What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
On the phone, Sonny says he wants private security riding with them. He tells Carly not to worry, and Carly says it could have been Gladys eavesdropping. She needs Gladys gone. Sonny says he’s already arranged it. Gladys comes in, and asks where they keep the extra blankets; her room was kind of cold last night. Sonny tells her, never mind that. Grab her coat. He has a surprise for her.
Ava wakes, and looks around. Nikolas stands by the bed, and asks if she’s looking for this. He holds out a gun.
Martin goes to Lulu’s place, saying he’s there on behalf of his client, Valentin. Lulu says she knows who his client is. He says he’s there to see Charlotte, and make sure she’s okay. Lulu says, she’s fine. No thanks to her father.
Robert joins Valentin in the interrogation room, and Valentin asks if he’s there to drop the charges. Robert asks what he thinks, and Valentin says he thinks Robert has some unsubstantiated accusations from unreliable witnesses. He’s teetering on the brink of unlawful arrest, and Valentin will sue him into an early retirement. He thinks Robert is going to let him go.
In Sonny’s kitchen, Carly tells Jason she thinks Sam’s parole restrictions are ridiculous. Jason says Diane was clear, and Carly asks if that isn’t why they pay her – to get around the law. She says, the situation with Jax is over, and Jason asks, what situation? Carly says the big secret Jax was keeping. Nikolas Cassadine is alive.
Valentin says he thinks Robert is going to stretch this out as long as he can. The case will be dismissed, and he’ll be left empty-handed. Robert says, speaking of empty-handed, he heard about Valentin being disinherited. Valentin says, not yet, but it brings up an interesting point. Why wasn’t Nikolas in the cell next to his? Isn’t faking his own death and framing an innocent man still a crime?
Martin says Valentin will be relieved to know that Nina is with Charlotte. He saw Valentin in jail, and he made it clear that Charlotte’s well-being is his first priority. Lulu says Charlotte has been traumatized by last night, and Laura says she finally fell asleep out of sheer exhaustion. Lulu adds that they’re not waking her up. She’s surrounded by women who love her, and she’s safe, far from Valentin. Martin says he’ll convey the message, and leaves. Lulu says, unbelievable. Valentin was caught in the act of kidnapping, and sends his lawyer to check on Charlotte. Maxie says, technically, it wasn’t kidnapping, since they share custody. As messed up as it is, Valentin had the right to take Charlotte. Lulu asks if he had the right to attack Peter, and try to kill Ava. Maxie says she’s not defending him, but Lulu says it sounds like she is. Laura says, Valentin is still Charlotte’s father, and in the eyes of the law, he has parental rights. Lulu says, fine. She’ll take him to court. She’ll do whatever it takes. Valentin is never getting anywhere near Charlotte ever again.
Ava tells Nikolas, good morning to you too. She hopes this isn’t a new wake up call. She says her wifely duties are limited, and he says there’s only one wifely duty he’s interested in. He wants the codicil that proves he’s the rightful heir. She says, true; without it, his claim amounts to nothing. He says he married her as they agreed. Now it’s her turn. Where’s the codicil? She asks if he doesn’t get the value of please and thank you. She holds out her hand, and he gives her the gun. She puts it in the nightstand, and he says, give him the codicil please. She says, that’s better, but it occurred to her that she needs it as leverage. They didn’t have time to draw up a prenup, and he could annul the marriage or divorce her, and she’ll be left with nothing. He says he won’t go back on his word. He promises to share, and he won’t divorce her or annul the marriage. Ava says he could kill her, but he says he doesn’t want her dead; he saved her life. She says, because he wants the codicil, but he’ll never find where it’s hidden. He can only reclaim his inheritance with her by his side.
Sam arrives at Carly’s, and meets Jason. Carly asks if anyone saw her, but Sam says, no. Carly tells them, the guards know what do if a cop or Sam’s parole officer show up. She’s going upstairs to check on Donna. When she’s gone, Jason and Sam kiss.
At the café, Gladys tells Sonny that she didn’t expect breakfast. He says she’s been good to his dad, and Mike likes her. She says that’s important to her; she likes Mike too. She’s glad Mike called, and she decided to come and see him. She can’t tell him how much it meant to spend the holidays with his beautiful family. It’s been like a dream for her. Sonny can be intimidating, but his house is full of life. Donna is a joy to behold, and she loves how Avery likes to play hide and seek. And sometimes with Dev, it feels like she’s really his grandma. Sonny says, but she’s not, and Gladys says, it feels good to pretend. Brando didn’t give her any grandkids, and it makes her feel like his spirit lives on; like losing him counts for something. Sonny is sorry she lost her son, and appreciates what she’s done for his dad. She says she can continue to visit, but the trip is long. Sonny says, that’s why he bought her a new car, to make the trip easier.
Ava calls for Obrecht.
Jason asks if Sam is okay, and she says she’s tired. She’s not sleeping well without him. She can’t believe this happened just as they were getting their family together. Alexis walks in, saying she has the documents, and stops short. She says, are they kidding her? What are Jason and Sam doing, meeting in Sonny’s house in secret? Who’s absurd, reckless, really bad idea was this? Carly says it was hers.
Obrecht says, Ava called? and Ava asks if she’ll kindly escort Nikolas to the sitting room for coffee. And would she call a locksmith to change the locks on her bedroom door? Obrecht is sure Ava is capable of contacting a locksmith on her own. Ava says she’d think Obrecht would be more helpful, since she’s staying there for free. Obrecht says she took the precaution of retaining her residence in town. She stayed last night because she didn’t see the point in traveling over the freezing water so late. Ava asks if she’s leaving, and Obrecht says, it depends. It occurs to her that if Ava wants her presence as chaperone, she’s not on the best terms with Nikolas. She knows Nikolas has a murderous streak; his last wife can attest to that. Nikolas assures her that Ava is safe, and Obrecht asks if she should pack. Ava says, no. She can stay if she wants to. Obrecht says she accepts Ava’s invitation – for the time being. Her long term plans depend on her beloved niece. In the meantime, Ava should emulate Nina’s behavior as an exemplary lady of Windymere. Nikolas is sure Ava will get the hang of it. She just needs to practice. Ava says she’ll see him in the sitting room, and tells Obrecht not to let Nikolas out of her sight. Nikolas goes on ahead, and Obrecht says she doesn’t believe he poses a threat to Ava in any way.
Alexis asks if Carly knows the parameters of her daughter’s parole, and tells Sam and Jason that they agreed to abide by those parameters. This is crazy. Sam isn’t allowed to associate with felons, which Jason is, and so is Sonny. Carly says, Sonny’s not there, and she needs to trust them. Alexis says she brought over papers for the trust that Sonny needs to sign. Carly takes them, saying she’ll let him know, but Alexis says she’s not leaving without Sam. She’s not allowing Carly to compromise her daughter’s freedom. Carly says she didn’t. She guesses they don’t know, and Alexis says, know what? Carly says, Nikolas is alive. Sam says, what?! and Carly says, he didn’t die in Greece. He’s alive and well in Port Charles. He surfaced last night at Windymere.
Laura says she never had a chance to ask Nina; did she know Nikolas was alive? Nina says Valentin realized the codicil was in the portrait, and she went to Shadybrook to talk to Ava. She found Nikolas’s ring in Ava’s room. Ava was in bad shape; terrorized by Nikolas’s ghost. She put two and two together, and realized Nikolas had to be alive. Maxie gets that Nina didn’t know Nikolas, and she doesn’t know if he’s really a bad guy, but she knew his family was grieving for three years. Why didn’t she tell them that he was alive?
Martin says he’s dismayed that DA Scorpio is infringing on his client’s rights by questioning him without the benefit of counsel. Robert says he was just leaving, and goes. Martin says he assumes doesn’t want to sue for harassment. Valentin asks if he saw Charlotte, and Martin says, no. He was told she was sleeping, but he’s confident she’s fine. She’s with her mother, grandmother, Maxie, and Nina, and he’s sure she’s in good care. Valentin says, good; Charlotte loves Nina. He asks if Martin talked to Nina, and Martin says, briefly. There wasn’t much to say. He wonders why Valentin is still asking about Nina after she double-crossed him. She conspired with someone dedicated to his ruin. He can’t still be in love with her. Valentin says he is, and she’s in love with him. There’s a thin line between love and hate. He lied about Sasha, and she gave him the opportunity to tell the truth, but he didn’t. Whatever she needs to feel whole again, he loves her.
Nina says Maxie is right. She’s sorry. She should have told Laura that Nikolas was alive. Whatever game he’s playing, none of it matters, compared to the fact Laura is getting her son back. Laura gets up, and Lulu says they’re thankful he’s alive, but he’s no saint in this. All of this deception surprised them too. Laura says he left them to grieve for three years. He terrorized Ava, then married her. Nina says, whatever happened last night, her son knew what he was doing.
Obrecht asks Nikolas how his coffee is, and he tells her not to feel that she needs to wait on him. She assures him that she doesn’t. He says she would probably be more comfortable in her own place. She says, and Ava would be more comfortable with her staying. She advises him to use restraint. If Ava meets with an unfortunate accident, his triumphant return will turn into a humiliating debacle. Even so, that might be inevitable. Valentin is a formidable enemy. He got rid of Nikolas once. Don’t be surprised if he does it again, in a more permanent fashion. He says it sounds like she’s rooting for Valentin, and she says, perhaps she is. He says, after what Valentin did to Nina? and she says, it’s not a matter of wanting Valentin’s success, but wanting Nikolas to fail. He asks, why? and she says he pressed charges against Britt for endangering a child, when all she did was help Spencer with a harmless prank. She was made a fugitive, then sent to prison. Britt had to betray her to cut a deal, and because of Nikolas, she’s not there. He’s a prince, all right; the prince of hypocrites. Look how he treated his family, and his own son. What happened to him?
Alexis says, Nikolas has been alive all this time? Carly says, he’s been in Port Charles for months, working with Jax on finding a codicil that will restore him as rightful heir. Alexis says she’d like to see that codicil. She doesn’t know whether she wants to hug Nikolas or slap him, and Sam says she feels the same way. Jason asks where he is now, and Carly assumes at Windymere. Alexis says she’s going over there. She reminds Carly to have Sonny sign the documents, and tells Sam and Jason to wrap up whatever it is they’re doing, and don’t let it happen again. She leaves, and Sam says she knows Alexis is all over the place, but she has a point. Why did Carly call them there, and was it worth jeopardizing her parole?
Gladys tells Sonny the car is so fancy and high tech. How is she going to figure it out? It practically parks itself. He says it’s paid for, including the taxes. She’s good to go. She says she knows he’s buying her off. She knows he wants her gone. So does Carly; she gets it. She overstepped by sticking her nose in his business. She’s sorry. She just felt so at home, she forgot herself. Donna’s christening is coming up. They have to bring her into God’s graces. Sonny says they’re taking care of that; Carly is arranging it. Gladys asks if he can find it in his heart to let her stay until then.
Sam tells Jason, they’ve been there before. When she was taking Shiloh down, the pretended to be separated. Last time, they were only risking a DoD member finding out, but if they’re caught this time, she’ll go to prison to serve out the rest of her sentence. She can’t do that to her kids, him, or herself. Jason says, maybe things will change, but they should do what Diane said. Carly wonders why they’re not mad as hell, and Sam asks what good that would be. Carly says it will make them think. She brought them there to strategize, and figure a way out of this.
Sonny tells Gladys, sorry; she can’t stay until the christening. She says, what about Mike? He responds to her, and trusts her. He says that’s why he gave her a car, so she can make the drive in comfort. He called the staff, and she can visit as often as she wants, but as far as this goes, she needs to clear out. She says, fair enough. He’s been more than generous. Maybe she can repay him a little. She digs in her bag, and says she’s been doing research. She hands Sonny some papers, and says she found this article. It’s too technical for her to understand, but it’s about magnetic waves in the brain, and sounds promising. He thanks her.
Nikolas tells Obrecht that he’s never been perfect. He has a dark side; it’s in his DNA. He and Britt understood that about each other. It wasn’t just Britt. It was a dark tangle of very bad decisions. Obrecht says, he was spiteful. Standing in the doorway, Alexis says, so it is true. Nikolas walks to her, and she hugs him.
Valentin asks what the strategy is to get him out. His inheritance needs protection. Martin says he’s working on it. As for his inheritance, the language in the codicil is very straightforward; assuming it’s authentic, and assuming Valentin submits to the DNA test. If he passes, Nikolas gets nothing. Valentin says, that’s not happening, and Martin says Nikolas will have to produce the actual codicil, and there are ways to block the request for the DNA test. He asks if there’s any truth to the accusation that Valentin is Helena’s son. Valentin says he hated that woman, and she hated him. The whole thing stinks of Helena. One last chance to taunt him from beyond the grave.
Nina says, regardless of what happened, she’s happy for them. Tell Charlotte she loves her. Lulu says Charlotte needs that now more than ever. Nina leaves, and Laura says they had no chance to talk, but she’s pretty sure Nikolas told Charlotte that he was her secret bodyguard. Lulu says, Charlotte jumped into the harbor, thinking he’d rescue her. If she and Dustin hadn’t been there, Charlotte would have drowned. Maxie says Nikolas didn’t think she’d do something like that, and Lulu says, he didn’t even consider how the potential consequences. Poor Spencer. She asks if anyone has spoken to him, and Laura doesn’t want him to hear it over the phone. She’s flying to France. Lulu says, Nikolas has to be the one to do it, and Laura says she still thinks she should be there. She believes Spencer is going to be very hurt when he finds out what his father has done.
Obrecht tells Alexis and Nikolas that she’ll be in town if anyone needs her. She leaves, and Alexis says she missed him. How could he do this to them? He says if Valentin knew he was alive, he’d have never stopped looking. Valentin would have used them to flush him out, especially Spencer. Alexis says Spencer has thought he was an orphan for three years, and went after Valentin. She asks if he’s talked to Spencer, and he says his mother didn’t want him to reach out without her paving the way, and Alexis says, at least someone is looking out for Spencer’s well-being. He says he has to make Spencer believe everything he did was for him. Ava breezes in and tells Alexis, welcome. She’s sure Alexis is there to wish them well. Don’t worry. Etiquette says she has a whole year to give them a wedding gift.
Carly tells Sam and Jason, whatever they come up with, she just wants to help. Jason says, they have no plan; they’re still trying to process. Carly says, at least they know they can use one of Sonny’s houses, but Jason says they only need to be caught one time. Carly tells them to find leverage; go over the parole officer’s head to someone with more authority. Sam says, like who? and Jason says he thinks he knows someone.
Alexis says Nikolas married Ava? When? Ava says, last night, and Alexis says, what the hell? Ava is sure Alexis recalls when she and Nikolas encountered one another years ago. They were on Cassadine Island together, and share a special connection. When he came back, he tried to reach out to her, but she was unstable. In her grief, she thought she was hallucinating. Imagine her joy when she found out it was really true; Nikolas is back, strong and vital. They’ve been blissfully reunited, and decided not to spend one more moment apart. Alexis tells her, save the star-crossed lover crap. What’s going on?
Laura says it would be good if Charlotte had somebody to talk to, and Lulu says she’s all for that. She’ll do anything to make sure Charlotte gets through this. She’s been through enough. She’s already contacted Diane to get the ball rolling to sue for full custody. Maxie says, for Nina’s sake, she should let things settle before she goes to family court. If Valentin is convicted, he’ll go to prison, and it’s a non-issue. Laura says, Valentin has a talent for evading the law. When Charlotte almost got blown up, he was ready to go to court to get full custody. Lulu is sure any judge would see that Valentin brings danger into Charlotte’s life. She knows Charlotte belongs there, surrounded by good people. She wants to make certain Charlotte doesn’t turn out anything like her father. He can’t make a move now when he’s behind bars; he can’t strike back.
Martin tells Valentin that he’ll do an investigation, starting with Nikolas’s whereabouts when he was dead, and he’ll push to reopen his fake murder, and blaming Drew. Ava accused Valentin of pushing her off the parapet. It didn’t happen, did it? Valentin says, she was drunk, and it was dark and icy. Martin says, as he thought. She’d just been released from Shadybrook, she was drinking heavily, and she has a checkered past. Valentin says he should be able to do something to get him out before Lulu makes a move on his daughter.
Nina and Obrecht sit at the café. Obrecht says she knows Nina is in terrible pain, and Nina says, a lot of people are in pain. Obrecht hopes she’s not thinking of Valentin, but Nina says, Valentin is in pain, and Charlotte is in pain, but she and Valentin are adults. They inflict pain on themselves and each other, but Charlotte is a sweet little girl. She doesn’t deserve it. Obrecht says Charlotte is resilient, and knows Nina and Valentin love her. Nina says, they took her from Valentin. He brought her over from Windymere, and they stopped him in Rice Plaza. He was treated like a kidnapper, when he had every right to have her. He tried to make it okay for Charlotte, and told her to go with Lulu. It must have killed him. Charlotte was acting brave, but Nina could tell her heart was breaking. None of it had to happen. If she’d made a different choice, they’d be in the living room, reading another chapter of Little Women. Obrecht says, believe her when she says the most dangerous words in any language are, if only. She made her choice, and others made theirs. They can only take responsibility for their choice, and move on. Nina takes her hand, and nods.
Ava tells Alexis, what’s going on is, she and Nikolas are setting up housekeeping. They’re keeping Obrecht on as an unofficial maid. Alexis says, right. As if marrying Ava wasn’t purgatory enough, he’s not adding Obrecht. Nikolas tells Ava, they’ll discuss it further later, and Ava says she’d be happy to. She’s sure he’ll see things her way. Alexis says she’s out. They can negotiate themselves. She congratulates them on the first day of wedded bliss, and says, good luck. Nikolas tells Ava, there is no way Obrecht is staying, but Ava says he needs to understand. If he wants the codicil, he’ll have to reconsider.
Maxie says she’d like to stay, but needs to get to work. Lulu asks if she can she thank Nina for checking on Charlotte, and tell her that she’s always welcome there. Maxie says she will, and she’s sure it means a lot. One more thing, as a friend and mom. Just consider holding off on the petition for custody until she knows it’s necessary. Lulu says she’ll think about it. Maxie leaves, and Lulu asks if Laura thinks she’s wrong to push for custody right now. Laura says it has to be Lulu’s choice, but she knows whatever Lulu chooses, she’ll put Charlotte’s interests first, because she’s a good mom. They exchange I love yous, and hug.
Nikolas says, Ava won this round. He’ll allow Obrecht to stay a bit longer. In turn, she has to give him what he wants. She says she will, as soon as the post-nup is signed. He didn’t expect her to leave herself wide open, did he? In the unfortunate event that they split up, she can’t be left empty-handed.
Carly tells Sonny that he just missed Sam and Jason. He asks how they are, and she says, better since they came up with a plan. She asks how it went with Gladys, and he says he bought her a car, so she can see his dad whenever she wants. Carly hopes Gladys doesn’t use it as an excuse to stop over and spend the night there. Sonny says he did the best he could, and she says it’s all she can hope for. He looks at the article, and she asks what he’s reading. He says they’ll talk about it later, but she wants to talk now. He says it’s an article on a medical trial in New York on Alzheimer’s. He thinks it might help his dad.
At the station, Robert sees Jason, and says, clearly he’s not there to confess to a crime. Sam comes in and joins Jason, asking if Robert has a minute. Robert says, oh yeah. The two of them together, yet they don’t seem surprised to see each other. To what does he owe the pleasure? Sam says they have a proposal for him.
Tomorrow, Jax tells Finn that he’ll do everything he can to bring Hayden home, Ava tells Julian that she’s going to have the sweetest revenge, and Sonny tells Carly that it’s the first steps toward a cure.
The Real Housewives of Dallas – The Reunion – Part Two
Brandi drinks from a flask. LeeAnne says, let the hanging begin.
Andy says it was a Housewives vacation miracle in Thailand, until D’Andra stepped out in LeeAnne’s Infinity Dress, and showed them 175 ways to unravel a friendship. We see clips from Thailand, Thailand, where everyone gets a baby elephant. Andy starts gently, asking about the temple and the fortune teller. Since Stephanie was relieved that being murdered wasn’t in her future, a viewer asks who Stephanie was afraid would murder her, and LeeAnne nominates herself. Viewers chime in about the dress. D’Andra insists supposed to be funny, and also give LeeAnne a taste of her own medicine, because, who knows? LeeAnne has never come out wearing D’Andra’s face cream or whatever. D’Andra says everyone is terrified of LeeAnne, but she isn’t. She tells LeeAnne that she missed her big moment as a salesperson, and should have shown her how to wear it. If it had been her, everyone in the restaurant would have been wearing the dress when she was done. LeeAnne says she’s not D’Andra. A viewer asks if this is the same woman who made fun of two-faced Stephanie. LeeAnne says she apologized, and that’s rehashed a little, LeeAnne saying it’s like comparing a goldfish and a shark. Andy says viewers thought D’Andra and Kary looked like mean girls, and Kary says it wasn’t their intention to offend LeeAnne’s business, but watching it back, she realized it was too much. Brandi says she loves a good joke, but their delivery was off. LeeAnne says, it could have been funny, and Stephanie agrees it was wrong. D’Andra apologizes, and says, it wasn’t intended to be that bad. Kary says LeeAnne should have said it was hurting her feelings, but LeeAnne says it took everything she had to sit quiet. She knew if she said one word, she would blow. Kary wishes she would have, and they could have fixed it, but I think that’s doubtful.
Andy asks what a lady boy show is, and Kameron says, it’s a drag show. He asks if the performers were actually having sex. D’Andra says she and LeeAnne were in the first row, and could see they had condoms on. Kameron says she didn’t know what they were going to see, and wasn’t sure if it was real. LeeAnne says, when the sarongs came off, it was time to leave. They discuss the red light district, and how, after getting hit with more balls than anticipated, LeeAnne lobbed harsh words at Kameron. We flash back to Kameron’s graphics about the ping-pong show, and I die laughing all over again. That was the funniest thing all season. They should just let Kameron handle the whole show. We flash back to LeeAnne giving Kameron the business about sex workers, and the aftermath. Kameron says she didn’t realize they’d be naked and coming at them with the ping-pong balls. She thought there would be costumes, but didn’t think they’d show where the ping-pong balls were coming out of. Everyone seems skeptical, and she asks what’s wrong with her being naïve? Why are they calling her out? Stephanie says she didn’t think the location was dangerous.
Andy says LeeAnne seemed fine after coming out of the lady boy show, but freaked out after the ping-pong show. LeeAnne says, when the performers started having sex, they were all like, whoa. It wasn’t okay when the wieners came out. She thinks it was a lot. Kameron wishes she’d been more aware. She googled it when she got home, and says it’s true they were supporting the sex trafficking industry, which takes advantage of women. Brandi says she’s turning it into something it’s not, but Kameron tells her to google it. D’Andra says, it’s like a strip club, and LeeAnne says she’s never been to one. Brandi says the performers were older, and had made the choice to work there, but Kameron says they’re being naïve. Andy brings up LeeAnne implying that Kary put Kameron in an unsafe environment, and LeeAnne says, looking back, she shouldn’t have blamed Kary. Stephanie thought it was about jealousy when Kameron didn’t want leave, and Kameron says at that moment, she thought it was anxiety. Andy says LeeAnne hadn’t wanted Brandi hanging out with D’Andra a while back, and LeeAnne says she was concerned about them getting drunk. D’Andra asks how many times LeeAnne has talked about being drunk, and we flash back to that. Kary says if the same actions are anyone else’s, they’re an alcoholic. Andy doesn’t understand why Dallas society is a big deal, and D’Andra says it’s not how LeeAnne is presenting it. They stand on their own with their accomplishments.
Andy asks if D’Andra expected Kameron to confront LeeAnne at dinner. D’Andra says she did, and Kameron says she was planning to, but they all started going at her before the appetizers. When she sees one person get beat up by a group, she feels for them. Remember, they’re human. She says she was upset because she wanted her moment, and everyone stole it. Brandi calls her chicksh*t, and Andy asks Kameron why she said LeeAnne should be afraid of her. Kameron says there is a hierarchy in Dallas society, and things happen that piss people off. LeeAnne says, don’t f*** with Dallas royals. Stephanie thinks it’s bullsh*t. Just live your lif,e and who cares? LeeAnne says Kameron’s life revolves around society, and Kameron says she hates that word. Andy says she hates elitist too, but it sounds like what she’s saying. Kameron says she doesn’t go by those credos, but it’s truth. D’Andra doesn’t believe you can knock someone out of society, but Kameron says, it’s reality.
We move on to D’Andra’s company. It was on the verge of collapse, D’Andra had no access to her trust, and a mother she doesn’t trust. We flash back to all the company stuff, and how D’Andra had to suck it up and regroup. Mama Dee’s wig is discussed, and Andy requests one for the clubhouse. (Which he ended up having that evening on Watch What Happens Live.) Andy asks if Dee had remorse when she saw herself, and D’Andra thinks she was shocked. She said she prayed about it, and God told her to pay off the office lease, since she’d pretty much forced D’Andra to sign it in the first place. D’Andra says, in the last few years, their relationship has been an unhealthy competition, and she wants it to change. She wanted the business to separate from the relationship, since it was the biggest impediment. A viewer asks how she can be fifty years old, and not have access to her trust fund, and she says she gets access when Dee passes away. Andy assumes Jeremy understood D’Andra’s stress better when he came to work there, and she says he had more respect for her. A viewer asks why Jeremy doesn’t get a real job, if his art isn’t paying the bills. D’Andra says he’s served in war five times, and gets veteran’s disability pay. She just got her first paycheck from the revamped company, and they’re doing amazing. She has a deal with HSN and Dillard’s.
Andy says there was no love lost between Kary and LeeAnne. The only thing they could agree on is the fact that they didn’t like each other. We flash back to all that. A viewer asks why LeeAnne expected to be invited to Kary’s girls night, and LeeAnne says she just went along with Kameron. Kary snaps at LeeAnne, asking if she always does what Kameron tells her to do. This is starting off well. A viewer thinks it was classless for Kary to call LeeAnne stupid for not having traveled outside the country. Kary says it wasn’t right, but she’d had it, and LeeAnne points out that she has traveled. She says she loves when Kary’s bitch-light shines. Andy asks why Kary called LeeAnne a bully, and Kary says, it’s a strong word. I don’t know when it became that. The definition is pretty straightforward – someone lording their power over another with less power – so it could be used in many situations. I don’t know when it became some stupendous insult. Kary says LeeAnne is aggressive, and her wedding planner dragged Kary on social media, saying she was an alcoholic. This apparently all started with Kary saying he should lick an a-hole, because that’s what he’s good at. The discussion degenerates into who likes what, and TMI, but IMO it was a pretty immature insult. I’m not surprised Steve responded in kind, since he’s a wedding planner and probably moody.
Here it comes…
We flash back to the question of LeeAnne being racist posed to the cast members in their interviews. Stephanie says, she doesn’t think so. LeeAnne just says dumb sh*t. That’s what gets my vote. She does basically latch on to things as well, and seemed more to be making fun of what Kary had said, not her nationality. Brandi suddenly disappears, and everyone is wondering wtf? She comes back with a folding chair, sets it up facing the cast, and tells LeeAnne to sit there. She says watching this, she’s disappointed, and doesn’t want to associate with LeeAnne; she’s ashamed, and it’s not okay. I’m (almost) dumbfounded. This is the stupidest, rudest thing ever. Not that she’s mad at LeeAnne, but it’s overboard and grandstanding to the max. LeeAnne agrees it’s not okay. The use of a term like that over and over is racism. She can’t imagine how Kary feels. Is she kidding? I don’t think Kary feels much of anything except self-righteousness. LeeAnne says, it doesn’t feel good. She doesn’t believe in discrimination; she’s all about inclusion. Brandi says, that’s not the way it appears, and LeeAnne says, let her finish. Kary starts crying, sort of, and I’m once again confused, since it didn’t seem to bother her before. It was just more ammunition. LeeAnne says she never understood calling someone by their nationality was using a label. She didn’t use her words well, and wasn’t present mentally. She agrees it was a mistake. Andy says, it was a series of mistakes. LeeAnne says she said things shouldn’t have. Andy asks Kary if she heard from Kameron after the show aired, and how does she feel? Kary tells him to give her a second. I’ll save what I have to say about all this for a separate paragraph later.
Brandi says, no one should ever feel less than, and LeeAnne says it was her mistake; she apologizes. Kary says her kids are from Mexico… her family. She can’t even look at LeeAnne. LeeAnne never apologized. LeeAnne says she did, at the finale party, and Kary says she just made excuses. Looking back, she wonders why LeeAnne didn’t even send her a text when it aired. LeeAnne apologized to everyone else, but not to her. LeeAnne says, it’s obvious Kary hated her, and she was told not to reach out by production, but Andy says, that’s not true. LeeAnne says she can show him the email, but he and Kary both say that was only two days ago. He says she’s had four months. LeeAnne says, it’s just airing now. Andy says she doubled down on attacks in the interviews. I’d always wondered when those were done, and that kind of answers my question. Apparently, after the footage is edited, it’s shown to the cast member, and they comment on it. LeeAnne says she often doesn’t remember what she says in a heated moment. He says, social media is lighting up. D’Andra insists that LeeAnne knew what she was saying was wrong, and LeeAnne says D’Andra doesn’t know her. D’Andra says her conscience must have told her, but maybe she doesn’t have one. Andy points out that she said, not affected, when she was walking out of the party. We see a clip of that, and he says, it’s interesting that she didn’t reach out. LeeAnne says she feels the hatred from Kary, it makes her uncomfortable, and that’s how she reacts. Stephanie feels the things LeeAnne said are racist, and she’s a better person than that, but just ignorant. Andy asks if LeeAnne understands the difference between Kary calling herself Mexican and LeeAnne calling her Mexican. LeeAnne explains that if Kary had called herself a turtle, that’s the word she would have used. She was ignorant, and didn’t understand the power of the difference between Kary referring to herself and her doing it. Andy asks if she know Julio Iglesias is Spanish, and she says she does now. I definitely believe this, since I didn’t know either, although I never sat in his lap. I probably couldn’t name one of his songs. LeeAnne says she didn’t know how to talk to the other ladies. She was unhappy with herself. She spent hours crying, but didn’t express it to the others. She says she’s not good at that. Kary says LeeAnne claims she has to get better at so many things, and LeeAnne says that’s why she won’t reach out. No matter what she says, it’s never good enough, correct enough, or right enough. Kary says, it’s not real, and LeeAnne says that’s Kary’s perspective of her. Kameron says she loves LeeAnne. She’s made mistakes that she can’t take back, and she’s going to learn from them, but it will take time. Remember that she’s human, and humans make bad mistakes. LeeAnne says she really effed up. She went in a hole, and she’s upset and disappointed at herself. Kary feels that LeeAnne didn’t care about hurting her, but LeeAnne says she did care. Kary reminds LeeAnne about how she said actions are the important thing. What has LeeAnne done? LeeAnne admits she’s done nothing. She made a mistake, she was ignorant, and she’s educating herself. D’Andra doesn’t think LeeAnne is ignorant, and LeeAnne says, that’s the saddest part; D’Andra doesn’t know her. A viewer asks if Stephanie shouldn’t have called LeeAnne out. Stephanie says she was too chickensh*t, and it was her bad.
Andy says there’s something else. They all thought those parts were never going to air. Why? Brandi says, LeeAnne is a strong person, who’s brought a lot to the show. They thought she’d be protected. Kary asks if they never would have told her if it hadn’t aired. Kameron says she 100% would have. She didn’t want to give light to that, but automatically knew she didn’t want it to continue. That’s why she brought it to Kary’s attention. Stephanie says she told Kameron it was coming out before Kameron told Kary. Kameron says she would have told Kary anyway, but D’Andra doesn’t believe it. Kameron says don’t tell her about her own intentions. Andy says they don’t editorialize the show; they just let it play out. Brandi asks if Kary thinks Kameron would have done nothing, and Andy asks if Kary is upset that Kameron waited. Kary says she’s disappointed in Stephanie and Kameron for not saying anything. She knows it’s an uncomfortable position to be in, but wishes they hadn’t waited. Kameron apologizes. Andy says they’ve been doing interviews over the past few months, and doesn’t understand how LeeAnne hasn’t changed her tone. LeeAnne says the interviews were done before the show aired, and she’s been having conversations with the audience. People who weren’t upset, explained to her. Hispanic people told her how they felt, and that’s where she found answers. Brandi says it wasn’t a slip-up; she articulated her words. Kary says she can’t imagine LeeAnne not knowing what she was saying behind her back constantly. She knew what she was doing. D’Andra says she thinks LeeAnne is duplicitous. She says one thing, and does another. Andy asks if she’s racist. D’Andra believes she is, and he asks Brandi, reminding her that she never answered during the interviews. Brandi says her nieces and nephews are Hispanic. She says, yes, and Kameron says LeeAnne just didn’t use her words properly. She made an extreme racial comment, and said bad things about Kary, but she thinks LeeAnne is human. Brandi says, answer the question, and Kameron asks if she can talk. Brandi says she’s making excuses, and Kameron says, it’s not about her. She’s not stereotyping LeeAnne as racist. Andy asks Kary for a final thought, and Kary says, it’s very sad and disappointing. Just very sad. LeeAnne tries not to cry, and D’Andra smirks; a smirk I desperately want to wipe off her face. Kary says they’re in 2020, and it’s not okay. LeeAnne says she’s sorry. She really is.
In closing, Andy asks for one thing they’d like to apologize for. LeeAnne says, just one? and he says, just one, and to whom. D’Andra says she’d apologize to LeeAnne for the whole dress thing, and to her mother as well. FYI, that’s two. She gets a U in following instructions. Brandi says she’d probably apologize to Kary. It’s not like her go bed early, and she disappointed Kary in Mexico. Kary says she’d apologize to LeeAnne for the dress business, and for calling her stupid. LeeAnne thanks her. Kameron says she’d apologize to Kary for not telling her sooner, and Kary thanks her. Stephanie says her apology is twofold; for not telling LeeAnne what she was doing was wrong, and not coming to Kary with it. LeeAnne says she apologizes to Kary 100%, and all of the audience. LeeAnne struggles to talk through her tears. She says there are words to say she’s sorry, and she promises that it will never happen again. I’d say this is genuine, and sad. Andy asks if Kary takes what LeeAnne is saying, and Kary says she’s hearing it, but thinks it’s actions that mean the most at the end of the day. LeeAnne says, 100%.
Andy says, Kameron told them that when everyone goes to Thailand, they get… he looks at Kameron and says, what? She says, a baby elephant, and Andy says he has one for everyone. It’s a very cute stuffed elephant, with their name embroidered on one ear, and RHOD S4 on the other. Even Andy gets an elephant, which he says he’ll probably give to his son. He asks Kameron to lead them in song, and she does.
♫ Thailand! Thailand! Where everyone gets a baby elephant! ♫
The crew starts to break it down. LeeAnne walks up the stairs alone, while the others take pictures. She says she can’t change what happened. She can only do better in the future. A producer says, a work in progress.
💰 My two cents. I doubt this is the popular opinion, but if nothing else, I’m a fair person. My friends can sometimes hate this about me, because they’re like, but I’m your friend, and I say, you are, but you’re still wrong. I think a couple of things LeeAnne said are right on. If Kary had called herself a turtle, she would have latched on to that. However, like Otter says in Animal House – only we can do that to our pledges. It’s different for Kary to be referring to herself. But although LeeAnne often fabricates and embellishes, I believe she wasn’t thinking that way, and possibly wasn’t thinking at all. I also believe she’s sincerely sorry, but has a hard time saying it. Of course she shouldn’t have said that about Kary, and should know better, but beating her down isn’t going to set an example for change. And unfortunately, there are bigger fish to fry out there; real racists. Like Stephanie said in her interview, LeeAnne just says dumb sh*t.
🍷 On The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Marge had dumped water on Danielle and her Versace. Danielle sucker pulled Marge’s ponytail until security separated them. Dolores said it was old school stripper fighting, and I wondered how she knows this. Teresa left with Danielle, but went back. She pointed out that Marge went first, but Marge considered that defending Danielle, and wasn’t having it. Outside, Teresa also pointed out that Marge had pushed Marty in the pool, but Marge said it’s either her or Danielle. I’m not saying Danielle should have hair pulled, but why did Marge think she could do that and there would be no retaliation, especially from Danielle? Dolores and Teresa both admitted might have reacted the same way, and we got a nice table flip flash back. Teresa told Dolores that her fight with Joe #1 started over her spending money, even though she’d paid off all the debts. Dolores was concerned that Teresa had signed a prenup, but it might have had no provision for her if she became the breadwinner. Of course Teresa had no idea what was in it, since she hasn’t totally learned her lesson. Gia convinced Teresa to smile and agree when her dad called from the clink. Melissa was having a fashion show for her new men’s line, and Frankie Jr. was modeling. Melissa was concerned, since whenever there’s a fashion show, Teresa causes a scene. Kim D anyone? Jackie gave her kids nutrition lessons which I appreciated. At the show, Jennifer told her husband that shots get the job done, making a comparison between some people wanting the foreplay, while others just want the finishing line. Joe #2 said he may have been late to the party, and didn’t like to be proved wrong, but Melissa proved him wrong, and he was proud of her. Aww! Marge said Teresa was an embarrassment for not having her back. Since Jennifer told Teresa that Marge dumping water on Danielle was no big deal, Teresa dumped some on Jennifer, albeit not over her head. So she’s already working on Melissa’s prediction. Coming up is a trip to the Shore, and a trip to Italy.
🍑 I took a peek at The Real Housewives of Atlanta. The women did some trust exercise where they hung from the side of a tower, something I’d never do in a million years. I wasn’t paying attention, but I know they were in Toronto, and I’m pretty sure I’ve been to that tower, and gone to the restaurant at the top. Both NeNe and Eva opted out. Eva because she’s pregnant, and NeNe because she said Black people don’t do that. But the best moment of all was when Eva and NeNe were in the restaurant while the others braved the height. NeNe was blooping away about herself, and Eva looked past her at a tower of seafood going by. You just knew she was no longer hearing NeNe. It was the best.
🍸 For Those Doing Dry January…
This is from my annual Christmas movie. Don’t ask me why it became a Christmas movie for me, since there’s only one scene where it’s Christmas.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 