwise. She was just supposed to drop off the counterfeit necklace and get out of there. Anna says, she pushed her luck. Now she’s dead. Drew says, assuming Victor killed her, and Valentin says he doesn’t think the Deputy Mayor went swimming fully clothed. The real question is, how much information did she give up before he killed her? Anna says, she couldn’t have told Victor where they are; she didn’t really know. Drew says, either way, they can’t stay here. It’s not safe. Valentin says, they’ve got to get out of here, but Sonny says, if they leave now, they’ll be signing their death warrants.
Lucy gets her popcorn ready, and turns on the TV. Reporter George says, we’re here at the MetroCourt hotel, when in just a matter of a few hours, the curtain will rise on Port Charles’s benefit of the year, the annual General Hospital Nurses Ball. Lucy looks wistful. And adding to the significance of this year’s ball, is the hospital’s 60th anniversary. It’s safe to say, tonight is a can’t miss event. Lucy says she’s missing the can’t miss event, and George says, with us now is the co-chair of the Nurses Ball Planning Committee, Maxie Jones. He asks Maxie what it’s like being part of this spectacular event, and she says, it’s been an honor planning this night’s festivities.The Nurses Ball is known for philanthropy, and entertainment; their contribution to GH’s 60 years of caring for the community will be talked about for years to come. George asks how it’s been, organizing this even without the guidance of the late Lucy Coe, who was known of course (🍷) as the force behind previous Balls, and Maxie says, Lucy is irreplaceable, and tonight is dedicated to her. She believes Lucy is with them in spirit, trusting her, and her co-chair Bobby Spencer, to make her proud. George says, on that note, there has been some backstage buzz. What does she think Miss Coe would make of the talk there’s been a hiccup in tonight’s acts? Lucy gets up, the popcorn bowl falling from her lap, and says, what hiccup?
Near a bench in the park, Spencer thanks Victor for meeting him, and Victor says, anything for him. Mystery man skulks around, and Victor asks if he’s to understand from this that Spencer is willing to do what needs to be done. Spencer says he’s not willing to sit back and let Esme call the shots. She was less than cooperative when they took Ace to the hospital. Victor asks if anything is wrong with the baby, but Spencer says, according to the doctor, Ace has cholic, and it’s nothing serious. Grandmother thinks they should be patient, exercise caution, and gain Esme’s trust. He’s done waiting. Victor says he needs to hear Spencer say it. He needs to hear Spencer say the actual words. Spencer says, let’s move forward with your plan. Esme must be dealt with.
Esme comes out of the exam room to see Ava coming out of the elevator. Ava says, hello, and Esme says she hasn’t seen Ava since… Ava says, since the night Esme’s lovely parents held her hostage, but Esme tells her, she was going to say, since the night she went into labor and gave birth to this guy. Ava says, what’s his name? and Esme tells her, Ace. Ava says, he looks like his father…my husband.
Carly strides into the gatehouse, seeing Willow on the sofa, and Nina standing over her, saying, please, answer me. Carly asks, what the hell happened?
Maxie laughs, and tells George, there are always hiccups for any live performance, and their performers and team members behind the scenes at the Nurses Ball are committed to executing tonight flawlessly, and giving a performance that’s worthy of it’s reputation. He asks if she’s found a dancer to replace the one that dropped out of the popular Magic Wands act, and she says, Dex Heller has agreed to step in, and he’s going to be great. George says he’s sure, but he was referring to the latest vacancy – the one yet to be filled. Lucy wonders, who dropped out? She doesn’t even know who’s in. She kicks the popcorn bowl, sending kernels everywhere, and says, the Nurses Ball is toast.
Maxie says she doesn’t know where George is getting his backstage buzz, but she guarantees tonight’s Nurses Ball will be the best yet. She thanks him for his time, tells him that he looks very nice, and jets.
Lucy makes a call, and says, Maxie, pick up the phone. She gets voicemail, and hangs up. She says, this is not what they’d said they’d do. Not what they’d planned. And she’d better answer the phone. Lucy calls again.
Nina says she was just asking Willow if she needed to call an ambulance, and Willow says she’s fine, really. Carly asks what Nina is doing here, and Nina says she was dropping off a care package of Deception products for Willow. She was putting it at the front door, and Willow asked her in. Willow says, to tell her that the bone marrow transplant’s a go, and Nina says she heard it from Aunt Liesl, but hearing it from Willow is wonderful. Carly says, Willow’s very generous, and Nina says, she is, and she doesn’t need Carly jumping to the wrong conclusions. Carly says she thinks she’s in a better position to know what Willow needs than Nina.
Esme says she heard Ava divorced Nikolas, and Ava says, he was her husband when Esme conceived their child. Esme says she doesn’t regret having Ace, but she’s sorry about what happened, and Ava says, what about everything else she did? Setting fire to Ava’s car, leaving behind a hospital ID belonging to her late daughter. Framing Trina Robinson. Those things didn’t just happen. Esme says, if those allegations are true from the old Esme, it’s some truly awful acts, and Ava says, referring to herself in the third person. How grandiose. Esme says she’s no longer that Esme Prince. Does Ava think it’s easy, constantly apologizing for some person she used to be? Ava knows nothing about that. Ava says, they’re all judged by their worst mistakes. It can be possible to overcome them. Esme asks if Ava has ever had to live with someone who constantly reminds her of all the wrong things she’s done. Spencer thinks he can’t forgive her past, and he thinks she’s a liar, and that Nikolas is some deadbeat runaway dad. Ava says, Spencer is basing his impressions on his experience. His father is not here for him, or for Esme’s baby. She’s truly sorry that Nikolas isn’t here to help Esme raise her child. Esme says she’s not. As far as she’s concerned, he can stay gone. She walks off with Ace.
Victor says, the last time he and Spencer met to discuss the Esme dilemma, Spencer was loathe to employ alternative tactics. What changed his mind? Spencer says, Esme mentioned getting a job. When she’s got a little bit of money saved up, she’s going to move out; maybe move on. He’s not sure about leaving the country, but he thinks she can legally leave the state, and he doesn’t love the idea of this brother being 2000 miles away from him. Victor says, Spencer may not have a choice, especially if Esme manages to acquire a veneer of respectability, and Spencer says, a judge may buy it, and look on Esme favorably when granting custody of her son. Ace is his brother. Victor says, and he’s willing to try this less than orthodox route? and Spencer nods. Victor says, Spencer shouldn’t hesitate for a second to prioritize the welfare of his baby brother. Should they talk about broad strokes? Spencer says, here? and Victor asks if he has a problem. Spencer says he’s used to meeting at the MetroCourt, but Victor says, that’s not possible, and Spencer says, why not? Why are they meeting here?
Sonny says, it’s too risky to make a move now, but Valentin says, it’s too risky to stay here. Victor’s already left the MetroCourt; he could be on his way here. Sonny says, give him time to make arrangements for a new place. When it’s safe, he’ll get them. They only want to relocate once. Valentin says he knows how to disappear, and Anna says, they have Lucy with them. Drew says, Eileen definitely didn’t know the location? and Anna says she doesn’t know. They were very careful about this, and took every precaution. She was blindfolded, they took different routes to get here, the phone was switched off. She doesn’t know what to say. Valentin says, it’s not impossible that she picked up some information she gave to Victor. Are they willing to risk their lives finding his father before his father finds them?
George tells Maxie, good luck, and she thanks him for all the Nurses Ball support. He leaves, and Felicia says, congratulations. She really kept her cool with that reporter. Maxie tells her, Lucy always says, never let them see you sweat, and Felicia wonders how he knew there was another Magic Wands drop out. Maxie says, before she did? She wishes she knew who was blabbing backstage. Who is she kidding? She knows it’s Amy Driscoll. That girl is so sweet, and has a killer voice, but she couldn’t be discreet to save her life. Felicia says, Maxie has bigger problems, like finding a Magic Wands replacement, when Maxie’s phone rings. She sees her phone says, crazy person, do not answer, and says, and maintaining her sanity.
Leaving a message, Lucy says she knows Maxie sent the call right to voicemail, and that’s not the deal they had… Never mind. She hangs up, and says, why does she even bother? She throws the phone down, and says, okay. Deep breath… and eat a gummi… Deep breath, and eat a gummi. She puts a gummi bear in her mouth, and says, mmm. You’re overreacting. So Bobbie and Maxie are going to be just fine. They know exactly what they’re doing and the Nurses Ball is fine. It’s in good hands. She turns and says, it’s not. You’re the only one who has the connections. You’re the one with the imagination. And they need you. She eats another gummi bear, and makes a call. She says she needs a car, and they can put it on the Deception Cosmetics account… They don’t need an address. Have the driver meet her at the corner of Marigold and Chestnut. She’ll be the striking woman in the fake fur coat… and tell them to hurry please. Ta! Wow. Deception’s car service isn’t too discriminating. No money, no name, no address, from an unknown number, and she’s getting a ride.
Carly says, Nina knows about the transplant and dropped off the care package. As she can see, Willow’s really weak. Willow says, it took her forever to settle Amelia for her nap, and Carly suggests she rest. Willow says she will, when Michael and Wiley come back from the store. They’re getting snacks for when they watch the Nurses Ball pre-show. Carly says, why doesn’t she nap until then? She can show Nina out, and wait for Michael and Wiley. Nina asks if that isn’t for Willow to decide.
Anna says she has to make a couple of calls. Robert’s going to know by now that Eileen is dead, but Felicia may not be aware. Sonny says, tell them to stay away, and after he and Drew leave, no more visitors. Drew says, Sonny’s right. What’s most important now is not risking more exposure.
Victor says, spring has sprung in all its glory. Doesn’t Spencer appreciate the fresh air? Spencer says he should have brought his binoculars so they could birdwatch, and Victor says, Spencer must be relieved to be rid of the stultifying air of his grandmother’s apartment, and Spencer says, Victor Cassadine, nature enthusiast. Will wonders never cease? Victor says, Spencer can mock, but he really appreciates all the park has to offer. Besides, it’s really more secure than the MetroCourt, particularly now that it’s teeming with guests for the Nurses Ball. Spencer still thinks they should have met in Victor’s suite, but what are the next steps in getting his brother away from Esme? Victor says, they need to find evidence in all the dormant cases against Esme; evidence compelling enough to force the District Attorney to prosecute her. (Really? This is the guy with the big plan, and that’s all he can think up?) Spencer asks what Victor needs from him, but Victor says, just sit still. Leave it to him. If Spencer’s father had trusted him, they wouldn’t be in this mess, would they?
Ava asks if Esme is sure she’s not upset that Nikolas is out of the picture. At the very least he could have helped her out financially. Esme says, Nikolas didn’t want to help. Actually, he tried to get her to sign away the rights to her son. Nikolas came to Spring Ridge, all smiles and sweet words, and paperwork to legally strip her of her parental rights. She and Ace are better off without him. As far as she can see, so is Ava. Ava says, Esme doesn’t know anything about her marriage to Nikolas, and Esme says, she knows that Nikolas slept with her while married to Ava. Ava says, doesn’t she mean he slept with the old Esme? and Esme laughs, saying, touché. She knows she sounds insane, trying to distance herself from… herself, but she has changed. And she intends to do what she can to make up for the things she’s done. Ava says she’s glad to hear it. So how does Esme plan on making it up to her?
Willow asks how preparations for the Ball are going. Are Bobbie and Maxie losing their minds? Carly says, they insist that everything is under control, but she just got a text from Josslyn who said it was unorganized chaos, which is no one’s fault. Even if Lucy were still with them, she’d have a lot less time to prepare. The Ball is usually the last week in June or the second week of September. Nina says, she and Olivia had to do a lot of juggling to get the ballroom at such short notice, and Carly says she’s sure they did. Willow struggles to get up, and they both fuss over her, but she says she’s fine. She wants to do a little prep before showtime. Carly says, if she needs anything… Willow says, she’ll be sure to yell, and goes to the kitchen. Nina says, it breaks her heart seeing Willow try to appear normal, and Carly says she prays the bone marrow transplant goes well and is a success. Willow deserves all good things. Nina asks if it wouldn’t benefit Willow if they put aside their personal differences with each other, and presented a united front for Willow.
Maxie says, what about the one who works with Mac with the amazing arms? but Felicia says, he moved to Las Vegas two months ago to dance in an all-male review. Maxie says she should have been a career counselor, and Lucy slips in, wearing sunglasses and a faux fur coat. Felicia’s phone rings, and she says she has to take this, but don’t worry. They’ll think of someone. She leaves, and Maxie flips through a binder. Lucy comes up behind her, and says, no. Maxie yelps, and says, Lucy? Lucy says, shush, and Maxie asks what she’s doing here. Lucy says, what she was born to do, and Maxie puts her hand to her forehead.
Felicia says, dead? and Anna says, yeah. So as she can imagine, they’re reevaluating their safety measures. Felicia says, but Eileen couldn’t have told Victor their location because she didn’t know it. They were extremely careful. She had a blindfold and a bag over her head every single time they took her to the safehouse. They even confiscated her devices. Anna says she knows, but they have to err on the side of caution. They have to assume that Eileen told Victor that they’re all working together. To that end, no one can come to the safehouse in the next few days. Felicia says, they could be followed.
Victor tells Spencer, building a case against Esme will solve their problem, particularly if she’s basically friendless and without resources. He’s concerned Spencer doesn’t look convinced, and Spencer says, if Esme goes to prison, she’ll take his brother with her, but Victor says, only for the first eighteen months. Or would he rather wait until the boy’s too old to go with her to prison? But then he runs the risk of her suddenly deciding to take him with her and run to another state, or changing her name and both of them disappearing. It’s still his first choice to take Esme out of consideration altogether. Spencer says, no. His friends need to see justice done in the form of a trial and a guilty verdict. Victor says, fine. They’ll just have to find good enough evidence before Esme decides to leave town. Spencer says, let’s do that, and Victor says, but if they can’t find evidence compelling enough for the DA to rearrest Esme, he’s going to go with his first instinct. Whatever happens to Esme, baby Cassadine will remain in the family fold.
Esme asks how she can make it up to Ava, and Ava says, the change in her has to be genuine. Esme says, it is, and Ava says, and permanent. Esme tells Ava that she can’t say her memories will never come back, and Ava says, that’s why she can’t be trusted. She believes Esme really lost her memory, and she’s sorry for the ordeal Esme’s monstrous parents put her through. Esme even cares about her little baby. Esme says, but Ava still doesn’t trust her, and Ava says she’ll never forget what Esme did. She believes the old Esme, the one who delighted in inflicting pain on others, is still inside her, and Ava believes one day, she will come back. She doesn’t wish Esme ill, but the moment Esme remembers who she really is, she will recognize it, and she’ll finish what Esme started. Austin walks up, and asks if he’s interrupting something, but Ava says, no. She and Esme have said all they need to say. Esme asks if the bag he’s carrying is for her, and he says, it sure is. There are samples of the formula they talked about, and the probiotics. Call him if it’s not working, or if she has any questions. She thanks him for treating her son after everything that happened, and he says, his pleasure. Esme tells Ava that she knows Ava and Spencer don’t believe her, but she has changed… for good. All she wants is what’s best for her baby. She leaves, and Austin asks what Ava thinks. Does she believe people can change? She says she does… for the worse. Look at them. He asks what she means, and she says, they’re covering up a crime. He says, oh, that. He has a confession. He doesn’t always recycle. She says, normally, she would think that was funny, but nothing is normal. They’re constantly lying and looking over their shoulders, and there’s no end in sight. She just lied through her teeth to the wife of the Chief of Detectives.
Maxie pushes Lucy down the red carpet, and asks how she got here. Lucy says, the same way she got here the other night. She climbed out a window, walked a half a mile, and took a car. Maxie says, only cats have nine lives. Every time she escapes the safehouse, she increases her chances of getting caught. She heard what Anna said. If Victor Cassadine finds out, he’s not going to pretend to shoot her; he’s going to really shoot her. Lucy says, okay, but if Maxie would have just answered her texts, answered her phone calls, taken an email from her, she wouldn’t have had to risk her life. Maxie asks why she’s here, and Lucy says, she was watching the TV and saw Maxie talking to that reporter, and she came up with the perfect solution to Maxie’s Magic Wand conundrum. An older man with a cane hobbles up, and Maxie asks how she can help him, as Lucy quickly turns away. He says he has lunch plans with his niece, but the garden patio’s deserted, and Maxie says, the garden patio is closed today for a special event, but the MetroCourt restaurant upstairs is open. She sees Felicia, and calls to her. She asks if Felicia will help this nice gentleman up to the MetroCourt restaurant, and Felicia says, sure. If he’s never been up there, he’s in for quite a treat. She leads the man away, and Lucy says, that was so close. What if Felicia had seen her and known it was her? Maxie says, she would have notified Anna that Lucy had gone rogue – again. But that’s the least of their worries. All the people coming to the Nurses Ball know who she is. She has to leave now. She grabs Lucy’s arm, but Lucy won’t budge, and says she’s not leaving now. Not until Maxie hears her out. She does have the perfect suggestion for a Magic Wand. This is a man who’s used to coming to the rescue.
Carly says she has no intention of letting her feelings about Nina impact Willow, and Nina says, again? Carly asks if she didn’t just suggest to play nice, and Nina promises to do better if Carly will. Carly doesn’t say anything, and Nina pretends to be busy with stuff. She says, it must be disappointing for Donna not being able to stay at her daddy’s, but Carly says, she just explained to Donna that her father’s busy and she won’t be visiting Sonny for a while. Nina says, it must be hard for a child to understand, and Carly says, that’s life with Sonny; constant conflict and danger. Nina is a long way from Nixon Falls, isn’t she?
Valentin says, as long as they’re in possession of the necklace, Victor is dead in the water. He has the decryption key, but nothing to use it on. Drew says, which is only going to make him more desperate. If he wasn’t following Robert, Laura, and Felicia before, he will be now. Anna says, they need to find Victor before he finds them, and Drew says, the man is not an island. Somebody’s got to know where he is. Who is he close to in Port Charles? Anna says, his great nephew; Sonny’s nephew. Sonny says he’ll speak to Spencer and see if he’s heard from Victor, and Valentin says, assuming Spencer will cooperate. Victor Cassadine is a master manipulator. Spencer’s young. He’s not match for Valentin’s father. Sonny says, Spencer’s made a lot of mistakes, but he’s got a good head on his shoulders. He’ll do the right thing. Did Sonny just come to Port Charles?
Spencer looks at his phone, and tells Victor that Esme’s probably wondering where he is. He’s supposed to pick up her and Ace at the hospital. Victor says he’ll put their plan in motion. When he has an update, he’ll give Spencer a time and location to meet. Watkins (mystery man gets a name!) will supply Spencer with a number to reach him; he’s going to dispose of his old phone. Spencer says, Victor’s avoiding the MetroCourt, setting new meeting locations, and now he’s changing phones. He’s ramping up security, isn’t he? Victor says, you can’t be too careful, and Spencer thanks him. He owes Victor one, and won’t forget it. Spencer leaves, and Victor says he’s counting on that. Watkins says, Victor didn’t tell Spencer that he’d be leaving Port Charles, and Victor says his intentions are always on a need to know. It’s more imperative than ever. Watkins says, his nephew’s custody fight? and Victor says, will soon be irrelevant. His great nephew is giving himself all kinds of anguish about something that will never see the light of day. If he knew the truth of Victor’s real plan, he’d never go along with it. If he has to keep lying to the lad, so be it. He needs Spencer on board.
Maxie tells Lucy, wait just a second. Lucy wants her to ask Mac to perform with the Magic Wands? Lucy says she can’t very well do it, and Maxie says, because she’s dead. Lucy says, think about it. Mac is such a well-known, well-respected member of this community. And to be perfectly honest, he’s a fox too. She’s often what’s underneath those button-down… Maxie says, stop. Mac’s her stepdad. Lucy says, he’s a daddy all right (missing the opportunity to use mack daddy), and Maxie says, that’s so inappropriate. Why couldn’t Lucy just text her requests instead of risking her life and coming in person? Lucy says, she tried. Instead of yelling at her, Maxie could thank her for saving the Nurses Ball. Maxie asks why she can’t stay away. Is it her need to control, or does it go deeper? And don’t hide behind some inappropriate remark or dumb excuse. Lucy says, okay. She does realize how everybody sees her, including her current roommates. That she’s vapid and silly, and selfish – she takes off her sunglasses – but the Nurses Ball, when she’s putting on that show, it’s the one time of year everybody takes her seriously. Despite all her business success, she’s running that show. She feels like she has a purpose. Like she’s fulfilled, like she’s needed, like she’s useful. It’s magic, and it’s so incredible that every single person in Port Charles is somehow putting on the show, or performing in the show, or donating to their cause. It’s like that one moment we all come together. She tears up, and says, Maxie knows there’s nothing else like it. Maxie says, the Nurses Ball is very special, and it’s mostly due to Lucy, and Lucy thanks her. So… Mac? Maxie says, what part about Mac is her stepdad does Lucy not understand, and Lucy says, what part doesn’t Maxie understand about, the show must go on? Maxie says she knows who would be a perfect fit, and Lucy says, who? Maxie asks if Lucy’s car is waiting for her, and Lucy says, of course (🍷). Who? Maxie says she’ll walk Lucy to her car, and Lucy follows her out, saying, who?
Sonny says, when he finds another safehouse, he’ll have his people come and get them, and Anna thanks him. Drew walks out with him, and Sonny says, Luke Spencer was his great friend. He loved Luke, and respected him. Victor is going to pay for Luke’s death, and Sonny has to stop him before he does any more damage to Spencer. He’s going to make sure of that. He gives Anna a quick smile, and he and Drew leave.
Nina says she knows who Sonny is and what he does, and Carly says, intellectually, sure. But when Nina was so eager to have Sonny all to herself, did she stop and think about what she’d have to give up? Nina says she’s not discussing her relationship with Carly, but Carly says, Nina doesn’t have to; she can see it in her eyes. And eventually Sonny will too. Nina bit off more than she can chew, and she’s not the first. Nina says she’s going to say goodbye to Willow. She has to get back to the hotel and oversee preparations for tonight. Carly says she’s only going to say this because Sonny’s the father of her kids, and if Nina is going to be with him, there’s something she needs to know. Sonny needs to be with someone who knows the good, bad, and ugly about him and his business. Who will stand beside him no matter how dirty things get. Does he share his entire life with Nina, or does he shelter her? Nina says she and Sonny have an understanding that works for them. It’s not the same relationship Carly had with him, and that’s what appeals to Sonny. Carly says, Nina didn’t want Mike to know his real identity when he was in Nixon Falls, and now that Sonny’s back, she wants to turn a blind eye to his business. Ignorance isn’t always bliss, and in this case, it looks like it’s the beginning of the end. Wow. Carly reads a lot into not much.
Willow comes back, and says, preparation finished. Is everything good? Nina says she was telling Carly that she has to get back to the hotel and get ready for the Ball. Is Willow going to be okay? How is she feeling about tomorrow? Willow says, nervous. The Nurses Ball will be a nice distraction. Still, she can’t stop thinking about everything that could go wrong. What if the transplant doesn’t take? What if Liesl’s bone marrow isn’t compatible with her after all? Carly says she’d be feeling the same way if she were Willow, but that doesn’t mean any of that’s likely. Nina says, Willow’s come too far to be disappointed. And if success can be guaranteed by sheer will, she and Carly have Willow covered. Tomorrow’s a fresh start, and she won’t be alone.
Anna says, it’s all going wrong, and Valentin says, every operation has it’s fair share of unknowables. He takes her hand and they sit on the sofa. She says she enlisted another civilian as an asset, and it’s too dangerous. She doesn’t know what the hell is wrong with her. He says, she tried to steer Lucy clear of this, and she wouldn’t go. Eileen Ashby was on borrowed time the moment she started working for Victor Cassadine. In fact, he thinks they gave her the best chance at survival. She couldn’t follow instructions. It isn’t Anna’s fault. Anna says, it is her fault, but he says, don’t do that. There’s only one person who’s going to pay for all of this, and he’s Valentin’s father. And he will. Somehow.
Spencer goes back to the hospital, and Esme says, there he is. He’s been gone forever. He says, not quite that long, and tells Ace that his mother’s a very impatient woman. She says, the doctor was very helpful, but they’ve been waiting a while; he said he’d be back. Spencer says, here he is. He had to take care of something. She asks, what’s more important than his brother? and he says, nothing, magically getting the elevator as soon as he presses the button.
As they walk through the halls, Ava tells Austin that Felicia was asking what he was doing on Spoon Island the night Ryan, Heather, and Esme showed up. They need an explanation as to why he was there. A good one; one they can sell. He says, any idea of what that explanation might be? and she asks if he owns a tux.
Lucy pulls of her coat, and says, unforgivable, Maxie. You shoved me in that car before even telling me who the replacement for the Magic Wand was. She bets Maxie doesn’t even know who the replacement is. She slumps down in her chair.
Maxie asks why she ever agreed to plan the Nurses Ball, and Felicia says, because she’s the best event planner in New York state, and nobody handles a crisis better than her. They will find a suitable replacement for the Magic Wand act. Maxie says she thought of a replacement… and it’s better than the alternative. Felicia says, alternative? and Maxie says, it’s a story for another day. Hopefully, it never comes to that. They leave, and the guy with the cane comes back. He straightens up, leans the cane against the wall, and makes a phone call.
Victor says, you have something for me? and cane spy says he tailed Felicia Scorpio to the MetroCourt. Victor will never guess who showed up in the lobby. Victor says, do tell, and cane spy says, Lucy Coe. She left here twenty minutes ago in a luxury sedan; hired car judging from the stickers. Victor thanks him, and says he’ll take it from here. He tells Watkins, once again, Lucy Coe proves herself invaluable. He’s got them. Anna and Valentin can hide no more.
On Monday, Willow says, tonight, she’s exactly where she wants to be; Sonny says, he and Nina are a long ways from dancing in Nixon Falls; and Lucy says, without her? She doesn’t think so.
I’d rather see my face aging than a face I don’t recognize at all. – Cameron Diaz
Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground. Let their spirit ignite a fire within you to leave this world better than when you found it. – Wilferd Peterson
Persons of high self-esteem are not driven to make themselves superior to others; they do not seek to prove their value by measuring themselves against a comparative standard. Their joy is being who they are, not in being better than someone else. – Nathaniel Branden
Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult. – Charlotte Whitton, Canadian Politician
A person is not given integrity. It results from the relentless pursuit of honesty at all times. – Unknown
I want to ride a camel with you every day. – Debbie, 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way
🛴 Cash Me Inside…
If you’re in the neighborhood, stop by on Monday really Tuesday for soap and trash talking the awful people on Summer House. Until then, stay safe, stay away from making excuses, and stay knowing that it’s possible to overcome your worst mistakes, even if people have judged you by them.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Diane sees Robert in the hotel lobby, and says, what a surprise. What brings him to the MetroCourt this evening?
Victor paces, and says, it’s been too many years and he’s come too far. No, no, no. He will not be denied again. Eileen eyeballs the flashdrive on the floor as her phone rings. She tells Victor, the DA’s office, and answers, saying, she’s in the middle of a meeting. She already told them, she needs more time before she can come back to the office. Anna says, time’s up. Get out now. Eileen looks at the flashdrive again, and says she can’t. Valentin asks, what’s going on? and Anna says, she’s going to blow up the whole operation. She asks if Victor isn’t letting Eileen leave, but Eileen says, no. They can wait for her. Anna says, whatever it is Eileen is thinking, don’t, and Eileen says she can’t really talk right now, but don’t worry. When she gets there, they’ll have all the answers they need, and they won’t have to meet again. Anna says, oh my God, she hung up, and Valentin asks if Anna thinks Victor is on to her, but Anna says she doesn’t know. She calls again.
Eileen tells Victor that she’s sorry for the interruption. It won’t happen again; she’s putting her phone on silent. Victor says, she might as well leave. She’s done her part. She looks again at the flashdrive, and says she doesn’t want to leave him unhappy. She comes closer to him and adjusts his tie, asking if she can’t do something to make him feel better. There’s a knock at the door, and a man tells Victor that he has the information Victor is waiting for. He lets the man in, and says, not here; follow me. They go into the bedroom, and Eileen picks up the flashdrive.
At the safehouse, Lucy messes with her phone, telling Maxie to pick up her texts. Enter, enter, enter, enter. Answer her. Felicia comes in, and asks how Lucy is tonight. Lucy says, she’s good… that is if Felicia’s daughter would answer her texts. Felicia says, Maxie is diligent about responding to text messages, unless of course (🍷) she’s in a meeting and can’t. Lucy says, unless of course (🍷) Maxie’s choosing not to answer her, and Felicia says, there’s that. She asks Anna and Valentin, what’s going on? and Anna says, Eileen delivered the counterfeit necklace to Victor, but now she’s not picking up her phone. Felicia wonders if Victor is on to her, and Valentin says, it’s impossible to say, but they’re afraid Eileen might have gone rogue, and Anna says, putting herself, them, and the whole operation in jeopardy.
Cameron walks into Charlie’s with Esme and Ace, and Spencer says, what the hell? He knows this is Cameron’s party… Laura says, yes, it’s his party. He’s the man of the hour. She hugs him, and he says he knows his guests are unexpected. Laura says, welcome, and Esme says, for the record, this wasn’t her idea. Cameron invited her. Elizabeth says, this is her son’s going away party, and he can invite anyone he wants. It’s nice to see her outside of Spring Ridge. Esme says she doesn’t respond well to being locked up… as Elizabeth knows.
On the phone, Maxie says, the Nurses Ball is officially sold out, but they’ve been so generous to the hospital, she’ll see what she can do about squeezing in a party of four. She sighs.
Bobbie tells Brook that her list of performers is fantastic. She’s totally outdone herself. What a great lineup. Sasha says, Brook did a fantastic job recruiting people, and Brook says, now on to the hard part; what order do they perform in? Bobbie says, everyone knows it’s for a great cause, and she thinks they’ll just put their egos aside (she expects a lot), and accept whatever order they come up with. Maxie comes in and wonders how people can hear something is sold out and still expect to get tickets. She has to add another table. Sasha asks, where? They have to stick with the fire code. Maxie says she’s sure she’ll figure something out. Her phone rings, and Lucy asks why Maxie is ignoring her texts. And what is she hiding? What is Maxie doing to her show? Maxie says, hello… again. Let her get someplace more private. Maxie leaves, and Brook says, show order. Let’s start with the easy calls. GH doctors and nurses will start, but then what? The nurses will be a good emotional beginning, but the next act has to grab the audience’s attention; it has to be exciting. It has to have sex appeal.What act sends the message that you are in for the night of your life, and you don’t want to miss a single minute? Chase walks in.
In a back hallway, Maxie says, this is not what they agreed to. Texts only; no more phone calls. Lucy says she’s sorry. She’s not trying to micromanage Maxie. Maxie doesn’t know what it’s like to be stuck inside this safehouse while the Nurses Ball, her baby, is going on without her. Maxie says she hears that, but she can either talk to Lucy or get the Nurses Ball going. She can’t do both. Lucy says, that’s where Maxie is wrong. She has an idea.
Chase tells Bobbie that he’s here for his rehearsal, but she says, Felix is doing rehearsals, right next door. Felix comes in, and asks if Chase brought a copy of the song lyrics for the director. Chase says he did, and gives Felix the copy. Felix asks where Blaze is, and Chase says he’s sorry. She texted and said she couldn’t make it tonight. Felix says, this is her final rehearsal. She can’t just wing it on the big night. Chase says, he’ll go over it with her, and make sure she knows it. Blaze is a total pro. It will go off without a hitch. Felix says, from your lips…
Sasha says, whatever is going on with Brook and Chase, he’s clearly not indifferent to her. Don’t give up hope. Brook says, there’s no hope. Chase made that very clear to her yesterday.
Robert asks what brings Diane to the hotel, and she says she just finished a painfully boring dinner with an out of town client. What about him? He says he’s due to meet a contact for a drink, but he’s starting to think he’s been stood up, and she says she doesn’t believe that for a second.
Cameron tells Esme not to make him regret bringing her. Don’t talk to his mom like that. Elizabeth says, it’s okay. She was just speaking her truth. She’s sorry for everything. Cameron says, his mom just apologized. He feels like Esme should acknowledge that if she meant what she said earlier about being a better person. Esme says she’s sorry, and she does appreciate Elizabeth’s apology, but she really thinks she should go. It’s obvious no one wants her here. Cameron says, because of her past. She has to try and show people that she’s a changed person. There’s a life here. She’s just got to try. Elizabeth takes Esme’s diaper bag, and says she’ll help Esme get settled in. They walk to a table, and Laura asks, what happened? Cameron says he might have walked into her apartment, and might have caught Esme trying to walk through the front door, and Laura says she’s guessing Esme wasn’t just going for a walk. Cameron says, she actually tried to convince him otherwise, but after some grilling, she admitted she was trying to leave town with Ace. He eventually talked her down, but didn’t want to chance leaving her alone, so he brought them here. Laura thanks him, and pissing-me-off-by-the-moment Spencer says he’s going to have a quick chat with Esme about trying to take off with his little brother. Laura says, not now. Not here. Scotty comes in and says he can’t believe Cameron is headed to Stanford. The town won’t be the same. He sees Elizabeth fussing over Ace, who bounces on Esme’s knee, and says, what the hell is Esme doing here?
Josslyn asks, what happened to Jake and Aiden? and Trina says, Cameron told her that the family is going to have special goodbye breakfast for him on the day he leaves. Josslyn says she didn’t know. It’s so weird to see Esme with a baby. They need to get that poor kid away from her as soon as possible. Memory or no memory, she’s still bad news.
Anna says, she called Eileen’s cell, Eileen picked up, but refused to leave Victor’s room, and Felicia asks if Anna thinks Eileen double-crossed them. Anna says she doesn’t know; she doesn’t think so. Eileen told her that she’d be able to get them all the answers they need. Oh my God. Do they know what she’s doing? She’s going after the decryption key. Felicia says, that’s good, because they already have the real Ice Princess necklace, complete with the correct code. If Eileen can get the decryption key, they don’t have to follow Victor. They’ll be one step ahead. Valentin says, people who think they’re one step ahead of Victor Cassadine tend to get stabbed in the back.
Eileen puts the flashdrive in her pocket, when Victor comes back out. He says he thought they weren’t going to be interrupted again, and Eileen says she didn’t know how long they were going to take, and her real job is very demanding. Victor says, she works for him, and that’s the only job that’s important. Remember? Her very life depends on it. She says she’s well-aware, but she does have a meeting she has to go to with the Zoning Board. She picks up her coat, and he says, she’ll leave when he says she leaves. She’s not leaving yet.
Elizabeth checks her phone, and wonders why Epiphany isn’t calling her back.
Spencer says he knew his grandmother shouldn’t have left Esme alone, and Cameron says, he can’t watch her every second. Spencer says he can sure as hell try, and Cameron says he has a better idea. Since Esme is like a blank slate, can they at least try to co-exist with her? Spencer says, Cameron wants him to be nicer? After everything she’s done? Cameron tells him, he didn’t say that, but they can at least try to tone down the overt hostility.
Brook says she really screwed things up with Chase, and Sasha says, tell her what happened. Brook flashes back to Chase saying, if she was really trying to do the right thing, why didn’t she tell him? He’ll tell her why. She knew he’d be angry, and she knew what she did was wrong. But she was right about one thing; she’s not the person he thought she was. Brook tells Sasha, she blew it, and there’s no going back. Maxie comes back along with Bobbie, and asks Brook, what’s wrong? Brook says, nothing. Let’s go over the show order.
Lucy listens in, and Bobbie says she thinks they should just start at the end and work backwards. Lucy scoffs, saying, Bobbie would say something like that. That is ridiculous. Maxie, don’t listen to her. Maxie hears Lucy in her earpiece, and Bobbie asks if Maxie is going to be the one to announce how much money they made and say goodnight. Maxie says she thinks it should be someone from GH, and Sasha says, it won’t be the same without Lucy. They miss her. Maxie says, it’s funny. She feels like Lucy is right here in the room with them. Lucy says, I miss you too, Sasha, so much. You are a good egg. Sasha says, since Lucy isn’t here to be the Mistress of Ceremonies, there’s only one possible choice. It has to be Bobbie. Lucy yells, no! and Maxie can’t get her earpiece out fast enough.
Diane asks, who would stand up Robert Scorpio? but he says, it’s a business meeting, not a date. She says she still finds it criminal that two people such as themselves are working at this hour, but he says, she’s Killer Miller; she’s never off the clock. She laughs, and tells him, she’d never say never, but she’d be glad to put it all aside if she got the right offer. His phone rings, and he sees it’s a call from Anna. He asks Diane to excuse him. It’s his business contact. She tells him, have a good night, and leaves. He asks, what’s up? and Anna says, Eileen is still in there with Victor. He has to go in and get her out. He says he’s on it. Diane sees him at the elevator, and he says he thought she was leaving. She says she was, but Alexis called; she’s working later. She wanted Diane to meet her for dessert upstairs. She’ll ride up with him.
Victor says he still doesn’t have the information his brother Mikkos engraved onto the Ice Princess, and Eileen says she brought him the necklace. The decryption key failed him, not her. He said so himself. He says, regardless, he needs more time. He needs her to return the necklace to the PCPD secure locker room, so no one will know it went missing. His people need to work on the decryption key, and find out what went wrong. She takes the box, and says she’s only sorry he couldn’t crack the code. She was truly hoping this would all be finished today. He promises she’ll be done with this very soon. There’s just one more thing he needs her to do for him.
Lucy hears Bobbie say she’s not so sure she should be the one to close the Nurses Ball. What about Elizabeth… or Felix… or Deanna? Lucy says, Bobbie finally said something right. It definitely should not be you. Sasha says, true, they’re all nurses, but this is the 60th anniversary. Bobbie’s been at the hospital the longest, and she’s co-chair of the Nurses Ball. Lucy says, Sasha doesn’t need to be quite so literal. She wasn’t even a Candy Striper, and she represented GH just fine. Anybody but Bobbie. Why Bobbie? Not Bobbie Spencer, okay? The Ball needs to end with bang, not a whimper. Maxie yells, stop it! and Bobbie asks if she’s all right. Lucy says, sorry, she’ll shut up, and Maxie says she’s sorry for yelling. It’s just that all this talk about Lucy is creating this relentless chatter in her head telling her that the Nurses Ball isn’t going to be good this year. Sasha tells her to cut herself some slack. Maxie is working so hard; they all are. The Ball is going to be great. Felix comes in, and says he agrees with Sasha. He’s worked a lot of Balls with Lucy, and he knows what she would want. Lucy says, that’s right, Felix; tell ‘em. Felix says he thinks Lucy would be behind them 100% with Bobbie. Lucy says, please, anyone but Bobbie, and Maxie tells Felix that she agrees with him. She just needs to tell that annoying voice in her head to shut up. She shuts off her earpiece, and Lucy says, Maxie, come back.
Scotty says, Esme and the baby are staying with Laura? He knows she likes to take risks, but that’s crazy. She hands him a drink, and says she knows, but the baby is completely innocent, and he’s her grandchild, and she feels like she needs to protect him. He takes a sip, and says, what the hell is this? She says, club soda, and he says, where’s the vodka? Cameron’s underage, but he’s not. She says she thinks Liesl’s still mad at him, and he says he went to her apartment, and she threw all his suits out in the hallway. There were actually people trying them on. Elizabeth joins them, and says she’s really sorry she caused this rift between Scotty and Liesl, but he says, it’s not her fault. How did the Ethics Committee go? She says she got reinstated, and he says, good. She gets to keep her job. She says she’s worried she may have lost a friend, and looks at her phone.
In the elevator, Robert presses a button, and Diane says she thought he was heading upstairs for a drink. He says, plans changed; she now wants to meet in her room. Diane says, if his contact is staying at the hotel, why was he waiting in the lobby?
Josslyn walks over to where Esme is standing, holding a sleeping Ace, and Esme says her arm feel asleep. Josslyn suggests switching arms once in a while, and Esme does. She says, that’s better. Thanks. Josslyn says, so Esme met Spencer in boarding school. She didn’t babysit before that? Esme says she has no idea. She doesn’t remember anything before waking up at GH. Josslyn says, right, sorry, and Esme says she heard about what she did to Josslyn in the past, the revenge porn. She swears she has no memory of doing it, or even why she would. She honestly hopes she never remembers. She doesn’t want to be that person. She just wants to be a good mom to Ace. It’s important she set a good example for him. That’s all that matters to her now.
Diane follows Robert out of the elevator, and says, Victor Cassadine has a room on this floor. Is that why he’s here? Robert says, she should get back on the elevator, and find Alexis, and Diane says, uh-huh. What has Victor done now? He says, actually, it’s Eileen Ashby he’s looking for, and she says, the Deputy Mayor? He knocks on the door and yells for Victor to come out, and Diane asks if he’s sure Victor’s in there. Robert says, he was five minutes ago, and she says, maybe Victor has left the building. Robert tells her that he’s going to kick in the door, and she’s going to find Alexis. She strides off, and he says, what do you know? That’s never worked before.
Felicia wonders why Robert hasn’t called them back, and Anna says, he’s in the middle of something, there’s no update… Valentin says, Eileen can’t still be with Victor, and Anna says she’s worried Eileen is pushing too hard. Victor was already suspicious of her. By now he might have realized she’s working against him. Valentin says, Eileen would turn on them in a heartbeat, and Felicia says, maybe she saw an opportunity and she jumped on it. if she can get Victor’s decryption key, that’s going to make things a lot easier for them. Valentin says, if they still have the real necklace, then they have the advantage because Victor needs it. He’s been looking for it a long time. He can’t move forward without it. Anna says she hopes he hasn’t decided Eileen is standing in his way.
Robert tries using a credit card to slip the lock, when Diane comes back. She says she thought he was kicking the door down, but he says he suddenly remembered he’s not 25 anymore. She says, allow her, and hands him a keycard. He asks where she got it, and she says she found a maid, she borrowed the maid’s master key, and the city needs to reimburse her forty dollars. He tells her, stand back, and opens the door. The room is empty.
On the phone, Anna says, thanks for the update, and tells Valentin, Robert got into Victor’s room. He and Eileen weren’t there; it was empty. Valentin wonders how they got past Robert, but Anna doesn’t know. Service elevator or something?He said there was no sign of a struggle. Felicia says, then Eileen went with him willingly, and Valentin says, either that or they overpowered her and took her out back in a laundry cart. Felicia says, it doesn’t do them any good to assume the worst. Where do they think Victor took her? Anna says, it all depends on whether Eileen blew her cover or not.
Maxie thinks Bobbie is the perfect person to end the Ball, and Bobbie says she’s honored, but there are other nurses deserving of that honor. Maxie asks, what if it causes friction? Whoever they ask, someone else is bound to feel slighted. Bobbie says she doesn’t think they have to worry about that. What the heck. Maybe she should do it anyway. Sasha asks, what changed her mind? and Bobbie says, if anything can bring Lucy back from the grave, it would be seeing Bobbie up on that stage instead of her.
Elizabeth says, she’s been trying to reach Epiphany, but no luck, and Laura says, she’s probably just really busy. She’s probably having the time of her life at Johns Hopkins campus. Elizabeth says she can’t help but feel Epiphany is avoiding her, but Laura says she doesn’t think that’s Epiphany’s style. Scotty says he agrees with Laura. She’s a straight shooter. He knows that from personal experience with Epiphany. Laura says she’s sure Elizabeth will hear from her when she gets back to town. Elizabeth says she hopes so.
Cameron asks if Esme is okay, and she says, perfect. She’s the one who should be leaving town, not him. He says he thinks she’s better off here. Where would she go? She can’t raise Ace by herself. She says, Charlie’s is full of people, but she’s still on her own, but he says, it doesn’t have to be that way. It’s her choice.
Felix asks what kind of lighting Chase is looking for, and Chase says, it’s a love song, so he figured, keep it simple. Felix says, really? Because in his book, there’s nothing simple about love. He does know someone who might have some ideas though. He grabs Brook, and says, they need her two cents. How does she feel about love?
Victor brings Eileen to the footbridge, followed by mystery man, and she asks why he brought her here. Victor says he likes privacy for these kinds of things, and she asks, what kinds of things? Mystery man pushes her up against the railing, and frisks her, and she asks what he’s doing. He takes the flashdrive out of her pocket, and hands it to Victor. Victor says, this doesn’t belong to her, and wonders why he shouldn’t just kill her right now. She says, because she knows things, and he says, such as? She says, Valentin and Anna aren’t dead. They’re alive and in Port Charles.
Felix says he needs some direction for lighting and set design, so let’s get down to the basics. Is it a sad love song or a happy one? Chase tells him, he’d say it was happy, filled with love and optimism. Brook says, is it though? The lyrics are full of yearning. Chase says, and passion, and she says, which you had but lost. He says, not really lost; chemistry doesn’t fade away. She says, it doesn’t fade away, but it can take a wrong turn, and then where are you? You’re lost. He says, hoping to be found again, and Felix says, so lighting for lost and found. He can do that.
In Victor’s room, Diane says she can help Robert look. He’s just got to tell her what they’re looking for. He says, it turns out Eileen was working with Victor. They had a little talk with her, and convinced her to change sides. However, loyalty is not Eileen’s strong point. They’re concerned she may have panicked and told Victor everything. She asks what Victor did, and Robert says, he killed Luke Spencer.
Victor says, his son is alive? And Anna? What about Lucy? Eileen says, she’s alive too. They’re all hiding out in town. He asks, where? but she says she doesn’t know. A safehouse? They always blindfolded her when they took her there. He asks why she stole the flashdrive if the decryption key didn’t work, and she says, because the key wasn’t the problem. The necklace she gave him was a fake. He moves closer to her, and she says she didn’t want to do it. They threatened her. Wait. They have the real necklace, and she can get it for him. She’ll do anything she can to make this right.
Maxie’s phone rings, and she says she wants to ignore this, but it could be Nurses Ball business. It’s Lucy, who says, sorry, sorry. Please don’t hang up. She promises she’ll be as quiet as a mouse. Maxie says she’s so sick of Lucy trashing any idea that’s not her own. They’re all working their butts off here. Lucy says she knows and she’s sorry. It’s just that she cares too much about the Nurses Ball. Maxie says, Lucy has to trust her to do what’s right, and Lucy says she does, but please, Bobbie can’t host in her place. Maxie says, no one is taking Lucy’s place. They all agreed no one person could fill her shoes, so they’re going to have different GH staff members introduce various acts. Lucy asks if she learned nothing from the Daisy Awards. It’s really a terrible idea. Maxie says, call her again, and she’s blocking Lucy for good. Goodbye. She shuts the earpiece off.
Spencer watches Esme rocking Ace, and flashes back to voicing his concerns about Esme taking off with the baby to Victor, and Victor saying, there’s no way in hell Esme is raising a Cassadine heir. Not while there’s a breath left in his body. Cameron tells Spencer, it’s not that bad. They both know grandmother won’t let anything bad happen to Ace. Spencer says he wasn’t thinking about his brother. He was thinking, when Cameron leaves town, there won’t be anyone to keep him in line. Cameron says, what about Trina and Joss? and Spencer says, that’s true, but it’s not going to be the same. He’s going to miss Cameron.
Scotty asks for everybody’s attention. He’s got a few things to say about Cameron. Everybody gathers around, and he says, he and Cameron aren’t related by blood, but he certainly considers Cameron family. He’s had a tough year, but he’s kept his chin up. Now Stanford has him; their loss. So good luck. He shakes Cameron’s hand, and says, he loves Cameron. He puts his hand up like he’s whispering, and says he’s got something for Cameron’s wallet. Cameron thanks him, and Elizabeth says she’s so proud of Cameron, hugging him. He says he loves her, and she says she loves him too. Cameron thanks everyone, and begins his goodbye hug tour. Esme tells him that Laura’s offered to take her and Ace home, so they’re going to be leaving now, but she thanks him for inviting them. It just figures that the one person who’s been nice to her is leaving town. He says his grandma’s been nice to her, and she says, true. She does have an ulterior motive. He says, she’s not like that, when Laura comes over. She hugs him, and says she’s going to miss him so much. He’s a very, very special young man. He’s her soccer star. He thanks her and says he loves her. She says she’ll bring Esme’s stuff to the car, and Esme follows her out, Scotty opening the door.
Felix says he knows Brook and Chase used to be a couple. Is that going to be a problem here? Brook says, no, and Chase says, they’ll get it done. Felix walks out, and Chase follows him.
Bobbie says, the show order is set, and Maxie says, this Nurses Ball is going to be special. Worthy of GH’s 60th anniversary.
Lucy says, it’s simply madness not to have one host. You need that person to tie everything together; keep the evening moving. This is bad. This is really bad. This is not going to work. She has to be there. The Nurses Ball needs her.
Cameron thanks Elizabeth for the party; it was a lovely send-off. She says, everyone wanted a chance to say goodbye and tell him how much they love him. He says, it’s strange. He hates that he’s leaving, but he can’t wait to get there. (That’s a perfect way of describing leaving home for the first time. If you liked living there.) She says she knows. He’s going to love it there, but she’s going to miss him. He says he’s going to miss her too, and they hug.
Anna’s phone rings, and she says, it’s Eileen. She asks if Eileen is all right. Is she still with Victor? On the footbridge with Victor and mystery man watching, Eileen says she’s sorry. She thought she could get the decryption key, but it didn’t work out. Valentin asks if she’s compromised. Does Victor know the necklace was a fake? Eileen looks at Victor, who nods, and she says, no. Victor didn’t suspect anything. Anna says, and she’s all right? Just don’t go against orders again. Eileen says she can’t do this anymore. She’s out. Anna says, don’t forget the evidence they have against her, but Eileen says her life is ruined already. She’s leaving town, and she’s going to get as far away from Victor Cassadine as possible. Anna says, just calm down, and Victor disconnects the call. Eileen says she did what Victor wanted, and he says, well done. Now there’s just one more little thing.
Valentin says, they lost Eileen, and Anna says, she sounded terrified. She just hopes Eileen is halfway to the Canadian border by now. Felicia says, if Victor didn’t suspect her, he will when she goes missing. Anna says, at least they have the real necklace. As long as they have that, they still stand a chance.
Eileen says, Victor promised he’d help her get out of town, away from Anna’s reach, and he strokes her hair, saying, he promises she won’t have to worry about Anna Devane again. He flings her over the side of the bridge, with one hand no less, and she yells like a cartoon character going over a cliff.
Cameron tells Elizabeth, goodnight. He loves her. She says she loves him more. He leaves, and the pub is empty except for a few employees. Elizabeth calls Epiphany’s number. State Trooper Carlson answers, and Elizabeth says she’s trying to reach Epiphany Johnson. He says he’s very sorry, but he has bad news about her friend. We don’t hear him, but we see Elizabeth’s face as he talks, and it makes me want to cry. She sits down at the bar, and closes her eyes.
Tomorrow, Marshall says, this was all his fault; Robert says, General Hospital’s lost one of its best; Diane tells Obrecht that some forms must be completed today; and Willow says she’s right where she needs to be.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey
Last week, Danielle left the party after hearing her name one too many times. Teresa and Jennifer left with her, and in the limo, Danielle said she’d opened up, and now she was being talked about. The one person they didn’t want to have as an enemy was her.
Everyone struggles to wake up. Jennifer makes a huge breakfast for her guests, and tells them Rachel is having brunch later. Saddle up; it’s going to be a long afternoon. Among the three houses, there are various conversations involving Danielle and her brother. Jackie thinks something is missing from the story, and Dolores doesn’t think the rift is because Danielle blocked him, but she doesn’t know what it is. In Rachel’s interview, she says she likes Danielle. Danielle has the things she looks for in a friend, but it feels like a link in the chain is missing. Danielle says, Rachel is a sh*t starter, and she didn’t like that Rachel repeated the things she said. In Danielle’s interview, she says she saw Danielle as a new friend. Now Marge is mad at her because of what Rachel told her. Because she hasn’t played victim for a minute, Teresa says, they were making her feel bad because she didn’t invite Melissa’s mom to the wedding. In Melissa’s interview, she says, how dare Teresa paint the picture that her mother doesn’t deserve to be there? and Marge says, Louie went looking for Melissa’s mom to apologize. Melissa wonders if that’s coming from a genuine place. Does he believe Teresa is wrong? Joe #3 says, Louie makes himself look good, but he knows what’s up. In Joe #2’s interview, he says, in the beginning, he was happy about Louie, and a producer asks if something happened. Joe says, yes. In Teresa’s interview, a producer asks how it started, and Teresa says she kept her mouth shut to protect her brother and keep the peace. She tells everyone at Jennifer’s house that there was a business dealing, and Louie lost a quarter million dollars. In her interview, she says, Joe had an idea for a pizza oven, and Louie put out $250,000. He discussed it with an attorney, and they came up with the figure of 5% to give Joe, but Joe wanted 50%. She asked him if he put up the money. They ended up not doing it, and Louie took the loss. We see a clip of Melissa telling Tiki and Traci Barber that Louie acted like a knight in shining armor. In Joe’s interview, he says he didn’t want to talk, but if Teresa’s talking… It was his idea to honor his father; they were calling it Nonno Pizza. He ordered the ovens, and Louie put up the money. He figured he’d give Teresa 50%. Then his nephew showed him that Teresa and her girls had posted a photo shoot, something about Skinny Pizza. This was between him and Louie, so he called Louie, and Louie gave him lip, with his sister in the background, yelling, did he put up the money? It was his idea. At the pseudo shore house, Melissa says she thinks Teresa is just so selfish, she doesn’t want to share, and Joe says, it became ugly. Marge says, Teresa puts things in place that they can’t recover from, and in Melissa’s interview, she says she was so hopeful for a new beginning for Joe, and they stole it from her. She tears up, and says she feels bad for everyone that it’s getting to this point.
In Rachel’s interview, she says she goes above and beyond with everything, even planning parties. She’s a perfectionist in a bad way. She likes to make it more of an experience, and she can’t have John on the grill, or they’ll be eating charcoal patties. A giant clamshell with a live mermaid is set up, and in Jen’s interview, she says she doesn’t get the extra stuff. Teresa had a girl in a bubble – we flash back to that – and Rachel has a woman holding a bubble. She doesn’t know why all the Disney characters at parties, but it’s working. Since they have nothing to talk about except each other, Jackie says she thinks Jennifer is trying to be tough, but she’s not happy. She and Bill are fighting over how to raise the kids. In Dolores’s interview, she says, no matter how much Jennifer pissed her off, she thought she’d been a good friend to Jennifer. Jennifer had done a lot to her, but she doesn’t want problems for her and Bill; she likes them as a couple. If she ever cares for someone, there’s always a piece of her that still does. Some of the guests take a look at John’s stripped chest, and Joe #2 says, he couldn’t initiate Louie that way; he’d be crying. Evan shows them an Instagram post from Louie with Bill and Nate, where Louie is talking about God and forgiveness. In Joe #2’s interview, he says, maybe Louie should try teaching his fiancé forgiveness before trying to teach the world. Touché. They make their own video, and Joe says, last night was a great night. God told him to wax somebody. There’s heaping platters of wondrous barbecue and sides, and more talk about Teresa not inviting Melissa’s mother to the wedding. Melissa wonders, who doesn’t do something just because it’s the right thing to do? even though she knows the answer is, Teresa. Jen says, Danielle was upset about them talking behind her back, and Marge says, Danielle was talking behind her back.
In Marge’s interview, she says she doesn’t even want to have a conversation with Jennifer; she might catch on fire from the polyester. I’m not sure what that means. Is it highly flammable? Plus, it’s not 1970. Polyester is pretty amazing today. Dolores says, Paulie’s blood pressure was high, and he wasn’t feeling well, and Joe #2 asked what Dolores was doing to him. Jennifer suggests she and Marge get together some time, and Marge looks at her like she has two heads, as would I. In Danielle’s interview, she says she’s so mad, her brain is going to explode, and I wonder if I should get popcorn. She says, what everyone is hearing from Rachel isn’t true, and she doesn’t like holding things in. Marge tells Danielle that she was taken aback that Danielle would think she’s coming for her, and told Rachel that she had an arsenal. Danielle says she didn’t mean it that way, and she’s irritated that Rachel tried to create a divide. She calls Rachel over, and asks why Rachel said she claimed Marge was on the attack. Rachel corrects her, and says, Danielle told her that Marge had an arsenal of information. Danielle asks why Rachel is throwing her under the bus, and Rachel says, but that’s what Danielle told her. Marge asks if Danielle believes what anyone she had an argument with says about her, and Danielle says, Rachel is making her the bad guy when she was laughing about it at the time. Rachel asks what she said that was wrong, but Danielle can’t come up with anything. In Rachel’s interview, she says, Rachel is pissed and trying to throw her under the bus when she said nothing. Danielle says she was just repeating third party info, but Marge says, you can’t repeat things that aren’t true. It’s high school – graduate. In Danielle’s interview, she says she thought she and Rachel had a kumbaya thing going on. Now she’s seeing a different side, and she’s disappointed Rachel took advantage of their conversation and threw her under the bus.
Jackie asks if Dolores is okay, since she’d walked away from the conversation with Frank. Dolores says, it’s a touchy subject. She isn’t worried about Frank, and doesn’t want to hear it. In Dolores’s interview, she says, the women should worry about putting Paulie on a pedestal since that’s what these bitches have wanted for her for years.
Jen tells Teresa that she loves how Louie wants to make everything good, and Teresa says, if Joe #2 would have just called her about inviting his mother-in-law, she would have been receptive. If he had a problem, he should have called her. He’s making a mountain out of a mole hole [sic]. Louie asks to talk to Melissa, while the invitation conversation continues with Teresa. Louie takes Melissa’s hand and says he means this sincerely. The wedding is beautiful, but there are also bombs going off. Danielle joins Teresa’s table, and says she’s mad because they were all talking sh*t about her brother. When they were at Jen’s house, she was honest, and that should have been good enough. Jen says, she didn’t understand. If that’s what actually happened, it’s cuckoo. Danielle swears that’s what happened, and Jackie tells her, it didn’t make sense. Danielle says, after she blocked him, he called her like a raging maniac, and Jackie asks, what’s the rest of the story? Danielle wonders why she has to be villainized, and says she’s done explaining herself. She walks off, and in Marge’s interview, she says, Danielle is a drama queen, which I thought was a requirement to be in the franchise. In Danielle’s interview, she says, what they’re coming at her with is heartbreaking. They’re calling her out as a liar; everything she’s not. It would have hurt less if they’d sucker punched her.
In Marge’s interview, she says, Danielle was talking sh*t about her non-stop, and is she leaving? Maybe she should call Danielle’s brother and sister-in-law. They must have stories she can put in her arsenal. Rachel suggests Teresa should have invited Melissa’s mother out of respect, and Teresa snaps that she doesn’t know the whole story. Rachel tells her, the right thing to do is the right thing to do, regardless of the story, and in her interview, she says, Teresa created her own problem. Teresa interrupts Louie and Melissa’s conversation, and says she wants to know what Melissa’s problem is. Melissa tells her that she said she had issues with Melissa’s mom. Teresa tells her that she said there was a history with Melissa’s family. Louie keeps trying to tell Teresa that she interrupted, and finally says he doesn’t care if God came down and gave her a message. In Melissa’s interview, she says, there are two sides to Louie. He wants to look like the good guy who wants to fix it, but he can’t control his anger. It’s like the guy he wants to be, and the guy he really is. Joe #2 comes by, and Louie asks him to sit down. He says he’d love to have Melissa’s mom at the wedding, and Melissa says she wasn’t being judgmental; she was hurt. Louie says, Teresa was hurt too, which is the standard answer. He says they’re getting married in a month, and he wants peace, but Melissa says, Teresa is causing it all. Back at the table, Teresa tells everyone that Melissa has daddy issues, and Jackie asks if she doesn’t think that’s mean to say to someone who lost their dad at 16. Teresa responds by telling her, get out! like any well-adjusted person would. In Teresa’s interview, she justifies her comment by saying, Melissa had admitted she had daddy issues, so she had a leash on Teresa’s brother. Teresa tells Jackie not to get involved in her family’s sh*t, and Melissa decides to go see why the women are screaming. Louie asks if he and Joe can talk like they’re not back in the past. He lives with Joe’s four nieces, and wears Joe’s father’s pajamas to make them feel safe and loved.😐Teresa comes back, but Joe says she’s not in the right frame of mind. Louie tries to get them to talk using a pillow as a talking stick, but this works not at all. Teresa asks why Joe didn’t just call her instead of telling strangers their business. She would have invited Melissa’s mother in a heartbeat. While this is a super valid point, it’s coming from Teresa, so we know it would have made zero difference. Joe says, when she decided not to put them in the wedding, he’d called Louie and Gia, and asked them to tell her not to do this to Melissa. Teresa says she was so mad. She felt that they should have had her back more last year. We flashed back to Teresa berating Melissa for letting Marge talk behind her back about her boyfriend, and screaming at Joe for not being on her side. She says, if Joe wanted peace and for them to be in the wedding, he should have had her back more. Melissa comes back, and asks if they’re kumbaya-ing, and Teresa says she wanted Melissa to tell Marge to STFU. Melissa insists she did, and says, Teresa should have stuck up for Joe when Jennifer was talking about him. Joe says he’s not understanding who she is, and Teresa says she’s going. She gets up, and Melissa says, when Teresa is wrong, she takes off. Teresa runs away, screeching at Louie, fix it! Seriously, WTF with this woman? And Louie wears her dad’s PJs? I hope he washed them.
Melissa says, Teresa has deep hate in her heart, and in a puff of smoke, Teresa reappears. Joe asks, if she’s so happy, why is she so mean? He’s been happy for years. Teresa says she doesn’t think so. If he was happy he’d want to see this beautiful family. Melissa says, Teresa is the one who kept them out of the family; not the other way around. We flash back to Teresa backing up Jennifer, and calling Joe a bitch boy at the Reunion. Joe suggests he and Melissa go home, and says, they’re Teresa’s biggest disappointment in life. Teresa says, he can change that, and Joe says they’ll go to therapy, and addresses Teresa as the matriarch of our family. I think of my Aunt Agnes, matriarch of an Italian family, and how she’d probably smack Teresa silly after chasing her around the kitchen with a broom. In Jennifer’s interview, she says, any opportunity that Joe and Melissa have to make Teresa look bad, they double down on it. Melissa has a sweet face, and gets away with it like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Marge and Danielle sit with Teresa and Louie, and Teresa tells Marge to make Melissa understand. Louie says he can’t take this. Teresa has to listen. She’s always talking and not listening; neither is her brother. Joe finds out he’s stuck behind Louie’s car, and comes back to ask Louie to move. He wonders why they’re sitting with Marge, since she supposedly was the cause of their problems. Louie tells him, stop, it’s not worth it, and Joe says, no matter what, he and Melissa do everything wrong. Teresa tells Marge that Melissa should want to make it better. She and Joe aren’t happy, because if Melissa was a good woman, she’d make it better between her and Joe. Marge asks if this is the life Teresa wants. Louie goes to move his car, and Melissa says she hasn’t done half the things Teresa accuses her of. In Melissa’s interview, she says, Louie also contributed. He can stop preaching. She’s good. Louie says he loves them, and wants them to be part of his and Teresa’s lives. Louie says, they can’t get back yesterday, since he gets his wisdom from motivational posters, and he thinks their family is going to learn the hard way. Teresa tells Marge, if Joe wants to be a part of her wedding, be a part of it. If not, God bless him. Which I think is similar to the southern, bless your heart.
This season, parties; a trip to Ireland, and a haunted castle; drinking; chickens; Rachel wants to adopt Jaiden; Danielle tells Melissa that someone claims to have seen her with another man; and Marge says, Danielle is a sh*t starter, which I also thought was a franchise requirement.
⛹️♀️ Full Court Pressing On…
Stop in again tomorrow for soap and some choice leaves of tea. Until then, stay safe, stay valuing your individuality, and stay doing things because they’re the right things to do.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Sonny asks, what brings Dante by? and Dante says he was checking on Sonny.
Michael tells Dex, open up. They need to talk. Throwing on his clothes, Dex says, it’s not a good time, but Michael says, make time; it’s important. Josslyn gets dressed, and Dex opens the door. Michael asks if he can come in, and when he does, he sees Josslyn. She says, it all makes sense now. Michael is Dex’s mystery boss?
Willow says, Brook still loves Chase, doesn’t she? but Brook says, it doesn’t matter. They’re over… which really hurts, because yes, she’s still in love with Chase. She keeps telling herself she’ll get over it, that the feelings will fade and disappear, but every time she sees him… Willow says, her heart starts to race, and Brook says, and butterflies kick in. It’s all she can do not to grab him and tell him how much she wants him back. The doorbell rings, and Brook says, literally saved by the bell. She opens the door, and Chase is there with a bouquet of daffodils.
Anna asks if this is mousy librarian, and Lucy asks if she likes it, but Anna says, no. It’s not altogether original. Let’s go. She grabs Lucy’s arm, but Lucy doesn’t budge, and says, where? Anna says, they’re going to the safehouse, but Lucy says, no. The Nurses Ball can’t survive without her. Maxie says, hello? She’s standing right here. Anna says, if Victor realizes Lucy is alive, this whole operation goes up in smoke. Not to mention, people’s lives are at risk. Does she understand that? Does Lucy want that on her head?
Drew says he’s guessing Laura refused to sell Charlotte’s ELQ shares because she knew Valentin was still alive. No more games. What is going on? Valentin says, a group of them, including Laura, are working secretly against Victor Cassadine, and Drew asks, who else is in the group? Valentin says, Anna, Felicia, Robert Scorpio, and Lucy Coe. Drew says, not exactly a combat worthy bunch. If Victor uses the same firepower he did in Crete, they’ll need somebody with a military background. Valentin asks if he has anybody in mind, and Drew says, me.
Lucy says, of course (🍷) she doesn’t want people to die. She didn’t want Luke to die; he was a very special friend to her. She remembers his Nurses Ball performances, and the disco he did. Nothing else was so important to him, and he’d want her… Anna says, stop talking. She understands Lucy is disappointed that she can’t participate in this year’s Nurses Ball, but Victor is planning something big, potentially catastrophic, and it’s up to them to end it. Lucy says, at the expense of the Nurses Ball? Come on. Anna knows everything the Nurses Ball did for Robin. Anna says, don’t play the Robin card, and Lucy tells her, she’s just saying, the Nurses Ball is very, very important. Anna says, if anybody knows that, it’s her, and Lucy says, that’s her point… Maxie says, all right. Enough. She can’t believe she’s about to say this, but they already have a solution. Lucy came up with it.
Valentin asks if Drew is volunteering, but Drew says, that depends. He needs to hear the plan first. Valentin says, Victor has some long-term plan; some grand design that has to be stopped. He doesn’t have details, but he knows it involves a necklace containing diamonds cut from the Ice Princess. Drew wonders why the necklace is so important, and if it has anything to do with Operation Demeter, but Valentin says he doesn’t know why Victor would go to such great lengths to interrogate Drew over Operation Demeter. He wants the necklace because it has a code or a formula engraved on one of the stones.
Brook says, those are beautiful, and Chase asks if Willow is here. She says, Willow’s in the living room, and he goes in. He sees Willow and asks how she’s feeling. She says, pretty much the same, and he says, it’s not worse, so that’s good. He gives her the daffodils, and she says, he remembered. He says, of course (🍷) he remembered she’s obsessed with daffodils, and she thanks him. Brook says she’ll leave them to visit, and leaves. Willow says it’s good to see Chase, and he says, it’s good to see her too. He asks, what’s the latest? and she says, they decided to reschedule the wedding for after the bone marrow transplant. He says, so there’s more to celebrate, and she says, exactly. He asks if she has a date for the transplant, but she says, not yet. Her Great-Aunt Liesl was on medication, and it has to be completely out of her system before she can donate. So in the meantime, she’s keeping herself busy planning a summer wedding in the rose garden. Everyone’s pitching in to pull it off. Brook has been a huge help. In the foyer, Brook tells herself not to eavesdrop, and get it together. Chase says he’s not surprised Brook is stepping up. Willow brings out the best in everyone. Michael’s a lucky guy.
Michael says he thought he made it clear that he didn’t want Josslyn anywhere near this, and Dex agreed. Dex says, that’s right, but the situation has changed, and Michael says, apparently. Josslyn has to go. They’ll talk about this later, but right now, he has to talk to Dex. Josslyn says, it doesn’t matter. There’s no point. She already knows Dex is collecting evidence against Sonny, and she knows about Pikeman. What she didn’t know was who Dex was working for, and now she does. Michael tells Dex, the job’s over. Dex is leaving Port Charles tonight.
Dante tells Sonny that Rocco said he saw Nina in the lobby looking upset. For his self-absorbed teenager to notice, she must have been upset about Willow. Sonny says, everything’s the same on that front. They’re waiting for Liesl to be cleared for the transplant. Dante says, Sonny’s relationship with Nina is his business. He doesn’t want to pry, but if Sonny wants to talk, he knows where to find Dante – down the hall. Sonny says, Rocco’s right. Nina is upset and it’s his fault.
Dex says, as his employer, Michael can fire him, but Michael can’t force him to leave Port Charles. Josslyn says, he can’t leave. Sonny will think he’s a traitor, and then what happens? Michael says, Sonny will track him down and have him killed, and Dex says, there’s something more important. She says, more important than his life? He says, Joss, and she goes to his side. Michael says, it sounds like they already talked about this, and Josslyn says, they have. The best option is for Dex to finish the job Michael hired him to do, so Michael can turn Sonny into the Feds. Michael says, this is why he didn’t want Josslyn involved in this, and she says, why not? He knows how she feels about Sonny. Let her help take him down. Michael says, then what happens after that? and she says, Sonny goes to prison where he belongs. Michael says, and Avery and Donna are devastated. Not to mention Dante and Kristina. He’s prepared to take on the fallout from that, to take on their anger and blame, but he doesn’t want any of that to fall on her.
Sonny gives Dante a beer, and says, it’s not like he and Nina are breaking up; at least he hopes not. He loves her as much as ever. Dante says, so what happened? and Sonny says, she’s experiencing what he calls the realities of his world. It’s a lot to process. Dante asks if that’s why Sonny has guards all over the building, and Sonny says he had a security issue. Dante says, they haven’t heard anything about shots fired or a missing person, so he assumes Sonny hasn’t told the police, but Sonny says he has reason to believe the focus was solely on him. The reason he has guards on his kids and Nina is… Dante says, a precaution? and Sonny says he told Carly that he doesn’t want Donna or Avery anywhere near him. Dante says he’s guessing Sonny told Nina the same thing, and Sonny says he’s just hoping when this is over, Nina comes back to him.
Lucy asks, what solution? and Maxie says, wasn’t the point of this rude ambush… Lucy says, it might have been an ambush, but not rude, and Maxie asks if the whole point wasn’t to get her to be Lucy’s eyes and ears of the Nurses Ball. Lucy says, yes, but Maxie seemed less than enthusiastic, and Maxie says she’s sorry. Didn’t she have the reaction Lucy wanted? Lucy asks if Maxie needed time to adjust, and Maxie says, yes. She happens to be an amazing even planner. She has her own ideas and vision, as Lucy calls it. She’s happy to collaborate, but she won’t just be taking Lucy’s orders. Lucy says, they don’t have time for collaboration. The Nurses Ball is syncing up with the 60th anniversary of the hospital, which means it’s like they’re right in front of a speeding freight train that’s bearing down on them. She’s the only one who can pull this off, and… Anna says she agrees, and Maxie says, what was that? Anna says, 100%. Maxie should do everything Lucy tells her to just the way Lucy tells her to do it. She’s sure Maxie is an excellent event planner, but she’s sure Maxie is more than capable of following Lucy’s lead – especially when it’s for the greater good. Maxie says, fine, and tells Lucy, anything you want, just the way you want it. Lucy says she really thinks this could work.
Willow congratulates Chase on his latest duet. She loves it. It’s a beautiful ballad. He thanks her, and says, the majority of the props should go to Blaze; her vocals were off the charts. Willow wonders if a girl could get an autograph, and he says he never pegged her as a groupie, but her wish is his command. He signs a napkin, and she laughs.
Brook sits at the piano, and tells herself that she’s a grown-up and is not going to listen in on the conversation. Besides, she doesn’t want to know what Chase thinks of her now anyway. She flashes back to him saying, Brook’s also kind, passionate, and incredibly sexy. He’s fallen for her, and even if she doesn’t feel the same way, he had to tell her because we miss 100% of the shots we don’t take. She remembers them kissing, and spending the night together. Then she flashes back to him finding out she was supposed to write a letter to the Civilian Complaint Review Board to help get his badge back, but didn’t, and saying, she lied to him. She kept him from the thing he’s most passionate about, and there’s nothing to work out. It’s over. She tells herself that she blew it. Maybe she should write a song about that.
Willow looks at the autograph, and reads, to one of the bravest, strongest, and best people I know. Back at him. She asks what it’s like being an honest to God rockstar, and he says, it’s cool. He guesses he’s going to miss it. She asks why he would, and he says, hopefully, when the Review Board meets in the spring, they’ll reinstate him. If it all works out. He enjoys singing, but the only reason he agreed to performing is so he could stick close to Blaze’s sleazy manager. Willow says, Brook’s ex-manager, right? and he says, Linc Brown. He’s the worst. Sexual harassment, shady business practices; you name it. Willow asks if the plan is finding something to charge him with, and Chase says, hopefully soon. He won’t feel right going back to the force if it means leaving Blaze and Brook to deal with that sleaze. Willow says, aha! This is really about helping Brook.
Michael says, when Sonny was holding Dex because he suspected Dex of being The Hook, Josslyn came to him for help. How could he not see it? He should have known right then that she was too close, and pulled the plug. She says, no he shouldn’t have. Dex saved her life when Heather attacked her on New Year’s. Michael says, Britt Westbourne saved her life, and Josslyn says, she fought Heather off, of course (🍷), but she was losing that battle until Dex showed up. He’s the one who fired the shot that drove off Heather. Michael says he’s just hearing about this now, and Dex says he works for Michael. Anything related to that is fair game, but what he has with Josslyn is personal. Steam comes out of Michael’s ears.
Dante asks Sonny why Nina wouldn’t come back. She’s obviously crazy about him. She’d have to be, given the grief they endured getting together. Why would she leave after going through that? Sonny wonders how to explain this. He was a different man in Nixon Falls. Kinder, simpler… Dante says he noticed a lot of that followed Sonny back here. There was a peaceful time in his business. Sonny says he was free to focus on his family, and Dante says, and Nina? Sonny says, Nina made him better in a lot of ways, and Dante says, Sonny cut back on his drinking. Sonny says, that was the least of it. He thinks he misrepresented his life. Not that Nina didn’t know it was dangerous, or what he does for a living is allegedly – Dante thanks him for that – illegal. Dante says, but now she’s getting an up close and personal view of it for the first time. Sonny asks, what if she doesn’t want to be in his life? and Dante says, what about Sonny? If Nina’s not in it, is it still the life he wants?
Valentin says, they haven’t been able to crack the code, but they know it’s pivotal to the success of his father’s plan, and Drew asks how he knows that. Valentin says, because he’s still looking for the necklace, with the help of his operative Eileen Ashby. Carly (remember her?) says, Deputy Mayor Eileen Ashby? and Valentin says, that’s the one. Carly says, she’s working for Victor, and he says, she was. Now she’s working for them. They’re having her deliver a duplicate necklace to Victor. Drew says, with a false code engraved on it, and Valentin says, that’s right. They’re hoping once he has what he says he needs, Victor will make a move. Drew says, so they tricked Victor into making his final play, but didn’t give him the means to get what he’s after, and Valentin says, and in the process, he incriminates himself. And that’s how they’re finally going to bring down his father.
Anna brings Lucy back to the safehouse, Lucy furiously texting. Anna makes sure the safehouse is really safe, while Lucy continues to text. Anna says, all clear, and Lucy says, it’s impossible to text with the glasses on. Removing the glasses, she mumbles to herself as she texts, and Anna says, will she just stop? taking the phone from her. Lucy asks, what is the problem? as Anna puts the phone in her back pocket, and Anna says, Lucy almost got them all killed.
Valentin says, this whole plan hinges on complete secrecy, and Carly says, with him and Lucy faking their deaths, and Anna playing fugitive? Valentin says, Victor thinks Anna’s dead as well, and thinks he has a straight shot at the necklace. So what does Drew say? Will he help them? Drew says, if secrecy is key, what is Valentin out in the open like this? and Valentin says, Lucy Coe has gone rogue. Carly says, of course (🍷) she has, and Valentin says, she wants to take control of the Nurses Ball. Anna’s gone after her. Drew says, so Anna’s risking discovery too. Maybe it’s a good thing they showed up. Valentin tells Drew, like he said, they’re not exactly combat ready. They could use Drew. Drew says, they’ve got him.
Chase tells Willow, yeah, the only reason he got into the music business was to help Brook, and in the beginning, it was great. Until he found out there was a bunch of stuff she wasn’t telling him. Willow says she’s sorry. He didn’t deserve to be treated that way. Not by Brook or her. He says he wasn’t trying… and she says she knows he wasn’t, but that doesn’t make it any less true. She married Chase when she was already in love with Michael. He says, because she thought he was dying; they all did. She says she told herself she was doing the right thing, giving him one final gift to make him happy. He says, she doesn’t believe that anymore? and she says she does. Her intentions weren’t the problem, but now that she’s faced with dying herself… He says, she’s not there yet, and she says, faced with the possibility. She realizes life isn’t just too short, it’s too precious, to waste any time on lies.
Michael says he’s grateful Dex saved Josslyn’s life. He doesn’t even want to imagine what would have happened had Dex not been there. But the bottom line is, they had a deal. Dex says, they did, and in the beginning, when Michael told him to stay away from Josslyn, he had every intention of doing just that, but it became impossible. Michael says, so he lied, and Dex says, about his personal situation. He’s never lied about anything related to Pikeman or Sonny. Speaking of, there’s something Michael should know. Someone tried to kill Sonny in an ambush the other night. Michael asks, where? and Dex says, in one of his warehouses. Michael’s father wasn’t hurt, but he was grazed. Michael asks if he’s okay, and Dex says he’s fine, but the good news is, Sonny trusts him now more than ever. Michael says he can’t have Josslyn near this. God forbid something happens to her. She asks why anything would happen to her. She’s not in the line of fire, Dex is. Michael says, because it’s his job. He hired Dex because he wanted somebody who understood the danger. Josslyn says she gets that Michael hired Dex to perform a service, but Dex is so much more than that to her now. She cares less about bringing Sonny to justice than she does Dex surviving this. Michael says, that’s going to require some sacrifices. If she wants Dex to see this through, Sonny is going to have to trust him. She asks if he didn’t hear the part where Sonny saved Dex’s life, and Michael says, it won’t matter if he finds out Josslyn and Dex are together; which means he can’t. Dex asks if Michael is ordering him to stay away from Joss, but Michael says, he tried that before; it didn’t work. Even if Dex was willing, clearly Josslyn isn’t. This isn’t about policing their relationship. This is about taking Sonny down. And until that happens, Sonny can’t have any reason to suspect Dex. If Josslyn wants Dex to live through this, make sure Sonny doesn’t find out the two of them are together.
Sonny says, it’s a little too late for Dante to ask him if this is the life he wants. It’s the life he’s got. Dante says, he chose it when he didn’t know any better, and Sonny says, Dante knows how it works. If he wants to leave the business, he’d have to leave the country. He’d have to leave his family, and he doesn’t want to do that. Dante says, maybe there were some things Sonny liked about Mike from Nixon Falls. There were some things Dante liked about Mike from Nixon Falls. Sonny was less reactive, calmer. He seemed like he was prioritizing his family over the business. He has the feeling that’s about to change. Sonny says, it has to. It’s just harder than he thought.
Willow says she wasn’t honest with Chase when they were married, but she’s learned her lesson, and she’s going to be honest with him now. He says, this sounds serious, and she says, it could be, and swears she’s not trying to meddle. He tells her, says every person before they dive into meddling, and she says, he couldn’t keep his eyes off of Brook earlier. He says, what? and she says, it’s true. He lights up when he’s around Brook. She would know. Once upon a time, he lit up like that when he was around her. He says he thinks she’s seeing things that aren’t there, and she says, is she? He says, all right. He still has feelings for Brook, because what they had was real. She says, what they had was love, and he says, he can’t just flip a switch and turn that off, because Brook really hurt him. She says she’s not saying Brook didn’t, or even that he was wrong to end things between them, but what if Brook is his person? Is being right really worth being without her?
Valentin having slipped back into the night, Drew says, Carly is being uncharacteristically quiet, and she says, from the minute Drew showed up, she knew Valentin would want him involved. It was his choice to make, and she didn’t want to influence his decision. He says, now that he’s made his decision? and she says, first, tell her why he said yes. He says, Victor stole two years of his life. He can’t let Victor get away with it. She says, that’s not all of it. It’s not about revenge for him. He says, it’s about Victor’s lust for power and control, and this has been going on for decades. He infiltrated the WSB, always moving toward some mysterious goal that no one knows what it’s about. But he doesn’t need to know to know it’s a serious threat. The man has to be stopped, and he thinks Valentin and the others need his help to do it. So now tell him what she thinks. She says she thinks he’s doing the right thing, and he says, but she has reservations. She says, doesn’t he? and he says he has many. She says, Jason died on Cassadine Island. Now Drew is going after Victor. She doesn’t want to lose him too.
Anna says, the only reason Lucy wasn’t shot with a real bullet, the only reason she’s breathing today, is because Victor thought he had use for her. But if he’d seen her tonight, he would have killed her in a heartbeat. Lucy swears she gets it, and apologizes. She says she would have never had the intention of jeopardizing them or the whole plan with Victor. It’s just her. Sometimes she gets carried away. Anna says, she’s the poster child for getting carried away, and Lucy says, well good news. She’s 99.9% sure Victor didn’t see her in the restaurant. Anna says, great… What restaurant? She was in the MetroCourt with Victor? Lucy says, one minute… two minutes tops, and they see Valentin standing in the doorway. Anna says, he’s right. Lucy’s blown the entire operation.
Dante asks if Sonny is all right, and Sonny says he just hopes his family and Nina stick with him. Dante says he’s not going anywhere, and Sonny says he appreciates that, especially coming from Dante’s profession. Dante says, because he’s a cop and Sonny is an alleged – Sonny laughs, and says, thank you for that – gangster? Dante says, it isn’t about that. It’s about being father and son. They hug.
Josslyn says she doesn’t want to leave Dex, but he says, the sooner he gets evidence against Sonny, the sooner this will be over. Until then, he can’t risk alienating Sonny or making him suspicious. Josslyn says, which means he can’t risk being seen with her. Michael was very clear about that. She doesn’t like it, but she gets it. Dex says he’ll be staying at Sonny’s for at least another day. After that, maybe they can figure out a way to meet. In the meantime, she can’t come here, and if she sees him for some reason… She says, act like she doesn’t know him? and he says, that would be suspicious. She can say hi, just don’t… She says, act like she cares. She’ll try, but she does care. They kiss, and Josslyn heads for the door. He says, any regrets? and she smiles at him. He says, him neither, and she leaves.
Chase says, when Willow meddles, she doesn’t mess around. She just goes right for that jugular. She says she has less patience for wasted anything these days, but especially for wasted time, when Michael walks in. Chase says he hasn’t seen Michael since the news broke. Congratulations on his upcoming wedding. Michael thanks him, and they bro hug. Chase says he’s sure he doesn’t have to tell Michael this, but he’s about to marry a very wise and perceptive woman. If they’ll excuse him, he has somewhere he needs to be. He leaves, and Willow asks where Michael disappeared to. He says he was near the end of a project and was tempted to cut his losses, but he realized the best way forward was to see it through, and the sooner the better. She says he sounds like he has it all figured out, and he says he wants to focus on what really matters, her and the kids. She says she likes the way he thinks, and he says, coming from such a wise and perceptive woman, he’s honored. What was all that with Chase? She says, it was driving her crazy, watching him and Brook dance around each other, so she may have stuck her nose in where it doesn’t belong. Let’s hope it works.
Chase finds Brook at the piano, and asks if she’s working on a new song. She says, so far, she has about three verses she regrets. It’s garbage. He says, Brook Lynn Quartermaine does not create garbage, and she says, he’s just being nice. He says he’s being honest. He loves her songs. He loves a lot of things when it comes to her. Talking with her, spending time with her… He misses that. He misses them.
Carly says she’s being ridiculous, and starts to walk off, but Drew grabs her, and says, she’s not being ridiculous. If their positions were reversed, he’d be scared for her too. She says she’s tempted to go to keep an eye on him, but he says, she can’t go anywhere. She says she knows. Willow is sick, and her kids and grandkids need her. He says he’s actually kind of happy that she’s going to stay and be safe, and she says, he has to stay safe. He says, if it makes her feel any better, he has had training and experience in this sort of thing. He can handle himself. She says she’s counting on it, and she knows he has to go for the reasons he said, but if and when he goes, promise her that he’ll come home. He says he promises, and kisses her.
Lucy tells Valentin, she was totally unrecognizable. She’s dressed as a librarian. She asks Anna to tell him, and Anna says, she’s dressed as a librarian. Lucy puts on the glasses, and says, see? And she promises, the second she saw Victor, she turned her back. Valentin says he supposes this near-miss underscores the need for them to stay indoors until this is all over, and Lucy says she gets it. From this moment on, she’s going to be the essence of cooperation. He says he hopes she means it because he really needs her to, and she swears she does. Maxie’s going to be her eyes and ears at the Ball, and Maxie’s going to follow all her instructions to a T, so that’s good too. She’s going to be really good, so could she please have her burner phone back? Anna hands her the phone, and Lucy keeps saying she’s sorry as she walks to the bedroom. She’s sorry for any trouble she may have caused. Anna looks at Valentin and says, may have caused.
On her office phone, Maxie tells Bobbie that she’s calling from the landline. Her cellphone repeatedly dings, and she says, something is going on with her cellphone. She wanted Bobbie to know she had some new ideas for the Nurses Ball. She looks at the phone, and there are a bazillion texts from Lucy. She says, lots and lots of new ideas.
Valentin and Anna right the coffee table he knocked over, and Anna says she would have thought he’d be more upset. He says, if he was he’d be a hypocrite, and she says, how come? He says he couldn’t leave without her, so he went for a walk, and ran into Carly and Drew Cain. She says, a regular party, and he says, long story short, they’ve been briefed, and Drew Cain is on board to help them out. She says, that’s actually very good news, and he says he hopes it is. She says she’s sorry, and he says, he’s sorry. She says she kind of attacked him, and he says he really overreacted. She says, but when she came in here, and saw the table overturned, she thought he’d taken her at her word and gone to Europe. Which she would have deserved, but she would have missed him. He holds out his arms, and she goes to him. He says, if Victor knew she was alive, he’d kill her, and Valentin has loved her always. If he were to lose her now, he couldn’t take it. They touch foreheads, and she says, let’s not lose each other through all this. Let’s bury Victor instead.
Tomorrow, Elizabeth doesn’t see how she has a chance; Finn tells Gregory, it’s too early to determine the results; and Laura tells Esme that she and Doc have wonderful news.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey
Danielle meets Rachel to shop for a luau. We see a clip of Melissa saying that she has a party at the shore every year, and this year, it’s a luau party. In Rachel’s interview, she says, this is a group of women like nothing she’s ever seen before. It’s nice not to be alone in the boat, and Danielle makes her laugh. They also both have young children. We flash back to some moments with them, and Rachel says, Danielle is no bullsh*t and shoots it straight. It’s refreshing. Danielle says she hasn’t gone to the shore since she was 25, and Rachel says she avoids it at all costs. In Danielle’s interview, she talks about her shore life back in the day, and we see pictures. Rachel says, Danielle talked to Joe #2 at the softball game for more than five weeks, and Danielle says, it was an emotional conversation. We see a clip of them talking about their brother/sister issues, and Danielle says, he told her, don’t ever give up, and she’s not, but she has to protect herself. She has hope for Joe and Teresa, but thinks her situation is a lost cause. In her interview, Rachel says, if her brother blocked her on social media, she’d call him, and if he wasn’t receptive, she’d call their parents, and every other relative to figure out what was going on. Danielle says she talked to Marge, and would like to figure out the Marge/Jennifer situation. Rachel says, Marge doesn’t like the sh*t Jennifer is talking about her, and Danielle says she thinks Marge is too judgmental with Jennifer. And she drops bombs on everybody. Laura said that Marge has an arsenal of stuff, and Rachel wonders if they really know that Marge is locked and loaded, and ready to fire. In Rachel’s interview, she says, it doesn’t make sense to her. Why is Danielle reading so much into it? There’s only two people Marge allegedly dropped a bomb on, and Teresa and Jennifer’s words are their bonds? That’s not how it works.
Teresa goes jewelry store to get gifts for her bridesmaids, and Jennifer meets her there. The owner Benny is her husband’s cousin. Teresa says she thought she’d keep her earrings simple, but Jennifer says, it’s the day when she gets to be extra-extra, so Teresa gets a new, gaudier pair. Teresa says she wants everything to be good. It would have been nice for her brother and Melissa to make things better by asking her and Louie to stay at their house. Teresa says she’s only been there once, and when Gia asked to stay, Melissa said no. I can’t believe there’s not more to it than that, but Jennifer is gullible, and says she can’t imagine her brother not staying at her house when he came to the shore. In Teresa’s interview, she says, Melissa and Joe are upset that she didn’t invite Melissa’s family to her wedding, so why didn’t they invite her and Louie to their shore house? Like this is the same thing. Is she really this stupid at this point? Or is it an act? Jennifer says, Melissa and Joe are always Team Marge, and suggests Marge knows too much about them. Teresa says, keep your enemy closer, and I think, this bullsh*t just gets more unbelievable.
Melissa says she’s got cigar rollers and hula girls for the party. Paulie tells Dolores that he’d be there, but he’s still sore after surgery. Dolores says, normally she’d stay at Frank’s house, but she’s staying with Rachel. Paulie says, she’s doing things differently now, and she says, Frank is emotional, but she’s not worried about it. Jennifer asks Bill what he thinks about Dr. Judy, and Bill says, she was insightful. She says, he was silent, and feels a lot was left unsaid. They keep pretending everything is okay, when it’s not. Bill says, life is complicated, and it’s not about who’s right or wrong, but how they feel. In Jennifer’s interview, she says, when Bill actually starts talking, it drives her nuts. This is Bill’s way of not saying anything. Put your f***ing Confucius out the window and be supportive of your wife. Bill says, small steps.
Rachel and John also have a shore house that’s actually on a shore, and in Jennifer’s interview, she says she’s excited that she now has a shore house to call her own. They literally moved in last week. They bought it with all the contents, and she even took the bed sheets. There’s no reason to dump any money into it. This we can agree on, since I’m sure the house was staged when it went on the market. It’s not like anyone just slept on those sheets. Jackie, Evan, Marge, and Joe #3 are staying at Melissa and Joe #2’s house. Jen and Jeff, and Dolores are staying with Rachel and John, and Danielle and Nate go to Jennifer’s house, along with Teresa and Louie. This house is right on the boardwalk, which is pretty busy, so it seems there’s no shore and too shore, with Rachel’s house being just right. Marge says, Marge Sr. got herself invited to Teresa’s wedding, and Melissa says, her mother isn’t invited. Joe #2 says he talked to Danielle, but he’s skeptical that her beef with her brother is only about Instagram. In Melissa’s interview, she says, Joe and Teresa have had endless fights over the years, and we flash back to several of those, including the classic Juicy Joe versus Joe #3 knock down drag out. Melissa says, they’ve always been able to find a way to bring themselves back together. She doesn’t think it’s the whole story. Jackie says, Danielle must have done something that made her look bad.
Everyone gets ready for Melissa’s party, and Teresa tells Louie that she’s all about love, love, love. Bill suggests he and Jennifer make sure they don’t get kicked out, and far as Marge goes, they would carry themselves with class. The luau looks really cool, with tiny pineapples everywhere and fabulous food. Jennifer toasts to a great night, and says, let’s get sloppy drunk. I can’t say I’ve never been sloppy, but I can say, that’s never been my aim. Frank arrives with Brittany, and Marge asks Rachel if Teresa really warned Danielle that she made a better friend than an enemy. Rachel tells her about discussing it with Danielle in the store, and says, Danielle claimed Marge had information on everyone and was judgmental. Marge says, she’d like to think she was opinionated, and in her interview, she says, bougie mama has some nerve talking about her when she doesn’t know her. There’s lots of eating and drinking, and Marge tells Melissa that Danielle claimed she had an arsenal. Melissa thinks arsenal means book, and Marge explains it’s where weapons are kept. In her interview, Marge says, maybe Melissa and Teresa are a lot more alike than they think. As many of the partygoers drink shots straight from the bottle like they’re on spring break, Marge asks Teresa about what Rachel told her. Teresa says she doesn’t remember saying anything negative about Marge, and asks if Rachel is trying to start trouble by twisting her words. In Rachel’s interview, she says she’s straight up. If you ask her if you look fat, she’ll tell you. There shouldn’t be a problem with her repeating what someone said. If there is, they shouldn’t have said it. Teresa says, this is like high school, and Danielle tells her, it’s exactly what she said.
In her interview, Teresa says she’s just getting to know Rachel, but it doesn’t sit well with Rachel running to Marge and twisting what she said. We flash back to what Teresa said, and that was exactly what she said. Teresa says it shows her what kind of person Rachel is. Um… honest? Teresa moonwalks back, telling Marge, what she said was, if you get on Marge’s bad side, she has no problem taking you down, and admits to being ruthless herself. Marge says, Teresa was undermining her character, and they hear the guys chanting Fuda! Marge says, when she and Teresa made up, she told everyone they were good, and Teresa insists it was genuine. If anyone pushed the wrong button on any of them, they would fight back. Marge says, historically, she’s never done anything bad to anyone. Jennifer lights a cigar, and says, it tastes like sh*t. Bill gets the equivalent of eight shots poured down his throat, and Jennifer tells him, spit it out. Melissa says, now that they’re nice and toasty, they’re going to watch a hula show. In her interview, Marge says, of course Bill drinks. How else could he stand being around Jennifer? Everyone watches the dancers, and some of them dance around. Frank tells Dolores that he’s got a kit to wax John Fuda as an initiation, and she says, he’s got a nice group of guys. Frank whines that he and Paulie are never in the same place, and Dolores says, he would be here except for his health situation. Frank wants her to push Paulie to spend time with him, but Dolores says, it has to be organic. Brittany joins them, and Frank says, it’s the first time Dolores isn’t at his house. Brittany says, they miss her, and in Dolores’s interview, she says, Frank is feeling sorry for himself. The last she checked, he had a hot blonde running with him. He’s good. Jackie tells Jennifer, Bill is so wasted, and we see him crawl on all fours under a limbo pole that’s about five feet up. Dolores tells Jackie, Paulie is the first guy who doesn’t want to sleep with Frank, and Jackie asks if Frank reached out to Paulie. Frank says he reached out to Dolores, and Dolores says, this is when Frank gets in a stupid place. Frank wails for her to fix it, but she says, there’s nothing to fix.
Louie and Teresa talk about the upcoming wedding, and Jen says, it must have been an oversight that Teresa didn’t invite Melissa’s mom. Teresa says, it’s not. They have an history, and she’s leaving it at that. In her interview, she says, to be honest, ten years ago, she got busy, and they got jealous. Melissa’s mom and sisters posted stuff about her on social media, something her mother never did. After that, she kept her distance. She forgives, but never forgets. Jen asks if it won’t put a bigger wedge between Teresa and Joe #2, and Louie says he apologized to Melissa’s mom. We see a clip of that, and he says, he’s not part of her and Teresa’s history. In Teresa’s interview, she says she wishes he’d discussed it with her, but she loves him and knows he’s being a peacemaker. She wishes her brother had come to her, but he loves a spectacle. Louie asks if Teresa would be mad if he invited Melissa’s mom, and she asks why she’d be mad. Everyone cheers, and Louie runs off to find her. In Marge’s interview, she says, thank God Louie has some sense. Joe #2 announces that they’re heating the wax for John’s initiation. They put wax strips on John’s chest, and he barely flinches when they’re pulled off. In Jen’s interview, she says she doesn’t care if she’s bush woman; Joe’s not coming near her with hot wax. The guys do shots for the new brother, and Jennifer wanders around aimlessly. Jackie asks if she’s okay, and says she wants Jennifer and Marge to make up. Marge felt like they had, but didn’t like that Jennifer was still trying to hurt her. Jennifer says, it didn’t mean they were going to be besties. Marge did something hurtful to her children, and her youngest daughter suffered severe trauma; it had the domino effect. In Jackie’s interview, she says she knows firsthand the ramifications of saying someone’s father cheated on their mother. When there were unfounded rumors about Evan, their daughter was scared they were thinking about divorce. Jennifer tells Jackie that she and Bill are going to therapy. Bill is into scholastics with the children, and almost blames her, asking if she wants her kids to be average and have an average life. She told him, don’t call her kids average. Jackie says, that’s a lot of hurt, and they hug.
Jennifer starks talking about sticking fingers in butts, and I tune out in self-defense. Jackie thinks a piece of Danielle is not so nice, and Danielle’s radar goes up hearing her name. Dolores says that Marge is upset about what Danielle repeated, and in Danielle’s interview, she says she was just stating what she heard. There’s was no sh*t talking. But instead talking to her like grown-ass women, they’re bringing her back to her childhood when she was bullied. The only difference now is, she can throw a right hook. Danielle tells Dolores that it irks her to hear her name, and whines to Nate about everyone’s conversation involving her. Marge says she’s calling BS on Danielle’s story about her brother, and in her interview, she says she thinks they’re not getting the whole story. Teresa says, they each have a side, and Italians hold grudges. Marge thinks it’s not the full story, and maybe Danielle is hiding stuff. In Melissa’s interview, she says, regardless of how Danielle and her brother got there, she feels bad. She finds Danielle and says, Danielle looks annoyed, and Danielle says she’s hearing her name. Melissa says she just heard it once about the situation with Danielle’s brother. Melissa says, with her and Teresa, there’s their sides and the truth, and Danielle says she’s pissed. In her interview, she says, everything in her wants to run up and unleash on them. What happened with her brother is her truth. She opened up and now they’re questioning her character. She’s done. If any of them approach her, she doesn’t know what will come out of her mouth. They’re lucky she’s leaving. She gathers Jennifer and Teresa, who says, they came together, so they’ll leave together. Danielle bitches about hearing her name all the way out and during the car ride. Teresa says, Jackie started it, and in Danielle’s interview, she says, Jackie was poking and trying to make her look like an ass. They come from the same place, but she’s a better version of a Staten Island girl, but only if we were still in Staten Island. She tells the others in the car, the one person you don’t want to have as an enemy is her.
Next time, Louie talks to Joe #2; Teresa says, Joe #2 needs therapy, and tells Jackie to STFU; and Marge says, Danielle spreading bullsh*t is f***ed up.
🏖 On what I’d hoped was the finale of Summer House, but wasn’t, the housemates decorated for Gabby’s Studio Fifty Forest party. For a bunch of influencers or whatever, their decorating skills left a lot to be desired. Carl hadn’t spoken to Kyle, and was worried their friendship was in serious jeopardy. He wanted to tell Kyle not to talk to Lindsay the way he had, but communication is no one’s skill on this series. Kyle and Amanda brought their wiener dog mixes for the weekend, which would be points in their favor if they had any other redeeming qualities, but instead, we’ll just give the dogs those points. No surprise, all the girls squeed over these cute little nuggets. The dogs I mean. In Amanda’s interview, she said, they’d decided to come back because she wasn’t allowing anyone to dictate her life. Tomorrow was her 12th 31st birthday, and she wanted the majority of the housemates to celebrate with her. Everyone put on their disco outfits – lots of wigs and sparkles – and in Lindsay’s interview, she said she had zero interest in having conversation. She just wanted to have a good f***ing time. Amanda had sent a text, but she hadn’t responded. Like the newly mature person she is.
Anxiety and liquor being the mainstays of the house, in Kyle’s interview, he said he was anxious about what to say to his best friend. Carl was right across the hall, and they were getting ready to party, but there was tension in the air, and he felt like a fish out of water. Life is tough when you haven’t been able to form a full sentence by the time you’re 40. I’m not joking. Kyle is 40. Can you say, no hope? Ciara dressed up in a huge afro, sparkly dress, and heels, and said she was Karma Brown, and she’d come to bless this house. Bam! I don’t think the Pope himself is capable of that, but good try. She said she wasn’t involved in the drama, and was going to have a good time. I’m liking Ciara this season… for now. Chris tried to help decorate, but was just as inept as the girls. Mya’s boyfriend Oliver arrived, and Sam got a text from Tim, who said he couldn’t make the party, but he invited her to Montauk for a party there. In her interview, she said she had the biggest crush going on, a word I haven’t used since high school, so no surprise here. Karma wondered where the champagne tower was. They were supposed to be popping bottles, and the task was given to a rookie.
Since Kyle has the courage of a really scared Chihuahua, Carl had to initiate a talk, and they told the others that they were going to catch up before the party started, like no one knew what happened last week. On second thought, considering their attention spans, maybe they didn’t. Carl said, last Saturday night had been hard, and master of understatement Kyle said he’d kinda snapped. Carl said he’d never seen Kyle that angry, and we flashed back to Kyle’s tantrum. Carl said he appreciated Kyle’s text, but didn’t appreciate how he’d talked to Lindsay. Did Kyle even like them? Kyle said, Carl had changed and was spending more time with Lindsay, clearly not understanding what being a couple meant, even though he’s married, and Carly said he wanted to marry Lindsay. Kyle claimed the tension stemmed from the tension between Lindsay and Amanda. Carl said Lindsay felt hurt because when she’d told Amanda that they were looking at houses, she’d said it was too soon. Lindsay thought Amanda was being negative about her relationship with Carl. It seemed like there was deeper sh*t going on. Everyone else kept pointing out that Carl and Kyle were talking, but stopped short of eavesdropping. Kyle said he and Amanda felt like they had to walk on eggshells with Lindsay, but Carl felt it was the other way around. He admitted Lindsay could be polarizing and complicated, but she was trying. Kyle said, in a perfect world, they’d be going on double dates, and Carl said he and Lindsay cared about the friendship. He wished they could talk, regardless of what happened with Loverboy in the future, and Kyle swore that, no matter what, he wouldn’t get in the middle, and wouldn’t let Amanda and Lindsay’s issues drive a wedge between them. It wasn’t simple working with a best friend, but he promised they’d figure out a way to put that sh*t behind them and work on the friendship. In Kyle’s interview, he said he was going to put the Lindsay stuff behind him, and get back to what it was about; spending the summer with his best friend.
Amanda told the other girls that Lindsay weaponized their friendship against her. She could apologize for how Lindsay felt, but wasn’t in a place to apologize for anything else. She couldn’t care anymore. Karma said she thought Kyle was crying, but that’s okay; a man can cry. A confetti balloon exploded, and there was dancing and more confetti. Paige texted Craig, who asked how the party was, and she said, it was off to slow start until Karma Brown showed up. I’m sure there was a huge question mark over Craig’s head. Chris told random girls a bunch of BS about himself, and in his interview, he said he loved messing with girls. If they give him sh*t back, he knows they’re a keeper.
Lindsay told Carl that he looked like a washed up rock star, and asked how the conversation with Kyle went. Carl said he felt better, but not good. Kyle’s reaction to Lindsay was the result of something that happened between her and Amanda. Since she’s a narcissist, Lindsay asked if the whole thing was about her, but Carl said, and Amanda. He thought she and Amanda should have a conversation, and Lindsay said, if she had her way, they’d talk all the time. She was a direct communicator when she was coherent and not spinning bullsh*t, but she wasn’t begging for an apology. Carl said he was dealing with his own sh*t, and Lindsay told him not to come at her. He said he wasn’t, and she’d know when he did.
Carl told Lindsay that he wished the four of them were closer, but Lindsay said, how? When Amanda said sh*t, it hurt, and she didn’t need to beg for an apology. Ciara said, Karma Brown can’t comment on this, and Chris said, if Kyle wasn’t in the right state of mind, they all felt it, which again made me question everyone’s sanity, since they keep bunking together every summer. Carl told Lindsay that Amanda had apologized over text, and Danielle said, it looked like Carl and Lindsay were arguing. Lindsay said she was led to believe there would be a bigger conversation in person, but it didn’t happen. She wanted to fix things quick. Carl said, perfect. Let’s play beer pong, which is always the answer to everything. Danielle wondered how they could have a heated conversation, then play beer pong, and Sam asked if anyone was going to Montauk; she wanted to get some d*ck. One of the dogs caught a ping pong ball, which was pretty impressive, and Danielle asked Carl about what looked like his heated chat with Lindsay. Carl said, communication was hard when Lindsay was drunk, and Lindsay told Paige that communicating was hard when you’re in middle school. Paige suggested she just talk to Amanda, like no one had thought of that, and Carl told Danielle that Lindsay wasn’t receptive, so he just walked away. Danielle said, they were the two most outspoken of the group, yet internalized a lot. Lindsay griped to Paige that Amanda felt she and Carl were moving in together too soon, and Paige told her Danielle had said that too. She said it felt like Lindsay and Carl were living in a fairytale. Danielle told Carl that things couldn’t always be great. She had fights with Robert about him always working. They hardly saw each other, and it was hard. In Danielle’s interview, she said things aren’t always perfect. She wanted Carl and Lindsay to talk about the hard stuff. Paige said she was under the impression Lindsay knew how Danielle felt. Wasn’t Danielle her best friend? She thought they should talk, and when Danielle came by, she wisely got the hell out of there. Danielle asked Lindsay what she and Paige had been talking about, and Lindsay said, her. Danielle said, good or bad stuff? and Lindsay said she heard Danielle was concerned about her and Carl’s relationship. She’d thought it was too soon for them to move in. Danielle said she thought they were moving hella fast, and Lindsay said, they’d known each other six years. Danielle said, but they weren’t in a relationship, and in that sense, it was fast. Lindsay whined that she wanted to have babies with Carl, and Danielle said, Lindsay was getting so defensive, it was annoying. Truth!
Lindsay wanted to know what fairytale she was living, and Danielle said they had no fights or talks about the heavy stuff. Lindsay said, Carl didn’t like the hard conversations, and Danielle said she was surprised Lindsay didn’t ask why Carl didn’t stick up for her during Kyle’s tirade. Lindsay said she was pissed off, but Danielle said she didn’t show it. She didn’t want to lose her two best friends. Lindsay said she wouldn’t, but Danielle said, sometimes she felt that Lindsay and Carl’s relationship was off-limits. Lindsay said, at least tell her first before Danielle talked sh*t, and Danielle said she wanted to see them going at the real stuff, and not keep it bottled up. Pizza was ordered and the outside friends were kicked out. Ciara said, Karma Brown’s got to go. Nice knowing you. Danielle rated the party a 6.5, since there was no music. Seriously? No one had a phone with a playlist on it? Gabby said, 65 out of 100 was a fail. Bad decorating, no music, fair to middling food, and Kyle? Yeah, I’d say it was a fail
Kyle said he feared raising children. What if the kid didn’t like him? I’d say that’s highly likely, and I also fear him raising children, but not for that reason. Sam said his energy effected the house, and she thought it was a good quality, clearly forgetting about the previous weekend. Kyle said he wanted everyone to have as much fun as possible, and Sam said, as a friend, she wanted him to be happy, and have fun. Cool positive energy brought the house up. In Chris’s interview, he said, after he graduated, he went into the marines. This summer he wants to talk to and meet girls. If he’s learned anything, it’s that you can’t force things to work. Danielle said her boobs were pointing east; she was going to the party in Montauk. Amanda said she couldn’t go. She was a (dog) mom now. Lindsay said she was part of a couple now, and wasn’t leaving Carl. In Danielle’s interview, she said, in the past, if she’d said party in Montauk, Lindsay would have asked how much time she had to get ready. She hated seeing Lindsay holding back. I thought if I heard going to Montauk one more time, I might scream. Kyle was surprised the dogs were the first ones to poop on the lawn.
Gabby, Danielle, and Sam finally went to Montauk, and we saw a bit of Danielle’s phone cam party. In Sam’s interview, she said, Tim ghosted her. He put her in an Uber and sent her on her way. She’d said she didn’t want a hit and run situation, and he said he’d never do that. She laughed, and said, she felt stupid saying it now. She was having a crush crisis. She’d come out of an abusive relationship, and this brought back her insecurity. Danielle told her that she had a right to be herself. F*** what anybody thought. Her real friends valued who she was.
Paige said, Amanda deserved a beautiful birthday lunch, and got up at 7 am because she loved Amanda. She and Mya cleaned up, made breakfast, and talked about Lindsay trying to act better for Carl at her own expense. They thought it was going to lead to resentment. In Mya’s interview, she said she’d been in relationships where they wanted different things, and it worked out. Oliver was outgoing, and had 400 friends, while she had maybe 5. Everyone put on birthday hats, and sang Happy Birthday when Amanda came down. Danielle said, the party was fun until Sam laid on a pool table or something. Maybe there was more to putting Sam in that Uber than she thought. Paige said she already put in a full day, and Kyle said, Amanda’s last birthday was a big one – 30. They’d been caught up in wedding planning, and he wanted to make up for it.
He brought out a giant package, and Amanda said he did listen; it was definitely artwork. She unveiled a piece of modern art that said, fruit therapy. It was actually pretty cool. Amanda said, Kyle got married and was a new man, and Kyle toasted to Amanda’s 31st. Amanda thanked everyone for the special breakfast, and said it was how she preferred to celebrate, low key. Lindsay asked if Amanda wanted to get together, and in Amanda’s interview, she said, she and Lindsay hadn’t had a one-on-one and hung out in years.
Next time, we’re tortured with a party bus; Carl wants Chris to have a proper initiation; Danielle talks to Robert about their relationship, or lack thereof; and Paige wants Lindsay to talk about the real sh*t.
🪄 Dreaming I’m Awake…
Hook up with me again tomorrow (no, not that way) for soap and the VanderPlot thickening. Until then, stay safe, stay childlike, but not childish, and stay not wasting any time on lies. Life isn’t just too short, it’s too precious for that.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Dex asks if Sonny thinks the sniper worked for Pikeman, but Sonny says he doesn’t think they’d want to jeopardize the deal; too much at stake. But he’s going to find out who this guy is working for. He tells the guy to wake up, and the sniper stirs a little. Sonny says, if the guy wants his help, he has to help Sonny too, and the sniper asks what he wants. Sonny says he wants the guy to tell him who he’s working for.
Mac and Felicia sit in a table at the MetroCourt, and he says, champagne? What’s the occasion? She says, him and Doc making up. They’ve been friends way too long to stop now. Mac agrees, and they clink glasses. She says, Cody actually encouraged him to talk to Doc? and he says, Cody told him not to let the baggage fester. She says, so it was a good visit then? and he says, it was… until it wasn’t.
Dante asks if Mac is really Cody’s father, and Cody says, seems so. Dante says, so the tests were taken weeks after the other test? What’s the deal? The first test that said Mac wasn’t his father was wrong? Cody says, not exactly.
Finn introduces himself to Victor, who says he’s aware of who Finn is, and also aware of his relationship with Elizabeth Baldwin. Like this would mean what to Finn? Finn says he’s been called in to find out what the pathogen is in Victor’s system. Although extremely rare, he was able to identify it. Victor says, excellent. Now Finn can also get rid of it as quickly as possible.
Drew asks Laura to at least take some time to consider his offer. She’d be enhancing Charlotte’s trust fund and wouldn’t have to concern herself with ELQ matters. If he calls her little lady, I’m turning this off. She says she’s sorry, but she can’t just give up Valentin’s stake in the company, and Drew says, but he’s gone. It doesn’t benefit anybody to hang on to a past mistake… unless there’s something else going on.
Valentin tells Anna, Victor went to great lengths to get his hands on that necklace. So what’s the significance of those codes engraved in the diamond? She says, according to Laura, Eileen jumped at the suggestion she could get an unredacted report on the necklace. So what she’s thinking is, what if they planted false codes in that report to see where it led Victor? He says he likes the way her mind works, and she asks if it’s sexy or scary. He says he thinks it’s both, and kisses her. Lucy comes out with her bag, and says she has to leave immediately. Anna tells her, stop, but Lucy asks if she thinks anyone bothered to order the step-and-repeat for the red carpet. No. Does she think they know how to find a llama that doesn’t spit? No. Without her, the Nurses Ball is going to go down in flames. It will be the end of the show… forever.
Brook lets Maxie and Bobbie into the mansion, and thanks them for coming. Olivia sends her regrets; she caught the bug that’s going around. Maxie says, James’s teacher has it too. Tell Olivia she sympathizes and sends get well wishes. Bobbie asks if they should come back another time, but Brook says, not necessary. Olivia totally deputized her, and is ready, willing, and able to let them use the MetroCourt for the Nurses Ball, but there’s a slight hitch. Bobbie says, already? What is it? Maxie says, or who is it?
Outside the door on the phone, Carly gives Pilar instructions for Donna, and says she’ll be home as soon as possible. She hears Bobbie say, this is outrageous, and Maxie says, it’s unacceptable. Carly says, on second thought… She goes inside, and Bobbie says she’s not talking to that woman. It’s not part of her duty as co-chair, and Carly asks, what’s going on here? Bobbie says, the Nurses Ball needs a new home, and Maxie says, and if they don’t find one soon, the Nurses Ball is not happening.
Finn tells Victor that treating his condition is no simple matter. A pathogen is an organism that causes disease to the host. The severity of those symptoms depends on its virulence. Victor says, the symptom he’s experiencing is virulent in the extreme, and Finn says, what is uncommon is for a pathogen to cause such a specific immune response. Victor asks if it could affect his other organs, but Finn says, it’s not invasive. It doesn’t seem to spread to other organs or tissues. The affects are localized, and very specific. Victor asks what all that means, and Finn says, the pathogen has a mission; one it has achieved. I wonder if he’s laughing at Victor in his head.
Dante says, Cody told him that he didn’t deserve Mac in his life after what he did. What did he do? Cody says he screwed up, and doesn’t know how to make it right, and Dante says, he lied about the first DNA results. He said Mac wasn’t his father, when in actuality, he is. Why did he do that?
Mac tells Felicia, his visit with Cody was great at first. Hell, he likes Bludger. She says, his favorite obscure Australian beer no one knows about. So what went wrong? He says he doesn’t know. They got to talking, then Cody clammed up. She says, it sounds like Cody’s not exactly in touch with his feelings, and Mac says, you can’t really blame him. He lived on an estate that wasn’t his, on the outside looking in. He bets that’s why Cody’s always looking for the next payday.
Laura says, it’s too soon to make any major decisions about Charlotte’s inheritance, and Drew says, because Valentin only recently died. She nods, and he says he hopes his proposal didn’t seem insensitive, but she says, no. He says he’s just trying to heal a family rift, and she says, there’s no need to apologize. She can see why a proposal makes sense from his perspective, but whatever happens with Valentin’s shares isn’t up to her.
Valentin asks if Lucy said a llama that doesn’t spit, and Lucy says, duh. There was a llama in 2017; great llama. There was Lloyd the next year; great llama. Everyone knows you don’t hire Loraine because she’s a great expectorator. There’s all the rehearsals to plan for the musical numbers, the costuming, not to mention the orchestral needs. Anna says she really feels how disappointed Lucy is not to be part of the Nurses Ball this year. She gets it. Lucy says, no she doesn’t. She has no idea. She’s been the Mistress of Ceremonies since the 90s; the only one. It’s the 60th anniversary of GH, and she has to be there to chair all the committees, planning everything with her friends and with Marty. Instead, she’s stuck here with the two of them. No offense. It’s just totally unfathomable. She storms to the bedroom, and Anna says, she’s not wrong. The beauty of the Nurses Ball is that it really does bring people together. Their time, their talent, for such a worthy cause; Robin’s cause. She’s not the only one who’s really sad not to be part of the Nurses Ball this year.
Carly asks why the MetroCourt needs a new venue… Um… I think she means Nurses Ball. Maxie says, it doesn’t, and no one said anything about having to grovel. Brook tells her, Olivia did say it was a joint decision, and Carly asks, what’s the problem? The Nurses Ball is always held at the MetroCourt. Bobbie says, while Carly was the co-owner, but Maxie says she’s sure they can still have the Ball there. Brook says, but it’s not only up to Olivia, and Carly says, ooh. She needs the agreement of her new partner – Nina. This is stupid even for them. Like Nina would say no.
Sonny asks who the sniper works for, but he says he doesn’t know. Sonny says, he doesn’t know who he works for? and the sniper says, contractor. The deal was anonymous. Tony checks the sniper’s pulse, and says, he’s not going to last much longer. Brick walks in with another man, and Sonny asks if he’s the doctor. Brick says, he’s very discreet, and Sonny says he needs to doctor to make sure the sniper stays alive, at least until he gets some answers. The doctor checks the sniper, and Sonny says, they don’t have all day, but the doctor says, he’s gone. Sonny says, son of a bitch! and Brick says, sorry about that, but Sonny says, it was a long shot anyway. He asks if the doctor can help Dex, but Dex says he’s good. Sonny insists, and the doctor checks out Dex. Brick wonders why Dex is always in the line of fire.
Felicia says, Cody’s job at the Quartermaine stables is a really good gig, and Mac says, Cody told him that he was selling his plasma for extra money. Plus, he’s seen Cody with Selina Wu on more than one occasion. It seems that money is the driving force with Cody. Felicia says, or he’s on a never-ending quest for stability. Can’t they help him with that?
Cody tells Dante that he knew Cesar Faison and Leopold Taub were members of some cartel in the 90s, and he thought maybe Faison had access to Taub’s money. So when he met Britt and found out she was Faison’s daughter… Dante says, Cody thought he could use Britt to get her father’s money. Did Cody ever really like Britt? Cody says he did eventually. His feelings for Britt made him take his eyes off the prize. Then it just fell into their laps, thanks to Peter August’s final effects and the safe deposit key. Dante says, then Cody met Mac, and it threw a wrench in his plans? and Cody says, that necklace belonged to Taub, in the late 80s, early 90s. Then it just mysteriously showed up in the safe deposit box of Faison’s son? He really believed that necklace was his birthright. Dante says, except the DNA test proved it wasn’t Cody’s birthright, and he lied. Cody says, his mother was an heiress, who gave away every dime to her daughter, some woman he’s never even met, who ended up giving away what was supposed to be his half of the inheritance to save the whales. Don’t get him wrong; he likes whales. He likes dolphins too, but right now, they’re doing better financially than him. That necklace was supposed to be his shot. Dante says, he lied to Mac; he used Britt. Maybe Sam was right about him.
Finn says, the good news is, this pathogen has low toxigenicity, and Victor says, and the bad news? Finn says, the microorganism is not one that naturally occurs in Northern America, and Victor says he does have several international business associates. Could he have contracted it from one of them? Finn says, what he’s contracted is known as an obligate pathogen, which means it doesn’t survive for long outside of the human body. Victor says, so he couldn’t have gotten this from being in contact with anyone, and Finn says, highly unlikely. Victor asks, then how did he get it? and Finn asks if he has any enemies. Well, that’s a stupid question.
Laura tells Drew, Valentin’s stocks aren’t hers to sell, give, or trade; they belong to Charlotte. When she comes of age, she’ll decide whether to keep them. He says he respects that, and she says, unfortunately, it does put a pin in his family’s plans for ELQ. He says, the stock could be in far worse hands, thanks her for her time, and leaves.
Anna tells Valentin, for all her delusions of grandeur, Lucy’s right. She’s done so much to make the Nurses Ball a success, and she’s helped countless people along the way, Robin included. He says, forgive him; he didn’t even think of that. He shouldn’t have made light of her feelings. Anna says, in all fairness, she’s a real pain in… the thing. She just wishes Lucy could trust Maxie and Bobbie. They’re more than capable of making this happen. The show will go on. The Nurses Ball is bigger than all of them.
Maxie says, it’s an honor for the MetroCourt to host the Nurses Ball. She’s sure Nina won’t object. Bobbie says, if that woman makes them beg… and Carly says, they’ll cross that bridge when they come to it. Meanwhile, she thanks Maxie for asking her to help; she’s honored. Maxie says, Carly is also essential, and Carly says, whatever she needs, don’t hesitate to ask. She can help organize, and would love to be on the entertainment committee. Maxie says, music to her ears. They have so much to get done in such a little amount of time. Carly says she only wishes she could save them from having to involve Nina, when Nina walks in and asks what Carly’s trying to keep from her this time.
The doctor wraps Dex’s wound, and says, Dex is lucky. A few millimeters over, it would have shattered his arm. Six inches, it would have blown a hole through his chest. Sonny asks Tony to let the doctor out, and make sure he gets paid. Brick asks Sonny, what happened here? and Sonny says, the shooter was right there. If Dex hadn’t spotted him, he would have been taken out. Brick says, nice little ambush spot; the guy was a pro. Sonny says he needs Brick to find out who hired him, and Brick looks through the sniper’s pockets, finding a cellphone. Sonny tells him, check the contacts, and Brick says, there’s only one contact. One message; an address and a time. He’ll see if he can dig out more data. Their guy is wearing no jewelry; no obvious tats. All he’s got on him is a key fob and a matchbook. Dex says, may I? holding out his hand, and Sonny says, go ahead. Brick gives him the matchbook, and he says, it’s The Highsider logo; the biker bar. Brick says, Dex might just be useful after all, and Sonny says, Brick has no idea. The kid saved his life. Brick rolls his eyes.
Maxie says, perfect timing, and Nina tells her, she would say so. Brook says, Nina brought Olivia soup. Isn’t that thoughtful? Nobody says anything, and Brook says she’ll bring the soup up to Olivia. Nina asks what she walked in on, and Maxie says, she and Bobbie are co-chairing the planning committee for the Nurses Ball. Nina asks when the Ball is happening, and Maxie says, three weeks. Nina says, that soon, and Maxie says, GH’s 60th anniversary is coming up, and they didn’t want to break tradition, so they’re kind of hoping Nina and Olivia will let them use the ballroom at the MetroCourt. Nina is surprised Carly didn’t just pretend to agree, and Bobbie says, that’s something Nina would do. Carly says, the Nurses Ball can’t get off the ground without Nina’s consent. So does she want to keep making jabs or rise above her hatred for Carly for a good cause?
Brook comes downstairs as Drew walks in. He asks how Olivia is, and Brook says she thinks Olivia is secretly enjoying the opportunity to stay in bed and read. Seeing the doors closed, he asks if there’s a secret meeting, but she says, more like a gladiator match. It’s anyone’s guess who’s going to emerge from the arena alive.
Mac tells Felicia, as much as he’s grown to like Cody, he’s not their responsibility. He’s not family. She says she can’t explain it, but sometimes he feels like it.
Cody says he thinks he and Sam reached a truce, and Dante says, Cody stepped up for Sasha; she was impressed. But lying about who his father is… Cody says he knows. He screwed up. Even before the necklace burned up in that cabin, he regretted everything he did to get his hands on it, which is why he’s telling the truth now. Dante asks why he doesn’t tell Mac, and Cody says, that’s the reason he got the second test. He figured he could tell Mac the first test was the result of a lab error or something. Dante asks if Cody is going to tell Mac the truth, and wrap it up in another lie, and Cody says, there’s no winning with Dante. Dante says, there is. Just tell the absolute truth – all of it. If he wants to move forward with a relationship with Mac, start with transparency. Fess up. He can handle it, right?
Victor asks if Finn is suggesting he was deliberately infected, and Finn says, it’s not an accidental pathogen, so common means of transmission don’t apply here. Victor asks how he got it, and Finn says, either by injection, which would be invasive, and probably noticeable. More likely through ingestion. Victor says, so something he ate or drank, and Finn says, based on the timing of his symptoms, he’d say Victor contracted the pathogen late November, early December. Victor says, that doesn’t make it any easier to pinpoint, and Finn says he’ll ask for further tests to confirm. Victor says, Finn hasn’t mentioned treatment, and Finn says, research in this area of treatment is limited. Victor says, how so? He’s saying there’s no cure? Finn says, the damage done to Victor is not known to be reversable.
Brick says, so is that right? Dex saved Sonny’s life? Sonny says, he clocked the hit man before he could get a shot off. Dex pushed him out of the way. Dex says, Sonny returned the favor, and Brick wonders if they’re indebted to each other now. He’ll get the data on the phone and the rifle, and get back to Sonny. Sonny thanks him, and Brick says, of course (🍷). Sonny asks how Dex’s arm is, and Dex says, just a crease. Sonny tells Tony to have Dex help him get rid of the body. He’s tired of looking at it. They start to pick the sniper up, but Dex nearly falls over. Sonny has him sit down, and tells him, hydrate, giving him some water, but Dex says he wants to help Tony. Sonny says, Dex has lost a lot of blood, and he’s running on adrenaline. Take a drink. He’s no good to Sonny if he’s down for the count. Dex drinks some water, and asks who Sonny thinks sent the shooter. Sonny says, if anyone can find out, it’s Brick. How did Dex know to push him out of the way? Dex says he saw something out of the corner of his eye. In Afghanistan, sometimes that’s all the warning you got. Sonny says he was going to keep Dex out of the Pikeman deal; now Dex is in the middle of it. Drink up, and he’s going to take Dex home. Dex says, Tony can give him a ride, but Sonny says he’s not taking Dex to Dex’s place; he’s taking Dex to his place.
Dante says, Cody has to come clean all the way. Don’t give Mac a partial truth. Don’t rob him of the ability to make a choice. Cody says, Dante’s right. He can’t tell Mac that he’s his son unless he tells Mac that he lied about the first test, and why. Dante says, if it helps, he’ll be wherever Cody is going to talk to Mac, and Cody thanks him, but says, it’s not necessary. He won’t be telling Mac anything. Dante asks what Cody’s talking about. He’s going to let Mac live his life not knowing he has a son? Cody crumples up the paternity test, throws it into a garbage can, and says, it’s not like Mac raised him, so it’s no big loss. You can’t take away what someone never had. Dante says, you can actually. Why would Cody deprive him of that? Deprive him of getting to know his son. Why would he cheat himself out of all that? Cody says, maybe he doesn’t deserve it, and Dante asks if Mac deserves it. Cody says, what’s Mac losing? A son who’s beat up from stunt riding, and broke down from grifting. Dante says, so Mac pays the price because Cody doesn’t want to admit he screwed up? Cody says, it’s not a huge price; it’s him. Mac will be better off.
Mac says, Felicia treats everyone like family, when Laura approaches, and says she can confirm that. She wonders where Doc is, and Mac says, he wanted them to tell her that he had to see a patient. Felicia says, before that, he and Mac had a very nice chat, and Laura says she’s glad to hear that. She sits, and says, Doc doesn’t blame Mac for doing his job. Mac says he knows that; they’re good. Felicia says, as for the opposite of good… They all watch Victor walk in.
At the bar, Victor asks for two fingers of their best scotch, neat. Bartender Jamie (?) pours him a drink, and Victor thanks him. He’s about to take a sip, and flashes back to Finn telling him, it’s more likely he contracted the pathogen by ingestion; something he ate or drank. He asks for a new bottle, unopened, and Mac comes to the bar. He says his officers have been trying to contact Victor about the disappearance of his nephew Nikolas. Why has he been avoiding them?
Valentin says, Anna could be part of the Nurses Ball if it weren’t for his father, but she says, that’s all right. Mac and Felicia will be there, and they were there for Robin during the toughest part of her life. He says, what they’re doing now will put Victor away for good, and it will allow her to always be part of Robin’s future. Lucy comes out, looking at her tablet, and going, nope… nope… nope. She says she just looked at the MetroCourt ballroom calendar. For the next five months, there’s absolutely nothing. Anna is sure Maxie will find her way around that, and Lucy says she hopes so. Valentin says he’s sure her leadership will be sorely missed. Lucy sits down, and says she really wants… she needs the Nurses Ball to be special. Anna says, it will be. Despite all the glitz and glamour, it’s the mission that’s so important for people to celebrate. Lucy says, Anna is so right, and Anna says she thinks that mission will be realized… without all the pizazz Lucy could bring to it of course (🍷). Lucy says she likes pizazz. She could still do it. She starts to get up, but Anna says, no. She knows it’s going to hurt them all, but life is going on without them.
Nina says she’ll have to check the schedule, but they’ll make it work. Of course (🍷) the MetroCourt will host the Nurses Ball, as long as Olivia agrees. Maxie says, Olivia already gave them her blessing, and Nina says she hopes they’ll let her know if there’s anything else she can do to help… unless they don’t want her involved. Maxie says, of course (🍷) they want her help. Don’t we Bobbie? Bobbie says, sure; the more the merrier. Maxie says, they’re the most capable women she knows. As long as they can work together – peacefully – they can achieve anything. Carly says she’s in, and Nina says she’s in too. She asks Maxie and Bobbie to give her and Carly a couple of minutes alone. Maxie can’t leave fast enough, and Carly nods to Bobbie, who follows.
Bobbie and Maxie go into the foyer, and Brook says, perfect timing. Please tell Drew that he has to perform at the Nurses Ball. Maxie asks if he can carry a tune, and Brook says, he can; he sings in the shower. He says, she hears him? and she says, the acoustics are weird in this house. Bobbie is sure he has some moves, and Drew says, all right. What would he have to do? Maxie says she’s sure he’s heard of Magic Milo and His Magic Wands, and Drew is like, uh… Bobbie says, it’s for charity. The least he can do is give them that shirt off his back.
Carly asks why Nina asked to speak to her privately. It’s not like their issues are secret. Nina says, it’s not about their privacy; it’s about Willow’s.
Dex says he’ll be fine, but Sonny says, no argument; it’s an order. Brick comes back, and Sonny says, any luck with the phone? but Brick says he’s still trying to dig out data. There were some prints from it though. The guy’s not from any registry he can access. He was a ghost. Sonny says, what about the weapon? and Brick says, it’s been modified, probably by the shooter. He can tell Sonny the original manufacturer, but there’s no serial numbers; it’s untraceable. Sonny asks what Brick’s thinking, and Brick says, a guy who doesn’t exist with an untraceable rifle. He’d say Sonny has a very, very powerful enemy. Hmm… I was wondering if Dex hadn’t set it up.
Brook says she has the perfect song, and runs to get her phone. Maxie goes with her, and Bobbie tells Drew, Carly and Nina are in there, and she doesn’t hear any furniture breaking, but… Drew says, it might not be long.
Carly says, now Nina is concerned about Willow’s privacy. She wasn’t concerned at all when she accused Willow of having an affair with TJ. What ticks me off is how Carly acts like it’s unfathomable you might perceive someone differently if you suddenly find out they’re family, especially your child. Nina says, this is about her health, and Carly says, if Willow wants Nina to know about her health, Willow will tell her. Nina says, that’s just the thing, she has, when there’s a knock at the door, and Drew asks if he’s interrupting. Nina asks him to join them; the three of them are privy to Willow’s health updates. Carly says, since when? and Nina says, since she had a conversation with her daughter, and Willow promised to keep her in the loop going forward.
Dante says he hates seeing Cody doing this to himself. He cares about Mac, and he cares about Cody. Why is he sabotaging himself? Why does he think he doesn’t deserve good things? And he’s not talking about fancy jewelry. Cody says, some secrets are meant to be kept, but Dante says, not this one. He knows what Cody sacrificed. Stop punishing yourself. Mac is a great guy. He’s surrounded by this beautiful family. Cody has an opportunity here to come out with the truth, and have these good people embrace him and give him a life he’s never known. Come on. Come clean.
Victor asks Jamie to leave the bottle, and tells Mac that he’s a very busy man. He pours himself another drink, and Mac says, a busy man with a big thirst. Victor says, it’s not illegal, is it? and Mac says, as long as he doesn’t intend to drive. Or harbor a fugitive. Victor asks where exactly he would do that. In his suite at the MetroCourt? Mac says, it wouldn’t be the first time he gave Nikolas a safe haven. Did he smuggle Nikolas to some island somewhere? Victor pours a third drink, and Mac asks, where’s Nikolas? Victor says, Mac’s guess is as good as his, and Mac says, Elizabeth Baldwin told the PCPD that Victor cleaned up evidence of Nikolas holding Esme Prince hostage. Victor tells him, that’s just hearsay, isn’t it? and Mac says he could haul Victor in for obstruction of justice. Victor says, can’t a man drink in peace around here? He doesn’t have a clue where his nephew is, and if Mac has any more questions, contact his attorney. As he leaves, he sees Laura and Felicia, and flashes back to Laura saying she’s going to put her family back together again, and when she does, she’s taking him apart. He walks over to Laura, and says, it was you. Laura asks, what was me? and he says, it had to be her.
Dante tells Cody, do the right thing, but Cody says, maybe saying nothing is the right thing. Dante walks out, and Cody takes the paternity test out of the garbage can, uncrumples it, and looks at it.
Mac goes over to the table too, and Victor says he knows what Laura’s done. She says, really. What has she done? He says she’s a vindictive… She’s determined to strip him of his power, and humiliate him in the process. She says, he doesn’t need her for that. When his life falls apart, and it will, he’ll have more than her to blame. He says, but she’s the one who will pay the most dearly. Mutually assured destruction. She struck the first blow, and now they both have everything to lose.
Anna tells Lucy that she hates missing the Nurses Ball too, but they all have to make sacrifices. Lucy says, but they don’t need Anna; they need her. Valentin says, but they can’t have her, can they? and Lucy says, that’s not his decision to make. She gets up, and Anna says, she can’t risk being seen, but Lucy says, oh yeah? Anna did. Anna left here for several hours the other day, doing God knows what. Valentin says, she’s a professional, and Lucy asks if they’re forgetting she was an asset too. And she was very effective if they remember. Anna says, what she remembers is, they’re in this mess because Lucy wouldn’t follow her orders, so Lucy is going to follow her orders now. You sit tight and you zip it. Lucy stomps back to the bedroom, and Anna says she thinks that went very well.
Brook says, both Carly and Nina are going to be on the planning committee? and Maxie says she thinks they make a formidable team. Bobbie says, if they survive.
Carly asks why Nina is asking her about Willow if Willow is giving Nina updates on her health, and Nina says, because Willow is sick, and she didn’t want to bug her about updates. She assumed Willow said it was okay to fill her in. Carly says, no, she didn’t, and asks if Drew knew, but he says he hasn’t spoken to Willow at all. If it helps, he can ask Willow and Michael, what’s the best way to share information. Carly says, anything else? and Nina says, once again, Carly’s disapproval speaks volumes. Carly says, they all know how dangerous Nina is with the tiniest bit of information. Nina says, she’s dangerous? If it were up to Carly, she’d still be in the dark about her daughter. Carly says, so much for being cordial, and Nina says, she’s right. She’s not going to argue for Willow’s sake, but she will say, Carly is no longer the gatekeeper of information. And it would serve Carly well to have this in the back of her mind. Nina knows a lot more than Carly thinks she does. She leaves, and Drew stops Carly from following.
Brick says, the shooter was contracted by a professional outfit, possibly an agency. Dex says, likethe WSB? and Sonny says, whatever it is, they’re going to be very sorry.
Tomorrow, Esme says she has to trust her instincts; Spencer asks, what’s the real reason Cameron is leaving; Alexis tells Sam, there’s more going on than Gregory is saying; and Sonny says, it’s the least he can do since Dex saved his life.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey
I tell my dogs, now it’s time to watch despicable people with too much money. Teresa visits therapist Tegan, and in Teresa’s interview, she says she’s been going to therapy for six months. She’d always been against it, but didn’t like the way she’d reacted to Marge – even though she felt it was valid. Louie was into therapy, and told her that she didn’t have to react. She tells Tegan that her way of fixing a problem is lashing out, and in her interview, she says, her delivery is not always the way it should be, which is putting it mildly. We flash back to some choice moments, like her table flip, and she says, her therapist is teaching her how to approach things differently and communicate more. She tells Tegan that boys night did not go good [sic] and her brother told Louie to go f*** himself a million times. Louie said Joe #2 must be in pain, and had her call Joe, asking if he wanted to make peace. He said he did, but he didn’t come to her housewarming, and it was hurtful. She wished her parents were there, and her brother not being there was weird. She only has her brother, and nieces and nephew. Growing up, her father and a cousin didn’t talk for six years over $200. In her interview, Teresa says, her father was strong and stubborn. He never told her that he loved her until she finally started saying it. That’s how her parents were raised. She tells Tegan that she doesn’t want her kids grow up without cousins. Melania and Antonia were close, but haven’t come to each other’s parties. She says, Joe’s temper was out of control, and Tegan says, Teresa was petrified of her dad, so it’s triggering. Teresa says, the toxicity hurts, and Tegan says, she can make it stop by her choices of reaction. If it doesn’t, her only choice is to move on. Wow. Remind me to never use this therapist. As Dr. Phil says, there’s two sides to every pancake, and she’s just believing everything Teresa says. Obviously, she’s never seen the show. And if Teresa is so concerned about losing her only remaining family member (according to her), why doesn’t she act like a normal human?
Jen comes over to visit Marge post-surgery, bearing cookies and flowers. Marge says, they had to rebreak her arm. She’s going to sit on the sidelines and cheer at the baseball game. Jen says she’s doing the same, since nobody wants to see her ruining to first base. Marge says, Jennifer fell flat on her faced last year, and we flash back to that. Jennifer told Bill that she didn’t want him to be nice to Marge at the game. Marge told Melissa that she should leave Joe #2 for a baseball player. This came from Marge’s friend Laura, and when she repeated it to Marge, Marge got so worked up, she called Jennifer a disheveled drug addict. She’s a shampoo commercial, and Marge is an albino with a wig. In Jennifer’s interview, she says, she smokes weed when the kids are asleep, and it’s legal. Marge will find anything remotely negative, and throw it in her face with no regard for how it will affect Jennifer’s life. Marge either isn’t thinking kids or she’s just plain stupid. Marge asks if Jen thinks Jennifer is mad, since she booted Jen out of her house. Jen says, Jennifer texted her, saying she was sorry, but Jen’s friend wouldn’t stop poking at her. Another thing Dr. Phil says is, the word but means forget everything I just said and now I’ll tell you what I really think. Marge says, Jennifer is a f***ing loser, but Jen says, that display was not Marge, screaming like a 16 year old. Jennifer bringing up Marge’s kids was inexcusable, but Marge was her main concern. Jennifer tells Bill that Jen seemed rational, but Dolores was like a mute, and everybody sat there letting Marge rip her apart. In Jennifer’s interview, she says, everybody is afraid of Marge, and thinks they should be on their best behavior to keep Marge quiet. She’s like an evil master puppeteer. Jennifer is off her rocker. I’ve never once gotten that fear vibe from any of them. Marge tells Jen that she’s not going to say a word to Jennifer at the game, or even acknowledge her.
Dolores’s dad Lawrence comes over, and in her interview, she says she was nervous the first time he met Paulie, since her dad can be intimidating. We flash back to her telling her dad that he intimidated every boy she brought home. She says, Paulie knew how to play her dad like a fiddle. Lawrence says, if his little girl is happy, he’s happy, and in Dolores’s interview, she says, her dad is worried about her being alone, but she’s not dating to date. She’s gearing toward the future. She tells Lawrence that Paulie is going in for a heart procedure, and Paulie says, his heart skips in its rhythm. The procedure has a 90% success rate in it not happening again. Lawrence says, the family is with him, and in her interview, Dolores says, it’s scary. It’s been a long time since she was in a relationship that makes her happy, and she doesn’t want to lose it. She and Lawrence walk Dog, and Lawrence says, she seems happy. She says, Paulie is the type of man she needs in her life. He’s like Lawrence; he’s there for her and takes care of things. We flash back to Dolores telling her parents about the bad times with Frank, and in her interview, she says, Frank and the family were 100% her priority, whether Frank deserved it or not. Now Frank doesn’t need to be here. She tells her dad that she speaks less to Frank, and Lawrence says, there have to boundaries. Dolores wants Paulie to know he’s her number one man, and Lawrence thinks Paulie is good for her; they’re a good couple.
Rachel and husband John meet Melissa and Joe at the batting cages, for practice. In Rachel’s interview, she says she’s an ex-bodybuilding competitor. You have to be strong, but it doesn’t take coordination. She doesn’t often play softball, but she’s been to first base a couple times. They order food and wine, and Frank joins them. He whines about his and Dolores’s relationship not being the same, and Melissa says she doesn’t think Paulie will be as warm as David toward Frank. Frank says, Paulie is affecting the family dynamic, and in Frank’s interview, he says, it’s a shame. He was a good father, but not a good husband, and it’s one of his biggest regrets. He loves Dolores, and they worked hard to be where they are, and it’s not easy. It’s the furthest they’ve been from one another in years, and he’s sad. Melissa suggests he take a step back. Frank’s girlfriend Brittany joins them, and none of them do very well in the cages. Melissa tells them about Jennifer taking what Marge said out of context, and in her interview, she says, Jennifer is planning revenge against Marge for outing Bill’s affair, but she’s not jumping on the bandwagon.
Rachel tells Melissa about Teresa saying, it’s better to be Marge’s friend than her enemy, and Melissa says Teresa is fake, and hates Marge. In Melissa’s interview, she says she sees Louie. He’s charming and manipulating, and told Teresa to be nice to Marge. In Marge’s interview, she says she needs to stop telling the truth about them. – Rachel says, that’s why she’s not rolling with fake parade, but she didn’t know what say. In Rachel’s interview, she says she didn’t ask anyone’s opinions, and she’s not afraid of anybody, so there’s that. Melissa says, Jennifer is trying to ice Marge out, and in her interview, Rachel says she doesn’t give a flying. She’s a good judge of character and won’t be influenced.
Dolores is informed they have at least 3500 people, and in Dolores’s interview, she says, the baseball game was a major success last year. They made $180K, but for her, this year has to be better. She has a little something-something that’s going help bring in cash. They’re going to sell the Sexy Husband Calendar at the ballpark; it’s the hottest thing ever. We see the photo of Frank in rabbit ears, and he looks like a grumpy Easter bunny. It’s so funny, I might buy it just for that. Evan and Jackie arrive, and again, I’m flummoxed as to why she’s not a wife this season. Brittany and Frank come in, followed by Marge, who says, she’s on drugs, so she’s okay. Danielle asks how it’s going after the fight with Jennifer at Jen’s house, and Marge says, if she has a fight and they make up, she thinks they made up. Jennifer is crazy, and told everyone that she’s trying to break up Melissa’s marriage. All she was doing was trying to make Melissa feel better, and said she was so gorgeous, she could be with any ballplayer. In Danielle’s interview, she says, don’t tell her that to build her up. Say her boobs look perky today, not that she should be married to someone else. Another wow. These people read a lot into nothing. Danielle says she likes Jennifer, and while Jennifer discouraged her being friends with Marge, she said she’d keep an open mind, but an eye out. She says, Teresa told her that Marge was better to be kept as a friend than an enemy, and in Marge’s interview, she says, look who’s talking. We flash back to Teresa throwing an entire table full of stuff at Marge in a restaurant, and Marge says, clearly, she’s the worst enemy known to man. In Danielle’s interview, she says she can’t wrap her head around a friend digging up dirt on another friend, and tells Marge, that’s why Jennifer is vicious. She’s struggling with who Marge is. Marge says, Jennifer is suffering, and Jennifer arrives with bland Bill.
Oh my God. This has only been on a half hour and it feels like a year.
Jennifer says she’s not acknowledging Marge, and Marge says, charity behavior all day. It looks like the diamond is near Coney Island, where I spent a few times playing hooky from work, and spent many a weekend on Brighton Beach nearby. Teresa and Louie get there last, and in Joe #2’s interview, he says he’s keeping his distance. Teresa can switch from zero to a hundred in an instant, and he has to defend himself before it becomes ugly. They bond over the calendar, and in Teresa’s interview, she says, this is the Joey she likes. It’s the way it always should be, especially around the children. The crowd cheers Dolores, who thanks them for coming to the Battle for Brooklyn to support Maimonides Health. In Melissa’s interview, she wonders if a new ballplayer would hit better than Joe. In Joe’s interview, he says, they suck. The doctors are going to kick the sh*t out of them. In Jennifer’s interview, she says, last year, they had a professional athlete on their team. We flash back to Tiki Barber, and she says she doesn’t know if Joe #2 is tall enough to catch the ball. Rachel tells Jennifer that Olivia broke her heart, saying she wants to be a love therapist; it’s kind of ironic. Jennifer tells Rachel that Olivia never said that before. She’d wanted to be a Broadway star. In her interview, Jennifer says she never spoke about the infidelity for this reason, and doesn’t know what to do. Every time they argue, Olivia tells them to remember they love each other. She’d wanted to protect them.
Dolores explains that Paulie isn’t there because he’s going to have heart surgery tomorrow, and Melissa says she thought it was because he didn’t want to be around Frank. Frank says he misses his and Dolores’s relationship. She doesn’t take his calls, and when he texts, she replies that she’ll call him later. He was crying the other day, which is unusual. Melissa says he’s going to make her cry. Joe #2 hugs Frank, and in Dolores’s interview, she says, Frank doesn’t like change. After the divorce, nothing changed, but he can’t make her feel guilty for being in a relationship she deserves. Knock it off. The score is 8 to 2 in favor of the doctors, and in Marge’s interviews, she says, thank God the kids are stepping in; the old-timers are not doing great. In Gia’s interview, she says her cousins are growing up fast, and it reminds her that she’s not able to be there for them as much as she wants to. It feels like Joe #2 and Melissa are trying to put a wedge between them, and it doesn’t sit well with her. The final score is 9 to 8 with the RHONJ team winning. In her interview, Dolores says, it feels good to be able to do this, and she’s proud of everybody – and the $200K they raised. She can’t wait for next year. Everyone watches the fireworks after the game.
Boring Bill and Jennifer go to therapist Judy, and in Jennifer’s interview, she says, Bill has always been against therapy, but when she told him that Olivia wanted to be a love therapist, he had nothing to say, but say there in shame. He never wants to talk about anything, but it’s the key to a healthy relationship. Learning how this affected Olivia made him want to go. Judy asks what brings them here, and Jennifer says, when she was pregnant with their 4th child, Bill cheated on her. She didn’t tell anybody, and pretending like it never happened was her process. Someone found out, and brought it up, so now everybody has to process it, including the kids. Bill told their oldest son, and she told Gabriella, but Olivia saw it on TikTok. In her interview, Jennifer says, Olivia asked her if all men cheat. (The short answer: yes.) Judy says, Jennifer seems most concerned about how it affects the kids, and Jennifer says it bothers her that Olivia wants to be a therapist. When she sees them bicker, she tells them to kiss. Judy says, Olivia wants security. For ten years, Jennifer forgot and forgave, so how did Bill feel as a father when it became public. Bill says, in the kids’ eyes, their mom is perfect, and their dad is hard on them. Now with the infidelity, he can’t push the kids, and some kids need micromanagement. Jennifer says, they’re outnumbered five to two, with only one participating parent. Bill put everything on her shoulders, and she feels like an employee being told her boss doesn’t like the job she did. Bill says his job is 24/7 stress, and Jennifer says, he goes straight to the pool house when he comes home from work, and only comes in after they’ve finished dinner. What about a hello? Judy says, Bill is very silent, and Jennifer says, everything is always brushed under the rug. At this point, she’s fed up. She’s not a subordinate, but an equal partner, and needs to be met halfway. Judy tells Bill, it’s not that Jennifer doesn’t appreciate his efforts, but she feel lonely, and in her interview, Jennifer says, she’s had up to here. Show her that he cares, or she’s going to check out. Judy says, Jennifer needs Bill to be there, and suggests they address the issue at another appointment. Bill says, great, but without much enthusiasm.
Next time, a pseudo Shore weekend; Jennifer says, Melissa and Joe #2 are always Team Marge, and she probably has something on them; a Hawaiian themed party where Bill ends up crawling; Marge confronts Teresa; and Danielle hears her name coming from a conversation she’s not involved in.
🏖 On the nightmare that is Summer House, we started off by returning to Kyle’s drunken rant about Lindsay and how she’s in Carl’s ear, and I immediately wanted to shove something in Kyle’s ear. Like a railroad spike. Kyle went outside, hollering the whole way, and finishing with yelling, f*** everyone for giving Lindsay so much power. Interesting, since he seems to be the only one who’s given her power, although he’d probably just be ranting about something else if she wasn’t there. Carl just sat there, and Danielle told him to do something, like that was going to happen. He said he wasn’t going to argue with Kyle right now, and would speak to him at the right time. Danielle hunted down big baby Amanda, who was busy crying and saying she didn’t want to be here. Me neither. Kyle continued his tirade in the, saying that Lindsay was ruining everything. I’m not even sure how we got here, since this started with Amanda being upset with Danielle. He stomped back in and went to his room, while Danielle complained to Mya that Carl was saying nothing. In Carl’s interview, he said he was angry and frustrated. Kyle yelling at his girlfriend was ugly and disrespectful. The old Carl would have beat the f*** out of him, but he doesn’t want to live like that. Bravo to Carl. Ciara told Kyle to chill, since he was clearly not fine, and he said it stemmed back to Lindsay. Lindsay said she was the one who felt hurt, since she’d done nothing, yet it was all her fault. She told Sam that it was clear Amanda didn’t want to be friends. Amanda talked sh*t about her, even though Lindsay had never talked sh*t about Amanda, and Amanda and Kyle were now a package deal. Danielle said Carl just sat there while Lindsay was annihilated by Kyle, and in Lindsay’s interview, she said she wished Carl would say something, but she understood. He was trying to figure out how to communicate his feelings and emotions being a sober person. Kyle said, everybody could s*ck his fat d*ck, and Lindsay, in a moment of clarity, said she was too old for this. Kyle said he was tired of sugarcoating, while Lindsay got away with murder, clearly not remembering what he does every time he’s drunk. Hint: It’s not sugarcoating. Gabby said she was exhausted after week with Kyle, and Lindsay said she’d put in 7 years. In the morning, Amanda texted a half-assed apology to Lindsay, while Kyle said Lindsay was a horrible, sick person who his best friend thought he was going to marry. Carl apologized to Lindsay, but said he wasn’t going to fight someone who’d been drinking all day and was now saying crazy sh*t. Go Yoda Carl. Lindsay said she wasn’t upset, and Kyle said he wished he hadn’t said what he said, but didn’t regret it. Get that boy a dictionary. Carl said he could literally bury Kyle. I’ll bring the shovel.
Kyle told Amanda that the challenging part was not saying mean things, because it’s hard when you’re 12. Carly told Lindsay that he didn’t want to talk to anybody; he had nothing to say. Amanda suggested Kyle make a better effort not to let her and Lindsay’s relationship get in the way of his and Carl’s. Carl decided Kyle wasn’t his friend, and he wanted to leave. The other girls toddled to the kitchen for pizza rolls and morning beer, which Danielle dubbed the breakfast of champions. friend. Mya called Oliver and said the Craig/Lindsay situation from last year was nothing in comparison. In his interview, Chris said that summer in the Hamptons was supposed to be fun; getting away from the city to have a good time. How cute of him. The girls decided they’d be pooling today, while Carl and Lindsay got the hell out of there. Lindsay told Danielle that at the end of the day, she was 37, and didn’t need to yell and scream to get her point across. Danielle blamed it on the sad, stupid f***ing slumber party, and told Amanda that she didn’t mean what she’d said about not trusting her. In Amanda’s interview, she said she forgave Danielle because she felt Danielle’s apology was sincere. Danielle was a protective person, and fought Lindsay’s battles like no other. Kyle said he was trying to mentally get in a place where he could talk to Carl with the right words, but now Carl was gone. He felt bad and didn’t know what do, and wished he knew how bite his tongue. Um… don’t drink until ranting point? In his interview, Kyle said he hated putting Carl in an awkward situation, and he’d have to apologize, since Carl and Lindsay were a package deal. He couldn’t keep his lips shut to keep the peace. Amanda told him that he had to say he was sorry, unless he wasn’t. Kyle looked lost in thought, but he was probably thinking about his next beer.
Pool antics happened, and the housemates trickled out, departing for the week, Kyle saying it was another disastrous weekend. That’s another thing. Why the hell do these people keep doing this when it always turns out badly? Oh yeah. The definition of crazy. Back in the city, Gabby and sister Danielle played tennis with Sam and Danielle #1. After two seconds, they called a water break. Gabby said she was in between job offers, and in her interview, she said she’d been working in the fashion industry since graduating college. She worked for a magazine, ignoring the signs the job was not the best for her, and ended up fired. Now she was second guessing her new job offers. Danielle #2 said she needed to focus on what she wanted. I think all of these people should focus on getting some therapy. Carl went to Asbury Park to meet mom Sharon, and in his interview, he said she was the anchor of his life. The house was triggering, and his mom reminded him that he was capable. Of what, he didn’t say. Being sober? Sane? Too old for this? She asked if living with a girl was a pain in the ass, but Carl said he and Lindsay were a good team. Because of her support, he hadn’t had a drink in 19 months, but he was struggling to find out who he is. Sharon suggested that we all do that until we die. Carl wasn’t sure how to handle Kyle’s anger, and Sharon said she just wanted Carl content and happy. Kyle said his brother Curtis had a lasting impact on him and how he lived his life. Curtis had saved his life. He saw how it could end for him if didn’t take things seriously. This was one of those rare moments where the show is actually good.
In Gabby’s interview, she said she loved the disco era, and was planning a Studio Fifty Forest party. She said she fined people if they ruined her party. Paige arrived, and asked Danielle how the previous weekend had been. Danielle said they’d had a slumber party and played games. It started off fun, but ended dramatically. She’d unintentionally hurt Amanda’s feelings, and Lindsay piggybacked on Amanda’s stuff. Kyle yelled about Lindsay, and Lindsay and Carl left early. Paige said, oh great. I can’t wait for the weekend. She got lucky though, since Kyle and Amanda were at a family reunion. Danielle said she thought family time did a soul good, and Paige said, as she got older, she found herself wanting to hang out with her parents. Little by little, everyone arrived, and Sam said she’d had a date with an Australian guy named Tim, who was potentially coming by for this weekend’s party. In Sam’s interview, she said they’d met in Montauk, and it was the best date she’d had in a year, and she has high standards. The girls talked about dating, and Gabby griped about a Taurus she’d gone out with. Sam wondered why she kept the door partially closed just for an astrology sign. Carl and Lindsay showed up, and Sam asked if it was going to be weird now with Kyle and Amanda, but they weren’t sure.
The housemates went dancing, and had green tea shots, which actually sounded good. In Danielle’s interview, she said she wasn’t used to seeing Carl and Lindsay isolating themselves. Remember her? Ah, third wheel syndrome. Gabby said it was interesting being with people who didn’t know her, and it made her reexamine how people see her. She had undealt with trauma, and didn’t trust herself. She felt immobilized, worrying if she’d make the wrong decision. These people must have other friends, right? Right? Danielle and Ciara had to explain to Gabby that they needed alcohol and food for the party, since she was used to hiring people to deal with that. They decorated, and Gabby said the theme of the party said she was extra. Mya told Ciara that she hadn’t cracked the Gabby code yet, and Ciara said, Gabby was missing out on authenticity.
Carl told Chris and Sam that he was doing his best to navigate coming back, but didn’t want to be around people who treated people like that. The girls, minus Lindsay who was glued to Carl, talked about Lindsay drinking again. Ciara said her dad was an alcoholic, and her parents had no alcohol at their wedding, and there was never any in the house to support him. They agreed Carl was moving too fast, and Danielle said he was talking about getting engaged, which was crazy, since you lived a fairytale for the first year.
Next time, a dachshund who catches ping pong balls; awkwardness; Carl asks if Kyle even likes him; Danielle says, Lindsay is so defensive it’s annoying; and Mya thinks it’s all going to lead to resentment.
🤡 Amusing moment. On Watch What Happens Live, guest Chloe Fineman mixed up Keith Urban with Keith Richards.
✈️ Gotta Jet…
Join me tomorrow for soap and VanderHappenings. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping your head above water even if it means treading, and stay not giving a partial truth, and robbing someone of the ability to make a choice.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Curtis apologizes to Trina for showing up unannounced, but he hasn’t seen her since the reception. She asks why he would; there’s nothing to say. He says he doesn’t think so. It’s not every day he finds out he might be a father, and it’s not every day she finds out she might have a father she never knew.
Jordan gives Dante a signed warrant that gives the PCPD the right to search every inch of Spoon Island. Dante says, if Nikolas is there, they’re going to find him, and Jordan says, and with Elizabeth’s testimony, he’ll be going away to prison for a very long time.
Scotty asks why Elizabeth isn’t smiling. They got a really good deal. She asks, what’s going to happen to Nikolas? and Scotty says, he’ll be charged with a boatload of crimes. She says, because she incriminated him, and Scotty asks if she’d rather Nikolas incriminate her. All she did was tell the truth. Nikolas sucked her in to this whole Esme thing; he thought she was the killer. When he found out she wasn’t, they were in over their heads, and he got the DA to make the deal for immunity. She didn’t know Esme was the killer for a long time. She says, tell that to the woman he loves – Britt’s mom.
At the hospital, Obrecht tells Finn that she can’t imagine what’s keeping Scotty. He looks away, and she asks what he knows that she doesn’t.
On the phone, Nina says, her daughter needs a bone marrow transplant, and all people have to do to help is register to be a donor. With Crimson’s demographics, they can reach under 35 year olds, people with more stem cells to offer. They need to launch an appeal. Every second counts.
Willow films herself, and says, by the time Michael sees this, their wedding will be just a memory. She hopes he doesn’t just remember the tears, but the flowers, the music, and the dancing. She hopes the photographer takes lots of pictures, and a video that he can show to Amelia when she’s old enough to understand how very much Willow loved her daddy. Michael comes downstairs, and asks what she’s doing.
Austin and Ava go into Windymere, and Austin says, it’s a little weird. She says, which part? and he says, the part where Heather sticks him with a hook and he falls to the floor, and there was this moment where he thought about all the things he didn’t get to do in his life. She says she’s glad she was able to stop the bleeding, and he says, him too. And he was glad she got to go after Ryan Chamberlain. She says, Mac fired the fatal shot. It’s ironic. If she’d killed Ryan, it would have been self-defense. Meanwhile, she has no defense at all for killing Nikolas. He says, it’s possible at this point, Elizabeth has given the cops a full statement, and she says, the cops are going to be here soon, looking for evidence to corroborate her story. He says, they’re going to be looking for corroborative evidence in the north tower, but she says, they’re going to be looking for Nikolas, which puts the whole island at play. He knows what they have to do.
Trina invites Curtis in, and he says, they have a lot to talk about, but she says, not really. Her mom lied to all of them. He says he’s not here to talk about her mom. He’s here to talk about them, and where they go from here.
Willow says she was just thinking about their wedding, and asks if Michael is getting cold feet, but he says, never. He wants it to be everything she ever dreamed of, and she says, as long as he’s beside her when they say I do, it will be. Wiley comes down, and says he was going to kiss his baby sister, but she spit up on him. Willow says, babies will do that, but she’s counting on him to look out for his baby sister; big brothers are important. Michael says, it’s time for Wiley to go to his playroom, and Wiley says he almost forgot. He found something. The half-heart necklace dangles from his hand.
Nina asks, what’s going on? and Obrecht says, that’s what she’s trying to find out. It seems Dr. Finn is keeping secrets. Nina says, about what? and Finn says, it’s hardly a secret. Scotty’s not here because he’s with a client. Obrecht says, of course (🍷). Scotty said something about helping Elizabeth with a legal matter. Nina wonders if Elizabeth is in trouble, but Obrecht says, it’s probably something mundane, like a parking ticket, while that maniac Heather Webber gets away with murder. Finn says, not exactly; she’s been returned to D’Archam. Obrecht says, to live out her days in a padded cell, when the police wasted precious time looking for Esme, and Heather was the killer all along. Finn says, a lot of people thought Esme was the killer. No one could have known otherwise. Obrecht says, someone must have known the killer wasn’t Esme and looked the other way, and because of them, her Britta is no more.
Elizabeth doesn’t know how she’ll ever face Obrecht again, and Scotty says, she’ll be very upset, but if he can convince the DA’s office, he can reason with Liesl. She wonders how you reason with someone who’s lost a child, and he says, when Peter August killed Franco, that’s a different story. What she and Nikolas did with Esme… that’s different. Elizabeth wonders why she didn’t come forward sooner, and he says, because she truly believed Esme was The Hook killer. It wasn’t until that rookie cop was killed that she knew it was someone else. She asks if he really thinks that will make a difference to Obrecht.
Dante tells Jordan, the search team is assembled, and the Coast Guard is going to take them to Spoon Island. Jordan says she’s going to GH to talk to Austin. She’s curious what he was doing at Windymere when all hell broke loose. He asks if she thinks Austin knows something about Nikolas, and she says, it’s worth a shot. He tells her, good luck with that, she says, back atcha, and leaves. Dante takes his gun out of his desk.
Trina says she has an exam to prep for, and her slide show for the post-Impressionist report on Friday, and Curtis says he gets it. When the whole world blows up, it’s nice to have work to focus on. (Agreed.) The other night, when he and her mother were going through it, he went straight to The Savoy, the one place he knew he was on solid ground and there was an endless supply of liquor. She asks if it helped, but he says, not exactly. All he wanted was a glass and a bottle to drown his woes, but fortunately N’neka knew it was a bad sign, and called his father. Marshall beelined it down to The Savoy, and gave him hell. Marshall reminded him booze is never the answer. Trina asks, what happened then? and he says, they talked about what he wanted to forget. He let Marshall know that Portia lied to them for twenty years, but he’s here to talk about him and Trina, and where they go from here.
At the hospital, Jordan walks out of the elevator and down the hall, and comes face-to-face with Portia.
Wiley asks if he did something wrong, but Willow says, not at all. There’s a knock at the door. It’s Sasha, who says she came to offer her help, and Michael takes Wiley upstairs to check on his sister. Sasha asks what she can do, and Willow says, she can start by getting rid of this necklace.
Nina suggests they go somewhere private, but Obrecht says, all she wants is the key to Heather’s padded cell. That, and five minutes alone with whoever hid Esme all that time. Finn asks what makes her think someone was hiding her, and she says, Esme was pregnant. She doesn’t think Esme is resourceful enough to manage on her own. Someone must have helped her. Nina suggests they go sit down, and leads Obrecht away. Finn calls Scotty, and asks if it’s over. How’s Elizabeth? Scotty and Elizabeth walk in, and Scotty tells him to turn around and see for himself. He did well. Finn is looking at an innocent woman. Elizabeth says, not guilty, but that doesn’t make her innocent.
Austin says, Ava does have options. She’s a wealthy woman. She could go anywhere in the world, and no one would ever find her. She says, if she were to run now, she’d have to run without her child. Ryan Chamberlain has already taken one daughter from her. She’ll die before she loses another. He says, it would probably make him really sad if she was dead, so whatever she’s got going on, count him in. She says, Nikolas is dead because of her. She won’t fault Austin if he goes back to GH, and forgets he was ever here. There’s a knock at the door (because this humongous house doesn’t have a doorbell), and Dante says, it’s the PCPD. Ava looks at Austin.
Curtis says he was a witness to the horrible year Trina had last year. Being accused of a crime she didn’t commit and it’s subsequent trial. Rory’s death, and the fear of knowing The Hook killer was targeting people she’s close to. But through it all, she had her family – her mom and her dad. Right now, it probably feels like her family is up for grabs. She’d only be human to resent his presence in her life. She says she doesn’t resent him. He’s always been wonderful to her. He might have been a little pushy at times, but that’s before they established boundaries. He says, those boundaries have a really big hole in them right now, and it’s only going to get wider until they answer one big question once and for all. She asks if he’s saying they need to see what their DNA says about them.
Portia says, if Jordan is there to see Austin, she just missed him. He checked himself out. Jordan asks if she approved that, but Portia says, absolutely not, but he’s a doctor, and they say we make the worst patients. Jordan says, since she’s here, she’ll pay a visit to Esme and see if giving birth jogged her memory. Portia asks if Esme can wait, and Jordan says, sure. Why? Portia says, Austin’s room is empty and they can talk in there without being disturbed. She thinks they need to have a conversation.
Sasha tells Willow, just to make it clear, she didn’t come here to lobby for Nina. She’s on Willow’s and Michael’s side because she understands two things can be true at the same time. (They love that one, so… 🍷) Nina’s been very good to her, but she’s aware that hasn’t been the case for everyone. Willow thanks her for understanding. So many people think they need to choose sides, and it’s just not necessary. She doesn’t want to waste the time she has thinking about Nina. She and Michael want to make this wedding as joyful and perfect for everyone, and she’s going to need all the help she can get. Sasha says, she’s got it, but she needs Willow to stop talking about the time she has left. Miracles can still happen. Willow says she’s not being a pessimist, just realistic. She’s run out of options. Sasha says, it’s so unfair. Willow has so much to live for, and so many people who need her. Willow tells her, nobody said life was fair; Sasha knows that better than anyone. Sasha says she went to visit Heather Webber at the PCPD, and Willow says, no, but Sasha says, it’s a good thing. She’s glad she did it. She got to put a face to Brando’s murderer, and it gave her a chance to release all the pent-up anger she’s been keeping it check. It also made her realize, when Liam died, she thought there could be nothing worse than death, but she was wrong. She loved Liam and loved Brando, and she loves Willow. She realized if someone goes through life without experiencing love and never having anything to lose, that would be the worst thing that could happen.
Nina says she understands Obrecht’s pain; she misses Britt too. But even if Obrecht could prove someone knew Esme wasn’t the killer, it’s not going to bring Britt back. Obrecht says, no, but it would give her great pleasure to give that person pain. She asks if her honesty upsets Nina, and Nina says, no; she’s used to it. Crimson is going to do a campaign for stem cell donors. She’s not fooling herself. She understands it might be too late, but if they can save other lives… Obrecht says, it might not be too late. She knows a possible donor. Nina says, who?
Finn says, Liesl was asking about Scotty. She’s here. Scotty thanks him for the heads up, and tells Elizabeth, if she needs anything, call him. He leaves to look for Obrecht, and Finn asks if Elizabeth is okay. She asks if he means, can she live with herself after throwing a lifelong friend under the bus, but Finn says he doesn’t know what kind of friend Nikolas is. He ran off and left her holding the ball. She says she may not be guilty of holding Esme hostage, but she fully enabled Nikolas. Finn says, but she took responsibility. What would Nik have done to Esme and the baby if she’d just walked away?
Ava hands the warrant back to Dante, and says, everything seems to be in order. He sends some officers to comb the main house, and others to comb the outlying buildings. Ava asks if this is really necessary. Heather’s in custody, and Ryan’s in the morgue. He says, it has nothing to do with what happened here last night. They got testimony that Esme Prince was being held here against her will after Ava moved out. So they can’t go anywhere until the find some proof, or at least a clue where Nikolas is hiding.
Trina says, she and Curtis will have to agree to disagree. She doesn’t need a DNA test. She already knows all she needs to know about her family; the good and the bad. He says he knows how she feels. When Marshall came back into his life, he shut the door in Marshall’s face. After 40 years, the last thing he needed was some dude coming into his life claiming to be his father. All those years without him, Curtis learned to be strong, almost unbreakable. Then he realized, who was he kidding? A piece of him was missing. He didn’t even realize it until he looked Marshall in the face and saw a part of him looking back. Trina says she’s glad for him and Marshall, but it’s not the same thing for her. He grew up without a dad; she grew up with a dad. A dad who was always there for her. He says he understands all of that. He bets she thinks even asking the question of asking who her biological father is, is betraying Taggert.
Portia tells Jordan, this isn’t easy for her to say, but there’s something Jordan needs to know. Jordan says, before Portia tells her anything, full disclosure. Curtis came to her earlier, and told her what happened at their wedding reception. Portia says, Jordan tried to warn her, and she wants Jordan to know she was right. She kept telling herself that she was trying to protect her daughter – protect her whole family – but in reality, the only one she was protecting was herself. She didn’t want to face the fact that Dr. Portia Robinson, at the top of her profession and respected by her peers, loved by the people who matter the most, is so very far from perfect. In fact, she’s a coward. Jordan says, that’s simply not true.
Michael says, Wiley decided to take a nap, and Willow suggests they take advantage of the quiet. Sasha says, they’re trying to decide between orchids and roses, and he says, why not both? Sasha says, that’s why he’s a CEO, and he says, he’s also a dad. Not that Amelia seems to care. Willow asks if their daughter is giving him a hard time, and he says, it’s that damn mobile above her bed. She’s fascinated with it and can’t stop staring at it. Sasha suggests removing it, but he says, she’ll just start crying, and Willow says, it sounds like she needs a dose of her mommy. She goes upstairs, and Michael tells Sasha not to let Willow limit herself. He wants the wedding to be everything she wants. Sasha says, it’s his wedding too; what does he want? He says he wants what he can’t have – more time.
Obrecht says, if Nina is looking for a donor, look no further, and Nina asks if she’s a match. Obrecht says she doesn’t want them to get ahead of themselves, but she’s been swabbed and had the bloodwork done, and she’s still waiting to hear if she’s a match. That’s why she’s here today. Nina thanks her, and they hug. Nina says, when she found out she wasn’t a match, she was so disappointed. She thought that’s why the universe threw her and Willow together; so she could help save Willow’s life. She felt so helpless. Obrecht says, that’s one of the reasons she volunteered, and Scotty joins them, asking Obrecht to tell Nina the other reason. Obrecht says, if it turns out that she’s a match and can save Willow’s life when Carly’s silence almost killed her, that will be sweet revenge. Scotty says, that’s my girl.
Ava says, that explains why Nikolas vanished into thin air. If he sensed Elizabeth was going to confess, she couldn’t do it without implicating him. He must have felt the walls were closing in and just run. Austin says he’s so sorry. It must be agonizing realizing the man she thought she knew inside and out was keeping that poor pregnant girl prisoner. She tells him, let’s not go overboard; Esme is no saint. But no one deserves to be locked in a tower. Dante asks, who said anything about a tower? and Ava says she just remembered that for the last few months, Nikolas said the north tower was off-limits, even to the staff, so it makes sense. Where else could he have been hiding Esme? Dante says, they checked the tower once already. It had been painted and cleaned, and it looked like Nikolas was trying to cover his tracks. His phone rings, and he tells them, don’t touch anything; he’ll be right there. Ava asks if something was found, but he says he doesn’t know yet, and leaves.
Trina tells Curtis that she’s not trying to be selfish. She’s sure it’s complicated for everyone and her dad has some questions of his own. Is it fair to him, wondering if or when the truth will eventually come out? Or say there’s some random medical emergency? Curtis says, is it fair to Taggert? and Trina says, the only thing that matters to her is, she loves her dad, and knows her dad loves her. He says he doesn’t want that to change. If there’s one thing this family has learned… Trina says she knows the end of the sentence; it’s the not knowing that will cause the real damage. He says he’s not going to lie. He wants to know the real truth, but he’s not going to push. It’s her call. So what does she want to do?
Portia says, Jordan has been warning her to come clean to Curtis for months, and now Jordan is defending her? Jordan tells her, she’s just saying Portia isn’t a coward. She had valid reasons for keeping her secret. She was protecting herself, but also protecting Trina and Taggert, even Curtis in a way. Portia’s a good person who puts her family first. Portia says, even though she chose to ignore Jordan’s warnings, but Jordan says, Portia had reasons to doubt her motives. She might have done the same in Portia’s place, but believe it or not, she was trying to spare Portia the kind of pain she’s dealing with now. Portia says she knows that, but what she doesn’t know is if there’s anything she can do to make the situation better.
Sasha says, if she could give Michael more time with Willow, she would do it in a heartbeat. She knows how he feels. Not a day goes by when she doesn’t wish she could hold Liam in her arms again, or get a glimpse of Brando and that epic smile when he’s changing a tire in his garage. Michael says he’s sorry for not checking in with her more often, but she says, don’t be. They all suffer their burdens, and most days she manages to put one foot in front of the other. It’s almost like she’s dancing with Brando. He says, Willow wants him to dance with her at the wedding, and she says, then that’s what he has to do. He says, even if it’s their last dance? when Willow comes back, saying, mission accomplished. Amelia’s asleep… What did she miss?
Nina wants to check with Terry and see if they can’t put a rush on the results, but Obrecht says, Terry knows she’s here. While they’re waiting, she suggests Scotty distract them with Elizabeth’s legal troubles, but he says, it’s no big deal really. The cops are questioning anybody and everybody about the whereabouts of Nikolas. Obrecht asks what angelic Elizabeth can tell the police about Nikolas’s nefarious dealings, and he says, they’re old friends… at least before. Obrecht says, before what? and Nina says, they have more important things to worry about, like the test results. Obrecht says she’s as anxious as Nina, and asks why Scotty won’t look at her. What legal trouble did he handle for Elizabeth?
Elizabeth tells Finn, of course (🍷) she’s grateful that Scotty cut a deal for her. She’s not going to prison and she’s not going to derail her boys’ lives. He asks what she’s worried about, and she says, the police can’t sit on the story forever, and when it comes out… He says, she’ll deal with it. The one positive that’s come out of this is how she’s handled the whole ordeal. There might have been a time she needed to lean on someone, but he didn’t do her justice.
Ava tells Austin, maybe she should take Avery and run. They practically gave her a medal for her part in taking Ryan down. When they find out what happened to Nikolas, they’ll reinstate the death penalty because Victor will make sure she’s dead. Her phone rings, and it’s Dante. He asks if she and the doctor could join him down here. She says, certainly, and asks where he is. He says, the tack room, and she looks at Austin. A lot of that going around today.
Trina says she loves her dad, and she’s come to love Curtis too; it’s just different. He says, okay. If she decides to take the test down the road, let him know. He opens the door, and she says she just wants to make one thing clear. No matter what the test says… He says, Taggert will always be her father, she nods, and he leaves.
Portia says she’s dreaded having this talk, but now that she and Jordan have had it… you know. Jordan says she feels the same. Don’t lose hope. The lies that cost Jordan her marriage, was her choosing to put her job before her family. Portia chose family over everything, and one day, Curtis and Trina will see that. She leaves.
Sasha says, Michael was just telling her that he didn’t want to step on Willow’s toes at the reception, so she told him to stop making excuses and take some dancing lessons. Willow says, so Sasha went for some tough love, and Sasha says, the best kind. She needs to get started on the arrangements they discussed. Michael thanks her, and she tells him, you take care of Willow, and I’ll take care of everything else. Michael fusses over Willow, and Sasha watches them for a moment. She looks at the necklace in her hand, and leaves.
Scotty says, Nina’s right. They should concern themselves with the test results. Obrecht says, agreed, but why does she sense he’s keeping something from her? What has Elizabeth done? He says, to be clear, it’s not Elizabeth, it’s Nikolas, and Nina says, what about those results? Obrecht asks, what did Nikolas do? and Scotty says, it’s going to come out sooner or later. Nikolas held Esme hostage in the tower at Windymere. He thought she was The Hook killer. She says, Nikolas isn’t his client. How does he know this? He says, Elizabeth helped him, even though they knew Esme was not The Hook killer.
Elizabeth says she’s grateful to Finn for everything he’s done for her, and respecting her choice to come forward. Even though she’s very nervous about the fallout to come, she knows she can face it. It’s a million times better than living in fear, waiting to be exposed. He says he respects the choice she made, and whatever comes, he’s with her all the way. She thanks him, and says she’s excited to get back to work. She starts to walk down the hall, but Obrecht storms up to her, followed by Scotty and Nina, and asks where Elizabeth thinks she’s going.
Ava and Austin arrive at the tack room, and Dante thanks them for coming like he’s hosting a party. He asks Ava if she knows what’s behind the padlocked door, but she says, no; she doesn’t spend a lot of time here. She thinks it’s just for storage. He says, Nikolas’s personal, effects, documents, stuff like that? but she says she thinks if Nikolas kept anything important in there, he would have removed it before she took possession of the house. Austin asks why they’re here. It seems like a waste of time. Dante says, the door has a padlock on it. Does she have a key? She says she’s sure there’s a key, but she doesn’t have it, and Dante asks an officer for the crowbar. Dante takes it, and walks to the door.
Tomorrow, Elizabeth says, if Finn stands by her, he’s going to be caught in the crossfire; TJ has important news; and Obrecht says, you reap what you sow.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey
The guys get home from guys night pretty drunk. Louie told Teresa that he’d brought up what Joe #2 had said about them on social media, and it got heated. She said, Louie’s family was so wonderful to her, and hers was causing this circus. Teresa is a circus unto herself.
Melissa stopped by the new house Joe #2 is constructing, and asked about guys night. Joe said, Louie brought up the podcast, and Melissa said, they’d helped out when Teresa was in prison. Juicy Joe needed someone to film with, and they were there. We flash back to that, and in Melissa’s interview, she said, when the family was down, they stepped up. Now twist it, string it out, and throw it the wrong way. Joe #2 said, Teresa kicked out everything on their side.
Teresa told Louie that she was embarrassed that Joe #2 told him to go f*** himself. How dare he? Louie said, Joe was pissed about Melissa’s family not being invited, and Teresa said, if she hadn’t put Melissa in the wedding party, why would she invite them? To his credit, Louie said, Melissa’s parents had a relationship with her parents, but Teresa countered this with the nonsensical question of, then why didn’t Joe invite Louie’s family to Antonia’s 16th birthday party? In Joe #2’s interview, he said, since Teresa met Louie, he didn’t feel welcome in her new life, and it bothered him. Louie said he felt bad that Joe was in pain. He thought Joe missed his sister. Teresa whined that Joe was hurting her, and Louie suggested making peace. She said she’d call and ask if he was coming to their housewarming party. She wants to be in her love bubble. We saw a clip of her telling everyone that she’s having a love bubble housewarming, and she called Joe. Louie wrote something down and showed her, and she said she wanted to make peace. Joe said it was a done deal, and she asked if he wanted to talk about anything. He said he just wanted to move forward, and Teresa said, her therapist told her, it was no good to talk about the past. You don’t get anywhere. I guess it isn’t the kind of therapy where you blame everything on your parents. Louie pointed to the pad again, and she asked if Joe was coming to her party. He said he didn’t know, and afterward, Louie said, baby steps.
Dolores’s mom Valerie came over, and Dolores asked if Valerie was being careful with her diet, since she didn’t want heart surgery again. She asked what Valerie had for breakfast, and Valerie said, cake. In Dolores’s interview, she said, her mom was God fearing and set in her ways. So she’s not arguing anymore. She told Valerie that Paulie had met the guys, but Frank hadn’t been there since he was in the hospital. She said, everyone loved Paulie, and Frankie said, Paulie was protective. Valerie asked what was going on with Paulie and Frank, but Dolores said that Frank took it personally when Paulie said he was taking over as the man in her life. He didn’t want a relationship with her and Frank. They didn’t have to be friends, just get along. In her interview, Dolores said, family was always a priority, and it included Frank. She’d wanted them to be close, but now her family and relationship was with Paulie. Frank would get over it.
Bill and Jennifer went out to dinner. It was raining, and Bill said, summer in Jersey; you get whatever comes. Yep, he’s right, but it’s more like all year round. Whoever first said, if you don’t like the weather, wait a minute, lived here. Jennifer said she was getting Justin a party bus for prom, and Bill said, she created a monster. In Jennifer’s interview, she said, Bill thought she spoiled the kids, but they’d had a rough year because of what he’d done. If they want a bus, they get a bus. Jennifer said it was easy for Bill to use her as a scapegoat, and Bill said he tried to diffuse situations she was in. She asked why he could never see it from her side. She felt like he took her love for granted. She always forgives him, and instead of backing her up, he only says things in rebuttal to what she’s said, not her opponent. Bill asked if she only wanted things on her terms, and in her interview, she said she needed someone to support her and be there, and she didn’t always feel it. It wasn’t okay anymore.
Rachel met with Marge’s (and Housewives) friend Jen, and in Rachel’s interview, she said she felt like she knew Jen from another life; they’d immediately clicked. In Jen’s interview, she said she and Rachel were kindred spirits. Rachel was an old soul, and she was sucked in by Rachel’s sweetness. Rachel told Jen, it was constant drama with the women. RIP the mozzarella that wasn’t consumed. Jen said, she consumed it, and we flashed back to her stuffing her face with cheese. As I would. She said she saw Marge and Jennifer yelling at each other, and heard Jennifer talking about Rachel’s nose. Rachel said she wasn’t offended; she’s an open book. Jen said that Rachel was a better woman than her. She would have told Jennifer, f*** you. Rachel said, Jennifer had called her, and hoped she hadn’t offended her; she’d been unhappy with her own results. Then she segued into talking about Dolores. She didn’t think Jennifer realized they were friendly. She’d known Frank and Britt for ten years. She told Jennifer that she didn’t want any part of this, but Jennifer said she was just giving the history. Jen told Rachel that Jennifer had called her too. She claimed she wanted a marriage therapy referral, and then badmouthed Marge. She said, Marge was jealous. Rachel said, of what? but Jen didn’t know. In Jen’s interview, she said, Jennifer thought she had big balls. Like she was going to switch teams, and dump her bestie. She’d been friends with Marge for three years. In Rachel’s interview, she said she didn’t want to hear about it or participate. It brought her back to high school. Her mom always said, if someone is waving a red flag, a parade is coming, and Jennifer was waving a red flag.
Dolores met Marge to shop for a housewarming gift, and Dolores said, Frank told her what had happened on guys night. Joe #2 was upset because Teresa hadn’t invited Melissa’s parent to the wedding. They called Melissa, who said, her husband lost his sh*t. Teresa has known her mother and sisters forever. He didn’t want to come to the housewarming, but she wanted him to go, listen to what Teresa has to say, accept it for what it is, and move on. Dolores said, you never know, but she wasn’t specific about what we never know.
No surprise, the housewarming party was over-the-top, including a dancer inside a bubble in the pool, and lots of love bubble kitsch. Joe called Melissa, who was getting her makeup done, and said he couldn’t go. He’d already texted Teresa; he wasn’t ready to come. In his interview, he says, Teresa didn’t want him there, and it feels like a game. It was the worst feeling coming from his own family. He’d be uncomfortable and couldn’t fake it. Louie told Teresa that he felt sad, and she said she did too. Joe was missing milestones in their life, like the housewarming and her 50th birthday. In Teresa’s interview, she said, it was no after no, and told the girls about him canceling, adding that he’d brought up Melissa’s family not being invited to the wedding on guys night. Joe said he needed to get over it. He would never have what he thought he would. His sister does what makes her happy, and that means keeping the family away. He told Melissa to go and have a good time, but in her interview, Melissa’s said, it’s just the next thing for Teresa to hold over her head and make Joe the bad guy, but she wanted to keep the peace.
Danielle said she loved the vibe at the party. Evan and Jackie were there, and Marge said, Jennifer had been up Jen’s ass talking sh*t about her. We saw a clip of that, and Marge said, talking about therapy turned into talking about her. In Marge’s interview, she said, Jennifer was a professional victim. She wanted the attention she didn’t get at home. Did she think Jen wasn’t going to tell her? In Jennifer’s interview, she said, Melissa coming to the party without Joe was making a clear statement. He’s a drama queen. Teresa said, the girls hadn’t seen Joe in six months, and in Danielle’s interview, she said, you’d have to be blind, deaf and mute not to see the connection between her situation with her brother. Once too much time passes, that’s it. She hoped they didn’t make the same mistake. Rachel told Dolores that Frank missed her and the old dynamic, but Dolores said she was 52 years old and had taken care of everyone. It was time to worry about herself. Paulie didn’t want Frank to be the man in her life, and if that meant they had to be separate in some things, everyone needed to get over it. Gia said she missed Melissa’s kids, and in her interview, she said, every time Teresa and Joe had drama, the kids were separated. In Melissa’s interview, she said, it was sad. She loved them, and knew they had hate for her and Joe. She wouldn’t wish the situation on anybody. Dude, I would have moved on ages ago. Then again, I wasn’t born into a big Italian family. Although I do have an Italian family by marriage to my aunt.
Louie thanked everybody for coming. Not just friends and family, but those who gave them loving support. Teresa said, their chosen family. Everyone there was special and they loved them, and they wouldn’t want to be celebrating with anyone but them. In Melissa’s interview, she said she didn’t appreciate Teresa’s chosen family remark, especially with Joe not being there. But if she brought it up, Teresa would just say she didn’t mean it that way. Think before you speak. She knows it’s hard. Melissa said Joe wasn’t here, and Teresa was his only family member. She slipped out to have a cry, and in her interview, she said she tried to be strong for Joe, but she had her own breaking point. She didn’t get why the subtle digs, things like chosen family. What about the ones who had been there for years? It meant nothing to Teresa, and she knew Joe would be upset. The sprinklers went on, and the guys said, Louie had one job… Melissa said she wanted to be honest with Jackie – and you know when a Housewife says honest, it’s an excuse to gossip. She’d been talking to Danielle about the mozzarella party, and told Danielle that Jackie had insulted her shorts and said they looked like they’d come out of the hamper. Jackie said she didn’t care. Danielle was a horrible dresser, and she wore those shorts two weeks in a row. I guess Jackie doesn’t have a favorite anything? Geez. She should see what I wear on repeat. Danielle’s antennae went up, and she jetted over. Jackie insisted she never looked Danielle up and down, but we flashed back, and yeah, she did. In Danielle’s interview, she said, maybe Jackie didn’t realize how judgy she was. Her hands were going all over the place as she talked, and Jackie told Danielle to get her hands out of her face. Danielle said, Jackie was from Staten Island, and she would know if Danielle was coming for her. Jackie told Danielle to leave her hands out of her space. If I’m sorry can’t leave your mouth, then f*** off. Marge said she was offended be Jennifer calling Jen and bitching about her. Jennifer insisted she’d just called for a marriage counselor referral, and in Jennifer’s interview, she said, when they were on the call, Jen did not defend Marge. It’s called not engaging, Jennifer. You should try it sometime. Marge said, Jennifer had called her jealous, but Jennifer said she never said that. She’d told Jen that Marge was threatened by her. She’d wanted Jen to know the context of their history. No surprise, Marge called Jen over, and Jen told Jennifer that she hadn’t said Jennifer called specifically for that, but the conversation morphed. Marge wondered how she and Jennifer were supposed to move forward if Jennifer kept holding a grudge. Sounding like a character from Hamilton, Jennifer said she was allowed to state the facts of the matter. Rachel said, Jennifer did the same thing with her, and talked sh*t about Dolores. Jennifer stamped her foot and said she was giving Rachel context, but Rachel said, it wasn’t a history lesson. Jennifer called her a f***ing idiot, and Rachel told her to watch her mouth. Jennifer called Dolores an idiot too, and in Dolores’s interview, she wondered where this was coming from, and if Jennifer was out of her f***ing mind. Jennifer started winding up, and Jackie said, if she wanted to get her point across, she’d better calm down. Jennifer said she was sorry she spoke about Rachel’s nose job, but Dolores had offended her. Dolores said, Jennifer just left the house without talking about what happened, and Teresa said, Dolores was never going to take sides. Rachel said this was not what she wanted to be a part of, and Jennifer said, give her a medal. So much for apologies. In Rachel’s interview, she said she could give two sh*ts about what comes out of Jennifer’s mouth. It’s giving someone power, and Jennifer would never have that over her. Rachel said she was leaving, and Jennifer (even though it wasn’t her party) said, don’t let the door hit her on the way out. Rachel pointed out that there was no door, since they were outside. Jennifer had no f***ing class. Jennifer called Rachel a f***ing idiot again since she’d run out of words.
Next time, Valentina’s party; Teresa tries on her wedding dress; and Marge and Jennifer argue.
🙃 Yes, No, Maybe, I Don’t Know…
Tomorrow is VanderDay, so join me for some soap and Rules. Until then, stay safe, stay not being the first to arrive or the last to leave a party, and stay facing the fallout. It’s a million times better than living in fear, waiting to be exposed.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Esme holds her baby, who looks suspiciously like Baby Amelia. She says she doesn’t remember much, but she knows she’s his mommy. They have each other and that’s all that matters. Heather comes in, wearing an orange jumpsuit, and says, there’s her baby girl and her new baby. Esme says, Heather shouldn’t be here, but Heather says she’s Esme’s mother; where else would she be? Esme picks up the nurse call button, but Heather stops her, and says, Esme doesn’t want to interrupt family time. She can’t wait to start spoiling her little grandson. In fact, she’s starting right now. She reaches for the baby, and Esme sits up with a start. The guard lets Laura in, and she asks if Esme is okay. Esme asks, where’s Heather? and Laura says, she’s in custody at the police station. Esme says, please don’t let her take my baby away.
Spencer points to a baby through the nursery window, and tells Sonny, that’s his baby brother. He’s handsome, isn’t he? Sonny asks if the little guy has a name, but Spencer says, not yet. Sonny asks if Spencer is still suing for custody, and Spencer says he may not have to now that his father has disappeared.
Dex tells Josslyn that he was hired to find evidence that would put Sonny away once and for all, but he’ll tell his employer that he’s out if that’s what she wants. She says, it’s not her decision to make, but he says, let’s not make this about Sonny; let’s make this about you and me. (Huh? It’s all about Sonny.) She hates that he’s working for Sonny. How does she feel about him working against Sonny? (What I said.)
Elizabeth looks at a photo of the boys, and remembers Scotty chastising her for letting Nikolas talk her into his cockamamie plan. Cameron comes in, and she says she wasn’t expecting him this morning. He asks if she’s as freaked out as he is about Esme.
Ava asks the reception nurse if Austin is allowed to have visitors, and Mac asks why she wants to see Austin. She says, why would she want to see the man who nearly bled to death on her living room floor? Does that really seem so strange? He says, that depends. Felicia said Ava encouraged her to leave Austin behind when Heather said they could go. She says, so they could get him help, and he says, but instead, she went after Ryan with a gun. (Really, Mac? Does any of that sound strange?) She says, Austin didn’t need both of them to get him help, and she needed to confront the man who made her life a living hell. Mac’s the one who ultimately killed Ryan. He says, the world’s a better place now that Ryan Chamberlain’s dead, and she says, they agree on something. Is Mac done? He says he has a few more questions. Why don’t they start with why Austin was on Spoon Island in the first place.
Robert congratulates Jordan on catching Heather. He can assure the public that their safe, that The Hook killer’s been caught, and that she’s going away for good. She says, her people have already made progress, when Dante walks out, and says, Heather is ready to make a statement. Scotty walks in, and says, hey, Mr. D.A., but Robert asks if it can wait. Scotty says he’s about to make Robert’s life a whole lot easier.
Jordan and Robert go into the interrogation room, and Jordan says, Dante told her that Heather wants to make a statement. Heather says she does. She’s done some very bad things that she’s ready to confess. Jordan says, Heather wants to confess to The Hook attacks without a lawyer present, and Heather says she only wants to unburden her soul. Dante sets up the recorder, and tells Heather, it’s her right to have an attorney present, but she says she doesn’t want an attorney. She just wants to tell the truth. Jordan tells her, start talking, but Heather says she does have one condition.
Scotty tells Robert that he has a client with information about The Hook attacks, and they want to make a deal.
Cameron asks how long Elizabeth thinks Esme has known Ryan and Heather are her parents, but she says she has no idea. He says, she realizes, if Heather is Esme’s mom, that makes her Franco’s half-sister. When Esme moved to Port Charles, he really tried to give her a chance because Spencer was so into her. Does Elizabeth think she was working with Ryan when she was interning at Spring Ridge? Elizabeth says, before she lost her memory? and he says, what if she’s been faking this whole time? He wonders if Joss knows about everything that’s happened.
Josslyn tells Dex, Sonny was in her life for a very long time. Not as a father – she had one obviously – but as a stepfather. They were a family. Dex says, he was good to her, and she says, he was, when she was little and didn’t know about his business. He says, Sonny still considers her family. It’s one of the reasons Sonny thinks he’s not good enough for her. She says, like he has the right to judge anyone after what he’s done? He had Dex beaten and tortured, and Sonny’s hurt so many people, she can’t even count. Where does he get off thinking he’s better than anyone else? The hypocrisy of it all. He asks if that means she wants him to see it through, and see that Sonny goes to prison.
Sonny asks what Spencer means, and Spencer says he doesn’t know what to think anymore. How can someone just walk out on their child? He doesn’t even mean himself at this point. How can someone walk out on an innocent baby? Sonny says, Spencer’s not responsible for his father’s actions. Spencer can’t fix his messes. Spencer says, someone has to. His baby brother has an absent father, and a mother who’s in police custody. That little guy must feel all alone in the world. Sonny says, they can fix that.
Laura tells the guard that he can leave them alone, and tells Esme that she had a nightmare. Esme wishes that’s all it was; that she hadn’t been forced to break out of Spring Ridge, and her parents weren’t serial killers. Laura says, unfortunately, that is true, but she told Esme, Heather is in custody, and can’t hurt her. Esme asks, where’s her baby? and Laura says, in the nursery. He got a perfect bill of health despite his impromptu entrance into the world. Esme says, thank God, and thank Laura and Dr. Collins for helping bring her baby into the world. Laura says she feels lucky that she could be there for her grandson’s birth, and Esme says she just realized, she has a son. Laura asks if Esme wants her to arrange for the baby to visit, but Esme says, no; he should stay away. Laura asks, why? and Esme says, it’s not safe. Her parents are killers. For all she knows, she could be a killer too.
Heather says, what she wants is pretty simple, and Dante says, if she cooperates fully, they’ll see about her request. She says, he knows that’s not how it works, but he says, she doesn’t know how anything works, and grabs the recorder. Jordan gets up, and says, waste of time, but Heather says, fine. What do they want to know? Dante puts the recorder back, and asks if she attacked Ava in August, and she says, yes. He asks if she attacked… She says, it’s going to take all day. She’s The Hook, okay? Anyone stabbed with a hook, it was her. Jordan says, they need details, and Heather says, Ava Jerome, with a hook, at the Quartermaines. Brando Corbin, behind Charlie’s with a hook, except that was a mistake; she was really after Josslyn Jax for making her daughter’s life so miserable. Diane Miller, in the garage. The bartender, Oz Haggerty, at the docks. Nikolas Cassadine, with a hook… Dante says, wait a second, and Jordan says, she attacked Nikolas Cassadine?
Ava tells Mac, that’s one of the reasons she’s here. She wants to ask Austin how he’s doing, and why he came to Windymere last night. Mac says he didn’t know they were friends, and she says, friendly perhaps. Austin treated her after Heather attacked her at the Quartermaine picnic, but she wouldn’t say they bonded over it. He thanks her for her time, and she says she just can’t wrap her head around the fact that Spencer’s girlfriend from boarding school is Ryan and Heather’s daughter. He says, quite a coincidence, but she says, it isn’t at all. Ryan told her that he sent Esme to that boarding school specifically to ensnare Spencer. Ryan was intent on splitting her and Nikolas up, and he succeeded. Mac says, maybe now that the truth has come out, she and Nikolas can find their way back to each other.
Dante asks when Heather attacked Nikolas, but she says she doesn’t know. In the fall? It was breezy. Jordan asks where it happened, and Heather says, at Windymere. It wasn’t her finest hour; he escaped without a scratch. He’s still breathing, unlike that doctor on New Year’s Eve. Dante asks if Britt was a target, but Heather says, no. She appeared out of nowhere, and decided to play hero, and again, Josslyn Jax escaped. Everyone stood between her and protecting her little girl. Jordan says, about Officer Cabrera. A keepsake from one of Ryan’s victims was found on Rory’s person. How did it get there?
Mac asks if Ava has heard from Ryan, but she says, no, and she doesn’t expect to. Things between them had gone too far, and she’s accepted that she’s lost Nikolas for good. Ryan’s destroyed her life, again. Mac says, at least it’s for the last time, and she says she has him to thank for that. She’s just sorry she didn’t kill the bastard herself. He says, after everything Ryan has put her through, killing him would be self-defense under any circumstances, and she says, he has no idea what Ryan has taken from her.
Obviously not having read The Invader, Scotty tells Robert that his client has information on the PCPD’s number one suspect, the one and only Esme Prince. Robert says, keep going, and Scotty says, his client knows Esme’s whereabouts before she showed up at the Haunted Star, soaking wet, with child and no memories. Robert says, so this client will only divulge said information if Scotty makes deal? and Scotty says, that’s why he’s here. Robert says, if this client knows what they know because they’re an accomplice to the crime, he should be telling them to turn themselves in, and he walks away.
Elizabeth asks if Cameron has spoken to Josslyn recently, but he says, no, and he doesn’t plan to. She says she knows the break-up really hurt him, but they’ve been friends their entire lives. He says he feels like that makes it worse, and she asks if he’s hoping they can be friends again someday, but he says, with what Josslyn did… She’s not the person he thought. Maybe she never was.
Josslyn says, it would be easier to figure out how she feels about this, if Dex would tell her who he’s working for, but he says he can’t. She asks, why not? and he tells her, all he can say is, he trusts his employer. She says, and this mystery person wants to take Sonny down, and he says, it’s the whole reason he’s here. She asks how close he is, and he says he doesn’t have any solid evidence yet, but Sonny’s about to get involved with some people in arms trafficking. The plan is for him to get some evidence and turn it over to his real boss, who will turn it over to the Feds. She says her first instinct is to tell him, do it. No one’s forcing Sonny to break the law, and he’d just be reporting what he saw. But if this goes wrong, and he gets caught, that’s on him, not his mystery boss. What happens if he calls the whole thing off? Does he have to work for Sonny for real? Sonny’s not going to let him just walk away.
Esme tells Laura that Heather and Ryan want her baby for themselves. They were talking about all of these plans… Laura says, Heather is locked up, but Esme says, Heather has a revolving door in and out of Spring Ridge, and Ryan… Laura says, Ryan is dead. She’s sorry. He died last night on Spoon Island. Esme says, good. He was a monster, and she’s glad he’s dead. She was terrified of that man. Laura says, what about Heather? and Esme says, Heather kept saying she wanted to protect her, but she’s so crazy. She’s the offspring of two monsters, so she must be a terrible person. Oh my God. She did all of those things she’s accused of; the revenge porn and trying to kill that man. Laura asks if she remembers doing those things.
In the nursery with the baby, Sonny tells Spencer that his family has every right to meet this baby. Spencer says, all he wants to do now is protect him from the world, and Sonny says, it’s the most amazing thing. Spencer asks if Sonny thinks his father felt like this when he was a baby, and Sonny says he guarantees it. Spencer says, that’s good. That means he has to come back now that his new son is here.How could he stay away knowing what he’s missing? Sonny asks if Spencer is changing his mind, and Ava peeks in the window.
Laura asks if Esme remembers her past, but Esme says, no, sorry. Her memory of before she showed up on the boat is still a blank. Laura asks why she said she was guilty, and Esme says, with parents like Heather and Ryan, how could she not be? Laura says, you’re not destined to be bad no matter who your parents are. Does she think her baby is bad? Esme says, no, he’s completely innocent. She doesn’t know what’s going to happen to him. If she’s found guilty, she’s going straight back to prison. Laura says she hasn’t stood trial yet; let’s not jump to conclusions. Esme asks, where’s Nikolas? Why isn’t her baby’s father here?
Heather says, when she discovered she was pregnant with Esme, she left Ryan. She took this chain of trophies he had as insurance, in case he ever decided to come after her. Dante says, that was twenty years ago. How does Cabrera end up with it? She says she wore the chain during The Hook attacks because she was getting justice for their daughter. She just thought it was fitting. Dante tells Jordan, that’s the sound Josslyn heard when Brando was attacked in the alley, and Jordan says, Brando heard it too. Heather says, Cabrera surprised her. They tussled a bit, and in the struggle, he managed to grab one of the trophies off the chain, but she didn’t realize it until she got back to Spring Ridge. Jordan says, so she’s confessing to murdering six people, and attacking four others? but Heather says, it was five, not six. Brando, Oz Haggerty, the venom guy, Rory Cabrera, and that doctor, whatever they said her name was. Dante says, what about Corrections Officer Williams, who was stabbed to death when she and Ryan escaped? but Heather says, she didn’t kill him; that was Ryan. He stabbed Williams. He planned the escape. He forced her and Esme to go with him. They can’t pin this on her.
Dex says he can’t just tell Sonny that he’s not cut out for this, not without him getting suspicious, and Josslyn says, if Sonny had any idea Dex was working against him… He says, Sonny would kill him, and she says, he’s right; Sonny can never know. He says, so either he keeps working for Sonny, or he has to leave Port Charles. She asks if Dex’s mystery boss would be okay with him quitting, and he says, not okay.He’s gone to a lot of trouble to set this up (what trouble; the occasional phone call to Dex?), and he’s close to getting what he wants. But if Dex tells him that he wants out, he’ll let Dex go. She says, but that doesn’t solve anything. He wouldn’t have to spy on Sonny anymore, but he’d still have to work for Sonny; smuggle arms and commit crimes, hustle coffee or whatever it is. And if he gets caught… Dex says, he goes to prison, and she says, as long as he stays in Port Charles, he’s trapped. I guess Dex can’t possibly get another job? Like a normal one?
Cameron tells Elizabeth that he couldn’t have predicted in a million years that Josslyn would hurt him the way she did. It makes him feel like he never knew her at all. She says, it always hurts when someone you love lets you down, but it doesn’t negate what the two of you had. People make mistakes all the time – big ones – but all you can do is come clean, and deal with the consequences. He asks if they’re still talking about him and Joss.
Scotty tells Robert, his client got involved in a crime that was already in progress, and they would like to make things right, and testify against the real perpetrator. Robert tells him, say more, but Scotty says he needs to hear the deal. Robert says he needs more information, and Scotty says, his client is a good person, not a criminal. They got mixed up in some bad business. So Robert can go after a person who made a mistake, or go after the real felon.
Spencer comes out, and says, Ava’s not here to see… He doesn’t mind if she is; he’s just surprised. She laughs, and says, actually, she’s here to see him. She saw him with the baby though. Cute. He’s a natural. He thanks her, and asks what she wanted to see him about. She takes it he knows Ryan was Esme’s father, and he says, yes, and Heather Webber was her mother. Odd how something can come as a perfect shock, yet make perfect sense. She says she thinks they all felt that way, and he says, is that it? but she says, not quite. Esme and Ryan knew who they were to each other. He says, since Esme came to Port Charles? and she says, since before he met her. Ryan sent Esme to that school in France to get close to him. He asks if she’s saying Ryan sent Esme to France to seduce him in some long game to break up her and Nikolas. That’s good. She says, think about it. Whose idea was it to come to Port Charles and stalk her? Was it his, or was it Esme’s?
On the phone, Mac tells Jordan that he spoke with Ava, and he’s about to question Esme Prince. Jordan says, check Esme’s answers against what Heather told them, and he says he thinks once he talks to Esme, they’ll have a clearer picture about what happened on Spoon Island.
Laura says she doesn’t know where her son is, and Esme says, he came to see her at Spring Ridge to try and get her to sign her rights to the baby over. Why isn’t he here now? Laura says she wishes she knew, when Mac walks in, and Esme says she remembers him from the roadside outside the prison. He stopped to help them, then Ryan hit him over the head. Is he okay? He says he’s fine, thanks. He’s Chief of Detectives Mac Scorpio, and he has some questions. Esme says, Heather and Ryan kidnapped her. They forced her to escape. Ryan even killed a guard right in front of her. He asks if Heather helped him, but she says, no. The guard was questioning her and Heather, and Ryan snuck up behind him and stabbed him in the back; it was horrible. Then Heather told her that she had to do what Ryan said, or he’d hurt her. He asks if Heather seemed scared of Ryan, and she says, not really. He asks, what happened next? and she says, Heather let them out of the prison. Laura asks, whose idea was it to escape? and Esme says she’s not sure. She thinks Heather and Ryan were planning it together, but Heather was the one who knew her way out of Spring Ridge.
Dante says, they know Heather and Ryan were working together. They were planning this escape for months. Heather says, no, no, no, no. She didn’t even know Ryan could walk and talk until Esme showed up at Spring Ridge. He never even told her that he could. They’ve got to believe her. He showed her that he’d been faking his condition when Esme showed up just because he wanted her help with getting Esme out. Dante says, which she was more than happy to provide, but she says, Ryan terrified her. She had to do what he said. Jordan tells her, he isn’t saying anything; he’s dead.
Spencer says, Esme was always going on and on about how Ava pushed him out of his father’s life, and said he should push back. She encouraged him to get revenge. Ava wonders if he ever asked himself why Esme cared so much. She was no one to Esme, and they had the kind of life teenagers dream of. They had Europe at their fingertips. Wouldn’t living his best life have been the best revenge? He says, apparently not. Esme was determined to get him back here. Ava says, because Ryan ordered her to do all of that, and look what happened. She and Nikolas are divorced, and he and his father are more estranged than ever. It was Ryan. Ryan played them all. (Way to get Esme and Spencer off the hook. No pun intended.)
Heather says, thank God, and Dante tells her, give it a rest. She wanted Ryan gone so he can’t contradict her narrative. They know she gave Ava a gun, and sent Ava after Ryan. Heather says, Ava killed Ryan? and Jordan says, no, but she shot him in self-defense. Heather says, of course (🍷) it was self-defense. After everything he’d done to her; running her life, killing her daughter. Ryan was a cold-blooded murderer. Dante says, unlike her, and she says she was just a mother protecting her child. Jordan says, a child she abandoned, and Heather says, because she wanted to give her a better life. But she never stopped missing her. When Esme arrived in Port Charles, she was overjoyed. Then she saw what Esme’s life had become. She saw Trina Robinson’s attempts to humiliate and destroy her. What else could she do? She had to defend her family. Dante says he feels for her, and she says she’s told them everything she knows; she’s confessed to The Hook murders. Can’t they just grant the one little thing she asked them? Otherwise, she can always recant. Who’s going to trust the word of a crazy person anyway?
Laura asks what Sonny is doing at the hospital, and he says, looking after her grandsons, both of them. Congratulations, by the way. She thanks him, and he asks if she was with Esme. She says she was, but now Mac’s questioning her, and he asks if there’s anything he should know. She says she doesn’t think so; not yet. Is Spencer at the nursery? He says, yeah. Spencer’s been here all morning doing the big brother thing; he’s good at it. She says she doesn’t know if he heard, but Ryan died last night, and he says he heard the good news. He also heard Heather Webber killed his cousin Brando. She says, it would appear that way, and he says, that’s a mistake going after his family, but she says, let the justice system do what it does. He says, she knows him. He just protects the people he loves.
Dex tells Josslyn, option one. Say he disappears from Port Charles. Sonny might come looking for him, but he can cover his tracks. She says, if Sonny can’t find him, neither can she, and he says, not for a while anyway. She says she’s not liking option one, and he says, him neither. He says, option two. He tells his real boss that he’s out. He keeps working for Sonny, legitimately following his orders, but Sonny told him that he can’t go near Josslyn. They would have to hide that they’re together indefinitely. She says, marginally better than option one, but not by much. He says, option three. He sticks with the original plan, and gets evidence on Sonny. He turns it over to his real boss, who turns it over to the Feds, Sonny goes to prison, and he’s in the clear. She doubts it will be that easy, and he says, probably not, but it’s the only option that gives him what he really wants; a chance to stay here, a chance to be with her, free of Sonny. She says, option three it is, and he says, option three, kissing her. He says, no matter what happens, he can’t walk away from her, and she says she doesn’t want him to. Um… For all Josslyn’s talk on how she cares so much about her sisters, how come Donna and Avery, and the effect this might have on them, hasn’t been mentioned once?
Elizabeth’s phone rings, and she asks what he said… Yeah, she’s sure. She’ll be right there. She tells Cameron that she has to go, and he asks if everything is okay. She says she loves him, and jets.
Spencer admits he didn’t think Ava knew him so well, but she’s right. He didn’t want any of this to happen until he met Esme, and she used his resentment toward Ava to talk him into stalking her. He owns up to what he did, his part of it, but the escalation – putting the bear on Avery’s bed, setting Ava’s car on fire, putting Kiki’s hospital ID badge next to the wreckage – that was all Esme. He didn’t even know it was done until it happened. Ava says she believes him. All that misery because Ryan couldn’t stand her being with someone else. He says he can’t believe he was so blind, and she says, they all were. They were all blind, and used, and manipulated… He says, manipulated or not, he did Ryan’s dirty work for him. Spencer suddenly looks terrified, and says, he drove his father away, but Ava says, no, it wasn’t him. Nikolas would still be here if not for Ryan Chamberlain.
Mac asks, when was the last time Esme saw Ryan? and she says, he was in the woods with Ava Jerome; she had a gun on him. He was focused on Ava, so she made a break for it. Is she okay? He says, Ava’s fine, and she asks Mac to tell Ava thank you for helping her get away from Ryan. he says he’ll pass along that message. He thanks her for the information, and says, if he has anything more to ask… She lifts up her arm, showing she’s cuffed to the bed, and says, he knows where to find her. He congratulates her on the birth of her son, and she says, before he goes, maybe he could tell her what’s going to happen to her and Ace. He says, Ace? and she says, her baby. He says, she named her baby Ace? and she says, it just came out. Sounds right to her for some reason. Ace? Where did that come from?
Jordan asks if Dante believes Heather, and he says he does. Robert joins them, and says he may have additional answers on this hook business. Baldwin has a client who says she knows what Esme was doing at the time she went missing. Jordan asks, who? when Scotty walks in with Elizabeth, and says he thinks they all know his client.
Laura tells Sonny, she’s glad Spencer is spending time with his baby brother, because he really needs something positive to focus on right now. Sonny says he feels Spencer needs the baby as much as the baby needs him, and Laura’s phone dings. He asks if everything is okay, but she says, no. She’s got to go. She jets, and he follows her.
Josslyn tells Dex that she’s got to go back to her family, and needs to talk to Trina. It’s been a crazy couple of days. (Boy, does she have some news to catch up on.) He says, people need her, and she says, she needs him. So do whatever he has to do, but watch his back. Option three only works if he’s alive at the end of it. He promises to be careful, they kiss, and she leaves.
Laura and Sonny go to the nursery, and Laura asks Spencer, what’s wrong? He says he messed up, and she says, take a deep breath, and tell her what’s going on. He says, because of him, he and his baby brother no longer have a father. It seems even in death, Ryan Chamberlain wins. Laura says, they’ll find his father, and when they do, they’ll explain to him what took place here, and she’ll talk some sense into him. Until then, take a look around him. He’s not alone. Sonny’s here, she’s here… Sonny says, always, and she says, he and his brother are going to have more support than they know what to do with. Ava slips away.
Mac goes into Esme’s room, and asks if she’s sure about this. She nods, and the guard brings Heather in. Heather sort of smiles, but Esme just looks at her blankly.
On Monday, Dante tells Molly that they need to start that search immediately; Laura tells Spencer to think before he acts; and Curtis asks how long Jordan has known Trina might be his daughter.
👠 For Now…
She’s the only one I like at this point on RHONJ, but give it time.
Are you kidding me? She had the option of her brother walking her down the aisle, and decided to be the turd that she is. My father passed away before I got married too, and my sister walked me down the aisle. Teresa just wanted to give Joe #2 another slap in the face and get more attention for herself.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Anyone who could slap LVP in the face could do anything. I wouldn’t be surprised if she drank the blood of virgins to help her face fillers last. Although I would be surprised if she could find one in L.A.
You can’t squeeze blood from a turnip, but I’ll bet she has bags that cost more than my house. And being an entertainer with a 12th grade education doesn’t mean you don’t know how many zeros are on the check.
Gambling has never been my jam. I went to Atlantic City once to see a show, and played the slots for a few hours first – back when they were actual slot machines and somewhat exciting. I’d gotten a certain amount of rolled coins from the bank, and decided that would be the only amount I’d play with. I came home a quarter shy. Yeah, it was cool on the spins when a bunch of money came out, but I didn’t feel the need to play any more when I had to get going. Or ever.
Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. – Chief Seattle (Once again, don’t step on any butterflies.)
A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world. – Oscar Wilde
What I did or said should never be more important than why I did it or said it. – Andrea Kelly
There is only one way to avoid criticism: say nothing, do nothing, be nothing. – Elbert Hubbard
Just knowing you don’t have the answers is a recipe for humility, openness, acceptance, forgiveness, and an eagerness to learn – and those are all good things. – Dick Van Dyke
Each day we are given the opportunity to choose between that which is easy and fast and that which is more difficult and slow. The fast and easy track is attractive, but doesn’t bear fruit. The slow and hard track is intimidating, but has the most potential. – Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
Some people think only intellect counts: knowing how to solve problems, knowing how to get by, knowing how to identify an advantage and seize it. But the functions of intellect are insufficient without courage, love, friendship, compassion and empathy. – Dean Koontz
Renew, release, let go. Yesterday’s gone. There’s nothing you can do to bring it back. You can’t “should’ve” done something. You can only DO something. Renew yourself. Release that attachment. Today is a new day! – Steve Maraboli
There is no room for mediocrity in karaoke. – some obviously Drunk Kid I met there
🚶🏽♀️ Walking It Off…
Come back fresh on Monday really Tuesday for soap and the return of Captain Lee, which might offset the middle aged adolescents in that House. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping your head in the clouds, but your feet on the ground, and stay letting living your best life be your best revenge.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Spencer and Trina kiss. She tells him, don’t stop.
Curtis strides through an empty Savoy, and goes behind the bar. N’neka says, it’s his wedding night. Why isn’t he…? He says he’ll explain another time, and tells her to head home; he’ll close up. He sits down at a table with a fifth of whiskey, and starts drinking shots. N’neka slips out, and makes a call in the back hallway. She says she doesn’t know what’s happening, but they need to get down here, like, now.
Laura tells Alexis that Jordan’s on her way to Windymere, and Alexis asks, what’s at Windymere? (Johnny in Airplane: Well, there’s an island with a big house, and…) Laura says, off the record, a hostage situation, and Alexis asks if it has anything to do with the escapees from Spring Ridge. Doc wonders why she’s asking, and Alexis says, all the victims are linked to Trina Robinson and Esme Prince. That list was compiled to avenge Esme Prince. Laura says, they suspected something like that, but didn’t have any concrete proof, and Doc asks if Alexis knows why The Hook would avenge Esme. Alexis says she doesn’t know why, but she knows who. She knows who The Hook is. It’s Heather Webber.
Ava tells Felicia, it’s best if they leave the island, and send help back for Austin, and Heather says, now that she thinks about it, Ava might want to hang back. Ava asks why she’d want to do that, and Heather says, to finally end this unholy obsession between her and Ryan once and for all. Ava says, that obsession is one-sided, thank you very much. She’ll let the authorities deal with Ryan – again. Heather asks if Ava isn’t the least bit curious to hear what Ryan did to try and get her back, but Ava says, not particularly. Heather says, how he’s responsible for destroying Ava’s life in the process? When she does, she’s going to want to take care of Ryan herself. Felicia says, let’s go, but Ava says she’s listening. How exactly did a man in prison destroy her life? Heather says, isn’t it obvious? Ryan had help.
Ryan runs through the forest looking for Esme, and finds her on the ground, leaning up against a large rock. He tells her, daddy’s here. She can’t be on the ground. It can’t be good for her or the baby. She says, and he is? and he says, right now he’s the best chance for both of them, so let him help. She says her water broke; the baby’s coming. He says, they have to get her back to the house, but he can’t carry her; she’ll have to lean on him. She cries, and tells him to get away from her. The baby’s coming.
Curtis continues to drink, and flashes back to Trina saying, they’re making progress. Marshall says, put that glass down, son.
Spencer asks if Trina knows how long he’s wanted this, and she says she wanted it too, even though everyone told her to stay away. He says, when everything exploded, and she said they couldn’t be friends anymore, he tried to stay away. He stops kissing her, and says he won’t. She means too much to him. She asks, why not?
Laura asks how Heather can be The Hook killer when she was locked up, and Alexis says, she just broke out. What makes Laura think she hasn’t broken out on a regular basis? Laura admits Heather has broken out of other facilities before, and Alexis reminds them about the letter the killer wrote. Doc says he remembers it saying she was avenging someone she cares about, and Alexis says, it was written on an old school typewriter with a very specific keystroke. She called D’Archam, and guess who had access to the exact same machine? Laura says, that explains why they all broke out together, and Doc says, it was a family affair. Alexis says, they clearly know something she doesn’t, so what is she missing?
Ryan puts his coat over Esme, and says, they broke out of prison. It’s the stress that sent her into labor. The good news is, the contractions are just beginning. There’s plenty of time before the baby comes. She asks why she should believe him, and he says, because he’s a doctor, and he’s also her dad. Which is why he couldn’t let her stay in jail. They’re a team, and a damn good one. Just ask Nikolas. She groans in pain, and he tells her, no need to panic. Everything is proceeding normally. She shakes his hand off, and says, this isn’t normal. She tries to get up, but he tells her, right now, he’s the only person who can help her and that precious cargo she’s carrying. Trust him. Daddy knows best.
Felicia thinks they don’t want to stand around while Heather plays mind games with Ava, and Austin struggles to get up. Ava helps him, and Heather says she’s glad he’s awake. Sorry about the hook, but he shouldn’t have used his phone. Ava asks her what she means that Ryan had help, and Heather says, she and Ryan were in Spring Ridge together, and he confided in her. Felicia says, Heather knew he was faking, and didn’t say anything, and Heather says, if only Ava knew how badly he played her. How he insinuated himself into her family, her marriage. She has to admit it was brilliant, but it was sick. Ava gets up, and says, what did Ryan do, and who did he do it with?
Curtis says, Marshall just happened to be in the neighborhood, and Marshall says, don’t blame N’neka. She’s just looking out for her boss, especially when that boss is supposed to be on his honeymoon. Curtis says, Marshall may as well sit down and have a drink with him, and Marshall says he’s not having a drink, but he’d like Curtis to put the cap back on that bottle, so they can deal with whatever happened at the reception. Curtis says he’s sorry Marshall came all the way down here, but the very last thing he wants to do is talk about it. Marshall says, he told Drew that he was done being a no-show when his family needs him. So tough luck – he pulls up a chair – he’s not leaving until they talk this out.
Alexis says, so Ryan is Esme’s father, and Doc says, according to Dante and Sam, who spoke to Esme’s old nanny. Alexis says, so if Ryan is Esme’s father… Doc says, her mother could see herself as an avenging angel, believing she’s protecting her daughter, even if she has to kill for her. Alexis says, Heather Webber is Esme’s mother and Ryan is her father? What a coincidence they all escaped Spring Ridge together. Laura says, now they’re all on the island together. They all look out over the water.
Ryan says, they have to get Esme back to the house, where it’s warm and dry, and she can give birth to his grandchild safely. Esme says she’s not going anywhere with him, but he says, that’s just the pain talking. He wishes she could remember how close they were before she lost her memory. She practically worshipped the ground he walked on. She went to great lengths to get an internship at Spring Ridge. They used to spend hours, planning and dreaming for when he’d be free, and all of them would be together; her, him, and Ava. She says, he’s crazy and delusional. She saw for herself that Ava despises him. He asks when she’s going to learn hate is just the other side of love.
Heather says, it’s not her story to tell; Ryan started it, but Ava has a chance to end it. She hands Ava the gun, and Felicia says, shoot her, but Heather says, shooting her won’t solve Ava’s problem. But Ryan? That’s a totally different story. Felicia says, no one understands being tormented by Ryan better than she does, but don’t make a bad situation worse. Forget Ryan; forget Heather. Let’s just get the hell out of here, and call 9-1-1 for Austin. Ava says, Heather may be psychotic, but she’s right about one thing. Ryan Chamberlain started this, and she’s going to finish it. She stalks out.
Curtis asks how much Marshall knows, and he says, not much, but he’s guessing whatever kept Stella from the wedding wasn’t contagious. Curtis says, that is correct. Portia has been lying to Trina, she’s been lying to Taggert, and she’s been lying to him. She’s been lying since Trina was born, and when he asked her, she lied to his face. She’s been lying since they said I do. Marshall says, the lie being? and Curtis says, Trina may be his daughter.
Spencer asks if Trina is sure this is what she wants, and she says, it is; doesn’t he? He says, of course (🍷) he does, but not like this, and she says, if it’s because it would be her first time… but he says, she just means too much to him to make this anything other than perfect. Just not in an empty art gallery. And she’s hurting right now, and might think if they sleep together the pain will subside, and maybe it would, but it would come back. Then he’d just be the guy who took advantage of her, and for once, he needs her to see him; he needs her to see the good in him, not the bad. She laughs, and says, she’s just not sure she likes him when he’s trying to be noble. He says he’s not sure he does either, but that’s the path he’s choosing. So let him take her home. She says she can’t go back there, and he says, that’s fine, but where should he take her?
Alexis asks if Doc thinks Esme was faking her memory loss this whole time, but he says he doesn’t think so. She may have no idea Heather and Ryan are her parents. Laura says, they got to know Esme when she and Spencer moved in with them. She didn’t like Esme’s sense of entitlement, and she had the elitism of a young woman who studied at a boarding school in France, but she thinks underneath that, was a very wounded little girl. Doc says, it would be just like his brother to use her for his own purposes. Now that Esme’s lost her memory, there’s no telling what he might have told her. She could be an innocent accessory in all this. She is nine months pregnant, after all. Alexis says, unwilling she can buy, but Esme Prince innocent? That’s hard to swallow.
Mac walks into Windymere, and Heather says, it’s good to see him again. She’s glad he’s okay. He hugs Felicia, saying, he’s glad she’s okay, and she says, the same to him. Jordan and Detective Bennett come in, and Felicia says, Ryan is somewhere on the island. Esme ran out, and he went after Esme, and Ava went after him. Mac says, Ava’s asking to be taken hostage, but Felicia says, Ava is armed; Heather gave her a gun. Mac says, what the hell? and an officer calls him over, showing him the hook. Mac tells him, take photos and bag it. Bennett tells Heather that she’s being arrested, and reads her rights. She says she’s heard all this before, but he delivers the Miranda with great panache. He asks if she understands her rights. They wouldn’t want anything she said to be thrown out on a technicality.
Jordan asks Austin what happened to him, and he says she got stabbed… with a hook, so hooked would be more accurate. She asks, who did this? and he says, the nice lady in the handcuffs over there. Heather smiles.
Mac calls for paramedics, and says, there’s been another Hook attack. The victim appears stable, but will need immediate transport. Heather says, if it’s any help, there’s no rush. The hook she used on the good doctor didn’t have any venom in it. Jordan tells Bennett to have the men search the island. Ryan is to be considered very dangerous, and Esme Prince, while technically a fugitive, is nine months pregnant. He says, there’s also a civilian in the mix. Miss Jerome is armed, and she’s been severely traumatized. They don’t want her firing on one of their own. He hands Heather to an officer, and leaves. Mac asks, what happened? and Felicia says, after Heather stabbed Austin, Esme freaked out and ran off, and Ryan ran after her. She wonders what Ryan would want with Esme, and Heather says, didn’t she mention? He’s her daddy.
Ryan tells Esme, be practical. It’s night; it’s February. She can’t give birth out here. She screams for someone to help her, but he says he’s the only help she needs. He’s right here. Ava shows up, and says, get away from her. Now. Or she’ll blow his head off.
Curtis tells Marshall that Stella found out, and that’s why she stayed away from the wedding. She knew. Jordan knew. In fact, the only people who didn’t know this little secret were the people most affected by it. Trina, Taggert… Marshall says, and you, and Curtis says, and me. And if Trina wouldn’t have went and found Stella, he never would have known. That young lady knew something was off. Aunt Stella was just being Aunt Stella. Marshall says he doesn’t believe for a minute that Aunt Stella would deliberately break Curtis’s heart or betray a confidence. Curtis says, nope, but she did hint that there was a problem and it wasn’t her story to tell.And Trina should hear that story from her mama. Marshall asks if that’s why Trina and Portia disappeared from the reception, and Curtis says, damn! How do you keep a secret that’s that important for twenty years? Marshall says he did it too. He did it for forty years. You put the secret in a box, you shove it to the back of the closet, and you forget about it; or at least you try to. Curtis asks if that’s what Marshall did with them. Out of sight out of mind? Marshall says, no, of course (🍷) not. It’s always there. Always. Then sooner or later, that closet door opens, and it all spills out.
Trina says, what about where Spencer’s staying? but he says, no; don’t tempt him. What about her dorm room? but she says, that’s the first place her mom will come looking for her. Besides, Joss is going through her own stuff. He says, what if he gets her a room at the MetroCourt? but she says, her mom and Curtis could still be in their room. He says, they’re kind of running out of options, and she says she just needs a place where she can slam doors, and scream at the top of her lungs without neighbors calling the cops, and then be alone with her thoughts. He says, of course (🍷). He can’t believe he didn’t think of it before. He takes her hand, says he knows just the place where she’ll be safe, and pulls her out the door.
Laura tells Alexis, Jordan and Mac have secured the house, and they have Heather in custody. Alexis says, anyone hurt? and Laura says, there was one final Hook stabbing; Austin Gatlin-Holt. Doc asks, how bad? and Laura says, according to Mac, there was no poison on the hook, so the injuries are not life-threatening. He says, what about Ryan? and she says, still a fugitive. Alexis asks, what about Esme? and Laura promises to get back to her with an update, but right now, she has to get to Spoon Island. Doc says, you mean, we are, and they go to the launch. Alexis makes a call, and says, they have breaking news, and there’s a lot of it. Put on the recorder. The Hook killer has been apprehended. The killer, who after months and months of terrorizing Port Charles, is in police custody. And that’s just the beginning of the story.
Heather says, Ryan Chamberlain is Esme Prince’s biological father, and Felicia asks how she knows. Heather says she must have one of those faces. People trust her with their deepest secrets. Mac asks the paramedics if they can take Felicia to the mainland, but Felicia says she’s going to stay with him. He says he needs to know she’s safe. Ryan is still on the loose. She’s been his obsession for so many years. She says, what if he comes after you? and Mac says, it will save him hunting Ryan down. Tonight, he either goes to Pentenville or maybe hell for that matter. Austin asks if Felicia could come with him. He could use the company. Felicia nods, and hugs Mac, saying, she doesn’t want to make him worry more than he has to. On their way out the door, Austin tells Jordan, please find Ava, and she says, they’ll find her before Ryan does. Heather says, it’s Ryan who should be worried.
Ryan asks how Ava got the gun away from Heather, and she says she has her ways. He says, the first thing she did was look for him. She missed him that much. She says, he’s irresistible, and Esme says, please help her. Her water broke. Ava says, she’s in labor, and Ryan says, they have to get her back to the house where she can have his grandchild safely. Ava says, Esme is his daughter? and he says, yes. This has all worked out even better than he planned. She says, it was him all along, and he says, of course (🍷) it was. How does she think Esme met Spencer? He got her into that snooty French school, where Spencer was walking around with a nice big target on his back. How does she think Esme learned to manipulate Spencer… and his father? He taught her everything she knows. He created her. And this is his crowning moment. Doesn’t she see? Esme has brought them all together. He walks over to Ava, and she says, one more step, and she’ll kill him.
Curtis says, forty years ago, Marshall made a decision, however misguided, to protect the people he loves. That same love inspired him to reunite with his family. What Portia did was only to protect herself. Marshall says he’s not going to let Curtis make him out to be a hero, and Portia to be a villain. He was scared of what he might become without the medication, and truly believes Portia was scared too. What if the truth cost her Trina’s love and respect? What if Curtis refuses to understand? Isn’t the way Curtis walked out on his wedding night proof that Portia had a right to be afraid? Curtis says he can’t excuse this. Some things are really unforgiveable. Curtis drinks another shot.
On the pier, Felicia says she knows Alexis is just trying to get the whole story, but Austin has to get to General Hospital. If she wants to meet them there, do it, but not until after the doctors treat him. Alexis says she understands, and asks if anything is happening at Windymere. Felicia tells her, all she can say is Mac and Jordan have everything under control, and Alexis says, in other words, Ryan Chamberlain is still on the loose. The paramedics start moving the stretcher, and Felicia says she’s sorry, she’s riding with Austin, and they leave.
Alexis sees Spencer and Trina, and tells the officer that they’re with her. Spencer tells her that he was taking Trina over to Windymere, so she could spend the night with Ava. What the hell is happening? Trina asks, what’s with all the police? and Alexis says she assumes they heard about the breakout at Spring Ridge. Spencer says, three prisoners escaped, including Esme. Is Alexis saying Esme is on Spoon Island right now? Alexis says, sadly, she is, and she’s not alone.
On the radio, Mac says, keep him updated. And remember, Ryan Chamberlain is considered very dangerous. He is searching for Esme Prince, who is nine months pregnant. A civilian, Ava Jerome, is unaccounted for. She’s armed. So identify yourself as police, and proceed with extreme caution. Laura says, if Jordan needs any resources, she’ll get them, and Doc says if they need any intel into his brother’s mind or whatever, just ask. Jordan thanks them, and says, this is a very messy situation. She hopes they can end it quickly with as little bloodshed as possible. Doc says he’d think Heather would be keen to help, and Laura asks how he figures that. He says he doesn’t think Heather would want to see any harm come to her daughter or grandchild, and Laura says, Esme is Heather’s daughter, isn’t she? Hers and Ryan’s. Heather says, how could you miss it? She’s got my smile.
Ryan says, once Ava calms down and gets a little perspective, she’ll see that every step he took was worth it. She says, worth it for who? How? He says, so they could be together. Be the family they were always meant to be. Behind him, Esme struggles to get up, and Ava says, he sent his own daughter to seduce Spencer; to convince him to stalk and torture her, and drive her away from Nikolas. Esme limps away into the woods, and Ava says, all the while, making him feel like it was his idea. He says, she convinced herself that she was in love with Nikolas. It required strong measures. She says, so after he got Spencer to destroy her marriage, he sent Esme to seduce her husband, and he says, husbands come and go. The two of them are forever. She says, of course (🍷) he took Kiki. He took her daughter, and then he took Nikolas, and he’ll keep taking until somebody stops him. He says he knows things are complicated, but they have plenty of time to work that out. Right now, Esme’s water broke, and they need to get… He sees Esme is gone, and calls out to her. He runs to the rock, and picks up his coat. Ava asks if he lost something. He says, yes, his daughter, and she asks him to tell her how it feels. How does it feel to lose the one thing you truly love?
Ryan says he’s going to find Esme, and starts walking, but Ava shoots him in his handless arm, and he drops to the ground. He gets to his knees, and says, she shot him. She asks if it hurts. Is he in pain? She can tell him something about real pain, the kind of pain that comes from losing a child, her daughter, her first born. Now his daughter’s gone; she ran from him. Ave starts to cry, and says, she needed Kiki. She needed Nikolas. And they’re both gone because of him. He gets to his feet, clutching his arm, and says, maybe killing Kiki was a mistake, but he didn’t hurt a hair on Nikolas’s stupid thick head. She says she did that. Because of him and Esme. They destroyed her marriage; they poisoned it. There was nothing else she could do. He says, then it was all worth it. She killed him. Now they can be together. There’s nothing that stands between them.
Curtis pushes the bottle away, and Marshall says he knows Curtis is hurting. He has every right, but Marshall hurt him too, and Curtis found it in his heart to forgive him. And because Curtis did, he found the family he’d thought he’d lost forever. In the eyes of God and the State of New York, Curtis has a wife, and he also might have a daughter. Don’t shut himself off from the woman he loves because she committed the unpardonable sin of being human. He puts his hand on Curtis’s shoulder, and tells him, go on and let it hurt, but then he has to let it heal. He’s going to figure this out, and Marshall will be right here for him. He loves Curtis, and he’ll always support him. Tears in his eyes, Curtis thanks Marshall, and they hug.
Trina asks if Spencer is okay. She knows he’s thinking about Esme’s baby. He says he’ll feel a lot better once he knows his little brother or sister isn’t in danger. When Alexis said Esme wasn’t alone, she meant Esme is on the island with crazy Heather Webber and psychopath Ryan Chamberlain, right? Is she a hostage? Alexis says, actually, she’s there with her biological parents.
Laura says, still nothing? but Jordan assures her that they’re doing everything they can, and Mac says, they have the island surrounded. Ryan won’t get away. Doc says, if Esme is Ryan’s daughter, he sees her as a possession; something that belongs to him. It’s like an extension of himself, and they know he’s obsessed with Ava. He’ll do anything to hold her. Laura says she can’t just sit here while Ryan does his worst. They’ve got to do something. Esme stumbles through the door, and collapses in Laura’s arms, sobbing.
Ryan says, with Nikolas out of the way, he and Ava are bound together forever. His life is in her hands, and hers in his. She tells him that he’s crazy, and he says he knows the wounds have to heal – the physical and emotional – but he promises they’ll find Esme, and they’ll take her and the baby, and vanish to someplace no one will ever find them. And he promises her, she’ll thank him. She says, he’s right about one thing. His life is in her hands. He says, til death do us part, and she repeats, til death do us part, taking steady aim. He reaches out, and she slowly… pulls… the trigger.
Tomorrow, Scotty tells Elizabeth that they have unfinished business; Taggert tells Portia that he is Trina’s dad; Esme has her baby; and Ryan says, Ava isn’t done with him yet.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey
Carrying over the somewhat civilized argument Teresa and Melissa were having at the mozzarella party last week, Teresa asked Melissa if she wanted to be a bridesmaid, but Melissa said, not at this point. It would be like going back to an ex-boyfriend.
There was more rehash about the Dolores dynamic having changed for Frank, since Paulie’s got her now. Melissa met with Marge and Jackie for lunch, and said Danielle had complained about Jackie looking her up and down at the mozzarella party. Jackie admitted she had, and said, Danielle looked like a trainwreck, and she couldn’t look away. Her shorts looked like she’d just taken them out of the hamper. She added that Danielle could have been an adult about it, and come to her if she had a gripe, rather than telling Melissa. Pot apparently doesn’t recognize kettle, as it’s not too adult to 1) look someone up and down, and 2) comment to someone else about said trainwreck’s appearance – at their own party, no less. Melissa asked if she wanted to talk to Danielle, but she said, Danielle’s wardrobe was punishment enough. Marge said Jennifer was in a downward spiral, and she was like a festering wound that doesn’t heal. Geez. This bunch is slowly encroaching on Most Awful People territory. However, no one will ever top Jax Taylor for top spot.
It was Rachel’s daughter’s 2nd birthday, and there was a photo session. In Rachel’s interview, she said, everyone thinks they have the cutest kid, but she actually does have the cutest kid. She asked husband John if he wanted another baby, but he wanted to wait a year. In her interview, she said, after they got married, she’d gotten pregnant right away, and had a miscarriage, and never got pregnant again. I guess she did eventually, since they have several kids. She said, it was emotionally and physically draining, and wouldn’t wish it on anybody. It was the most challenging thing in her life. They have five embryos in the freezer, and the time is now. She’s the one who will have to do all the work.
For Teresa, it was all wedding, wedding, wedding, but it wasn’t long before she talked smack about Melissa, bringing Gia and Gabriella (who claims to want nothing to do with the drama, but that’s doubtful) into the conversation. On her podcast, Melissa had claimed she’d been there for the girls when Teresa was in prison, but Gia said, the only time they saw Melissa and Joe #2 was when the cameras were rolling. Louie said Melissa didn’t put one left foot in front of the other, and I wondered if Teresa’s mangling of the English language was catching. Or was Louie born with it and the stars aligned? Louie got all involved in the discussion because he wants more camera time.
In Danielle’s interview, she talked about her kids clothing line, Bougie Kidz, and said, Melissa was living the dream. She met Melissa for I’m not sure what, but it seemed like Melissa was teaching her how to be a stylist. Then, since no one can keep anything to themselves for more than five seconds, Melissa told Danielle about what Jackie had said. In her interview, Danielle said Jackie was a judgy bitch. Danielle said she was concerned about the Teresa/Joe #2 situation because she and her brother had been close, and hadn’t spoken in two years When covid hit, Danielle began filming herself for Instagram, and reviewing products. Her brother constantly made fun of her, so she blocked him, saying, he didn’t have to look. He then cut her out of his wedding, and in her interview, she said she’d thought it was a joke. Obviously not. Melissa felt like she was missing part of the story, and Danielle said some things had happened prior to the wedding. She’d tried not to put in her two cents about the wedding preparations, but she didn’t have a sister, and it was so exciting. She wanted to do things for her future SIL, and was told it wasn’t all about her. She sent a text to her brother, saying, see who she’s dealing with? and he kicked all of them out of the wedding. She thinks it’s the wife behind it, but Melissa said, Danielle’s brother was the one making fun of her. Playing devil’s advocate, she’s tried getting Joe #2 and Teresa together, but unless Joe wants to, she can’t force him. In Melissa’s interview, she said, it’s not always the sister-in-law’s fault. Joe is a grown man, and she can only try so many times.
At Jennifer’s house, there was discussion about teaching the kids more chores, and paying them to do them. In Jennifer’s interview, she said, she and Bill had different approaches to parenting. She told Bill that Marge had said she was sometimes disingenuous, and not self-reflective. She insisted she was the most self-reflective person ever, and Bill rolled his eyes. She asked if he didn’t think so, and he started giving a flowery speech about how people have different personalities. In her interview, Jennifer said she didn’t want to hear it. STFU. Bill said she had to acknowledge her part in things, and in her interview, she said she didn’t need him to validate the other person’s point-of-view. We flashed back to the times Bill was less than supportive.
Danielle said daughter Valentina had been robbed of her school art show because of covid, so she invited her parents over, and there was a private showing. In Danielle’s interview, she said her parents had separated when she was eight, and couldn’t tolerate being in the same room, but they came together when her son Dominic was born. Dominic introduced Valentina, who came out in a rainbow tutu. I’m not sure how old she is, maybe five? As her pieces were brought out, she told her audience what artist inspired them. I took college art courses in high school, and this kid knows more than I do. In her interview, Danielle said, it would kill her if her kids were separated like she and her brother. If her son marries a megabitch, she’ll poison her. Her mother also didn’t talk to her brother, and Danielle mentioned that it was the first time her brother wasn’t there for something with the kids. Her dad started crying, and in her interview, she said, all her dad wants it for the family to be together. This destroyed her whole family. We saw a clip from a home movie when they were kids, and Danielle’s father said, this too shall pass.
Melissa and Joe #2 went to what they call their shore house, but I beg to differ since it’s in Tom’s River. Melissa’s mother and sister came over, and Joe asked if they’d been invited to Teresa’s wedding. They said, no, and in Joe’s interview, he said Juicy Joe’s family had been at his wedding. Melissa’s family had been in their lives for 20 years. Teresa was making a statement that they mean nothing to her. Melissa’s family sat with their parents for 18 years – we see clips of that – and his dad’s last words were, love each other. After New York, he’d called Louie, and said he wanted things to be better. Teresa just had to admit she was wrong. Louie said, she was never going to do that. Louie has done nothing to help the situation, and only made it worse. Joe said, they were going to be having guys night soon, and Melissa’s sister said she could see his Gorga-ness coming out.
The guys met at a bar, and Frank started busting Joe #2’s balls immediately, saying the tables were too high for him. New (Danielle’s) husband Nate was joining the fold, and Frank said, Paulie had to work, then whined about the Dolores dynamic changing. He missed his relationship with Dolores. Joe said, they’d taken Louie in with open arms, and Melissa had treated him like royalty, yet Melissa’s family wasn’t invited to the wedding. Louie walked in just as Joe was saying, he’s garbage.
There was a toast to Louie – for what reason, I don’t know – and Joe #2 asked Louie, how many wedding guests? Louie said, 200, and Joe said he’d met Melissa’s family. Were they were good people? Louie said, they were great people, and Joe asked why they weren’t invited to the wedding. Everyone on his side was f***ed up. Frank asked if there was a reason, and Louie said, past bullsh*t. Joe said, Melissa’s family should be respected because they were close to his and Teresa’s parents. It was like a f*** you. There was some discussion about the hierarchy in Italian families, and Louie said, Joe’s wife was on social media saying Teresa’s kids wouldn’t have eaten if it wasn’t for them. Joe claimed that’s not what she said, and Louie said he was there. Joe said, Louie didn’t know sh*t, and should be embarrassed. Louie said, Joe was on the podcast talking about his sister, and Joe told him, f*** you, saying he wasn’t a man; he was a p*ssy. Louie said, Joe’s talk didn’t affect him, and to stop the theatrics. Joe said he was tired of the bullsh*t, and Louie always backpedals. Louie said, Teresa was his fiancé, and she was 50 years old. What did Joe think he could do? Joe suggested he tell Teresa that she’s out of line, and Louie said he did, but she stood her ground. Joe said he was hurt, and didn’t want to be hurt anymore, and Louie said, Teresa didn’t deserve to be hurt either. She and Joe should talk, and Joe should be vulnerable. What he’s feeling is justified, but they should hear what each other feels. In Joe’s interview, he says, Teresa will just bring up that he didn’t defend Louie. She doesn’t move forward. Louie said that Teresa loved Joe so much, but in his interview, Joe said in his heart, he knows how she feels, and he doesn’t want to waste his time. He told Louie that he’d think about it.
Next time, Bill’s feelings are hurt; Frank Jr. asks Dolores, what’s up with Paulie and his dad; Teresa calls Joe wanting to make peace, but he says he doesn’t know; and Jennifer says she can do what she f***ing wants.
🌊 Slouching Towards the Jersey Shore…
Have your late-night snack here tomorrow, along with some soap and VanderDoings. Until then, stay safe, stay going the extra mile in all you do, and stay not cutting yourself off from loved ones because they committed the unpardonable sin of being human.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Laura asks that question that’s only asked in movie and TV weddings; if anyone can show just cause why these two should not be married, speak now or forever hold your peace. Everyone laughs, and Portia flashes back to Jordan telling her to let Curtis know Trina might be his daughter before the wedding.
Stella reads from the Bible, speak every man truth with his neighbor for we are members one with another. She flashes back to telling Jordan that Curtis and Portia’s affair would line up with how old Trina is. There’s a knock on the door, and she opens it to Jordan.
Heather slips into Ryan’s room, and says, evening, grandpa. She tells him, it’s only the most romantic day of the year, and gives him a heart she made out of construction paper that says Happy Valentine’s Day on it. She says, from mee-maw. It’s not his only gift. He asks if it’s chocolate covered strawberries, but she says, something much sweeter; a way out for all four of us.
Outside the pub, Dante teases Sam about driving on the wrong side of the road. They peek inside the pub, and Sam says, what if Maggie isn’t a drinker? Dante says, hopefully, someone who knows her is, and they go inside. A woman asks if she can help them, and Dante says, they’re counting on it.
Laura says, as per tradition, she’ll pose the same question of Curtis and Portia. Do either of them know any reason why they should not be joined in holy matrimony? Portia looks at Trina, but doesn’t say anything, and Laura says, let’s get these two hitched. She reads the wedding vows, and they both say, I will. She asks the guests if they’ll do their best to support Portia and Curtis in their new union, and they say they will. Another part of a wedding I’ve never seen or heard of. Laura says, surrounded by love and support. They’re truly blessed.
Stella warns Jordan that what she has might be contagious, and Jordan says, diagnosis? Stella says, second guessing herself, and Jordan says she’ll take the risk. She sees someone’s been drawing comfort from the Good Book, and Stella says, trying to anyway. Not much success. She wonders if she’s doing the right thing, staying away from the wedding, or is hiding out just plain cowardly? Jordan says, Stella Henry is no coward. She loves her nephew and wants him to be happy.
Heather tells Ryan that she made the heart in arts and crafts. They wouldn’t let her use scissors, so she had to improvise. She pulls out a homemade knife, and he says, she’s all heart. I love these two. She says he’s going to owe her huge when they blow this joint, and he asks, who’s the fourth? She says, Esme’s baby – duh. He has to work on his grandfathering skills when they hit the road. He says, it sounds like she has it all figured out, and she says, down to the last detail. He asks if their daughter is on board, but Heather avoids the question, and he grabs her arm, saying, Esme doesn’t know, does she?
Dante says, two of your finest ales, and the woman says, that’s a matter of opinion, isn’t it? He says, hers, and she says, two of her favorite ales coming right up. She asks what brings them to her village. It’s not one of those fancy tourist sites. Sam says, they’re drawn to faraway places, and she says, then they’ve come to the right spot. She serves them, and they take a sip, declaring it delicious. She asks if there’s anything else she can help them with, and Dante says, they’re looking for a friend of a friend. She asks if the friend has a name, and Sam says, Maggie Fitzgerald.
Laura says, Portia and Curtis want to say a few words to each other, and suggests Curtis start. He takes Portia’s hands, and says, my love, it’s been a long and winding road with us. First, we were together, then they were apart. Thankfully, now we’re back together, and I don’t doubt that journey took a toll on us, and others, but some of those others have blessed us, and for that, I’m eternally grateful. What I’ve learned about love ain’t always pretty, and certainly not easy, but nothing worth having ever is. But this – he looks around – this is everything. He vows to love her with all his heart, to give her all he has, and all he is, to make their lives and the lives of the people they treasure better. This is his vow to her. Laura says, Portia’s up.
Portia says, you mentioned a long and winding road. I know it well. I thought I’d be traveling that road with my daughter, and she and my work was all that I would ever need, and I was fine with that, but then you came back into my life and literally saved my life, and Trina’s, and all of a sudden, I couldn’t imagine my life without you in it. Your courage, your kindness, your conviction – all of it – literally leaves me breathless. No one can make me laugh like you do, or cry like you do – in a good way, in the best possible way. You make me want to do and be better, and you have no idea how thankful I am for that. You’re part of me, and I can’t imagine a world without you in it. That’s… that’s why I… She looks around, and stammers. Curtis asks, what is it?
Stella tells Jordan, they’re damned if they do, and damned if they don’t. She’s terrified that, no matter how this plays out, Curtis’s heart is going to be broken. Jordan says, maybe temporarily, but she’s forgetting Curtis loves Trina. He might be shocked if it turns out she’s his daughter, but once that settles, he’ll be thrilled. Stella says, that blessing comes with a price. He’ll realize Portia’s been lying to him for decades. Jordan says, Portia was looking out for Taggert. The man adores Trina, and has been an amazing father to her. Stella says she understands that. Telling the truth has the potential to upend a lot of lives. Jordan says, once Portia and Curtis got back together, Trina was going through so much, and Stella says, maybe it wasn’t the time then, but once they decided to join their lives together and be a family? She keeps praying about this, but she doesn’t know if prayer is enough.
Heather says Ryan is a handy one-handed man, and puts the knife to his throat. He laughs, and she says, they’ll be told when the time is right. Can they please leave the family’s paths for the road trip? He says, every law enforcement agency from here to Alaska will be looking for them, and she says, but they’ll be looking for three escaped fugitives. Not a happy family cruising in their RV, listening to the radio. Can he picture this? He says, no, and she asks why he’s being so negative. He says, Esme has kind of outgrown a baby seat, but Heather says, they’ll be needing one of those for the RV. He says, she’s an adult, pregnant woman who’s lost her memory. Does she really think Esme will let herself be thrown into the back of an RV? Heather says, he’s the one who said she’s got it all figured out, and he says, then tell him the plan. They can’t be too careful, especially with that detective and his girlfriend trying to track down Esme’s nanny. She says she doubts Ryan is going to be doing the driving, so why doesn’t he sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride?
Sam says, they’re not there to make trouble for Maggie, and Dante says, just the opposite. Maggie was this person’s nanny. Sam says, there was this family she used to work for, and they said she moved to this village. The woman says she recalls a woman who used to work as a nanny, but her name was Marjorie. She only came for trivia nights on Thursdays. She was fantastic at that, but she stopped showing up, so they figured she’d moved on. Sam says, maybe she left a clue as to where she was going. It’s really important they find her. A woman she once cared for, Esme, is in trouble. Dante says, Esme Prince. Did Marjorie ever mention her?
Portia looks at Trina, who says, it’s okay, then she looks around. She tells Curtis that she’s sorry. It’s just hitting her all over again that she’s not just marrying him; she’s marrying him and his beautiful family. He says, they’ll be her family too, and she says, and hers will be his. That road doesn’t stop here. All of them travel together. He says, together, and puts the ring on her finger, pledging to love her today, tomorrow, and always. Finn looks at Elizabeth, and smiles, and Portia says, with this ring, she pledges all her love. And like this ring has no end, neither does her love for him. She puts the ring on him, and Trina smiles at Spencer. Laura says, with vows and rings, they’ve pledged their love to each other. Therefore, by the power vested in her by the State of New York, and the blessing of all their family and friends, she pronounces them husband and wife. They know what to do. Everyone laughs, and Curtis says he certainly does. They kiss, and everyone applauds.
Heather says she almost forgot. His Valentine’s present. She hands him the knife, and he asks, what’s the catch? She says, is he always this suspicious? and he says, yes. She says, it’s her Valentine’s gift to him, but he has to keep it hidden before the big escape. He says, she does recall he’s supposed to be in a fugue state, unable to speak or move, let alone wield a weapon, but she says, once they’re outside these walls, he can be his old self again. He says, but if something goes wrong, and he’s caught holding a knife, and she’s caught holding Esme’s hand and claiming he hijacked them… Everyone needs a back-up plan, right?
The woman says, Marjorie never talked about her charges. Why are they so invested in this Esme person? Dante says, she’s in quite a bit of trouble back in the states, the kind that Maggie could be the key to get her out of. Sam says, she gets that the woman has no reason to trust them, but if Maggie knew what Esme was going through, she’d want to help. Dante asks if she’s sure there’s nothing she can tell them.
At the reception, Drew asks everyone to join him in welcoming the newlyweds, Portia and Curtis. Everyone applauds as they walk in, and the band begins to play. Portia and Curtis dance, and there’s a song part as they gaze into each other’s eyes. Curtis asks if he’s told her that he loves her, and she says, he has. He asks if he’s told her how excited he is to start their lives together, and Portia says, he has. He asks if he should stop, but she says, never. Trina says she’s never seen her mom so happy, and Josslyn says, maybe true love does exist. Spencer says, maybe it does, and looks at Trina.
Sonny tells Nina that everything looks gorgeous, especially the co-owner of the venue. How is she holding up? She says she’s okay. She’s thinking about Willow, and imagining dancing at her wedding. He says, there still may be a chance of that, so they can’t lose hope.
Marshall says he’s lived long enough to see his son get married, and TJ says, Curtis looks like he’s on Cloud 9. I wonder if there’s a Cloud 10, and Zeke says, his sister looks stunned. Molly says, it’s like she can’t believe the wedding actually happened, and Marshall says, those two are destined for a lifetime of bliss. Elizabeth tells Finn, watching them, it seems so simple, and he says, maybe it is. Maybe people tend to overcomplicate things. To life getting simpler one day. She says she can cheers to that, and they clink glasses. The dance finishes, and everyone applauds. Curtis brings Portia over to Sterling, and says he believes there’s another tradition to uphold. Sterling says he believes there is. He’d love to dance with his little girl. Portia says she’d love that too, and they go out to the dance floor to more applause.
Taggert tells Trina, it looks like they’re doing the daddy/daughter thing. Should they show them what they’ve got? She says, lead the way, and they go out too. Drew says, it looks like they’ve got a father/daughter duo, and asks for another round of applause. Portia looks over at Trina.
Stella takes a pill, and Jordan says, Stella is actually making herself sick over this. Stella says, it’s just something she takes for her blood pressure. Don’t worry. Her cardiologist assured her that she’ll outlive them all. Jordan says, she’d better; she’s indispensable. Stella says, the cemetery is full of indispensable people, and suggests they talk about something else. Has Jordan forgotten what day it is? Enough about Curtis’s love life. What about hers?
Heather tells Ryan, just stay in that chair, look as vacant as the Bates Motel, and she’ll have him and their daughter out of here and on their way to their new life before the guards have a chance to realize they’re gone. She gets misty-eyed just thinking about it. After all this time, together again; a real all-American family. He says, it sounds promising, but she says, it’s more than promising. It’s a sure thing. He says she’s not accounting for one potential glitch, but she says, this plan is glitch-free. He says, what if Esme refuses to come with them?
The woman says, as Dante and Sam pointed out, she’s never laid eyes on them before tonight. How does she know they’re not the reason that poor girl’s in trouble? Dante says, she just has to trust them. Sam says, Maggie Fitzgerald was the closest thing Esme had to a friend. Maybe she can tell them something about Esme’s family; a mother or a father… Dante says, basically someone who would do anything for her, and Sam says, and they mean anything. The woman says she wishes she could help them. Marjorie could name all of the Spice Girls faster than lightning – Mel B, Mel C, Victoria, Emma, and Geri – but she never heard her mention an Esme Prince.
Curtis asks Taggert if he can cut in, and Taggert says, now that he’s official the stepfather, it’s only fair. He thanks Trina for the dance, kisses her cheek, and tells Curtis, precious cargo. Curtis says, doesn’t he know it, and tells Trina that she looks lovely. They dance, and Trina asks how he feels. He says, mostly elated, and grateful. Of course (🍷) for her beautiful mother, and everyone here, but a large piece of that is reserved for her. Sterling asks Portia, what’s wrong? and she says, nothing. She’s just getting emotional. He says, the happiest day of your life can do that.
Sonny says he and Nina used to be good at that. Remember when he used to spin her around at the Tan-O? Let’s give it a shot. He knows it’s hard to have fun with what’s going on with Willow and Michael and everything, but they’ve got to live life, or what’s the point? He takes her hand, and they go onto the dance floor.
Elizabeth tells Terry to go dance and have fun, and Terry says, Elizabeth might consider taking her own advice. The dance floor is calling. Finn says he’s only an innocent bystander, not a dancer, and Elizabeth tells Terry, what he said. Terry says, suit yourself, and she and Yuri go to dance. Josslyn asks Spencer what he’s waiting for. She still doesn’t think he’s good enough for Trina, but that’s not for her to decide. Just like it’s not for Spencer to decide who she spends her time with. Got it? He says, got it.
Spencer asks if Trina has one more dance in her, and she says, with him? They start to dance, and she says she thought they weren’t pretending to be friends in public anymore. He says he wasn’t pretending.
Jordan asks Stella, please tell her that she’s not playing matchmaker, and Stella says, not after the mess she made of Curtis’s love life. Jordan says, Stella’s not to blame for the break-up of their marriage, but Stella says she didn’t help. Then there was Curtis’s relationship with Portia. Jordan says, Portia’s good people. If only she’d been upfront from the start, they’d know if Curtis was Trina’s father or not. Stella says, it’s too late for it to come out with minimal damage. She sees what Jordan is doing. They were talking about Jordan’s love life. Jordan says, Stella was talking about it, and Stella says, message received. She won’t be meddling in Curtis’s love life or Jordan’s. Jordan picks up the Bible, and tells Stella, like the Good Book says, take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Stella says, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Matthew, 6:34. Jordan says, that Matthew, he really knew what was up. She kisses Stella on the cheek, and leaves. Stella says, he most certainly did.
Trina tells Spencer that Curtis is hiding it well, but it’s killing him that Stella isn’t here. He asks what she’s thinking, and she says she’s thinking it’s wrong that Stella’s sitting in her hotel room. She thinks Stella needs to be at this wedding.
Heather sticks her Valentine to the wall, and tells Ryan that she’s been earning Esme’s trust since Esme was brought here. She has no one else she can count on, especially that supposed baby daddy of hers. All he ever did was dump a bunch of papers in her lap, and tell her to sign away her rights. Ryan looks at the knife, and says, give him five minutes with that prince, and he swears he’ll eviscerate him. Heather says, spoken like a true and loving father. (She’s not wrong.) She tells him, for now, just be patient. Let mama take care of everything, and once they’re outside these walls, no one will ever hurt their baby girl again.
Dante puts some money on the bar, and tells the woman that they’ll get out of her hair, thanking her for the beer. She thanks him for the generous tip, and Sam says, they’ll be staying at the B&B, so if she thinks of anything that could help them, that would be fantastic. The woman says she’ll be sure to reach out. In the meantime, they’re welcome here anytime. They leave, and outside, Dante asks what Sam thought. She says, same as him; she’s lying through her teeth. I wonder where else you would lie from, and Sam tells him, that woman knows more than she’s saying. He tells Sam, say she’s lying… Sam says, she was, and he says, what’s the next obvious question? Why? Inside, the woman takes out a box of letters, and says, Esme, I warned you not to go look for your father. What have you gotten yourself into now? I think we all already guessed she’s Maggie.
Heather asks if Ryan is on board, and he says, he has a choice? She says, not so much. Once the stars are aligned, and Esme’s with them, they’ll make their escape. It’ll happen so fast, Esme won’t have time to object. He says, still, no plan is foolproof. What if they encounter an unforeseen complication? She touches the knife, and says, then he’ll be the solution. Happy Valentine’s Day. He says, let him throw one little wrinkle into the itinerary. He just needs to make one stop before they take off. I’m guessing to see Ava.
Making his toast, Drew says, the quality that stands out the most when he thinks of Curtis is loyalty. This man would lay down his life for those he cares about, and he considers himself lucky to be among them. He’s so happy for them, and can’t wait to see the life they build together. They’re beautiful inside and out. All of them love Curtis and Portia. Everyone is in agreement with that, and Drew says, to the best of the best. Congratulations, Curtis and Portia. Everyone raises their glasses and says, to the best. Portia and Curtis thank and hug Drew, and he says he meant every word. He tells the guests, it’s the maid-of-honor’s turn now, and asks Trina to show herself. She’s nowhere to be seen, and Marshall suggests she’s fixing her makeup. Portia wonders, where’s Trina? She was excited to give the toast. Where could she be?
Stella looks through the Bible, when there’s a knock at the door. She opens it, and Trina and Spencer are there.
Tomorrow, Trina asks, what would keep Stella from the wedding; Heather tells Esme, everything’s going to be taken care of; Nina tells Ava that she’s sure the reasons are less than legitimate; and Ryan says, you what?
The Real Housewives of New Jersey
When we last left, Bill was dragging Jennifer out of the party as she called Dolores the c-word. Dolores was pissed, since she’d been backing Jennifer for ages. In the car, Jennifer whined that Dolores didn’t care about her, but Bill said Jennifer’s expectations were too high for her friends. I think he really wanted to tell her that she was being an a-hole, but he has to sleep with her. Dolores said she was quitting Jennifer.
Wedding planning was in full force, and Teresa conferred about invitations with Louie’s assistant Jess. In her interview, Teresa said she wanted an epic wedding with Circe de Soleil dancers and fireworks. Melissa and Joe #2 thought the wedding was going to be awkward, and Melissa hated that Louie had called her insecure. Joe was shocked that Teresa put them out in the cold at the engagement party, and said she didn’t want him to walk her down the aisle.
Danielle visited Jennifer along with her kids, and was afraid once her kids saw Jennifer’s house, they’d want one. Danielle asked if it was going to be awkward with Jennifer and Dolores at her house, and Jennifer rehashed all that. They called Teresa to ask how her meeting with Marge went, and Teresa said it was a fresh of breath air [sic] because they’d communicated. Jennifer and Teresa had also met with Laura, an ex-friend of Marge’s, who said she had stuff they’d want to hear. In Jennifer’s interview she said, since Marge would do it, she decided to do it. Teresa indicated there was something serious Laura knew about, but Jennifer said she didn’t want to know… unless she needed ammunition.
Rachel has two under two, and a fifteen year old stepson, and actually seems like a decent person. My advice, stay far away from most of these people. Marge was having Dolores, Melissa, new friend Jen (who Marge knows through Siggy), Lexi, and Jackie over. Melissa brought sprinkle cookies, and we had a flashback of that Christmas long ago when Teresa threw them in the trash. Lexi said one of her worst faux pas was eating from the wrong bowl of edamame; she ate the pods people had sucked the beans out of. I can’t even imagine how TF you could make this mistake. She must be a real dimbulb. They played a sex question game, the first question being, what sex act did they feel guilty about? Jackie said, since she was Jewish, it was all of them. They never got past the first question because Melissa started talking about how sad it was for Joe #2, as he’d decided to call it quits with his sister. Jackie thought Jennifer was more dangerous than Teresa, and Dolores said, after being accused of not being a good friend, she and Jennifer were done. Marge said she’d genuinely made up with Jennifer, then found out she and Teresa were digging for info about her from a childhood friend. She felt played. In Marge’s interview, she said she found out because there was a mole in Jennifer’s camp.
Regarding her relationship with Paul, Dolores said, for the first time, she was dropping her guard 100%. Paul told her that he’d thought the other night was fun, and we flashed back to Jennifer going berserk. He’s clearly not paying attention. In Dolores’s interview, she said, beforehand, Paul had told her to be the bigger person. Had he not, it could have gone differently. Frank wasn’t used to her having a guy in her life that did everything for her, and Paul said he had her now. I’m liking Paul, so maybe there’s hope for Dolores. Teresa’s invites went out, imprinted on an acrylic pane that rested on top of fresh flowers. Fancy! Joe #2 said it was going to be awkward like in L.A. They’d been at this amazing event, and Teresa woudn’t even take a red carpet picture with him. In his interview, he said, their parents were looking down, and thinking it was a disgrace. Instead of being zen, Louie added fuel to the fire, and Teresa went apesh*t again.
Danielle got ready to have the women over for a mozzarella making party, and said Jennifer’s house could eat hers for breakfast. If anyone said her house was cute, they’d have a problem. Dolores arrived first, and when Danielle asked if there was going to be a problem with Jennifer, she said she always started off with a clean slate. Apparently, she’s never watched herself on this show. Melissa and Marge rode over together, and Marge said she didn’t care if Laura had said she was f***ing goats in her backyard, but Jennifer had undermined their friendship. Teresa said she had to send out new invites, thanks to Ramona. (Yes. RHONY Ramona of the googly eye fame.) Ramona had put Teresa’s invitation up on social media, and we saw the clip of her filming the invite. Teresa wasn’t able to get new acrylics in less than a few weeks’ time, so now the guests were going to be emailed new passwords. In Teresa’s interview, she said she’d wanted to keep the wedding private, and Ramona ruined it. I have to admit, I’m on her side with this one. WTF, Ramona? Dolores said she hadn’t spoken to Jennifer since Jennifer’s (latest) meltdown, and Teresa said she wasn’t taking sides. She wanted them to talk it out, but Dolores didn’t want hear what Jennifer had to say anymore.
Before Melissa got there, Teresa told everyone what a great time they’d had in L.A., but said, Joe was still hurt even though she’d apologized. She said she was seeing a therapist, and they talked about how Italians felt there was a stigma with therapy. When everyone got there, Danielle introduced the two chef instructors, and they all put on Making Mozz Memories aprons. It actually didn’t look too hard to make. Marge asked to chat with Jennifer, which was a mistake, since Jennifer only justified what she’d done. Marge asked if her apology hadn’t seemed genuine, but Jennifer said it had. Laura had approached her, and she was just curious. Marge suggested Jennifer be more self-reflective, which wasn’t a popular idea. She asked if Jennifer didn’t want to be friends, and Jennifer said, friends were on a spectrum. While I agree with that, I don’t go around digging up dirt about the ones on the low end of mine. Later, Marge told Teresa that Jennifer could benefit from therapy, and when Jennifer got annoyed about that, Marge pointed out that she also had issues with Dolores. Jennifer said she and Dolores were good, and Dolores got up and took off her earrings.
Dolores said if Jennifer had a problem with her, Jennifer should come to her, and then there was a bunch of no, you stuff. Teresa wondered what happened to the clean slate. Jen tried to intervene, and told them that this wasn’t going to get anywhere. When they ignored her suggestion, Jen stuffed her face from the buffet. Dolores suddenly decided they were good, and in Jennifer’s interview, she said she was done with people who didn’t care. I have to add, this was all shouted about in front of the chefs, who must have wondered WTF they’d gotten themselves into. Teresa said, all these people were going to be at her wedding, and no seating chart was probably a good idea. Marge said, Teresa had issues with it last time at the engagement party, and in Dolores’s interview, she said, in Italian families, it’s big deal where you sit. Teresa insisted that Melissa and Joe #2 were supposed to be at her table, and Jennifer backed her up, saying, Teresa was unaware of the issue. Melissa said Teresa was horrible to them in New York, which brought us back to Teresa feeling that Melissa hadn’t stuck up for Louie with Marge. Melissa said she’d told Marge to knock it off a million times, and Marge agreed. Melissa told Teresa to stop saying how family was everything.
Next time, Paul confronts Frank; Marge thinks Jennifer is on a downward spiral; Danielle admits she’s also estranged from her brother; and Joe #2 has a fight with Louie.
🏖 The Summer House premiere was just the warm up to what will surely be a summer of awful people drinking liquor and fighting.
Carl and Lindsay have moved in together, and Lindsay said she was living a rom-com movie in real life. I give this five minutes. On July 1st, the housemates headed for the Hamptons, and Kyle said he intended to have a massive summer, since he’s about to turn 40 and he’s married now. I’m not sure what he means by massive, but I’m sure it involves a lot of drinking and acting like an a-hole. When they got to the house, they found out the number of bedrooms had been cut back, due to zoning laws. In other words, the landlord advertised that he was renting out too many rooms on national TV, and got caught.
Paige picked her up new girl Gabby, who is all about astrology, and on the way, explained the logistics of the house. She said, Mya, who was dating Oliver, would also be joining them, and Gabby realized she was the only one not part of a couple. Kyle said he took the vibe of the house very seriously, and I decided the word vibe is overused. Mya said she was friends with Carl, but Lindsay thought she wanted Carl in a sexual way. Lindsay didn’t want Mya near him, even though she and Carl were in a permanent friendzone. Mya said after they’d played Family Feud (like really, on TV, not in the living room), she told Lindsay that she’d texted Carl to see if he wanted to smoke a jay. She’d smoked with Carl before, but Lindsay said it wasn’t respectful, and got all bent out of shape. I see Lindsay overreacting in the future. Another new girl, Sam, showed up, as well as a new guy named Chris. Carl was now working with Kyle at Loverboy, but described it as rocky, and said he didn’t know if Loverboy was for him. The first night they decided to have pool party, and Lindsay told the girls that she’d been sober for nine months, but then she wanted a glass of wine with her Aunt Rhonda at Easter, so she was drinking again. But now she didn’t black out. Oh okay. There’s that. Add drunken to overreacting.
Gabby whined to Carl about Lindsay, but kudos to Carl – who’s been the one actual adult in the bunch for a few seasons – for saying, nope. Lindsay was his priority. There will still be overreacting though. Lindsay explained to the others that she got pissed because she’d been supporting Carl’s sobriety, and felt Gabby was sabotaging it by suggesting he smoke weed with her. New guy Jaerez joined the group, and one of the girls (I think Sam) mixed up Leonardo da Vinci with Leonardo DiCaprio, which is pretty amusing, and shows how stupid these people are. How did I miss out on making millions and being on TV?
This season, stupidity; alcohol; alcohol and stupidity; Kory comes to the house; Craig puts pressure on Paige; fights; and a possible engagement.
🐰 Don’t Change a Hare For Me…
Stop in tomorrow, where there will be soap, a glimpse into everything Vanderpumpish, and perhaps some Bowl talk. Until then, stay safe, stay knowing friends are God’s apology for relatives, and stay living life. Or what’s the point?
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 