Tag Archives: The Real Housewives of New Jersey

October 21, 2022 – Martin Accuses Anna Of Murder, Holly, Renewed, Nuclear, Non-Leak, New Side, RumbleCon, Just Go Away, Joking, Southern Touch, Story News, Pets (!), One More Than Ten Quotes & Anything

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

In Jacksonville, Carly and Drew walk on the beach, Drew carrying the urn with Virginia’s ashes. He says, it’s so beautiful. There’s no rush. She can take as much time as she wants. They can come back tomorrow if she wants. She says, that’s okay; she’s ready.

Robert goes into the boathouse and says, oh my God. Holly is there wrapped in a blanket, and says, hello, Robert. He says, Holly? (like she might be someone else) and she says, it’s me. He kneels down and asks if it’s really her. She says, don’t tell her she looks so awful, he didn’t recognize her (like she doesn’t look like she did 20 years ago), and he says, it’s really her. She’s the most beautiful sight in the world. He hugs her.

Sasha tells Maxie, no one matching Lucy’s description was brought into the ER. Maxie asks if it’s a good thing, or a bad thing, and Sasha says she doesn’t know. On one hand, it could mean she isn’t hurt… Maxie says, but where is she? She’s been worrying non-stop since she got that call from the police. Sasha wonders why the police would be looking for Lucy. Maxie says, Dante was being intentionally vague, giving her that whole, I can’t discuss an ongoing investigation thing. He just wanted to know if she’d heard from Lucy. Austin joins them, and says he got Maxie’s weird text; what’s going on? Maxie says, Lucy’s missing.

Chase meets Brook at the Quartermaines, and asks if everything is okay; he saw the patrol car out front. She says, they found a woman in the boathouse, and he says, that doesn’t sound creepy at all. She says, they were hoping it was Lucy, since no one’s heard from her since yesterday, but Michael and Willow were just here, and apparently, it’s Robert Scorpio’s dead wife. Just another day at the Quartermaine’s.

Holly says she’s missed Robert too. Why does he look like he’s seen a ghost? He says, they all thought she was dead, and she asks why anyone would think that. He asks where she’s been for the last two years.

Victor’s attorney, Roz, says, this is so typical of Anna Devane. Everybody knows she’s made it her life’s work to send Victor to prison. Victor says he’s counting on that.

Jordan, Anna, and Martin look at the drone footage, and Jordan says, there’s Lucy. She turns, reacts, then she’s shot. Martin says, by Anna, but Anna says, she wasn’t there. Martin says, that screen says otherwise, and we see the shooter’s face. It’s Anna’s face, and she says, there’s an obvious explanation, but Martin says, she’s a murderer. She says, no. She’s being set up.

Holly tells Robert, she doesn’t know; everything is mixed up. She was on a boat… she thinks. He says he’d like to have her checked out for a concussion, but she says she’s fine. He says he’d like a doctor to tell him that. Shall we? On the side, Olivia asks how Holly got into their boathouse, but Ned says, her guess is as good as his. Dante comes in, and says, the ambulance is on the way. Holly says, ambulance? and Robert says, hospital, medical people, stuff like that. She says she just needs dry clothes and a shower, and he says, and a guy with an MD after his name. This is not negotiable. She says, still as stubborn as ever, and he says, look who’s talking. Dante introduces himself, and asks if she knows how she got to Port Charles. Olivia says, her last known location was Monte Carlo, and Holly says, she has no idea. Robert says, GH, now. She says, fine, but no ambulance. Where’s his car? He asks if she’d like to drive, and she says, is he kidding? They drive insane in this country. (Agreed.)

Austin says, if Lucy’s brought in, he’ll let Maxie know as soon as possible, and Sasha says she can’t stand to lose anyone else. Maxie tells her, it’s too soon to be thinking like that. Do they know anyone who’s tougher or more resilient than Lucy? Sasha says, no, and Maxie says, she’s a survivor. They have to think about that, and think positive. Mason comes along, and Maxie says she didn’t know he was still in town. She introduces Sasha, and Austin suggests they head home. He’ll give them a call if there’s any change. Sasha says, the thought of going back to her apartment is… and Maxie asks, when was the last time she ate? Sasha says she’s not hungry, but Maxie says, that’s not going to work for her, and steers Sasha toward the cafeteria. Austin says, Mason can’t be here, and Mason says, Austin keeps saying that like it’s his choice. They both know it’s not up to either one of them.

Anna says she didn’t shoot Lucy, and Martin says, they just watched her do it. She says, it’s not her. Jordan joins them, and says, the woman found at the Quartermaine boathouse wasn’t Lucy. Martin says, if Lucy is gone, it’s because Anna killed her, and Jordan tells him to keep his voice down. He asks why he should, and she says, he’s a lawyer. Of all people, he should know video footage can be altered. Anna says, it’s fake, and he says, of course (🍷) she would say that. Jordan asks if he really thinks Anna would shoot Lucy at point blank range, and Anna adds, and stand here and watch a video of it? Martin says, Anna is a lot more complicated, and maybe cold-blooded than she gets credit for, and why not? She’s a trained WSB operative, and he’s sure wrongfully accused is the first song they teach you in spy school. Anna says she knows he’s upset; she is too, but he needs to take a breath. She would never do anything to hurt Lucy. He says, don’t tell him to calm down. The last time he saw Lucy, she was storming off to confront Anna. Now Anna’s here and she’s not. So what happened on that pier? Lucy wouldn’t give Anna what she wanted? She threatened to turn things around, so Anna got rid of her. Anna says, this is all Victor, and Jordan says, wait here. She heads for the interrogation room, Anna on her heels. Roz says, finally, and Anna moves past Jordan, asking Victor, where is she?

Carly and Drew walk on the beach, as the cameraman perfects his crane shots. They get to a cliff, and Carly says, this is it.

Olivia tells Ned, Holly is a gutsy lady, but she could tell Holly was scared. Couldn’t he? He says, not remembering things that happened to you is scary, and she says she hopes Holly is all right. Did he see the look on Robert’s face when he saw her? Ned tells her, go to the hospital. Robert’s her friend, and could obviously use some support right now. Holly’s reappearance is a lot to wrap your head around. Besides, he can tell she’s dying of curiosity. She kisses him, they exchange I love yous, and she jets.

Mason says, he and Austin both answer to a higher power, and Austin says, God? Mason says, as far as they’re concerned, it might as well be. Face it, family’s forever, especially theirs. Robert wheels Holly out of the elevator, and she says, for the last time, she doesn’t need a wheelchair, and he says, for the last time, he wants a doctor to tell him that. And he thinks they found one. He wheels her over to Austin, who asks if he can help them. Robert says, this woman was found wandering on the Quartermaine grounds, but Holly says, she’s not this woman and she wasn’t wandering. Robert asks what she was doing there, and she says she doesn’t know. He says, memory issues. He’s concerned there might be a bit of damage there. She says she doesn’t want to be examined; she’s scared. Robert says he’s going to be with her every step of the way, and if there’s something wrong or there’s a problem, better that it happens here. She agrees, and introduces herself to Austin.

Carly says, this is her mother’s favorite spot. She would sit and watch Carly down below, catching hermit crabs. He says he can see it. Little Caroline, running around on the beach, not a care in the world. Scrambling over the rocks with a bucket. Did she ever try to take one of the crabs home as a pet? She says, she would show them to her mom, who would act impressed and amazed, and then they’d put them back because her mom said, this is their home. Then she would joke, and say, maybe one day it would be her home too. He says, now it will, and Carly says, it feels right. Laying her mother to rest at the ocean. There’s nowhere she’d rather be.

Chase wonders where Holly came from, and asks Brook if the Coast Guard found a boat nearby, but Brook doesn’t know. She brings him inside, and asks where he was this morning. He says he had an engagement with his niece, and she says, aka a tea party. She hopes Violet realizes she was having tea with a rock star. He says, let’s not go overboard, but she says, it’s not an exaggeration. Has he been following his social media accounts? He says, not really. Does that mean his set at The Savoy went well? She says, it didn’t go well; the people loved it. The video she posted has over 100,000 views already. This is huge. He’s going to be the next big thing.

Victor asks, what’s happened? Don’t tell him they found Lucy’s body. Anna says, so he killed her, and Roz tells Anna to watch her tone with her client. Jordan says, there’s no sign of Lucy’s body in the harbor. Tell them where she is. He says he doesn’t know, and Anna says, he’s lying. Jordan says, they watched the footage, and Anna says, his little show. He arranged for a drone to fly over the docks… Victor says, Anna’s become completely unhinged. Will someone tell him what’s going on here? Jordan says, they have a video of what appears to be a woman firing two shots at Lucy Coe, and Victor pretends to be mortified. He says he was clinging on to some hope that she was alive, and Anna flies around the table, but Roz blocks her from getting to Victor.

Maxie asks how Sasha is doing, and Sasha says, some days she feels like it’s going to be okay. Other days, she hangs out at the hospital because she doesn’t want to be home without him. Maxie says she remembers that. One of the worst parts of grief is that it’s not a straight line. It ebbs and flows, and she just wanted an end date. It’s unfortunate it doesn’t work like that. She’s here if Sasha wants to talk. Mason comes by, and says he was hoping to chat with Maxie before he leaves. He needs a favor.

Chase says, so Holly has zero memory of what happened, and Ned says, she doesn’t even know how she got to the US. Brook calls Chase over to show him the comments from his latest performance. That voice, those yes. I’m officially dead. Where can I get this song? Never mind the song, where can I get him? Chase says, that’s embarrassing, but Brook says, it’s incredible. They have to release the single by the end of the week, and an entire album by the end of the month. They have to give these people something to buy. Don’t worry; he’ll still be able to perform live. She misses that feeling of being in the spotlight, in front of hundreds of thousands of people. Her phone rings, and she says, it’s the studio calling about the session she booked. She steps out to the patio, and Chase tells Ned, Brook’s really in her element. Ned says, Brook’s having the time of her life. How about Chase?

Olivia gets to the hospital, and asks Robert how Holly is. He says, Austin is in with her now, and she asks how he’s doing, when Austin tells Robert he can come in. Robert says, well? and Austin says he thinks she’s great; no double vision, no headaches. No case of hypothermia. Holly says, this blanket is doing the trick, and Robert asks when she’s going to be admitted. Holly says she’s not, but Robert says he wasn’t asking her. Austin says, how about if he orders an MRI, and when he gets the results, they can discuss. Does that sound fair? Holly says it does, and Austin leaves. Robert sits down, and asks if anything has come back to her, but she says, not yet. He asks, what’s the last thing she remembers? and she says, it’s all so foggy. She was working for the WSB, and investigating a casino in Monaco. He says, Monte Carlo. He and Ethan turned the place upside down looking for her. She asks how Ethan is, and Robert says, last he heard, Ethan was pretty good, but he’ll be better once he knows his mother’s alive. She says she wants to hear his voice, but she has no way of reaching him. He gives her his phone, and says, it’s on him. He has to talk to Olivia about something. He leaves, and Holly looks at the phone.

Anna is hustled out of the interrogation room, and Jordan says, she needs to pull it together unless she wants to be arrested for assault. Anna says she just couldn’t stand looking at his smug face for one more second, and Jordan says, Anna is a professional; she knows better. Cool down. Anna tries to follow Jordan back in, but Jordan says, uh-uh. After that little display, Anna is out of this. Jordan goes in, and Roz says she wants Anna arrested. Jordan says, for? and Roz asks if Jordan didn’t see what Anna just did to her client, but Victor says, now is not the time. A woman is missing, possibly dead. Roz says, the shooter is female? and Jordan says, it looked that way, but they still have to analyze the footage. Victor says he assumes her tech experts are working on that. Lucy’s attacker has to be identified. In the squad room, Anna leaves a message for Robert to call her back as soon as he gets this. Victor has made his move. He’s trying to frame her for Lucy’s murder. Anna picks up the laptop to look closer, but Martin runs in with ADA Arden, and says, that’s tampering with evidence. Arden asks if this is the surveillance footage, and Martin tells her, watch it. Then have this woman arrested for murder.

Carly tells Drew, she hates that she lost fight to save the cemetery, but thinks Virginia would love being part of the ocean she loved so much. He says, two things can be true at the same time, and she says she’s beginning to see that. He says, life is quite the ride, and she says she hates that her mother’s life was cut short. She didn’t have the opportunity to say so many things she wanted to say. He tells her, it’s not too late to say them now. Go ahead. She takes the urn, and walks away from him. She says, Virginia, you were a good mom; you were a great mom. I’m so sorry I didn’t always make you feel that way. I wish I could say this to your face. I wish you could know my kids. I wish you could be a part of our lives, but we can’t go back, no matter how bad we want to. I hope you’ve been at peace, and I hope you continue to be. I love you, mom. She walks to the edge of the cliff, and pours out the ashes. The wind takes them out to the ocean.

Anna tells Martin, so he’s alleging she followed Lucy to a public pier, and shot her in full view of anyone who might come by. He just said she went to spy school. So surely she’d have had a more clandestine method to eliminate someone at her disposal. She basically put herself out there to get caught. Does he see that this doesn’t make any sense? He says he sees the woman who blackmailed him. The same woman who, when he refused to spy for her, threatened to destroy his life. She uses people any way she has to, to even the score in her petty grudges. With people like her and Victor, that gets dangerous real fast. He watched his own brother do it for years. When the stakes get too high, when something goes wrong, someone like Lucy gets in the way, she’s got to get rid of the problem permanently. Jordan comes out, and asks Arden, what’s going on? Arden says, nice of her to join them, and Jordan says she was questioning a suspect. Arden says, she can tell Victor that he’s free to go.  

Olivia asks how long Austin said the MRI would take, and Robert says, he didn’t. She says, he didn’t answer her question from before. How is he holding up? He says, she means with his deceased ex-wife turning up alive and well? It’s overwhelming, in a nice, warm, fuzzy way. She says, it’s a miracle. Now he gets the chance to say all the things he didn’t think he’d have a chance to say.

Dante tells Austin, he was wondering if he could get an update on Holly, and Austin asks if Dante is family. Dante says, no, and Austin says, then Dante knows he can’t tell him anything. Dante says, it’s for the investigation. He doesn’t need details. Are they going to be admitting Holly? Austin says he’s recommending she stay for observation, but you can’t make a patient stay against their will. Dante says, what about that memory loss thing? and Austin say, so much for no details. There doesn’t seem to be any physical reason for Holly’s memory loss.

Chase tells Ned, singing at The Savoy was great; connecting with the audience, getting lost in the music. Ned says he’s sensing a but, and Chase says, he spent the whole time waiting for it to be over. He enjoys singing… Ned says, but it’s not his passion, and Chase says, he enjoys making people happy, and who doesn’t love a crowd cheering for them? But at the end of the day, it’s not making a real difference. Ned says, like he would be if he were on the force, and Chase says, exactly. He wants nothing more than to be a part of that investigation, and find out who’s going around attacking people with a hook. He wants to take that killer off the streets. Ned asks if Brook knows about this, and Chase says, managing him means so much to her, and he can’t be a cop right now, which is entirely on him. He lost his cool, he punched Linc, and now he’s paying the price. Ned thanks him for defending his daughter’s honor, but Chase says, no thanks needed. He regrets the outcome, but he can’t say he wouldn’t do it again, which is why the suspension is totally merited, but it doesn’t make him miss being a cop any less. It’s pointless focusing on something he can’t have. He needs to focus on something he can control… for Brook’s sake.

Brook finishes talking to the studio, and sees an email from Dante. The subject says: Letter of support to get Chase reinstated. She deletes it, and the phone rings. She says, hello, Linc. What can I do for you?

Maxie says she’ll be glad to help Mason if she can. What does he need? He asks if she can talk some sense into Austin, and convince him to come home to Pautuck for Thanksgiving. They miss him something fierce. Austin walks up behind him, and Maxie says she didn’t mean to take Austin away from his family, but Austin says, she’s not taking him away from anything. He’s right where he wants to be. Maxie would be welcome too, of course (🍷), and her kids; Georgie, James, and Bailey, right? She says, that’s impressive, and Austin asks if Mason didn’t say he had to be on the road. Mason says, always looking out, and tells Maxie, think about Turkey Day. Austin says he’ll walk Mason out, and Mason says, gobble-gobble, as they leave. Sasha says, he’s an interesting guy, and Maxie says, yeah…  Are they cannibals??? I’m intrigued.

Victor thanks Arden for her interest in this case, and Arden says, as soon as she was made aware, she knew it required her attention. Anna tells Jordan, she’s got to get out of here. If Victor set her up – which she believes he has – he’s not going to stop with the drone footage. There’s going to be other false evidence out there against her. Jordan says, go, and Anna moves to the door, but Martin says, no. There’s no way Anna is walking out of here. Jordan says, Agent Devane isn’t under arrest. But don’t leave town. Anna says, understood, and leaves. Martin says, isn’t that sweet? Does Jordan give all her friends preferential treatment, or only the guilty ones? Victor says he’s not following. Does Martin think Anna did something to Lucy? Martin says he knows she did. You can see it plain as day on that video. Victor says, the Commissioner failed to mention that, and Arden says, since Jordan’s judgement is clearly compromised by her relationship with Anna, it’s her opinion Jordan be removed from the case.

Drew asks if Carly is okay, and she says she’s feeling so many things; mostly free. When she thinks about that emergency landing in Jacksonville, she was so frustrated. She just wanted to get where she was going, and that’s exactly what happened. Her mother needed her to be there, and she needed to be here for her mother. He says, divine intervention, and she laughs. She says, it gave her closure with Virginia, and reminded her of who she is, and what’s important to her. Her family and her friends… He says, hermit crabs, and she says, hermit crabs, and him. She’s been focused on everything she’s lost in these past couple years, and it’s been a lot, but she’s also gained something. He asks, what’s that? and she says, him. He dropped everything to help her. He slept on a really  bad couch. He says, the couch was not so bad, and she thanks him for helping her. It meant so much to her. He says, it meant as much to him. Watching her face her past made him take a good look at his own life. She says, what did he see?

Holly is wheeled back to the exam room, and Olivia and Robert join her. Robert asks, how’s the head? and Holly says, still attached. He suggests she give Ethan a call; maybe he’ll pick up now. Olivia says, not exactly the kind of message you can leave in a voicemail, and Holly says, sorry, she is? Olivia apologizes, and introduces herself, saying, she was at the boathouse earlier. She brought Holly some clothes for later. Holly says, that’s really thoughtful, and Olivia says, of course (🍷). It’s so wonderful to finally meet Holly. Although Olivia feels like she already knows her. She was in Monte Carlo with Robert and Ethan when they were looking for Holly. Holly should have seen what Robert went through to find her. She’ll let Robert tell her, but it was really something else. Holly says, he did all that for her? and he says he doesn’t know why she’s so surprised. He’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Brook comes in and tells Chase, they did it. They got him. She just knew this would work. He says, feel free to fill him in anytime, and she says, Linc called. He took the bait.

Austin tells Mason, do not involve Maxie in this, but Mason says, he’s not; Austin is. Because he deluded himself into thinking he can keep Pautuck separate from his life here. He can’t. In all honesty, Maxie and her kids would do better to stay as far away from Austin as possible.

Jordan says she’s following the evidence without making assumptions. Arden saw the video. Can she say, without question, that the shooter is Anna Devane? Arden says, without question? No. Jordan says, she’s sending the video to IT. They’ll do their best to see if it’s been altered in any way. Victor thinks it might be worth mentioning that whenever he was with Lucy and Anna’s name came up, Lucy was visibly uncomfortable. Martin agrees, and Victor says, he didn’t think anything of it at the time, but now he’s wondering if Lucy might have been afraid of Anna. Roz tells Jordan to add that to the evidence she’s following, even though it’s hearsay. Jordan asks if Victor is willing to make an official statement, and he says he supposes so. Arden asks if this means Jordan’s changed her mind, and Jordan says, if the shooter in the video proves to be Anna, she’ll reassess. Martin says he can’t listen to any more of this, and walks away. Jordan says, until then, nothing links Anna to Lucy’s presumed death

Anna puts on gloves, and opens her car. She wonders where evidence would be planted. She feels around the seats, and looks in the glove compartment.

Drew tells Carly, the life he came back to a year ago, wasn’t the one he left, and it took him a while to see it, but there’s beauty in that. She says, in new beginnings. He says, a new beginning for both of them, and she says, new beginnings can be scary. He says, they can, but they also can be exciting and hopeful, and full of possibility, and she says she likes the sound of that. He says, so does he. He smooths her hair back from her face, and asks, is this okay? She says, yes, and he doesn’t have to ask ever again. He kisses her, and we get a spinning crane shot like the one at the end of The Beastmaster when Dar kisses Kiri.

Sasha sees Martin at the hospital, and says she didn’t realize he was back in town. Has he heard from Lucy? He says, nothing, but he’s not giving up until they find her. He was actually here to check the ER. He knows it’s futile… She says, but better than sitting around waiting. He asks how she’s holding up, and she says she’s taking it day by day. It’s hard to think beyond that. He says he heard from the judge, and has an update on her future.

Brook tells Chase, right after she got off the phone with the studio, Linc called. He said he wants Chase to do a duet with one of his rising stars. Brook’s actually heard of her; she has a pretty big following. She thinks she has the perfect song for them to sing together. It will be huge boost for Chase’s career. He says, and one step closer to exposing Linc for the predator he is, and she says, that too. He says, this is really happening, and they hug.

Holly says she’d like to change into these clothes, but Robert says, she won’t be needing them, because she’s staying. Holly says, she’s not, and Olivia wisely says she’ll leave it between the two of them, and gets the hell out of there. Holly tells Robert, Austin said she’s fine, but he says, Austin never said anything remotely like that. She says, she will be once she’s had a long bath and a decent meal, neither of which she’ll get here. He says, he’s not going to win this one, is he? and she says, when does he ever win with her? She assumes the MetroCourt is still around, and he says, it is. She says, perfect. She’ll need a full English breakfast, and some tea, preferably with whiskey in it.

Arden says she’s sorry the police wasted Victor’s valuable time, but Victor says, all that matters is justice for Lucy. As the Commissioner said, just follow the evidence.

Anna looks in her amazingly neat trunk, taking out the few things in it. She lifts the bottom, where there are blankets stored underneath. Underneath the blankets, she finds a gun.

On Monday, Sasha says, the Judge made a decision on her guardianship: Mac says. Lucy may have been the victim, but is Anna the real target; and Anna tells Dante that there’s something he needs to know.

💕 And It Feels So Good…

Who Holly is, for those needing to catch up, and the feelings about her return.

🍻 Another Round…

This show sounds promising.

🧂 ShahBoom…

This does not compare to Teresa Giudice’s situation. I’m not a Teresa fan by any stretch of the imagination, but even I can see she was just a moron whose husband said, sign this, and she did. Jen is a whole other level of thief.

🍊 Was It With Paul…?

Is Noella even coming back? This is kind of a non-story.

🤸 Script Flipping…

I like Taylor, and she’s been through it. I’m interested to see what she brings to the mix.

https://people.com/tv/bravocon-2022-taylor-armstrong-went-through-so-much-rhobh-drama-different-side-real-housewives-of-orange-county/

🤼 BravoCon Smackdown…

I can’t imagine what they were like by the end of the night.

https://people.com/tv/bravocon-2022-melissa-gorga-calls-rhonj-costar-jennifer-aydin-toxic-trashy-for-throwing-drink-at-joe-gorga/

Andy isn’t going to be happy until there’s a lawsuit. And not that any of these cretins with money are any kind of role model, how did it get to be okay to throw drinks on people, shove them, and throw whatever is in front of you at them? I’ve noticed a lot of drink throwing on 90 Day Fiancé lately too. It’s not okay. Stop it. And if you do it to me, you’d best run fast.

💋 Don’t Go Away Mad…

Yeah, that’s the problem. She thinks she’s in the WME when it’s supposed to be a reality show.

💎 Not Funny…

They always say they’re joking when they realize it’s not well-received.

🍹 From Down South…

Patricia picks sides.

And makes no excuses.

https://www.bravotv.com/southern-charm/bravocon-2022/patricia-altschul-explains-whitney-sudler-smith-bravocon-absence-naomie-olindo-update

⚰️ About That Horror…

The latest on American Horror Story: NYC.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/michelelbird/ahs-nyc-cast-guide

https://ew.com/tv/american-horror-story-season-11-ahs-nyc/

🐹 But Of Course…

To make you feel warm and fuzzy after all that angst.

🌩 Quotes of the Week

Many things—such as loving, going to sleep, or behaving unaffectedly—are done worst when we try hardest to do them. – C.S. Lewis, Studies in Medieval Literature, compiled in Words to Live By

What are you waiting for? How long will you keep waiting? Don’t sit back and wait for life to happen to you. Have a plan and take the needed steps to create what you want. – Steve Maraboli (Dude is a real taskmaster.)

Healing comes from taking responsibility: to realize that it is you – and no one else – that creates your thoughts, your feelings, and your actions.Peter Shepherd

We can have peace if we let go of wanting to change the past and wanting to control the future. – Lester Levinson

Dare to be true: nothing can need a lie: A fault, which needs it most, grows two thereby. – George Herbert

Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong. – Ella Fitzgerald

A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success.Elbert Hubbard

This adoration of an artist as a lone genius is quite misled, I think, because they are very much part of their time and their community. – Hannah Gadsby

It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it. – Benjamin Franklin

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less. – Marie Curie

I can calculate the motion of heavenly bodies, but not the madness of people. – Isaac Newton

🛣 Easing On Down the Road…

See you when the bell tolls for the Dead. Until then, stay safe, stay getting all the facts before picking a side, and stay not being frustrated by emergency landings. Sometimes they get you where you’re going.

October 18, 2022 – Lucy Refuses To Listen To Anna, Villain Renewed, Coming To PC, an Event To Remember, All the BravoCon News I Could Stomach To Print & Hop

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Britt says, Cody is being generous, offering to help her sort through her brother’s things. Most people don’t want anything to do with Peter August, alive or dead. He says, it’s the least he can do after she convinced him to get a DNA test, and find out if the Chief of Detectives is his dad. She says, if Mac is his father, he has something to celebrate. Mac is a great guy. This could be the start something of something wonderful for Cody. No matter what they find in Peter’s possessions, her family’s legacy will haunt her to her grave. He says, it might make her feel better if she unloads the secret she’s been carrying.

Walking into the MetroCourt restaurant, Lucy thanks Victor for being so understanding. With Martin back in town, perhaps it’s more appropriate that they meet in public. He tells her, don’t look, but they’re already being watched. Scotty looks at them and shakes his head, and Lucy says, Scotty does not approve of her choice in dining companions. Victor says, next time he dumps Scotty out of a plane, he won’t include a parachute… He’s kidding. She says, of course (🍷) he is.

Anna tells Valentin that Lucy refuses to end her involvement with Victor. They’re going to have to intervene. He says he won’t be able to help her, and she asks if Victor is watching him too closely. He says, Victor is getting rid of him.

Victor says, Scotty is under the delusion that he’s interested in Obrecht, and Lucy says, is he? He says, currently? He only has eyes for her. He flashes back to listening in on Lucy talking to Anna, and says he hopes Martin understands. She says, like he really cares, and he says he doesn’t, but he knows she does.

Ava sees Scotty at the bar, and asks where Obrecht is. He says, she’s babysitting the grandkids. She looks over at Victor and Lucy, and says, he does know Victor is no threat. He says, not to him, and she says she’s pretty sure Lucy can take care herself, but he says he was thinking about Ava. Speaking as her friend and lawyer, she’s got to cut ties with the Cassadines, starting with that no account husband of hers.

Nikolas tells a worker that the repairs on the south tower have been completed in time for the first blast of winter. Excellent work. The man thanks him, and says, he hopes Mrs. Cassadine will approve. Nikolas says he’s thinking about Mrs. Cassadine. That’s why there will be no repairs on the north tower. The man says, if they don’t complete them… but Nikolas says, it’s not open for debate. Further repairs will have to wait until spring at the earliest. Until he says otherwise, the north tower is off limits.

Esme looks out the window, and says, there’s no way, unless she grows wings or risks falling in the lake again. She tells the baby that she guesses she’s not the only one who’s trapped in here. She knows the baby didn’t ask for this; join the club. They’re in this together, and she’s going to find a way out.

Cody says he’s a good listener. Whatever is bothering Britt, he’s here. She says she did open up to someone, and he was very understanding. Not long afterward, he died in a tragic accident. He asks if she thinks the two things are connected, and she says, no, but the benefit she got for opening up like that was so short-lived, it’s hard to take the risk again. Besides, he’s a horse whisperer, not a priest. He says he has other layers too, like her. She listened to him talk about living up to Mac Scorpio’s standards. Does she think he’s going to be scared off by Cesar Faison being her dad, and Peter August being her brother? Remember, if Mac isn’t his biological dad, Leopold Taub is. He knows what it’s like to be finding out you’re related to bad guys. She says, except he seems intrigued by her family relations. Why is that? He says he just offered to help her look through her brother’s belongings, and she says, given her brother’s history, most people run the other way when Peter’s name is brought up, so why does he want to help her?

Anna asks what Valentin means. Should she be worried? He says, Victor says he’s going to let him see Charlotte, and she says, not out of the goodness of his heart, obviously. He says, people are starting to ask questions about visitation, so it’s in Victor’s best interest to let him see her, but Anna says, Victor is luring him into a trap.

Lucy says, of course (🍷) she cares about Martin; he’s a dear. Victor says, so is Bambi, but he doesn’t see her living on berries and leaves for the rest of her life. He sees her enjoying much greater luxuries. She says, Martin is an attorney; it’s not like he’s living on Poverty Row. He’s a kind man, and the last thing she wants to do is hurt him. She tells Victor that she loves the gorgeous necklace, and the equally gorgeous matching bracelet, and he says, it’s one of a kind, just like the lovely lady who’s wearing it. He asks what Martin had to say about it, and she says she just made it clear that what she and Victor have is strictly platonic, with a dash of business thrown in. He asks what does she say they continue their business that was prematurely cut short when Johann fell overboard.

Ava says, Scotty is late to the party. She’s no longer living at Windymere; she’s staying at Nina’s in her old penthouse. Nikolas is all alone in that pretentious pile of rubble. He says, she can run circles around him in the art world, but legal matters and marriages, he’s been there. Marriages don’t just die like that. They’re like vampires, and you’ve got to put a stake through their heart to end it. His hands are tied because she ripped up the prenup and the post-nup, but he thinks things can change. Ava’s biggest blunder was leaving the house. The spouse who stays has a leg up, but if they act quickly, he thinks they can fix that. They’ve got to undo Nikolas before Nikolas tries to undo her. She needs to file for divorce first.

Nikolas brings a tray to Esme, and she says, so he decided to feed her and their unborn child. He says he couldn’t care less if she lives or dies, but he does care about that child she’s carrying. So when he comes back, he expects her to be a member of the clean plate club. She says, she hates milk, but he says he doesn’t care; the baby needs calcium. She says, speaking of babies, does he remember how they made this one?

Cody says he actually thinks he and Britt are similar, and she says, she’ll bite; how? He says, a big part of him wants to pretend he has no past. He can shape his life the way he wants; no strings, responsibilities, or expectations. She says, you can’t run away from your past, no matter how hard you try, and he says, it’s not too late to forget about her brother’s stuff, dump it in the trash, and move on. She asks if he doesn’t think she considered that, but her brother wanted her to have these things for whatever reason. If there’s nothing of value, which there probably isn’t, at least she’ll know. On the other hand, maybe there’s something she missed, something that might never come around again. He says, it’s her call, and she says, let’s get out of here. He asks where they’re going.

Valentin says, Victor is perfectly capable of using his daughter as bait, and Anna says, what if Victor’s decided Valentin is more trouble than he’s worth? Victor knows Valentin is calculating, potentially lethal, and if he’s honest, smarter than he is. Valentin says, if he’s honest? and she says, he’s telling Valentin what he wants to hear to get Valentin out of town, and cut his losses. Valentin thinks the odds are good that Victor is laying a trap, and Anna asks why Valentin is giving him the opportunity. Valentin says, because he misses his daughter.

Victor says he thinks he and Lucy should continue mixing business with pleasure, on a sunset cruse around the harbor. Since their last attempt at a cruse was rudely scuttled, he thinks it’s only fair they try again. The city lights are so very conducive. She asks, conducive to what? and he says, work of course (🍷). She says, before she accepts, she doesn’t know anything about his business. For example, she doesn’t think he has an office or even a mailing address. He says, it’s really no different from hers, but she says, she sells beauty. What is he selling? He says, join him, and she’ll find out.

Ava asks if Scotty isn’t the same friend who once said she and Nikolas had something special, and not to throw it away? He says, that’s before she told him in confidence that Nikolas was running around on her, and she says, in confidence means that it’s covered by attorney/client privilege. He says, he could get her a bigger settlement, but she says, nobody can know Nikolas cheated on her. If Scotty breathes one word of it, she’ll turn him in, and won’t stop until he’s disbarred. He says he won’t mention the unmentionable, and she says, that means not in written form either; no texting, no email, nothing. He says, it makes him mad as a hornet that she’s protecting Nikolas, but she says she’s not. He says, she gave it her best shot and it didn’t work out. She needs to find somebody who deserves her.

Nikolas says he hasn’t forgotten, and Esme says, neither has she. She takes his hands, and asks why they’re treating each other like enemies when it could be so much more enjoyable? He says he hasn’t forgotten every lowdown dirty trick she pulled to get Ava out of his life, and how she framed Trina for the sick video she made. And he hasn’t forgotten how she turned his own son against him. She says, so they’re back to the same old song again. Why doesn’t he talk about his wife’s attempt to kill her? He says, thank God that baby is half his. He shudders to think what it will inherit on her side. She says, he has no idea, and he tells her to enjoy her food, and drink every drop of the milk. As he turns to open the door, she picks up a candlestick, and tries to hit him with it, but he deflects the blow with the tray in his hands. He pushes her back, calling her a little psycho. He says he might have done the world a favor, and she asks if he thinks keeping her prisoner is good for his precious little heir. He says, she was dead, and no one shed a tear. For the most part people were relieved. The only people who want her are the PCPD and that’s because they want to throw her in prison. There’s evidence and testimony that she framed Trina, and drugged Oz Haggerty. So she’s better off here than in lockup. She says, what about after she has the baby? and he says, the baby will be given round the clock care from the best nannies in the world. He or she will live in the lap of luxury, and go to the finest schools in the world. She says, and her? and he says, her? She’s expendable.

Scotty writes on a little piece of paper, and Ava asks what he’s doing. He says he’s being specific. Judges don’t like when you just throw a random number at them. Since he can’t mention the unmentionable, what they’ve got going is, her stepson stalked her, his girlfriend set her car fire, and the mental abuse Ava suffered at being married to Nikolas Cassadine. She says, Scotty is holding out for true love, but when it comes to her marriage, he wants her to run to the nearest divorce court, even though Nikolas has made it clear that he wants to work things out. He says, that’s what Nikolas wants; what does she want? She says she doesn’t know, but she knows she doesn’t want him dictating what she’s doing, and rips up the paper.

Lucy says, the cruise sounds refreshing, but she needs to change out of this old thing. He says he has something to attend to anyway, so why don’t they just meet at Pier 55. He’ll send a calendar invitation. He sees her face, and says, oh dear, she already has something on the books, but she says, no. That bartender was stabbed on Pier 55. He says, of course (🍷). He’ll have one of his associates meet her at the pier, and keep her safe until it’s time to board. Do they have a date?… He means a deal. She says, deal, and they shake hands, but she has trouble getting her hand out of his grip. As she walks out, Scotty intercepts her, and asks what she’s doing with Victor. She says, none of his beeswax. Help Ava. Ava needs it; she doesn’t. She breezes past him, and at the table on the phone, Victor tells someone, the lady said yes, as he knew she would. Now it’s their turn. They know what to do.

Valentin tells Anna, he hasn’t seen his daughter in months; he’s got to go. She says she’ll come with him. If he sees Charlotte, he’ll be focused on her, and need someone to watch his back. If it’s an ambush, he’ll need someone to watch his back. He says, no. He doesn’t know if his father will eliminate him, but he’ll definitely eliminate her. She’s staying here; he’s going to see Charlotte. She says, on Victor’s terms? and he says, what if it they were talking about Robin? and she says, all right. He says he hates leaving her. He was hoping for another chance to wake up in her bed. It’s an amazing bed; so soft. She says, it was expensive, and he kisses her. He says he loves her, and she says, if he doesn’t come back, she’ll never forgive him, and he says, if he doesn’t come back, he’ll never forgive himself either. He leaves, and Anna makes a call. She says, it’s her. A lot of stuff has been happening. She’ll fill them in, but Valentin is in trouble and needs their help.

At Britt’s hotel room, she quickly tries to pick everything up, telling Cody that housekeeping must have skipped her room. He says, living full-time at a hotel. Remind him to go to med school next time. She says she’s friends with the new co-owner, and got a special rate, but he has it pretty cushy too. The Quartermaine stables are posher than some hotels. He says, a guy can dream, and she asks, what’s his dream? He says, freedom. Free to do what he wants, when he wants, where he wants, and with what person he wants. She says, freedom might be the most expensive thing there is, and he says he hasn’t even saved up enough for a deposit. She asks if he shouldn’t be giving riding lessons to some rich divorcée, or sucking up to the Quartermaines, instead of helping her go through her brother’s stuff, and he says, you never know what you’ll find when you least expect it. He moves closer to her, and she says, they’d better get down to business before she has to go back to GH, and he has to get back to whispering horses. She brings out a box, and says, it’s everything Peter left her. He asks if she isn’t going to open it, but she says, maybe Maxie was right, and she should throw it in the garbage shoot. He asks her to think about what she was telling him earlier. If she doesn’t open it, she’ll never get rid of the what ifs, and never fully be able to move on past her brother. They sit on the bed, and she says, here goes, and opens the box.

Lucy checks herself out in the mirror, and tries on a few pairs of shoes. Her phone rings, and Anna leaves a message, saying, listen to her. She’s giving Lucy fair warning. Either reconsider her options, and do as she says, or there will be serious consequences. Lucy smiles, ignoring the phone, and looks at herself in the mirror, saying. Lucy Coe, you’ve still got it. Now let’s put it to work.

Scotty asks bartender Jesse for a reload, and Ava wonders if Scotty had better luck with Lucy than her. He says he doesn’t get it. Smart, sensible women, what do they see in the Cassadines? He doesn’t see their appeal. Victor saunters over, and suggests he ask Obrecht, but Scotty says, Obrecht’s already gotten rid of Victor, and Lucy will too. If Ava is smart, she’ll cut her losses with Nikolas. Victor says, for once he agrees with Scotty on something, and tells Ava that he’s sorry she and Nikolas couldn’t work things out. He hopes the process moves as swiftly and painlessly as possible. He’ll even make it worth her while. She says, what process? and he says, divorce of course (divorcée).

Nikolas says, there’s a second added benefit of keeping Esme in that room. Maybe not for her, but the people of Port Charles. If there’s another attack, they’ll know she’s not the killer. She says, how many times does she have to tell him? She’s not. He says, tell that to Oz Haggerty, who could clear Trina’s name, but was inconveniently drugged before he could testify. Oh, wait. She can’t because he was stabbed to death with a hook. She says, not by her, and he says, time will tell. She asks, what happens after the baby is born, and he realizes she’s not the woman stabbing people? Is he going to put their baby up for adoption, or try to convince Ava to help him raise it? She’s not sure even the Cassadines could pull a rabbit out of that hat. He tells her, just do as he says, and take care of that new life inside her. She says, he can’t get rid of her that easily, and he says, want to bet? No one is going to miss her. She says, that’s where he’s wrong. Her father knows she’s alive not only does someone know she’s alive, he loves and adores her. Nikolas’s narrative of poor Esme being all alone in the world isn’t true. He says, she’s never once mentioned she has a father, and she says, that doesn’t mean it’s not true. And he wouldn’t be happy with the way Nikolas is treating her. Nikolas says, she told everyone that her parents were both dead. She was adopted as an infant, her adoptive parents died, and she was raised be a nanny, then sent to boarding school, where she met Spencer. She says, feel free to check with the boarding school. Her teachers always said she had a vivid imagination. Does she play fast and loose with the facts when it benefits her? Of course (🍷) she does. And the truth is, yes, both her adoptive parents are dead – may they rest in peace – but her biological father is very much alive. Nikolas says, where is he? Who is he? Why should he believe her, when she just admitted she bends the truth to serve her needs? All this time she was involved with his son, she never once talked about her father. Clearly, she’s bluffing. She says, her father is a very powerful man. If Nikolas doesn’t let her out of here, he’ll find out, and he won’t like how the story ends for him. He says, she’s told so many lies, even if she was telling the truth right now, it’s impossible for him to believe her. She says, when that day comes, his fate won’t be pretty, and he tells her, she’ll do as he says, and do what’s best for the baby. Once she’s done the one and only decent thing that she’s ever done in her entire miserable life, giving birth, her future will be up to one person – him. And he’ll decide whether to toss her off the parapet again or throw her to the wolves. They’ll see if her imaginary father comes to her rescue or not. He leaves, and she bangs on the door, yelling, let me go! She’s the mother of his child. She deserves to be treated with respect. It’s so unfair. She’s a prisoner surrounded by Ava’s tacky taste in art. There are so many holes in Esme’s story, it’s like a piece of baby Swiss, and wouldn’t her boasting about her father make Nikolas more likely to kill her?

On the phone, Anna says, it’s imperative she gets a message to Lucy Coe… Can they check her appointments and see where she’s gone?… A sunset cruise? Does it say who she’s gone with?… A business dinner… with Victor Cassadine… Does it say where?… Pier 47. Are they certain? She thanks them, saying, they’ve been very helpful, and jets.

Ava says, once again, Victor is jumping to conclusions. Yes, she’s having drinks with Scotty, and he’s her lawyer, but he’s also her friend. They’re not discussing any possible divorce. He says, she really doesn’t know? and she tells him, stop talking in riddles. He says he assumed Nikolas told her about his decision; irreconcilable differences. She says, this whole town knows they’ve had a tempestuous relationship. They’ve always been like that, and even discussed divorce, but neither one of them wanted to pull the trigger. Unless Nikolas has told Victor something he hasn’t told her. He says, forgive him. Everyone knows his nephew changes his mind on a daily basis. He just assumed a strong, independent woman like herself wouldn’t sit back and wait for him to make the first move. Maybe he’s mistaken. Ava dashes out, and Victor says, oops. Was it something he said?

Johann sneaks around Anna’s house, looking all over the place for something in the dark. He says, where are you? He walks over to the staircase, and says, you must be upstairs.

Britt tells Cody, this all seems so random. An old ATM receipt. What is it supposed to mean to her? He says, if there’s money in the account, wouldn’t it go to her? and she says she supposes so. A money clip with cash; she knows what that is. Why would he keep what looks like a stub from a parking garage? Cody says, maybe he has a car parked somewhere? and she says, even if she tracked it down, Peter’s been gone since winter. It’s probably long gone. Peter did bad things on a big scale, but the contents of this box are so run of the mill. He shows her some keys, and says, what about these? She says she remembers seeing them with Maxie. They probably open doors Peter was never supposed to enter; another thing she has to get rid of. He says he doesn’t know what these other keys unlock, but the little one opens a safe deposit box. She says, more of Peter’s unfortunate worthless business, or it could be stocks and bonds, or cash. Or it could be filled with rubies and diamonds for all she knows. Cody tells her, no one says she has to track down the safety deposit box. Some things are better left unopened. She says, really? Just walk away? That doesn’t sound like him. He tells her, she said it herself; her brother did bad things in a big way. Why mess with what he left behind? She says, don’t be so serious. They’ll probably do a lot of work to find it, only to open it and a rubber snake pops out. Her brother was warped like that. He says, why push her luck? and she says, because there’s only one way to find out. They have to find the safe deposit box and open it.

Esme takes a hanging wire from off the back of a painting, and says, this should do just fine. She fiddles with the lock using the wire. Downstairs, Nikolas opens the door to find Ava, and asks what she’s doing here. She says, she thought he was done keeping secrets from her.

On the plane, Valentin picks up a glass of champagne left for him, then puts it down. He leaves a message for Anna, saying, he’s on his father’s plane. He misses her. Wherever she is, whatever she’s doing, know that he’s with her in spirit, always.

Lucy arrives at Pier 55, and says, she’s here. Now let’s get this cruise started.

Scotty says he doesn’t know what kind of game Victor is playing, but he’s going to protect Ava’s interests. So why doesn’t Victor go hold his nephew’s hand until this is over. Does Victor follow him? Victor sees Johann in the doorway, and tells Scotty, to be continued. Now if Scotty will excuse him… He goes over to Johann, and asks if they’re good. Johann says he took care of everything in the house, and Anna’s on her way to Pier 47. Victor says, excellent far from where Lucy is, and exactly where he wants her.

On the phone, Lucy tells someone, the calendar invite says Pier 47, not 55? Are they sure? She starts walking, and sees someone. She says, what are you doing here? We see a gun, and she backs up, saying, no, no, no. Then someone shoots her, twice, and she falls to the ground.

Tomorrow, Nikolas says, nothing could be further from the truth; Cyrus says he sees Spencer as an opportunity to make amends; and Sonny tells Dex that he needs a lieutenant he can trust.

💣 Double Duty…

I guess Valentin is going to be away for a while again.

🏥 New Hospital Admission…

Funny. He doesn’t look like Richard Dean Anderson.

🧼 Goin’ To Memphis…

This sounds like an amazing event.

🎤 Onto the Bravo…

In 2019, I wanted to go to BravoCon so badly. In 2022, they couldn’t pay me. Unless it included bail money. There’s a lot more news (yes, let’s call it that) out there, but this was all I could bring myself to gather.

🗽 New York, New York…

The newbies.

https://people.com/tv/bravocon-2022-real-housewives-of-new-york-city-season-14-cast-announced/

The reboot.

The spin-off.

🤼‍♂️ What Happens In Jersey…

They just can’t help themselves. The fight.

Caroline’s two cents on it all.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2022/10/18/bravocon-housewives-interviews-drama-beverly-hills-atlanta-salt-lake-city/10527173002/

💎 Not So Bright Like a Diamond…

Biggest reveals.

Who picks up the tab.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills/bravocon-2022/kyle-richards-reveals-who-pays-for-private-jets

Response to the shade.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills/bravocon-2022/sutton-stracke-responds-to-reza-farahan-shade

The chaos. I wouldn’t throw people down for them either. Although I might throw something at them.

https://people.com/tv/bravocon-2022-rhobh-panel-nearly-canceled-after-stampede-screaming-chaos/

🍸 Random Crossover…

Not earthshattering, but a little odd.

📸 Seeing Bravo…

Lots of photos.

https://people.com/tv/bravocon-2022-all-the-housewives-and-bravo-stars-photos/

https://www.eonline.com/photos/35184/bravocon-2022-see-every-star

🎁 Not On the Schedule…

The surprise appearances.

https://screenrant.com/bravocon-2022-surprise-bravolebrity-appearances-andy-cohen-kathy-hilton/

🌱 In the Beginning…

This review is pretty funny.

https://jezebel.com/bravocon-day-1-real-housewives-1849664516

🌎 The Whole Shebang…

From the Bravo’s mouth.

https://www.bravotv.com/bravocon/bravocon-2022-live-blog

🦢 Because I Have To…

How could I not end with pets?

https://www.eonline.com/news/1175083/the-real-housewives-most-adorable-pets

🛹 Slipping Out the Side Door…

When you’ve recovered from all that, come back tomorrow for soap and more Beverly Hills Reunion. I’d thought it was over for some reason, but I guess it was just wishful thinking. Until then, stay safe, stay not jumping the line, and stay keeping in mind, you never know what you’ll find when you least expect it.

September 20, 2022 – Portia Suspects a Sinister Explanation, Unexpected Exit, a Scare, New Gig, Yummy Preview, Protective Bro, Revenge, The Queen’s Corgis & Breathe

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly puts flowers on Virginia Benson’s grave, and says, it’s been so long since she’s been here; too long. She meant to come by many times, but something always came up. Excuses, excuses, right? It seems so fitting that after everything she’s been through, she would end up here in Jacksonville with her mother.

Jordan says she doesn’t even know how to respond to this, and Curtis says, the truth would be a great start. She asks if he thinks she’d sabotage his happiness and his upcoming wedding like that? and he says, if she still had feelings for him, maybe. She says, of course (🍷) she still has feelings. They just don’t up and disappear. He’s moved on with his life, and he and his fiancé are sharing a new home now, so… He says he’s still not hearing an answer; yes or no?

Elizabeth says she’s scared, and Doc says he understands. It’s all right. He’s here with her. She was talking about the staircase. Is the woman still at the bottom? She says, yes. Elizabeth was so angry with her, telling her to stay away from her father. Now she’s not moving. Elizabeth gasps, and Doc asks what she sees.

Gregory says he knows Finn’s thoughts are with Elizabeth, and Alexis says, she’s in really good hands with Doc. Finn says he knows, but Alexis has her own stuff going on. How is Kristina? She says, Kristina’s unsettled, but she’s not hurt, and Brando seems to be out of danger, so she’s grateful. Gregory says, but it won’t stop there, will it? and Alexis says, not if the same person who attacked Brando attacked Ava. Finn says, the real question is, does the public have the right to know a lunatic is out there with a hook, and could very well strike again?

Nina says, Sonny can finally breathe, and he says, Brando is out of surgery; he’s going to be okay. She says, he’s a strong guy; it’s probably in the genes. He says, his dad loved Brando. Who wouldn’t? Brando is amazing, loyal, generous… Gladys joins them, and says, and he’s alive. She’s never been more relieved. She thought she lost him. She thought she lost her boy. Sonny says, Brando is with them right now. He’s where he belongs. He hugs Gladys.

Sasha runs out of Brando’s room, yelling, please help! She tells Brando, it’s okay, and Portia, Deanna, and another nurse run in with a crash cart. Sasha says she thought everything was okay. What’s happening? Portia tells Deanna, get her out of here, and Deanna gently pushes Sasha out the door. She tells Sasha, they need room to work, and Sasha asks, what’s happening? Please save him. Deanna closes the door, and Portia says, check his stats. The other nurse says, his pulse is 30 and dropping, and Portia says some medical stuff, and asks for lorazepam.

Carly says she couldn’t wait to get away. From Virginia, the condo, all the mistakes she made. Get to Port Charles and claim the life she knew was hers. She had it for a while. A husband, family, money, a career. Even that social status she was so fixated on. She had the right car, the right clothes, and the right address. No condo for her. She had an estate on the lake, until it all came crashing down like a house of cards. She’s fine; she’s not destitute or anything. But she’s here, back in this place; like a round trip ticket to where she started.

Jordan says, she signed the papers, put them in an envelope, and left them on her desk, and Curtis says, but they never got them. Jordan flashes back to Stella, saying, she took the papers, but doesn’t know what happened to them, and Jordan and Curtis are still married. Jordan tells Curtis that she never saw them again. They can sign new ones and move forward. It’s what she wants. He says, okay. If she says she doesn’t know what happened to the papers, he believes her. She says, hallelujah, and he says, but he does have another question. If there were no papers, and he hadn’t asked for a divorce, would they still be married? Again, Superman fighting the dinosaurs.

Stella sees TJ in his lab coat, and asks if he’s wearing his dinner attire or is dinner off. He says he meant to text her back; it’s been crazy around here. She asks if everything is all right, and he says, it is now. She knows his friend Brando… She says, of course (🍷), Mike’s cousin, and he says, they almost lost him tonight, but he pulled through. She says, thank goodness, for Brando and his family, but also for TJ. Good friends are hard to come by. He says, so are wonderful aunts.

Alexis says, on one hand, there’s the people’s right to know, and Gregory says, on the other hand, there’s getting involved in a police investigation, and everything that comes with that. Finn says, and here he thought medicine was complicated. He looks at his watch, and Gregory tells him to go meet Elizabeth. We’ve got this. Finn says he’ll check in later and leaves. Alexis asks, who is this we that Gregory is speaking of?

Doc asks if the woman is someone Elizabeth knows, and she says she thinks so. He says, but Elizabeth still can’t see her face, and Elizabeth says, no. He tells her, it’s all right; she’s safe. She’s doing great. Look up at the top of the stairs. Is someone there too? She says, yes; someone’s there. In her mind, she runs up the stairs, and sees Peter lying on the landing. She says, no! and Doc asks who else she sees.

Sonny leaves a voicemail for Carly, saying, the kids are fine. There’s a lot going down right now. Can she call him as soon as she can? A man sitting nearby says, bad news? but Sonny says, no; just the opposite, really good news. The man says, at his age, you have to wonder if there’s a difference, and Sonny laughs.

Portia says, Brando needs another round, and Deanna says, his heart rate’s plummeting. Portia says some more medical stuff, and that he has to be prepped for a dopamine drip. Outside, Sasha is looking through the window, and says, fight for us. Remember what we mean to each other. Everything they’ve been through, good and bad. There’s a song part – Sia’s Breathe Me – and Sasha goes down Brando Memory Lane. She remembers them meeting, Brando saving her after her overdose, a kiss under the mistletoe, their first time having sex in the garage. She flashes back to telling him she’s pregnant, and Brando saying he wants be part their child’s life. She remembers Liam being born, and the end of Liam’s life, telling him, Liam Mike Corbin. You were here for such a short time, but you made quite the impact. She flashes back to Brando saying he loves her, getting married in Niagara Falls, and telling him that he’s her family. He’s all the family she needs. (breathe me)

Portia says, this makes no sense. Brando was trending up after surgery. It’s like his body’s been hit by something else, and it’s wrecking his whole system. Deanna says, they’re losing him, and she says, the hell we are, and tells them to start chest compressions. Brando flatlines, and Portia says, come on, as Sasha watches.

Carly says she’s never going to escape it, is she? It doesn’t matter that she clawed her way to the top in Port Charles. In Jacksonville, she’s always going to be Caroline Benson from the wrong side of town. The tacky little wannabe, trying to pretend she belongs with the kids who go to the country club. She can hear Virginia now; be content with what you have, Caroline. It’s more than what you think. As a kid, she resented that. She took it as though Virginia wanted to hold her back; that Virginia didn’t think she was good enough to want more or better. But she understands now what Virginia meant was, she was wonderful just the way she was. She’s sorry she couldn’t hear it, for Virginia’s sake and hers.

Doc brings Elizabeth out of her hypnotic state, and she says she’s sorry. She can’t do this. She gets up, and he says, it’s all right. Is she sure she doesn’t want to try again? It seemed they were getting somewhere. She says she’s positive, and he says, they’ll pick it up again on Tuesday. She can’t get out fast enough, and closes the door behind her.

Curtis says he’s not accusing Jordan of anything. This is a legit curiosity. If things had been different… She says, yes. As far as she’s concerned, they’d still be together, but she’s not the one who ended their marriage. And it’s not an accusation or condemnation; it’s just a fact. Despite all the things that pulled them apart, she still loved him. He says he loved her too. It’s just… She says, there were things he couldn’t live with, and he says, the lies, the secrets. He knows that goes into marrying a cop, but it was bleeding into their personal life. He just never felt like he was on solid ground with her. She asks if that’s how he feels with Portia; like he’s on solid ground? He asks if she’s saying he’s not.

Gregory hands Alexis some coffee, and says, his treat. She says, big spender, and he says, that’s him. She says, he can spend a lot of money on her when they attend the panel at PCU, and he says he’s so glad she agreed to attend with him. She says, actually, she’s speaking on the panel, and he says, she just forgot to mention it? She says she’s mentioning it now, and he says, of course (🍷) she is. Always in a position of control. She says, look who’s talking. Finn, go take care pf Elizabeth. We got this. We? Who is this we? As in, we work on the paper – her paper – together? He says, she doesn’t value his opinion? and she says, when she asks  for it. All right. She’s asking for it. Don’t gloat. He tells her, stick to the facts. She doesn’t want to frighten her readers, just inform them. Appeal to their reason, not their emotions. She says, that right there is the problem; this is emotional. His son was thisclose to the boathouse where Ava was attacked. Her daughter was in the alley where Brando was hurt, so this is scary. And it’s making people angry. They need to channel those feelings into action. He says, such as? and she says, they write an open letter to whoever is terrorizing the town. They appeal to that person’s sense of vanity. He says, and then what? and she says, they wait for them to write back.

Elizabeth sees Finn, and hugs him. He asks how it went. Learn anything new? She says, she did. That she’s an excellent liar.

Sonny asks if he knows the man. He reminds Sonny of someone. The man says he gets that a lot. He’s George. And he is… Sonny says, his friends call him Sonny. He notices a racing form in George’s hands, and says, George may know his old man. He used to bet on the horses. George says, he just found it in the trash. He’s never been to a racetrack. What was his old man’s name? Sonny says, Mike, and George tells him, what he said before about good news? Don’t mind him. He’s overstayed his welcome, and should have checked out a long time ago. Sonny tells him that he shouldn’t say that. Everybody’s life matters. George asks if Sonny is a priest, and Sonny laughs. George asks, what’s so funny? and Sonny says, he’s not a priest.

Gladys asks if Nina wants to find Sasha, and join the party. Nina says, let’s do it, and they leave.  

Sasha looks at pictures of her and Brando on her phone. She says they wasted so much time together… No, actually she’s wasted it. She closes her eyes, and says, please give her another chance. Stay with her and she promises they’ll have a beautiful life together, making only happy memories. Please. She opens her eyes, and the lights dim for a moment. She says, Brando? and Portia comes out of his room.

Carly says, Virginia will never believe who she ran into; Reese’s mom, Mrs. Roberts. Of course (🍷) she goes by Mrs. Wade Honeycutt now. Carly didn’t recognize her (me neither). She has a different name, and she’s older, but there was something familiar about her. Carly remembers how she used to talk about her. Her car, how a great a tennis player she was, the amazing parties she used to have. She prays she never said the words she’s better than you, but that was the message. She was so wrong. Oh my God. She was so wrong about so many things. She’s so sorry. Sorry she didn’t see how amazing Virginia was. A light shines in Carly’s face, and a man asks what she’s doing here. She says, visiting her mom. Can he get the light out of her face? Who is he, and what is he doing here? He says he’s the night watchman, hired by the developers, and she asks, what developers? He says, she’s not from around here, is she? The land has been repurposed. The city declared eminent domain. Ugh. Don’t get me started on that. She says, they can’t just shut down a cemetery, but he says, it’s already happened. The graves in the north section have already been moved. They’ll move this section soon. She asks, why? and he says, to put in a parkway for better access to the beach. She says, can’t they just go around the cemetery to get to the beach? and he says he guesses not. She says, that’s crazy, and asks if the Jacksonville Beautification Guild is involved in any way. He says, they got the ball rolling, yeah, and she asks what’s going to happen to her mom. He says, Carly will need to move her.  

Jordan says she’s not trying to cause trouble for Curtis and Portia, but can you ever truly know a person to their absolute core? He says, maybe not, but you can sure get damn close. She says, believe it or not, she’s rooting for him. She hopes he gets everything he wants. He says he hopes the same for her.

Finn asks if Elizabeth wants to elaborate on this lying thing, and she says, Doc helped her reconnect with her memory. He says, on the staircase, and she says, not only the one from when she was a teenager, but a more recent one. He says, Peter, and she says, when her mind went there, she shut it down. Obviously, it’s not like she can tell Doc about that. Finn says, it’s his fault, but she says, no. He says he pushed Peter down the stairs, not her. If that’s preventing her from getting the help she needs… She says, he’s missing the point. She thinks the incident with Peter triggered her memory from when she was younger. He says, so she thinks she witnessed who pushed this woman down the stairs, and what happened with Peter brought it all to the surface, and she says, doesn’t he?

Sonny looks at the racing form, and tells George, his dad and Brando understood each other, despite the age difference. Or because of the age difference. That’s life. The longer you live, the more lives you touch. George’s eyes are closed, the lights dim, and he opens them. Sonny says, welcome back, and George asks Sonny, what’s his cousin’s name? Sonny says, Brando, and George says, don’t ask him how he knows, but Sonny is needed, and Sonny jets.

Sasha says, no… no, and Portia says she’s so sorry. Sasha says, no. They don’t get to take both Liam and Brando. They just don’t. Portia says, they did everything… but Sasha says, no. He was fine. He was laughing and talking. Brando wouldn’t leave her. Nina and Gladys arrive, and Gladys asks, what’s going on? Portia tells Gladys that she’s so sorry. There were complications. Her son didn’t make it. Sasha starts to cry, and Nina says, what? Portia says, she was telling Sasha, they did everything they could. Sasha falls to the floor, crying and calling out, Brando! and Nina runs to her. Everyone is crying, and I want to cry. Not that I’m particularly attached to Brando, but poor Sasha.

Sonny gets to Brando’s room, and sees everyone distraught. He says, Brando… and Nina says, she’s so sorry. Gladys tells Portia that she doesn’t understand. His eyes were open. He regained consciousness. Sonny asks, how did this happen? and Portia says, there were unforeseen complications. They might never know what really happened. Sasha says she can’t believe it. She doesn’t want to believe it. Nina says she knows how much Brando meant to Sonny, and wishes there was something she could say or do to help him. Portia goes back to Brando’s room, and Sonny says he wants to see Brando.

Gregory says, Alexis is actually going to invite a killer to write a letter to the editor? She says, it worked for Jack the Ripper, but Gregory says, except they never caught Jack the Ripper. It’s the longest cold case in history. She says, think about it. His ego wouldn’t allow him to remain silent. He was proud of his craft. He boasted about the killings. He taunted the police to the point where he dared them to catch him. He says, and she thinks she’ll have success where Scotland Yard couldn’t, and she says, it’s a different time now. Law enforcement has a lot more tools at their disposal. They’ve got DNA; they’ve got digital footprints. That sort of thing. He says, she’ll either get a Pulitzer or get indicted. He honestly doesn’t know which. She says, but he’s intrigued, and he says he is.

TJ and Stella see Curtis and Jordan, and TJ asks if everything is okay. Curtis says, they were catching up, but at the same time, Jordan says, they were consulting. TJ asks, which was it? and Jordan says, a bit of both. She was picking Curtis’s brain; drawing off those rusty P.I. skills of his. Curtis says, rusty? TJ’s mom is determined to find who tried to kill Brand. Jordan says she will. She looks at Stella, and says, even the darkest secret can’t stay secret forever. Portia runs up to TJ, and says she’s been looking for him. There’s something he needs to know.

Sonny goes into Brando’s room, and Deanna says she’s so sorry about his cousin. He thanks her, and she says, she knows it’s cold comfort, but that doesn’t make it any less true; Brando’s at peace now. He says he’s just worried about the rest of them, and she says she’ll give Sonny some time with him. The nurses leave, and Sonny tells Brando that he left them way too soon. Him, Liam, and Mike, take care of each other, up there, and he’ll take care of Sasha and Brando’s mother, and everybody else. He promises Brando that.

TJ says he should call Molly, and fumbles to find his phone. Curtis says they can take that off his plate, but he says, Molly should hear it from him. It just doesn’t make any sense. Stella says, what doesn’t? and he says, the surgery was successful. The damage to his lung was repaired, and all the bone fragments removed. And the symptoms Portia described weren’t even consistent with sepsis. Jordan asks what he thinks went wrong, but he says he doesn’t know, and leaves.

Elizabeth tells Finn, she could see the woman at the bottom of the stairs. She just couldn’t see who pushed her. He says, there’s no pressure, okay? It’s like a hike or climbing a mountain. You don’t race to the top; you take it one step at a time. She asks what he just said, and he says, mountain climbing. You put one foot in front of the other, and that’s… She says, how you reach the summit. He says, what just happened up there? and Portia runs up. She says she’s so sorry to interrupt, but she needs a consult. It’s very important. Elizabeth says, it’s okay. They can finish this later. There’s something she has to take care of anyway. She leaves.

Carly tells the watchman, she’s sorry, but this is insane. Her mom gets dug up like she’s some kind of potted plant? He says, most of the families have already made arrangements, and she asks why she wasn’t notified. He says, Virginia Benson, and takes out his phone. He says, the records on file have Jason Morgan. They reached out, but never heard back. She says, Jason is no longer with them, but she’s here, and these people aren’t going to get away with this. She strides off…

And walks right into the hotel restaurant, where Peyton is on the phone. She whips the phone out of Peyton’s hand, and Peyton says, what on earth…? Carly says, if Peyton thinks for one second her mother is leaving her resting place, she’s lost her mind.

Elizabeth knocks at Doc’s office door, and walks in. She says she thinks she remembered something.

Finn asks, what’s going on? and Portia says, it’s about Brando Corbin. He asks how Brando is doing, and she says, they lost him. Finn says, what? and she says, she’s hoping he can tell her why, handing him her tablet.  

Sonny comes out, and Deanna tells the others that they can go in now, but Gladys says she doesn’t know if she can. Sonny says, no one’s making either of them. If they want to take their time before they go in, or if they decide they don’t want to go in, that’s fine. Deanna leaves, and Sasha says she’s ready. Will Sonny come with her? He holds out his hand, and I love Sonny at this moment. He takes her in, and Gladys and Nina follow them.  

Peyton says, Carly is invading her personal space, and backing Peyton up while she talks, Carly says, and Peyton is invading the cemetery where her mother is buried, but of course (🍷) she is, because all the good people are buried at Briarcliff. She doesn’t see Peyton trying to dig that place up. Peyton says, Briarcliff is not blocking beach access, and Carly says, Peyton is unbelievable. She’s so bizarrely entitled, she actually thinks it’s her right to trample all over people, anything to get what she wants. Peyton says, I don’t know what to tell you, Caroline, and Carly says, it’s Carly. Peyton says, everything was done according to the bylaws. She’s sorry Carly is upset by this sudden shocking news. Maybe Carly should have come back and seen her mother in the last ten years or so. Do herself a favor, and hop on that flight to Aruba, and never come back. Carly says, screw Aruba. She’s staying right here and fighting for her mother. She dares Peyton to try and stop her.  

Doc says, have a seat and take a breath, but Elizabeth says she’s fine. Doc says, if he’s being candid, she doesn’t seem fine, and she tells him, Finn just said something to her, and it’s like she was struck by lightning. Doc asks what Finn said, and she tells him, Finn mentioned mountain climbing, something she used to hear a lot in Boulder. Doc says, there are a lot of mountains in Colorado, and she says, those exact words were spoken by someone else – her father. What if it was him? What if he pushed the woman down the stairs?

Alexis tells Gregory, maybe this open letter strategy is wrong. Maybe she should just write an article. Let people know the weapon used in both attacks was a hook. He says, letting people in on there being a potential serial killer is a big deal; one with reverberating consequences. She says, but there’s consequences if they sit on information. If Gregory lived in this town where this were happening to people he loved – he says, which he does – wouldn’t he want to be informed so he could be prepared? He says, and if being informed comes at the cost of a police investigation? and she says, maybe it will help the investigation. Isn’t that what they want? Assuming any of this would help. Deanna is walking by with the other nurse, and says, watching Sasha Gilmore walk into that room… she was about to say goodbye to her husband. Alexis and Gregory listen, and the other nurse says, it was just so wrong. Brando Corbin seemed fine, like he was going to be okay. Deanna says, then suddenly he wasn’t. They go into the elevator, and Alexis says she’s running with the article. Does he still object? He says, hell no. They need to nail this bastard before another family has a funeral.

Finn tells Portia that he’s happy to help, but his expertise is in infectious diseases, not forensics. She says, that’s exactly why she came to talk to him. Even the most experienced medical examiner might assume that Brando died as a result of his wound… Or they were led to think so. The symptoms he had at the time of his death… Finn says, the seizures, the coughing up blood, and she says, which came out of nowhere. They don’t track with his injuries. She can’t help but think there might be another, more sinister explanation.

Jordan hugs TJ, and asks if he talked to Molly. He nods, and she says she hates that he’s hurting. Is there anything she can do? He says, what he’s feeling is nothing compared to what Brando’s family is going through. He doesn’t understand how it happened or why it happened, and Stella says, sometimes there’s no reason. The Lord give, and the Lord taketh away. She hugs him, and suggests they pray for his friend, and for all those who loved him. They join hands, Jordan and Curtis exchanging glances before they do, and Stella says, dear Lord… Grant Brando eternal tranquility, and relief from all pain and suffering. We see Sasha bending down to Brando on the bed, and Gladys sitting on the other side; Sonny and Nina standing. Stella says, and relief from pain and suffering. Let light perpetual shine upon him, and may his soul, and all the souls of the departed, rest in peace. Amen. Sasha strokes Brando’s face.

Tomorrow, Brook asks if she’s being fired; Valentin tells Victor, it would be a mistake to provoke Sonny Corinthos; Selina says, it seems things are getting dangerous in Port Charles; and the hook strikes again.

🚑 Like You Didn’t Know Already…

About Brando’s exit.

And why… maybe.

https://soapdirt.com/why-is-brando-leaving-general-hospital/

🏥 The Long Fight…

Now we know why OG Michael keeps coming and going.

💉 Life After GH…

V.C. Andrews, the cash cow that keeps giving milk even after death. This does sound pretty good though.

🥪 Something About Sandwiches…

They look mighty tasty, but what’s with the twine wrapped around them? Do I have to unpack the sandwich?

https://www.bravotv.com/vanderpump-rules/style-living/katie-maloney-ariana-madix-show-something-about-her-sandwiches-preview

🍸 Family No More…

One question. How expensive was that whiskey?

🥊 Duking It Out Socially…

Is it me? I’m Team Joe here. Teresa has acted like a lunatic as long as Joe and Melissa have been on the show. She topped herself this season though. I think her love bubble destroyed what little brain cells she still had.

🐶 About the Dogs…

In case, like me, your first question was, what happens to the dogs?

https://www.today.com/pets/pets/queen-corgi-funeral-windsor-castle-rcna48347

👑 The lessons from the peace process are clear; whatever life throws at us, our individual responses will be all the stronger for working together and sharing the load. – Queen Elizabeth II

🍡 Blowing This Pop Stand…

Luring you back tomorrow with promises of soap, my disgust with Beverly Hills, and of course some music. Until then, stay safe, stay not making snap decisions unless you have to, and stay not keeping secrets. Because even the darkest secret can’t stay secret forever.

September 2, 2022 – Ava Unburdens To Nina, She’s Back, Booked, On Or Not, Jersey Switch, Cockroach, VanderEww, House Hitch, Emmys, Dragons, Barely More Than a Dozen Quotes & Opportunities

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Chase and Brook walk into the pool area, and Brook thanks him for getting her away from the house. The place is swarming with cops and people cleaning up. He says he can’t believe someone stabbed Ava at a crowded event, and she says, the good news is, Ava is out of surgery and in stable condition. He says he’s sure the PCPD will find out what happened, and she says she hopes so. She asks if they can change the subject, and he says, absolutely. Can he just say how happy he is that they both finally got out of their own ways and are doing this. They’re going on a date. She says, at least they’re giving it the old college try, but he says, they can do much, much better than that, and kisses her.

Sam is sitting in a chaise lounge when Dante approaches. He asks if the seat next to her is taken, and she says she was saving it for someone. He’s like, fifteen minutes late. Dante sits, and says, damn. What’s with this dude? He’s late? That’s so rude. She tells him, she wouldn’t say that. He probably has good reason. He’s a cop, a detective. Dante asks if she’s saying he puts his work above his personal life, and she says, he’s just really dedicated to his job.

In the home of the moss bowl 🎍, Josslyn gives Cameron something to drink, and he says he’s sorry. He feels like he should be waiting on her after everything she just went through. Is she sure she’s okay? She says she is now, since the moss bowl is back 🎍 but when she first saw Ava, she just froze. There was so much blood. Then Ava opened her eyes, and Josslyn went to reach for her phone to dial 9-1-1, but she’d left it inside. She knew she had to get help, but Ava was so scared. Ava wouldn’t let Josslyn leave her. He says he’s sorry she had to go through that, and she says, eventually, she found a towel, something to apply pressure to the wound. By that time, Ava had passed out, and she didn’t know if she should run and get more help, or stay and keep applying the pressure. And that’s when Dex showed up.

At the hospital, Sonny tells Dex that he won’t need him for the rest of the night. Dex asks if he’s sure, when Temp Michael (who always confuses me for a moment) comes around the corner. Dex tells Sonny, he knows Selina Wu has a shipment coming in. He can go to the docks and make sure things go smoothly, and Sonny says, he wants to work that bad? Dex tells him, he’s said it before; he wants to prove Sonny can count on him. Sonny says, all right then, and Dex starts to leave, but Sonny says he has something else he wants Dex to do for him.

In a room at the MetroCourt, Spencer holds his head, and says he feels like crap. He needs to take a shower. He takes off his shoes and shirt, and sits down on the bed instead. He says, maybe a nap, and lies down.

Willow leans against the wall for a moment, and Terry asks if she’s all right. Willow says, it’s the end of her shift. She’s just a little tired. Terry says, Nurse Tate, my office. Now.

Nina goes in to see Ava, and sits next to the bed. She asks if Ava is in much pain, and Ava says, at the moment, she can’t feel much of anything. That’s probably good. She’s not looking forward to the painkillers wearing off. She asks if Avery was here, and Nina says, Sonny brought her by earlier. She needed to see for herself that her mommy was all right. She figured Ava might want some company, but if she’d rather sleep, Nina can go. Ava says, no. Stay. It’s better not to be alone. Nina says, speaking of being alone, why is she alone? Where’s her husband? Ava says she told Nikolas to stay away, and Nina says, when she saw him earlier, he seemed pretty worried about her. Ava sort of laughs, and says, she bets he did. Nina asks why she doesn’t want to see Nikolas, and Ava says, he hurt her. He betrayed her in the worst possible way.

Cameron says, Dex was there, Sonny’s guy, and Josslyn says, he helped her save Ava’s life. He really knew what he was doing. Cameron says, he bets Dex did, considering his line of work, and she says, Dex was a soldier. He served in Afghanistan. He says he didn’t know that. What he does know about Dex is that Josslyn saw him pestering one of the jurors at Trina’s trial. She says, yeah, and she still thinks he’s an idiot to work for Sonny. All she’s saying is, he has a few redeeming qualities. When he found her and Ava, he didn’t panic. He knew they had to get to the hospital right away. If they’d waited for that ambulance, Ava would be dead. So, yes, she helped, but Dex saved her life. Cameron wonders where Spencer was during all this, and Josslyn says she doesn’t know, but is he implying Spencer could have attacked Ava? He says, no, of course (🍷) not. Spencer did stalk Ava, but he doesn’t think Spencer is capable of that kind of violence. If Esme were still in town, maybe she could be the one, but he only asks because Ava is Spencer’s stepmom. This attack affects him. She says she didn’t see Spencer at the picnic, but apparently, he got totally wasted.

Spencer sleeps, and dreams he’s searching for Trina, Cam, and Joss in an empty Savoy. Esme says, they aren’t here, and he sees her sitting on the bar, holding a martini. She says, neither is Trina. It’s just you and me. He says, she’s come back, and she says she never left, not really. He doesn’t have to pretend with her. She knows he missed her. He says, the only thing he missed was the police arresting her for framing Trina. He’s disappointed she was able to skip town before the cops got her. She says, liar, and hops down from the bar. She asks if he isn’t really disappointed in himself; that all his plans were for nothing? He says, at least it got her out of his life. One call to Commissioner Ashford, and she’s done. He’ll have her sent to prison. She laughs, and he says, it makes her smile, prison? She says, she’s out of his life, but she took his father and Trina with her.

Nina says, don’t tell her Nikolas is the one who attacked her, and Ava says she doesn’t know who attacked her, but she doesn’t think it was Nikolas. Nina says, then how did he hurt her? and Ava says, he betrayed her in the most basic way. Nina says, he cheated on her. She’s so sorry. He’s such an idiot. Who was it? Not that it matters; cheating is cheating. Ava says, it matters, and Nina says, who was it? Ava says, Esme, and Nina says, Spencer’s girlfriend Esme? Nikolas slept with his son’s girlfriend? That’s disgusting. Ava says, Nikolas claims he thought their marriage was over, that he’d been drinking heavily, and that Esme came on to him. Nina asks if that’s why Esme left. Did Ava run her out of town? Ava says, something like that.

Dante slides Sam’s chaise closer to his, and says, sorry he’s late. He kisses her, and she says, he’s forgiven. Besides she had plenty to keep her occupied. She points to Brook and Chase, who are still kissing, and says, his former partner and BLQ can’t keep their hands off each other. She thinks it’s in the air. Actually, she thinks it’s pretty easy to get in your own way. Like her totally overthinking the moving in thing. He says, but she didn’t do that. She had her reasons, and as long as he knows she wants to move forward, he and Rocco will move in… someday. She says, how about tomorrow?

Michael watches from a distance, and Dex asks what Sonny wants him to do. Sonny says he wants Dex to go to the ICU, and stand guard by Ava’s room until Frank gets here. Dex says, that’s it? He can do a lot more than that. Sonny asks how many times he has to tell Dex; just do what he tells him to do. Does he have a problem with that? Michael comes over, and says he heard about Ava. He asks if Sonny has any idea who attacked her, and Sonny asks if there’s any reason he should know that. Michael says, it was a fundraiser for sick children – a picnic, barbecue, games on the Quartermaine grounds – and somehow, Ava got stabbed in the middle of it. Sonny asks what Michael is suggesting, and Michael says, they both know violence tends to follow Sonny around. Was he involved?

Brook tells Chase, they have to stay focused. They have a plan. Does he think it’s time? He looks at his watch, and says, just about. He stares at her, and she says, what? He says, she’s really beautiful, and she tells him, stop. She should have known he’d become a mushball after they got together. He asks if she thinks calling him a mushball is an insult; it’s not. After all these months of hiding his feelings, he gets to say them out loud. Guess what? He yells that he thinks she’s beautiful. She’s wicked smart, and impossibly funny, and what she did for Maxie and Bailey Lou, who has a bigger heart than Brook Lynn Quartermaine? Which is why she deserves an epic first date. She says, he doesn’t have anything planned? That is a letdown. He says, he has plans; lots and lots of plans. They kiss, and Linc walks in. He says, what the hell? Is this how Brook thinks a manager services her clients? It’s hardly professional.

In Terry’s office, Willow drinks some water, and says she feels better already. Terry says she doesn’t have to tell Willow, nursing is a strenuous occupation. You spend most of the day on your feet, and it’s usually go, go, go. Willow says she knows that, but she still loves it. She’s proud of graduating, and proud of being a full-time nurse. Terry says, that’s quite an accomplishment. When she found Willow in the hallway just now, it looked like she was about to faint. Willow says, what nurse isn’t wiped out at the end of their shift? She can still do her job. Terry says, if Willow decided to take a medical leave, her job would still be waiting for her. Willow says, she’s not even out of her first trimester yet, and Terry wants her to take off the rest of her pregnancy? And maternity leave on top of that? She’d be gone almost a year. Terry says she’s not talking about Willow’s pregnancy. She’s talking about the time Willow will need to beat her leukemia. Willow says, pregnant women get tired even if they don’t have leukemia, and Terry says, and Willow is handling both, while keeping her diagnosis a secret from her partner. Willow says, it’s her choice and her mind is made up.

Michael asks if Sonny has considered that Ava was targeted because of her connection to him, and Dex tells Michael to shut his mouth. Sonny pushes Dex back, and tells him, stop that; stop jumping like that. Let him explain something to Michael. Ava is Avery’s mother, and that’s the only connection he has to what happened. The attack took place on Quartermaine property. Maybe Michael’s other family should have better security. Michael says he thinks the GH Board should reconsider their relationship with Sonny, and Sonny says, his donations built not one, but two wings to the hospital. Michael says, money can’t buy respectability, and leaves. Sonny says, what a shame, and Dex says, he has no right to speak to Sonny that way. Sonny says, when he tells Dex something, just do it. Go to the ICU now.

Spencer tells Esme, don’t talk to him about his father. He can’t believe she had sex with him. She sits at a table where a martini is waiting, and asks if he’s really that surprised. She was his first, but he was hardly her first. Deep down, he had to know he wasn’t experienced enough for her. How does she explain this in a way he’ll understand?… She knows. He just wasn’t man enough to keep her satisfied. He says, the thought of touching her physically repulsed him, and she says, it’s true she was never his top priority. He chose his friends over her, especially Trina. Is it any wonder she turned to someone else; a man of experience? He says she could have turned to anyone else, and he wouldn’t have cared, but she chose his father. How could she? How could he? She says, poor little rich boy. His father chose her over him, just like his beloved Trina chose rookie Rory over him. That makes him the biggest loser, doesn’t it? He lost his father and the girl. He says, that’s because Trina doesn’t know the truth. She doesn’t now he was on her side the entire time. Esme says, and if she did? What then? Does he think Trina is going to drop Officer Six-Pack and come running to him? Keep dreaming. He says he had to act like he didn’t believe Trina to trick Esme into admitting she’d set Trina up, and Esme says, but she was smarter. No way she’d incriminate herself. The only reason Trina got exonerated is because that rat of a bartender sold her out. Spencer’s plan didn’t accomplish anything. That’s not strictly true. Spencer played his role so well, Trina is never going to forgive him, and he knows that. So why hasn’t he told her? It’s not some noble gesture; he’s far from noble. It’s because he’s scared it still won’t make a difference. Trina still won’t want him. She made sure of that. He yells, shut up! and Esme disappears. She says, enjoy Pentenville. She’s sure he’ll make a ton of friends. He yells, shut up, Esme! as she laughs. He wakes up.

Cameron tells Josslyn, Spencer’s going to Pentenville tomorrow. He doesn’t blame him for cutting loose. She says she’d probably do the same thing if she was in his shoes. Does Cameron think they should check on him? He’s at the MetroCourt. Cameron says, he’s spending his last day of freedom at the pool? but she says, he’s staying there. She thinks he got into yet another argument with his dad. He said he was going there to shower and get some sleep. Her phone rings, she says, hey munchkin… Slow down… Where is she?… Is she sure?… Okay. She’s going to look for it. She’ll tell her if she finds it. Cameron asks what she’s off to look for, and she says, Avery’s charm bracelet. Her mom gave it to her, and she thinks she left it at GH, so Josslyn’s heading over there. She thinks she has enough time before Trina’s party. Cameron says he thinks he’ll check on Spencer. It might be the last time he can say goodbye before Spencer goes to Pentenville. He’ll see her at the party.

Dex stands guard outside, while inside Ava’s room, Nina says, so Ava’s husband slept with his son’s girlfriend, and Ava found out about it, and walked away? That doesn’t sound like the Ava Jerome she knows and loves. She would expect some epic Shakespearian payback. Ava says, believe her, she wanted to make Nikolas pay. She had to wait. Nina asks, why? and Ava flashes back to struggling with Esme on the parapet. Nina asks, where’d she go? and Ava says, it just wasn’t the right time. Nina says, it sounds like she’s talking about something specific. What is it? What made her wait?

In his room, Spencer writes, dear Trina. I want you to know the truth. I wasn’t going to tell you. I figured you were better off without me in your life, but I need you to know, from the moment I walked into that interrogation room after you’d been arrested, I knew you were innocent. Despite what I said, I believe in you. I always have.

Brook says she can’t believe a dirtbag like Linc is lecturing on professional behavior, and Linc says, didn’t he warn Chase? All Brook wants is to get Chase in bed. Chase says, actually, they’re dating. See that thing on his face? It’s a smile, because he’s happy. Linc says, a manager and a client are hooking up, and he’s calling it dating? Brook says she’s not surprised Linc doesn’t understand the concept. Dating is when a woman actually wants to spend time with you. Linc says, he and Chase have a meeting on the books. Chase is supposed to be with him right now, not Brook. They have to talk about studio musicians. Chase says, they had a meeting, but he’s canceling it. He doesn’t need 30 days to decide who his manager is going to be. He’s ready to sign with Brook. Linc says, what about the gig at The Savoy he just got for Chase? and Chase says, he’ll still do the gig, and Linc will get his cut, but Linc says, Chase thinks he’s going to promote someone else’s singer? Unless Chase signs with him, that gig is off. I’d bet dollars to donuts (I have no idea what that means, but it sounds good), Curtis would let him sing there anyway.

Sam asks why Dante is laughing, and he says he’s not laughing at her. It’s just when he brought it up, she seemed hesitant. Now she’s all gung-ho about it, which is great. He loves this change of pace, but he doesn’t want her to feel like they need to rush anything. She says she was just thinking it would be good for Rocco to move before the school year starts. Unless he’s too busy working. He says he’ll always make time for them, and they kiss.

Michael tells Nurse Andrea that he’s here to meet Willow. Has she seen her? Andrea says she saw Willow earlier, and believes she’s in Dr. Randolph’s office.

Ava tells Nina that she doesn’t know what she’s saying. She thinks it’s all the pain medication they have her on. She asks Nina to promise not to tell anyone about Nikolas and Esme. It would just be so humiliating if people knew Nikolas cheated on her with a girl young enough to be his daughter. Nina promises not to tell anyone, but says, Nikolas should be ashamed of what he did to Ava; of what he did to his own son. Ava didn’t do anything wrong. Ava says she’s not sure everybody would agree, and Nina says, Ava’s not to blame for this situation. Ava says she’s not a particularly popular person. Nikolas knows this. Even after she knew about him cheating, he tried to convince her that they still needed each other. A part of he actually believes him. Nina wonders why Nikolas is saying they need each other. What isn’t Ava telling her? What did she do? Ava looks past Nina, who turns around to see Sonny standing in the doorway.

Linc says, either Linc signs with him, and keeps his show at a first class venue, where he can guarantee Chase at least two promoters from Manhattan in the audience; or he can blow it all playing kiss-and-tell with the sequel to Clueless. Brook says, hey, who’s he calling clueless? and he asks if she’d prefer Dazed and Confused. Chase says he’s made up his mind. The Savoy gig would have been fun, but he’s sticking with Brook. Linc says, Chase is a fool. He would have made Chase a star. All Brook can do is keep his bed warm. Chase says, watch it, and moves closer to Linc. Linc tells him, enjoy his career as a wedding singer. Brush up on The Village People. People can’t get enough of YMCA at receptions. Linc leaves, and Brook says she didn’t love the insults, but they did it. Step one is complete. He says, now on to step two.

Willow says, it’s like Terry’s pressuring her to tell Michael about her leukemia diagnosis, and Terry says she’s sorry. The last thing she wants to do is add stress to Willow’s life. The decision to share her diagnosis or not is hers alone, but as her as boss and her doctor, it’s Terry’s duty to point out that if the people around Willow don’t know she’s ill, they’ll expect her to maintain her busy schedule. So it’s going to fall on Willow to take care of herself. Willow says she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to jump down Terry’s throat. She’s not lying. She basically feels fine; she just lacks some energy. Her goal is to keep her life as normal as possible for as long as she can. She’s lucky. They caught it early, but her life is no longer normal. She has to face that. There’s a knock at the door, and Michael says he’s looking for Willow. Willow says she’s in here, and he asks if he’s interrupting something. Willow says, no. She’s glad he’s here. He needs to know what she’s decided.

There’s a knock at Spencer’s door, and Spencer asks who it is. Cameron says, it’s him, and Spencer puts his writing stuff under his pillow. He smooths his hair, and opens the door. He asks what Cameron is doing here, and Cameron says, nice to see him too. He came to check on Spencer. He heard Spencer got a little drunk at the Quartermaine picnic. What gives? Spencer says he’s going to Pentenville tomorrow; he thought he deserved a big send-off. Cameron asks if Spencer is sure that’s it, and Spencer says, yeah. Cameron says, in that case, why is Spencer spending his last night of freedom alone, and not with his family at Windymere?

Frank tells Dex that he’ll take over, and Dex says, the boss is inside. Josslyn joins them, and asks, how’s Ava? Dex says, Frank just got here; he’s been here a while. He walks with Josslyn to the waiting area, and says, it’s seemed quiet since he got here; no medical emergencies. What is she doing here? She says, Avery lost her bracelet. She thinks she might have left it in Ava’s room, or somewhere in the waiting area. He says he’s been here for a while, but he hasn’t seen anything like that. She looks under a couch, and says she’s going to keep looking. The bracelet is from Ava, so Avery is pretty upset. He says, a janitor took the trash not too long ago. Maybe he knows what happened to it.

Sonny says, it got quiet when he came in. Is everything okay? Ava says, for starters, some lunatic stabbed her with a hook, and the cops don’t know who it was. He asks if she has any idea who attacked her, but she says she didn’t see anything. Nina says, maybe she will when she recovers, and Ava says she hopes so. She asks if Avery is all right. It wasn’t too scary to see her like this? Sonny says, she was reassured that her mom was just sleeping, and she just wants her mommy to get better. Ava says she wants that too, but until the person who did this is caught, what’s to stop them from trying to finish the job?

Sonny comes out with Nina, and tells Frank to keep his eyes open. Frank says he’s on it, and Sonny asks what Josslyn is doing here. She says, Avery lost her charm bracelet, the one Ava gave her. She thinks she might have left it here. Dex comes back, and says he found the janitor, but it was too late. He already took the trash to the dumpster. Josslyn says, she’ll figure this out; they don’t have to wait. Sonny says he appreciates her looking out for her sister. She says she always will, and Sonny and Nina leave. Dex says he’s sorry her little sister lost her bracelet, but Josslyn says, this isn’t over. Does he know where the dumpsters are?

Willow tells Michael that she was so excited to get her nursing degree, she tried to do too much too soon. She was just talking to Dr. Randolph about cutting back her hours. He says he’s completely supportive of this. He’s been worried about Willow since she fainted. Once the baby comes, their lives will only get busier. He’s glad she’s getting her rest now while she can. Willow says she promises her goal is to be 100% when this is over.

Spencer tells Cameron, his Uncle Victor got him the room. Something about not wanting to haul his drunk ass back to Windymere. Since this is his last night of freedom, he figured he’d spend it there. He wanted some five-star luxury before his three months in maximum security. Cameron says, that makes sense. So is his dad at the hospital with Ava? Spencer says he assumes so, and Cameron asks if he’s scared to go to Pentenville. Spencer says, of course (🍷) he is; who wouldn’t be? His life is royally screwed up, and for nothing. Cameron says, it’s not for nothing. Spencer was helping his friend Trina; that matters. Spencer says, except that it turns out it was completely pointless. He didn’t do anything to help her. It was the bartender’s testimony that got the charges dropped. Cameron says, what’s important is that Spencer was helping a friend, and Spencer says, maybe, eyeing his pillow. Cameron says, if Spencer wants, he can stick around. They could play some video games. He can be a little late to Trina’s party. Trina is having a party to celebrate PCU dropping the Title IX charges; she’s going back to classes in the fall. Spencer says, that’s great; good for her. But Cameron doesn’t have to stick around. Cameron asks if he’s sure, and Spencer says he’ll see Cameron in a few months. Cameron asks if Spencer doesn’t think he’ll come visit, and Spencer says, he is? Cameron says, Spencer’s his friend, isn’t he? and they hug.

Sam asks how the investigation into Ava’s stabbing is going, and Dante says, slow. Whoever stabbed her took a big risk, doing it at a picnic with so many people around. She says, maybe it wasn’t about the risk. Maybe it was a crime of passion.

Brook says, she knew it was a good plan to make Linc want to sign Chase, then make a big deal about Chase signing with her. It’s just going to make Linc want to sign him more. He’s one of those guys who wants what he can’t have. Chase says, and on to step two. They have to find a way to make him some kind of success… as a singer. And step three, Linc will buy out his contract. She says, at a very good price, she might add, and he says, then he’ll abandon his singing career, and leave Linc in the lurch. She says, yes. That is the final step. He says, then the hard part. She’s got to make him a star. She says, easy peasy.

Dante helps Sam up, and says, let’s go for pizza, then to his place to start packing up. She asks if he’s sure Rocco will want to give up his backyard, and he says, there’s a beautiful park a block away from her penthouse. She says, what about living with two other kids? and he says, they’ve spent so much time together at the Quartermaines, they’re pretty much siblings already. They kiss, and she says, it’s a go. On their way out, the run into Brook and Chase. Dante says, look who they have here. He was going to say they should be enjoying each other more, but he doesn’t think that’s possible. Chase says, they’re that obvious? and Sam says, only in the best way possible. Dante tells them, have a good night, and leaves with Sam.

At the dumpster, Josslyn tells Dex, that smell; it’s so gross. He says, it’s garbage. What did she expect? She tells him, it says number ten, and the janitor said that’s trash, not medical waste. She brings a wooden crate over, and gets on it. He says, she’s not actually climbing in? It’s just a bracelet. Why doesn’t she buy her sister a new one? Josslyn says, no, and opens the dumpster. She says, her sister is going through enough right now. If there’s a chance the bracelet is in here, she’s going to look for it. Is he going to help her or what?

Dressed in a suit, Spencer signs the letter and puts it in an envelope. He leaves, taking it with him.

Willow thanks Terry for hearing her out, and Terry says she’s a great nurse. They want to support her any way they can. Her desk phone rings, and she says she has to take this. Willow and Michael leave, and in the hallway, Willow says, hang on. Michael asks if something is wrong, and she asks if he thinks they can skip the MetroCourt, and have a quiet dinner at home. He says, as long as they’re together, he doesn’t care where they go.

Frank comes into Ava’s room, and she asks if he’s going to be right outside her door all night. He says he will, and she says, he won’t let anyone in who isn’t approved? He says he has the list on his phone, and she asks if Nikolas Cassadine is on the list. Frank says, he is, and she says, he shouldn’t be. Take her husband’s name off.

Chase says, if it was that easy to make someone a star, wouldn’t every karaoke singer do it? She says, they’re not talking about karaoke singers. She has experiences; she has contacts. Chase is the total package. Every guy is going to want to be him, and every girl is going to have a poster of him on her wall. Anyone who hears him is going to become an instant fan. He says, is that all it’s going to take? and she says, he can be very charismatic. They kiss, and Chase says, and she can be very convincing. How are they going to get him in front of a crowd? She sees Nina and Sonny walk in, and says she has an idea. Trust her.

Sonny says he knows he interrupted something between Nina and Ava. When he walked into the room, it was tense. She says he doesn’t need to know about this. It’s just, Ava’s been through a lot, and she’s emotional right now. He says, he knows that’s not it. Tell him the truth. What were she and Ava talking about?  

On Monday, Brando says, Sasha is in trouble; Sasha asks Lucy, what’s the bottom line; and Sonny asks what favor someone needs.

🏋️‍♀️ They Never Die…

I still expect Faison to show up again, even though Doc has his brain in a jar. Or perhaps a good twin. Could happen.

📖 Sweet Side Hustle…

This looks like a beautiful book. Congrats to her! Apparently, both our Trinas are young women of varied accomplishments.

🛠 Who’s Laboring…

Hint: There will be a new episode of GH on Monday.

👠 New New Jersey…

I don’t get Jackie being demoted. At first I thought maybe she’d decided to take time off, but no. Bravo has made some bad decisions lately. They’re reducing the time of the person who had the most interesting, and real, storyline last season; yet they continue to keep Teresa, who has become a liability with her temper, in the forefront. Don’t even get me started on RHOBH.

https://screenrant.com/rhonj-season-13-finale-features-screaming-match-fighting/

💎 Can’t Quit Her…

I’m like a cockroach. You can’t get rid of me. I agree with half of this statement.

🍸 Just a Little Creepy…

The word incestuous comes to mind. I also don’t know why Raquel would want to go from one bad choice to another. At least the chances of Schwartz rage texting her are slim.

https://people.com/tv/vanderpump-rules-tom-schwartz-wrote-off-raquel-leviss-during-katie-maloney-marriage/

https://www.eonline.com/news/1344541/vanderpump-rules-scheana-shay-breaks-silence-on-tom-schwartz-and-raquel-leviss-rumors

💍 Engagement In the House…

I don’t even know what to make of this. I’d actually thought Carl was a sane person. And what about Austen?

https://people.com/tv/summer-house-stars-lindsay-hubbard-and-carl-radke-are-engaged-exclusive/

🏆 So They Say…

I don’t know if it’s everything you need to know, but it’s not until September 12th, so you have time.

https://ew.com/awards/emmys/2022-emmys-everything-to-know/

🐉 Hobbit This…

I don’t know how much of a competition it is though. It’s not like you can’t watch almost anything at any time now. I personally have at least three premieres on my viewing schedule this weekend.

https://www.avclub.com/house-of-dragon-game-of-thrones-youtube-premiere-free-1849492467

🌬 Quotes of the Week

Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success. – Dale Carnegie

Maybe this world is another planet’s hell. – Aldous Huxley

Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth. – Oscar Wilde

You can tell a lot about a fellow’s character by his way of eating jellybeans.Ronald Reagan

The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance. – Alan Watts

It’s the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter. – Marlene Dietrich

A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.Mahatma Gandhi

Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. – Thomas Jefferson

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. – George Bernard Shaw

I think the only answer is to live life to the fullest while you can and collect memories like fools collect money. Because in the end, that’s all you have – happy memories.Sarah Strohmeyer

We do not remember days, we remember moments. The richness of life lies in memories we have forgotten. – Cesare Pavese

Basic cable; it’s like being in prison. – Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen), Two and a Half Men

You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else. – Albert Einstein (The first guy to figure out Survivor.)

🍁 Unofficial Seasonal Change…

Soap and Deck will still be laboring on Monday, so join me for both. Until then, stay safe, stay laboring at whatever you want or not this weekend, and stay knowing that helping a friend is never for nothing. It always matters.

August 19, 2022 – Austin’s Cousin Is In Town, Mason, Leaving, Wedding Aftershock, Shahnanigans, Cheshire Wives, Wedding Album, Dead Tales, Reviewing Dragons, Lucky Amount of Quotes & Time

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Cody says, Britt has questions about him? Good, because he has questions about her too. Which is why it’s good to have date number two. They can learn more about each other. Britt says, much more, and he says, for starters, how does she feel about anchovies on pizza? She says, he’s assuming she likes pizza, and he says, everybody likes pizza. She says, that’s the problem with assumptions. Everybody doesn’t parachute into a pool, then punch a mother’s boyfriend, and announce they’re the son of said boyfriend’s dead wife. He says, now she knows something about him, and she says, he asked about her father before. Why does Cody keep asking about him?

Outside Kelly’s, Alexis says, even though she provides headlines for The Invader, the only headlines she wants to know about right now are from her girls. She, Molly, Kristina, and Sam sit at an outside table, and she asks, who’s first? Molly says, Kristina; she’s got the best news. Alexis says, goodie. What’s up? Kristina says she was promoted to manager at Charlie’s, and Alexis says, congratulations. Well done. Kristina thanks her, and says she’s pretty happy about it. Alexis asks if she sees much of her dad, and Kristina says, he doesn’t own the pub anymore, but he comes in fairly often, so it’s good to spend time with him. Alexis says, even though he’s with Nina? and Kristina says, is she happy dad’s in a relationship with Nina? No, and she was clear about that. She also told him that she’s in no position to throw stones, and he appreciated that, so it doesn’t really effect their relationship. Alexis says, look at her adulting, and hugs Kristina, saying, her baby’s all grown up. Molly’s turn. How’s it going in the DA’s office? Molly says, as Alexis knows, ADA Arden maneuvered her off Trina Robinson’s case because she felt Molly was biased. Kristina says, which is untrue and unfair, but isn’t it a silver lining that Molly doesn’t have to try someone in TJ’s extended family? Molly says, definitely a silver lining, but she hates that no one gives the system a chance to work the way it actually should. As a prosecutor, it’s her job, or should have been her job, to make the strongest case against Trina, using the facts for support. Then Trina’s defense attorney – Diane in this case – makes the strongest defense, and the jury gets to decide. But Jennifer Arden wanted to prove a point. She followed the letter, but not the spirit with her case. At least it ended with the right verdict… this time. Kristina says, tell mom what she’s thinking, and Molly says, about following in Alexis’s footsteps and going over to criminal defense. Alexis says, whatever Molly does, Molly has her full support, and Molly thanks her. Alexis says, Sam’s turn. She’s awfully quiet, so is no news good news?

Dante walks in as Olivia is on the phone, asking if they remembered to order the special picnic dessert… Okay. Also, make absolutely sure that Leo’s donkey head is just what they discussed… Perfect. Thank you. She’ll be in touch. Dante asks what that was all about, and she says, the first annual Quartermaine picnic to support the GH Children’s wing is tomorrow, and her frozen desserts, the pièce de résistance. He says, with a donkey’s head thrown in? and she says, naturally. Leo’s summer theater camp is doing a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He’s playing Bottom. He says, the character that turns into a donkey. He must be so excited. He gets to play the donkey. He’s going to kill that. Does he need help with running lines? She says, he already has somebody helping him get into the role, and Dante says, let him guess; Chase? She says, Dante’s friend Cody.

Spinelli frets about management checking the chlorine level in the pool, and Maxie tells him, live dangerously. Take the plunge. He can start by forgetting about Britt, and finding someone who’s a better fit. He asks who she has in mind, and she says, no one specifically, but generally, she should be a match for his heart and his intelligence, have an appreciation for his unique perspective. A sense of humor couldn’t hurt, and it’s not absolutely necessary she be into sci/fi, but a basic knowledge of the Star Wars universe would help. So no, he’s not going to meet her at a business conference or whatever, but that’s what computer programs are for, right? She still doesn’t understand why he won’t try his own algorithm, and he says, there’s no need. His brief infatuation with Dr. Westbourne is already fading. He’s put her in the rearview mirror, so to speak. She asks if he’s been holding out on her. Who’s the lucky lady?

Finn tells Violet, she has her sunblock on, but it’s still not good to get too much sun, and she puts on her sunhat. Gregory says, translation: I know what I’m doing, dad, and Finn says, of course (🍷) she does. He situates Violet in her chaise, and gives her a book. She thanks him, and he tells Gregory that he can’t help it. He loves Violet. He told Elizabeth that he loves her. Gregory says, big step, and Finn says, that’s why he can’t look the other way, even if she hates him for it.

Elizabeth looks at the crushed tube in her bloody palm, when TJ walks in. He asks, what happened? She says she was examining Scotty’s nose… He asks how she cut her hand, but she says she doesn’t know. She clutched the tube, and it just seemed to shatter. TJ asks her to let him take a look, but she says, it’s nothing. He says, it’s a nasty cut, and there are glass shards embedded… She says she can take care of it. She’s sure he has patients to deal with. He says he does, and she’s the first one. Has this ever happened before? She asks what he means, and he says he knows she took some personal time for stress. Did Scotty say something to upset her?

Gregory asks if Elizabeth said she loved Finn back, and Finn says, she did. That’s before he blew it all to hell. Gregory asks how Finn managed that, and Finn says, there’s something going on with Elizabeth beyond the sleeping pills she was taking. Something that involves her parents, maybe her father. Gregory says, let him guess; she wasn’t forthcoming. Finn says, not in the slightest, and Gregory asks if that doesn’t tell him maybe he should drop the subject. Finn asks who he’s talking to. Isn’t Gregory the one who told him to analyze a problem from all sides, and come to a rational conclusion? Gregory says, not when it comes to the heart. There’s nothing rational about emotions. Finn says, now you tell me. There’s a million possibilities, but everything tells him that Elizabeth’s issue involves her family, especially since she keeps acting like they don’t exist. Violet asks if Aunt Elizabeth is seeing ghosts again.

Maxie says, if Spinelli doesn’t fess up, she’s going to throw him in the pool, but he asks what he has to confess. She says, if he’s over Britt, who is he pining for? and he says, a luminous creature; a beacon of warmth and intelligence… with a working knowledge of Star Wars. She asks if they know how he feels, but he says he’s only been worshipping her from afar. If things were different… Austen comes in, and Maxie says, oh my God, throwing her arms around him and kissing him.

Kristina says, they’re all concerned for Spencer, but why would Sam want to talk about him and not Dante? Molly says she kind of has the same feeling. Is everything okay with them? She just wants Sam and Dante to be as happy as she and TJ are. Sam says, she and Dante are very happy… They were happy, until… until he suggested they move in together.

Dante tells Olivia, last he checked, Cody wasn’t a drama coach. How’s he going to help Leo? She says she doesn’t know. He knows about horses and donkeys and stuff. Anyway, Dante should see Leo up on the stage, prancing around and braying. She’s never seen that kid more confident. He says he’s happy Leo and Cody have made fast friends, and he asks if she needs any help with this picnic. She says, he could find that embarrassing apron, and help her with the grill. Before she forgets, she saved seats in the front row for him and Sam for Leo’s play. He says, cool, sounds good, and she says, really? Because his face is telling a different story. He says, it’s fine, ma, and she says, now she’s really worried. He tells her, he said, everything is fine, but she says, Dante Angelo Falconari. From the time he was four years old, she knows when she hears him say, it’s fine, ma, in that tone of voice, she knows two things. A, it’s not fine, and B, he’s trying to hide something from her. Sometimes it’s something completely innocuous, like the time he broke Aunt Cia’s lamp. He says, that damn lamp again. It was hideous, and he was seven. She says, did the family offer up a silent prayer of gratitude for the lamp? Yes, but that’s not the point. The point is, she heard a crash, she asked, what happened? and he said, it’s fine, ma. Just like the time he got drunk for the first time, or the first time he got shot. He should just stop ducking and dodging the question, and tell her what’s really going on. He says he thinks he messed up with Sam.

Cody says, whoa there. He mentioned Britt’s father once, she shut him down, and he never mentioned him again. She says, he failed to mention their fathers knew one another, and he asks how she found out. She says, her mother, and he asks what Obrecht said exactly. Britt says, that Cesar Faison and Leopold Taub had – air quotes – dealings – end air quotes – with one another, and he says, isn’t it weird that their fathers knew each other? She says, weird doesn’t even begin to cover it. He could have told her that from the start. He says he barely knew her. Hell, he didn’t even know Leopold Taub was his father until a few months ago. At the same time he got poleaxed with the news that Dominique was his mother, and her mother’s schnitzel got a fortune that should have been his. She says, as he knows, that fortune belongs to a bunch of beluga whales thanks to Scotty’s daughter Serena. So he can kiss it goodbye. He says, that’s harsh, and she says, he wants harsh? Let’s talk about her family tree. Does he remember when she treated his cracked ribs after he received that beatdown outside of The Savoy? He says he’s probably not going to forget that, and she says, then does he also remember asking her about her parents? He was particularly interested in her father, and – what did he call it? – his legacy. He says, her point? and she says, her point is, why didn’t he tell her then that his father and her father not only knew each other, they did business together. What else is he keeping from her? He asks if she’s proud being Cesar Faison’s daughter, because he looked up Leopold Taub, and he’s not proud either. That whole cartel thing he had going on, and yeah, Cesar Faison was listed as one of his members. So when Dante told him that she was Faison’s daughter… She says, he smelled an opportunity, but he says, no; he smelled trouble. His first instinct was to run as far away from her as possible, and never look back. She asks, what stopped him? and he says, gratitude, for her scraping him up in that alley, giving him his 50 back, driving him all the way to Dante’s… Plus, he liked the smell of her perfume. Gardenias, right? She says, camellias, and he says, close. He liked her crooked smile, and the way she always sees the glass as half full – of strychnine. She asks if that’s a compliment or a cheap shot, and he says he just liked her. But if that’s not good enough, he’ll stick to horses. She can go back to Society Set-Ups and see if Zelda can do better next time. He brings a box into the stables, and when he comes back out, she’s still there. He asks if something is keeping her, and she says, her mother said the matchmaker may be more accurate than she thought.

Olivia says, she thought Dante and Sam were in a good place, and he says, they are. He should have left it there. She says, as opposed to… and he says, as opposed to asking Sam to move in with him. She says, it makes sense, all the time they spend together, and he says, that’s what he was thinking. They spend all this time together, they like each other, they have fun, and when the kids are together, it’s like the most perfect thing in the world. Sam thinks he’s rushing it; that he has to work through some stuff. She asks, what kind of stuff? and he says, like feelings. She says, like his feelings for Sam, or…? He says, for Lulu, and she says, he knows she loves Lulu. She prays everyday that Lulu will come out of that coma, but he’s moved on with his life. Lulu moved on with her life before the explosion. She was going to marry that teacher, wasn’t she? He says, she was. Dustin handed him the ring to give to her before he passed away. She says, Sam’s got to be aware of that, that Lulu was moving on with someone else. He says, it’s not Lulu’s feelings Sam’s talking about. She thinks he’s papered over his feelings. She says, has he? and he says, there’s a big part of him that thinks he should have been able to save her. Olivia hugs him, and says, her wonderful sweet boy. He didn’t put Lulu in that coma. That was Cyrus Renault’s fault. Even if he could go back in time, it’s still Cyrus Renault’s fault, with Julian Jerome doing his dirty work. He says, if he had just gotten there earlier, but she says, don’t do that. If he’d gotten to The Floating Rib earlier, she would have lost him too. No. They’re living in the here and now; that’s what matters. What matters are his feelings for Sam.  

Molly says, so Sam and Dante are moving in together, but Sam says, she and Dante are not moving in together. Kristina says, why not? and Sam says, like she told Spinelli, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Kristina says, moving in together doesn’t fix a bad relationship, it makes a good one better. Molly says, she and TJ had their doubts about sharing everything, even the rent… but Alexis says, let her alone. Kristina says, they’re not pressuring Sam. She’s in a committed relationship with a loving, supportive partner; not everyone gets that lucky. Sam says she knows she hit the jackpot, and Molly asks, what’s the problem? Sam asks if they can not talk about this, and Alexis says, absolutely. Now tell her what’s going on.

Maxie says she thought Austin was going to be gone for days, but he says he got through his business quickly. He tells Spinelli, in fact, he got through his business at warp speed. He came back to be with Maxie, and she says, he did? He says she sounds surprised, and she says, she thought all that talk about family… He says, what talk about family? and she glances at Spinelli, and says, never mind. The important thing is, he’s back. He says, he is. Back for good. Spinelli rolls his eyes.

Finn asks what makes Violet think Aunt Elizabeth is seeing ghosts, and she tells him, he just said,  they don’t exist. Gregory says, her daddy was just talking about her grandpa and step-grandma and how she never sees them. Violet says, okay, and goes back to her book. Finn thanks Gregory, and says, he has to get back to GH. Does Gregory mind? Gregory says, no, and Finn says, everything he needs is right there. Gregory says he’s getting kind of hungry; is Violet? She says she’s so hungry, and Finn tell her to be good for grandpa. He’ll see her back home. They exchange I love yous, and he says, eskimo? They rub noses and he leaves.  

TJ says, he’s let Epiphany know he’s sending Elizabeth home after the x-ray. She should not hold a steering wheel. He’ll call Finn. She says, don’t bother him; she’ll call a Ride Share. They leave the exam room, and in the hallway, he says he’s calling radiation to make sure they get the x-ray right away. She says, he’s very thorough, and he says he thinks the word she’s avoiding is annoying, maybe even obnoxious. She says she’s the one who should apologize for being less than cooperative, and he says he gets it. For a lot of people, it’s an automatic reflex; you’re fine, keep going. He thinks on some level, it’s a survival mechanism, because we’re afraid if we slow down and admit we’re hurt, we won’t get started again. She says she appreciates the we, and he says he’s definitely been through it, and will again, but if he goes too far, hopefully there will be someone to pull him back. He picks up the phone, and says he needs to order an x-ray for a GH staff person… As he talks, Elizabeth looks at the door to the stairs. She goes to it, opens, it, and stands on the landing. She looks down the stairs, and falls forward. It’s all in her head, and TJ asks if she’s okay. She says, absolutely, and he says, radiology can take her now. They leave, and she gives the door one last look.

Cody says, he had quite the interaction with Britt’s mother, and Britt says, when she twisted Cody’s arm behind his back for punching Scotty? He says he can see her mother’s no pushover. He bets Cesar Faison met his match with Liesl Obrecht. She says, no. Don’t let her black belt in karate fool him. Deep down, her mother is a born romantic. She’s actually the one who signed Britt up with Society Set-Ups. He says, remind him to thank her, and Britt says, he punched her boyfriend in the nose. She doubts her mother is interested in a thanks from him. She did suggest they have something in common. He says, really? Tell him something. Did her dad ever mention his?

Austin thanks Spinelli for keeping an eye on Maxie while he was gone. He hates thinking of her alone. Spinelli says, that makes them even. He hates thinking of her with the wrong people. Maxie says, Austin’s timing is perfect. Tomorrow is the first annual Quartermaine picnic for the Children’s wing at GH. Spinelli says, given Austin’s resentment of the Quartermaines, he may choose to skip the picnic, in which case he offers himself as escort to Maxinista. Austin says, that’s very kind of him, but he can handle the Quartermaines if Maxinista can. She says, how about if both of them escort her to the picnic? Mason suddenly bounds in, and asks where Austin’s manners are. Isn’t Austin going to introduce him to his friends?

Sam asks how she can move in with Dante when Lulu is still so much a presence in that house. She doesn’t go there often, but when she does, all she sees are her kitchen, her books, her furniture, or at least the furniture they picked out together. Alexis says, maybe he’s leaving those things around for Rocco’s sake; for Rocco’s comfort. Sam says, fair enough, and it all makes sense, but it’s still really awkward for her. Alexis says, she gets it. For what it’s worth (🍷), she hasn’t seen Sam this happy in a long time. Whatever Dante’s doing, he’s bringing out a peacefulness in Sam that no one else has managed to. And Sam brings joy to Dante’s life, because no one’s seen him this joyful since he came back to Port Charles. She’s pretty certain he’s not seeing Lulu when he sees Sam. Sam’s phone dings, and she says she’s got to go. She tells Alexis that she loves her, and Alexis says she loves Sam more. Sam leaves, passing Gregory and Violet on their way in. Violet says, that’s the lady in the park who grandpa hit with the frisbee, and Alexis says, that’s her.  

Finn asks, what happened to Elizabeth’s hand? and she says, it’s just a cut. TJ says, according to the x-ray, they got all the shards, and she tells Finn, she was just holding an empty collection tube, and it shattered. TJ says he has to check on a patient, and asks if Finn minds waiting until Elizabeth’s Ride Share comes. Finn says, sure, and TJ tells Elizabeth, go home and rest. She says she will, and he leaves. Finn says, forget about the Ride Share; he’ll drive her home himself. She says, what about his patients? and he says he’ll get someone to cover. It just shattered in her hand? She says, it wasn’t an accident. He deserves to know the truth. They go into an exam room, and she says she wasn’t watching what she was doing. He asks, what was distracting her? and she says, for one thing, walking in on him and Terry talking behind her back. He says, that’s his fault, not Terry’s, and they didn’t mean to upset her. She says, he upset her. He doesn’t think she’s capable of  taking care of herself. Why doesn’t he trust her? He says, he’d trust her with his life, but he’s not exactly clear on how just mentioning her family is a violation of that trust. He means no disrespect by that, but he wants to know how to fix things between them. She says, there’s nothing to fix, and he says, if that was true, she’d tell him what really caused her to cut her hand.

Kristina asks Gregory and Violet to join them. She and Molly would love to her all about the frisbee. Violet says, it was an accident, and Gregory thanks them, but says, he and Violet will find another table. Alexis says, don’t be silly. She always enjoys Violet’s company. He tells her, Finn told him that she said he was pestering her, and she asks if she actually used the word pester. He says, according to Finn. He vigorously denied it of course (🍷), but if that’s how she feels, he’ll pester her no longer. Alexis says, don’t go, and tells him to pull up chairs for him and Violet. After all, it’s not every day you get to have lunch with the Davis girls.

Dante tells Olivia, when he asked Sam to move in with him, in retrospect, it probably did catch her off-guard. They were at the Hatchet Ranch… She says, that’s romantic, and he says, it was just one of those things. He’d been thinking about it so much, and he thought Sam had to be on the same page, or at least thinking about it too. When she didn’t say yes immediately, he was thrown off. He backed off. He didn’t want to pressure her. Olivia says she thinks she knows where this is going, and Dante says, they talked it out; at least he thinks they did. He told her that he loved her, and he’d wait as long as she wanted to wait to move in together. He thought they were good. She says, but then the question of whether to move in with each other or not grows from this small manageable thing to this giant elephant that’s taken up permanent residence, not just in the room, but in his psyche. Probably Sam’s psyche too. He says, he doesn’t want to mess this up. He feels like he did, and doesn’t know what to do next. She asks if he’s open to a suggestion, and he says, please. She tells him, stick to basics. What does he want to happen with Sam? He says he wants them to have a life to together with their kids. They don’t need to live in the same place; it doesn’t matter to him. Olivia pats his chest, and says, stick with the feelings; it’s all about the feelings. The living arrangements, all that can wait. It’s all about the feelings. He says he loves her. He wants to trust her and support her, and try to make her as happy as she’s made him. Sam comes in.

Austin says, this is his cousin Mason, and Mason says, country cousin from Pautuck. Maxie says, Austin didn’t tell her that he had a cousin coming into town, but Mason says, don’t blame Austin. He’s a hot-shot doctor. Sometimes he forgets where he’s from, even though the family’s so proud of him. Spinelli asks, what brings him to their fair city? and Mason says, family, while Austin says, business. Mason says, family business. They were hoping Cousin Austin would have stayed longer. Austin says, he did what he had to do when he was there. Now he’s here in his home, Port Charles.

Britt says, whatever unholy alliance her father made with Cody’s ended before they were born. Unless there’s something else he’s not telling her. He says, their fathers knowing each other is just a random coincidence; something they have in common. But isn’t she the least bit curious about what Leopold Taub and Cesar Faison were up to? She says, he never knew his father. Unfortunately, she knew hers, and she’s been trying to live him down ever since. So if he wants to go digging for skeletons in that closet, he can do it alone. She starts to leave, but he grabs her hand, and says, she’s right. Whatever their fathers did, died with them. He’s card player… She says, not a very good one, and he says, it depends on the players, and the game. He lets her hand go, and says, his point is, he always factors the odds and figures them out. What are the odds that on that day, he would parachute into that pool… She says, and almost drown her, but he says, she got a little wet. And if he didn’t say it then, he’s saying it now – she looked gorgeous. She says, now he’s trying to flatter her, and he says, he thinks she looks good soaking wet; so sue him. She says she considered it, and he tells her, just keep in mind, he can’t afford a lawyer, so there’s no way he could pay for the damages. She says, don’t worry. She’s not going to drag him to court, and he says he knew she couldn’t be that hard-hearted. They laugh, and she says, that GIF of her climbing out of the pool is just now coming down everyone’s feed. She doesn’t need to draw more attention to it. He says, so he’s being saved by her self-interest, and she says, bingo, but he says he doesn’t buy it.

Olivia says she has Quartermaine picnic stuff to see to, and tells Dante that she’ll see him later. She tells Sam that it’s nice to see her, and leaves. Sam says, so the Quartermaine picnic fundraiser is tomorrow? and Dante says, his mom’s been going crazy with that. Plus she has Leo’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream; he’s playing Bottom. He’s pretty excited about that. She says, and him? He says, that depends on whether or not she’s going with him. I have to mention that A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a pretty ambitious play for a summer theater camp in Leo’s age group.

Alexis says, that was delicious. Anyone for desserts? Violet says, ice cream sundaes for all of us, and Alexis says she likes Violet’s style. She liked it the minute they met. Violet says, as much as Alexis likes her grandpa? and Gregory apologizes for his granddaughter; she apparently has no filter. Alexis says, don’t apologize at all. And to answer Violet’s question, Alexis likes her grandpa… ‘s writing. She doesn’t always agree with it, but it’s never boring. Violet says, never. Alexis should hear one of his bedtime stories.

Spinelli asks how long Mason is in town, and Mason say, it depends on his cousin. Austin tells him, he thinks they said all they needed to say back in Pautuck, but Mason says, not quite. He can’t leave until Austin understands how much he means to his family back home. Austin knows how much they expect from him. Besides, he was hoping Austin would show him the sights in Port Charles. Although he doesn’t have to look much further than this lovely lady. Spinelli says, this lovely lady’s not on the tour, and not reading the room at all, Maxie says she has an idea. Why doesn’t Mason come to the Quartermaine picnic tomorrow? Austin says he’s sure Mason has better things to do, but Mason says he can’t think of one. He hears the Quartermaines are practically royalty. Too bad cuz here missed out on the family jewels.

Elizabeth says, Finn is right; it wasn’t just an accident. He asks, what happened? and she says she was thinking about all the time he’s wasted worrying about her; time they’ll never get back. She just got so angry, she crushed the tube without realizing it. He says he knows what it’s like to keep that kind of anger inside. Is there any chance that’s only part of it? Could the anger be about something else, something in her past, something she barely remembers? She tells him, stick to infectious diseases, and leave the psychiatry to Doc.

Austin says he’s made peace with his father’s family, and Mason says, that’s their Austin. Some folks say money buys happiness, but Austin was raised right. Austin says, thanks, and suggests he and Maxie get out of here. Spinelli tells Maxie, Georgie, James, and Bailey Lou are with her parents, but Mac and Felicia aren’t going to want to babysit all night. Can they talk childcare before she leaves? Maxie tells Austin, one second, and they’ll go, and steps away with Spinelli. Austin tells Mason, there’s no way he’s going to that picnic, but Mason says, watch me.

Alexis says, who knew the eminent Professor Chase was capable of blushing? but he says he doesn’t blush. Violet says, yes he does. He blushed when daddy saw his name in The Invader, and said he was famous. Alexis says, he was famous already academically; he now has a wider audience. Gregory says he wasn’t looking for fame, just for fairness in journalism, and Alexis says, it’s okay to enjoy some attention. Everyone likes attention. He says, he’s not everyone, and she says, that’s for sure.  

Elizabeth asks how many times she has to tell Finn; she’s fine. Now she has to meet her Ride Share. She tells him, let’s not fight anymore. She really hates it. She kisses him, and he says he hates it too. She leaves, and Finn flashes back to Gregory saying, if he disregards Elizabeth’s wishes, it could cost him the relationship; and him saying, he could stand losing her if he knew she would be okay in the end. He makes a call, and says, this is Dr. Finn for Dr. Webber. Is she available?… Yes. Tell her Hamilton Finn called. He needs a consult with Dr. Webber about someone they have in common.

Sam says, of course (🍷) she’ll go to Leo’s play, and Dante says, cool. His mom said she’d get them good seats. She says, Olivia is going to worry about seats after everything she’s got to do tomorrow? and he says, speaking of tomorrow… and she says, she told him, of course (🍷) she’ll go to the picnic. They both start talking, and she says, him first. He says, they don’t have to rush through this. They can just take it slow. They’ll know when the time is right, and just take it slow like she wanted to. She says, yeah, and hugs him.

Cody says, Britt wants to come off as selfish and uncaring, but it’s just not true. She says, yes it is, and he asks, then why did she help him out in that alley behind The Savoy? Why didn’t she just pick up his last 50 and walk off? She says she wishes she did, and he says, really? She says, no, but he was pathetic, crawling on his hands and knees, all bruised and broken. He says he never got to thank her properly for that rescue, so let him do it now. She says, how? and he says he’d like to invite her to the Quartermaine picnic tomorrow. There will be so many people there, it’s not like a date. She says, when he words it like that… She accepts. He says, shall they shake on it? They do, and he says, see her tomorrow. She says, tomorrow, and leaves. Outside, she smiles.  

On Monday, Brook says she would never use Chase; Jordan asks why she gets the sense TJ is trying to get rid of her; Ava says she has truths that will lay Spencer to waste; and Willow won’t accept that.

🍃 Leaf From the Family Tree…

A little bit about the cousin we never knew Austin had.

https://soapdirt.com/general-hospital-comings-goings-austin-holt-shady-cousin-says-fan-fave-returns/

🩺 Nooo…

Kudos to her for prime time and all, but I hope she comes back. I like Britt.

More in depth than In Depth.

https://www.thelist.com/969983/the-real-reason-kelly-thiebaud-is-leaving-britt-and-general-hospital-behind/

🛀 Love Bubble Suds…

Teresa being her usual horrible self.

I wonder if her hair has its own IG.

🧂 Shah’s Got Guts…

No doubt it will be the highlight of the season.

https://people.com/tv/jen-shah-real-housewives-of-salt-lake-city-costar-meredith-marks-calls-her-gutsy-amid-legal-situation/

✈️ Wives From Where…?

What the hell is this? How is it on Season 15 and I had no clue? And what the hell are those streaming services that carry it? Not that I need another bunch of horrible people to watch.

https://tvdeets.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-real-housewives-of-cheshire-season-15/

👰🏽 All the Weddings…

Better than attending them.

https://people.com/tv/real-housewives-wedding-album/

⚰️ Telling Tales…

I watched the first episode, and thought it was promising. Maybe a spoiler, but the dog got it a few minutes in, and I was not pleased with them leading with it. Or including it at all. That being said, I thought it improved as the episode went on. I’m just glad to be out of Georgia.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/tales-of-the-walking-dead-terry-crews-olivia-munn-parker-posey-jillian-bell-1235198520/

🐉 About That Dragon…

I actually haven’t seen this yet.

https://ew.com/tv/tv-reviews/house-of-the-dragon-review-game-of-thrones/

🐓 Quotes of the Week

Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing. – Theodore Roosevelt

After a while you learn that privacy is something you can sell, but you can’t buy it back. – Bob Dylan

If you fuel your journey on the opinions of others, you are going to run out of gas. – Steve Maraboli

Dance above the surface of the world. Let your thoughts lift you into creativity that is not hampered by opinion. – Red Haircrow

Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship. – Buddha

Our lives are the only meaningful expression of what we believe and in Whom we believe. And the only real wealth, for any of us, lies in our faith. – Gordon B. Hinckley

We got a whole lot of money, but we still pay rent, cuz you can’t buy a house in heaven. – Lady Gaga, You & I

💋 Come On, Barbie, Let’s Go Party…

Before you know it, it will be hoodie weather, so take a break, whether you call it the weekend or not. Soak up some sun, walk in the park, or if you’re allergic to nature, take in a movie at the theater. I hear they’re back. See you on Monday for soap and yachting on the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay sassy, and stay not letting any giant elephants take up permanent residence in your psyche. Or the room.

August 9, 2022 – Cody Makes an Impression on Obrecht, New Jersey Newlyweds & Italian Scenes

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Cody brings Britt a strawberry margarita, and sits on the chaise next to her. He asks if everybody took off, and she says, Maxie left for work, and Sam was meeting up with Dante for a bite to eat at the restaurant. What was that with Spinelli? He says, it was like he told her. He can see her appeal; he doesn’t blame Spinelli. She says, so Spinelli warned her away from him because he’s jealous, and he asks if she’s never had two men fight over her before. She says she’s not a chew toy. Did Spinelli put up a fight, or bow out gracefully? Cody tells her, let’s just say he left. Disappointed? She says, in Spinelli? Definite no. He says, good, because Spinelli won’t be bothering her anymore. So where does she want to go on their second date? Obrecht appears, and asks, who is this? Isn’t Britt going to introduce them?

At the MetroCourt bar, Sam tells Dante, Spinelli sure left in a hurry. Does he think Cody warned Spinelli off Britt? Dante says he doesn’t think Cody is Spinelli’s favorite person, and the fact that they both like Britt… He could sense some animosity happening. She says, Spinelli doesn’t seem like Britt’s type. She’s just too… They both say, cold… vicious. Sam says, at least she knows what Dante thinks, and he says he doesn’t think there’s any shot at Britt and Spinelli being a couple, so he doesn’t think she needs to worry about that. She says she’s going to call him just to make sure, but he stops her, and asks if she’s really that worried about Spinelli, or is she really trying that hard to avoid talking about them moving in together?

At a table, Mia asks Drew, any thoughts? He says he sees where he went wrong when he was planning the Aurora/ELQ merger. She says, and how Valentin was able to get around him, and he says he was just seeing what he wanted to see. His whole plan hinged on Ned reacting exactly the way he wanted Ned to react. He truly believed that Ned would put his own selfish interests aside for the good of the family. Valentin was a realist. He met Ned where he was, and gave Ned what he really wanted. She says, very clear-eyed assessment, and he says he thinks it’s important to look at what happened so you can avoid it in the future, but he will say he’s reframing this. This was not a failure; this was just a setback. She says, good. It sounds positive. He says he’s determined to come back stronger, and so will Aurora. Valentin better watch his back. No surprise, Valentin walks in.

Felicia and Anna go into an exercise room, and Felicia asks if Anna wants to do mat work first, or go straight for the weights. Anna asks why she’s so enthusiastic. Can’t they have tea and scones first? Felicia says, is she kidding? Anna didn’t see how all these women were checking Mac out at the pool. She has to stay on her toes. Anna asks if she’s joking. He only has eyes for Felicia. Please. Felicia says, all this talk of retirement is why she feels so old, and Anna says, Mac wants to retire? Felicia says, not yet, but he’s considering the possibility in a few years. Anna says, good, because a Mac at home with nothing to do is going to drive Felicia bonkers. Felicia says, can Anna see it? The two of them on the porch, sitting in their rocking chairs… Anna says, no, but Felicia has that other gig, right? Doing the Open Mic Night at The Haunted Star? Felicia doesn’t even know how to be bored. Felicia says she has to admit, she likes Open Mic Night. And of course (🍷) she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren; they keep her busy. But still… Anna says, what? She’s restless? Felicia nods, and Anna asks if she’s thought any more about going back to P.I. work. Felicia says, why? Does the WSB need help? Or is it personal? Does Anna want her to find out what Valentin is really up to?

Ava meets Scotty at the MetroCourt Gardens, and tells him, welcome back. They hug, and she asks, how’s Serena? He says, she can’t go back to Denmark again, so he told her to go elsewhere to save the whales. He told her to go down to Florida and save the manatees for a while, and not get in any trouble. Ava asks, what happens if she gets arrested again? and Scotty says, then he’ll go and get her out of trouble. Ava says, she’s very lucky that she has a father who will drop everything to help her, and he says he keeps telling her that all the time. They sit, and she asks, how’s Liesl? Scotty says, Liesl is fine. He can’t wait for their homecoming tonight. He’d stopped by to talk about their five-course meal for tonight. Well, actually, it’s six courses, if Ava knows what he means. She says, that’s TMI, but she’s pleased it’s going so well between them. He thanks her, and asks, what about her and Nikolas? He got word from Martin Grey’s office that they sent the divorce papers to Windymere, but nothing was filed, so he guesses she hasn’t signed anything yet. Does that mean that whole cockamamie idea of her and Nikolas getting divorced, then getting remarried, has changed? She says, things have definitely changed, but the divorce is definitely happening.

Sonny says he’s glad Nina came by. They really haven’t had a conversation since they had one at the MetroCourt pool. She tells him, when he said their relationship will never be about just the two of them; that Carly will always have a part in their lives? That conversation? He says, he believes that, and he can live with that because she’s worth it to him. But what she didn’t say to him is, is he worth it to her? She says, he didn’t give her a chance because he just left, and he says, because he wanted her to think about it. He wanted her to be sure. Has she made up her mind?

Scotty asks what he missed while he was gone, and Ava flashes back to Esme tumbling off the parapet, and the aftermath. She says she doesn’t know where to start, when Nikolas approaches the table. He says he’s been looking for Ava everywhere. They need to talk, alone. Scotty says, maybe Ava doesn’t want be alone with him, and Ava says she’s actually glad Nikolas is here. She’s giving him what he wants. She takes out the divorce papers, and asks Scotty for a pen, but Nikolas says, don’t do this. This isn’t what she really wants. She signs it, and says, his turn, but he says he’s not signing.

Britt introduces Cody to Obrecht, who tells him to call her Liesl. Did she hear him say something about a second date? Britt tells her, stop, and Obrecht says, stop what? Is she not allowed to engage in conversation with Britt’s friends? Cody wonders if there’s something he’s missing here, and Obrecht says, her daughter doesn’t like her interfering in her love life. Britt says, there is no love life, and Obrecht says, unfortunately, she’s too busy to screen Britt’s potential beaus; she has so many. He says he can imagine, and Britt asks him to do her a favor and go for a walk. She needs to speak to her mother. He says, of course (🍷) and asks if Obrecht would like a drink; a frozen margarita, perhaps? Obrecht says, an iced tea would be delightful, and he says, of course (🍷). He leaves, and Britt tells Obrecht, thank you. Can Obrecht make her look more pathetic?

Sam says she’s done nothing but think about moving in together since Dante asked her at the Hatchet Ranch. He says, it was pretty romantic of him, and she says, it was sweet and spontaneous, but it was pretty obvious he caught her by surprise. Now that she’s had a minute to think about it, she does have some questions. He says, fire away, and she says, question number one, where would they live? He says he was thinking, there’s a lot of room at his place, and Danny and Rocco can walk to school from there. She says, true, and he says, that was an overwhelmingly positive response. She’s not comfortable at his place, is she? That’s why they spend so much time at her place? She says she thinks his home is beautiful, and he’s right, it’s in a great location, but yeah, she’s just not comfortable there. He asks, why not? and she says, because it’s Lulu’s home.

Valentin comes over to the table, and Drew says, they’re actually in the middle of something, but Valentin says, she’s Mia Lombardi, isn’t she? He’s Valentin Cassadine, and they’ve never met, but her reputation precedes her. He’s actually never needed an executive coaching service before. She says, really? Just because he thinks he doesn’t, doesn’t mean he won’t need a consultation somewhere down the road. He says, fair enough, but right now his holdings are doing really well. In fact, his company is extremely strong. Drew says, the markets are very volatile at the moment; fortunes can chance in a flash. What’s that saying? Success breeds complacency, and complacency breeds failure. Valentin says, failure is why Drew’s company failed to merge with his, when Carly comes to the table, and asks if she’s interrupting. Valentin says he’s surprised to see her here, and she asks, why? The MetroCourt is still Port Charles’s  premier restaurant, and she’s sure Olivia will maintain that standard. Valentin says he’s sure she will, with Nina’s help. She asks if he’s alone. There’s a table by the kitchen that’s perfect for him. He says, he’s actually meeting someone, and tells Mia, it was a  pleasure. He leaves, and Drew says, nicely done.

Nina says she’s thought a lot about what Sonny said, that Carly will always be a part of their lives. She even talked to her Aunt Liesl about it. He asks if he wants to know what she said, and Nina tells him, Obrecht reminded her that he and Carly could always reconcile, like they’ve done many, many times before. He says, her aunt doesn’t know what she’s talking about, and she says she’s not so worried about Carly; she’s concentrated on them. She tainted their relationship in Nixon Falls with her lies, and wanting to keep them separate from the rest of the world. He asks if she’s saying she’d like to keep their relationship separate, and she says, it would be so easy to do that, but they can’t. That’s not reality. She used to say they’d be together no matter what anyone else thought. He says, the only opinions that matter are theirs, that’s it, and she says, that’s true in principle – she withdraws her hand from his – but in reality, not so much. They’re not the two people who lived in that bubble in Nixon Falls. Their relationship has changed. He says, for better or worse?

As they exercise, Anna tells Felicia, she asked Valentin about the discrepancies between when he left the clinic and when he returned to Port Charles. Felicia says, did he tell Anna where he was? and Anna says, he told her that he transferred to another facility in order to finish out his recovery. Felicia says, sounds plausible, and Anna says, but Felicia doesn’t believe him. Felicia says she thinks the more important question is, does Anna?

On the phone, in a private area at the MetroCourt, Victor pours tea, and says, he just finished reading the most interesting article about the toll excessive litigation is taking on their legal system. He’s sure they’d agree it’s in everyone’s best interest to put non-violent legal offenders to pay a fine, rather than serve a costly prison sentence. Valentin has walked in, and listens. Victor says, of course (🍷) his great-nephew falls into that category, but as they’ll remember, Spencer went straight back to Spring Ridge the minute he finished paying his respects to his late departed mother at her gravesite… He’s sorry the governor feels that way. They have a difference of opinion that may cause him to rethink the rather generous donation he was planning to give to the governor’s reelection campaign… Why doesn’t he do that? Why doesn’t he give it some more thought? Victor looks forward to hearing from him. Valentin sits down, and says, he heard about Spencer’s little field trip to Courtney’s grave. He assumes Victor had something to do with that. Victor says he takes an interest in his family; in Spencer, Natasha, Nikolas, Valentin, Charlotte. By the way, he had a very nice conversation with Charlotte this morning.

Scotty says, this divorce was Nikolas’s big idea. Now he’s changed his mind? Nikolas says, circumstances changed, and Ava says, sure did. Scotty asks, what’s that supposed to mean? and Ava says, Esme Prince… Nikolas says, do not have this conversation… and Ava says, she left town. Scotty says, that should be good news. Esme didn’t seem right, so they should be doing the can-can. Nikolas says, it’s bad news for Trina, and Ava asks what he’s talking about. He says he’ll fill her in, in private, and Ava asks if Scotty would mind. Scotty says, anything for her, and steps away. Nikolas sits, and Ava asks, what is this about Trina? He says, apparently Spencer was trying to get Esme to exonerate Trina, and Ava says she knew he was up to something. Nikolas says, he was only pretending to be on Esme’s side. In fact, he was setting her up. He wanted to trick Esme into believing he was on her side. She says, like father, like son, and he says, the point is, he thought everyone would be so relieved that Esme was gone, no one would question her departure or expend much energy trying to find her, but Spencer insists on finding her. He refuses to let it go, which is why they have to stay married.

Drew asks, where are his manners? and introduces Mia and Carly. Carly says, Mia is the person she’s meeting with, and Mia says, they have an appointment. Carly says, if they’re not finished, she can wait at the bar, but Drew says, they were just wrapping up when Valentin came over to gloat. He gets up, giving Carly his seat, and says, Mia gets his five-star recommendation. He leaves, and Mia says, some clients are a delight to work with. Carly says, Drew’s pretty special, and his recommendation goes a long way with her. Mia says, Carly has seen her webpage and looked at her reviews. What else does Carly need to know before she hires her? Carly asks, what exactly will executive coaching do for her? and Mia suggests they start with the basics. What are Carly’s goals? Carly says, to get back what she lost – and more.

Sonny says he needs a refill, and Nina says she’s saying this wrong. He says, so she’s not dumping him? and she says, technically, she doesn’t think she can dump him because they were never a thing; not Nina and Sonny. He suggests they explore Nina and Sonny in Port Charles, and she says, they’re not separate from the rest of the world, and she has to give up this fantasy that he’s her safe haven she can go to where none of her troubles exist. He says, what they had in Nixon Falls, they can’t have that, but that time in their lives can be part of them. They can build on that, as long as she’s willing to take a chance.

Obrecht asks what Britt is talking about. She only wants to help Britt, not humiliate her. Hearing about romantic rivals shows Cody how desirable she is. Britt says, Obrecht is making the whole thing up, but Obrecht says, she made nothing up. Britt may not have suitors at present, but she’s had them in the past. She wanted Cody to know he has rivals. He strikes her as the competitive type. Why didn’t Britt tell her about him? Britt says she knew Obrecht would overreact, which – oh gee, what a surprise – she did. Obrecht says she was being friendly. Will Britt at least tell her how she and Cody met? Britt says, Society Set-Ups, and Obrecht laughs, saying, she knew it. She waves to Cody at the bar, and says, he’s very handsome. Britt admits, he’s easy on the eyes, but he’s far from a mother’s dream. He has no permanent home or job. He bounces around from town to town. He’s a terrible card player, and often smells like a horse. Obrecht says, excuse me? and Britt says, Cody works at the Quartermaine stables. Obrecht says, so he does have a job, and heads toward the bar, but Britt pulls her back and says, Cody is far from perfect. Obrecht says, who is? Give Cody a chance, have some fun. Britt doesn’t have to marry the man. It’s been a while since she’s seen Britt happy. She just wants someone who can make Britt smile.

Dante asks why Sam didn’t say something, and she says she knows he doesn’t like to talk about Lulu, so she was respecting his privacy. He says he likes talking about Lulu, and she says, as Rocco’s mom, not as his ex-wife, the woman that he loved for years. He says he thought it was poor form to talk about your ex, and she says, Lulu wasn’t completely his ex. Yes, they were divorced, but they have plenty of unfinished business.

Victor says he loves getting to know his granddaughter better. She loved the new riding boots Valentin sent her, by the way. She was a little disappointed Valentin didn’t visit her in person. She explained he’d been rather busy lately. Valentin says, he couldn’t tell her the whole story, could he? That his father put her in a school that’s denying him access, and he’s not allowed physical contact with his own child. Victor says, all those little details will only upset her, and she’s absolutely thriving in her school. So much so, there isn’t any reason she shouldn’t stay there indefinitely. Valentin asks why Victor is keeping her as leverage against him. He’s done everything Victor has demanded. Victor says, has he really? Then why is Laura Collins still alive? Valentin says, she’s in Italy, consumed by the needs of her mother. She’s not in Port Charles investigating the death of Luke Spencer. Victor hands Valentin a cup of tea, and says he supposes that is a kind of stopgap for the moment, but Valentin is usually more successful in his endeavors, which leads him to wonder if Valentin is as cooperative as he claims to be. Valentin says he’ll do anything to protect his daughter; Victor knows that. He’s cooperated fully. Victor says, what about Anna Devane? She’s still asking questions.

Anna says she doesn’t know why Valentin would lie to her, and Felicia wonders why she gets the feeling Anna isn’t satisfied with Valentin’s explanation. Anna says she’s not completely, but she’s always accepted the fact that they don’t share every aspect of their lives with each other. That’s just not who they are. She’s withheld stuff – she’s still withholding – so she can’t find fault with him not being completely forthcoming. Felicia says, a part of Anna still does blame him, and Anna says she hates that about herself. Something went on when Valentin was away from Port Charles, and she doesn’t know what it was, but does that really matter? Felicia says, Anna does enjoy spending time with him, and Anna says she does; he’s so charming. And he’s really smart, and very challenging. Felicia says, and sexy, and Anna laughs, saying, maybe mystery is just part of the package. Or she keeps looking for an excuse not to get closer to Valentin. The break-up with Finn was so unbearable, she doesn’t want to let herself get hurt again. Felicia asks if Anna wants an excuse to break up with Valentin, but Anna says she doesn’t know. She’s really thought about that, but no. She wants him in her life. If she could just look past these unanswered questions.

Nikolas says, while people are searching for Esme, he and Ava have to stick together, but she says, one has nothing to do with the other. They don’t even know if Esme is dead or alive. Nikolas says, no one’s seen or heard from her since she fell from the parapet. To him, that means she’s dead, and it’s only a matter of time before her body is found. If Ava admits to knowing that he and Esme slept together, that gives Ava motive to have pushed her to her death. She says, so he thinks the safest thing to do is to pretend their marriage is okay? and he says, as her husband, he can’t be compelled to testify against her, should it come to that. She says, it won’t. She didn’t do anything. She’s innocent. He says, just like Trina? If he could turn back the clock, and never invite Esme into his home, he’d do it in a heartbeat. He knows how badly he hurt her, but please, let him help her. She doesn’t have to do this alone.

Carly thanks Mia, and says she’ll be in touch. Drew comes back, and Mia says she’ll see him next week. Mia leaves, and Drew says, good meeting? Carly says she really likes Mia; she asks hard questions. He says, she asks the right questions. It was her idea to merge Aurora and ELQ. Carly says, that didn’t turn out so well (which was exactly what I was thinking), and he says, it was a really good idea. He just dropped the ball. She says, no one could have predicted Ned would go against his family and side with Valentin, and he says, as much as ELQ is a family business, the Q’s put business first. She says, and their own self-interests, and he says, exactly. She asks if he’d like to join her, and he says he’d love to. They sit at another table, and he says, if he wasn’t so caught up in contributing to the family, he doesn’t think he would have underestimated Ned’s dissatisfaction. She says, as Mia would ask, what are his goals? and he says, first, stop making assumptions, and second, go after what he wants. She says, which means? and he says, no more Mr. Nice Guy.

Smoltz goes into Charlie’s, and says, a source told him that Sonny and Nina were here. Do they mind if he asks them a few questions? Sonny whacks him, and… oh wait, that’s just in my head. Sonny says he knows the owner, and she wouldn’t mind if he… He gets up, but Nina grabs him, and Smoltz says he only wants a comment on Sasha Gilmore’s shockingly violent attack on the press. Nina says, they would think about commenting if there was any real press around, and Smoltz says, very funny, coming from someone who lives in a glass house. He’s just doing his job. Sonny says, harassing people isn’t doing his job, and Smoltz says, any warehouse explosions lately? Sonny starts to get up again, but Nina puts her hand on his shoulder and says, if anyone should be facing charges, it’s not Sasha, it’s Smoltz. Smoltz asks if she’s saying he should forgive Sasha, like Sonny forgave her for what she did to his family. Sonny says, all right, enough, and jumps up. Smoltz runs out the door, and Nina says, Smoltz just proved her point that they can’t avoid the rest of the world.

Scotty tells Ava, he has to get to Liesl. What’s the verdict? She says, she and Nikolas are not getting divorced, but she’s keeping the papers. She gives Scotty his pen back and thanks him, and Scotty says he’ll never understand the two of them. At least he got some billable hours so he can get that motorcycle he wants. He tells Nikolas, take care of her. She’s very precious to him. Scotty leaves, and Nikolas says Ava is precious to him too, but she tells him not to think all is forgiven. She’s just protecting herself. As much as she hates to admit it, his argument has merit. She’s been open about her hatred for Esme, the staff heard them fighting, and the fact Nikolas slept with that tramp gives Ava ample motive to want to kill her. Ava saying she didn’t do it will be believed by exactly nobody, so for self-preservation, she will remain Mrs. Cassadine. He says, for whatever reason, he thanks her for not going through with the divorce. Now let’s go. She says, think again, buckaroo. She’s not going anywhere.

Obrecht says she thinks sometimes that Britt has forgotten what fun is like, but Britt insists she hasn’t. Cody’s fun… when he isn’t annoying the hell out of her. Obrecht says she’s glad to hear it. She admits she was second guessing the wisdom in hiring Zelda after Britt ended up in the pool at that Society Set-Ups mixer. That was just a publicity stunt. Who parachutes out of a plane onto a hotel roof? Cody says, that would be him, and Obrecht says, he’s the dummkopf who landed on her daughter? He says, not deliberately. He works as a stunt man. Obrecht says, sounds dangerous, but he says, not really. He’s highly trained. She takes her drink from him, and says, how exhilarating. He says, it sounds like she knows how to enjoy life, and she says, adrenaline is its own reward. Britt tells her, enough bonding. What is Obrecht doing here? Was Obrecht looking for her? Obrecht says, her schnitzel is back in town. Britt asks her not to call Scotty that, and Obrecht says, they’re meeting here for a romantic reunion. She tells Cody, she and her sweetheart have special plans. Otherwise she’d ask him and Britt to join them. He says, he and Britt are just getting to know each other, but the third date? Obrecht beams at Britt.

Dante tells Sam, Lulu’s entire life is unfinished, until she gets out of that coma. Rocco should have his mother, and Laura her daughter. And yeah, he misses Lulu. He’s probably always going to miss her. But that part of them that was a couple was over. Please don’t let Lulu come between them. He doesn’t want to lose her. She says she doesn’t want to lose him either. She thinks, subconsciously, they didn’t talk about Lulu because things are really great between them. Why rock the boat? He says, it is kind of strange. They talked about her once, and that was at the beginning of their relationship. She says she thinks they have some things to work out before they rent moving trucks, and he says, maybe, but he wants to make one thing perfectly clear.

Felicia hands Anna a water bottle, saying, it looks like she needs this. Anna thanks her, and says, she should just look past these unanswered questions with Valentin, right? Please don’t ask her again how it makes her feel, because she actually just wants the opinion of a good friend to tell her what to do. Felicia says, in that case, trust her instincts. Anna knows how well she can read people. Anna says, Peter August anyone? and Felicia says, yes and no. There were mitigating circumstances when it comes to Peter. Anna believed he was her son. Anna asks if this is supposed to make her feel better, because it doesn’t, and Felicia asks if tea and scones at the MetroCourt would help. Anna says, it might, and Felicia says, is Anna satisfied with Valentin’s explanation that he went to another clinic before coming home? Anna says, no, she’s not, and Felicia says, there you go. Find out the truth for yourself.

Valentin says, he has Anna well in hand, and Victor says, she’s no longer checking up on Valentin behind his back? Valentin says, Anna is an intelligent trained agent. She knew he was hiding something from her. Victor says, like a quick trip to Tahiti, and Valentin says he covered with a story that he went to a second clinic. It calmed her doubts. Victor asks if he’s convinced Anna believes him, and Valentin flashes back to telling Anna that he’s held things back. He tells Victor, he and Anna understand each other. The situation has been dealt with. Victor asks, how? and Valentin says, she’s not going to be asking any more questions. Victor says, forgive him if he’s not convinced.

Obrecht says, it was lovely meeting Cody, but she must track down her missing schn… boyfriend. Britt scowls at her, and Obrecht tells her, later Liebchen. She leaves, and Cody says he really likes Britt’s mother; she’s a pistol. Britt says she thinks he means bulldozer, and he says, strong women don’t bother him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be interested in her.

Sonny asks if Nina is still bothered by that hack Smultz, and she says, Smoltz. Even his name annoys her. It’s just an ugly part of the world they’re going to have to contend with. He says, hey. They did, he’s gone, they’re still standing, because what they have is real. It can’t be separate anymore, and shouldn’t be. She says, if this is going to work, she has to be Nina and he has to be Sonny, and everything it entails, and he says, and face the world head-on. She says she’s ready for it. She’s welcoming it, because he’s worth it. She promises it’s going to be great from now on. She’s damn proud to be with him. She’s his… if he’ll still have her.

Carly says she likes the idea of Drew taking charge. Just promise her that he won’t model after Edward. He says, him going after what he wants doesn’t mean he has to be a complete jerk, and she says, promise her that he’ll stay true to himself. He says, always, and she says, Mia thinks he’s charming. He says, really? She’s been nothing but professional to him. Carly laughs, and he says, if Carly decides to work with her, he bets Mia will help her. She says she needs to figure out what’s next for her, and he says, she will. And when she does, there will be no stopping her.

Dante tells Sam, he’s a very patient man. So let him know when she wants to move in together. She asks if he’s sure about that, and he says he is. He loves her. He wants a life with her, and doesn’t care what it looks like. She says, good. Because she loves him too. They kiss, and his phone dings. He says, it’s the station; he has to go. She says, as long as he comes back, and he says, no worries about that (which makes me worry about that). They kiss again, and he leaves. Sam watches Carly laughing with Drew.

Nikolas says he thought he and Ava agreed, and she says she’ll accept his help, but living in a house where they were so happy, she can’t do it. He says, the point is to present a united front. What will people think if she’s not living in Windymere with him? What’s their explanation? She shrugs, and says she doesn’t know. That’s his problem. Figure it out.

Obrecht and Scotty find Britt and Cody still at the pool. Obrecht introduces Scotty to Cody, and they shake hands. Cody says he knows Scotty. He’s the lawyer who advertises on the bus benches. Scotty says he advertises everywhere. Here’s his card in case Cody ever needs it. Cody says, he’s wanted to do this – he tosses Scotty’s card on the ground – for a long time, and punches Scotty in the face. Britt and Obrecht are totally shocked.

Nina tells Sonny that she’s sorry she ever hesitated. She wants to be with him. He says, then why did she take so long? and they kiss.

Anna thanks Felicia for her honesty. She and Valentin don’t have to share everything, but her intuition is telling her that whatever he’s holding back is important. She thinks she just needed encouragement to go forward, and Felicia says, Anna has as much encouragement as she needs, and then some. Anna says, whatever Valentin is hiding, she needs to find out what it is.

Victor says, everything he knows about Anna Devane suggests she could be a real problem, but Valentin says he’ll handle her. Victor says, yes, he will – for now – and leaves. Valentin gets up, and Drew walks in. Drew says, he and Valentin need to get a few things straight.

Tomorrow, Valentin says, Drew has piqued his curiosity; Alexis tells Nikolas to watch his back; Dante tells Spencer that his situation might be improving; and Cody tells Britt, it’s been a long time coming.

👰🏻 Here Comes New Jersey…

The skinny on the author of Skinny Italian’s wedding.

Who skipped to the hell outta here. Stars being a questionable term.

https://people.com/tv/melissa-gorga-joe-gorga-skipped-teresa-giudices-wedding-after-unforgivable-betrayal-sources/

The event.

https://people.com/tv/teresa-giudice-luis-ruelas-married/

https://www.bravotv.com/the-real-housewives-of-new-jersey/style-living/teresa-giudice-luis-louie-ruelas-wedding-cake-photos

The photos. My main queries are: Is that dry ice or a foam party? and, how many filters are on that photo of her daughters?

https://people.com/tv/teresa-giudices-luis-ruelas-wedding-celeb-guests-glammed-up-see-photos/

Nobody knows his sorrow.

My local paper. No, I did not attend. I’m sure I didn’t get an invite because Danielle Staub once liked one of my tweets.

https://patch.com/new-jersey/eastbrunswick/real-housewives-nj-star-teresa-giudice-marries-east-brunswick

🕶 Be Cool, Honey Bunny…

It’s like, 110 out, and I’m having all kinds of problems with electrical devices – mostly the AC. So in order not to sweat my ass off any further (why can’t we sweat our inner thighs off?), I’m cutting out early. Come back tomorrow, when it’s hopefully cooler, to join me for soap and the miseducation of Beverly Hills. Until then, stay safe, stay cool and not all uncool, and remember that saying; success breeds complacency, and complacency breeds failure.

June 2, 2022 – An Old Friend Of Dante’s Drops In, More Than an Actor, Judgements, Shifting Sands, Wedding Leak, Shane Update, Pets (!) & Break Free

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Britt fumbles around under the parachute, and pops up, saying, what the hell was that? The parachutist pops up from the other side, and says, now that was interesting. Hello, Port Charles! Britt asks for someone to help her out of the pool.

Michael asks Carly, what is it? As long as it isn’t bad news. She looks at the envelope, and flashes back to opening it, and reading, Patient A has a 99.9999999999999 chance of being related to Patient B. Carly says, if this is true, Nina is Willow’s mother. Michael asks if she’s okay, and she lets out an audible breath.

Sonny comes into Charlie’s, and Phyllis says, that look on his face better not be disappointment. He says he’s always happy to see her, and she asks if he’d be happier if Nina was here. He asks if she came by, and Phyllis says, not today. He says, he called and texted, but she didn’t get back to him, and Phyllis asks if he’s worried about the hearing. He says, she didn’t let him know if the judge ruled, and Phyllis says, maybe it’s still going on. He could head over there and offer his support. He says he already did that, and he just made it worse.

Carly tells Michael, she’s fine. She’s just trying to decompress from the day. Willow says, tell her about it, when Drew joins them, and asks how it went. Michael says, they won, and Willow says, Nina has no one to blame but herself. Drew tells them, congratulations, and Willow takes Michael’s hand, saying, it really does feel like a victory, doesn’t it? After everything Nina put them through, and all that crap she said on the stand, it’s over. Nina can never lay claim to their family again.

At the park, Josslyn says she can’t believe Wiley beat her again. Maybe they should just play a different game. Wiley says, like what? and she says, like volleyball, but he says, no way; she’s too good. She says, finally, a little respect. Her phone dings, and she wonders who it could be. Wiley says, Cameron? and she says, he guessed it. Wiley says, Cameron texts her a lot. She reads: Don’t worry about Spencer. Will set him straight about Esme.

As they head for the room where Esme and Nikolas are, Spencer picks something up from the floor, and tells Ava, this is Esme’s jacket. He calls to Esme, and inside, she and Nikolas break apart. Nikolas says, Spencer. Spencer looks at Ava, who shrugs, and he tries the door, but it’s locked. He says, that’s funny. This door’s been locked. Who would have done that?

Brad continues to film, as Britt hoists herself out of the pool, and says, don’t worry about me. She struggles to stand up, using a table as leverage, and Maxie asks if she’s okay. Britt says, does she look like she’s okay? She tells Dante, feel free to arrest that guy at any time, but Spinelli thinks invoking the law is a little extreme. Britt says, he could have killed her, and Maxie says, don’t be dramatic. Britt says, excuse me? and Maxie says, he was obviously part of the entertainment, and did a really cool stunt. Brad says, he, for one, is thoroughly entertained, and Britt tells Dante, arrest him. Dante says, first things first, and asks the guy to get out of the pool. The guy says he’s a little tied up, and fiddles with his harness, and Dante tells him, get untied up. Come on, get out of the pool. He’ll give the guy five seconds. Britt says she’ll count. 1… 2… 3… 4… 5! Dante says, come on, and the guy frees himself, saying, all right. It’s official. He’s completely free. Britt says, not for long, and Dante says, Cody? The guy says, Dante? and Dante says he doesn’t believe this. Britt makes a face.

Carly says, if there’s one thing they’ve learned, it’s that Nina isn’t going to disappear quietly into the sunset, and Michael says, she took her best shot and lost. Can they please stop talking about Nina, and go home and celebrate with Wiley? Carly says, if only it were that simple, and Willow asks why it isn’t. Drew wonders if he can steal Michael for a minute, and they step into the hallway. Michael asks if it’s about the hearing, and Drew says, yes… and no. It’s mostly about ELQ.

Phyllis says, that hearing sounds like a nightmare, and Sonny says, it was. She says, maybe it’s naïve of her, but things were simpler back in Nixon Falls, weren’t they? If you had a problem with a neighbor, you worked it out over the fence. He says, or over a nice cold beer in town, and she says, and families duked it out at Thanksgiving not in court. He says, and lawyers get their fees, and everyone walks away like they lost, even if they won. She says, it must have been excruciating, standing up for Nina, knowing what it would do to his relationship with his son. Be honest though. If he could go back, and do it all over again, would he make a different choice?

Spencer jiggles the doorknob, and calls, Esme. Are you in there? He says he guesses not, throws the jacket on a chair, and leaves. Ava is about to knock, when Nikolas opens the door. Ava asks, what exactly was he doing in there?

Esme runs out onto the parapet in her underwear.

Brad hands a shirtless Cody a towel, and Britt says, really? Brad says, what? He looks cold. Cody says he’s sorry about getting Britt all wet, but in his defense, he was told the pool was going to be cleared. She says, well, it wasn’t, and he says he sees that now. Dante asks what Cody is doing here; working as a skydiver? Cody says, yeah, and Brad says, Jack of all trades. Cody says, exactly. Where did Dante Falconari end up, besides Port Charles? Britt says their little catch-up is cute, but can Dante arrest him now? Cody says, get out of town. Dante is a cop? and Dante says, guilty as charged. Cody says, him, an officer of the law? and Britt says she swears, if Dante doesn’t do something… Cody says, that is hilarious, and Dante puts handcuffs on him, and says, how about now? Is it funny now, or not so much?

Carly asks how Willow is feeling, and Willow says, mainly relieved. She can’t wait to move forward, and get on with their lives. Carly says, it got pretty intense with Nina. She’s never seen Willow that angry. Willow doesn’t think she’s ever been that angry. For them to go through what they did, and have Nina come begging, after the fact. After having her lawyer say in open court that Michael is violent toward women; that Nelle, a psychotic murderer was cowering in the shadows with her baby because she was scared of him? Why would she let Nina near her child after she did that to Wiley’s father?

Drew says, he’s not going to tell Michael what to do when it comes to his dad, or anything for that matter. If Michael wants to take Sonny down, that’s his call, but he can’t have Michael distracted. This is a high risk business venture, and they need to be present and focused. If whatever’s going on with Michael’s dad gets in the way, he’s going to have a problem with that. Michael says he hears Drew, but wants Drew to know where he’s coming from, and Drew says, fair enough. Michael says, Nina lied to his family for six months. She carried on a romance with Sonny in Nixon Falls for six months, while they grieved a man they thought was dead. She also came to visit Wiley under false pretenses, and took advantage of their generosity in giving her a second chance. That’s why they fought this petition; Nina is a bad influence. She’s not a person they want in Wiley’s life, and as Wiley’s parents, it’s their choice to make. Drew says he couldn’t agree more, and Michael says, Sonny disagrees. Today, he got on the stand and testified on Nina’s behalf. Drew says, it doesn’t surprise him that Michael is furious, but he had this campaign against his dad way before this hearing. Michael admits Drew is right.

Sonny tells Phyllis, would he change anything? He kept asking himself that as he walked out of the courtroom. She says, and? and he says, no, he wouldn’t. He knows that probably makes him a traitor, especially in Michaels eyes, but he sees it as being true to what he believes. She asks if he said that in his testimony, and he tells her, he said he thought Wiley deserves more love, not less, and people should put him first. And even if you make mistakes, you should learn by them, and lead by example; no one’s perfect. She says, amen to that, and he says, that includes him, but he’s not going to apologize for who he is. He’s not going to sit back and let a loving grandmother be cut out of her grandson’s life. It’s wrong. She says, wow. Nina means that much to him? and he says, Wiley means that much to him. He just hopes Wiley grows up, and he doesn’t want Wiley to just be Michael’s son or his grandson. He wants Wiley to be his own man.

Josslyn says, Wiley is so lucky he doesn’t have a girlfriend who drives him crazy, and he says he has a girlfriend. She says, who? and he says, her. She asks if she drives him crazy, and he says, not today. She says, good to know. You know what else she knows? He’s going to be real heartbreaker when he grows up. He asks, what’s a heartbreaker? and she says she has an idea. Does he want to take a little trip? He asks, where? and she says, you’ll see.

Spencer looks at Esme’s suitcase, when the doorbell rings. It’s Cameron, who says, what the hell? Spencer says he didn’t have to come all the way out here, but Cameron says, from the sound of Spencer’s text, he did. What happened with Esme? Spencer says, things were going great, he swears. He cut a deal with Ava to get him and Esme out of the house, and in exchange, he was going to have access to his trust fund. Plus, it would have the added benefit of giving him and Esme time together. It was a win-win-win. Cameron says, it’s perfect. Where did it go wrong? Spencer says, Esme started tearing into Trina. He couldn’t help it; he lost his cool, and he took off. Cameron asks, where? and Spencer says, he went for a ride to clear his mind. He realized he’d messed up, and came back to try and talk things out, but Esme was gone. Cameron says, Esme’s left the island? but Spencer says he doesn’t know. Her suitcase is here, but he can’t find her. It’s like she vanished.

On the parapet, Esme gets her clothes on, while inside, Nikolas asks if Spencer is with Ava. He thought he heard Spencer’s voice. She says, he did. Spencer’s looking for Esme; has he seen her? Nikolas says he hasn’t, and she says, he seems nervous. He says he’s just getting his bearings. He was reading, and fell asleep. She says, with the door locked? and he says, was it locked? The wind must have blown it shut, locking it by accident. She says, it must have been some nap. His hair’s all mussed up, and he missed a button. He suggests they go downstairs, but she thinks they should stay here; it’s quiet and private. Perfect for what she has to say. He says he thinks she made her feelings perfectly clear when she threatened to walk out, and she says, about that. They hear something outside on the parapet, and Ava says, what was that? Outside, Esme curses herself for dropping her shoe.

Dante says, Cody could have hurt someone, and Britt says, yeah, here. Cody says, it was a paid gig. If there’s an issue, take it up with the people who hired him. An officer asks if Dante needs a hand, but Dante says, no, and thanks him for the cuffs. Brook says she knows Chase wants to get in there. it’s just a few more weeks. He asks if they can sit and talk, and they go to a table. Britt says she’s curious about Cody’s job description. Did it say party crasher? Cody says he was supposed to land in the pool; make a big splash… literally. But then… What is her name? Brad says, her name’s Britt, and Britt kicks at him. Cody says, then Britt was smack in the middle of his landing zone. Spinelli says, it is a brilliant marketing strategy; a singles event with eligible men literally raining from the sky. Not that he took any pleasure in how it transpired. The main thing is Britt’s okay, yes? She says, she’s fine, and Cody says, see? She says, but she could have downed, so off to jail he goes. Cody says, Dante’s not doing this, is he? and Britt looks at Dante.

Willow tells Carly, Nina is certifiable. In one breath, it’s, take pity on me; you’re wonderful parents. And in the other, it’s, just kidding; Michael is a woman and child abuser. Carly says, she’s a piece of work, and Willow says she’s just done. Nina better not show up, or try to contact them. The judge made her decision; it’s over. Carly says she couldn’t agree more, and puts the envelope in her bag. She says, all that matters now is giving Wiley the best childhood possible, and Willow says, that is 100% the plan. I can’t wait for this to backfire.

Michael tells Drew, he knew Sonny was different after he returned from Nixon Falls, but when he realized he didn’t know who Sonny was, was at Nina’s trial, when Sonny defended her. A few weeks later, Sonny slept with Nina, and a few weeks after that, Sonny and Carly were divorced. Drew says, Michael is furious on his mom’s behalf, but Michael says, he’s furious with himself. All the years wasted on believing in Sonny, his honor, loyalty, and love. But he sees Sonny for exactly what he is now; he’s a criminal with a long line of luck. This is where his luck ends, and Michael is going to see to it. Drew says, this is where he steps in. He knows what’s going on; Dante told him. Michael plans to use ELQ to go after Sonny. Michael says, and Drew wants no part of that, and Drew says, no, he doesn’t. He’s not just some guy Michael works with; he’s Michael’s uncle. Obviously, he wants to protect ELQ, but more than that, he wants to protect Michael. Michael says he’s good, but Drew says, hear him out. He’s never been that close with Sonny, even when he thought he was Jason, and he agrees Sonny has acted badly. He’s going to stop short of saying Sonny failed his family, because it’s a complicated and tricky situation. Michael says, that is exactly what he did, but Drew says, a lot of people close to Michael don’t feel the same way. So the harder he pushes Sonny, the harder it’s going to be for Dante, for Kristina, and especially for Avery and Donna. They’re too young to be able to grapple with all this. Michael says, loving his siblings, and propping Sonny up are two different things, but Drew says he’s not asking Michael to prop Sonny up. Michael says, it’s what they do every time they pretend Sonny is a legit coffee importer. Michael’s not a gangster. He’s not going to go in guns blazing. He’s a businessman. He’s going to outmaneuver Sonny, and he’s going to do it without ELQ. Drew asks if Michael is sure about that, and Michael says he’s not going to let his issues with his father get in the way of his business with Drew. Drew says, he’s going to keep them separate, right? Because their company, and the people who depend on them, can’t be used to punish Sonny. Michael says, understood.

Phyllis says she doesn’t need a transcript to know Sonny’s heart’s in the right place. She saw it in Nixon Falls. The way he stood up to Elijah when he saw Elijah was trying to take advantage of them. How he treated them like family… when Lenny got sick. He says, they are family, and she says, hell, he almost died when he pulled her and Nina out of that fire. He says, make sure she tells Wiley that one day, but she says she has the feeling he’ll get the chance to tell Wiley himself. The Pub phone rings, and Phyllis answers. It’s Scotty, and Phyllis says, no, she hasn’t come in… I see… Of course (🍷) I will. She says goodbye, and tells Sonny, Nina lost.

Cameron says he can’t believe Spencer let Esme get inside his head – again. Spencer says he doesn’t need a lecture. Not today. It was bad enough seeing Trina with Officer What’s-His-Face at the gallery. Cameron says, she was with Rory? and Spencer says, there was nothing going on, but he didn’t love it. Then to have Esme rip into her… Cameron says, Trina doesn’t need Spencer defending her honor; she can take care of herself. Spencer says he understands, but Cameron says, clearly he doesn’t. His brothers are upset enough that their mother is away, and Joss goes into combat mode every time he suggests Spencer’s not evil incarnate. Spencer says, he knows it’s rough, but Cameron says he doesn’t need Spencer’s sympathy. What he needs Spencer to do is expose his girlfriend already.

Nikolas rebuttons his shirt, and Ava heads to the door to look outside. Nikolas says, it must have been the bats. This is the time of the afternoon they come out. Because everyone knows bats come out in the daytime. Really? He says, they should be grateful the bats eat all of the insects, and Ava says she’ll be sure to send a thank you note. She steps away from the door, saying, bats, vermin with wings. Esme listens from outside, and Nikolas asks if Ava will join him downstairs. She says, in a minute. She needs to apologize. She’s sorry she threatened to walk out on him. She didn’t mean it. She’s so sorry. She shouldn’t have done that.

Spinelli asks Sam if she can’t persuade her beau there’s no need for such drastic measures, and Britt says, what? Brad says, he agrees; let muscles off with a warning. Cody says, or a good spanking, and Dante says, the law’s the law. He’ll do Cody a favor and not arrest him in front of an audience. Let’s go. Sam runs up, and says she’s coming with Dante. Cody asks if she’s Dante’s girlfriend, and Dante introduces them. Cody says, the pleasure’s all his, and Dante says, let’s get out of here. Dante leads Cody away, and Britt calls, enjoy lock up!

Brook says, so much for finding true love, huh? and Chase says, happily ever after is hard to come by. Brook wonders if it’s not better to quit while you’re ahead; save yourself the agony. Chase says, it’s definitely a smart play. Fortunately, Finn was the smart one in the family.

Going back in the courtroom with Michael, Drew asks if everything is okay, and Willow says, everything’s great. Carly says, everything turned out the way it was meant to for everyone involved, and Michael asks if Willow is ready to go home. She says, so ready, when Wiley runs in. Michael picks him up, and Willow asks what he’s doing here. Josslyn says she figured they’d want to see him. She hopes it’s okay. Willow says, it’s more than okay, and thanks her. Michael says, Wiley is a sight for sore eyes, and Wiley asks why his eyes are sore.

Sonny leaves Nina a voicemail, saying, he heard the news; he’s sorry. Call him back when she can, or text him, and he’ll be right there. He tells Phyllis to do him a favor. If Nina comes in, let him know. She asks where he’s going, and he says he’s going to find Nina. She says, they’re both worried, but possibly, Nina may not want to be found. Maybe the point is for her to be alone right now, to process, to grieve, to scream. He says, the last time she was like this, she went to Nixon Falls, and Phyllis asks if that doesn’t prove her point. He says he needs to be with her, and she says, he doesn’t even know where to start. He says, that’s where she’s wrong, and he leaves.

Nikolas flashes back to him and… please don’t make me look at this again. Ava asks if he isn’t going say something, and he says he thought it was over; that she was giving up on them. She says, no. She guesses she was thinking about it, but she went to the firing range to blow off some steam and ran into his mother. Laura told her that he’d asked her to write a letter of recommendation to the Adams Day School for Avery. He says, he knew his mother would be happy to help. Turns out she knows the headmistress. Ava tells him, that’s what she said. The letter is already sent, and she has a call in to the Director of Admissions, and that’s great. She’d really like Avery to go to Adams, but hearing what he did, without making a big fuss or wanting any credit, was a wake-up call for her. She was reminded how thoughtful and generous he can be. After her anger cooled down, she was able to hear his mother’s sage advice. He asks if she’s sure it wasn’t a lecture, and she says, maybe a little of both, but it got her thinking. Not that they don’t have real issues to work through – they do – but she’s never been a quitter, and doesn’t intend to start being one now. Does he?

Brook says, so Chase isn’t a world famous physician like his brother, but he’s smart in other ways. He asks, how so? and she says, like knowing when to step in and save her from blowing it with Valentin. He sacrificed so much to protect Bailey from Peter. He says, that’s not necessarily smart, and she says, heroic then. Maybe she was wrong. He says, about? and she says, the whole quitting while you’re ahead thing. Maybe it’s the exact opposite. You need to jump in more, think less. He says he can do that. In fact, he’s going to make the leap right now. He’ll do everything he can to help her get her music back.

Spinelli gives Britt some coffee, assuring her, it’s the best way through. He has a prediction. One day they’ll look back on the events of today, and see only fond memories. Brad says, he will, but Britt tells him, don’t get any ideas. He’s all mine.

At Charlie’s, Cody says, he thought for a second, Dante was actually going to haul him in, and Dante says, for a second, he was. They bring beers over to the table where Sam is sitting, and Dante says, a tip if he may? The next time Cody decides to jump out of an airplane for money, make sure he doesn’t jump in a pool, public or private. Cody says, noted, and Sam says, Cody is lucky Dante had an extra change of clothes in his car. (Like they’re the same size. Hint: they’re not.) Cody says, gracias, compadre, and Dante says, Cody’s welcome, but he wants them back. Cody says, that Britt woman, she’s something else, and Sam says, that’s one way to put it. Dante says, Cody should thank them. They saved him from Britt’s wrath. Cody says he’ll pay them back by letting them buy him dinner. After all this commotion, he’s starving. Phyllis comes over, and Dante introduces Cody. He asks Phyllis if everything is okay.  

Sonny runs into the cemetery, calling for Nina. He goes over to Nelle’s grave, and bends down.

Michael asks if Wiley had fun with Aunt Josslyn, and Wiley says, they played a game, and he won. Josslyn demands a rematch, and Willow thanks Josslyn for taking care of Wiley while they were… Josslyn says, indisposed. Of course (🍷). Anytime. Is everything good? Wiley asks what Michael and Willow are doing here, and Carly says, Wiley wasn’t the only one playing a game. His mommy and daddy won too. Josslyn says, they did? and hugs Michael. She says, thank God, and hugs Willow. She’s so happy that the game worked out the way they’d hoped. Michael says, so are they.

Spencer says, Cameron is right. He can’t keep ping-ponging from Esme to Trina if he’s going to make this work. He needs to show Esme that he’s all in. It just drove him crazy seeing Trina at the gallery with that cop. Cameron tells Spencer, he’s going to say something and he needs Spencer to hear him. He’s going back to take care of Jake and Aiden. He will not lose Joss because Spencer can’t keep his head in the game. Do whatever it takes at this point; Cameron doesn’t care. Confess to Trina, suck it up to Esme, just make it happen tonight. Or he will.

Nikolas asks, what brought on Ava’s change of heart? and she says she just told him. He says, right; his mother and a letter of recommendation. She says, and herself, and he asks why she didn’t tell him before. She says, before what? He recovers nicely, and says, before they came so close to losing what they have. She says she’s telling him now. That’s got to count for something. He says, it counts for everything. Yes, they still have issues, and of course (🍷) they need to discuss them, but not here. Come with him. She won’t regret it. He holds out his hand, and she takes it. They leave, and Esme walks in from the parapet. She says, how wrong you are, Nikolas. Ava will regret it, and so will you.

Brad says, Britt has the hots for parachute guy? Not that he blames her, but those weren’t the vibes he was getting. She says she’s interested, but only to the extent that he helped her prove her point. What’s better evidence that true love is a lie than a cynical attempt to sell it with stunts? Spinelli says, there was nothing cynical about it, and Brad says, what’s wrong with a little romance? Bonus if it’s wrapped in a package as drool worthy as Candy’s. Spinelli says, Cody, and Brad says, whatever. His name could be Elmer for all Brad cares. Britt says she’s going to sue him for assaulting her, and Spinelli says he thinks assault is a bit of a stretch. She says, she’s going to sue him, even if she has to sue him for every stitch of clothing he’s not wearing.

Sam and Dante come back to the table, and Cody asks if everything is copacetic. Dante says, yeah; it’s just family stuff. Cody says, let him know if he can help, and Sam says, who is he? He says, Cody Bell. We met at the pool? She says, she knows, but until an hour ago, she didn’t even know he existed, now he and Dante seem to be picking up where they left off. Dante says, you know how it is when you’re friends from childhood. They literally grew up together. Cody says, and got into trouble together, and Dante says, that too.

Chase says, maybe he does think too much, and Brook says, he does. He says, maybe he should start seizing the moment, and she says, there’s no time like the present. They almost kiss, when Chase’s phone dings. He says, it’s his brother. He’s having a tough time with everything that’s going on with Elizabeth. She says, Chase should go be with him, and he says, really? She says, really, and he says, okay, thanks. And tomorrow, it will all about her and him, and getting the goods on Linc. And once they do, they can use it to get her music back. She says, she’ll see him tomorrow; she can’t wait. He says, him either, and heads for the door. Brook goes over to Britt’s table, and says, that was quite a splashdown. Brad says, Cody can splash into his bath anytime, but Spinelli says, technically, a tub is indoors, and you can’t splash down into it. Brook and Chase steal a glance at each other.

Carly asks Wiley for a hug, and says she loves him so much. Always remember that. He says he will, and Josslyn leaves with Willow, Michael, and Wiley, amid congratulations from Carly and Drew. When they’re gone, Drew says, what was that head nod? Was it because of the DNA results, or because Willow doesn’t know yet? Carly says, it was the results; she heard from the lab. He says, and? and she says, Nina’s not Willow’s mother. He says he guesses it was for the best, and Carly says, especially after the hearing; it was brutal. He says, Michael told him a little bit about it. Sonny testified for Nina. She says, that was the least of it. And the whole ordeal happened because of Nina; because of her selfishness and entitlement issues. Poor Willow is just exhausted, and she’s angry, and she wants Nina as far away from her family as possible. Drew says, it would have been awful if Nina was her mom, and Carly says, but she’s not. He wonders why Harmony said she was, and Carly says, Harmony was a troubled woman, but it doesn’t matter where Willow came from. It matters who she is today, and how much she loves Michael and Wiley, and the life they have to look forward to. I dunno. I’m not so sure Drew is buying this.

Sonny finds something on the ground, but we don’t see what it is. He looks around. I wonder if it’s Nina’s necklace.

Spencer walks into the now unlocked room, and Esme is there. He says, finally. Where has she been? She says, she’s been around, and he says he’s been looking everywhere for her. There’s something he needs to tell her. She says she has something she needs to tell him too.

Ava says, Nikolas is acting strange. What’s going on? He’s scaring her. Spit it out. He says, there’s something she needs to know.

Tomorrow, Rory can’t wait to see what else Trina introduces him to; Cameron says he has something to tell Josslyn; Sonny says, Nina may do something she’s going to regret.

📋 Exit Interview…

I’d forgotten he also writes for GH. He was co-writer of today’s episode.

💳 All That Glitters…

I’m not too keen on that pot stirring model. Anyone who has to tell you they’re amazing, probably isn’t.

🌇 Changing City…

I know there are worse places, but it is kind of amazing how such a cosmopolitan city still needs to catch up in so many ways.

💏 Love Bubble Coopted…

On a scale of one to hair pulling, I wonder how mad Teresa is.

⚖️ He’s Legal…

I like these two, and I’m glad things are working out all around.

🐩 On a Furry Note…

Enjoy some celebrities with their pets. Or just enjoy the pets.

⚓️ Pulling Up Anchor…

Pop in tomorrow for some soap, tea of all kinds, a thoughtful collection of quotes, and a musical moment. Until then, stay safe, stay taking only your own inventory, and stay being true to what you believe.

May 31, 2022 – Willow Confronts Nina, Speaking From Experience, Divorcing, Dina Tells All, Sutton Slam, Ultimate Birthday Gift & End

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Britt and Brad walk into an event going on at the MetroCourt pool. Brad’s impressed; Britt, not so much. She calls it tacky, and grabs a drink from a passing waiter’s tray. Spinelli is there, and as he looks for his card to give a woman, she walks away. Austin comes in, and says he thought Spinelli told him it was a charity event. Spinelli says, it is, but Austin says, it looks more like a meat market. Spinelli says, the invitation he received clearly said it was first and foremost a fundraiser, and Austin asks, then how does Spinelli account for everyone having great hair and sparkling white teeth? Spinelli says, maybe it’s the icing on the cake, and asks if Maxie is accompanying Austin, or might she be attending solo? Austin says, Maxie was supposed to come with him, but got stuck at work.

Drew thanks Brook for inviting him to this. How did she know about it? She says, how could you not? Whoever does the PR for Society Set-Ups stopped only at skywriting. Everyone who’s anyone is here. He says, should make for an interesting party, when they see Chase walk in. Chase and Brook lock eyes.

At the courthouse, Carly says, Scotty grossly distorted Michael’s history. Nobody is going to believe what he said, least of all Wiley. Michael says, he can explain away fiction, but one day Wiley is going to have to face the bad parts of his past. And Nelle’s, and Harmony’s. He was thinking, Will Wiley ever forget any of this?

Ava is practicing at the shooting range, when Laura comes in. Laura asks if Ava ever misses, and Ava says, you know what they say. Practice the way you play. Laura asks what she’s practicing for, and Ava says, not what; who.

Esme takes off her jacket to reveal her crop top, and tells Nikolas, it looks like they’re both having a bad day. He says he didn’t hear her come in. Is Spencer with her? She says, he was, but then he left her… again. She pours a drink, takes a sip, and hands it to Nikolas, saying, she guesses they’re both on their own.

Chet says, Terry wants him to move to Chicago? and she says, of course (🍷) not, but this isn’t about what she wants. He says, what if it is? If she’s as interested as he is in seeing where this goes, he should stick around, right?

On the phone with Obrecht, Nina says, the judge just ordered a recess… Willow walks in, and Nina says she thinks she can meet Obrecht for a quick cup of coffee. She tries to pass Willow, but Willow grabs her arm and says, she’s not going anywhere. Nina tells Obrecht, something came up. She grabs Willow with her other hand, and says she won’t be able to meet Obrecht after all, but she’ll call after the hearing. She tells Willow, let go of me, little girl, and Willow says, I will if you will. They break apart, and Nina asks what she wants. Willow says she wants Nina to give up the pretense of being a loving grandmother who only wants what’s best for Wiley. Nina says, that is all she wants, and Willow asks, then why did she let Scotty attack Wiley’s father on the stand?

Sam goes over to Spinelli, and says, another new outfit? Or is he just here to impress the ladies? He says he only aims to impress her. Beverage? She says, yes, and he takes her hand, leading her to the bar. Brook goes back to talking to Drew, and Dante asks Chase, what’s going on with him and Brook these days? Are they on, off? Chase says, it’s unclear, even to him. Is Dante available to help out a former partner? He may need an emissary. Dante says, at his service. He happens to speak fluent BLQ. Brook looks at Chase again, then tells Drew that he should mix and mingle. He asks if she’s trying to get rid of him, and she says, she’s trying to get him to see the opportunity to get investors for Aurora. He tells her, careful. She’s going to live down the cliché that the Quartermaines eat, sleep, and drink business. She says she learned at her father’s knee, and Drew asks if Ned has spoken to her about the offer he and Michael made him. She says, their paths haven’t crossed since the last time Ned turned down their COO offer. If they want Ned involved, this ELQ/Aurora merger has to happen, so he’d better flash his smile. Actually, there’s a woman at the bar who keeps glancing his way. She’s carrying the newest Cartulo bag. She should be good for a few hundred shares. She leaves, and he says, yeah, that’s not how it works.

Carly says, one day, Wiley is going to discover his parents are flawed, just like Michael did with Sonny, but Michael says, he never wants Wiley to see him the same way he sees Sonny. She says she hates that Sonny brought him to this point, but it’s not going to be the same as Wiley.

Nina says she didn’t want to bring this to court; Willow and Michael forced her hand. Willow says, no one forced Nina’s lawyer to say Michael is violent toward women, and a baby thief, and Nina says, Scotty just presented the facts. Willow says, so it’s a fact, that Nelle was protecting Wiley when she put Willow’s dead baby in Michael’s arms, and told him that his son was dead?

Britt wonders, what’s the point of a pool party if no one’s swimming? and Brad says, he’s just taking a wild guess, but maybe no one wants to ruin their hair and makeup. She says she may need his help tonight, and he says ready and available for wingman duty, but she says, no. She means in keeping her glass filled. She can only face this party in a state of cheerful oblivion. He says she might want to stay sober for him, and she turns to see Drew. Drew asks if they’re here for the fundraiser, the singles mixer, or both, and Britt says, both. The company behind this is the matchmaking service her mother signed her up for. Drew says he guesses she’s feeling more optimistic, and she says she’s optimistic about free cocktails. He laughs, and she says, as for the rest, the jury’s still out.

Laura tells Ava, it sounds serious. What’s wrong? Ava says she’s just blowing off steam, and Laura asks what has her so steamed she’s at the firing range? Is it Esme, Spencer, Nikolas…? Ava asks if she has to choose just one, and Laura asks if she has a favorite. Ava says, Laura’s son, and Laura says, so things are no better between the two of them? Ava says, Nikolas knows they need time alone, just the two of them, to work on their marriage, but he resents her efforts to make that happen. Laura asks if she thinks it has something to do with their houseguests, and Ava says, she’d love to blame everything on Spencer and Esme, but really, they’re just a symptom. Laura asks, what’s the disease?

Esme says she hopes she didn’t cause trouble when she told Nikolas about Ava asking them to leave Windymere in exchange for Spencer getting control of his trust fund. Nikolas says, an allowance from his trust fund, and Esme takes it he and Ava talked. He tells her, you could say that, and she says, they argued, and she’s to blame. Can he forgive her? She thought he already knew about the arrangement and approved. He says, his and Spencer’s failure to communicate isn’t her fault; neither is the fact Spencer didn’t say something himself. She says, don’t take it personally. Spencer only seems to communicate with Trina these days. He says he thought Spencer and Trina didn’t have much of a friendship anymore, but she says, they keep running into each other. It’s like Port Charles has a population of two people. He says, he’s sorry his son isn’t more considerate, but a word of advice – pick your battles. She says, there is no battle. The fighting is over. So is her relationship with his son.

Chase asks Austin if Maxie is there, and Austin says, she got stuck at work; she’ll be here soon. Chase says, he wanted to thank her for inviting him to Bailey’s first birthday party, and Austin asks if Chase and Brook will be attending together. Chase says he can’t speak for Brook, but he’ll be there. Austin says, right. So they haven’t gotten off that roller coaster yet.

Brook hugs Dante, and says she’s glad he’s here. He asks, why? and she says, because he’s her friend and stepsibling. He says, good to see her too, and she says she needs a favor. He says, he knew it. How many people has she asked already?

Sam says she’s still adjusting to the new look, and Spinelli says, it’s not a crime to overhaul his threads. Besides, sartorial splendor is underrated in these modern times. She says, but not underpriced. She asks if this means he’s ready to move on, and he says, if he was contemplating a new romance, he could do worse than signing up for Society Set-Ups, with their proven track record.

Laura says, Ava and Nikolas both came into the marriage with their fair share of baggage. She’s wondering if the root issue isn’t in the here and now, but more in past? Ava says, the truth is, she fought her feelings for Nikolas tooth and nail, because she knew she couldn’t trust him. Laura says she thought they worked through that, and Ava says, she thought so too. Now she wonders if they fell in love because they solved their trust issues or in despite them.

Nikolas says, Esme and Spencer broke up? and Esme says, in every way that matters. Spence made his choice, and it’s not her. Nikolas says, Spencer is young; they both are. However bad things seem now, is she sure they can’t ride out this particular rough patch? She says, that depends. How do you know when it’s time to give up? He says he wishes he knew. Interjecting here. I have never once used or heard a friend use the phrase rough patch, yet I hear it all the time on this show. Is this colloquial or something?

Terry says she likes Chet, a lot, and she’s enjoyed getting to know him, also a lot. He asks if he’s about to get one of those let’s-be-friends speeches, and she tells him, don’t turn down this amazing job opportunity for her. What if they don’t work out, and he regrets not taking the job and moving to Chicago? He says, what if he regrets missing out on a chance with her? and she says, if a train doesn’t stop at your station, it’s not your train. He says he has no idea what that means, and she says, what’s meant to be won’t pass us by, and right now, this job opportunity is waiting. He says, he just hates ending things with them before they’ve even begun.

Carly says, they knew today would be hard, but Michael was amazing on the stand. There’s no way the judge will grant Nina’s petition. He says he wishes it was her job, and asks if she’s wondering when the judge will be finished tearing into Scotty. She says she was, and she was wondering if she had enough time to run a quick errand. Inside the courtroom, Willow says, Nelle made her believe her son was alive. Carly and Michael go back in, and Willow says, Nelle used her newborn son as a prop in her sick manipulation. Nina says, she has to understand, Nelle was abused by her father, and Willow says, stop trying to rehabilitate Nelle. She was irredeemable. Nina says, she was a product of her upbringing. If she hadn’t been stolen… Willow says, Nina would have made all the difference in Nelle’s life? Nina would have steered her off the path she was on? How would that have worked? Nina was in a coma until Nelle was in her 20s. Nina says, exactly. She didn’t get the chance to raise Nelle. Willow says, Nina may not have raised Nelle, but it’s obvious Nelle inherited Nina’s nature, and Nina asks if she’s implying people are born bad. Willow tells Nina, look at her mother, then look at herself, then Nelle. She’s saying, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Nina says, if we can’t escape our DNA, Willow must be terrified. Willow goes over to Michael, and Nina says, too bad Harmony’s not here to tell her who, or what, her real mother was. Willow lunges at Nina, but Michael stops her. Nina walks away, and Carly asks if she hasn’t done enough damage. Nina tells Carly, shut up, but Carly says she won’t shut up. Willow says, Nina doesn’t care what damage she does. She’s ripped this family apart, and she’s not done yet. Distorting Michal’s past and weaponizing it, when all Michael’s done is love and protect his son in a way Nelle never did. Nina says she never told anyone Willow and Michael weren’t great parents, and Michael says, she had her lawyer do it for her. Willow says, Nina is so disingenuous. She pretends to care, when in reality, she never treated Willow very well, starting from when she was Charlotte’s teacher. Nina says she thought they were past that, and Willow says she got past that, despite Nina’s attacks on her. She gave Nina multiple chances when she found out Nina was Nelle’s mother, and how did Nina thank her? By exploiting her generosity, and trying to manipulate her. Nina isn’t worthy of Wiley. Nina says, it’s not Willow’s decision to make, and Willow says, whatever the judge rules, Wiley is her son, and his childhood will be different from hers. She wasn’t protected, but Wiley will be. Nina says she would never hurt that little boy, and Willow tells her, so Nina keeps saying, but she already has, and Willow will lay down her life before she lets it happen again.

Drew commends Britt on her bravery; it’s hard to put yourself out there. Britt says, as her mother puts it, time is not on her side, and Brad asks why Obrecht would say that. Britt says, any way to find fault. Now that her mother is paired off, she sees Britt’s singledom as a failure. Brad asks if anyone wants refills, and Drew and Britt both say they do. He goes to the bar, and Britt asks if Drew is on the prowl, or there for the fundraiser. He says he’s not much of a prowler, never has been, but Brook wanted to check out the party, and it’s great to support a good cause.  

Chase tells Austin that he and Brook have their off days. Maybe they’re a lost cause. Austen asks if that’s why Chase is at a singles event.

Dante asks, what’s the favor? and Brook says she has a Linc issue. He asks why she doesn’t talk to Chase about it… Wait. Did she ask Chase to do something illegal or unethical? He doesn’t want to know. She says she thought Chase would be supportive, and Dante says, he has been supportive. Isn’t that how he got suspended from the force in the first place? Chase helped Brook out in a big way, so why doesn’t she cut him some slack?

Sam asks, since when has Spinelli been a fan of matchmaking? and he says, professional help can be more reliable, certainly than his judgement. He chose Ellie, and in the end, their lives diverged because they wanted different things at different times. Perhaps with proper vetting, he can be matched with someone whose life fits in more with his. Sam asks, then why does he have a new look? It’s a look that’s different than the one she’s used to him having. What’s going on?   

Laura and Ava shoot, then bring the targets forward. Ava’s has a shot dead center, but Laura has nothing. Ava says, maybe the why doesn’t matter; their marriage is in trouble. Nikolas can be unfailingly generous when he wants to be – when the gift is something he wants to give – but when it comes to something that matters to her, he’s oblivious. Laura says, this may not be the right time to bring this up, but she sent in her letter of recommendation to Adams Day School, and Ava says, Laura wrote a letter for Avery? Laura says she did. she knows the headmistress, and she also put in a call the head of admissions, letting her know she’s looking forward to meeting with her to talk about Avery. Ava says she doesn’t know how to thank Laura, but Laura says, don’t thank her; thank Nikolas. He’s the one who told her that Ava wanted to get Avery in there. Ava asks if he suggested Laura write the letter, and Laura says, he did, and she was more than happy to do it. She thinks it’s a great idea. It’s a terrific school, and Avery is a terrific kid. Ava says she mentioned it to Nikolas, but didn’t think he was paying attention, and Laura says, it’s nice that he pleasantly surprised Ava. Ava asks if this is where Laura tells her not to give up too soon.

Esme asks if Nikolas is considering giving up on his marriage, but he says, that’s private. She says she only asks because she could use some advice. Spence is her first real relationship. All she knows is, they don’t bring out the best in each other anymore. They don’t put each other first the way they used to. He says, nobody wants to feel like a consolation prize, and she says, she deserves better. And so does he. His wife should put him first, or set him free to find someone who will.

Austin asks if Chase and Brook aren’t tired of this dance.

Brook tells Dante, it’s just how she and Chase are. One day, they’re besties, and the next they’re not speaking, until one day it blows over. Dante says, until it doesn’t. Chase is a patient guy, but everyone has their breaking point. There will come a day when Brook pushes him too far, and he doesn’t come running when she calls.

Laura asks if Ava still loves Nikolas, and Ava says, love isn’t always enough. Laura says, that’s true, but where there’s love, there’s hope. Ava’s been so generous with Nikolas, encouraging him to reconcile with his son. The thing is, he’s not that good at finding the balance. Does Ava think she could be more patient with him; give him the time he needs to work on the two most important relationships in his life? Ava says, she’d give Nikolas all the time in the world if he was working on their marriage, but he’s not. He doesn’t even acknowledge that Ava deserves better. He’s not asking her to be patient. He’s asking her to keep her head down, and shut up and face east.

Nikolas says he’d rather not discuss his marriage, and Esme says, of course (🍷). She’s only trying to be a good friend to him like he’s been to her. Can he forgive her? He asks, how can he help her? Can he get one of the maids to help her pack? She says, thanks, but she’s already finished packing. Not that she knows where she’s going. She rubs her arms, and he says, she’s cold. Her back is to him, and she smiles as he takes his jacket off and puts it around her shoulders. He says, old houses are drafty, but she says, Windymere’s not old and drafty; it’s stately and formidable, like the Cassadines themselves. She was proud to be associated with this family, even if for a little while. He asks if it’s possible with time and distance, she and Spencer will find their way back to each other, and she says, even if they can get past the mistrust, neglect, and dishonesty, something changed, and it’s a deal breaker. He asks, what’s that? and she says, their attraction. Spence doesn’t want to make love to her anymore. It hurts, but she doesn’t have to tell him that. She and Spence aren’t the only ones sleeping apart.

Terry tells Chet, let’s talk about these new beginnings. Director of Mental Health Outreach; sounds like he’ll have his hands full. He says, the facility has innovative programs that really do some good, and she says, and he’s already thinking of a way to make them better. He says, to be honest, he hasn’t been this excited in a long time – present company excluded. She says, he’s entitled to feel excited about this opportunity, and he asks if there’s any way he can take this job and still see her. What are her feelings about long distance relationships? She says she’s not opposed, but this job is going to require all his energy and attention. He won’t even have time to date all those midwestern women who will be flinging themselves at him. He says, and if the job’s not all it’s cracked up to be, and those midwestern women can’t compare to her? She says, then there are planes from Chicago to Port Charles every day. He says, but the way he got the job… and she says, his sister may have applied in his name, but he got the job based on his experience and credentials. All he has to do is decide if he wants it, and she thinks they both know the answer to that.

Nina says she respects that Willow is looking out for Wiley, but doesn’t Willow understand? She’s doing the same thing. Willow says, then drop the petition. Accept that her forced presence in Wiley’s life is self-serving, not to mention, a constant reminder of a mother that Wiley will thankfully never know. If Nina really wants what’s best for Wiley, give him a different lineage; a new legacy. Nina says she can’t do that, and Willow says, it’s ironic. Nina wears those heart pendants when she’s heartless. Michael leads Willow away, and Carly asks if she’s okay. Michael says he’s got this, and asks if Carly didn’t have an errand. Carly says, she does, and she wouldn’t leave if it wasn’t important. Stay strong. Carly leaves, and Willow says she’s sorry she lost her cool, but Michael says he couldn’t be more proud of her. And Wiley couldn’t as for a more protective mother. He hugs Willow, and Nina watches.

Diane and Scotty come out, and Scotty tells Nina, that could’ve gone worse. She says, really? and he says, the judge skinned him alive. She’s going to put his hide on her wall like a trophy. Nina says, she’s sorry. He’s not the only one who got flayed. Willow came after her like a mama bear. He says, she’s not changing her mind, is she? She doesn’t say anything, and the bailiff says, all rise. The judge comes in, and Diane calls Willow to the stand. Willow and Nina stare at each other.

Britt grabs another drink from a waiter going by, and tells Drew, the more she looks around, the more she wonders what she’s doing here. He says, she’s supporting a great cause, and she says, if that was the reason, she would have stayed home and written a check. He says, she’s stepping out of her comfort zone a little bit, and giving Society Set-Ups another try. She says, why is she bothering? Everyone knows she’s hopeless at dating. He asks who everyone is, and she says, Maxie, her mother, Spencer… He asks what Spencer has to do with it, and she says, the point is, this is a colossal waste of time.

Sam says, Spinelli never answered her question. What’s going on? He says he truly respects her sleuthing instincts, but isn’t her docket full? She says she always has time for him, so whatever he’s hiding, spill. He sips his drink.

Diane asks Willow, what is her relationship to Wiley? and Willow says she’s his mother. Diane asks her to tell the court why she feels the petition should be denied, and Willow says, Nina doesn’t have her son’s best interest at heart. Diane asks if she’s saying Nina doesn’t love Wiley, but Willow says, she believes Nina does love Wiley, on her terms, as she defines love. What worries her, is Nina feels she has a right to Wiley, but Willow doesn’t believe sharing DNA automatically entitles you to a familial relationship. Nina kept Wiley’s grandfather from him for months. She played an active role in breaking up the marriage of Wiley’s grandparents. Today at the hearing, Nina directed her attorney to attack the character of Wiley’s father, and grossly distort a tragedy. And she did all of it without thinking about the cost to Willow’s son. As a mother, there’s nothing Willow won’t do to protect her son, including putting his best interests ahead of her own, and everyone worthy of being in his life should feel the same.

Laura tells Ava, she loves her son, but she knows who he is, and knows he puts pride ahead of all other emotions. Ava says, they’re both proud, not conducive to compromise. Laura says, that makes it tough, but not impossible, and Ava says, advice? Laura says, you know the myth that marriage is 50/50, and all responsibilities are shared equally? and Ava says, she wishes. Laura says she thinks it’s more give and take. One partner falters, and the other steps up, and vice versa. She and Doc have a good relationship, but it’s not without its troubles. Ava says, really? and Laura says, for sure. They both have tough jobs that take up a lot of their time, and they feel they don’t have enough time for each other. So they have to work on shutting the world out, and making time to focus on each other. Ava says, that’s exactly what she wants, but Nikolas won’t reciprocate. What is she supposed to do; hold on indefinitely, while she’s selling herself short? Laura says, only Ava can decide that, but she’ll ask Ava the same question she’s going to ask her son. Would she rather be right, or would she rather be happy? Apparently, Laura’s been watching Dr. Phil.

Esme tells Nikolas, never forget that he’s a powerful attractive man in his prime. She admires the way he cares for his family, but while he’s trying to make Ava and Spence happy, he’s losing himself. What does he want? What does he need? He says, respect… peace… faith, and she says, Ava should give him that and more. The woman lucky enough to be in his life shouldn’t hesitate to give him everything she has, everything he needs. She would.  

Carly asks the lab tech if it will be difficult to decipher the DNA results. The tech says, sometimes there are mutations in the results, but the report should draw a clear conclusion based on probability.

Judge Foster asks Willow to confine her answers to her or counsel. She asks if Scotty wants to cross, but Nina says, enough. Scotty says, no further questions, and the judge asks if they’ve both presented their arguments. Diane and Scotty say they have, and the judge says she’ll be ready to issue her ruling within the hour.

Chet says, but his sister, and Terry says, Amy only wants the best for him; so does she. He says he guesses he’ll call the recruiter, and she says, congratulations. He says, if she doesn’t have a date next Valentine’s Day… She tears up, and says, he’ll be her first call.

Spinelli says, there’s nothing to spill. Enjoy the festivities. He tries to leave, but Sam grabs his arm, and says, nice try. He’s not getting off that easy. What’s going on?

Brook approaches Chase, and he asks, how annoyed she is with him on scale of one to really ticked off? She says, funny. She was about to ask him the same thing.

Britt tells Drew, this is pointless. She’s going to her room and going to bed. He asks, since when is she a quitter? She survived her demented half-brother on Cassadine Island and can’t handle an extra hour of mingling? She says, that’s something her mother would say, and he says, Liesl Obrecht is a sharp lady. Maybe when she signed Britt up for this, she was onto something. Society Set-Ups has a great track record. There’s a lot of people here. Not all of them will interest her, but someone might. If she packs it in now and goes home, she may never know what she missed. She says, a half hour; not a minute more.

Laura says she’s noticed since her son has been with Ava, he’s grown as a father, as a husband, and as a man. As his mother, all she wants is for him to be happy and live his best life. She’s always felt he could have that with Ava. Ava says, that’s what she wanted; to live her best life with him. Laura says, if Ava and Nikolas want to reclaim their happiness, they can. She thinks it’s worth fighting for.

Esme says she should be going, and Nikolas says, she’s welcome in his home. She says, Spence wants his trust fund back, and he says, she told him it was over with Spencer. What does she want? She says, to belong, and he says, then stay. She says she knows he’s just being kind; nobody is choosing her. He says, that’s not true, but she says, even her own boyfriend doesn’t want her. He says he wants her… here… now. She says, prove it, launches herself at him, and they kiss. I’m totally grossed out.

Tomorrow, Valentin tells Anna that he always hits his target; Sam asks why Spinelli is desperate to get away from her; and Nikolas says he shouldn’t have done that. Damn right.

👠 Hey There Lonely Girl…

Cassandra James speaks on being trans and Asian in Hollywood.

https://people.com/tv/cassandra-james-on-navigating-being-trans-and-asian-in-hollywood-its-pretty-lonely/

🗽 If I Squint…

I kinda, sorta remember her.

📬 She Wrote Me a Letter…

The Jersey girls continue to be messy.

👩🏼‍🏫 Tsk Tsk…

Well, what did she expect from a mean girl? I’ll bet Erika has a slam book too.

💃🏾 Barbie Girl…

It’s been a big week for Laverne. The doll is gorgeous, and I love, love, love the outfit. And really for me and Barbie, it’s all about the clothes.

👩🏽‍🌾 Moseying On Outta Here…

Tomorrow is a full day with both soap and Beverly Hills. Dubai also premiers tomorrow, but I’ve found 2 Wives in 1 night is 2 much. Although I’ll be weighing in on its worth. Until then, stay safe, stay reading the fine print, and stay knowing that if a train doesn’t stop at your station, it’s not your train. What’s meant to be won’t pass you by.

May 27, 2022 – The Hearing Concludes, Claudia, Temp Brando, Bye Chet, Is It On, Kyle Fills Us In, Staging Harry, NJ Changes, Moving, Evil Randall, Deserved, 80s Best, 7 Whole Quotes & Rock

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Scotty asks Michael, cat got your tongue? and Judge Foster tells him to just repeat the question. Scotty asks, what happened between Michael and Claudia Zacchara? (see below if you don’t know/remember) and Michael says, Claudia abducted his mother. Scotty says, Michael didn’t like Claudia much, did he? So what was it like to kill her?

Trina says, Rory’s career is just getting started. She’s not going to let him risk that for her. He says, okay, if she insists on making it all about him, and she says, that being said, she appreciates that he offered. He says, there’s no risk in him checking out a few paintings while he’s here, is there? They look at a painting as Spencer walks in, and Rory says he never paid much attention to art before. He thought of The Chuck as a good spot to eat his lunch, but then he stated looking – really looking… They realize Spencer is behind them, and Spencer says, is this not a good time?

Nikolas asks when Victor got back, and Victor says, his favorite nephew. He’s missed Nikolas. Nikolas says he wishes he could say the same. Whatever the two of them are discussing, it’s going to have to wait. He needs to speak to his wife alone. Victor asks if that’s a good idea. He’s sensing tension between husband and wife here. He’s thinking they might need a referee; that, or a field medic. He thinks he should stick around.

Terry tells Chet not to keep her in suspense. What’s the big news? He says he just got a big job offer. She says, amazing. She didn’t even know he was looking. He says, he didn’t either, and she says she doesn’t understand. He says he didn’t apply for the job. Someone recommended him to a headhunter. She says, sounds like he has an angel somewhere looking out for him, and he says, no kidding. Amy approaches the door, and he asks if Terry ever got a dream job she didn’t apply for.

Diane objects, saying, her client is not on trial, and Judge Foster asks what Scotty’s purpose is with this line of questioning. Scotty says, Michael and Willow contend that his client isn’t fit to have a relationship with her sole grandchild. Let’s see what their fitness is. The judge says she’ll allow, but tread lightly. He says he’d like to submit the autopsy report of Claudia Zacchara. It says that she’s five foot, five inches tall, several inches shorter than Michael, and she was clutching a newborn baby. He hands the judge the report, and Michael says, she was in a basket. Claudia put his newborn sister in a basket. Scotty says, so instead of asking for help or trying to talk her out of it, or any number of things, Michael decided to pick up an ax handle and cave in her head. How did that make him feel? Michael says, when he saw his sister was back in his mother’s arms, he felt relief. Scotty says, some people just get a massage.

Spencer says he’ll get out of their way, and start restituting, but Trina says, he can’t. Spencer says he’s sorry, but a judge disagrees with her; it’s part of his punishment. She says she meant he can’t work at the gallery today. Ava told her to close up early. He asks if Ava will tell that to the court, or will she? Spencer’s phone rings, and Rory says he’s going to bounce. Trina tells him that he doesn’t have to go, and Spencer wonders which crazy is calling him. Rory says he’s going to catch some rays, and thanks Trina for giving him some art to appreciate. He leaves, and Trina looks at Spencer. He says, what? He said he’d get out of her way.

Esme gets Spencer’s voicemail, and says she was just wondering how his talk with Cameron went. If Spencer is still with him, tell him that she’s thinking good thoughts. He didn’t say how long he’d be working at the gallery; hopefully, not too much longer. She’s just finishing packing up, and tooling around Windymere by herself. Come home soon. She hangs up, and says, before she gets into trouble.

Victor says, there’s no shame in admitting Ava and Nikolas are going through a bit of a rough patch right now. All couples go through them. The important thing is, the two of them are better than their low moments. Nikolas tells Victor, he’s been saying something similar for a while now, and Ava says, is that so? Because all she’s heard from him are weak excuses and non-apologies. He asks why he would apologize for doing everything in his damn power to fix things with his son? and she asks if doing everything in his damn power to fix things with Spencer includes being indifferent to her feelings. He says he’s crystal clear about her feelings, and she says, he heard her, didn’t he? Victor asks what all this is about, and Nikolas says, it’s simple. Just as he was getting close to Spencer, Ava managed to drive him away.

Amy listens outside, as Terry says, clearly, the recruiter saw Chet’s resume and thought he was a great fit. So tell her about the job. He asks if she has the time; he knows she’s working. She says she doesn’t think the boss will mind, and he says, it’s in mental health; director of mental outreach at the VA hospital. She says, director? That’s a big deal. He says, it’s one hell of an upgrade from managing a gym, and she says, it’s cause for celebration. Why don’t they hit the MetroCourt after she gets off work. Is he free tonight? He says he can make that happen, but before they make any plans, they should probably have a talk first about the job. She says she’ll be happy to tell him everything she knows about hospital politics, because trust her, there always is some. She actually knows an administrator at the VA. She can call and get the lowdown. He says, that’s the thing. The VA job isn’t in Port Charles; it’s in Chicago. Amy walks in, and says, no. Yes, there is a job, but Chet’s not going to take it.

Ava says she did not drive Spencer away; far from it. She just offered Spencer financial incentive to move out of Windymere and take his sociopathic girlfriend with him. Victor says, Esme, and Nikolas says, who Victor helped him rescue from Sonny Corinthos. Ava says, if only the two of them had left Esme where she was, and Nikolas says, at Sonny’s non-existent mercy? She says, Nikolas and Spencer are the only people in the entire world who believe Esme is some kind of victim. Spencer is young, and infatuated, and stupid. What’s his excuse? Nikolas says, compassion, but she says, no, it’s arrogance. Nikolas wanted to be the one to thwart Sonny, so he invited Esme into their home without even consulting her. He says, while Spencer and Esme were at Windymere, he was starting to build good will with Spencer, and she says, he certainly wasn’t building any with her. He says, so as punishment, she manipulates Spencer, and gives him access to his trust fund, provided he and Esme move out of Windymere. Ava says she didn’t give Spencer access to his trust fund. She tells Victor, she’s giving Spencer an allowance, and he will learn very quickly that his life of ease is directly tied to his ability to satisfy her wishes. Victor says, it sounds like she’s doing obedience training, and she says, then Spencer will earn his first treat when he breaks camp, and takes the minx with him. Victor says, congratulations. He just wishes she’d been a bit more patient. She says, patient? She didn’t chuck Esme off a parapet, so she thinks she’s shown plenty of patience. She tells Nikolas, she also secured the breathing room it will take to save their marriage. He’s welcome. Nikolas says, she thinks she did them a favor by orchestrating his son’s departure? She says, all she did was give Spencer a chance to show Nikolas who he really is. And if he chose to leave the house, he has.

Bringing in some boxes, Spencer says, Trina doesn’t need to stick around to supervise him sending out these mailers, or doesn’t she trust him? Does she really think he’d take off with a Monet? She says, they don’t have any Monets, and he says, whatever. Did she show him the new DeCarlo? She says, who? Rory? Why does he care? He says, because it’s the best thing Ava has. He’d love drawing something like that one day. She says, so chiaroscuro is his thing, and he says he doesn’t know if it’s his thing, but he likes the light and the dark together. If you don’t have the shadows, how do you appreciate the light? He wonders how much it’s worth, and she says, more than he makes at Kelly’s. He says, for her information, his income just got a major boost, and she says, Cam already gave him a raise? He shakes his head, and says, Ava opened the spigots, so to speak. She’s going to let him draw from his trust fund again. Trina says, that doesn’t sound like something Ava would do. Wait. What did he have to do in exchange? And don’t tell her it’s nothing. He says, in order to access his trust fund, he and Esme have to move out of Windymere, and she says she thought he was trying to fix things with his dad. He says he is, and she says, and he still let Ava buy him off, but he tells her, by leaving, he’s helping his father too.

Diane objects, saying, counsel is badgering the witness, and Judge Foster says, sustained. She tells Scotty to perform his stand-up somewhere else, and Scotty asks Michael if anyone was present at the time of Claudia’s death. Michael says, his mother, and Scotty says, surely his mother told the police that he was protecting his sister and her, and Michael says, it’s a matter of public record, and his mother’s name is Carly. He made a full confession and went to prison. Scotty asks how long Michael’s sentence was, and Michael says, five years. Scotty asks how much time Michael served, and Michael says, several months. Scotty says, wow, that’s faster than he gets his dry cleaning back. Diane says, while they’re all enjoying the comedy stylings of opposing counsel, her client paid his debt to society. Scotty asks, what about the debt he owes to his baby sister Avery? Why doesn’t Michael tell the court how snatching a kid from their loving family is his M.O.?

Rory goes the pool, which we haven’t seen in a while, and tells the desk clerk that he has a day pass. He asks if there’s a discount for members of the PCPD, and the guy says, he just needs to see ID. Rory shows him, and he asks if Rory wants a lounge for one; they’re going fast. Rory says, make it two. Someone is joining him.

Spencer stuffs envelopes, and Trina asks how it helps his dad if he leaves Windymere. He says, he has issues with Ava, and Ava has issues with him. She and his dad will have a better shot at fixing their marriage if he and Esme aren’t constantly in the way. Is it so hard to believe he’d do something for someone else? She asks if his dad is aware he’s not leaving just because of the money, and he says, they haven’t discussed it. She says, in other words, no, and he says, it’s a normal thing at their age to be on their own. She and Joss live in the dorms; it’s time for him to move on. He’ll work out things with his dad on the back end. She says, what if his dad holds it against Ava? and he says, then that’s on them. Right now, this is the best he can do. She says she doesn’t believe that, and he asks why she even cares. She has bigger things to worry about, and she says, right. What is she doing here… She starts to leave, but he says, wait. What is going on? Talk to him. Please. She says she has a life. That’s all he needs to know. So stuff those mailers and lock up when he’s done. She leaves, and he swipes the boxes onto the floor.

Esme writes to Maggie that her worry is misplaced. Everything in Port Charles is going swimmingly. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration. I don’t have everything I want just yet, but I’m well on my way.

Victor tells Ava, he concedes that Spencer has quite a bit of maturing to do, but he thinks the closer Spencer is to his family, the faster he’ll do that maturing. He thinks they can all agree Spencer’s stubborn streak and obvious attachment to Esme present difficulties, but this family’s weathered worse than that. He refuses to let a little infighting derail a perfectly good marriage. It’s time they came to a compromise. Ava says she doesn’t compromise on trust, and Nikolas says, they appreciate Victor’s interest in bringing them all together, but Esme and Spencer are just on the surface of their issues, and their issues aren’t Victor’s. Victor says, he’ll take that no-so-subtle hint as his cue to leave. He suggests they meet again soon for a proper reunion, with the whole family. He leaves, telling Nikolas, don’t muck this up, nephew. Nikolas says, Ava didn’t need to come between him and Spencer to hurt him; the distance between them did that. She says, it’s not exactly doing her any favors either, and he says, the question is, what are they going to do about it?

Terry says, Amy’s not making any sense, and Chet says, ten minutes ago, she was all fired up about him taking this job. Now she’s not? Terry says she’s guessing Amy loves her big brother and wants him to stay close, but Amy says, Terry is wrong. Of course (🍷) she loves Chet and wants him to stay, just not stay around everyone. Chet says, she’s losing him again, and Amy says, the headhunter who got his resume didn’t get it from one of his buddies. She got it from Amy. Chet says he’s flattered she has so much faith in him, and Amy says, of course (🍷) she does. She knows he can do anything he makes his mind up to, but sending in the resume wasn’t just about helping him. She did it for herself too. When she found out he was dating her boss, she put him up for the job, hoping to keep the two of them apart.

Scotty asks if Michael took his baby sister Avery away from her father, and Michael says he was granted custody. At the time, Avery’s mother was believed to be dead, and her father couldn’t provide a stable home. Scotty says, so Michael swooped in with his money and his lawyers, and stole Avery, but Michael says he didn’t steal her. He thought she was at risk, so he took the steps to protect her like he’s doing with his son right now. Scotty says, maybe Michael’s son needs to be protected from him, and Diane objects, but Michael says, the only person Wiley needs to be protected from is Nina. She’s caused nothing but misery to his family, including Wiley. She’s incapable of acting in Wiley’s best interests because she’s so invested in pitying herself. Nina claims the world has made victims of her and her daughter, but the truth is, Nina and Nelle are nobody’s victims except their own. Scotty says, that’s not the truth. They’re victims of Michael.

Diane says, opposing counsel is again badgering the witness, and the judge tells Scotty, if he has a question, ask it, otherwise, wrap it up. Scotty says, when Nelle found out she was pregnant, is it possible she tried to protect Wiley from him? Is it possible she was afraid he might do to her what he did to Claudia? That he might use Wiley to hurt her, the same way he’s using Wiley to hurt Nina? Diane says, objection, pure conjecture, and Judge Foster says, sustained. She tells Scotty to drop this now, but Scotty asks the judge to look at the anger on Michael’s face. Does she thinks it’s the look Claudia saw right before he bashed her head in?

Chet says, Amy manipulated this whole job offer because she doesn’t like who he’s dating? but Amy says, it’s not that she didn’t like who he’s dating. She didn’t like that the person he was dating was also her boss. Sometimes, she and Terry clash; the truth is, they clash a lot. When she found out they were dating, the only thing she could think was, great. Now she’ll never be able to escape her boss. At work, holidays, and vacations, and family reunions, and double dates, and karaoke night. It’ll never end. And what if she doesn’t suck up to Terry? Will Chet tell her to buzz off? All she could think about was herself, until ten minutes ago. He asks, what happened then? and she says, he started telling her how much he was missing in his life, and how much genuine potential Terry had to offer him.

Ava tells Nikolas, his move. She’s done her part. He says, by luring his son away from him? She says she’s providing them the time and space they need to patch up their marriage, without the interference of two people who didn’t want them together in the first place. He says he believes Spencer was beginning to accept them, and she says, then why was he so eager to go? Spencer obviously has bigger priorities than reconciling with Nikolas. And let’s be honest. They have bigger problems than Esme and Spencer, and where they’ll be living. He says, as she proved by sticking it to him, and going after Spencer on her own. If she only would have come to him to him first… She says, like he came to her before he invited Esme into their home? He says she keeps wanting to make this a choice; her or his son, his marriage or his family. Ava gets teary, saying, and here she thought she was his family too. If anyone has a choice to make, maybe it’s her choice. She can stick around and watch him dither over Esme, or walk away.

Esme hears a door open, and puts her letter writing stuff away. Spencer comes in, and she asks if he got her voicemail. How’s Cameron? He asks how she thinks he is? His mother is having a nervous breakdown. She says, that’s something that should make him sad, but he’s angry. Did he get into it with Ava when he was doing his indentured servitude? He says, not Ava, and she says, oh, of course (🍷). Trina.

Trina arrives at the pool, looking very cute in a sundress, and tells the clerk that her family has a membership under Dr. Portia Robinson. Does he think she can get a lounge? He says, sorry. They’re all taken, but feel free to have a seat at the bar. She says she should have come earlier. Thanks anyway. He leaves, and she says, she wonders if… Rory gets out of the pool, and Trina lowers her sunglasses to watch him towel off. He smiles at her, and she smiles back.

Diane says, just a couple of questions for Michael. Does he know the significance of March 19th, 2021, and September 23rd, 2021? He says, not off the top of his head, and she says, March 19th is when Nina left Port Charles for Nixon Falls, and found his father who had lost his memory. The second date is when Nina returned to Port Charles after her deceit had been uncovered. That’s six months. During those six months, how many times did Nina Reeves ask to see Wiley? He says, twice, and she says, wow, great grandmother. Scotty objects, saying, that’s not a question; that’s commentary. (He might have added that they made it difficult for her to see Wiley in the first place.) Diane says, next question. How did the visits go? Were there any issues? Michael says, the timing of the second visit. It happened the day after his father returned. Nina showed up and asked to visit with Wiley. She asks if Nina told him that she where his father had been for the past six months, but he says, no. In retrospect, they realized she was just trying to get in one last visit before the truth of what she’d done came out. She asks if there were any other visits that prompted concern on his part, and he says, earlier, when she first met Wiley. She told Wiley that Willow wasn’t his real mother, that Nelle was, and he was far too young to understand that kind of information. It immediately had a negative impact. She asks if he’s opposing Nina’s petition for visitation to punish her, but he says, no. She asks if it’s some kind of payback or spite for the harm she’s caused Michael and his family, and he says, no. She asks, then why is he opposing Nina having contact with Wiley? and he says, Nina has been consistently untruthful with him and Willow. She has a history of emotional instability, and seems far more invested in redeeming Nelle than in Wiley’s well-being.

Rory says, she made it, and Trina says she did. He says he was worried. Things seemed kind of tense between her and Spencer when he left. Since she’s busy looking at his bangin’ bod, she doesn’t hear him, and says, what? He asks if things are okay with Spencer, and she says, things are the same with Spencer. They don’t communicate very well. He asks if that’s all. He hopes she doesn’t mind him saying this, but she seems a little off. She says, it’s her first time back at a pool; she’s not used to so much sun. He suggests they have a seat, but she says, they’re all taken; she got here too late. He says, but he didn’t. He snagged her one, and don’t get out her wallet; he already got her a day pass. She says, that’s sweet, but in the future, her family already has a membership, and he says, good to know. She asks how he knew she was coming here; she didn’t even know she was coming here. Why did he get her a lounge? He says, he dropped a hint that he was going to be catching some rays, and this is the closest pool to the gallery. What can he say? He’s an optimist.

Spencer says, he doesn’t want to talk about Trina, and Esme says, that’s a first. He says, what was that? and she says, Trina isn’t her favorite subject either, but whatever Trina did is obviously bothering him. She hates to see him like this. He asks, how is this not talking about Trina? Besides, Trina has nothing to do with her. She says, got it; noted. But she has to wonder what Trina has to do with him. They’re no longer close, right? He no longer cares about her, right? Trina threw vile accusations out there about his girlfriend, so she has to wonder why every encounter triggers something. He says he doesn’t know, but it does. So just drop it, and he will too. She tells him, easier said than done, and he says, let’s go for one last ride. It will surely help; it’s a gorgeous day. She says she’s not looking for a distraction; she’s looking for answers. He says, fine. Come, don’t come; he doesn’t care. She says, they’re not finished with this conversation, and he says, they’re not having a conversation. She’s ripping into him. Esme says, she’s trying to figure out why he keeps going back to this girl who keeps looking down on him, when the person right in front of him is winning to do anything for him. He says he’s going for a ride. They can talk after. She says, walk out that door, and she may not be here when he gets back.

Nikolas says, Ava is already sleeping in another bedroom. What is she threatening? Separation? Divorce? She says she’s not doing this anymore. She’s not going to be second in his life; she deserves better. He asks if she honestly thinks another man is going to give that to her. They both know they’re difficult people and a very acquired taste. She asks if he’s saying she should just put up with his disregard and thoughtless treatment, and he says, it was never perfect between them, but it was good, and it worked. She says, it doesn’t now; not for her, not anymore. He says, she loves him and he loves her, and she says, it’s true, but what are words without deeds? She’ll give him time to think about that, but not too much. He asks if she thinks it’s all on him; that she doesn’t have any part to play or amends to make? That he’s just going to come crawling back to her. She says she does. Because she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to him. He’ll see it. She just hopes it’s not too late.

Diane says she’d like to enter two exhibits into evidence. The first is the criminal record of Michael Corinthos. The second is the criminal record of Nelle Benson-Jerome. Nelle’s record is considerably bigger, and Diane tells the judge to interpret it as she will. No further questions. Judge Foster gives them a thirty minute recess, and asks to meet the attorneys in her chambers. Michael and Willow hug, and Nina says she hopes Scotty isn’t in too much trouble. He says, trouble? By the time this is over, he’ll be lucky if he can practice in a food court. Everyone disperses, and Nina looks at Sonny.

Rory says, this is nice, and Trina says, very. She asks if he knows her friend Joss, and he says, Joss is unforgettable. She says, Joss’s mom co-owns the MetroCourt, so she and Joss came here pretty regularly last summer. He says, it’s his first time here. He’d heard about it, but up to today, he was more of a lake guy. A waiter brings them drinks, and Rory tells Trina, non-alcoholic of course (🍷). He took the liberty of ordering for them both. She says, he thought of everything, and he says he thinks he could get used to this lifestyle. They clink glasses, and he tells her, don’t worry about the cost; PCPD officers get a discount. She thanks him, not just for the drink, but everything. He asks, what’s everything? He got her a drink and a lounge chair. She says, taking her mind of the Title IX report and Spencer, and he says, he must be doing a poor job if she’s still it bringing up. She says, good point. Let her try again. Thank you for the lounge chair, and the drink, and mostly the company. He says, that, he will drink to, and they clink glasses. They steal looks at each other when the other isn’t looking.

Spencer asks if Esme is threatening him, and she says, of course (🍷) he would see it that way. No, she’s not threatening him. She’s standing up for herself. He doesn’t get to just walk out and ignore her because she’s asking hard questions. He says, the way he sees it, she didn’t get her way, and resorted to an ultimatum. That’s never going work for him. She says, being taken for granted doesn’t work for her. He acts like she’s disposable, and she’ll always stand by him, no matter how poorly he treats her. He should know better than to think everyone’s still going to stick around. He says he just can’t talk to her when she’s like this. He’ll be back after he takes a ride. They can try to talk again after she calms down. She says, wait, but he closes the door behind him.

A martini is slid in front of Ava, and she says, she didn’t order… He’s back. Victor says, he never left. He was concerned things might not go so well with her and Nikolas. She says, his instincts were spot-on. Nikolas left. He says he saw, but he does think Nikolas will be back. She shrugs, and says she thought so too, but she’s been wrong before. Maybe this time she’s overplayed her hand. We see Nikolas go into Windymere and pour a drink, and Ava says, maybe Nikolas just doesn’t see her for who she is. By the way, their marriage may truly be at an end. Esme watches from the doorway as Nikolas downs his drink.

Amy says she’s so sorry. She wishes she had minded her own business and left well enough alone. She tells Chet, please forgive her, or don’t. Just please don’t take that job. She leaves and Terry shakes her head, and says, his sister takes go big or go home to new heights. He says, she was always dramatic. He just doesn’t see how he can take that job now. Terry says she doesn’t see how he can’t.

Nina tells Sonny, Michael turned The Invader against her. He dredged up all her past mistakes, and her mental illness. She wanted to take the high road, but there was no road to take. She did what she had to, and hopes he understands, even if he can’t forgive her. Carly watches from the hallway, and Sonny touches Nina’s face. Carly moves on, and after a moment, Sonny leaves.

In the hallway, Michael says, Nina got what she wanted. Scotty made Nelle look like a victim, hiding Wiley from him. Sonny comes out, looks at Michael, then keeps going. Carly tells Michael, it doesn’t matter. Scotty was just trying to take the attention away from Nina. Michael says, it’s still out there, and one day he’ll have to answer for it to Wiley.  

Nina calls Obrecht, and says, they have a short recess. Willow walks in, and Nina says, she probably has time for a quick cup of coffee. She tries to pass Willow, who grabs her arm and says, she’s not going anywhere.

On Monday, Esme tells Nikolas that her relationship with Spencer is over; Michael says, one day he’ll have to face the bad parts of his life with Wiley; and Willow tells Nina, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

⚖️ Scotty’s Question…

All about Claudia Zacchara. I don’t remember this, but I might not have been watching at the time. There were a few times I was pissed off and took a break.

⚙️ Interim Mechanic…

Brando is the latest in temporary recasts.

🔌 But We Hardly Knew Ye…

Sadly, just when I was getting used to Chet and liking him with Terry, poof! he’s gone.

📺 Memorial Day Viewing…

What soaps are on. GH is a no.

💎 Much Ado About Not Much…

Backlash and found unseen footage.

💋 All About Harry…

Did anyone seriously think anything LisaR does isn’t staged?

📉 Changes Maybe…

How come it’s always Frank that has the skinny?

🐎 And Stuff…

Somehow I don’t see Jax lasting long in Kentucky.

🍸 He’s a Creep, He’s a Weirdo…

Lala dodged a serious bullet.

🏆 It’s About Damn Time…

I’ve always admired Angela Lansbury. Her genius career is to be envied. She started off as a big screen ingenue, was a Broadway baby, and even became an old lady detective on the small screen. And at 96, she’s still going strong. I saw her in Sweeney Todd and she was magical. I doff my cap.

https://people.com/theater/tony-awards-2022-angela-lansbury-to-receive-lifetime-achievement-award/

🎧 In the Background…

I love 80s music, but no Fast Times at Ridgemont High?

https://ew.com/movies/the-best-80s-movie-soundtracks/

🎺 Quotes of the Week

Animals are such agreeable friends — they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms. – George Eliot

To bear defeat with dignity, to accept criticism with poise, to receive honors with humility — these are marks of maturity and graciousness. – William Arthur Ward

It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength. – Maya Angelou

Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.Friedrich Nietzsche

If God sends us on stony paths, He provides strong shoes. – Corrie ten Boom

A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom. – Bob Dylan

By hero, we tend to mean a heightened man who, more than other men, possesses qualities of courage, loyalty, resourcefulness, charisma, above all, selflessness. He is an example of right behavior; the sort of man who risks his life to protect his society’s values, sacrificing his personal needs for those of the community. – Paul Zweig

🦅 Honoring Those Who Served…

As you sail off for Memorial Day weekend, enjoy yourself, but keep in mind the point of the whole thing. That said, see you at the usual Deadtime, because they don’t care about the long weekend. Until then, stay safe, stay appreciating those who serve, be it our country or behind the fast food counter, and stay not compromising when it comes to trust.

May 25, 2022 – GH On Pause, Back To La Quinta, Real Crystal, Her Wish, More Allegations, Reunion Absence, Had To Go & Gotta

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

There was no new GH today, because…

There wasn’t any news either. Until the actual news was on. So the whole thing was for naught.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Crystal is putting appetizers together for the women, and I love her tea towel that says, I’m not bossy, I just have better ideas. Garcelle just had a shoot for The Real where she interviewed Kathy, and we see a clip. They toast to nothing in particular. Sutton is absent, since she has a business meeting, and Kyle talks about her new store opening. Dorit goes to the bathroom, which is a signal for Kyle to talk about her, and play the voicemail she got from Dorit, saying she’s having a bad morning and has chest pains. Kyle says, it’s a classic panic attack. Dorit comes back, and she probably doesn’t notice it, but the silence is a little deafening. Garcelle asks how she is, and Dorit says she’s experiencing it in waves; physical and emotional trauma. She took a Xanax, but it didn’t help. In Dorit’s interview, she says she doesn’t know how to manage a panic attack. She doesn’t want it to affect her for the rest of her life; she won’t let it. But she has to do a lot of work to get there. Kyle says, Dorit can call her any time, and BY THE WAY, she had a conversation with Sutton. She doesn’t want to spark any issues (ha-ha-ha! Kyle is so funny), but Sutton said she was having a bad day too, and she’s sorry she didn’t have a gun put to her head. She thought it was insensitive. Dorit agrees it’s a tad insensitive, and Garcelle says she’s not comfortable talking behind Sutton’s back. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, Sutton should be there to defend and/or explain herself. No one ever gives her the benefit of the doubt. Dorit says she doesn’t want to bring it up tonight. She’s dealing with bigger issues.

Kyle gets ready to drive to La Quinta, and when she opens the back of the car to put a garment bag in, she realizes she never cleaned it out from the last trip. Then Kyle’s dogs Bambi and River decide to jump in, even though she’s saying, no, no, no. I die laughing because pets are always the great leveler. They could give a flying how much money you have; they’ll poop on your carpet anyway. On the way, Kyle phones business partner Shahida, and in her interview, she says, when they opened the Beverly Hills store, retail was doing amazing. We flash back to that, and she says, they opened two more stores, then the retail world crashed. She and Shahida wanted to have one brick-and-mortar store, and decided to open in a less expensive area.

Garcelle gets an art delivery of humongous amethyst butterfly cathedral wings, and in her interview, she says, after what happened to Dorit, she all the crystals and cameras. The sculpture could fall on a burglar and kill them. Erika is picking out clothes with the help of her assistant or stylist or whatever he is. In her interview, she says, she used to resell clothing to buy new stuff, but she can’t because of the bankruptcy. Wearing an outfit twice is not worst thing. The one percent of First World problems. When she gets to the house, Kyle talks to Mauricio on the phone, and tells him that she came by herself since Dorit had a tough night. We see a clip of PK calling Kyle, and saying that Dorit had a bad night, and she’s going to be late. Kyle says, after they were burglarized, it was at least six months before she felt safe. We flash back to Kyle talking about the burglary at the Reunion, and she says she was walking around with keys, locking everything like a crazy person. When she got in bed, she’d picture people coming in, even though she never saw them. She wonders how Dorit is going to get through this. It changes you.

Don’t laugh. During the commercial, I get up and check to make sure the front door is locked. I was burglarized when I lived in my first NYC apartment. It never really leaves you. Thank God I was at work, although I had no window gates, and might as well have invited them in. My door was open when I got home, but I saw my TV was there, so at first I thought someone had mistaken me for someone else, and tossed my apartment looking for a hidden… something. The thief would have been in for a big surprise if they’d taken the TV, since it had no sound. I had a radio that got TV channels and would synchronize it. What can I say? I was broke AF. Anyway, it wasn’t until a neighbor suggested they might have taken jewelry did I even know anything was missing. I had nothing to speak of except costume jewelry (mostly, there were a couple things I cried over), however, the feelings are still the same as if they’d taken a Birkin or two.

In Erika’s interview, she says she hasn’t had good luck in La Quinta, and we flash back to her breaking down during the last trip. She asks, can it get any worse? Maybe. The women meet at Erika’s, and LisaR suggests a roadie of vodka and soda. In LisaR’s interview, she says she loves a good roadie, and in Crystal’s interview, she says, a roadie puts her in a party mood. In Diana’s interview, she says she doesn’t know what a roadie is, but she’ll take one. Don’t feel bad, Di, I never heard of it either. In the car, Crystal talks about going to the outlets in Palm Springs, but Diana says she’s never been to one. In her interview, Diana says, she doesn’t go out shopping. Designers send clothes to the house, and she keeps what she likes and sends back the rest. Nothing humble about it; she owns it. Crystal says, she’ll wait three years until something is on sale. I hear you, sister. Kyle says, her Manolos from several seasons ago are so out, they’re in. (Spencer wouldn’t think so, but unless you watch General Hospital, you won’t get that joke.) They women bring their luggage to their rooms, and there’s zero drama, unlike when Ramona (RHONY) is involved. Diane, Sutton, and Crystal are staying at the La Quinta Resort, and in her interview, Diane says, when she travels, she sends a team ahead of her to check out the safety, the view, the bedding and sheets, and general coziness, so it feels like home. I dunno. When I sleep somewhere else, I don’t want it to feel like home. I thought that’s the whole point of vacation. We see a clip of Dorit going to Kyle’s store, and Dorit tells Garcelle that it felt good to want to style again; she’d been feeling uninspired. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, for Dorit, getting dressed is presenting herself. It’s what she loves. We flash back to some of Dorit’s various moments. Garcelle says, to see her not that interested is a little sad. Sutton and Crystal room together, and Crystal says she likes the path their friendship is taking, but they have to maintain transparency and honesty. Kyle told her that something Sutton said when they were talking about the burglary freaked her out. In Sutton’s interview, she says, when she was a teenager, her mother woke up to a man standing in front of Sutton’s bedroom door. Her mother screamed to her father to get the gun, and it’s not something you want to wake up to. She doesn’t want to think about it. Between the home invasion, and the thought of a gun pointed at Dorit, it strikes a nerve. Her father put a gun in his mouth, and pulled the trigger. She’s shaken… She can’t… (Told you.) She sarcastically tells Crystal that she can’t wait for tonight, but Crystal says, it’ll be fine.

Teddi comes to the store opening – ugh – but I’m guessing they must have to pay her if she’s actually on camera, because we never quite see her face. In Kyle’s interview, she says, normally, and opening takes a long time to prepare, but she’s always last minute, and scrambling to get it together. Everything has to be perfect. In Diana’s interview, she says, this is her first store opening, like this is a regular thing to do, and we flash back to her saying she doesn’t shop; she’s allergic to stores. She finds the clothing very pretty, something she would wear, even at her own house. I have no clue what she means by that last part. Wouldn’t any clothes you wear be worn in your own house? WTH? Kyle takes the mic, and says, she’s proud to have a store in the desert, her second home, and appreciates their support. Spread the word. She blesses the space with good energy, success, and happiness, and tries to cuts a ribbon adorned with tropical cutouts, but it takes her several tries since it won’t cut. Sutton asks how Dorit is, and Dorit says, she’s having panic attacks. Sutton apologizes, and says she’d never want to be insincere. Dorit says, Kyle told her Sutton said she was sorry she didn’t have a gun held to her head, and Sutton says, it was a terrible thing to say. She gets upset about guns and break-ins, and was triggered from her childhood. When she’s upset, she says weird things, then gets uncomfortable, and says uncomfortable things. Dorit says she appreciates the apology, and in Sutton’s interview, she says she can still hear the man who broke in; she can’t imagine what Dorit hears. She’s going to hear it for the rest of her life. Everybody buys stuff, and Diane says she’s picking up the tab for Crystal’s. Erika suddenly mentions a Cartier ring that Diana must buy, since she can’t afford it. Crystal mentioned earlier that she didn’t have her Amex with her, but Erika wouldn’t have known that, and I’m wondering if she thinks Diana would give her the ring. Kyle is less stressed, and more excited, and says, the more creative she is, the happier she is, and the more at peace.

Back at the house, caterer Gus has prepared an amazing spread. Diana tells Kyle that her birthday is August 23rd and she’s a Leo, but Kyle says, that’s Virgo. Diana insists she’s a Leo, and says she’s had many charts done. In Kyle’s interview, she says, Diana can be whatever she wants to be. Diana shows them a video of Baby Eliyanah walking, and in her interview, Kyle says she’s excited for Farrah to have a baby, but in her mind, Kyle is 25, so it’s strange. LisaR sits down to eat, and pup Bambi takes her steak right off her plate. In Kyle’s interview, she says, clearly, her dog training didn’t work out. Garcelle says, they can talk about Sutton while she’s here. They can clear the air. She hands the conversation over to Kyle, but Kyle says she already talked to Sutton, and Sutton says she apologized to Dorit. She’s as genuine as she can be. Kyle says she knows, but by the way she says it, I’m not sure if she’s being shady. Dorit says, Sutton’s apology felt genuine, and Sutton says she shouldn’t have put herself first. Kyle says, there’s no way you can’t be empathetic in this situation, and you can always reach out, but Sutton says, boundaries are powerful. When her father shot himself, she didn’t want people around. In Sutton’s interview, she says, when her father died, there were an influx of people coming over, and she felt she had to be the hostess. She also had a nine month old. She knows Dorit would want to put out a platter. Diana says she doesn’t know Sutton well, but she feels Sutton is clumsy with her words and behavior, and it comes off as weird and wrong. She says things that hurt people. In Diana’s interview, she says, she’s forgiving, but doesn’t forget. We flash back to Sutton and LisaR discussing the charity event, and Diana says she doesn’t think Sutton knows how her words affect the other person. She’s working on herself, and she apologized. Sutton says, she was empathetic, but Kyle insists she wasn’t, and Crystal says, the hypocrisy is annoying. In Crystal’s interview, she says, it’s inappropriate to tell someone their feelings are wrong. It’s gaslighting, and it’s distressing. She says, she and Sutton had their stuff, and we flash back to the whole violation thing. She tells the women that they went on a strong campaign in saying she was wrong. We flash back to several of them saying violation is a strong word, and in her interview, Crystal says she wasn’t given understanding. She was told she was wrong. She says, now they’re going against Sutton, and in Kyle’s interview, she says, Crystal is always dramatic, and always has something to complain about. Kyle says, Crystal can’t compare the situations; this situation needs more defending than Crystal’s did. Dorit’s life was threatened. Garcelle asks why Kyle didn’t say something to Sutton, and Kyle says she did. Sutton says, the biggest lesson she learned was respecting how someone feels is important, and Erika asks if Sutton respects how she treated her. Everything she said wasn’t true. In Sutton’s interview, she says, Erika is acting like she was exonerated, and has everyone believing it. She tells Erika, all she did was ask questions, and Erika says, Sutton called her a liar. Sutton asks if Erika feels good about how she treated her, and Erika says, Sutton is the common denominator in all their issues. LisaR says, they’re getting away from the issue. Dorit was held at gunpoint, and saved herself and her children. Her feelings are valid. In LisaR’s interview, she says, why aren’t they just supporting Dorit and being there for her? Dorit asks, what’s upsetting Crystal right now? and Crystal says, there’s only so much she can express how she feels. If someone doesn’t accept it, you have to let it go. Kyle says, it’s not the same. You can react to different situations differently. Garcelle tells her, she can’t say that; feelings are involved in both situations. Crystal says her feelings are irrelevant to these idiots women, and Dorit asks if she’s out of her f***ing mind. Garcelle says, they’re not validating how she’s feeling, and Dorit says she’s trying to understand how she’s feeling. Crystal says she doesn’t want do this anymore; she’s leaving. It’s not a safe space for her. In Dorit’s interview, she says, it’s a poor choice of words considering what just happened to her. No one is more empathetic, sympathetic, whatever than I am to Dorit’s situation/feelings, but I think changing word definitions is a bit much. Crystal says, the women never validate anyone’s feelings unless they understand them. She doesn’t need validation, but this isn’t an okay place for her to be. Diana says she’s Crystal’s bodyguard, so she has to go, and Sutton says, they’re her ride. Dorit says, they care about Crystal’s feelings, and Garcelle says, then let her have them. While everyone is distracted, Bambi steals more food. Bambi is the best part of this episode. Kyle says she wants everything to be happy with Crystal, but Erika says, she doesn’t feel validated. Then she adds, the truth was told tonight, like she’s some kind of oracle. In the car, Sutton says she had to really listen to how Crystal felt, and Crystal says, she also had an eating disorder. She’s not looking for validation, but a gang of people saying you can’t feel the way you do is intense. Diana says, you shouldn’t feel alone with friends. At the house, Garcelle says, they have to let everyone feel how they want to feel, whether they like it or not. Erika says, let’s not judge in the moment, and LisaR calls her the voice of reason.

Next time, Garcelle feels Sutton was set up; Dorit tells PK that she needs to hold it together for the kids; Dorit has a therapy session; and Garcelle tells Sutton to watch her back with her new friend.

💎 Adjusting To Reality…

Crystal talks about her Wives experience.

https://people.com/tv/rhobh-crystal-kung-minkoff-online-harassment-gold-gala-real-housewives/

🥾 Knocking the Bubble…

The problem is, Teresa wouldn’t understand a word Caroline was saying, and would just out-shout her anyway. She’d be better off taking Teresa on in a boxing ring.

📰 Very Pushy…

Luis already showed his true colors somewhat at the end of the season. Even so, it seems like a match; they’re both loudmouthed bullies.

👗 But She Looked Good…

The lowdown on Traci’s Reunion absence.

👰🏼 Clip…

I wonder what the dance floor looked like.

🛣 Gliding Down the Highway…

Tomorrow stop by for soap, tea, and a melodious moment. Until then, stay safe, stay not being afraid to change your mind, and stay never telling someone their feelings are wrong. It’s gaslighting and it’s distressing.