Tag Archives: The Traitors

November 7, 2025 – GH Weekdays, Jack Threatens Josslyn, Soap Suds, This Week In Reality, Weekend Watching, Halloween Revels, October Tails, A Decapod Of Quotes & Weather

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What I Watched Today

(Weekday bites, Friday’s whole GH enchilada & media minutiae)

General Hospital

🥢 Weekday Bites…                                                                        

Monday:

Sonny went Miller and Davis to see Alexis.

Laura said she had no intention of working with Sidwell, but he said he was confident they could make Port Charles a better place. She suggested if that’s what he wanted, leave town. She’d buy his plane ticket herself. He said he had a more interesting proposal.

Porta told Elizabeth that Jordan figured out she was pregnant and ran straight to Curtis.

Curtis went to see Jordan and told her that Portia was pregnant.

Dalton introduced Emma to Britt, but had the feeling they knew each other. Emma said Britt once had an unfortunate relationship with her father. What was she doing here? Brook said Emma was all grown up, but still annoyingly precocious, and Dalton said Britt was joining his research team. Emma said he couldn’t give that psycho access to his lab.

Ronnie hesitated to sign and said she needed a minute. Outback ran in grabbed the papers and ran. Drew yelled, stop that dog!

Tracy found Monica’s real will along with a note to her, and she cried as she read it. Monica wrote that she suspected debate and subterfuge regarding her final wishes, especially where Drew was concerned. She left the will with Alan’s diplomas where she knew Tracy would find it. Tracy said, oh my God. This is Monica’s real will.

Laura reminded Sidwell that he’d tried to kill Lucky, Anna, and Jason, and said she didn’t care that no charges had been brought. Sidwell asked if his behavior since arriving hadn’t earned him leeway despite the unproven accusations, and Laura wondered if he thought launching a Molotov cocktail into Charlie’s Pub won her over, but he said it was an unproven accusation bordering on slander. Mob violence predated him in Port Charles, and if she wanted to find a common denominator, look no further than her good friend Sonny.

Alexis asked what Kristina had done now, but Sonny said, Kristina was fine. She’d told him about Alexis’s defense strategy for Willow. Alexis said Kristina didn’t know what it was, but he said, she wanted to free Willow and blame Michael.

Curtis told Jordan that Portia admitted she was pregnant when he confronted her, but wanted to wait until her first trimester was over before telling Trina. They weren’t telling anyone else, but he thought Jordan should know. She congratulated him and said it sounded like he and Portia were presenting a united front. He said having the baby was the only thing he and Portia agreed on.

Portia said she’d hoped to make it through the first trimester and quietly run a paternity test, and Elizabeth asked if Curtis knew he might not be the father. Portia said, not yet. She was trying to relax and focus on a healthy pregnancy, but every time she turned around, someone was poking their nose in her business. Now Britt was back on the scene and Brad wouldn’t be too far behind. Elizabeth said, back in the spring, Portia’s conflict with Brad had her worried about Portia and the hospital. If Brad found out Britt was home and decided to come back to town, would it be a problem?

Emma said Dalton didn’t want to work with Britt. She’d faked her death and was a liar and embryo stealer. Britt told her not to forget doll cremator, and Emma said Britt would destroy his research or rip it off and sell it. Britt suggested Dalton do a more thorough vetting process. Another habit Emma hadn’t grown out of was acting like she knew everything, while being utterly clueless. She was risky to keep around. Britt left.

Ronnie told Martin to just print another, but Martin said it would have to be recertified and notarized. Ronnie said text her when it was ready, but Drew said she was going to stay and sign. No more delays. This ended today. Brook and Chase came in, and Brook asked what the yelling was about. Cody arrived and asked if anyone had seen his dog. She answered to Princess Pie when she felt like it. Drew told him to find his dog and the paperwork, or they’d both be out on the street, when Olivia and Ned joined them. Olivia said no dogs were being thrown out on the street on her watch, and Ned asked if Drew was master of the manor yet. Brook said, Outback stole the paperwork, and Drew said they were handling this today. The house would be his and they’d be out on their asses. Brook said he should be ashamed of himself, and Drew said what they wanted didn’t matter. He made the decisions and was finally taking his place as head of the Quartermaine family in the Quartermaine family home.

Tracy told Monica, I’ve got this. Buckle up, Ronnie. I’m coming for you. She dashed off.

Sidwell said Laura shared a grandson with Sonny, and she said, his point? He said her alliances blinded her to resources that were valuable to her and the city. If he took over the piers, it would generate hundreds of millions of dollars. He could personally fund the school district. She said that wasn’t how it worked and sounded like a bribe, which wasn’t how she worked. He wasn’t interested in creating revenue, but needed the piers to set up a criminal enterprise. He was a violent thug who left destruction in his wake, and she wouldn’t be his mouthpiece or front, and she would never be his ally.

Alexis said Drew burned down Michael’s life and no one could blame him for wanting revenge, but Sonny said it was the same for Willow. Why was Alexis representing her? Alexis said Willow deserved a defense and she owed it to Scout. If she didn’t represent Willow, Drew wouldn’t let her have time with her granddaughter. But the ultimate reason didn’t matter. She was a lawyer, and it was her job to give her client the best defense possible. Sonny said he could help point her toward another suspect that wasn’t Michael.

Portia told Elizabeth that the Brad issue had been dealt with, but she wished the consequences hadn’t been so severe. She and Curtis were on their way to a divorce and might be having a baby. She couldn’t help wondering what her life and marriage would look like without outside interference. She suddenly realized she had something she needed to take care of and left.

Curtis told Jordan that he was committed to having and loving the child, but a baby didn’t magically make problems disappear. Some problems could be worked through, but some couldn’t, and the reasons for the divorce hadn’t changed. He’d always love Portia and respect her as the mother of his children, but their marriage didn’t work and to pretend it did, helped no one.

Emma told Dalton that she was sorry. It was inappropriate and unprofessional, but she thought he was making a mistake. He said Britt was right. She had no idea what was going on. He’d hired her to organize his files, not offer unsolicited insight and insolence. She was never to disrespect Dr. Westbourne again. She was critical to his research and Emma’s interference wouldn’t be tolerated. She could see herself out. Emma left.

Michael said Drew would never be head of the family, and Ned said they were Quartermaines. Drew said Alan was his father, and Ned said, if Alan was alive, he’d be the first to disown Drew. Drew said, every one of his moves was out of Edward Quartermaine’s playbook, but Olivia said he didn’t know Edward. Brook said he was an interloper who no one wanted, and Drew said nothing he’d done had been good enough for the family. The one time he stepped out of line, they rallied behind Michael to kick him out and close the gate. It didn’t matter that he was of Alan’s blood. Michale said it wasn’t about blood. It was about loyalty. Olivia said, and love, and Drew said he wished Tracy was there to see his victory. Cody walked in with the slobbered-on paperwork.

Ned said there would be no coming back from this. What kind of victory was a family home without a family? Olivia said, an empty one, like the guy who was claiming it, and Martin said Drew’s signature was still valid. Drew said it was up to Ronnie. Sign and she could head back to Durham or wherever she wanted to go. Do this, and she’d never have to deal with any of them again. This house and everyone in it would just be a bad memory.

Emma found Gio on Lulu’s deck and said she couldn’t get her hands on the key fob. But she knew who had it and how to get it, and they’d use Rocco to do it.

Britt apologized for being late, but Elizabeth said she knew it was Britt’s day off. Britt said she could use the overtime, and Elizabeth asked if she’d heard from Brad. Britt said he was off the grid. If he knew she was alive and back in town, it appeared he didn’t care.

Sidwell said their conversation had been constructive and he fully respected that Laura and her office wasn’t not for sale, but please keep in mind not all transactions were monetary. Everyone had their price, even her. He left and she slammed the door.

Alexis told Sonny to take it to the police, but he said they already had a suspect. But there was another viable suspect – Dr. Portia Robinson.

Tracy yelled, hold everything! Stop what you’re doing! The sale of the house is null and void. This is the real will.

Tracy told Ronnie, don’t you dare sign, but Brook said, she didn’t. Olivia said Ronnie tore it up, and Tracy said, of course (🍷). Ronnie heard her coming and knew she’d be exposed for the fraud she was. Michael said Ronnie told them she couldn’t do it, and Olivia said, before Tracy came. Brook said they all saw it, and Ned asked what this was about. Tracy said she found the real will in a box with Alan’s diplomas, along with a letter from Monica. This is Monica’s Last Will and Testament. The real one. Martin said, how convenient. Consider the source. It’s most likely a forgery. Michael said, it was notarized, but Martin said, it hasn’t been probated. Ronnie said she didn’t know if it was real, but she did know the will leaving the house to her wasn’t. It was forged. Tracy said she knew it, and Olivia said, Ronnie forged her sister’s will? Ronnie said, no, he did, and pointed at Martin.

Emma told Gio and Rocco that Britt had the key fob, but Britt hated her. She couldn’t get close enough to Britt to lift it, but Rocco… Rocco said he didn’t know, but Emma said, Britt liked him and wanted to spend time with him. He was their best shot. Rocco said he wanted to help, but he didn’t feel right stealing, and Gio said, borrowing. Emma said Rocco liked Britt and she’d just started working for Dalton. Britt had no idea what she was involved with. He was saving her from going down with Dalton.

Elizabeth said she wasn’t sure it wasn’t that Brad didn’t care about Britt. When he left, it seemed like he came into money. Britt said, legally or illegally? and Elizabeth said it was anybody’s guess. He probably wanted a fresh start. Britt said, so she didn’t think Brad was icing her out? and Elizabeth said he may not know she was back, and left.

Curtis said he might not have known Portia was pregnant if not for Jordan being willing to tell him the truth, and Jordan said she was happy for him. Did they talk about the future? Did they both want the baby? Curtis said, yes, they both wanted the baby, but he wanted to be a loving, committed, present father and wanted her, just her.

Alexis said Portia was highly respected, whose reputation was beyond reproach, and Sonny said, until it isn’t. She said give her a plausible reason, and he asked if she remembered Drew’s ketamine trip. She said, Congressman Body Shots (🍷)? Who could forget? Sonny said, Nina confessed to being behind it, but she wasn’t working alone. Alexis needed to figure out where Portia was on the night the congressman got shot.

Ronnie said Martin got in contact with her before Monica died. He said he and Monica were friends. Tracy said, Monica would have tazed him if he’d gotten near her, and Ronnie said she knew that now. After Monica passed, he painted a terrible picture of the family, saying they were all spiteful people who would betray each other at the first sign of weakness. He was right about two of them, but not about the rest. Michael asked if she knew the will was forged, and she said she knew Martin’s plan to ensure Monica’s estate would go to – in his words – someone worthy of it. Tracy said, and she decided it was her? but Ronnie said, no. She didn’t want to go along with it at all, but then there was that day in the crypt. She was saying goodbye to Monica when Tracy walked in. She was so awful. She was cruel and disrespectful and disdainful. Then and there she decided to take Martin up on his offer. Tracy said, so it was revenge, and Ronnie said, yes. Tracy deserved it, but it was misguided and so wrong. Monica loved all of them so much, even Tracy. It was clear in all of her letters. Since then, she’d seen why she couldn’t take their home. They may not believe it, but she was very glad Tracy found Monica’s will. Now, finally, Monica’s wishes would be honored.

Jordan took Curtis’s hands and said she wanted to be with him too, so much. But what if he changed his mind? She’d be devastated to have then lose him again. She didn’t want to set herself up for that. She deserved more. He said she deserved the best and he didn’t want to give her less. It was just complicated, but he wasn’t giving up when they had a second chance. That was, if she wanted that too.

Alexis asked why Portia would do it, and Sonny said, shoot or drug Drew? She said, both, and Sonny said, find out if Portia had a legit alibi. If she did, great. If she didn’t… Alexis said, she might want to point the finger at Portia instead of his son.

Gio said, no one was forcing Rocco into borrowing the key fob, but it wasn’t like he was breaking in. Emma said the rest was up to them, and Rocco said, okay, he’d do it, but he wanted them to stick around and hand out candy. Gio said, absolutely, and Rocco said he’d be back soon. He left, and Emma said, what’s with the boxes? Gio said Tracy was staying there. It was her stuff. Emma said they were Quartermaine memories, and Gio said he felt bad. Monica loved that house. Emma said, and the people in it. It was his house too. His family. Ignoring it wasn’t going to change that.

Tracy said Ronnie was nothing more than Martin’s dupe. She fell off the turnip truck and fell into a multimillion-dollar estate. Ned said, why sell? and Michael said, it couldn’t be about money. Ronnie said, it wasn’t. Martin was blackmailing her. Tracy laughed and said, there it is. Ronnie said she wanted to come clean, but Martin said if she didn’t sell to Drew, he’d charge her with fraud. Tracy said there was still time and told Chase that she wanted Ronnie arrested. Drew said he didn’t know anything about blackmail and fraud. He just made an offer on the house. Ronnie said, as far as she knew, it was all Martin’s idea. Drew was entitled and really obnoxious, but he never threatened her. Tracy said, the jury was still out – for now, Get out. Drew said he wasn’t done, and left. Ned asked where Martin thought he was going, and Martin said they couldn’t hold him hostage. Tracy said the police could and told Chase to handcuff them both. Brook said Ronnie had been torn up. They can’t arrest her. Olivia said, obviously Martin was running the show, and Tracy said, maybe. And Martin thought Lodi was bad. When she was done with him, he was going to big boy prison. Cuff him. Chase put handcuffs on Martin, but Ned said he thought he had a better idea.

Britt’s phone chimed and she said she needed to step away. Elizabeth said, go for it, and Britt went to an examining room. Rocco came into the hospital and he watched Britt as she went inside.

Jordan suggested to Curtis that they take this thing slow and not jump into anything too quickly, especially something they couldn’t take back. When his divorce was finalized, he’d be a free man. Curtis said he understood. He definitely wanted to do it the right way, from start to finish. At the door, Jordan said she thought it was good for them to wait, and he said, so did he. She said she didn’t want to wait for this, and they kissed. Portia arrived and saw them.

Alexis told Sonny, no promises, and he said, all he asked… Drew showed up and said, what the hell is this? (Well, they do have a child together.)

Britt gave herself a shot as Rocco was about to walk in.

Gio told Emma that he thought he wanted nothing to do with the Quartermaines. Now that they were losing their home, he finally got what Tracy was trying to tell him the night of the Nurses Ball. These things belonged to the Quartermaine house. That’s where their memories lived, his memories, his history, his family. He was a Quartermaine too.

On the phone, Laura asked someone to call her as soon as possible. They needed to talk about Jenz Sidwell. It’s important. Martin came in, and she asked, what’s wrong? He said he found himself in the middle of a difficult and regrettable circumstance.

Olivia said, leave it to Monica to know there would be funny business about her will, and Tracy said she bet Monica didn’t guess it would come from her sister. Ronnie said she was truly so sorry, and Tracy said she was delivering Monica’s grandson’s inheritance to him intact. He was welcome. She handed the paperwork to Michael, and he asked if she read it, but Tracy said she was too busy breaking the laws of physics to get there. He said, Monica didn’t leave him the house. She left it to Tracy.

Tuesday:  

Drew said Sonny wasn’t Alexis’s client, and Sonny said, neither was Drew. Drew asked if Sonny was there feeding Alexis lies, and Sonny said if Michael wanted Drew dead, he’d be dead. Drew asked if that was a threat, but Alexis said they weren’t doing this in her office, especially today.

Portia showed up at Jordan’s place and said, sorry to disappoint her. Was she expecting Portia’s husband?

Marshall and Curtis hugged and Marshall asked, what’s going on? Curtis said he wanted to see Marchall’s face when he told him that Portia was pregnant. Marshall was going to be a grandfather again.

Britt heard the door open and yelled. Rocco said, sorry, and left. She followed.

Gio said if Drew bought the house, the Quartermaines wouldn’t be together. There was no place big enough. He hated that they were splitting up. Emma said they were still together now. Why didn’t he visit while they were still there?

Martin told Laura that he found himself in the middle of a difficult and regrettable circumstance. It turned out the will was forged, and Monica didn’t leave the house to Ronnie. Laura said Ronnie didn’t seem like the type to do anything underhanded. When did he find out? He said he already knew. He was the one who forged it.

Jason came in and asked what was going on, and Michael said there had been a change in the will. Tracy said he can’t have read it right, and Ned read that Michael would get all of Monica’s financial assets, with the exception of 66 Harborview Drive in Port Charles, New York, the house that was given to Monica by her husband Alan, the house where they raised their family. This she left to the sister of her heart – Tracy Angelica Quartermaine.

Laura asked, why? and Martin said Tracy Quartermaine was why. She came after him first. She turned his exes against him, bankrupted him, and he spent time in jail. Laura said he’d probably be spending more time there. Tell her everything. He said he used to work for the lawyer who actually wrote up the will. He got a copy online and saw the house was left to Tracy, which proved Monica wasn’t in her right mind. She’d just reconnected with her long-lost sister, who was basically the polar opposite of Tracy, who didn’t need or deserve the house. Ronnie Bard was decent, hardworking, and had a big heart. Tracy was like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse rolled into one. It was a twofer, payback with karma on top. So he tipped the scales toward justice. Laura said, is that what he did?

Jason said, so the will was fake? and Michael said, the real one said Tracy was the owner of the house and estate. Tracy said she thought the house would go to Michael, and Michael said he hoped she’d let them stay. She laughed and said, of course (🍷). They could all stay. Ronnie said she hoped Tracy knew how deeply she regretted her part in this. She was just grateful and touched that Monica left her the locket. Brook wondered if that’s all Monica left her, and Ned read, to my sister, I bequeath my oldest and most cherished possession, a locket, and the funds to purchase the house of her choosing in Duke Forest. Ronnie said that was her favorite neighborhood in Durham. She couldn’t believe Monica remembered that. She looked up and cried, saying, when I was 16, you threw me away. Now you’ve given me a house. Thank you so much.

Britt told Rocco, wait. She was sorry she yelled. He’d startled her. It was a hospital, and he couldn’t just barge in. Rocco said he saw her go in and thought she was alone. She said she’d seen a patient and was cleaning up, and he said, sorry. She said it was okay. Why was he looking for her?

Drew said he was paying Alexis a retainer and came to discuss Willow’s case, but not in front of Sonny. He also wanted to talk about Scout, but if she was too busy… Alexis said she thought she and Sonny were done.

Marshall told Curtis, congratulations, and said he was surprised. Curtis said they made one last effort to make their marriage work and Portia got pregnant. They still realized the marriage was over, but he was overjoyed about the baby. However, he wouldn’t have known if Jordan hadn’t told him.

Portia said she knew Curtis was running to Jordan, but had no idea Jordan was throwing herself at him. Jordan said Curtis was no longer Portia’s problem, and Portia said, Jordan was. She’d done everything to undermine their marriage and now told Portia’s husband that she was pregnant. That wasn’t right. Jordan said all she did was tell the truth, which Portia seemed incapable of doing. She’d been lying to Curtis since they’d met, and she kept doing it until Curtis had to save her from Drew’s blackmail. Portia said, Curtis told her, and Jordan said Curtis trusted her and she valued that trust. She told him that Portia was pregnant because she knew Portia wouldn’t. Portia said, Jordan told him because it was the opening she needed.

Curtis told Marshall that Portia claimed she wanted to get through the first trimester before she told him, but after talking with her, he thought there was a good chance she wouldn’t have said anything until they filed for divorce. That would have made it harder to push for parental rights. Marshall said he heard a lot of speculation, but wasn’t sure how Jordan fit in, and Curtis said he found himself leaning on Jordan. Marshall said, leaning on or toward?

Portia said Jordan had been thirsting for Curtis for some time, and Jordan said Portia wouldn’t be threatened by her if she wasn’t so insecure. She created the distance with her lies and secrets. Portia said, so Jordan rolled the dice. She had to know there was the possibility of Curtis coming back for the sake of the baby. Jordan said it didn’t look like that happened, and Portia said Jordan used something wonderful to turn Curtis against her, but Jordan said Portia did that all on her own.

Sonny said he hoped Drew wasn’t blackmailing Alexis, but Alexis said he was her client. She’d have Diane follow-up with their earlier conversation. Sonny left, and Drew said it was good Alexis had her priorities straight. Alexis said Scout always came first, and he said that’s why he came. There had been a change of plans.

Britt asked why Rocco why came to see her, and Rocco flashed back to saying he’d steal the key fob. He asked if she’d like to grab a coffee, and she said she’d love to, but she was working and couldn’t leave. Maybe another time? He said, sure. He also wanted to let her know that he told his mom that he had dinner with her, her mom, and Nathan – after the fact. She was a little mad. Britt thanked him for the heads up and said maybe he should have called. Wouldn’t his mom be madder if they had coffee? He said, probably. See her later. He started to dash out and literally ran into Sidwell. He said he was sorry, but Sidwell said it was quite all right, and Rocco left.

Gio said he didn’t know if he was going, and Emma asked if he was still mad at the Quartermaines. He said, not anymore. And Lois made him see that Brook did want to do the best for him at the time. Emma asked why he was still holding the Quartermaines at arm’s length.

Martin told Laura that he knew it looked bad, but Ronnie was truly the salt of the earth good people. Laura asked him to skip to forging the will, and he said, because of Tracy, he lost everything. She deserved to be taught a lesson. Monica wanted Ronnie to have a house, and he made sure it was that one. Laura asked about the PickleLila relish, and he said, nice touch, right? He promised he hadn’t changed anything else and got no monetary compensation. He just wanted a little justice. Ronnie didn’t want to go along with it at first, but then she met Tracy. Tracy was so awful, Ronnie decided to go along with the plan. In a way, you could say Tracy brought it on herself. Laura said she could say a lot of things, but she wasn’t going to. Was he also the reason Ronnie agreed to sell to Drew?

Michael said the only thing that was changed was which house Ronnie got. Ned said, add to that a jar of PickleLila, and Tracy said, Monica would never be that cruel. Jason said Michael told him Ronnie said she wouldn’t sell even before Tracy showed up with the real will, and Ronnie said she couldn’t do it. Everyone was so kind to her, except Tracy. She was sorry she let it go as far as she did. She felt like she let Monica down. Jason said they all made mistakes – Monica made a few of her own – but owning up to them showed Ronnie’s real character. Ronnie thanked him and he left.

In the foyer, Chase asked if Tracy still wanted him to arrest Ronnie and Brook said, please. Drop it. She got what she wanted and more than she expected. The house was hers. Tracy said, all right. She wouldn’t press charges, but she was only letting Ronnie go because of Monica. Ronnie said she was very sorry about everything that happened. These were Tracy’s. She handed Tracy the keys, and Tracy said now she could lock the doors when she threw Ronnie out.

Alexis said Drew had a fund raiser in DC and Scout was going trick-or-treating with her, Kristina, and Molly, then sleeping over for a Davis Girls’ night. Drew said Scout was having a tough time today and wanted to be with her dad, so he was taking her to DC. Alexis said it was no longer a fun day because it was the day Scout lost her mom. But she was wondering why he was doing this today, when Scout should be surrounded by people who loved her mom and shared her grief and happy memories. She should be with family, including him. Why didn’t he bring Scout over to her place? Maybe they could put everything aside and be together for Scout’s sake.

In a stairwell, Sidwell asked if Britt and Dalton came to an understanding, and Britt said Dalton was a snake. He immediately suggested they cut Sidwell out and take the work to someone else, splitting the profits 50/50. Sidwell said, accept his offer, and Britt said she’d crunch numbers for him, but wouldn’t be a spy. He said she’d do what he told her to do. If not for him, the medicine that kept her upright and functioning would be withheld, and Huntington’s would make her a prisoner in her own body.

Martin said Drew wanted the house, so he made it happen by threatening to expose Ronnie, and Laura said, for going along with the plan he created? He said he didn’t force Ronnie. Initially, it was her choice. Laura said, don’t tell her that he really believes that. She didn’t think he’d be there if he’d gotten away with it. He said, Ronnie cracked. She decided she cared too much about the rest of the family and told the Quartermaines everything. To make matters worse, Tracy showed up at the 11th hour with a copy if the real will. Laura said, thank God for that. Was he going to be arrested? He said that was up to her.

Ronnie said she’d pack her stuff and be gone tomorrow, but Tracy said, leave now. She could pick up her things tomorrow… by the gate. Olivia said it wasn’t right, but Tracy said she wasn’t giving Ronnie the opportunity to steal anything else from the family. She was lucky she wasn’t in prison. Michael said he thought Tracy owed Monica more than throwing Ronnie out, but Tracy said Monica wanted Ronnie to have a house in Durham, not here, because she wasn’t family. She never was and was never going to be. Be grateful for her freedom and get out of her house.

Gio told Emma, the Quartermaines had the reputation of lying and stabbing each other in the back. Did he want to become a part of that really? Emma said, if he kept his distance, he’d stay safe, but he might miss out on something he really loved, like the violin. He thought music was worth it the night of the Nurses Ball. He said, it was, and she said, wasn’t his family?

Martin told Laura that Ned said the Quartermaines wouldn’t press charges if she personally asked them not to, and Laura said that was incredibly lenient, but Martin thought it was diabolical. The worst punishment was her look of disappointment. She said she didn’t think disappointment covered it. Okay. She’d call the Quartermaines. He thanked her and said he was grateful, and she said he should be. And not just to her. What he did was illegal and underhanded and just plain stupid. He could lose his law license. He won’t be able to shove this off. She was sorry, but he couldn’t live with her and Doc anymore. He had to move out. Sonny knocked at the door and asked if it was a bad time. Laura said they were just finishing up, and Martin said she was telling him what he did was illegal, yet she couldn’t manage to cut ties with Sonny Corinthos. How was that fair?

Curtis told Marshall that the connection was still there, but he and Jordan hadn’t crossed any lines. That hadn’t eased Portia’s jealousy though. Marhsall asked where they stood. Would the divorce be amicable enough to raise a child together? Curtis said he didn’t think they’d stay amicable when Portia realized he wanted to be with Jordan.

Portia said she didn’t tell Curtis about the pregnancy to spare him the pain in case she miscarried. Jordan never thought about that, and just assumed her pregnancy was another opening to make herself look good and her look bad. Jordan said, not everything was about Portia. She was never out to get her. Portia said it didn’t matter. Jordan was welcome to try meeting Curtis’s impossible standard. Jordan said being honest with her husband shouldn’t be an impossible standard to meet, and Portia said Curtis would end up disappointed like last time. Jordan might have Curtis, but she’d never get Portia’s child.

Drew said, Alexis was inviting him to her house? and Alexis said she’d do anything to make things comfortable for Scout. So, yes, he was invited to join them. Drew asked who else would be there, and she said, Kristina and Molly, and she would like to invite Danny. He’s Sam’s son and Scout’s brother. Drew said, absolutely not. Danny couldn’t control himself around him and would cause a scene and make it worse. If she let Danny around Scout, she’d never see Scout again.

Sidwell asked how fast Britt deteriorated without Faison’s experimental medication, and she said he made his point. She’d tell Dalton that she’s in. He asked if she thought Dalton had been approached by other buyers or was he blowing smoke, but she said she didn’t know. She’d find out. He said, see that she did, and left.

Britt came out and saw Jason at the reception desk.

Olivia said Tracy wasn’t making sense. Ronnie was Monica’s sister, which made her family. It was cruel. Tracy asked how she was the bad guy. Ronnie tried to steal the house. Michael said that proved she was one of them. She stood up to Drew and tore into him. Ned suggested Tracy take the win without humiliating Ronnie, but Tracy said, that’s not the Quartermaine way. They defeated their enemies and made examples of them. Olivia said maybe it was time to make a change, at least a little, and Brook said if Tracy insisted on throwing Ronnie out, they were leaving too. Tracy said that was ridiculous, and Ronnie said they didn’t need to do that. Olivia said Leo was out trick-or-treating, so she could pack some bags, and Ned said he’d help her. Michael said him too. Tracy had lost her mind. Brook said admit Ronnie was part of the family or they were leaving, and Tracy said they could all get out.

Marshall said Portia wouldn’t be happy about Curtis going back to Jordan. She’d always had insecurities about their relationship. Curtis said he’d never given her a reason, but Marshall said the heart didn’t always need a reason. He was sure the connection could be seen. Curtis asked if Marshall had an issue with him and Jordan, and Marshall said, no. He was happy for Curtis and hoped they both had a future together if that’s what he wanted. But the baby was the first priority. Curtis said he was committed to being a hands-on father, and Marshall said, the last thing he wanted to do was end up in family court, fighting for the next 18 years.

Emma told Gio that maybe getting close to the Quartermaines was risky, but maybe it was worth it. Rocco came back and Gio asked how it went with Britt. Rocco said, not great.

Jason said he brought the insurance card for Britt’s car. He figured she’d need it. She tried to take it and dropped it. He put it back in her hand and asked what was going on. She said, nothing. She was just busy. He asked, what was upsetting her? She could tell him.

Laura asked Sonny to excuse her for a minute and told Martin that she wasn’t cutting ties with Sonny and he couldn’t live in her house. Sonny didn’t live in her house. Martin said he lived there. He did business there all over her city. If he was out by Sunday, was that acceptable? She said it was fine, and Martin left. Sonny said he came to give her a heads up. Sidwell confronted him at the MetroCourt and it seemed like Sidwell was putting him on notice. Laura said her too.

Ronnie said she didn’t want the family to split up because of her. It was her fault. She went along with Martin’s fraud. Tracy told her not to be a martyr, and Ronnie said she was agreeing with Tracy, but Tracy said she didn’t need any help. Brook said it wasn’t about Ronnie. It was about her grandmother’s need to control everything. It didn’t take anything away from her to accept Ronnie into the family. Tracy asked if she was saying it was okay for Ronnie to go along with Martin’s fraud, but Brook said, no, but making a mistake – even a big one – didn’t exclude her from the family. Michael said, it was a requirement, but Tracy said she wanted Ronnie gone. If they didn’t like it, they could leave. Brook said, please don’t do this. Don’t be spiteful. Take it back. She knew Tracy and her heart. She was kind, generous, and warm, but none of it would matter if she didn’t stop being so vicious. She loved Tracy, but couldn’t keep making excuses for her. Please, back down.

Alexis told Drew that Danny wouldn’t be not seeing Scout. Would she be seeing both of them tonight? Drew said he didn’t want to put a strain on the evening, so he’d stick with the original plan. He’d go to DC and Scout would stay with her. When he came back from DC, he’d hear her plan to free Willow and make Michael look guilty. As soon as Willow was acquitted, he’d make sure Michael was arrested. He left, and Alexis looked at her notepad and read, Portia alibi?

Jordan wondered why Portia would think she was trying to take her baby? Curtis was the baby’s father, and a father had rights. Portia said she wanted Curtis to be part of the baby’s life, not Jordan. Jordan said when and if she and Curtis finally got together, it would be between them and Portia didn’t have a say. Portia said Jordan took Curtis, but wouldn’t take her child. When it came to Jordan or her baby, she knew who Curtis would choose. Portia left.

Curtis said he agreed with everything Marshall was saying, but even without Jordan in the equation, the marriage was over. Marshall asked if they’d filed, but Curtis said not until the investigation into Drew’s shooting was over. They needed spousal protection, so they weren’t compelled to testify against each other. Marshall said, so two good reasons to keep his distance from Jordan until the divorce was final.

Rocco said he was sorry. He was useless and it got awkward. He just wanted to get out. Emma said it was okay. He did the right thing. Gio said they’d find another way, and Rocco told them he said he’d get it and he would. He blew it this time, but Britt was nice and he knew he could try again. Emma said, we’ll see, but Rocco said he wasn’t being brushed off. He needed to save the animals in Dalton’s lab. He knew he could get close to Britt again and when he did, he’d get the key fob.

Jason asked if Britt’s symptoms were coming back, but she said it had been an emotional day. Rocco was there earlier. He barged into an exam room, she was startled and yelled. From the way he ran out, she didn’t think she’d be hearing from him again. He said Rocco wouldn’t be scared off that easy. He wanted to get to know her better and he thought Rocco should. She could be somebody good in his life. She told him, ridiculous. It was Halloween, not April Fool’s Day. She walked away.

Laura said Sidwell wanted her to publicly endorse Measure C and denounce Sonny. He was fixated on getting the piers and she was afraid of what he might do to make that happen. Sonny said, don’t worry. He’d get Sidwell to leave her alone. She said he couldn’t, and he said Sidwell didn’t fight fair. She said she appreciated his concern, but she couldn’t come to him to solve her problems. She’d deal with Sidwell in her own way.

Ned said it wasn’t too late for Tracy to change her mind, but she said Ronnie needed to leave immediately. And if the rest were going with her, get out. She opened the door, and they looked at each other. Ronnie left, and they followed, Ned last. He said Tracy needed her family. She had her whole life to learn that lesson and it still hadn’t stuck. Don’t throw her family out for spite. That wasn’t why Monica gave her the house. He left, and she slammed the door.

Wednesday:

Turner meets Sonny at hatchet range and said, a hatchet range on Halloween. What could possibly go wrong?

Gio went to the Quartermaine mansion and found Tracy. He said he thought Ronnie kicked her out, but Tracy said there had been a reversal of fortune… in her favor. Apparently, Monica hadn’t given the house to Ronnie. Monica gave it to her.

Outside of Bobbie’s, James complained to Spinelli and Felicia about not going to the street that had full-size candy bars. Felicia said they would have been late. They promised James’s dad they’d stop by so he could see James’s costume. They went inside and James ran to Cody.

Molly asked what Scout was looking at, and Scout said her friends were posting about her school’s Trunk Or Treat. Kristina said it wasn’t too late to go, but Scout said she didn’t want to dress up. She used to love Halloween. Not anymore.

Danny went to Alexis’s office, and she asked if she was keeping him from his Halloween plans. He said it only brought back memories of losing his mom.

Jason went to Anna’s office, and she said she needed a favor. He and Britt had a good relationship, right? Jason said he wasn’t sure really… and she said Britt trusted him more than anyone. She needed him to talk to Britt for her, because she needed to know if Faison was still alive.

Kristina said it was okay to feel sad, and Molly said they were sad too. Kristina said Scout’s mom would want her to celebrate, and Molly asked if Scout wanted to stay home and watch Hocus Pocus. Scout said she guessed that would be okay, and Molly said she ordered something better than candy. It was a surprise. She left to get it.

Felicia introduced Cody to Nathan and said he was James’s riding instructor and friend. James said, and his uncle. Did Cody like his costume? This year, he was a real cowboy, like Cody. Cody said they were Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and James said, who? Cody said, never mind. He was old. James asked if Cody wanted to help him sort candy, and Cody looked at Nathan. Nathan said, go ahead, and went back to his table. Felicia followed and sked if he was all right. He said it was hard to compete with a real-life cowboy. Felicia said James was eager to get to know Nathan. Give it time and they’d form their own special bond.

Turner said Sonny promised her a home cooked meal, and Sonny said he was going to make pizza, but changed his mind and made lasagna. She wouldn’t mind after tasting it. She said they were eating lasagna here? and he said he paid the owner to use the oven. She asked if he’d rented the space, and he said there were no customers or staff. They could eat there, and her reputation would be intact. She said it was considerate… unless it was a trap. He’d invited her to a space with sharp weapons and no witnesses. He said if she didn’t feel safe, she didn’t have to stay, but she picked up a hatchet and said she didn’t scare that easily.

Tracy said she’d found the real will before Ronnie had a chance to sell to Drew, but Gio said Ronnie decided not to go through with it. She said if he believed her family’s story, it happened before she got there, but it wasn’t Ronnie’s to sell anyway. He said he came over to help everyone pack, but they were probably celebrating. Where was everybody? Tracy said she kicked them out.

Jason said, when Jack told Anna that Faison and Sidwell had been working together, he didn’t mean to imply Faison was alive, but Anna said she’d been to the funerals of two people who came back to town. Forgive her if she needed certainty. After Faison’s death, it was the first time she felt like she could breathe again. Now she had the familiar feeling in the pit of her stomach of Faison’s presence.

Alexis said Danny had been strong, especially for his sister. He didn’t have to hide his grief, especially from her. She knew he missed his mom. They all did. Danny said he did miss her a lot, but he could deal with it. It was Scout she should be worried about. He wasn’t alone, but thanks to Drew, Scout was. It wasn’t fair. Alexis agreed and said Drew was wrong, and Danny said, the worst part was, when his mom went into surgery, the one thing she asked him to do was look after Scout. Now he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t even see her. Alexis said none of this was his fault, but he said he’d screwed up. He let his mom down.

Kristina decorated pumpkins with Scout and said, Scout’s mom was so good at this. Scout said she liked hearing about her mom. Her dad didn’t talk about her. He only talked about Willow. Kristina said she loved talking about Scout’s mom. So did Molly and her grandma. If Scout missed her mom or wanted to hear stories about her, come ask.

Spinelli asked how it was going, and Nathan said he was trying to hide his jealousy over James being more attached to Cody instead of him. He was grateful that James had so many people in his life who cared about him, especially since Maxie wasn’t there. Felicia said, one night, James had a nightmare, and Cody was the only one who could help. Spinelli said that’s why it was imperative that they didn’t disrupt James’s life and he was surrounded by his loved ones. Nathan asked if that was a polite way of telling him not to enforce custody.

James said Cody could have all of the lollipops, since he said he liked them, but Cody suggested they check and see if James’s dad liked them. James said, when they were done sorting, when Molly approached the table. Cody asked what was in the box, and Molly said, Halloween cupcakes. Cody asked James if it was okay if he helped Molly take them to the car. Molly said she didn’t need help, but Cody insisted.

Turmer threw a hatchet, and Sonny said she threw it like she throws a softball. She said she’d improved greatly, but he said she was on the bench halfway through summer. She said she learned by watching other people play. She kept coming to make sure he didn’t cheat again, but just because she hadn’t caught him didn’t mean he didn’t cheat. Sonny said he’d managed to slip through her fingers once again.

Anna said she knew it sounded crazy, but Jason said, no. He knew she was scared of Faison. He’d done terrible things to her and other people. Anna said she felt guilty because she hadn’t stopped him early on, but Jason said she wasn’t responsible for Faison’s actions. She said maybe she felt like his reign of terror was her fault since he came to Port Charles because of her. If somehow he was still alive, she wanted to finish him. Jason said he’d be happy to talk to Britt. He’d asked her if Faison had any connection to the Five Poppies, but they’d had to put the conversation on hold. When he circled back, he’d fill her in. Anna thanked him and said she felt he was the only person she could trust. He thanked her and said he’d shot Faison. It wasn’t staged. It was real. The man was dead.

Danny told Alexis that he should have sucked up to Drew and acted sorry. Then maybe he could see his sister now. Alexis said, he could apologize a thousand times and it wouldn’t have changed. When Drew saw Danny, he saw his father. It wasn’t Danny or his father’s fault. It was all Drew’s fault. Danny said he couldn’t stop himself from ripping into Drew, and she said that was his mom. When she had something to say, she said it, and didn’t care what anybody thought. Danny said he missed her, especially tonight. He couldn’t believe it had been a year. She said neither could she (me too), but what made it bearable was him and his sister. When she looked at them, she saw the best parts of Sam and Sam lived on through the two of them. They hugged.

Scout asked what Kristina missed the most about Sam, and Kristina said, Sam loved adventure. She was always sky diving or scuba diving or riding motorcycles. And she could fix anything. She was really smart. Sam would tell her that it was okay to be sad, but it was important to have hope and remember that tomorrow could be a better day. Scout said sometimes it was hard, and Kristina said she was in a tough place right now, but she wasn’t alone. Sam was watching over her and Scout had her and Molly and her grandma. She was a Davis Girl, and they stuck together no matter what. Kristina and Scout hugged.

Spinelli said he was asking Nathan’s intentions and apologized for not being more direct. Nathan said he got it. It was a complicated situation. He had rights, but as much as he’d like to be a full-time dad, he didn’t think he was ready for it and neither was James. Spinelli asked if that meant James could continue living with him and James’s sisters, and Nathan said, yes. They’d revisit it down the road, but for now he’d like to get to know his son better. Cody said he had to help Molly and hustled her out. Outside, she asked what was wrong with him, and he said James was ignoring his dad because of him and Nathan felt bad. The cupcakes were an excuse leave when Molly came in. Molly said, that was actually really thoughtful.

Tracy told Gio that when Ronnie was exposed, she told Ronnie that she was no longer welcome and to leave immediately. Her family took exception and told her that she should apologize because Ronnie was family. Gio said he understood why she was mad, but Ronnie had already come clean and felt bad about it. She asked if he was siding with Ronnie, and he said Ronnie had been a regular at Bobbie’s since he started and he’d gotten to know her. She made a mistake, but she was still a decent person. Tracy said Ronnie tried to steal her home and he wanted her to apologize because Ronnie chickened out of her own scheme? He said he thought she should cut Ronnie some slack, but she said she wasn’t in the slack cutting business. If her family couldn’t accept that, they were free to live somewhere else. The good news was, there was more room for him.

Turner said the lasagna was mind blowing, and Sonny asked if that meant she forgave him. She said, for trapping her in such a way that she couldn’t prosecute his son? The PCPD was prosecuting Willow, not Michael. She didn’t have to recuse herself. He said he strongly suggested she did.

Anna said she knew it sounded far-fetched that Faison was alive, but Nathan also took a bullet to the chest. Jason said, Nathan was younger and stronger. Faison was old and battling Huntington’s Disease. There was no way he’d survive. She said, when it came to Faison, she had no rationale. It was like a form of PTSD. The fear just overwhelmed her and she felt paralyzed. He said maybe that’s exactly what they wanted, and she said, who? He said, Sidwell and whoever he was doing business with. Maybe they were using the threat of Faison to mess with her head.

James gave Nathan a lollipop, saying Nathan told him grape was his favorite when he was in the hospital. Nathan thanked him for remembering, and Felicia asked James to tell him what happened at Mrs. Somebody’s house. James said when she opened the door, her cat Toodles ran out, climbed up a tree, and wouldn’t get down. Spinelli said a squad car came by and the officers retrieved the cat, and James asked if Nathan rescued any cats when he was a cop. Nathan said he did, but the cat wasn’t happy and scratched him all the way down. Spinelli said, Toodles wasn’t happy either, and James said too bad Nathan couldn’t come with them. Maybe next year. Nathan said he’d love that.

Molly said she had to stop assuming the worst about Cody, and he said he’d done some stupid things. She said he was also kind, considerate, and heroic, like when he rescued her dad from the woods. She had to get going, but promised to look for ways to stop the sale of the Quartermaine estate. He said she didn’t have to. It was no longer going to be sold.  

Tracy said she knew it was awkward with Gio and his parents, but Brook and Olivia were gone, and Dante would want to clear out. He had his pick of rooms. Gio said things were good at his grandfather’s, but Tracy said he wasn’t safe at Sonny’s. He asked why she thought Monica left her the house in the first place, and she said she had no idea. She thought it would go to Michael. He said, the will didn’t say why? and Tracy said, nope. He asked if she wanted to hear his theory, and she said, nope, but he said he was going to tell her. He thought Monica left the house to her because Monica trusted her to hold the family together. Tracy laughed.

Jason said he had no trouble believing that Faison and Sidwell worked together. Now that Faison was dead, it seemed that Sidwell and his new partner realized making Anna think he was still alive would work to their advantage. She asked, how so? and he said she was a great Police Commissioner. If she was in her head and looking over her shoulder, it gave them a better chance of accomplishing their goals, whatever those might be. She said, the right form of manipulation, and he said, exactly. Don’t fall for it. His phone chimed and he said it was Danny. He had to go. She thanked him for talking her down, and he said if she needed him, let him know. She said it went both ways, and he left.

Turner said she couldn’t prosecute Michael because of her personal dealings with Sonny. That wasn’t an issue with Willow. Sonny suggested she have one of her assistants do it, but she said it was a high-profile case involving a US congressman. No way was she handing it off. He said, Alexis would put her on trial. She’d make Turner look like an overblown prosecutor out to make a name for herself by picking on innocent Willow. She said she knew Alexis was good at her job, but so was she. She wasn’t going to lose. He said, winning was just as bad. It was going to earn her the wrath of Congressman Cain. He’d do everything he could to make sure to end her career. She was damned if she did and damned if she didn’t. She asked if he was trying to protect her, and he said, yeah. She said she didn’t buy it for one second.

She said she could literally feel him working an angle. Her first guess was that he wanted someone with less experience. Michael would be safe, and Willow was the mother of his grandchildren. For their sake, he’d want Willow exonerated. Everyone would get off scot-free. He said it was no secret that she wanted to take him down, but to do that she had to keep her job. His advice was to stay clear of the trial.

Molly opened the box to a bunch of squashed cupcakes, and Scout said they looked really Halloweenie. Kristina asked, what happened? and Molly said, the cupcakes were a little manhandled. They’d still taste great. She ran into James and his family. Scout said she bet James was dressed like a cowboy, and Kristina wondered if he was the only cowboy. Molly said, Cody was there, and Kristina asked if he had anything to do with the manhandled cupcakes. Molly said, he did, but his heart was in the right place. She went to put the cupcakes in the kitchen.

Danny said, Alexis thought he was like his mom? and she said, 100%. He had her resolve, loyalty, and compassion, all of her best qualities. He said that meant a lot, and she said Sam would have been proud to see the young man he’d become. She was. Jason knocked at the door and asked if Danny was ready to go. Danny gave Alexis a bag of peanut butter cups and asked her to give them to Scout. They were their mom’s favorites and Scout loved them too. Tell her they were from him. He left with Jason and asked where they were sleeping tonight. Jason said he had good news.

Tracy asked why Monica would trust her to keep the family together, and Gio said she had already been doing it. She fought for her grandchildren to stay there when Michael was in the hospital. She stopped Drew from demolishing the crypt. She prevented the house from being sold. She said that was because she was always up for a good fight. She wasn’t the glue that kept the family together. She was too harsh and unforgiving. He said all they’d asked was for her to acknowledge Ronnie as part of the family and act a little nicer. That’s what heads of the family were expected to do. Whether she was ready or not, she was the head of the Quartermaines now.

In the car, Anna left a message for Jack. She said call her back when he had the chance. Sidwell and his associates were using the specter of Faison as a smokescreen. Maybe if they pooled their resources, they could figure out who Sidwell was working with. Call her back. As she started the car, someone in the back seat put a cloth over her face.

Turner said Sonny’s motives were suspect, but his argument made sense. She could end up in a no win situation. Sonny said, pass it on to someone else, but she said, no. She was a damn good prosecutor, and she’d beat Alexis and find a way to placate Congressman Cain. When she put her mind to something, she could overcome any odds. She threw a hatchet and got a bullseye.

Felicia put a birthday cake with one candle on the table, and James said, she got his mom a cake? Felicia said it was her birthday, and James said, but she wasn’t there to blow out the candles. Spinelli said, maybe James could do it for her, and Felicia said his mom would like that very much. Nathan asked what his mom would wish for, and James said, to be there with them, and blew out the candle.

Alexis arrived home, and Kristina said, Molly got cupcakes they weren’t allowed to eat until she got there. Alexis said she had something better, and brought out the bag of peanut butter cups. They toasted with the candy and said, to Sam. Scout said, to mommy, and they had a group hug.

Tracy said she wasn’t head of the family. It wasn’t a job she was suited for. Gio said, Monica thought she was. That’s why she left the house to Tracy. The house would tie her to the family and the family to her. Tracy asked if it was a hostage situation, and he said, exactly. Admit it. She needed them as much as they needed her. She said he was right. She needed her family and so did he. Jason came in with Danny, and Danny said there were no cars. Where was everybody? Tracy said she didn’t know, but hopefully they’d all be home soon. She looked at Gio.

Anna woke up cuffed to a chair in a basement or warehouse or wherever kidnappers put their victims. She yelled, help! Anybody! A man’s voice came over an intercom said, be at peace, Anna. You’re on your way to a new life. She yelled, noooo!

Thursday:

Lucas was on the phone about a patient when Ava came out. She told Lucas that she couldn’t hear enough about urine output first thing in the morning, or ever. But she was glad she was up because they needed  to have a serious conversation about his exit strategy.

Jack told Josslyn and Vaughn that they had no ID on the person running the operation at the Five Poppies. They knew it was the final project of Cesar Faison and Faison had been working with Jenz Sidwell. Sidwell was their next target. Josslyn wondered if they were going in through Sidwell’s son.

Jordan said the polls were too close to call. The city seemed to be evenly divided on Measure C. Marco said they’d have to call in every favor, and Sidwell said there was too much invested to lose. Pascal entered the room, and Sidwell introduced him to Jordan as his new butler. Pascal asked if he could offer them some coffee.

Britt brought Portia coffee, but Portia said she was fine with her tea. Britt said she needed a teeny tiny favor.

Alexis thanked Felicia for coming by, and Felicia asked what Alexis needed her to do. Alexis said, that depended on whether or not Felicia still had her PI license.

Ned, Olivia, Dante, Brook, and Chase went into Bobbie’s and Ned told Gio, breakfast for five. Dante said it looked like they’d be his new regulars.

Tracy answered the door to Ronnie, who said, Tracy wanted to see her?

Jack told Josslyn that Marco was where he was headed. Sidwell had retained him as an attorney. Vaughn said they didn’t know if Marco was aware of the project, much less involved, but Josslyn said they were close and lived in the same house. Jack said Josslyn’s Uncle Lucas was Marco’s boyfriend, which made Josslyn their way in.

Ava said she’d enjoyed having Lucas there and they’d gotten to know each other, and Lucas said he knew the apartment wasn’t big enough for both of them. She said, that’s it. Of course (🍷) he could stay until he found a place. Did he have any idea when he would? He said Marco had been dropping hints about living together and it would be great, but it was too soon.

Jordan said, barring mayoral support, it was highly unlikely Measure C would pass, and Marco said the mayor was in Sonny’s pocket. Jordan said they needed a back-up plan. Maybe Sidwell should look at another property on the waterfront. Sidwell said, absolutely not. The piers were across from Spoon Island and ideal for moving cargo. The piers were a blight on the city, as was their owner. Sonny Corinthos must be stopped.

Felicia said she kept her license up to date. Why? Alexis said she needed a PI and Felicia was in the unique position to investigate this particular matter. Felicia assured her that what Alexis said would stay between them whether she took the job or not, and Alexis said she needed to know Portia’s whereabouts the night Drew was shot.

Portia said, Britt wanted her to sponsor her reaccreditation as a doctor in the state of New York? Why? Britt said her talent was being wasted for no good reason, and Portia said, she’d faked her own death. Britt said going into hiding was personal and had nothing to do with her work, but Portia said it was fraud. Britt said no charges had been filed. She’d been in a fugue state, but was better now. Portia asked how she was feeling healthwise, and Britt said her symptoms seemed to be under control. That’s why she wanted to do what she was trained to do while she was still healthy. Portia said she understood, but had a full plate, and Britt said she’d take care of the red tape. All she needed was Portia’s support.

Gio said, congratulations. He heard Drew didn’t buy the house. Tracy told him when he stopped by. He thought they might need help packing, but was glad he was wrong. Brook said they might need help after all. They all moved out.

Tracy asked if Ronnie wanted some coffee. She supposed tea was out of the question… Too soon. Ronnie said she didn’t want anything. She had no time, so cut to the chase. She knew Tracy’s family wouldn’t come back until Tracy apologized to her. So let’s hear what you’ve got. Tracy said Ronnie attempted to hoodwink her family out of their estate. Luckily, she was unsuccessful. She thought Ronnie probably came clean to avoid a lengthy legal battle… but she’s very grateful that Ronnie admitted fraud… and very sorry if her reaction to Ronnie’s flagrant deceit upset her. Ronnie said, okay… Apology not accepted.

Jack said Josslyn was close to Lucas, and Vaughn said, because of Colette, Sidwell probably knew Josslyn was WSB. Jack said Josslyn would be dealing with Marco and Lucas exclusively. She’d have to walk a fine line and convince Marco that she was simply Lucas’s young friendly niece. Josslyn said she would and asked if all her assignments would involve her lying to her family.

Lucas told Ava that when he lived in Boston he didn’t date or socialize. He just threw himself into his work. When he came back, he had to face Brad. He thought they could be friends, but they fell into old patterns. In Miami, they fell into each other’s arms… almost. Brad admitted blackmailing Portia, and he was mad at himself for trusting Brad, so he had a few too many and there was Marco. Ava said he traded way up, but he said that wasn’t the point. There had been no time between Brad and Marco. What if Marco was just a rebound?

Sidwell said the most effective legal route was the election. If his sway with Mayor Collins was unsuccessful, he’d have to find another way to persuade her. In the meantime, he was looking at Jordan and Marco to see the campaign through to the end. Jordan spoke French to Pascal about coffee and welcomed him to Port Charles.

Ronnie said, it wasn’t a sincere apology, but Tracy told her that she’d said the words, I’m sorry. Ronnie said she didn’t want the family to deprive themselves of their home because of her. So she’d tell them Tracy apologized. Tracy said, no time like the present, and Ronnie said she’d tell them Tracy cried too. She was trying to help put the family back together again. Monica didn’t leave Tracy the house because Tracy cared about the property. She left it to her because Tracy took care of the entire family. She’d do anything to protect to protect them. Tracy said she protected the family from Ronnie, and Ronnie said she was glad. She made a terrible mistake, but the rest saw past that and welcomed her with kindness. She’d never forget that. Tracy had yet to admit she ever did anything wrong. Tracy said because she hadn’t.  

Felicia told Alexis that it made sense to cast suspicion elsewhere and Portia made some sense. The bad blood between Curtis and Drew was very public and rumor had it that Drew targeted Stella in the insurance investigation. Alexis said he did. She defended Stella and Drew instigated all of it. Felicia said Portia must have been furious that Drew used his political power to go after Stella, but that didn’t mean she’d shot him, and Alexis said she wasn’t accusing anyone. She was just looking to find out if Portia had been on call. If she was, it wasn’t an issue, but if she wasn’t, Alexis wanted Felicia to keep looking.

Portia said she needed to know Britt was committed to the job, and Britt said she wasn’t going anywhere. Portia said it was one thing to say it and another to actually do it. Why didn’t they revisit it in six months? Britt asked if that wasn’t when Portia would be going on maternity leave.

Lucas said he had legitimate concerns and it wouldn’t be fair to Marco to take the next step if he wasn’t sure, and Ava said she wasn’t telling him to move in with Marco. It was clear Lucas had deep feelings that had nothing to do with Brad. Don’t let a bad thing ruin a good thing. He said he wasn’t sure it was going to work out, and she said he wanted a guarantee, but there were no guarantees in life. The only guarantee was that if he didn’t choose to move on, he never would.

Marco wondered if it was wise for Sidwell to bring Pascal to Port Charles, but Sidwell said Pascal had the perfect cover. He’d done an excellent job at the Five Poppies and if the election didn’t go their way, they’d need a new strategy, which was in Pascal’s wheelhouse. Marco said he needed a favor. He’d like to ask Lucas to move in. Lucas was crashing with his Aunt Ava, and his living situation wasn’t ideal. Things were great between them, and he thought they were ready to take the next step. Sidwell said he was happy to hear it. Under normal circumstances, it would be fine, but most of Port Charles believed they were law abiding citizens when they were anything but. They were undertaking two monumental tasks – Faison’s final project and obliterating Sonny’s hold on Port Charles. One was illegal and the other effected Lucas’s family. They clearly had strong feelings, but don’t let Lucas become a liability. Marco said he could protect Lucas, but Sidwell said the best way to do that was to keep him far away.

Olivia said, Ronnie made several mistakes, and Dante said she committed actual crimes. Olivia said, but she couldn’t go through with it because she was a stand-up woman. She was talked into doing bad by that shyster Martin Green. Brook said, but she wouldn’t have gone through with it if granny hadn’t been so horrible, and Olivia said, Tracy finally got what she wanted, but couldn’t let it go. She said Ronnie would never be a member of the family and kicked her out. Michael said Ronnie was a member of the family and they walked out with her in solidarity. Gio asked what the end game was, and Brook said they wanted Tracy to apologize. When she did, they’d move back in. Ned said he needed to get an appointment with Lucy. They all did. His mother would die before she apologized.

Tracy asked what she did wrong. She’d been defending the family home, Monica’s legacy. Ronnie said Tracy had been judging her from the second they met. She took one look at Ronnie and decided she wasn’t good enough for the family and was here to pull a fast one. Tracy said she was right, but Ronnie said she was wrong. She’d come to say goodbye to her sister and hoped to meet some of her family. Thankfully, she did and they were wonderful to her. They made her feel like a part of the family. She thought that was her sister’s final gift to her – a family. She started to cry and said, so if Tracy said a proper apology, she’d accept it. Otherwise, just put a sock in it. Tracy said, what did you say?

Portia closed the door, and Britt said she could recognize a pregnant woman a mile away. Portia was avoiding coffee and the cafeteria, and looked exhausted… She meant, glowing. Portia said she preferred to keep it private until after her first trimester, and Britt said privacy was important during early pregnancy, but what else was important was that she was trying to get in the good graces of the medical establishment. Portia said, and if she agreed to sponsor Britt, Britt would keep her mouth shut. Britt said Portia was a fantastic problem solver.

Felicia said she’d search Portia’s schedule and patient records, unless it violated HIPPA. She’d be in touch and let Alexis know what she found. Alexis thanked her and said she knew Felicia had a full plate with Nathan. Was there any word on Maxie? Felicia said, Maxie was stable – no better, no worse. Last night, they had a birthday party for her at Bobbie’s. James blew out his mother’s candle. It was really hard, but good. The children missed their mother because they loved her of course (🍷), but more important, they believed in her. Alexis said they all believed in Maxie.

Jack said, if Sidwell succeeded in taking the project to fruition, it would cause innumerable miseries, and Josslyn said she’d do it and keep Jack apprised of her progress. Vaughn asked to speak with Jack in private, and Josslyn left. Vaughn said he was going to say what Josslyn couldn’t. The job was way too dangerous.

Ronnie asked how much she needed to repeat, and Tracy told her that she’d said, put a sock in it. That was something Monica used to say to her all the time. Ronnie told her that they always said that to each other as kids, and Tracy teared up. She said, okay. She was sorry that Ronnie didn’t get to reunite with her sister before she died. She was sorry that she judged Ronnie before she took the time to get to know her and so sorry she doubted Ronnie’s love for her sister and her sister’s love for her. She didn’t know if Ronnie could, but if she could find it in her heart, please forgive her.

Vaughn said there were too many variables in Port Charles that could lead Sidwell to ID Josslyn as an agent working an op, and Jack said, that’s why he was going to keep close eyes on her. She knew how to avoid Sidwell. Vaughn said she didn’t have experience in evaluating risk, and Jack said Vaughn’s personal feelings were clouding his judgment. Vaughn said he was overestimating Josslyn’s ability to understand this was absolutely imperative, and Jack asked if Vaughn understood. Vaughn said he did, and Jack said Marco was the only way in and they’d take it regardless of the risk. They had to shut the project down.

Josslyn went to see Lucas, who asked, what was the occasion? She said she had some free time and hadn’t bugged him in a while, and he suggested it wait until after breakfast. He’d make her an omelet. She said, absolutely, and he said she’d just missed Ava. She told him not to take it the wrong way, but how did he live with that woman? and he said he thought she’d be surprised how much she had in common with Ava.

Marco said Lucas had no use for Sonny and would probably vote for Measure C, and Sidwell said, what of the other matter? What they were doing was highly illegal and very dangerous. What if Lucas saw something he shouldn’t? Marco said it was a huge house. Half the time, Lucas was at the hospital, and they’d be together most of the time. It wouldn’t be a problem. Sidwell said, maybe, but why take the chance? and Marco said Lucas was being cautious about taking the next step. Pascal listened in, and Marco said he knew already that Lucas wanted to live together. He’d mentioned it briefly once before. He honestly believed once Lucas was there, he’d realize the next step wasn’t so scary and could be really great. He was falling in love with Lucas.

Gio said, don’t sign any leases yet. Tracy might surprise them. Ned said possibly, but his mother’s surprises were never good ones. Ronnie walked in and Olivia asked her to join them, but she said she just came to get a coffee to go. She was going to the airport and going home to Durham, but she was glad she ran into them because she just came from Tracy’s house. Michael said they all considered her family, no matter what, and Brook said, no matter what Tracy said, they did care about her. Ronnie thanked them, and Gio asked what Tracy did. Ronnie said, she didn’t apologize at first, but then…

Tracy opened the door, and everyone was there. She said they were back, and Ned said, rumor had it she apologized to Ronnie, and they owed her an apology as well. Brook said she was sorry. Tracy knew something about the will wasn’t right. She was right and they were wrong. She was wrong. Michael said so was he. He should have trusted her judgement and had the will investigated for forgery. He should have supported her. Olivia said, Tracy knew what Monica wanted and was willing to fight again for her family to make it happen. She didn’t know what she was thinking banning Tracy from the MetroCourt. Tracy said neither did she, and Olivia said she was sorry. Brook said she was sorry for questioning Tracy’s movies and intentions. She should have trusted how close Tracy and Monica were instead of giving her grief. Tracy said she was used to it, and Ned thanked her for sticking to her guns, fighting for the family, and showing how far a Quartermaine would go to protect those they loved. She worked things out – Tracy said she did – and they’d like to come back. Tracy said, welcome home, and Ned told everybody to show her how glad they were. Tracy said, no, no, no! but they enveloped her in a group hug. She laughed and yelled for help.

Gio said he was glad he saw Ronnie before she left town, and she said she knew he was working and came to see him. She also figured she’d pass on the news that Tracy apologized. She didn’t expect to see the whole family. He said, neither did he, but he wasn’t shocked. Tracy would do literally anything to keep the family together, and not just for Monica. All she had to do was say a few words, apologize, and it would be okay. Ronnie said, for some people, especially people like Tracy, nothing was harder than to say I’m sorry and mean it, because they thought it was risking too much if it should go sideways. He said, that was true of all of them sometimes, and she said it was also true that if you had the courage to say the words, most of the time, it worked out. It did for her. She could have ended up in prison. He said, here she was, and she said, here she was. She came to Port Charles to find a sister she lost a long time ago, and she did, but she also found a family. He said, even Tracy. You took the bad with the good. She said, he was so very good. She hoped he would allow her to consider him family too, and he said it was more than all right. She said, in that case, could she offer a tiny bit of unsolicited advice from his Aunt Ronnie? One day, he might say a few words to Brook and Dante. He said, maybe one day he would, and she said she hoped so. She had to get going and call her Ride Share. He said his shift just ended and he didn’t let family take cabs to the airport. He’d give her a ride. He held out his arm and she took it, saying she’d like that so very much.

Portia said, here’s the deal. She’d help Britt. She knew Britt was a good doctor and believed she wanted to stay at GH. But whatever influence Britt thought she had over her would go away soon. Everybody would know she was pregnant, but Britt would still need her help. So straighten up and fly right. Her word went both ways with the licensing board. She could help Britt or sink her.

Alexis said she knew it was hard for Felicia, and Felicia said she knew how much Alexis was missing Sam, especially now. They hugged, and Felicia said she’d let Alexis know what she learned about Portia. Alexis thanked her and she left.

Sidwell asked Pascal, open up the north tower and air it out. His son and his boyfriend were moving in together. Pascal said, if he may, while having Sidwell’s son here was wonderful, was cohabitating wise given their current endeavors? Sidwell said Lucas made his son happy. He trusted Pascal to keep an eye on Lucas and keep him away from anything he should go near. Should he learn something he shouldn’t, given his ties to the community, he would need to be dealt with.

Josslyn said she and Ava were nothing alike, and Lucas said, they both couldn’t stand each other and were stubborn and direct. Ava didn’t shy away from telling him it was time to move out. He appreciated her being direct rather than getting resentful. He thought she and Josslyn had a similar approach. They said what they thought. Josslyn had a better track record with honesty, but he learned a thing or two from both of them. He could stand to take more risks, especially with moving on from the past. She told him, easy to say; hard to do, but he said, eventually he’d have to take that leap. She asked if he was talking about a speculative leap, and he said he’d tell her over breakfast. As they headed for the kitchen, there was a knock at the door. Lucas opened it to Marco, who said he knew it was sudden, but hear him out. They should move in together.

Jack told Vaughn that he told Anna, he thought her concerns were overblown, but the truth was, she was right. Faison was a lunatic and whatever his plan, they needed to stop it. Vaughn said it would be easier if they knew what it was, and Jack said, whatever they thought, it was worse. His phone rang, and when he answered, Anna said, something happened.  

🫔 Friday’s Enchilada…

Laura goes to Jack’s office, and he thanks her for coming. She says he’s welcome. Unless of course (🍷) the real reason is that he’d like to advocate for Charlotte to have more visits with Valentin. In that case, she has to warn him that he’ll be wasting his time, and hers. He says he invited her in her official capacity as mayor. He’s afraid it’s about her Polica Commissioner. She says, Anna? Does he have some kind of problem about how Anna is doing her job? He says, Laura is the one with the problem. Anna’s not doing her job at all. She’s gone.

At Bobbie’s, Emma tells Charlotte that she managed to get her hands on the PCU master key, but by the time she had her hands on it, Dalton had beefed up security to the lab. So now the only way to access it was with a key fob. Charlotte asks how they get their hands on one of those. Emma sees Britt at the counter.

On the phone, Britt says she’s not coming in. The mayoral debate will be a nightmare with the traffic. If they need her call. Better yet, don’t. She orders a triple-shot latte, when Emma says, it’s on her. A peace offering.

Lucas says, Marco wants him to move in? and Marco says he knows it’s a big step and they have a lot to consider and discuss. It’s a conversation he’d like to have… if Lucas wants to. Lucas says he does. Just not in front of his niece. Josslyn waves to Marco.

Lulu tells Charlotte, look what she found, handing her a tablet. She moved one of Tracy’s many boxes, and there it was. She also found ten dollars. Charlotte says they’re all having a great day, and Lulu says, now that the electronic emergency is over, she has news about Charlotte’s father.

Steinmauer. Valentin says he wasn’t expecting to see his lawyer quite so soon, and Carly (as Miss Saunders) says, don’t get used to it. If all goes according to plan, he’ll never see her in this place again.

Jason tells Sonny, the deal is done. The Rochester piers belong to them now. Sonny says, so if the election goes sideways, he’ll still have operational ports, and Jason says, it’s a decent back-up plan. Sonny says, it’s convenient and efficient, and Jason says, and expensive. Sonny says, moving to Rochester is a stop gap, not a permanent solution, and Jason says, there’s a simpler solution to all of this. Sonny says, getting rid of Sidwell.

At Windymere, Ava says, the piece will be perfect on the wall above the stairs in the east wing, and Sidwell says, given her eye for art and exquisite taste, he’s more than intrigued. He was hoping for her input on another subject. She asks, what would that be? and he says, Sonny Corinthos.  

Ava says she does her best not to disappoint her clients, but she’s afraid she can’t be of assistance. When it comes to Avery’s father, her policy is to maintain a healthy distance from Sonny’s affairs. Sidwell says he understands and guesses that there was no amicable parting of the ways, and Ava flashes back to Sonny about to shoot her after the fire she started. She says, they’ve had their ups and downs, but after years of conflict, they’ve found a fragile peace and she’d like to keep it that way. He says he does not in any way mean to threaten her arrangement. All he wants is what she has – peace with Sonny. He’d like her expert opinion on how to achieve that. She says her hunch is that once Charlie went up in flames, any chance of peace went up with it, and he says, she can’t suggest… She tells him that she’s not saying it was his doing, but Sonny must think it was. Sidwell says, Sonny’s imagination is rather limited in that regard, and she says, if Sonny Corinthos perceives him as a threat to his children, there will be no peace, no compromise, and there will be no place to hide.

Jason says, Sidwell wants the piers and will stop at nothing to get them, and Sonny says he doesn’t use them for anything illegal anymore and doesn’t want to put them into the hands of someone who will. Jason says, if they lose the vote, they lose the piers, but they won’t have to worry if Sidwell is gone, and Sonny asks what Sidwell is bringing in. Jason says, rare earth minerals, which are dangerous, but he can’t find anything else. Neither can Brick. Sonny says, they’ve got to figure out what Sidwell is into. If Boyle beats Laura, that will mean Sidwell has a congressman and a mayor in his back pocket. Looking at the polls, it could happen. Jason says, if it does, it will be harder to stop him, and riskier. So it’s time maybe to take a shot before it’s too late.

Lucas says he and Josslyn were just talking about breakfast, and invites Marco in to score some. Josslyn says she’s going to head out. They’ll catch up another time. Hi, Marco; bye, Marco. She tells Lucas that she won’t say anything to anybody, and leaves.

Marco says, so much for his big romcom moment, and Lucas says, despite his niece being here for Marco’s grand romantic gesture, his timing was kind of perfect. Ava said it was time for him to go. Marco says, so it works in Lucas’s favor, and Lucas says, it does, but he can’t move in with Marco. Not right now. Marco asks, why not?

Britt says she’ll let Emma buy her a latte, and tells the server, cold foam triple shot and the biggest most expensive muffin you have. Emma asks them to add it to her bill and suggests they grab a seat while they wait. They sit down, and Britt says, peace offering, huh? What’s going on? Is she sick? Emma says she was just trying to apologize, and Britt says, since when would she do that? Emma says, since they were in Dalton’s office. She was really out of line with the things she said. She reverted to the bratty little girl who hated Britt years ago. She was wrong, not to mention unprofessional. Britt says, she was, and Emma says she’s very sorry. Nothing like that will ever happen again. She looks forward to working with Britt and Dalton. Britt says she hates to burst Emma’s bubble, but they won’t be working together. Emma isn’t going anywhere near the lab.

Lulu says, Jack Brennan is talking about moving Valentin from Steinmauer to a prison stateside, and Charlotte asks, where exactly? but Lulu says she doesn’t know yet. If her father is transferred, she’ll have more access to him and be able to see him more. Charlotte says, and the more information Brennan can get from him, and Lulu says Charlotte is too smart for her own good sometimes. She doesn’t want Charlotte to get excited. The deal might not happen. They have to wait and see. Charlotte says she knows things with her dad are complicated, but seeing him without crossing an ocean sounds great. Lulu says she’s happy that Brennan can possibly make it happen, but to say she was worried would be an understatement.

Valentin says, their partnership isn’t even off the ground yet and Carly is walking away? She’s leaving Josslyn at the mercy of Jack Brennan? He thought she was a better mother than that. Carly says, at least her children never had to visit her while she was interred in a maximum-security prison, and he says, there’s still time. She says she’s more determined than ever to protect her children and take Jack down. Now he’s made it more easy than ever.

Laura asks what Jack means, Anna is gone, and he says he received a phone call from Anna and the WSB recalled her to do a classified assignment. She says, no. Come on. If that was true, she would have heard from Anna. She wouldn’t just walk out on the job. Jack says he realizes the timing is an issue, but they made their pitch, and she had to decide then and there, and she says, and Anna told them yes and got on a plane. He says he’s only recounting the information he was given, and she says, what if she’d like to hear it from Anna herself? He says, as is so often the case in situations like this, she’s unreachable, and Laura says, of course (🍷) she is. The thing is, there’s a process to take a leave of absence from the police department. Is he telling her that Anna skipped that? He says he understands it’s inconvenient, and she says, how long will the city of Port Charles be without their Police Commissioner? He says, all he knows is that Anna isn’t returning until the op is complete… assuming she returns at all. She says, do her a favor and pretend she has a whole life outside of this office. Tell her what he’s not telling her.

Britt says, if Emma thought her peace offering meant she could work in the lab, the lab is for authorized personnel only, and she’s not authorized. Britt’s phone rings and she digs in her bag, then dumps it on the table. As she talks, Emma tries to finger the key fob out. Britt says, you again. I’ll never tell you who I’m voting for because it’s none of your business. Call again and I’ll find a way to ruin your life. She tells Emma, nothing is private anymore, and Emma says, doesn’t seem like it. Britt thanks her for her apology and says she’s happy to put the past in the past, but understand the lab is off limits to her. Emma asks, why? and Britt says, thanks for the coffee, and leaves.

Jack says he promises he’s told Laura everything he knows about the Police Commissioner’s status, and Laura says she doesn’t know too much about his promises, and he says he extends his heartfelt apology to the city of Port Charles and her personally. And he extends the WSB’s assistance in Anna’s absence. She says, no thank you. She doesn’t want the WSB invading her city. He says, nor does he, but understand that the needs of national security outweigh those of local law enforcement. The WSB will keep its distance wherever possible, but she can’t shut them out. She says, okay. One thing. Her granddaughter Charlotte has already had a difficult life and she’s not a commodity to be traded for information from Valentin or anybody ever. Understand that? He nods, and she says, good, and leaves.

Marco says he knows he and Lucas have only dated a short time, but look at everything they’ve faced, more than most couples do in a lifetime. It proves they have what it takes. Lucas says he feels like it’s too soon. Like how everything rolled out with Brad. Marco says he’s not Brad.

Sidwell says he believes he, Sonny, and Ava share one thing in common. They’ll go to any lengths for their children. Ava says she supposes they share a protective nature in that regard, and he says, the recent episode with Marco made that abundantly clear, and she asks if he’s referring to Marco’s disappearance and the rumor that Sonny was involved. He says, very little escapes her. Does she think Sonny is responsible? She tells him that she might say that the timing of Marco’s disappearance was interesting, coming so soon after the fire at Charlie’s. It’s also interesting that after Marco’s reappearance, her nephew Lucas had quite a fight with his sister Carly, who’s Sonny’s ex. He moved out and it was pretty obvious it had something to do with Sonny. He says, as insightful and intelligent as she is beautiful, and she says, truer words…

At the hospital, Felicia is on the phone and says she was wondering what Brook’s schedule looked like. Spinelli is going to drop James off at the Quartermaines’ for his riding lesson with Cody. But he has a school function with Georgie and can’t pick him up, and she’s at work. A guy who looks like he could be a friend of Yuri’s comes in carrying a folder overflowing with papers, and Felicia says she knows Brook is working too… Thank you. She thought she was going to have to cancel James’s lesson and he’d have to join Georgie and Spinelli and who knows what trouble he’d get into? The guy sits down on a nearby bench and puts in earbuds.

Josslyn goes to Jack’s office, and he asks if she was able to get intel on Dr. Jones. She says she didn’t get much of a chance. Marco showed up while she was there. He says, that was convenient. What did he want? She says, he wanted her uncle to move in, and he says, that’s exactly the type of break they need, but she says, if Sidwell is as much of a threat as he thinks, the closer her uncle gets to Marco, the more danger he’s in.

Lucas says he knows Marco isn’t Brad, but he’s not sure he’s ready to house hunt, and Marco says they don’t have to commit to finding their own place yet. Move into Windymere with him. Lucas says, Marco wants him to live at Windymere? He’s on call and can’t live on an island. Marco says his dad made it easier to go back and forth to Spoon Island… Unless that’s not really the issue and Lucas is just looking for an excuse not to move in with him. He knows Lucas is scared. He’s scared too, but losing his mother made him realize that once you’ve found someone who makes you happy, you don’t push them away. You pull them closer. He loves Lucas. Lucas doesn’t have to say anything, but he needed to say exactly how he felt. He loves Lucas and wants to be around him all the time. Lucas makes him so happy.

On the phone with Cody, Felicia says, it all worked out. Spinelli will drop James off at the Quartermaines’ at the regular time and Brook will pick him up at 4:30… Is he sure? There’s nothing James loves more than helping in the stables, but she knows it’s an awful lot of work for him. She heard how last week James dumped out a barrel of oats, and the week before he tried lashing Tracy’s saddle out and dropped it. Then Cody spent hours polishing it. James would be there every day if they let him.

Lulu says, if Charlotte’s father is transferred to a prison here in the US, she’ll be seeing him more often. But every visit will raise the risk of her becoming leverage for anyone wanting to pressure Valentin, not just Jack. Charlotte says she doesn’t care about the risk. Seeing her dad is worth it. Lulu says she understands why Charlotte feels that way, but it’s her job as a mom to analyze the risks and if they should be taken. Charlotte says, if Grandpa Luke was alive and in prison, what would she do? and Lulu says, at Charlotte’s age… Who is she kidding? At any age, she would have done anything to see her father, no matter the risk.  Charlotte says her dad always put her first. When he knew she was in danger, he sent her back to Lulu. He won’t let her visit if he thinks it’s too dangerous. Lulu says she hopes that’s true, and Charlotte says, it is. Plus, her dad is valuable to the WSB. That means she is too, and they’ll protect her. Lulu says, they might, but it’s not their job; it’s hers. This isn’t about what’s happening right now. There could come a day when her dad’s value to the WSB is gone. What happens to her then?

Sonny says they need to think about making a move on Sidwell from every angle, especially with the authorities, and Jason asks what he means. Sonny says, here’s the thing. Turner is keeping an eye on him and Sidwell, like a hawk. She knows there’s bad blood. Jason says, with the judge getting killed and the custody case, and Sonny says, she turned up the surveillance on him, yeah, so if he makes a move on Sidwell… Jason says, they’ll hand her the evidence she needs, and Sonny says, she’s very ambitious. She wants to make a name for herself. She has her eye on Scorpio’s job. Jason says, and bringing Sonny down would do it, and Sonny says, here’s the other thing. She’s keeping an eye on her cops. Since she’s watching them, that means the WSB has eyes on Sidwell. Jason says, it’s a safe bet, and Sonny says, before they make a move, they have a fight on both fronts, local and federal, not to mention that the personal repercussions could be worse.

Carly tells Valentin that she planned the idea with Jack to move him to a prison in the US. He discussed the idea with Lulu and she’s open to it. Valentin says he certainly sees why that would make it easier, and she says, Jack is in the process of making the transfer now. He says, they have the proof they need that she’s Jack’s blind spot.  

Laura says she’s sorry to interrupt, but was wondering if Emma heard from her grandmother recently. Emma says she has. She left a voicemail. She’s out of town. It had something to do with the WSB. Laura said she heard the same thing. If Emma hears from her grandmother and could let her know she was asking about her, that would be great. She’ll leave Emma to her work. Charlotte joins them, and Laura says, oh my goodness. How lucky to run into them both at the same time. She hugs Charlotte and says she feels like she hasn’t seen her in ages. Does she have a couple of minutes to catch up? Charlotte says, right now, she has to talk to Emma, but she’ll text Laura and they’ll make a real plan to hang out. Laura says she would love that, and goes over to Lulu.

Laura sits down with Lulu and says, so beautiful. Did she interrupt something? Lulu says she and Charlotte were just having a lighthearted conversation about super max prisons and intelligence agencies. Charlotte made a strong case for more visits with Valentin. She’s sure Jack Brennan is thrilled.

Carly says, Jack listened to her suggestions and implemented them, and Valentin says, that’s from a man who questions everyone and analyzes every interaction for an ulterior motive. He doesn’t seem to do it with her. She says, Jack takes her at her word. He trusts her. Valentin says, that works beautifully for them, but they need to be vigilant. Jack is the most observant, savviest Bureau agent he’s ever known. If you make a mistake, he’ll spot it a mile away. Her deception has to be flawless. She asks if he thinks she can do that, and he says, she already is. She says, when it comes to protecting her daughter, she’ll do anything, and he says, it’s important she use her tenacity and skill, but she needs to understand the consequences. If Jack sees through her deceit, the retribution will be swift and merciless. He won’t just eliminate the target. He’ll eliminate everyone connected to the threat as well.

Jack says, they discussed the strategy at length. Josslyn was to get intel on Sidwell’s business and its relationship to Marco. Josslyn says, before she discusses how them moving in together, if Lucas says yes, he’s no longer dating Sidwell’s son. He’ll be in Sidwell’s world. She can’t stand around and let him get pulled deeper into that criminal family. Jack says she can and will. It’s her job. She says she needs to warn Lucas. She can tell him that she thinks he’s moving too quickly. She won’t mention Sidwell. He says, she can’t. If she does, she’ll be committing treason. If she does, he’ll have her arrested and taken out of Port Charles permanently.

Ava says she has a new piece that would be perfect where she envisions it. If Sidwell agrees, she’ll see him in person. Sidwell says he’s sure the work is beautiful. He’ll make an appointment with the gallery. She says, he’s welcome anytime, and he says, as is she here at Windymere. She does brighten up the house with her excellent taste and presence. She says she has to be on her way. Duty calls. He says he’ll walk her out, and takes her to the door. He says, until next time, and she leaves. Britt comes out and says, thank God. She thought Ava would never leave.

Sonny says, the fallout from the kidnapping drove a wedge between Carly and Lucas, and Jason says he knows Sonny hates when the family is affected by the business. Sonny says, Lucas threatened to go to the police and he did, so if they take Sidwell out, it’s going to be a problem. Lucas had no problem going to the police. He used to be family, but now he’s nothing but a wild card.

Lucas says, Marco makes him happy too, and Marco says, happier than living with his aunt in this tiny apartment? Lucas says, yes, way happier, and Marco asks what Lucas says. Should they give it a shot? Lucas says, yeah, let’s go for it, and they kiss.

Laura tells Lulu that she’s on the same page as Jack Brennan, but she thinks the guy is dangerous. He proved it again this morning. Lulu says, how’d he do it this time? and Laura says, without any warning, supposedly Anna has gone off the grid and doing a WSB assignment. Jack Brennan left her with no Police Commissioner on the eve of the mayoral debate. Ezra Boyle is breathing down her neck and she’s worried if he gets wind of the fact that Anna… Lulu says, he’s going to spin it into something to use against her, and Laura says, as if he needs more ammunition than he’s already got. Lulu says, that ammunition being Sonny.

Sonny tells Jason that Lucas getting close to Marco is a bad thing because Marco still thinks he killed Natalia. If they take out Marco’s father, he’ll double down and drag Kristina and Alexis into it. Jason says they know Alexis well enough to know she won’t be okay with them making Marco’s father disappear, and Sonny says he doesn’t want to be on bad terms with Alexis and put Kristina in the middle of the friction. He doesn’t think taking out Sidwell is worth alienating everybody he cares about.

At the hospital, the strange guy goes to the desk. He hands Felicia the overstuffed folder, deftly catching a pencil he knocks off the desk. He heads for the elevator, and Felicia says, wait. What is this?

Valentin says, if Jack Brennan discovers he and Carly are working together, he’ll whisk Charlotte away under the guise of the Witness Protection Program. There will be no warning, no mercy. Carly says, what about her? Doesn’t he think Jack would come after her directly? He says he thinks Jack would go through Josslyn and use the WSB to do that. One day her daughter would be there, then just vanish. She’s gone.

Jack says, the WSB takes precedence over all other considerations, including family relations, and Josslyn says she gets that. He says he doesn’t think she does. They had this conversation a number of times and it never seems to stick. Stay close to Lucas. Make sure she knows what Marco confides in him. Make sure she’s the one he comes to. Like it or not, Lucas is possibly their most valuable asset.

As they approach Windymere, Marco gives Lucas a key and says, his home is their home. Lucas says, sounds perfect. Should they tell his dad the news? Marco says, first, he has some business to take care of, and Lucas says, what? Marco says, that, and kisses Lucas.

Sidwell says, isn’t Britt the sneaky one. How did she get in? Britt says she used to live here. She knows how the place works. He says she was careless. What if she had been seen? She asks if he prefers that she call ahead, even if someone is listening in, and he says, fine. Get on with it. How is their problematic friend Professor Dalton? She says, Dalton is serious about cutting him out. He’s getting new buyers and inquiring about her father’s network. Sidwell says, best stay on him then, but Britt says she’s not a spy. She does the science part of this. Dalton is vile. Pay him off and send him away. Sidwell says he doesn’t take orders from her. He’ll keep Dalton as long as he wants. Luckily, she’s blooming with excellent health. Lucas and Marco come in.

Charlotte asks if Emma got the key fob, but Emma says, no. She was so close. She practically had it in her hand, but she couldn’t risk Britt catching her. Charlotte says, don’t worry. They’ll get it eventually. Emma says, that’s not good enough. It has to happen tonight.

Lulu asks what she can do to help, and Laura says, thanks, but she can’t. It’s up to her now. She’s got to be at her best tonight. She has to convince voters that Ezra Boyle has no character. He lied to his own constituents so he could get what he wanted. Lulu says, tonight could make or break Laura’s campaign, and Laura says, tonight could make or break Port Charles.

Emma tells Charlotte, tonight is perfect. PCU will be packed for the mayoral debate. Every security guard and administrator will have eyes on the auditorium. Charlotte says, it’s the perfect cover, and Emma says, the science building will be deserted. No one will notice her getting the evidence she’s been chasing since California. But she can’t get in without a key fob. She can’t believe she blew her shot. Charlotte says she’s got this. Leave it to her.

Carly says she knows Valentin thinks Josslyn and Charlotte are going to end up in Jack’s crosshairs, but as far as she’s concerned, they’re already there. Jack put her daughter in harm’s way and looked her in the face and lied about it. She has no choice but to fight back. Valentin says, all right. Give him everything she hears. Jack’s phone calls, routine, schedules. She asks what she’s looking for, and he says, give him everything she can. He’ll know what’s useful when he sees it. If Jack is starting the transfer, he should be stateside in a couple of weeks. She can fill him in then. She says she will, and he says, Jack thinks he’s invincible, but he has two weaknesses – his ego and you. There’s nothing they can do to stop his ego, so it’s just her. Together, they’ll bring Jack to his knees.  

Jack says, they’ve never been this close to Sidwell. Josslyn, and Josslyn alone, is in the position they need to take him down. If she doesn’t see it, all their work will be in vain. Josslyn says she won’t try to stop Lucas from moving in, but he says she has to do better than that. Encourage it. Be supportive. Get him to do it. He calls Vaughn on the phone and says he needs increased surveillance on Dr. Lucas Jones. He and his partner may be moving into their possible landing spot – Windymere… Yes. Jenz Sidwell’s address. Take the proper precautions to do this.

Sidwell says he invited Dr. Westbourne to Windymere because he was looking for a concierge doctor. But she wasn’t forthcoming that she’d lost her medical license. Lucas says, it’s just Miss Westbourne now, and Britt says she’s going to get her accreditation back and be back at GH sooner than he thinks. It will be just like old times. Sidwell says he thinks they’re finished. He’ll see her out. They leave, and Marco asks if Britt can really get her license back and be around patients… and people… and Lucas. Lucas says he thinks it’s possible. She might be a monstrous person, but she’s a good doctor. At least she was before she died. Marco says, if she becomes a doctor again, what does that mean for him? and Lucas says he doesn’t know, but he wouldn’t cut out bare knuckle boxing in the breakroom. Marco laughs, and Sidwell returns. He says, that’s done. He can’t believe she thought he’d overlook the fact that she’s no longer a doctor, let alone let her practice on him. They laugh and he says, it boggles the mind. But he didn’t want to be unkind. Miss Westbourne has been through a lot. It’s best not to mention her at the hospital. Lucas says he’s happy not to talk about Britt anywhere, and Sidwell says, they look happy. Has something happened? Marco says, Lucas agreed to move in, and Sidwell says, fantastic. Outside, Britt listens in at the window, and Sidwell says, welcome to your new home.

Sonny says they need to know what Sidwell is doing, who he works with, and what Marco’s role is in this. Killing Sidwell has to be a last resort. Once they’re out of options, they’d do it. Jason says, understood, and Sonny says, when the time comes… Jason says, I’ll be ready.  

On Monday, Brook asks Dante to promise something stays between them; Isaiah suggests Portia go to the police to clear things up; Alexis tells Willow that she has potential good news; and Sonny tells Michael that they have to make this go away now.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

Wish we could keep her… sniff… I doff my cap to the wonderful work she did with every scene partner she had, especially Jane Elliot.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospital-comings-goings-erika-slezak-reflects-on-ronnie-run-on-eve-of-final-episode-excl/

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/ghs-erika-slezak-and-yrs-roger-howarth-dish-their-real-life-one-life-to-live-reunion-excl/

Revoilà Pascal!

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospital-comings-goings-the-familiar-face-arriving-in-port-charles-revealed/

Reflections on Carly.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/photos/laura-wright-marks-20-years-as-general-hospitals-carly-relive-her-two-decades-of-drama/

A prayer request. Was she skiing or was it something stupid?

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospital-star-carolyn-hennesy-undergoes-surgery-prayers-are-welcome/

Something fun.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/photos/behind-the-scenes-stars-from-general-hospital-young-restless-and-more-share-octobers-best-snaps/

💉 A Dose Of Reality…

Beyond Deck Mediterranean

Chef Josh made a break for it because he didn’t want to lash out. In his interview, he said his nickname in the kitchen was Rottweiler. The primary bitched about the excursion being in a bad neighborhood, and when Josh got no complaints about the meal, he said it was the best compliment this d*ck could come up with. They seemed like people you just couldn’t please, and they called Josh to come and discuss dessert, an amazing fruit concoction served in a coconut bowl. It was hard to believe there was anything to complain about, especially if you’re having endless drinks with umbrellas in them. Surprising everyone, they said they loved it, and Josh wondered if pigs were flying. The biggest surprise was the $40K tip – $4000 each. It made me wonder if the guests were like secret shoppers. With Aesha’s blessing, V was moved to the deck team. Another boatmance triangle seems to be in the works with Eyebrows Joe, V, and Kizzy.

Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City

Bronwyn spent the night on deck, while Mary and Angie went back to the chaos. In Mary’s interview, she said it would be a good time for Angie to go back sick so they could get back to the quiet. During the melee, Angie told Bronwyn that Lisa claimed Todd had been making out with one of her friends – and farting – and Bronwyn said Lisa was dead to her. It proved Lisa had been spreading rumors. In her interview, Mary said, if someone said her husband was making out and farting, she wasn’t sure which she’d be more embarrassed about. They had a beach excursion and Heather and Bronwyn went snorkeling. Heather swam with a stingray and I was all kinds of jealous. Batting 1000, Lisa brought up Bronwyn’s ex-in-laws, then apologized, but Bronwyn said it was just words. Britani got a little seasick, then went back to her tequila. Bronwyn wondered why she was drinking tequila if she’d just thrown up, and Britani said she was trying to feel better. Alrighty then. They had a zombie night, but I was less than impressed at their costume efforts. I mean, if you’re going to request a zombie night, bring your best zombie self.

Wife Swap: Real Housewives Edition

This week, it was Emily (RHOC) swapping with wife Caley, who did most of the work on a mini farm. Emily was no stranger to animals and such, and seemed to get a quick handle on things when she had to wrangle a horse five minutes in. Gina met Caley for lunch and wondered how she did so much work. I can safely say, it’s because if she doesn’t, it won’t get done.

Too funny!

Real Housewives Of Orange County – Reunion Part 1

Hard to believe this has been on for 19 seasons. Katie paid a visit, so the lie detector test was also revisited. Emily discussed challenges with son Luke, and Tamra wept over letting her daughter go off to school. Emily also touched on her Wife Swap episode. Lots of time spent on Tamra and Gretchen, rehashing who said what about who and/or Slade. I’m not so sure Gretchen is a prize, but Tamra is the worst. She makes all these faces when she harangues somebody, and it makes me want to slap her.

Random Reality Items

The latest on the upcoming season of RHOBH.

https://extratv.com/2025/11/05/kathy-hilton-talks-rhobh-season-15-drama-everybody-was-really-real-exclusive/

https://extratv.com/2025/11/05/amanda-frances-brings-the-drama-to-the-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-season-15/

Coming December 2nd.

And while we’re on the VanderSubject, I wouldn’t hate this.

I have a Kimora Lee Simmons Barbie and more than one pair of her jeans, so I’ll be watching.

👀 Last Weekend’s Watch…

Deadstream. Shudder/AMC+/Tubi. An excellent found footage effort. A has-been influencer films himself investigating a haunted house. A few laughs, especially with the comments occasionally streamed in, and actually scary in spots. The main lesson? Never repeat words in Latin when you don’t know what they mean. Kudos to Joseph Winter, co-writer, director, and lead actor. He’s a true gem.

Game Night. Netflix. I can’t say enough good things about this film, even though there were no zombies in it. Jason Bateman has never disappointed me (Bad Words is one of my all-time surprise favorites), and this was no exception. A group of friends gathers weekly for a game night, and when the week’s game is a murder mystery, it turns all too real. You’ll have fun trying to figure out what’s part of the game and what’s not.

https://www.bgr.com/2017933/game-night-best-comedies-2010s-streaming-netflix/

https://www.cbr.com/jason-bateman-game-night-needs-a-sequel/

👻 Spooky, Scary Celebrations…

How the celebrities did it.

https://ew.com/best-celebrity-halloween-costumes-2025-11837259

Black Halloween is beautiful.

https://www.essence.com/beauty/halloween-weekend-best-beauty-looks-2025/

The reveal from the Queen of Halloween.

https://ew.com/heidi-klum-halloween-costume-2025-11841613

People who are more ambitious than I am, and also willing to be more uncomfortable than I am.

https://www.gettyimages.com/editorial-images/entertainment/event/new-york-city-halloween-parade/776407388?editorialproducts=all

https://www.brooklynvegan.com/nycs-village-halloween-parade-2025-in-pics/

https://nypost.com/2025/10/31/us-news/nyc-village-halloween-parade-2025-revelers-go-wild-in-elaborate-costumes/

🐾 Halloween Leftovers and Why Not…

🎃 Another view of the NYC Dog Parade.

https://people.com/photos-of-best-dog-costumes-from-2025-new-york-city-halloween-dog-parade-11832583

🦁 A Mouse who dressed as a lion.

https://people.com/police-discover-mysterious-lion-like-animal-in-the-woods-is-actually-a-dog-11844496

🐶 I’m definitely on board with this.

https://people.com/dia-de-muertos-ofrenda-for-beloved-dog-goes-viral-exclusive-11841501

🐕 And just because.

https://people.com/mans-best-friend-celebrity-guys-with-their-pets-photos-11842420

🤠 Quotes of the Week

My belief is that personal freedom cannot grow beyond personal responsibility. The more people that learn to be fully accountable for their lives, the more freedom each of us can enjoy and the more fulfilling all of our lives will be. – Ross Parmenter

The key to success is to start before you are ready. – Marie Forleo

Every time I do something that expands my personal comfort boundaries, I discover some strength I didn’t know I had. – Pamela Wilson

You can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them.Shonda Rhimes

She generally gave herself very good advice, (though she very seldom followed it).Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

It is mental slavery to cling to things that have stopped serving their purpose in your life.Chinonye J. Chidolue

Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all. – Aristotle

You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.Henry Ford

I’m not the art police. Everybody is allowed to feel exactly how they want. – Taylor Swift

What’s that face on your face for? – Ingrid Kannerman (Allegra Edwards), Upload

🧋 Pumpkin Spice This…

Until next week, stay safe; stay practicing gratitude; and stay not letting a bad thing ruin a good thing.

January 31, 2025 – Lulu Confesses Her Love For Dante, Soap Suds, This Week In Reality, Weekend Watching, Performing, Animal Tales, An Even Number Of Short Quotes & Mountain

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What I Watched Today

(The whole GH enchilada & entertainment minutiae on Fridays)

General Hospital

Monday:

Tara from Turning Woods had info for Elizabeth, but when she and Lucky showed up, Tara was out sick. Natalia told Lucy that she could land an account in LA, but the contact only wanted to meet with her and the silent partner – i.e. Sonny. Kristina went to see Sonny and asked him if everything was okay since he didn’t show up at Charlie’s. She said they had to keep Avery away from Ava and she’d decided to testify at the custody hearing. Anna told Jason about Sidwell being in Port Charles. She asked if he or Sasha were willing to go on record about Sasha’s kidnapping.

Curtis told Nina that Drew was going to undermine the company in congress if he didn’t get his stock back. Chase visited Willow, who whined about Drew being ostracized by his family. Drew met with Martin and told him that Monica wasn’t speaking with him. He was her first truly lost cause, and he wondered if he’d ever really been a part of the family. Anna told Jason not to go after Sidwell on his own. Lucky told the Turning Woods rep that Cyrus wanted a list of his patients who had died so he could send condolences to the family. Curtis told Nina that things had a way of getting out and encouraged her to tell Willow that she’d been sleeping with Drew. Drew told Martin, if they thought banning him from the Quartermaine grounds would keep him from Willow, they had another thing coming.

Jason told Anna that he couldn’t stand by and do nothing. Mr. Furner came in while Lucky and Elizabeth were there. Lucky distracted him by threatening a lawsuit while Elizabeth waited for the printout. Chase told Willow that he and Brook were trying to have a baby.  Nina told Curtis that she’d made the devil’s bargain with Drew. She couldn’t tell Willow about Drew, nor he about her. She hoped with time, Willow would trust her more than Drew. Curtis said he had a plan and needed Nina’s help. Anna said the best way of getting Sidwell was to get criminal charges that would stick, but Jason said he had to do it for Michael.

Natalia conferred with Sonny about the LA trip. Anna asked if Jason could guarantee he would be the only target for retaliation. He could break the cycle of violence by not retaliating. Curtis told Nina that he wanted to sabotage Drew’s connections in DC. Chase showed Willow his lab results and she told him to see his doctor. According to the results, he couldn’t father a child.

Tuesday:

Ned told Tracy to show some respect to Willow or she’d be out on her high-class derriere. Tracy said two fingers of bourbon for everyone, and no one was leaving until they figured out what to do.

Felicia took Anna for a manicure and told Anna that she’d seen Emma clubbing. Emma joined them and Anna questioned her. Emma said, it wasn’t a spa day; it was an interrogation. Carly couldn’t figure out Jack’s angle. He said when he first came to Port Charles, he was on a mission. He had no intention of pursuing her until she visited him in prison. He considered her a friend, not an asset. Kai told Trina that his vertebrae was cracked, and he couldn’t play football because he’d risk a spinal injury. She suggested he talk to her mom. Portia told Alexis that Sam had been murdered and how they came to that conclusion. It had been a pattern. Alexis said she wasn’t leaving it to the police and was going to find answers.

Ned said the mess was all on Drew and they should give Willow a chance to create distance. Tracy said they had to make rules and asked what Chase thought. Brook told Lois that she was able to have a baby. Lois asked if she regretted giving her baby up, and Brook said it was the hardest choice she ever made, but she never regretted it. Chase said Willow was a good person and they should respect her. Tracy said Drew would use Willow to his own ends, but Ned said, if they pushed things, Willow would run back to him. Sasha said Tracy was being dramatic, then Tracy screamed because she saw a mouse. She said Sasha was out if she didn’t climb up and get it (like the mouse wasn’t in Chicago after Tracy screamed), but Sasha said she wasn’t climbing anywhere because she was pregnant, quickly adding, it’s not Cody’s.

Sasha said if anyone had complaints or judgements, oh well, and Gio said he didn’t grow up with a father and turned out fine. Alexis talked to Isaiah about Sam. Trina asked Portia to talk to Kai. Anna said Emma was allowed a social life, but not allowed to lie to her and sneak around. Emma said she’d been to a fundraiser and wondered, since when was Anna so uptight? Jack offered to have Michael’s cultures forwarded to Germany from the WSB to expedite things for Carly.

Tracy wondered why they offered daycare to everyone, and Ned said she’d just kidnapped two more. Portia said Kai wasn’t necessarily sidelined. Anna said there was a difference between uptight and responsible, and she was the latter. Emma said she never saw Anna because she worked so much. Carly called Felicia about the cultures, and Felicia told her to proceed with caution when it came to Jack.

Emma made a deal that if she got straight A’s, Anna would go clubbing with her. Jason asked Sasha if Michael knew about the baby. Chase told Brook that his tests came back, and he couldn’t get her pregnant. Portia suggested Kai get a second opinion from a specialist in sports medicine. Kai said Trina’s mom was amazing and he knew where she got it from. Alexis said she wasn’t going to stop until she found the killer. Jack went to the hotel spa and Felicia warned Carly that Jack had an agenda, but Carly said Jack was intriguing and she wanted to know more. Valentin showed up at the spa to kill Jack.

Wednesday:

Chase told Brook that he was sterile and couldn’t be a father. Olivia and Lois took Tracy for a manicure to destress. Sasha told Jason that Michael knew she was pregnant, and he was the father, but they had a deal that he’d stay out of it. At the hospital, Anna told Lulu that she was glad no one was hurt in Prague. Lulu said she was glad her daughter didn’t get shot a second time. Valentin pretended to be a masseuse and tried to strangle Jack while he was on the table.

At the Quartermaine mansion, Emma told Gio that she wanted to do a fundraiser to stop animal testing. She wanted him to play at it because something classic and boring would get the old people and boomers to contribute. Olivia said asking invasive and intrusive questions was Tracy’s love language, but she should let up on Sasha. Martin came into the beauty salon and said, good luck with that. Sasha said it was none of Jason’s business, but he said Michael had a right to know. Anna said she didn’t have the words to tell Lulu how sorry she was, but Lulu said she could see how it was an accident because of the circumstance. She thought Valentin was dangerous and bad things happened when he was around. Carly went looking for Jack at the spa.

Anna said she had an eye open for Valentin, and Lulu thanked her. Gio agreed to play at Emma’s fundraiser, but wondered if it was a scam to get extra cash. Jason told Sasha that Michael had asked for her and thought it was because he knew she was carrying his child. Sasha said if he wanted to help Michael, make sure no one else found out. Chase didn’t want Brook to miss out on the experience of being pregnant, but she said she loved him more than anything and they’d get through it together. Tracy said Martin would defend anyone and she’d been trying to protect the kids. He said she had a bad habit of rolling over people’s lives and just wanted to hurt Drew. Lulu told Dante that she was the best judge of what she could do, but he said, obviously not. Carly heard a noise in Jack’s room, but an employee said it was nothing.

Jack was lying on the floor when Carly came in and cracked something over Valentin’s head. Chase said he didn’t deserve Brook, but she said he was stuck with her. Emma said she was sick of people treating her cause like it was a joke, and Gio said he was only kidding. She said she’d volunteered for a shelter when she was younger. Some puppies were bought by a lab, and it stayed with her. Cody showed up looking for Tracy. He wanted to apologize for missing their ride, but Gio said she was pretty upset, so Cody should wait on that. Martin said just because Tracy disliked someone didn’t make them disreputable, and Brook called Lois, asking her to come home. Portia told Anna about the pattern of suspicious patient deaths and that someone had injected the patients with a large, unprescribed dose of digitalis that resulted in a heart attack. Carly told Jack to wake up or she’d tell the world he died wearing his bathrobe, and told the employee to call an ambulance.

Brook told Lois about Chase and said she felt like her soul was broken. Gio told Cody about Sasha being pregnant and Jason promised not to tell anybody that Michael was the father. Sasha had no doubt Willow would use her pregnancy against Michael, and she’d do what it took to keep her baby away from the Q’s. She also wanted Sonny to be kept in the dark. Anna told Portia about the Angel of Death syndrome, but Portia said two of the cases involved healthy patients, Sam and Dex. Lulu said she was no longer helpless, but Dante said she was human and had limits. She said he focused on someone else to ignore his own pain and didn’t want to think about losing Sam. Jack said he was fine and the WSB would handle Valentin. Carly asked what he was going to do now, but he said, that’s classified.

Jack made a call to have Valentin killed on sight. Tracy asked what Martin’s problem was with her, and he said she had an obnoxious misguided sense of entitlement. She felt entitled to judge him and Willow and had prevented him from having a relationship with Lucy. Tracy said he should thank her instead of ruining her zen. Lois said Brook and Chase could be as sad as they wanted for as long as they wanted. Brook said Chase suggested IVF, but he was just sacrificing his feelings for her. She thought she should tell him that she’d been pregnant before. Dante said he didn’t blame Lulu for Sam’s death and she asked what he was doing for himself. She knew her presence was a complication in his life. He said he’d never be sorry she was here. Anna asked to talk to Dante. Jason said Sasha didn’t have to do it on her own and he was on her side.

Anna told Dante that Sam was murdered. Sasha let Jason feel the baby move. Carly and Jack kissed.

Thursday:

Hitting the heavy bag, Chase flashed back to his and Brook’s baby journey. Brook told Lois that Chase was mourning the life he’d imagined for them. She wanted him to know the pain and anguish she’d felt giving her baby up so he didn’t feel so alone. Alexis told Diane that Sam had been murdered, while Lulu told Maxie. Cody listened in on Sasha talking to Jason about the baby, but slipped away before he heard Michael was the father. In Baden Baden, Jack went to Carly’s suite and kissed her. She said she needed a minute, and he apologized if he’d read things incorrectly, but she said he didn’t. She just didn’t want to do something she regretted. He said he wasn’t there to sleep with her and had something much different in mind.

Molly visited Cody at the stables to drop off his paperwork from the station. He was less than hospitable. He said his feet were held to the fire while career criminals got away with everything. Jason wanted Michael’s side of the story, but Sasha said she didn’t owe Jason anything. He said she owed Michael. Lulu said she owed Sam everything, but Maxie said, feeling guilty over something she had no control over would go nowhere. Lulu admitted still being in love with Dante. Brook said she’d have to tell Chase the whole truth, that Dante was the father of her child. Dante told Chase about the murders at GH and that Sam was one of the victims. Alexis didn’t know what to do with her feelings about Sam being murdered, and she threw stuff around the office.

Jack brought Carly to the rooftop, where he had a fire going and they had champagne. Carly said, it was cozy, beautiful and private. He toasted to her changing her mind about coming to the spa. Jason told Sasha that he’d back off the second he talked to Michael. Sasha said they were done, but if he talked to Michael, tell him that she was thinking of him and praying for his recovery. Cody said, clearly Molly had an agenda, but she said she was there as a favor to Mac. He said he appreciated it and she left. Diane wanted to say the right thing, but Alexis told her that there was no right thing to say. Diane said, whatever Alexis wanted, she was all in – whatever she needed, whenever she needed it. Alexis said she had to tell Molly and Kristina, who were on their way there. Diane got a text from Jason and promised she wouldn’t tell him anything. Kristina came in and wondered what had happened.

Brook said if she told Chase, she’d have to tell Dante, and she felt sick. Dante told Chase about the digitalis murders, that Dex was one of the victims, and Michael had been saved by Isaiah’s quick thinking. Maxie said she was surprised Lulu admitted she still loved Dante, but it would be weird if she didn’t. Jason met with Diane and told her about Sasha’s pregnancy. Alexis told Kristina and Molly that Sam was murdered. Carly wanted to know what was going on between Jack and Valentin. She thought it was crazy that Valentin tried to kill him. Jack said, Valentin had been a friend, but after tonight, he wasn’t protecting Valentin any longer. He figured Valentin assumed he was the one who fired the shot in Prague. He hadn’t, but he was at that point now. It was a winding, complicated story. Carly told him to order another bottle of champagne.

Dante unloaded on Chase about Lulu and said she had to stop taking risks and be careful for her sake and Rocco’s. He was happy she was there, but Sam was gone because of it. Every time he looked at Lulu, he’d think of Sam and what they’d all lost. At the MetroCourt, Cody saw Diane with Jason. He apologized to Maxie about the other night and told her that Sasha was pregnant. Then he realized she knew already. Jason said Carly couldn’t know anything about this. He was going to the clinic to see Michael, but wanted Diane to keep an eye on Sasha. Jack told Carly that he wanted to rise in the ranks at the WSB and an alliance with Valentin was a smart move, so he sought out Valentin’s friendship. Valentin was the iron fist, and he was the velvet glove. Valentin needed him as much as he needed Valentin, and they became true friends.

Diane promised to keep an eye on Sasha and let her know when Jason got clarity. The fact Michael never told her spoke to Sasha’s credibility. Jason said if he was wrong, he’d gladly admit it, and she said she wanted a ringside seat for that. Maxie asked how Cody found out, but he said it didn’t matter. Maxie said Sasha was clear that she had no plans to tell the father, and Cody said the father was Jason. Sasha told the baby that they could do this on their own and promised she’d always be there. Lois said she didn’t want to influence Brook’s decision, but Brook said she needed Lois’s advice. Lois said Brook was a grown-up now and it was only her choice to make. Brook said she and Chase had to be open and honest and she had to tell him. Dante asked Chase what was up, and Chase said he’d talk when he was ready. Alexis promised they’d find out who did this to Sam. They were going to shield the truth from Scout and wanted to wait for more information to tell Danny. She’d ask Anna to keep it away from the public for as long as possible. They’d have to stay strong and present a united front for Sam.

Carly said there was more to Jack than met the eye. She admired his loyalty. He said there was a big difference between them. She was a good person. She said he wasn’t the bad guy he wanted people to think he was. To her, he was the guy who’d done awesome things for her and expected nothing in return. They kissed by the fire.

Friday’s Enchilada:

In his hospital room, Kai struggles to put on a brace belt and Trina walks in.

Jordan is surprised to find Drew at Volonino’s, and asks if he’s allowed through the doors of Aurora these days. He asks if she means his company, and she wonders if he’s trying to drive away anyone who ever thought they knew him.

Curtis meets Portia at Beradino’s and says, Aurora’s new CEO is looking fine. He says he aims to please, and she asks, what’s with the good mood? He says he’s at breakfast with his beautiful wife. Why wouldn’t he be? She says she saw on the news that there’s a holdup with the McConkey esplanade. It was a big project for him and Aurora. Curtis says, it still is. Don’t worry. He’s steps ahead of it. Since no one eats at home, at another table, Ric says, even though it was gruesome, the fire strengthened Ava’s case. She asks if it’s strong enough to rescue her daughter, and he says he thinks it should. Given her present financial situation, he has a proposal to present to Diane. With any luck, it will convince Diane to wrap things up with her and Sonny. Ava says, that would be ideal, and thanks him. His generosity had been so helpful. He says, what generosity? and she says, him representing her pro bono. He says he’s not doing her case pro bono, and she says, he’s not? Since he stopped hounding her to pay, she assumed… He says, that his service was gratis? Why? Because they kissed?

Lulu meets Laura at the bistro and apologizes for being late. Everything she does seems like something she has no chance with. She was here with Rocco and her baby boy is now a coffee drinker. Laura says, he’s a coffee snob, and Lulu says, he gets that because of Sonny. Dante is so good with Rocco. He’s a great dad, but… Laura says, she’s still in love with him, isn’t she?

Dante bursts into Anna’s office and asks, what the hell is going on? Mac said she ordered him locked out of Sam’s murder investigation. She says, he’s correct, and he asks, why?

Brook goes to the stables and asks Cody if they’re alone. He says, yeah, and she says, good. She needs to talk to him. He says, about what? and she says, the summer romance she had with Dante, and he asks if she means the summer she got pregnant.

In Diane’s office with Kristina, Sonny says he’s going to LA on business for Deception, and she says, that’s a long way to go for a silent investor. He says, Natalia wanted him to go and he wants to go over some things before he leaves. Diane says, that’s why Kristina came, and he says, there are things they all need to discuss.

At Volonino’s, Brad does push-ups, and his trainer suggests a break, but he says, no breaks. The trainer hands him some water and says, he needs to hydrate. Brad takes a drink and says, if he’s going to hit his goal before Miami, he can’t afford breaks.

Ava asks if Ric thinks she kissed him in exchange for legal fees, and he says he hopes not. It was a good kiss, but hardly covers his retainer. He’s attracted to her, but business is business. He’s extending her grace in deferring his payment. She says, he’s a beacon of charity. At this juncture, it’s like the kiss never happened and it’s not likely there will be another. He says, ever? and she says, not until she gets her daughter back. After that, they’ll see what’s on the table. He says he guesses he should be going then, and leaves.

Curtis tells Portia that Drew is stalling the project, and she says, that’s so sad. He says he can think of two other strong words, and she says, Drew is using his office to exact petty revenge. She’ll stick with sad. Tell her about his next steps. He says he’s going to need an ally on Capitol Hill who has more connections than Drew. Nina is setting up something, but if it doesn’t work, he has a back-up. Meanwhile, his focus is on the next step with Aurora, and it involves her, him, a beach, and daquiris on a tropical island.  

Drew says he understands that Jordan is upset about the esplanade, and she says, he brought the project to her, and they worked on it together. Now he’s stalled it. He’s damn right she’s upset. He says, for what it’s worth (🍷), he’s sorry, and she says, explain why he’s doing this. He says he’s just trying to hold onto what’s his.

Brook says, of course (🍷) she’s referring to that summer, and Cody says he thought the subject was verboten. She says, it was, and it is. Did he ever tell Dante? He says, she swore him to secrecy, and he drove her to the bus station. She left and he didn’t see her again until he started working here. She asks if he ever told Dante, but he says, no. He hasn’t even thought about it since then. She says, thank God, and thanks him, and he says, no problem. She says she’s sorry to make a big deal out of it, but she had to be sure. He says he gets it, but it was like, a million years ago. Why bring it up now?

Anna says she wants to reiterate how sorry she is, but Dante says he doesn’t want her sympathy. He wants Sam’s file. She says, he barged into her office and asked for access to a case… He says, because Sam  was his fiancé and he loved her, and Anna says, that’s precisely why she can’t let him get anywhere near the case.

Trina offers to help Kai, but he says he’ll do it himself. He struggles some more, and she says, it will be easier when his arm isn’t in a sling. He finally asks her to help him, and she puts the belt on him. As she wraps it around him, they gaze at each other for a moment.

Lulu tells Laura that she loves Dante, but not… He’s still grieving Sam… They were already divorced, but she ended things with Dustin. She was planning on telling Dante that she never stopped loving him, but unfortunately, she never got the chance. Now she’s finally awake, but Dante is grieving Sam… He totally should. Laura says, good to know, and Lulu says, it’s probably better. Things between them are worse. Laura asks, how so? and Lulu says, they fight all the time. When she went to Prague, Dante brought it on himself to follow. It’s a habit and they know how she doesn’t like being handled. Laura says, they do indeed, and Lulu says she wants to try and get along, but he makes it impossible. Laura says, maybe she’s pushing him away, but Lulu says, it’s not that. If anything, she thinks she’s holding herself back.

Sonny tells Diane that he’s concerned Charlie’s is going to be scrutinized. The business is clean, but he did sell it to Kristina. Diane says, she’ll stay ahead of it and tells Kristina to call if there’s a problem. Kristina says, if the Feds tap her phone, she’ll ask for a copy of the recording to help her keep track of things. Sonny says he doesn’t want what he’s done to interfere, and Diane says she’ll make sure of it. She’s about to leave when there’s a knock at the door. She opens it to Ric and Ava, and Ric says, good. They’re already here. That makes it easier.

Brad kisses his bicep (he’s pretty jacked) and says, woo!

Kai thanks Trina for her help and says he’s sorry for snapping. She says she gets it, and he says he appreciates her coming, but he’s not in the mood. He’s still trying to rap his head around what he’s going to do with his life. She says, that’s why she’s here. Since he was injured in a game, PCU can’t revoke his scholarship. She brought him some catalogs for inspiration. He says he can’t think about classes. He’s barely managed to schedule his rehab. She asks if that means he got a second opinion that was positive, and he says, they told him, no promises.  

Drew tells Jordan that he’s the ultimate team player. He’s dealt with Tracy, navigated Ned’s fragile ego, and sat through his fair share of family squabbles disguised as ELQ board meetings. He does one thing the family doesn’t approve of… Jordan says, he had an affair with his nephew’s wife, and Drew says, and the rest of the Quartermaines are saints compared to most people. Monica banned him from the grounds, and he was pushed out of his own company. Jordan says she gets it. His life as a rich congressman is in shambles. Welcome to politics. They’re not here to talk about Quartermaine infighting. He’s stalling the progress for the good of the city he’s been chosen to represent. He says, it could still happen. That depends on what Curtis chooses to do with Aurora.  

Portia says, Curtis’s plans for Aurora involve them on a beach? and he says, not just any beach. St. George Island, potentially the first site of Aurora’s new resorts. Portia says she loves it, and he says, of course (🍷) he wants to experience the island before moving forward and he can’t without her. What does she say? She says she can feel the sand between her toes, when Curtis’s phone rings. Jordan says she’s calling in a favor, and Curtis says, which one? She tells him to meet her at Volonino’s as soon as he can.  

Anna says, when she told Dante that Sam was murdered, she was speaking to him as a private citizen. That’s why he can’t be involved. He says he can help find out who killed her, and she says she’d let him if the victim was anyone else. He says, because it’s Sam, and she says, imagine if he finds the killer and it goes to trial. What does he think the defense is going to do? He says, object because of his conflict of interest, and she says, they won’t need to. We won’t have a case. It will be thrown out because he was involved in the investigation. He asks if that’s what she wants, but she says, no, but she has to look at it. What if he finds the killer and decides to take the law into his own hands? He asks if she thinks he’d do that, and she says, in this instance, she doesn’t know. He asks what she means by in this instance. Does she have a suspect?

Brook says she’s sure everybody knows she and Chase are trying to start a family, and Cody says, word got around. She says, it’s bringing up a memory for her, living in the same house with Dante. She needs to be sure. He says he never told Dante. He hasn’t even thought about it in years. If she had told Dante back then, he’s sure Dante would have stepped up, unlike other guys. She asks what he means, and he says, it’s an obligation and the guy has to step up. He can’t leave the woman hanging. Brook asks what he’s talking about, and he says, Sasha is pregnant and she shouldn’t be in it alone.  

Drew works out with the weights, when Curtis comes in. He asks if this is why Jordan needed him, and she says, Drew told her that the future of the esplanade depends on Curtis. Care to elaborate? Curtis says, Drew wanted to push Michael out of Aurora, and Jordan says, while he’s in Germany, recovering from third degree burns? Curtis says, yeah. And if Drew doesn’t get what the wants, he’s more than willing to sabotage Aurora. Hence the delay on the esplanade. Jordan says, is that right? and Drew says, Curtis couldn’t be more wrong.

Kai tells Trina that the doctors told him to manage his expectations and set reasonable goals. Don’t get ahead of himself. She says, that’s good advice, and he says his teammates’ doctors said the same thing. She asks if they played again, and he says, one did. The rest never set foot on a field again. She says she’s sorry, and he says him too. He knew it was a possibility, but he told himself that it would never be him. How could he be so stupid?

Lulu tells Laura that Dante would jump in to save any chance he got, whether she needed him to or not. Laura says, Dante just lost someone he loved and maybe he doesn’t want to lose someone else. Lulu says, maybe… probably. She hates seeing him and Rocco in pain and not be able to help. Dante sees her as the woman his fiancé died trying to save. What is it going to be like for the rest of their lives? Laura says she knows what Lulu thinks, but unless she’s spoken to Dante directly, she doesn’t know how he feels.

Anna says she has no suspect yet, but there’s a person of interest, and Dante asks, who? She says, it’s not his case and she’s not disclosing more information. He says, she hasn’t told him anything. Dammit! She needs to tell him… She says she thinks he should go home. She’s placing him on one week’s paid leave and would like him to see the department psychiatrist. He asks if he can say no, but she says she thinks he knows the answer to that. He says, fine, and leaves.

Diane tells Ric to come back when he’s made an appointment, but he says he has an offer regarding the custody hearing. Sonny says, let’s hear it, and Ric says, the recent incident at his domicile caused the destruction of property and injury to his son. Ava says, it was obviously an attempt… and Ric says, it’s obvious Sonny can’t provide a safe home for Avery. At best, Sonny is going to lose. He’s made an effort to save them time and expense. He gives Diane the paperwork and she laughs. She says, visitation every other weekend and Ava has sole custody and all major holidays? Ava says she’s willing to give up Arbor Day, but Diane says she won’t even entertain it. Ric says, then they’ll go to court, and Sonny says, let’s do it. Ric says he’s going to call Kristina to the stand, and Kristina says, no problem. He asks if she’s sure. He’s going to ask about her father’s brutal assault on Dex Heller and his long list of mental and emotional instabilities. He’ll also bring in her impulsiveness and hot-headed temper that led to the attack on Ava and also the death of Kristina’s child. Sonny says, that’s enough, and Kristina says she looks forward to making sure Avery ends up with the right parent. Ric says, it’s impressive, but her keeping it together in her attorney’s office for five seconds doesn’t hold a candle to keeping it together on the witness stand… which she knows. Ava tells Sonny to spare the agony for both him and his daughter and take the deal. Sonny leans on his desk and asks, when’s the date? Diane says, February 25th, and Sonny tells Ric, see you there. Ric says, it’s their final offer, and Sonny shrugs. Ric says, it’s over, and he and Ava leave. Diane says she knows one thing, and Sonny says, they’re desperate. Diane says, right, and he says, Ava’s funds have dried up. Kristina says, Lucy mentioned to her the other day that Ava took a place far below her standards, and Sonny says, Ava wouldn’t trade down if she didn’t have to. Kristina says, that’s good news. If Ava can’t afford it, all they have to do is wait, but Diane says, they can’t rely on that. Ric and Ava’s argument is stronger than theirs.

Dante sees Brook at the stables and asks if Cody is around. She says, he was, then he wasn’t. She doesn’t know if he’s coming back. Is Dante okay? He says, obviously not, and she asks if there’s anything she can do. He says he doesn’t know. Sam was murdered and Anna won’t let him find the bastard who did it.

Lulu says she knows Dante loved Sam, and Laura says, and Sam loved Dante. She’s grateful they gave a good home to Rocco. Lulu says her too, but she’s a little jealous. And by little, she means really jealous. Laura says, Sam is gone now, and Dante has to find a way to live with the loss, and Lulu says, it’s a big loss and here she is, swooping in. Laura says, Lulu is entitled to be here, and Lulu says, Sam is too, but she can’t be. Laura says, but Lulu can, and Dante is afraid he’s going to lose her too. He practically camped out by her bedside and fought like hell for her. She says she knows, and Laura says, from her own life, she knows it’s possible to love two people at the same time. Dante absolutely loves Lulu. Maybe not in the same way she loves him right now, but there’s definitely a place in his heart for her. Lulu says she knows it’s not rational, but she feels like it’s her fault Sam died. If she feels that way… Laura says, maybe Dante does too?

Trina says, Kai isn’t stupid. He doesn’t know how rehab is going to turn out. His first orthopedist told him that he’s never play again. He says he doesn’t feel like a lecture. He needs to figure out rehab now. As for class, he doesn’t know if he wants to go back. She says, why? Even if he never plays again, he’s been given an amazing opportunity. A scholarship most kids would kill for and PCU is an amazing school. He says he knows Trina thinks she’s helping, but she’s not.

Drew says, when he pitched the esplanade, he did it on behalf of his company. Now he’s pitching for his constituents. Jordan asks, then why hold up the project that will give his constituents jobs? and he says, the environmental report was of concern, so it’s been put on pause for review. She says, it’s going to die because he has an ax to grind, and he says, it’s Aurora’s project. Curtis is the CEO and it’s up to him to clear up the issues. Curtis says, Aurora will be fine without the esplanade, and Drew says, there you have it. Curtis says, Drew is screwing them over, and Jordan says, it was a project for the constituents that was supposed to carry on the name of the man who gave Drew a seat in congress. (Good point!) Drew says, Curtis seems tense. What does he say to them working it out in the ring?

Diane says she hates to admit it, but Ric had good points. It’s of public record that the penthouse fire was deliberately set. Sonny says, Avery was at Carly’s, and Diane says, that’s the only reason Sonny still has custody. As for Kristina, she was magnificent back there. Kristina thanks her and says, hate is a powerful motivator. Diane says she has to advise Kristina, no matter how cool and calm she is on the witness stand, Dex’s assault is going to count in Ava’s favor. Sonny says, Ric is all about money. The only reason Ric is representing Ava is to hurt him. He’s going to use Kristina to do that. Kristina says, let him try. She can’t allow Ava to have Avery. Diane says she knew Kristina would say that. She’s going to let them talk. Take all the time they need. She leaves and Sonny says, Diane is right. Ric is going to hammer her on the stand like last time. Kristina says, let him. Ava’s not going to win this case. She doesn’t get to have her daughter back after she took Kristina’s from her.  

At the MetroCourt bar, Ava says, Sonny is itching to take them to court, but Ric says he’s not so sure. Ava says, he has enough money to drag this on forever, and Kristina, with her hair trigger temper, didn’t take the bait. Ric says, no matter. It comes down to Sonny. If he doesn’t want to move forward, it’s all over. She says, too bad he and Diane are determined to do that, and Ric says, maybe he’s wrong, but he thinks something is going on with Sonny.  

On the phone, Anna says, come back to my office and we’ll go over your allegations about Cyrus. There’s a knock at the door, and she says, it’s open. Cody comes in and asks if she’s seen Mac, but she says, he’s out on a call. Is everything okay? He says he needs to get a message to Mac’s brother and doesn’t have a way to reach him, and she says she can reach him. He says, it can wait, and she says, is he sure? It seems urgent. He says, it is… It isn’t important. It’s not like they need to contact international law enforcement. Anna tells him, just say it, and he says, Sasha is in trouble and it’s Jason Morgan’s fault.  

Brook tells Dante that she’s sorry, and he says, the minute he found out Sam was murdered, he wanted to hunt down the piece of garbage who did this. He’s a cop. She says, the best, and he says, Anna told him under no uncertain terms that he’s too close to the case. She says, maybe he is, and he says, obviously. He went to Anna’s office to show her how he’d handle it, and instead, he proved her right. He lost it on her. He yelled at his boss, and she sent him home. Brook says, Anna made the right call, and he says he knows that. For Sam to die like that, in a hospital bed, confined, unable to fight… If she could have gotten up, she would have fought tooth and nail. Brook says, damn straight, and he says, Sam was there because of him, and she’s gone because of him. He doesn’t know how to live with that.

Lulu asks Laura, how does she not feel responsible? The only reason Sam was in a hospital bed was because of her. Laura says, it’s human to feel like it’s her fault, but it’s completely untrue. She’s not responsible for Sam’s death. Only one person is – the murderer. Lulu says she knows that. It’s just so hard to silence the voice telling her that it’s her fault and to think about how Dante sees her. Laura says, he’s grieving, so she can’t assume to know how he feels, but she could ask, and Lulu says, just like that. Laura says, with the connection they have, yeah. It may not be the best time to tell him the full breadth of her feelings, but she can love him as friend.

At the hospital on his phone, Brad orders the deluxe spa package, while Portia tries to quietly go past him. He trots after her and asks if she has any idea where Dr. Jones is. She says, he switched his shift. She can imagine why. He says, speaking of schedules, is there any chance he can get an extra vacation day in Miami?

Curtis says, Drew wants to see him in the ring? and Jordan says, she brought them together hoping they could compromise like the adults she assumed they were, and Curtis says, it was a noble thought. But they both know Drew makes decisions based on what Drew wants. Drew says, and Curtis never misses the opportunity to get on his high horse. Curtis says, it must be real difficult for Drew to see that high up, being so damn lowdown, and Drew asks what Curtis says when the common denominator of the people keeping secrets from him is himself.

Anna asks how Jason is involved with Sasha, but Cody says, forget it. She says, he doesn’t barge into her office saying Robert’s daughter is in trouble and then drop it. He says he wants to talk to Robert directly, but she says, they’re close. What happened? Is Sasha in danger? He says, no. It’s not a crime or a legal thing. She tells him, just say it, and he says, Sasha is pregnant, and Jason is the father.  

Ric tells Ava, the thing about having a brother as an enemy is, they can read each other. He has a strong feeling something was off with Sonny just now. She asks how he can tell, and he says, Sonny may talk tough, but he has the sense Sonny doesn’t want to see this through. She says, when he dreams, he dreams big. Sonny doesn’t give up. He says, Sonny knows cutting her out will hurt Avery. Maybe he’s starting to care a little. She says she hopes he’s right. She needs to have Avery with her. The sooner he can make that happen, and the sooner she’s back on her feet, the sooner she can pay him. Once he gets paid, maybe after that they can see where things stand between them.

Kai tells Trina that he figured out how to put the brace on and it’s an accomplishment. He appreciates Trina coming, but he needs time to himself. She says, okay. She’ll leave him to it. She goes to the door and says, just so he knows, he doesn’t need to do this alone. She leaves, and he gets on the bed with his phone. He puts on an old game, and the announcer says, PCU is down three and going for a Hail Mary pass… They win, thanks to the golden arm of quarterback Kai Taylor! He puts the phone down, and Trina sees him through the window. She takes out her phone and makes a call. She says, when you get out, come and meet me at GH. Nothing is wrong. I just need help.  

Portia says she’s made accommodations for Brad, and he knows why. Brad says, just because he forced her doesn’t mean it’s not appreciated, and she says she does have limits and if she sticks to them, they shouldn’t have a problem. He says, understood… That said… She says, if he starts asking too much too often, people will start to notice. Don’t push his luck any further than he has. He says, so… is that a yes? and she says, enjoy your vacation day. She jets, and he says, thank you.  

Curtis says, his friendship comes with loyalty and wonders if it’s too much to expect in return, and Drew says, so his friendship is transactional. He’s not applying undue influence to sink Aurora. They’re not in court. Curtis says, let him remind Drew that he’s brand new to congress. He’s alienated his backers by seducing his nephew’s wife. He overextended himself and left himself wide open. Curtis and Jordan walk out.

Sonny asks what Kristina wanted to see him about. Is everything okay? She says, actually, no. The hospital investigated Sam’s death, and it turns out it’s not an accident. Sam was murdered. He asks if they know who, and she says, no, but they know how. She was given a drug she wasn’t supposed to have. Digitalis killed her. He says he’s going to ask a question she might not be able to answer. Does Dante know? She says, probably. The police are looking into it. Should she worry? He says he doesn’t want her to worry. Let him worry. Everybody has a breaking point and she’s carrying too much.

Brook says, it’s not Dante’s fault. She knows he can’t see it, so she’ll let him get there on his own, and he will. He says, she’s right, and she says she knows he’s saying that to get her off his back. She’s here if he needs anything. He says, she’s a pretty good friend when she tries, and she says, don’t tell anyone. He says, they wouldn’t believe him anyway, and they hug. Lulu walks in.  

On Monday, Laura tells Lucky that she has some news; Gio tells Emma that he has a bad feeling about something; Maxie tells Sasha that the more she stonewalls, the more it looks like she has something to hide; and Lulu tells Dante, nothing can be further from the truth.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

Looks like a good time. Especially for that random dog who’s probably been stealing food all night.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/general-hospital/gh-star-tabyana-ali-celebrates-her-birthday-see-the-party-pics

Sage advice for any condition you might be suffering from: If you are suffering, you have to be your own advocate to keep going… If your doctor doesn’t get it, find a new doctor that listens to you and believes in you, and doesn’t just want to stick you on an antidepressant.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/general-hospital/gh-star-tabyana-ali-celebrates-her-birthday-see-the-party-pics

Side gig. I still say Adam Huss was the best Nikolas and they should bring him back.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/adam-huss-wraps-a-movie-with-tuc-watkins

💉 A Dose Of Reality…

Below Deck Sailing Yacht

In making a sushi dinner for multiple people who don’t eat fish, Cloyce said he had nothing to do but laugh, bang his head against the wall, and innovate. It must be tough for any woman who dates Cloyce to get past him giggling like Anderson Cooper. Captain Glenn joined the guests for dinner and was impressed. Glenn said he still believed in Gary, which is beyond my scope of understanding. In his interview, the captain said, if Gary wanted to step up the ladder, he’d have to grow and mature. Good luck with that. Mixing his metaphors, Captain Glenn said, the crew knocked it out of the park and suggested they put this baby to bed. He’d seen growth and thought they finished the season on a high. The tip was $21K or 2000 euros each, and they’d made a total of $188K for the season. Gary told Daisy that he wanted them to live a fairytale life. She was like, hard no, and wondered why they couldn’t get to a level they could agree on. After the crew night out, Gary waited alone at the jacuzzi while everyone else went to bed. He had a lightbulb moment in his interview, where he said if he was going to be in Glenn’s position, he’d have to start taking more responsibility for his actions. I still can’t figure out what the problem was with the stews and Daisy, except that she wanted them to work. Gary thought there was still hope for him and Daisy, and we flashed back to them over the years. He was intrigued to see what the future held. Glenn said, it was a crazy season and it was done. Margarita time.

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

In Kyle’s interview, she said she was alone in the house more often because the kids wanted more time away from her. Um… yeah, that’s how it works when kids get older. Boz and Dorit have gotten tight, which surprises me, since Boz doesn’t seem like she’d suffer fools or rambling talkers gladly. Garcelle pointed out that Kyle saying she’s never shared anything PK has said to her sounded like it was more than memes, but Kyle insisted that they’d never discussed PK and Dorit’s marriage. Kyle apologized to the group for yelling and leaving, but in Sutton’s interview, she wanted Kyle to apologize for acting better than everyone else and not being accountable. Kyle used the old it’s not who I am backpedal. I hate when people say that because, if not you, who? It was who you were in that moment and to say that is distancing yourself from accountability.

Dorit and Kyle went for a walk on the beach, and Dorit asked where Kyle’s loyalty lay, with her or PK. Dorit wanted the same respect from Kyle that Kyle would expect from her. In her interview, Kyle said she understood and if it was what Dorit needed, she’d do it, but IMO, she should have understood it without Dorit having to tell her. Dorit was also wrestling with Jagger having asked if she and PK were divorced, since he’d gleaned it from social media. In Erika’s interview, she said it was impossible to shield children in this day of the internet, but I wonder if you even should in the first place. By all means you should explain things at their level and make sure they know you’re there for them (and your partner too, if that’s a factor), but I’m not so sure kids should be shielded from negative situations entirely. God forbid they hear it from someone else like this poor kid. The show ended on an up note for once.

Real Housewives of New York City

It was the Reunion Part 1, so… There’s never a lot to say about these, since it’s just a rehash of the season’s arguments and them getting mad all over again. There was Jenna coming out in robe and turban, which was… original. Brynn spoke more about her assault, and sad to say, it’s someone she’s required to inhabit the same space with on a regular basis. It seemed hard for Erin to understand how difficult it is to out someone like that when it’s a he said/she said situation. There was a big deal with Brynn having said Pavit wasn’t the love of Jessel’s life, when they’d been talking about crazy hook-ups. Jessel was pretty upset about her family seeing the show. It looks to be a lively Part 2.

Real Housewives of Salt Lake City

Ugh. The Reunion Part 2. In a word, tedious. Meredith almost walked off because… Okay, I lost track of the whole thing, but it had to do with something she said or didn’t say and who said she said or didn’t say it. You see how I could get lost, right? Angie said that for a new Housewife, Bronwyn put herself out there and that’s why everyone loved her. Agreed. Seth was a jerk, trying to explain away why he called Whitney a bee-yotch during a dinner. No excuse for that, dude. As NeNe so succinctly put it, stay out of women’s business. Period. End of story. With the exception of RHONJ, where the men should have their own show, the husbands need to stay quiet. It’s not called Real Househusbands. Still this season’s MVP, Mary was the exception. Lots of tears over Robert Jr.’s story, even from Andy. And it shut the other women up for once. That’s quite a feat. Whitney said it helped her kids understand why they didn’t have a grandpa as she hasn’t spoken to her (addicted) father since Season 1.

Southern Charm

Poor JT. I almost have to feel sorry for him. Almost. He’s so clueless as to how he’s going wrong. Although Venita doesn’t see it. She admitted to having a crush on him and I thought, oh, just do it already. Craig called Austen and wanted to hang out, which surprised me, but it didn’t seem to surprise Austen. Shep hadn’t heard from Sienna, who texted that she needed a moment. It made Shep nervous, which made me laugh. He said he wanted beautiful babies and a Bahamian house, making me laugh harder. Patricia and Madison had a pajama party, complete with caviar in bed, making me rethink my friend group, and Patricia said Sienna had approached Whitney on Raya before meeting Shep. Venita invited JT for dinner, and he told her that he was seeing someone. It wasn’t the answer either one of us was hoping for. I don’t like him, but she does, so I felt bad for her. He professed faithfulness, but IMO, he’d been leading Venita on. Not a gentleman.

I don’t remember this guy from Summer House, but I’m not always paying attention.

Southern Hospitality

I tried to watch this. I really did. But it’s just a bunch of relationships that are more complicated than they need to be. I’ve seen enough to know Emmy is a drama queen, so I can just imagine when she finds out her boyfriend has been cheating on her. Red flags have been thrown her way before, which she’s put her fingers in her ears and gone la-la-la about, but this seems to be irrefutable evidence. Rut-roh.

There was this priceless quote though: Even though I’m 33, that’s like 50 in gay years, so I’m basically dead. – TJ

I feel the opposite. While the diversity is commendable, the personalities aren’t so diverse. We even have Maddi being James Kennedy 2.0. Sans the alcoholic rants. Wait for VPR’s reboot if you want to relive the glory days. Or actually watch the original glory days on several streaming services.

Random Reality

The latest in Atlanta. Twirl on, Kenya. Twirl on.

Why not? And I actually don’t mind Slade. They seem to be a good match. Maybe he’ll marry her on his deathbed.

Get your lemons ready.

I’m sporadic in watching this, and like with Survivor, I get lost with the challenges, but when I see it, I enjoy it. Alan Cumming is the best host, all theatric and Scottish.

Take the tour.

https://ew.com/the-traitors-host-alan-cumming-season-3-castle-tour-exclusive-8766966

👀 Last Weekend’s Watch…

Sleep. Hulu et al. I was a fan of Korean cinema long before it was popular, and Netflix had a Korean for beginners category. While this wasn’t one of my favorites, that didn’t make it less intriguing. A story of possession masked as a sleep disorder, it has creepiness a plenty. I wasn’t thrilled with the ending, which left me kind of hanging, but the style and atmosphere were worth the time spent. I hadn’t thought of it as a metaphor for a deteriorating relationship, but there’s that too. Those of you who feel, if I want to read, I’ll get a book, be forewarned; this one has subtitles.

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/sleep-korean-film-review

https://nofspodcast.com/sleep-review-new-korean-horror-is-a-methodical-slow-build-of-simmering-scares

Saturday Night. Netflix. This is the telling of the story of the first episode of SNL, and how no one thought it would get on the air, much less stand the test of time it has. A dramatization for sure, but the real-life drama may have seemed heightened since there were so many roadblocks. From John Belushi refusing to sign his contract while ice skating in a bee costume to Milton Berle flashing his legendary junk, it’s a fun watch.

https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/saturday-night/

https://www.purewow.com/entertainment/saturday-night-netflix-review

The truths and the nots.

https://people.com/how-much-of-saturday-night-is-true-8725801

Some of this is a stretch to connect to SNL, but six degrees and all that.

🎸 Who’s Playing For Who…

The Super Bowl performers.

https://ew.com/super-bowl-2025-performers-kendrick-lamar-halftime-sza-jon-batiste-8779483

The Grammys performers.

https://ew.com/everyone-performing-at-2025-grammys-charli-xcx-sabrina-carpenter-more-8779877

🐾 Send In the Furbabies…

🐶 It’s always nice to see a celebrity using their powers for good. This must have been incredibly rewarding. I’ve loved Paris since Tinkerbell wrote her book.

https://people.com/paris-hilton-reunites-her-foster-dog-from-l-a-fires-with-the-dog-s-family-8781373

🐎 What would the Super Bowl be without the Budweiser Clydesdales?

https://people.com/super-bowl-2025-budweiser-clydesdale-horse-commercial-8780322

🐕 And don’t forget the best Bowl of all.

https://www.discovery.com/shows/puppy-bowl/see/2025/pb-xxi-gallery

https://www.discovery.com/shows/on-tv/puppy-bowl/see/2025

🐐 Quotes of the Week

Anyone who wants to achieve a dream must stay strong, focused and steady.Estée Lauder

A dead end street is a good place to turn around. – Naomi Judd

Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read. – Groucho Marx

If your dreams don’t scare you, they are too small. – Richard Branson

Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working. – Pablo Picasso

You can’t help getting older, but you don’t have to get old. – George Burns

Words are the clothing of our thoughts.Jonathan Swift

A ship in a harbour is safe, but it’s not fulfilling its potential. – Susan Jeffers

If you carry joy in your heart, you can heal any moment. – Carlos Santana

I don’t know why they say alcohol is a depressant. It fixes everything. – Joyce (Swoosie Kurtz), Mike & Molly

🍫 Like a Box Of Chocolates…

Until next week, stay safe; stay being adaptable in social and professional settings; and stay managing your expectations, setting reasonable goals, and not getting ahead of yourself.

June 20, 2024 – Spinelli Finds the Prize, Get Your Own, She’s a Tease, Sold, It’s Them Not Her, New Traitors, A Farewell, Posteenth, The Cutest & Don’t

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the coffee warehouse, Carly asks Jason if he’s busy, and he says he’s working. She suggests he check in with Drew. What Drew is doing might affect him.

Terry asks if Elizabeth wants to grab coffee, but Elizabeth says she can’t. She has paperwork. She doesn’t how Epiphany did it. Terry says, they’ll call it a meeting. They do have catching up to do. Elizabeth says, that sounds ominous, and asks if something happened with Terry and Yuri. Terry says, it’s about Elizabeth and Finn.

Finn tells Violet that everything she needs for a pool day with Georgie is in her bag, but Violet thinks it would be more fun if they had a take your daughter to work day. Finn says, they’ll do that another day. He has to arrange it in advance. She tells him that he said there were surprises at work all the time, and Finn asks if there’s some reason she doesn’t want to go to the pool. She says she doesn’t want to leave him here alone.

Mac and Felicia make out on the sofa, and Felicia says, before they get caught up with their reunion, this isn’t their house. Mac says, the kids are out with Maxie and won’t be back for a while, and Bailey Lou is fast asleep. The babysitters have the run of the place. Felicia reminds him that Spinelli lives here now, but Mac says, Spinelli said he had a rendezvous. Mac wants that to remain a mystery.

Sam goes to Spinelli’s gamer den, and he tells her that he found something. She asks him to please not tell her that the FBI is onto him, and he says, her lack of faith in his ability wounds him. Cates still doesn’t know they’re using his credentials. She says, they can’t get sloppy, or they’ll get caught, but he says, that’s not the issue. He found their prize, but now they have a new problem.

Finn says he’d rather hang out with Violet than go to work, but his patients need to see him. He’ll probably be so busy, he won’t miss her. He wants her to go have fun and not worry about her dad. He’s fine. Georgie arrives to get Violet, and Finn tells Violet to have lots of fun. If she needs anything, call him. They hug, and he says he loves her so much.

Terry says she doesn’t want to pry, just check-in, and Elizabeth says, obviously, she’s hurt and confused. She loves Finn and wishes she could be angry and write him off, but she can’t. She knows he’s a good man, but he’s sick and needs help. Terry says, they’re both medical professionals, and have seen this more times than they can count. No one can force Finn to get help. He’ll have to ask for it. Elizabeth says, it’s hard enough to watch Finn spiral, but she’s worried about the toll it will take on her boys. They built a beautiful relationship with Finn, and she’s afraid it will create a void. Terry says, it’s tough, but she’s a great mom and will get them through it. Elizabeth says, but what about Violet? How is she going to get through it?

Finn takes out a bottle and glass, and looks at his hospital ID. He puts the bottle and glass back, and leaves.

Jason wonders what Drew has going on besides running Aurora, and Carly says, there’s no reason his and Drew’s relationship should be as messy as the one he had with AJ. Drew broke up with her because he knew she’d put Jason first. She thinks he was hoping she’d deny it. Jason says he’s sorry, but she says she and Drew are fine. Drew seemed good at Willow’s surprise party. Jason should have come. He would have heard the announcement. His brother is running for congress.

Mac tells Felicia that he’s glad to be home. He missed her. She says, good, and he says he’ll never take off without her again. It drove home how lucky he is. Frisco gave an honest accounting of his mistakes with her and the girls and didn’t whitewash his behavior. (Hmm… Could Frisco be coming back? Is Morgan a red herring?) Felicia says, it must have been awkward, and Mac says, it was, but it was liberating. Frisco was grateful and thanked Mac for being a father to the girls when he wasn’t. He thinks Frisco understands how much he missed out on in leaving Port Charles. He made damn sure Frisco understood how extraordinary the three women he left behind are. She says, they’re lucky to have him in their lives. He made sacrifices for her girls, and she’s sure he felt it would have been easier to take off and start his own family. He says, never. They’re family and he never wanted anything else. There’s a knock at the door, and Mac says, whoever it is has godawful timing. Felicia opens the door to Anna and Robert, who says, there’s a rumor the old man has returned. Anna says she’s here to arrest her brother-in-law for an unlawful absence, and she and Robert hug Mac.

Finn tells Elizabeth that he doesn’t want it to be strange or awkward, and asks if she wants to check his blood alcohol content. She asks if she needs to, and he says, she doesn’t need to do anything, but they have to work together. That’s it. She says she knows he’s hurting, and she still loves him. He’s still family. He says, she’s Violet’s aunt, and before she asks, Violet is at the pool with Georgie and Maxie is supervising. Elizabeth steps away, and Portia greets Finn. He thanks her for the time off and says he’s eager to get back to work. He wants to check his patient files before rounds. Portia says she and Terry would like a word, and he says, lead the way, following her to Terry’s office.

At the pool, Gio tells James that Josslyn is the lifeguard today, and asks what that means. James says, no cannonballs, and Gio says, they can still have fun. If they follow the rules, maybe he can hook them up with ices later. Georgie says, James has to listen to her, but James says, she’s not the boss of him. Maxie says, correct, and tells Georgie and Violet to go in the pool. James missed a spot with his sunscreen. Nina comes along, and says, like father like son, and James says, Mac is putting in a treehouse for him with Cody. Nina says she hopes she’s invited to the housewarming. Or are girls not allowed? He says, she is, but not Georgie. Maxie lets James go into the pool and tells Nina that she handled Natalia’s complaints. Nina says, good. She trusts Maxie. Maxie is surprised she didn’t hear complaints from Nina about Natalia, but Nina says, she went to Willow’s surprise party and she’s walking on air. Maxie says, they must be getting along better than she thought, but Nina says she had to find Drew and ended up invited. Maxie asks if Nina expects her to believe she was just looking for Drew because of business, and not planning to attend the party. She wasn’t born yesterday.

Carly tells Jason that McConkey is retiring and convinced Drew to run for his seat. Jason says he thinks Drew would make a good congressman. She doesn’t agree? Carly says she thinks Drew has great qualities for a politician. He’s photogenic, he can talk to people, and has a great life story. (Apparently, she doesn’t expect a lot from a political candidate.) Jason asks why she has a problem with him then, and she says, there will be public scrutiny. It will take zero minutes to pick apart Drew’s story and they’ll dig for dirt. With the Quartermaines, there’s plenty to find. AJ’s drunk driving, Jason working for Sonny, all the way to Dante’s shooting, and Jason can’t afford scrutiny

Spinelli tells Sam that he can’t corrupt or delete the file. It’s accessible, but not assailable. Unfortunately, the FBI will be holding onto it. Sam asks what he means by accessible but not assailable, and he said it’s like a real-only file, but they can only listen to it. They can play it, but not delete it. Sam tells him to just play it. Maybe knowing what it is will help them find a way to neutralize it.

Terry tells Finn that his patients are under capable supervision, and Portia says, this conversation can’t wait. They want to discuss Finn’s responsibility to GH and his patients. He says he’s anxious to see how his patients are doing. They can find a time that works for all of them and circle back. Terry says, there’s no need, and Portia says, they’ve cleared his calendar for the day. Terry says, they’re here as his colleagues, but also his friends, and Finn says, the last time they had a meeting like this, he was told to have a lawyer present, but Terry says, they want to keep it informal. Finn asks what this is really about, and Portia says, his drinking.

Josslyn says, Trina is the nicest person she knows, and asks how Gio got in trouble with her. He says, it was just a misunderstanding. They’re fine now. Josslyn tells him that Trina has been going through a lot, but she’s too close to get an accurate reading. It’s been a rough year for Trina. Her boyfriend died unexpectedly in February. Gio says, Trina told him that she’d lost someone close. He’s sorry for her loss and he’ll tread carefully. She thanks him and says she doesn’t mean to tell him what to do. He says he’s used to it. She’s kind of bossy, but nothing compared to his aunts and some of his uncles. Dex walks in wearing his uniform.

Anna says she’s happy Mac is back. She could use his advice and they have a lot of catching up to do. He congratulates her on becoming Commissioner. With respect to Jordan, he always thought she was the best person for the position. Felicia says, Mac was no slouch, and Robert says he raised the bar for everyone. Anna says she tries daily to live up to his high standards, and Robert says, at least he didn’t have Cates breathing down his neck. Mac asks if he means Jagger Cates. Is he back in Port Charles? It will be good to see him. Anna says, he goes by John now and he’s not the sweet young kid Mac remembers.

Carly says, the people who love and care about Jason can be hurt. How does he think Monica would want to see the front page splashed with all of that? Or Danny and Jake reading it? He’ll be thrust in the spotlight against his will. Jason says he’s been through worse.

Sam says, it explains so much, and Spinelli says he thought Jason would rather go to prison than he an informant. He was acting out of love. Sam says, for Carly. That son of a bitch.

Finn asks, who said he was drinking? and Portia says, they were approached by a concerned party. Finn says, Elizabeth. They’re taking the word of his ex as proof of a problem. Terry asks if he’s denying using alcohol, but Finn says he’s denying nothing. He’s seen them drink. Have they ever seen him be impaired at work? He’ll submit to a blood test if they think he’s drunk. Portia says, everyone is different. Finn has a narcotics addiction. Terry says, they can’t risk him treating patients, and Portia says, he can treat them supervised, but has to submit to the physician’s health plan. He’ll have to go to meetings, they’ll monitor his attendance, and he’ll have to authorize his sponsor to give them updates, as well as get drug testing on a regular basis. Finn asks, what if he says no? and Terry says, it will have to go before the Executive Committee, which will make it official. Then the committee will have to notify the Medical Board, which will make it public. They’ll give him a choice of seeing patients under supervision or he could lose his license altogether.

Trina joins Josslyn, and says, Dex is looking official. She tells Gio that there are no more towels, and he says, duty calls. Trina says she’s going with him, and they leave. Josslyn tells Dex, nice uniform. It suits him.

Nina says, possibly Drew arranged for her to show up, and Maxie says, uninvited. Nina says, once she was there, Willow invited her, and Maxie wonders what would have happened had Nina been asked to leave. Nina says, of course (🍷) she would honor Willow’s wishes, and Maxie says, Nina and Willow’s relationship was happening naturally. If Nina hurries and manipulates it, she risks it being worse than before. Nina says, it’s different from her earlier misfires… Her lies, schemes, and cringeworthy sucking up. Now she has Drew on her side and Willow thinks he walks on water.

Finn tells Portia and Terry that they’re smearing his reputation. If he determines there’s slander, be warned. He knows everything about this place. He saved the hospital from going under. If not for him, neither of them would have jobs. GH exists today because he signed his patent to the Blackwood’s cure. Terry says, no one is denying his contribution, and Portia says, they want him to remain to build on it. Finn says, they’re not being friends. They’re bureaucrats and hypocrites. Portia says, they’re looking at him like a valued member of the staff and as a friend, but he says, friends don’t blindside him and threaten to take away something he loves. He’ll save them the trouble. He quits. He walks out.

Carly says, Drew gets to live a great life while Jason slaves at the warehouse, lives in a room above Bobbie’s, and Sonny tells everyone that he’s a traitor. (Um… Isn’t Jason loaded? It sounds like his choice.) Jason says, let Drew have his life. He doesn’t want it. Carly says, it’s not about what Drew has; it’s about what Jason doesn’t. Jason says, it’s not Drew’s fault, and Carly says, it was two years Jason could have spent with his family and that his family spent grieving. Why? What was so important that it was worth him losing that time?

Sam tells Spinelli that Jason lied to her. He’d said he had no choice, but everything he did was because of Carly. Cates has evidence about Carly running Sonny’s organization, and Jason put her welfare above everyone, including his children. Carly always comes first. Spinelli says, it must have been the hardest decision Jason ever had to make. There’s some nobility… She tells him, don’t you dare. There’s no nobility in abandoning his kids so a grown woman can escape the consequences of the life she chose. Anyone who says otherwise never heard a son crying for his father because he’s dead. She asks if Spinelli can make a copy, and he says he can. Why? She says, just do it.

Jason says, there’s an important job he has to do. Otherwise, he never would have left his sons and his family. Once the job is finished, he’ll take his life back. It’s the only life he wants. Carly says she hopes Drew’s campaign doesn’t get in the way. She’ll do everything in her power to defend him. She knows he’d do the same for her. Jason says, okay, and she says she’s glad he agrees. She hugs him and says she’ll see him soon. She leaves and Jason gets an audio file from The Jackal.

Spinelli tells Sam not to do anything hasty, but she says she’s going to do the one thing a good mother does – protect her children at all costs. No matter what it takes. She leaves.

Mac says, maybe he can talk to Jagger and get him to back off, but Felicia says she thinks Anna can handle Cates. Anna says she’d prefer he keep out of it, when her phone dings. She tells them that she has to deal with something, but she expects Mac back at his desk at 5 am sharp. No excuses.

Maxie tells Nina, be careful. Willow’s opinion of both her and Drew could change if she finds out about their affair, and how they hate each other, but can’t keep their hands off each other. Nina says she could keep her hands off Drew if she wanted to. They’re consenting adults, and he got plenty. Because of her connections and advice, he’s running for congress and Willow is his biggest supporter. She’s going to make sure he’s elected. Willow will be grateful, Drew will owe her, and they’ll all be happy. Everyone wins.

Finn sees Elizabeth when he comes out of the elevator and asks if she’s happy now. She got her revenge. She wanted him out, so he’s out. He just quit. She reported him before he had a chance to explain, with no concern how it would hurt him, his patients, or Violet. The only thing that mattered was getting back at him. She says she did turn him in, but she did it for his patients, Violet, and most of all, him. He’s jeopardizing everything good in his life, and it was the way to get back the Finn she knows and loves. The compassionate, brilliant, loving man who would never put anyone in harm’s way. Finn asks if she knows how many lives he’s saved. Of course (🍷) she doesn’t, because she doesn’t know him at all. Maybe she never did. He doesn’t want her near Violet. Don’t call her, don’t see her, and don’t spend time with her. She says, he agreed… but he says, that was his mistake. He thought he knew her, but he was wrong. Stay away from him and Violet.

Gio says, that’s the second time Trina ran interference for Josslyn and Dex, and asks if they’re back together. Trina says, not yet, but maybe they’ll figure things out. She’s trying to give them room to talk things out. He says he likes seeing her look out for Josslyn. She cares about her friends as much as they care about her.

Dex says he could use Josslyn’s help. The department is having beach volleyball. It’s not his game, but he volunteered to break the ice with the other cops. Tom Cruise, he’s not. Josslyn says she’d love to help, but she can’t this weekend. She and Trina are moving to a new place. He says he’s glad for them, but sorry to lose her expertise. She says, He has to learn to negotiate. She’ll give him some pointers if he helps her move. He says, deal, but he would help regardless. It’s the PCPD’s motto to protect and serve.

Portia thanks Elizabeth and says she was right. She saw the way Finn was, and Elizabeth absolutely did the right thing. Elizabeth thanks her and says, when Finn sobers up, he’s going to realize what he threw away. She hopes someday, somehow, he can pick himself back up, but what is it costing Violet?

The kids go back to Maxie’s after the pool, and James wants to talk about the treehouse, but Mac says, Cody needs to be here. Georgie says, Violet’s done some camping and has ideas, and James asks if Violet can stay over. They can camp out. Violet says, her dad won’t let her, but James says, she hasn’t asked. Maxie says, another night. Violet’s dad is expecting her.  

Finn comes home after a hard day of being a jerk. He takes out the bottle and glass and takes a drink. He pours another and drinks that too.

Anna goes to the coffee warehouse, and Jason asks if she’s made any more progress with Valentin. She says she’s going slow and treading carefully, and he says, Cates is getting impatient and wants results. Drew is running for congress and it’s going put him in the public eye. The spotlight will be on him, and if his profile is too high, he’ll be useless to the FBI. He didn’t go through all this for Cates to arrest Carly. He knows Anna wants to do this her way, but he’s running out of time. Cates will get what he wants, and he’ll bust Valentin.

Sam finds Carly, and says, there’s something she needs to hear.

Tomorrow, Cates promises to make it worth Carly’s while; Chase wants to know why Violet is with Tracy; and Jason says, he’s not letting this thing go to waste.

🏊 Must Have…

Well, I’m definitely getting one of these. Although I’d rather have the actual pool.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/get-your-own-gh-metro-court-pool-towel

🍊 New Slice Of the Orange…

Premieres July 11th.

👰🏼‍♀️ Love For Sale…

Dresses. Plural. I had one. Great charity choice though.

https://people.com/summer-house-star-lindsay-hubbard-selling-wedding-dresses-after-broken-engagement-carl-radke-8666037

👠 Never Her Fault…

Yeah, that must be it.

https://ew.com/teresa-giudice-says-feds-targeted-her-because-rhonj-producers-had-her-pay-cash-in-scene-8666098

🚬 Twirling Their Mustaches…

This season’s Traitors.

https://extratv.com/2024/06/05/the-traitors-tom-sandoval-sam-asghari-and-more-join-season-3-cast/

She’ll make it nice.

📓 Goodbye Professor…

All the great movies he made, and yet, whenever I hear his name, I think of Animal House.

https://ew.com/donald-sutherland-dead-mash-actor-was-88-8666623

🎉 Celebrations…

How the stars celebrated Juneteenth.

https://extratv.com/2024/06/18/stars-reflect-on-juneteenth-celebrate-the-freedom/

🐶 Mine For the Win…

You can try though.

https://people.com/worlds-cutest-rescue-dog-contest-2024-submissions-8666051

El Wray sez: I iz a shoo in.

🩱 Got My Suit Damp…

Join me tomorrow for soap and a pre-weekend kiki. Until then, stay safe, stay having a back-up plan when hosting an outdoor party, and stay asking for help if you need it, whether it’s with moving or something bigger.

June 11, 2024 – Chase Confronts Finn, It’s Amazing, Dubai Talk, Prepared, New Reality, G To the Minus One, Cat On Tour & Super

Standard

What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and a GH blow-by-blow on Fridays)

General Hospital

Anna went to see Jack at the hospital, but they were interrupted by John. John wondered what they had to discuss.

Elizabeth called Chase, but he and Brook were about to knock on Finn’s door, so it went to voicemail. The door was unlocked, and they went inside. Chase called to Finn, who came out from the back. He said it was a nice surprise, but early. What brought them by?

Spinelli told Sam that he’d gotten past the FBI firewall, but he was still no closer to getting the information they needed. He couldn’t get access to the evidentiary database unless he had an agent ID. Sam said, it was time for Plan B. She’d been tracking John and thought they could swipe his digital key without him being the wiser. If he stuck to his routine, they’d get their opportunity.  

John told Anna that Jack’s fate would be decided in the courts, not by the Police Commissioner, and she said she didn’t need a lesson in protocol. He said he didn’t know what she and Jack would have to discuss, and Anna wondered if John should have more coffee or leave caffeine alone altogether (been there). He asked why Anna was there, and she said she was just telling Jack goodbye. John left, and Jack told Anna that he wanted to give her a heads up. John thought she was the secret head of Pikeman.

Aiden wondered what happened that Elizabeth and Finn broke up, although they’d broken up before and got back together. Jake said it wasn’t happening this time, and Elizabeth said she didn’t know the future, but Finn couldn’t be part of their lives. He wasn’t handling Gregory’s death well at all, but that wasn’t why they broke up. It just wasn’t going to work out. Jake said he didn’t care if he ever saw Finn again, but what about Violet?

Chase told Finn that his door had been unlocked, and Brook asked if Violet was still at Maxie’s. Finn said she was and asked if Chase had talked to Elizabeth. Chase said no, Should he? Finn said they’d ended things, and Brook wondered if the mess in his apartment had something to do with it. Finn said it was his fault and he should clean up before Violet home. Brook said she and Chase had an idea and maybe the timing was right. Chase told Finn that he and Brook were moving into the Quartermaines for a while in order to get their place ready after getting so many gifts, and Brook told Finn all about the kids who hang out there in the summer. Chase said, James would be taking riding lessons, so Georgie would be there too, and Brook said they were thinking Violet could come hang with them. It was better than summer camp. Finn asked if they didn’t think he knew what they were doing. There was no way they were taking his daughter from him.

Elizabeth said, Violet was the boys’ cousin and that would never change, but Aiden was worried they’d drift apart. Elizabeth said she wouldn’t let that happen, and Jake told Aiden that maybe their mom had a reason to be mad at Finn. Aiden said there was something he didn’t know, but Jake obviously did, and he had a right to know too. Elizabeth told him that there was no easy way to say it. Jake saw Finn coming out of a bar drunk. Jake said, and he had some drunk woman… but Elizabeth said they didn’t need the details. Aiden asked what bar was by the Cineplex, and Elizabeth said, Jake never told her how he was nowhere near where he said he’d be.

Finn told Chase that Violet was staying with him; he was her father. Chase said, no one was trying to take her away, and Brook said, they just wanted Violet to have a fun summer, especially after her grandfather’s death. Finn said, it wasn’t going to happen, and for once in Chase’s life, he had to take no for an answer. Chase wanted talk to Finn alone, and Brook left. Finn said Chase was leaving too, but Chase said he wasn’t going anywhere.

Spinelli said he’d watched John going to his room through the security cameras. He looked agitated, but that might just be his face. They watched John leaving for his morning swim, and noticed a bag he was carrying. Sam assumed it contained any credentials he didn’t want leave in his room.

Sam went to the pool wearing a caftan, big sunglasses, and high heels. She pretended to trip near John, and he caught her.

Jack flashed back to his conversation with John about Anna, while Anna asked for a delay in Jack’s transport. She got it and told Jack that they had until noontime to finish their conversation. Why did he think the FBI was after her? He said he didn’t know as it was the whole organization, but John had already been tailing her when she’d visited him. Anna told him that John did say he didn’t trust her when he came to town, but she didn’t care. Let him stew. She wasn’t hiding anything. Jack told her that she should be worried. John was a true believer, the most dangerous agent of all. She asked him to enlighten her, and he said, they believed God and the law were on their side. They thought anything they did would be justified, because it made the world a better place according to their definition of it. They’d rather wreck themselves and everyone around them than compromise their beliefs. Anna agreed that could be dangerous, but so could too much cynicism. She asked if Jack had he ever believed in anything.

Sam told John that she was embarrassed and blamed her shoes. Her pride was bruised, but otherwise she was okay. She pretended her ankle still hurt and asked him to help her. He picked her up and carried her to a lounge chair and asked an attendant for ice and a towel. Sam asked for help getting her shoe off, and wondered if he thought her shoes were cute. He said he wasn’t a shoe connoisseur, but they looked cute on her. Dressed as an attendant, but hiding his face with a bucket hat, Spinelli snuck into John’s bag as John was helping Sam. She asked if John was a guest at the hotel, and he said he was there on business. She told him that she was a local and her family came here every summer. He asked if she was married, but she said, no. She was single, divorced, with two kids. He suggested she rest her ankle for 20 minutes, and she said she was going to get bored.

Finn said, Chase was a cop, but not to make him the bad guy. Chase said, no one was calling Finn a bad guy, but maybe he could use some help and not to be too proud or stubborn to take it. Finn said he could take care of himself, but Chase said, not from what he was seeing. Finn said he’d been there alone, going through their dad’s things, and Chase picked up the bottle and said he didn’t think their dad left this out. He’d seen Finn doing shots at the memorial. Finn said he wasn’t the first person to have a drink at their father’s funeral, and Chase told him not to bring Gregory into this. Judging by the bottle, the two glasses, and the hangover Finn was wearing, he’d had quite a night. Finn said, Chase had solved the mystery, and Chase said, Finn was oblivious to the problem. But if he didn’t think there was a problem, it was a bigger problem than Chase thought.

Elizabeth told Jake that they’d talk later. He’d been someplace he wasn’t supposed to be, and it must have crossed his mind not to tell her, but she did appreciate that. She needed to know what was happening with Finn, but also because she was Jake’s mom and needed to know Jake would come to her when things were difficult. Jake promised he would, and she said she was glad he called his dad and asked for help.

Brook went to the nook at the Quartermaines, and Lois said she was just in time for breakfast and Sudoku. She could see something was wrong, and asked Brook, what happened? Did she and Chase have a fight? Brook said, Chase had a fight with his brother. She knew they both loved each other, and Gregory’s death should bring them together, not pull them apart. Lois said she’d seen it so many times. Weddings and funerals brought out the best and worst in people, but things would calm in time. Brook said she thought it was getting worse. Chase was taking care of his father’s estate and was also grieving. He needed his big brother, but Finn was nowhere to be found. Lois asked if Finn left town, but Brook said, Finn was in a full-blown alcoholic spiral. He’d been hungover and completely unreasonable. Chase had stayed to talk to him, but she knew how that was going to go.

Spinelli synced John’s ID with his phone. He said, the first time is the charm, and got access.

John introduced himself to Sam, and she did the same, using her real name, which surprised me. He asked how long she’d been divorced, and she said, six years. The less said the better. He asked if it was a bad breakup, and she said, that was an understatement. He wasn’t who she thought he was. John asked if he’d lied, and she said, all the time. What about him? He said he was divorced too, and she said, people always let you down. Her ex had everyone believing he’d died. Her son thought his father was dead, then he turned up. John said that was highly unusual. Was she at least happy he was alive? She said, sure, but she was conflicted. It brought up a lot of stuff. John said his ex passed away and sometimes he fantasized about where they’d be if she hadn’t died. How different his life would have been. He wondered what time it was and said he should get his phone.

Sam asked if she could be honest for a moment, and John said, of course (🍷). She said, after what he’d shared, she didn’t mean to come off flip. Sometimes she thought about her ex when things were good. Now they never even talk. John asked what her ex was doing now, and she said she was tired of talking about exes. Life goes on. Spinelli put John’s phone back in his bag, and Sam said she thought her ankle was good, but she wasn’t in the mood for a swim. She didn’t want to push it. She told John that it was nice getting to know him and asked if he’d be in town a while. He said he wasn’t sure, but hoped he saw her again. She asked him for help putting her shoe back on, and he put it on her. She told him that she felt like Cinderella

Jack said he’d warned Anna, and she was repaying him by probing the depths of his psyche. She said she was genuinely curious and wondered if she’d ever known the true Jack Brennan. She’d thought she did. He was a rising star, the fair-haired golden boy. It wasn’t a surprise he became director, but she was surprised he fell so fast. Why did he steal money to start the company? Did he abandon his principles? Did he ever have any? He said he believed in democracy, but at the end of the day, a man had to pay his bills. John was going to spend his nights trying to prove she was a cop by day and a mastermind by night. Anna said it wasn’t lost on her that John was trying to take her down for something Jack did.

Lois told Brook about not sending wedding invitations to an alcoholic aunt and uncle. Uncle Vito was her favorite until his drinking took over. Brook said, at family gatherings, she would see them get up and there would be ice cubes clinking in the other room. She just thought they must be really thirsty. Later, they’d be bumping into things, and she thought it was because they were old, but it was because of the drinking. Lois said, the family tried to get them into AA or to a doctor, but after years of broken promises, she realized they had to commit to their own treatment. They never did. They say that God protects fools and drunks, but she doesn’t see it. They’re still alive, but what kind of life is that? Brook said she didn’t want that for Finn and hoped Chase would get through to him, and Lois said, it was sweet of them to try and help Finn. Brook said she knew Finn was a grown man. Either he would get himself into recovery or live with the consequences, but Violet was a child. Finn was Violet’s sole parent, and he wasn’t capable of parenting. Elizabeth had kids of her own, so that left her and Chase. They were going to do everything in their power to keep Violet safe, even if it was from her own father.

Finn said, what he did in his own home was his business, and he wasn’t an alcoholic, but Chase said, Finn was a drug addict, and this would lead to the same result. He needed help. Finn said, Chase wasn’t the man because he’d gotten married, and couldn’t tell him what to do. Not everyone had his perfect life. Chase told Finn that he could keep fooling himself, but no one was buying his crap, and Finn said, Chase didn’t know the pressure he was under. Chase asked Finn to tell him. He didn’t have to do this alone. They could talk while they straightened up. Finn said, Chase wouldn’t understand, but Chase said his life wasn’t perfect. He’d nearly died a year ago. Finn said he remembered. He’d saved Chase. Chase asked if Finn had any idea how many calls he went on like this, seeing a drunk tearing their family apart. Finn’s life was a mess. Chase just lost his dad and couldn’t take losing his brother too.

Jake said he thought Elizabeth might need back-up, and asked if Finn gave her a hard time. She said, no, but when Jason showed up, she was grateful for the support. She wanted Jake to always feel he could call his dad for help. He did the right thing, and it meant a lot to Jason. Jake said he did it for her, not for Jason or himself, and they hugged. He asked if that meant he was forgiven for lying, but she said, not a chance.

Sam asked Spinelli if there was any progress, and he said, it went perfectly, but he didn’t think she fully comprehended how many records were in the database. Ask him in a month, and maybe he’ll have found out what the FBI was holding over Jason.

Jack said he hoped Anna would visit him. He missed their conversations. She said she did too, and she had one more question. She was the only witness that could tie him to Pikeman. Would he have had her killed if she hadn’t arrested him first? He struggled for a moment, then said he’d never been good with hypotheticals. She left, and Jack looked sad.

Lois said she wasn’t surprised Brook was focusing on Chase’s feelings, but she should pay attention to her own feelings. Brook also had grief over Gregory. So did she. Brook said she was so worried about Chase. He’d believed Finn drinking was a one-time thing, so he wasn’t just feeling betrayed. He was beating himself up for not seeing it. Lois said, Chase was Finn’s little brother and hoping for the best. Maybe he’d get through to Finn. Brook said, something told her it was going to be a whole ordeal for all of them, and Lois said, it wasn’t supposed to be this way. Brook and Chase were supposed to be blissfully happy in Florence and coming home to newlywed magic, not dealing with the problems of a hurt family. Brook said, Florence wasn’t going anywhere, and she and Chase were each other’s person. They would get through whatever life threw at them. Lois said she was happy Brook found that kind of love.

Finn said he was sorry that Chase was bothered. He’d try to fall in line and not be a problem. Chase asked if nothing he said was getting through to Finn, and Finn told him to stop reaching down from his pedestal; he would be with the rest of humanity. Chase said, that had nothing to do with Finn hiding in a bottle. The bottom line was, Finn was grown and made his own decisions. He couldn’t stop that, so have his trashy life. But Violet shouldn’t watch him self-destruct. Finn said, Violet was the only good thing in his life, and told Chase, get the hell out. Chase left, and Finn cried.

In Memory of Johnny Wactor. 🥺

Tomorrow, Molly says she’s been keeping something from TJ; Carly asks Jason if he thinks it was a one-time thing; and Sonny talks to Kristina.

🏥 Going Home Again…

I’m not sure if it’s me, him, the writing, how he’s being directed, or what, but I like Jason a lot more than I used to.

https://ew.com/steve-burton-amazing-to-return-to-general-hospital-after-firing-8661636

🐪 In Camel-lot…

What’s happening in Dubai. Season 2, episodes 1 and 2.

This was the only recap on episode 2 as of this writing.

Who’s worth what.

https://parade.com/tv/real-housewives-of-dubai-cast-net-worths-ranked

💣 From Chief To Traitor…

I haven’t seen this show, but I enjoyed The Villains, and I’m guessing it’s similar. Plus, Kate is a national reality treasure.

https://okmagazine.com/p/kate-chastain-reveals-seasons-below-deck-prepared-traitors/

🎪 Even More Complicated…

I loved her other reality series (It’s Complicated) and had looked forward to her joining RHOBH. Well, that was a bust, so I’m glad she’s going back to her reality roots.

https://people.com/denise-richards-gets-new-e-reality-docuseries-wild-things-8661098

🦖 A True OG…

I watched this twice last week (once alone and once with my SO) and it was just as good the second time. I loved the Japanese monster movies as a kid, and it’s great to see how f/x and dubbing have improved. The story is incredible too, but I don’t think this critic needs to worry. Obviously, an old film from the 1950s isn’t going to be as visually amazing as one made in the 2020s. It is possibly the first Godzilla worth paying attention to the narrative. I mean, I don’t watch Jurassic Park for the interpersonal relationship drama.

https://screenrant.com/godzilla-minus-one-first-godzilla-movie-ruin-franchise-worried/

Not resting on their laurels.

https://movieweb.com/godzilla-minus-one-director-has-reportedly-found-their-next-movie/

🐈‍⬛ One Cool Kitty…

Nothing better than a cat in costume.

https://people.com/cat-owner-creates-taylor-swift-eras-tour-costumes-photos-8659501

🚣‍♀️ No Clue What You Did Last Summer…

Drop by tomorrow for soap and seeing who lands on Top. Until then, stay safe, stay observing the house rules when you’re a guest, and stay never being too proud or stubborn to take help if you need it.

January 12, 2023 – Carly Finds Out There’s No Donor, Tribute, Coming Back, New Ball, Final Bow, Details, Bravoliance, What Now, Après Globes, Historical Pets (!) & Ice

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly and Drew walk into the hospital, and Josslyn thanks Carly for calling her. She asks if Willow is okay, but Carly says she doesn’t know; she just got here. Drew says, there’s someone who might know, and they walk over to TJ at reception. Carly asks if Willow is okay.

Elizabeth comes into Kelly’s while Cameron is cleaning up for the night. She says, he missed a spot, and he asks what she’s doing here. She says wondering why she has to track him down at work to find out what’s going on with him. And don’t say nothing.

Alexis finds Gregory in her office, and he says he wasn’t expecting to see her here. She says, he wasn’t expecting to see her in her own office? and he says he spoke to her assistant. She said Alexis had some family matter to attend to, and he didn’t think she’d be back tonight. She says she didn’t think he would have made himself at home in her office. Why doesn’t he tell her what’s going on.

Cody comes back with Sasha, and says, he told her it was a good idea to raid the kitchen. The Quartermaines literally have everything. He has to give this biscotti another try once he soaks it in some wine. She wonders where Chase and Brook went.

Outside the gatehouse, Brook tells Chase that Michael said they had to rush Willow to the hospital, and he was forced to leave Wiley with Nina. Wiley is clinging to Nina’s side, and Michael woudn’t like that. What should they do? He says, the most important thing is to keep Wiley happy. She doesn’t have to kick Nina out. Just thank her for watching Wiley, but she can take over. Brook says she’s just hoping Nina plays along.

Inside, Wiley asks, what’s wrong with his mommy? and Nina says, his mommy’s going to be okay. His daddy will make sure his mommy is being taken care of. He took her to the hospital, and the doctors there will make sure she’s better. He says, his baby sister too? and she says, his baby sister too.

Brook says, Nina is really taking advantage of this crisis to get closer to Wiley. This is the last thing Willow would want. They have to put a stop to it. Chase says, she’s right. They just have to hope if they’re calm and upbeat, Nina will play along too. Brook says, calm and upbeat. She can do that. She thinks. Geez, they act like Nina is luring the kid into her car with some candy.

Michael looks in the window of Willow’s room, and says, don’t leave me. Come on, fight for us.

On his phone and getting in the car, Sonny says, everything’s okay. He’s on his way.

TJ says he’s not the best person to ask about Willow’s admission; he just got here. But he’ll make sure someone updates them soon. He leaves, and Josslyn says, Willow and the baby have to be fine. Carly hugs her, and says, Willow is going to be fine; the baby too. She looks at Drew.

Gregory says, Alexis sets a high standard. He always wants to impress her, so he’s here double-checking. She says, diligence and proper documentation are a way to her heart (mine too), and he says he would assume that’s especially true on a good day like today; the return of Esme Prince, the tragic demise of Dr. Westbourne. He figured it was all hands on deck. She says, which is why she needs his help. She knew that when she got that call. He says, lucky for him that he was there when she got it. It was a right place, right time kind of thing. She says, not that she doesn’t enjoy his company or his instinct, but he’s gone above and beyond. He says, the way he sees it, he owes her one, and he always repays his debts. She asks how he owes her, and he says, the night she talked his son off the proverbial ledge. She got through to him when Gregory couldn’t. So if he can lend a helping hand, it’s the least he can do. Plus the added benefit of spending more time with her. She says, consider us even. He doesn’t have to stick around if he doesn’t want to. He says, here’s your hat; what’s your hurry? She says, no, because if he’s going to stick around, he’s going to tell her why he wants to stick around. So sit down and spill, professor. They sit, and Gregory says, after all these years teaching journalism at colleges, he’s finding the actual work invigorating. Being here when a big story breaks. Telling the truth and a strong narrative; separating fact from speculation. He’s really enjoying being in the thick of things. She says, that’s because this is his first time. Tell her about it a month from now. He asks if she’s telling him that she’s not feeling any of the adrenaline rush he is, and she says she is.

Cameron says, nothing’s up with him. He’s just taking a couple of extra shifts at Kelly’s so he can pay for a new guitar amp. She says she knows when something’s wrong. Is it because Esme’s back in town? She’s sure it was a shock to find out Esme had been found. She knows she was shocked. He says he doesn’t care if Esme is pregnant or has memory loss. He hopes she goes away a long time after what she did to him and Joss. Elizabeth says, he certainly has right to be angry. Esme did unspeakable things to him and his friends. He says, and to her; Esme attacked her. She says she wouldn’t really call it an attack. Esme went for her phone and she fell. It was more like an accident. He says, nothing Esme has ever done has been an accident. Everything she’s done has been deliberate; from the revenge porn to framing Trina… Setting Ava’s car on fire. He hopes she gets what she deserves and he hopes they take that baby far away from her. She says, this is so not like him. Please tell her what is going on.

Michael joins the others, and Carly asks, how’s Willow? Josslyn asks, how’s the baby? and he says, Willow is stable and the baby seems fine. Dr. Navarro is doing an ultrasound as a precautionary measure. How did Carly know they were here? Carly says, Nina called her, and he says, right. Nina said she’d call Carly and watch Wiley until someone from the main house could come. He’s sorry. He’s just been so focused on Willow, everything else is a blur right now. Carly tells him, the only thing Nina said was that Willow collapsed. What happened? Drew tells Michael, it’s okay; it’s not a secret anymore. He told Carly about the leukemia. Josslyn says, and Sonny told her, and Michael asks how Sonny knew. Josslyn says she doesn’t know. She asked, but he didn’t say. Carly asks if it matters. They’re here for him. What does he need? Michael promises he’ll explain everything, but right now, he has to take care of something.

Sonny comes into the gatehouse through the back, and Nina tells Wiley, look who’s here. Sonny says he told her he’d be here in no time, and tells Wiley, get over here. Wiley hugs him, and he says, grandpa’s here. Everything is going to be okay. Brook walks in, and asks what Sonny is doing here. Nina says she called Sonny to let him know what happened, and she thought Wiley would like to see his grandpa. Sonny says he rushed over, and asks what Brook is doing here. Brook says, Michael texted, and wanted her to check up on Wiley. Wiley says he’s okay, and Chase asks if either one of them know what’s going on with Willow. Brook suggests Wiley brush his teeth and get ready for bed, but Wiley says he already did. She says, do it again, and she’ll give him five bucks, and he says, deal. He runs upstairs, and Nina asks if they should tell them. Brook says, they should. Willow’s baby is her family. Chase asks if there’s a problem with the baby. It’s too early for her to go into labor, right? Sonny says he hasn’t heard anything since they went to the hospital, but there’s a lot more going on than Willow just being pregnant. She has leukemia. Brook says she had no idea. Poor Willow. Poor Michael; he must be going crazy. Sonny says, they just found out, and Chase says, she’s going to be okay, right? Willow is going to be treated and be okay. Nina says, they don’t know the details, but from what they can tell, Willow’s leukemia is in Stage IV.

Cameron says he’s fine, really, but Elizabeth says her mother’s instinct tells her differently. He says, maybe he’s not fine, but there’s nothing she can do about it. There’s nothing anyone can do. She says, talk to her. Whatever it is, they can figure it out. He says, Joss broke up with him, and she says she’s so sorry. He says, and it’s all Esme’s fault. Her plan to send Trina to jail failed, but she succeeded in ruining his life. He and Josslyn never got back to where they were before. Everywhere they went, people were staring at them, talking, and laughing at them. Even when things died down, that feeling between them stayed. Elizabeth asks if that’s what Josslyn said.

Cody says, still no word from Chase? and Sasha says, nothing since he texted they were at the gatehouse, and Michael and Willow went to the hospital. She hopes Willow and the baby are going to be okay, and he says he’s sure everything will work out. He asks where she thinks Ned keeps the good wine. He looks in the credenza, and says, supposedly biscotti is better if you dip it in there. Is this even the kind of room you’d keep wine? What kind of a room do they call this? She says she believes Michael told her that they call it the solarium, and Cody laughs, saying, rich people and their fancy names. In that case – he puts on a British accent – would she care to join him for some biscotti in the solarium? She says, first of all, he’s very good at distracting people from their worries. Secondly, she’d love some biscotti.

Drew tells Carly, Willow and Nina deserve to know the truth. If Willow has taken a turn… She asks him to keep his voice down. She’s not going in there and telling her right now; Willow’s unconscious. Besides, he said they found a match. He says, Carly still has to tell her, and she says she knows that. She’s just not going to do it right now; now’s not the right time. He says, there’s never going to be a right time, and let him be clear. He’s not going to sit on this secret forever. She says she doesn’t expect him to, but right now, can’t they just pray for Willow and the baby? Because Willow making it through is all that matters.

Wiley comes back downstairs, and asks Brook, where’s his five bucks? Brook says, a promise is a promise, and gives it to him. Sonny tells Nina that he has to go to GH. He needs to see Michael, even though Michael doesn’t want him to. Michael’s his son, and he has to be there for him. Nina says, of course (🍷). She’ll go with him. Sonny asks Wiley to give him a big, big hug, and they say goodbye. Wiley tells Nina goodbye, and she tells him, even if he doesn’t see her for a while, she’s always with him. She touches her heart, and says she loves him so much. They hug, and she and Sonny go to the door. Nina turns for a moment, Wiley waves at her, and they leave.

Alexis says, Gregory is a natural at this type of work, and he says he hopes so. He taught it long enough. It’s nice to know he can put what he teaches into practice. She asks why he’s always taught journalism, and not gone out into the field. His wife was a journalist. He says, it’s just the path he took. He felt the adrenaline rush a couple of times, helping Jackie with her stories, but they were raising Chase. One of them had to have a more grounded job. She says, that was the past. He’s certainly not raising Chase now. Has he thought about giving up the lecture hall, and becoming a reporter? He says, does it sound exciting? Of course (🍷). But he thinks boots-to-the-ground reporting is a young person’s job. These days, he’s content watching from the sidelines. She says she thinks that’s bull. She thinks he’s being self-deprecating, and she thinks he doesn’t believe that. And he’s talking to somebody who found a second act. She didn’t have any choice. She blew up her first act, but that’s another story. He says, point taken, and she says, if he wants to teach, teach, but if he wants a change, go for the second act, third act. He can go for as many acts as he wants. She’s just trying to say he’s really good at this, and she would hate to see him write off possibilities for his future without ever having gone there. He says she’s definitely given him something to think about, and she says, good. If he’s going to stay here, he’s going to work. So take a look at the layouts, and tell her what he thinks.

Brook tells Wiley that he’s been through a lot tonight. Talk to her. He asks why mommy said Grandma Nina was bad, and Brook says, she actually said that? Wiley nods, and says he loves Grandma Nina. Is she bad? Brook says, his Grandma Nina has made some mistakes, but that doesn’t mean she’s bad. She and mommy just want the best for him, even though she messes up sometimes. He says he misses mommy, and Chase says, his mommy misses him too, and she’s doing everything she can to get back to him. Brook suggests Wiley make Willow a get well card.

Sonny and Nina come into the hospital, and Carly looks like she wants to disappear. Sonny says, Nina still hasn’t told him why she was at the Quartermaines, and Nina says she was worried about Wiley when they heard about Willow’s diagnosis. Unfortunately, she had words with Michael. She knows she should have stayed away. Michael comes out of Willow’s room, followed by Dr. Navarro and Terry. Terry says, they just wanted to give them and update, and Dr. Navarro says, the baby is fine. They’re going to keep monitoring her, along with working with Dr. Randolph on Willow’s treatment. Terry says, Willow is critical, but in stable condition. She’s going to look into clinical trials for her, but they’re running out of options. She wishes she had better news. Her pager goes off, and she excuses herself. Josslyn says she knows Michael is only focused on Willow right now, but she’s here if he needs anything, or Willow needs anything. Carly tells him, it’s going to be all right. They have to believe that. Drew asks why they’re looking into clinical trials. He thought Willow already had a match for a bone marrow donor. Michael says, she did. They found out at her last appointment that the donor isn’t healthy enough to go through with the transplant. Carly looks at Nina.

Cody says, Sasha lost her baby. She entered into a guardianship, and lost her husband. And he thought he had some problems. He asks if that was insensitive, and she says, pretty much, but also weirdly refreshing. She’s so used to everyone treating her with kid gloves, it’s nice to know she won’t fall apart if someone sets her off. He says she looks pretty tough to him, and she says she’s guessing he doesn’t watch the Home & Heart Shopping Network. He says he never heard of it, and she says she went on it to plug some products for Deception. They spontaneously added her to the next segment, about a papoose style baby carrier, and she wound up having a nervous breakdown on live television. He says he’s guessing that’s where the guardianship came in, and she says, originally, it was Brando, but when he died, his mother Gladys took over. He says, her mother-in-law’s name is Gladys? and she says, why? He says he knows a woman named Gladys, but it’s probably not her mother-in-law. She says, he’d know if he met her mother-in-law. She’s pretty memorable.

Brook says, Wiley’s mommy is going to love this picture. It’s just what she needs to brighten up her hospital room, and remind her of how much he loves her. Wiley says, all done, and asks if Chase will read him a story. He tells Wiley to pick one out, and Wiley runs upstairs. Chase says, Brook is really good with him, and she says, so is he. The kid loves him. He says, they shouldn’t be surprised. Does this feel familiar to her? It wasn’t that long ago, they were living together, taking care of Bailey. She says, they make a good team… He doesn’t have to stay.

Cameron tells Elizabeth, it doesn’t matter what Joss said. That sex tape was when all their problems started. She asks him to stop calling it that. It makes it sound like they made it willingly. He says, she’s right; they didn’t. It’s revenge porn, which is a crime, which Esme should rot in jail for. Everything was perfect before that. She says, he’s right in that she can’t fix this for him, but he knows she’s had her fair share of experience with heartbreak. She’s not going to pretend to know how things were with him and Josslyn. Maybe things were perfect before that video came out, but in her experience, rarely is it just one thing that breaks up a couple.

Josslyn asks why someone would put themselves on a bone marrow transplant list if they can’t go through with it, and Michael says, they must have had a condition they weren’t aware of when they signed up. Carly asks what this means for Willow and the baby, and Michael says, Willow needs a bone marrow transplant period. The doctors are just buying time until they find another match. He’s got to take a walk. Nina tells Sonny that she’s going to the chapel to say a prayer for Willow, and he says he’ll go with her. They leave, and Drew tells Carly, they need to put an end to this madness now. She nods, and says she knows what she has to do.

In the chapel, Nina asks how Sonny is doing. It must be pretty devastating for him to know what Michael is going through. He says, it’s never easy watching your kids suffer. He and Michael are estranged, and he wants to give Michael a hug, but Michael doesn’t want it. They’re just going to concentrate on Willow. They care about her so much, and she and Michael are good together. He’s just feeling like he doesn’t know what to do. She says, Sonny’s going to be there for them, and that’s enough. That’s a lot. He says he can’t abandon his son. He needs to let Michael know that. She says she’ll be here for him, and as much as they don’t want it, she’s here for Michael and Willow too.

Chase says, Brook’s the one who called him over about changes in a song he’s going to be singing tomorrow. Now she’s kicking him out? That makes perfect sense. He gets up, and she says, come on. She wasn’t born yesterday. She knows the only reason he came over was because he was worried about Willow, and wanted more information. Now they know Willow has leukemia, and she knows he wants to go to GH and see her. He says, when Nina and Sonny told them the news, his initial reaction was to rush over there, but is that what’s best for Michael and Willow? It’s already got to be awkward over there because of how Michael feels about Sonny. Not to mention how Carly and Joss feel about Sonny and Nina. Do they really want Willow’s ex-husband in the mix? He doesn’t think so. She says she knows how much he cares about Willow, and he, Michael and Willow are friends-ish again, right? He says, something like that, and she says, his mind must be going crazy with worry. Go be with them. She can take care of Wiley by herself, and cancel tomorrow’s performance. He asks if Linc won’t throw a fit, but she says she’ll handle Linc. Do what he needs to do. He says, if he goes to GH, he’ll only be in the way. If the best way to help Michael and Willow is to help her keep Wiley happy, then that’s what he’ll do

Elizabeth tells Cameron, maybe it’s easier to blame Esme for the break-up. God knows she played a big enough role. It must feel like she’s responsible for everything. It’s easy to look at one catastrophic event, and say that was it. Trust her; she’s been there. It will only drive him crazy if he keeps asking himself, what if this never happened? He says, if Esme never made the revenge porn, if Trina had never gone to trial, if none of those things would have happened, he’s certain he and Josslyn would still be together. She says, but if he really thinks about it, there were other issues too. Didn’t he keep Spencer’s secret that he was only pretending to believe Esme, and didn’t tell Josslyn? Regardless of the reasoning, that hurt the communication between them. He says, maybe, but it still doesn’t make it hurt any less. She says she knows Josslyn was his first girlfriend, and his first love; it’s going to hurt. But she also knows that one day he’ll be able to look back on the time he had with her, and instead of all this pain, he’ll feel grateful for what he did have.

Josslyn hugs Michael, and he thanks her for being here. She asks, where else she would be? Why didn’t he tell them? He says, first of all, because Willow didn’t tell him. Chemo is dangerous for a baby in the first trimester so she decided to wait. She didn’t want him to worry, so she didn’t tell him. By the time she told him, it was safe to start chemo, but the leukemia had already advanced. She says she’s so sorry, and he says, it’s Willow’s fight and she can do this the way she has to, but even after she told him, she didn’t want anyone else to know. She thought it was the best way to protect Wiley, so he wouldn’t be afraid. He’s reaching that age now where he’s more perceptive. She thought if Josslyn or their mom looked at her with worry, Wiley would pick up on it and realize something was wrong. She says, it makes sense; he’s a smart little boy. Her phone dings, and she sees a text from Dex: Thinking about you. Hope everything is okay. He says, Cameron? but she says, no, someone else. Is there anything she can do? She knows it feels like an empty gesture, but she’d do anything. He says, just be here with him, and she says, done. He puts his arm around her, and she puts her head on his shoulder.

Carly goes into Willow’s room, and asks TJ, how is she? He says, her vital signs are stable, but they’re not sure when she’s going to wake up. She’d appreciate Carly being here either way. He leaves, and Carly sits by the bed. She says she needs Willow to wake up. She’s so sorry. If she had known… She never intended for anything like this to happen. She loves Willow like a daughter. Please wake up. She has to tell Willow something that may save her life. Willow stirs a little, and Carly says, if you can hear the sound of my voice, it’s Carly. Please wake up. Visibly uncomfortable, Carly leaves.

Carly tells Drew, Willow’s still sleeping. She tried to wake Willow up. He says, she can tell Willow later, but she says, they’re past that. Will he stay with Michael? He says, of course (🍷), and she says, will he tell him? Tell Michael she’s so sorry… please. She starts to leave, and he asks where she’s going. She says she’s going to do what she has to do.

Chase reads, all you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. True courage is in facing danger when you’re afraid, and that kind of courage, you have in plenty. He looks at Brook and Wiley sleeping, and says, goodnight, Wiley. Goodnight, Brook Lynn. Don’t worry. He’ll stand watch.

Cameron thanks Elizabeth for the talk, and she says, even if he didn’t like what she had to say? He says, she was just telling him the truth. If he continues to blame Esme for the break-up, it’s just going to fuel his anger. Now that he realizes he and Josslyn both played parts in them ending, it’s just making him sad. She says she’s so sorry, and he says he’s got to finish up, and she says, before he goes, she wants to remind him that she loves him. She’s always here for him. She starts to leave, and he says he loves her too, and they hug.

Sasha tells Cody, she read in The Invader that Britt died because she stepped in to rescue someone from The Hook. She actually saved a life, and not just by being a doctor; by being a kickass hero. He says, and that was just a week after she delivered a miracle baby on Christmas in the Quartermaine house. She says, Brando died protecting someone too. He was following Josslyn Jax to make sure she was safe. Cody says, sounds like he was a hero also. He’s grateful Britt was in his life, even if it was for a short time. She says she and Brando survived a lot of problems, but she still loved her life with him. Even knowing how it ended, she’d do it again in a heartbeat. He says, to Britt and Brando, and they clink their biscotti.

Gregory says, finished. He’ll get out of Alexis’s hair. She thanks him for his help, and says she couldn’t done without him. He says, now who’s being falsely modest? and she says, okay. She could have done it without him, but she’s glad she didn’t have to. He says, it was a pleasure. He likes spending time with her. This was fun. Have a good night. She says, him too, and he leaves. Her phone rings, and she says she just got back in the office. Can this wait?… Well now you’ve got my attention.

Josslyn sits by Willow’s bedside, and says she’s so sorry this is happening to her. She and Michael are so good together, and Wiley is such a happy little boy. This baby could not be born into a better family. And she will be born. And she will be healthy. And Willow will be there with her. Willow’s got to believe that. All of this, the doctors, the medicine, is all important of course (🍷), but so is believing. She’s going make it, and they’ll all be here for her. Her phone rings, and she says, right now?… Okay, she’ll be there.

Michael thanks TJ, and says he knows TJ has done a lot to support Willow. TJ says, that’s what friends do. If he needs anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask. Michael says he appreciates it, and TJ leaves. Michael sees Drew, and asks if Drew knows where his mom went. Drew says, she went to see Nina, and Michael says, this night’s bad enough already. Why would she want to talk to Nina of all people? Drew says, there’s something Michael needs to know.

Still turning herself inside out, Carly goes to the chapel. She asks if she can talk to Nina alone, and Sonny leaves. Carly closes the door.

Tomorrow, Jordan asks why someone didn’t come forward; Alexis tells Spencer that she’s looking for the truth; and Carly tells Nina, she may be the only person on earth who can help. I can’t wait.

💟 Glad To Hear It…

That little tribute at the end of yesterday’s episode must have been to keep the fans at bay until they could put together something more befitting Epiphany.

🧨 And Don’t Call Her Granny…

Good soap actors never really retire.

💃🏽 Welcome To the Nurses Ball…

It’s going to be quite a spring in Port Charles.

🥀 First Farewell…

Passions was a great show – so much fun.

🍊 Close, But No Cigar…

Good thing Ramona is on the east coast.

🕶 Traitors Among Traitors…

I love it. There are 20 contestants comprised of 10 reality stars and 10 normal people.

👠 Life After Housewives…

Do we care? Here it is anyway.

👗 After the Ball Is Over…

Golden Globes afterparty fashion.

🐊 And Of Course There Was a Peke…

No Corgi for Queen Victoria.

https://www.historyextra.com/period/tudor/anne-boleyns-lapdog-and-john-quincy-adamss-alligator-10-famous-people-in-history-and-their-bizarre-pets/

🧺 Housekeeping Stuck In 2023…

Will Carly spill her guts tomorrow? Come back and find out, as well as enjoy some tea, quotes, and music. Until then, stay safe, stay asking for help when you need it, and stay going for as many acts as you want.

January 10, 2023 – Drew Confronts Carly About the Search, Bye From Britt, Sonja’s Sunset, Get Out, You Too, Traitors Coming, Eli’s Thanksgiving, Special Pups (!) & Family

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Willow stares at the fireplace, when Michael and Wiley come in with a plate of cookies. She says, just what the doctor ordered, and Wiley asks if the doctor told her to have dessert. Michael says, it’s just something people say, and Wiley asks, why? Willow tells him, in this case, it means she can’t think of a better way to spend time; just the three of them. Wiley says, when his little sister is born, it will be four of them. That’s a lot.

Drew walks into Sonny’s ex-kitchen and current home of the great moss bowl🎍, and Carly says, he’s right on time. He takes off his jacket, and she asks if everything is okay. He says he’d feel like an ass if he kissed her, and then ambushed her with a question, and she says, ask her the question. He asks why she doesn’t want to find Willow’s birth mother.

Sonny asks Nina, where did these papers come from? and she says, Aunt Liesl cleaned out Britt’s office, including some papers she shouldn’t have. She was going to sort through it and return the papers that belonged to the hospital… Why? He says, see for herself, handing her a document, and she sees it’s Willow’s chemotherapy report. She says, Willow’s getting chemotherapy.

Josslyn knocks at Dex’s door, and she asks if she can come in. He says, of course (🍷), and she walks inside, saying, she can’t stop thinking about Britt. If Britt hadn’t held off The Hook, she would be dead by now. He tells her, stop, but she says, listen to her. She couldn’t have held The Hook off by herself, and by the time Dex got to the pier, it would have been too late. Britt got cut saving her. The Hook was after her. It all happened because of her. He says, what you’re feeling is survivor’s guilt, and if you’re not careful, it can really mess you up.

Esme wonders if she can ask Elizabeth a question, and Elizabeth says she doesn’t know if she can answer it, but she’ll try. Esme asks if Elizabeth thinks her lawyer is any good. She’s being accused of all these terrible things, and he thinks if they can find out where she’s been hiding out these past few months, she’ll have an alibi.

Spencer asks why Laura is at the hospital, and she says she wanted to see him. He says, maybe she doesn’t approve of him moving in with Uncle Sonny, but he had to get out of Windymere, and she says she’s happy he’s with Sonny. She just wanted to see for herself how he’s doing. He says, truthfully, he’s heartbroken that Britt is dead, and if Esme killed her, if she’s The Hook, then she needs to be held accountable.

Walking to the porch at Windymere, Dante asks Jordan if they’re going to wait for a warrant. She says, unless they can get the judge to sign one in the next ten minutes, they’ll have to hope Nikolas cooperates, and Dante says he wishes her good luck with that one. When he questioned Nikolas this morning, the only thing Nikolas would tell him is that he’s the father of Esme’s baby. She asks if the lab turned up anything from Esme’s personal effects, and he says, the only thing she had was a Christmas ornament. She asks if he’s sure it was on her, and he says, she definitely had it; he asked the doctor. She asks if they can trace it, and he says, it wasn’t mass produced. It’s from Poland, and it’s hand-painted. If they can find out who painted it, maybe they can find out who it was sold to.

Victor tells Nikolas, there was a fire in the north tower; a Christmas tree went up in flames. Who would put a Christmas tree in an unused bedroom? His guess is, the same person who put toiletries in the bathroom, or clothes in the closet. Nothing fancy. Just some sweats, loose-fitting, suitable for a pregnant woman. Nikolas has been keeping Esme prisoner, hasn’t he? Right under Victor’s nose.

Nina says, this is personal medical information. Maybe they shouldn’t be looking at this. But Sonny says, if she thinks it’s a violation of her ethics, look at it this way; he found it, she didn’t. She asks what he’s going to do with it, and he says, Willow is Wiley’s mother. She’s carrying his grandchild. He doesn’t care what’s going on as far as the fighting goes; she’s still family. He’s going to do everything he can to find out about her condition. She says she doesn’t care about right or wrong. She only wants to help Willow.

Wiley asks what his baby sister’s name is, but Michael says, they haven’t chosen one yet. What does he think it should be? Wiley says, Annabelle III, but Michael says, that might be confusing for the baby and the dog to have the same name. Any other ideas? Wiley says, T’chooka. His sister could be a dead-eyed Padawan. Michael says, that’s interesting. They’ll have to think about that one. What does Willow think? Wiping tears from her eyes without them seeing, Willow says she thinks her eyes are bigger than her stomach. She’s going to save the cookie for a late night treat. Michael says, speaking of late night, it’s past Wiley’s bedtime. He suggests Wiley get in his PJs, and he’ll read Wiley a bedtime story. Wiley says goodnight to Willow, and she tells him, sweet dreams. He gives her bump a kiss, telling his little sister to take good care of mommy. Michael brings Wiley upstairs, as they discuss which story to read, and Willow cries.

Drew says, ever since he first told Carly that he was searching for Willow’s birth parents, he felt resistance. She pours them some wine, and he says, when he told her he tracked down a source, she questioned their credibility. When he mentioned he had some great information, she was opposed to telling Willow. She asks if he thinks she was wrong, and he says, at the time, the reason seemed to make sense to him. Once they told Willow her birth mother was dead, why get her hopes up? When they found out that was a lie, why stress her out, telling her that she might have been kidnapped, and stolen from her birth parents? But then he took a step back, and there was a pattern there, and the pattern became very clear. She doesn’t want Willow’s birth parents to be found. She says, no, she doesn’t.

Dex says, of course (🍷) Josslyn is grateful to Britt; he’s grateful too. He doesn’t even want to think about how he’d be feeling if Josslyn had gotten killed. But there’s only one person responsible for Britt’s death, and that is The Hook. He’s sorrier than he can say that he’s not a better shot, and didn’t kill The Hook when he had the chance. She says she’s sorry too. The world would be a much safer and happier place. But even if he’d shot The Hook, there’s no guarantee Britt would have survived. There was poison in her system; she didn’t even know it. Does he think it would have made a difference? They took off and left Britt to cover for them. Does that make them partly responsible for her death?

Esme tells Elizabeth, Mr. Grey seems very competent. He seems like he cares about defending her, but she’s not paying him. He’s defending her for free. How does she know if she can trust him or his strategy? He says if she can get an alibi… but she has no idea where she’s been for the past few months – or her whole life for that matter. She doesn’t know how she got here. She doesn’t know who got her pregnant… Elizabeth says, she’ll remember, but Esme says, what if she doesn’t? Elizabeth says, traumatic memory loss isn’t uncommon. Permanent memory loss does happen, but it’s pretty rare, so the chances she’ll remember are good. But to answer her question, Mr. Grey is a great attorney. She thinks Esme can trust him.

Spencer says, if Esme is The Hook, Britt is dead because of him, because he brought Esme to Port Charles, but Laura says, no. They’ve talked about this. He isn’t responsible for anything Esme does. If Esme is The Hook; that hasn’t been proven yet. She’s in her third trimester of her pregnancy. Laura thinks it’s highly unlikely she’d have the physical strength to attack Britt with a hook. He says, she doesn’t know Esme like he does. She can do a lot of damage when she wants. Laura says, there isn’t just Esme to consider. There’s also a baby.

Victor asks if Nikolas had a plan. Did he have an end game, or was he just winging it; keeping Esme prisoner because he couldn’t think of anything else to do? Nikolas says, Esme turned up alive and pregnant with his child. He had every reason to believe she was The Hook. He couldn’t allow her to harm anyone else, but he couldn’t turn her over to the police, and risk her giving birth to his unborn child while incarcerated. Victor says, so he lured her to Windymere, but Nikolas says, she was already here. She was stealing money from his safe. He took her to a tower bedroom, and locked her in. He enlisted Demetrius to take care of her, and that was his mistake. Esme was able to manipulate Demetrius. Victor says, Esme manipulated Nikolas. She fooled him into putting her somewhere she could easily escape from – which she did. Very successfully, he might add. She’s cunning, creative, and she’s able to keep a cool head. Qualities Nikolas soundly lacks. He’s been protecting Nikolas for the sake of this family, but perhaps the Cassadines would be better off if they cut their losses. The doorbell rings, and Nikolas answers it. It’s Dante and Jordan, who says, they have more questions for him about Esme Prince.

Carly and Drew gravitate to the moss bowl, and Carly says, after Willow learned the truth about Harmony, Willow made the decision not to look for her birth parents, and she was relieved. Drew asks, why? He’s confused. He and Carly both grew up without their biological family, and they both went searching for answers. Unlike him, Carly found her mother right away. He waited years to connect with the Quartermaines. The point is, she and Bobbie have a strong, loving relationship. Why doesn’t she want that for Willow? Carly says, because Willow was afraid her birth mother would turn out to be someone like Nina. And the truth is, all reunions aren’t happy; some of them are awful. And Willow has had so much loss and pain, she wanted to spare Willow any more. Drew says, that wasn’t her call to make.

Nina tells Sonny, the doctor’s notes say, Willow was originally diagnosed with leukemia in late August, but she didn’t start her first round of chemotherapy until later November. Sonny wonders, why the delay? and Nina says, when Willow was first diagnosed, she was in Stage Two. By the time she received treatment, she was in Stage Four. He says, the doctors must have warned her. You don’t get diagnosed with leukemia, and wait three months to get treatment. She says, you do if you’re pregnant.

Michael says, once again, Goodnight Moon does the trick, and Willow says, bedtime’s best friend. He sees she’s been crying, and asks, what happened? She says, chemo isn’t working, and her marrow donor can’t donate. She can barely be a mother to Wiley. She can’t join in the conversation, or ask about his day, or even eat a damn cookie. He says, Wiley will be okay, but she says, he’s not okay. He knows something’s wrong and he’s scared. It’s all her fault. The whole thing is her fault. Michael holds her as she cries.

Dex says, Josslyn was willing to stay and talk to the police. He was the one who asked Britt to cover for them; he didn’t want to explain the gun. It’s on him. She says, he didn’t drag her. She left with him willingly. And yeah, Britt told them she had it covered. There was no reason not to believe her, but she feels like she’s alive at Britt’s expense. He says, maybe there’s another way to look at this. Britt saved her life, so doesn’t she owe it to Britt to live the best life she can?

Nikolas says he already sat through one pointless investigation at the PCPD. If they want to ask him more questions, they can call his lawyer. Victor says, nonsense, and tells them to come in. He asks how they can be of help, and Dante says, Esme Prince showed up on the Haunted Star in the early morning hours of January 1st. She was soaking wet and suffering from hypothermia. Which Nikolas is aware of since he showed up at the hospital with Elizabeth. Nikolas asks if it’s a crime to show concern, and Dante says, the last time Esme was seen was back in November on Pier 55, which is near the Haunted Star, and coincidentally near where the boat to Windymere docks. Since she used to live here, they think maybe she was hiding out on Spoon Island, or even right here in this house.

Laura tells Spencer, whatever Esme has or hasn’t done, that baby is innocent. Britt is gone, and there’s nothing he can do to bring her back, but he can do something to make sure Esme’s baby is born safely. Don’t confront Esme. Don’t interrogate her about Britt or anything else. He says, what if she’s lying about the memory loss? and Laura says, she’s not lying about the pregnancy. The priority right now should be the health and safety of that baby. That means allowing Esme to rest and recover. Elizabeth comes out of Esme’s room, and Spencer asks if Esme is awake. Elizabeth says, awake and alert, and he says he’d like to see her. Laura tells the guard to let Commissioner Ashford know that she okayed the visit, and Spencer thanks her. He knocks at Esme’s door, and she says, yes? He walks in, and she asks if she knows him.

Nikolas says he thinks he’d know if Esme was living in his house, and Jordan says, it’s a big house. There must be plenty of rooms that go unused. Esme could have taken refuge in any one of them, and Nikolas would never know, which is why they’d like to search the premises. Nikolas says, absolutely not, and Dante says, come on. They search the house, find out Esme was never here, and they can move on with their investigation. Nikolas says, if they want to search his house, get a warrant. And for that, they’ll need to show probable cause, and there isn’t any. Jordan says, DA Scorpio found plenty of evidence and was able to get Judge Winters to sign off on a warrant, but she thought she’d spare them the time and trouble by giving Nikolas the option to voluntarily agree to the search. Nikolas asks what evidence Robert has, and Victor says, they appreciate the courtesy, but they have nothing to hide. So feel free to search the house. Nikolas says, it could take hours, and Victor says, best get started then. He tells Nikolas to accompany the detective and his officers so they don’t get lost.

Dex tells Josslyn, the way he gives thanks for his life is by living it. Maybe she could try it. She says, maybe she could, and they kiss.

Nina tells Sonny, apparently the danger chemotherapy poses to the fetus is higher in the first trimester because the organs are developing. It’s safer for the baby in the second or third trimester. He says, safer for the baby, but not for Willow, and Nina says she has no idea how Willow is getting through this. To find out she’s pregnant, then be diagnosed with a life threatening illness; to have to choose between your health and the health of your unborn baby? Sonny takes her hand.

Willow sits up, and Michael asks, what’s wrong? She says, it’s not fair to lean on him, and he says she agreed to marry him, and that’s what married people do; they lean on each other. She asks why he’s not angry with her. She didn’t share her diagnosis with him, and didn’t include him in her decision making. She didn’t give him a vote. She gambled with her life, with Wiley’s security and future, and with everything they planned together, and now it looks like she lost.

Drew says, Carly fights like hell when someone tries to make choices for her. He’s confused. What made her decide what Willow could or couldn’t know about her own family? Carly says, Willow didn’t want to know, and he says, she reconsidered and decided she wants to track down her family. Not only that, she asked him to help search. Carly says she gets that, but Willow was having a hard pregnancy. The last thing she needs is stress. She thought it was best not to open the door to total strangers with whom Willow shares biology and nothing else. He says, she denied Willow her own family, and Carly says, Willow has family. She has her, and Michael, and Wiley, and Drew, and the Quartermaines. He says, enough excuses. Willow’s biological family can give her things that none of them can.

Nina tells Sonny, after one of her many clashes with Willow, she tracked them down at the hospital. She found them in Terry’s office. She’s an oncologist. Nina didn’t think much about it then, but – she picks up the document – Terry is treating Willow. Sonny says, Willow and Michael probably want to keep it quiet; the family didn’t say anything to him. She says, they probably do. They probably don’t want to upset Wiley. By delaying treatment, Willow is risking leaving Wiley, leaving him without the only mother he’s ever known. It must be so difficult for her. Nina wonders how much influence Michael had in Willow’s decision to delay cancer treatment. They know Michael is very selfish. He’s focused and single-minded in getting what he wants. Sonny says, this family infighting has to stop. They have to pull it together for Willow.

Carly tells Drew, she gets it. Willow is pregnant, and she wants her medical history to be complete for her baby’s sake. She understands that, but felt the emotional consideration outweighed it, so she obstructed his efforts… pretty considerably. He says, describe considerably, and she says, when he tracked down Denise Mackenzie, the firefighter who was on the commune with Harmony, she intercepted Denise before their meeting, and paid her to back Harmony’s original story about getting Willow from some mythical Joan. Then when Denise recanted, she paid Denise off for not giving her up. He says, when she went out after Denise to give her glove back. Carly says, then most recently, she found information on the commune leader Josiah, she took it and hid it, so Drew couldn’t follow up on him. Drew says, so the whole time they were supposed to be working together, she was sabotaging him.

Michael says he understands Willow is disappointed and frustrated; he is too. But they found a bone marrow match, and they’ll find another. There’s still time. She says, there’s a lot less time than when she was first diagnosed. When she made the choice not to tell him about her diagnosis or include him in her decision to wait, which is the opposite of how he’s always treated her. He didn’t have to include her in Wiley’s life, much less let her adopt him. Michael trusted her with his son. He made Wiley their son, and now she may be leaving them both. At the very moment she should have shared with him, she shut him out. Why doesn’t he hate her for that?

Laura asks Elizabeth how Esme seems, and Elizabeth says, if this is Laura’s way of asking if she thinks Esme is faking the memory loss, her answer is, she doesn’t know. Laura says, Doc started to assess her, but her brother threw him out of the room. Doc would never violate patient privacy, so he hasn’t said anything, but she has the feeling he believes Esme. He got to see Esme in all her manipulative glory when she was living with them, so she thinks he’d know if Esme was lying. Elizabeth says, maybe they’ll get lucky and she’ll never remember, and Laura asks why that would be a good thing.

Spencer introduces himself to Esme, and says, he and his friend Trina Robinson brought her to the hospital. Esme thanks him for that, and he asks how she’s feeling. She says she’s see-sawing between numb and total panic. They say she could be charged with everything from revenge porn to attempted murder, which is really scary. She doesn’t suppose he knows where she’s been hiding these past few months. Apparently it’s the only thing that could exonerate her.

Jordan asks how much contact Victor had with Esme, and he says, minimal really. He lived at the MetroCourt until recently. He and Esme never lived at Windymere at the same time. She says, their paths never crossed? and he says, occasionally, when she was dating Spencer. Their interactions were superficial at best. She says, what about Nikolas? How would Victor characterize his actions with Esme?

In front of Esme’s old prison room, Dante asks, what’s in here? and Nikolas says, a bedroom. Dante asks if anyone is using it, and Nikolas says, it’s possible one of the staff could be staying there. Dante says, Nikolas lets the staff stay with him? He thought they’d be out on the grounds. Nikolas says, like the Commissioner pointed out, it’s a big house, and if for whatever reason one of the staff needed to stay the night, he doesn’t see the harm. Dante says he’d like to check the room out, but Nikolas says, it’s locked. Dante tries the door, and it opens.

Carly says she’s so sorry for misleading Drew, and he says, lying to him. She says she made the choice to protect Willow long before they got together, but he says, there’s no contract. There’s no pre-existing condition clause. This is about them trusting each other. He let her in on an investigation, and she took advantage of his trust to undermine it. She says she was protecting Willow. Doesn’t he understand? He says she knew damn well Willow asked him to do the search, and he gets that Willow was initially resistant to finding out her birth mother, but once Carly knew she reconsidered, didn’t that change her calculations? She says she was conflicted, but then she decided Willow was better off not knowing. Drew says, if Carly knew the complete information about Willow’s health situation, she would have reacted differently, and Carly asks what he’s talking about. Is there something wrong with Willow? He says, she has leukemia.

Michael says he could never hate Willow. He wishes she’d shared her diagnosis with him from the start, but he understands why she didn’t. He’ll never forget the pain of losing Jonah, and knows she won’t either. She chose to protect the life she’s carrying the best way she could, and he’s good with that. She says she was selfish, and he says she’s the least selfish person he knows. She says she did what she wanted and if she chose wrong, he and Wiley will be left alone. He says, they’re not going to lose her, but she says, he can’t promise that. He says he can promise this much. He’ll never regret any day he’s spent with her, or making her Wiley’s mother. He’ll never regret the love she’s given Wiley, and the place she has in his life. Even if Wiley has to grow up without her, her love will sustain him. Even if Wiley doesn’t consciously remember it, Michael will remember all of it. And he’ll love her for the rest of his life. He kisses her.

Basking in the afterglow on Dex’s couch, since he apparently doesn’t have a bed, Josslyn says, this was not the plan. He asks if she regrets it, but she says, no. He says, good. Because if he hasn’t made it clear, he doesn’t want this to be a one or two time thing. She says, neither does she. She doesn’t know what she feels for him, but she knows it’s strong. He says, him too, and kisses her. Her phone dings, and she says, sorry. It might be her mom, and she’ll freak out if Josslyn doesn’t answer. She looks at the phone and says, unbelievable. She shows it to Dex, and he reads a text from Sonny: Need to see you. My office. Important. She says, how dare Sonny summon her like that?. She starts getting dressed, and says, he has no right. Who does he think he is? Dex asks where she’s going, and she says, Sonny’s office. She’s going to tell him that she’s going to see who she wants to see, and it’s none of his damn business.

Elizabeth tells Laura, if she was Esme, she’d want to forget everything too; the crimes, the mistakes. She could almost wish that for her own life… Not really of course (🍷). She’d never want to forget her kids or the people she loves, but it would be nice to forget the ways she’s messed up. Laura asks if this would have anything to do with what’s going on between her and Nikolas.

Spencer says, sorry. He has no alibi for Esme, and she says she supposes he never laid eyes on her before he and his friend brought her to the hospital. He says, that’s not true. He knows her better than anyone else in Port Charles. She asks, how? From where? Does he know why she’s in Port Charles? Does he really think she did all this crazy stuff?

Jordan asks Dante if the search is finished, but he says, the officers are still searching. Nikolas was kind enough to show him the north wing. Victor says, don’t keep them in suspense, and Dante says, they checked out the room at the top; no sign of Esme. Nikolas tells them, he said it was a waste of time, but Jordan says, due diligence is never a waste of time. If the officers find anything of interest, she and Dante may have to return and search further. They’ll be sure to bring a warrant. Nikolas says he’ll show them out, and Jordan thanks him for his time. She and Dante leave, and outside, she says, well? Dante says, the tower room has been cleaned and painted. He could smell the cleaning agents, and smell the paint; probably in the last few hours. They’ve definitely been hiding something or someone up there. Inside, Nikolas asks why Victor agreed to the search, and Victor says, because there was nothing to find. He had Demetrius do a thorough cleaning, and put everything in storage. He kept everything; ample evidence of Esme’s imprisonment. He takes the broken ornament out of his pocket, and says, just in case he needs to ensure Nikolas’s future cooperation

Elizabeth tells Laura that Nikolas is her oldest friend. They have a lot of history, and he knows her like nobody else does. She knows him too. She knows he can be selfish and reckless, and makes foolish choices. She also knows him to be generous and loving, and for the most part, he had good intentions. Laura says, Elizabeth has always been loyal to her son. She sees the good in him, and she thanks Elizabeth for that. She treasures Elizabeth, and not just because she’s the mother of her grandchildren. She’s known Elizabeth most of her life, and thinks of Elizabeth as another daughter. Elizabeth says, that means a lot to her, and Laura says, she’s very worried right now. She feels Nikolas has backed himself into a corner, and he’s in a very dark place.

Spencer says, he and Esme went to boarding school in France: Ecole Internationale de Chatel. She says, it doesn’t ring a bell, and he says he has family in Port Charles. When he graduated from boarding school, he came back here, and he brought her with him. She says, as a buddy? but he says, they were dating. She was his girlfriend and they broke up… for many reasons. She asks, how long ago did they break up? Is this his baby? He says, possibly.

On the phone, Dex says, call me. We’ve got a problem.

Josslyn strides into Sonny’s office, and says, before he starts in, she has a few things to say about the way she chooses to live her life, and how it’s none of his damn business.

Michael tucks Willow in, and she thanks him. She tells him not to let her sleep too late. She wants to see Wiley off to school. Maybe they can all have breakfast together in the morning. Michael says, they’ll figure it out. Just get some rest. She tells him that she loves him, and he says he loves her too. There’s a knock at the door, and he goes downstairs. Nina is there, and he says, it’s not a good time. She says she realizes that, and knows he doesn’t want her here, so she’ll make it quick. She needs to talk about her grandson.

Carly says, Willow has leukemia? and Drew says, Stage Four. She says, oh my God. That’s why she’s so pale and… weak. That’s why she fainted, and why Michael has been hovering, and… Why didn’t she see it? He says, Willow has been going out of her way to keep it a secret. Michael didn’t even know until she was in her second trimester. Drew just found out a few weeks ago. She asks how he found out, and he says, at first, Willow was saying the search was for medical history, but he knew there was more to it. Then she admitted she needs a bone marrow transplant. Carly says, and the best chance for a match is with a family member. He says, that’s why he stepped up the search, and she says, he doesn’t need to search. Nina is Willow’s birth mother.

Tomorrow, Chase says, Gladys won’t have to be Sasha’s guardian much longer; Drew asks if Carly was ever going to tell Willow; and Josslyn tells Dex that her life is falling apart, and she doesn’t know what to do about it.

👩🏻‍⚕️ Last Wave…

I’m sad to see her go, but she did get quite an exit.

🥀 In Memoriam…

A beautiful tribute to one taken too soon.

👠 Please Leave Now…

Is he actually watching the show?

https://people.com/tv/harry-hamlin-says-lisa-rinna-made-the-right-decision-to-leave-rhobh-exclusive/

Bless her heart.

💎 No More Diamond For You…

Another one who shouldn’t let the door hit her on the way out.

💣 Reality Turncoats…

I guess Alan Cumming needed to pay his mortgage.

🍗 At Long Last…

It’s about time. Machete is ahead by two films and a trailer.

🐶 Something Special In the Bowl…

Ending on an adorable note. I love a dog with special needs.

https://people.com/pets/puppy-bowl-2023-dogs-with-special-needs/

🌃 Yesterday Once More…

Swing by tomorrow for more soap, tea, and a tune. Until then, stay safe, stay ambitious, but not arrogant, and stay giving thanks for your life by living it.

January 6, 2023 – Josslyn Admits Being the Target, Sad Exit, Spotlight, Salty Sentence, Get Out, She’d Rather, Traitors Trailer, Cuteness, a Handful Of Quotes & Eighth

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Nina looks through the box in Britt’s office, and takes out a photograph. She says, Britt, look at you, so beautiful. She takes out a trophy, and says, Doctor of the Year for everything you did to help people. Everything you still could have done. It’s not fair.

Going into the stables, Wiley says he wanted to stay out with Thor, but Michael says, they can go back in a bit. Wiley asks if it’s because mommy’s tired, but Michael says, it’s cold outside. They just came in to warm up. They sit down, and Wiley insists he isn’t cold, but Michael says, it’s freezing. Wiley’s nose is about to fall off. Wiley says, it isn’t, but Michael says, what about this? doing the old I-got-your-nose thing, and Wiley says, it’s his thumb. Michael asks if he’s sure, and says he better check. Wiley touches his nose, and says, when his baby sister comes, she’s going to guard his nose and he’s going to guard hers. He can’t wait for her to be here. Michael says, neither can we.

On the phone, Drew says, he knows that Claiborne County Colorado is a rural area, but he doesn’t understand how, in this digital age, there can be three Josiahs out there they can’t find addresses for… That’s a great idea. Keep on it, and remember, a woman’s life could depend on it.

The moss bowl🎍! Bigger and badder in 2023. Josslyn shuffles into the kitchen, saying, she barely slept. She sees Dex with Carly,

Spencer walks into Kelly’s, and says, Cameron looks how he feels. Cameron says he worked late last night. He wasn’t supposed to come in this morning, but someone called in sick, so here he is. He’s on his break though, so coffee? Spencer says, double espresso… He’s just kidding. Coffee’s fine. He sits down, and Cameron pours him some coffee. He says, the good news is, Esme’s in custody. The bad news is, she’s pregnant. Cameron says he’s going to need Spencer to say that one more time. They found Esme, and she’s pregnant? Spencer says, yes, which brings him to his question. Does Cameron have any tips on being a good big brother?

Obrecht goes into Esme’s room, dressed in Britt’s lab coat, and Esme says she can’t sleep. Can she get something stronger? Obrecht closes the door, and says, yes. She can arrange that.

Nikolas asks if Elizabeth is sure the baby is okay, and she says she told him; the baby’s heart pattern looks good, no signs of distress. He says he still can’t believe Esme jumped. It’s a miracle, right? Elizabeth says, she’s one lucky girl, and he says he’s glad Marty decided to take her case, but he wishes he could get in there to talk to Esme. She says, that’s not going to happen.

Esme asks who Obrecht is, and Obrecht says she’s glad Esme asked. She’s a mother whose daughter has been taken from her. Esme asks what she wants, and Obrecht says, her pound of flesh.

Elizabeth says, Nikolas needs to stay as far away from Esme as possible, and he says, if Esme is faking, he’ll know. Elizabeth asks why she would. She has all the leverage if she remembers. He could bring back those memories. Does he want to risk that? He says, of course (🍷) not, but Elizabeth went in there, and Esme didn’t remember her. Elizabeth says she’s not the father of Esme’s baby, and she’s not the last face Esme saw before she chucked herself off the parapet. He says he wants to see Esme for himself, but she says, too bad. The longer it takes for Esme to remember, the better it is for them. He tells her, it’s going to be okay. As they speak, Demetrius is cleaning every piece of evidence that Esme was in the north tower. Once he’s done, it’s going to be Esme’s word against theirs. She tells him, in the meantime, stay away from her.

Drew goes into the stables, and says hello to Michael, Willow, and Wiley. He says he came by to see if he could take Carmen for a ride, and Wiley asks if he met Thor. Drew says he didn’t, and asks if Thor brought his hammer. Michael says, Thor is what Wiley named the new foal, and Drew says, of course (🍷). He saw Thor out there; he just didn’t know the foal had a name. Wiley asks if he can take Uncle Drew to meet Thor, and Willow says, Wiley is so excited about the new horse, they can’t keep up with him. Wiley says, mommy and daddy are too old, and Drew laughs, saying, he would love it if Wiley introduced him to the one and only Thor. Wiley says, yay! and he leaves with Drew. Willow says she just needs a minute, and Michael says, she’s got it.

Josslyn asks what Dex is doing here, and he says he needed to talk to her. Did she hear about Dr. Westbourne? Josslyn says, what about her? and Carly says, there was another hook attack last night. Josslyn says, that’s awful, and asks why The Hook would attack Britt. Carly says, the way she understands it, The Hook was after someone else, Britt intervened, and the intended victim got away. Josslyn says, that’s good. No one got hurt, right? They don’t say anything, and Josslyn says, Britt’s okay, isn’t she? Carly takes Josslyn’s hands, and says, no, she’s not. Britt died. Josslyn says, but Britt was fine, and Carly says, according to The Invader, she suffered a scratch. The hook had poison on it, and Britt collapsed about an hour later. Josslyn asks if she was alone, but Carly says, she was with her mom. She knows it’s terrible… and Josslyn says, this happened because of me.

Cameron and Spencer sit at a table, and Cameron asks if Spencer knew that Esme and his father… Spencer says he found out before he went to Pentenville. He knew his father slept with Esme, but didn’t know Esme was pregnant until last night. Cameron asks how long Spencer’s father has known, but Spencer says he has no idea. However, he definitely got the impression his father knew before last night. Cameron asks if Esme admitted to attacking people with a hook, and Spencer says, of course (🍷) not. Can he imagine Esme admitting to anything, ever? She said she can’t remember a thing.

Sonny comes by Britt’s office with Frank, and Nina thanks him for meeting her there. She tells him, there are reporters all around the MetroCourt, hoping to get a quote about Britt. She had security try to… What? He says, they’re vultures, and she says she hopes they don’t get ahold of Aunt Liesl, because that won’t be pretty. Sonny asks if it’s just the one box, and asks Frank to take it to Nina’s car. He asks how Nina is doing, and she says, not great. She’s worried about Aunt Liesl. She already talked to Scotty this morning, and she’s broken. He says, she’s grieving. She lost a child; there’s no greater pain. Nina says, she doesn’t handle grief well. Who does? She’s supposed to be here. She packed that box. Where does he think she is? He asks if Obrecht knows that Esme is in this hospital, and Nina says, no, and runs out the door.

Esme says, a pound of flesh? Is Obrecht talking about her? Obrecht says, yes. Perhaps she recognizes another quote, from a Scottish tragedy, in which a certain lady says, look like the innocent flower, but be a serpent under it. Esme feels around for the call button,  but Obrecht snatches it away. She takes out a syringe, and Esme says she doesn’t know what happened to Obrecht’s daughter, but whatever did, she doesn’t remember. Obrecht asks if that’s supposed invoke her mercy? Does Esme think the taking of her daughter’s life was forgettable? Esme says, whatever happened, she didn’t do it, and Obrecht says, how does she know if she doesn’t remember? She doesn’t deserve the peace Obrecht is about to bestow on her, but the world does. Esme owes her daughter an explanation, and she’d better think of one fast, because she’s about to see her. She shoves a washcloth in Esme’s mouth, as Esme screams and bites her hand. Obrecht says, schweingen. Another peep, and I will make this exquisitely painful. You scratched her with that infernal hook. She died in my arms. Now it’s your turn. Esme shakes her head, but Obrecht says, she needs to know that nothing she says now matters. The only thing that matters is Dr. Britta Westbourne. Her daughter, murdered, poisoned, taken by her. Obrecht notices Esme’s bump, and says, she’s pregnant? Esme nods.

Cameron asks if Spencer thinks Esme is faking her amnesia to avoid being charged as The Hook, and Spencer says, she’s capable of anything. On the other hand, she’s got a baby bump out to here. Her running around stabbing people seems unlikely. But if Esme isn’t The Hook, that means someone else is out there targeting them and Trina. Cameron asks, who else besides Esme would be targeting Trina? Spencer says he doesn’t know, but he thinks him, Cameron, Josslyn, and Trina should get together and figure out what happens next. Cameron says they might have to meet without him. Just let him know what they decide. Spencer asks why he’s acting so weird. Is this about their parents? Cameron asks what he means, and Spencer says, what’s going on? Cameron says, he and Joss broke up.

Carly says, this is not Josslyn’s fault, and Dex says, there’s only one person responsible for this, and it sure as hell isn’t her. Josslyn says, but if they’d stayed… Carly says, stayed where? What is she talking about? Josslyn says she was the intended victim. Britt interfered with her. She got away. Carly says, oh my God. Is she okay? Josslyn says, she’s fine, thanks to Britt and Dex, and Carly asks if it was Esme, but Josslyn says she doesn’t know. The attacker was wearing a mask; she didn’t see their face. All she saw was this hook swinging around. Carly asks why she didn’t wait for the police, and Josslyn says she was so freaked out, she just wanted to get out of there, and she didn’t have anything helpful to tell them. Carly says, she left Britt alone, and Josslyn tells her, Britt said it was okay. She said she was fine; she had it handled. Carly says, she spoke to Britt? and Josslyn says, yes. She wasn’t wounded; nothing was wrong. She doesn’t think Britt knew. Carly says, that’s not what she’s asking. Why did Britt tell the police that she didn’t know the identity of the person being attacked? Dex says, because of him.

Sonny and Nina get out of the elevator across from Esme’s room, where a guard is standing. Sonny says, everything seems fine, and Nina says she’s going to find Aunt Liesl. She leaves, and Sonny goes over to Elizabeth at the reception desk. He apologizes for interrupting, and asks if she’s seen Obrecht, but she says, not since last night. Her phone beeps, and she steps away. Nikolas walks over to Sonny, who asks what he wants. Nikolas asks if Sonny has spoken to Spencer, but Sonny says, not today; why? Nikolas says, he and Britt were pretty close. He’s concerned about how Spencer’s taking her death. Sonny suggests Nikolas try talking to him, but Nikolas says, Spencer’s not taking his calls or his texts. Sonny asks what he did now, and Nikolas says, Sonny will find out soon enough. As he probably heard, Esme’s in the hospital. Turns out she’s pregnant. Sonny asks if Nikolas is telling him Spencer is going to be a father, but Nikolas says, it’s not Spencer’s baby; it’s his. Sonny grabs the front of Nikolas’s shirt, pushes him against the desk, and punches him. Esme’s guard runs over.

Obrecht plunges the needle in Esme’s IV tube, and says, out, out brief candle. Esme whimpers, and Obrecht says, her end will be far more merciful than the one she gave her daughter. Nina comes in, and tells Obrecht, stop. What has she done? Esme’s eyes are closed.

Spencer says he can’t believe Joss and Cam broke up, and Cameron says, he thinks he can’t believe it. Spencer says, when he got out of Pentenville, Cameron had said they were good, and Cameron says he thought they were. He guesses he was wrong. Spencer says, so the break-up wasn’t mutual, and Cameron tells him, Joss said they’d grown apart. Spencer asks if this is because of that jerk Dex.

Carly says, Dex made her daughter leave the scene of a crime, and she wants to know why. Josslyn says, Dex didn’t make her do anything. It was a mutual decision, and Britt agreed. She said she could handle it. Carly asks, what if the attacker had followed Josslyn? Where did she go? Josslyn flashes back to getting busy with Dex, and Dex says, the reason she didn’t go to the police is because he was carrying. It’s a gun Sonny gave him for work. It isn’t registered to him. He doesn’t know where it came from, and doesn’t know what would come back if the police put a trace on it. Carly says, at least she knows why Josslyn felt safe going wherever, and Josslyn says, Dex should probably go, but Dex says, her mom has questions, and he’s happy to explain. Josslyn thanks him, but says she’ll fill Carly in. She walks him out past the glorious moss bowl🎍 that makes all right with the world, and on the patio, she tells Dex, it’s just better if her mom hears everything from her. He says, everything? and she says, God no. She just wants to make sure her mom understands he didn’t talk her into anything; that the decisions she made were hers. He says, any regrets? and she says, other than leaving Britt alone, not one. He says he feels like he should stay, but she says, this is between her and her mom. He says, then he won’t push anymore. She knows how to reach him. She says she does, and goes inside.

Willow says, let’s go visit Thor, but Michael asks if she’s sure she’s not doing too much. She says she’s barely doing anything, and he says he just doesn’t want her to push herself too much. She says, now that the first round of chemo is out of the way, she’s getting her strength back. This morning, she was actually hungry. He says he noticed she ate a whole piece of toast, and she says, and she picked it up all by herself. She says she’s going to get through this, and he says he’s counting on it, kissing her. Drew comes back, and tells them, don’t panic. Melanie lured Wiley back into the house for some hot chocolate. They seem like they’re doing better. Willow says, they’re hanging in there, and Drew asks if they’ve heard anything from the donor registry. Michael says, nothing yet, but hope springs eternal. Willow asks how the search is going for her birth family, and Drew says he’s sorry he doesn’t have any news, but his reporters are working on it. Michael says he hopes they find a lead soon, because obviously a relative is the best bet for a donor, and Drew says, they know the urgency here. He’s glad he ran into them, because he has a question. Michael says, fire away, and Drew asks Willow if Harmony or Doug stayed in touch with the leader of the commune in Colorado; specifically, did they ever mention a guy by the name of Josiah? She says, yes. Didn’t she tell him? Harmony took her to visit Josiah after they left.

Nina runs over to Esme, taking the washcloth out of her mouth. She asks if Obrecht killed her, but Obrecht says, not yet. It was just a sedative to keep her quiet. Nina says, okay, so Esme’s fine; the baby is fine. There’s no lasting injury. Obrecht says, not yet, and Nina says, not ever. She’s got to get Obrecht out of here. Obrecht says, just give her a moment, picking up a pillow, and Nina struggles with her over it, saying, give it to her. This is not what Britt would have wanted. Obrecht says, her Britta can’t want anything anymore. She’s dead because of her. Nina says, Obrecht would kill a mother and her baby? but Obrecht says, nein. She would not. Not the baby.

Drew asks what Willow remembers about her visit to Josiah, and Willow says, sorry. She doesn’t remember much of anything. She only remembers visiting because it was her first time in an airplane. She remembers looking out at the clouds, and Harmony giving her a piece of gum so her ears would pop. That’s about it. Drew asks if it’s the only time they visited, and Willow says, as far as she recalls. Shiloh made Harmony cut ties with Josiah when they joined Dawn of Day. Michael says, of course (🍷) he did. He had to cut off their escape route, and Willow says, why? Does Drew think Josiah knew her birth father? Drew says, his reporters are still searching for other members of the commune, but they do think probably Josiah would be their best bet. In the meantime, it’s important Willow stay positive. She says she is, and he says, good. And if he could ask, if she has the time and energy, give Carly a call. She’s concerned that with the stress of the pregnancy, any more bad news about the search for Willow’s biological family could be overwhelming. Michael says, his mom doesn’t know Willow’s sick, and Drew says, Willow asked him not to say anything, and he hasn’t, but Carly is just worried. To be honest, he’s worried too, that maybe Willow is losing hope, but Willow says she’s holding onto hope with both hands. She’s determined to see their daughter and Wiley grow up

Nina asks if Obrecht is saying she would take the baby, and Obrecht says, why not? Esme took her child; she owes Obrecht another. Nina says, Obrecht knows she’s done that, and she knows from experience that is a mistake. Obrecht says, her baby is gone, and this creature took her. She doesn’t deserve a child. Nina says she will not let Obrecht do this, and Obrecht asks how Nina plans to stop her. Nina says, she’ll call for help, and heads for the door. Obrecht tells her, do what she thinks she must, picking up the pillow again. Her Britta is owed justice, and who better to administer it? Nina flies over, grabbing the pillow, and says, this is not justice. She won’t let Obrecht do this. Obrecht says, why not? and Nina says, because it’s a mistake. Obrecht’s not thinking clearly. Does she want to spend the rest of her life in prison? Obrecht says she doesn’t care, and Nina says, but she cares. James, Maxie, and Scotty, they all care. Don’t throw her life away. Obrecht says, what about Britta’s life? How can she let Britt’s killer go merrily on her way and mother a child, when her child is dead at her hands? Nina says, can she prove that? Does Obrecht know that for sure? Because if she kills Esme before it’s proven she’s The Hook killer, she’ll make Esme the martyr, and she’ll be the villain – again. She takes Obrecht’s hand, and asks if she thinks that’s what Britt would have wanted for her.

The moss bowl🎍 hypnotizes me, as Josslyn tells Carly that she kept trying to get away, but she was in heels, and couldn’t kick them off. She thought about turning and running, but then she would have been stabbed in the back. Josslyn managed to shove The Hook… and Carly says, The Hook was close enough for Josslyn to shove her? Josslyn says she shoved her multiple times. She eventually got her to the ground, and Josslyn was going to make a break for it, but The Hook kneed her, and Josslyn totally lost her breath and fell. She looked up, and the killer was just over her, and the hook was in the air. Carly says, oh my God, and Josslyn says, then there was Britt, and she was incredible. She hit The Hook with her bag, and totally knocked her out of the way. Britt told her to run, but she couldn’t; she still couldn’t breathe. Then there was a gunshot, and Dex was there. Carly asks if he shot The Hook, but Josslyn says she doesn’t know. He either shot her, or scared her enough that she dropped the hook. She left, and that’s all Josslyn cared about. Carly hugs her, and says, thank God she’s alive. Josslyn says, Britt saved her life, and it cost Britt her own.

Cameron says, Josslyn didn’t say anything about Dex. Why would Spencer jump to that? Spencer says, his father slept with his girlfriend. Forgive him if he doesn’t have a lot of faith in relationships right now. Cameron says he’s surprised to hear Spencer say that, and Spencer says, why? Because he’s always such a sunny optimist? Cameron says, no. Because Spencer and Trina went to Britt’s party together. It’s obvious Trina is giving Spencer another chance. Spencer says, as friends, yeah. They were pretending to be closer than they actually are, so they could make Esme jealous and lure her out of hiding. Cameron says, they set themselves up as bait? and Spencer says, romantic, huh? Sonny comes in, and asks if Spencer’s got a second. Spencer says, for him, always, and Sonny tells Cameron that he might want to stay. He sits down, and Spencer asks, what’s going on? Is everything okay? Sonny says, there was another hook attack last night, and Spencer asks, what time was it? Esme showed up at the Haunted Star. Does Sonny know about his father and Esme? Sonny says he doesn’t want to get into that right now. Let’s just get to The Hook attack. Someone else died; someone they know. Spencer asks, who? and Sonny says, Britt Westbourne.

Nikolas tells the guard that he doesn’t want to press charges against Sonny. It was a private squabble in a public place.

Nina and Obrecht leave Esme’s room, and Nina asks if Obrecht is sure it was just a sedative. Obrecht says, Esme will wake unharmed, and her Britta will still be dead. Nina gently pushes her into the elevator.

Elizabeth asks Nikolas, what happened? and he says, Sonny punched him. She asks if it’s because Sonny found out Esme was having Nikolas’s baby, and Nikolas says he told Sonny. She asks if he has a death wish.

Josslyn tells Carly, Britt called the cops, and Dex didn’t want explain why he had the gun, and Britt said they could go. Carly says, go where? and Josslyn says, Dex’s apartment. She flashes back to her and Dex getting busy again, and says, he lives in the Charles Street district, so don’t worry; it was close. Carly says, she went to Dex’s apartment, then what? and Josslyn says she went to Kelly’s to talk to Cam. And then she came home. Carly says, she went to talk to Cam, and with tears in her eyes, Josslyn nods, and says, she broke up with him.

Spencer tells Sonny, no. It’s not possible. They got it wrong. Sonny says, they didn’t… and Spencer says he just saw her last night. She was having the time of her life. She was happy. She was dancing; Sonny saw her. Sonny nods, and Spencer says, she was alive. Cameron asks, when did this happen? and Sonny says, it was on the docks after midnight. The paper said Britt saw The Hook attacking someone, and tried to stop it. Very brave thing to do. Spencer says, Britt’s always been brave, and Sonny says he knows they were close… Spencer asks them to excuse him, and goes to the private stairs. He sits down on the steps.  

At Nina’s penthouse, Obrecht says she never finished cleaning Britt’s office, but Nina says, don’t worry. She doesn’t want Obrecht to worry about anything. She’ll go back and make sure Obrecht didn’t miss anything. Obrecht thanks her, but says she’s not worried. What’s to worry anymore? She’s just very tired.

Willow tells Drew, they do have some good news. She’s done with her first round of chemo. Drew says, that’s incredible. Congratulations. She says she’s glad it’s over. Now it just has to work. He says, now she gets some time to recover and enjoy life a little bit, and she says, three weeks. He says he’ll make sure he gets some answers before that, and  Michael thanks him. Drew says, absolutely; they’re family. He just wishes he was a match. Michael says he knows the feeling, but they have to believe the donor registry will come through. Willow’s phone rings, and she says, it’s Dr. Randolph. She asks if Terry got her results back. Is the chemo working?

Elizabeth sees Nikolas, and says she has an update for him, calling him Mr. Cassadine. She tells him to come with her, and leads him to a more private spot. Elizabeth asks if he’s trying to get caught, and he says, of course (🍷) not. She says, he’s standing outside Esme’s door having a staring contest with that cop. He says, if anyone questions him, he has the perfectly good excuse of being concerned about the mother of his baby. She says, as guilty as he looks right now, why don’t they just go to Jordan and confess? Why wait for Esme to remember what they did to her? He says, if they do that, they both go to prison, and she says, maybe that’s for the best. He says, she’d just leave her children? and she says she doesn’t want to, but the way he’s behaving, she has no choice in the matter. He says, if he goes to prison, there will be no one left to raise his kid, but she says, that’s not true. Nikolas knows how much his Uncle Victor loves molding Cassadine children in his own image. She’s sure he’ll jump at the chance. He says, that cannot happen, and she says, then they need to hold tight – together.  

Spencer comes back, and Cameron asks if he’s okay. Spencer says, no, when Dex comes in. He comes over to Sonny, but Sonny says, give him a minute, and Dex locks eyes with Cameron, then leaves. Cameron says he’s sorry, but he has to get back to work. He tells Spencer to let him know if he needs anything, and Sonny says, go ahead. He’ll take care of this. Cameron leaves, and Spencer says, was she alone when she died? Sonny says, no. She was with her mother. Spencer says, that’s good. He’s glad she wasn’t alone. Sonny says, Spencer doesn’t have to be alone, and Spencer says, these attacks have to stop. Sonny says, his guys are on it; the cops are on it. Spencer says, Britt’s still gone, when Dex walks back in. Spencer says he’s fine. Sonny can go ahead and deal, but Sonny says he doesn’t have to do anything; he’s good. Spencer says, he’s so tired. The last thing he wants to do is go back to Windymere and see his dad. Sonny says, he doesn’t have to. Listen to him. It’s an easy fix. Just come home with him. Cameron comes out behind the counter, looking at his phone. He sees Spencer and Sonny leave with Dex, he and Dex locking eyes again. When they’re gone, Cameron looks at a photo of him and Josslyn.

Josslyn tells Carly that she tried to talk to Cameron before Britt’s party. She went to Kelly’s; she had everything prepared. When she got there, he wasn’t there. He was on some catering job. Then the attack happened, and everything became clear. She knew she couldn’t stall anymore. She knows she owed him the truth, so she went back to Kelly’s. She talked to him and… He was so hurt. Carly takes her hand, and says, she’s had some night. Josslyn says she couldn’t sleep at all. All she could do was lie there and replay everything… the attack, and the break up and… what she would have done differently. Carly says, one thing Josslyn could have done is called her, and Josslyn says she knows Carly would have been there in a second, but she felt she had to figure things out for herself. Carly says she gets that when it comes to Cam, but she needs to know if Josslyn’s in danger. Always. Josslyn has to call her, and she’ll always have Josslyn’s back. Josslyn tells Carly that she loves her, and Carly hugs her, saying, she loves Josslyn too.

Elizabeth touches Esme, who shrinks back, saying, don’t hurt me. Elizabeth says she’s okay; she’s safe. Nobody is going to hurt her. Esme says, that doctor… She was… Elizabeth says, it sounds like she was having a bad dream. Try to go back to sleep. Esme closes her eyes.

Obrecht says she just wants to sleep, and Nina says, of course (🍷). Get some rest. She tells Obrecht to lie down in her bedroom. She’ll be right here if Obrecht needs her for anything. She goes to the box of Britt’s things, and takes out the photo and trophy. We see Willow’s chemotherapy report in the box, and Nina clutches the trophy to her chest.  

Still on the phone, Willow says, really? She thanks Terry, and says she’ll see her then. Michael asks if her numbers are better, but Willow says, her results aren’t back. That’s not why Terry was calling. She matched on the registry. She has a bone marrow donor. She’s going to live. He hugs her as she cries happy tears, and Drew smiles.

On Monday, Drew tells Jordan that he thinks they can eliminate Esme as a suspect; Elizabeth says she has to tell Finn something about Esme; and Willow isn’t sure she can go through with it.

😭 In Case You Need a Reminder…

This episode was so sad, it gave me a headache.

📑 Still Around…

Like a bad penny, he keeps showing up. Whatever that means. I’m not actually sure.

💸 Shahcarceration…

That’s what you get for coming old people.

💎 So Go Already…

I said it first.

Translation: Good riddance.

https://people.com/tv/andy-cohen-reacts-lisa-rinna-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-exit-an-iconic-run/

🍑 Me Too…

You couldn’t pay me enough to endure any of the Housewives in the franchise, especially on a trip the would undoubtedly ruin for me.

https://people.com/tv/kenya-moore-would-rather-do-military-drills-than-embark-on-rhoa-trip/

🕶 New Reality…

Sounds promising. Especially the buried alive part.

https://people.com/tv/reality-stars-buried-alive-peacock-show-the-traitors-first-trailer/

🦥 To Pets and Beyond…

Something precious to send you into the weekend.

https://paradepets.com/pet-news/cute-animals

🌐 Quotes of the Week

Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree. – Martin Luther

Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.Kofi Annan

I always tell young people to hold on to their dreams. And sometimes you have to stand up for what you think is right even if you have to stand alone.Claudette Colvin

Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality. – Edgar Allan Poe

Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence. – Leonardo da Vinci

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.Isaiah 9:6, NLT

Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it. – Ann Landers

Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress: Working hard for something we love is called passion. – Simon Sinek

If you don’t believe me, then google it. – Cesar Faison (Anders Hove), General Hospital

☄️ Catching a Falling Star…

Come on down on Monday really Tuesday for soap and what’s on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay setting boundaries, but not limits, for yourself, and stay telling the truth to whom it’s owed.  

December 9, 2022 – Ryan Gets a Blast From the Past, Love To Hate, NJ Dish, Hot Stuff, VanderDumped, Competition, Dead Talk, DocuGlee, Critic Noms, Pets (!), a Bouquet Of Quotes & Hazy

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone, Sonny asks, how’s Donna? and Nina says, he’s missing all the fun. Donna is running circles around her and Pilar. She asks how his day is, and he says he’ll tell her all about it when he gets home. She says, they’ll be here. Donna and Pilar are having an early supper in the kitchen, but for them, she ordered a gourmet dinner for two to be delivered from the MetroCourt. He says he’ll see her when he gets home, and Dex comes to his office. Dex says he wanted to follow up on the deal Sonny mentioned; some third party who wants to use his facilities? Sonny said he might want Dex to assist him. Sonny says, that depends, and Dex says, on what? Sonny says, on what’s important to Dex; working for him, or making time with Josslyn?

Nina hums as she sets the table and pours some wine. There’s a knock at the door, and she says, it must be dinner. She opens the door, and Josslyn asks what she’s doing here.

Trina tells Rory that she doesn’t know what to say, and he says, when he was in training at the Police Academy, he had several instructors tell him that he was going to be a great cop because he’s so naturally stoic. Big emotions like this don’t come easy to him, but tonight… He guesses his feelings for her are so strong, he had to say something. And even though this is new to him, he wanted her to know how much he meant it, every single word. He loves her. Spencer watches, and tells Victor that he thinks he lost his appetite. Rory tells Trina that he didn’t know how he was actually going to feel after saying that. He feels great, but he wants her to know he doesn’t expect her to say anything in return. He got her something, and it’s not another can of soda; they’ve progressed. He wanted to get her something to symbolize how he felt. He gives her a gift bag, and she takes out a perfume (I think) box. He says, it’s called L’Amore. It seemed fitting. She says, this is… and looks up to see Spencer practically hugging the back of Rory’s chair. FYI, perfume is probably not a good choice of gift, unless you really know the person or you know that’s what they wear.

Alone in his room, Ryan says, Esme, where the hell are you? What have you gotten yourself into now? The doorknob rattles, and he goes back to his locked-in persona. Someone wearing a bathrobe comes in and closes the door. Heather says, hello… lover. They tell her that he can’t talk to her, but she bets she knows what he’s thinking. A blast from the past, right? Her and him, together again for the first time. It almost feels like a lifetime ago, but some things in life, you just can’t forget. They both know when they were bad, it was very good.

Elizabeth says, Finn went to Spoon Island? and he says, like he told her, he was looking for Esme Prince. Sha asks, what made him think Esme would be on the island of all places? and he says he was just following the trail. She says, what trail? and he says, the one that begins and ends with her. She says she doesn’t understand. How could she have led him to look for Esme on Spoon Island? He says, she was the last person to see Esme before Esme attacked her on the pier. If she hadn’t called the police first, who knows what Esme would have done? Elizabeth says, but she didn’t. They should be thankful she just ended up with a bump on her head, and leave it at that. He says, but who knows if it would have ended there? He thinks Esme went to Spoon Island, and now that he’s been there, he’s even more convinced he’s on the right track.

Heather asks if Ryan remembers how they first met; that was ages ago. Decades. But she can still see it, as if it was yesterday. She runs her hand up his arm, and stands behind his chair, feeling his chest. She says, she was hiking the Cascade Mountains. A regular nature girl on a journey to find a place for herself outside the rigid confines of middleclass society. That’s when she smelled smoke, coming out of a cabin in the middle of nowhere. And there he was, chopping wood with a hatchet. The blade gleamed in the moonlight. He always was handy with a blade. She caresses his right arm and says, such a shame to lose this hand. It was so talented in so many ways. She said her name was Hazel, and he said his name was Richard. They were both playing the same game. They found each other. Soulmates. Is it beginning to come back to you, Richie?

Rory asks Trina, what’s wrong? and follows her gaze to Spencer behind him. He says, oh, and Trina says she doesn’t understand. They said Spencer’s release was weeks away. Spencer says, it was supposed to be. Don’t let him interrupt their dinner. They’re clearly in the middle of something special. Rory says, they are, and Trina gets up, asking, what happened? How is he a free man? He says, don’t worry; he didn’t escape this time. Trina asks, what changed? and Victor says, his nephew’s exemplary behavior earned him an early release. Spencer thanks him, but says, Trina is smarter than that. He did what he always does and relied on his family to get him out of trouble.

Nina asks why Josslyn is surprised. Everyone, including Josslyn, knows that she and Sonny are involved. Josslyn walks in, and says she’s here to pick up Donna, and it was her understanding Nina isn’t allowed anywhere near her little sister. Nina says she’s happy to tell Josslyn, that information is outdated. Sonny and Carly reached a new understanding, and she had the best day with Donna. She’s in the kitchen with Pilar having an early supper. Josslyn says she’ll check in with her mom about the change in rules when she gets home, and starts to head for the kitchen, but Nina says, Sonny isn’t home from work yet. Josslyn says, shocking. The family man is too busy obstructing justice, or whatever it is he does (see? Josslyn doesn’t even know what he does), to spend time with his youngest child, so he leaves her with the girlfriend. Lucky Donna is still too young to understand where she ranks on Sonny’s list of priorities. Nina says, Sonny is on his way home right now, and she knows he’d love to see his daughter and kiss her before Josslyn takes her home to Carly, so wait a little while. She can take it if Josslyn can.

Dex tells Sonny that he didn’t go to Josslyn for help. He never meant for her to be involved. Sonny says, but she was involved, and Dex flashes back to Josslyn fixing up his bullet wound in the gatehouse. He says he doesn’t know if Josslyn saved his life, but she definitely saved his freedom. People know he works for Sonny. If Josslyn had called an ambulance or the cops, Sonny would have been investigated at the very least. Sonny asks, what’s his point? and he says, Josslyn did him a favor, and he’s grateful, but that’s as far as it goes. Sonny says, good, because he spent today cleaning up the mess Dex made when he was driving that transfer van to Pentenville. He was concerned that someone could identify Dex as the driver, so he made sure no one is going to identify Dex. Dex says he appreciates it, and promises Sonny that he learns from his mistakes. Sonny says he believes Dex means that when he says it, but like his old man used to say, some mistakes are too big to make. He opens his desk drawer, and Dex sees a gun. Sonny says, Dex is probably standing there thinking, he’s done a solid job, why is Sonny so hard on him? Dex says, something like that, and Sonny says, when he was Dex’s age, he was in debt to a guy named Joe Skully, and he would have done anything to pay him back. Joe wanted him to do a job, he was young and inexperienced, he did the job, and left a trail that could have led straight back to him. Even worse, it could have led straight from him to Joe. Dex says, obviously Sonny is still in the game, so what happened? What saved him? Sonny says he had a guardian angel. He took it upon himself to clean up after Sonny. Dex says, that was lucky, and Sonny says, luck is only going to get you so far in life. In this business, you’ve got to have brains; you need to trust your instincts. Dex says he has both, and Sonny says, think of this as a crossroads in his life. Dex is the one who’s going to have to make that call. He’s got to figure out what he’s going to hold on to, and what he’s going to let go. What matters; what doesn’t matter.

Josslyn tells Nina that she can wait until Donna’s done eating, because they both know Pilar cooked that meal, and Nina didn’t. (Not sure how that applies.) But let’s be clear, when Donna is done, they’re leaving whether Sonny is back or not. Nina suggests they go to their separate corners until the referee rings the bell for round two. Josslyn says, like a fight? Why would she want to fight Nina? She’s so grateful. Nina says, Josslyn’s idea of gratitude leaves a lot to be desired, and Josslyn says, Nina did what no one else ever could. She took Sonny away from Josslyn’s mom, and set her free. She feels a little bit sorry for Donna, but in the end, Josslyn knows she’s better off. She doesn’t have to grow up listening to her mom defend the indefensible, like Josslyn did. She watched her mom turn herself inside out for Sonny. She doesn’t have to do that anymore. She can live her life the way she wants to, and she has never had a better time. Josslyn thanks Nina, and says, out of all of Sonny’s many girlfriends, Nina might just be her favorite. Nina says, Josslyn makes it sound like she’s the latest in a long line, and Josslyn tells Nina, she said it, not her.

Spencer asks what he can say. When your grandmother is the mayor and your great uncle is Victor Cassadine. you can pretty much get yourself out of anything. Rory asks if he’s saying he mayor pulled strings to get him an early release, and Spencer says, when you have family connections, the golden rule is to never advertise who did what. Though he will say his Uncle Cyrus looked out for him when he was on the inside. Rory says, Cyrus as in Cyrus Renault? and Victor says, that unfortunate family tie came to an end the second Spencer came out of the Pentenville gates. Keeping the box with the doves out of sight, Spencer says, they’ll let Trina and Rory get back to their dinner. Good seeing Trina. They walk away, and Victor says, that was very graciously done, but Spencer is making one mistake. He’s a Cassadine, and Cassadines never quit.

Elizabeth asks what Finn found on Spoon Island, and he says, it’s more what he didn’t find when he went to Windymere. She says, he went to the house? and he says he thought Nikolas might cooperate and help him find Esme, but he had to play the big shot. Supposedly, he had some of the staff search the property, but even if they did look, they weren’t going to find Esme. She says, so he walked away empty handed, and he tells her, of course (🍷) Nikolas said he was just looking out for her best interests, but he wasn’t buying it. She asks, why not? and he says, his lips were moving.

Heather flops onto Ryan’s bed, and says, remember how they used to bundle together in the cabin on those cold winter nights, when the wolves howled outside the window. They’d howl right back at them because that’s what they were; a couple of timber wolves, too wild for all of those poor pathetic sheep out there. He’s in there, isn’t he? He might have everybody else fooled, but she knows him, inside and out. He’s not really paralyzed, is he? It’s just his way of controlling the situation. Getting everyone lulled into a false sense of security, and that’s when he’s going to strike. She knows she’s getting to him. After all, she’s his Hazel, and can affect him in ways nobody else can. She’s about to kiss him, when he says, you left me without so much as a goodbye. You broke my heart. He doesn’t think she’s ever been hurt as badly, but that can be arranged.

Finn says, he gets the sense Nikolas is only willing to cooperate when he’s in charge, and Elizabeth says, sounds like him. He says, maybe, and she asks what he means. He says he has the feeling Nikolas is hiding something.

Heather says, it speaks. She knew her mountain man was in there, just waiting to break free. Ryan talks without moving anything but his mouth, and says, she just might live to regret that… or not. She says, ooh, naughty boy. She knows he wouldn’t hurt her. He says, since when did she mind a little pain, and she says, you remembered my sweet spot, lover, but he says, there was never anything sweet about her, but that was her appeal; two of a kind. She says, like knows like, and he says he actually began to question if it ever happened at all. She seemed too good to be true, and then she disappeared without a trace. He actually wondered if he imagined the whole thing. She says, it wasn’t his imagination. She stands up and leans over him, saying, take a whiff. She still uses the same soap… all over her body… every inch. He inhales deeply, and she smacks him hard across the face.

Victor tells Spencer to sit down. He said they were going to celebrate Spencer’s first night of freedom from Pentenville, so that’s exactly what they’re going to do. A little life lesson. Don’t let anyone or anything prevent him from enjoying his first breath of freedom. Spencer says he’s not ungrateful for Victor getting him out early. He never thought he was going to be out of Pentenville by New Year’s Eve, much less Christmas, but it’s difficult to celebrate when… Victor says, Spencer feels the same way about the lovely Miss Robinson? Spencer says, with all due respect, what is the point? They got here just in time to hear Rory tell Trina that he loves her. Victor says he thinks it makes all the difference in the world.

Trina says, where were they? and Rory says, they were celebrating their three-month anniversary. He hopes she likes… His phone rings, and he tells her, he’s so sorry; it’s work. He has to take it. She tells him, go, and he says, yes, Commissioner, as he goes outside. Victor tells Spencer, remember, opportunity is only lost on those who fail to seize it, and Spencer jets over to Trina, asking if he can join her. Before she can answer, he sits down, and she asks what he’s doing. He says he has a question. Can they start over?

Nina says, Josslyn’s gratitude sounds a lot like resentment. She’s guessing Josslyn talked to her mother about what happened between them today. Josslyn says, her mom never mentions Nina, and Nina says, so Josslyn doesn’t know. She and Carly were at Willow’s, and Willow fainted. Josslyn asks if Willow is okay; does Michael know? Nina says she imagines by now he does, and Josslyn asks, what happened and how is Nina involved? Nina says she went over there to talk to Willow about helping Sasha. Things got heated, Willow got upset, and passed out. Josslyn says, only Nina would pick a fight with a pregnant woman, but Nina says she didn’t pick a fight with Willow. Her point is, that for a split second, she and Carly put aside their differences to help Willow. If they’re able to do that, why can’t she and Josslyn do the same thing? Josslyn says, her mother makes her own choices; so does she. Even though she’s grateful Nina took Sonny off her mom’s hands, that doesn’t mean she likes Nina. Nina says she didn’t take Sonny off of anyone’s hands; she fell in love with him. Josslyn says, how romantic, and Nina says, the only part of it she regrets is keeping the truth from everyone. Josslyn might not understand, but Nina kept the truth from herself. She came to care for someone when everything else told her it was wrong. Josslyn flashes back to kissing Dex in her dorm room, and says, Nina is right. She can’t understand. She’s nothing like Nina. Nina asks what she’s talking about. Who said Josslyn was like her?

Sonny tells Dex, one of the hardest things he’s had to learn in his life is when to use a gun, and when to keep the safety on. It’s taken him almost a lifetime to learn that. Dex says, he had to start sometime, right? and Sonny says, yes, he did, and so does Dex. He takes out the gun, and slides it across the desk, along with a clip. Dex asks what Sonny wants him to do with it, and Sonny says, it’s his; take it. Dex puts the clip in the gun, and puts the gun in his waistband. Sonny says, so the deal Dex asked him about. He set up a meeting with a third party, and wants Dex to come with him. Dex asks what Sonny wants him to do, and Sonny says, just listen. Take orders. He’s probably not going to have to use the gun. Dex says, so Sonny just wants a little security, and Sonny says, the go-between who set up the meeting isn’t really a trusted friend or someone he’s done business with, but it’s who the contractors chose. He just wants to be prepared. Does Dex have any questions? Dex says, nope, and Sonny tosses him the car keys, saying, let’s go. Dex asks where they’re going.  

Josslyn asks if that isn’t what Nina is after; sympathy, empathy? Nina wants people to put themselves in her shoes, so they can see she had no other option but to lie. Josslyn’s not like that; she doesn’t use deceit to get what she wants. She’s nothing like Nina. Nina asks what Josslyn is talking about. She never said Josslyn was deceitful. If anything, she’s honest to a fault, and a little quick to judge people by her own high standards. Josslyn says she’s going to see if Donna is done with dessert, and Nina asks, how’s Cameron? Josslyn flashes back to telling Trina that she thought sleeping together would help her and Cameron reconnect, and be a magic fix for what she hasn’t been feeling. She tells Nina, it’s none of her business.

Trina tells Spencer, she doesn’t know. So much has happened, she doesn’t think a fresh start is even possible for them. He says he supposes that’s fair. He did what he did, and there are consequences he has to live with. She says she appreciates that he wants to try, but it’s hard for her to even think about this now, much less talk it over. He says, she’s with Rory at the PC Grill, not at Kelly’s having burgers. He knew they were in the middle of something special, and if he’d known she was going to be here with her boyfriend, celebrating, he would have insisted to his uncle that they go elsewhere, especially when he heard what Rory said to her. He wasn’t trying to eavesdrop; he practically announced it to the entire restaurant. Not that he blames Rory. If he were in Rory’s place, he’d want to tell everyone too. She says, it’s not what he thinks it is, but he says, when a guy takes you out to one of the best restaurants in town and tells you he loves you. What else could that mean?

Outside on the phone, Rory says, copy that, Commissioner. See you soon. He starts to go back in, when Victor blocks his way. Victor says he admires Rory’s dedication. Rory tries to walk around him, but Victor moves, and says, Rory swore to do the right thing. He assumes Rory knows when to stay the course, and when to call it a day. I love how with all his big plans, whatever they are, Victor still has time to meddle in a kid’s love life.

Ryan asks, what the hell was that for? and Heather says, for what he did to her Franco. He says he keeps a pretty good record of the crimes he’s committed, and the people he’s killed, and Franco Baldwin isn’t on that list. She says, don’t even mention his name. Ryan victimized her son, and what’s that old expression? One bad turn deserves another. He says, you wouldn’t blow the whistle on me, would you, Hazel… dear? and she says, I’d hate to be backed into that corner, Richie… boy.

Elizabeth tells Finn that Nikolas’s Uncle Victor is living at Windymere now. There’s bound to be something Nikolas is hiding. He says, she thinks Victor is using Spoon Island for something? and she says, Windymere isn’t just a family estate; it’s a fortress. He says, a fortress where they might be hiding Esme Prince. He thinks this is a good time to have a conversation with Jordan, but she says, he can’t. He says, why not? and she says, he’s a healer, not a detective. His place is here at GH, doing the kind of life saving work he was meant to do, not taking on a cold-blooded killer. He says he’s not taking on the killer himself. He knows that’s a job for the PCPD. She says, if Esme finds out Finn led them to her, she’s going to put him on her list, but he says he can’t let this go, not after Esme attacked her. As long as Esme is out there, she’s free to go after Elizabeth again, or her kids, or anybody else who gets in her way. She says, what about his daughter? If he doesn’t give up this search, what if Esme targets Violet? He says, it’s Violet he’s thinking about. How does he look his little girl in the eye, knowing he didn’t do what he could to put a stop to this? Come to his office. They’ll call Jordan and see what she has to say about this. They go out in the hallway, and Finn says, Elizabeth forgot something. She says, wait, but he goes back in and picks up the bottle of prenatal vitamins, taking a look at it. He remembers seeing an empty bottle of the same thing at Windymere.  

Ryan says, of all the women he’s loved, Heather was always his most vivid memory. She says she read all about him, and she’s guessing that’s a crock, but she’d love to believe it. She always knew their paths would cross again. What they had was kismet. He says, then why even dream of exposing him? and she says, don’t worry, mountain man. She wouldn’t do that. She’s just putting him on notice not to even think of adding her to his list of victims. He says, heaven forbid, and she says, heaven is not his final destination, or hers. Still, she’s sorry for walking out on him. If she’d stuck around, who knows? Maybe both their lives would have been different. Let’s just say, she owes him one. He says, according to his math, she owes him two.

Trina tells Spencer, Rory is a great guy. He’s honest, kind, and has a great start on a very solid career. Even Ava, who has very high standards, thinks she’d be crazy if she let him get away. He says, and of course (🍷) she and Ava always agree with each other. Rory comes back, and asks if everything is okay here. Spencer says, everything’s fine. Time for him to rejoin his uncle. He shakes Rory’s hand, and says, great seeing Trina. He leaves, and Rory sits down. He asks what Spencer wanted.  

Josslyn comes out of the kitchen, and Nina asks, where’s Donna? Josslyn says, Pilar is helping her wash up. As soon as they’re done, she and Donna are leaving. Sonny’s just going to have to do better with his time management. Sonny walks in with Dex, and says, he didn’t expect to find Josslyn here. What’s going on? Nina asks if Dex will be joining them, and Sonny asks what Josslyn is doing here. She says she’s here to pick up Donna. She’ll see if Donna is ready. She can’t get out of the room fast enough, and Dex says, if it’s okay with Sonny, he’s going to pass on the dinner invitation. He’s not hungry, and should probably call it an early night. Sonny says he’ll see Dex tomorrow, Dex says goodnight to Nina, and leaves. Sonny says, Nina was here alone with Josslyn. He doesn’t see any broken glass anywhere. What happened? Nina says, it’s clear Josslyn has other things on her mind, and they hug.

Trina tells Rory, Spencer just wanted to touch base since his early release from Pentenville. Obviously, she wasn’t expecting to see him tonight. Rory says, it’s unfortunate their big night got interrupted. Now he’s been called back to the station. Plus, he did tell her mom that he’d have her home early. She says, they’ll do it again with no interruptions. She picks up the bag, saying, she can’t forget her gift. She really loves it. He kisses her, and they leave holding hands. Victor says, if Trina chooses Rory over Spencer, it’s her loss. Spencer says he has to go to the restroom, and tosses the box containing the doves on the table. When he’s gone, Victor  picks up the box and puts it in his pocket.

Finn says, Elizabeth left these behind. It’s strange. He saw a bottle just like this when he went to see Nikolas. Prenatal vitamins. Are they hers?

Heather says, she owes Ryan two? How does he mean? He says, when she left him never to return, she didn’t just stomp on his heart and walk out of his life. In the years since, he’s learned that when she left, she was carrying the child they created.

Finn asks, what’s going on? Is there something Elizabeth wants to tell him? She says, just let it go, but he says he doesn’t want to. He wants to hear her voice, but if she doesn’t want to tell him, he’s fine with going to Windymere and getting answers. She says, please don’t, and he says, please don’t what? Is she pregnant?

On Monday, Drew asks Denise, where did Baby Callie come from; Willow tells Carly that she’s far from okay; and Ryan tells Heather, if something falls into the wrong hands, he’s holding her responsible.

💣 Man With a Plan…

Victor is the best at bad.

👰🏻 Still In the Bubble…

Maybe it’s me, but I still don’t see why this woman is not just employed, but celebrated, by Bravo.

How she makes new friends is also beyond me, but give it time.

🎤 Burning Down the Mic…

Housewives caught saying what they shouldn’t, and production lapping it up.

🍸 No Longer Employed…

Was this ever even in question?

🕶  Odd Combo…

I don’t know if I’ll be watching, but it’s an interesting concept. Although I could do without Brandi, another one they should dump.

⚰️ Dead In the City…

This. Looks. Wonderful.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/maggie-and-negan-return-in-the-walking-dead-dead-city-teaser-trailer/

https://ew.com/tv/jeffrey-dean-morgan-negan-walking-dead-dead-city/

🎼 Fame Kills…

This is a bit of a stretch, considering the size of the cast. Stuff happens.

https://people.com/tv/the-price-of-glee-trailer-explores-deaths-of-naya-rivera-cory-monteith-mark-salling/

🏆 Upcoming Choices…

Nominations for the Critics’ Choice Awards.

https://ew.com/awards/leslie-jordan-ray-liotta-receive-posthumous-critics-choice-award-nominations/

🐩 Hello Pets…

And to send you off on a good note, places you can’t afford, but someone’s pet can. Hey, they deserve it.

https://www.hellomagazine.com/homes/gallery/20220504139347/celebrity-pets-with-pampered-lifestyles-houses/1/

🦉 Quotes of the Week

A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties. – Harry S. Truman (Or you could say, Murphy was an optimist.)

No one should be ashamed to admit they are wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that they are wiser today than they were yesterday. – Alexander Pope

A rich man is nothing but a poor man with money. – W.C. Fields

My belief is that personal freedom cannot grow beyond personal responsibility. The more people that learn to be fully accountable for their lives, the more freedom each of us can enjoy and the more fulfilling all of our lives will be. – Ross Parmenter

Infinitely more important than sharing one’s material wealth is sharing the wealth of ourselves—our time and energy, our passion and commitment, and, above all, our love.William E. Simon (But a little cash never hurts.)

There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them. – Ray Bradbury

We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty. – Maya Angelou

Being dead really doesn’t make things easier. – Barbara (Geena Davis), Beetlejuice

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another. – Anatole France

Social media is the devil. – Judge Star Jones, Divorce Court

🦌 Playing Reindeer Games…

Exiting stage left until Monday really Tuesday, when I’ll be back with soap and what’s on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay within your budget, and stay remembering, opportunity is only lost on those who fail to seize it.