Tag Archives: The Joker

Aug21

August 20, 2024 – Kristina Is Arraigned, Soap Bubbles, Sergio Wants a Baby, Salty Talk, VanderBail, Best R Ever, Zoo Babies & Afternoon

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What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)

General Hospital

Laura asks, what hell are you doing here? and Cyrus (didn’t see that coming) says, hell had nothing to do with it. Laura tells Lulu, mom is here. She’ll be right back. She and Cyrus go out into the hall, and Laura says, Lulu’s doctor called her. Why is he here? He says he hasn’t seen Laura in months and assumed she had her hands full with the baby, her mayoral duties, and Heather. He visits frequently, so he’s surprised he hasn’t run into her.

Ava leaves a voicemail for Scotty. She asks, where’s the pharmacist? Is everything okay? She needs for him to call her back. She throws her phone as Nina walks in. Nina picks it up and says she thinks Ava dropped something.

Dante comes home, and Sam hugs him. She says she brought Scout home from her softball game. She was awesome. She’s upstairs and she’s sure she’ll tell Dante all about it. She’s headed over to her mom’s, since Kristina is there. Is he okay to stay and watch the kids? He says, the kids aren’t a problem, but Kristina isn’t at her mom’s.

Molly meets TJ at the hospital, and he says he heard about Kristina. He’s so sorry. She says, her mom is with Kristina, but she’s had no chance to talk to her. She did have time to be reprimanded by his mom. She used her authority as ADA to confront Ava in jail. Scotty complained to the DA’s office, and it landed on the Deputy Mayor’s desk. All she could think about was that her child was gone because of Ava. She could have been suspended or fired, but instead she got more than her share of professional courtesy and grace off the books. She doesn’t regret confronting Ava, but she’s sorry about so many other things. She hopes he can forgive her.

Alexis tells John that her emergency hearing should be granted soon, and John says, Kristina assaulted and threatened to kill a federal witness. She says, this is malicious prosecution and doesn’t serve him, which he’ll find out in court.

Sonny goes into the interrogation room, and Kristina asks why this is happening. He says he’s going to take care of everything.

Kristina tells Sonny that John claims she threatened Ava and tried to kill her, but that’s not what happened. Ava grabbed her. She only threatened to tell the court the truth about Ava on the witness stand. Sonny says he’ll tell her what’s going on. Is she up to hearing it? She says, yeah, and he says, he and Jagger go way back to a time when he did things he’s not proud of. That’s a weight that he’ll have to live with. The guilt is his weight, not hers. She says, his past doesn’t matter, but he says, Jagger has come back to settle the score. Jagger knows how much he loves her, and that’s why Jagger is targeting him.

Nina says, her life is in her phone, and hands Ava’s phone to her. Ava asks what she wants, and Nina says she managed to squeeze out half a page for the artist Ava is so excited about. Ava says, under other circumstances, she’d be thrilled, but she has bigger concerns. Her lawyer isn’t answering his phone. Nina says, Scotty isn’t always reliable, and Ava says she was arrested for murder and the FBI agent who was helping her clearly has his own agenda. Go ahead and say it. She has nobody to blame but herself. Nina says, it’s true she wanted to see what Ava had coming to her, but this is not what she had in mind. Ava says, Nina wanted to see her suffer. She got her wish.

Molly says she’s sorry she was hiding behind work and left TJ to handle everything, but he says, she’s grieving too, and he wasn’t always understanding. She says, it’s like living in a slow-motion nightmare. She’s living in one horrible moment when the next comes. Sonny and Kristina got off the elevator, and Kristina was ready to go home, when Agent Cates stormed in and arrested Kristina. He claims Ava is a witness in a RICO violations case, and Kristina assaulted her. He says, that doesn’t sound right, and she says, their mom went into lawyer mode, but now she’s starting to wonder if she shouldn’t have defended Kristina.

Laura asks if the doctor has been in there, and Cyrus says, no one’s been in there since he got here. She asks how often he visits Lulu, and he says he tries to be here two or three times a week. He reads the Bible to her. He’s her uncle, and he hopes it brings her a little comfort. Laura asks why he didn’t tell her, and he says he knows she’s got a lot going on, so he thought he’d help. He sees now that he should have cleared it with her, and he apologizes. If it causes her distress, he’ll stop. She says she appreciates his intentions. She’s worried about Lulu. He asks, why? and she says, the doctor asked to see her. She said something’s not right with Lulu’s tests, and there was an urgency about it. He asks if she’d like him to pray with her, and she says, her only prayer is that if her daughter needs help, she has the strength to give it to her.

Alexis tells Kristina that she got the emergency hearing, and Kristina wants to know how this happened. Alexis says, it’s a desperate miscalculation by a desperate man, and it’s going to blow back on Cates big time. She’ll be in the courtroom and meet Kristina outside. She leaves, and Sonny says, they’ve got this. Don’t worry. He leaves, and Kristina says, it isn’t her fault. Ava grabbed her. She flashes back and says, Ava grabbed me.

Doc asks if Lulu is okay, and Laura says she only saw Lulu for a moment. Cyrus was there. Cyrus says he’s only seen the nurse since he’s been here, and Laura says, apparently, Cyrus visits Lulu regularly. Cyrus says, among other patients, and Doc says, ministering, he supposes. The doctor joins them and says she’s run some tests and is waiting for the results. She’ll see if the lab can put a rush on them. She wants to have the most current information in hand before she updates Laura. Doc asks if she has any indication of what’s going on, and she says, when they get the results, they can decide on what course of action, if any, they want to go for. She leaves, and Cyrus says he doesn’t wish to intrude. He’ll pray for them both. He leaves, and Doc asks if Laura is okay with Cyrus visiting. She says she doesn’t know. She can’t think about anything but Lulu.

Nina asks why an FBI agent would concern himself with a custody case. It’s not something they usually take on. Ava says, he wanted information he could use against Sonny. She told him that she had nothing to give him, then Sonny showed up at her hotel suite. He was livid about the custody battle. Nina knows how he gets quiet and intense, and Cates stepped in. Nina says, Sonny can be intense, but she doesn’t believe he’d harm Ava, and Ava says, Sonny hates her and Cates was there for her like a hero. He said he’d help her with the custody battle, so she threw in with him. The only thing she cares about and that matters to her is Avery. Now she thinks she made a gigantic mistake.

Dante tells Sam about Kristina’s arrest, and Sam asks if Anna and her mom know. He says, her mom is all over it. Cates is saying Kristina went after Ava, who’s a witness in a RICO case against Sonny, and Sam says, unreal. He says, her mom is trying to get Kristina arraigned. He just got back from seeing Laura. She asks if the mayor is in on this too, but he says, something is going on with Lulu.

Molly says she showed Ava the autopsy photos. She wanted Ava to know what she’d done and live with the memory of the images. The autopsy photos upset and horrified Ava, but it didn’t make her feel any better and Ava didn’t confess. So what did she accomplish? She jeopardized her own career. She wanted to take action, and what she did, she did out of anger. She can see why Kristina would do the same thing. He asks if she thinks Kristina threatened to kill Ava. She says, Kristina wouldn’t mean it and wouldn’t physically attack her. He says, they have photos, and she says, a picture can tell a thousand lies. It’s how it’s interpreted. Maybe Ava was grabbing Kristina. Maybe she was fending Kristina off. He asks if she thinks that scenario is possible, and she says she doesn’t want to, but maybe Kristina’s actions are responsible for the death of their baby.

Alexis says, Sonny will say and do nothing, no matter how much Cates goads him. If he can’t do that, he has to leave. Sonny asks how she is. She hasn’t had a case in a while, and this is their daughter. He wants to know if she’s up for it. She asks if he’s doubting her. If she had any qualms, Diane would be here. When she sees Cates’s smug mug, she’ll be filled with righteous indignation and a strength she forgot she had. He says, that’s what he likes to hear. His presence here will present a problem for Cates, not him. Cates hates the fact he’s breathing, so he’s going to watch as she pokes holes in his bogus arrest. It’s going to drive him crazy.

The FBI lawyer shows up and tells John that he doesn’t feel comfortable about the case. It’s not clear cut. John tells him to make it clear. It’s part of an ongoing investigation involving Sonny. He needs Kristina to stay put until the trial. The lawyer says, got it, and they go into the courtroom. The bailiff says, all rise… Judge Sullivan presiding. Judge Judy The judge takes her seat and tells them, let’s get going. It’s late.

Dante says, the doctor wanted to see Laura because Lulu had a setback, and Sam says she’s sorry. Does Rocco know? Dante says he wanted to know more first. Lulu has been a prisoner in that bed so long, he hopes miracles happen, but he feels like the chances are slim. Sam’s phone rings, and she says, it’s Diane. She listens for a moment, then thanks Diane for calling. She tells Dante that the emergency hearing was granted. It’s starting now. He tells her to go and keep him posted. She says, let her know what happens with Lulu and if he needs anything, and he says, he needs to figure out what to try and say to Rocco. (I thought Laura told him to hold that thought.)

Ava tells Nina that she and Sonny had a falling out and he gave her the boot. The next thing she knows, they’re lining up character witnesses for family court. She got involved with Cates, but now she sees how obsessed he is with taking Sonny down. Nina asks if it won’t help Ava’s case, but Ava says she’s still facing criminal charges for Kristina’s fall. She can’t take care of Avery from behind bars. Nina thinks it’s not going to come to that, and asks, what happened? Ava says she swears it was an accident. She and Nina were friends before she blew it, and Nina knows whatever else she is, however selfish or bad she is, she’d never hurt a child.

TJ says, Molly’s not only one who saw Ava. He went to the gallery. She asks, why? and he says, for the same reason. He needs answers, and the two of them have been so far apart. She says she feels terrible, but he says, she’s dealing with the same loss, and he understands. What Ava suggested lines up with what Molly told him. He doesn’t think Kristina is blameless. She says, Kristina made the choice to go see Ava. If she hadn’t done that one thing, their child would be alive. (These two are idiots on a good day. If Kristina had gotten hit by a bus that went through a red light, I’ll bet Molly would say, she shouldn’t have been crossing the street.)

Alexis tells judge Sullivan that there’s no witness statement, no report, no video. Besides that, her client was just released from the hospital where she had an emergency C-section. It’s not only an unjust arrest, it’s jeopardizing her health and bordering on malicious prosecution. She asks that her client be released immediately. The judge asks where the evidence is to back up the charges, and the lawyer looks at John, who’s got nothing. He gets up and says, they have a report from a reliable citizen, but the FBI has a heavy workload and has yet to file a formal transcript. In light of this, he asks for a continuance. Judge Sullivan says, denied. This has been a colossal waste of everyone’s time. The defendant is released on her own recognizance, effective immediately. John jumps up and says, no. She’s making a mistake (I wait for her to say, you again?)

TJ says he loves Molly and he’s sorry, and she says she loves him too. She was too scared to handle her own grief and too heartbroken to handle his. He’s her best friend and partner and she let him down in every possible way. He says he accepts her apology and loves her so much, and they hug. She says, there’s so much to take care of, and he says, they’ll figure it out. They’ll go someplace quiet. Molly’s phone dings, and she says, it’s a friend from the courthouse. Kristina’s been granted emergency bail. TJ wonders why Alexis didn’t call, and Molly says, since she works in the DA’s office, they thought it was better if she kept her distance. He tells her, go see about her sister and don’t worry about anything else. They’ll figure it out together tomorrow. She leaves.

Laura tells Doc that when the doctor called and said it was about her daughter, she had a surge of hope that the doctor would say Lulu was awake and asking for her. It has happened so many times, a sort of irrational spark of joy, only to be followed up by a crash when she hears them say, there’s no change. This is worse than no change. She can tell by what the doctor isn’t saying. Lulu is getting worse.

Dante leaves a voicemail for Laura, saying, he’s checking in. He hears Rocco and says he didn’t know Rocco was downstairs. Rocco asks if there’s any truth to the rumor they’re getting pizza, and Dante says he ordered pizza, but he’s got to talk to Rocco about his mom.

Ava tells Nina that Kristina came to her suite. She was furious about the subpoena. Sonny attacked Dex and she saw the whole thing. Nina says, it must have been traumatic. She’s fond of Kristina and knows Sonny is protective of her. Ava says, Kristina was beyond. Kristina barged in, screaming at her. At some point she put her hand on Kristina, and Kristina jerked away. She stumbled and tripped on some luggage, then crashed through the window. It happened so fast. She had nothing to do with it. It was an accident. Nina says, Kristina lost the baby and nearly died, and Ava says, it was tragic and horrible. Nina says, the luggage was just right there? Was Ava going somewhere? Ava says, Carly threw John out and she let him keep his bags in her room, since he was helping her with the custody fight. After Kristina fell, she supposes she was in shock. She didn’t know how to explain the bags of an FBI agent, so she did something stupid. She hid them. She put them in a closet, and of course (🍷) the cops found them. Nina says, Ava altered a crime scene and lied about what made Kristina fall. Of course (🍷) they’ll wonder why Ava would lie if it was an accident. Ava says, but it was. She didn’t push Kristina. Nina has to believe her.

John says, as soon as the defendant leaves the courtroom, her father will have her on a plane to a country with no extradition treaty. Judge Sullivan says, the only reason John hasn’t been cited for contempt is because of his FBI badge. He has 48 hours to get his case together, including documents that show Ava is listed as a witness in a RICO case, or he’ll be the one in a cell. (Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! John’s face.) The bailiff says, all rise, and the judge leaves. John asks the lawyer, what the hell was that? and he says, it was a lousy case, and they got treated accordingly. John better get it together and his evidence had better be bulletproof or he’ll have John’s badge, and John will be sitting in a cell. John glares Sonny on his way out, and Sonny asks Alexis, how’d I do? Alexis smiles and Sonny winks at Kristina. (Our Sonny is back.)

Ava says she sees Nina isn’t convinced, and Nina says she believes a lot of it. It was a confusing situation and probably happened fast. Ava says, Kristina fell, but everybody assumes she pushed her, and Nina says, life isn’t fun when your credibility is shot. She knows about that. When you meddle with people in a life changing way, nobody gives you the benefit of the doubt, especially when you need it most. She hopes Ava gets out of it. She’s a good mom. Let her know about the magazine space, and if she sees Scotty, she’ll tell him to call Ava. She walks out, and while she’s looking in her bag in the hallway, Ava says she’s sorry. Nina says, her too, and leaves with tears in her eyes.

Laura says she wishes she had an update for Dante. Thank God that Doc is here. He says, waiting is excruciating, but he appreciates that Lulu’s doctor is so thorough. Laura says, hearing no change would be good news today. She can’t bear thought of Lulu living out her life like this, so she has hope. He says, it’s okay to be hopeful, and she says she needs to be strong for Lulu. She cries and he holds her. He says, hang onto that and hang onto him.

Sam sees Molly at the courthouse, and says, mom was on fire and Sonny kept his composure, and Molly says she’s not surprised about mom. Sam says, what Molly missed was Cates’s meltdown, and Molly says she’s had the misfortune of dealing with him. He waves his badge around like it’s proof he walks on water. What evidence did he have? Sam says, nothing, and the judge told him he has 48 hours to get it or he’ll be brought up on charges. Finally, justice in action. Kristina gets to go home and heal. Molly says, she still has the charges hanging over her head, but Sam says she believes they’ll be dropped. Cates has nothing even resembling evidence. It’s just a way to get at Sonny.  

Dante says he’s sorry Rocco’s grandma can’t be here for their video game rematch, and Rocco says he thought that’s why they were having pizza. Dante says he went to see Rocco’s mom, and Rocco says he likes visiting. It’s quiet and peaceful and mom knows he’s there. He tells her stupid stuff that happened in school and reads her horoscope from The Invader. He remembers she used to read that. Dante says he wants to talk to Rocco’s grandma. The doctors ran some tests and got the results, but he doesn’t know more than that until he speaks to Laura. He asks if Rocco is okay, and Rocco nods. He says he has pictures of mom, so he’ll never forget what she looks like. There’s footage and recordings, but her voice never sounds right, like her. He’s afraid he’s going to forget what her real voice sounds like.

John goes to the gallery and tells Ava that Alexis was granted an emergency bail hearing. The judge practically walked Kristina and Sonny out of the courtroom. Ava says, Kristina was arrested? and John says, after they went over her story – how Kristina was the aggressor, came to her suite uninvited, forced her way in, and threatened Ava – the next logical step was to file charges. Ava asks if he’s talked to Scotty, and he asks, why? She says she hasn’t heard a peep from him all day, and something tells her that she’s going to need her lawyer. He says, Scotty is obviously busy, but she doesn’t need him. He’s the only hope she has left. (I think the only hope she has left is coming clean.)

Kristina thanks Alexis, and Alexis says she gives credit to Kristina’s father. He behaved no matter how much Cates goaded him. Sonny says he’d do anything for his daughter, even listening to the rants of an FBI agent. Kristina says she didn’t think she’d be back in this house again, and Alexis says, they both love and adore her. Sonny says, they’ll always protect her.  

On the phone, Nina says that someone owes her a favor and she’s ready to collect.

Rocco says he believes if his mom wakes up and says one word, it will all come back, and Dante says, that’s a good way to look at it. Rocco says, as long as she’s alive, it can change. They can’t give up hope that she could wake up tomorrow or next week. She’s hanging in so they need to. When the day comes and she opens her eyes, he hopes he’s sitting there and he’s the first thing she sees. He wishes it could be soon. He misses her. Dante says he misses her too.

Sam says she thinks it’s absurd. Kristina just lost the baby and could have died. She should be home grieving and taking care of herself, instead of winding up in a courtroom… She’s so sorry. Why wasn’t Molly here? Molly says, her office was concerned about a conflict of interest, and Sam asks if she wouldn’t have heard. Molly says she was caught up in something with TJ. They have to plan the baby’s funeral. Sam hugs her and says she’s sorry.  

John says, they have to rehearse Ava’s story for the record on file, but she says she’s given her statement. He says, give it again, but this time, she’s going to say what he tells her to say and do it how he wants it. She says, it’s been a long day. She’s going to close up and head back to her hotel. They can start tomorrow. He says, the judge gave him 48 hours. He’s not losing his badge or Sonny’s case over this. Let’s get started. They’re going to work on her statement until it’s perfect.

The doctor apologizes for the wait and tells Laura that they did a test on Lulu’s liver, and it’s been compromised. If they continue on this trajectory, her liver will fail. Laura asks if the doctor is telling her that her daughter is going to die.

Tomorrow, Alexis says, TJ never needs to know what Kristina intended to do; John tells Ava that the only thing Sonny responds to is leverage; and Anna tells someone that they have to choose.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

I’m thrilled that Brad is back, but bummed that Britt is no longer around to cause trouble with him.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/parry-shen-celebrates-his-return-to-general-hospital

In case you don’t know him.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/general-hospital-brad-cooper-parry-shen-171676

Background on Lulu, much of which I don’t remember. On the show, it sounds like she’s going to die, but there was that Soaps In Depth article that said they’re recasting, so who knows? Whenever they change writers, it’s a surprise a minute.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/general-hospital-lulu-spencer-falconeri-169139

Still pretty incensed about this.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/jacqueline-grace-lopez-shares-a-special-message-with-fans

Do you think he really says things like, holy heck?

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/nicholas-chavezs-netflix-series-gets-a-premiere-date

🐪 A Camel Walks Into Dubai…

In one of the creepiest moments in Housewives history, Sara revealed that her housekeeper had been plotting to kidnap her young son. She was also sharing his picture with various creepers, who responded with how cute he was, which is pretty f***ed up. To add insult to injury, when Sara told her to start packing, she packed some of Sara’s things as well. Thankfully, she’s now in jail. A thousand showers can’t wipe that away.

Sergio wanted to have a baby with Stanbury, and it sounded like it might be a deal breaker. If I were her, I’d have that baby lickity-split, since a puppy at her heels he might be, but he’s also a real find who adores her and who’s actually thoughtful. For her birthday, he took her on a private yacht cruise and had a cake made that looked like their new house. I love stuff like that. I mean the cake, but the yacht is good too. They finally have the leeway to use a surrogate, and money is no object as far as a nanny or anything else goes, so why not? She said it would be life changing, but not so much when you have a life like theirs. It’s not like he’ll have to take a second job.

Stanbury and Lesa had lunch, and Lesa did one of those things I hate that many of the Housewives do – play the family card. You know, what you said effects my family. Well, if people don’t get that you’re on a reality show and nonsense is going to be said about you, maybe you need a new address book. It just seems way overused. Fancy Pants Heather made the same claim just last week on RHOC. It’s just doubtful anyone cares about secondhand hearsay from a co-star.

And the rest…

Real Housewives of Dubai Season 2, Episode 11 Recap: A Jailed Maid and a Tough Ask for Stanbury

🧂 Pass the Salt…

Coming September 18th.

RHOSLC Season 5 Trailer Revealed: Mary Cosby Throws Meredith Marks Out of Her House

In case you need an explanation.

https://ew.com/real-housewives-salt-lake-city-season-5-trailer-explained-8697919

🍸 Adding Bail Bondsman To Resumé…

That’s a lot of weed. How stupid is he to be carting that to another country?

Ariana Madix’s Brother Posts $80K Bond After Marijuana Arrest

🦸 You’re Welcome, Canada…

Movin’ on up.

https://ew.com/deadpool-and-wolverine-beats-joker-highest-grossing-r-rated-movie-of-all-time-8696677

🦥 New At the Zoo…

It doesn’t get much more adorable.

https://people.com/atlanta-zoo-excited-about-birth-of-baby-two-toed-sloth-8697807

🐼 No surprise, Ying Ying looks exhausted.

https://people.com/giant-panda-hong-kong-gives-birth-twins-worlds-oldest-first-time-panda-mom-8696512

🦩 The times, they are a-changin’.

https://people.com/same-sex-chilean-flamingo-couple-hatch-and-care-for-chick-8696536

🌊 Good Tides, High Vibes…

Join me tomorrow for soap and what’s being listed in LA. Until then, stay safe, stay speaking about others as though they were standing next to you, and stay never throwing in with an FBI agent who has their own agenda.

May21

May 20, 2020 – The Custody Hearing Begins, An Astrological Evening, Goodbye Basement Artie, Farewell To the Best, Child Reunion, Togetherness, King Costume, TNT Train & Raining

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What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Sonny tells Jason, the disease takes away everything that makes you who are, and you’re left with an empty shell. When he asks what Mike wants, Mike doesn’t say anything. Sonny doesn’t know if Mike doesn’t want to say anything, doesn’t understand, or he doesn’t know. If his dad wants to stay and fight, he has every right to do that. Jason says, of course (🍷), and Sonny says, then again, what is Mike fighting for? He has no quality of life – the doctors made that clear – and he has nothing to look forward to. His heart is still beating, but his brain can’t hold his memories. He’s lost his appetite, and they’ll have to feed him by putting tubes in him. Sonny doesn’t know how much more he should do, and his dad is confused. That’s where they’re at. Jason knows Sonny wants answers, but can only tell him what he’d want if he was in Mike’s place.

Laura opens the door to Lulu, who holds up an envelope. She says, see this? Nikolas and Ava are having a party to celebrate the unveiling of Franco’s portrait. Laura says she got one, hand delivered; fancy stuff. Lulu says she can send regrets for both of them if Laura wants, but Laura says, actually, it’s not what she wants.

At the MetroCourt bar, Nikolas tells Ava that he saw some of Avery’s drawings. She’s quite the artist. Ava says she can’t wait to show Avery’s stuff at the gallery, and he says, speaking of art, he ran into her favorite painter at the gym. She hopes he didn’t use Franco as a punching bag, and he says, why? Is there something or someone they should be fighting about?

Elizabeth tells Franco that Nikolas is trying be the person she used to know; trustworthy and loyal, and someone who values honor and integrity.  If he ends up being that person, she’ll most likely be friends with him again. Franco says Nikolas is also the person who ran her sister out of town, and Violet has no mother now. Does she want to be friends with that guy?

Diane tells Michael and Willow to go ahead; she needs to talk to Carly. She asks if Carly is ready to be cross-examined by Nelle’s attorney. It’s not going to be pretty. Carly says she’s going to present herself as a loving grandmother and mother, who wants the best for Wiley, which happens to be true. The judge needs to know Nelle should never get custody.

Willow looks at a picture of her and Chase. She asks if Michael still has photos of Sasha, but he says he’s deleted them. Willow says she knows Michael is hurting like she is, but what makes it bearable is not being alone; they’re going through it together. Michael says when he needs a reminder of why they married, and why they’re there, he looks at this. He shows her a picture of Wiley.

Nelle practices her testimony. She say she doesn’t claim to be perfect, but has been given the most precious thing anyone can possess. She’s not asking for custody for herself, but for her son Wiley. Martin says, too saccharine, and not enough sincerity. Once more, with feeling.

Lulu asks if Laura is thinking of going to this charade. It’s just Ava’s excuse to patronize the little people, now that she’s queen of Spoon Island. Laura says Nikolas is still her son and Lulu’s brother, and Lulu says, he brought Ava into their family, and brought it on himself. She doesn’t see why he should inflict her on the rest of them. Laura says it’s important to show they still love him and he’s still part of the family, but Lulu says Laura wouldn’t be attending that ostentatious overblown party as Nikolas’s mother. She’s the mayor, and represents the city of Port Charles. Laura doesn’t think it’s a big deal, but Lulu says attending is giving Ava her stamp of approval; knowing Ava coerced Nikolas into marriage, and they’re both miserable, and that Spencer would rather stay in France than be there. Is she sure she’s prepared for that?

Ava tells Nikolas, like most talented artists, Franco is moved by powerful emotion, and she’s promoting his art. He says she’s promoting Franco’s ugly past, but Ava says he doesn’t mind. Nikolas says, Elizabeth does. She asks if he showed Elizabeth the letter from Spencer, and he says he told her that Spencer is willing to restore their relationship if he divorces Ava. Ava says Elizabeth must have loved that. Did he tell her how he responded to Spencer’s proposal? Did he choose his son or his fortune?

Nelle asks if Martin has any other unwanted advice. Is her dress too short? He says, just tell the truth, and let it stand up next to Michael, Carly, and Willow’s version. She says she’ll have Nina as a character witness. Julian comes in, and she says, her husband. He says, hello darling, and Martin asks if he’s been drinking. Julian says he had one shot for court, and Martin gives him a tin of mints. Martin leaves, and Nelle tells Julian that if she wins, Sonny need never find out that Julian knew about the baby switch. Stick to the script. Losing is not an option.

Diane asks Carly if Sonny will be in court, but Carly says, no; he’s with his father. Diane says it’s probably for the best, since his presence in the courtroom might be construed as intimidation.

Michael asks if Willow is ready to go head to head with Nelle’s attorney, and she says she has nothing to hide. He says he can’t say the same. He and his family are going to be dragged through the mud, and some of it is bound to splash on her. She says, for better or worse, and he says, they’re starting off worse. She asks if he means the honeymoon is over, and he says, when this is over, they’ll take Wiley and go somewhere fun. She says she’ll take him up on that.

Jason says he told the doctors before his first surgery, he didn’t want tubes and machines keeping him alive. Sonny says Jason didn’t have kids then. How would he feel for his kids to lose him? Jason says he’d never want his kids to go through what Sonny is going through; seeing him in bed, knowing he can’t recognize them, and can’t even feed himself. Sonny asks if he’d want them to sign a DNR, and Jason says he wishes Mike hadn’t put it on Sonny. Sonny says there’s a lot he and his dad didn’t talk about; a lot they didn’t share. Now it’s too late.

Ava says she’ll take Nikolas’s silence to mean he hasn’t talked to Spencer. Nikolas says, what if Spencer doesn’t want him without his money? Is Spencer really willing to lose the money and prestige that comes with being a Cassadine? She says, Spencer is still young. He’s still figuring out what’s important. But if he didn’t care, he would have been indifferent upon Nikolas’s return. Spencer loves Nikolas, and wants him, money or no money. He says, she’d like that because she gets it all. Guess again.

Elizabeth tells Franco, she knows Nikolas can be selfish, but he’s also incredibly sensitive, kind, and patient. Franco says it sounds like she’s already halfway there in forgiving him, and she says she’s trying to understand why one minute he’s a stranger, and the next, she sees flashes of the friend she used to know. He says, sorry; they don’t have to talk about it, but Elizabeth says they should talk. He admits they can’t pretend their feelings don’t exist, and she says her feelings for Nikolas are complicated. Like his for Ava.

Carly takes the stand, and Diane asks what the nature is of her relationship to Michael. She says she’s Michael’s mother, and Diane asks where she was when Michael got engaged to Nelle. Carly tells her, Ferncliff, a hospital for the criminally insane. Diane asks what was the reason she was there, and Carly says Nelle accused her of pushing her down a flight stairs at her baby shower. She was forced to plead temporary insanity. Diane says, with the help of friends, she managed to escape; isn’t that criminal as well? Carly says it is, but when the truth came out, she was exonerated, and her sentence vacated. Diane asks if Nelle ever visited, and Carly says she did, when she and Michael became engaged. Nelle said Carly was trapped, and she was going marry Michael, and in time, the family would forget Carly, and she’d be left to rot. She wanted Carly to know she’d won. Martin objects, saying her testimony is highly inflammatory, and Diane says, withdrawn.

Martin asks Carly what kind of business she’s in, and she says, hospitality. She owns the MetroCourt. He asks what business her husband is in, illegal or otherwise, and Diane says Sonny isn’t there to testify. Martin says, withdrawn, and asks Carly to explain what happened on April 24th, 1988. She tells him that Tony Jones kidnapped Michael, and received a suspended sentence. He asks what happened to Tony next, and she says she shot him. He asks what punishment she received for shooting her former lover, who was also her stepfather, and she says she went to Shadybrook mental institution. He says, and she’d believe her grandson would be safe in her less than stable care? Diane objects, and he says, withdrawn. Diane says, it’s a matter of public record that Nelle perjured herself in an attempt to secure a conviction against Carly for attempted murder. In simpler terms, Nelle lied to cause Carly grievous harm. She asks if Carly tried to retaliate, but Carly says, no. She would never do that. She loves her son and grandson too much to stoop to Nelle’s level. Michael is called to the stand.

Laura says Lulu always looks out for her, and Lulu says, translation; Laura appreciates her concern, but she’s going anyway. Laura says, someone has to look out for Nikolas, and Lulu says, he has a wife for that. Laura says, she’d love it if Ava would be the person to bring out the good out in Nikolas, but they know that’s not going to happen. Lulu asks if Laura thinks there’s still good to bring out, and Laura says, of course (🍷). Nikolas just needs the chance to show it. Lulu says Laura sees it that way because she’s Nikolas’s mom. What if he’s become a Cassadine through and through, and is as deceitful as the rest? Laura says, not Nikolas. She would never give up on him, just like Lulu wouldn’t give up on Rocco or Charlotte. There’s a knock at the door, and it’s Nikolas bearing flowers.

Franco tells Elizabeth, there’s nothing complicated about his relationship with Ava. She cares about his career. Elizabeth says, second only to Ava’s concern for herself. Ava comes by, and says that sounds like something her husband would say, and she wouldn’t put too much stock in someone who pretended to be dead for two years. She says she has something for Franco, and reaches into her bag. He says she doesn’t have snakes in her bag, does she? but she says, no; a check. It’s the balance due on her portrait, and he deserves every penny. I try to read it, and it looks like $16K.

Martin asks when Michael got to know Wiley. Michael says when he was asked to be Wiley’s godfather. He was honored to be included in Wiley’s life. Martin asks if that’s all he felt, and Michael says he felt a connection to Wiley; nothing supernatural, just the instinct that Wiley needed him. When he learned Wiley was his son, the bond grew stronger. He made a promise – a vow – to never let Wiley down or let anyone hurt him. Martin says, no one doubts his love for Wiley is true. He submits Michael and Willow’s marriage license as evidence, dated yesterday; the ink barely dry. Diane objects, and Martin says, he’ll rephrase. Given the timing, does Michael love his wife? Michael says, Willow is loyal and generous, and inherently decent. She’s courageous and compassionate, and sees the best in people, but she’s nobody’s fool. Yes, he loves her. Martin asks, then why didn’t he marry her earlier? Which begs the question, is he in love with her?

Michael says he loves Willow, but he’s not in love with her. Nelle whispers to Julian that she loves it. Martin says, Michael didn’t marry for love. He married to put on a show for the court; to project an image of a loving, stable couple. Michael says, it’s not that at all. He married for love. Willow’s love of Wiley is equal to his. Martin says he’s not asking if Michael loves his son. He’s asking if there’s mutual love that’s the bedrock of a genuine marriage. Absent of that, it’s a marriage of convenience.

Sonny tells Jason, he wonders if Mike is listening to music, something in his head, or nothing. They watch Mike, and Sonny says, they didn’t get lot of time when Mike left him and his mom. Jason says, Sonny got him back, and Sonny says he’s grateful for that. Jason says, not everyone gets a second chance. Look at Michael, fighting for the son he thought was dead. Now here Sonny is, fighting for his father, so Sonny will have him in his life. Sonny says he’s losing Mike a little more every day.

Nikolas asks Lulu how Charlotte is, and Lulu says, fine. He says, of all the mistakes he made, one of the worst was letting Charlotte believe he was her secret bodyguard. He hears Lulu is fighting again to keep her safe from Valentin. Does she have a court date yet? Lulu says she and Valentin agreed to continue with their 50/50 custody agreement, and Laura says she’s proud of Lulu, putting Charlotte’s needs first. Lulu hopes Nikolas doesn’t intend on giving her advice about raising children, and he says he supposes he can’t, but that’s why he’s there. He’s hoping they can give him some advice. Laura asks if something is wrong, and he says Spencer said he’s willing to welcome Nikolas back into his life if he dumps Ava. Nikolas gives Laura the letter, and she asks if Nikolas answered him. He says, not yet, and Lulu asks what he’s waiting for. His son in his life, and the wife he despises kicked to the curb. It’s a no-brainer. Laura asks, what’s stopping him?

Franco tells Elizabeth, check it out. Maybe they can plant the check, and get a money tree that will pay for Cameron’s college. Ava says the unveiling will be a huge success, and he’ll be swamped with business. Elizabeth says, along with a reminder of the past he worked hard to put behind him. Ava agrees it’s unsavory, but there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Elizabeth suggests Ava try working on bringing out the best in Nikolas, and Ava asks what makes her think it’s there? Elizabeth says she’s seen it.

Michael says he and Willow will work to provide a loving, stable home for Wiley. A marriage of convenience? Far from it. It came at a cost, but Wiley is worth it. Martin has no further questions.

On the stand, Willow tells Diane, adoption was the hardest thing, but she had to protect her baby from his father. Diane says, who was? and Willow says, David Henry Archer. He changed his name to Shiloh when he founded the cult Dawn of Day. Diane says, and before he married Nelle, he was previously convicted of murder, drugging women before he raped them, and kidnapping. The trial transcripts show the depositions of the women this man drugged and raped; this man whose widow wants to assume sole custody of Wiley. How did Willow feel when she learned another child was alive and her son was dead? Willow says, the grief was unbearable, but at the same time, she was so happy for Michael. Diane asks why she didn’t stay away, and she says Michael asked her to stay in Wiley’s life. Wiley had already been through so much, and been through so many changes, Michael knew the best thing he could do for Wiley was to give him a real family. One with the both of them. Martin asks if there was another side, a darker side of her involvement.

Laura says, so if Nikolas divorces Ava, he loses his money, Windymere, and Spoon Island. Nikolas says, Spencer’s legacy, and Lulu says, Ava is no dummy. Spencer is a good kid with expensive taste, and a long list of necessities. Laura says, all Spencer needs is his father. He felt betrayed because Ava backed up Valentin, and he’d do anything to punish her. Nikolas doesn’t need them to tell him what to do. Just be a father, and everything else will take care of itself. Lulu says she needs someone to translate, and Nikolas says their mother will. He leaves, and Lulu asks, what was that about?

Ava hopes Elizabeth can put aside her misgivings, and join Franco. Not for her, but for Nikolas. Elizabeth suggests she and Franco go back home together after work. She goes to finish up, and Ava says she thought by promoting Franco it would be good for him and his family. If he feels like he’s being exploited, or that it will have any negative impact on the boys… He says the boys know who he is, and the mistakes he’s made. He wants to be honest, and a good stepdad. He hopes one day they forgive him for who he was.

Martin says, Willow became a teacher of the third grade, and he asks if she’s still employed by the school. She says, no, and he asks, why not? She says her employment was terminated because of parental complaints. They said she kept inserting herself in her student’s lives, and disregarding their parent’s wishes. He asks if that’s how she intends to care for Wiley; ignore the wishes of the woman who gave birth to him. What if she decides she knows better than the father himself? Who will be there to protect Wiley from her?

Diane says the principal must have refused to give Willow a letter of recommendation, but Willow says, no; she received one. Diane submits into evidence, Willow’s glowing letter of recommendation, and asks who Willow’s current employer is. She says she’s part of a pediatric teaching program at GH, and Diane submits her current performance evaluation. She has Willow read it out loud, and it says she’s compassionate, caring, and respectful of other employees, her students, and their parents as well.

Jason asks if Sonny remembers when Mike was bartending. He could always connect, and find something to talk about; some crazy story. Jason didn’t realize it then, but he can see now that Mike was trying to win back Sonny’s trust, and be someone Sonny could count on. Then he’d gamble, lie, and get in trouble, and after that, Sonny would shut down. The disappointment was like a wall between them. And then Mike would go back to work, and try to find something else to talk about, trying to tear down that wall. Sonny says he should have been more forgiving, and not so hard on Mike. Jason says maybe he’s not saying it right. Mike never gave up. He just accepted the wall, because he knew it was his fault it was there in the first place, but he kept trying to tear it down because he’s Sonny’s dad. Mike loves him, and wants him to be okay. What Mike wants is for Sonny to be okay. If Sonny wants to keep him there or let him go, he’s going to be doing what Mike wants. Jason wipes his eyes (!), and says he’s going to take off. Sonny decides to stay a while longer. He wants to be with his dad. He tells Jason that he appreciates it.

Sonny says, all right, dad, taking the earbuds off Mike. He asks if Mike wants to watch TV. Maybe the Yankees are on, and continuing their home run streak. He knows Mickey Mantle is up there, looking down on the Yankees, cheering. He says, guess what? He still has the baseball card Mickey signed and gave to Mike. He’ll never forget Mike telling him it was going to be worth more than gold. He remembers that.

Laura tells Lulu, she’s just reminding Nikolas not to underestimate Spencer. She thinks if he’s open and completely honest, Spencer won’t disappoint him. Lulu asks if there’s something Laura isn’t not telling her, and Laura says she can’t see into the future; she could be wrong. Lulu says, even if she is – which is highly doubtful – her capacity for forgiveness and understanding are amazing. Lulu is in awe of her. Laura says she’s in awe of Lulu, her sweet, loving, and smart daughter. She hopes Lulu’s brother has learned his lesson and is willing to change.

Nikolas calls Spencer. He says he got Spencer’s letter, and he’s ready to respond.

Ava says she looks forward to seeing Franco at the party, and kisses him on the cheek. She says, Nikolas is hoping to see him as well. She leaves, and he asks if Elizabeth is ready. She says, yeah, but seems distant, and walks past him. He takes the flowers, telling her not to forget them. They get into the elevator, Elizabeth still being weird.

Martin calls his first witness – Nelle. Willow takes Michael’s hand, and squeezes. They look at each other.

Tomorrow, Brook accuses Olivia of having an affair, Valentin says nothing is ever as black and white as it seems, Nina tells Jax that she doesn’t know if she should stand up for Nelle, and Martin asks Nelle why she deserves sole custody.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Garcelle got together with her equally gorgeous group of non-Housewives girlfriends. They talked about Garcelle’s divorce, and Garcelle said she’d been blindsided by her husband’s cheating, but her girls had been there for her.

Kyle said Denise would like them to think nothing ruffles her feathers, but Kyle wasn’t buying it. She was seeing another side of Denise, and wondered where it came from. I guess Kyle is so one-dimensional, she can’t understand that people can have different facets to them.

At Denise’s house, Sami was getting ready for her Homecoming date. Last year, she had gone with friends, but this time around, she had a real date with a boy she’s crushing on, and was getting pink hair for the occasion. In Denise’s interview, she said she was  struggling with parenting. Sami was starting to behave badly, hoping for a reaction. She said she and Charlie hadn’t been the wild couple people thought. He was sober when she married him, and she was six-months pregnant when they divorced. Erika griped about Denise having an issue with her talking about the threesome in front of the kids, when Denise was free with her happy ending story, and no one judged her. Man, this issue is really pissing me off. For one thing, Denise isn’t coming from a place of judgement. She didn’t want her kids hearing an adult story. And apparently, Erika doesn’t understand, it was a different audience when Denise talked about her sex life. It was just the women on a camping trip. Like, is it really that hard to grasp? Erika had a private dance rehearsal for Chicago, because, you don’t want other people to have to work doubly hard to make your ass look good. The cast also sent her a welcome video that was really sweet.

Harry Hamlin was off doing a play with Stephanie Powers. He was loving it, but sorry he couldn’t go to the DNA launch. Dorit and PK had a meeting with the restaurant guy, as Dorit was going to design a room in one. PK said by the time she was done, she would design the whole restaurant, put on another level, and add on a hotel. Dorit said she always gave 120%, which is mathematically impossible, and always irritates me when someone says it. I know, very Sheldon of me. PK was all interested in whether LVP knew about Dorit’s project (the guy said he had no reason to be telling her, and rightly so), and Dorit said she wasn’t trying to compete with or follow in LVP’s footsteps.

Erika invited everyone over to her house for a meeting with her astrologer friend, Shawn. LisaR showed up in the exact same pink jacket dress Erika was wearing, which caused LisaR to scream at the top of her lungs. Tom hung out for a drink with the girls, and was quite charming, telling a story about how he was in a John Wayne movie. He played a guy who was shot, and fell off a roof. In her interview, LisaR thought the evening could either be fun or an epic disaster, and we flashed back on several of the parties that were the latter, including the dinner party from hell. When Shawn arrived, Tom wisely took that as his cue to leave. Shawn talked about each woman’s sign, their moon sign, and ascending sign. He said Denise had an intensely complicated side, hidden to most. Kyle’s eyes bugged out, and got even buggier when Shawn said that if you break Denise’s trust, inside, she’d be figuring out how to even the score, and taking her time with it. In Denise’s interview, she said, she’s never plotted revenge. At least not yet. In Kyle’s interview, she wondered what Denise had in store for her. Because even in Denise’s sign traits, Kyle has to be the center of attention. Unless there was a lot we didn’t see, it seemed like all Shawn did was tell the women what kind of people they were, which seemed like a waste of time. He pointed out that Teddi gravitated to one person, usually an earth sign (Kyle), and Dorit said, if Kyle would just admit the rules that apply to the others don’t to Teddi, it would be all good. In Garcelle’s interview, she said that Kyle wants to be liked by everybody. They went over the Dorit freaking out because Sutton said she might freak out issue. Sutton said she didn’t deserve the way Dorit reacted, and Dorit said they weren’t friends yet, so she didn’t know if Sutton would make a scene. In a voice-of-reason moment, Kyle said that was the dumbest thing ever.

In her interview, Garcelle said, the more she got to know Kyle, she could tell Kyle was great with surface stuff – like, I love your bag – but she didn’t care enough to get to know people. These women were so wrapped up in themselves, she could do naked cartwheels on the table, and they wouldn’t notice. On the way back from Erika’s place, Garcelle, Denise, and Sutton shared a limo. Denise said Kyle always comes back to Kyle. In Garcelle’s interview, she said they were being catty, but that’s what girlfriends do. And Kyle deserved it. I like Garcelle. So far. Denise said Kyle talks at you, not to you. Back at Erika’s house, she said she thought the relationship between Kyle and Teddi was strange because Teddi could do no wrong, and Kyle claimed Erika had no close friends. Erika said she had plenty of close friends, and considered Kyle to be one of them.

Next time, a trip to Santa Monica, Teddi thinks Dorit possibly dislikes her, and LisaR confronts Denise – who can’t catch a break – about allowing Charlie’s hookers into her children’s lives. Unreal. Even Jesus ate with hookers, and I’m sure Denise doesn’t introduce them that way.

🗽 The Real King Takes a Final Bow…

Jerry Stiller left behind some fine work, and watching him in King of Queens never gets old.

https://pagesix.com/2020/05/11/jerry-stiller-seinfeld-actor-and-comedian-dead-at-92/

And the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

https://people.com/movies/ben-stiller-reflects-final-days-dad-jerry/

🐕 One Of the Best…

I was surprised to find out Fred Willard was 86 years old, and then I realized how many things I’ve enjoyed him in for so long. It’s like he’s always been there.

https://pagesix.com/2020/05/16/fred-willard-best-in-show-comic-actor-dead-at-86/

https://extratv.com/2020/05/16/modern-family-mockumentary-star-fred-willard-dead-at-86/

🧼 Reunion Of Children…

On Friday, May 22nd, Pine Valley will be taking an online meeting.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/all-my-children/online-reunion-2

😎 Some Good News…

Not everyone is going stir crazy.

https://nypost.com/2020/05/13/coronavirus-pandemic-may-actually-be-bringing-families-together-devine/

🐯 It Saves On the Red Paint Bill…

I don’t agree with PETA on everything, but this was pretty clever.

https://nypost.com/2020/05/13/peta-mocks-joe-exotic-with-160-tiger-king-halloween-costume/

🚝 A Virtual Train…

Snowpiercer is one of my favorite films, so I definitely want to put this on my must-see list.

https://pagesix.com/2020/05/16/tnt-series-snowpiercer-hosts-virtual-premiere/

Speaking of films, I caught The Joker this weekend on cable. Hey, I know I’m behind, but I’m not going to put a second mortgage on the house to go to the movies – God forbid I want popcorn. I thought it was well worth watching, but I did wonder if Joaquin Phoenix was allowed to direct himself. Just do what you want, Joaquin. I have to make some calls.

🌧 When It Rains…

I have a second sick dog. Thank God for small favors, it’s not as bad; an old eye injury has come back to haunt her. But it’s like, come on already. Entertainers are dropping like flies, along with the general public, but at least it looks like we’ll be able to venture out soon. How weird will that be? Stay safe, stay alive, and stay true to your school.