What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

🥢 Weekday Nibbles…                                                                      

Monday: 

Jason found Britt at the hospital and said he just wanted to talk. Britt asked Lucas to join them as a witness in case she needed to file a restraining order later.

Brick was at the MetroCourt bar when Jordan came in. He said he was meeting Carly, but had visualized her arrival there and she’d been manifested. He wanted to take her out for dinner sometime. She could even invite her doctor friend. Jordan said she was no longer seeing him, and Brick said, even better. Curtis came in and asked, who was her friend?

Ava dropped off Avery’s recital costume at Sonny’s, and he said there was something else she needed to deal with – her and Sidwell.

Carly saw Sidwell at the MetroCourt and sat down with him. She asked if he ever wondered why she let him frequent her establishment when he’d held her at gunpoint, and he said he assumed it was her forgiving heart… or a favor to be named later. She said, bingo.

At Windymere, Cullum asked where Sidwell was, but Marco said Sidwell wasn’t there. He’d requested Cullum.

Josslyn met Jack at the docks, and said she’d heard there was going to be a bad snowstorm. He told her they’d said a few feet. Why did she want to see him? She said she’d figured out how to search Windymere without anybody knowing.

Jack said Josslyn had been benched and Sidwell and Windymere were outside her purview, but she said she was at Windymere yesterday. Pascal was in France, and Lucas invited her. Jack said she disobeyed orders, but she said an opportunity fell in her lap, and she took the necessary precautions. Ava and Marco were there, and the subject of the catacombs came up. Ava had mentioned the entrances were sealed, but she hadn’t lived there in a while. Who knew what Sidwell had done since he moved in? Lucas mentioned he wanted to explore, but Marco wasn’t having it. At first he said it was cold and wet, but Lucas pushed, and Marco said, absolutely not. He didn’t want anybody near that area. She bet whatever project they were working on was happening in the catacombs.

Cullum said Marco’s father was his partner and he was also busy, but Marco said he wouldn’t have requested Cullum come there if it wasn’t urgent. He asked Cullum to come because his father wasn’t there. He’d already talked to his father about it, but he wouldn’t hear about Sonny Corinthos.

Ava said Sidwell was only a client, but Sonny said she’d been spending time at Windymere. She asked why that was his business, and he said they shared a daughter. Sidwell wasn’t a good guy. Ava said they weren’t saints and Sidwell was a businessman who had excellent taste in art, but Sonny said Sidwell wasn’t a man she wanted to be involved with. She didn’t know what she was dealing with. Ava said she’d heard the rumors and appreciated his concern, but she could handle herself and she’d spend time with whoever she chose.  

Sidwell asked how he could be of assistance, and Carly said, Lucas was living at Windymere. Sidwell said it was going wonderfully and he already considered Lucas part of the family. Was she hoping he’d assist in sabotaging the relationship? The answer was no. Carly asked, why not? What was in it for him? Sidwell said, his son’s happiness, and Carly said she didn’t see the leverage businesswise and there were no dollar signs. He said there was no price on his son’s happiness. He respected their relationship and Lucas made Marco happy. Natalia’s death had been hard on him and still was. Carly said Sidwell had held her at gunpoint and kidnaped a pregnant woman, and he said he’d heard the rumors. She said Lucas may believe Marco wasn’t working for him, but she didn’t buy it. He said he understood where she was coming from. The estrangement hurt both her and Lucas, even if Lucas didn’t want to admit it. He would help her reconcile with her brother. He believed that’s what she wanted. She said that was generous of him. What did he have in mind? Sidwell said, first, some advice. If she wanted a relationship her brother, make nice to his son, and he’d do everything in his power to help her come to Windymere, welcoming her with open arms.

Jordan introduced Brick to Curtis, and Brick said, Curtis was from Aurora Media. He and Michael Corinthos went way back. They shook hands, and Curtis said Michael was a good man. Brick told them to enjoy their evening. If Jordan needed his assistance under any circumstances, she knew his number. He left, and Curtis said, Jordan knew Brick’s number?

Britt told Jason not to make her say it again. He wasn’t good for her. If he had any respect for her, if he ever cared about her, leave her alone. She walked away, and Jason said, sorry Lucas got dragged in. Lucas told Jason that he didn’t know what to say, but Jason told him that Britt had said everything loud and clear.

Britt cried in the hallway.

Jack said he was aware Faison settled on Spoon Island in the 90s, and Josslyn said, then he returned with Leisl Obrecht, and they held Robin captive. Jack said it was reason to believe Faison’s associates were using his old haunt to bring his final project to fruition, and she said, all the more reason to conduct a search. The storm was the perfect opportunity. Spoon Island lost power during previous storms, and it was unlikely they’d want to stay. Everyone would most likely wait it out on the mainland. He told her, good work.

Jason went to Sonny’s, and Sonny said Ava had been there and he’d planted useful seeds against Sidwell. He told her to stay away from Sidwell and no doubt she went straight to Sidwell and told him. Jason asked if it was worth the risk, and Sonny said they had the advantage because Sidwell was distracted. According to Laura, Sidwell had his eye on another shiny object – Lucy Coe was in the mix. Jason said, if Ava and Lucy were fighting, Sidwell… Sonny said there was no better distraction, and Jason asked if Sidwell had made any more demands. Sonny said, no, but sooner or later, he’d want more. If it was only him that was being blackmailed, he’d take Sidwell out, but Laura was in a corner. Had Jason said anything to Britt about Sidwell? Jason said, she was too busy ending things. It was the same thing that it had always been – Carly.

Brick said he’d seen Carly chatting with Sidwell. Was everything okay? She said, nothing she couldn’t handle or she would tell him, and he asked why she was talking to him. She said her brother was seeing Sidwell’s son Marco. They’d moved in together at Windymere, and she was concerned her brother would get hurt, and not just romantically.

Ava met Sidwell at the MetroCourt and apologized for being late. She was having a chat with Sonny. Sidwell said he assumed that today Sonny was a lot, and Ava said, indeed he was, and it was all his fault.

Marco said his father had leverage over Sonny and was using it to achieve his own goals, and Cullum said, hence the sale of the piers. Marco said his father underestimated Sonny. Sonny had stayed on top for so long for a reason. Give Sonny more rope and you were giving him more to hang you with. Cullum asked if this had nothing to do with Marco’s mother’s death, but Marco said, there was no profit in that. Sonny was a threat to their business. He’d had a stranglehold on Port Charles for decades and wasn’t going to retire so they could do as they pleased. He was using their complacency to plot retaliation and his father thought he was untouchable, even to Sonny. With what they had riding on this project, did it make sense for it to be across the harbor from the man who could shut it down? His father thought he had Sonny in line, but blackmail wasn’t enough to neutralize him. Cullum prized efficiency, and it would be an efficient move to take Sonny out of the equation for good.

Jack said they weren’t doing a search during a polar vortex, but Josslyn said they had a narrow time period with the snowstorm and no Pascal for the next 48 hours. He said he had no team in place, and she said he had her, but he said, absolutely not. His decision was final. She said he wouldn’t risk his girlfriend’s daughter? when his phone chimed. He said Cullum was on his way, and she said, so he wanted her to do nothing? He said she was to await further instructions. Stay the hell away from Cullum and off Spoon Island.

Curtis asked if Brick saying he went way back with Michael meant… and Jordan said, he had an association with Sonny? He did. Brick had an extensive background in intelligence. If it was digital, he did it. She’d worked with him a few times and he was a good man to know. Curtis asked if she’d been to the hospital to see Drew, but she said, no. Had he? He said, no, and she said, when she heard Drew had a stroke, she was stunned. She hoped he didn’t hate her, but she felt sorry for Drew. He said he couldn’t hate her and understood, and she said she knew how much Drew had changed. He said he wasn’t sure how he felt about what happened. He’d come dangerously close to taking Drew’s life, but as it turned out, there was no need to bother.

Sidwell said he was sorry he was the cause of Ava’s difficulty, and she said Sidwell should watch his back. Sonny was not a fan. Sidwell said he owed her an apology for Sonny taking his frustrations with him out on her. She said if it wasn’t him, it would be something else, and he said he thought he was special. She told him that she didn’t say he wasn’t. Sonny was Avery’s father and he thought hit gave him a say in her life. Sonny didn’t like her associating with him. Sidwell said he hoped their friendship could continue, but if she needed to step back for Avery’s sake… She said, and give Sonny the satisfaction? Fat chance.

Meeting Jack at the piers, Cullum said, these were the piers that Sidwell went to the trouble of getting ownership of, and Jack said he’d thought Cullum was looking for Anna and leaving Sidwell to him. Josslyn listened in secretly, and Cullum said he didn’t answer to Jack. Jack answered to him. Jack asked what he wanted to know, and Cullum said he wanted to know what Sidwell was doing in Port Charles and how Sonny figured in.  

Jason told Sonny about what happened with Britt at Bobbie’s. She kept telling him to stay away from her and stormed out. He didn’t think it was on Carly. Sonny said Carly could be possessive with Jason and it was only a matter of time before she and Britt clashed, but Jason said Carly told him that Britt picked a fight out of nowhere. She felt like it was forced or staged and he knew it had been for his benefit.

Marco called Britt and said she needed to get to Windymere, but she said she had patients. He said, Cullum just left. Did she want him to know that she was a problem? She said she was on her way.

Lucas said, for what it was worth (🍷), he didn’t think a restraining order was necessary, and Britt said she had to leave early. Could he check in on Mrs. Driver? Her mother had car trouble, and she needed to pick up supplies before the storm. He said he was on it. Was she okay? She said she’d be fine. Sometimes you could tell where things were headed and it wasn’t always in a good place. As Brad’s ex, he knew that sometimes you had to call it quits before anyone got hurt. And by anyone, she meant herself. Lucas said, no matter how much you cared or loved someone, sometimes they were better left in the past, and she said, Jason was a hard guy to turn down. She had to hold her chin high, eyes forward, and be grateful for what she had.

Carly told Brick that she’d said a lot of bad, judgmental things, and Lucas dug in his heels. Brick said Lucas was a grown man capable of making his own decisions, and she said Sidwell was at Windymere and he was dangerous. He asked how that circled back to her chatting with Sidwell, and she said Sidwell owed her a favor. Brick asked if she wanted him to help break up Lucas and Marco, but she said, no. Sidwell wasn’t an ally and wouldn’t do anything that wasn’t in his self-interest.

Ava said, as fun as it was to stick it to Sonny, she also valued Sidwell as a client, and he said, a client? She said, of course (🍷). It was gratifying to work with someone who had great taste, but she wouldn’t be offended if he didn’t want to work exclusively with the Jerome Gallery. He said, life is too short to work with someone less than excellent. She was charming, shrewd, and beautiful. She’d undoubtedly heard the unfortunate rumors about him, yet she was still here. He was glad she didn’t scare easily. She said she never had and never would.

Josslyn continued to eavesdrop, and Cullum told Jack that Sidwell had managed to buy the piers from the man who controlled the eastern seaboard. He wanted to know what role Corinthos was playing in Sidwell’s operation. Jack said, there was nothing but bad blood between Sonny and Sidwell. Sonny blamed Sidwell for the fire in his daughter’s place of business. Cullum asked if there had been anything since, but Jack said nothing on his radar. The pier purchase seemed legitimate. Sonny didn’t know anything about Sidwell’s operation. Cullum asked if there was any chance that Jack’s involvement with Sonny’s ex was coloring his judgement, but Jack said the only reason he was seeing Carly was to get information. That’s how he knew Sonny wasn’t involved with Sidwell. Cullum said, good. Keep an eye on the situation.

Curtis told Jordan that when he heard Drew had a stroke, he realized he should put his anger toward Drew behind him and move on. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t relieved. He wanted to focus on his family now. She asked if there was any word from Portia, and he said they were in a holding pattern. He couldn’t pressure Portia to take a paternity test. She said she’d take it when she was ready and now all he could do was wait.

Ava said there were rumors about her too, but Sidwell said he didn’t care what others thought. He formed his own opinions. He was truly sorry about her difficulties with Sonny. She said, Carly would tell Sonny that she’d seen them together, and he suggested they repair to Windymere. She said she thought that was a fabulous idea and it would give Sonny something to really be angry about.

Jason said, since finding her at the Five Poppies, every time Britt got close to confiding in him, she pushed him away. He thought it was a fake fight to end things, so he went to GH to talk to her, and she responded as though he was a threat. Sonny said she was spooked, and Jason said they knew she was working with Dalton and had access to the lab, then Sidwell killed Dalton. Sonny suggested maybe Sidwell killed Dalton to keep Britt in line, and Jason said it was possible Sidwell or whoever he was working with was coercing Britt to finish what Dalton started.

At Windymere, Britt said she got there as fast as she could. What did Marco want? He said he lab was ready and she needed to get to work, and she told him, lead the way.

Lucas told the desk nurse that he was done for the day and had somewhere he needed to be.

Carly told Brick that she felt like she couldn’t be truthful with the people she loved and could feel the distance, and he said he was always there for her. If she needed anything, just say the word. She said now that she knew what she needed to do, she intended to follow through, and it had nothing to do with Sidwell. Jack joined them and he and Brick shook hands. Brick said he couldn’t be here without seeing Carly, and Jack said he knew the feeling. Could he buy Brick a drink? Brick said he had to go, and Carly thanked him for the talk. He left and Jack asked if he should be jealous. Carly said, absolutely.

Brick answered his phone and said it wasn’t the call he was expecting. To what did he owe the pleasure?

Cutis told Jordan that he got where Portia was coming from and respected her decision, but he wanted the test now since she could be carrying his child. She said, of course (🍷). Either way it would have a profound effect on his future… their future.

Carly said she and Brick flirting was what they did, and Jack said he was glad to hear he didn’t have to fight for her affection. Carly flashed back to Britt talking to Jack about smuggling out information for him, and Jack asked what she was thinking. She said she was happy to be the one uncomplicated part of his life, and he said she was very complicated, in the best possible way.

Ava said, as much as she liked the idea of Carly running to Sonny about her and Sidwell leaving together, was he sure he wanted the unnecessary friction? He said, one thing she should know about him. He had a proven record of handling Sonny Corinthos.

Sonny said that explained why Britt was pushing Jason away. Sidwell didn’t want to be near Jason or him. Jason said she wanted to keep him out of danger, and Sonny said that meant she didn’t hate him. Jason said she was scared. Whatever she’d been threatened with, she took to heart. They needed to figure out what she was working on, so he’d put her under surveillance. Sonny said, be careful. If Jason had eyes on Britt, Sidwell could have eyes on him.

Britt said, Marco called that ready? She could process data, but needed more safety precautions. Marco said it was a state-of-the-art lab, but she said they were doing something that had never been done anywhere. It was the bare minimum, and they couldn’t take chances with cold fusion. He said she was stalling, and she asked why she’d want to stall. She wanted him and his father off her back. She wanted to finish her work. She wanted this over. Lucas walked in and said, clue him in. She wanted what over with what?

Josslyn arrived back at the apartment, when there was a knock at the door. She said, Brick got there fast. She appreciated him coming. He said she was the daughter of the loveliest woman on the planet. Of course (🍷) he’d be there for anything she needed at all.

Tuesday:

Gio and Emma went to see Tracy, who said she’d been reviewing a list of Gio’s great-great-grandfather’s possessions. There was something she wanted Gio to have.

Brick said he was never too busy to help Carly’s daughter, and Josslyn asked how the power could be cut to all of Spoon Island.

Jack said Brick was a smooth operator, but Carly said no one could steal her away except those two, as she gestured toward Lulu and Charlotte. She went over to say hi, and Jack made a call. He told someone that he needed them to come to the MetroCourt now.

Sonny asked if Jason was going to have Britt followed, and Jason said he was pretty sure she was working on Faison’s final project. She was being made to push him away. Britt was in a dangerous situation and in over her head.

Lucas asked why Britt was there, and Britt said Sidwell had wanted to hire her as a concierge doctor, but she didn’t have her medical license. Now that it had been reinstated, she accepted the offer. The land of the living was expensive. Lucas asked what she meant by she wanted it over with, and she said his boyfriend was under the weather and she wanted to get started with the examination. Lucas said she’d told him that she was picking up supplies for her mom. Why would she lie about that? Britt said, doctor/patient confidentiality, and Lucas said Marco was dating a doctor and he called Britt? In what world did that make any sense?

Anna wrote on the wall that Anna Devane was held captive there, taken on 10-31-2025, when over the loudspeaker, Faison said he was so sorry he’d kept her waiting. It wouldn’t be long until they were finally together. Anna said, enough games. Show yourself to me now.

Jason said Britt had been under Sidwell’s thumb since the Five Poppies, and Sonny asked if she’d told him that. Jason said, in her own way. They were providing medicine that helped her Huntington’s Disease and using it as leverage. They were working on something big and the last thing they wanted was him asking questions. He needed to get her out from under their control. Sonny said, Jason knew Britt’s history. Was it possible she was exactly where she wanted to be?

Marco said he didn’t want to take advantage of his relationship with Lucas, but Lucas said he didn’t mind. Britt said considering she’d come all this way, she did expect to be paid, when Sidwell came in with Ava. He said he didn’t realize Marco had a guest, and Marco said he’d been feeling run down. Because Sidwell had hired Britt as a concierge doctor, he’d asked for a house call. Ava asked why they needed a concierge doctor when her brilliant nephew lived there, and Britt said they could talk about that later. Let’s get a move on.

Brick choked on his drink and asked why Josslyn was looking to cut the power on Spoon Island. She said it was for a school project, and he asked if it was in domestic terrorism, but she said she was an environmental science major. They were studying how vulnerable infrastructure related to natural disasters and it was a possible case study. He said, so it was theoretical? and she said, totally. Spoon Island was on the public grid, and a major storm was coming. She was looking at how the power could be cut to prevent infrastructure damage. He said they had their own router, so that would have to be shut down to take out the power. It was a security risk and not easily accessible without security clearance. She thanked him and said he’d been helpful.

Carly asked if Lulu could come to Bobbie’s for lunch soon so they could catch up, and Lulu said it would be great. Lulu’s phone rang and she stepped away, and Charlotte asked how her dad was doing. Carly said he was doing good. He told her that Charlotte came to the house to see him again, which was crazy risky. Charlotte said he’d made that clear, but it was hard knowing he was close by and she couldn’t see him. Carly said she wished there was something she could do to make the situation easier, and Charlotte said there was. Maybe Carly could come up with a reason for her to visit and sneak her upstairs to see her dad.

Nina told Jack, make it quick, and he said Charlotte was there with her mother. Find an excuse to get her alone and pump her for information about her dad.

Tracy said her father had been presumed dead for two years in the early 90s, but he’d been living it up in the Bahamas. Emma’s grandmother was there on her honeymoon and convinced him to come home. He’d always looked back on his time in the Bahamas with great fondness, and one of his most prized possessions was a painting by a local artist. The piece was lovely and featured street musicians. She thought Gio would like to have it. Gio said he could put it up in his room at Grandpa Sonny’s, but Tracy said she didn’t think so. Her father would roll over in his grave if he thought the painting made it to Sonny’s. She’d hold onto it until he had his own place. Gio said he was honored, and Emma asked if they could see it. Tracy said it would be there later tonight. It was at Drew’s.

Carly said she’d love to help out Charlotte, but even if they had a good cover story, it wasn’t a good idea. People could get suspicious. Charlotte asked if Carly would tell her dad that she loved him, and Carly said, yes, of course (🍷). He loved her too. Charlotte said she wished he’d let her help him. He’d said Mr. Sidwell was a threat. Carly said he was. Steer clear of him if she wanted to help keep her dad safe.

Jack said he had faith in Nina’s ability to get Charlotte to confide in her, and Nina flashed back to talking to Charlotte saying her dad had been in touch with her. She told Jack that she’d tried to get information, but Charlotte hadn’t seen her father. He said, that was back in December. Maybe she’d heard from him since then or maybe she was lying. Try again. She said it was a waste of time, and he reminded her that he’d made the evidence against Willow disappear and could make it magically reappear again. She said, go ahead. Double jeopardy prevented Willow from being prosecuted again. He said, in a court of law, but not in the court of public opinion. When people saw Willow, they’d know she should have been found guilty, and it would destroy her life. It might also give her ex the ammo he needed to keep her children away from her for good.  

Jason said Britt was being forced to work for Sidwell, and Sonny asked if he was sure Britt wasn’t acting. He’d caught her working in a lab in Croatia. Maybe she didn’t want him turning her in. Jason said Britt was capable of manipulating him, but he didn’t think that was it. She truly seemed scared. Sonny said, say right now Britt had been roped into a dangerous situation. She had a strong instinct for self-preservation and put herself first. If if something took a turn, she could end up betraying him.

Ava asked if there was something wrong, and Lucas said, no… Sort of. Britt wasn’t his favorite person and her hanging around his boyfriend was disconcerting. Something was a little off, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Sidwell came back and said he’d run into Lucas’s sister Carly. She missed him terribly. Lucas asked if she’d badmouthed Marco or him moving there, and Sidwell said she’d expressed concern, but he assured her that Lucas was happy and gave her an open invite to visit. Marco hated the fact that he’d come between Lucas and his sister. Lucas said it wasn’t Marco’s fault, but Sidwell said Marco still felt responsible. He’d do what he could to help the relationship between Lucas and his sister, but hoped he wasn’t overstepping. Lucas said he appreciated the gesture, but he didn’t think Sidwell had any idea of the amount of crazy he’d invited into his home.  

Faison told Anna, a little patience. His recovery was almost complete and soon they’d be reunited. Anna said, when? and Faison said he didn’t want to ruin the surprise. Anna said she was sick of his surprises, and he said it was so rare for him to deceive her. He had the feeling she was the first person to believe he was behind the Five Poppies operation, not to mention his involvement with the resurrection of his children. She said, Britt, Nathan… and Peter. Was he behind that? Did Peter even visit her yesterday? He asked what she thought, and she cried, saying, everybody said she was crazy to think he was alive, but it turned out she was right. She should have trusted her instincts. He said it was more than her instincts. It was her heart’s desire. She said that couldn’t be further from the truth. She despised him. His cruel sadistic nature was a curse on her life. He asked why she didn’t kill him when she’d had plenty of opportunities, and she said she didn’t know. She guessed she was showing mercy. It was a big mistake. He said she wouldn’t admit it to herself, but the truth was obvious. She’d never escape him because they were soulmates.

Tracy said the painting was one of the many heirlooms Drew stole from them, but thankfully, they’d be returned soon, and Gio said he’d heard Drew had a stroke. Did he agree to give the stuff back before he collapsed? Tracy said, of course (🍷) not, but he took them without permission, so she decided to take them back without permission. Emma asked if she’d need a passport and/or bail money, and Tracy said, no, but she always had them on her. Drew was in the hospital, Scout was with Alexis, and Willow was with her mother. It was the perfect time to send the movers. Gio asked how they were getting in, and Tracy said, the key. Her phone rang and she said it was the movers. She answered and said, wait. What?

Lulu said Dante had pulled Charlotte’s police escort for emergency dispatch, and Charlotte asked if they could check on Butterscotch. The snow freaked him out and she wanted to make sure he was okay. Lulu said she was sure he was fine. The trainers would take good care of him. Charlotte said they were new people, but Lulu said there was no time. The conditions were terrible and they needed to get home. They’d take their food to go. Charlotte said she needed to use the restroom, and left. Carly said Charlotte was a Spencer. God help Lulu.

Jack told Nina that he did his part. He helped Willow dodge a murder conviction and Nina was to help bring a dangerous fugitive to justice. Get Charlotte to tell her what she knew. Nina said it would be too difficult to get her away from her mother, and Jack said, make it so and report back to him. Around the corner, Charlotte listened.

Josslyn arrived at Spoon Island’s power grid and took a device out of her backpack.

Lucas asked what the prognosis was, and Britt said Marco was perfectly healthy. She prescribed more sleep and Lucas could get him a CPAP machine. Marco said he’d overreacted, and Britt said it looked like her work was done, but Sidwell said, not so fast. He thought it best if she stayed.

Jason told Sonny that Britt had a pattern of doing what was best for herself, but she’d put her life on the line more than once for him. If she was in trouble, he’d do what he could to help out. Sonny said he was all for taking Sidwell down, but Sidwell could have tabs on Jason right now. He thought counting on Britt to do the right thing was a mistake. There was a knock at the door, and Sonny opened it to Brick. He asked what brought Brick to Port Charles, and Brick said he had a meeting in the area and got some news that he needed to give Sonny. He was glad Jason was there too. He’d been working hard to find out who made the attempts on Sonny’s life. Sonny said he thought the trail was cold, but Brick said an interesting lead had recently developed.

On the phone, Tracy said, no. It had to be tonight… If they didn’t, she’d sue for breach of contract… Hello? Gio said he took it they’d cancelled, and Tracy said, they were scared off by the storm. Emma said Tracy could get the stuff tomorrow, but Tracy said it had to be immediately. Gio said it was the only window of opportunity, and Tracy said she’d pack them up herself, but Gio said she couldn’t do that.

Brick said he didn’t have all the details, but had a strong suspicion that the person behind the assassination attempt was inside the WSB. A source tracked a payment that led to the device that had bombed Sonny’s apartment, as well as the assassin who hired the assassin in LA, to a WSB slush fund. He was still working on it and not that Sonny would, but he couldn’t trust anybody in the Bureau – no one. Sonny said he never had. Was the person who tried to kill him Jack Brennan?

Jack asked Carly, how was Lulu? and Carly said, dealing with a stubborn teenager. Her phone dinged, and she said, please be Jason. He wasn’t happy that she’d gotten into it with Britt. Britt broke things off with him and he blamed her. She wasn’t happy Britt used her, but she was thrilled Jason was no longer with that woman. She didn’t like Britt and thought he deserved better. Who’d want to be in a relationship with someone who lied to their face about who they were and what they wanted?

Nina told Lulu, now that the trial was over, she’d been thinking about Charlotte. She knew Charlotte was worried sick about her father being on the run. If it was okay with Lulu, she’d love to bring Charlotte to Rice Modern to get her mind off things. Lulu said they’d run it by Charlotte when she got back from the ladies room, and wondered what was taking her so long.

Britt asked why she should stay, and Sidwell said the ride over was extremely rough because of the storm and now it had started snowing. He suggested she stay and ride it out with them. Britt said she wasn’t in the mood for socializing, and he said she was welcome to hole up in one of the guest rooms. Lucas said he was sure she had time if she left right away, and Britt said, for once, they agreed. Sidwell said then he insisted on accompanying her to the docks. When they got outside, Sidwell said her time would be better spent starting her work in the lab, and she said she was going to, but the set-up provided inadequate protective measures, which was what she was trying to tell his son before Lucas came home. He said, fine. He’d speak with Marco and make the necessary changes. But after that, she had to come through for them, or her death would be the least of the concerns she’d endure.

Anna told Faison that they couldn’t be soulmates. They both knew he didn’t have a soul. He said it was just the two of them. Stop fighting her true feelings. She didn’t have to keep pretending. She asked who he thought she was, and he said she wasn’t a woman who was satisfied with an ordinary mundane existence. She’d thrived on living on the edges until that guy Scorpio domesticated her. Here, she was finally set free from her shackles. She said holding her against her will wasn’t freedom, and he asked if she hadn’t figured it out by now. Surrender is freedom. The lights began to flicker.

Tracy said it was the best opportunity to get back what was theirs, and Gio said he thought she had a court order. She said, with Drew’s stroke, who knew how long it would be? As Drew told her, possession was nine-tenths of the law. If she pulled this off, he couldn’t claim ownership. He was a monster. He’d walked away while her son was having a heart attack. Gio said Brook told him. That’s why he was trying to stop her. She couldn’t do this alone in a blizzard, so he was going to help her. Emma said, so was she.

Brick said he didn’t think it was Brennan, and Jason asked, why not? Sonny said Jack had shown up in LA afterward, but Brick said he thought Brennan was too smart to be so obvious. He’d put the whole incident to bed, so Brick didn’t have to answer questions after he shot the hit woman. Jason said, if Jack had ordered the assassin, it would make sense he’d want to clean up his own mess to avoid scrutiny, and Brick said he hadn’t ruled it out as a possibility, but his intel didn’t point to Jack. He still needed more information to make sure. He had to leave since he wanted to be in the air before the storm got worse. He left, and Jason asked what Sonny thought about Brick’s theory. Sonny said he could be onto something. The attacks on him were very sophisticated. Both could have ties to the WSB. Jason asked if he thought it was Brennan, and Sonny said, Brennan could be the decoy, but Brennan was capable of coming after him. That meant he’d been deceiving Carly all this time. Jason said he was sure Jack didn’t have a problem keeping secrets from Carly.

Carly said she should close the kitchen early and get home, and Jack asked if she wanted to wait out the storm in his room. She said she’d love to, but she had Donna and needed to relieve the babysitter. He said he understood, but it had been a while since they spent time alone.

Lulu asked if Charlotte had come out, but Nina said, no. Lulu said she wasn’t in the ladies room and wasn’t answering her cell. She went over to Carly and said she needed help. She couldn’t find Charlotte and she was worried because Charlotte didn’t have an escort. What if Valentin took her?  

Ava said she should get going, but Sidwell said she just got there. She said she could get stuck, but he said they had plenty of spare rooms. She said she was aware. She’d lived there. Lucas said they could watch Bachelor in Paradise, and Marco said he’d get a fire going and they could make s’mores. Sidwell asked when Ava would ever get an offer like that again, and she said, okay. It would be fun. Avery was with her father, and it beat being home alone. 😱

Josslyn set up the device.

Ava said she forgot how cozy Windymere could be. It was the perfect place to shelter in a storm.

Josslyn hit the button.

The lights went out, and Ava said, or not.

Josslyn smiled.

Tracy said she appreciated the offer of help, and Gio said he wanted to do it for her and the family. Tracy said that made her more convinced that Gio deserved the painting, and Emma suggested they all change, since none of them were dressed to carry boxes in the snow. Gio said they’d meet at Drew’s.

On the phone, Carly asked if they were sure it was her… Okay. She told Lulu, the doorman saw Charlotte exit the lobby 20 minutes ago. He said she was alone. Lulu wondered why Charlotte left without telling her, and Jack asked what they’d discussed before she left. Lulu said Charlotte wanted to check on her horse and she’d said no. She bet Charlotte went to the stables.

Jason said he needed to find Britt, and Sonny said it wasn’t safe in the storm. Jason said he’d take his chance. She knew more about Sidwell than she was saying, and he was going to help take Sidwell down. Don’t worry. He was going in with his eyes wide open. He left.

Josslyn looked through her binoculars at a dark Windymere.

Sidwell said it looked like the whole island lost power, and Marco said it was a good thing they had a generator, but Sidwell said it was hardly strong enough to supply some of the rooms. They should head to the mainland to ride out the storm. Ava asked if he thought the launch was safe, and he said it wasn’t coming down too hard. The pilot said if they went straightaway, they’d be safe. Lucas said they’d do the TV marathon at Ava’s place, and she said she’d stocked up on wine. Lucas said, let’s do it, and left with Ava. Marco said, what about their other guest? Was it wise to leave her by herself? Sidwell said, don’t worry. She won’t be alone.

Anna asked, what’s happening with the lights? when the door unlocked. She said, Cesar? and Faison walked in (we only saw him from the back). She said, no!

Wednesday:

Trina was on the phone with Kai when there was a knock at the door. It was Porsha who said, enough was enough. She wouldn’t let Trina ignore her any longer.

Nathan met Lulu at the hospital, and she asked him to help track Charlotte down.

Carly told Valentin that if Charlotte wasn’t there yet, she would be soon.

Charlotte went to see Danny and said her mom thought she was checking on Butterscotch and she wanted to keep it that way.

Josslyn snuck around Windymere.

Emma told Gio that this wasn’t going to work.

Tracy slipped into Drew’s house and saw a fire burning in the fireplace. Martin came out and asked if she wasn’t overdressed for breaking and entering.

Carly told Valentin that Charlotte had snuck away. The doorman said she was headed toward the bus stop and the security footage showed no one following her. Lulu thought Charlotte was checking on her horse, but Charlotte had asked if she could see Valentin again, and Carly told her it was a bad idea. She thought Charlotte had to be coming there.

Charlotte told Danny that she needed to see her dad and the snow was the perfect cover. There was something she needed to tell him. Her dad had put his trust in a backstabbing traitor.

Lulu told Nathan that Charlotte was worried about her horse and was last spotted heading to a bus stop. Nathan said he’d give her a ride to the stables.

Portia said she’d driven through a storm, and Trina said she hadn’t asked her too, but she’d make Portia some tea. Portia asked if she could have it with a little less attitude.

Gio’s gloves were at Sonny’s, and Emma said he’d be sad to be missing fingers when he played the violin again. She worried that Tracy would be stuck retrieving the heirlooms by herself.

Tracy asked what Martin was doing there. Did Willow know he was there? He said, of course (🍷), and suggested they call her. Tracy said if he got in her way, she’d notify the Bar Association that he’d committed fraud by forging a will.

Josslyn looked for access to the catacombs, when she heard someone.

Emma said it was kind of important, and she and Gio kissed. He said the ski gloves she’d given him were an impediment, but she said Tracy was waiting.

Martin said, so much for the truce. Laura would be disappointed. Tracy said it was impossible, but he said she could do anything she put her mind to. She broke in. She said she had a key, and he wondered who would give her access. He asked if she’d taken advantage of Scout. What convinced Scout to give her a key, or did she decide to pickpocket a child?

Nathan told Lulu that the buses were still running. It was more than likely Charlotte got to the stables okay. Lulu said she couldn’t get through and wondered if the phone lines were down. Charlotte thought she could handle anything, but when she was overconfident, things got dangerous. Nathan said as soon as Rocco showed up, they’d get out of there. She’d helped him with James, so he was happy to return the favor.

Charlotte told Danny about Nina spying for Jack, so he’d help Willow. They’d stayed close and now Nina was working against her dad. She’d told Nina that she’d heard from her father. Danny asked if she told Nina where he was, but she said Nina told her not to. Maybe it was a set-up to manipulate her and she fell for it. Danny said Nina was protecting her daughter, but Charlotte said she, Nina, and Valentin had been a family. Her dad still trusted Nina and he needed to know she’d sold him out.

Valentin wondered what was taking so long, but Carly thought Charlotte was taking the long way and the roads were bad. He said he thought she’d be coming through the woods, and it was dark and snowing. He was going to find her. Carly said he couldn’t do that.

Josslyn hid and someone put candles in the living room. It was Cullum.

Portia asked Trina to sit with her, and Trina said Portia would just justify everything she’d done. Portia said she’d give Trina an explanation of her choices, but Trina said, no thanks. She was going to her room. Portia told Trina to say what she needed to say. Not speaking wasn’t acceptable. She was Trina’s mother and loved her. Trina said, then how could Portia cheat on her dad, get pregnant, and let him think the baby was his when she had no idea who the father was?

Martin asked if Tracy was expecting someone, and she said her associates would be there any minute. If he didn’t want her to report him, make himself scarce until her friends were gone. She was there to retrieve her belongings, starting with that decanter in his hand.

Lulu asked if Rocco had heard from Charlotte. She thought Charlotte went to the stables and she was worried. She and Nathan were going to look for her, but they were dropping him off at the Quartermaine’s and he could hang with Danny.

Cullum started a fire in the fireplace, and Josslyn remembered hearing him talking to Jack and saying that Jack answered to him.

Charlotte saw Lulu’s texts and told Danny that she hated making her mom worry, but she needed to talk to her dad. She’d thought she could count on Nina and talk to her. Danny asked if she told Nina that she knew where her dad was, and Charlotte said she’d hinted, but Nina told her not to say anything else. Danny asked if she thought Valentin had reached out to Nina, but she said she had no idea. Nina was one of the few people he trusted, and he needed to know she was working with Jack. She asked if she could borrow a coat and boots, and Danny said he was coming with her.

Josslyn acted like she’d just come in and called for Lucas. She went in the living room and said, thank God someone was here. She warmed herself by the fire, and Cullum asked, who was she and what was she doing here?

Portia told Trina that there were problems with the marriage from the start because Curtis seemed incapable of handling conflict between them. She’d kept Drew’s blackmail from him because she didn’t want to fight and hear how she’d messed things up. Things snowballed, the blackmail got worse, and Jordan had cozied up to Trina’s father. It was clear Curtis was more comfortable confiding in Jordan, who threw it in her face and Curtis did nothing. Trina said, Portia had cheated on her dad and was making it his fault, but Portia said she wasn’t. Jordan had been undermining their marriage. Trina said Portia thought that because she was a cheater. It was her M.O. First with Taggert, who she’d thought was her father, and now she’d cheated on Trina’s real dad. She hoped Dr. Gannon knew what he was in for.

Martin said Tracy couldn’t ransack the place, but she said she was just there for what was hers. Some of the things had been passed down for generations from her father and Monica. Drew had no business even having a Quartermaine toothbrush and she was there to right a wrong. Martin said she obviously knew she had no legal leg to stand on.

Carly suggested Valentin give Charlotte more time, and he said there was a snowstorm and it was dark. She said he didn’t know what route Charlotte was taking. What if she showed up and he was out in this mess? He said he needed to do something, and she said the hardest thing a parent had to do was wait.

Danny gave Charlotte a pair of gloves and said he knew how hard it was when someone let you down. He promised he’d never do that to her, and she said she knew. He said the storm was getting worse and people were being told to shelter in place. That meant her dad was safe, for now at least. Why didn’t they wait there until it died down?

Josslyn introduced herself to Cullum and said she was Lucas’s niece. She was headed to a nearby island when the wind picked up, so she came ashore. She’d expected Lucas to be home, but it looked deserted. Cullum said the power was out, and Josslyn flashed back to cutting it. He said the others were waiting the storm out on the mainland, and she asked, why not him? He said he was the caretaker, Matthew. He must have been outside battening down the hatches when she’d arrived. He was there to deal with any damage and to protect the property from intruders since the security system was out. She asked, who would want to break in during this weather? and he said, who indeed?

Portia told Trina that she’d been unfaithful and owned it, but it took two to create and maintain a relationship. Trina said Portia had lied to all of them for her entire life. Then when she got caught, it was sorry, then tears, then vowing she would never hurt them again. What about respecting her and being honest? Portia said that’s what she’d wanted to do, and Trina said, what she wanted and what she actually did were two different things. If they hadn’t heard about the affair when she was on the stand, she wouldn’t have told them and let them believe the baby was her dad’s, regardless of the truth, because she was a liar.

Emma and Gio came back, and Gio said the plows couldn’t keep up. Emma guessed they were sheltering in place – together.

Tracy said Drew paid the movers to steal her belongings, but Martin said it was Drew’s family too. She said Drew would never be a Quartermaine, and he said, Drew was in a hospital bed with little chance of recovery, and she was obsessed with her stuff. She had no compassion. Tracy said, if she didn’t, she would have left Drew on the floor to bleed out like what he did when her son had a heart attack.

Portia said she wouldn’t have lied about the baby the way she lied about Trina. She was going to take a paternity test. Trina said Portia had stalled and probably would have kept stalling if they hadn’t found out. She was still stalling. Portia said Trina was right. She didn’t want to lose Trina. She loved her and was proud to be her mom. She was sorry she’d lied, now and when Trina was younger. Back then, she’d just wanted to give Trina a family and knew Taggert would be an amazing father. As for Curtis, he found out she was married and wanted nothing to do with her. She was convinced that if she’d told him that she was pregnant, he would have stepped up, but her gut told her that he wouldn’t have wanted to have a child under those circumstances. Now they’d never know. Trina said, because of the choices Portia made, and Portia said, yeah. Trina and her father found it easy to judge, but she’d done her best. Maybe it’s not what Trina would have done, but she raised Trina and gave her a stable home and education. She hoped Trina wouldn’t make the same mistakes she did, but if that happened, she wouldn’t love Trina any less because she was Trina’s mother and always would be.

Valentin said, what if the situation was reversed and it was Josslyn out there? What would Carly do? Carly said, go out there, but she hoped someone would remind her that her daughter was capable and had a good head on her shoulders, like Charlotte. Charlotte had survival skills and could think on her feet. Doing nothing was torture, and when she saw Josslyn she wanted to scream that she knew Josslyn was in the WSB and she wasn’t fine with it. But like he told her in Steinmauer, if there was no direct action you could take to solve a problem, you had to endure facing that your kid was in danger. He said, when she listened to him, it was annoying.

Cullum brought Josslyn a blanket and she thanked him. She said she was sorry to impose and would get out as soon as the storm was over. He said he was surprised she’d taken a boat out, and she said she grew up on the water, but underestimated the speed of the storm. He asked where she was going, and she said, a friend from school was hosting a blizzard bash on Porter Island and had a generator. They thought it would be fun to party their way through the storm. She got stuck bringing the keg, while everyone else went early to set up. He said the kitchen was stocked and there was wood for the fire. They had nothing left to do but get to know each other. She asked how long he’d worked there, and he said Sidwell hired him when he bought the island, but he’d rather learn about her. He asked if she’d like some brandy, and she said, why not? He said it wasn’t every day he met someone who’d brave a blizzard for a party, and they drank the brandy.

Portia said she owed Trina an apology. In an effort to try and protect her, she’d treated Trina like a child and led her to believe everything was fine. She was sorry to disappoint Trina and wished she could take it back, but she couldn’t. The question was, could Trina love her anyway?

At the mansion, Rocco looked for Danny and saw Charlotte’s shoes by the fireplace.  

Valentin said he couldn’t sit back and wait for Charlotte to get there, and Carly said they’d do it together. She picked up a game of checkers, and he said he had the sneaking suspicion she’d cheat. She asked if he didn’t want to find out.

Josslyn said she was a senior at PCU, and Cullum said, she grew up sailing? She said she did. She’d lived in Port Charles her entire life. It wasn’t very exciting. What you see is what you get. He asked why he found that hard to believe.

Emma told Gio that nothing was going through on her phone. Tracy would think they bailed. Gio said he thought she’d understand why they didn’t make it, assuming she got there herself. He put a blanket around Emma, but she said she wasn’t thawed out yet. He said, then he’d have to warm her up, and kissed her.

Martin told Tracy, for the record, he didn’t condone what Drew did. He should have called an ambulance, but that didn’t change the fact that he was helpless. Tracy said Drew stole her stuff and she was taking it back, and he said, good luck with that. Was she loading it up on her broomstick? She wasn’t going anywhere tonight. The roads were impassible. She’d have to wait in her car. She asked if he was going to try and throw her out, but he said, no. She could stay if she asked nicely.

Nathan and Lulu went into a deserted Bad Jen Café, and Lulu said, they almost crashed. Did he think the owner would mind? Nathan said Jen wasn’t bad. He thought she’d be grateful that the restaurant offered them shelter. It looked like they were stuck for the night.

Thursday:

Molly and Cody came downstairs, and Molly said she had to check her email. He asked if she had regrets, but she said, none. He said he didn’t think she was going anywhere. They were snowed in.

Tracy put bourbon in Scout’s thermos for Martin, but he told her to give him back the decanter. She said it was a family heirloom, and he said, back into the storm with her.

Nathan got the heat going, and Lulu sent a text to Charlotte telling her to stay put at the stables. Nathan said he wasn’t sure how long they’d have power or a signal.

Charlotte and Danny went to the carriage house.

Valentin told Carly that he had to look for Charlotte.

Jason found Britt half-frozen and lost. (Where? They didn’t say.)

Tracy said she’d sue Martin for intentional infliction of harm, and he said no judge would entertain the notion since he was trapped in the house with her, but she said that was only because his sister didn’t want him trapped in her house. He asked how many times Monica sent her packing, and she said he didn’t know how they fought their battles or loved each other. He said she was nothing if not a world class pain in the ass who delighted in the misfortune of others and loved being the cause of the misfortune in first place. Tracy asked why he hated her. He’d lied, cheated, sued, and tried to swindle her home from her. What had she done to deserve that? He said she’d ruined his life.

Molly couldn’t find her phone and took out her laptop. Cody said, no one appreciated a snow day anymore, and looking at her email, she said, oh my God, no.

Charlotte said Danny was right. She never would have made it. Her phone chimed and she said she had a million texts from her mom. She texted Lulu that she was safe at the Quartermaine’s with Danny.

Lulu told Nathan that Charlotte was with Danny at the Quartermaine’s, but she was still grounded until the end of time. She’d put everyone looking for her in danger.

Carly said Valentin wouldn’t be safe, but he said Charlotte wasn’t safe. He couldn’t live with himself if she was out there freezing and he was safe and warm playing checkers. He was the only one who knew where to look for her. Carly gave him a flashlight, hand warmers, and a coat. She told him, good luck, and he thanked her and left.

Britt said Jason found her, and he said he’d always find her.

Cody asked, what happened? and Molly was evasive, but finally told him that she wrote a fiction book. He asked if it was a legal thriller, but she said, no. Did he remember when she’d asked him about trick roping? It was for her book.

Martin said Tracy destroyed his relationship with Lucy, and she laughed. He said, there it is, and she said it was no big loss. He said they’d had something meaningful, but she said Lucy’s only meaningful relationship had been with a duck named Sigmund. He said Lucy was the best thing that ever happened to him and for some reason, Tracy decided to undermine it, convincing him that she was cheating with Scotty. He confronted Lucy with no evidence and ended things based on her lies. When he tried to mend things… Tracy said he discovered Lucy rolling in the hay with Scotty. Why didn’t he thank her?

Nathan told Lulu that they weren’t going back out. His car was in a ditch, and the safest thing was for them to shelter in place. She said he could have been at the station helping people who really needed it, but he said if she’d gotten stuck by herself, he’d have been looking for her. Lulu decided to look for anything they could use as blankets, and said there were a million napkins, but nothing blankety. She thought the bottle of bourbon she found would keep them warm though. Did he ever play Two Truths and a Lie?

Danny wanted to make the best s’mores ever, and Charlotte said they’d made them at Lila’s Kids, but she didn’t get the hype. He asked if she’d tried them, but she said, no. They looked messy and too sweet. He said that was the whole point. Sometimes you had to embrace the mess and enjoy the sweeter things.

Britt told Jason that she was on the way back from Windymere. She’d rented her own boat since the launch was slow and the water got crazy choppy. With the wind and snow, she couldn’t see where she was going, then her boat started taking on water. She thought she was going to die – again. All she could think was that all this time her body had been trying to kill her and this was how she was going out. Then she heard… She guessed it was his boat. Where were they? Jason said it was an old harbormaster’s office near Spoon Island. The water was too rough to make it back to the mainland. He needed to get her warm and brought her closer to the fireplace. He put his arm around her and told her that she was okay.

Martin said if he hadn’t listened to Tracy, Lucy would have never ended up with Scotty, and Tracy said, she would have eventually. It’s what people like Lucy did and it was good he was rid of her. He said they had something real and she got in the way, but she said he’d never had anything real with any woman. She’d met all three of his ex-wives and he had a type. They were beautiful, exciting, and only out for themselves. He fell madly in lust and failed to see they all had the same agenda – to bleed him dry. He said he had a lot to offer besides the money, and she said, now he didn’t even have that. He said he’d still have a sizable nest egg if she hadn’t thrown him to that pack of she-wolves, and she said, everybody cheated and before you knew it, you were on the hook for alimony, but he said she didn’t know the first thing about love. How many times had she been divorced? She said, that’s how she knew, through trial and error – mostly error – before she recognized the true love of her life.

Cody asked if Molly wrote a Western romance, or was it some other genre that required a lariat? and she said it was subgenre, a Western/frontier romance. She’d written books when she was younger, but they were purely romance and she left that behind when she went to law school. This book was just for a creative outlet. He asked when he got his signed copy, but she said she’d written it for fun, not publication. She thought Kristina understood that, but she went behind Molly’s back and submitted it to her old literary agent.

Danny told Charlotte that he’d been kicked out of Lila’s Kids for going on a solo expedition and not telling anyone. Most of the time, he tried to be relatively safe, but sometimes he wanted to take a chance. Charlotte said she felt like she tried hard to be normal, but she could speak three languages, knew the best train to St. Petersburg, and where to get the best pizza in Naples. In the meantime, no one wanted to hear about the part of her that reminded them of who her dad was.

Valentin came back and Carly told him to get inside. He said he couldn’t find Charlotte, but she said Charlotte was safe. It was okay.

Martin said Tracy was talking about Luke Spencer and he was a scoundrel. She said he was. Every word of his reputation was true. He asked if she was convinced he wasn’t after her money, but she said, he was… at first. But later they both realized what they had was worth more than money and worth fighting for. He gave up and threw in the towel with Lucy. He said the love of Luke’s life was his sister Laura. Didn’t that bother her? She said, what Luke had with Laura had nothing to do with what he had with her. She was so grateful they found each other when they did, but they found it long after Luke and Laura divorced. Nothing about their relationship was easy or convenient. It was necessary that they had past loves, broken hearts, and children of their own, so they could see clearly and honestly. He asked if she was saying it was better to marry a con artist knowing they were a con artist, but she told him that she was saying he was never going have a lasting relationship until he could look at a woman and love her while seeing her for who she was, not who he wanted her to be.

Molly told Cody that Kristina read her book and liked it. Kristina hounded her to send it to her agent, but she’d made it clear she didn’t want to. She guessed Kristina found her agent’s information online and sent it anyway. Cody asked how she found out, and she said she got an email from her agent, who loved it. Her agent said it was major and wanted to give her a multi-book deal, but she wasn’t going to move this forward. He asked, why not? and she said she already had a job. Publication meant tours, publicly, and deadlines. It was a hobby and she wanted it to stay that way. He said he got where she was coming from, but it sounded like she was a great writer, and he couldn’t wait to read it. She said she couldn’t wait to get back to his cozy bed. She was freezing. He said he’d better warm her up and carried her upstairs.

Carly gave Valentin a drink and said it was the good stuff. She was billing him for it. He said he was running up quite a tab in this establishment. Did she speak to Charlotte? She said Lulu texted her that Charlotte was safe at the Quartermaine’s, and he said he thought she was going to die. Carly said, Charlotte had enough sense to stay in, unlike her father, and he said she was right. He couldn’t see an inch in front of his face. He didn’t even make it to the tree line. He knew he had to wait out the storm and give up the search, and he hated that. She asked how he thought Charlotte would feel if he’d died trying to find her, and he said Carly had boots and a coat on. Was she coming after him?

Nathan guessed that Lulu was lying about flying in a hot air balloon, but she said, no. Drink up. It was his turn, and he said that he was a switch hitter, hated chocolate, and knew the entire periodic table of elements by heart. She said, the last one, and he recited the table. She checked it on her tablet, and said, damn. How did a detective know the periodic table? He said his dad made him learn it as a kid and drilled it into him relentlessly every day, and she said she thought he’d told her that his dad never paid much attention to him.

Carly said she had to come after Valentin. He needed to know his daughter was safe. He said she told him it was suicide to go out, but she said she figured he wasn’t far. He asked, why risk her life? and she said she knew what it was like to lose a parent and lose a child, and if she’d been in his shoes, she wouldn’t wait another second to make sure er kid was safe.

Danny told Charlotte that whenever he took a risk, he could tell his aunts and grandma were scared that he was becoming more like his dad. They didn’t trust him to be responsible. Charlotte said it was his idea to shelter there, and he said it was one thing to be stupid and risk his life, but it was another to risk hers.

Lulu said Nathan had told Maxie that Nina was their father’s pride and joy, and because he was adopted, their father didn’t pay much attention to him. Nathan said he always had a good memory, but he was a miserable failure at math. His dad figured if he just threw him into physics and chemistry, he might be of some use, but it was clear he couldn’t do anything beyond memorization to follow in his father’s footsteps. So he lost interest. Lulu said his dad sound like an ass. And if he couldn’t see how wonderful and amazing Nathan was, he was an ass and an idiot.

After basking in the afterglow, Britt got out of bed and said, that was one way to cure hypothermia. Was Jason okay? He said he wanted to make sure she was okay, and she asked why he thought she wasn’t. He said she fought hard to push him away, and Britt said if he was worried she only did it because he saved her life, if that was the case, she would have just sent him a thank you card. He said she didn’t trust him – not yet, but he really wanted to help her. Please let him help. She said, if he was going to help her, he needed to know the truth. She’d been lying to him all this time.

Cody said he couldn’t leave Outback alone as he picked up the contents of Molly’s bag. He looked at her manuscript and said, Loredo Sunrise by Molly Lansing-Davis. He sat down to read.

Martin said it explained a lot about why Tracy was so Tracy. Once upon a time, she had a great love and lost him. Now she was taking out her pain on the rest of the world. Tracy laughed and said, save her the dime store psychiatry. He said he wasn’t trying to punish the world. Luke was gone and her father was gone. She said, what about him? and he said he was a mess, but after a decade of trial and error – mostly error – he was open to the possibility that someone was out there for him. She said he was an easy mark, and he said maybe she was right. Or maybe, between the pair of them, he was still brave enough to put his heart on the line.

Charlotte said Danny had chocolate on his face and wiped it off with her hand. He put his hand on hers and they kissed.

Carly said she’d thought Valentin was thoroughly reprehensible. He’d married Nina, so he had terrible taste in women, and he’d taken a daughter away from her mother. He was the representative of the evil Cassadines. He asked what changed her mind, and she said, the look on his face before he went out to find Charlotte or die trying. He wasn’t who she thought he was. He said she wasn’t exactly who he thought she was either.

Nathan said, nobody was perfect and definitely not him, and Lulu said he wasn’t perfect, but he was a good man. He said he tried, and she said he didn’t need to be modest. He came from money and didn’t have to work to support himself. He chose a career that put him in danger helping people. He said she made him sound like a Boy Scout, and she asked what was wrong with that. He helped her with Charlotte, and she didn’t know what she would have done without him. He put his hand on hers and said he appreciated that. (Wow. The snowstorm sure brought out the romance in everyone.)

Britt asked if it didn’t bother Jason that she’d been lying, and he said it bothered him that she’d been forced to, but she didn’t have to anymore. He was going to get her out of this. She could trust him. She said she knew and she did. The truth was, it went back to her father. They were forcing her to complete her father’s final project. If she didn’t, they’d let her die of Huntington’s. Everyone who had Huntington’s died, but they were going to let her die faster. He said she had to tell him who they were.

🫔 Friday’s Enchilada…

Nathan says, nobody’s perfect and definitely not him, and Lulu says she doesn’t remember saying that he was perfect, but he says, it seemed kind of implied, was it not? She said, oh. He’s not perfect, but he’s a good man. He’s always been. He says he tries, and she says he doesn’t need to be modest. He came from money and didn’t have to work to support himself and chose a career that put him in danger helping people. He says she makes him sound like a Boy Scout, and she asks, what’s wrong with that? He helped her with Charlotte, and she doesn’t know what she would have done without him. He puts his hand on hers and says he appreciates that. They kiss and then start making out.

Carly says, up until now, she’d thought Valentin was thoroughly reprehensible, and he says, up until now? He must be losing his touch. She says, he married Nina, so he has terrible taste in women, and he took a daughter away from her mother. And his reputation. He was just another evil Cassadine. He asks, what changed her mind? and she says, the look on his face before he went out to find Charlotte or die trying. He isn’t who she thought he was. He says, she isn’t exactly who he thought she was either, and she says he can sleep in the guest room. He asks if it isn’t safer in the attic, and she says, it’s just the two of them. He says, what if someone shows up? and she says, who? The roads are closed. They’re officially snowed in. But if he wants to sleep in the attic… He says, no, no, no. The guest room will be a welcome change. He thanks her, and she says she’ll let him get some rest. He asks, what’s the hurry?  

Danny and Charlotte kiss, when they hear someone coming. They break apart as Rocco walks in. He says, good. He found them here. What’s going on?

Cody is reading Molly’s manuscript when she comes downstairs. She says, lonely girlfriend in search of missing boyfriend. What’s taking him so long? He says he picked up some reading material, showing her the manuscript. It’s a real page turner.

Portia walks to Trina’s kitchen in the dark and yells, ouch! Trina comes out and asks, what happened? Is it the baby? Portia says, no. She stubbed her toe. Why does it hurt so bad? She hobbles to the couch and Trina asks what she was doing. Portia says she was getting a drink of water. She was thirsty. Trina says, and she didn’t turn on the light because… Portia says she didn’t want to disturb Trina. She did a great job. Trina asks if she’d like an ice pack, and Portia says, yeah. Trina looks for it and says, Josslyn must have forgotten to put it back when she last used it. Portia says, that’s okay. She’ll just open a window and dangle her foot out. Trina half-smiles and says she’d love to see that.

Britt says, Jason saved her life tonight. He deserves the truth. She’s really scared. He says, of what? and she says, of what they’ll do if they find out she told him. When she says these guys are powerful… He asks if she’s talking about Sidwell, and she says, he’s one of them, but he’s not the most dangerous.

Cullum says, Josslyn thought she’d be at a party tonight, but instead she’s playing chess with a stranger, and she says, not a bad way to pass the time until the storm is over. Nice try distracting her. He says she’s not the person she pretends to be.

Lulu pushes away from Nathan and says, we can’t.

Molly says, that’s private. When Cody asked if he could read it, she didn’t say yes. He says, she didn’t say no. She got him upstairs as quick as she could and distracted him with sex. She says she didn’t hear him complaining, and he says, she probably never will. She asks how much he read, and he says, enough to know she’s not mad at him for supposedly violating her privacy. She’s mad because now he knows what she really thinks of him.

Portia says, sorry, and Trina says, for what? Portia says, for interrupting Trina’s regularly scheduled distain for her. Trina says, if Portia thinks she likes being mad, that’s not really the right word, and Portia says, disappointed? Trina says, more like worn out and tired. On that note… Portia asks where she’s going, and Trina says, to bed. Portia says, they were just getting somewhere. Please talk to her. Trina says, if Portia wants to know how she’s feeling, she honestly doesn’t think she can ever forgive her for what she did to dad and their family.

Jason asks, who’s working with Sidwell? and Britt says, his name is Ross Cullum. He showed up in Port Charles around the time of their date and demanded she end things with Jason or he would. Jason says, that’s why she picked the fight with Carly, and Britt says she knew him before. He was the first person she saw when she woke up at the Five Poppies. He’s the only reason she’s alive. He and Sidwell needed her to complete her father’s final project. He says, Sidwell is his partner or what? and she says, worse. He asks, what’s worse than them working together? and she says, Cullum works for the WSB.

Josslyn tells Cullum, she’ll bite. Who is she pretending to be? He says, a ditzy college girl, but ditzy college girls don’t beat him at chess. She asks, who says? Society? He asks if she disagrees, and she says she thinks blonde college girls who frequent frat parties get a bad rap, but she got his queen, didn’t she? He says, she certainly did, and she says, it’s not a big deal. Her dad taught her to play when she was younger. He called it a rite of passage. He asks what else would surprise him about her, and she says she’s an environmental science major and used to be pre-med. He says, she’s an interesting girl. He wonders what other secrets she’s keeping.

Valentin thanks Carly, and she tells him not to get crazy. It’s just one night in the guest room. He says he thanks her for understanding about Charlotte. Lulu is her cousin and she’s had to overcome a lot of hostility to put him up. She says, and put up with him, and he says he appreciates it. She says, let’s be clear. She’s not excusing anything he’s done. He says, nor should she, and she says she’s able to separate Valentin the man from Valentin the father. He says he wants to be better for Charlotte, and she says she knows he does. He says, if all goes as planned, her daughter will be safe and he’ll be back with his, and she says she thinks they deserve that. He says, they do. He has to ask. Does it really bother her that this ends with Jack Brennan in his old cell at Steinmauer? The doorbell rings, and Carly says, oh my God. Valentin tells her, the roads are closed, she says. We’re snowed in, she says. Carly tells him, both are true, and he says, and yet, the doorbell.

We see Jack standing outside Carly’s house.

Jason says, so Britt is positive Cullum is with the WSB, and she says, more than positive. That’s how Sidwell stays ahead of the Bureau. He has someone on the inside. Not only that, Cullum met twice with Rocco under the pretense of questioning him about breaking into Dalton’s lab. Jason says, he just wants her to know he can get to Rocco, and she says, when she went off on him, he straight up told her that he’d sentence Rocco to Steinmauer if she didn’t cooperate. Jason says he gets it, and she says, it would kill her if anything happened to that kid… or to him, and he says, that’s why she’s been so distant. She says she didn’t know what else to do except push everyone away, and he cups her cheek with his hand.

Cody says, the main character is based him, but Molly says, not entirely. Cody says, he works in a stable, and his name is Casey, and she says, it was a placeholder name. He says, what about the rest of it? and reads, Casey was six feet of gorgeous stupidity. A monument of wasted potential. Golden Retriever energy would be an insult to the species. Books were decorations to him. Thoughts were a burden. (I would have hit gorgeous and focused on that.) Molly says, it’s not him, and he says, it sound nothing like him – Casey the stable boy. Really? She says, first, Kristina sends it to her publisher without her permission, and now he reads it without her permission. Nobody was supposed to read it. He says, maybe Kristina shouldn’t have done what she did, but it doesn’t change what Molly wrote. He can’t unread what he read. She says, then read it in the spirit it was intended, and he says, as a joke. Just laugh it off and move on.

Charlotte asks what Rocco means by what’s going on, and Rocco says he recognized her scarf and coat at the main house. He thought they’d be here. She says she needed to talk to her father, and Danny says they snuck out to see him. Charlotte says, the snow took a bad turn, and Danny says, they didn’t even make it to the main house and crashed here. Charlotte says she still needs to talk to her father, and Rocco says, Danny knows her dad is staying at Carly’s? She says, Danny helped her to see him a few weeks ago, and Rocco asks why they didn’t tell him.  

Carly tells Valentin, it’s Jack. Get upstairs. He runs up the stairs, and Carly tells herself, okay. She opens the door and tells Jack, come in. He says he was starting to think she wasn’t home, and she says, sorry. She dozed off. She can’t believe he came all the way out in this. How are the roads? He says, snowy and slick, even after the plows. He wanted to make sure she and Donna were okay. She says, Donna’s at Sonny’s, and he says he thought she left early to pick Donna up. She says she’s an idiot. She got there and had messed the dates up. He says he was hoping to be chivalrous and take care of both of them, but she says, it’s just her. He sees two glasses full of champagne on the table and says, yet she’s drinking for two.

Valentin settles back into the attic.

Lulu tells Nathan, it’s not like this is a shock. Between the excitement of the storm, getting stranded, and the alcohol, obviously, they’re not thinking clearly. That’s all. He says, because she’s Maxie’s friend. Maybe that’s all for her, but it’s a lot more than that for him. He’s wanted to kiss her for a long time. She says, don’t do this, and he says, she helped him adapt to his new life. She guided him through being a father. The days he saw her were lighter and less empty. Maybe the storm gave him the courage to do it, but he didn’t kiss her because of the booze or the storm. He kissed her because he wanted to. She says, oh, and he says, oh? She’s got to give him something, say something. She says, like Maxie would kill her if Maxie knew she had feelings for him too.

Portia says, Trina is absolutely right to never forgive her, and Trina says, but Portia thinks she should. Portia says she thinks Trina is old enough to understand that adults have complicated relationships and sometimes marriages don’t work out. Trina says, sometimes they don’t work out twice, and Portia says, that’s right. Trina is about to be an older sister. Does she remember? That’s all she used to want. Trina says, things are a little different now. Portia was married to Taggert, and she thought he was her father. And they were still speaking. Portia says, they’re speaking now, and Trina says, barely. She can’t stand it. Portia says, what? and Trina says, the baby is coming into the world the same way she did – surrounded by lies.

Molly says she’s really sorry Cody is upset, but they wouldn’t be having this conversation if he hadn’t invaded her privacy. He says he only wanted to read her manuscript because he’s blown away by her and proud. He wanted to celebrate her accomplishment with her. He thinks the world of her, and thinks apparently it’s the opposite of how she sees him. Molly says, parts of Casey are inspired by him, but Casey is a fictional character, not him. Not even close. He says, it seems to be to him, and she says she wrote it a long time ago when things were not so good between them. Does he remember when they were stuck on the roof of GH and when he was rude to her after he was arrested at Charlie’s when she was trying to be nice? That’s where they were at then. If he reads a couple more chapters, he’ll see how much Casey changes. He falls in love with Maddie and Maddie starts to see him differently.  They both grow and evolve. He says, really touching, and she says, it’s like Pride and Prejudice. Mr. Darcey starts off super cold and arrogant. Then he and Elizabeth fall in love. Cody says, even if that’s not how she sees him now, she did before. What’s he supposed to do with that? She says, realize that’s how life works. People and their opinions change over time. He asks how her readers could even support that Maddie would ever fall for… He looks through the manuscript and says, that big stupid ox, and she says, he’s focusing on the negative things. Casey has positive qualities too. He’s good with kids and Maddie’s family. He’s handsome and strong and nobody makes Maddie laugh like he does. He says, exactly. Casey is a joke and apparently, so is he.

Nathan asks if Lulu feels the same, and she says she feels something, but it doesn’t matter because of Maxie. If Maxie were here, none of this would have happened. He says he gets that, but she’s not here and it did happen. It happened because the feelings are real. They can’t ignore that. She says she can’t ignore Maxie either. Maxie is her best friend. He says he knows that, and she says she just kissed her best friend’s husband. He says, she kissed the man Maxie married seven years ago. It was brutal to come back and see she’d moved on with her life, but she had. She made a family with James, Georgie, Bailey Lou, and Spinelli. Lulu says, only because Nathan was gone, not because she stopped loving him, and he says he loves Maxie too. He will forever, but he’d never want her to mourn him forever. Lulu says, of course (🍷) not, and he says, part of him wonders if she would want him to move on with his life too, because the life he had is a memory. He’s grateful to have it, but he can’t live in a memory. She says she believes that and knows, but just the thought of Maxie waking up and realizing what happened here. It would crush her if she found out about this ever.

Carly tells Jack that Jason was going to come by, but she turned on the news and saw how the roads were. So she texted him not to risk it. She would have told Jack the same thing. He says he’s glad he didn’t tell her his plans. He trained in Moscow and this is nothing. She hands him a glass, and he says, here’s to a cozy evening. They clink glasses, and he asks if they have the place to themselves. She says, they do, and they kiss.

Jason says he knows Britt would do anything to protect Rocco. So just tell him how the whole thing started with her working for Sidwell and Cullum. She says, everything that happened before she left was real. She fought Heather Webber to protect Josslyn, and she thought she was dying in her mother’s arms, but then she woke up and found herself in a gorgeous resort. He said, the Five Poppies, and she says, when she came to, Cullum was there and he laid it out for her. They’d faked her death to spare her mother the pain of watching her deteriorate and had a medication that arrested Huntington’s. He says, so they were going to bankroll the medication and put her up in paradise in exchange for what? She says she would research cold fusion and complete her father’s final project.

Cullum asks Josslyn to excuse him. He needs to check the other rooms for storm damage. She says she’s just grateful to be here, and he leaves. She looks around and picks up his coat. She rifles through the pockets and finds a cigarillo tin. She takes a book out of another pocket, and sees it’s The Crystalline Conspiracy by PK Sinclair. She reads, for my muse – C., and looks through it. She says, Daphne, looks at the cover again, and says, Anna?

Molly says she’s kind of surprised Cody is taking it so hard, and he says he doesn’t get it. He cares about her. Her opinions matter to him. These are the worst things he thinks about himself, and now, not only does he know she thinks them, she put them out there for other people to read. It hurts. She says she’s sorry. She really, really is. He has to believe her. The character changes. He says he knows, but she said he’d looked that way in her eyes. He always knew people viewed him as a clown, but until this, he didn’t know she was one of them. She says, that’s not how she views him. She understands why it goes so deep for him. It goes deep for her too. She hadn’t written anything in years. But after she lost the baby and ended things with TJ, things were so bad with her and Kristina, writing was her only escape. It was like a gift. He says he’s glad she had it, and she says she was too, at the time. It’s totally ruined now. She’ll never look at her novel and think that’s how she got through a terrible time, that her agent loved it and thought it should be published. She’ll not only think about how hurt it him, but how it hurt her just as much.

Jack’s phone rings, and he says his phone has the worst timing. Carly says, work? and he says, what else? He’ll be right back. He steps away to take the call.

Charlotte says they weren’t trying to exclude Rocco, but lying about stuff to their mom didn’t eat away at her the way it did him. Rocco says he hates it, and Charlotte says she’d already asked him not to say she’d seen her dad. Danny says, if they’d told him that they were going to visit Valentin, not only would he be keeping a secret from Lulu, he’d be lying to her. Charlotte says she loves him, but he’s a terrible liar, and Rocco says, not true. Charlotte says, he sucks at it. That’s a good quality and she didn’t want to put him in that position. Rocco says he’s fine with it, and Danny asks if he’s sure. Rocco says, they’ll figure this out – the three of them.

Carly paces and looks like she has a headache.

Britt tells Jason that doing what Sidwell and Cullum wanted seemed to be a better deal than slowly dying of Huntington’s, so she agreed. To hear them tell it, she’d be to helping benefit humanity. Jason says, with cold fusion? and she says, by the time she realized their goals were not so altruistic, it was too late to walk away. He asks if they threatened her, and she says, eventually she started slow walking the research, and they slowed the flow of her medicine. She can’t tell him how much it helps. Her symptoms are virtually undetectable when she takes it. He says, she can’t get this medication anywhere else? and she says her father developed it for himself. He was too far gone when it was ready. When she tried it, it was still experimental. He says, and so far it’s working, and she nods. She says she had a price and they paid it, and he says, when he offered to help with recreating the formula, she said no. She says, because it was too risky. Sidwell murdered Henry Dalton.  

Josslyn looks through the book, reading some it.

Lulu says they’d hurt the people they care about, and Nathan says, not just Maxie. Lulu says, Dante, and Nathan says, Dante is his best friend, like Maxie is hers. Lulu sits down and says, she and Dante settled into the status quo. They get along fine and co-parent well. Nathan says, after she woke up? and she says she was definitely confused as to where her heart was. He says, confusion is the name of the game, and she says, once everything settled, it became clearer. Too much time had passed. She and Dante had grown apart. Even so, if anything ever happened between them… She knows it would hurt the people they love, including their kids. She did enjoy the kiss though. He says, it was a good kiss. She’s probably right. It’s probably better for everybody if they just let it go. She says, at least they both know the truth of what it was, and he says he’s glad they could at least say it out loud. She says her too.

Danny says, Rocco’s got to believe they weren’t trying to shut him out, and Rocco says he gets it. He’s not a great liar. From now on, they tell each other everything, okay? Danny says, okay, and Rocco wonders if they should head to the main house, but Danny says he thinks they’ve got everything they need here. He’s got the stuff for s’mores. Charlotte says she tried one. They’re not that bad. Rocco says he told her. Give him a marshmallow. They all sit down on the couch.  

Molly says if she thought Cody was a colossal joke, why be with him? Maybe she was bored or being with someone was easier than not? He says, every time she looks at him, he’ll wonder if she’s looking at Casey or him, and she says, right now, she’s looking at Casey. He read her manuscript. That’s the sort of thing Casey would do. She has to get out. He says, she can’t. They’re snowed in. She can take the bed. He’ll sleep with the horses. She says, no. She won’t let him do that. They’ll share the bed. He says he doesn’t think he can be near her right now, and heads for the stalls.

Portia says, Trina can hate the way this baby came to be all she wants to, but no matter who the father is, the baby will still be Trina’s little brother or sister. Trina says she knows that. It’s exactly what she didn’t want for them to go through. What she did. To learn the truth about everything, to digest, to forgive Portia. And she really rushed to forgiveness the first time. It’s what she thought everyone needed, but really, she was still in a lot of pain from being lied to her entire life. Portia says she gets it, and Trina says she knows she loves Portia, but she doesn’t understand her and her choices. How is she supposed to have a relationship with her when she’s always waiting for the next lie to come out. The trust is gone. Portia says it’s something they have to work on, and Trina says, if they can. Portia says, they can try. It would kill her if Trina let her feelings for her affect the way she was to her little brother or sister. But she knows Trina won’t. It’s not in Trina to blame an innocent child for her mistake. And she knows, deep down, Trina knows that too.  

Cullum comes back, and Josslyn says she got cold again, so she grabbed his jacket. She hopes that’s okay. Cullum says, of course (🍷), and Josslyn says, when she did, these fell out, giving him the tin. Sorry. He says, it’s fine, and Josslyn shows him the book and says, any good? He says, one of my favorites, and she says, it’s so crazy. The woman on the cover looks exactly like their old Police Commissioner, Anna Devane. He says he’s never heard of her, but what a coincidence, and she asks if he minds if she reads it. It will give her something to do. He says, be my guest, and she thanks him.

Jason asks if Britt knows for a fact that Sidwell killed Dalton, and she says he did it right in front of her, so yes, she knows for a fact. He says, okay. He’s got to get her away from these guys. They’re using her medicine against her. They’ve got to find a different source. Just get him a vial and he’ll have it reverse engineered. She says, it’s not a simple process. There’s no guess work. It takes time. He says, okay, but he can do it. He can replicate the medicine. He can keep her, Rocco, and her mom safe, all of them. He’s going to get her out of this no matter what it takes. He takes her hand and says he can’t do it without her. If she agrees tonight, she can’t change her mind tomorrow. He needs to know they’re together in this. She says, sounds great in theory, but actually pulling it off… He says, this whole thing was built around her. They need her to help create it and now she can be the one to end it.

Carly looks in a mirror and says, you can do this, Carly. Jack comes back and says his phone is officially off for the night. Is everything okay? She says, everything is perfect, and they kiss.

Britt says, okay, and Jason says, yeah? She says, yeah. They’ll do it his way, but when they leave tomorrow, they can’t see each other. If he passes her at Bobbie’s or the hospital, he can’t say hello. Cullum made it clear she was not to be near him, and Cullum won’t think twice about killing him. Does he understand her? He’s not messing around. Jason nods and says he understands. She says, good, and he says, well, if tonight is all they have… They kiss.

There’s a song part while we look in on what everyone is doing. Jack and Carly get busy on the sofa. Valentin lies on the attic floor, looking out the window at the snow. Charlotte, Danny, and Rocco make s’mores, and Charlotte smiles at Danny. Lulu and Nathan open the door and look at the snow, and Nathan gazes longingly at Lulu. Cody hunkers down near the horses, and Molly sits on the staircase. Portia goes back to bed, and Trina cries in the living room. Josslyn reads by the fireplace, and Cullum taps a cigarillo on the tin as he looks at her.

On Monday, Willow tells someone that she needs them more than ever; Lucas tells Marco that maybe it’s time they got their own apartment; Sonny says, Ric is a good lawyer, and he has another chance to prove it; and Jason says, walking out of this place is the first step to setting Britt free.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

Rut-roh. Maxie’s waking up.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospital-lulu-and-nathan-kiss-alexa-havins-dishes-the-drama-as-here-comes-maxie-excl/

I figured Jack was lying to Cullum.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/is-general-hospitals-jack-playing-carly-chris-mckenna-defends-his-characters-big-lie-to-cullum/

I’m not loving it. When I first saw it, I thought it was a factory.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospitals-new-wyndemere-exterior-has-fans-asking-where-are-the-parapets/

I watch Beyond the Gates on Paramount+ during the weekend if I can. This should be interesting, but I wish it was a GH crossover.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/6-young-and-restless-stars-poised-for-massive-crossover-to-beyond-the-gates-in-june/

💉 A Dose Of Reality…

Below Deck Mediterranean

Thank God it was the finale. I really had enough of Eyebrows Joe’s boatmance tour and Max’s inability to take direction from his boss. Kizzy came back to the boat after dealing with her broken toe, and it was disgusting how she and Eyebrows carried on within eyesight and earshot of V. What a couple of skanky humans. They deserve each other. Kudos to Nathan, who said if Eyebrows didn’t knock it off, he’d knock him off. On the upside, Leah came for a visit with Captain Sandy, and it was refreshing to see a mature relationship happening. Nathan also got back together with Gael, and the result was the first Below Deck baby.

Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City

Another sigh of relief as this was the Reunion Part 3, and the final chapter in this season. The topic of Meredith’s plane tirade lingered, but Bronwyn came to the forefront with her announcement that she and Todd were separated. IMO, it was inevitable. It was tenuously kumbaya at the end, but it’s doubtful that will last long.

Vanderpump Rules

Maybe I’m outgrowing this show or something, but it seems very middle school. The OG cast wasn’t the most mature bunch, but compared to this group, they had it together and knew where they were headed. The award for Working My Last Nerve goes to Angelica, who I liked for the first five minutes, but what’s wrong with her? Unlike Natalie, who simply has weird misdirected anger, Angelica’s naïveté is beyond belief. The dude she lusts over is actually being honest in saying that he’s an f-boy, but she still has visions of being married to him in her head. No. Just no. Venus, who is a close second in the nerve working department, especially when he tosses his hair like a circus pony, was actually fun to watch this week as he was getting his groove back.  

Southern Charm

Rodrigo wondered if Shep and Craig were really friends, and in his interview, he said they lived in a grey area. Austen visited his parents, and told his mom that he was coming to that fork with Audrey. In other words, he needed to sh*t or get off the pot. Salley decided she hated the chickens and wanted them out of her life, while Craig and Charley went to the oyster farm, ate oysters, and talked vaguely about the future. Whitney hosted an impromptu birthday dinner for Austen at a restaurant, where he asked about Craig’s date with Charley and asked if they copulated. Who says that??? There was amazing food and the biggest pepper mill I’ve ever seen. No surprise, it degenerated into an argument between Craig and Austen. The best thing in the entire episode was finding out that Molly’s cat was named Robert Downey Jr. Jr.

Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills

Erika thought Amanda was performative, which I’m sure is a euphemism for tedious pain in the ass who talks about herself too much. In Rachel’s interview, she said Amanda wanted everyone to see and hear her, and told Erika that Amanda felt very airline attendant from the 60s. Boz, her friend Summer, Kyle, and Dorit had a lunch, which Mauricio crashed, coincidentally being in the area. In Kyle’s interview, she said the town was too small for both of them, and when Dorit threatened to text Mauricio whenever she pleased, we flashed back to memes and jokes. Rachel’s divorce went viral, much to her distress, but what did she think was going to happen? Nothing against her – I like her – but come on. Mauricio and Kyle (why are they even bothering to separate?) went to Amanda’s aka Kyle and Mauricio’s old house, and there were several flashbacks of memories there. Kyle was wistful over simpler times, and I identified. At a joint birthday party for Erika and Dorit, it looked like a conflict was brewing between Dorit and Amanda, but it was to be continued.

The Valley: Persian Style

In Golnesa’s interview, she talked about her anger and how she got (more of) a handle on it after she’d tried to attack Reza. We flashed back to that Shahs moment, and she said she went to two different programs after that. No longer wanting to deal with Dennis, she had Adam and Bamshad kick him to the curb, or at least out of the Palm Springs party. Sky had been very vocal about not liking the Valley, and Reza said it was like she thought she was a member of the Persian royal family. Sky insisted she didn’t act superior, but the dinner ended with her saying to Golnesa… or Reza… or both… or maybe everyone, I will drop you like the napkins that I clean my nose with. You are a POS. You are beneath me. Alrighty then.

Random Reality Items

I’m thinking I might enjoy this one. Anything is better than the last season of Below Deck Med, and no one throws a tantrum like Chef Ben.

Ho-hum. She needs some new material.

Too bad. I actually thought she was fun to watch, especially in her Skipper Barbie outfits. And the rehash of the naked wasted business wasn’t her fault. It was everyone else trying to put in their theories.

I always wonder, why bother getting married then?

👀 Last Weekend’s Watch…

The Beauty. Hulu, Disney+. Amusing, way gory, with a sense of humor and a great cast, this series is part detective thriller, part body horror. An injection of The Beauty can make you into a 20 out of 10, but at what price? Not only is it a bitch physically to transform, have sex with someone and you pass it along to them. That sounds like a great way to make everyone beautiful, but the downside is, you will then explode. Or be hunted down and killed. Eleven episodes in all, five are ready and waiting, the others to be doled out in the next months. Oh yeah, I enjoyed it, especially the crazy guest appearances.

https://www.tvinsider.com/1220071/the-beauty-fx-cast-premiere-date-details/

https://mashable.com/article/the-beauty-review-ryan-murphy

https://people.com/the-beauty-release-schedule-11887680

She gives the quote of the year: Beauty is the answer to nothing.

https://people.com/isabella-rossellini-discusses-the-irony-of-aging-in-front-of-the-camera-11894200

I also finished 11.22.63, on Netflix. I talked about this last week, but after seeing the rest of it, I can’t say enough good things. James Franco shines as a man who time travels to prevent the assassination of John. F. Kennedy and finds out that if you f*** with history, history will f*** with you. I loved everything about it, including the subtle nods to King’s other work, and thought the ending was superb. A surprise appearance by Constance Towers (Helena Cassadine, General Hospital) was the cherry on the sundae for me.

https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/11-22-63-release-date-news

I also watched more of Hollywood Demons, also on Netflix, but you can find it elsewhere. The title is self-explanatory, and the series covers Tinseltown scandals from the Real Housewives to the Power Rangers.

https://nypost.com/2025/03/24/entertainment/how-to-watch-hollywood-demons-docu-series-for-free/

🔮 Watch Of the Future…

On February 3^rd, the second season of Fallout will conclude. Hopefully, it won’t take years for the next one.

https://ew.com/fallout-season-2-finale-cover-story-exclusive-11893674

When one door closes, another opens. On March 10^th, the new season of One Piece arrives. Took long enough.

https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/one-piece-season-renewed

Not in the immediate future, but coming someday. I loved the first one, so I’m in.

https://extratv.com/2026/01/23/jason-momoa-gives-update-on-filming-minecraft-sequel-very-pumped-exclusive/

🎶 They Perform the Songs…

I’m so psyched about Lady Gaga’s new effort, I might even watch this.

https://ew.com/everyone-performing-at-the-2026-grammys-sabrina-carpenter-justin-bieber-lady-gaga-11893841

Nice lineup.

https://ew.com/everyone-performing-at-the-2026-super-bowl-bad-bunny-charlie-puth-brandi-carlile-coco-jones-and-more-11887671

🏆 Throwing Wicked a Bone…

Hair and Makeup? Could they spar it?

https://ew.com/2026-bafta-awards-nominations-11893217

🐾 Accomplishments In the Animal World…

🐈 God knows he’s probably smarter than… I’m not even going to say it.

https://people.com/cat-who-survived-coyote-attack-graduates-from-quarantine-11896184

🛁 This sounds like my kind of contest. And I love a capybara.

https://people.com/capybara-wins-japan-hot-bath-competition-11896407

🐩 Here’s hoping another Golden poops in the ring. A poodle would be even better.

https://people.com/how-to-watch-2026-westminster-dog-show-best-in-show-11894854

🍵 Quotes of the Week

Change is made of choices, and choices are made of character. – Amanda Gorman

Nothing succeeds like success. Get a little success, and then just get a little more. – Maya Angelou (Alrighty then.)

When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a manner that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice. – Indian Proverb

Talent is nothing without persistence. – Dean Crawford

If there is no struggle, there is no progress. – Frederick Douglass

A good education is not so much one which prepares a man to succeed in the world, as one which enables him to sustain a failure. – Bernard Iddings Bell

If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. – Maya Angelou

Life is about making an impact, not making an income. – Kevin Kruse

Learn what is to be taken seriously and laugh at the rest. – Herman Hesse

You can roll manure in powdered sugar, but it still ain’t a jelly donut. – Berta (Conchata Ferrell), Two and a Half Men

🌲 The Pine Stays Green…

Until next week, stay safe; stay dressing appropriately for this miserable cold weather (unless you’re one of the lucky ones); and stay sometimes embracing the mess and enjoying the sweeter things.