Tag Archives: The Real Housewives

July 24, 2016 – Shah MJ Celebrates Renewal & NJ Wives Celebrate Dolores

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What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

Shahs of Sunset

I really wish they’d change their opening song. It’s the worst.

Shervin visits MJ. She’s having a yard sale at a friend’s house, and she’s going through racks of clothes. She hands him various dresses that have bad memories attached and talks about them. Shervin says when he looks at his clothes, he sees a black shirt. Ha-ha! I’ve always said that a woman has a story for every piece of clothing she owns. Asa joins them. They pile the car with stuff and MJ thinks she could possibly have OJ’s glove in all the mess.

GG claims she doesn’t have time for a job, since she’s busy all day with things like manicures and massages. Sigh. She’s having a meeting with her acupuncturist. She says it really helps. Better than that. She says it’s like heroin. Really now? In her interview, GG talks about Reza not believing that she’s really sick. I do believe she’s sick, and I know what it’s like to be sick and not look sick, but I also think there’s something else going on there.

The garage sale friend doesn’t have a name. The caption just says “MJ’s Friend.” Yeah, I don’t blame you, MJ’s friend. I might not want anyone to know who I was either. MJ starts pulling things out that she doesn’t want to sell. A surprising amount of people show up, even though this doesn’t look like a real active street. MJ keeps trying to intercept the sales, while Asa is pushing them, giving customers suggestions on what to wear with what. Suddenly, MJ gets with the program and helps move things along. I understand. I have an eBay store. It can be hard to let go of the emotional attachment, even though you know you’re never wearing that size 6 neon green micro-mini from the 80s again. As Don Aslett says, keep the memory, get rid of the object.

Adam wants to change his last name, since he and Reza are married now. When they get to the window with the paperwork, Adam suggests Reza change his too, but Reza isn’t receptive to the idea. The clerk tells them they need a marriage license for Adam’s status to change. They never got one because of the wedding being a surprise. Oops! Forgot about that. Now they’re going to have another ceremony to make it official, because technically, they’re not married.

Asa is working on her couples portrait project. Originally, she was going to shoot Mike and Jessica together, but now it’s Mike by himself. Asa is glad that he’s facing his truth. Even though he’s going through with it, Mike feels dejected, being photographed with his dogs rather than his woman. I actually like the dogs better than I did Jessica. In his interview, Mike asks how much you can fight for something that’s a lost cause. He says he feels like a failure. The photos are fantastic. Mike says they’re like a funeral for him – the death of his relationship.

GG and MJ video chat. MJ is having a renewal party. GG asks if MJ is having vaginal rejuvenation, but it’s more of a renewal in the spiritual sense. MJ wants to celebrate moving forward in her life. She tells GG to clear her afternoon and wear black. She’s going to commemorate a rite of passage.

Reza is happy about having another wedding ceremony. Asa comes by his and Adam’s place. She looks amazing in a figure-hugging white blouse and black skirt. She’s usually wearing a caftan, or something else loose-fitting, so it’s a surprising change. In a good way. MJ arrives as the witness. Adam reads some vows he wrote, since he didn’t get a chance the first time. In his interview, Reza says it’s the wedding he imagined, with just Asa and MJ there. The license is signed, making it official.

Shervin is going ring shopping with Tommy. The last time Shervin was at the jewelry store was to pick out a ring for an engagement that didn’t work out, so he tries not to have flashbacks. Tommy picks out a pretty standard-looking ring, but the band is patterned, giving it something extra. The clerk quotes a price of $8500, but Shervin bargains for Tommy, countering at $7000. They meet in the middle at $7500. Tommy hopes that MJ’s answer will be yes.

You know those places where you can get together with friends or a date and make pottery? MJ goes to a similar place where you bake stuff. She’s meeting her mother there. Why? Why doesn’t she cut this cancer out of her life? Another sigh. She asks Vida to come to her renewal party. Wet blanket Vida says what renewal, since MJ hasn’t changed. MJ asks the loaded question, is her mother proud of her and Vida is like, as far from it as you can get. They’re decorating a cake together, and Vida just takes what MJ puts on the cake right off, saying it looks horrible. Honestly, she just takes everything off with her hand and plops it on the table. It’s indicative of the way she wipes out any opinion MJ has and forces her own.

Somehow, Vida gets on the topic of MJ’s love life. Vida does not like Tommy and in her interview, MJ says Vida is headed to the bleachers. I’d have put her outside the stadium long ago. There is seriously something wrong with this woman.

MJ’s outfit for the party rocks! She looks like a fairy queen bride, in white with a crown of flowers and matching bouquet. She’s having the ceremony at a cemetery. There’s a casket so she can say a proper good-by to her past and symbolically bury her bullsh*t. A choral group is performing and white doves are going to be released. It must be fun to have money to throw away on nonsense! She gives the choir musical and apparel directions. The doves wait, possibly terrified, in their cages.

Tommy has a flask he keeps nipping from, as he’s picking this party – or whatever it is – to propose. There’s even a bar. I’m just amazed and wonder how much she gave the cemetery owner to let her do this. GG is a little freaked and surprisingly respectful of where she is. Everyone gets a drink and sits.

Wait for it…

Vida asks if Jessica is coming and Mike answers with another question, asking if MJ’s dad is coming. Vida is like, of course not, and then she asks Reza about Jessica, since Mike isn’t answering. Mike tries to make light of it, but Vida gets insistent. Several of the Shahs ask for another drink. Vida checks out the casket and Mike tells her to jump in. Obviously, I laugh. She says no wonder Jessica isn’t there and he says no wonder her husband left her. In his interview, Mike thinks Vida is there just to ruin MJ’s event and is pissed that no one ever stands up to her. I don’t blame him one bit, although I do understand when Shervin says that it’s their culture not to talk like that to an elder. I don’t like her either, but MJ wanted her there, so he should at least respect that.

Everyone is telling Mike to shut up. Even GG says they need to respect their friend’s mother. In his interview, Mike says culturally, he screwed up, but who would blame him? Tommy takes him aside and tells him to knock it off, because even though she’s a maniac, this is his future mother-in-law. Mike promises to behave.

MJ drives up in a cool, huge car. That’s about as much as I know about cars. She walks toward to casket, the choir preceding her, humming something that sounds like an old spiritual. MJ was specific in not wanting lyrics. MJ stands before the casket and makes a speech. She acknowledges all of them and their support. She talks about forgiveness and moving forward. She throws some costume jewelry into the casket to symbolize being fake, she throws in some blush in to symbolize Vida no longer making decisions for her, and something else that looks like bra pads, talking about how she found Tommy. Tommy walks up and says how happy she makes him and how he’s her best friend. He starts to cry and it’s actually very touching. He tells her that he wishes her father was there and gets down on one knee and proposes. I probably like Tommy the most of all the cast members. He can be juvenile at times, but he has a good heart and seems genuine. Actually, that’s one thing the whole cast has going for it – they all seem real, not like the Housewives, who often strike me as just vying for camera time.

Tommy pulls out the ring and tells MJ how much he loves her. He asks her to marry him and MJ says yes. All the friends start to cheer. Vida must be having a coronary. The doves are released.

Vida comes up to the front, calling, “Mercedes! Mercedes!” as MJ (Mercedes to Vida) and Tommy kiss. She starts to walk out, saying she shouldn’t have come.

Next time, the finale (sniff), Asa is in OK magazine, Adam and Reza conflict about having children, Vida acts like a lunatic, and Reza and GG tangle.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey

Melissa is going into the city (Manhattan for the unenlightened) to pick out merchandise for the boutique. She hassles husband Joe on the phone.

Teresa is pretty tired, saying that it’s great to be back, but it’s been a whirlwind, which she pronounces “worldwind,” and I type it that way before I go, wait a second… Since she can’t walk the kids to the bus due to her ankle bracelet, she hollers for husband Joe to help. Dog Frankie tries to escape while all this is going on.

There are a bunch of whiny Jacqueline flashbacks where she wonders what Teresa wants from her. Several. Stemming from one, one paragraph text. A short paragraph.

Teresa talks about how her marriage has always been “old school,” where Joe took care of the finances and she stayed out of it. She says she got into a little trouble for that – ha-ha-ha – so now she’s paying attention. Jacqueline knocks at the door unannounced.

Teresa wonders why Jacqueline is just showing up. She asks how Jacqueline’s New Year’s Eve was and Jacqueline stammers. Joe makes an appearance and says hello. Jacqueline says she’s getting mixed messages from Teresa, who wonders how that happened, since she’s only been home a week. Jacqueline says it goes back to when they last talked in Arizona, and hadn’t really defined where they stood. Teresa says when they got back was when her problems with the law started and she was told not to discuss it with anyone. She says it isn’t that she didn’t want to be friends anymore.

Jacqueline brings up two reunions ago when Teresa says she didn’t miss her. I have to stop here to mention that Jacqueline sounds kind of selfish. It’s no secret that Teresa stood trial and then went to prison, so how does Jacqueline make this even one iota about her? Teresa probably wasn’t thinking about missing anyone except her own self in New Jersey. Teresa says she’s done a lot of reflection and praying and has learned forgiveness since then. Jacqueline asks where they go from here and Teresa suggests rebuilding the friendship. They hug and talk about their kids. Teresa tells Jacqueline about her new love of yoga. In her interview, Teresa says it’s like the old days. We get TMI about jail sex and they discuss Teresa’s homecoming. More TMI.

Teresa suddenly remembers that she has an orthodontist appointment that the doctor came in early for. That’s what happens when people just show up out of nowhere at your door. Self-centered Jacqueline doesn’t even apologize.

Melissa meets with her business partner. Jacquie has a store in Florida and Melissa admires her business acumen. Not so much her style though, as they disagree on what Melissa should be carrying in her store. Melissa wants it to seem like you’re walking into her closet and has the final vote, since it is her store.

Siggy visits Dolores. Dolores wants to redecorate, as the house is frozen in time from when she raised her kids there. They discuss Dolores’s birthday party and how they’d like to see Teresa and Jacqueline get their friendship back on track. As if on cue, Jacqueline shows up. I wonder if she called first. They open some champagne. I liked champagne for about 10 minutes when I was in my 30s.

Jacqueline tells them about her meeting with Teresa. Siggy and Dolores act like two cheerleaders, jumping up and down when Jacqueline says she and Teresa are going to rebuild their friendship. They toast to the new year and new beginnings.

Melissa visits Teresa. Teresa tells her about Jacqueline dropping by. In her interview, Melissa says Jacqueline is the type who wants answers, while Teresa just wants to move along. She hopes the kumbaya lasts.

Dolores and family gather for pizza and Italian take-out. Her ex lives down the block and everyone is friendly with everyone, including the ex’s girlfriend. They tell their kids the story of how the broke up and remained friends.

Siggy is meeting Teresa to plan Dolores’s party. She talks about herself in the third person in her interview and I’m like, please don’t do that. She wrote a book on relationships called Write Your Own Fairy Tale, which I vaguely remember seeing in the bookstore. She says she’s a true blue friend and likes old school people.

Theresa and Siggy meet at the restaurant where they’re having Dolores’s party and introduce themselves. Siggy likes Teresa right away. She shows Teresa the leopard patterned invitations. Dolores is going to wear red, with everyone else wearing accents of leopard. Siggy is concerned that guests might have to buy a leopard accessory, but Teresa tells her everyone in New Jersey has something leopard. I have to admit, she might be right.

Dolores’s paternal grandmother is 102 and reminds me of Big Edie from Grey Gardens. How come my grandmother wasn’t like that? Dolores is having her family over and they talk about how well she and her ex get along. She wonders if it has anything to do with her being single. Dolores also looks an awful lot like a brunette Dina and I keep doing double-takes, thinking Dina is back on the show.

It’s party time! Let the leopard wearing commence! Everything looks amazing. Teresa isn’t thrilled to see Kathy, but moves past it. She makes a toast to true and new friendships. In her interview, Dolores says she’s not keen on celebrating her birthday, but feels blessed that her friends have gathered in her honor and are showing the love.

Rosie shows up and feels like Teresa doesn’t hate her, but just doesn’t want to be bothered. Melissa invites everyone to her boutique opening. Siggy asks for funny stories about Dolores, with one guest telling them while another two act it out. Melissa volunteers first, talking about how Joe #2 had the hots for Dolores when they were kids. Teresa goes next and tells another prison sex story, which confuses me since it’s not about Delores, but maybe I missed something.

Afterwards, Melissa asks about Jacqueline and Teresa’s new friendship. In her interview, Melissa tells us that things are changin’ in Jersey. Dolores thanks everyone for being there for her. A leopard icing-ed cake with a sparkler in it is presented.

There’s a discussion of calories. Teresa asks Siggy about her husband and more TMI happens. Finally, it’s time to go home and Teresa is the designated driver for a drunk Melissa. I’m kind of surprised that the court allowed Teresa to go to a birthday party. Although it might classify as work. They call Joe #2 from the car, and tell him how drunk Melissa is. She’s actually pretty funny. They get to the house and Teresa helps her inside.

Next time, a champagne toast to Melissa’s boutique, Chris tells Jacqueline it’s becoming tough to pay the bills (tell me about it), and it’s getting close to Joe #1‘s jail time.

July 20, 2016 – GH & NYC Wives vs the Mohegan Sun

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What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

General Hospital

Darby and Dillon bask in the afterglow. Bleh. Kiki sees Darby’s hashtags about their date.

Carly asks Morgan how it’s going. He says the new job is more his speed rather than lugging coffee bags around. He says he has plans with Kiki, but she might not be in the best mood after a run in with Dillon.

Sabrrrina tells Michael that Teddy’s getting better every day. He’s obviously distressed and she asks what’s wrong. He says he thought they were building a relationship, but he found out she applied for a lease on an apartment.

Alexis calls the hospital to see what’s up with Julian. Kristina asks what she’s doing.

Sonny wants to see Julian, but Felix says it’s after hours. He gives Sonny the skinny on Julian’s condition. Sonny thinks the timing is pretty convenient.

Julian talks to himself since he has no one else to talk to. Oh, wait, Carrrlos is there! He says Julian should have killed Alexis while he had the chance and now he has no future. He only has prison to look forward to.

Darby brings up Kiki, but Dillon says they agreed to stay away from that subject. She asks about his job and he says he looks at it like he’s a storyteller. Love her earrings, but it’s highly doubtful she’d be wearing gigantic ones to hit the sheets in.

Carly asks what happened with Kiki and Morgan tells her that Darby was with Dillon. He says Darby isn’t Kiki’s favorite person after she caught Morgan with her, so she was obviously annoyed. He asks about the kidney donor project and Carly says she has a couple of leads. Morgan tells her not to give up because he didn’t and now he’s president of the United States.

Carly sees Kiki outside. She asks about Kiki’s argument with Dillon. She says Kiki told her in the park that she was done with Dillon. Kiki says she is and Carly says she hopes so, because she doesn’t want Morgan’s progress hindered.

Alexis suggests that she and Kristina talk about Parker. She asks Kristina if she’s going to see Parker while she’s in town.

Sonny tells Felix that Julian is staging the whole thing. Meanwhile, Julian chats with Carrrlos, who tells him he took too much of the drug that gave him a heart episode and he’ll be joining Carrrlos soon, but at least that’s one way to get out of jail.

Sabrrrina says this isn’t the way she wanted Michael to find out. Michael says he thought they were finally in a good place and he was thinking about Teddy and their future, but now she wants to run away again.

Dillon has to leave for work. Darby keeps thinking up reasons he should stay, but it’s a no. He says he’s picking up food at the MetroCourt to eat in his office.

Carly says she’s not trying to attack Kiki and she understands if she has problems with Morgan, but she doesn’t want Kiki to lead him on. Kiki says she’s not and she knows how important the first few months out are. Carly leaves and Kiki meets Morgan, who got them a room at the MetroCourt. He says he doesn’t want to wait any longer, but Kiki says she doesn’t know if she’s ready.

Kristina says there’s no point in seeing Parker, since she’s dedicated to her wife. She just wants to put it behind her. Kristina leaves and Alexis looks at her wedding photo, which is creepily in the same place where the dagger was in the cabinet. She flashes back to the wedding.

Felix checks Julian’s vitals. Sonny watches from the doorway.

Carly sees Dillon at the MetroCourt and approaches him. She asks about Kiki, saying it seems like they’re pretty close. She says Morgan is completely invested in Kiki and things might go bad if Dillon continues to pursue her. Not too much meddling.

Kiki says she doesn’t know what the big rush is. Morgan says he never stopped loving her. Kiki talks about the last time they were together and how his medication interfered. She wonders how he’ll react if it happens again. Morgan says he has his emotions under control now. Kiki says things were good until they went bad, and she doesn’t know if she can do it again. He asks if she still loves him.

Kristina goes to Parker’s hotel room. Parker tells her she shouldn’t be there, but Kristina says she’ll just be a minute. OMG – I love her shirt! It’s blue with thin white stripes, and has a crossover neckline. The huge sleeves are the best part though. Parker says it’s Kristina’s closure, so she should say what’s important. Kristina tells her she’s moving on and has met a great guy.

Felix tells Sonny his presence is agitating the patient. Sonny says the patient is a coward who’s afraid of his own shadow, and leaves. Julian says something about “him” being there. I’m guessing Felix thinks he means Sonny, but he’s talking about Carrrlos. Felix tells Julian there’s plenty of security and he’ll be fine. When Felix leaves, Carrrlos returns, popping out from under the bed. That Carrrlos, he’s such a card.

Alexis runs into Sonny at the hospital and says she wasn’t expecting to see him there. He asks if she’s there to visit Julian.

Sabrrrina says the last thing she wants to do is run away. Michael asks why she’s leaving then. She says she doesn’t want to take advantage of him. She wants to give him his space, and if they’re going to date, they shouldn’t be living together. He says he doesn’t want space and everything he needs is right in front of him.

Parker asks if Aaron knows about her. Kristina says yes and no. Parker asks if she left out the part where she’s a woman, which Kristina admits. Parker tells Kristina that her journey is her own and she’ll know who the right one is, whether it’s a man or woman. She tells Kristina she wishes her all good things. Kristina notices Parker isn’t wearing her wedding ring and Parker tells her the marriage is over.

Carly asks Dillon what’s going on between him and Kiki. Darby is suddenly at the table with something Dillon left at her apartment.

Kiki tells Morgan she just wants to take her time. He starts to get agitated, saying he’s always going to be stupid and a screw up. She kisses him and tells him he’s wrong about that. They start making out.

Julian says Carrrlos isn’t real. Carrrlos says what’s real is that he’s going to prison. He says thanks to Julian’s wife, the cops have all the evidence they need. He laughs about how Alexis got Julian to admit he killed both Carrrlos and Duke. He says the world knows who he is now and there’s no going back. Unless…

Sonny tells Alexis that Julian took something to stall the arraignment. He asks why she’s there and she pulls out divorce papers, asking him if he can think of a better time to serve Julian. Sonny says good for her.

Michael tells Sabrrrina he’s not asking for a commitment and the priority is Teddy’s health. He asks if they’re dating and she says yes. They kiss. His phone rings with an ELQ crisis. He says he’ll be back as soon as he can. He asks if he can rip up the application and Sabrrrina tells him she and Teddy aren’t going anywhere.

Kristina tells Parker she feels horrible, but Parker says it has nothing to do with her. She says it was a long time coming. Parker starts to cry and Kristina puts her arm around her.

Morgan and Kiki get to the hotel room and he tells her all systems are go. I guess so, since the next stop is the bed.

Darby and Dillon make out for a second and Carly is like, don’t let me interrupt. Carly leaves, and Darby asks what Carly was questioning him about. Dillon says it was a misunderstanding.

Carly goes behind the bar. Sonny is there and she says she wants to buy him a drink. She says they just dodged a bullet and tells him about her meddling. Sonny tells her she should mind her own business and that Morgan would be mortified if he found out. She says he’s not going to because Darby is with Dillon now.

Morgan focuses on Kiki’s scar and says he did that. Kiki says no, he didn’t, and she remembers almost nothing except his voice and his arms around her. She tells him she loves him and she came back for him. She says the scar is ugly, but a beautiful reminder that they didn’t die. There’s a song part while they do-dee-do-dee-do. I crop some pictures.

Julian tells Carrrlos that he’s not real and to go away. Carrrlos says there’s only one way out, to kill Alexis. Although that doesn’t make much sense, since the police already have the evidence. Julian says he wishes he could go back and re-do it all because he loves Alexis so much.

Sonny says Carly dodged a bullet, but not the one she thinks. He says Morgan would be highly pissed off if he found out, and makes her promise to stay out of it. Carly gets a text from the donor she’s supposed to meet. Sonny says he wanted to run interference, so she didn’t have to be disappointed if things didn’t pan out. She promises not to get her hopes up.

Darby asks about later, but Dillon says he doesn’t know how long he’ll be working and he’ll call later. She leaves and he sees a picture of Kiki on his laptop. Meanwhile, instead of basking in the afterglow, Kiki doesn’t look very happy.

Kristina says she knows what Parker means by being confused. She is too. She says Aaron is a great guy, but she can’t help thinking about Parker. They kiss. A lot. And start taking off their clothes.

Alexis approaches Julian’s bed. He’s sleeping and she tosses the divorce papers onto the bed. Onto him really.

Sabrrrina says she and Teddy are finally getting their happy ending. There’s a knock at the door. It’s Carrrlos. But he’s all cleaned up with his hair back in nice clothes. Ha-ha! Told you he’d never die. I wonder if it’s a twin or something.

Tomorrow, Franco has something for Elizabeth, Lucy asks Scotty what he wants, and Sonny says he’ll help Finn if Finn helps him out.

The Real Housewives of New York City

Mohegan Sun trip! The hotel is kitschy, but cool. I like stuff like that. Niagara Falls, Canada, is one of my favorite places in the world. It’s like something out of the 50s. Surprisingly wisely, Ramona has everyone draw for the rooms. Like pick-a-card. Since she’s the hostess though, she already has her room set up. Dorinda says on a trip, two things are certain, Ramona gets the best room and Carole and Bethenny bunk together.

Jules tells Sonja it’s odd that the creator of the Skinnygirl brand is picking on a real skinny girl. She says she’s never sharing anything personal with Bethenny again, and that for someone who claims to know so much about eating disorders, Bethenny doesn’t know how to treat someone who has one. Good point. I like Bethenny, but sometimes she goes too far.

At dinner, Ramona’s holiday party is rehashed. Bethenny doesn’t want to hold a grudge against Sonja, who she thinks doesn’t mean any harm. We travel down Memory Lane about Sonja’s nonsense. Bethenny claims Sonja has more clarity now that she’s stopped drinking. They discuss the bus trip over. Dorinda was once a step instructor and apparently displayed her talents on the way there. She and Bethenny discuss step and yoga. Bethenny shows off a pose where she’s basically on her head doing the splits in the air. Ramona talks about how no one answers their phone anymore. None of them can get in touch with The Countess.

Next, the girls do a little gambling. Not my thing. I think they’re playing Blackjack, but I think everything looks like Blackjack. The extent of my gambling career is an evening in Atlantic City at the slot machines while waiting for a Barry Manilow concert. Neither one of us wanted to be there. In her interview, Bethenny says when she was broke, she loved to gamble because what’s more money on your credit card? (Well, your credit rating, for one.) But when you’re successful, losing fifty bucks makes you cry. Dorinda says she’s a Catholic gambler – when she gets the money, she’s all excited, but when she loses, she wants to crucify herself.

Ramona and Sonja dance with glow sticks on the patio.

Carole got an email from an agent saying the proposal for the cook book is adorable and marketable. She reads it to Adam. She tells him that it will be about a year before it comes out, if they sell it. She talks about her friends and how no one has “figured it out” yet as far as relationships go, and that they seem to be the most “normal” of the bunch. She points out how everyone razzed them in the beginning. Carole says no matter what, they’ll always have Paris the book. They talk about what might happen if they break up. On a scale of one to ten, Carole says her happiness is an eight. Adam says his is a ten, but Carole doesn’t believe him because he waited for her to go first.

Ramona goes shopping with Sonja. They discuss the trip to Mohegan Sun and Sonja points out that they all got along, which is probably why we saw so little of the trip. She says it means a lot to her that she and Bethenny reconnected. Ramona wants to organize an engagement party for The Countess. Sonja thinks she’s out of her mind. Ramona can’t get ahold of The Countess and wants to text Tom, but Sonja tells her not to. Too late, she already did it. Sonja thinks it was a bad idea and that The Countess might not like it since Ramona and Tom had dated. Ramona suggests Sonja not bring up that they both had relationships with Tom anymore. Throughout this entire scene, Ramona has been wearing a faux fur maxi vest that she was trying on and I can’t help but notice the clerk keeping an eye on her. And rightly so, since she’s been known to walk off with clothes she doesn’t own before. On top of it, she joked about how she could walk out with it. On second thought, I’d be making her take it off unless she pays for it.

Bethenny puts an Elsa-from-Frozen hat on her dog and takes a picture. She and her assistant are packing up some stuff for Brinn, who Bethenny is taking on a ski trip. Bethenny is disappointed that she’s going to have to take it easy because of her medical issues. She’s also concerned about the altitude. Her assistant doesn’t think it’s a good idea for her to go at all, but Bethenny says she doesn’t want to disappoint Brinn. She thinks Bethenny is a little bit in denial about being sick.

Ramona and Dorinda meet for lunch. Or dinner. Ramona tells Dorinda she finally got ahold of The Countess and told her they want to do something for her. Dorinda can’t figure out why Ramona would want to be the one to host the party. She mentions that The Countess isn’t too thrilled about her having dated Tom. She says when you’re dating someone, you want to forget anyone else existed in their life. Ramona says The Countess told her everything is cool now. We flash back to their talk when The Countess reamed her out. Dorinda thinks it’s a better idea for her to host, especially since she introduced them.

Jules, who’s wearing a fabulous high-end sweatshirt, is meeting with a potty training specialist. It’s only two grand for a guarantee the kid will learn to use the toilet in a few days. I am not making any of this up and think I might change careers. One of the first things the trainer tells her is to say, “it’s time to go,” rather than asking if they “want to go,” which makes it sound like it’s optional. That makes perfect sense, but not $2000 worth.

The girls are meeting at a restaurant to celebrate The Countess’s engagement. Dorinda conferred with The Countess, who wasn’t comfortable with Ramona throwing a party and preferred that Dorinda organize it. The Countess is late, and Dorinda tells everyone that she thinks now that they can get along, they should take a real trip. She passes out leis to let them know it’s going to be Hawaii. In all my years on this earth, not one of my friends has surprised me with a trip to Hawaii.

Carole shows up, saying she didn’t know she was going to get leid. Ha-ha, groan. They discuss whether The Countess is mad about Tom having dated Sonja and Ramona. It seems to be a split decision. Carole says if anyone deserves to be married, it’s The Countess, as she’s a better woman with a man than without one.

The Countess arrives. In her interview, she says the night is all about her, so she’s going to put the last gathering behind her. Carole tells The Countess that she’s genuinely happy for her and gives her a gift of a heart crystal. The Countess shows off her huge yellow diamond ring that Tom picked out. It’s okay. He proposed during their trip to Vail and The Countess tells them all about it. A toast is made. In her interview, Sonja says she hopes The Countess is sure, since she never thought of Tom as the marrying type.

The Countess says they’re probably going to wait until the new year to get married. In her interview, Sonja says a year from now, The Countess could be engaged to someone else. The Countess passes around a picture of Tom proposing. Who took that? The Countess holds up her glass to make a toast when Ramona interrupts with her own. The Countess tells her to back off and makes her toast.

Next time, a yachting cruise, Bethenny gets a text and wonders if the wedding is off, Ramona wonders how Sonja is going to feel seeing Tom again.

** Interesting information: I was watching The Bravos, and Patricia Altschul from Southern Charm won the Susan Lucci Award. She thanked her son, Whitney Sudler-Smith, for being the creator and producer of the show. I hadn’t known that!

 

July 18, 2016 – GH Welcomes a New Cassadine & the OG of the OC Continues Her Apology Tour

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What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

General Hospital

Someone startles Julian awake. It’s Lucas. Julian tells him he’s not who everyone says he is. (Oh no, not the “that’s not me” excuse.) Lucas asks if he tried to kill Alexis, and Julian blames Carrrlos. That’s right, blame the dead guy. Julian claims he never would have gone through with it no matter how betrayed he felt. Lucas says that’s a laugh and Alexis wouldn’t be alive if Sonny hadn’t shown up. Lucas says Tony Jones is his father and Julian is nothing to him. I get nostalgic for the Tony days.

Alexis gets another pregnancy test because you can never have too many. Gotta catch ‘em all! Her daughters want to have a girls night in with her. She tries to beg off, but they won’t let her.

Finn is at the bar when Sonny comes in. He introduces himself and asks if he can buy Sonny a drink. Sonny astutely asks if he wants something. Finn asks why Sonny would ask that and Sonny says he thought Finn might want a favor back for the one he did Carly. I always forget that Finn’s name is actually Hamilton. It’s surprising that they haven’t used that as some kind of joke like they’ve done with Brad Cooper.

It’s nighttime and Tracy and Hayden are waiting in the park. Tracy thinks they’re waiting for Hayden’s drug dealer when Hayden’s mother comes strolling along. Hayden introduces Naomi to Tracy. Naomi asks what Hayden needs. Hayden says a mutual friend needs drugs.

Theo apparently isn’t too Greek, since he lost his accent. He calls in his cronies, grabs Sam and says if everyone will cooperate, they’ll get through this. It would be really great if we knew what it was we’re supposed to be getting through.

Alexis goes down Memory Lane about how she thought Julian loved her. She says the only thing she feels in the house now, is betrayal, and wonders how she could love a man like him.

Theo asks for everyone’s cell phones. I note how good looking he and his crew are. Nicholas asks who he is and Theo says the usual “all in good time.” It’s a standard response from Being a Villain for Dummies. He has someone take Jason upstairs and follows with Sam, telling the guards to shoot anyone who moves except Nicholas. Upstairs, Theo tells Jason he wants full cooperation or Sam gets shot. Jason asks what’s up, but Theo says he and Sam were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. He leaves one of his men there to guard them.

Julian tries to smooth things over with Lucas. Lucas says he never asked Julian to be in his life and everything he’s ever done isn’t out of love, but to protect himself. He says he didn’t think Julian was a mobster, a liar and a killer, but he was wrong. He says Julian used his and Brad’s wedding as a distraction while the cops searched the house. He asks if Julian would have tried to kill him too, if he’d known the truth and tried to turn him in. He says Julian is going to rot in prison alone and he’s not going to cry about it. Olivia walks in behind him, saying she won’t either.

Alexis warns her daughters that if anything seems wrong in a relationship, don’t try to fix it because it’s going to stay wrong. She tells them to run if they get even a whiff of deception. Molly goes to the kitchen and Alexis asks Kristina about Parker. Kristina says she hasn’t talked to her, but she’s on the summer speaking circuit.

Hayden asks Naomi to put them in touch with her source. She says she can’t do that.

Finn asks Sonny if he has connections in the realm of pharmaceuticals, especially the ones not distributed in the US. Sonny says he doesn’t, but Finn says it’s been rumored he occasionally does business outside the law. Sonny says a drug conviction is a federal case, and he’d rather not risk it. Finn explains his situation and asks if Sonny can do anything to help.

Dante encourages Lulu to try and sneak out while he creates a distraction. She says not to risk it. Theo comes back down. Nicholas asks what the blip is going on.

Naomi says she doesn’t know any garden variety drug dealers. Tracy says it’s not a garden variety drug. She and Hayden explain about Finn and how Hayden’s father was involved with stealing the funds from his research organization. Naomi asks to talk to Hayden alone. Tracy steps away and Naomi asks what it’s worth to Hayden.

Laura thinks Theo is the one who sent her the picture of the Ice Princess. Nicholas says he has no idea who Theo is, but nobody believes him. Laura wonders if he’s finding a way to stay there and not be prosecuted. Theo asks if he should answer for Nicholas.

Jason tells Sam he thinks he’s been at Cassadine Island before. Sam says of course he has, but he tells her about Helena saying he’d never remember about what happened Jake there. He says he recalls the day Helena died and how easy it was to break in, like he’d done it before. He says he has no conscious memory of being there with Helena, but thinks he was. Sam wonders if Theo had been working for her, and that’s why he wanted Jason out of the way. Jason says Theo is clearly going after Nicholas.

Olivia tells Julian that he’ll never see Leo again. She says he tried to kill a pregnant Alexis and Julian says Alexis was lying about the pregnancy. Like that makes it okay to try and kill her.

Molly comes in with a glass of red wine for Alexis. Kristina goes to get mac and cheese to go with it. Really? Molly tries to ask about Julian, but Alexis doesn’t want to talk about it. Kristina comes back out with the pregnancy test and asks whose it is.

Nicholas says he has no idea what’s going on. Theo says only he can explain who he is and what he’s after.

Kristina asks if the test is Molly’s, since she and TJ recently decided to move in together, but Molly says no. Molly suggests it’s Kristina’s, but Kristina says she was just with Aaron five minutes ago, so it’s not hers. Alexis admits it belongs to her.

Olivia says Julian would sacrifice anything or anyone to save himself. She says Leo isn’t even going to know Julian’s name.

Hayden is appalled that Naomi wants money to save a man’s life. Naomi thinks there’s more to it than that and says Hayden must feel guilty about her father. Hayden says she’s spent her whole life only caring about herself until she met Finn. Naomi agrees to help.

Finn explains about his disease to Sonny and how the money to find a cure was invested with Hayden’s father and they went bankrupt after he embezzled all of it. He says he knows enough about the disease to manage it now. He talks to Sonny about the FDA, and explains the drug has a narrow scope and is addictive.

Tracy is shocked that Hayden’s drug dealer is her mother. Naomi says her dealer seems confident that he can get what Finn needs, but tells them that her contact said the drug isn’t a known treatment for anything and is highly addictive. She asks if they’re sure Finn is sick, and thinks he must be a junkie just because the drug has a street name.

Finn tells Sonny he’s addicted to being alive. He says he’s functional on it and when he’s functional, he can do his research. When he finds a cure, he’ll stop using it. He asks if Sonny can help him. Sonny says it’s possible he might know someone who knows someone.

Julian says Leo will hate Olivia for it, and what is she going to do when Leo wants to look for him? Julian brings up Sonny. Olivia says she didn’t like what Sonny chose to do for a living, but he’s a good man who would lay down his life for his family. She tells Julian that he’ll rot in prison and he’s dead to her. Lucas says to him too, and he’ll also be dead to Sam when she finds out. Olivia tells Julian no one cares if he lives or dies.

Molly asks what Alexis is going to do if she’s pregnant with Julian’s baby, and encourages her to take the test.

Sam and Jason decide Theo and Nicholas aren’t working together. Ava asks Theo if he’s on Helena’s payroll, but he says Helena means nothing to him. They see the Cassadine crest that Theo has tattooed on his arm and Nicholas says he knows who Theo is.

Alexis says she’d rather be alone to take the test as she’ll need to process things. Kristina suggests she and Molly go to the movies. Alexis says she’ll be fine, but she and Molly are going to discuss her moving in with TJ at a later time. The girls leave.

Julian says that man isn’t him. Puh-leez. Olivia says he has no character, or ability to love and sacrifice. She and Lucas leave Julian alone. Julian says he’ll find a way out of this.

Alexis looks at the test. Not sure if she’s relieved or freaked.

Sonny says he’ll help Finn because Finn helped Carly. Finn says he doesn’t have time to weigh options and Sonny says he has no choice.

Hayden talks about Finn nearly dying in jail. Naomi insists that Finn needed a fix and says he must be lying. She says that Hayden’s been had. (Say that 3 times real fast.)

Jason tells Sam they’ll wait for the guard to get tired and the guys downstairs to forget about them. Sam suggests she take the guard out. Jason says they should rest and conserve their energy, and he’ll keep watch while she sleeps. He tells her they’ve been in worse spots. She says no matter how it turns out, she’s glad they’re together.

Nicholas says Theo is his grandfather’s bastard son. Theo says he’s Valentine (pronounced val-en-teen) Cassadine, Nicholas’s bastard uncle.

Tomorrow, Nicholas threatens Theo/Valentine, Nina calls off the investigation, and Alexis tells Diane she wants to take Julian down.

The Real Housewives of the OC

Meanwhile, back at Kelly’s beach party…

The sun is starting to set and it’s getting cold, so everyone goes inside the house. Kelly’s place is bright and modern in design, not usually my taste, but I like this one. It’s got a fresh look. Vicki hesitantly gives Shannon a hug and says they have to talk. In her interview, Shannon says she didn’t want to hug and Vicki says it was like hugging a corpse. She and Shannon sit down and Vicki says she has no excuses for Brooks, but she’s sorry and wants to put it behind them. Shannon says Vicki is too astute not to have known that Brooks was lying. Vicki insists that she was lied to as well, but Shannon isn’t having it. Vicki asks what the benefit would have been in her lying. Um…more screen time? Shannon gets snippy with Vicki. I’ll never know for sure whether Vicki was in on the lie, but IMO, she was blinded by her love for Brooks and didn’t want to know. I also think she feared being alone. I don’t get what was so great about Brooks, but we’re all different, and maybe that fear outweighed the bad stuff about him. Her mother also died last season, which was a tremendous blow which I understand completely.

It’s obvious to the others what’s going on. At the bar, Kelly says she doesn’t want to get in the middle, but she feels badly for Vicki. Vicki accuses Shannon of not being able to move past it. Shannon says Vicki called her disgusting and vile, and Vicki says that’s how Shannon was being at the time. Shannon wonders if it’s an apology or an attack. She tells Vicki that while she forgives her, she doesn’t know if they can have their friendship back. With nothing left to say, Vicki thanks her and moves along.

Meghan says she has to give herself a fertility shot and in her interview, Heather says she’d rather watch Meghan shoot herself with a needle than watch the needling going on between Shannon and Vicki. Me too, but only if Meghan shoots herself in the eye.

Kelly shows the ladies her closet. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that it’s huge and amazing, like every Housewife closet. Except maybe Kim Richards. Meghan injects herself and everyone applauds. Vicki tells Kelly she’s leaving because trying to be friends with everyone again is too much. Meghan says they were never friends, which is so lovely of her. Vicki tells Kelly she can’t do the girls thing anymore. Kelly feels protective of her, knowing what it’s like to be ganged up on. Tamra asks Shannon if Vicki apologized, and Shannon says yes and no.

Meghan and Jimmy have to pick up his frozen sperm. TMI already. Jimmy is going to Florida, but Meghan’s mom is coming up for the presentation…I mean, implantation. The doctor pulls a couple of frozen tubes out of some contraption and they pack them up in a cooler. Okay, it’s really called a cryo tank, but same thing.

Heather confers with her assistant. Terry is working on Mother’s Day and she wonders if he’s ever going to say no to work and yes to family time. Heather’s builder drops by and he’s figuring May for a move date. They discuss the logistics of an onyx bar and theatre room.

Jimmy and Meghan go over the procedure for implantation. Really Meghan goes over it and Jimmy doesn’t even act interested. She wants to cry and he tells her everything will be all right and to let him know when the kid is in college. I made up that last part.

Briana is having difficulty breathing and Vicki takes her to the hospital. She’s telling Vicki she’s not going to make it and passing out. I guess calling 911 isn’t an option? Finally, Vicki pulls into a gas station and calls. Oddly enough, Tamra’s son Ryan’s ex-fiance, Sarah (did you get all that?), is at the gas station at the same time and is able to help. She’s going to watch the boys until the sitter gets there, so Vicki can go to the hospital. Tamra goes to Vicki’s and tells Sarah about getting the call from Vicki with Briana gasping for air in the background. When Tamra called Sarah, she just happened to be at the same gas station. Tamra thanks Jesus, Who I wish would get involved in some other areas of Tamra’s life.

Sarah and Tamra discuss Ryan, agreeing that Sarah should vent to someone else about him, even though she and Tamra are friends. In her interview, Tamra says she wishes Sarah and Ryan could figure it out, but sometimes two people aren’t meant to be together. Sarah says their daughter loves both of them, but the ball is in Ryan’s court. I have no clue what happened between them or what that means.

Kelly is getting ready to go to Meghan’s for some girl time. Her brother jokingly asks her which one of her friends she’s going to hook him up with, and she tells him Vicki. Meghan shows Kelly the progress on the kitchen, which is pretty much none. Kelly brings up Shannon, and Meghan suggests she stay away from the whole thing. Kelly says if no one wants her to interject, she doesn’t need to be hearing the sniping from all of them. Meghan says Shannon is very hurt and that Kelly has only known Vicki for two weeks. In her interview, Kelly says that Meghan thinks the world revolves around her and I totally agree. She adds that she’s not a child and can make her own decisions.

Vicki is juggling watching the boys and trying to get ready for work. Owen and Troy are quite a handful. Vicki grows nostalgic for the days of sticking a kid in a playpen. Tamra calls and Vicki tells her that Briana is getting a CT scan on her stomach. She gets a text from Briana saying she has a 104 temperature and they’re trying to find the source of the infection. To put the cherry on Vicki’s cake, the hot water tank is leaking. It doesn’t rain, it pours.

Shannon is going to have a 70s party and confers with the planners. We flash back on her previous party disasters. They’re going with a peace-love-far-out theme followed by disco.

Heather asks which of her kids are going to miss the house and there are no takers. She tries to get them interested in some pictures of the new place. In her interview, Heather says the job she loves most is being a mom, like every other famous person says.

Vicki calls Briana’s husband (another Ryan), who can’t get out of Oklahoma due to his military service. Briana has been discharged from the hospital and Vicki gives him an update on her condition.

Shannon meets Tamra for lunch. Tamra tells her about what happened with Briana. Tamra had asked Vicki if not having Ryan around is affecting Briana’s emotional state, and Vicki said no doubt. Shannon wonders why Briana moved away and suggests Vicki is being manipulative by buying Briana a house and luring her there. She and Tamra discuss the strings that must be attached, and I wish Jesus would come down on a cloud and thump the both of them on the head, since they’re just making it up as they go along, never once thinking Vicki might be concerned about Briana’s health or that Briana and Ryan might have wanted to move.

Briana’s lymph nodes were so enlarged, they were affecting her breathing process. She says they’re still trying to find where this is coming from, but for now, she’s okay. Vicki feels like a failure because Briana’s health hasn’t improved and starts questioning her decision to bring Briana back to the OC.

Tamra and Shannon go down Memory Lane about another time they visited the same restaurant with the girls. Shannon remembers that Vicki hadn’t gone to Meghan’s party (to which Shannon hadn’t been invited), so she could be there with her. She struggles with whether or not she should invite Vicki to her 70s party. She reads a text to Tamra that she’s written to Vicki. She begins by pointing out that she’s not interested in a friendship anymore. Tamra thinks she’s being passive aggressive, going in with a jab, turning the knife and pulling it out slowly. She tells Shannon if she’s going to forgive, she doesn’t have to be Vicki’s best friend, but needs to soften it up a little. Shannon’s second text is marginally better, but you can tell that she’s in a fighting mood.

Next time, Jimmy seems uninterested in the baby-making process, the 70s party happens, and Kelly says no wonder David cheated on Shannon. Whoa.

July 17, 2016 – West Coast Shahs & East Coast Wives

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What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

Shahs of Sunset

Reza and his mother go out to lunch. She’s very happy that Reza has Adam to share his life with. Reza points out that most traditional Persian parents wouldn’t feel that way. He tells her that Adam loves their culture, which pleases the both of them. Reza asks if she’s going to Oklahoma to meet Adam’s family, but she says no. She has bad memories about going their with his father. In his interview, Reza says that his father would have gotten a “D” in parenting, while she got an “A.” They laugh about something, but I don’t hear it because the dogs started barking.

Mike meets with his business partner, Edd. Edd who stutters when he spells his name. In his interview, Mike says he’s been spending a lot of money on his shoe line and ignored the old adage of not putting all your eggs in one basket. The shoes are being manufactured in Mexico and a big launch event has been planned at Kitson. Mike is concerned about the shoes being ready on time.

MJ and Tommy go to some batting cages. MJ says they’ve been nesting, so it was time to get out and do something. MJ will not have to worry about the MLB knocking on her door any time soon. Tommy talks about bringing their future child there. MJ is less than enthusiastic, but in her interview tells us she isn’t sure if she’s ready, even though the doctor says now is the time. She definitely wants marriage first. What a concept.

Adam and Reza are in Palm Springs with Asa along for the ride. Reza says their dog’s anal glands need to be expressed and I have all kinds of sympathy for him, as well as thinking better him than me, being the owner of tiny dogs myself.

Reza and Adam are looking for a property to rent out. Asa goes with them to look at a house. We’re in agreement that it’s all kinds of hideous, with random patterns of tile absolutely everywhere. Reza assumes whoever remodeled was legally blind.

GG, who is wearing a vest that I totally covet, meets Shervin for lunch. Shervin asks GG what the blip happened in Belize at the ruins. GG feels that Reza has no business in her medical business, considering that he’s never even been to a doctor’s appointment with her. Sherwin wonders how GG and Reza got to the place they’re at. GG says she couldn’t just sit back while Reza was making fun of her, and asks Shervin why he’s justifying what Reza did. He suggests that rather than jumping the gun, she hear others out. In her interview, GG says she tried to be the bigger person a few times, but it backfired.

Asa is hauling some chairs up a mountain for a photo session with Reza and Adam for her couples project. They’re the same chairs that Adam and Reza got married in. We also learn that Asa is still dating Jermaine Jackson and will be including a picture of the two of them. She tells Reza and Adam to just be in the moment.

For whatever insane reason, Analise wants to see Shervin for a second date. Since she lives in Australia, they’ve mostly video chatted and texted. I have no clue why this gorgeous woman, who seems like she actually has a brain, wants to get involved with this dweeb, who lives halfway across the globe, no less. Asa has taken pictures of them as well, and Shervin says Analise has to come and see them because he doesn’t know how to use the internet.

Asa visits Mike. Mike shows her the shoe samples. They’re okay – well, maybe not that shocking pink pair – but don’t look like anything new. Mike says he went to temple for the first time in a long time, and assessed his life. Asa says he’s experiencing amazing growth and needs to present that to Jessica and woo her back. She’s been rebuffing all of his attempts at communication, so Mike and Asa decide to work on an email together. Asa gives him a simple paragraph, asking to meet with Jessica. We flash back to better days. Mike says he wishes Jessica would give him the chance to show her who he’s become.

Reza and MJ go for ice cream. They discuss Reza and Adam’s relationship. Reza says he has a hard time with the word “husband.” MJ tells him he’s still hung up on traditional roles. Reza tells MJ about his cousin seeing Jessica out on the town dressed in hoochie-mama clothes. They try calling her and the number is no longer working. Reza says she’s gone for real and his heart is breaking for Mike. He tells MJ that Mike needs to start figuring out life post Jessica.

There’s a problem with the shoes at customs and are they’re stuck in Mexico. Mike has to actually drive down to handle things himself. He says whatever could go wrong, is, and he’s just found out that Jessica disconnected her phone. Their guy calls and says he has all the paperwork, but customs is closed on Saturday.

Mike calls the Kitson rep and explains about the customs problem, saying that he and Edd are going to San Diego and will get the shoes there in time for the event. Dude isn’t pleased, but says keep him updated.

Finally, the shoes make it across the border. Now they just have to get them back in time for the launch party.

It’s two hours to the launch and they’re still 80 miles away from LA. Mike’s people had taken the shoes out of the boxes, flattened the boxes, and put everything in their luggage. Smart. Now comes the part where everything got mixed up and they have to put it all back together.

The launch party starts. Asa looks amazing in a silky, off-white jumpsuit that drapes her beautifully. It’s 6:10; the party is 6 to 8, but Mike and the shoes are still in traffic. Mike does some woolgathering, thinking about how Jessica would have been his support in this situation if they were still together. Asa talks to Mike’s parents, telling them how great the samples were. MJ shows up, making a big deal out of Asa’s jumpsuit, so it’s not just me.

Asa texts Mike, asking where he is. Edd says to tell her they’ll be there soon. Mike hasn’t been texting anyone back because he can only think of rude responses. The party is pretty crowded at this point, but as long as there’s liquor, I see no reason why it still can’t be a success. Reza avoids GG.

Still 25 miles away. Even I feel agitated. Mike is afraid that by the time they get there, the venue is going to be closed. Um…it might be a good idea to text someone back.

At last, Mike arrives. He’s touched at how his family and friends are there to be supportive. He gives a little speech about getting the shoes there and thanks everybody. Lots of sales happen, but Asa’s father passes on the pink pair. Reza asks how Mike is feeling with Jessica out of the picture and Mike says he’s just going to have to go on, as Celine Dion plays softly in the background (not really). Asa says something philosophical about ends and beginnings. Mike gets all zen.

A few months later, Kitson went out of business.

Next time, Reza finds out he and Adam aren’t technically married, Tommy goes ring shopping, and Mike gets into it with Vida. I can’t wait to see that.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey

We go back to Teresa’s release date and her lawyer giving a press conference. Jacqueline gets all choked up and says she never stopped caring. Bleh. I don’t like Jacqueline. We flash back to her making fun of Teresa’s message and I like her even less. Jacqueline wonders if Teresa is sincere. She and Dolores make fun of Teresa having a new car even though they don’t know any details about it.

Melissa is excited about Teresa coming for Christmas Eve. As they left things, they were at peace, but not really settled. She’s trying not to judge Teresa for not putting her on the visitor list

Teresa and her daughters are having their eyebrows waxed at home as the paparazzi camp outside. Teresa calls brother Joe regarding the logistics in getting her to his house. We flash back to the Giudice family Christmas cards. This year, a magazine is footing the bill. Teresa has decided to take advantage of the amount the tabloids are willing to pay for her photo and I don’t blame her. She looks fabulous and is wearing a red, distressed cardigan that would be perfect for me. Joe picks her up for the party.

We flash back to the sprinkle cookie incident. In her interview, Melissa makes fun of the whole thing. She says Teresa walked in like she’d only taken a trip to the mall, but she could see how much she’d been through in her eyes. Teresa is thrilled to see her parents, and happy that her father is still with them, as he’s had some health issues. Husband Joe says the prayer before dinner. Joe gets Christmas mixed up with Easter and Melissa nearly chokes on her wine. Teresa suggests he go to church more. I’d add, and pay attention.

Melissa asks Teresa about how the bracelet thing works. They go into the kitchen and Teresa tells Melissa she’d like to get back to the way they used to be early on. Melissa says she would too. Teresa says her brother would be happy about it, but Melissa says she doesn’t want to be friends just for him. She says sometimes she’s felt like it was just on the surface. Teresa says sometimes she doesn’t feel like it’s genuine either. Melissa says she feels like Teresa is a sister to her and Teresa tells her to show it then. It’s a tense moment and in his interview, Joe says the two of them talking makes him nervouc.

Teresa brings up the christening. Melissa doesn’t want to go back to the past, but Teresa says that’s where snowballed and Melissa should have stuck with her no matter what. We flash back to the first reunion with Melissa, where Teresa was ganged up on. Teresa says Melissa should have shut down what the others were saying. We flash back to more arguments. They both admit to wrongs and say from here on out, they’ll have each other’s backs. They shake hands and hug it out.

Dolores is having a therapy session. She talks about her husband cheating on her when she was pregnant and their subsequent divorce because he wouldn’t give up his mistress. Nice. She got engaged again, but got another winner, and moved back to her old house. The therapist says she has to figure out what’s important to her and stop people pleasing. (Two hundred bucks, please!) Dolores says because of the way she grew up, she’s not used to talking about her feelings.

Gia wants to go out New Year’s Eve. Teresa asks her brother if he can imagine what their father would have said to that. She says they spent their New Year’s Eves with their parents until they were married. She thinks Gia deserves the night out though. Husband Joe comes in and gets snippy with Gia.

Jacqueline, buzzed on espresso, talks nonsense with her daughter. Ashlee wants to move away, but Jacqueline wants her to stay. Ashlee points out that she’s twenty-five and her boyfriend is over thirty. Ashlee says she and her mother have been getting along great, but she and Pete want their own hangout. Yeah, it’s called not living with your parents any more.

Dolores picks Teresa up and they go for a pedicure. Dolores asks Teresa about how she was treated in prison, and if she felt picked on, but Teresa says she was only watched a little more closely. Dolores’s brother texts her a happy birthday and Teresa says they need to do something to celebrate. Dolores isn’t into a big birthday deal, but says a reunion dinner would be fun. She makes up a guest list and Teresa is hesitant about Jacqueline, but says it’s up to Dolores.

Melissa wants to be a successful businesswoman as well as a wife and mother, and she’s overseeing the construction of her upcoming boutique. Husband Joe and the kids stop by. Joe claims he’ll be finished in two weeks, but Melissa wants to open in two weeks. Joe squawks about her working and him having a part-time wife. She says as soon as everything is up and running, she’ll be able to pitch in more. He whines about being a single parent and Melissa’s employees give the stink eye.

Everyone is getting ready for Teresa’s New Year’s Eve party. Teresa says she’s been tired since she got home and she only wants family and close friends there. Contrary to her usual way of doing things, she’s also having it catered.

Jacqueline asks Chris if her leggings are giving her camel toe. Do you not have a mirror? Because she wants it both ways, Jacqueline is hurt that she wasn’t invited to Teresa’s party. Chris says somebody has to make a move. Kathy and her husband come over, along with Rosie, since they weren’t invited to Teresa’s either. Rosie is a little surprised, since she’s pretty good friends with Joe. She says since Teresa came home, Joe hasn’t been communicating with her.

It’s time for Gia to leave. She’s running late and Teresa wants to take pictures, but Gia doesn’t want to take any more time. Joe #1 is now insisting she be home before midnight. He says if she’s not home by twelve, there’s going to be a problem. In her interview, Dolores says every Italian has to go through her father’s stress and that she had to be home by eleven on her wedding night. Ha-ha!

Dolores is headed to Jacqueline’s and Teresa decides to call to wish Jacqueline a happy new year. Jacqueline tells her welcome home. Teresa says she looks forward to new beginnings. The Wakhilis yell “happy new year” in the background, catching Teresa off-guard. After they hang up, Jacqueline says it was weird. She says that she didn’t get a sense of a connection and doesn’t know how to respond. Rosie says it’s great that Teresa is reaching out, but she doesn’t get what Teresa has against her. Rosie says her new year’s resolution is to be a bigger bitch since every time she’s nice, it doesn’t pay.

Teresa tells Melissa about calling Jacqueline. She says Jacqueline seemed a little cold, but Melissa says she was probably startled.

When Dolores arrives, Jacqueline grills her about the phone call. In her interview, Dolores says the two of them are from totally different worlds and don’t understand one another. Teresa grew up not talking about feelings and Jacqueline puts her heart on her sleeve. IMO, Jacqueline talks a good game about being tough, but she certainly doesn’t act that way whenever there’s a problem.

Time to count down to the new year! Happy 2016! I love how those cheesy hats and noisemakers never change. Gia comes home at 12:15 and all is well. She tells daddy Joe that she loves him. Teresa says it’s going to be another tough year, but they’ll get through it.

Next time, a birthday, Melissa wears red shoes, and Jacqueline and Teresa meet.

July 13, 2016 – GH & the Wives of NYC

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What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

General Hospital

Alexis takes off her wedding ring set. There’s a knock at the door. It’s Sonny. Alexis thanks him again and he says he’s just glad she’s okay, but she wonders if she is.

Hayden tells Tracy she has a problem with being a drug mule. Oh come on, Hayden, it will be fun. Finn is looking everywhere for something and tearing the room apart, like it’s a scene out of Lost Weekend. He finds nothing but an empty vial. He tells Roxie not to judge him. He tells her that he knows he hid a couple of doses somewhere; he just has to find them.

Franco approaches Elizabeth at the hospital. He applied to an art camp for Jake and she wants to know why. Franco says it’s a great opportunity for him. Elizabeth says it’s two grand that she doesn’t have. Franco tells her to read the whole email and points out that there’s financial assistance. Elizabeth says her other two boys want to go to camps, but she’s not likely to get scholarships for all three. Franco suggests an online campaign, but Elizabeth nixes that idea. She says it would have been better if he’d checked with her first.

Claudette talks to Nina about the job. Nina thinks she’s going to be a perfect fit. Maxie comes in and Nina toasts with her coffee, asking what the “C” in CJ is for. Maxie says “Claudette,” and Nina chokes on her latte. Nina asks her to explain. Claudette says CJ is her professional name. Nina tells her she’s fired.

Nathan tells Griff he’s been officially cleared in the hospital murders.

Alexis tells Sonny to go ahead and tell her “I told you so.” She says at one point, Julian did leave the mob and it was a great ten minutes. Sonny says he knew what Julian is capable of and Alexis says she thought she did. Sonny says he’s her friend and wants her to know it. Where did this gregarious Sonny come from?

Hayden says she wants to help Finn, but not at the expense of her own freedom. Tracy says she’ll do it herself, but Hayden has to tell Finn.

Alexis says she’s made some bad life choices, although at least she got children she loves dearly out of them. She says no wonder she’s confused. Sonny says it’s over and Julian is on his way to prison. Alexis says she should have turned Julian in earlier and Sonny says hindsight is 20/20, but he has no doubt she’ll rise up again.

Tracy and Hayden go to Finn’s room. He asks them to come back later, but Tracy says it will only take a minute. She sees the condition of the room and asks if he lost a contact lens. He explains that he was looking for doses he’d hidden. Hayden says the Feds are looking at her, so she doesn’t want to be a mule. Tracy says to just tell her where to go and who to talk to, and she’ll take care of the rest. Finn thanks her, but says Hayden is right. He doesn’t want either one of them getting his drugs.

Maxie asks for a moment with Nina. Maxie tells Nina that Claudette can sue if she’s fired for personal reasons, although I’m not sure about that. Nina asks why Maxie wants her there, and Maxie says because she doesn’t trust her and wants to keep an eye on her.

Epiphany is going out of her mind at the desk. There’s a sick-out because of the serial killer being on the loose. Nathan tells her it’s high priority and they’ll bring the killer to justice in no time.

Franco tells Elizabeth he’s just learning to be considerate and thought he was doing a good thing. She thanks him for being supportive, but thinks boundaries should be set. She says if he has any ideas about Jake again, to talk to her first.

Sonny tells Alexis to give herself a break and blame Julian. He says she got enough evidence to send him to prison. Sonny asks her how she faked the pregnancy test. She tells him she learned a lot of things in law school and Anna knows some good tricks too. Don’t tell us or anything.

Tracy tells Finn she’ll bring the mountain to Mohammed. He tells her to remember the last time she left US soil and almost lost her life, and that her body is still recovering. Tracy says she’ll be the judge of what she can handle. Finn says as her primary physician, he doesn’t think she should be taxing her body right now. Tracy says his only solution is Hayden. Finn says he doesn’t want her to risk it.

Nina tells Claudette that maybe she overreacted in being protective of Nathan, and the job is hers. She adds that Claudette should thank Maxie and makes something up about what Maxie said. Curtis has shown up and Nina takes him into her office. Maxie offers to show Claudette around.

Nina gives Curtis his first assignment on bad plastic surgery. She talks about surgeons leaving people maimed and broke. She says his mission is to investigate the frauds. She’s made an appointment for him. He says he’ll investigate Claudette at the same time.

Elizabeth asks Epiphany not to schedule her and Franco together. She says whatever Franco thinks they are, he’s mistaken and he’s been overstepping his bounds. Epiphany says she’ll do it. Franco lurks by the water fountain.

Sonny tells Alexis she was brave. She thanks him and says she never wants to do anything like that again. Sonny says when she shoved the knife in Julian’s back, he wasn’t sure if she was protecting him or it was because Julian had it coming.

Tracy thinks she can convince someone to take the trip on her behalf. Finn finds a dose he’d hidden and asks if she doesn’t think enough people know about this already. Hayden hustles Tracy out, and Finn gives himself a shot.

Curtis says he’ll get some dirt on Claudette to give Nina leverage. Nina gives Curtis the information she has on Claudette and tells him what Claudette said about why she applied for the job under a different name.

Maxie sees Claudette’s purse and almost picks it up, but Claudette comes back with coffee. Claudette thanks Maxie, who says she did what’s best for the magazine. Claudette tells her she’s just there for the job. She’s moved past her relationship with Nathan and wants what’s best for him. Maxie asks what that is. Claudette says obviously it’s Maxie, but they don’t have to socialize outside of the office if Maxie doesn’t want to.

Epiphany asks what Franco wants. He asks what’s the point in being a better person when it doesn’ t get you anywhere? I know the feeling. He says he’s through with being nice.

Sonny says maybe it’s best Julian didn’t die so Alexis isn’t shouldering the blame. She says she’s glad that he’ll spend the rest of his life behind bars paying for his crimes. Sonny says he used and abused Alexis, but in the end, she took him down.

Tracy and Hayden confer. Hayden thinks Finn has a point. Tracy says if she’d gone alone, she would have at least found out what drug it is. Hayden pulls a paper out of her purse that she swiped from Finn’s room. It has the name of the drug on it.

Nathan asks Griff who was on duty when Lucas was treated, but Griff doesn’t remember. Maxie runs in, telling Nathan they need to talk. Griff leaves and Maxie says she needs a favor.

Alexis tells Sonny she’s going to meet with Diane later. He asks if she’s all right and she says she will be eventually. He says he’s there if she needs him. Outside, he makes a phone call, asking if it’s all set. Alexis checks her phone. She sees dates marked on the calendar. Hmm…is she really pregnant?

Nina tells Curtis to get something on Claudette quickly, and he says he’s already on it.

Maxie wants Nathan to take Claudette to lunch.

Griff tells Finn it’s great to have him back, and that he looks better. Finn says he doesn’t need Griff monitoring him and that it’s none of his business. Geez.

Hayden tells Tracy they can get the drug without leaving the country. She says she knows someone who can help, but it’s the last person on earth she wanted to ask for a favor. (Her mother?)

Franco gets in the elevator with Elizabeth. She asks how his day is going and he stops the elevator.

Tomorrow, Sonny asks Carly for a promise, Maxie asks Nathan if he’s afraid, and Jordan asks if Andre made a decision.

The Real Housewives of NYC

We return to The Countess stomping off from Dorinda’s dinner party. Jules and Dorinda try to get her to come back. The Countess says she came for a drink like she promised and everyone came down on her. Dorinda tells her to call in the morning. In her interview, Dorinda says that The Countess sometimes has a misconception of how she’s viewed.

Dorinda tells the other girls that The Countess has separated herself from the group. Bethenny talks about when The Countess used her Countessness to separate herself early on, and then calls out Ramona for being on her phone. Ramona is texting The Countess an apology. Sonja brings up the Tom thing and how it wasn’t like she was interested in anything serious with him. Everyone talks at once and Jules says they should let The Countess be happy. Bethenny talks about how self-absorbed The Countess is.

Jules tells Bethenny that she’s sometimes the same way, and when she tried to show Bethenny concern, Bethenny ignored her. Jules tells Bethenny she’s sick and tired of Bethenny treating her like she’s stupid. Bethenny talks about Jules baking the measuring cup into the calzone (really, that happened) and Jules says it was a joke. Jules says Bethenny puts people down and thinks it’s funny. We flash back to Bethenny being sarcastic with her. Jules says she’s been genuine and she trusted Bethenny. She says Bethenny has been talking smack about her marriage behind her back.

Bethenny says she never did that and has always said positive things about Michael. Bethenny wants to know who said that. For some reason, Bethenny thinks Jules is indicating it’s Dorinda. Dorinda talks about something that Jules had told her about Michael and we flash back. Dorinda says she did tell Jules to be careful who she talks to about her marriage and her eating disorder. Jules thinks they’re missing the point – that she doesn’t want them talking behind her back. She says they should address her personally.

Bethenny says she’s been distant because she grew up around an eating disorder. Jules tries to talk and Bethenny says let her speak. She says part of the disease is about lying and she’s allowed to protect herself. She says she hasn’t said anything bad about Jules either. In her interview, Bethenny says it was like a bank robber moving in with an FBI agent when Jules joined the group. Jules says she wrestles with her disease all the time, but she’s trying to be accountable, telling them she threw up recently. Sonja says she feels Jules has always been honest. Dorinda thinks Behenny and Carole have been insensitive. Carole says she knows denial when she sees it.

Dorinda says she’s not doing any more events since they all end up being a sh*tshow. Ramona wakes up from her phone trance and decides she wants to take a girls trip to Mohegan Sun. All of the arrangements have been made and they’re leaving on Tuesday, minus The Countess who has a previous engagement. Everyone just rides along on the Ramonacoaster and I’m dumbfounded.

The Countess is walking with Ramona in the city, and tells her that she’s disappointed about the other night. Ramona says she’s disappointed too, because The Countess didn’t feel Ramona had her back. The Countess says that Dorinda told her that Ramona isn’t her friend. In her interview, Ramona says that just because she says something less than positive doesn’t mean she’s not a friend. She points out to The Countess that it takes a year to get over a major upheaval and no one should rush marriage. The Countess says she’s old enough to know better. She tells Ramona not to judge her and it’s none of her business.

She says she doesn’t care about Sonja or anyone else who came before her. In her interview, Ramona wonders why she’s so upset about it then. Ramona tells The Countess that she broke girl code when she scooped Tom out from under another girl who’d been dating him for several months. It sounds like the girl went to the bathroom while they were on a date, and The Countess walked out with him.

The Countess says the only bright side of the evening was Carole. Ramona says Carole suggested they talk. The Countess says she’s going off to Vail with Tom, because she’s the type who dumps her girlfriends the second a guy is in the picture.

Dorinda visits Carole, who says they both seemed to be part of the tirade Jules was having about something that didn’t happen. Adam is there cooking cauliflower pizza. Bethenny arrives. They discuss Bethenny’s medical issues. She’s been getting some kind of IVs to combat the stress. She brings up the dinner party. Carole wonders why Jules singled out Bethenny. Carole isn’t sure what Jules was trying to accomplish besides alienating them.

Bethenny swears she’s been treating Jules like glass and thinks Jules is paranoid because she told Bethenny some secrets, even though Bethenny swears she’d never repeat them. Bethenny says she isn’t mad about it, but she doesn’t want some kind of talk with Jules to make things right. I’m fascinated with Adam’s pizza crust.

Sonja is mapping out her dinner party. Only Dorinda, Jules and their significant others are invited. Jules is also bringing a date for Sonja.

She’s borrowed her brother-in-law’s butler for the evening, and has an intern greeting the guests. I’d forgotten about John until he and Dorinda show up. Michael and Jules bicker outside the door. Eww! Michael’s hair is always slicked back and greasy looking. Mystery guest, Rocco, arrives and Sonja already knows him through mutual acquaintances. In her interview, Dorinda says it’s like a dance of the peacocks. Sonja is happy with the promised Rocco.

The table looks beautiful. John points out how huge the napkins are and Sonja explains that they’re 100 years old and back then, you used the napkin for a week. Huh. Rocco is impressed with the old world vibe. Jules is pleased with her own match making talents.

Dorinda is proud of Jules speaking her mind at the previous dinner party. Jules tells the others about how Bethenny and Carole hit a soft spot. Sonja says that Bethenny’s honesty was great, but she can’t be a real friend with the issues she has. Jules says she and Carole broke her trust and she’s not going to tell them anything personal anymore. Dorinda compliments Sonja on the dinner party.

Ramona has the party bus stocked. If all buses were like this, I’d take them all the time. Sonja just had oral surgery and seems a little loopy. Ramona is glad that they’re off to a good start and we flash back to the Atlantic City debacle from last season. She says they can feel the tension between Bethenny and Jules though.

The Countess is officially engaged. They discuss The Countess and happiness for a while. Sonja is a little disappointed that she’ll be losing a roommate. Bethenny talks to Dorinda about the Jules thing. Jules wonders if they think she’s deaf or want her to hear. Dorinda realizes the volume and removes herself to get a drink.

Jules tells Dorinda she can’t believe the obsession with her. In her interview, Dorinda says it’s nothing new for the bus to split into groups. Bethenny decides to talk to Sonja and tells her that she was hurt when Sonja came to her office to talk about Tipsy Girl. She says she didn’t handle it well. Sonja says she realized she had to step back and gather her thoughts about what she’d done and give Bethenny space. Bethenny says Sonja has a good heart and she wants to let it go.

Next time, Mohegan Sun, lots of drinking, lots of gambling, and The Countess shows off her ring.

July 11, 2016 – GH & the OC – Spencer Confesses & Vicki Apologizes

Standard

What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

General Hospital

Nina and Carly are at the MetroCourt. Carly tells Nina she’s trying to solve a mystery. Nina says she understands, since she’s in the middle of the Crimson cover dilemma. She says now that Julian’s been arrested, she has to change her idea. She asks Carly what her mystery is, and Carly says, her daughter.

Teddy is going to be okay. Tracy praises Finn to Michael and Sabrrrina, and goes off to see what she can do about getting his job back. Sabrrrina says the way Michael is acting, it’s like they’re family.

Finn is trying to get another source for his medication. There’s a knock at his door and he yells at them to go away. It’s Hayden, who lies to get him to open the door.

Laura asks Spencer who he’s been talking to. He pleads the fifth. She suggests calling back the number and he says he’d hate to subject her to telemarketers. Laura isn’t buying it, since he’s been returning the calls. She wants the truth, but Spencer says she can’t handle the truth.

Nicholas tells Ava to sit tight. He says as soon as the storm breaks, he’ll try his phone. Sam and Jason discuss what happened to Nicholas, who could have done it, and why. A figure lurks in the next room, watching them. Sam tells Jason that she knows she shouldn’t let Helena get to her, but the conditions are perfect for Helena’s brand of mischief. She suggests tying up Nicholas and Ava, when Ava calls for help.

Laura says she can handle the truth fine. Spencer says ignorance is bliss, or so he’s heard. Doc tells him he needs to answer Laura’s question and Spencer tells him to butt out. Laura hits redial.

Ava is concerned that Nicholas is going to pass out. Jason says there’s not much they can do until the storm is over. He and Sam leave Ava and Nicholas locked in the room. Nicholas’s phone rings. Jason hears it and comes back. He asks if he has to take Nicholas’s phone away again.

Hayden brings Finn a bunch of supplements. He says thanks, but no thanks; he needs his medication. He tells her he’s working on a new connection and she says she has one.

Jason answers the phone, but neither he nor Laura can hear one another. Laura tells Doc the call dropped. Spencer wants the phone back. Laura tells him she’s going to take it to Dante and Spencer says, “No not the fuzz,” and I laugh. He finally relents and says he’s been calling his father. He tells them Nicholas is alive.

Nicholas tells Jason he has no idea what he’s just done. Jason tells Nicholas and Ava to take their shoes off because it’s harder to run without them. The intruder, dressed in black, peruses the family history book and knocks a ceramic to the ground, breaking it. Jason and Sam leave Ava and Nicholas again. Sam tells Nicholas maybe they can get some rest, and sees the broken ceramic. She says someone else is in the house.

Hayden tells Finn her father moved in influential circles and she still has connections with pharmaceutical people. Finn tells her to stay out of his life. Hayden says she’s just trying to help. Finn says he can manage his condition without her help and she reminds him of what she did for him in jail. He says she’s making a cause out of him to make herself feel better about her father being a thief. She says she’s genuinely concerned, but he says he doesn’t want her risking it and tell her to stay away. He opens the door and Tracy is there.

Michael tells Sabrrrina they should take their time figuring out what they want. She says Teddy’s health and happiness come first. Michael asks what’s next, and she says she wants to be a nurse again.

Doc asks how Spencer knows this. Spencer explains that Nicholas told him before the fake accident. Nicholas said something would happen and everyone would think he’s dead, but he’d really just be on the lam for a while. Laura says it makes sense considering Nicholas’s poor judgement lately. Spencer says Nicholas had to save himself. Doc asks from what and Laura says, no, from whom.

Ava gets comfortable in Helena’s bed until Nicholas tells her that Helena died there. She finds a journal of Helena’s. Nicholas says it must be a forgery, since Helena never kept a journal. She reads aloud about Helena feeling the dead members of her family around her. She says she knows she’s been poisoned and can’t do anything, but she’ll make sure they pay, including her beloved grandson Nicholas.

The intruder is grabbed by Jason from behind. It doesn’t look like Helena, unless she’s been taking hormones and grew a mustache.

Tracy asks if she’s intruding. Hayden says of course she is, but Finn tells her Hayden was just leaving. When Hayden is gone, Tracy tells Finn the walls at the hotel aren’t exactly thick and everyone could hear them arguing. She tells him that the hospital board has seen the error of its ways and he’s officially reinstated.

Carly tells Nina the story about Jake’s return. She tells Nina she still doesn’t know where the kidney originated or who the donor is. Nina starts to get weepy and talks about not being able to have children. She says she was a mother for a short time and knows what it’s like to have dreams for your child. Carly says she might never get answers, but she has to try. Nina says that’s what brought them together – they can help each other.

The intruder says his name is Theo and he didn’t mean to trespass. He says his boat was taking on water and he had to come to shore. He says he would have rather come anywhere but there, since people often don’t come back from Cassadine Island.

Ava asks Nicholas if he killed his grandmother, but he says Helena was paranoid. She says she thought she and Nicholas were kindred spirits, but maybe she was wrong.

Laura asks Spencer if Nicholas was ever going to tell anyone else. He says Nicholas was planning on coming for him. He says he didn’t mean to hurt anyone and wanted to tell her the truth. She says she knows how sorry he is, but he’s not half as sorry as Nicholas is going to be when she gets ahold of him.

Sabrrrina tells Michael that watching the nurses attend to Teddy made her realize what she was missing. Michael suggests he talk to Monica. Sabrrrina hugs him, saying she can’t believe it. They kiss.

Finn thanks Tracy. She says she owed him and she doesn’t like owing anybody anything, even people she likes. He says no time like the present to get back to work. She says he seemed tired, but he blames it on Hayden. She tells him not to overdo it, but he says he doesn’t know any other way. She leaves and he leans against the door.

Theo says this is his first time in the house and his only relationship with the Cassadines is selling them fish.

Spencer doesn’t know exactly where Nicholas is and Laura tells him to get dressed. Doc asks if she’s okay. She says she knows she should be relieved, but she’s angry. Doc says it sounds like Nicholas was in fear for his life. Laura says not his life, but the way he lives it. He asks what she knows and she says it wouldn’t be fair to confide in him.

Ava tells Nicholas his plan to start a new life is a failure. She says she also failed when she tried the same thing, but regrets are worthless. Nicholas asks what he is to her and she says that remains to be seen. He asks if she’s ever wanted a do-over. She tells him she has to see what’s in store for them before she wishes for one. They kiss.

Michael says it was too soon, but Sabrrrina says no. Finn enters the hospital and Sabrrrina tries to thank him, but he says he has work to do.

Tracy sees Hayden at the bar. Hayden explains that Tracy needs to use her influence to save Finn’s life.

Nina suggests using the magazine to tell Jocelyn’s story. She says at the very least, it will shed light on the organ donor black market. Carly agrees.

Laura says she doesn’t want Doc to perjure himself, so she won’t tell him the details. She says that Nicholas will be in trouble if he comes back and Jason has been left a fugitive. Doc asks what she’s going to do, and she says get Spencer home.

Theo says he was just there for shelter. Jason asks what he saw. He says a man and a woman. Sam explains they’re fugitives and it has nothing to do with him. Jason says something about Nicholas getting hit in the head.

Ava takes a pouch from Nicholas’s pocket while they kiss. It’s the diamonds. She says look, she pulled the family jewels out of his pants. BA-DUM-CHH!

Jason tells Theo to stay in plain sight. He goes near the fire to warm himself. Jason tells Sam to go to bed, but she decides to catch up on Cassadine history and takes the book. At the fireplace, Theo pulls up his sleeve, exposing a tattoo.

Tomorrow, Anna goads Julian, Hayden asks Tracy for help, and Laura tells Lulu that Nicholas is alive.

The Real Housewives of the OC

Briana and family are moving back to the OC. Vicki is glad to see the end of Oklahoma City. Briana has some health problems, so this will make things easier on her. I guess Ryan is staying behind to sell the house? We flash back to when he and Vicki weren’t exactly getting along, but now things are just peachy. Okay, Vicki explains that Ryan has to finish up his job, but he’ll also be overseeing the sale of the house.

Meghan is taking fertility shots and making a video diary for Jimmy who’s away at baseball camp or whatever. Concentrating on a future baby, Meghan overcomes her fear of needles and finally does it after I’m not sure how long because I wasn’t paying attention. She’s pretty proud of herself.

Shannon and David’s house is in escrow. She says they’ve been in escrow a few times and are waiting for buyers getting overseas money. She says it’s like a symbolic fresh start for the family and she’s looking forward to starting new. She visits the realtor (from Sotheby’s!), who’s hoping to see some action from the buyer by the end of the week. Shannon and the realtor discuss the family getting a rental while looking for another house. She wants to create a “green” home.

Briana is at the wheel as she, Vicki and the boys drive back to California. Briana flashes back to her and Vicki’s estrangement because of Brooks. One of the kids has to use the bathroom, but they’re in the middle of nowhere. Vicki suggests finding a bush, but good luck in that forever flatland. They discuss Briana’s health issues. Vicki wonders why a doctor can’t just fix her.

Meghan calls Kelly. The girls are going out, but Meghan isn’t feeling well, so she’s taking a pass. Kelly is nervous not to have Meghan with her and we flash back to Kelly’s awkward meeting with some of the group.

Thirteen hours to go and I have the feeling we’re on at least round three of complaining about everything. Briana has recently had surgery, and is feeling the struggle, and I’m not sure why Vicki isn’t driving. Vicki asks if Briana wants to spend the night in a hotel, but Briana just wants to get the blip home.

Kelly orders a shot for medicinal purposes because she feels a cough thing coming on. Heather tells the ladies about a book that she and Terry are writing about their adventures in health and beauty. She wants to do a launch party, but shes’ worried the house won’t be ready. Kelly also wants to have a party. She thinks the ladies should loosen up.

Tamra can’t wait to tell everyone that Kelly had lunch with Vicki. Kelly says she knew Vicki through a hairdresser and likes her. Heather explains that they’ve all just been through the mill with Vicki. In her interview, Kelly says she’s been in Vicki’s position, loving the wrong person, and sees herself in Vicki. Heather thinks Kelly should take their past with Vicki into consideration, but Kelly thinks they should cut Vicki some slack. It’s an agreement to disagree at this point, but I’m sure this will rear it’s ugly head later.

Hour twenty-one and Vicki and company make it home. In her interview, Briana talks about how uncomfortable she is with her leg swollen and bleeding, but I have to add that she looks really good. Last season, it seemed like she could barely bother to comb her hair, but now she looks much more pulled together.

Briana has to go to the hospital and the boys drive Vicki nuts. Ugh! This is not a fun grandma moment. She’s bringing a bag to Briana, and getting them in the car is a major achievement. One forgets his iPad and I just shake my head.

Tamra is having her BMI measured. She says she’d been praying for Christian people in her life and God sent her trainer, Mia. She says Mia is her therapist and spiritual guide as well. We flash back to Eddie telling Tamra to stay out of Ryan’s financial business. She and Mia discuss giving the control over to God and praying rather than worrying.

Heather is tired of working on the new house and just wants to move in. She’s looking at $7000 grills, and it reminds me of when my husband and I got a grill at Sears. There wasn’t a salesman to be found and we started to wander around, looking at the pricey ones, just like Heather is now. Voila! A salesman appeared. When he asked if he could help us, and we said we wanted the $300 grill rather than the $3000 one we had been looking at, his disappointment was apparent. We both said, “Sorry!” at the same time.

Heather tells us hexagonal ice is jewelry for your drinks. Shaking my head again.

Briana gets something in her arm to give her antibiotics and other medication while she’s at home. She says it wasn’t easy to convince the infectious disease doctors to let her go. Vicki talks about Kelly’s invitation to the party, but Briana wants to lie down. Vicki tells Briana that she has to get to work. In her interview, Briana complains, but in hers, Vicki says she just bought Briana a house and money doesn’t come out of thin air. Truth!

Kelly and Michael get ready for their party. Kelly nixes Michael’s outfit and chastises him for not putting the ice machine on the night before. They have a beach backyard where the party is going to be happening. Michael gets the fire-pit going and Meghan arrives. Kelly tells her she isn’t sure if Vicki is coming, but she told her to bring Briana.

The guests trickle in and there’s talk of a volley ball game. Vicki shows up in some really cute camo wedges. In her interview, Vicki says she doesn’t want the ladies to dictate her social life. She says hello to everyone. Kelly’s mother and brother are also there, and Jimmy actually makes an appearance.

It’s time to eat and I drool over the fancy sandwiches. Heather and Vicki discuss Briana. Heather has decided to treat Vicki as an acquaintance. Shannon is pissy about Vicki being there. Vicki sits with Tamra and tells her that she’s still healing from last year’s sh*tstorm. She says she misses her friends, but it goes both ways and she doesn’t feel that Tamra was there for her. Tamra says her story was always changing and wonders how she could live in the same house as Brooks and not know what’s going on. She asks why Vicki wouldn’t go to her friends.

Meanwhile, Shannon gives Kelly the skinny on the fake medical document and what went down between her and Vicki. Shannon doesn’t believe Vicki didn’t know about the lying and says there’s a difference between making a mistake and perpetuating a lie. Vicki tells Tamra that she believed Brooks and was rooked along with everyone else. Tamra tells her to be honest and Vicki says she has been. She repeats that she believed Brooks and was ganged up on by the women. Tamra says she’s disappointed that Vicki never apologized. Vicki says Tamra didn’t handle it well either. In her interview, Tamra says Vicki is best at blaming others for her own messes.

Vicki insists she didn’t lie about Brooks, but Tamra says even when the lies were exposed, Vicki still chose Brooks over them and her own daughter. She says Vicki needs to be less stubborn. Vicki starts to cry and asks Tamra to forgive her. In her interview, Tamra says Vicki will never admit she knew Brooks didn’t have cancer, but she’s going to let it go. Vicki wants to start an apology tour and Tamra says, just do it.

Next time, Party at Kelly’s, Shannon and Vicki get into it, Meghan tries for a baby, and Briana is back in the hospital.

** Hope you’re watching Odd Mom Out. Even if you don’t have kids, it’s easy to relate to. And although it out New York Citys every other show set in there (including Sex in the City – sorry, no real humans live that way), you don’t have to live there to “get it.” Tonight’s episode revolved around the futile effort of trying to get tickets for Hamilton, using several of the Broadway actors in bit parts. Very funny. I literally lol several times during every episode.

I’m glad Bravo has branched out into scripted territory with this dramedy, as well as The Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce. Both of these shows are sophisticated, yet full of laughs.

July 10, 2016 – Sunset Shahs Return from Belize & NJ Teresa Returns from Prison

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What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

Shahs of Sunset

Still in Belize, everyone is reeling from Mike’s confession. Well, probably not, but that sounded good. Asa and Reza talk about the stages Mike went through before he finally decided to be honest. Asa says Mike sees his marriage as a landmark test in his life that he failed. She hopes he can be honest with Jessica. She talks about how she and GG went clubbing until 4 am and Reza wonders how someone as sick as GG claims to be can manage that.

Reza tells Mike there’s no judgment, and it took a big man to admit he was wrong. He says no matter what the outcome, they’re there for Mike.

MJ says Tommy showing up is the most romantic thing he’s ever done and she basks in the afterglow. I like Tommy. He’s a little crude, but he seems like a regular guy and I believe he really loves her.

The group goes horseback riding. It’s a first for MJ and she says it’s pretty high up. Yes, it is, especially if you’re short. They ride into the woods and park the horses at some Mayan ruins. Damn, that’s a lot of stairs. If MJ thought the horse was up there, wait til she gets a load of this. GG doesn’t think she can make the climb because of her knees. I get tired just looking at it. And doesn’t GG have a hangover? Reza thinks she should be laid out after boozing it up and thinks she’s lagging behind because of her late night. The ruins are pretty amazing, but Reza voices my thoughts about freaking out on the way down. There’s no banister or railing here, folks. The view is absolutely fantastic. Mike babbles about life being a journey and the universe having a plan for him.

GG is thrilled that she pushed herself to get to the top. Reza is petrified of heights, so this is really no place to be for him. They head down and I nearly get vertigo watching. They stop at a grassy area and have some water. Asa wants to include GG in her couples photo project. Reza interrupts, asking why Asa wants her included in a couples thing, which is none of his business. It looks like what he’s really doing is trying to start a fight with GG.

Reza tells GG she’s problematic and basically gets out of control considering the topic. He tells her everyone is sick of her bullsh*t and pretends to have a heart attack. Reza thinks GG is lying, talking about her illness on social media and then partying hardy. GG tells him he focuses on everyone’s problems except his own. They argue loudly. Everyone else wisely stays out of it.

Suddenly, the argument is over and they move on. Asa points out that this area is where they did sacrifices, but I don’t know if she’s being a tour guide or making a suggestion. In her interview, GG says she has a serious illness and Reza doesn’t understand. Reza texts MJ on the way back that he’s done with GG, but MJ doesn’t want to get in the middle. At the villa, Asa says “see you later” and it sounds like “coup de nãnã.”

The Shahs go to dinner. GG downs a pill during her interview. They watch some native dancing and Asa and GG join in. I’m coveting Asa’s tassel necklace. GG says it’s a been a beautiful couple of days. In her interview, MJ says GG is sinking fast and it’s noticeable that she’s taking pills along with drinking alcohol. Mike and Shervin talk about Mike’s marriage and GG says the topic is boring. Mike suggests she leave the table and Nima asks to talk to her on the side. When they’re gone, Reza says GG needs rehab. Nima tells GG she can’t do this. He says everyone loves her, but when she drinks, she loses credibility.

Fast forward to the morning. Everyone is ready to go and GG is still in bed. I guess she went back to bed, since she’s dressed. Nima tries to get her going and she kicks stuff around.

After the fastest flight ever, we’re back in LA. MJ explains to her dog that in the same way he (she?) sometimes fights with his brother, that people want different things at different times and don’t get along. She’s going to help Mike with his relationship, although I think at this point, only Mike can do that.

MJ picks up Mike. He’s decided to let her help him. Because her own marriage has gone so well. Oh, wait, she’s not married. Mike says a piece of him is missing without Jessica. They go to a flower shop and MJ says they need something special. She tells the clerk they want five dozen roses, giving a bizarre explanation as to why that number in her interview. They want the bouquet passionate and big. It’s pretty, but I wouldn’t call it special. Where is the cool vase and the tsotchkes poking out?

GG visits her parents. She tells them about visiting the ruins and how painful it was. She says she needs a new medication because she’s tired all the time and in a lot of pain. She feels it’s time to do chemo. She’s held off because her mother is not in favor of it. Her mother thinks she should go a more holistic route and try a very restrictive diet. GG says her mother doesn’t understand her level of pain, and I get the feeling her mother is also trying to tell her she parties too much. GG says she’s tired of the person she’s turned into because of the pain. Um… I hate to tell you, girlfriend, but you were always difficult.

Reza is happy with married life. He thinks Mike had a real breakthrough in Belize and he wants a breakthrough in comedy. He tries out some material on Adam. I think he’s one of those people who is naturally funny, but it doesn’t translate well to a stage act. Teeny the dog is not impressed.

Take two Reza’s stand up routine. Asa is overly enthusiastic and startles me when she screams as soon as she sees Reza. They’re having dinner first with Adam and MJ. We see snippets of the preceding acts. Reza says it might be open mic night, but these people seem prepared. Well…yeah. Reza’s delivery could be better. He sounds like he’s reading it and crickets start to chirp. It’s not good. Until he cracks an Erykah Badu joke. Then suddenly, the tides turn. I’m honestly not sure what happened there.

GG goes to the doctor. Her friend, Anita, is with her. Asa shows up while GG is getting her chemo treatment. It dawns on her that GG’s illness is serious and real. I’ve never thought it wasn’t, but I agree with Reza that her partying doesn’t help. Again, it’s his delivery.

In her interview, GG says she can’t fake chemo and she just wants positive people around her. Her parents and sister arrive. The doctor explains that if she’s going to feel badly, it will be worst on the first day. Asa asks some questions and he tells her that it’s the same as what they give cancer patients, but they use it for RA as well. Asa asks if there’s any lifestyle changes that would help and the doctor says not smoking would be a good idea. Everyone puts in their two cents and GG gets agitated. She says she didn’t just spend five hours with a needle in her arm just to hear a lecture. I can’t say as I blame her here. Timing is everything and this is not the time.

Next time, Mike’s shoe shipment is stuck in customs, Tommy talks having children, and Shervin might get a second date.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey

We start off with Teresa’s release from Danbury. There are some flashbacks from the previous season and some choice really old clips of arguments. We hear Joe say welcome home.

Joe #2 and Melissa are getting some construction done. Melissa is opening a boutique. She got her hair cut to shoulder-length this season and it looks great.

Boring Jacqueline is back again. Her son Nicholas has been making a lot of strides. He was diagnosed with autism, but is doing very well and even riding a bike. We’re already introduced to a new wife, Delores, who’s a friend of Jacqueline’s. They’re meeting other new wife, Siggy (what?) at a place called Speakeasy. Or maybe it is a speakeasy. I’m not sure.

Melissa says she invested her own money in the business. Joe #2 says he misses her. He’s “like a tiger and needs to see his meat.” Normally, I would be disgusted hearing that remark, but these two are so cute, I’m okay with it.

Siggy is having a hard time getting into the speakeasy, which is apparently behind a secret wall. She’s also just had a neck lift and has one of those wraps that goes around your face like Jacob Marley in Scrooge. Jacqueline says Siggy and Delores are non-toxic. They discuss Siggy moving back to the house she lived in when she was married and I can’t grasp the dynamics of her past love life. She talks about making it on her own like Mary Tyler Moore.

Joe #2 is coaching football, while Melissa and his dad watch the game. In her interview, Melissa says that she lost her father when she was 17 and envies the relationship that Teresa has with her father, although Melissa is also close to him. Joe #2 talks about Teresa’s release from prison before Christmas and hopes she’ll want to spend Christmas Eve with them, as they didn’t leave things on a good note. She’ll have to get permission from her parole officer to be there.

Everyone is doing Christmasy stuff. Jacqueline’s daughter, Ashley, is home for the holidays. We flash back to the tumultuous relationship between them. She’s grown now though, and has a career and boyfriend. Jacqueline’s husband, Chris, talks about how he started building a new business and they had to downsize. This will probably be their last Christmas in this house.

Joe #2 whines to Melissa about how she only sees him when she wants help with something. In her interview, she talks about Joe having an old school mentality about marital roles because that’s what he was raised with. They talk about Christmas Eve and The Seven Fishes. Joe asks Melissa how she feels about not having been on the list to visit Teresa or even hearing from her. Melissa says that Christmas is Jesus’s birthday and it’s like magic. I guess this means she’s hoping for a miracle.

It’s chaos at Joe #1‘s house with the kids. He can’t wait for Teresa to get back. No doubt there won’t be much time for her to relax before it’s back to the same old.

It’s December 22, the day before Teresa’s release, and Jacqueline and Chris are preparing for their holiday party. Jacqueline has gotten a text from Teresa, saying she’s looking forward to a new beginning. She makes fun of the text and Teresa’s accent, reminding me why I don’t like her all that much. We flash back to the fallout between them. Jacqueline wonders if Teresa’s ghost writer wrote the text

Joe #2 and Melissa are getting ready for the party. Melissa gets a call from Teresa’s lawyer that Teresa can go to their house on Christmas Eve. Going to midnight mass is iffy though. Really? You can go to a party, but not to church? Which one poses more of a flight risk? The lawyer forwards a note from Teresa saying she’s looking forward to the party and asking if she should bring sprinkle cookies, referring to an altercation a few seasons ago. I’m guessing she’s making a joke.

The guests begin to arrive. Drinks and conversation flow. Melissa and Jacqueline confer on the notes from Teresa. Jacqueline is perplexed that Teresa wrote to her. In her interview, Melissa says she’s concerned that Jacqueline is going to “spin” again, after having been blown off by Teresa and Teresa now wanting to have a connection. Melissa tells her not to stress about it or question it. I dunno. How come neither one of these two geniuses think Teresa might have had a change of heart in prison?

Teresa’s lawyer explains to Joe #1 what the procedure is going to be when Teresa gets home, and how she’ll need to have an ankle bracelet for six weeks. Her ETA is between 5 and 6 am the next day.

The party is in full swing. Siggy discusses her plastic surgery with the ladies in the kitchen. Chris talks to Joe #2 about Teresa coming home. Once upon a time wife Kathy talks about how Teresa never even got a parking ticket and the first time she gets in trouble, she goes to prison. Go big or go home, I say. Jacqueline makes a toast and gets weepy about Teresa coming home, confusing me.

Teresa’s lawyer calls from the car on the way to pick her up. He tells Joe #1 the paparazzi are everywhere and Joe says they’re all around there too, like “cock-a-roaches.” Gia comes down and waits with Joe. A video chat comes in from Teresa. No surprise, she’s extremely excited about coming home. We see the car on the highway and the paparazzi are everywhere, nearly colliding with them. How stupid is that? And if that’s the parkway, it’s dangerous under the best conditions.

Teresa arrives home, squealing over a puppy in a kennel in the garage. Welcome home present? Lots of hugs and tears with Joe #1. I’d heard she looked good, but I’m still impressed. She calls out and the girls come running. More hugs and tears. And squealing. Joe, who’s looked sedated for the past year, smiles, watching them. The girls show Teresa all the welcome home signs and she tells them they don’t have to go to school, although Gia wants to for some reason. In her interview, Teresa says she can imagine how lost they were. Me too. I don’t think it’s going to hit quite as hard when Joe goes to the slammer. Teresa also says she’s not going to be so naive again. I’ll bet.

Next time, beer pong, Melissa and Teresa talk, Teresa’s first altercations since she’s out of the pokey, and Rosie! Looks like lots of screaming and yelling this season, as well as Joe’s turn at prison.

Important information: The Bravo Awards The Bravos – airs July 20 at 10 pm.

July 6, 2016 – Hospital Soap & Big Apple Wives

Standard

What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

General Hospital

Julian is under the misconceived notion that he’ll be able to raise one of his children from birth. Anna sits in the truck, conferring with Alexis about the wire and testing it. Paul and Jordan are in the truck with Anna. Anna tells Alexis they’re going to do everything they can to keep her safe.

Sonny and Carly talk to Avery about the fireworks like she has a clue. She literally asks for her daddy and imposter Sonny says he’s right there. It must be a real blast when these kids start talking, and yelling things like “WEEWEE!” spontaneously.

Jason and Sam see the picnic on the coffee table. They’re puzzled as to where Ava and Nicholas are. Um…it’s a huge place, put on your thinking caps. In the wine cellar, Ava sees a mouse and her yelling reveals their location. I’ll never understand this fear. In person (mouseson?) mice look like something on a Hallmark card and are about the size of a quarter. Not exactly scary.

Sonny tells Carly about Anna’s plan.

Jordan tells Alexis if there’s any trouble, to let them know immediately. Paul says they’re parked a block away and Alexis says it’s a block too far. Julian arrives with a bouquet of roses that has American flags sticking out from everywhere. He says he wants to do right by her. I think it’s going to take more than flowers.

Jason tells Sam that Nicholas and Ava are coming back up. Sam asks what if Nicholas doesn’t cooperate? Jason says he actually feels sorry for Nicholas, who has everything and threw it all away.

Ava starts hollering about rats and Nicholas tells her it’s not a rat, it’s a field mouse, but Ava is still freaked.

Claudette tells Nathan he owes it to her to listen to what she has to say. She says she’s been out of work for a while and decided to expand her job search. She goes on about how Maxie is like the sister she never had. She says when Maxie mentioned her fiance and showed her Nathan’s picture, she was blown away. Nathan isn’t buying it and thinks she tracked Maxie down on purpose. He says she’s leaving, but Claudette says she doesn’t think so.

Nathan says it didn’t take long for her personality to change. Claudette says she’s not going to let him order her around. She says he was always able to support himself because he had a safety net, but she never had that. She trips down Memory Lane a little about their relationship. Nathan says she set him up and not for the first time. She says she has to admit he’s brave and dedicated, so maybe he could admit she’s moderately talented in graphic design. He says she’s excellent at it, and they talk about old times again.

Ava hears thunder. Nicholas says they can get pretty big storms there around this time of year. He adds that Ava doesn’t seem like the type who would get frightened easily, and suggests they go upstairs before the power goes out.

Carly says no matter what they think about Julian, he’s the father of Alexis’s children, and she doesn’t think Alexis will be able to pull it off. Sonny says he accidentally on purpose told Julian about the pregnancy, so he might be more pliable.

Alexis tells Julian she’s scared. He apologizes about the pregnancy test. Alexis says she understands trust has been broken on both sides. He says he wants to repair the damage in their relationship. Alexis says she’s tired and terrified of going to prison. She says with the baby coming, they have to try and salvage what they had. She tells Julian that she’s working on a new defense strategy with Diane.

Julian says he’s come up with something else. Alexis ask if he’s going to confess and he pulls out the dagger in a plastic bag. Seriously, where was he hiding that? In his pocket? Is that a dagger or are you happy to see me?

Ava asks if Nicholas grew up there and he says until he was sixteen. He says his uncle raised him until Helena staged a coup, but eventually the uncle got his power back. They toast to no more surprises. I think they have one…never mind, there they are.

Claudette tries to get Nathan to look at the fireworks. Nathan says he told Maxie the truth about her. He says Claudette doesn’t know the meaning of the word honesty and she asks if he and Maxie do. He says Claudette thrives on chaos and thinks the only reason she’s there is to cause trouble for him. Claudette says she’s not, but she could.

Carly and Sonny watch the fireworks with Avery. Sonny says he knows he gets caught up in business and other daily life things, but there are moments that are perfect like this one. Aww!

Jason asks how Nicholas wants to do this – cooperate or Jason can beat him, hogtie him and drag him out. Jason says he doesn’t know why Nicholas is throwing his life away, but he’s going to exonerate himself. Ava says he has no authority to take Nicholas anywhere. Sam suggests they call the embassy. Ava says the first person they’ll arrest is Jason.

Alexis asks how Julian got the murder weapon. Jordan calls the station. Julian says it’s the only piece of evidence they have, and now it’s out of police hands. He says by the time they find out, it will be destroyed. Alexis acts grateful. Julian asks if she really thought he’d let her go to prison. He says now that she’s pregnant, he’s even more determined to keep them together. She asks outright if he framed her for a murder he committed.

Ava says Jason is a fugitive and Sam is aiding and abetting. Sam asks how Ava got involved and she says it was a coincidence, which Sam doesn’t believe. Jason tells Nicholas to sit down and hold the daily newspaper up, so the headline and date can be seen. Nicholas balks and Sam says Jason has kicked his ass before and asks if he wants to go another round. Ava suggests he just do what they ask. Jason takes pictures and sends them to the PCPD.

Jordan says the evidence is gone and they could pick Julian up for evidence tampering. Alexis asks if Julian left just enough blood on the dagger to frame her. Julian says he’d never do that and he thought he’d wiped it all off. She mentions their altercation over the bloody shirt and he says she means everything to him. Alexis says it didn’t seem that way then and that she didn’t think he cared until she told him about the baby. He says he’d never intentionally set her up for a crime he committed. He says he killed Carrrlos because he didn’t want him talking and causing them to be separated.

Claudette brings up the shooting. Nathan asks what happened to her lover. She says they haven’t kept in touch, but she’s sure he’s fine. She says all three of them were wrong and made mistakes, and she’s sorry she hurt him. Nathan asks if she’s going to turn him in. Claudette is appalled at the idea and says people change. Nathan asks what she wants and Claudette says to make peace. She just wants to live her life and work with Maxie.

Nathan says it’s never going to happen. He says she cheated on him and broke his heart and she can’t take it back. Claudette says she gets that he hates her, but the job at Crimson was a perfect fit and she hoped they could make peace. She says she’ll leave in the morning, but he says she’s going tonight. She tells him she’ll go, but she really is sorry.

Apparently the cameraman is practicing a crane shot, as we see Carly and Sonny talking about Dante and Lulu’s house from above. Carly knows Sonny intervened. As the camera swoops down, he says he’s a concerned father, but she says he’s a raging control freak. He says she loves him anyway and she says she does and is grateful for him minimizing the violence. They kiss.

Ava mentions Alexis’s pregnancy, which Sam hadn’t known about. Sam says she has to get back to Port Charles. She asks Jason if he wants her to call Dante. Nicholas says once the storm sets in, they can forget about calling or texting anybody.

Jordan wants to get Alexis out of there, but Anna wants it to play out. Paul agrees with Anna. Alexis says she found it hard to accept that Julian killed Carrrlos to keep them together. Julian says if Carrrlos had told the cops he ordered the hit on Duke, he would have gone to prison. Jordan takes the recording and says she’ll be back with an arrest warrant. The least they could do at this point is drive a little closer. Alexis tells Julian she understands and it’s for better or for worse. Julian promises they’ll be all right and Alexis agrees. He moves to hug her and she steps back. She should just act sick and throw up on him. It probably wouldn’t be that hard.

Sam asks what the blip Nicholas was thinking. She wonders if the pain of his family meant less to him than money. Ava says now that they have the picture, Nicholas doesn’t have to go back. Nicholas says he can’t run anymore and he promises there will be no repercussions for Ava. The storm gets worse. Jason realizes the boat isn’t coming back tonight and Sam says it will be one helluva sleep-over.

Carly puts Avery to bed. She wants Sonny to call Anna. Sonny wants her to note that he hasn’t made one call all evening and she thanks him for not being married to his cell phone. I do too. I hate that. Carly says as soon as Julian goes to jail, they can concentrate on their family.

Julian is like what’s up? He says he thought Alexis understood him, but now she won’t let him touch her. Geez, she could make up a million pregnancy excuses for this

Nathan knocks on Claudette’s door, saying everything is ready. He opens it to find Maxie there with Claudette.

Tomorrow, Nathan asks Maxie what she’s doing there (seriously?), Kristina kisses Aaron, and Anna tells Paul they have to arrest Julian now.

The Real Housewives of NYC

Jules definitely has the best tagline – An Asian and a Jew walked into a bar, then they had me! – but I wonder if she’ll make it to another season since it’s her one claim to screen time.

Bethenny’s make-up dude had that fat freezing thing done and I cringe, having read articles about it and knowing how painful it is. Bethenny is launching some chocolates for her final bow at SkinnyGirl. Ramona comes by with flowers. She offers to read in the other room so that Bethenny has company. Very Ramonish.

It’s the pink wig appearance. I remember reading about this in the tabloids.

Sonja and Ramona take a dance lesson. They want to learn hip moves, but something that a more mature woman can pull off. I guess they mean not twerking, which I don’t think anybody should be doing. It looks like they’re having a good time. Ramona talks about the shift in position between Sonja and The Countess as far as the group goes. Sonja is concerned about how quickly things are moving with The Countess and Tom, but Ramona thinks The Countess is being too self-absorbed. Sonja says the dance moves are similar to the “Mashed Potato” and I think everything old is new again.

Carole comes to Bethenny’s product launch. Bethenny looks really cool in her scarlet wig with a fashion forward cut, and black and white colorblock dress. The product is being premiered in a candy store called Eye Candy that looks amazing, and there are a skabillion people in line outside. Bethenny says since she doesn’t have family, she wants Carole to be proud of her.

Having ESP, Carole tells Bethenny she’s proud of her. They discuss Bethenny’s upcoming surgery, which she’s very nervous about. Carole offers to come with her. I like Carole. She seems more like a normal person.

Jules visits her plastic surgeon. She’s concerned about the accident she had and wonders if her who-ha will ever return to normal. The doctor says it will take some time, but it’s a temporary condition. Her gynecologist told her the same thing, but she’s double-checking. The surgeon gives her an examination and says it looks a lot better and eventually all will be well. Jules’s other storyline.

Carole accompanies Bethenny to meet a doctor, and they talk in the limo. Someone has suggested that Bethenny get a second opinion, but Carole says if you doctor shop, you’ll always find someone who will tell you what you want to hear and no one wants surgery. Bethenny is conflicted as to which doctor to use and says she’s interviewed everyone in Manhattan.

Bethenny tells the new doctor about having her IUD removed, and it being a bloodbath afterward. She says out of the options she was given, she’d decided to get the fibroids removed, but after researching it, she wants to make sure it’s the right choice. Dr. Schwartz suggests taking progesterone and giving the body a chance to heal itself. In her interview, Bethenny is concerned that she’s just being told what she wants to hear. There’s no winning here.

Ramona, Carole and Dorinda come by Bethenny’s place. Bethenny is appreciative of their support during her health crisis. Dorinda tells her that she looks much better and Bethenny says she slept for the first time in a while after taking the progesterone. Bethenny has canceled the surgery and tells the ladies about Dr. Schwartz. They discuss birth control methods and surgeries.

Bethenny asks Carole if there’s any hope of reconciliation between her and The Countess. Carole says The Countess hasn’t reached out in a genuine way. In her interview, Dorinda is like, why are we talking about this again? Ramona tells them about her conversation with The Countess, and how she claimed she’d extended an olive branch to Carole and Carole should make the next move. Carole says The Countess confused the high road with her high horse. Bethenny talks about her lunch with The Countess and how she’d never seen anyone so self-absorbed.

Ramona says she’s like the old Countess when they’d first met her. Dorinda isn’t relating because she wasn’t on the scene back then. Bethenny gives Dorinda and Ramona bathing suits. Why? I’m not sure. Ramona calls her bra a “brassiere” and much fun is made of it.

Dorinda meets The Countess for breakfast. Dorinda asks The Countess if she’s coming to her dinner, but The Countess isn’t feeling well. Dorinda says if she wants to get back with the girls, she needs to get back with the girls. The Countess asks why she would want to and Dorinda says that’s a decision she needs to make. The Countess gets annoyed when Dorinda tells her what Ramona said, believing that Ramona is two-faced. She thinks the girls are just jealous.

Dorinda doesn’t want her not to be part of the group. She suggests The Countess show up for a short time. The Countess says she’s not avoiding the group, she’s just in love, but she’ll come if Dorinda will run interference.

Dorinda’s dinner time! It’s in one of those beautiful Manhattan restaurants with brick walls and tiny white lights. In her interview, The Countess says she’s disappointed in Ramona. She wants to confront her about talking behind her back. Carole says she’s going to keep it light and bright with The Countess.

Bethenny says she’s not feeling too great and The Countess has to add that she isn’t either. They talk about Tom moving in and The Countess says he’s been ring shopping. The Countess goes on about what a great match Tom is for her. Carole says they’re celebrating tonight, and The Countess is surprised that Carole is the only one who seems genuinely happy for her.

Sonja arrives, feeling trepidation at seeing Bethenny. We flash back to the Skinny/Tipsy Girl confrontation. Bethenny just wants to move on at this point. Hallelujah, Jules’s who-ha is just about normal. Ramona comes in, saying she found them by their voices. She expresses displeasure at how loudly they were discussing who-ha issues and Bethenny tells her to grow up. She says Ramona loves to make an entrance and get attention.

The Countess confronts Ramona about what she told Dorinda. She tells Ramona that she should just be happy for her. Ramona is miffed that Dorinda told The Countess about their conversation. The Countess says if she’s a friend, she’ll be happy for her and not talk smack behind her back. In her interview, The Countess says she’d thought they’d moved on from that kind of thing. Ramona says she only said something to Dorinda because Dorinda hasn’t known The Countess long. In Ramonaland, this makes it okay.

Bethenny says the three of them – Sonja, The Countess and Ramona – live in a small circle and seem to date the same guys. The infamous Harry is brought up and we see flashbacks. I’ve always wondered what it is Harry has that attracts the ladies. And they always stay friends with him. Bethenny says they all dated Tom too, and it’s pointed out that Sonja has been “friends” with him for ten years. Apparently, there’s some conflicting stories about the duration of their friendship, as Tom claims it was fleeting. Although I see no reason that Sonja would lie about that. The Countess says whatever happened before she and Tom got together doesn’t matter to her. She says all her friends are happy for her except them. She amends that to say Carole has been supportive. She gets up, saying she doesn’t feel well, and stomps off.

Next time, The Countess complains to Dorinda, Jules confronts Bethenny, and Ramona suggests a Mohegan Sun girls trip.

June 29, 2016 – GH & the NYC Wives

Standard

What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

General Hospital

Nathan nearly walks in on Maxie messing with her wedding dress. She screams at him to get out. She puts the dress away and asks why he’s there. He says he was able to take some time off and thought they could hang out together. She asks how much he saw of the dress and he says enough to know it’s gorgeous. He asks why she even had it there and she says she was making sure it was perfect, but now it’s cursed.

Griff is obviously distressed. Anna asks if he could use a friendly ear. She asks if they’re friends and he says she was cordial at the Nurses Ball, but he thought she was just faking it. She says it was one thing to find out he was a priest, but another to see him give last rites to the man who murdered his father. Anna says she realized she didn’t have to understand his reasons, just that he believes differently. She wants them to stay good friends, not just because of Duke, but because he’s been supportive of her in other ways. She asks how he became a priest and why he didn’t tell her. He asks how well she knows Nathan.

Morgan brings Carly flowers and she asks what he wants. Ha-ha! He says he’s just thanking her for being a good mom. He adds that he’s also in a good mood over Kiki. Carly says they must have had some chat last night. He says she must think he’s manic, but she says she knows the difference between that and a good mood. He says Kiki decided to give him another chance, after he’d stupidly broken up with her the last time she visited. Carly doesn’t want him pinning his recovery on another person. Morgan says he and Kiki have a bond like Carly and Sonny. Carly says they’re not exactly the best example, which is an understatement. Morgan says Kiki almost got interested in Dillon.

Dillon meets with Kiki. He tells her he doesn’t want to give her up without a fight. Dillon says he thought he was being the good guy by bowing out gracefully. He tells Kiki that there’s been so much drama in her and Morgan’s relationship, that it’s blurred reality. He says he cares about her and she deserves to be happy. She says Morgan needs her and what if Morgan is the person who makes her happy? Dillon says if that was the case, they wouldn’t be starting over for the millionth time.

Julian grabs Sonny’s arm and says he’s lying, and that Alexis can’t be pregnant because he doesn’t know how babies are made. Sonny tells Julian not to touch him. He tells Julian that after he framed Alexis for Carrrlos’s murder, she finally got a clue as to who he really is. He says he’s going to find a way to put Julian behind bars or in the ground.

Alexis looks over old photos of her daughters. She tells herself she can do this.

Morgan tells Carly about seeing Kiki kiss Dillon and that he showed up when Morgan was at Kiki’s place. He says Kiki told him that there was nothing going on with Dillon in comparison to what they have. He says Dillon isn’t keeping boundaries though, so he needs to talk to him. Carly tells him that she loves him and to be careful.

Kiki tells Dillon he’s a great guy. He says if it’s the start of a letting-him-down speech, stop now. She says he’s going to find someone wonderful. He thanks her for the compliments, but asks if there’s a small part of her that wants to pursue things with him. She says she can’t. He says, can’t or won’t?

Julian shows up at his home, asking Alexis if it’s true that she’s pregnant. She threatens to call the police, but tells him it’s true. Julian asks why she didn’t tell him and she says why bother? He asks how far along she is and she tells him to get out. He says they need to make plans. She says what kind of plans, pre-natal care while she’s incarcerated or him taking the baby while she’s in jail? She says he married her under false pretenses and she’s not thinking of getting rid of the baby; she’s thinking about how to keep it away from him. He says he’d never hurt her and she says that’s all he does. He tells her to calm down for the baby’s sake. She smacks him and tells him to never mention the baby again. She says he might not get punished and she might go to prison, but he’s never getting near her child.

Morgan goes to meet Kiki at the bar and sees Sonny. Morgan asks if Sonny can give him a job. Sonny says he’s opening a new coffeehouse and Morgan can work there. Morgan is excited about Kiki and Sonny tells him not to rely on one person to keep his bearings. Morgan says Kiki is the one who matters most.

Dillon says if Kiki is reconnecting with Morgan out of a sense of obligation, it’s a disservice to all three of them. He says obviously she’s drawn into the chaos that surrounds Morgan, but she should at least consider the alternative, being in a relationship that doesn’t include drama. They kiss and Carly sees them.

Maxie goes on about a one-of-a-kind dress from Lisbon turning into doom. She tells Nathan their luck has sucked and she wanted this one thing to be problem free. Nathan says he seems to be putting her through one thing after another. She says she’s no prize either. He says if she had her heart set on the dress, just wear it. She reconsiders how perfect it was and says she’s going to look for the real perfect dress.

Anna tells Griff that she’s worked closely with Nathan and he’s been kind to her. Griff says he got into a situation between Maxie and Nathan and isn’t sure he handled it properly. She asks if he’s interested in Maxie, but he says no way. Although he’s on leave, he’s still a priest. Anna asks why he left the priesthood. Let me add here that he never answered her first question about how he became a priest in the first place. He says he tried to provide support for a woman who said her husband was cold and cruel, and he allowed himself to be seduced. He says he chose to break his vows and it ended horribly. Anna asks if he was able to help her and Griff said she didn’t really need help, that she lied about her husband, and in the end, they all paid a terrible price.

Sonny says one of the problems with being bi-polar is that when you’re in a good mood, people worry. Morgan says he knows that he has a support system if things go bad, and Kiki isn’t his entire world, but she’s important. Sonny tells him to take his time. Morgan says he is.

Kiki and Dillon continue to kiss. Carly disappears. Kiki says she can’t right now and Dillon says he respects that. He says that he said what he came to say and has to get back to work. He doesn’t want to pressure her, but wants her to think about things.

Julian says he can’t believe the anger and hate coming out of what should be an amazing moment, because he’s delusional. He says all Alexis can talk about is keeping him from his child. Alexis says she’s going to prison because of him, but then again, he never takes responsibility for anything. He says he loves her and the love is even greater now. He says something has to change and they need to rethink how they’re going to proceed. Not exactly saying he’s going to take his own heat.

Maxie tells Nathan their relationship has been filled with complications and obstacles, and she just wanted something to go right, but in the end, it’s just the two of them that matter.

Anna asks if Griff is in trouble. He says he’s already said too much and the rest of it is between God and the people involved. He asks about Alexis getting arrested. Anna says she’s a good investigator and one way or another, Julian will pay for what he’s done. Griff says not to neglect her own needs and that he thinks Duke would want her to find someone. She says first she has to gather evidence.

Alexis asks what Julian means by rethinking things. She says they can’t change what happened, but Julian says maybe they can change some things. He says he didn’t realize the toll it would take on her going to trial. He asks her to allow him to show her how much he loves her. Alexis still isn’t getting her question answered and asks if he’s going to still make her stand trial for what he did.

Griff ponders things. He flashes back to a night of passion with Claudette, which isn’t exactly The Thornbirds.

Nathan and Maxie discuss wedding dates. She picks one and he asks if it’s not too soon. She says it’s not soon enough.

A woman we don’t see looks at Nathan and Maxie’s engagement announcement on her tablet.

Morgan approaches Dillon at the bar. He tells Dillon that he and Kiki are back together. He says don’t take it the wrong way, but he thinks it’s best that Dillon keep his distance from Kiki for now.

Carly asks Kiki what the hell she thinks she’s doing to her son.

Anna visits Sonny. He asks why she doesn’t seem to trust him after all they’ve been through. She says her trust is limited and conditional. Sonny says if what they’re doing doesn’t work out, he’ll find a way to get Julian. Anna says the last thing she wants to do is investigate Sonny for murder. He says it’s not necessary – Julian took his bait. Oh…

Alexis tells Julian to promise she won’t stand trial for Carrrlos’s murder because he’s going to confess. He says there’s one more thing. And gives her a pregnancy test. I call him several names out loud.

Tomorrw, Carly confonts Kiki, Finn is in jail, and Alexis tells Julian to confess first before she takes the test.

The Real Housewives of NYC

I’m glad the Wednesday shows got shuffled around so I can watch MasterChef and Wayward Pines. While a lot of critics were unhappy with the changes to Pines, I ‘m enjoying the move forward.

The girls are meeting for lunch or dinner or some meal. They trickle in. Jules is still hurting from her whoha accident. She shows a picture to Bethenny, who says she’s scarred for life now. Why do people have to memorialize everything on their phones? I hope she didn’t put that on her Facebook page.

Bethenny talks about her own whoha problems. She tears up, talking about how Dorinda went to the appointment with her. She doesn’t have any family and I can relate.

In this restaurant, you make your own pizza. My first on-the-books job was making pizzas. I didn’t eat them for years afterward. Carole talks to Jules about Jules’s eating disorder, and in her interview, Jules wishes they could get through one food activity without talking about it. The guy takes the pizzas to bake. Ramona, who got her pizza baked ahead of the others, is leaving early to meet a friend. She takes her pizza with her. On the restaurant’s plate.

Jules and Dorinda go out for a smoke and Carole and Bethenny discuss Jules. Carole says she claims to weigh 115, but Bethenny thinks Jules must be talking ounces. She thinks Jules is still in the middle of it and not dealing with it. The ladies regather, and their pizza creations come out. Jules has made something more like a calzone. Inside, there’s a fork, knife and measuring cup. Is Jules nuts? Dorinda thinks maybe her pain meds are getting to her.

Carole talks to Jules about her eating habits. Jules also takes Adderall, which concerns Carole as well. Jules, however, says she’s fine. Not once did I ever cook a fork in a pizza. Not even during the 70s.

Heather, who was on the previous two seasons, gets together with Carole and their men, to go skating. It’s the winter village at Bryant Park. The girls go for a drink, while Adam and Jon continue skating. Carole talks about the cookbook that she and Adam are creating and how they can’t get past the proposal. Heather suggests taking a break from it for a while. Carole tells Heather about the calzone. Carole thinks Jules is playing games with her food, which is something people who have eating disorders do.

Dorinda visits Jules. Jules tells her about Carole being annoying. She felt like Carole and Bethenny were picking on her and says that Bethenny makes jokes at other people’s expense. She says she’ll have her guard up with Bethenny now and Dorinda says she should talk to her. I dunno about that. In her interview, Dorinda says she feels responsible for Jules, since she brought her on board.

Jules says that when she had her accident, she couldn’t get ahold of her husband and her brother had to take her to the ER. Since they’ve filed for divorce since the show started airing, I look at everything suspiciously. He doesn’t seem to be much of a caretaker with the kids either. Dorinda says women are perceived as super human. Right on, sister. In her interview, Dorinda says she feels Jules’s unhappiness.

Bethenny is going for a pre-op check up. The doctor wants the bleeding, which has been excessive, to slow before she has surgery. Her driver, Kevin, thinks she just needs bed rest, since she’s moving 24/7. In her interview, Bethenny says she spends more time with Kevin than anyone else and there’s a lot of TMI. Apparently so.

Sonja says she’s a high class hoarder and I have to agree. The basement of her townhouse is chock full of everything you can imagine. Dorinda is coming over to help her purge. She’s pretty helpful, especially when Sonja wants to keep things like every baby toy her daughter ever had. Sonja talks about her ex-husband and says she’s over him, but not over the family situation. She doesn’t want to give up the sense of family attached to the objects.

They talk about the Tipsy Girl thing. Sonja says she texted Bethenny, saying that life is short and it sounds like they’re in a slightly better place. She doesn’t want it to be extra stress for Bethenny. Too bad she didn’t think of that in the first place.

While in the car, Bethenny talks to her assistant about a living will. The doctor has told her it’s going to be a major surgery and this is something she needs to have. She calls another friend, upset that she also has to sign something about her uterus being taken out in the event of her hemorrhaging. She’s feeling lonely, since she has no family to turn to. Kevin tells her it will be all right. This is actually sad.

The Countess creates a night out for everyone. Tom isn’t there, but she’s meeting him later. She says she thinks Tom is going to propose on Valentine’s Day. She talks about having a party in Palm Beach. In her interview, Sonja expresses surprise at The Countess and Tom being serious about one another. Ramona tells Dorinda that The Countess hasn’t reached out to Carole in a more meaningful way in regard to an apology.

Dorinda thinks The Countess and Tom are moving fast, but she’s happy for them. Ramona calls The Countess over to the side. She tells The Countess that she’s on the outs with Bethenny and Carole. The Countess asks if she looks like someone who gives a flying. She’s miffed that they didn’t even RSVP. Ramona says she fumbled the ball with Carole. She thinks The Countess should have followed up. Yeah, we saw how well that went with Bethenny. She says she apologized and invited Carole to the party and that should be enough.

The Countess says she doesn’t care any more, but Ramona keeps telling her to go for a cup of tea with Carole, because she’s oblivious to anything but the sound of her own voice. The Countess tells Ramona she loves her, but she’s done. Jules is talking to Dorinda about Carole picking on her eating habits. Ramona joins them. Ramona repeats the whole thing that just happened with The Countess, who then horns in on the conversation. At this point, The Countess thinks Carole should apologize to her. She says she’s not inviting Carole to her wedding and Bethenny is questionable.

Next time, Dorinda tells The Countess that she needs to be more involved with the show other women, Bethenny opens up to Carole about the surgery, and The Countess complains about the ladies not being happy for her.

June 27, 2016 – GH, OC Wives & a Charming Reunion

Standard

What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

General Hospital

Ava and Nicholas wake up in the shed. She asks what happened last night.

Monica asks Tracy and Michael why they’re at the hospital. Tracy says following Monica’s insane instructions and seeing the new doctor. Michael says he drove because Tracy is still frail from being sick.

Finn has Teddy in the examining room and asks for Felix’s assistance.

Julian tries to talk to Alexis, who isn’t having any. She tells him she posted bail. Ghost Carrrlos tells Julian it’s the perfect opportunity to get rid of her and to kill her now. Julian says if he’d been arrested, he probably would have had to stay in jail. He says he wishes he would have known about the arraignment, so he could have been supportive. Alexis says she wants nothing from him. Ugh! He repeats that everything he’s done has been for them, and both Alexis and I are tired of hearing it. She goes upstairs and Carrrlos tells Julian he’s losing his touch.

Sam tells Jason that Spinelli hacked into Nicholas’s computer, but Nicholas didn’t rent a car or leave any other trail. Jason wonders if he stole a car, but Sam says that’s not his style. Jason says, although he is with Ava.

Nicholas doesn’t see anyone around and thinks they might be looking elsewhere. Ava says last night was a blur, but Nicholas says nothing inappropriate happened. She spilled some liquor on herself and he gave her his shirt, but averted his eyes when she was changing. He says they really need to keep moving and he has to get out of England ASAP. Ava says he’d been planning on going to Amsterdam, but he says the location has changed now.

Monica tells Tracy her doctor is on another floor. Tracy suggests Monica escort her. Monica is wise that they don’t want her going into the examination room. Tracy steers her away and Michael goes into the room. Finn asks if Teddy usually drools so much. Sabrrrina says it started last night, but she thought he was cutting a tooth. She tells him all the countries they’ve gone through since Teddy was born and wonders if he got exposed to something. Yeah, jet lag. Finn asks if there’s anything else out of the ordinary. Obrecht comes flying in.

Obrecht tells Finn to get away from Teddy. Sabrrrina says they need him. Obrecht says he’s been suspended after being suspected of killing patients. She’s about to call security when Michael shoves her in a closet.

Alexis tells herself to keep it together. Julian tells Carrrlos to get out of his head, but Carrrlos says they’re a team. He says Alexis is a bigger threat than any of his enemies were. He says Julian needs to make it look like an accident; Alexis is already sick, just make her sicker. Alexis comes downstairs saying she has some kind of bug and Julian offers to make her tea. Her phone is dead and Julian takes it into the kitchen to charge it. Carrrlos asks what kind of poison he’s going to put in the tea.

Jason talks to the bartender and tells Sam that the town is smaller than small. If anyone had stolen a car, it would be common knowledge. Sam says maybe they should ask Hux and his girlfriend (oops! I thought he lived with his mother) for help, but Jason says they’re unreliable and he doesn’t think they’ll be seeing them again anyway.

Nicholas says if a reward is given, Ava will be the first one to turn him in. She says she hasn’t turned him in yet. He says now that they’re done with the Hux madness, she can go back home. She says no, she can’t.

Valerie asks Monica if everything is okay, and Tracy says Monica lost her balance and was just helping her. Monica concurs and thanks Valerie for her diligence. After Valerie leaves, Monica says Tracy is far from frail, and Tracy tells Monica what’s going on with Teddy.

Finn asks about Teddy’s diet. Sabrrrina gives him a food list, but Finn thinks they’re all okay. Sabrrrina says the nanny also fed him and Finn asks her to find out what. She makes the call and Valerie comes in, telling Finn to step away from the baby like she’s one of those car alarms that talks.

Ava tells Nicholas she has the original statue. She says she was dealing with a questionable piece, but the real one is in a safe place. Nicholas says they could have been killed and if she wants to risk her life, fine, but don’t risk his. She says he’s no angel, since Jason is being accused of his murder.

Jason tells Sam to call Spinelli about Amsterdam. Sam looks at her phone and tells him omg, her mother’s been arrested for Carrrlos’s murder.

Julian gives Alexis tea and crackers. He wonders if she can get off on a technicality. Alexis says no, and he asks what the strategy is. She lists all the things the DA has against her, while I admire her cool black coffee mug. Carrrlos watches as Alexis take a sip of tea.

Alexis goes to get her phone, which must charge miraculously quickly. Julian tells Carrrlos he’s not going to poison her. When she returns (phone fully charged), Julian tells Alexis he can’t accept he’s lost her. She says when he killed Carrrlos, he lost her and what kind of future can they have if she’s in prison? Julian says there has to be a reasonable doubt. She says they have the dagger and she has no alibi. She says if he lets her take the rap, he’s going to lose not just her, but his children.

Sam wonders why no one called her. She says there’s no way Alexis killed Carrrlos. Jason intimates that it must have been Julian, and maybe he needed to shut Carrrlos up. Sam believes he would kill, but not that he would let Alexis take the fall. She wonders if Alexis is covering for him, but Jason says it’s a life sentence. Sam says either Julian framed her or Alexis is out of her mind. Sam wants to get back home, but she tells Jason to stay there and finish what they started.

Nicholas says he was actually trying to frame Hayden; Jason was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. He says Diane has gotten Jason acquitted before and will again. He made arrangements for a flight out while Ava was sleeping, and says he’ll send for Spencer when he can. Ava says Hux is going to come after her and she can’t afford to go home. Nicholas says to give Hux the real statue, but she says she has good reasons why she can’t.

Tracy says she knows Monica is on the warpath about Finn, but she trusts him. Valerie keeps telling Finn to move away and Michael tells her that Teddy needs him. They hear Obrecht banging around in the closet. Sabrrrina tells Finn that the nanny gave Teddy some yogurt that might have contained honeyy. She begs Valerie to let Finn treat Teddy and not to let her baby die.

Monica tells Tracy that she can’t turn her back on what’s happening, but the baby’s health is more important than rules and regulations. Finn thinks Teddy has botulism and Valerie asks what he needs to do. He tells her and says she can arrest him afterward. Obrecht objects, but Valerie says to let him do what he needs to. Obrecht says she’s abetting a crime, but Valerie says if Obrecht doesn’t leave, she’ll give her a citation for disobeying a police officer.

Alexis runs down the list of people who will hate Julian. She says he obviously doesn’t care and saving himself is more important. She goes to take a bath and Carrrlos says a slip in the tub is better than poison. In the tub, Alexis flashes back to being there with Julian. Carrrlos says Julian didn’t even blink when he killed him. Julian says he didn’t want to lose Alexis or their life together. Carrrlos says look how far they’ve fallen and she isn’t the woman he used to love. Julian says he drove her to this and he’s going to get her back. Carrrlos says go ahead, but see what happens. He says Julian already lost Alexis and now he’s going to lose his children.

Nicholas says he needs to disappear alone. He says she could solve her problems by giving Hux the real statue. She says traveling with him is better. She says if she goes back to Port Charles, she might let slip he’s not dead. She asks if he’s going to take her with him or risk that.

Jason says he can take care of things. Sam asks how he’s going to get Nicholas back to Port Charles if he finds him. He says he’ll call the police and it might be dicey for him, but in the end he’ll come home to her.

Alexis starts to get in the tub and Julian pushes her head under. I’m doubting this is real, but wonder who’s fantasy it is. Carrrlos’s? Speaking of which, I’m glad Jeffrey Vincent Parise is back on the show. GH must realize the acting treasure they have in him and he makes a much better ghost than Alan did. That was just sad.

Finn says Teddy will have to stay at the hospital for a while, and they need to run tests, but he should be fine. He thanks Felix and says he’ll take full responsibility and bear any consequences. Finn starts to leave and Tracy asks where he’s going. He says to jail and goes over to Valerie, who arrests him.

It was Julian’s fantasy. Carrrlos eggs him on. He says Julian will grieve for a while, but then he’ll be free. He’ll have his children and his life. Julian ponders this and heads upstairs.

Sam is at the airport, while Jason finds the shed Ava and Nicholas were in. He finds something that looks like a gold shower curtain ring. An earring?

In the tub, Alexis gets a text from Sam. She tells Sam she doesn’t need to come back. Julian enters the bathroom and stands behind her.

Tomorrow, Lulu asks Dante if he thinks Nicholas is still alive, Nicholas heads to Greece, and Alexis is startled by Julian.

The Real Housewives of the OC

Vicki is at the start of her apology tour, starting with Heather, who thinks she just talks in circles. Heather asks if Vicki had doubts about Brooks, and she says yes. Heather wonders why she didn’t come to any of them. Vicki asks why they even cared about Brooks’s health issues and Heather says because it was all bs. Vicki says Brooks lied to her too. Heather says she doesn’t care about what Brooks did, only Vicki’s part in the lie, and thinks Vicki should have conversations with everyone. In her interview, Heather says Vicki wants to just sweep everything under the rug, but it’s impossible with so many people being involved. She says Vicki can’t move on because the rest of them haven’t.

Dinner is still going on below deck. Tamra and Jeana discuss Vicki. Jeana thinks Tamra should meet her halfway. On the way home with Jeana, Vicki cries, saying she doesn’t want to talk about it anymore. In her interview, she says the women have lost respect and compassion for her. She tells Jeana she wants to be happy again.

Kelly puts the evil iodine on her daughter’s scraped up knees. Funny, we were just talking about that stuff the other day and if it still existed. She says the weirdest thing about being a mom is having a little being just like you. OMG – just the thought is frightening. Her husband, Michael, cashed out as CEO of a toy company, and now leads a life of leisure, which includes giving his 2 cents on daily parenting decisions. Their daughter says she doesn’t feel well and doesn’t want to go to school. Michael is thinking they should listen to her, but Kelly says she’s fine. Mom wins.

Terry is wiped out because they got home at midnight and he got up for surgery at 4 am. Heather wants family time and has made reservations for a week’s vacation. Daughter Max made it into the talent show. When Terry asks what his talent would be, one of the other kids suggests farting. Typical dad talent.

Tamra calls, thanking Heather for the party. She wonders what happened between her and Vicki. Heather says Vicki apologized, but they both think she’s only sorry she got caught. Well, we know that Vicki said that if she had it to do over again, she’d do the same thing. They briefly discuss Kelly, who Tamra thought was a little outspoken. Well, if that’s not the pot calling the kettle aggressive, I don’t know what is.

Tamra tells Ryan she saw Sarah with Ava, who’s now at “the fun age” and recognizing her grandma. Sarah and Ryan started having problems that would escalate to calling the cops, so they split up. Ryan lives in an apartment, while Sarah and Ava have the house that Tamra put the down payment on. Ryan says they fight over stupid stuff like Instagram and Facebook. How mature! Social media definitely fosters great parenting skills. In her interview, Tamra says she feels guilty because she was a single mom and wanted something more for Ryan.

It’s Valentine’s Day and Shannon and David go out for dinner. We go down Memory Lane about colonics, which is perfect dinner table talk. He gives her a necklace. She keeps saying “wow,” but I’m not sure if she likes it. Yep, in her interview, she says he picks out things she wouldn’t choose for herself, but they grow on her, and this one might take a while. She says she hopes one day to be in a place where she can say the affair he had was a blessing in disguise, but she’s not there yet. She is over it though. God bless them.

David brings up Vicki, and Shannon says she doesn’t like how Vicki isn’t taking responsibility and continues to lie. In her interview, she says forgiveness is one thing, but staying friends is another. She agrees with Heather that Vicki wants to just sweep things under the rug. That rug is getting crowded underneath.

Kelly, who doesn’t like a bunch of girls ganging up on one person, calls Vicki and asks her out to lunch. In her interview, she says that Meghan discouraged the friendship, but she’s a big girl and can make her own decisions. Is it possible we might have a grown-up on the show?

In her interview, Vicki says this year is about removing the negativity from her life and focusing on her business and family. She says the drama with Brooks took a toll on her and her company, which is like a third child to her. She’s having some kind of networking event. Her son is also involved; she wants the business to be her children’s legacy.

Vacation time! Heather, Terry and kids go to the beach, bypassing the amazing pool that I drool over. They’re sitting in one of those double-lounges with a canopy. Heather says Terry doesn’t realize how quickly time passes and hopes a successful vacation will spur him to spend more time with the family.

Tamra pulled something in her arm and gathers her icing supplies. Her competition is coming up and she doesn’t want any injuries. She asks if Eddie has talked to Ryan, and brings up the down payment. She says if you loan someone money, you shouldn’t expect it back. Huh? Eddie corrects that by saying an agreement is an agreement. Thank you. Tamra says she was brought up with family and Eddie was adopted, so they look at things differently, and he doesn’t understand why she wants to help Ryan. I think Eddie is wise and practical. Eddie tells her to stay out of Ryan’s business as he’s an adult. Yeah, what is he now, 45?

Vicki meets Kelly for lunch. She says she has whoop-it-up radar and thinks Kelly is a whoop-it-up girl. They make small talk and discuss their astrology signs. Vicki tells her that she’s trying to get her joy back after the break-up with Brooks. She talks about Briana moving back and that Briana has been sick with an autoimmune disease for the past five years. She asks how the boat party was for Kelly and Kelly says it was fun, but she thought Shannon kind of ignored her.

Meghan is having the kitchen remodeled and talks about how Jimmy tells her they’re spending too much and then wants to tear out the floors or rewire the electrical system. Kelly, Shannon and Tamra come by wearing hardhats. Meghan says they’re going to break the ice with Kelly by breaking up her kitchen. Shannon starts the wall demolishing. I have flashbacks about when my house was flooded during Hurricane Sandy.

With the kids at day camp, Heather and Terry have a romantic meal on their hotel veranda, served by the included butler. They discuss the new house. In his interview, Terry says he’s having the time of his life with his work, and feels guilty for not feeling as guilty as he should for not spending enough time with his kids.

At Meghan’s, the girls have red Solo cup drinks and Kelly brings up her lunch with Vicki. She feels that they were kind of mean to Vicki at the party and Vicki is hurt. She says Shannon was especially standoffish. Both Tamra and Shannon open and close their mouths like a couple of fish. Meghan asks if Vicki said anything about any of them. Kelly says no and she doesn’t think Vicki wants to, but Meghan doesn’t believe it. Tamra says she has a long history with Vicki and explains about how she didn’t like Brooks and Vicki was constantly praising him and making her look bad. Kelly asks if Vicki got involved in their relationships and Tamra says yes, telling her about Simon. Funny she should bring that up, because at the time the roles were reversed – Vicki was right and Tamra didn’t listen. In her interview, Kelly says she’s been ganged up on and her first instinct is to protect someone who’s in the same position. She asks Tamra more about Simon and finds out that Tamra hasn’t seen her daughter in two years. Tamra starts to cry and in her interview, Kelly says they just met, but everyone hates her now.

Tamra talks about kids taking sides in divorce and how she wanted Simon to work with her, but he refused. Kelly says she was married to a similar personality, and remarried him. She says they were separated for two years and it was a nightmare because he wouldn’t let her file for divorce. She decided that it was easier to stay married. Shannon asks if she’s in love with Michael and Kelly says he’s a really nice guy, but he can be a narcissist. He did a 730 psychiatric evaluation, whatever that is, and they found out he has narcissistic personality disorder, for which there is no cure. It gets pretty quiet after this bomb drop.

Next time, Briana gets to the OC, Meghan wills herself to be pregnant, and Tamra stirs things up between Heather and Kelly.

Southern Charm – Reunion Part One

I’m hating on that squinty-eyed, fake smiley Landon already. I do like her earrings though.

We start off by Thomas telling us that his parents think him being on the show is worse than him being in prison. One of Shep’s bars had a fire and Shep’s drinking habits are discussed. He talks about Bailey and how when a relationship gets to the moment it must be defined, he doesn’t want to define anything, but doesn’t want to disappoint anyone either. Andy talks about Kathryn and Shep having a moment at one time, and they both say it was casual.

Someone tweets that Shep is denigrating to women, but I don’t agree. Next, his work ethic is questioned. Geez, the last person I expected to see picked on right out of the gate was Shep. While he is a serial dater, he seems like a pretty decent human.

Moving on to Cameran. Zzzz… Andy asks why she didn’t invite Thomas and Kathryn to her dinner party. Hmm… Thomas’s dinner party should answer that question. Cameran says she’s not interested in drama. Quite a few people on social media think Cameran is a snotty mean girl. Cameran says she takes up for Kathryn all the time, and if I’d been drinking something, I would have choked. She says Kathryn has never done anything to her, but she’s not going to fake a friendship. Craig is like, what did you have to lose by going to coffee? Cameran tells Kathryn that nothing has changed from a year ago and Kathryn tells her she doesn’t know anything that’s going on between her and Thomas.

We move on to Cameran not wanting kids. She says a lot of women have been supportive. Kathryn says it is something to put a lot of thought into. She doesn’t regret it, but it changes your life.

Andy asks how the new Craig is doing. Shep says a girlfriend is the only discernible difference from the old Craig, but Craig says he also stopped drinking liquor. He sticks to wine or beer (smh). They talk about the promise ring he gave Naomie and the competitiveness between Craig and Shep. Somehow, Shep gets into a story about playing whiffleball on mushrooms in Chicago and going to jail. He says an old lady at the police station told him he should be nice to Craig and he realized where the tide of public opinion was going.

It turns out that Craig never finished his thesis and isn’t allowed to take the bar. Technically, he graduated, but never got a diploma. Shep is annoyed that they put together all kinds of paperwork, and Craig lied about it. Apparently, there’s some solution on the horizon, but we’ll see if he actually takes the test.

Airhead Landon is up next. We flash back to her non-meetings about her website or whatever it was she was pretending to work on. And then the Shep fail. Andy wonders what the blip with that. Shep says it was flattering, but he hates emotion. Craig says they got together at one time, but she said no, and he said Shep said he was done. Shep says they hooked up a little, but it was nothing serious.

Shep gets asked about bringing Landon’s friend as his date to the Founder’s Ball. He says Landon needs to get used to seeing him with a date and Landon acts like it’s cool, but we know it’s not. The subject of Shep’s birthday party gets brought up. Landon says she regrets lying to Shep about not inviting Kathryn. She apologizes to the both of them. Kathryn asks why, and Landon says their previous encounter hadn’t ended on a good note.

We move to Thomas and Landon, who went on a trip originally planned for Kathryn and Thomas. This degenerates pretty quickly, with Landon being really insulting to Kathryn and Kathryn saying Landon doesn’t even know her.

Then there’s the Whitney thing. Whitney still insists it was a one-night stand, but Kathryn says it was longer and she stayed at his house. We flash back to all her stuff being there and he makes up some other reason. She seems to have some pretty detailed and clear memories, and from the look on Whitney’s face and his body language, she’s telling the truth. She says she’s not trying to be mean, just honest.

We flash back to Craig’s inopportune bringing up the subject in the first place. Andy says Whitney was emotional and irrational, but Whitney blames Shep introducing him to moonshine earlier in the evening. Kathryn, btw, has a fabulous outfit on. Some sort of modern Victoriana. Shep brings up Kathryn getting in Whitney’s face during a night of drinking on Jekyll Island, suggesting that might be why Whitney is so hostile. He says he doesn’t agree with Kathryn’s ostracization, but he doesn’t think Whitney was ever in love with her. Craig corrects him, saying he thought Whitney just “had feelings for her.” There’s something that needs to be defined.

Andy congratulates Thomas and Kathryn on baby Julien. He has a theory that the baby was conceived after the last reunion and wonders if baby number three will happen tonight. Kathryn balks and says maybe someone else is up for the challenge (i.e. Landon). Andy brings up Patricia calling them morons. Kathryn says she was in love with Thomas and if people find it moronic, she feels sorry that they don’t know what love is.

After Julien was born, Kathryn thought she and Thomas would marry, but they ended up breaking up. A viewer wonders about Thomas leading Kathryn on and talking about having a third baby. They both say having baby Julien gave them baby fever. Thomas says reality set in later about their incompatibility.

We flash back to the question of baby Julien’s paternity. Kathryn is disgusted and sick of it being questioned. Landon says something about how she would never be questioned and Kathryn tells her until she has a child, shut up. Ha-ha! Andy asks Whitney why Patricia doesn’t like Kathryn, and he says after her “drug fueled” tirade on Jekyll Island, his mother just didn’t like her. Kathryn says she takes anti-depressants and believes she’s being penalized for being the unwed mother of two. Hey, at least they have the same baby daddy.

Thomas and Kathryn have been having a Twitter fight, but Thomas claims he wants it to stop and wants them to co-parent peacefully. Kathryn says that’s a lie and this is an act for the show. She says if she was ever a gold-digger, it was fool’s gold. She accuses Thomas of being on drugs and Landon accuses her of the same, saying there’s paperwork to prove it. Kathryn walks off.

Next time, Dinner party talk, Kathryn comes back, and Jennifer joins the group.