I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Diane sees Robert in the hotel lobby, and says, what a surprise. What brings him to the MetroCourt this evening?
Victor paces, and says, it’s been too many years and he’s come too far. No, no, no. He will not be denied again. Eileen eyeballs the flashdrive on the floor as her phone rings. She tells Victor, the DA’s office, and answers, saying, she’s in the middle of a meeting. She already told them, she needs more time before she can come back to the office. Anna says, time’s up. Get out now. Eileen looks at the flashdrive again, and says she can’t. Valentin asks, what’s going on? and Anna says, she’s going to blow up the whole operation. She asks if Victor isn’t letting Eileen leave, but Eileen says, no. They can wait for her. Anna says, whatever it is Eileen is thinking, don’t, and Eileen says she can’t really talk right now, but don’t worry. When she gets there, they’ll have all the answers they need, and they won’t have to meet again. Anna says, oh my God, she hung up, and Valentin asks if Anna thinks Victor is on to her, but Anna says she doesn’t know. She calls again.
Eileen tells Victor that she’s sorry for the interruption. It won’t happen again; she’s putting her phone on silent. Victor says, she might as well leave. She’s done her part. She looks again at the flashdrive, and says she doesn’t want to leave him unhappy. She comes closer to him and adjusts his tie, asking if she can’t do something to make him feel better. There’s a knock at the door, and a man tells Victor that he has the information Victor is waiting for. He lets the man in, and says, not here; follow me. They go into the bedroom, and Eileen picks up the flashdrive.
At the safehouse, Lucy messes with her phone, telling Maxie to pick up her texts. Enter, enter, enter, enter. Answer her. Felicia comes in, and asks how Lucy is tonight. Lucy says, she’s good… that is if Felicia’s daughter would answer her texts. Felicia says, Maxie is diligent about responding to text messages, unless of course (🍷) she’s in a meeting and can’t. Lucy says, unless of course (🍷) Maxie’s choosing not to answer her, and Felicia says, there’s that. She asks Anna and Valentin, what’s going on? and Anna says, Eileen delivered the counterfeit necklace to Victor, but now she’s not picking up her phone. Felicia wonders if Victor is on to her, and Valentin says, it’s impossible to say, but they’re afraid Eileen might have gone rogue, and Anna says, putting herself, them, and the whole operation in jeopardy.
Cameron walks into Charlie’s with Esme and Ace, and Spencer says, what the hell? He knows this is Cameron’s party… Laura says, yes, it’s his party. He’s the man of the hour. She hugs him, and he says he knows his guests are unexpected. Laura says, welcome, and Esme says, for the record, this wasn’t her idea. Cameron invited her. Elizabeth says, this is her son’s going away party, and he can invite anyone he wants. It’s nice to see her outside of Spring Ridge. Esme says she doesn’t respond well to being locked up… as Elizabeth knows.
On the phone, Maxie says, the Nurses Ball is officially sold out, but they’ve been so generous to the hospital, she’ll see what she can do about squeezing in a party of four. She sighs.
Bobbie tells Brook that her list of performers is fantastic. She’s totally outdone herself. What a great lineup. Sasha says, Brook did a fantastic job recruiting people, and Brook says, now on to the hard part; what order do they perform in? Bobbie says, everyone knows it’s for a great cause, and she thinks they’ll just put their egos aside (she expects a lot), and accept whatever order they come up with. Maxie comes in and wonders how people can hear something is sold out and still expect to get tickets. She has to add another table. Sasha asks, where? They have to stick with the fire code. Maxie says she’s sure she’ll figure something out. Her phone rings, and Lucy asks why Maxie is ignoring her texts. And what is she hiding? What is Maxie doing to her show? Maxie says, hello… again. Let her get someplace more private. Maxie leaves, and Brook says, show order. Let’s start with the easy calls. GH doctors and nurses will start, but then what? The nurses will be a good emotional beginning, but the next act has to grab the audience’s attention; it has to be exciting. It has to have sex appeal. What act sends the message that you are in for the night of your life, and you don’t want to miss a single minute? Chase walks in.
In a back hallway, Maxie says, this is not what they agreed to. Texts only; no more phone calls. Lucy says she’s sorry. She’s not trying to micromanage Maxie. Maxie doesn’t know what it’s like to be stuck inside this safehouse while the Nurses Ball, her baby, is going on without her. Maxie says she hears that, but she can either talk to Lucy or get the Nurses Ball going. She can’t do both. Lucy says, that’s where Maxie is wrong. She has an idea.
Chase tells Bobbie that he’s here for his rehearsal, but she says, Felix is doing rehearsals, right next door. Felix comes in, and asks if Chase brought a copy of the song lyrics for the director. Chase says he did, and gives Felix the copy. Felix asks where Blaze is, and Chase says he’s sorry. She texted and said she couldn’t make it tonight. Felix says, this is her final rehearsal. She can’t just wing it on the big night. Chase says, he’ll go over it with her, and make sure she knows it. Blaze is a total pro. It will go off without a hitch. Felix says, from your lips…
Sasha says, whatever is going on with Brook and Chase, he’s clearly not indifferent to her. Don’t give up hope. Brook says, there’s no hope. Chase made that very clear to her yesterday.
Robert asks what brings Diane to the hotel, and she says she just finished a painfully boring dinner with an out of town client. What about him? He says he’s due to meet a contact for a drink, but he’s starting to think he’s been stood up, and she says she doesn’t believe that for a second.
Cameron tells Esme not to make him regret bringing her. Don’t talk to his mom like that. Elizabeth says, it’s okay. She was just speaking her truth. She’s sorry for everything. Cameron says, his mom just apologized. He feels like Esme should acknowledge that if she meant what she said earlier about being a better person. Esme says she’s sorry, and she does appreciate Elizabeth’s apology, but she really thinks she should go. It’s obvious no one wants her here. Cameron says, because of her past. She has to try and show people that she’s a changed person. There’s a life here. She’s just got to try. Elizabeth takes Esme’s diaper bag, and says she’ll help Esme get settled in. They walk to a table, and Laura asks, what happened? Cameron says he might have walked into her apartment, and might have caught Esme trying to walk through the front door, and Laura says she’s guessing Esme wasn’t just going for a walk. Cameron says, she actually tried to convince him otherwise, but after some grilling, she admitted she was trying to leave town with Ace. He eventually talked her down, but didn’t want to chance leaving her alone, so he brought them here. Laura thanks him, and pissing-me-off-by-the-moment Spencer says he’s going to have a quick chat with Esme about trying to take off with his little brother. Laura says, not now. Not here. Scotty comes in and says he can’t believe Cameron is headed to Stanford. The town won’t be the same. He sees Elizabeth fussing over Ace, who bounces on Esme’s knee, and says, what the hell is Esme doing here?
Josslyn asks, what happened to Jake and Aiden? and Trina says, Cameron told her that the family is going to have special goodbye breakfast for him on the day he leaves. Josslyn says she didn’t know. It’s so weird to see Esme with a baby. They need to get that poor kid away from her as soon as possible. Memory or no memory, she’s still bad news.
Anna says, she called Eileen’s cell, Eileen picked up, but refused to leave Victor’s room, and Felicia asks if Anna thinks Eileen double-crossed them. Anna says she doesn’t know; she doesn’t think so. Eileen told her that she’d be able to get them all the answers they need. Oh my God. Do they know what she’s doing? She’s going after the decryption key. Felicia says, that’s good, because they already have the real Ice Princess necklace, complete with the correct code. If Eileen can get the decryption key, they don’t have to follow Victor. They’ll be one step ahead. Valentin says, people who think they’re one step ahead of Victor Cassadine tend to get stabbed in the back.
Eileen puts the flashdrive in her pocket, when Victor comes back out. He says he thought they weren’t going to be interrupted again, and Eileen says she didn’t know how long they were going to take, and her real job is very demanding. Victor says, she works for him, and that’s the only job that’s important. Remember? Her very life depends on it. She says she’s well-aware, but she does have a meeting she has to go to with the Zoning Board. She picks up her coat, and he says, she’ll leave when he says she leaves. She’s not leaving yet.
Elizabeth checks her phone, and wonders why Epiphany isn’t calling her back.
Spencer says he knew his grandmother shouldn’t have left Esme alone, and Cameron says, he can’t watch her every second. Spencer says he can sure as hell try, and Cameron says he has a better idea. Since Esme is like a blank slate, can they at least try to co-exist with her? Spencer says, Cameron wants him to be nicer? After everything she’s done? Cameron tells him, he didn’t say that, but they can at least try to tone down the overt hostility.
Brook says she really screwed things up with Chase, and Sasha says, tell her what happened. Brook flashes back to Chase saying, if she was really trying to do the right thing, why didn’t she tell him? He’ll tell her why. She knew he’d be angry, and she knew what she did was wrong. But she was right about one thing; she’s not the person he thought she was. Brook tells Sasha, she blew it, and there’s no going back. Maxie comes back along with Bobbie, and asks Brook, what’s wrong? Brook says, nothing. Let’s go over the show order.
Lucy listens in, and Bobbie says she thinks they should just start at the end and work backwards. Lucy scoffs, saying, Bobbie would say something like that. That is ridiculous. Maxie, don’t listen to her. Maxie hears Lucy in her earpiece, and Bobbie asks if Maxie is going to be the one to announce how much money they made and say goodnight. Maxie says she thinks it should be someone from GH, and Sasha says, it won’t be the same without Lucy. They miss her. Maxie says, it’s funny. She feels like Lucy is right here in the room with them. Lucy says, I miss you too, Sasha, so much. You are a good egg. Sasha says, since Lucy isn’t here to be the Mistress of Ceremonies, there’s only one possible choice. It has to be Bobbie. Lucy yells, no! and Maxie can’t get her earpiece out fast enough.
Diane asks, who would stand up Robert Scorpio? but he says, it’s a business meeting, not a date. She says she still finds it criminal that two people such as themselves are working at this hour, but he says, she’s Killer Miller; she’s never off the clock. She laughs, and tells him, she’d never say never, but she’d be glad to put it all aside if she got the right offer. His phone rings, and he sees it’s a call from Anna. He asks Diane to excuse him. It’s his business contact. She tells him, have a good night, and leaves. He asks, what’s up? and Anna says, Eileen is still in there with Victor. He has to go in and get her out. He says he’s on it. Diane sees him at the elevator, and he says he thought she was leaving. She says she was, but Alexis called; she’s working later. She wanted Diane to meet her for dessert upstairs. She’ll ride up with him.
Victor says he still doesn’t have the information his brother Mikkos engraved onto the Ice Princess, and Eileen says she brought him the necklace. The decryption key failed him, not her. He said so himself. He says, regardless, he needs more time. He needs her to return the necklace to the PCPD secure locker room, so no one will know it went missing. His people need to work on the decryption key, and find out what went wrong. She takes the box, and says she’s only sorry he couldn’t crack the code. She was truly hoping this would all be finished today. He promises she’ll be done with this very soon. There’s just one more thing he needs her to do for him.
Lucy hears Bobbie say she’s not so sure she should be the one to close the Nurses Ball. What about Elizabeth… or Felix… or Deanna? Lucy says, Bobbie finally said something right. It definitely should not be you. Sasha says, true, they’re all nurses, but this is the 60th anniversary. Bobbie’s been at the hospital the longest, and she’s co-chair of the Nurses Ball. Lucy says, Sasha doesn’t need to be quite so literal. She wasn’t even a Candy Striper, and she represented GH just fine. Anybody but Bobbie. Why Bobbie? Not Bobbie Spencer, okay? The Ball needs to end with bang, not a whimper. Maxie yells, stop it! and Bobbie asks if she’s all right. Lucy says, sorry, she’ll shut up, and Maxie says she’s sorry for yelling. It’s just that all this talk about Lucy is creating this relentless chatter in her head telling her that the Nurses Ball isn’t going to be good this year. Sasha tells her to cut herself some slack. Maxie is working so hard; they all are. The Ball is going to be great. Felix comes in, and says he agrees with Sasha. He’s worked a lot of Balls with Lucy, and he knows what she would want. Lucy says, that’s right, Felix; tell ‘em. Felix says he thinks Lucy would be behind them 100% with Bobbie. Lucy says, please, anyone but Bobbie, and Maxie tells Felix that she agrees with him. She just needs to tell that annoying voice in her head to shut up. She shuts off her earpiece, and Lucy says, Maxie, come back.
Scotty says, Esme and the baby are staying with Laura? He knows she likes to take risks, but that’s crazy. She hands him a drink, and says she knows, but the baby is completely innocent, and he’s her grandchild, and she feels like she needs to protect him. He takes a sip, and says, what the hell is this? She says, club soda, and he says, where’s the vodka? Cameron’s underage, but he’s not. She says she thinks Liesl’s still mad at him, and he says he went to her apartment, and she threw all his suits out in the hallway. There were actually people trying them on. Elizabeth joins them, and says she’s really sorry she caused this rift between Scotty and Liesl, but he says, it’s not her fault. How did the Ethics Committee go? She says she got reinstated, and he says, good. She gets to keep her job. She says she’s worried she may have lost a friend, and looks at her phone.
In the elevator, Robert presses a button, and Diane says she thought he was heading upstairs for a drink. He says, plans changed; she now wants to meet in her room. Diane says, if his contact is staying at the hotel, why was he waiting in the lobby?
Josslyn walks over to where Esme is standing, holding a sleeping Ace, and Esme says her arm feel asleep. Josslyn suggests switching arms once in a while, and Esme does. She says, that’s better. Thanks. Josslyn says, so Esme met Spencer in boarding school. She didn’t babysit before that? Esme says she has no idea. She doesn’t remember anything before waking up at GH. Josslyn says, right, sorry, and Esme says she heard about what she did to Josslyn in the past, the revenge porn. She swears she has no memory of doing it, or even why she would. She honestly hopes she never remembers. She doesn’t want to be that person. She just wants to be a good mom to Ace. It’s important she set a good example for him. That’s all that matters to her now.
Diane follows Robert out of the elevator, and says, Victor Cassadine has a room on this floor. Is that why he’s here? Robert says, she should get back on the elevator, and find Alexis, and Diane says, uh-huh. What has Victor done now? He says, actually, it’s Eileen Ashby he’s looking for, and she says, the Deputy Mayor? He knocks on the door and yells for Victor to come out, and Diane asks if he’s sure Victor’s in there. Robert says, he was five minutes ago, and she says, maybe Victor has left the building. Robert tells her that he’s going to kick in the door, and she’s going to find Alexis. She strides off, and he says, what do you know? That’s never worked before.
Felicia wonders why Robert hasn’t called them back, and Anna says, he’s in the middle of something, there’s no update… Valentin says, Eileen can’t still be with Victor, and Anna says she’s worried Eileen is pushing too hard. Victor was already suspicious of her. By now he might have realized she’s working against him. Valentin says, Eileen would turn on them in a heartbeat, and Felicia says, maybe she saw an opportunity and she jumped on it. if she can get Victor’s decryption key, that’s going to make things a lot easier for them. Valentin says, if they still have the real necklace, then they have the advantage because Victor needs it. He’s been looking for it a long time. He can’t move forward without it. Anna says she hopes he hasn’t decided Eileen is standing in his way.
Robert tries using a credit card to slip the lock, when Diane comes back. She says she thought he was kicking the door down, but he says he suddenly remembered he’s not 25 anymore. She says, allow her, and hands him a keycard. He asks where she got it, and she says she found a maid, she borrowed the maid’s master key, and the city needs to reimburse her forty dollars. He tells her, stand back, and opens the door. The room is empty.
On the phone, Anna says, thanks for the update, and tells Valentin, Robert got into Victor’s room. He and Eileen weren’t there; it was empty. Valentin wonders how they got past Robert, but Anna doesn’t know. Service elevator or something? He said there was no sign of a struggle. Felicia says, then Eileen went with him willingly, and Valentin says, either that or they overpowered her and took her out back in a laundry cart. Felicia says, it doesn’t do them any good to assume the worst. Where do they think Victor took her? Anna says, it all depends on whether Eileen blew her cover or not.
Maxie thinks Bobbie is the perfect person to end the Ball, and Bobbie says she’s honored, but there are other nurses deserving of that honor. Maxie asks, what if it causes friction? Whoever they ask, someone else is bound to feel slighted. Bobbie says she doesn’t think they have to worry about that. What the heck. Maybe she should do it anyway. Sasha asks, what changed her mind? and Bobbie says, if anything can bring Lucy back from the grave, it would be seeing Bobbie up on that stage instead of her.
Elizabeth says, she’s been trying to reach Epiphany, but no luck, and Laura says, she’s probably just really busy. She’s probably having the time of her life at Johns Hopkins campus. Elizabeth says she can’t help but feel Epiphany is avoiding her, but Laura says she doesn’t think that’s Epiphany’s style. Scotty says he agrees with Laura. She’s a straight shooter. He knows that from personal experience with Epiphany. Laura says she’s sure Elizabeth will hear from her when she gets back to town. Elizabeth says she hopes so.
Cameron asks if Esme is okay, and she says, perfect. She’s the one who should be leaving town, not him. He says he thinks she’s better off here. Where would she go? She can’t raise Ace by herself. She says, Charlie’s is full of people, but she’s still on her own, but he says, it doesn’t have to be that way. It’s her choice.
Felix asks what kind of lighting Chase is looking for, and Chase says, it’s a love song, so he figured, keep it simple. Felix says, really? Because in his book, there’s nothing simple about love. He does know someone who might have some ideas though. He grabs Brook, and says, they need her two cents. How does she feel about love?
Victor brings Eileen to the footbridge, followed by mystery man, and she asks why he brought her here. Victor says he likes privacy for these kinds of things, and she asks, what kinds of things? Mystery man pushes her up against the railing, and frisks her, and she asks what he’s doing. He takes the flashdrive out of her pocket, and hands it to Victor. Victor says, this doesn’t belong to her, and wonders why he shouldn’t just kill her right now. She says, because she knows things, and he says, such as? She says, Valentin and Anna aren’t dead. They’re alive and in Port Charles.
Felix says he needs some direction for lighting and set design, so let’s get down to the basics. Is it a sad love song or a happy one? Chase tells him, he’d say it was happy, filled with love and optimism. Brook says, is it though? The lyrics are full of yearning. Chase says, and passion, and she says, which you had but lost. He says, not really lost; chemistry doesn’t fade away. She says, it doesn’t fade away, but it can take a wrong turn, and then where are you? You’re lost. He says, hoping to be found again, and Felix says, so lighting for lost and found. He can do that.
In Victor’s room, Diane says she can help Robert look. He’s just got to tell her what they’re looking for. He says, it turns out Eileen was working with Victor. They had a little talk with her, and convinced her to change sides. However, loyalty is not Eileen’s strong point. They’re concerned she may have panicked and told Victor everything. She asks what Victor did, and Robert says, he killed Luke Spencer.
Victor says, his son is alive? And Anna? What about Lucy? Eileen says, she’s alive too. They’re all hiding out in town. He asks, where? but she says she doesn’t know. A safehouse? They always blindfolded her when they took her there. He asks why she stole the flashdrive if the decryption key didn’t work, and she says, because the key wasn’t the problem. The necklace she gave him was a fake. He moves closer to her, and she says she didn’t want to do it. They threatened her. Wait. They have the real necklace, and she can get it for him. She’ll do anything she can to make this right.
Maxie’s phone rings, and she says she wants to ignore this, but it could be Nurses Ball business. It’s Lucy, who says, sorry, sorry. Please don’t hang up. She promises she’ll be as quiet as a mouse. Maxie says she’s so sick of Lucy trashing any idea that’s not her own. They’re all working their butts off here. Lucy says she knows and she’s sorry. It’s just that she cares too much about the Nurses Ball. Maxie says, Lucy has to trust her to do what’s right, and Lucy says she does, but please, Bobbie can’t host in her place. Maxie says, no one is taking Lucy’s place. They all agreed no one person could fill her shoes, so they’re going to have different GH staff members introduce various acts. Lucy asks if she learned nothing from the Daisy Awards. It’s really a terrible idea. Maxie says, call her again, and she’s blocking Lucy for good. Goodbye. She shuts the earpiece off.
Spencer watches Esme rocking Ace, and flashes back to voicing his concerns about Esme taking off with the baby to Victor, and Victor saying, there’s no way in hell Esme is raising a Cassadine heir. Not while there’s a breath left in his body. Cameron tells Spencer, it’s not that bad. They both know grandmother won’t let anything bad happen to Ace. Spencer says he wasn’t thinking about his brother. He was thinking, when Cameron leaves town, there won’t be anyone to keep him in line. Cameron says, what about Trina and Joss? and Spencer says, that’s true, but it’s not going to be the same. He’s going to miss Cameron.
Scotty asks for everybody’s attention. He’s got a few things to say about Cameron. Everybody gathers around, and he says, he and Cameron aren’t related by blood, but he certainly considers Cameron family. He’s had a tough year, but he’s kept his chin up. Now Stanford has him; their loss. So good luck. He shakes Cameron’s hand, and says, he loves Cameron. He puts his hand up like he’s whispering, and says he’s got something for Cameron’s wallet. Cameron thanks him, and Elizabeth says she’s so proud of Cameron, hugging him. He says he loves her, and she says she loves him too. Cameron thanks everyone, and begins his goodbye hug tour. Esme tells him that Laura’s offered to take her and Ace home, so they’re going to be leaving now, but she thanks him for inviting them. It just figures that the one person who’s been nice to her is leaving town. He says his grandma’s been nice to her, and she says, true. She does have an ulterior motive. He says, she’s not like that, when Laura comes over. She hugs him, and says she’s going to miss him so much. He’s a very, very special young man. He’s her soccer star. He thanks her and says he loves her. She says she’ll bring Esme’s stuff to the car, and Esme follows her out, Scotty opening the door.
Felix says he knows Brook and Chase used to be a couple. Is that going to be a problem here? Brook says, no, and Chase says, they’ll get it done. Felix walks out, and Chase follows him.
Bobbie says, the show order is set, and Maxie says, this Nurses Ball is going to be special. Worthy of GH’s 60th anniversary.
Lucy says, it’s simply madness not to have one host. You need that person to tie everything together; keep the evening moving. This is bad. This is really bad. This is not going to work. She has to be there. The Nurses Ball needs her.
Cameron thanks Elizabeth for the party; it was a lovely send-off. She says, everyone wanted a chance to say goodbye and tell him how much they love him. He says, it’s strange. He hates that he’s leaving, but he can’t wait to get there. (That’s a perfect way of describing leaving home for the first time. If you liked living there.) She says she knows. He’s going to love it there, but she’s going to miss him. He says he’s going to miss her too, and they hug.
Anna’s phone rings, and she says, it’s Eileen. She asks if Eileen is all right. Is she still with Victor? On the footbridge with Victor and mystery man watching, Eileen says she’s sorry. She thought she could get the decryption key, but it didn’t work out. Valentin asks if she’s compromised. Does Victor know the necklace was a fake? Eileen looks at Victor, who nods, and she says, no. Victor didn’t suspect anything. Anna says, and she’s all right? Just don’t go against orders again. Eileen says she can’t do this anymore. She’s out. Anna says, don’t forget the evidence they have against her, but Eileen says her life is ruined already. She’s leaving town, and she’s going to get as far away from Victor Cassadine as possible. Anna says, just calm down, and Victor disconnects the call. Eileen says she did what Victor wanted, and he says, well done. Now there’s just one more little thing.
Valentin says, they lost Eileen, and Anna says, she sounded terrified. She just hopes Eileen is halfway to the Canadian border by now. Felicia says, if Victor didn’t suspect her, he will when she goes missing. Anna says, at least they have the real necklace. As long as they have that, they still stand a chance.
Eileen says, Victor promised he’d help her get out of town, away from Anna’s reach, and he strokes her hair, saying, he promises she won’t have to worry about Anna Devane again. He flings her over the side of the bridge, with one hand no less, and she yells like a cartoon character going over a cliff.
Cameron tells Elizabeth, goodnight. He loves her. She says she loves him more. He leaves, and the pub is empty except for a few employees. Elizabeth calls Epiphany’s number. State Trooper Carlson answers, and Elizabeth says she’s trying to reach Epiphany Johnson. He says he’s very sorry, but he has bad news about her friend. We don’t hear him, but we see Elizabeth’s face as he talks, and it makes me want to cry. She sits down at the bar, and closes her eyes.
Tomorrow, Marshall says, this was all his fault; Robert says, General Hospital’s lost one of its best; Diane tells Obrecht that some forms must be completed today; and Willow says she’s right where she needs to be.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey
Last week, Danielle left the party after hearing her name one too many times. Teresa and Jennifer left with her, and in the limo, Danielle said she’d opened up, and now she was being talked about. The one person they didn’t want to have as an enemy was her.
Everyone struggles to wake up. Jennifer makes a huge breakfast for her guests, and tells them Rachel is having brunch later. Saddle up; it’s going to be a long afternoon. Among the three houses, there are various conversations involving Danielle and her brother. Jackie thinks something is missing from the story, and Dolores doesn’t think the rift is because Danielle blocked him, but she doesn’t know what it is. In Rachel’s interview, she says she likes Danielle. Danielle has the things she looks for in a friend, but it feels like a link in the chain is missing. Danielle says, Rachel is a sh*t starter, and she didn’t like that Rachel repeated the things she said. In Danielle’s interview, she says she saw Danielle as a new friend. Now Marge is mad at her because of what Rachel told her. Because she hasn’t played victim for a minute, Teresa says, they were making her feel bad because she didn’t invite Melissa’s mom to the wedding. In Melissa’s interview, she says, how dare Teresa paint the picture that her mother doesn’t deserve to be there? and Marge says, Louie went looking for Melissa’s mom to apologize. Melissa wonders if that’s coming from a genuine place. Does he believe Teresa is wrong? Joe #3 says, Louie makes himself look good, but he knows what’s up. In Joe #2’s interview, he says, in the beginning, he was happy about Louie, and a producer asks if something happened. Joe says, yes. In Teresa’s interview, a producer asks how it started, and Teresa says she kept her mouth shut to protect her brother and keep the peace. She tells everyone at Jennifer’s house that there was a business dealing, and Louie lost a quarter million dollars. In her interview, she says, Joe had an idea for a pizza oven, and Louie put out $250,000. He discussed it with an attorney, and they came up with the figure of 5% to give Joe, but Joe wanted 50%. She asked him if he put up the money. They ended up not doing it, and Louie took the loss. We see a clip of Melissa telling Tiki and Traci Barber that Louie acted like a knight in shining armor. In Joe’s interview, he says he didn’t want to talk, but if Teresa’s talking… It was his idea to honor his father; they were calling it Nonno Pizza. He ordered the ovens, and Louie put up the money. He figured he’d give Teresa 50%. Then his nephew showed him that Teresa and her girls had posted a photo shoot, something about Skinny Pizza. This was between him and Louie, so he called Louie, and Louie gave him lip, with his sister in the background, yelling, did he put up the money? It was his idea. At the pseudo shore house, Melissa says she thinks Teresa is just so selfish, she doesn’t want to share, and Joe says, it became ugly. Marge says, Teresa puts things in place that they can’t recover from, and in Melissa’s interview, she says she was so hopeful for a new beginning for Joe, and they stole it from her. She tears up, and says she feels bad for everyone that it’s getting to this point.
In Rachel’s interview, she says she goes above and beyond with everything, even planning parties. She’s a perfectionist in a bad way. She likes to make it more of an experience, and she can’t have John on the grill, or they’ll be eating charcoal patties. A giant clamshell with a live mermaid is set up, and in Jen’s interview, she says she doesn’t get the extra stuff. Teresa had a girl in a bubble – we flash back to that – and Rachel has a woman holding a bubble. She doesn’t know why all the Disney characters at parties, but it’s working. Since they have nothing to talk about except each other, Jackie says she thinks Jennifer is trying to be tough, but she’s not happy. She and Bill are fighting over how to raise the kids. In Dolores’s interview, she says, no matter how much Jennifer pissed her off, she thought she’d been a good friend to Jennifer. Jennifer had done a lot to her, but she doesn’t want problems for her and Bill; she likes them as a couple. If she ever cares for someone, there’s always a piece of her that still does. Some of the guests take a look at John’s stripped chest, and Joe #2 says, he couldn’t initiate Louie that way; he’d be crying. Evan shows them an Instagram post from Louie with Bill and Nate, where Louie is talking about God and forgiveness. In Joe #2’s interview, he says, maybe Louie should try teaching his fiancé forgiveness before trying to teach the world. Touché. They make their own video, and Joe says, last night was a great night. God told him to wax somebody. There’s heaping platters of wondrous barbecue and sides, and more talk about Teresa not inviting Melissa’s mother to the wedding. Melissa wonders, who doesn’t do something just because it’s the right thing to do? even though she knows the answer is, Teresa. Jen says, Danielle was upset about them talking behind her back, and Marge says, Danielle was talking behind her back.
In Marge’s interview, she says she doesn’t even want to have a conversation with Jennifer; she might catch on fire from the polyester. I’m not sure what that means. Is it highly flammable? Plus, it’s not 1970. Polyester is pretty amazing today. Dolores says, Paulie’s blood pressure was high, and he wasn’t feeling well, and Joe #2 asked what Dolores was doing to him. Jennifer suggests she and Marge get together some time, and Marge looks at her like she has two heads, as would I. In Danielle’s interview, she says she’s so mad, her brain is going to explode, and I wonder if I should get popcorn. She says, what everyone is hearing from Rachel isn’t true, and she doesn’t like holding things in. Marge tells Danielle that she was taken aback that Danielle would think she’s coming for her, and told Rachel that she had an arsenal. Danielle says she didn’t mean it that way, and she’s irritated that Rachel tried to create a divide. She calls Rachel over, and asks why Rachel said she claimed Marge was on the attack. Rachel corrects her, and says, Danielle told her that Marge had an arsenal of information. Danielle asks why Rachel is throwing her under the bus, and Rachel says, but that’s what Danielle told her. Marge asks if Danielle believes what anyone she had an argument with says about her, and Danielle says, Rachel is making her the bad guy when she was laughing about it at the time. Rachel asks what she said that was wrong, but Danielle can’t come up with anything. In Rachel’s interview, she says, Rachel is pissed and trying to throw her under the bus when she said nothing. Danielle says she was just repeating third party info, but Marge says, you can’t repeat things that aren’t true. It’s high school – graduate. In Danielle’s interview, she says she thought she and Rachel had a kumbaya thing going on. Now she’s seeing a different side, and she’s disappointed Rachel took advantage of their conversation and threw her under the bus.
Jackie asks if Dolores is okay, since she’d walked away from the conversation with Frank. Dolores says, it’s a touchy subject. She isn’t worried about Frank, and doesn’t want to hear it. In Dolores’s interview, she says, the women should worry about putting Paulie on a pedestal since that’s what these bitches have wanted for her for years.
Jen tells Teresa that she loves how Louie wants to make everything good, and Teresa says, if Joe #2 would have just called her about inviting his mother-in-law, she would have been receptive. If he had a problem, he should have called her. He’s making a mountain out of a mole hole [sic]. Louie asks to talk to Melissa, while the invitation conversation continues with Teresa. Louie takes Melissa’s hand and says he means this sincerely. The wedding is beautiful, but there are also bombs going off. Danielle joins Teresa’s table, and says she’s mad because they were all talking sh*t about her brother. When they were at Jen’s house, she was honest, and that should have been good enough. Jen says, she didn’t understand. If that’s what actually happened, it’s cuckoo. Danielle swears that’s what happened, and Jackie tells her, it didn’t make sense. Danielle says, after she blocked him, he called her like a raging maniac, and Jackie asks, what’s the rest of the story? Danielle wonders why she has to be villainized, and says she’s done explaining herself. She walks off, and in Marge’s interview, she says, Danielle is a drama queen, which I thought was a requirement to be in the franchise. In Danielle’s interview, she says, what they’re coming at her with is heartbreaking. They’re calling her out as a liar; everything she’s not. It would have hurt less if they’d sucker punched her.
In Marge’s interview, she says, Danielle was talking sh*t about her non-stop, and is she leaving? Maybe she should call Danielle’s brother and sister-in-law. They must have stories she can put in her arsenal. Rachel suggests Teresa should have invited Melissa’s mother out of respect, and Teresa snaps that she doesn’t know the whole story. Rachel tells her, the right thing to do is the right thing to do, regardless of the story, and in her interview, she says, Teresa created her own problem. Teresa interrupts Louie and Melissa’s conversation, and says she wants to know what Melissa’s problem is. Melissa tells her that she said she had issues with Melissa’s mom. Teresa tells her that she said there was a history with Melissa’s family. Louie keeps trying to tell Teresa that she interrupted, and finally says he doesn’t care if God came down and gave her a message. In Melissa’s interview, she says, there are two sides to Louie. He wants to look like the good guy who wants to fix it, but he can’t control his anger. It’s like the guy he wants to be, and the guy he really is. Joe #2 comes by, and Louie asks him to sit down. He says he’d love to have Melissa’s mom at the wedding, and Melissa says she wasn’t being judgmental; she was hurt. Louie says, Teresa was hurt too, which is the standard answer. He says they’re getting married in a month, and he wants peace, but Melissa says, Teresa is causing it all. Back at the table, Teresa tells everyone that Melissa has daddy issues, and Jackie asks if she doesn’t think that’s mean to say to someone who lost their dad at 16. Teresa responds by telling her, get out! like any well-adjusted person would. In Teresa’s interview, she justifies her comment by saying, Melissa had admitted she had daddy issues, so she had a leash on Teresa’s brother. Teresa tells Jackie not to get involved in her family’s sh*t, and Melissa decides to go see why the women are screaming. Louie asks if he and Joe can talk like they’re not back in the past. He lives with Joe’s four nieces, and wears Joe’s father’s pajamas to make them feel safe and loved.😐Teresa comes back, but Joe says she’s not in the right frame of mind. Louie tries to get them to talk using a pillow as a talking stick, but this works not at all. Teresa asks why Joe didn’t just call her instead of telling strangers their business. She would have invited Melissa’s mother in a heartbeat. While this is a super valid point, it’s coming from Teresa, so we know it would have made zero difference. Joe says, when she decided not to put them in the wedding, he’d called Louie and Gia, and asked them to tell her not to do this to Melissa. Teresa says she was so mad. She felt that they should have had her back more last year. We flashed back to Teresa berating Melissa for letting Marge talk behind her back about her boyfriend, and screaming at Joe for not being on her side. She says, if Joe wanted peace and for them to be in the wedding, he should have had her back more. Melissa comes back, and asks if they’re kumbaya-ing, and Teresa says she wanted Melissa to tell Marge to STFU. Melissa insists she did, and says, Teresa should have stuck up for Joe when Jennifer was talking about him. Joe says he’s not understanding who she is, and Teresa says she’s going. She gets up, and Melissa says, when Teresa is wrong, she takes off. Teresa runs away, screeching at Louie, fix it! Seriously, WTF with this woman? And Louie wears her dad’s PJs? I hope he washed them.
Melissa says, Teresa has deep hate in her heart, and in a puff of smoke, Teresa reappears. Joe asks, if she’s so happy, why is she so mean? He’s been happy for years. Teresa says she doesn’t think so. If he was happy he’d want to see this beautiful family. Melissa says, Teresa is the one who kept them out of the family; not the other way around. We flash back to Teresa backing up Jennifer, and calling Joe a bitch boy at the Reunion. Joe suggests he and Melissa go home, and says, they’re Teresa’s biggest disappointment in life. Teresa says, he can change that, and Joe says they’ll go to therapy, and addresses Teresa as the matriarch of our family. I think of my Aunt Agnes, matriarch of an Italian family, and how she’d probably smack Teresa silly after chasing her around the kitchen with a broom. In Jennifer’s interview, she says, any opportunity that Joe and Melissa have to make Teresa look bad, they double down on it. Melissa has a sweet face, and gets away with it like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Marge and Danielle sit with Teresa and Louie, and Teresa tells Marge to make Melissa understand. Louie says he can’t take this. Teresa has to listen. She’s always talking and not listening; neither is her brother. Joe finds out he’s stuck behind Louie’s car, and comes back to ask Louie to move. He wonders why they’re sitting with Marge, since she supposedly was the cause of their problems. Louie tells him, stop, it’s not worth it, and Joe says, no matter what, he and Melissa do everything wrong. Teresa tells Marge that Melissa should want to make it better. She and Joe aren’t happy, because if Melissa was a good woman, she’d make it better between her and Joe. Marge asks if this is the life Teresa wants. Louie goes to move his car, and Melissa says she hasn’t done half the things Teresa accuses her of. In Melissa’s interview, she says, Louie also contributed. He can stop preaching. She’s good. Louie says he loves them, and wants them to be part of his and Teresa’s lives. Louie says, they can’t get back yesterday, since he gets his wisdom from motivational posters, and he thinks their family is going to learn the hard way. Teresa tells Marge, if Joe wants to be a part of her wedding, be a part of it. If not, God bless him. Which I think is similar to the southern, bless your heart.
This season, parties; a trip to Ireland, and a haunted castle; drinking; chickens; Rachel wants to adopt Jaiden; Danielle tells Melissa that someone claims to have seen her with another man; and Marge says, Danielle is a sh*t starter, which I also thought was a franchise requirement.
⛹️♀️ Full Court Pressing On…
Stop in again tomorrow for soap and some choice leaves of tea. Until then, stay safe, stay valuing your individuality, and stay doing things because they’re the right things to do.