Tag Archives: Three Dog Night

Nov2

November 1, 2024 – News Of Sam’s Death Spreads, Soap Suds, All the Costumes, Village Celebration, Halloween Tease, History Lesson, Famous Or Not, X Quotes & Mama Told Me

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

First, my bad yesterday. It was Rocco with Dante, not Danny. Hey, I was burnt out from all the Halloween festivities and those two kids look alike. Moving on…

Holly knocks at Robert’s office door and says she hopes she’s not interrupting. He says, only his pathetic attempt at concentrating. He’s surprised to see her. He thought she would have been on her way to the next adventure by now. She asks why he’d say that, and he says, it’s normally at that stage where they’re left to clean up the mess she’s left.

Maxie asks James to put a decoration next to the fireplace, but he’s busy playing with his lasso. She says, yo, cowboy, but he says, yo and cowboy don’t go together. She says, howdy then. Can he put this next to the fireplace? He says his holster isn’t fitting right, and she says she’ll fix it. He asks, when? and she says, when he helps his mother out. He does as she asks, and she tells him, that wasn’t too difficult, was it? Spinelli comes out in a suit decorated like a skeleton and says, happy Halloween, family. Maxie says, nice. They really should start feeding him more. He’s all skin and bones. He says, a skeleton joke, and here’s him thinking he couldn’t love her any more, and James says, yuk. Maxie asks, where’s Georgie? and Spinelli says, getting dressed he assumes. Georgie comes out in regular clothes, and he says, or not. Maxie asks, where’s her costume? and Georgie says she decided not to wear it. Maxie says, why? and Georgie says she’s too old for trick-or-treating.

A man lets Kristina into Dante and Sam’s apartment, and she thanks him. She says, Sam is always doing nice stuff for other people. She thought it would be nice to do something for her. The man says, Dante told him about the liver donation. It takes a special person to do something like that. Kristina says, that’s what Sam is. She’s special. He says he’ll leave her to it and goes. She puts her bags down, when Molly comes out. She asks what Kristina is doing here.

At the hospital, Sonny sees Laura and says, Madam Mayor. She asks what she said about him calling her that, and he says, that she loves it. She laughs and asks, what brings him to the hospital today? Other than giving her a hard time. He says he’s visiting Dante and Sam, and she says, great minds think alike. He asks if she’s visiting Lulu, and she says she is. He says, any changes? and she says, Lulu actually made it through the surgery and Dr. Gannon says he’s cautiously optimistic, so she is too. He says, more than cautiously he bets, and she says, vigorously optimistic. He says he’s pulling for Lulu, and she says she knows and thanks him for that. He says, all thanks go to Sam, and she says, they certainly do. She’s so grateful to Sam for giving her daughter this chance.

Carly meets Jason outside Bobbie’s and says she got his message. She got here as soon as she could. He says he was at the hospital, and she says, what happened? What’s going on? He says, Sam died.

Rocco says, they just saw her. Sam was fine. Dante asks, what’s going on? and Alexis says, she’s gone. Rocco tells her, stop saying that, and Dante asks, what’s she talking about? Sam was fine. He just saw her. She was joking around. She was fine. Portia says she’s so sorry… but he says, no. She was fine. How can she just be gone? It doesn’t make any sense.

Holly tells Robert, nothing she can say can justify keeping their daughter from him all these years, and he says, they’re both in agreement on that. What is she doing here? She says she’s worried about their daughter, and he says, their daughter. He’s still getting used to that. She says she’s never going to win any mother of the year awards, and he says, they don’t give awards for that. She says she loves Sasha and it’s breaking her heart that Sasha is shutting her out, seemingly forever. Sasha’s even blocked her number. He says, that’s between her and Sasha, and she says she was hoping he’d speak to Sasha and asks Sasha about unblocking her, but he says, Sasha isn’t answering his calls either. She says, maybe they could go over to the Quartermaines, but he says, it’s up to Sasha how much she wants to let him in, if at all. She says she hopes Sasha does, and he says, so does he. She says, keep trying? and he says, promise. She starts to leave, and he says, before she goes out that door, there’s something he needs to know.

Maxie asks, since when is Georgie too old for trick-or-treating? and Georgie says she’s not a kid anymore. James says, she’s going to miss out on all the candy, but she says, there’s more to life than just candy. He says, like what? and she says, like everything. Spinelli says, a little bit of advice. Don’t be in too much of a hurry to grow up. You only get to be a kid once. Maxie says she agrees, and Halloween is the best. It’s the one day of the year you get to be anything you want to be. Georgie says she just wants to be her. Is Maxie mad? Maxie says, of course (🍷) she’s not mad. She just confused. This came out of nowhere. Georgie says she’s just over it. That’s all. Maxie says, she’s over it or her friends are.

Kristina says she came to support her sister, and Molly says, really. The idea of her taking care of anybody but herself is just… Don’t worry. It’s already done. Kristina says it is possible for her to think of something Molly hasn’t, and Molly says, like what? Kristina takes things out as she talks and says, like pajamas. Comfy, but still sexy. Slippers. And mysteries to pass the time. And Halloween candy so she doesn’t feel like she completely missed out. Molly says, that’s actually pretty thoughtful, and Kristina thanks her. Molly says, but Kristina knows Sam isn’t actually coming home today, right?

Carly asks what Jason is talking about. Sam made it through surgery. It’s got to be… He says, it’s not some kind of mistake. He saw her. Carly asks, what happened? and he says, she had a heart attack. She says, that’s crazy. A heart attack? Sam is perfectly healthy. He says, she’s gone, and Carly says she can’t believe this. He says he needs her help right now, and she asks what he needs. He says he was bringing Danny and Scout to see Sam and when they got off the elevator, he saw Alexis and he knew. He knew something was wrong. So he told Danny to come here and wait, and Danny texted that he was taking Scout trick-or-treating and bring her here right after. She says, he has to tell them, but he says he doesn’t know how. Drew needs to know. She says, yes, of course (🍷) he does. She can call him. How is this happening? How are they standing here trying to figure out how to tell the people Sam loved that she’s gone?

Portia says, Sam experienced cardiac arrest, and Rocco says, she had a heart attack? Dante says, wait. The surgery went well, right? Everything was good. She checked out. Everything was fine. Portia says, any surgery can have unexpected post-op complications. She’s so sorry for his loss. He says he doesn’t want her apology. He just wants to know what happened to Sam. Portia says, they’re in the process of an investigation and promises she’ll reach out after the autopsy. Rocco says he doesn’t understand, and Dante says he doesn’t either, and hugs Rocco. Laura and Sonny join them, and Laura asks, is it Lulu?

Robert says, Holly said she wouldn’t have told him about Sasha if this business with Cody hadn’t been in play, and she says, that’s true. He says, but she told him that he’s a great father, and she says, he’s an incredible father. She’s seen it firsthand with Robin. He’d have risked everything for her, and he did. We flash back to Holly and Robert when we were all babies, and he tells Holly that he has to do this. That woman out there is a large part of his life. Apart from being his wife, she’s also the mother of that little person upstairs. He just wouldn’t be a person if he didn’t try to bring her back. She says, he wouldn’t be the Rob she knows if he didn’t feel that way. In the present, she says, he’d have gone to the ends of the earth for Robin, and he asks why she wouldn’t assume he’d do the same for Sasha. And don’t tell him it’s because he would hate her or not accept Sasha. He wants to know why she didn’t tell him that he had a daughter.

Georgie says she doesn’t feel like playing pretend, and Spinelli says, if she’ll permit him the briefest of history lessons. Maxie says, did they stop him? and he says, Halloween isn’t just about dressing up. It used to be called All Hallow’s Eve. James says, that sounds way cooler, and Spinelli says, doesn’t it? It depended on the culture, but in most places, it was about honoring those people that had made sacrifices for others. Georgie says, he’s making this up, but he says he jests not. People dressed up to emulate their heroes. James says, like him. Cowboys are the ultimate heroes. Georgie says she didn’t know that, and Maxie says, when she was around Georgie’s age, her friends said dressing up in costumes was for babies. Georgie asks what she did, and Maxie says she stopped dressing up. She stopped going out for Halloween and didn’t trick-or-treat. James says, super lame, and Maxie agrees. She says, but her sister… Georgie says, Georgie? and Maxie says, yeah. She loved Halloween. She trick-or-treated all through high school. She said it was fun and she said she had no plans to outgrow having fun. Spinelli says, sounds like Georgie, and Maxie says, yeah. She wishes she’d listened to her sister instead of her friends though. Her Aunt Georgie was right. Georgie says, we never outgrow having fun, and Maxie says, never. (My friends and I not only trick-or-treated until we were about 16, we would go home, change costumes, and go out again. I’m pretty sure it’s one of the reasons people have kids.)

Laura says, somebody tell her what happened, and Alexis says, it wasn’t Lulu. Laura says, then what’s wrong? and Alexis says, it was Sam. She didn’t make it. Laura says, what? and Dante asks if Alexis can tell him what happened. Was she there? Alexis nods and says, yeah, and Sonny asks, what the hell happened? Dante says, Sam is dead. She’s gone. That’s what happened, okay? He asks Alexis, please tell him what happened to Sam, and Alexis takes his face in her hands and says, Sam was showing her the engagement ring. He cries, and she says, then she couldn’t breathe and then she closed her eyes and then she didn’t… She hugs him and he cries.

At the Quartermaines, Drew says, this is a nice surprise. What brings Carly back? She asks if they can talk in the living room, and he says, what’s going on? She says, it’s just something that would be better discussed in private, but he says, this is fine. What happened? She says she’s so sorry… He tells her, just say it, and she says, Sam died this evening. The surgery went well, and she was in recovery, and then she had a heart attack. He says, Sam? and she says, yeah. She was on the phone with Lucas on the way over here. He tried to revive her. He did everything he could. Drew asks what she’s talking about. Was she there? She says, no, but Jason and Alexis were there. He says, Jason was with Scout and with Danny, but she says she just saw him. He was at Bobbie’s. Drew asks, where are they? Where’s his daughter?

Danny and Scout arrive at Bobbie’s, and Scout says she’s sorry. Jason asks what she’s sorry for, and she says, they couldn’t wait anymore. They had to go trick-or-treating. Danny says he didn’t want to miss the good candy, and Jason says, smart move. Scout asks if they can visit mommy now.

Holly says, when she and Robert were married and in love was the sweetest time she’d ever experienced, and he says, they were happy. She says, so happy. It was this perfect memory to lay her head down on at night and she was terrified she was going to lose that. He asks how she’d lose it, and she says, if you alter perfection in any way, it loses its magic, and she didn’t want that to happen to them or even the memory of them. He says, but a piece was missing, and she says, if she’d tried to add that, nothing would have been the same. She was afraid to risk it. She was 100% completely selfish. He says, they missed out on something more spectacular than what they had, and she says she guesses they’ll never know.

Molly says, Sam’s got to stay in the hospital at least a week to recuperate, and Kristina says she thought since the surgery went so well, maybe Sam will be home early. Molly asks if Kristina read the research she gave her on recovering liver donors, but Kristina says, there’s been a lot going on. Molly says, for Sam. The doctor’s not going to just slap on a Band-Aid and send her home.  There’s a whole protocol. Kristina says she didn’t come here for a lecture, and starts gathering everything up. Molly says, no. She came here to bring Sam a bunch of stuff she doesn’t need. Kristina says she came here to support her sister, and Molly says, maybe she should have taken the time to inform herself on what Sam is going through. Kristina says, oh my God. She’s sorry she didn’t take the time to read the stupid email, and Molly says, it’s no surprise. Kristina asks, what’s that supposed to mean? and Molly says, it’s her whole M.O. All about the gesture, never about the follow-through. (Ugh. Somebody needs to slap Molly.)

Laura takes Alexis’s hand and says she’s so incredibly sorry for her loss. Sam was just an incredible person and just so generous. It’s just not right. Staring straight ahead, Alexis says, no, it’s not, and Laura asks Rocco to come with her to the chapel. She wants to say a prayer for Sam. Rocco says he wants to stay with dad, but Dante says, go with grandma. Laura and Rocco leave, and Alexis continues to look catatonic. Sonny sits next to her and says he’s sorry. Is there anything he could do? Alexis says, bring her back, and he says he wishes he could. She says she needs to go talk to Kristina and Molly before they find out from somebody else, and he says he can do it, but she says she needs to do it. He says, go ahead. He’ll take care of Rocco and Dante. Alexis thanks Dante for loving her daughter, and Dante cries. Alexis says, he made her very, very happy. She leaves and Sonny sits next to Dante, putting his arm around Dante’s shoulders. He asks if there’s anything Dante needs, and Dante says he thinks he needs to go see Sam.

Jason asks Scout and Danny to have a seat on the bench, and tells them, something very sad and unexpected happened, and Danny says, this has to do with mom, doesn’t it? Jason says, yeah, and Scout says, what about mom? Jason tells them, there’s no easy way to say this, but their mom died in the hospital only a while ago, and Danny says, mom’s dead? Jason nods and says he’s sorry. Danny asks if that’s why he made them leave. Was it happening then? Jason says he didn’t know what was going on, but he knew something was wrong. He found out later from the doctors that they were doing everything they could to save her. Danny says, but they didn’t, and Jason says, their mom’s heart stopped. Danny asks, why? and Jason says, they don’t know yet. Scout says, mom can’t die. The part they took out was supposed to grow back. She’s saving Rocco’s mom. She’s a hero.

Dante goes into Sam’s room, sees her, and cries. He sits by the bed and says, it’s not supposed to be like this. He takes her hand and says he’s so sorry. She looks like she’s sleeping. Like she could wake up. That’s not going to happen, is it? He cries and says he’s so sorry. She was so beautiful. He doesn’t think she ever realized how beautiful she was. He should have told her more. He Just doesn’t understand this. He puts his head on her chest.

Robert says he understands Holly was afraid, but if she’d risked something, maybe they would have preserved what they had. She says she’s so sorry, and he says, so is he. Because from what he remembers, he risked everything to save her. She says, and that was before he was in love with her. We flash back to Robert telling her that he admits he never planned it this way, but he can give her a lot of good reasons why she should marry him right now. But first and foremost, he knows that under the circumstances, Luke would want it this way. Think about this. If she marries him, everything is safe and sound. She says she can’t exactly refuse to consider it, and he says, then she will think about it? In the present, Holly says, the last thing she wanted was to marry him. No offense. He says, none taken, and she says, and it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to her.

Carly asks if Drew is okay, but he says he doesn’t know what he is. She says, it just seems so unreal, and he says, it’s just that Sam survived so much that would have broken just about anybody else. Not her. She was just so strong and resilient and just fiercely loyal to her friends and her family. Carly says, especially her kids, and he says, Sam and Carly were a lot alike. She says, there was a time when she would have hated to hear that. She and Sam used to disagree a lot and they used to clash about everything. He says, especially Jason, and she says, always Jason. But even back when she hated Sam, she always respected her. Now, how she stepped up for Lulu… He says he knows. It’s just incredible. Carly says she’s always going to be so grateful that Sam agreed to be Lulu’s donor. Her cousin is alive because of Sam. He says, that’s who she was, just so generous and so courageous, and she says, fearless to a fault. He says, it just wasn’t supposed to end like this. She says, no, it wasn’t.

Jason says, Scout is right. Her mom is a hero. Because of her mom, Rocco’s mom will live. Scout asks why hers had to die, and he says he doesn’t know. Danny says, it sucks, pretty much summing the whole thing up, and Jason says he knows. It does. Scout asks if they can see her, but Jason says he’s sorry. He can’t take them to the hospital, and even if he could… Danny says, it’s not mom anymore, but she tells him, Uncle Jason said she was there. Jason says, her body is, but everything that makes her so special, that makes her Scout’s mom – her smile, her laugh, her hugs… Scout says, the way she said good morning when she came into her room? and Jason says, none of that is at the hospital. Scout asks, then where is it? Jason says, heaven. In our hearts. Her love is all around them. Just because somebody goes to heaven doesn’t mean that love stops. Her mom’s love will be with her forever. She says she doesn’t want mom to be dead, and Jason says he knows she doesn’t. He and Danny hug.

Kristina says, Molly is all about her brilliant solutions, and Molly says, they are brilliant, and practical. Outside, Alexis puts her key in the lock, and Molly says she got prepaid food delivery service and someone to clean the house. Two things that will help Sam out immensely. Alexis comes in, and Kristina says, okay. She can’t compete with that. Molly says, there it is. That big Kristina eyeroll, telling everyone that she’s always the victim. God forbid there should be an actual adult in the room. Kristina says, tell her what it’s like. What is it like being literally better than everyone else around her? Molly says, not everyone, and Kristina says, just her then. Molly tells her that she said it, and Kristina says, she thinks it every minute of every day… and Alexis says, stop. Please just stop.

Dante thanks Sam for saving his life. He thanks her for choosing him and for their beautiful family. He thanks her for saying yes to being his wife. He cries and says he just doesn’t know how he’s going to do this. He doesn’t know how he’s going to do this without her. He kisses her forehead, then her lips. He kisses her hand and says he loves her.

Holly says, by far the most fulfilling, and it was never more apparent than during her recent trip to Africa. It was a very difficult trip. And she kept thinking to herself, what is she doing here at this stage of her life? You see, there’s before and after. He says, before and after what? and she says, him. He defines her whole existence. He says, she’s giving him too much credit, but she says she’s not. Their marriage was unexpected, but navigating being his wife, being married to him, and then realizing he wasn’t just the man who was helping her, but the man she was falling deeply and desperately in love with. It was a revelation. All of it. And she wouldn’t trade that time for the world. He says, neither would he.

James says, if they don’t go now, they’re going to miss all the best candy. Can we go? Can we go? Can we go? Maxie says, zip it or she’s taking his lasso, and he sits down, pouting. Georgie comes out, dressed something like an anime character, and Maxie says, she looks great. Spinelli says he knows who she is and her costume is spot on. James asks if they can go now, and Maxie says, can somebody clue her in? Georgie says she put a lot of thought into it, and Maxie says she can tell. Georgie says, thanks for talking her into it, and Maxie says, she’s welcome, but what is she? Georgie says, not what. Who. She’s Zenon, Girl of the 21st Century.

In the chapel with Rocco, Laura cries and blesses herself. He tells her that he doesn’t know what to say, and she tells him that he doesn’t have to say anything. He says, isn’t that what a prayer is? but she says, a prayer can be whatever you want it to be. It can be a wish, a message, a feeling, whatever you have in your heart. He says he prayed for so long for his mom to be okay and those prayers were answered. She’s going to live. Laura says, yes, she is, but he says he didn’t want Sam to die to make that happen. Laura holds him as he cries.

Dante tells Sonny, it doesn’t feel real. He just can’t wrap his head around it. Sonny says he doesn’t know how you accept something like that, and Dante says he doesn’t know. He was just in there talking to her, and now he’ll never hold her again. He’ll never see her smile again. She’ll never roll her eyes at one of his stupid jokes again. Sonny says, all the little things, and Dante says, it was his fault, but Sonny says, don’t go there. Dante says, it was his fault and Sonny knows it, and Sonny says, how so? Dante says, Lulu needed a donor and Sam was that donor. Sam did it for him and Rocco. She did it for them. Now she’s dead because of it. He gets up and walks off.

Kristina asks, what’s going on? and Alexis says, come sit with her. Kristina says, just tell them, but Alexis says, come, please. They sit down, Alexis in the middle, and Kristina says, what is it? Alexis is scaring her. Molly says, yeah, what? and Alexis takes their hands. She says, their sister didn’t make it, and Kristina says, what? Alexis says, Sam is gone, and Kristina says, that’s insane. Why would she say that? Alexis says she’s sorry, but Kristina gets up and says, no. The surgery went well and the doctors all agreed. Alexis says she knows, and Kristina says, Sam’s part was the easy part. What does she mean? What happened? Alexis says, she had a heart attack, but Kristina says, that’s not true. Sam’s fine. Alexis says, Sam is gone. She’s so sorry, but Sam’s gone. Molly starts to cry, and Alexis puts an arm around her.

Holly says she had a home with Robert, and he says, she did. She says she never experienced feeling belonging like that before. That’s why she fell for him. He asks if that’s the only reason. He bets they could have had that again. She says, if only she hadn’t lied to him about Sasha? Admit it. He hates her now, doesn’t he? He says he could never hate her, but he’s not sure if he can ever forgive her.

Rocco tells Laura that he was jealous that Danny and Scout had their mom, that she could hug them and talk to them and help them with their homework. Laura says, that’s perfectly understandable, and he says he wishes she could have been his mom, doing all that stuff for him. Laura says, okay, so he felt a little envious from time to time, and he says he should have been happy for them, thankful that Sam was so great. Because she is… She was. Now he’ll never get the chance to tell her. Laura says, it’s okay.

Sonny tells Dante, none of this was his fault, but Dante says he wants to change it all. Sonny asks what he’d do differently, and Dante says, everything, but Sonny says he doesn’t believe that. Dante says he spent weeks at Lulu’s bedside, leaving Sam to pick up the pieces at home, neglecting the family that they built. Sonny says, his son’s mother was hanging by a thread. Of course (🍷) Lulu was a priority. Dante says he promised Rocco that they would get a donor and then he told Sam that he felt like he lied to Rocco by saying that to him. Sonny says, he did what any father would do, but Dante says, he doesn’t get it. How was she going to say no after that? Sonny asks if he means when Sam found out she was a match, and Dante says, yeah. With all the stress and pressure they were under, how was she going to then turn around and say no? Of course (🍷) she was going to do it. Sonny says, it doesn’t surprise him that Sam would say yes to being a donor. She would do anything for Dante and Rocco. Dante says he knows, and look where it got her, and Sonny says, here’s where he’s wrong. Sam didn’t do this because of him. She knew there was a chance a life would be saved and she was all in. That life just happened to be Lulu’s. Dante hugs Sonny.

Jason brings Danny and Scout to the Quartermaine’s, and Scout runs to Drew. He hugs her and she says, Lulu’s okay. Mommy’s not. He says he knows. He’s so sorry and he loves her so much. He’s here for her no matter what. He holds her, and Jason tells Danny that he’s here too. Danny hugs him, and Carly watches with tears in her eyes.

Molly asks how someone as healthy as Sam has a heart attack, but Alexis says she doesn’t know. They don’t know. She was with Sam, and she was talking about her engagement and then she was rushed out of the room. Kristina says, wait. What? Engagement? Dante proposed? Molly says, oh my God, and Alexis says she wishes they could have seen how happy Sam was. Both girls lean on their mother, and she holds them close.

On Monday, Holly asks if that means Robert is cutting her out of his life; Danny tells Carly that it’s his job to look out for Scout; Rocco says it’s his fault Sam died; and Dante says he doesn’t want to live without Sam.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

Ugh. It’s got to be a dream or fantasy sequence. It’s not like she’s coming back or they faked her death… or did they?

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/sam-is-dead-on-gh-but-kelly-monaco-isnt-done-yet

On top of it, she has to say goodbye to all her friends. It’s worse than switching schools.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/nancy-lee-grahns-message-to-fans-about-sams-death-on-gh

Have a last dance.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/listen-to-jason-and-sams-love-song-just-you-and-me

I’m literally more annoyed by this storyline. Why? It’s not right to take this from us too. I have to say, she certainly doesn’t seem broken up about it.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/sofia-mattson-opens-up-about-sasha-and-codys-future-on-gh

Celebrations in the soap world.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/general-hospital/see-how-your-favorite-soap-stars-celebrated-halloween-2

👻 Around the World In Costumes…

First, the Queen of Halloween.

https://ew.com/heidi-klum-reveals-2024-halloween-costume-et-in-drag-8738057

Her catalog of costumes.

https://ew.com/heidi-klum-halloween-costumes-through-the-years-8736623

The soap turned morning show stars. I like them, but I can’t take him early in the morning.

https://www.etonline.com/media/videos/how-kelly-ripa-and-mark-consuelos-pulled-off-live-halloween-quick-changes-exclusive

https://ew.com/live-kelly-mark-2024-halloween-costumes-inside-out-menopause-8737380

I’m not sure what they’re smoking at The View, but this is a little weird.

https://ew.com/the-view-halloween-children-donald-trump-anna-delvey-costumes-8737521

All the celebrities.

https://ew.com/best-celebrity-halloween-costumes-2024-8734108

https://extratv.com/photos/image_jpg_20241101_5c07cf89c3644a6988d2edc4433a0855/

I’ve never heard of worst dressed for Halloween, but I’m here for it.

https://www.tmz.com/2024/11/01/worst-dressed-celebs-halloween-2024-costumes/

https://www.euronews.com/culture/2024/10/28/halloween-our-picks-of-the-costumes-that-celebrate-the-best-and-worst-of-2024

🗽 Meanwhile, In the Village…

The epitome of creativity and a billion pictures of it.

https://www.brooklynvegan.com/village-halloween-parade-2024-in-pics/

🔪 You Never Know…

Is anyone really dead in these movies?

https://ew.com/jamie-lee-curtis-teases-halloween-movie-future-exclusive-8737530

🎃  Everything You Ever Wanted To Know…

This is the greatest source of information on Halloween ever. Every All Hallow’s Eve topic you can think of. Scroll down to the depths.

https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween

🦄 Celebrities Are Just Like Us…

First, the regular folk and their pets. Kudos to the woman who dressed up her horses.

https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/2024-pet-halloween-costumes

And the celebrities’ furry friends.

https://www.tmz.com/2024/10/30/celebrity-pets-all-dressed-up-for-halloween/

🦇 Quotes of the Week

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

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

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

In our daily lives, we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but the gratefulness that makes us happy. – Albert Clarke

The four hardest tasks on earth are neither physical nor intellectual feats, but spiritual ones: To return love for hate; to include the excluded; to forgive without apology, and to be able to say, I was wrong. – Unknown

In this business, until you’re known as a monster, you’re not a star. – Bette Davis

If you go out looking for friends, you’re going to find they are very scarce. If you go out to be a friend, you’ll find them everywhere. – Zig Ziglar

Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them. – Orison Swett Marden (Or smack them out of the way.)

In gay years, that’s a long time. – Austin, I Love a Mama’s Boy

For Halloween, I’m going as that feeling you get at a store when you try to refold a sweater property and put it back on the shelf. – Rob Delaney

🧛‍♀️ Pulling Out Of Transylvania Station…

Enjoy your weekend, be it post Halloween celebrations or catching up on sleep. Then join me on Monday for soap, what’s on Deck, and perhaps a renegade Halloween picture or two. Until then, stay safe, stay not forgetting to turn your clock back on Sunday, and stay never outgrowing having fun.

Apr5

April 4, 2024 – Doc Sees a Striking Change In Heather, Bette’s FOMO, She’s the Worst, This Week’s Top, Two Awful Houses, For the Win & Pieces

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Tracy comes into an exam room, and Terry says, it’s her birthday. Tracy says, it is. A fact that only the two of them noticed. Terry says, well, happy birthday, and Tracy thanks her. Terry asks if she has any big plans, and Tracy says, just her, her couch, and the remote. Terry says, sounds blissful, to be honest. In other good news, she sees no cause for concern in Tracy’s bloodwork. Tracy asks if she’s surprised, and Terry says, no, but Tracy looks a little pale, enough so that she wondered if anemia was in play, but her hemoglobin looks good. Tracy says, if she’s pale, it’s because they’ve just slogged through winter, and like everybody else, she hasn’t been outside much. Terry says, fair enough, and Tracy says, if she has any complaints at all, it’s cold hands and feet, but she assumes it’s because of her age. (Is that why there are so many migrations to Florida after retirement?) And she has been a little lethargic lately. Is that an indication something is going on? Is she sick? Terry tells Tracy that she’s not qualified to say, but Tracy says, she’s Co-Chief of Staff. Who’s more qualified than her? Terry says, a psychiatrist? and Tracy laughs. Terry says she can refer Tracy to Dr. Collins if she likes, and Tracy asks, what possible diagnosis could be going on in here? Terry says, depression?

Cody’s phone rings at the stable, and Sasha tells Olivia that he stepped outside for a second. Should she go get him? Olivia says, no. She just wanted to give him the good news. Dante is being discharged. Sasha says, that’s fantastic, and Olivia says she’s pretty sure Cody would want to be filled in. Sasha says, absolutely. He’ll be thrilled to know Dante is coming home. Olivia says, while she has Sasha on the phone, is she at the house? Sasha says she’s at the stables. Why? Olivia says she was making mashed potatoes and chicken parm for Tracy’s birthday, but now with Dante and the kids coming home, Sam’s not going to have time to cook. She was thinking maybe she’d bring dinner for them instead and grab a cake to celebrate with Tracy. Sasha says, good idea, and Olivia says she could use Sasha’s help. She chopped up the veggies and peeled the potatoes, but the chicken still hasn’t been made. Does Sasha think she could get it started if Olivia talks her through it? Sasha says she could try.

Portia takes Heather’s vitals and asks, what happened to her restraints? Heather says she thinks maybe she lost some weight after the surgery or something. Her hands just slipped out.

Josslyn introduces Felicia to Bobbie’s new manager, Hunter Cruise, and Felicia says, this place is a favorite of hers, so expect to be seeing her a lot. Hunter says, looking forward to it, and Josslyn says, Felicia is one of their regulars. Felicia says she used to work here when she was Josslyn’s age, and Josslyn says, they get a lot of customers from the hospital because it’s a short walk. Curtis comes in with Trina, who tells him to remember he has back-up, and he says, slow and steady. Josslyn starts applauding and everyone else follows suit.

Kristina comes out of the hospital elevator and Blaze is there. Blaze asks, how’s her brother? and Kristina says, he’s good. Actually, he gets to come home today. Blaze says, that’s fantastic. She must be so relieved. Kristina says she is. Every day he’s awake and moving around, she feels a little bit better. Blaze says she bets. She was wondering if Kristina might have a minute. Kristina says, okay, and Blaze says she didn’t mean for Kristina to find out about the whole Deception/Crimson thing like that. She hopes Kristina didn’t think she was keeping it from her. Kristina says she really didn’t know what to think. She still doesn’t.

Cody puts Comet in his stall, when Sasha comes in. He says, Comet must have spring fever. He gave them both a workout. Where did she disappear to? She says she was up at the house. He left his phone on the table, and she answered a call from Olivia. He asks what she said, and Sasha tells him, Dante’s being released from the hospital today. He whoops and hugs her, lifting her in the air.

Tracy says she’s not depressed and doesn’t need a shrink, and Terry tells her, if you say so. Tracy says she leads a full life. She’s the head of a company. If she’s being honest, she’s the majority shareholder in a company that she wants to give to her granddaughter someday, but it keeps her very busy. Terry says she’s sure it does, and Tracy says, if she’s a little down or at loose ends sometimes, it’s because she lost her husband a little over two years ago and it’s grief, and it takes as long as it takes. Terry says, absolutely. There’s no buzzer that will ring and say, that’s it, you’re done. Tracy says, if there was, she’d ignore it. She’s doing this her way, and she doesn’t care what anybody else thinks. Terry says she knows Tracy’s family well enough to know her husband hasn’t been her only loss. Both her parents, her brother Alan – a legend here at GH – a nephew and a niece. Tracy says, that’s not unusual at her stage of life, but Terry says, that doesn’t make it easy. Her general health is good. All the numbers are in range. Maybe she needs to get out more, be a little more active. Tennis club, a women’s golf league… Tracy says, oh no. There will be no popping of my collar, thank you very much. Terry says, then something else, anything, to keep her body moving and get her interacting with people of similar interests. Tracy says she’ll keep it in mind. How’s that? Terry says she’ll take it, and leaves.

Portia tells the guard outside Heather’s room that she needs him inside, and he asks if there’s a problem. She says, the patient’s restraints are loose, and she needs to be supervised at all times. She calls Nurse Erin to come in and help tighten the patient’s restraints, and Erin does. Heather says, there you go – she shows Portia the restraints are on – and she’s not going to say thank you. Though these are more comfortable than handcuffs. (They also seem to be Velcro, so…)

Felicia says, it’s so good to see Curtis. Not only up and about, but on his feet. That must be a record. Trina says, he’s been working at it non-stop, and Felicia says, it shows. Curtis thanks her so much. He didn’t think going out for a bite to eat would call for a hero’s welcome. Trina says, a lot of people were worried about him. They’re allowed to be happy about his recovery. He says, on the road to recovery, and Felicia says, in the fast lane it looks like. Curtis says he’ll accept he applause and the encouragement, and Trina says, thank you. Felicia says she’s got to get back to the hospital, and tells Curtis, keep up the good, and what she’s sure is very hard, work. He thanks her, and Felicia leaves. He says, not exactly lowkey, and Trina says, there’s nothing lowkey about this. He didn’t just beat the odds; he defied them. She’s so proud of him.

Cody says, sorry about the sweat, and Sasha says, no problem. He says, Dante is coming home. That guy. They all thought he wasn’t going to make it, and he probably set a record for getting released from the hospital the fastest. She says, he’s pretty amazing, and Cody asks if Olivia said anything else. Sasha says, she did actually. She wanted to bring some food over to Dante’s because Sam won’t have time to cook. Olivia asked her to get her chicken parm started, but unfortunately, the chicken is spoiled. He asks if she’s sure, and she says, trust her. It won’t be much of a welcome home if Dante, Sam, and the kids all get food poisoning. (Been there, done that, did not like the T-shirt.) She’s going to go back to the house and look in the fridge. She’s sure she can figure something out. He says, she’s a good friend, and she says, it’s the least she can do since Dante helped him rescue her from Ferncliff. He says, she has every right to appreciate it, but he was actually talking about himself. Dante’s his best friend. She’s doing this for Dante, and he appreciates it. He appreciates her. She says she appreciates him too.

Terry goes into her office and says, sorry to keep them waiting. Alexis says, don’t apologize, and Laura says, they know how busy she is. Terry says, unlike Laura, who gets to relax all day, every day, and Laura says, relax? What’s that? Terry says, Portia is doing rounds, so she’s all Laura is going to get. Laura says, which is fine, since she only needs one Chief of Staff to sign off. She hands Terry a manila envelope and Terry takes out some paperwork. She asks what she’s looking at here, and Laura says, it’s a contract that would put city employees on GH’s health plan. Terry says, that’s great, and Laura says she thinks so. Alexis says, what their illustrious mayor is leaving out is that this was a culmination of her efforts. Terry asks how she pulled this off, and Laura says, there was a little bit of arm twisting involved, but she happens to believe city employees deserve access to the best possible health care. After all, they’re the ones who keep the city running, so they deserve it. Terry says, not every politician would make that a priority.

Doc goes in to see Heather, and she says, you again. He says he can come back if she’s not up to talking, but she says, it’s all right. She’s just not really sure where all these conversations are leading, except back to a prison cell. He says, all right. Does she know where she is? She says, he needs new material. She’s in the hospital. He says he means specifically, and she says, General Hospital, in good old Port Charles, New York. He asks if she knows what day it is, and she says she wishes. This place is like a casino. No clocks, the lights are on all the time… It’s like she’s a slot machine and he’s a five-card stud. See what she did there? He says, very clever, and she says she knows everybody thinks she’s dumb, but it’s not true. All the horrible things she did weren’t because of stupidity. It was more like… She doesn’t really know how to describe it. He says, try, and she says, it was like her blood was on fire, and the only way to put out that fire was to do something crazy. He says, or highly illegal, and she says, that too. She’s glad her hip’s better. He says, she must be in much less pain, and she says, it’s not just that. Now when they throw her back in the slammer, at least she’ll be able to pace the yard. It’s the small things, doc.

Josslyn says, PCU keeps bugging her about finding a new roommate, but she’s holding out hope, and Trina says she still doesn’t know what she’s going to do about the fall. The Sorbonne is holding a spot for her, but she can’t even think about going back to Paris. She’s not sure if she wants to go back to PCU either. Curtis says, luckily, she still has time to decide, and Josslyn says she can hold out on housing for as long as necessary. Trina thanks her, and Josslyn says, of course (🍷). Anything for her. Curtis says, that’s a real friend, when Dex walks in and sits at a table.

Curtis takes off his shirt (the new Nathan) and tells Comet, let’s get dry. He begins wiping Comet down, when Tracy comes in. She clears her throat, and he says, Matriarch Quartermaine. She says, hard note of that taken, and he says, okey-dokey. What should he call her now? She says she told him, Tracy. Can she have a word? He says, sure, and she says, clothed? He says, sorry about that, and puts on another shirt. He asks how he can help her, and she says she was speaking with someone earlier today and was reminded that she really enjoyed riding. So now that spring has sprung… He says, she really wants to get back up on that horse, and she says she hasn’t actually ridden any of the horses they have now, so she wants one with a sweet temper and an easy gait. He says, don’t we all? and she says, why doesn’t he make himself useful and help her make a selection. He says, follow him, and they go in the back to the stalls.

Trina asks if Josslyn is going to go talk to Dex, but Josslyn says, no, and she doesn’t intend to wait on him either. Curtis says he’s been out of the PI game for a minute and he’s guessing she and Dex aren’t together anymore. Trina says, very astute, and he asks what Josslyn thinks her grandmother would say. Josslyn says, about her relationship status? and Curtis says, Kelly’s, now Bobbie’s, has always been a place where everyone felt welcome. Does she think Bobbie would want a customer ignored? Josslyn says, that’s not fair, but Trina says, he’s not wrong. Curtis says, it is the hospitality business, right? and Josslyn says she’ll ask Hunter to wait on him. She’s the new manager.

Blaze and Kristina sit on a bench and Blaze says she’s sorry the first Kristina heard of her deal with Deception was in an office with Maxie and Nina. Kristina says, it caught her off-guard. She assumed if Blaze had something that big coming up, she would have told her. Blaze says she would have. She should have. But the first time she was approached by the Deception team, nothing came of it. So she didn’t say anything because she thought nothing was going to happen this time either. Then all of a sudden, it was done before she even had time to wrap her head around it. She swears she wasn’t keeping it a secret from Kristina. Kristina says she gets it. The whole thing just blindsided her, but this is very cool for Blaze. She thinks it’s great. It’s really going to broaden Blaze’s demographic. Blaze says she just hopes raising her profile will help her music career, and Kristina says, why wouldn’t it? Blaze says she doesn’t know. It’s a bumpy ride getting there, but the music world, she understands. The fashion and beauty world is a big unknown. Kristina says, fortunately, Blaze has Maxie. There is no one better than her. She’s savvy and she’s chic. She’s also so human. Blaze says, Maxie’s great. What she’s not so sure of is herself. She’s not sure she’ll fit in with what people consider hot or pretty or trendy. Kristina says, she’s beautiful, she’s hot, and she’s trendy. But who cares? That could change in the morning. Blaze says she guesses she’ll find out. But for now, her mom thinks it’s smart to keep her private life private. Is that going to be a problem for them?

Terry signs the document and says, it’s official. She tells Laura, congratulations, and thanks her. Laura says, it’s her pleasure, and Alexis says, since she’s covering this for The Invader, does Terry have any comments? Terry says, public relations isn’t really her strong suit. Can Alexis make something up? Alexis says, funny Terry should ask, because she’s already drafted something up. She takes a paper out of her bag, and says, concise and to the point, handing it to Terry. Terry looks it over, and says, on second thought, maybe she should have their public relations office come up with something.

Doc tells Heather, let’s pretend the restraints don’t exist, and she says, you mean these guys? holding up her hands. He says, and the doctors and the warden have told her that she’s free to go wherever she wants, do whatever she wants. What would that look like? She says she thinks about that all the time, but it’s not what he’d expect. He says, try him, and she says, okay. The first thing she’d do is put flowers on her daughter’s grave. Then she’d remember her daughter’s not in it. So she’d go and take those same flowers to the woman whose husband she killed, the one who’s really beautiful. He says, Sasha Corbin, and she says, yeah. And she’d give them to her instead. And then, if his brother had a will and left her something in it, which – spoiler alert – he didn’t… Doc says, let’s say he did, and she says, then she’d buy a tiny, little house with a yard where her grandson could play. She’d even get one of those playgrounds, the simple kind with the swing and slide and monkey bars. She cries and says, but what good is it to torture herself with things that are impossible? She sinks back down into the bed and says she’s sorry, but he says, no. That’s enough for today. He’ll be back.

Josslyn says, what do you want? and Dex asks if that’s how she talks to all the customers, or is he just lucky? She says, what would you like today, sir? and he says, a lot of things he knows he can’t have, so he’ll settle for a coffee and a grilled cheese, please. She says, coming right up.

Doc tells Portia that he was just in with Heather Webber, and she says, her apologies for that. He says he sees a change in her since her surgery. The difference is, to be honest, quite striking. She says, a difference in Heather? Maybe he should try telling someone who didn’t just almost lose their daughter to that madwoman.

Tracy says, so she plans on riding a few times a week, and Cody says, she won’t regret it. She says, her thighs might, but he says, she’ll be in riding shape in no time. She says, that’s it? He’s not going to try and discourage her? Tell her that she’s too old or fragile; she might break a hip? He says he’s been around long enough to know Tracy Quartermaine’s a lot of things, but fragile ain’t one of them. She says she’s glad he’s paying attention, when Sasha comes back. She says she’s not used to seeing Tracy at the stables, and Cody says, she’d better get used to it. Tracy says, Sasha has to listen to the man. She plans on getting back in the saddle. Pun intended. Sasha says, good for her, and Tracy asks if this is where she’s been spending her time. Sasha says she likes horses, so she asked Cody to put her to work, and Tracy says she’d rather be here too. She’s sorry things didn’t work out between Sasha and Deception. Sasha thanks her and says she really appreciates Tracy going to bat for her. She hopes she didn’t seem ungrateful. She just realized that she didn’t want to spend her days getting her picture taken. Tracy says, that’s definitely Sasha’s prerogative and she gives Sasha credit for making that decision and not going along with what everybody else wants. She tells Cody, see him soon, and he says, adios. Tracy leaves, and he says, that Tracy, all bark, no bite. Sasha gives him a look, and he says, plenty of bite, but she does have her moments. Sasha says, that, she does.

Curtis tells Trina, when he was sitting in that wheelchair, he felt so hopeless. He knew he wasn’t the man he was before, and society didn’t help either. Trina asks what he means, and he says he got to know what it’s like to be disabled in this world. Even if it was unintentional, you get the elbows to the face. You get drinks spilled in your lap, even at his own club. The disrespect was real. She says she’s so sorry he had to go through all that, but he says he’s not. It was a wake-up call. It made him realize that he’s always going to be him. Always, no matter whether he’s seated or he’s standing or somewhere in between. And no one should be made to feel small. No one.

Doc sees Laura with Alexis and says, wife. She says, husband, taking his hands, and he asks what this dynamic duo is up to. Alexis says, he’ll read about it tomorrow in The Invader. Or possibly the next day, depending on how fast the hospital’s PR department can draft an appropriate comment. Laura laughs, and he says, so the contracts are signed. Laura says, they’re signed, sealed, and delivered. From now on, the city employees will have access to GH’s health plan. He tells her, congratulations. He knows the work she put in to make this happen. She says she has to admit, it feels really good, and he asks if she’s headed home or back to city hall. She says, actually, she thought since she’s at the hospital, she should visit Heather. Sort of fulfill her Webber family duties. He says, she’s too good, and she says, she is, isn’t she? He suggests she meet him after, and she says she will. She heads for Heather’s room, and Alexis says, have a good one, but Doc asks if she has a moment. He was wondering if he could run something by her just to get a legal opinion. She says, he knows that she can’t advise him legally. However, she can speak to him as a friend who’s read a few books. He says, fair enough. So hypothetically, let’s say someone has been convicted of horrible, heinous crimes, but we’ve since learned there were mitigating circumstances. Something that wasn’t known during the trial. Not because someone hid it, but because no one knew it existed. She says, he’s talking about Heather Webber, and Portia watches from the reception desk.

Josslyn refills Dex’s coffee and he thanks her. She asks if he’s looking at an employment packet and he says he is. She says she didn’t realize they had employment agencies for bodyguards, and he says he’s trying out a new line of work. She picks up the top page and looks at it. She says, he’s working for the Port Charles Police Department?

Cody finds Sasha with Comet and says he was just reminded of their first photo shoot. Remember? She says, how could she forget? She had the most handsome co-model… the alpaca of course (🍷). Cody says, yeah, he was adorable, when Olivia comes in with a tray of food. Cody says, Mama Q, what’s good? and she asks, what is this? Sasha says, it’s shepherd’s pie; the chicken was bad. Olivia says she knows what it is, but who made it? Where did it come from?

Josslyn says, sorry, it’s just… Dex says, Josslyn Jax, at a loss for words, and she says, this is crazy. He’s going to go from working for Sonny to working for the police? He says, quite a leap, and she says, it’s reckless and stupid. He says, she’s assuming they’ll turn him down, but Anna actually invited him to apply. They’ll accept his military service in place of a college degree. All he has to do is take the test, but who knows? Maybe he’ll fail it. She says, he’s not going to fail the test. He can’t possibly think this is a good idea. He says, why not? and she says, because it makes him even more of a target for Sonny. He says, we can’t all be doctors… What’s that look? Something wrong at school?

Trina picks at her food, and Curtis says, not hungry? She says her appetite’s been pretty weak these days. Besides, it’s this place as well. He says he thought she liked the food here, and she says she does. The food’s amazing. She just doesn’t come here as much, since… He says, right. She and Spencer used to come here a lot. She says, it does sound ridiculous. She can’t even have lunch with her own dad like a normal person. He says, she doesn’t sound ridiculous. She sounds like someone whose heart’s been broken.

Kristina says, as long as she and Blaze can be their authentic selves, be who they are with their friends and family, that’s enough for her. Blaze asks if she’s sure. All she’s done so far with Deception is sign a contract. She can pull out of the deal. Kristina says, Blaze would blow up this deal for her? and Blaze says, that’s the least of what she’d do for Kristina, but Kristina says, no. This could be huge for her career. Blaze says, don’t get her wrong. She wants to be successful, but she also wants to be happy. And Kristina makes her happy.

Laura says she’s sorry she hasn’t come to visit more often, and Heather asks, why would she? Laura’s the mayor; she’s a convict. Laura’s got a city to run and she… doesn’t. Laura says, technically, they’re family. They’re connected through their grandson. Heather says, speaking of. Is he going to be calling Laura mom or grandma, now that she and Doc have adopted him? Laura says she hasn’t really thought about that one yet, but she thinks she has a little bit of time before she crosses that bridge. Heather wonders what his first words will be. She used to wonder that about Esme too. Laura says, Heather is looking really well. How is she feeling? Heather says she’s not in nearly as much pain, and Laura says, good. Heather says, from her hip anyway, and Laura asks if something else is bothering her. Heather says, not physically. But she can’t stop thinking about the disaster that is her life. What has she done? Laura takes her hand.

Alexis says, cobalt poisoning from and artificial hip, and Doc says he knows it sounds like fiction, but it’s real. The official name is metallosis. She says, there is legal recourse. It’s called post-conviction relief. Some say it can be abused, and she knows the governor has tightened up some loopholes over the year. So, in the event of, say, a forced confession, or a coerced guilty plea, suppressed evidence, or evidence that hasn’t been discovered until after the fact, yes, the case can be reopened. He says, so it’s a possibility, and she says, a real one. Eavesdropping from afar, Portia flies down from the desk, and says, please, please tell her they’re not considering letting Heather Webber skate.

Trina says she misses Spencer all the time, but it’s worse in places they used to be together, especially here. And it seems normal. Like in an instant – a literal split second – she’ll forget, and the door will open. She’ll look up, thinking he’s going to be there. Then he’s not. Curtis says he knows their situations are different, but she knows how he had to learn to walk again? She’s going to have to do something similar. She says, how? and he says, it’s going to take patience, grace… It’s definitely going to take time, but broken hearts, like broken bones, do mend themselves together again. Maybe not as strong as they once were in some ways, but miraculously stronger in others. She says she so wants to believe him, and he says, that’s all right. He has enough faith for both of them. She will love again, and she will be loved again, and he can say that with utmost certainty. She tells him that he has to say that, he’s her dad, but he says, no. Because there’s no one on this planet more deserving of love than her.

Josslyn tells Dex, it’s fine. She’s just not sure pre-med is for her anymore. He says, since when? and she says she’s been rethinking a lot of her decisions lately. He says, she told him she wanted to be a healer, that’s all, and she says, you can heal the world in plenty of other ways. Look at what pre-med did to Adam. He says, she’s not Adam, and she says she also sees how hard Trina’s mom works. And the patients aren’t always grateful or even good people. He says, patients like Cyrus Renault? and she picks up the coffee pot and leaves.

Sasha says she used the vegetables and potatoes Olivia had already prepped and found some ground beef in the fridge. She hopes that was okay. Olivia says, okay? and Cody says he can’t tell. Did that mean okay or not okay? Olivia says, it’s amazing, and Cody says, it meant okay. Sasha says, really? and Olivia says, absolutely. It’s delicious. Sam, Dante, and the kids are going to be so psyched. A, to have a homecooked meal, and B, it’s not one of her standard recipes, which she’s sure they’re sick of. Cody says, it does smell good, and Sasha says, Brando always liked it. (So do I. Stop talking about it.) Olivia says, how could he not? and thanks Sasha. Sasha says she’s glad to help, and Olivia says she’ll deliver this and make sure Sasha gets the credit. She’ll see them later. She leaves, and Cody says, wow. Sasha is just racking up the hidden talents. She has selling beauty products, ax throwing, shoveling horse manure. Now she has chef extraordinaire. What’s next? Sasha says she’s no slouch at curling or ice fishing either. He says, this he’s got to see, and she says, stick around and he just might.

Tracy walks into the nook and sees a paper bag on the counter. She slides out a birthday cake that says Birthday girl on it, and says, oh good Lord. She leaves the cake on the counter and walks out.

Trina asks if Curtis is ready, and he says, let’s do this. She helps him walk to the door, and says, he’s cool. He says he’s got this.

Josslyn plops Dex’s grilled cheese and fries on the table. The sandwich is burned and looks like there’s not much cheese in it. She probably spit in the fries. She says, anything else? and he says, nope. Looks great. He picks up the sandwich and takes a bite. (I laugh at how he’s just ignoring it.)

Portia says, this is insane. Doc has to know this. Laura approaches, and Doc says, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Just listen… Portia says she’s listening to everything they’re saying. It makes no sense. Laura wonders what she’s interrupting and asks if everything is okay. Doc says, everything is fine. Really. How was her visit with Heather? Laura says, actually it was surprisingly calm and uneventful. Has Portia noticed a change in Heather? She would love to get her thoughts about Heather’s progress. Portia says, Laura wants her thoughts on Heather Webber? Let her see. Don’t try to sell her on this. Poor, misunderstood Heather Webber? That woman is a murderer. She pulled one over on everyone and they’re going to let her do it again? Alexis says, of course (🍷) this is very personal to Portia… and Portia says, of course (🍷) it’s personal for her. Alexis says, Doc was just asking her if there was any legitimate legal reason… Portia says, no, no, no. She doesn’t want to hear it. She doesn’t want to hear any of that, especially from Alexis, considering she doesn’t practice law anymore. And after this, she thinks she’s seeing why. Alexis says, don’t hold back, and Portia says she won’t. She doesn’t care how nice or how changed or how victimized Heather seems to be to them. How much time has Laura actually spent with her? How much time has she actually spent with that woman? A moment here, a moment there? Why doesn’t Laura try being her or a member of her staff who actually had to deal with her unhinged madness 24/7? And just so they know, this doesn’t even touch on the pain she’s caused Portia’s family and countless other families. So if they want to bring her case in front of a judge and jury, she wants them to do it. Because she’ll fight it. She’ll fight them with every breath that is in her body.

Tomorrow, Carly tells Josslyn that only she knows the answer to that; Anna says she’ll consider it if Brennan gives her something in return; John says, Drew can be sent back to Pentenville; Dante asks if Sam thinks she might have made a mistake; and Sonny wonders if he can ask Natalia something she may not like.

💎 Not So Divine…

Maybe she better watch the show first.

Bette Midler Wants To Join The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

What if she does it for scale?

Andy Cohen Reacts to Bette Midler’s RHOBH Dreams

🛟 Primary In Her Own Mind…

About that freeloader Jill.

‘RHONY’ Alum Jill Zarin Gets Called a ‘Freeloading Guest’ on ‘Below Deck’

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-13265725/rhony-jill-zarin-deck-worst-guest.html

Cry me a river.

RHONY’s Jill Zarin Seemingly Responds to ‘Below Deck’ Criticism

🔪 No Croquettes For You…

The latest in Chefs.

https://people.com/top-chef-recap-episode-3-buddha-lo-calls-out-chefs-for-all-making-croquettes-8624513

🚣‍♂️ Don’t Go In the House…

I thought Kyle got rid of the mullet. It looks like it’s creeping back in. I actually didn’t watch much of this because A, I just can’t, and B, there was a great documentary on VICE about the early Real World shows. When it was an actual show and not just drunken hot tub sex.

https://people.com/summer-house-recap-lindsay-hubbard-didnt-want-kyle-cooke-as-a-groomsman-wedding-to-carl-radke-8624898

Summer House Season 8, Episode 7 Recap: ‘He Will Throw Petals as I Walk Down the Aisle’

What I really don’t get are the spin-off people. Didn’t they see the show before signing up? Do they really want to be playing beer pong into middle age?

Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard Season 2, Episode 2 Recap: He’s Just on My Body

🦝 Will Work For Scraps…

It would have been nice to hear how these people came to have a raccoon as a pet. My chihuahua El Wray would be a shoo-in if he didn’t growl at everything bigger than him. Which is most of the world.

https://people.com/florida-rescue-raccoon-louie-wins-cadburys-annual-easter-photo-contest-8621406

🐈 Nervous As a Cat In a Room Full Of Big Dog Breeds…

Slide into my blog tomorrow for soap and mix of amusing diversions. Until then, stay safe; stay minding your CC’s and BCC’s, and don’t always reply to all; and stay remembering that no one should be made to feel small. No one.

May7

May 6, 2022 – Nina Declares War, Memories, Congrats, Nominations, Choosing Sides, Weigh-In, Blacklisted, Off-Road Rage, Disrespect, Men Of the North, Five Solid Quotes & Told Me

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone, Sonny tells Brick that he got the latest report on the west coast competition, while I try to figure out what on earth is that sculpture or taxidermy or both in his office. What is that??? There’s knock at the door, and Frank brings in Dex. Sonny tells Brick, something just came up, but he’ll get the report to him. He says, Dex doesn’t waste any time; he just saw Dex this morning. Dex says, Sonny told him there might be more work for him, so why wait? Sonny tells Frank that he can go, and Dex says he brought his resumé. Sonny takes it, and tears it up.

In an exam room, Brando wonders, where’s TJ? and tells Sasha, they should have the results of the CT scan by now. She says, maybe he got caught up with another patient. She’s sure the CT will be fine. All she has is a headache and some jangled nerves. They shouldn’t even have bothered him. Brando says, she had a major shock last night. He’s tracking TJ down. He leaves, and Sasha’s hand shakes as she holds a cup of water. TJ comes in, and says he’s sorry it took so long; there’s a back-up in radiology. Her CT looked fine, but does she want something for the headaches?

At the MetroCourt Garden, Gladys looks at the memory card, and flashes back to Sasha trying to escape the photographer. Valentin asks if he can be of some assistance.

Curtis sees Jordan at the hospital and asks if she’s okay. She says she’s fine; she passed her latest check-up with flying colors. He asks, what’s with the concerned expression? and she says she’s following up on the Harmony Miller case. What about him? He says he was hoping to speak with TJ, but he’s been working these 24 hour shifts, and it’s been hard to get ahold of him. Jordan tells him, one thing you can say about her son, he’s no slacker, and Curtis agrees. She asks what he wants to talk to TJ about… Sorry, none of her business. Old habits die hard.

Nina peeks in the window of the nail salon, then goes inside. The receptionist asks if she can help, but Nina says she sees who she’s looking for. She whips the towel off of Scotty’s face, and asks the technician to give them a second. He says, if Nina is looking for a manicure, Veronica is her girl, but if she’s looking for her attorney, he’s busy. She says, too bad. She needs his full and complete attention, and she needs it now.

Willow says, that’s not true, and Dante says, he’s sorry, but the evidence they have that says she’s not Harmony’s biological daughter is from Dr. Byrne’s notes; what’s left of them anyway. Michael says, what’s left? and Carly says, Harmony burned most of them. She found the remaining sheets in a folder Harmony missed. Dante says, what they have are partial notes from Dr. Byrne’s therapy sessions with Harmony, and Michael says, if it’s only a partial record, maybe he misunderstood Dr. Byrne’s notes. Carly says, Harmony said Willow wasn’t her biological daughter, and Michael says, that would explain why she attacked Carly and Alexis. So no one else would know the truth. Dante says he’s sorry. He knows Willow has questions, and the PCPD will do their best to give her answers. Willow says, it’s a lie.

Sonny says he can’t rely on resumés. Chet already said all kinds of nice things about Dex, and he already knows Dex can handle himself by the way he handled those fighters that were supposed to be sparring, but ended up fighting. Dex asks if that means he has a job, but Sonny says he has to get to know Dex better before he decides if Dex is the right fit for one of his businesses. Dex says, coffee, import/export, and Sonny says, the most important thing is trust, especially in his business. He has to know if he can trust Dex. If that’s a problem, they stop right now. I’m starting to think Sonny really does deal in coffee, since we don’t see him deal in anything else really.

TJ tells Sasha, they’ll start with an over the counter, non-habit forming medication, and that should take care of the headaches. If it doesn’t work, he’ll prescribe something stronger. Brando walks in, and looks at the prescription in Sasha’s hand.

Gladys says, it’s been a while, and Valentin says, it has, sitting down. He says, he was about to leave, when he saw her sitting there staring at that memory card. He takes it out of her hand, and slides her laptop over. He asks if she wants him to open the files, but she says she can handle it. He says, what have we here? He looks at a picture of Sasha, and says, it’s the Face of Deception.

Jordan says, if she sees TJ, she’ll tell him that Curtis is looking for him. He says, wait. It’s about Marshall. She says, what about him? and he says, TJ likes the guy, and wants to know his grandfather. She says, TJ has a big heart, and he’s very forgiving. Marshall’s absence for all these years hasn’t hurt him the way it has Curtis. He says, still, there are some things TJ’s entitled to know, and she says, such as? He says, such as who and what Marshall really is.

Scotty tells Nina, for cryin’ out loud, get lost, but she says she’s not getting lost. He’s supposed to be preparing to help her fight to be in her grandson’s life, not getting a manicure. He says, judges like well-manicured lawyers. Not to mention, her Aunt Liesl likes it when his nails are clipped and polished, and ready for action. She says, the state of his cuticles isn’t a high priority right now, since she got an advance copy of the five-part series The Invader is going to run. He says he got it too, and she asks why he’s so calm. They’re trying to sabotage her, even before she sets foot in a courtroom. He says, who’s they? and she says, Michael and Willow, who else?

Michael tells Willow, it’s a lot to process. Dante can come back later. She says, Neil Byrne? He lost his medical license. He was a drug addict. Who’s to say he didn’t make up lies about her mother to feed his own fantasy; blaming her for an imaginary adoption? The man was obviously delusional. Dante tells her, as he said, the PCPD is not going to accept anything without further proof, but she has to ask herself, why would  Harmony kill her psychiatrist and his brother if not to keep her secret protected? Willow says she doesn’t know, but she does know her mother loved her. Maybe she wasn’t the best mom, but she loved Willow as only a mother can love her child, especially now, before she… Michael says, his mother told them Harmony admitted the truth to her; she wouldn’t lie. Carly sits with them, and tells Willow that Harmony said it to her again; to her and Alexis at Ring-Around-the-Rosie Point. That’s why she attacked them. She was so desperate to keep her secret, and when it started coming out, she just lost it. Michael says, maybe that’s what drove Harmony to the middle of the road without looking. She had hopes of finding Willow, telling Willow what she did, and seeking forgiveness. Nice move on Michael’s part, since that will probably make Willow feel guilty. Willow says, that’s what Carly was talking about in the chapel, and Carly says, she wanted to give Willow a little time. That’s why she didn’t tell Willow last night; she didn’t tell Michael either. Willow says she didn’t lose her mother last night. Harmony was never her mother in the first place. Wow. She got past denial quickly.

Dex says, Chet warned him that Sonny might tear the resumé up. He said Sonny plays by his own rules. Sonny says, Dex brought the resumé anyway, and Dex says, he’d rather be overprepared than show up lacking. Sonny says he likes Dex’s philosophy. If – and that’s a big if – he has room for Dex in one of his businesses, he needs to know Dex can take orders and follow them. No going rogue, and never think he knows better than Sonny. Are they clear? Dex says, crystal. He just needs a chance to prove himself. Sonny asks what Dex thinks they’re doing. He knows Dex is tough; Dex already proved that this morning. But tough can only get you so far. Smart is the better way.

Brando asks if Sasha is okay, and TJ says, the CT didn’t show any serious injury, but here’s no need for Sasha to live with residual pain. He recommended a painkiller. Sasha says, over the counter, not habit forming, and Brando thanks TJ. TJ says, anytime, and Sasha says she’d love to freshen up before she goes to work as the Face of Deception. She thanks TJ, and he leaves. Brando says, pick her up later? and she says, of course (🍷). He leaves, and she dumps her bag out on the counter. The photographer walks in, and she asks what the hell he’s doing here. He says he saw her doctor and husband leave, and thought he should check up on her. Missing something? He knows just how she feels.

Valentin says he didn’t think Sasha was capable of taking a bad picture, and Gladys says, it’s not Sasha. It’s the paparazzo who wouldn’t leave her alone. He asks how she got her hands on his photos, and she says, how does he think? He says, these were taken last night; he assumes before Harmony got hit with Sasha’s car. Gladys says, it was an accident, and he says he knows that, and she knows that, but in the wrong hands, these photos tell a decidedly different story. He shows her the photo where Sasha is picking up her pills.

Jordan says she thought Curtis made peace with Marshall’s past, but he says, easier said than done. After she refused to dig up his father’s sealed arrest records… She says she gave him a good reason for that, and he says, he understood. He wasn’t happy about it, but he realized he was putting her in an impossible situation. She says, so he found someone else to help, and he says, certain information came his way. She asks, what kind? and he says, the kind she wouldn’t release to him. She asks how he managed that when she said no.

Scotty says, Nina’s case will be decided in court, not on the pages of The Invader. So he suggests she chill out and get herself a manicure. She says, the byline belongs to Grant Smoltz, and he’s painting her to be this vengeful homewrecking vixen out to get Wiley’s other grandmother, Saint Carly. He says, there’s nothing he can do about Schmaltz and his slander, because everything he said was public record. She asks if he doesn’t think the judge is going to read that, and deny her petition for visitation. Out of the two grandmothers, who does Scotty think the judge is going to have more sympathy for? He says, there are two grandmothers involved, and one just died. Compared to Harmony, Nina is Mother Teresa. She asks what he’s thinking, and he says, Harmony Miller is the suspect in two murders. She just assaulted Carly and Alexis, and she’s dead. He’s sure Willow is all over the map right now, and so is Michael. Nina says, and…? and Scotty says, they go to Michael and Willow’s barracuda lawyer, and say it will behoove them to drop this whole Invader thing; they go to court, and let the judge decide whose behavior is better, Nina’s or a double murderer’s. Diane has walked in, and says, nice try, but on behalf of her clients, they’ll see them in court.

Willow says, it makes a scary kind of sense; it explains so much. Harmony isn’t her biological mother. Is that why Harmony couldn’t find her birth certificate; there’s no official record? Dante says, according to Alexis, that birth certificate never did exist. The one Willow got from Harmony was forged. Carly says, when Willow was a baby, Harmony took her from someone else, and claimed Willow as her own. Willow says, she was kidnapped? Oh my God. What else doesn’t she know? Michael asks if she wants a break, but she says, they can’t stop now. Everything she ever thought about her childhood is a lie, and she has to know the truth.

Dex tells Sonny, he never went to college, but he served two tours. He’s seen combat, and can handle himself under pressure when everything’s on the line. Sonny says, he appreciates the ability to handle trouble, but doesn’t want his employees looking for trouble. Dex says he kept his nose clean at the gym, and only mixed it up when he had to, and Sonny says, Chet told him. Dex says, if you keep your cool, you don’t have to mix it up. If there’s no choice, he acts quickly, and makes sure he’s the last man standing. Sonny says he likes Dex’s attitude, but attitude will only get you so far. Sooner or later, you have to back it up.

Sasha says, get out, and the photographer asks if she’s going to scream for help, or scream for one of those pills she was going to pop before he took her picture? She says, those pills are for migraines, like the one he gave her when he wouldn’t leave her alone. He says, those capsules are distinctive, and they’re not for migraines. They’re not pillow mints either. She says, if he hadn’t chased after her, she… He says, she wouldn’t have turned Harmony Miller into roadkill? She says, he’s disgusting. She hadn’t taken anything. He says, only because he surprised her. Far be it for him to spoil the Face of Deception. He just wants his memory card. Those pictures are his bread and butter. She says, hers too, and he says, then he’ll delete the ones he has of her and the pills. He’ll even forget what he saw. She asks how she’s supposed to believe him, and he says, believe this. He has connections. He can get what she needs. He sends her his number, and tells her to give him a call; sooner rather than later. It’ll be their little secret.

Gladys closes the laptop, and tells Valentin, her daughter-in-law is grieving the loss of her baby. The doctor prescribed some medication to help her cope. He says she has his sympathies. The loss of her child is tragic, but Sasha has a public history of drug abuse, covered on Good Morning America no less. A photo with her and medication would cause red flags. She’s his business partner, the face of the company, and the brand ambassador, so she represents a huge part of his investment. Gladys says she couldn’t trust Sasha more if she were her own flesh and blood daughter. Now if he’ll excuse her… She goes to another table.

Jordan asks how Curtis got his hands on his father’s sealed arrest record, but then says, never mind. She won’t force him to tell her the truth, or compel him to lie; both are bad. He says she seems to care more about how he found out than what he found out, and she says, dammit. She cares about him.

Nina asks Diane to just listen, but Scotty tells her, quiet. He tells Diane, he knows her BFF’s roommate just died under mysterious circumstances… Diane says she thinks he means Alexis’s houseguest, not roommate, Harmony Miller. He says, aka Willow Tate’s mommy. If they want to play hardball, he’ll make sure the judge knows that one of the grandmas is a murderer. Diane tells him, knock himself out. Harmony Miller wasn’t biologically related to Wiley, therefore has no standing; therefore it’s a non-starter. She’s a little surprised at how fuzzy he is as counselor for the petitioner on this particular legal question. The only reason his client has any standing to bring a petition is because the biological grandmother, and the biological mother, convicted kidnapper and murderer Nelle Benson, is dead. But her clients are well within their rights to argue against the petition. And if Nina cares about this little boy like she says she does, she’ll drop the claim before The Invader article goes national.

Willow says, Carly was with her mother just before she died. Did Harmony tell her why she lied about Willow being her child? Carly flashes back to Harmony asking her to protect Willow because Nina’s love will smother her, and her promising Harmony that Willow will be okay. Willow says, please. Her whole life just became one big question mark. Did her mom… Did Harmony tell her anything?

Dex says he wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t ready to prove Sonny can trust him. Sonny says, Dex’s service is impressive, and he saw what Dex could do at the gym, but there are other factors he needs to consider. Dex says, if Sonny hires him, Sonny will what he brings. There’s a knock at the door, and Frank lets Brando in. Brando says, Sonny is having a meeting; he’ll wait outside. Sonny says, the meeting is over, and introduces Brando to Dex. He tells Frank that Dex is going to have an espresso at the bar; he’s going to wait. Dex thanks Sonny, saying he appreciates Sonny’s time. He leaves, and Sonny tells Brando, close the door. He says he heard about the accident; how’s Sasha? Brando says, emotionally, she’s fine, but emotionally, she just… She just began to deal with losing Liam and then this happened. Sonny says, it’s tough, but Brando’s helping her cope, right? Brando says he’s trying. Sasha thinks she has to be strong for him, and he can’t get through her defenses. That’s why he’s here. He hopes Sonny knows what to do.

Sasha joins Gladys, and says she thought they were going to meet at the office. It’s a little early for happy hour; they’re still on the clock. She sees the memory card in Gladys’s hand, and says, she still has it. Gladys says she was thinking of flushing it down the toilet. Sasha flashes back to flushing her pills down the toilet, and says, don’t. Gladys says, why not? and Sasha says, because the jerk wants it back. Gladys says she bets he does. Give her one good reason to say yes.

Jordan says, she cares about Curtis, but it’s not like she has feelings for him that way, like she did when they were married. She loves him, but… feel free to help her out of the hole she’s digging here. He says he gets it. She doesn’t want him to get so caught up in Marshall’s past that he crosses the line. She says, if it happened, she wouldn’t be able to look the other way, and he says he wouldn’t ask her to. She says, as long as they’re clear, and he says, they are. She asks if it was worth whatever price he paid to find out what he wanted to know about Marshall, when TJ comes along, and says, Marshall? What about him?  

Nina tells Diane that she’s only doing this because she cares about Wiley. She’s not going to allow Wiley’s parents to deprive him of someone who loves him, and who he loves, especially now that Harmony is gone. Scotty says he’ll put it simply. If they go ahead with Smoltz’s hatchet job, it’s open season on Harmony. Diane says, and make Willow yet another innocent victim of Harmony? By all means, be her guest. Nina says, Willow is hardly an innocent victim. She refuses to stand up to Michael over and over again, and would cut Nina out of Wiley’s life without batting an eyelash. Diane says, perhaps Nina’s attorney neglected to tell her this – no surprise – but Michael and Willow are Wiley’s parents, and it’s their legal obligation, not to mention their moral and sacred duty to do what’s in the best interest for that child; while Nina has a documented and provable history of emotional and mental instability. If she’d like to avoid further embarrassment and public humiliation, withdraw that claim. Nina says, let her make this perfectly clear. If Michael and Willow insist on dragging her through the mud, she’ll return the favor, and drag them right along with her.  

Willow asks if there’s something her mom told Carly before she died; something she should know. Carly says, she thinks Dante’s right. There are a lot of questions that need to be answered. Dante says he’d like Willow to take a DNA  test; that way, they can rule out any blood relation to Harmony. Michael says, that makes sense, but Willow’s been through the wringer. Can’t it wait for a while? Dante says, it can, but if they want answers, the sooner Willow takes it, the better. Willow says, Michael is right. She needs time to digest everything she’s learned. Dante says he’ll check in tomorrow. He’s sorry to be the bearer of bad news. He leaves, and Carly says she’s going to take off too. Michael asks if she’s going to be okay, and she hugs him, saying, yeah. It’s been a crazy day. Stay strong for Willow. She hugs Willow, and says, the answers will come when she’s ready. She told Harmony that she would protect Willow, and she will. She leaves, and Willow wonders, protect her from what?

Dex tells Frank that he recognizes Brando from the gym. He’s Mr. Corinthos’s nephew? Frank says, cousin, and Dex says, Mr. Corinthos is famous for his coffee and his loyalty. He admires both.

Brando apologizes for imposing, but Sonny says, Brando can always come to him. Lesson number one. He’s family, and his troubles are Sonny’s troubles. Brando says, and vice versa. What’s lesson number two? Sonny says, when you love someone, don’t wait for them to come to you. Sasha’s in pain. Let her know he’s not scared; he’s not looking for a way out. Brando says, you take the good and the bad, just like he said in his marriage vows, and Sonny says, absolutely. Putting her first, Brando can’t go wrong. She’s going to say she’s okay, and Brando has to trust that and respect her, but if there are any warning signs, do not ignore that. Brando says, he’ll make sure Sasha knows that if she falls, he’ll catch her. Sonny says, if he does that, he can’t go wrong.

Sasha tells Gladys, the memory card has all the photographer’s photos on it, not just hers. Maybe if they give it back, he’ll leave them alone. Gladys says, as long as she has this card in her hand, they’re in the driver’s seat… pardon the expression. Gladys glances at Valentin, and says, Sasha makes her son happy, and what makes him happy, makes her happy. So if there’s something else interfering with Brando’s happiness, Gladys will protect her. Which means Sasha can trust her with anything. I’m wondering why they don’t just erase the incriminating photos and give the card back. Duh.

Jordan hugs TJ, and says, as much as she’d love to stay and chat, his uncle has something he wants to talk to him about. When was the last time he slept? He looks tired. He says he was all set to go home, Britt okayed it, and they got slammed, so he stayed. She says she admires his dedication, but don’t forget to take care of himself. He tells her that Britt just said the same thing, and Molly is board, and she says she needs to get back to her own job. She hugs him again, and leaves, and TJ asks what Curtis was saying about Marshall. Curtis says he ran into Jordan by accident, but he wanted to talk to TJ about his grandfather. TJ says, Curtis saved him a trip. There’s something he wants to show him.  

Jordan waits for the elevator, when Dante comes out. He says he just came from seeing Willow. He tried to break the news to her gently. Jordan asks if she agreed to give him a DNA sample to prove she’s not Harmony’s biological daughter, and he says, no; he got pushback from Michael. She says she doesn’t blame him. Willow needs time to grieve and process. Maybe they’ll be more open to it tomorrow. In the meantime, she has a more pressing job for him. He asks, what’s more pressing than proving Harmony wasn’t Willow’s biological mother? and she says, finding out who was.

Scotty says, he’s sure it’s not going to come down to mutually shared destruction, will it? but Diane says, if Nina wants to fight to the bitter end, so be it. She’ll find a new salon. Nina says, wait. Wiley needs all of his family, now more than ever. She understands Willow’s whole world was shattered, but don’t punish that little boy because of Willow’s pain. Diane says, Nina seems to think depriving Wiley of her presence would be a punishment; the court may not agree. She leaves, and Scotty tells Nina not to let Diane get to her. Nina says, he’s right. She’s the barracuda, but whatever Michael is paying her to drive Nina out of Wiley’s life, he’s wasting his money. Scotty says, it sounds to him like it’s all-out war, and she says, it is. He says, good. Then she’s changed her mind. She says, about what? and he says, Sonny. She’s got to let him put Sonny on the stand.  

Michael says, it sounds like Harmony wanted his mom to protect Willow from the truth about all the lines she crossed. Willow says, Harmony was probably delirious; most end-of-life patients are. She couldn’t prevent the truth from coming out. But now that she knows Harmony wasn’t her birth mother… Nanny Melanie comes in with Wiley, who runs to Willow. Melanie says, someone misses his mommy, and Willow says, not half as much as his mommy misses him.

On the phone with Martin, Valentin says he was hoping Drew would wait before showing an interest in ELQ. Martin’s girlfriend promised him her vote to support him as CEO, but her vote only counts as a tiebreak, so he’s afraid his days are numbered. Carly approaches, and says, bad news? and Valentin says, just business; nothing life threatening. He heard about Harmony Miller’s incident. He’s glad Carly wasn’t harmed. She thanks him, and he says he imagines Willow is badly shaken. She sits down, and asks why he would care about that.  He says, she was his daughter’s third grade teacher, and after a rocky start, Willow was actually good for Charlotte. Carly says, that doesn’t surprise her; Willow’s a wonderful person. He says, who is now grieving her mother, and facing a prolonged court battle with Nina, but it doesn’t have to be that way. She says, Nina got to him, and he says, imagine if they got their priorities straight. Carly could lead the way by making peace with Nina.

Brando asks if Sonny’s learned any more about the attempted robbery at Charlie’s, but Sonny says, that’s not Brando’s concern. Take care of Sasha, and he’ll take care of everything else. He glances at Dex.

Sasha thanks Gladys for looking out for her, but doesn’t she think returning the memory card would be a gesture of good faith? Maybe one day he’ll return the favor. She’s got to get back to work, and so should Gladys. Gladys says, after she finishes her drink, and Sasha leaves.

TJ comes back with the clarinet case, and Curtis says, isn’t that…? TJ says, Marshall’s? He knows. He opens it, and hands Curtis the note, saying, this is from him too. Curtis reads: I wanted to leave you a gift, but all I have to offer is this gift of music. Like you said about surgery, it’s part of one great unfinished symphony. Your loving grandfather. TJ asks if Curtis knows what it means, and Curtis says, it means TJ’s grandfather left town because of him.

Dante says, before he can find Willow’s birth mother, he needs to know more about Harmony, and Jordan tells him to start digging into Harmony’s background before she moved to Port Charles. Somewhere out there a mother’s missing her daughter.

Nina tells Scotty, nothing has change. Leave Sonny out of it, but Michael is fair game. He says, only Michael? and she says, and Willow. Willow has the keys to unlocking the door that’s blocking her access to her grandson. What is the saying? When someone looks too good to be true… He says, they’re usually not, and she says, there must be something about Willow that they can uncover. She wants him to keep digging until he finds it.

Carly asks Valentin, what is it about Nina that makes otherwise rational men come to her defense? He asks when the hurting stops. When do they stop attacking one another, and get on with their lives? She says, he should ask Nina that question. She kept Sonny from his family for nine months, and then she slept with him. Now she’s petitioning the court for visitation with Carly’s grandson. He says, Wiley is Nina’s grandson as well, and from her perspective, Carly cost her a daughter, so why don’t they just end this?

Wiley asks why Willow is crying. Does she have a boo-boo? Willow says, they’re happy tears, because she’s sitting here with him and his daddy, the two most important men in her life. Michael says he thinks Annabelle II misses Wiley, and suggests he go back to the house with Melanie, and he and mommy will meet him there soon. Wiley leaves with Melanie, and Willow says, Wiley is lucky. He’s young, and barely knew his Grandma Harmony. Whatever pain he feels at not seeing her will heal. Michael takes her hand, and says, and hers? She says she doesn’t know. She just keeps asking the same question. If Harmony isn’t her birth mother, who is?

On Monday, TJ asks Curtis if it was worth losing his father; Cameron tells Spencer that he needs to know the hell he’s been catching is worth it; Nina tells Ava, this time it’s on her orders; and Esme intends to be happy.

🧼 Soap From the Past…

Just for fun.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/photos/five-things-that-happened-may-6-in-soap-history2/

🌹 Brava…

This girl deserves an Emmy. It took guts to walk away from acting to pursue her education, and her Trina is very much missed.

Sydney Mikyalya Reacts to Her Daytime Emmy Award Nomination!

🏆 For Outstanding Work…

The Daytime Emmy nominations.

https://tvline.com/lists/daytime-emmys-nominations-list-2022/

👏🏻 Kudos To Herself…

Crystal gives herself another pat on the back.

https://pagesix.com/2022/05/05/crystal-kung-minkoff-on-siding-with-erika-jaynes-alleged-victims/

💎 Weighty Opinions…

Maybe Crystal is supportive, but I have the feeling she’d go to the opening of an envelope.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1329680/rhobhs-sutton-crystal-weigh-in-on-erika-jaynes-disrespectful-behavior-amid-garcelle-feud

🍑 Sigh…

Far be it for me to say how she feels, not having walked in her shoes, but it’s the timing. And this: She also curiously noted — despite saying minutes earlier that she had been blacklisted — that she had many opportunities to have her own show but that she never wanted one.

https://pagesix.com/2022/05/03/nene-leakes-claims-shes-lawsuit/

🚗 She Liked One Of My Tweets Once…

I’m sure Danielle is no prize, but this dude sounds like he’s short a few marbles. And for New Jersey, the both of them are parked perfectly.

https://pagesix.com/2022/05/05/danielle-staub-gets-into-fight-with-tiktoker-over-bad-parking/

🙋🏻‍♂️ Slam It…

I sometimes wonder how the rest of the family feels, since I think there’s like a million of them. Frankly, I think Melissa dodged a bullet, and Joe #2 should walk away from his mess of a sister. She’s nasty, she did it on purpose to be hurtful, disown the witch.

Joe Gorga Slams Teresa Giudice As “Disrespectful” For Not Including Melissa Gorga In Her Upcoming Wedding

👑 The North Is Coming…

Wow. That’s quite a big guy throwdown.

https://comicbook.com/movies/news/the-northman-pits-alexander-skarsgard-against-game-of-thrones-mountain/

🧶 Quotes of the Week

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. – attributed to Edmund Burke

It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things. – Theodore Roosevelt

Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping him up. – Jesse Jackson

Nothing is more despicable than respect based on fear. – Albert Camus

Don’t rush the brush. – Shaeeda’s mom, 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days

🚶🏽‍♀️ Walking On a Dream…

Since I won’t be here until it’s time to rehash the Dead, a very Happy Mother’s Day to mothers of all kinds – birth mothers, adoptive mothers, might-as-well-be-my mothers, mother figures, and of course, pet moms. May your special day be everything you want it to be. Until we Fear, stay safe, stay distinctive, and stay not waiting for someone you love to come to you if they’re in pain. Trust and respect them, but don’t ignore any warning signs.

Apr7

April 6, 2022 – Sonny Makes a Deal With Selena, Aspen Continues To Be Inflicted With the OC & Pieces

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Curtis says, Drew made it, and Drew says, of course (🍷) he did. It’s an honor to be included. He hugs Curtis and Portia, and Curtis says, welcome to their new home. Drew says he’s a little jealous he didn’t snatch it for himself, and Portia says, he’ll just have to settle with life at the Quartermaines. He says, their place doesn’t come with nosy cousins. Stella and TJ join them, and Stella says, Curtis and Portia will just have to settle for one nosey aunt instead. Curtis says, she said it, not him, and Drew says, it’s nice to see Stella again. She says, him too. She understands he’s been through a lot since she saw him last, and he says, things are definitely improving. He asks TJ how things are at the hospital, and TJ says he was just regaling his family on the ins and outs of an ACL repair. Stella says she definitely wants to hear more about it, especially the part where TJ might be closing in on a specialty. Trina comes in, and Drew asks Curtis how she’s doing. Curtis says he and Portia are going their best to support her, but those charges against her are insane. They’re going to have to fight like hell until it’s over. Drew says he’s sure it helps that the people close to her know the accusations are absolutely bogus, and Curtis says, unfortunately, the person Trina’s thinking about is the one person who hasn’t realized that yet.

Spencer punches the heavy bag, like he’s ever been at a gym before, and Sonny walks in. Spencer says he was just finishing up. Unless Sonny has more to say about his lecture; the company he keeps and all that. Sonny tells him, he said all he has to say, and Spencer leaves.

Laura says she certainly hopes Esme had nothing to do with this video of Josslyn and Cameron, and Esme says, of course (🍷) she didn’t. Why won’t anyone believe her? Nikolas comes in, and says, they just have to let the police investigation run its course. In the meantime, he’s keeping an open mind. Laura says, her son has extended his hospitality to Esme. She hopes Esme won’t betray that trust. Ava walks in, and says, they already know the answer to that, and Nikolas says, she’s back. She says, live and in person, and he says, she made her position on sharing a roof with Esme quite clear last night. Ava says, since then, she’s come to realize that some things are more important than her feelings about Esme. He says, what’s that? and she says, this is her damn house too.

At the MetroCourt, Victor sends a text: Get it done. There’s too much at stake. Yohan joins him, and says, Victor wanted to see him, and Victor says he wants Yohan to keep an eye on things in Port Charles, only for a week or two. Yohan asks where Victor is going, and Victor says he has some business to attend to overseas. Yohan says, he’s leaving town just as Kurt has been exposed. Doesn’t that look like he’s fleeing the country? Victor says, unless of course (🍷) that’s exactly what he’s doing.

Anna leaves a message for Valentin, saying, the last time they spoke, he said he was coming back to town shortly, and she was wondering if that’s still the plan. Could he call her maybe, or text? She has some things she needs to update him on before he comes back. She knocks on Sam’s apartment door, and Dante opens it, thanking her for coming. She says their message sounded urgent, and Sam says, they think they uncovered something that can prove Luke was murdered. Anna says, they have her attention, and Sam says, ever since she and Drew ran into Victor on the docks, she’s had Spinelli monitoring the dark web. Anna asks what he found, and Sam says, they’re working on the theory that Victor’s interest in Drew was somehow connected to Luke’s death. They’re trying to make sense of all of it right now. Dante says, they’re trying to connect the two crimes somehow. It didn’t make sense that Luke was murdered, Victor returns, and the Ice Princess is stolen. Anna says, the overlap is too much of a coincidence.

Yohan asks what Victor means, that’s what he’s doing? and Victor says he’s joking. Far from it. It’s legitimate business he has to take care of. He’ll be back before anyone even knows he’s gone. Yohan says, Mayor Collins, DA Scorpio, and Anna Devane all suspect they have something to do with the incident in Austria last December, and Victor says, but of course (🍷) they didn’t. He has a hunch the authorities will find someone who’s a much more credible suspect than either one of them.

Laura suggests she and Esme give Nikolas and Ava a few minutes to talk, and Ava thanks her, saying, they wouldn’t want to get the mother-to-be all worked up in her delicate condition. Esme says, turns out it was a false alarm. She’s not pregnant, but Spence’s grandmother was right. No doubt Ava and Nikolas have much to discuss. They leave, and Ava looks at Nikolas.

In the foyer, Spencer walks in, and Esme says, that was fast. He asks what they’re doing in the foyer, and Laura says, they’re giving his dad and Ava some privacy to talk. Esme asks where he was, and he says he was at the gym. She says, so that’s why he rushed out of here this morning; so he could get away from her?

Drew asks Curtis if there have been anymore updates about Marshall, but Curtis says, not since he found a hole in Marshall’s story. He asked Jordan to access some sealed arrest records, but she wasn’t going for it. He even reached out to Sonny; see if he could use his resources to get the job done. Drew says he hopes Sonny turned Curtis down, and Curtis says, as a matter-of-fact he did. Why does Drew make that sound like a good thing? Drew says, not exactly good or neutral, but organized crime has been trying to make inroads since Curtis has owned the club. Curtis doesn’t want to owe the mob any favors. Curtis flashes back to Selena approaching him about having no limits Texas Hold ‘Em in his back room, and Curtis agrees it’s probably best.

Selena walks into the gym, and says, no phones, no distractions. The pungent musk of testosterone, charming in its own way. Sonny asks what he can do for her, and she says she stopped by his office, but no one was there. She knew this place was right around the corner, so she took a gamble that he’d be here. He says he never took her for a gambling woman, and she says, it has its time, and its place. He says, is that why she wanted to see him? He likes to keep certain aspects of his life private. This is his boxing gym, if she knows what he means. So if she wants to make an appointment, they can have this conversation in his office. She says she’s happy to reschedule, but on her end, the newly appointed Police Commissioner Ashford has been taking notice of her comings and goings. It might arouse suspicion if she were to stop by his office with any frequency. Here, she’s just a professional, potentially interested in a membership to attend a self-defense class. He tells her, make it quick, and she says, her plan is to expand a fraction of her business in Port Charles, gaming mainly, which doesn’t conflict with any of Sonny’s business interests. She feels it’s been an underserved market since Luke Spencer moved away. She would start small, once she finalizes the location, provided of course (🍷) she secures his blessing first. He tells her, what if he says no?

Laura says she thinks it would be in Esme’s best interest not to lose her temper, because it looks like she and Spencer are going to be living here for a while. Esme says, of course (🍷) Laura is on Spence’s side, and Laura says, no; she’s on the side of keeping the peace. She’s just saying she thinks they all need to take a deep breath, and step back from this moment a little bit, okay? In fact, why don’t they join her and Doc for lunch? She thinks they should both get out of the house while Nikolas and Ava talk. Spencer thanks her for the kind offer, but says he thinks he and Esme have things to discuss as well, and Esme tells him, if you say so. Laura says, if they change their minds, they’re welcome to join her. She moves to hug Spencer, but he says he’s super gross, and she laughs, saying, it’s thoughtful of him. She loves him. Try to be kind to each other. Laura leaves, and he tells Esme, he left because he had a lot of thinking to do. She says she supposes they both did. They said some horrible things to each other over the last few weeks, because he’s fallen in love with another girl, or is he going to keep denying it?

TJ asks Trina how she is, and she says she’s compartmentalizing. Nothing’s really happening with her case today, so she’s just staying focused in the present. It is a housewarming party, right? He says, right, and she says, that’s what she’s supposed to say, but really she just wants to scream, she’s framed and she’s innocent. She wants to say that in person, on Twitter, on TikTok, but she can’t, because every time she says she’s innocent, people think somehow she might still be guilty. He says he gets it. He got accused of doing something he didn’t do, when he was her age actually. Not to the same degree to what she’s facing, but he knows what it’s like to be wrongly accused, and how being passionate about defending yourself can turn into this nonsensical feedback. She thanks him for saying that, and tells him, it’s so strange to find her life spiraling out of control when she didn’t do anything wrong.

Stella tells Portia that she and Curtis buying this house together really caught her by surprise. Back in her day, people didn’t move in together so quickly. Portia says, really? and Stella says, she’s not judging. Times change. At her age, you realize you have to seize your happiness where you can find it. Portia says, is that code for telling her maybe she’s happy for them? and Stella says she’s just reiterating what she told Portia over the holidays. She misjudged the connection Portia and Curtis have. It was just her projecting her concerns about Curtis moving on too quickly. He signed the divorce papers, and… Stella remembers putting the envelope in her purse, and Portia asks if she’s okay.

Anna says, very interesting Dante and Sam would make that connection, because Laura, Robert, and herself believe that the Ice Princess is connected to Victor’s return to town, and unfortunately, Luke’s death most likely. Dante says, according to his mother and Ned, Tracy was pretty blindsided when she found out her diamond was fake; that the real Ice Princess was swapped out before Luke was killed. Sam says, the simplest of theories, Luke was killed to prevent him from catching on to the swap, and Dante says, but that doesn’t explain the theft in the first place. No one steals the Ice Princess so they can put it in their own collection on display. They steal it so they can sell it to someone else. Sam says, unless they want to sell it for a whole lot of money, and Dante says, that’s when Spinelli got a hit this morning. Anna asks, what is it? and Sam brings her over to the laptop, and says, a black market auction. The description pretty much explains what it’s about. Anna reads, what remains of what was once the largest uncut diamond in the world, and says, they found it.

Nikolas says, Ava is right. This is her home as much as it is his, which is why he’s so glad she came around to the idea of remaining here. Despite her reservations about Esme, she has to look at the bigger picture. Whatever she may have done, she doesn’t deserve to be on the receiving end of Sonny’s wrath. Ava says, once again, he’s listening with his heart, instead of his ears, and he says, how so? She tells him, she never said she’d come around to anything. Esme is a liar and a cheat. She’s a conniving reptile, who framed Trina, who’s practically a daughter to her. She’ll never be okay with Esme living here, but she’ll be damned if she lets that off-brand sociopath drive her from her home and marriage.

Stella tells Portia, sorry; she got lost in thought. She’s glad Portia didn’t listen to her when she was being overprotective of Curtis. Portia says, for what it’s worth (🍷), she can certainly understand the impulse, and Stella says, she’s scared for Trina. Portia says, of course (🍷) she is. She’s worried Trina’s entire future will be completely destroyed, if not seriously tainted, over something she absolutely did not do. Stella says she knows as a parent, every fiber in Portia’s being wants to fix Trina’s problems, but there’s only so much you can do. And that feeling of helplessness makes it all the more terrifying. The doorbell rings, and Stella says she thought they were keeping this small; just Drew and family. Who did they invite? Curtis says, no one, and opens the door to find Marshall.

Selena tells Sonny that she must have gotten the wrong impression from their previous conversation. She thought he was on board with cooperation between their two families. He says he’s all for the spirit of cooperation, but they were discussing access to the docks. She never once brought up bringing gambling to Port Charles. She says, it’s an area where their family’s interests don’t overlap. They wouldn’t be in competition as he keeps his gambling interests off-shore. And as this is his territory, of course (🍷) she’d offer him a percentage of the profits. He says, sounds reasonable, but his term still stands; no drugs at all. She says, understood, and he says he’ll let her know about his other terms, but let him say one thing. If he finds out there’s any drugs, or anybody dealing drugs during the games, he’ll shut it down. No second chances. She says she agrees to his terms, and thinks they have a deal. He holds out his hand, and they shake.

Anna says, this diamond up for auction has to be the Ice Princess, and Dante says, they just have to figure out who’s selling Luke’s prized possession. Sam says, maybe the same person who killed Luke, and Anna says, whoever that person is, she believes it’s going to lead them right back to Victor. Sam says they’re going to have to prove they’re in possession of the necessary funds before they make a bid, or they’re not going to get the location of the auction. Anna says, they do that partially because they want to weed out any law enforcement, and Dante says, not much point in showing them their bank accounts. Anna says, when Duke died, he left her a rather large sum of money, which she’s always felt uncomfortable spending because of the ambiguous ways it was acquired. She put some aside for Robin’s education, and the rest she turned into cryptocurrency in case one day she ever had to investigate cyber-crimes. Sam says, it’s totally up to Anna, and Anna says, unless the meet the threshold, they’re not going to be invited to this auction, and she can tell them, the Ice Princess will bring some pretty unsavory characters out of the woodwork. They should do it. Sam says, okay, and starts typing.

French Polynesia. Jennifer Smith sits at a tiki bar, on the phone and sipping a drink. Obviously talking to a partner, perhaps romantic, she says she shouldn’t be much longer. She has very important business to attend to.

Curtis asks what brings Marshall by, and Marshall says he heard they were having a housewarming to celebrate their new home. He hands Curtis a bottle of wine, and asks if he got the wrong date. TJ says he invited grandpa to join, since it’s mainly a family gathering. Curtis says, come on in, and Stella and Marshall acknowledge each other.

Spencer says, his feelings for Trina are complicated, and Esme says, let her see if she has this straight. His feelings for Trina are complicated, so he simplifies things by believing the worst in her. She guesses so he can believe the best in Trina. But now what? He knows she’s not the one responsible for that horrible video. Does that mean there’s a path forward for them? Or she can just leave Port Charles. She can just hope the executor of her trust fund takes pity on her, so that just maybe she can walk away with enough money for a plane ticket and an apartment somewhere on the continent, because now that there’s no baby, there doesn’t seem to be anything keeping them together. She starts to walk out, but he grabs her arm, and says, wait.

Portia asks if Trina is feeling okay; is she eating? Trina says, she’s embarrassed about what has her down the most. Joss and Cam think she’s innocent, Portia and her dad know she’s innocent, Ava does too, and she’s even starting to get the feeling Commissioner Ashford knows in her heart that she’s innocent. Portia says, that should make Trina feel more loved and supported, and Trina says, it does, but why can’t she stay focused on that? Why is she stuck on this one person who thinks she’s guilty. The way Spencer looked at her in the interrogation room… It really hurt her when he asked if she was the one who betrayed Joss and Cam. Portia says, part of growing up is learning the pain of putting your faith in someone who doesn’t give it back to you. She knows it hurts like hell, but it’s also going to teach her who her true friends are in this life. Trina says, it’s funny, because she doesn’t think Spencer really believes she’s guilty. She thinks he wants to believe it, so he can make his messed up situation with Esme easier accept. But that’s always been Spencer’s problem. He wants to do what’s right, but when it really matters, he does what’s easy.

Yohan tells Victor, the more he knows, the more he can help him, when Laura walks in. She heads for the bar, and Victor says, that’s a very kind offer, but in this case, the less Yohan knows, the better. Will Yohan excuse him? At the bar, Laura asks Trish for an ice tea, and Victor approaches. He says, dining alone? but she says, no. She’s meeting her husband for lunch; he’s just running late. He says, patient in distress? and she says, none of his business. He says, since Doc is delayed, perhaps he can offer her a drink, but she says she doesn’t think there’s a martini dry enough to make that offer enticing. He says, ouch; that hurt. She says she knows he heard from Spencer regarding Esme’s possible pregnancy – she’s not, by the way. He says, that’s certainly a relief, but what exactly did he say to Spencer that upset her so much? She says, he offered to handle it for Spencer, and he says he’s sure she’ll agree that Spencer, although a fine young man, is hardly mature enough to raise a child on his own. Unless of course (🍷) it’s okay with Laura that Spencer and Esme are tied to each other for the rest of their lives.

Jennifer says she knows he doesn’t see the value in this auction. It seems wasteful to spend the millions they’ve acquired thus far on something so extravagant. But this belonged to her dear, dead ex-husband, and though she is committed to moving on with her life, she does owe it to him, and to herself… To make sure his most treasured possession stays with someone who cared deeply about him. The Ice Princess simply belongs with me… I mean, us.

Sam says, all they have to do is wait and see if they’re admitted to the auction, and Dante asks if Anna is okay. She says, yeah. Luke was so instrumental in bringing Duke home, she’d like to think wherever Duke is, he’s smiling because his estate is going to a good cause. Dante says she’s putting up a fortune in crypto. Before they go ahead, she should think about the fact this might not have to do with Luke’s death or Victor Cassadine. Anna told them that the inspector was some fanatical true believer of some cause. Anna says, committed to the point of taking his own life. Whatever the inspector believed, he thought his goals were noble and justified to orchestrate this horrible tram car crash that cost so many people their lives. Sam says, the theft of the Ice Princess could have been motivated financially, don’t they think? And not politically? Dante says, or they go hand in hand. Or maybe Victor was exploiting the true believer for his own cause. The sale of the Ice Princess could fund Victor’s belief or cause for a lifetime. Not that he’d let on having a belief other than in himself or his family. Anna says, that they know of.

Marshall says he knows he hasn’t given Drew an answer about the position Drew offered him. He hopes Drew doesn’t think he’s stringing him along. Drew asks if Marshall minds him asking what the delay’s about, and Marshall says, his band picked up more gigs. He started to wonder if being a jazz concierge for Aurora might become a conflict of interest. The last thing he wants to do is keep the job from somebody else who might need it more than him. Drew says, they’re still interviewing other candidates, but keep him posted. Drew excuses himself, and Marshall tells Curtis that he has some nice friends, and a really nice partner. Curtis says he’s a lucky man. In fact, he and Portia were thinking about taking a vacation after they settled in the house, but he guesses all that will have to wait until the situation with Trina is resolved. Marshall says, Curtis has to take care of his family; he has to put them first. Don’t make the mistake he did. Where were they planning on going? Curtis says, Portia has always wanted to go to Buenos Aires; has Marshall been there? Marshall says, yeah, that was a long time ago. He’s sure the city’s changed since he’s been there. if Curtis will excuse him for a second, he’s got to check out that view. Marshall goes out on the patio – where there are an awful lot of trees for it being a beach house – and takes out his pill bottle. Stella comes out, and asks what he thinks he’s doing.

Stella asks if Marshall thinks it’s wise to be popping those pills so openly, and he says, Curtis is already aware of his heart medication; that’s all these are. She says she had to wonder if it’s something else. He’s taking a big chance that could make the truth come out. Marshall says he wouldn’t do that, and she says, listen to her. She’s in this way too deep to go back on her word to Ilene now, and she needs to know that this will not blow up in her face. Her relationship with Curtis, with her family, cannot be collateral damage. He says he appreciates all she’s done for Curtis during his absence, but if anyone is Curtis’s or TJ’s family, it’s him. He goes back inside.

Selena says she was sorry to hear about Sonny’s divorce from Carly, but he says, let’s not go there. She says, family is so important, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be a huge disappointment. She has a few in her own family whose loyalty leaves much to be desired; that’s why their chosen families are so important. He says, this is as good a segue as any. He found Jason’s successor. Brick is going to be serving as second in command. He’s going to be doing Jason’s day to day management. Selena says she’s quite fond of him. This is good news, especially given the rumblings she’s been hearing – no doubt he has as well – about a new family that’s been amassing power on the west coast under radar.

Jennifer says, beyond the sentimental value of the Ice Princess, acquiring it will send a message to the entire underworld that they’re a major force to be reconned with, which will enable them to expedite and expand their program and operations at a much brisker pace than they originally planned. They’ve already expanded through much of the west coast without drawing too much attention from the other families. If she wins this auction, it will only be a matter of time before they can start moving east, and strike right at the heart of Port Charles.

Anna says, they placed Victor’s assistant Yohan in Austria at the time of the tram car crash, and he has shown undying loyalty to Victor; far more than salary alone would justify. Sam says, it depends on how big his salary is, and Dante says, maybe they have to figure out what’s near and dear to old Yohan. The laptop beeps, and Sam says, their crypto account passed the test. They’ve been invited to join the auction of the Ice Princess.

Laura says she doesn’t want to get into this with Victor, especially in public. He asks if she can honestly fault him for trying to look out for a family member’s needs; offering to take care of this problem? She says she knows too well what it means for a Cassadine to handle a situation like this, and she’d like something better for those two kids, and for Nikolas.

Nikolas says, so Ava hasn’t had a change of heart? and she says, no, but she’ll do whatever’s necessary to protect those she cares about. That includes protecting him from his own worst instincts. If anybody gets kicked to the curb, it’s going to be Esme, not her. He says, kicking Esme out isn’t an option since Ava decided to sic Sonny on her. She knew damn well what Sonny is capable of if he believes someone hurt his family. She asks if he’s forgotten what she’s capable of; what he’s capable of? Or has he already rewritten their history into some sweet fairytale? He’s so much smarter than this, and honestly, it pains her to see he’s fallen for this poor abandoned waif act. He asks if this is looking out for him and Trina, or is this her keeping a promise to his mother? Because his mother wants her to look out for him, since he’s so naïve and doesn’t know better? It’s so insulting. She says they can go back and forth like this much as they want, but really it comes down to this. As long as he’s choosing to protect Esme, they won’t be sharing a bed. He asks if that’s an ultimatum, and she says, what if it is? He says, then let him remind her, he doesn’t respond well to ultimatums.

Sonny tells Selena, Brick mentioned something months ago about a rival family on the west coast. He hasn’t heard anything since. She says, in her experience, people who can amass power under the radar do the most damage. They’re not their problem today, but one day, they will be. He says he guesses it’s good they’re in the same corner, and she says he has her word that she’ll keep him in the loop with whatever she hears, if he does the same. He says, deal, and she says, deal. Enjoy the rest of his day. She leaves, and he shakes his head.

Drew says he’s happy for Curtis and Portia. He has to get going, but the place is so beautiful. Curtis says he’ll walk Drew out. As Drew leaves, Stella comes back in not looking so well. Portia says, before anyone else leaves, why don’t they take a family photo? Their first get together in their new home. TJ says they’ll use his phone, and Portia brings Trina over. Stella is hanging around he buffet table, and Portia asks what she’s doing. Get over here, and get in this picture. Stella looks at them, her vision goes blurry, and she collapses.

Ava says, so that’s it; Nikolas won’t listen to reason. He says, neither one of them is listening to reason. She’s ignoring evidence and trusting her gut, and he’s trusting his. She says, the way she sees it, he’s trusting a girl who torched her car, who stalked and terrorized her. They all know how twisted Esme’s mind is. She trusts Trina with all her heart, and he says, he’s not saying Esme is completely innocent; far from it, but the evidence is pointing to Trina, not Esme. She says, evidence can be planted; they both know that. He says, Spencer wants to protect Esme, and he wants to stand by his son. Don’t put him in a position where he has to choose her or his son. He’s already done that once, and it didn’t turn out too well. Don’t back him into that corner again. She says, there’s nothing left to discuss, and he says, so that’s it? Nothing has changed since last night? She came all this way to tell him she’s not moving back? She says, no. She said they won’t be sharing a bed as long as Esme is here. However, Windymere belongs to her too, and she’s not letting Esme take it away from her. There are plenty of guest rooms and cottages on the property for her to stay in and keep an eye on things. At least until he opens his.

Esme suggests they just rip off the Band-Aid and be done with it, but Spencer says he doesn’t want her to leave. She says she doesn’t want to leave, but she doesn’t want to be roommates. She wants to be them again. He says he’s not there yet, but if she stays, they can figure it out. One step at a time. He hugs her.

Victor tells Laura, he wants more for Nikolas and Spencer. More than he was offered by his family. She says, if he’s going for sympathy, he’s wasting his time. He says he knows she thinks he’s heartless, but she’s mistaken. He cares deeply about what the next generation is going to have to endure. They both want to leave them a better world. They might differ in their methods, but surely their interests are aligned. She says, she may need that drink after all and will he stop calling her Shirley. He says he means it. He’s deadly serious. Just think about this possibility. Imagine a world where they stop being enemies, and instead, they work together toward a common goal.

Sam says, the auction is being held at a hotel in French Polynesia, and Anna asks Sam to send her the address. She has a WSB agent who will get her there undetected. In the meantime, why doesn’t Sam have Spinelli do a deep dive on Yohan? See what they can turn up. She’ll be in touch. Dante tells her to be careful. She’s going into a den of millionaires, mobsters, and megalomaniacs. She says she’ll do her best. In the hallway, she leaves Valentin another message. She says she’s going out of town, so she won’t be here when he comes back. She has to be honest. She’s starting to get worried about the fact that he’s completely unreachable.

Jennifer says she’ll let him know how it goes, every detail. She hangs up, and sips her drink. She tells the bartender that she’s ready for another, and he says she’s got it. A man says, s’il vous plait, madame’s next drink is on me. It’s Valentin, wearing a moustache and naval officer uniform, and he asks if this chair is taken.

Tomorrow, Curtis says, call 9-1-1; Michael says, the only thing he wants to hit Smoltz with is an offer; Valentin romances Jennifer; and Sonny tells Nina, defense is easier when you see the hit coming.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

Noella says, Heather saying she hurt her feelings hit her hard. Gina and Emily stand on the stairs listening, and Noella says, she apologizes if she said anything that hurt Heather’s family. Heather doesn’t say anything, and Noella asks if Heather is receiving that or even heard it. Heather says, it’s not how she feels about what Noella said, but what Noella said. She feels for what Noella is going through, so when things have come up, she’s let them go. But at some point, Heather’s family and life are more important to her than whatever Noella is going through. Gina and Emily go to the kitchen, and have chicken salad with Shannon. Noella asks if Heather put her hands on a crew member, and Heather says she didn’t touch anyone. Noella can keep going there, but she said Heather was slamming people up against the wall, and she saw it. Noella doesn’t recall saying that, and Heather says, she admitted to the girls that she lied, and didn’t see anything. We flash back to that, and Heather says she can’t do this with Noella anymore. In Gina’s interview, she says she can’t express how happy she is to be having a conversation about chicken salad with Shannon as opposed to the alternative, fighting in the other room. Noella says she did follow Heather down the staircase, and Heather says she’s done. In her interview, Gina says, maybe Heather and Noella should have some chicken salad. It promotes friendship. Heather says, Noella is a liar and a thirsty girl; she’s done. She walks to the kitchen, and Noella says she’s shocked Heather knows what thirsty means. I guess the implication is that Heather is old, but she does have a few young kids. Noella joins everyone, and says, it couldn’t be resolved. Her apology isn’t enough; she’s a pathological liar and just makes things up. Heather says, that’s a different diagnosis, and in Gina’s interview, she says, the altitude combined with the alcohol, makes chicken salad the only conversation she can have. Gina suggests Noella just say she was wrong and apologize, but Heather says, she can’t. Shannon says she’s going to bed. She literally had two hours sleep.

Gina calls Travis, and tells him, it’s stunningly beautiful, and they have a chef. She’s suffering. In her interview, she says, Mark, Chef Leigh, and Landon are a dream team. They handle everything, and all she has to do is chew, swallow, and digest. Travis tells her that he’s the staff at home. Landon makes a drink for Noella, and Gina doesn’t think it’s wise to give Noella vodka and a bow and arrow, as they’re going for an archery lesson. In Emily’s interview, she says, she’s glad they decided on archery. Shannon had talked about going to a gun range, and Shannon with a gun and her erratic hands – we flash back to Shannon flailing around – are not safe for anyone. Landon brings Noella a bloody Mary and a bowl of fruit, saying it will make her day better. Noella calls her friend Keni, who looks like she’s had way too many lip injections, and says, they’re doing archery. She doesn’t think she should be with weapon right now, so she’s having breakfast in bed. Yesterday was a great day, everyone was bonding, and Heather came after her, calling her a liar, and screaming at her in a crowded restaurant. I wonder how she’ll justify her exaggerating after seeing the show, but I’m sure she’ll find a way, whether it makes sense or not. Heather tells Emily and Gina that Noella is a prevaricator, and has to explain that the word means liar. Noella tells Keni, what she said about Heather was out there and it was her karma. When she said that to Heather, Heather told Noella, all the things that were going on in her life, like her divorce and her son’s autism, were her karma. She cries, and says, it’s so disgusting. In Noella’s interview, she says, it’s a new low for Heather Dubrow. She didn’t think Heather could get any lower. Keni says she wishes she could be there with Noella, and Noella says, it’s high school with wrinkles. Heather tells Emily and Gina, if it wasn’t so irritating, it would be fascinating, and Noella tells Keni, since she’s all about the truth, it must be annihilating for Heather. I’m not so sure Noella inhabits the same planet as the rest of us.

It’s time for archery, and Shannon has a whole outfit to go with it. In Heather’s interview, she says she’d love to see Shannon’s closet. Shannon likes to dress up, and she wonders what Shannon and John do at home. In Shannon’s interview, she says, she doesn’t know if Noella should join the group today. Every time she’s with them, someone comes after her. Maybe she needs a break. Noella has been through a lot; let her rest. In the limo bus, Emily tells Gina that if Noella doesn’t come to this, she won’t be going to the next thing, since they’re going directly there. In Gina’s interview, she says, Noella says she wants to be part of the group, and now she’s locking herself in her room. Heather says, she and Noella can’t agree to disagree about this, and Jen repeats what she says. In her interview, Emily says, Jen doesn’t have many original thoughts. She follows Heather around, and parrots what Heather says. She just repeats everything. We flash back to several instances, and I’d never noticed it before, but she does, and it’s weird.

In Noella’s interview, she says, with everything she’s going through, she feels disconnected from the things that make her feel safe. She misses her kids and wants to be home, and she’s mourning the loss of her father. She got an email with the final divorce papers, and she was reading through it. There were things she hadn’t thought about, like the destruction of their embryos. She can’t catch a break or her breath. She needs a time out from life. She goes to the creek, and in her interview, she says, her father would have loved it. She misses him, and it’s the first time she’s connected to that feeling. She scream/cries.

They get to the archery range, where they meet their instructor Douglas, who is a master fischel, whatever that is. He says, they’ve come to be warriors, and to learn the way of the bow. They do breathing exercises, and Emily gets a bullseye with her first shot. Shannon does too, and Emily gets another. They shoot at balloons, and in Gina’s interview, she says, Emily is crushing the activities game. She was a badass with horseback riding. If it comes to a Hunger Games situation, she’s glad Emily’s on her side. In Emily’s interview, she says she’s excited about their trip to the mine. If you want to learn things, you do the weird underground things, like seeing the mine, not go shopping at Louis Vuitton. The women decide to meet at the house for lunch later.

Gina and Emily decide to fetch Noella, and Gina says, if Noella wants to have fun, she’ll have fun, but she’s not Noella’s therapist. She knows Noella is feeling a lot, but she’s not going there, and Emily says, neither is she. On the ride to the mine, Emily brings along food, saying, archery made her hungry. In Noella’s interview, she says, they have zero interest in seeing how she is. Just a, how are you, how was your day? would go a long way. She’s gluing a smile on her face. They arrive at Clark Tunnel, where guide Jay says he’s going to give them the smuggler’s mine tour. In her interview, Noella says, she and Emily don’t have a good track record with going in cave like structures, and we flash back to the sweat lodge. She says, at least the temperature is more to her liking. Emily asks if anyone has died in the mine, and Jay says, yep. She asks if he’s seen any ghosts, but he says, nope. Noella says, there must be a ghost if someone died here, and Gina says she should have brought her demon dust. In her interview, she says, she acquired the demon dust when getting her demon extraction. It’s basically her saying, it’s cool you’re here, but eat that bitch not me. Thank you. Emily forgets to duck, and whacks her head. Jay says, back in the day, the average minor was 5’4” to 5’6”, and does a mining demonstration.

The others go on hike, and visit a footbridge. They sit by the creek, and now I notice how Jen repeats what Heather says. Heather says she’s happy, and Jen says she’s happy. Shannon says she feels conflicted. Emily has a large part in stirring things up. Jen asks, how? and Shannon says, she brings stuff up that’s controversial, and puts people on the spot. We flash back to Emily asking if Shannon is jealous of Gina, and Shannon says she understands that Gina and Emily have a close relationship, but Emily repeats whatever she hears. We flash back to Emily telling Gina that Shannon said Gina should – all together now – put a pin in it. Shannon says, Emily doesn’t have to report back about everything, and in Heather’s interview, she wonders if Emily is a sh*t stirrer or truth teller. You can look at it either way. Shannon says, what’s really bothering her is that she and Emily weren’t close, but they bonded in Cabo, and it’s so frustrating. In Shannon’s interview, she says, she and Emily have come to a good point in their friendship, but it took work. We flash back to the Tamra days when they weren’t so friendly, and Shannon says, there doesn’t need to be drama or posturing, It becomes dinner conversation for people. Heather asks how she’s going to shut it down, and Shannon says, she wants to have a talk with Emily. She reached out to Gina, and when Gina is ready, they’ll talk, but she’s going to talk to Emily

Shannon, Heather, and Jen are having champagne and the best chicken ever, when Emily, Gina, and Noella get back. Heather says, the canaries made it out alive, and Noella tells Shannon about having a breakdown at the creek, in a good way. It was a memorial to her dad. Emily says she wants to take a nap, and Shannon asks if they can talk first. They go outside, and Shannon says, some of the things they talk about get misconstrued and put out there. She doesn’t want any negative stuff in her life. The thought of negativity is exhausting. Emily says she’s confused. If Shannon is in a good place, why does she say negative things about Gina? Shannon says, that’s between her and Gina, but Emily says, she and Gina are close, and it’s her business too. Shannon says she does understand, and Emily says, she knows no one’s perfect, and she’s not a perfect person. Shannon says she doesn’t want her and Gina’s issues to affect her friend friendship with Emily, but Emily says, it doesn’t. She apologizes if Shannon feels she did something hurtful; it wasn’t her intention. Shannon says, same. None of them intend on hurting anyone. In Emily’s interview, she says, it’s not as easy of a friendship as with Gina or Heather. It’s more challenging, but she’s willing to put forth the extra effort to navigate a friendship with Shannon. She thinks it’s worth it. She tells Shannon that she wants to build a friendship, and Shannon says she thinks they have an opportunity to wear the bear suit. In Shannon’s interview, she says, there’s only one person in this group who would put a bear costume on to scare the women, and that’s Emily. She’s brought two of them, and they sneak around getting them ready.

Noella calls mom Nancy from the hot tub outside her room. She tells Nancy about finalizing the divorce details. Where there was so much love and joy, now she’s just putting her name a contract with their life itemized. It’s like another death. In Noella’s interview, she says, it’s a scary journey to be walking, but she’s ready to walk through it, and put James in the past. She tells Nancy that her girlfriends will be jealous. It’s the fastest divorce in California history. Emily goes to her room, where Gina and Heather are hanging out on the bed. Heather says she wants to have fun, so if something comes up, squash it; walk away. Emily says she and Shannon are fine. She apologized, and said she didn’t mean to hurt Shannon. Heather says, see how easy it is? and in Gina’s interview, she says, it seems weird that Shannon understands Emily’s point-of-view, when she seems incapable of understanding Gina’s. She thinks Shannon has something more personal against her. She tells Emily and Heather that she just wants Shannon to acknowledge her feelings, and take accountability. It triggers her, and she doesn’t want to say something she’ll regret. They all say, not tonight

Emily has a huge bruise from archery, and I’m surprised no one got a feather slice through their finger, a typical injury for novices. They find out bluegrass band Oak Range are going to play a private concert for them, and Noella tells the story of the finalization email, and how it went through every bullet point. Gina says, it’s the fastest divorce ever, and in Gina’s interview, she says, she’s pumped for Noella to close this chapter, and most important, she’ll STFU about her divorce. It’s a win-win for everybody. The band plays outside, and Emily and Shannon slip out. In Shannon’s interview, she says, two bears are better than one. Who better to don a bear costume with her than Emily? She hopes there are no bear traps out there. They dress up, and in Emily’s interview, she says, she appreciates Shannon’s effort to add the reality with bear sound effects coming from her bra, but if they want to scare the women, why are they walking out into a highly lit backyard? The costumes look pretty unrealistic, and no one is scared. Shannon says, it was a bust, but Noella says, it was awesome. In her interview, Gina says she’s sure the band is saying WTF? Shannon and Emily dance around in their costumes, and in Noella’s interview, she says, she knows where this is heading. She knows Gina’s behavior. She drinks too much and loses her effing mind. Noella needs to get herself away from it.

They go in for dinner, and Emily asks what everyone’s first jobs were. This goes well until Noella doesn’t remember Gina’s friend Tatiana. Gina says Noella spent a long time with Tatiana and it bothers her that Noella doesn’t remember meeting her. Noella says, it’s not that deep, but Gina says Noella should know more than she knows. Gina gets up, saying, she’s done, and in Emily’s interview, she says, Gina is overreacting, but she knows Gina well enough to know that superficial things that upset her have a deeper root. She asks if Gina wants some cobbler. Shannon tells Noella that she cares, and Noella says she feels bad. She doesn’t feel supported or respected. Shannon gives Noella a hug, and in Shannon’s interview, she says, this is supposed to be the time for Noella to mourn her father’s death, but she doesn’t feel she’s in a safe space to let out her feelings. Noella says, technically, it’s been the best ladies trip so far. Gina can’t believe Shannon is still being supportive of Noella, and Shannon says she’s just trying to get to a calm point. Noella was blindsided by her father’s death. Gina says, sh*t happens, and in her interview, Shannon says, did Gina just say sh*t happens? They’re talking about somebody dying. She doesn’t know what to say. She tells Gina that she’s just trying to be nice, and in Gina’s interview, she says, Shannon is being nice, so three years from now, she can say, remember when everyone was against you and I got them off your back when you were going through a horrible time? Shannon likes to be there when people are down, but when you’re up, she wants to drag you back down. Gina says, no matter how awful it’s been, she’s never acted like that. Noella is getting a very large check. It’s not the worst thing in world, and she doesn’t have any sympathy.

Next time, the season finale, a rock concert, Noella tries to take her rings off, Shane and Emily renew their vows, and Shannon asks Gina, how dare she?

✈️ Oh Babe, I Hate To Go…

Pop in tomorrow for soap and to see what else I can dig up. Until then, stay safe, stay choosing long term goals over short term satisfaction, and stay doing what’s right when it really matters, not what’s easy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FrbAow3LtY