What I Watched Today

(Nada enchilada summer – condensed because life is short & summer should be fun)

General Hospital

Monday:

Ric said, if Dante was giving Elizabeth pointers, he could see why they were on a losing streak.

Brook met with Simon, and he said Trina and Gio were extremely good. He had big plans for them.

While jogging in the park, Josslyn got a text from Trina asking if she could join them for game night, but Josslyn said she couldn’t make it and continued on.

Trina told the others that Josslyn was hung up at work, and she and Gio won a board game against Emma and Kai. Trina said it was enough they were keeping her mind off her dad’s trial. They didn’t have to let her win too.

Anna saw Valentin with Carly at the MetroCourt Gardens, and Peter told her that it looked like Valentin may be a bit too tied up to run to her rescue. She started to leave, when she literally ran into a waiter who dropped his tray, and Carly and Valentin saw her.

Sonny said he didn’t understand why Jason couldn’t work for him anymore. Was it because of Ric? Jason said, no. It’s because of me.

Ric told Dante that he was the new pitcher for Corinthos Coffee, when Dante’s phone rang and he stepped away. Ric asked if Elizabeth wanted to go for a bite, but she said she had to be in early and was heading home. She and Ric made a date for Wednesday, and he said Sonny was keeping him busy right now. He didn’t want to create a conflict of interest. He left and Elizabeth said it had been awkward, and Dante said after dealing with his son, he knew more about conflicts of interest than he wanted to.

Emma said they weren’t letting her win, and Trina said they didn’t have to pretend the trial wasn’t happening. Her dad didn’t want her there. Kai said, even if it went her dad’s way, it would be hard to watch, and Trina said it would be better for her parents if she wasn’t there, but staying away seemed wrong.

Nina asked if Jack thought she had an agenda, and he said no, but he was expecting an important phone call. He said he didn’t have an agenda either, but she said she begged to differ.

Sonny asked if Jason needed a break, but Jason said he needed to be done for good. Sonny asked for more of an explanation, and Jason told him about having Cullum in his crosshairs the night he’d been arrested. Sonny said Jason had Cullum in his sight and didn’t kill him?

Anna said, that was mortifying, but Carly said worse had happened there and no one noticed anyway. Anna said they had, and Valentin invited her to join them. Anna hesitated, but Carly insisted, so Anna sat down. She asked if they were celebrating something, and Carly said Valentin had good news. Valentin said his assets had been unfrozen, and Anna said he’d just gotten his life back and he was throwing it all away? You fool.

Simon said Gio was the stuff of legends, but where did Brook find Trina? She said she’d first seen Trina perform at the Nurses Ball, and he asked why she’d waited so long. She said, Trina had been in school, but recently graduated. She had also been dealing with difficult family issues and Brook thought Trina deserved something good in her life. He asked where they were, and Brook said they were on their way.

Trina said what she needed to focus on was her strategy and they prepared to play again, when Gio’s phone rang. Brook said she was at the Surf Lodge with Simon. Where were they? Gio said he forgot, and she said they had to get there.

Jason said Brennan kept getting in the way and he wasn’t killing Brennan to take Cullum out. He’d just told Danny that he was leaving town with Britt and promised to go to his basketball game, but he only made it to the parking lot when Dante showed up with a warrant for his arrest from the WSB.

Josslyn got a cramp and stopped running. She flashed back to getting shot at Windymere and the aftermath. She continued on.

Anna asked if Valentin was looking to get arrested again. The WSB didn’t unfreeze his assets out of the goodness of their heart. He must have extorted them in some way. He said he’d made a deal and it was completely legal. He’d had something Jack wanted and offered it to him in exchange for his assets. Anna said the WSB never let you go, but Carly said she didn’t believe that. Valentin was living proof that someone could get out and she thought Josslyn would too. Anna said she thought Carly was wrong.

Trina said she was sorry, but they had to leave, and Gio suggested Emma and Kai come with them. Kai said he was in, but Emma said she couldn’t go. Go and be charming. They left.

Jason told Sonny that Britt was already at the pier waiting for him and he knew Cullum must be onto them. He gave Dante his gun, when Alexis arrived with Danny for the game he’d promised to see. Instead, his son saw him assault Dante and take off. He got to the pier, Britt was unconscious, and Cullum was about to kill her. He fought with Cullum and Cullum’s gun went flying, but Cullum pulled out a steel baton and was about to take his head off. Then he heard the gunshot and Cullum went down. That’s when he saw Rocco. Rocco had picked up Cullum’s gun and shot a WSB agent in the back for him and Britt. He’d never forget the look on Rocco’s face. Two things came into his head. Rocco couldn’t take the fall for this and it could have been his son holding the gun.

Dante told Elizabeth that he’d been bringing Anna up to speed and she’d discovered some evidence was missing. He took responsibility because it had happened on his watch, but Anna didn’t want to know any details. Elizabeth said that was because Anna trusted him, and he said he was relieved Elizabeth wouldn’t face backlash for protecting Rocco. She said he didn’t have to protect her. It had been her decision to protect Rocco. She thought it was the right thing to do then and she still did. He said he wasn’t happy that he’d used the power of his office for personal gain.

Nina said she thought Jack protecting Willow because she was helping the WSB in congress was an agenda, but he said it had nothing to do with his interest in her. He intended to keep it that way. He’d learned his lesson when things went so wrong with Carly. She said if he didn’t want things to go wrong with her, never compare her to Carly again. He said, sorry, and kissed her, when Josslyn walked in.

Anna told Carly that she was sorry for what Jack had done to Josslyn. She’d known Josslyn was WSB, but couldn’t say anything, so she did everything she could to protect her from the sidelines. That’s why she’d sent Jason to find her. She knew it was difficult for Carly to hear that she knew first, but she’d tried every tactic she could think of to get Jack to tell Carly. He’d refused. If she’d known Josslyn was considering the WSB, she would have done everything in her power to dissuade her.

Jason told Sonny that he told Nathan, Cassius, whatever to get Rocco out of there. He didn’t even have time to take a breath, when Dante was there and he let Dante take him in. Brennan was at the PCPD, said the WSB was taking him in, and that’s all he needed to know. They put him in shackles and forced him in the back of a transport van. Then Danny was there pounding on the door, saying what they were doing was wrong, and he wondered what the hell he’d done to his kid. Danny’s mom was dead and he’d be going to prison if he was lucky. Something broke inside of him and he promised himself he’d do better. He wouldn’t do that to his son again. Sonny said Sidwell was gone and Cullum was dead now, and Jason said he’d thought of that, but if he continued to work for Sonny, Sonny’s security would be his priority and not Danny. Sonny said he could make changes, but Jason said it wouldn’t be fair to Sonny when he couldn’t do the things he used to. He couldn’t kill for Sonny again. He had to stop before Danny wanted to follow in his footsteps. Sonny said Danny already had.

Dante told Elizabeth that he’d promised himself he’d never compromise his career for someone he loved again, but at the first opportunity, he couldn’t hold himself to it. What kind of cop was he? He couldn’t take the chance of Cullum getting his hands on the evidence. Elizabeth said he’d made the right call. He had to choose between following the letter of the law and protecting his child and he’d made the right choice. Dante said he was grateful that he could talk to her about this. She was the only one who had told him the truth.

Trina, Gio, and Kai arrived at the Surf Lodge, and Simon said now they could get to know each other better before they started working together. He asked who Kai was, and Kai said he was Trina’s boyfriend. He held out his hand, but Simon didn’t take it and said they had another problem.

Nina wondered what Josslyn was doing there, and Jack said she was a WSB agent. Nina asked, since when? and Josslyn asked if she should come back, but Nina said she was on her way out. She asked Jack to call her when he was free, and left. Jack said he was expecting a call from a Cairo based agent and wanted Josslyn to be a part of it, but she said she thought they had business closer to home to discuss. He was making himself vulnerable to a huge liability – Nina Reeves.

Anna told Carly that the WSB targeted the young who were idealists. That’s why she’d kept a close eye on Emma to keep her out of their reach. Carly thanked her for what she’d done for Josslyn. She believed Josslyn would wake up one day and realize it wasn’t the life for her, but also knew Anna believed Josslyn couldn’t just walk away. Anna and Valentin exchanged looks, and Anna said Carly was right. If Valentin could do it, she hoped it boded well for Carly’s daughter. Valentin said he hoped the same for Anna, and Anna said she’d taken up too much of their time already, and left. Carly said Anna had shown the kind of compassion no one had shown for Josslyn, and Valentin said it was very Anna, but something else was going on.

Simon stepped away with Brook, and Kai wondered if he’d done something to offend Simon. Maybe he should go. Trina said Kai was her boyfriend and a big part of her life. If Simon didn’t like it, that was his problem. Gio said, whatever it was, his mom would handle it.

Simon said he’d thought Gio and Trina were a couple, but Brook said they were just good friends. She was sorry if he’d gotten the wrong impression. He said he wished he’d gotten a heads up. They’d developed a whole marketing strategy around them being young, beautiful, and in love. If they’d gotten there in time, he could have laid out their whole plan of action. Now he had to catch a flight. Brook asked why she hadn’t heard about this before, but he said she was hearing about it now. Just get them on board.

Anna came home and asked where Emma’s friends were, and Emma said Trina and Gio had to go to the Surf Lodge and Kai went with them. She thought she’d clean up a little bit. Anna said she could tolerate a bit of mess, but Emma said she wanted to spend some time with her. She thought they could watch a movie and stuff their faces with some popcorn. Anna said that sounded good, and Emma asked how her day was. Anna said she ran into Valentin and Carly at the MetroCourt and they’d talked about Josslyn. Emma said they’d invited Josslyn, but she had work, which made sense since the WSB wasn’t exactly a 9 to 5 job. She couldn’t imagine dedicating her entire life to that. Anna said she was happy to hear Emma say that. When Emma was a little girl, she said she wanted to be a spy. Emma said she’d wanted to be like her hero – Anna, and they hugged.

Carly told Valentin that Anna seemed okay to her, considering everything she’d been through. Did she say something that made him worry? Valentin said Anna had been through hell and was back again. It was going to be a while before she could put Faison’s ghost to rest. Nina came in, and Valentin went over to her. He said he owed her a big thanks. He had access to his money again and thought it was all thanks to her. She said she thought he meant the WSB, but he said Jack would rather die than give him anything. He thought it was because of her and he owed her, so he was giving her a warning. If she continued her association with Jack, it would cost her.

Josslyn asked how much Jack knew about Nina, and he said he hadn’t had time to perform a full background check. She said let her give him some highlights. Nina had let her family believe Sonny was dead for months and let Sonny, who was suffering from a head injury, believe he was somebody else. Jack said, that’s enough.

Sonny told Jason that Danny was looking for retribution. Danny thought he could get it from him, but he turned Danny down. He knew Jason wouldn’t want Danny in this life anymore than he’d want his own children there. Jason thanked him for that and said that he was telling Danny, do as I say, not as I do, and it wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair. In a few years, Danny would be on his own and it was his last chance to be a father to him before Danny didn’t need him anymore. Sonny said, so he was out? and Jason sighed and said he was out. Sonny asked what was next. Was he still living at the Quartermaines? Jason said when he left that place years ago, he wanted nothing to do with them. But Sonny gave him a life and a purpose. Sonny taught him so much. Sonny became his friend and the brother he needed and wanted. He just wanted Sonny to know how grateful he was.

Elizabeth said she had to get going, and Dante said he did too. She said when she needed a softball coach, he’d be her first call, and he said, deal. He helped her up and Ric watched from a distance.

Jack said he wasn’t interested in discussing Nina’s past and less interested in discussing his personal life with Josslyn, but she said she was just trying to be helpful. He said he was having a hard time believing that, and she said she hadn’t agreed with all the decisions he’d made along the way, but now that the dust settled, she could see he’d done everything he could to keep people safe. If he wanted to keep doing that, do not get derailed by Nina. He said he was going to do her a favor. He was going to remember that she valued their working relationship and forget everything else she said. He learned a long time ago that it was a bad idea to have a personal life, but if you did have one, it had to be kept separate from what mattered most – your work.

Valentin said he didn’t know why anyone would want to spend time with Jack, but it was obvious the reason Jack had grown attached to Nina was because she was his ex-wife. He wasn’t saying it to be cruel. He just didn’t want to see her get hurt. She thanked him and said he’d just reminded her why they were no longer together. She left, and Carly said, that was fun. He said he was just trying to keep her on her toes, and they kissed.

Emma told Anna that she just remembered she’d finished the popcorn and a movie wasn’t a movie without it. She’d be back in ten. She left, and Peter said Anna heard her granddaughter. Anna was her hero. Emma had her whole life ahead of her and Anna must protect her. She said Valentin was going to help her, but he said Valentin had moved on. She was in his rearview. He wasn’t going to save her or Emma. No one would. Then Britt would use Emma to get to her. She said she couldn’t let that happen, and he said, good, because she was the only one who could stop Britt.

Sonny said Jason didn’t have to ask for his blessing. Jason had always had his back. Jason had a brother in him for years and always would. Nothing could change that. They both blinked back tears, hugged, and Jason left. He and Sonny looked at each other through the window, Jason nodded, and moved on.

Brook told Gio and Trina that somehow, Simon got the impression that they were a couple and wanted to promote them that way. It was a major part of the marketing plan. Trina said, he wanted them to fake a romance? and Kai said it seemed like a big ask. Gio said, no. They weren’t doing that. One, it was a lie, and two, it had nothing to do with music. Trina agreed, and Gio said it was a good thing Brook got them a 90-day out, sine they were going to take that, but Brook said they didn’t have to. Simon was under the wrong impression and built a narrative around it. They just had to give him time to come up with a new plan. She could handle it. Trina said she hoped Brook was right. She was really upset about this deal and didn’t want to lose it because of a misunderstanding. Brook said she had this.

We saw the shrine to Trina and then someone’s computer going through photos of her. A photo came up with her and Kai, and the mystery person erased Kai from the photo.

Tuesday:

Michael went to Carly’s and Josslyn was there as a surprise. Carly said Josslyn had another surprise for him, and Josslyn said she’d joined the WSB. Michael said, congratulations.

At Curtis’s office, Martin said he had a witness that might help their case. Drew walked in.

At the MetroCourt Gardens, Nina, Willow, and Obrecht toasted to Willow’s emancipation from Drew. Obrecht wondered if the celebration wasn’t premature, since the divorce wasn’t final, but Willow said Drew was just as eager to end their marriage as she was. Obrecht thought it was strange and that there was more to the story.

Ava invited Trina to breakfast and gave her a graduation present. She handed Trina a folder that said Jerome-Robinson Gallery, and said she’d outlined a plan to make Trina her partner… eventually. Trina said it was an incredible offer, but she couldn’t accept it.

Brook paced and worried that something would happen to mess up the adoption, but Chase said Alexis probably just hit rush hour traffic. Brook was concerned that the birth father changed his mind, and Olivia told her to relax. The doorbell rang, and Gio said he’d get it. They needed to chill. Alexis said the traffic had held her up. As soon as they signed the papers, Phoebe was officially theirs.

Oslo, Norway. Ethan wondered where his room service was, when there was a knock at his door. It was Hudson, who asked, where is she?

Carly said Josslyn didn’t have a desk job, and Michael said, she was a field agent? Josslyn said, yeah, and Carly said, an undercover field agent. Carly said Josslyn hadn’t told her either or the moss bowl , and Josslyn said she couldn’t tell anyone. She was sorry she had to lie. Michael said it was part of the job, but Carly was annoyed that he was okay with it. She was hoping he’d talk Josslyn out of it, but he said he wasn’t going to do that.

Curtis said he heard Drew was up and about, and told Martin that Drew would never help him. Drew admitted he’d done Curtis wrong and said he was truly sorry.

Trina told Ava, months ago, this would have been her dream job, but now she had a new dream.

Olivia took Phoebe and left with Ned, and Alexis said it was a closed and private adoption. Brook wondered if Phoebe would resent them signing away her only chance to know her father.

Ethan said, get out, and Hudson asked if that was any way to treat an old friend. Ethan said room service was there, and when Hudson turned, he punched him, but Hudson got the better of Ethan, grabbing his throat. He asked if Ethan was ready to cooperate.

Chase said it was what Phoebe’s father wanted, and Alexis said, he was adamant that he remain anonymous. Phoebe would never know her birth father. Brook said it wasn’t ideal, but she’d take it.

Hudson asked where Delilah was, and Ethan said she was dead. Hudson said Ethan was lying, and Ethan said he wasn’t there, but apparently, there was a complication with Delilah’s pregnancy. She passed out at a park and was rushed to the ER, but they couldn’t save her. He was sorry, but the baby was gone too.

Ava said, a recording contract? and Trina said it wasn’t something she’d planned. It just kind of fell in her lap. Ava said Trina deserved this and she couldn’t wait for the whole world to see what a shining star Trina was. Trina said the record exec wanted her and Gio in the studio as soon as possible, and Ava asked if she had to quit her day job. Trina asked if she could work part-time, and Ava said Trina should keep a steady source of income until she hit it big. Trina thanked her and said she couldn’t ask for a better mentor. Ava said she’d stopped thinking of Trina as a mentee a long time ago. Trina was her friend and she was happy for her.

Curtis told Drew, thanks for stopping by (ha-ha! here’s your hat, what’s your hurry), but Martin said he was advising Curtis to listen. Curtis told Drew to say what he had to say, and Drew said, blah-blah-blah, he’d reflected on his mistakes and he had regrets about the people he’d hurt… some of the people. Curtis was at the top of the list, since they’d been friends, and he was hoping to make amends. The prosecution had asked him to testify at Curtis’s trial. They thought he could help their case, but instead, he was going to help Curtis.

Willow told Obrecht that there was no story. She and Drew just decided they didn’t want to be married anymore. Obrecht said the man was obsessed with Willow, with controlling her, and keeping her from others. She found it impossible to believe Drew would let Willow go without a fight. Nina said they shouldn’t pry. Why didn’t they just let Willow move on with her life? Obrecht asked if Drew would be taking back his seat in congress, and Willow said congressional seats couldn’t be temporarily delegated, so she got to stay in office until the next election. Obrecht wondered if Drew would run against her, but Willow said she didn’t think he wanted to take on something with that much stress. Nina said Drew had destroyed his constituents’ trust in him and Willow was doing a fantastic job. Willow said the best part was that she was finally free and could still support herself and her kids. Now she just needed to find a new place to live. They couldn’t stay with Nina forever. Nina said she loved having them there, but Willow said they really needed a place of their own, especially if Wiley and Amelia would be living with her full-time. Nina asked how she got Michael to agree to that, and Willow said she hadn’t yet, but soon he wouldn’t have a say in the matter.

Michael asked if Josslyn liked being an agent, and she said she found it very fulfilling. He told Carly that he got that Josslyn had a dangerous job, but if it was what she wanted to do, they had no choice but to support her. Carly said this wasn’t how she thought this was going to go. She got that Michael and Josslyn had their own relationship and wouldn’t tell them how to feel… Josslyn asked if that meant Carly accepted her career choice, but Carly said, no. Michael said, come on, but Josslyn said Carly had the right to feel the way she felt. Michael said, as dangerous as it was, Josslyn was still breathing, and Josslyn told him that she’d gotten shot. He asked when it happened, and she said, about a month ago. He wondered why he was just hearing about it, and Carly said, welcome to her world. Josslyn said she hadn’t been cleared to say anything until recently, and Michael said he’d been so caught up in his own problems, that he’d let them both down.

Willow said she had a meeting scheduled with Commissioner Devane and they were going to discuss all the missteps that took place in Anna’s absence, including her trial. Nina wondered if it was wise, and Willow said Drew’s shooter hadn’t been caught and needed to be brought to justice. Obrecht asked if she still thought Michael was responsible, and Willow said, Dante was obviously protecting his brother. Now that Anna was back, she’d be unbiased. Obrecht asked if Anna wasn’t the one who had Willow arrested, but Willow said she was exonerated. Obrecht said she’d thought Willow was merely acquitted, but Willow said, same thing. Obrecht said, hardly. And as a lawmaker, she should know the difference. Willow said what she did know was that she couldn’t be tried again thanks to double jeopardy, and Nina said she was sure Anna had more pressing cases on her plate. Willow said, then she’d point out that it was in the best interest of the PCPD and their federal funding to reopen the investigation.

Curtis wondered how Drew’s testimony could possibly help him, and Martin said they had to convince the jury of Curtis’s absolute belief that Isaiah was involved in his accident. The ADA would offer up Willow as the other driver involved, which was based on statements made by Lucy Coe and Drew. Drew said Detective Fitzpatrick had come to question him and inferred he’d tried to tell him that Willow was on Route 91 at the time of the accident. He’d simply explain that Fitzpatrick misunderstood. Curtis asked if that was the truth, and Drew said he’d testify that Willow was home at the time of the accident. Not for her sake, but for Curtis’s. He owed Curtis. He realized it wouldn’t make up for everything he’d done, but he was hoping it was a start.

Trina thanked Ava for letting her stay on part-time, and Ava said Trina could repay her with front row seats to her first stadium tour. Trina said, from her lips, and Ava asked how she felt about all this. Trina said she was trying not to get carried away, since tons of artists never went anywhere, but Ava said she was confident Trina wouldn’t be one of them. But if Trina decided it wasn’t for her, they could revisit the idea of a partnership anytime. Trina thanked her and asked about Ava and Ethan, but Ava said there was no her and Ethan.

Hudson said this was Ethan’s fault. Delilah wouldn’t have run off if it wasn’t for him. He’d put ideas in her head. Ethan said, she was scared. He was trying to be a good friend. If he’d known what was going to happen, he would have… Hudson said, not stuck his nose where it didn’t belong? What was he supposed to do now? Ethan said, if it helped, Delilah loved that baby with all her heart, and Hudson punched him again.

Nina said Willow and Michael just worked out a decent custody situation, but Willow said, the second Michael heard Drew recovered, he’d charged over to demand full custody. Obrecht said it was no secret how Michael felt about his children being around Drew or that he was right to feel that way, and Nina asked if he knew about the divorce. Willow said he did, and she’d insisted they share custody 50/50, but he found it unreasonable, and Nina said maybe he was waiting for the divorce to be final because he was worried they’d reconcile. Willow said Michael was waiting for the right moment to pounce and take her children away for good. She needed to act first. Nina asked if the best move was to reopen Drew’s shooting. What if Anna found evidence that pointed to someone else other than Michael? Willow said it was a chance she had to take for her children, but Obrecht said it wasn’t. Willow asked what else Obrecht suggested she do, and Obrecht said, listen to your mutter. Anna wouldn’t take kindly to political pressure. Willow said Anna didn’t have to like it. She just had to accept it. Obrecht said, Willow was using her office to leverage others into doing her bidding like Drew did? but Willow said she wasn’t doing what Drew did. He used his position to hurt people. She was doing this… Obrecht said, for her children. She kept saying that, but from personal experience, when it came to Anna Devane, she would highly advise Willow not to poke that bear.

Curtis said absolutely everything was on the line, and Martin said they were all aware of what the stakes were. Curtis said, then why was Martin asking him to trust the man who did everything to destroy him? but Martin said he wasn’t asking Curtis to trust Drew. The prosecution was going to put him on the stand anyway. After his testimony, Curtis could judge whether or not he was being sincere. Drew said he was just there to give Curtis a heads up as to his intentions and what he was going to say. And to apologize in person. Curtis said he was still waiting for the quid pro quo. The idea that Drew would help him out of the goodness of his heart or to make amends, he didn’t buy it. What was this help going to cost him?

In the foyer, Ned said, his grandson’s first record deal. He knew this day would come. Olivia asked if he was going to try and take credit for this, and Ned asked if he could help it that the musical chain ran through his side of the family. Gio said there was no denying it, but it was all Brook, and Olivia said it was all Gio and his talent. Maybe Eddie Maine could give him some tips. Ned said his only advice to Gio was to listen to his mother and maybe invest in a pair of black leather pants, and Olivia asked if he still had a pair of those hanging around. Ned said he did. They were tight now. She said maybe he could bring them out of retirement for their next date night, and Gio covered Phoebe’s ears. Alexis came out and said Brook and Chase would like them to come into the living room, and they went in. Ned handed Phoebe to Brook, and Chase said, it’s official. Brook said she and Chase were the proud parents of Phoebe Jacqueline Chase.

Trina said, Ethan abandoned Ava at the pool? and Ava said, yep. One second, he was there going to get a refill and… gone. She’d left messages and sent texts. Not a word. Trina said that was so strange. She thought Ethan was really into Ava. Ava said so did she. He’d even insisted it wasn’t a fling and said he felt they had a real connection. He wanted to see where it would go. She guessed it was all just an act. Trina asked if Ava thought he’d been running a scam on her, and Ava said she did, but for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out the angle. There had been no suspicious activity with her credit cards or bank accounts. Trina said maybe he’d been telling her the truth about how he felt, and Ava said, then where was he? Either way, she thought she’d dodged a bullet. Trina got a call from Simon and stepped away to take it, and Ava checked her phone.

Ethan and Hudson fought, and Hudson said Ethan was a thief. Ethan had stolen from him. Ethan went down, and Hudson gave him a kick. He said if he found out Ethan was lying to him, he’d come back and finish the job. And it wouldn’t end with Ethan. His mother, his sisters, they’d pay first. And he’d make sure Ethan saw it.

Carly said Michael’s focus should be on his kids, and Josslyn said it wasn’t his job to take care of her. He needed to look out for Wiley and Amelia. Michael said he should have been looking out for both of them, but Carly said they didn’t need a big, strong man to take care of them. They had the moss bowl . Josslyn said they could take care of their own problems, and Michael said, but they were family. Family looked out for each other, and this part of the family got shot. Josslyn said, this part of the family fixed it and she found it very fulfilling. He needed to protect his children from Willow. Carly said, especially now that Drew was back on his feet, and Josslyn said, he was? Carly said, she didn’t know? So much for working at an intelligence agency. Michael said Drew and Willow were getting divorced. He used to pray this would happen, but now she’d made his situation even worse.

Willow thanked Nina and Obrecht for their advice, but said she couldn’t just sit back and let Michael take her children. She needed to be proactive. Nina said she’d just managed to extricate herself from Drew. Take the win. Take some time to regroup. If she rushed into this right now, she was just asking for trouble. Willow said she no longer had to worry about Drew, which meant she could focus on securing her future with Wiley and Amelia, and she would. Nina excused herself to go to the ladies room and left. Obrecht said Willow had upset Nina and needed to listen to her now. She couldn’t stop Willow from doing what she felt she must for her children, but she urged Willow to leave Nina out of it.

Drew said what he wanted in return was absolutely nothing, and Curtis asked if Drew expected him to believe he didn’t have an ulterior motive. Drew said he was forced to sit there helpless and watch as Willow handed Scout over to Alexis. There was no pain quite like that. He knew Alexis loved Scout and couldn’t stand him. He could just imagine the things Alexis told Scout about him. If Curtis went to prison, the same thing would happen to his newborn son. He would lose his son and Drew didn’t wish that pain on anyone, especially someone he used to consider a friend. So whether Curtis liked it or not, he was going to side with him at his trial, and he didn’t want anything in return. Drew left.

Alexis said, Phoebe’s father wrote a letter to her for her to read when she was older. He wanted her to know more about Delilah. Ned asked if he wrote anything about himself, but she said she didn’t read it. And neither should they. Brook said, of course (🍷) not, and Alexis said, to prevent curiosity from getting the best of them, the birth father made it clear that this letter was only about Delilah. Chase said they’d keep it somewhere safe, and Alexis said the next thing they needed to do was go down to the courthouse and show the judge the adoption papers. Brook said they would, and Alexis said her work was done there. Congratulations. Brook and Chase walked Alexis to the door, and Chase thanked her again for all her help. Brook wondered if they could ask her another favor. If Phoebe’s birth father reached out and asked her for money, just let them know and they pay it. No questions asked. Alexis said that wouldn’t be necessary, but Chase said, just in case. They’d do anything to make sure Phoebe stayed with them.

Grunting and puffing, Ethan picked himself up and called Ava, who said he had some nerve. He said, please. She had to listen. She said she was hanging up now. Don’t call her again. He said, don’t. Wait. He knew she was angry at him, but this was important. It was about the baby. In the hallway, Hudson turned around. We could see he was wearing an earpiece.

Martin said they had to get to the courthouse, and Curtis asked if he thought Drew would come through. Martin said if the jury thought Drew was sincere, it would make it easier to convince them that Isaiah was driving the other car, and Curtis said, then he’d be acquitted.

Michael said Willow was pressuring him. He’d have to give in eventually, since she had the upper hand due to her political connections. Carly said she’d stood by her incapacitated husband only to dump him, but Michael said he could still lose. At this point, he didn’t know what to do to stop her.  

Obrecht said Willow’s mother loved her and would do anything for her, and Willow said she appreciated that. Obrecht told her to think carefully before involving Nina in something that could hurt her. She’d been put through enough. Willow said she didn’t want to hurt her mom. She wanted to keep her children and her mother understood that was all that mattered.

On the phone, Nina told Jack that she needed advice. Willow wanted to push the PCPD into reopening the investigation into Drew’s shooting… Yeah. It was a terrible idea, but Willow was determined to go after Michael. What was she going to do… Wait. She couldn’t hear. The reception was bad. Hold on. She walked away, when Trina, who had clearly heard, came out.  

Ethan asked if Ava was there, and she said he had 30 seconds. He said, if anyone came looking for the baby or was asking questions, keep her mouth shut. No one could know his connection to the baby and she had to keep his secret. She said she’d told him that she would, and he asked her to swear she would. She said, okay, she swore, and he thanked her. She asked what was going on. Was he in some kind of trouble? He said he had to go, and she asked where he was. He said, goodbye, and hung up. Hudson took out his earpiece and kept walking, while Ethan crashed on the bed.

Gio told Ned and Olivia that when Phoebe was older, she’d have questions about her biological parents. He knew from experience, but he was lucky that he got to know his parents. Phoebe would never get that chance. Olivia said she was confident that Brook and Chase would be upfront and tell Phoebe as much as possible. Whatever happened, it wouldn’t be easy for Phoebe, but at least she could take comfort in knowing that she had people who loved her. She and Gio hugged.

Alexis said the birth father made it clear he felt Phoebe was better off with Brook and Chase, and Chase asked if she didn’t think he’d change his mind. Alexis said there were no guarantees, but she firmly believed he didn’t want to be a part of Phoebe’s life. Even if he changed his mind, he’d signed away his parental rights and there was nothing to worry about.

Wednesday:

Ava went to see Sonny and said, it better be urgent, and he asked what she did to drive Ethan out of town.

Tracy asked if it was done, and Brook said Phoebe was officially theirs. She was disappointed Tracy wasn’t there. Tracy said she was busy planning their trip.

At Bobbie’s, Lucy said she wanted Serena to pick out her most seductive swimsuit. Michael Corinthos was spending the afternoon at the MetroCourt pool.

At the pool, Michael and Jacinda kissed, when Willow came in with Wiley.

Martin arrived at court and asked Molly where Turner was, and Molly said she was out of town. Martin said Curtis was a good man and suggested they call the whole thing off now. He proposed six months of community service and anger management. As long as there was no prison time, Curtis would accept a plea bargain. She said any other defendant would face prison time under these circumstances, but he said everyone involved was family and a trial would tear them apart.

In the hallway, Isaiah said he was sorry Portia got caught up in this. She should be home with Dez, not in court. She said she was a witness and knew what that night had cost him. He didn’t cause this. Curtis did. Curtis and Jordan walked in.

Serena wondered if she was supposed to put on a bikini, do some kind of shimmy, and Michael would hand over his Deception shares, but Lucy said, no. Slow and steady… Serena said, wins the race? but Lucy said, no, silly. Makes us rich and evens the score with Tracy. She was to make Michael’s acquaintance and charm him. They had a lot in common. They were both very giving and philanthropic, and Serena was cosmopolitan and well-traveled. Michael was a very successful businessman and they were both drop dead gorgeous. Think of this as casting the line. Michael was also very shrewd, but she just had to be more shrewd.

Wiley asked Michael to swim with him and they went in the pool. Willow told Jacinda that her personal situation had changed, and Jacinda said she’d heard Willow and Drew were getting a divorce. Willow said there may need to be some adjustments made to the kids’ living arrangements, and Jacinda suggested she discuss it with Michael, but Willow said she didn’t think it was healthy for her kids to be around Jacinda and would like for her to keep her distance.

Ava told Sonny that she’d done absolutely nothing to Ethan and wasn’t the reason he was gone. They were actually having a lovely time together at the pool until he suddenly and inexplicably disappeared. Sonny said Ethan was fine until he got with Ava, and she said the blame for that lay directly on Sonny’s shoulders. He’d tasked Ethan with being her bodyguard and it wasn’t her fault Ethan enjoyed her company. Sonny said he’d warned Ethan not to get involved with her. What kind of trouble did she get him into?

Tracy said she and Brook were going to New York City for three nights. She’d booked a suite at the St. Regis. Brook said she wasn’t leaving her newly adopted daughter, but Tracy said they’d take Phoebe with them. They could arrange for a sitter. Brook said she wasn’t going, but Tracy said, yes, she was. With or without the baby, Brook needed to get out of town. Brook said, nice try, granny. She knew Curtis was going on trial today. Her leaving town wouldn’t change that or erase the role she played in the accident.

Isaiah said Curtis could save everyone a lot of pain by accepting the plea bargain, but Curtis said he’d miss the first eight months of his son’s life. Isaiah said Curtis was guilty, but Curtis said Isaiah was afraid that he’d let the world know Isaiah had left him and Jordan on the side of the road to die. Isaiah asked Jordan to get Curtis to see reason, which sparked Curtis’s anger, but Lucas said emotions were running high and suggested everyone take a step back.

Wiley asked Jacinda to come swim with them, but she said she had to go to work and needed to stay dry. Maybe next time. Wiley said only if they did cannonballs, and Jacinda said it was a date. Wiley left and Jacinda said she chose peace. Willow should try it sometime. Willow left to sit on a chaise, when Jack came along and said, beautiful day for a swim.

Lucy said she wanted the shares badly, but not at Serena’s expense. Was she absolutely sure she wanted to do this? Serena said, of course (🍷). Deception was Lucy’s baby. Lucy said her other baby, and Serena said her other baby was happy to do whatever she could to help. The way she saw it, they were just evening things up. Serena left, and Lucy made a call asking someone to meet her right away. She needed them.

Isaiah said Lucas was right and told Portia that they should head inside. Jordan told Curtis not to worry about Isaiah. They needed to focus on getting him exonerated. They went inside, and Fitzpatrick told Lucas, that was a well-timed intervention. He’d handled it well. Lucas thanked him and asked what he was doing there, and Fitzpatrick said he’d been the arresting officer in the case and was there to testify. Lucas said he was too. He’d been on duty in the ER that night. Fitzpatrick asked if he was sure he could be impartial, and Lucas said all he could do was tell the truth, right? They were all good people and it was sad the situation had spiraled out of control.

Isaiah told Molly that he and Curtis almost came to blows outside the courtroom, and Molly said if Isaiah hadn’t restrained himself, he would have ruined their case. He needed to be careful. Curtis’s attorney would try to bait him while he was on the stand. If he lost his cool, they’d lose.

Jordan asked Portia how Desmond was, and Portia said he was good. Stella was watching him. Jordan said the best thing for Desmond would be his father not going to prison, but Portia said she wasn’t sure that was something she could control. Jordan said how Portia testified could make all the difference, and Portia asked if Jordan wanted her to lie. Jordan said she wanted Portia to tell the truth. This was a domestic situation that got out of control, but there was blame on both sides. That was all she had to say. It was in Portia’s hands.

Tracy said, by the time Brook learned about the accident, Jordan was already in the hospital, and Brook said, but at least then Curtis wouldn’t have accused Dr. Gannon. Her choice to stay quiet led to Curtis throwing that punch. Tracy said, no. Curtis’s temper was what led to him throwing that punch and Brook wasn’t responsible for his bad choices. Brook said but she was responsible for her own. She felt that her staying quiet was why Dr. Gannon was injured and why Curtis was on trial. Tracy said, which was exactly why they needed to get her out of town. She needed some distance from the trial before her guilty conscience ruined her life.

Lucy thanked Felicia for meeting her, and Felicia said she’d sounded upset on the phone. Lucy said she needed Felicia’s help. More importantly, she needed Felicia’s opinion. Did Felicia think she was a bad mother? Felicia said, of course (🍷) not. Why would she ask that? Lucy said she was over the moon that Serena was with her, but she wasn’t totally honest about the reason for her visit. She had an ulterior motive. She’d asked Serena there to help her finesse getting Maxie’s shares away from Michael and asked her to do that by flirting with him. (I don’t like it. I love Jacinda.)

Jack said Willow’s office told him where to find her, and she said she didn’t like work to intrude on her time with her kids. Make an appointment. He said he thought they were way past that type of formality. He’d put himself on the line for her and her mother. She asked if he was saying she owed him, but he told her that he was saying their relationship didn’t have to be antagonistic. They’d already proven they were good allies. He thought it was time they took this to the next level.

Ava told Sonny that she hadn’t seen Ethan since yesterday, and if he’d told her where he was going, she’d be there right now, slapping him across the face. Sonny asked if she’d heard from him, and she said he’d called her from an unknown number. He said he was gone and wouldn’t be coming back. He even had the nerve to hang up before she could give him a piece of her mind.

Portia told Jordan that Curtis’s actions were the reason they were all going through this. There was no world in which she would get on that stand and say anything that would allow Curtis to put the blame for what he did on Isaiah. Curtis said, let’s not do this. It wasn’t good for anyone. Portia said, finally, something they could all agree on, and told Jordan not to worry. She’d do as Jordan asked and tell the truth. The bailiff said, all rise. Court is now in session. The judge came in.

Michael told Jacinda that Willow cozying up to a WSB station chief was totally on brand for her, but the last thing he needed. Jacinda asked if he thought Brennan would help Willow by targeting him, but he said he didn’t know. They’d always gotten along. Brennan was the reason he got burn treatment in Germany, but that was before things between Brennan and his mom blew up. Now Brennan had no reason to do him any favors. Her phone chimed and she said she had to get to the office.

Lucy told Felicia that she felt awful asking Serena to do this. It was the way she used to operate, but there was no reason her daughter had to. Felicia said she thought Lucy was being too hard on herself, and Lucy asked if Felicia would ask Maxie to finesse and strategize just to get something she really wanted. Felicia said, no, but Maxie wasn’t above bending a few rules to get what she wanted. What mattered was Serena’s own agency. Did Lucy ask Serena to help her or tell her to? Lucy said she’d asked her and Serena said she wanted to do anything she could to help her mom. She just didn’t want to put Serena in the position that she felt she had to see this through to the end because her mom wanted this so badly and so much.

Ava said she supposed she should be gratified Ethan didn’t ghost her completely, and Sonny said Ethan wasn’t running from him. Ava asked if he was sure. He asked an awful lot of the people who worked for him. Maybe he’d asked too much of Ethan. Sonny asked what that was supposed to mean, and she wondered if he’d heard that Drew made a full recovery. Some people would call that a miracle, but she was guessing Michael wasn’t one of those people. She was sure it was only a matter of time before Drew set his sights on Michael again unless somebody stepped in to stop him. Did he ask Ethan to kill Drew?

Brook said, if Curtis knew Dr. Gannon didn’t leave him and Jordan at the scene of the accident… Tracy said Brook didn’t leave them either. She didn’t even know there had been an accident. Brook said, but if Curtis knew that, maybe it would set the stage for some sort of peace between them, and Tracy said that was a maybe at best. She suggested they talk about what was definite for Brook, and Brook said Phoebe’s adoption had been finalized, so thankfully, she didn’t have to worry about losing her. She would absolutely lose Trina as a recording artist. It would probably impact her relationship with Gio, who would probably be upset with her too. She could lose him too, and not just as a recording artist. Tracy said that would be a shame considering all the strides they’d made. Disappointing someone you love is always a consideration. Brook said that was why she was most worried about Chase finding out.

Molly told the jury that they were going to hear attempts by the defense to sensationalize what was an unambiguous act of assault. They were going to hear about a terrible car accident and efforts to cast suspicion and blame for it. The car accident wasn’t relevant. It was a red herring meant to play on their emotions and distract them from the real issue – the punch. It was illegal to punch someone. That was assault. And if you assaulted someone and caused great bodily injury, you were responsible, even if you didn’t intend to cause great bodily injury. Curtis Ashford punched a surgeon, Dr. Isaiah Gannon, causing grievous injury to his hand. So their job today was to listen carefully to the testimony and go with the facts in spite of whatever plays for sympathy the defense might offer. If they followed the facts and evidence she presented, she was confident that they’d find the defendant guilty.

Martin said it was true Curtis and Jordan Ashford were involved in a nearly fatal car accident. And if it wasn’t for Mr. Ashford’s heroism, Jordan wouldn’t be sitting there with them today. That too was a fact. Dr. Isaiah Gannon drove away from the scene of that crash. Didn’t look back. Didn’t even phone for an ambulance. And consequently, the care that was critical to Jordan’s very survival didn’t get there until much later, and to this day, Dr. Gannon, surgeon, had expressed no remorse, nor had he accepted responsibility for his actions or lack thereof surrounding the crash. The defense would make it abundantly clear to them that Curtis Ashford’s actions in the MetroCourt were provoked and that the fault for any injury that may be the unfortunate result of a domestic altercation lay squarely at the feet of Dr. Isaiah Gannon.

Felicia asked if Serena was able to tell Lucy, no, and Lucy said sometimes Serena told her no in several different languages. Felicia said, then stop beating herself up and trust that her daughter knew what she wanted. And it sounded like she wanted to help her mom. Lucy said she thought Felicia was right. Besides, it was Michael. He was basically a good person and was filthy rich. She thought he might be the perfect match for Serena.

Jack said he received a troubling call from Willow’s mother yesterday. She told him that Willow planned on contacting Anna to convince her to reopen the case against Michael for Drew’s shooting. Willow said that wasn’t her mother’s business to share, but Jack said he was glad she did because it was a bad idea and they both knew why. Willow said she wasn’t worried. She’d been exonerated and all the compelling evidence pointed to Michael. He said, perhaps, until Anna started digging. She might uncover the footage of Willow on Drew’s street the night of the shooting. It was a risk neither of them could afford to take. Willow said she didn’t care. If it resulted in her getting more time with her children, it was a risk worth taking. She asked Wiley to come out of the pool, and Serena walked in looking amazing.

Brook said she’d had chance after chance to come clean with Chase and didn’t, and Tracy asked, why? Brook said she didn’t want him to be disappointed in her. After she’d confessed to framing Willow, she still held back, when it was her moment to be totally honest. She still couldn’t do it. Chase thought they were at a place of total honesty and if he found out she was lying, she didn’t think he’d ever trust her again.

On the stand, Lucas said Isaiah was in a great deal of pain when he came to the ER. His hand was clearly badly injured. They set him up with a hand specialist immediately. Molly asked if Isaiah told him how it happened, and he said Isaiah told him that Curtis Ashford punched him, he fell, and injured his hand. Molly asked if Isaiah mentioned any car accident the night he was treated, but Lucas said, no, and Molly had no further questions. The judge said Lucas was Martin’s witness, but Martin said the defense had no questions at this time. However, they reserved the right to recall this witness.

Molly asked if Fitzpatrick was the arresting officer the night of the assault, and he said he was. She asked if he’d witnessed the assault, but he said, no. He’d entered the restaurant immediately after. She asked if he heard Curtis say he’d punched Isaiah, and he said he heard the defendant say he’d punched Dr. Gannon because he deserved it. Then he questioned the parties present and arrested Mr. Ashford. Molly had no further questions.

Martin asked if it would be accurate to say Fitzpatrick didn’t personally know the parties involved in this case, and Fitzpatrick said, yes. Martin said so he didn’t know the domestic dynamics at play at the time of the incident, and Fitzpatrick said he didn’t. Martin said, so he had no way of knowing how it escalated, and Fitzpatrick said he could only testify to what he’d witnessed. Martin said, wasn’t it possible that he’d jumped the gun when he arrested a pillar of the community with no concept of the circumstances he’d walked into? Fitzpatrick said, the PCPD received a call about a skirmish at the hotel and he and another officer were sent to the scene. When they arrived, he found an injured man on the floor, the defendant actively goading him to fight, and a pregnant woman clearly in distress. Martin asked if it wasn’t conceivable Fitzpatrick had overstepped his authority in making an arrest when he could have just deescalated the situation.

Molly called Portia to the stand.

Lucy told Felicia that Serena was beautiful, kind, sophisticated, and so intelligent. She’d had her share of failures in the romance department too, and needed a stand-up guy. Felicia said it didn’t hurt that Serena and Michael were both independently wealthy and didn’t have to worry about money being a draw, and Lucy asked if she’d thought about the romantic irony. She’d once been married to Alan and now, just possibly, his grandson could be with her daughter. Felicia said she thought Lucy was getting ahead of herself, but Lucy said she didn’t think so. She’d always thought Serena would make the perfect Quartermaine. Serena could even wear her red dress.

Wiley told Michael, today was so good. Maybe next time they could go for ice cream after. They hugged, and Willow told Michael to be sure to ask Jacinda what they’d talked about. She’d be curious as to what Jacinda told him, if he thought he could trust what she said. Willow left, and Serena began to walk toward Michael, but slipped and ended up in Jack’s lap. He didn’t look like he hated it.

Sonny said he didn’t ask Ethan to do anything to Drew. Was that the kind of stuff Ava talked about in front of their daughter? Ava said, no, but she didn’t lie to Avery either, and Sonny said they both knew there were certain truths their daughter shouldn’t hear about them. Don’t play with him because she knew what happened when she pushed him. She said, threatening her didn’t help their daughter. It did her no good to hear about the ugliest parts of either of them. He said he agreed, but didn’t take kindly to people coming after his family or anybody close to him, and that included her or Drew. Don’t forget, there were consequences.

Tracy said Brook had a choice. Did she unburden her guilty conscience and devastate her partner, or did she learn from this experience and promise herself it would never happen again and move on with her life? Brook said, and then what? Just carry around the secret forever? Tracy asked if she loved her husband enough to do that. She had the family of her own she’d always wanted. The truth jeopardized that. Was it worth it? They heard Phoebe on the monitor, and Brook said she knew what was at stake. She had to protect her family, and to do that, Chase could never know what she did.

Lucas asked if Fitzpatrick was okay. Things got a little heated in there. Fitzpatrick said, nothing he couldn’t handle. That was just a defense attorney doing his job. Lucas said, for what it was worth (🍷), he didn’t think Fitzpatrick made an unnecessary arrest, and Fitzpatrick said he just hoped everyone involved got justice.

Molly asked if Portia witnessed the punch, and Portia said, yes. Molly asked if Isaiah had hit Curtis prior to the punch or attempt to, and Portia said Isaiah was actually attempting to leave, but Curtis kept goading him. They continued to have words, then Curtis lost control and punched Isaiah in the face. Molly asked if Isaiah wasn’t a professional colleague in addition to being Portia’s romantic partner, and Portia said, yes. He was one of the finest surgeons she’d had the honor of working with. Molly asked if his injuries would cost him his career, and Portia said they’d cost him his ability to perform surgery. There were procedures only Isaiah and a select handful of surgeons could even do. Now he was unable to perform them. Molly asked if she was referring to a specific surgery, and Portia said there was a boy who was getting a liver transplant and Isaiah was going to perform the procedure. It became impossible after the assault. There were patients who may die, who may no longer have hope, all because of this senseless injury. Molly asked her to state for the record who was responsible for this injury, and Portia said, Curtis Ashford.

Martin asked if Portia wasn’t previously married to the defendant, and she said, yes. He asked if she gave birth to Curtis’s son this past July, and she said she did. He said, for the record, how long was she married to his client before she started sleeping with the alleged victim?

Thursday:

Molly objected. Relevance. Badgering. Prejudicial. Martin said, foundational. It went to motive. Judge Barnes said she’d allow it this time, but proceed with caution. Portia objected, but Martin said she couldn’t. She said she was doing it anyway. She didn’t see what her personal life had to do with her ex-husband assaulting Dr. Gannon.

Willow brought iced coffees to Nina’s and said she’d thought they were in a good place. Nina said they were, and Willow said then she’d prefer it if Nina would tell her if she had a problem with the way the kids were being raised, not the WSB.

Serena apologized and extracted herself from Jack’s lap. They introduced themselves and shook hands.

Laura met Lucy at Bobbie’s, and Lucy said it was about Doc.

Dante told Sonny that Corinthos Coffee had Jason, but now the PCPD had a power hitter too. Sonny said Jason wouldn’t be playing for them this year.

 Tracy wondered why Jason interrupted her backgammon game with Cody, and he said it was important. She asked what she was in for. Good, bad, or pack a bag, hide a body? He said it depended on her point of view. He’d quit working for Sonny.

Nina said she’d merely mentioned Willow’s plan to get Anna to reopen the investigation into Drew’s shooting. Her pushing the police to look at Michael’s role in the shooting meant they’d be likely to look at her role too. Willow said they couldn’t try her again and wondered why Jack even cared, and Nina said because Jack had caused the footage to disappear. If it was found, she’d take down the man who saved her along with herself.

Serena asked if she could buy Jack a drink, but he asked for a raincheck. She asked if he was a guest at the hotel, and he said he was. She said she was staying with family, and asked what brought him to town. He said work, speaking of which, he was sure he’d see her around. He left, and Serena grabbed Michael’s chaise. He said she was in his seat, and she said she knew. She was there to ambush him.

Laura was thrilled that Serena was in town, and Lucy said she was over the moon and thought Doc would feel the same way. They’d been close when Serena was a little girl. She asked when Doc would be back, since she wanted to plan a surprise reunion, but Laura said he wasn’t coming back.

Boyle met Jacinda outside Bobbie’s and said he came as soon as he got her text. She asked if he had it, and he said he did, but why did she need them all of a sudden? She said, bad day. She just wanted to take the edge off. He handed her a small baggie with a few pills in it.

Tracy said Jason always went back. Why was this time different? He said, this time there was no falling out. He was just done. Tracy said, well, I’ll be damned.

Sonny said, Jason quit, and Dante said then they’d definitely have the season locked. Sonny said he wasn’t talking about the team. He was talking about business. Jason was done. Dante said he’d heard that before, but Sonny said this was different. The WSB. Jakarta. Jason was making changes. Dante said he couldn’t blame him. They’d put him through hell. Sonny said Jason told him it wasn’t so much what they did to him, but what they took from him. And that had to do with Dante.

The judge said Portia was there to answer questions put to her by this court. Otherwise, she’d be held in contempt. Martin asked if it wasn’t true that Portia had been married to the defendant for almost three years before she started cheating on him with Dr. Gannon, but she said, no. She and Curtis were married for three years, but she began seeing Dr. Gannon because they were estranged. Martin asked what was the last thing Isaiah said before Curtis threw the punch, and Portia told him that Isaiah said he would be a better father to her baby than Curtis. Martin said, so he’d provoked Curtis, but Molly objected because it called for speculation. Martin said, withdrawn, and the judge said, redirect. Molly said, at the time of the altercation, Portia had moved on. Had Curtis? Portia said Curtis had gone back to his ex-wife Jordan, and Molly asked if Isaiah had lashed out at Curtis or physically threatened him, but Portia said, no. Molly asked, who threw the punch? and Portia said, Curtis Ashford.

Laura said the university had asked Doc to stay until the fall semester. She was going to see him very soon and now that Sidwell was out of the picture, she may be able to bring Ace back with her. Lucy said Serena would be sad that she missed him, but Laura said it was too wonderful of an opportunity for Doc to walk away from. Lucy said she knew long distance relationships could be difficult, but she was there if Laura needed to talk. She hoped Laura didn’t mind picking up the check, since she had to go. Ta! Lucy left and Laura said, always a pleasure.

Willow suggested Jack keep his head down if he was worried, but Nina said Jack wasn’t the one being reckless. Willow was. Willow said she was being careful and strategic, but Nina said Willow’s success as a congresswoman and her win over Drew had made her overconfident, and overconfidence bred carelessness. Willow said she couldn’t back down from Michael. The second he’d found out about Drew’s recovery, he was demanding full custody. Right now was the strongest position she’d ever be in and she wasn’t going to squander it. Nina said, what did you do?

Boyle asked, what made this day so bad? and Jacinda showed him a restraining order. She said Willow had her served this morning. She was supposed to stay away from Wiley and Amelia. Her arrest record made her unfit to be around Michael’s children. She could probably get around it, but she didn’t want to put a strain on her relationship with Michael. He said he could see why she wanted to escape for a few hours, but she shouldn’t be alone, and she said she appreciated it, but he should steer clear while she was cutting loose. She didn’t want him taking any more hits on her account. Besides, she’d be fine. He made her promise to call if she needed him, and she left.

Molly congratulated Drew on his recovery and asked if his wife, Willow Cain, was driving on Route 91 the night of April 8^th. Drew said, no, but she said they had a police report indicating otherwise. He said his wife was home with him that evening, and Molly had nothing further. Martin asked how Drew thought the mistake occurred, and Drew said when Fitzpatrick had interviewed him, he was still locked in and could only blink to communicate. When Fitzpatrick had asked about Willow’s whereabouts, he’d blinked twice for no, but they were interrupted and he must have only seen one blink. Martin said so the detective had drawn an erroneous conclusion placing Drew’s wife on Route 91 the night two people were nearly killed when she was with him that night. Molly said, objection. Council is testifying. Judge Barnes said, sustained, and Martin had no further questions.

Tracy asked, why now? and Jason said it was Danny. He had Sam before.  Tracy said she’d been gone almost two years, so why now? and he said everyone there had absolutely helped, but it wasn’t enough. Danny deserved a better father and he was going to try. That started with him being present and being a better example. He couldn’t keep telling Danny to make good choices while he was still making dangerous ones. If Danny went down the wrong road, he had to be there and needed Danny to believe him when he told him it was a mistake. She said, so he was telling her that what he wanted for Danny was what Alan and Monica wanted for him.

Dante didn’t know how he played into Jason’s decision, and Sonny said Dante arrested him in front of his son. Dante said he went there to arrest Jason, but Jason headbutted him and took off, and Sonny said, the law got too close to Danny that night. The distance between that part of Jason’s life got taken away. Dante said he’d begged Jason to tell him what happened on the pier. For Danny, for Rocco, for Sam even. He wouldn’t budge. Now they knew why. Sonny said Jason wasn’t the same man he was that night. Something inside of him broke. Dante said, maybe it healed him. He never thought he’d see Sonny and Jason part voluntarily. Sonny said, neither did he, and Dante said he was happy for Jason, Danny, and the Quartermaines, but he was worried about Sonny. Where did that leave him?

Molly said according to statements they had, on the night of the assault, Curtis punched Isaiah causing him to fall into a table. Was that correct? Isaiah said, yes, and when he fell, he broke his hand. Several bones were shattered. She asked if he’d be able to perform a transplant surgery now, and he said, no. In fact, he couldn’t perform a life-saving liver transplant for a pediatric patient that was supposed to take place shortly after the assault. Molly said, pediatric. So a child. He said, yes, and she asked when he’d be able to operate again. Would he be able to operate again? He said he didn’t know.

Boyle asked if he could join Laura and sat down. She said, by all means, do, and asked if she’d seen him talking to Jacinda outside. He said she did, and she said it looked like kind of an intense conversation. She hoped he knew she was seeing Michael Corinthos. He and his ex-wife had a very contentious relationship. Was he sure he’d like to mix himself up in that? He said he appreciated her concern, but he wasn’t turning his back on a friend. Jacinda was in over her head. If someone didn’t have her back, those people would destroy her and throw her away without a second thought.

Michael asked who was ambushing him, and Serena introduced herself. He said she was Lucy’s daughter. Her mom talked about her all the time. He was… She said, Michael Corinthos. She’d heard about him too. He asked what brought her back to Port Charles, and she said what he did to her mother.

Martin asked if Isaiah was driving on Route 91 the night of the accident, and Isaiah said he was. Martin said, to see a patient, correct? and Isaiah said, yes. Martin said they hadn’t been able to corroborate that, and Isaiah said his patient’s privacy was protected by HIPPA. Martin asked if Isaiah drove a vehicle that matched the one that drove Curtis and Jordan off the road that night, and Molly objected. The PCPD’s investigation had concluded that the driver of the car Curtis and Jordan were in was responsible, and the driver and Curtis had acknowledged that in their statements. Martin said he’d rephrase. What kind of car did Isaiah drive? Isaiah said, a black BMW SUV, and Martin asked if he hadn’t had repairs done around the same time. Isaiah said, yes, and Martin said so he could see how the facts pointed directly to him. Molly objected and said, argumentative. Martin said he’d rephrase again. Isaiah could see how his client could conclude he was behind the wheel of the other car that night. Molly objected. Speculative. Calls for conclusion. Judge Barnes sustained, and told Martin to move on. Martin asked if Isaiah didn’t have a history of animosity toward his client, and Isaiah said they weren’t friends. Martin asked how he would describe Curtis’s behavior toward him, and Isaiah said, judgmental, self-righteous, rigid, controlling… Martin asked if Isaiah intentionally provoked his client the night of the assault, but Isaiah said, no. Martin said Isaiah told his client to his face that he thought he’d be a better child to his child than he could be, and Isaiah said he did. Martin said, but he didn’t provoke him? Isaiah said he simply made a statement he believed to be true.

Serena said her mother was in pieces over Deception with Maxie just up and leaving. It all just threw her for a loop. Her mother needed her, so here she was. Michael said he’d do anything for his mother, so he got it, but let him put her mind at ease. The Quartermaines may own the majority, but he wasn’t one to hold the party line. Maxie knew that he’d always act in the best interest of the company, not Lucy’s, not Tracy’s, and that’s why she sold him her shares. It was just a favor for a friend. He owed her one. She said it did put her mind at ease a little. Her mother however… He said, not at ease? and she asked if he could blame her. He was still a Quartermaine. She assumed he wouldn’t have a problem with her working at Deception alongside her mother.

Nina said Willow hit her assistant with a restraining order? All this was going to do was make Michael angry. Willow said, so? Michael paid Jacinda to be his alibi and her lies almost put her in prison. Jacinda threatened her earlier. Jacinda was lucky a restraining order was all she threw at her. The doorbell rang and it was Jacinda with Nina’s laundry.

Martin asked Jordan to describe her injuries, and she said she had severe facial scarring from cuts and burns she’d gotten in the accident. He asked if she’d told Isaiah to visit her while she was recovering, and she said, no. He said, but he came to see her in the hospital, did he not? and she said, yes. He asked if she thought he was feeling guilty, and she said it was possible he’d visited her because his failure to render aid at the scene, even a phone call, delayed her getting treatment and could have cost her life.

Molly said, prior to Jordan’s accident, would she say she and Isaiah were friends or at least friendly? and Jordan said she would. Molly asked if he might not have been visiting her out of concern, and Jordan said she thought either explanation was possible. Molly said, in Jordan’s experience as Police Commissioner, would the fact that Isaiah drove a black BMW, as hundreds did, that he drove Route 91, as thousands did, and that he had paint touched up on his car be sufficient enough for her to bring this case to her for prosecution? Jordan said, it might be, and Molly asked what Jordan thought her response would be if she did. Martin objected and Molly said, withdrawn. Nothing further. Martin called Curtis to the stand.

Michael said he had no problem with Serena working at Deception, and she asked if he was sure. He said he didn’t get in the way of the hiring, and she said she was happy to hear it, but he said there was one huge hurdle she’d have to overcome.

Tracy said Jason’s parents longed for this day from the moment Jason entered Sonny’s world, and Jason said he wished he could tell them that he was sorry for all he’d put them through. She said he had to get there in his own time, in his own way, and she took his hand. She said just know if they were there, they’d be so happy and so grateful.

Dante said when he found out and accepted that Sonny was his father, he thought almost daily about the danger Sonny lived in. Knowing Jason would do anything for Sonny helped him sleep at night. Sonny said him too, and Dante said, now he thought of Sonny’s kids and his kids. They needed him there. If Jason was walking away, who would be in front of him? How was he ever going to sleep again? Sonny said he was walking away too.

Martin asked why Curtis suspected Isaiah was behind the wheel of the other vehicle, and Curtis said Isaiah was on the road that night and failed to offer an alibi that could be confirmed. He drove a vehicle that was the exact same make and model of the vehicle that struck the guardrail. He’d had body work done shortly after the accident, and it all added up to prove it to him. Martin asked why he threw the punch at Isaiah that night at the MetroCourt, and Curtis said, for many reasons, unfortunately. Not only did he believe that Isaiah was the person who left him and Jordan for dead, he also firmly believed that Isaiah was actively trying to push him out of his family. When he arrived at the restaurant, Isaiah had his hand on Portia’s stomach and later said that he would make a better father to his child.

Molly asked Curtis if Isaiah swung at him that night, and Curtis said, no. She asked if he made any physical move toward Curtis of any kind, and Curtis said, no. Molly had no further questions.

Jack approached Laura at Bobbie’s, and she said she heard he was looking for her. He said he was hoping they could find some common ground between the WSB and her office, but she said, no. Sit down. He sat, and she said there wouldn’t be any common ground until he could tell her why the WSB had not taken Sidwell out of Port Charles.

Jacinda said she’d gotten Willow’s restraining order this morning. Should she leave? Willow said, as much as she’d love that, the restraining order was for her kids and they weren’t there. Jacinda said, clearly, Willow felt threatened by her. Willow must think she’s quite something. Willow said she’d be in the other room and left. Nina said the October book was ready to go. She’d grab it and Jacinda could run it back to the office. She left to get the book and Jacinda saw the coffees on the table with Nina and Willow’s names on them. She took out the pills.

Molly told the jury that Curtis believed he was justified in striking Isaiah. Why? Because he drove a black car or because Isaiah said he might be a better father than a man who punched him in the face, causing him to fall into a table and break his hand, thus preventing him from performing lifesaving surgeries. Mr. Ashford was asking them to decide that the law didn’t apply to him because of a remark or because of some unsubstantiated belief that was his and his alone. Or because, quite frankly, he didn’t care for the man who was at the other end of his fist. This was precisely why this law existed. To stop men like Curtis Ashford.

Martin told the jury that this only came down to one thing – reasonable belief. And the three pillars of Curtis Ashford’s reasonable belief were, number one, Dr. Gannon was on hand the night he and Jordan nearly died and did nothing. Number two, Isaiah obviously shared Curtis’s ex-wife’s antipathy toward him, and number three, he believed Isaiah and Portia were planning to cut him out of his own son’s life. And quite frankly, he had every reason to believe it. After all, the doctor left him and the woman he loved on the side of the road to die. Then he witnessed the doctor stake a claim on his unborn child. What father wouldn’t fight, wouldn’t stand up for his family, exactly like Curtis Ashford did? What would they do? They couldn’t find him guilty. Please do not tear an innocent man away from his newborn son.

Jack told Laura that the DA’s office asserted jurisdiction over the Sidwell prosecutions. And since the attempt on Dr. Jones’s life was local, not an international incident, the WSB didn’t challenge it. Laura asked, why not? The WSB had never exercised such restraint before when they were trying to get someone off the street. He said, exactly. They weren’t interested in kicking up any more dust with the DA and the PCPD so soon after the Jason Morgan incident. She said it wasn’t the answer she was hoping for, and he said he was sorry, but Sidwell’s fate lay in the hands of her DA’s office. If they got a conviction, Sidwell would get 25 to life in Pentenville. If she had reason to believe Sidwell was still a threat, he would have her back. She thanked him and said she’d hold him to that.

Jason said the thing he worried about most was that he’d already missed so much of Danny’s life and making a change now could be too late, and Tracy said she’d spent most of her life feuding with her family, in and out of estrangement with her boys and everyone. But that changed and so could he.

Dante asked, what brought this on? and Sonny said, Sidwell. His fall opened up some opportunities and he was taking them. Dante said he never thought he’d see the day, and Sonny said he never thought he’d see the day they could talk openly and he wasn’t worried about Dante compromising his badge. They hugged.

Lucy watched Serena talking to Michael and said, that’s my girl.

Serena said she knew Tracy was a formidable woman and she looked forward to the challenge. Michael said if Tracy gave her any trouble he wanted to hear about it personally.

Jacinda put the pills in Willow’s coffee and put the bag back in her purse.

🌞 Summer Friday…

At the hospital, Elizabeth asked Lucas how court went. He said it was pretty painless for him. For others, not so much.

Fitzpatrick was swimming at the pool, and Anna asked him for a word.

Holding Desmond, Stella wondered how his parents were doing. She guessed they were licking their wounds. But hopefully, they could put that pain and anger aside. She thought they would. They had the most important reason in the world – him.

Isaiah asked if Molly thought the jury would find Curtis guilty, and she said, if they stuck to the facts of the case. Unfortunately, verdicts weren’t always decided on facts. Curtis’s testimony was compelling, and they managed to make the case about more than just the assault. Those were things that wouldn’t work in their favor.

Marshall asked how it went, and Curtis said he didn’t want to be overly optimistic, but thought he made his case. He saw Portia come out with Isaiah and said he just wanted to give Portia her fair notice that he and Jordan would be heading over to the house to see their son.

At the MetroCourt Gardens, Drew said he was surprised by Ava’s invitation to have drinks. He didn’t think she liked him. She said she didn’t, but he’d been given a magical second chance. She thought that was worth celebrating. Didn’t he? They clinked glasses.

Hudson sat at a nearby table when Josslyn approached and said, Hudson Tucker? He thanked her for meeting with him.

At yet another table, a server asked if she could get Jacinda an iced tea or an iced coffee, and Jacinda flashed back to putting the pills in Willow’s coffee. She ordered an iced tea, when Michael joined her. He said she sounded upset on the phone, and she said she was. Look what got delivered earlier. According to this restraining order, she couldn’t get within 500 feet of his kids.

On the phone, Willow said the nanny at the Quartermaines called in sick, so she unexpectedly had her children with her. She asked that her apologies be sent for missing the speaking engagement. Wiley and Amelia ran in, and Willow said they had the afternoon and evening together. What did they want to do? She took a sip of coffee.

Anna apologized for intruding on Fitzpatrick’s time, but he said, no apology necessary. She asked how it went at the trial, and he said the defense attorney went after him pretty hard. But he’d followed procedure in the arrest, and stood by that and his testimony. She said it was a complicated case, and he said, with Jordan having been the Police Commissioner. Anna said Jordan had a lot of friends in and out of the police department and the DA’s office, and he said he wouldn’t have been surprised if Dante had asked him to look the other way when he was acting Police Commissioner. She said, but he didn’t. Because he was that kind of an officer. He said she was probably trying to figure out what kind of officer he was. The good news was, he was an open book, and he was happy to answer any questions.

Lucas told Elizabeth that all they’d needed him to testify to was the severity of Isaiah’s injuries and if they tracked with Isaiah’s statement. Martin Grey didn’t even cross-examine him. But Detective Fitzpatrick was called because he was the arresting officer and Martin went after him big time. Elizabeth said, he was just doing his job, and Lucas said he guessed. But if he went after a cop like that, he couldn’t imagine how badly he went after Portia or Isaiah.

Curtis said he trusted seeing Desmond wouldn’t be a problem, and Portia said Desmond was his son. Of course (🍷) he could see him. He said he’d appreciate it if Isaiah distanced himself, and Marshall thanked Portia for letting them come by the house. She said he was always welcome, and Marshall thanked Isaiah for allowing his son and grandson to get some alone time when it had been a tough day for everyone. Isaiah said he had to go by the hospital anyway, and he and Portia left. Curtis thanked Marshall, who said it was a volatile situation. They had to do whatever they could to make sure cooler heads prevailed. Right now, that meant focusing on Desmond. He left to pull the car around, and Curtis told Jordan that seeing the baby was exactly what they needed, but she said she was going to sit this one out.

Wiley suggested going to a Woodchucks game or the pool, and Willow said those were great ideas, but she had a surprise. She asked the kids to sit down while she sent a quick email to work. Then they’d go. She left the room and left her coffee on the table.

Michael said the only reason Willow was able to secure the restraining order was because she was a congresswoman. His lawyers would fight it. Willow had no grounds. Jacinda said she had a record, but he said it didn’t apply there. His children adored her and she’d never do anything to hurt them. Willow was just being petty. He was worried something like this would happen eventually. Willow was going to throw her weight around and abuse the power of her office. It started with Jacinda, but eventually she’d come after him to take the kids.

Ava asked how Drew was acclimating to life among the moving, and he said, pretty well actually. He felt his return had already made an impact. He’d testified at Curtis’s trial today. She said Portia was a dear friend and Trina was like a daughter to her, and he said he was trying to make amends. She told him, good luck with that, but he said people could change. Or had she never done anything she’d regretted? She said, provided his intentions toward Trina’s family were pure, they may have a common interest to explore. He asked what that would be, and she said, Sonny.

Hudson told Josslyn, as he’d explained in his email, he was the Vice President of Operations at Jasper Jax Enterprises. He was there to walk her through the corporate structure and priorities. She asked, why? and he asked when she last spoke to her father. She asked what this was about, and he said she was the new CEO of Jasper Jax Enterprises.

Curtis asked if Jordan was sure, and she said she was. Besides, he and Portia had agreed to keep their respective partners away during visits. He said these were extenuating circumstances. She and Isaiah, it wasn’t even close. She said she understood, but it didn’t feel right, especially not today, and he said he didn’t want her to feel like she wasn’t a welcomed part of Desmond’s life, because she was. She said she was glad to hear that, but all she wanted to do right now was relax. Go be with his son and she’d see him back home.

Anna said she appreciated the fact that Fitzpatrick was open to inquiry, but that wasn’t why she wanted to talk to him. She wanted to know how he was doing. He said he was adjusting. It helped that Port Charles was such a great town. She said it was a change of pace from New York City, but he said not as big a one as he’d expected. Smaller, yes, but not necessarily slower, considering perps like Jenz Sidwell and Cassius Faison. She said he’d been partnered with Cassius when he was posing as Nathan West, and he said he was, but the partnership went south when Cassius pistol whipped him. She said, sorry about that. Just another day at the office. In all seriousness, the job was untenable if you couldn’t trust your partner, and Cassius betrayed him. He’d betrayed all of them.

Portia got home, and Stella said Desmond was conked out in the nursery. Portia thanked her for watching him. If she had any questions about what happened today… Stella said she had one. How was she doing? Portia said she was devastated, exhausted, and not just physically. She was so sick of having every mistake she’d ever made be aired out for public consumption. She guessed Curtis was defending what he thought was defensible, but the way he was fighting, she was afraid they’d never be able to put any of this behind them.

Drew told Ava that he had many regrets about his time in office, but at the top of that list was getting rid of Sonny. But it was his understanding that the two of them peacefully coexisted. She said she and Sonny had a fragile peace for the sake of their daughter. She’d done her best to maintain it. Sonny was all accusations and ultimatums. Every single thing must be on his terms. During a minor inconvenience in Sonny’s life, he’d thought she was responsible, and he had her hauled in to interrogate her. Then he had the audacity to bring Avery’s name into the conversation. Drew said, to keep her in line, and she said she took it as a threat and she didn’t take threats involving her child lightly. He said he imagined she didn’t.

Josslyn said she didn’t know what was going on, but there must be some sort of mistake. She wasn’t running her dad’s company. Hudson said, yes, she was, but she said, no, she wasn’t. He said her father was the single largest shareholder at JJE and had named her his successor, but she said it didn’t make any sense. Why would he do that? He said she’d have to ask him, and she picked up her phone and said she’d ask him right now. He said, that might be a little difficult. He was currently circumnavigating the globe via sailboat. Her father was virtually unreachable, which was why all of them at the company were looking to her.

Fitzpatrick said, for what it was worth (🍷), he didn’t think Cassius’s deception was a reflection of the PCPD. Anna had a really great department and he was happy to be part of it. Dante had been a straight shooter from the jump and made it clear that he was just keeping her seat warm. For him, the only unknown in the equation was her. She asked what his instincts told him about her, and he said that he made the right choice joining her squad. She said she trusted Dante implicitly and if Dante hired him, she knew it was a good call. Welcome to the department, detective. They shook hands.

Molly ran into Jordan at the pool and said it looked like they had the same idea. Sun and fresh air after a super fun day in court. Was she swimming laps? Jordan said she thought she would just put her feet in the water, and started to walk away, but Molly followed and asked if they were okay. She was sorry. She didn’t hold back with Curtis today. Jordan said, no, but Molly did hold back with her.

Isaiah said he appreciated Lucas’s testimony, and Lucas said, it was the truth. He really hoped Isaiah got justice. Elizabeth joined them, and said Lucas told her about the trial. Isaiah said, fun times, and she asked how Portia was doing. Isaiah said she was hanging in there. She held it together better than he did. He just wished she didn’t have to. Curtis could hate him all he wanted, but what he allowed his lawyer to do to Portia on the stand was unforgiveable.

Portia held Desmond, and Stella said the baby was a blessing. She asked Desmond if they should tell Portia what they were talking about, and Portia said, they had a talk? Stella said it was mostly her, but she was telling Desmond that her hope for Portia and Curtis was that they could put their issues aside, no matter how justified, for the sake of their children. Them being at each other’s throats didn’t benefit anyone – not Desmond, not Trina, and definitely not Portia. They had to find a way to cooperate with each other. Portia said she was really trying, but it would be a lot easier if the cooperation was coming from both sides. Curtis arrived with Marshall and asked, how’s my boy?

Ava told Drew that there was always an implied threat that Sonny would take Avery away from her. He’d even succeeded a couple of times. Drew said she was Avery’s mother, but she said, according to Sonny, Avery would be better off without her. He said, the thought of that hypocritical bastard trying to make her the problem, when one of Sonny’s kids died because of him and the rest are perpetually in danger. Who did he think he was? She said, the all-powerful, invincible Sonny Corinthos of course (🍷), and he said the hardest part of his illness was being away from Scout. He would destroy anyone who was trying to keep him away from his daughter. And so should she.

Josslyn told Hudson that her father had discussed in theory about sailing around the world, but why would he do that and not tell her? And she had a better question. Why would he expect her to run his company while he was gone when she literally knew nothing about it? Hudson said he must think she’s the right person for the job, but she said she wasn’t. He said, most people wouldn’t complain about being gifted a multi-million dollar company, but she said she wasn’t most people. She wanted nothing to do with JJE and she was pretty sure he couldn’t force her into the position of CEO. So he need to figure out how they fixed this.

Jacinda told Michael that Willow thought she was flying high right now. She was in Congress, she’d ditched Drew, but she’d gotten cocky and a little overconfident. Her position wasn’t nearly as strong as she thought. It wasn’t like Willow’s past was spotless. She was in a cult, for God’s sake, and she was on trial for attempted murder not so long ago. Michael said, but what mattered was right now, and as much as he hated admitting it, Willow was holding all the cards. Jacinda said she thought things were about to change for the congresswoman. And not for the better.

Wiley asked if they could go to Bobbie’s for milkshakes before the surprise, and Willow said it sounded like a great idea. He said, good, because he was thirsty. He picked up her coffee.

Jordan said it would have been well within Molly’s bounds to ask her about Curtis’s attitude toward Isaiah leading up to their fight, but Molly said, that would have been hearsay. Jordan said, regardless, Molly didn’t ask and got her off the stand without putting her in a position to hurt Curtis. Thank you. Molly said she’d never want to do that and it wouldn’t have been smart in this case. Jordan was an extremely sympathetic witness. Badgering her on the stand, being too aggressive, making her say negative things about her partner would have just backfired on her and alienated the jury. Jordan told her, if you say so, and Molly said, okay. Yes. It was important for her to be able to look Jordan in the eye, her family, and know that she tried her case honorably and to the best of her ability did everything she could to spare Jordan undue harm. Jordan said she appreciated that and respected it, and Molly, as a lawyer and as a former sort of daughter-in-law. But she prayed to God that Isaiah lost the case.

Curtis held Desmond and said Dez would have been proud of him. He was fighting for them. He was fighting to be with Dez so he never missed a single moment of his precious life. He wanted to be there for all of Dez’s firsts. His first words, his first steps, everything. He admitted there was a moment where he was worried and thought he might give in to his anger, the frustrations, or the injustices, but he didn’t. He kept it together for Dez.

Drew said, while he was incapacitated, Scout spent most of her time with Alexis, but Ava said Alexis adored her granddaughter. Wasn’t Scout just surrounded by more love? He said, more love and also people that hated him. Alexis probably reveled in letting Scout spend time with Danny and the rest of the Quartermaines. Ava said she sympathized. One of her biggest fears was that Avery would be indoctrinated into hating her. He said, by Sonny, and she said, or Carly or Josslyn or Michael or anybody else she was forgetting. He said the one thing that worked in his favor was that he was Scout’s only parent. So with all the attacks and the vitriol, nobody could deny he was Scout’s father. Now that he was recovered, Scout would stay with him. Ava said she’d love to have that kind of control, but instead, she’d been walking a tightrope since the day Avery was born. He said he was sorry. No child should be forced into Sonny’s orbit. It had to kill her to have to put Avery there.

Hudson said this was between Josslyn and her father. He was just the messenger. Josslyn said he wasn’t. He was the VP of operations, so he must know of a qualified candidate who could run the company while her father was gone. He said there were plenty of people who were qualified, but she was the one her father chose. What had her so busy that she couldn’t take up the reins? Was she jetting off to Sardinia? Surfing in Bali? She said, actually, she was a WSB agent. He said, huh, and she asked if it was that shocking. He said, kind of. The WSB wasn’t what he’d expect for a girl like her.

Michael asked why Jacinda seemed confident about this whole Willow thing, and she said she was just fairly certain Willow was about to make a big mistake. And hopefully, it was a public one. Her phone chimed, she said she had to return a call for Nina, and stepped away.

Willow came back and said, Wiley Alan Corinthos, give me the cup. It was her drink and it had caffeine in it. He wouldn’t like it. He said, sorry, and asked if they couldn’t go now. Willow told him to help Amelia with her shoes and they’d go. The kids went to the bedroom and Willow sipped her coffee.

Jordan saw Anna and said she didn’t even know what to say, and Anna said, welcome home? They hugged and Anna said she’d been worried about Jordan. Jordan said not as worried as she’d been about Anna, and they both said, how are you? Anna said, you go first, and Jordan said it had been a tough road, but she was making her way. Anna said she felt the same. She was trying to put her life back together. Jordan said, easier said than done, isn’t it? There was what the world saw and… Anna said, and this is what you see.

Curtis put a sleeping Desmond in his bassinet and told Portia that he was sorry for the way things went down today. He wasn’t sorry for fighting to see his son, but it was never his intention to relitigate their past when she was on the stand. She was the mother of his children, and he’d never want to embarrass her. She thanked him and said the only silver lining was that Dez was so young, he wouldn’t remember any of it. Curtis said, but kids picked up on stress and he didn’t want that for Dez. She said neither did she. That’s why they had to make sure, whatever happened in the courtroom, they kept it separate from their time with Dez. They couldn’t let it affect him. Curtis said it was the least they could do for their son.

Isaiah said he’d rehearsed his testimony with Molly a dozen times. She drove home the point that he had to stay cool and calm. If he lost his temper, he could look vindictive. Elizabeth said, trying to make it look like he may have goaded Curtis into attacking him? and he said, basically. Lucas said keeping your cool in a situation like that was next to impossible, but Isaiah said it was doable, for most people at least. He was counting on his surgeon’s detachment kicking in, but then when he needed it most, nothing. Elizabeth said it was understandable. He’d watched the woman he loved get kicked around on the stand. It was going to affect him. Isaiah said, then she had to endure this nonsense about him being the other driver in Jordan and Curtis’s accident when he had nothing to do with it. It was too much. He blew it.

Ava suggested Drew order another round while she powdered her nose, and he said it sounded like a great idea. She asked if he didn’t mind being in the same restaurant as Josslyn and Michael, but he said he had no intention of fighting with anyone today. Not when he was enjoying himself. She left.

Josslyn said Hudson didn’t know anything about her, and he said he knew her father was handing her his company on a silver platter and she was treating it like it was radioactive. She said her father didn’t ask her, and he said, boohoo. Her father was entrusting her with his legacy and didn’t consult her. What a monster. She asked what his problem was, and he said he flew all the way from Australia and she’d completely wasted his time. She said it was her life they were talking about and he’d shown up and blindsided her, and he said, so take over the damn company and fire him.

Anna said she was glad Jordan and Curtis were a couple again, and Jordan said she was grateful they’d found their way back to each other. She only wished they could enjoy it. It had been complicated, between her accident, the baby, and Curtis’s trial. Anna said, not much room for romance, huh? and Jordan said she hoped when the dust settled, she and Curtis could have a fresh start. Figure out what they wanted and who they were together this time around.

Marshall said he bet Portia wished she could have stayed home with the baby, and she said, instead of being trapped in court? It would have been preferable. He said he hoped she understood why he hadn’t been in court himself. Watching the people he loved, his family, tear themselves further apart, he couldn’t do it. Curtis understood and he hoped she did too. She said, of course (🍷) she understood, but it did feel strange, them being on opposite sides, and he said he didn’t like it much himself. That’s why he was keeping his focus on Desmond, making sure he had everything he needed. She said that was her focus too, and he said, as for the rest, he just prayed they all got through it.

Stella said, no Jordan? and Curtis said she was exhausted. Stella said they all were, and he said there were going to be a whole lot of changes if he was acquitted. She said, when he was acquitted, hopefully, the healing could start and both sides could show some basic tolerance. He said he didn’t think so. When he was found not guilty, Isaiah wasn’t going to get anywhere near his son.

Isaiah told Lucas and Elizabeth that he probably shouldn’t have said what he said, but he did and he meant it. He’d be a better father to Curtis’s children than Curtis could ever be. Elizabeth asked if he was concerned how a guilty verdict may affect Curtis’s children, and he said, of course (🍷). But Curtis should have thought of that before he refused the plea deal. Curtis had a way out, he didn’t take it, and now he suffers the consequences. Lucas asked if he really thought Curtis would be found guilty, and he said if the jury could get past his less than stellar testimony and see the truth. And that better be what happens. If Curtis was acquitted, the situation would only get worse.

Josslyn said, sailboat or not, she was going to talk to her dad and find out what was going on. In the meantime, she wanted Hudson to bring her a list of every qualified candidate who could run the company. Find her someone who could run JJE so she never had to think about the company or him again. He said, copy that, and she left the table, running into Ava on her way out. Ava said she looked frazzled. Was there anything she could do to help? Josslyn said, let’s list your help under things I need never, and left.

Ava asked if Josslyn was that unpleasant when Drew was dating her mother, but he said it was a time he’d like to forget. Hudson watched them, and Ava said she didn’t know how any child survived being raised under Sonny’s influence. Drew said, unfortunately, he was a very difficult man to fight, and she said the part she hated most was being an island while everyone else rallied around him. Never again. This time, she was going to be prepared and have allies of her own. He said she was thinking he could be one of them, and she said, and her for him. She knew Sonny and knew how he operated. So when he came for them, and he would, they could be ready to help each other out.

Jacinda came back to the table, and Michael said she was just about to tell him about this public mistake Willow would be making, but she said, the less he knew about that, the better. He said he didn’t think so. Willow was Wiley and Amelia’s mother, so if something was going on, he needed to be prepared. She said, trust her. He didn’t want to be anywhere near this. He said, near what? What did she do?

Wiley said they were ready, and Willow said they were going to the arcade. It’ll be so fun. It’ll be loud and there will be games and all the music. Wiley said he couldn’t wait. Could they go now? Willow said, yes! and got her car keys. She said, let’s do it!

On Monday, Britt asks how much it would cost Anna to show a little compassion; Michael tells Jacinda that she drugged the mother of his children; Willow says, last one to the cars is a rotten egg; and Josslyn asks how far Carly is willing to go to get her out of the WSB.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

Well, who knows what he’ll do with the opportunities left by Sidwell.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospital-sonny-is-leaving-the-mob-is-ghs-mob-era-ending

So I finally get used to him and now he’s shown the door. Thanks a lot.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospital-comings-goings-chris-mckenna-exiting-as-jack-brennan

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospital-fans-react-to-chris-mckennas-exit-as-jack-brennan

Another shame. I’m not crazy about the latest Ethan, but I liked what was going on between him and Ava.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospital-why-ethans-latest-port-charles-run-ended-when-it-did

https://ew.com/general-hospital-sunsets-ethan-lovett-character-after-nathan-dean-s-departure-12034145

💉 A Dose Of Reality…

Below Deck Mediterranean

In Captain Sandy’s interview, she said she couldn’t find a deckhand and needed a fourth. The last time they’d been shorthanded, they’d hit the dock. In Eyebrows Joe’s interview, he said, in his eyes, Nathan was unprofessional and inconsiderate. You had to be in it to win it. (Ugh.) The captain suggested Aesha help on deck, and Nathan said he was okay with that. In her interview, the captain said they had no choice. Safety was a priority and they were going to have to rally to make this work. Aesha said she was absolutely fine with it, and Captain Sandy told her to make sure she kept an eye on the interior team. Aesha thought Kayley could handle things, and in Kay’s interview, she said she felt experienced enough. In Gen’s interview, (ugh again), she said she was ready to be more positive. She’d been focusing on Kay becoming second stew, and now this. She didn’t want to be a negative cloud of energy and the aura she was trying to project was purple and peaceful. In Joe’s interview, he said Kay worked too hard to fail. She was like him. The guests arrived, and primary Ally impressed the crew… well, the girls anyway, with her Birkin. I dunno. If I had a Birkin, the last place I’d be bringing it was a boat. Ally was allergic to champagne – I’ve never heard of such a thing, but maybe it has to do with the sugar content – and got a Corona in a champagne glass as her welcome drink. She and co-primary Eric had just gotten married, so the guests toasted to the newlyweds. The guests had lots of tats, and guest Bobby, there with his wife Heather, said he was a retired tattoo artist. The boat headed for Koločep Island, Croatia, where Cooper told Aesha, make that slide your bitch. In the captain’s interview, she said the guests had no towels, the shower wasn’t up, and the deckhands weren’t attentive to the guests. Nathan’s head wasn’t in it. She told Nathan to get his sh*t together. It was charter 5. The next charter requested a dinner with a safari theme and they wore lots of leopard print. Not a fan, although an accessory is okay. Starting with the ceviche, the dinner was foodgasm worthy. Aesha talked to Scott, and in her interview, she said wedding planning was going well. She tried to put on an inflatable zebra costume for service, but ended up dressed like a deflated zebra. In Cooper’s interview, he said he could tell something was off with Nathan. Nathan was his deck daddy, and now was being a deck d*ckhead. Nathan was having back problems, and when Captain Sandy heard he’d had a bruised disk, she sent him for an MRI. She put Eyebrows in charge, and in his interview, Joe said that either they were f***ed or it was his chance to step into the leader role. He hoped the captain would see he was bosun material. In Aesha’s interview, she said her Gen Z babies were growing and evolving. Kay was good at taking charge. In Kat’s interview, she said Gen needed to drop the attitude. If they didn’t work together, they were going to fail. Gen’s aura meter kept going grey.

Below Deck Mediterranean Season 11 Episode 9 Recap: Aesha Joins the Deck Team

The Valley – Reunion Part 1

My first thought was, oh my God, this is going to be three parts. Whether I can stomach that or not remains to be seen. Andy pointed out that it was Brittany’s first reunion without Jax, which was cause for celebration, but we also found out that he’s still Jax. Although he’d vowed to deal with his mental health and drug use, apparently, that wasn’t happening. He was still rage texting and holding up the divorce despite his having a new relationship (yeah, let’s call it that) with Brittany’s publicist. No surprise, now her ex-publicist. Brittany said that he even missed time with their son Cruz, and the group agreed that he continued to live in the past when he was once the Number One Guy on Vanderpump Rules, at least in his mind. Brittany said he continued to post nonsense from burner accounts and on Reddit, but would claim it wasn’t him when called out. Although she couldn’t discuss the divorce terms, Brittany said there was nothing stopping her friends from doing so, and we found out she’d be getting primary custody of Cruz. Jasmine and Vanessa had gotten married, and we found out Luke had once been a sperm donor, making Lala question who was the daddy for a hot minute. Andy asked how it felt for Schwartz to be at a Reunion without Sandoval, but I’m not sure if he said his years with Sandoval were the best or this was, since I was in kitchen getting a snack. Danny said the season had been hard to watch, and I thought, he should see it from my side. There was a brief discussion on Janet saying Michelle was her dream woman, and Lacy was brought out. She and Michelle disagreed on pretty much everything, but I tuned out until Michelle dating Dr. Dre was brought up. Janet and Zack were forced encouraged to hug it out, and Brittany said even though Zack had continually yelled at her, they were good.

The Valley Season 3 Episode 19 Recap: Reunion Part 1

Next Gen NYC

Bravocon was the main topic as everyone got ready to head to Vegas. Ava met with her Ford Modeling reps and they said everyone was loving her. In Ava’s interview, she complained about how much rent was and said utilities and amenities were words she’d never heard of. Liam had taken Ariana ice skating and presented her with a nice pair of skates. In Ariana’s interview, she said there were relationships brewing – her and Liam and Charlie and Shai. Riley wanted to be a good sport and try not to make situations awkward because she didn’t like certain people – i.e. Georgia – so she put together a girls’ night 2.0 before they left for the con, inviting her nemesis. It was also Shai’s birthday and he said it wasn’t the way he’d anticipated celebrating, but was happy to be invited to girls’ night. I’m not even sure why they called it that, since all of the guys came. Ava and her boyfriend had broken up, and in Shai’s interview, he said he was overwhelmed by her coolness and how pretty she was. She confessed to him that she didn’t really have it all together, but was glad she came off that way.

In her interview, Gia said she was adjusting to living alone, but her dog felt differently, and we saw Bella howling when Gio was gone. Girls’ night was held at a bar where they went through a tube slide to get to the actual bar. Kind of impractical, but cool. Georgia told Emira that Charlie didn’t look at their friendship the same way she did – she was often the butt of a joke or a means to an end – but Emira thought Georgia was just trying to get her on her side. Georgia said Charlie talking about Kevin being gay wasn’t the only nasty thing he’d said, and Emira wanted to know, but thought it should be private. She asked if it was about her identity, and Georgia nodded. Emira said she believed Georgia, but didn’t think her intentions were 100% right. However, she was disappointed in Charlie.

While checking on flights out, the producers had to inform Brooks that there was a government shutdown that had been going on for a month, making me wonder how these kids are so out of touch when they’re attached to their phones. Georgia heard Jake from State Farm was going to be at Bravocon, and she was kind of excited about that. Riley told Shai that he had acquaintances in the group, but she had friends, and promised that they’d make his acquaintances friends in Vegas. Ava asked her mom to be a guarantor for an apartment, but fearing Ava couldn’t cut it, her mom said she didn’t think young people could be successful if their parents paid their bills.

Liam had his movie Carrera made into short and it was being shown at a festival. Rowan stayed away from Vegas and went to that instead. Liam sent a case of Pelligrino, flowers, and chocolate to Ariana’s hotel room, along with a note that said, dinner and wine when she got back. In her interview, she said, that’s a man. In Charlie’s interview, he said, in my experience, that doesn’t always get what you think it will. The operative words being in my experience. Charlie is not Liam. Charlie thought as long as Emira wasn’t mad at him, he was fine, but at dinner in Vegas, Emira noted that her personal life had been bounced around by Charlie and Georgia, yet they were now kiki-ing across the table. In Liam’s interview, he said he had more festivals lined up, but he was like, what’s next? I identify. I tend to move onto the next thing before the last one has cooled. Georgia wondered if anyone wanted to clear the air before they had a Bravocon panel, and in Shai’s interview, he thought she was hinting to him and she’d talked to Brooks. The topic of who was the most dishonest came up, and Ariana looked at Charlie, but Riley insisted he was a lot of things, but not dishonest. Georgia just continued staring at him, and finally said she’d always had his back, prompting him to say he’d gotten her one the show, and everyone groaned. Brooks concisely explained that Charlie had sought out a friendship with Georgia’s ex and it was weird. In Charlie’s interview, he said he was going to keep chilling with Omar because liked Omar. Emira said everyone who had beefs should resolve them or STFU, and Georgia left the table saying there was no reparation. Charlie thought that was the wrong word, but Georgia’s pants were fire. Shai agreed on the pants, but no one pointed out that it was actually the right word. In the restroom, Georgia actually WASHED HER HANDS, and joked that she didn’t know when to add the water. Emira told Charlie to tell Georgia to stop talking about him and keep it flat in public. The end. (Bravo editing in the previews had caused us to think she was ending her friendship with Charlie, so I was disappointed.) Georgia came back, and Charlie said if she didn’t want to be friends, they could publicly be cordial. Georgia was cool with that, but declined a hug. Emira said she thought Georgia had been trying to start a rift between her and Charlie, and she didn’t want to be collateral damage anymore. In the middle of all this, a birthday cake was brought out for Shai and everyone sang Happy Birthday badly. Why is it that no one can carry that tune?

https://www.primetimer.com/features/next-gen-nyc-season-2-episode-7-recap-emira-d-spain-rethinks-her-friendship-with-charlie-zakkour-after-emotional-conversation-with-georgia-mccann

Doubtful she’ll have a Big Poppa. She seems pretty self-sufficient.

Next Gen NYC’s Ariana Biermann Inherited Kim Zolciak’s Best Reality TV Trait

Real Housewives Of London

This was two back-to-back episodes. No clue why. Amanda wanted to get to know Panthea better, and in Panthea’s interview, she said she didn’t gossip. She just told others the things she heard, so it was like a public service. Amanda said she’d owned 10% of a company with her ex-husband and had gotten rich when it was sold, but in her interview, Panthea said she didn’t buy it. She thought Amanda’s money came from her settlement. Karen went to an amazing Jamaican market with her daughter, and, as always, I mentally drooled over the incredible food. Juliet had a background in entertainment and was writing some songs, and they showed a clip of her singing. She was pretty impressive. Nessie paid a visit to Juliet, who said Panthea had really insulted her by calling her fake. Nessie thought they should all go to the Cotswolds and get some cohesion in the group. Good luck with that. Of course Nessie and her husband have a massive estate there. Her magnificent homes are one of the reasons I like this show. And the clothes.

Panthea went to the hair salon with her mom Shala and in her interview, Panthea explained that she didn’t own shampoo, conditioner, or a hairbrush. She just went for blowouts every five days. I couldn’t compute this, so moving on. Panthea wanted to give the women the full experience of an Iranian New Year and show them how it was done. Since she didn’t really cook (no surprise if she doesn’t even wash her hair), she took them to an Iranian restaurant. As usual, the food was to die for, and I once again vowed to find a Persian restaurant since I’ve never tried it. Panthea told them that the holiday was all about new beginnings, which was why it was celebrated on the first day of spring. In Karen’s interview, she said everyone was trying to be elegant and ladylike, but were acting like they were waiting for the next billionaire. Panthea said a small group was great for getting to know each other, but Karen said Panthea always seemed to be about herself and it was narcissistic.

Nessie sent invites out for a party where the dress code was 50 shades of red, and Panthea bitched that she hated red – it was vulgar. I was actually not a fan of wearing red, but then got so many compliments when I did, I gave in. Bedrooms were getting refurbished at Nessie’s Cotswolds house, so she put the group up in a swanky hotel. She texted that she’d be sending a helicopter for the women, but Karen was like, not happening, girl, and took a car. Same. Panthea hoped Juliet wouldn’t come out with more fake nonsense. In her interview, Nessie said the Cotswolds was her happy place. There was new money and old money, and she was right in the middle. She met the helicopter with champagne, and introduced them to Sir Henry, the Lord Tenet of Gloucester, who had been the late queen’s righthand man, the link between the monarchy and the public. I’ve got to make new friends. When they were alone, Panthea griped to Nessie about Karen’s narcissist comment, and Nessie said she wanted to make sure Panthea wasn’t going to start something. Panthea swore she wasn’t, while outside, Amanda said Panthea was from the blonde world of gossipy women who did lunches and kept coming at her with falsehoods.

After Karen arrived, Nessie said they were going to do a traditional Gloucester cheese rolling competition. This was basically rolling a wheel of cheese down a hill and following it without breaking an ankle. Amanda won, surprising everyone, including me. Next was wellie wanging, which consisted of warming up, then pitching a wellie down the hill. The win went to the one who threw it the farthest and Nessie got that one. I guess the prize was her getting her boot back.

A limo bus brought the women to a catered dinner at the estate. No big shock, Karen and Panthea got into it just as they arrived, some nonsense about being a lady that was so stupid, I can’t even. On top of it, Sir Henry waited to greet them while they tarried. Inside, Nessie played the piano as they entered. Seriously, these people aren’t worth it, but I’m available. Two actual ladies in sparkly gold dresses played violins as the group toasted to Nessie. Karen casually mentioned that she and her husband were invited to afternoon tea at Buckingham Palace with Princess Anne. In Karen’s interview, she said Panthea wasn’t the only one who went to Buckingham Palace, but in Panthea’s interview, she said that was an easy get, but seeing the king was the invite, and she’d gotten it. Nessie kept trying, thanking them for coming and saying she wanted it to be special. She toasted to new beginnings and said the reason they were wearing red was because it was passionate. They then played the usual question game with the usual sex questions included. In Karen’s interview, she said it was inappropriate at dinner, and I have to admit I didn’t expect it from these Housewives. The next game was like Marry-Shag-Kill, but they were to pick one to tell a secret to, one to have fun with, and one to toss off a cliff. In what came as a surprise to no one, Karen and Panthea began to argue about the lady thing again. In her interview, Karen said because she came from humble beginnings and Panthea went to boarding school, she thought she was better. It wasn’t your past that defined you, but your future. Panthea said her friends from Jersey thought Karen wasn’t of her caliber, which confused me, since I didn’t know if she meant New Jersey, which would be incredibly stupid. I’m guessing there must be a Jersey in the UK? The violinist duo came out and played Canon in D major (what you call the theme from Ordinary People) and the women danced around, which was really weird.  

Juliet and Panthea made up and the women had breakfast in Nessie’s kitchen, where she’d made fresh croissants for them. Panthea said she’d have to leave early for an event with her husband that she couldn’t miss. In Karen’s interview, she said, late last night, Panthea had sent her an apology text, and she and Panthea took a walk after breakfast to discuss. Karen said Panthea didn’t listen and made up her own narrative, and Panthea said she hadn’t meant to hurt Karen. Nessie told the group that some of them would be going shopping and some would be walking alpacas.

Panthea left and a car came for the women. The alpacas were incredibly cute and really, I’ll clean out the stalls if I can have a room at the Cotswolds. In a moment I can only define as shocking, in Amanda’s interview, she said she was a country girl who loved the smell of manure. In Karen’s interview, she said when she was a girl, her grandmother had goats, but they were in order. The alpacas were unruly. When they got back, Nessie had a fleet of vintage cars waiting for them to drive around the Cotswolds. They went to a country pub where Panthea’s sad life story was told by proxy and everyone was all sympathetic. Karen told her story about how her mother ditched her at a young age. Later, some of the women discussed an Instagram post by Karen talking about seeing who’s real, but I have the feeling it didn’t relate to her own story.

I found literally nothing online about this show this week.

Real Housewives Of Orange County

Carmella got raked over the coals, both for her extravagant and/or weird birthday gift to Emily and because she’d offered Jenn a job helping her with her real estate gig. In Carmella’s interview, she said she thought Jenn should have the experience. It could lead to a lucrative career and she thought it was important to empower women. Shannon had lunch with her father, and in her interview, she said she’d realized she couldn’t ignore her finances anymore. She wasn’t in the best position, but she was happy about where she was living. Tamra told Gina that Carmella wasn’t happy with her after Emily told Carmella what she’d said about the bag. On top of it, Fancy Pants Heather’s feelings had been hurt when Emily told her that she talked too much. Of course all these things were brought out at dinner in a public place. In Emily’s interview, she said she’d just been standing up for herself. When Gina tried to back Emily up, Emily said she didn’t need Gina in the conversation. I got what she meant, but I could see how Gina might be hurt by the way she said it. Carmella said Emily asked a lot of questions and she didn’t spill all her sh*t out in the first five minutes. There was more discussion about the bag, and Vicki went all mean girl about the new girl, which has always been her M.O. I can tell you this much, if someone wants to give me a Dior bag, I’ll take it and I don’t care what they put inside. Okay, within reason, but it can always be cleaned.

Real Housewives of Orange County Season 20 Episode 5 Recap: Who Gives Vicki a ‘Red Flag, Icky Gut?’

Random Reality Items

Ah, a classic from the old LVP days.

Kyle Richards Still Can’t Escape RHOBH’s Most Infamous Family Meltdown

Ugh. Gone, but not forgotten.

How Jax Taylor Upstaged the Valley Cast at the Season 3 Reunion

Wow. Even after Rihanna put in her two cents. What up, Bravo?

RHOBH Star Amanda Frances Not Asked Back for Season 16 — Source

Glad to hear she’ll be back. She knows how to keep it real.

https://ew.com/rhoslc-season-7-trailer-first-look-at-mary-cosby-after-son-death-12035808

👀 Last Weekend’s Watch…

Futureworld. TubiTV. This old movie from the 70s was the sequel to the original Westworld that I didn’t know about. I happened to read about it in the Inverse newsletter, so I thought I’d check it out. I don’t hate a 70s film with cheesy music and bad fashion. Airport, Airport 1975, and Airport ’77 anyone? After the chaos and murders at Delos, it was closed down, only to rise again two years later with some new attractions. Westworld is permanently over, but Romanworld and Medievalworld were revived, and Spaworld and Futureworld added. Along with the revamped attractions, the robots have also been updated. Reporters Chuck and Tracy (Peter Fonda and Blythe Danner) are there to write a piece on the reopened park, and choose Futureworld to check out. Instead of the puff piece they set out to write, they discover not all is what it seems. While it’s not Westworld – OG or reboot – it’s still an entertaining film. Keeping the year in mind, the special effects aren’t awful. There’s actually a very cool chess game where the pieces come alive when they’re moved. And I love the idea of a resort where you can visit other worlds and have a free-for-all, even if there are about a million things that could go bad. The script is okay and the acting not bad considering. It’s nothing you need a degree in rocket science for and an amusing way to spend a couple of hours on the weekend.

https://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/ent/scifi/futureworld-movie-review.html

The Devil Wears Prada 2. Hulu. I loved the first movie, and the sequel was definitely on par. Andy is back, but this time as a reporter for a newspaper. When the paper goes under, she’s given a job at Runway as a features editor. Emily is back too, but now she’s high-powered executive dealing with major fashion houses, yet Miranda pretends not to remember who either of them are. Being her old self in a new, digital world is difficult for Miranda, whose assistant must coach her on what not to say at meetings. And she’s hanging up her own coat. Andy wants to write pieces with depth, but the magazine needs clicks. Her old friend Nigel is still in charge of the closet and sneaking her loans of clothing for various events, as well as helping her as best he can. When the magazine is about to be taken over, Andy tries to help, but we all know about the best laid plans, and Andy’s plans do no better. Miranda is also no nicer, but we still get glimpses of who she really is underneath her chilly façade. This was just as enjoyable as the first film and of course there are the clothes. It was wonderful that they got the original cast back – sans Andy’s useless boyfriend – and they worked together like a well-oiled machine. The story was current and it’s nice to know Andy hasn’t lost her spunk. Even if Miranda hates spunk.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-devil-wears-prada-2-review-meryl-streep-anne-hathaway-1236579649

https://thefilmverdict.com/the-devil-wears-prada-2-film-review

And you too can have a piece of it.

https://deadline.com/2026/08/meryl-streep-auctioning-devil-wears-prada-2-wardrobe-1237028120

The Invitation. Hulu. This was another in the seemingly long line of films where a wedding has something sinister lurking underneath the festivities. Using an Ancestry type website, Evie finds she has a distant cousin in town. They meet up and he invites her to a wedding in the UK on his dime. The wedding is being held at a massive estate, and the extremely wealthy lord of the manor is not only hot, he’s hot for Evie. They hook up, and when the when there’s a toast to the bride and groom at dinner, she finds out that she’s the bride. No surprise, the family harbors a dark secret and Evie must make a tough decision. This was a short, amusing film; gory, but funny. The story was unique enough and there were enough shocking moments and action to keep it moving. The casting was excellent, as well as the acting, and I loved the ending.

https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/horror-movies/the-invitation-2022-trailer-horror-movie-vampires-nathalie-emmanuel

Review: ‘The Invitation’ Tries its Hand at Gothic Horror, but Seems Too in a Rush to Get To the Punch

Dead City. AMC/AMC+. I never did finish the last season of Daryl Dixon – shame on me, but I will eventually – so I was determined not to get a late start with Dead City. At present, only the first two episodes are available, and I don’t want to give away the plot, but let it suffice to say a lot happens in those two episodes.

https://bleedingcool.com/tv/the-walking-dead-dead-city-morgan-on-negan-being-maggies-protector

https://ew.com/walking-dead-dead-city-lauren-cohan-reacts-maggie-finally-smiling-to-negan-12025638

And to follow.

https://undeadwalking.com/amc-made-official-the-walking-dead-announcement-fans-dreaded-but-expected

🧂 Adding Some Spice…

I would love to see them again, but I can just imagine the ticket prices.

https://extratv.com/2026/08/03/mel-b-and-emma-bunton-on-agt-team-up-possible-spice-girls-reunion-exclusive

🐶 What a Dog…

🐕‍🦺 It’s not the first time he fell in love at work.

https://people.com/brad-pitt-heart-of-the-beast-dog-behind-the-scenes-featurette-exclusive-12032211

🐕 Already much loved.

https://people.com/brooke-shields-announces-perfect-new-puppy-has-joined-her-family-12035391

🐻 And stay out!

https://people.com/nevada-uses-karelian-bear-dogs-to-chase-bears-out-of-neighborhoods-12034135

🐩 Because why not?

https://www.cuteness.com/2218948/dogs-all-dressed-up-somewhere-to-go

🦦 Quotes of the Week

Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind. – George Orwell

The man who insists on seeing with perfect clearness before he decides, never decides. – Henri-Frédéric Amiel

Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder. – George Washington

People think grief is missing someone who is gone, but the deepest sorrow is waking each day longing for the version of yourself who died with them. – Kelly Osbourne

It isn’t normal to know what we want. It is a rare and difficult psychological achievement. – Abraham Maslow

I’m just allergic to annoying men. – Lindsay Hubbard, In the City

🍃 Summer’s Last Stand…

Until next time, stay safe; stay checking out your local farmer’s market; and remember, it’s not your past that defines you, but your future.

Video > Sting – August Winds (Live at the Cherrytree House)