Tag Archives: Tom Girardi

August 27, 2024 – Heather Gets a New Lawyer, Soap Suds, No Stanbury Drama In Dubai, Slammed, Guilty, She Filed, Coming Up, Troubled Reality, Gilded Girl, They Do & Turns

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Alexis is on the phone when there’s a knock at the door. She says she’ll call them back, and opens the door to Ric.

Dex sees Molly sitting near the park and asks if she’s out for a run. She says, that was the original idea, but he can see how far she’s gotten, and he says he’ll leave her alone if she prefers. He just wanted to make sure she’s okay. She says she is… That’s a lie. She’s not okay at all.

At the hospital, Elizabeth says she thought Portia would be with the family after the funeral. She was sorry to hear about the baby. Portia says, it’s been a difficult day all around.

Tracy sits in the chapel, and Dante asks if she minds if he joins her.

Deanna says she hopes Portia can decompress, when Carly and Jossln walk in. Portia says, it’s not likely, and goes over to them. Elizabeth asks Deanna to cover for her and leaves. Carly asks if Portia can tell them anything about Lulu, and Josslyn says, they’re family. Carly says, no one sticks together the way the Spencers do

Laura waits in the visiting room at Flatland Prison. Nicolas is brought in, and they hug.

Elizabeth asks Heather, what seems to be the problem? and Heather says, nothing her little Lizzie Beth can’t fix. Elizabeth asks what she’s doing at the hospital, and Heather says, she’s getting a blood test, and she missed chow time at Pentenville. She requested dinner, but they forgot the Jello and got huffy when she asked. Elizabeth says, it’s not a hotel with room service, and Heather says, they don’t have Jello at Pentenville, or pudding, or anything that jiggles, except things that shouldn’t. Elizabeth says she’ll get Heather something special if she takes it easy on the staff, and Heather says, of course (🍷). The last thing she wants is to make trouble for Elizabeth or herself. God forbid she should jeopardize… Can Elizabeth keep a secret? Soon she’ll have access to all the Jello she wants. She’s fixing to go free.

Portia explains to Carly and Josslyn that Lulu’s status has changed. A blood test showed that her liver was compromised, likely due to her medication. She has cirrhosis and needs a liver transplant to live. Josslyn says, test her.

Laura asks how Nikolas is, and he says he’s in one peace. How’s Ace? She says she brought pictures, and shows him her phone. He laughs and Laura says, Ace is a happy kid and hitting all his milestones with flying colors. He’s learned the word no in three languages because his babysitter is a language major. Nikolas says, he’s going to be cosmopolitan, and she says, like his father. Nikolas says, and like his big brother… How is she? She says, they have a problem, which is why she needs him to toe the line in here for his sister’s sake. She needs him.  

Tracy asks, to what does she owe this visit? and Dante says he just wanted company. She says, hers? and he laughs. He thanks her for being here. It helps him knowing she’s here for Lulu. She says she’s not here to make things easier for him, but he says, it still does. She stepped up for Lulu a lot of times and knew when to step aside. It’s impressive. She helped shape Lulu, then cut her loose on the world. Tracy says, Lulu became someone she doesn’t recognize.

Dex asks if Molly needs a ride, but she says she’s not ready to go anywhere. She doesn’t want to face her family. The funeral was taxing in ways she didn’t anticipate. He sits down, and she says she blew up at her mom and sister. She said awful things. He says he’s been there. There were a lot of fights before he took off. She says, he doesn’t talk to his family at all? and he says, it doesn’t have to be that way for her. She can patch things up. She says, suck it up and apologize when she’s not sorry and suppress her feelings because her sister is a walking disaster, and her mom has no time for anything else? That would be status quo, and she’d rather have nothing.

Ric says he can’t stay because he has an appointment, and Alexis says, with Satan? She tells him that Kristina is upstairs, so she suggests he keep his voice down. He says he’s glad she’s taking care of Sonny’s offspring. Molly is hurting. She’s upset with the way Alexis is treating her like an afterthought. She’s in pain and holds Alexis accountable for part of it. He suggests Alexis seize the chance to change, because she’s not getting another one.

Molly says, run, literally, while he can, but Dex says he’s absorbing it. It seems like she and her mom have a great relationship. She says, they get along well and can talk about almost anything. They have mutual respect and by many measures, Alexis defines a good mother. He asks, what about the other measures? and she says she knows some people have it worse and knows her mother loves her to the extent circumstances allow. She raised a family on her own, which is commendable, but any one individual has only so much time and energy to go around. So when one family member can’t stand on their own feet, they need more love and understanding, and the rest of them learn to live with what’s left.

Ric tells Alexis to try listening, and she says, to his absentee daddy parental advice? He says, don’t let that be an excuse not to make it right with Molly. She was crying for hours and he reassured her that Alexis would reach out and try to fix it, but she didn’t call. Alexis says she was too busy dealing with her post-op, postpartum, post arrest daughter who is on the verge of a nervous breakdown, but he says, Molly needs her just as much. All she needs to do is let Molly know that she’s on Alexis’s mind and heart. Alexis says, Molly knows that, but he says, she doesn’t feel it.

Elizabeth tells Heather that there’s no doctor/patient confidentiality. She can’t keep quiet about an escape attempt. Heather laughs and says, no. She’s Heather 2.0 and doing things the right way, the legal way. Scotty took her case and said it’s a slam dunk. They’re supposed to meet here. Has she seen him? Elizabeth says, no. No one has seen Scotty. He’s gone.

Nikolas asks if Laura is flexing her mayoral muscles by bringing her own lab tech, but she says, time is of the essence. All they need is to arrange for him to be moved back to Port Charles if the blood test proves that his liver is healthy and functioning. He says he’s already a match, and she says, they’ll fly him home within the hour, but it’s not without risk. He says he’d do anything for Lulu, and she says she hopes it’s enough. He says, it was last time.

Dante says, Lulu is the same person she was when she went into the coma, and Tracy says she’s surprised he doesn’t see it. What does he remember when he and Lulu first met? He says, she was a handful. Fiery and mischievous, always up to something. She says, Lulu was confident and didn’t take any crap, and Dante says, she kicked ass. Tracy says, then she changed. She became insecure and cautious with a conservative approach to life. Dante says, maybe he’s not so grateful she’s here, and Tracy says, he doesn’t like it when she’s holding up a mirror and showing him what he did. Lulu had spirit, determination, and courage, and he robbed her of it.

Alexis says, however Molly feels, she knows that’s untrue, and Ric says, then tell her. She says, he saw Kristina at the funeral. She was about to lose it. She almost died, the baby die, she’s recovering from surgery and postpartum, and living with the threat she might lose her freedom. She needs help navigating it. He says, Molly doesn’t? and she says, yes. Doesn’t he think she wants to spend every minute with both her daughters? One person can’t be both places at the same time. They’ve had a profound loss, and the one more equipped to handle it is Molly.

Dex asks if Molly thinks her mom would agree, and she says, no, but there’s no denying Kristina is a mess. She always has been and always will be. (I think this is unfair. Kristina is a mess off and on, like everyone else in Port Charles, except maybe Molly, who’s been a mess since she met her first real life problem, infertility. Kristina had actually been doing very well before this whole mess.) She tells Dex that Kristina couldn’t function without their mom’s oversight. She figured this out when she was young, so she learned to be strong and independent, a problem solver. It might sound vain, but she learned to be excellent. She knew if she asked for more, her mom would kill herself trying to give it to her and her sister would suffer as a result. He says, it’s the one thing she can’t talk to her mom about, and she asks about his family. He says his dad hurt the whole family, and his brothers hurt people as a result. His mom got it the worst. She asks if his mom ever thought of leaving, and he says he doesn’t know. She may have thought that’s what love was. She says she bets his mom wanted to leave, and he says, if she left, she had no one to go with her. He wishes he’d asked her on the side, but he took off instead and never looked back. Molly says she never asked for more because she assumed her mother couldn’t give it, but he says, maybe she didn’t give it because Molly never asked.

Tracy says, so Dante walked away. He’s good at that. He says he was sick. He had PTSD. She says she understands, but he sought help alone. He says he didn’t want to drag Lulu down with him, and she says, Lulu vowed to stay by his side when he was at his most vulnerable, despite the fact he slept with her cousin. But he turned her away. He says he didn’t want to, but she says, it doesn’t matter what he wanted. He shattered Lulu’s confidence. She was a shadow of herself. If she dies without reclaiming the spark she inherited from her father, Tracy will never forgive him. He says he can live the rest of his life without her forgiveness. Why doesn’t she keep it for herself?  

Nicolas says he remembers the first time he saw Lulu after the operation. He still has a mark on his back. Laura says, from the bone marrow, and he says he couldn’t wait to make sure she was okay. She says, he brought Lulu flowers, and he says, to a toddler. It’s the thought that counts. He saw a little girl who needed protection and care and told her that he was going to do that. He said that to his boys… He starts to cry and asks, is it too late for him? Will he ever be able to atone for destroying his family?

Josslyn says she knows Nikolas is a match, but she’d like to be tested. Portia asks if she isn’t already an organ donor recipient, and Carly says, she had childhood kidney cancer. Portia says, that makes her ineligible. They’d be surprised how many factors come into play. Carly asks if she can be tested, and Portia says she’ll get the ball rolling. She asks Deanna to draw Carly’s blood, and Deanna says, as soon as she’s done relieving Elizabeth. She’s sure it won’t be much longer. Portia looks toward Heather’s room, and Deanna says she can draw blood at the same time. She’ll multitask.

Heather asks what Elizabeth means, and Elizabeth says, Scotty is out of town indefinitely. She thinks it’s some big, possibly lucrative, case. Heather says she has a big, lucrative case and he’s supposed to represent her. He told her that he’d get her out of that hellhole, and she could be with her grandson. She has plans. Portia comes in and tells her, you know what they say about plans. God laughs, and so do I.

Dex sits in the MetroCourt and looks at his phone. He sees calls from his mother.

Portia asks, what brings Heather here? and Heather says, a court order. Her lawyer pushed it through. Elizabeth says, he arranged for a blood test, and Portia says she’ll be more than happy to take Heather’s blood.

Ric says, Alexis’s reasoning doesn’t change the fact that Molly thinks she’s choosing Kristina over her, but Alexis says she never has and never did. Ric asks, what about the document? and she says, it was misunderstood. He says, her and Molly’s relationship is in jeopardy, and she says she’s been in a relationship with her daughter since the day she was born. No breaks. His relationship with her is long distance phone calls and she thinks she knows better. Now he shows up with his flashy righteous arguments. Kristina needs her more and Molly understands. He says, what if she doesn’t? when Molly walks in. Ric says he prays Alexis is right, greets Molly, and leaves. Molly tells Alexis, whatever he said, she wishes he didn’t. She can fight her own battles. Alexis says she thought Molly was here to work things out with her sister, and Molly says, not with Kristina. With you.

Laura says she believes in Nikolas, and he says, that makes one of us. She says, he turned himself in and saved Ace from a life on the run. It was a selfless choice, like he did with Lulu and he’s about to do again. He says, it’s so hard to hold on to that in here, and she say she gets that he’s struggling, but he can survive that. He asks, how? and she says, serve his sentence, come home, and be a good father. The technician comes in, and she tells him to go save his sister.

Tracy says, before Dante delves into it, she’s lived too long and experienced too much to waste time dwelling on her past mistakes. He says, what about her promise to Laura that Lulu would get the best care possible? She probably promised Luke the same thing. Maybe she promised Luke that Lulu would always get top notch treatment. Or maybe she told him that she could wake Lulu up with her money and resources and treat Lulu like her own daughter. Maybe Luke thought about that when his life flashed before his eyes and found comfort in knowing she’d look after his little girl. She kept almost all of her promises, but Lulu has nothing to show for it.

Laura looks at a paper and says, Nikolas can’t do it. He can’t help Lulu.

Josslyn comes up behind Dex and puts her hands over his eyes. She says, guess who? and he says he’d recognize those hands anywhere.

Dante says, Tracy is right. Lulu wanted to stick it out and told him that if he left, it was the end, there was no coming back. That terrified him, but the alternative was worse. He was more afraid if he stayed, so he left. He knows it was wrong, but it’s done. Lulu is fading away and there’s nothing he can do about it.

Nikolas says, it must be a mistake. Lulu has his bone marrow. Laura says, it’s not that. The test shows his liver function doesn’t meet the criteria. He says he’s not sick and he’s not drinking in here, and she says, his liver is fine for him, but not fine for donation.

Elizabeth says she heard Carly got tested, and Carly says, yes. She’d also like to add herself to the registry. Maybe one day she can give someone a gift like Josslyn received. Elizabeth says she remembers how sick Josslyn was and how hard it was for Carly. Carly says, it was hard for Elizabeth too, and Elizabeth says, if someone had told her back then that they’d be friends… Carly says, they wouldn’t have believed it, and Elizabeth says, too bad so many things that tie them together are so awful. Carly says, here comes one of those things now, and they see Ric.

Heather says, Portia has a nice bedside manner when she wants to, and Portia says, Heather didn’t think she was going to hurt her. Heather says she thinks Portia was tempted, and Portia says she might have been, but she doesn’t give in to every temptation. She also took her oath seriously and wants to live up to it. Heather says she was regarding Portia as a mother, not a doctor, and Portia says, pain as vengeance isn’t her style. Heather says, it was never her goal, and Portia asks if it was just a pesky biproduct of faulty hip. Heather says, in her mind, she thought she was protecting her daughter, and Portia says, that might be something they have in common. She would go to great lengths to protect her daughter, and so would Heather.

Molly tells Alexis that Kristina is a lost cause. There’s no mending fences unless they’re both willing to put in the work, which means Kristina has to acknowledge that she’s done anything wrong and offer a sincere apology. That’s not going happen, and she has no illusions about her sister. She’s not expecting more, but she’s hopeful for more from Alexis. Alexis asks, what more does she want? and Molly says, understanding, acknowledgment of what she’s navigating. Alexis says she knows Molly is navigating hell and wants her to know she’d do anything to get her to the other side of it. Molly asks if Alexis will tell her the truth, and Alexis says, always. Molly says, if Irene had lived, would she have helped Kristina take Irene away from her and TJ?  

Josslyn tells Dex that it was too late to see Lulu and her mom kicked her out. There was nothing left for her to do, and her mom said she should go live her life. Dex says, remind him to thank her. It’s hard to turn off the worry. She says, there’s a chance Lulu will be okay. She’s trying to be optimistic, but bad things can happen, and she doesn’t want another thing to be added to the list. He says, they can pray it won’t be.

Alexis tells Molly that Kristina came to her with the document and asked her legal opinion. She told Kristina what she’s told all of them all along. If Kristina asserted herself in court, it would probably go her way, but she would not get involved at all. If she’d given Kristina a hard no, in Kristina’s condition, she would have lost her. Like she’s losing Molly now. She loves her three daughters more than anything, equally. As imperfectly perfect as they are, she can’t bear to lose any of them ever. Molly says, Alexis hasn’t lost her, and they hug.

Carly says, look what the cat dragged in, and Ric says he’s in town for an infant’s funeral. Is attacking him necessary? Carly asks if chaining her to a wall was necessary, and Elizabeth says she’s sorry for Molly and TJ’s loss. How are they dealing with it? Carly asks what he’s doing at the hospital, and he says he has business here. Carly says, the memorial service is over, and suggests he go back to whatever hole he crawled out of. Ric says, it’s good to see her. He hopes he and Elizabeth have the opportunity to catch up. He leaves and Elizabeth says, that can’t be good.

Heather says she’s not a threat anymore and Portia doesn’t need to be protective. Portia says, Scotty’s gone, and Heather is too toxic for another lawyer to take on. She’s going to spend the rest of her days at Pentenville where she belongs. Rick walks in, and Portia says, he can’t be here. He says, is she Heather Webber? and Heather says she is. He says, then he’s in the right place. Scotty sent him. He’s Ric Lansing, her new attorney. He’d like a word alone with his client. Portia leaves, and Heather asks if this is really happening. He tells her, let’s get you out of prison and make the bastards pay.

Portia fingers the vial of Heather’s blood and looks at the computer. (The wheels turning in her head tell me that she’s not so ethical after all.)

Tracy tells Dante that she shouldn’t have said what she said, and he says, apology accepted. She says she didn’t apologize. She stands by what she said, but her timing could use work. Beating him up now accomplishes nothing. Dante says he can take it. He knows she doesn’t have a whole lot of use for him and he’s not itching to be best friends, but she’s important to Lulu, which makes her important to him. She got Lulu through more than a few tough times and hopes she has one more left in her. Lulu needs her now more than ever. She almost starts to cry, but catches herself and says, Lulu needs both of them. Dante puts his hand on her shoulder.

Laura says, it will be okay. Just because Nikolas can’t help doesn’t mean no one else can. Lulu has other relatives. He says, including her mother who would do anything to save her. Laura has to find him for Lesley Lu. Find Lucky and bring him home. She nods and they hug.

Tomorrow, Laura says, it’s time the WSB repays the favor; Lucky tells Isaiah to wait for his signal, then they’ll move; and John tells Alexis that she can make her daughter’s troubles go away.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

I’m thinking about getting in on this. Obviously, the dress would be too small for me, but it would be a unique autograph book to have.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/win-jophielle-loves-emmy-dress-autographed-by-gh-stars

What. The. Blip? It says, storyline dictated. Translation: another casualty of new writers. It will open the door to Lulu going back with Dante. Kind of lazy writing if you ask me.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/kelly-monaco-out-at-general-hospital

Not sure if anyone cares, but he felt the need to give us this information.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-rick-hearst-reveals-where-ric-lansing-has-been

Extra innings.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/watch-ghs-nicholas-chavez-in-the-first-trailer-for-monsters

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/cameron-mathison-christmas-movie-update

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/exclusive-ghs-ryan-carnes-previews-his-heart-wrenching-new-movie

Losses.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/general-hospital-phil-brewer-martin-west-dead-82-174370

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/one-life-to-live-pamela-payton-wright-dead-78-174330

🐪 A Camel Went Through a Needle’s Eye…

This episode went from one rich person event to another, from an over-the-top Bar Mitzvah to a golf game where Chanel wore a tutu and did not do badly. I often think, being rich must be exhausting. Or at least that’s what I tell myself, so I won’t cry into my coffee. Stanbury told Sergio that it was the first time she wasn’t involved with the drama, and she enjoyed it. She also found out through a hypnotherapist that boarding school isn’t her fondest memory, but keeping a stiff upper lip, she told us in her interview, that’s what rich people in England do. She explained that the family name before the war was Steinberg, Caroline’s father being Jewish, hence the Bar Mitzvah. There was a couple’s dinner where they played one of those question games, which are always about sex and other things I don’t want to know. Several of the women (not Stanbury) are consistently bitchy in regard to one another’s businesses. It’s beyond me why you’d be bitchy about anything when you’ve got millions in the bank. Chanel was confused as to what some of the conflict was about, and she’s not alone. Next time, the finale.

🍊 There’s the Door…

So far, she’s no prize and way too heavy on the Johnny J. defense.

https://okmagazine.com/p/vicki-gunvalson-emily-simpson-slam-alexis-bellino-rhoc-return/

💎 No Big Shock…

For those who are still interested in this guy or doubted the outcome.

🍼 Nothing To See Here…

This is certainly no surprise to anyone.

https://okmagazine.com/p/brittany-cartwright-jax-taylor-divorce-filed/

📺 Next Up On Bravo…

Something to look forward to. Or avoid.

📉 Predictable Outcome…

I don’t care what his wife wanted. This is bad timing to the point of being unsavory. He’s the last guy who should be doing a reality show and doesn’t seem like he even wants to, yet he brought production to court? Not a good look. No surprise.

🪭 Crossing Over and Back In Time…

I was bummed when she died on TWD, but I’m glad she found new life here. I love The Gilded Age. Maybe even more than Downton Abbey.

https://undeadwalking.com/posts/walking-dead-s-merritt-wever-joins-hbo-s-historical-drama-the-gilded-age-01j58q56zdxw

💍 Do You Take This Dog…

Shades of Giggy and Grandma Wrinkles.

https://people.com/dogs-who-fell-in-love-at-senior-community-get-married-8700654

⛅️ There Goes the Sun…

Join me tomorrow for soap and LA Millions. Until then, stay safe, stay not spreading out on public transport, and stay being confident and not taking any crap.

January 12, 2024 – Sonny Tests Dex’s Loyalty, Return Reveal, Supporters, A Legend Remembered, Absurd, Competent, No Drama, Next Us, The Ones, After, Bowling Pups, X Quotes & Dry

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Ava walks into the gallery and Nikolas says, good morning. She says, not anymore, it isn’t, and he asks if she’s sent out the invites to her little party yet. She says, nope, and he says, they agreed she’d throw a party and invite Esme. Ava says, Esme’s partying days are over. At least for now. She’s in jail. You’re welcome.

Spencer meets Esme in the interrogation room, and she asks if Ace is okay. Did he miss her? Did he sleep? Spencer says, Ace is okay. Of course (🍷) he missed her, but they were able to keep him preoccupied until he fell asleep. He’s comfortable at Laura’s place. After all, it was his first home. She says she doesn’t want him upset, but he says, it seems like she’s the one who’s upset right now. Did she sleep? She says, of course (🍷) not. She was too keyed up about the hearing today. He says he gets it. Facing prison time is frightening. She says, of course (🍷) he gets it; he’s done this himself. She’s not worried so much about her. She’s just worried about what will happen to her son.

Portia is snoozing with her head on Curtis’s hospital bed, when Curtis wakes up. He asks how he did, and she says, flying colors. One for the record books. Stella comes in with coffee and says, look who’s up… again. Curtis says he was up before? and Stella says, yes, and he promised to buy her a new car. He says he has no recollection of that, and Portia says, nice try. He’s been in and out, but that’s to be expected, and he seems fully conscious now. He says he’s slept enough and he’s ready to take on the day. Stella says, time to spread the good news.

Josslyn asks where Trina is off to, and Trina says, GH to see about Curtis. Is she okay? What’s going on? Josslyn says she’s just second-guessing herself. She told the RA about Adam. He was just so drunk on New Year’s Eve and so upset about his parents possibly pulling him out of PCU. She just wants to help. Trina says, Josslyn doesn’t have to justify it to her. Josslyn says, Dex thinks Adam’s emotional problems are too big for her to handle by herself. She agrees, but she still feels like she ratted him out. Trina’s phone rings, and she asks Stella if everything is okay… Really?… Okay. She’s on her way. Josslyn asks, is everything okay? and Trina says, everything’s great. Curtis is awake.

Diane meets Robert at the PC Grill, and he says he’s so sorry about last night, but she says she completely understands. She’s just curious as to who or what was enticing enough to lure him away from what would have been a wonderful evening. He says, Sonny Corinthos.

Sonny and Dex walk into Sonny’s office at Pozzulo’s, and Sonny says, anything? Frank says, crib’s clean, and runs a device over Dex. Dex asks, what’s wrong? Did they find a bug? Sonny says he’s just being careful, and Frank says, he’s clean. Frank leaves, and Sonny says, he and Dex need to have a conversation. Once they do, it does not leave this office. They sit down, and Dex says, understood. Sonny says he needs Dex to do something important for him. It’s sort of a crucial test, and once Dex does this for him, there’s no looking back.

Josslyn hugs Trina and says she’s so glad Curtis is awake. Trina must be so relieved. Trina says, Josslyn has no idea. Is she going to be okay, or does she need to talk some more? Josslyn says she’s good. Go see Curtis… Trina’s dad she means. Trina laughs and says, that’s okay. She trips up all the time. (Hey, what happened to Taggert anyway?) Trina tells Josslyn not to beat herself up for talking to Kylie. Adam is really lucky to have a friend who cares so much. Josslyn says, thanks, and Trina opens the door. Adam is there, and she says she was just on her way out. She leaves, and Josslyn invites Adam in. He says he was surprised to get her text. He figured after New Year’s, she wouldn’t want to talk to him again. He was wrecked. It turns out frat parties aren’t his vibe. She says she was really worried about him. Has he heard from his parents, or have they said anything more about him leaving school? He says, they really want him back home, but he’d rather be anywhere but there. She says she knows problems with parents can be tough, but they’re not insurmountable. He says he gets that she’s being kind and tactful. He knows he should stand up for himself, but he’s just not strong enough.

Deanna tells Curtis that everything looks good. Just buzz if he needs anything. They all thank her, she says, of course (🍷), and leaves. Portia says, Dr. Martel came by earlier and should be back a little bit later, but he said the surgery went very well. No surprises, no complications, and he says it’s looking very positive. Curtis says, that’s good to hear. Now they just wait for the swelling to go down and maybe he can dunk a ball again. Stella says, big talk. She’s glad she’s here and not TJ. She knows he’d have something to say about that. Does Curtis want them to call his dad and tell him that he’s awake? Portia says, they probably should, right? but Curtis says, not if it means waking him up. Let him rest. Portia should get some rest too. Portia says she’s fine. She’s fresh as a daisy. He says, and twice as beautiful.

Esme asks if Spencer saw Ace this morning. She normally feeds him and gets him ready for daycare. Spencer says he fed Ace, and she says, he’s going to be so confused. His whole schedule is off. Spencer says, he’s fine, but she says, he won’t be if she disappears from his life. Growing up without a mother is awful. Isn’t that what Spencer told her? He says, Ace isn’t growing up without her. He’s not. She’s a good mother. She says, does he really mean that? and he says, yes, but he’s got to ask. Why would she sacrifice his safety and security so she could break into Windymere of all places? Why did she go there on Christmas?

Nikolas says, why insist on pressing charges against Esme? and Ava says, because the opportunity to right a wrong presented itself. Esme should already be serving a very long sentence for what she did to Trina and to Josslyn and to Cameron. In an hour, she’s going down to the courthouse and watch their judicial system in action. He says, so Esme’s hearing is today, and she say she wishes she could bring popcorn. Nikolas suddenly jets, and Nina calls Ava’s name. She comes in the back way and asks if Ava is with a customer. She thought she heard her talking to someone. Ava says she was on the phone. She’s been trying to reach Nina. What happened after New Year’s Eve? How did Sonny find out it was her who went to the SEC? Nina says, Sonny told Ava, but Ava says, he hasn’t said a word, and she thought it best to just stay out of his way. When Sonny feels betrayed, he’s downright dangerous.

Sonny says, Dex is aware of his legal troubles. Cyrus brought cops into a situation that should just have been between them. He seriously miscalculated. Dex says, in what way? and Sonny says, the only thing Dex needs to know is, things are going to change around here. He needs to go back to focusing on the business. He hasn’t been doing that lately. Cyrus was released from prison, and now he’s causing trouble – again. Dex asks if Sonny wants to suspend business until after his trial, but Sonny says, there’s not going to be a trial. That’s where Dex comes in. Dex has to take care of Cyrus for him. Dex says, to keep him from testifying? Does Sonny want him to scare Cyrus? Sonny says, to death.

Josslyn hands Adam something to drink, and he says, thanks, but she didn’t ask him over here to check his hydration, did she? She says, he’s right. She didn’t. And what he said about not being strong enough to talk to his parents? She thinks he can. He needs to tell them what’s going on with him. But when she said that he should talk to someone, she didn’t mean just her. There’s a knock at the door, and she says she went to someone for help. She opens the door to RA Kylie, and Adam says, she’s a snitch.

Nina says she’s guessing Sonny doesn’t know that Ava’s the one who encouraged her to turn in Carly and Drew, and Ava says, what? They’ve been over this. She did not encourage Nina and Nina knows it. She was just calling Nina’s bluff to make her see reason. She wasn’t supposed to actually go through with it, which Nina did without her knowledge and involvement. But Sonny doesn’t know she knew it was Nina. She doesn’t think she’d be staying at his penthouse if he did. She and Sonny have reached a place where they can almost trust each other for Avery’s sake. Nina says, don’t worry. She’s not going to put Ava in the middle of this. She’s afraid Sonny hates her now and she’s just going to have to deal with it on her own. Ava says she doesn’t think Sonny hates Nina. He just goes to a dark place when he’s hurt. And you know what they say; hurt people hurt people. Nina says her earth shattered when Sonny slammed the door in her face, and Ava says she’s sure it was painful, but she’s talking about Cyrus Renault. Nina says, what about him? and Ava says, she doesn’t know? Cyrus is in the hospital. Sonny beat him almost to death.

Trina says she’s so happy to see Curtis and runs to the bed to hug him. He says he’s happy for the same, and she says, how is he? How is he feeling? He’s not in any pain, right? He says, no. Her beautiful mom and his doctor have his pain management under control. Enough about him. How about her? She’s back in school. Did she get the classes she wanted? Portia says, that and then some, and Trina gives her a look. Curtis says, okay, what did he miss? and Trina says she was accepted to study at the Sorbonne for a semester abroad. He says, that’s great. Paris, that’s wonderful, the Louvre, all the artwork. She’s going to be in heaven. Plus, Paris is beautiful in the fall. She says, the thing is, she was accepted to study for the spring semester, and he says, as in this spring? Why hasn’t she said anything? She says she found out over the holidays and thought she wasn’t going to go. Portia says, it’s just such a wonderful opportunity, and Stella says, the chance of a lifetime. Curtis says, it absolutely is. Why wouldn’t she? Trina says she just thought that right now wouldn’t be the right moment to be so far away, and he says, for him? She says, if he’d rather she stay, she totally understands. She wants to. He asks if Portia and Stella mind if he talks to his child, Stella says, absolutely, and she and Portia leave.

Spencer tells Esme, look at that. Coffee, something to eat. He puts it in front of her and says, the coffee’s terrible though. She says she’ll take the terrible coffee. She’s not hungry. She pushes the plate aside, and he says, she should eat something. She has a big day ahead of her. He sits down and asks if she’s going to tell him what she was thinking; why she broke into Windymere. She says she was lonely. They had Ace and she was confused about her life. Windymere was the last place she was before she lost her memory. He says, it sounds to him like she went looking for her old memories, and she says, so she can be the most hated person in Port Charles again? Sure. Why doesn’t she go back to a time when everyone was against her? He says, that’s really interesting because the old Esme had a persecution complex as well. Maybe she’s closer to her than she thinks. She says she doesn’t have to imagine much. Everyone has already told her how terrible the old Esme was. You know what they say about first impressions. Her first impression of her former self has been a lasting one. She really wants to be a good person, but he has no idea how hard it is. He says he gets it. He knows what it’s like to have people judge you for your past actions, but the bottom line is, he doesn’t want her to go to prison. He thinks that Ace is going to be a lot happier if she doesn’t go away. She asks if he’ll bring Ace to the courthouse. She already misses him so much. She needs to see her baby. Please. Will he do that for her?

In the hallway, Portia asks Stella if she just blew it, bringing up that news about Trina. He just woke up from his surgery… Stella says, take a breath. She wanted to give him some good news and this is good news. Portia says, it is good news, but she’s tired. She’s really not thinking straight. She just should have waited, that’s all. Stella says, it’s no wonder. They’ve all gone home to sleep, and she’s been by Curtis’s side since he went into surgery. She has to take care of herself. Curtis still has a long road ahead of him, and he’s going to need her to support him.

Curtis asks if Trina has accepted yet, and she says, not yet, but the deadline is approaching. She knows he’s going to tell her to go, but when she thinks about not being here when he gets back on his feet… He says, there’s no guarantee he will walk again, but she says she has faith. He’s one of the strongest people she knows, and she knows he’s going to do anything to get back on his feet. He says, whether he does or doesn’t, it’s not helping if she passes on this amazing opportunity. She should go. He’ll be here when she gets back. Not right here, but he’ll be here. Who knows? Maybe he’ll be on his feet in time to see her there in Paris. Unless he’d be cramping her style. Because he doesn’t want to interfere with her solo adventure. She says, actually, she won’t be solo. Spencer’s coming with her.

Nina asks if Cyrus went to Sonny, but Ava says she thinks it was a case of wrong place, wrong time. Sonny found out about Nina, he went to the church, and Cyrus showed up and said something that triggered him, and Sonny lost it. Nina says, at the church? It was Cyrus who told Sonny that she was the one who tipped off the SEC. Ava asks, how the hell did Cyrus know? and Nina says, because she was in church. She was confessing her sins to a priest, but it wasn’t a priest. It was Cyrus Renault. He knows everything. Ava says, he knew before Sonny knew. She can see why that might push Sonny over the edge. Nina says, bragging to Sonny when Sonny was at his lowest, he deserved whatever happened to him. At least now Cyrus doesn’t have anything that he’s holding over either one of them. Ava says, Cyrus went to the cops. Sonny is facing assault charges. Nina says, he was arrested? and Ava says, he’s out now, but he’s going to have to go to trial. Nina says, Diane will get him off, right? and Ava says, Diane is a very good lawyer, but Cyrus hates Sonny. He’s not going to let this go. And the PCPD has been trying to put Sonny behind bars for decades. They’re not going to miss this chance.

Diane says, Robert doesn’t want to appear overconfident. That’s going to make it all the more disappointing when her client walks, yet again. Robert says, these charges aren’t business as usual. Whatever it was that set Sonny off, he almost killed a man with his bare hands. He’s simply here to see that Sonny pays for it. She says, he’s unusually and unprofessionally gleeful about this, but she is a professional, so she’ll remind him that her client is innocent until proven guilty. This community loves Sonny Corinthos, an exceptional businessman, a wonderful father. Cyrus Renault on the other hand, is a career criminal with a rap sheet that stretches across Texas. She doesn’t know why he’s bothering to bring this to trial. Who’s the more credible witness here? He says, Cyrus Renault, he’s a criminal. Then again, so is Sonny. Diane says, well… and Robert says, the thing is, they now have DNA that puts Sonny at the scene of the crime, which is actually going to put him away, and there’s not a thing she can do about that.

Sonny says, Dex has always come through for him when he’s asked. Dex has proven his loyalty. Sonny thinks there’s just one final step. Dex does this for him, they’ll always have his back. He won’t have to ask for anything. He’ll always be there for Dex. Cyrus is an old man. Nobody’s going to be surprised when his heart gives out on him. Dex says he guesses that makes sense, and Sonny asks what he means. Does he have something on his mind? Dex says, it’s not his place, and Sonny says, it’s not, but it’s a big ask. So if Dex has something on his mind, go ahead and spit it out. Dex says, killing Cyrus Renault gets rid of the man, but it doesn’t necessarily get rid of the charges against Sonny. The DA might even up the charges from assault to manslaughter, saying that Renault died as a result of his injuries. Sonny says, Robert Scorpio can do whatever he wants, but his case is going to fall apart if Cyrus isn’t there. Nobody saw him at All Saints. There are no witnesses to testify against him. There are no cameras in the church. He wants to send a message – nobody crosses Sonny Corinthos. He wants people to remember that. Dex says he’s sure they will, but he’s concerned about Sonny. There’s DNA. He wasn’t wearing gloves; his knuckles are proof. Sonny says, that’s what he pays Diane for, because she can discredit any DNA evidence if she has to. Dex gets up, and Sonny asks if he’s satisfied, or does he have something else? Dex looks at Sonny and Sonny says, disappointing. He gets up and says, if he can’t ask Dex to do something for him, that means Dex doesn’t trust him, which means he can’t rely on Dex. He told Dex from the beginning that he needs loyal men by his side. Is he loyal or not?

Curtis says, Spencer cares a great deal about Trina. He’s going to give her his two cents. Spend it how she likes. He thinks Paris should be about her. It should be about figuring out who she is, and the woman she wants to become. It’s only a semester, right? And Spencer will be here when she gets back. Won’t he?

Spencer tells Esme, don’t worry. He’ll bring Ace to the courthouse. She thanks him and says she still doesn’t know what she’s going to do. Ava’s intent on throwing the book at her for what she supposedly did to Trina. He says, supposedly? and she says she doesn’t remember any of it. She’s not denying the things people have said the old Esme has done, but to go to jail for something she doesn’t remember doing, when she’s no longer that person? Even Trina didn’t want that. He says, that’s correct. Trina convinced them all that it wasn’t fair and that’s why Esme wasn’t charged. Esme says, and Trina said she did it for Ace, and she appreciates that, but Ava doesn’t see it that way. Why can’t she just let it go? Spencer says, Esme broke into Ava’s home and actions have consequences, and she tells him, says the person who’s skirted consequences his entire life. He says, she remembers, doesn’t she?

Adam says he can’t believe Josslyn would do this to him. How can she get him in trouble like this? She says she was just trying to get him some help, and Kylie says, he’s not in trouble. Josslyn did the right thing coming to her. It’s okay. They want to help him. Adam tells Josslyn that she had no right to say anything, but she says she knows he’s unhappy. All he does is study and push himself. He barely even goes out. He says, that’s because it’s all he’s got, okay? Or that he had. Kylie says, school can be a lot of pressure, and Josslyn’s just being a friend. She’s already spoken to Health Services, and someone can speak to him today. The counselor sent a form to his student portal. He asks why she’d do that. His parents are going to see it.

Nina tells Ava that Sonny could go to prison because of her. It’s all her fault. Does she know where he is? Ava says, in his office maybe? and Nina says she has to help him. She has to do something. Ava says, no. She doesn’t think Sonny wants Nina’s help right now. Nina says, he’s still her husband and she loves him. She has to try. Ava says, okay. Good luck. Call me. Nina leaves, and Nikolas comes back in. He says, so Sonny’s not so untouchable after all. It’s about time that sanctimonious hypocrite was taken down a peg or two. Ava says, he’s still here, huh? and he says, so Esme’s hearing is definitely today? She says, uh-huh, and he says he supposes his mother and Spencer will be there. She says, that’s very likely. Like she said, you’re welcome. He says, what for? and she says, once Esme is behind bars, he won’t have to worry about sweet little Ace. He’ll be safe and sound with Laura. He says, then he guesses this is goodbye.

Diane says, Robert wouldn’t be the first public servant to get giddy at the thought of taking down Sonny Corinthos. So allow her to point out a few things that others have learned at great cost. He says, that sounds like a threat, but she says, don’t be silly. She’s simply observing that if he were to bring this to trial, the defendant is going to be far more appealing than the alleged victim. Does he even think he can impanel twelve jurors who will find Cyrus Renault more credible than Sonny Corinthos? Even if he was able to prove that Sonny attacked Cyrus, no one’s going to shed any tears at the fact that Cyrus finally got a taste of his own medicine. Robert asks if there’s nothing to be said for redemption here, and she laughs. He says, Cyrus Renault is now a man of God, beaten within an inch of his life in a church. What does she think the jury’s going to make of that?

Dex says he is loyal to Sonny. It’s his job to protect Sonny and protect his interests. And that includes speaking up when he sees potential problems. Sonny says he knows. He hears what Dex is saying, but this is something Dex needs to know. He’s going to make this happen and he thought Dex was up to the job. It’s just a shame Dex is going to fall short of his expectations, but it’s better he’s hearing about this now than hearing about it later. So let’s just erase any doubts we have here. Is Dex with him?

Adam says, his parents will go crazy if they think he’s out partying. They’ll think he has a drinking problem. Kylie says, no. His student portal is confidential. He says, she doesn’t get it. His parents forced him to give them his password when they found out he lied about having an internship. Kylie says she’s sure the counselor will be willing to talk to his parents. Don’t worry. Everything will be confidential. There are so many students going through tough times these days. It’s not that uncommon. Josslyn says, please, just listen to Kylie. She thinks talking to the counselor is a good idea, and it could really help him. She’ll even go with him if he wants. Kylie says, they can go over to Health Services right now, and Josslyn says, come on, Adam, please.

Ava says, goodbye? and Nikolas says, it’s time for him to leave Port Charles. He’s a wanted man. He held Esme captive and it’s too soon to make almonds amends with Spencer and his mother. He doesn’t have a place in Port Charles right now. She asks if he’ll be back, and he says he’s not sure as to when. She guesses this is goodbye then, and he turns to leave, but she calls him back. She says she’s really glad she didn’t kill him, and he tells her that she says the sweetest things. He touches her face and tells her to take care of herself. She says, him too, and he leaves.

Sonny says, Dex told him that he wanted to advance. He said he wanted to do something for the organization. The way he sees it, this is how Dex does it. Dex says he agrees that Cyrus is dangerous, and Sonny says he has no doubt that Cyrus is going to come after the people closest to him. His kids, his grandkids, Sasha, Carly – he puts his hand on Dex’s shoulder – Josslyn. They’re all in danger and he doesn’t want them to live like this forever. Dex says, what about Mrs. Corinthos? Is she being protected? Sonny says he will deal with Nina. Dex deals with Cyrus. Dex asks when Sonny wants him to do it, and Sonny says, immediately. Cyrus is weak. He’s exposed. Anything can happen in a hospital. Dex says, okay. How do they make that happen?

Portia and Stella go back into Curtis’s room, and Curtis asks if Trina is going to the hearing. Portia says, Trina told him about Esme breaking into Windymere, and he says, he’s guessing she’s sitting with Ava. Trina says she thought about it, but she wanted to be here with him. He says, don’t worry about him. He’s not going anywhere. Besides, she needs to see this through. This could mean Esme’s finally out of her life. He’s glad Ava pressed charges. Trina says, her too, and he asks what Esme was doing at Windymere anyway. It just seems strange. Trina says, no clue, and Stella says she still doesn’t trust her. Trina says, neither does she, but she does feel bad for Ace. If Esme goes to prison, he’ll have no parents.

Spencer asks if Esme is starting to remember, but she says, no. She’s just going off everything she’s learned of his past from Laura and Doc. An officer tells Esme that her lawyer’s here. He’ll take her back to get dressed for court. She thanks him and says, Spencer is still bringing Ace to court, right? He says he is, and she thanks him for coming. She says, I really need you on my side, Spence, and leaves, and he flashes back to her calling him Spence, and saying, he’s even more pathetic than when she first met him. He says, Spence.

Trina leaves, and Portia asks if she told Curtis everything about Paris. He says, she did, and Portia says, he knows she doesn’t like the idea of Spencer going to Paris with Trina. He says, neither does he, but hopefully, they won’t have to worry about that. Stella says, why is that? and Curtis says, if Esme goes to prison, Spencer’s not going to want his brother to be alone. He’s going to stay right here in Port Charles and raise Ace. Portia says, fingers crossed.

Robert says, Diane hasn’t touched her food. She doesn’t like it? She says, no. She just seems to have lost her appetite. Clearly, Robert doesn’t want to litigate this case on its merits. He’s just someone else who wants to take down Sonny. He says, anything at all to rid this town of Corinthos. Although he will miss Sonny’s coffee. She folds her arms, and he says, come on. Think of all the extra time she’ll have on her hands now that her biggest client is going away for the rest of his life. Whatever will she do? She says, oh golly. She’s sure she can find someone or something to keep her busy. She gets up and says, she’ll tell him this though, she won’t be busy with him. She walks out and he looks perplexed.

In his office, Sonny looks at his bruised knuckles, then puts the picture of Nina on his desk face down. There’s a knock at the door, and he says, come in. Frank brings him the mail and asks if there’s anything else he can get Sonny. Sonny says, no. He thinks he’s got everything under control.

At the hospital, Dex makes a call and says, come on, Joss, pick up.

Josslyn ignores Dex’s call, and Adam says he’s not going to Health Services, and they can’t make him. This is none of their business. Josslyn asks him to just please calm down, but he says she doesn’t want to hear this. Both of them, just leave him alone. And take the damn counselor off his portal. He storms out, and Josslyn asks Kylie, now what?

Leaving a message, Dex says, Josslyn doesn’t have to call him back. he just wanted to hear her voice and tell her how important she is to him. And let her know that no matter what happens with them, he loves her, and he always will. He sees a text from Unknown that says: Room 1002. He says, gotta go, and walks down the hall, noticing Nina at the reception desk.

Nina asks what room Cyrus Renault is in, as Dex listens from around the corner.

Spencer tells the sitter to enjoy the rest of her day. He’ll be taking Ace to see his mother in court. She thanks him and says she hopes everything works out for him. He says he’s sure it will, and she leaves. He says, one way or another, and flashes back to Esme saying, no deal, Spence. He says, she was lying. She remembers everything. There’s a knock at the door and he opens it. Nikolas is there.

On Monday, Ava asks Laura why she would do that; Kristina says, this is exactly where she needs to be right now; Nina says, if Cyrus is truly sorry, prove it; and the judge asks how Esme pleads.

💝 Bringing the Surprise Twist…

I hadn’t realized the woman playing BJ was the child who played BJ. Very clever!

🌷 Bobbie’s Last Save…

I swear they didn’t address Famke by name, but I might have blinked and missed it.

👩‍⚕️ Memorializing a GH Icon…

Taking everything into consideration, it was worth the wait. It must have been tough on the actors though, pretending she was still alive. Obviously, there was going to be no recast.

The Why.

The How.

GENERAL HOSPITAL Spoilers: Remembering Bobbie

Memories.

🪙 In Random Stupid News…

This is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard.

https://people.com/eminem-opposes-deposition-seeks-protective-order-against-gizelle-bryant-robyn-dixon-shady-trademark-dispute-case-8420744

⚖️ You’re All Out Of Order…

Who knows? It probably wouldn’t change the outcome anyway.

https://people.com/tom-girardi-deemed-competent-to-stand-trial-by-judge-reports-8421562

💤 For Those Who Still Care…

Teresa and Jennifer are so volatile, the rest of them can finally relax.

🌁 News Of the Last…

What’s happened up until now. (First the earth cooled, then the dinosaurs came…)

https://www.gamesradar.com/the-last-of-us-season-2-release-date-cast/

I don’t think it’s necessary either. It was a great episode, but a spinoff would just be depressing knowing the ending.

https://www.themarysue.com/will-there-be-a-bill-and-frank-the-last-of-us-spinoff-explained/

⚰️ Next Dead Up…

This looks like another winner. In all these spinoffs, it’s like they finally got the idea that Walking Dead was too stagnant.

https://ew.com/walking-dead-the-ones-who-live-trailer-rick-grimes-action-8424639

https://ew.com/walking-dead-the-ones-who-live-terry-o-quinn-character-8421730

https://ew.com/walking-dead-the-ones-who-live-exclusive-first-look-pollyanna-mcintosh-jadis-8413410

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-walking-dead-rick-and-michonne-jadis-pollyanna-mcintosh-the-ones-who-live/

🎉 Not Letting Go Yet…

The overtime is probably pretty good.

https://www.justjared.com/2024/01/01/how-long-does-it-take-up-to-clean-times-square-after-new-years-eve-clean-up-details-revealed/

🐕‍🦺 Love the Players and the Game…

Who’s competing in this year’s Puppy Bowl.

https://www.discovery.com/shows/puppy-bowl/see/meet-the-players-of-puppy-bowl-xx

Mr. Bean!

https://people.com/puppy-bowl-2024-puppy-players-with-special-needs-8424973

🫦 Quotes of the Week

If you’re trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I’ve had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. – Michael Jordan (Or kick it down.)

Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.Spencer Johnson

It is better to be hated for what you are than loved for what you are not. – Andre Gide

It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something. – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Your dream is a reality that is waiting for you to materialize. Today is a new day! Don’t let your history interfere with your destiny! Learn from your past so that it can empower your present and propel you to greatness. – Steve Maraboli

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

I challenge you to let every day be a Friday. Permit yourself to be happy every day. – Joel Osteen

Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence. – Henry David Thoreau

You don’t have to be great at something to start but you have to start to be great at something. – Zig Ziglar

I’d say he was lying through his teeth, but he ain’t got none. – Amy Slaton referring to Glenn, 1000-Lb. Sisters

😐 Feeling Mediocre…

Return to this spot on Monday really Tuesday for soap and the final Med charter. Until then, stay safe, stay making time every day to do a small thing that brings you joy, and stay having faith even when there are no guarantees.

February 3, 2023 – Elizabeth Tells Finn the Truth, Back Peddle, Guilty, Blackout Blessed, Blame Game, Rumors, Gifting, Blackeye, Godfather On Deck, Farewell Sal, Pup (!) Guide, 3 X 3 Quotes & Cold Night

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Finn asks why Elizabeth lied about being pregnant with Nikolas’s baby.

Josslyn goes to Dex’s apartment, apologizing for just showing up. She throws herself into his arms.

After a performance at The Savoy, Brook compliments Chase and Blaze, and tells them that they’re single keeps climbing the charts. Blaze goes inside the club, and Brook tells Chase that he’s a natural.

Ava holds the door for Austin, and they run into Kelly’s. She calls him the hero of the hour. She heard he helped save Willow’s life, and Willow is important to a dear friend of hers. He says, she should thank Dr. Navarro; he was just part of a team. She wants to buy him supper, and won’t take no for an answer. She’s feeling generous, since her divorce has really paid off.

Nikolas says he appreciates Spencer wanting to be involved in his new sibling’s life, and Laura says, they know Britt’s memorial was hard on him. They’re both very sorry. Nikolas says, he wouldn’t have missed it if something important hadn’t come up, and Spencer says, there’s always something more important than him. Why does he keep coming in second? How many times will Nikolas fail before he ruins the baby’s life? That’s why he’s seeking full custody of Nikolas’s child. Laura says, he’s just angry right now, but Spencer says, it’s not a rash decision made in the heat of the moment. Nikolas says, Spencer has no idea what it take to raise a child, but Spencer says, neither does Nikolas. Laura tells them to stop. She knows they love each other. Spencer says, a long time ago, Nikolas meant the world to him, and Nikolas says Spencer is his world. Maybe the problem is, he spoiled Spencer and didn’t prepare him for life. Spencer says, Nikolas taught him life’s hardest lessons, like, heroes aren’t always who they seem to be, that the people you love can hurt you in unimaginable ways, and the people you trust to protect you can sacrifice you for their selfish interests. Nikolas broke his heart a thousand times, and he refuses to let Nikolas do the same to his sibling. He’s dead serious.

Chase asks if Brook has heard from Michael, because he’s not answering calls or texts, but she says she hasn’t. He says, Sasha texted, and said she saw the baby, but Willow is still in the ICU. She takes his hand, and says, Willow is tough. She’s going to pull through. Have faith. He tells her, they can’t do this anymore.

Elizabeth tells Finn that she was never pregnant. She didn’t have an affair with Nikolas or anyone. She never cheated on him. He wonders why she said she did, and she says, he saw her with those prenatal vitamins. He says he thinks she needs to start from the beginning, and she says, when she came back from California, she felt guilty and couldn’t face him. She wasn’t thinking, and went to Nikolas to get support from her oldest friend. She discovered Nikolas had gotten himself into a bad situation and needed her help. He asks, with what? and she says, Esme.

Josslyn tells Dex that she’s been on overload; so much joy, sadness, and fear at the same time. She’s happy he was home. He asks, what’s going on? and she says, her niece was born, and she’s healthy and perfect. Josslyn, her mom, and grandma visited her in the NICU, introducing her to the matriarchy. Dex says, if Josslyn’s niece is anything like her, she’s going to be amazing, and stubborn. He means that as a compliment. She says, Willow still hasn’t held her baby; she hemorrhaged after the C-section. She’s stable, but not conscious, and Michael is with her in the ICU. She’s so weak from the leukemia. What if she doesn’t wake up? Dex holds her.

Chase says he still wants to keep his promise to take Linc down, and get Brook’s songs back, but the CCRB spring meeting is coming up. If the Review Board votes in his favor, that’s it. He goes back to being a cop full-time, and can’t go after Linc anymore. And face it, they’re no closer to their goal. Brook says, these things take time, and he says, Blaze isn’t interested in turning Linc in for sexual harassment, and he’s not going to pressure her, which leaves them with tempting Linc to buy out the contract; signing Brook’s songs back over to her just in time for him to quit. She says, it’s still a solid plan, and he says, they have to move on it. He has to be done with this by the time the CCRB meets. She asks if he doesn’t mean done with her.

Josslyn tells Dex, the reason her niece was delivered early was so they could use the stem cells from the cord for Willow’s transplant. What no one is saying is, maybe Willow’s too weak, and maybe it’s too late. She feels guilty even saying that. He says she can say anything to him. Sometimes saying something out loud can take away it’s power. Willow has the best medical care money can buy, and she wants to live. Attitude can make a crucial difference. Josslyn says she hopes so. She just feels so powerless. And Britt’s memorial was today. She couldn’t go because of her niece of course (🍷), but she still feels like she should have been there to pay her respects. Britt saved Josslyn’s life, and it killed her.

Elizabeth tells Finn, the night she was on the docks, Nikolas was there too. Esme told her that Nikolas knew she’d been in town for weeks; she’d shown up pregnant with his child. Nikolas thought she was behind The Hook killings, and couldn’t let her hurt anyone else. At the same time, he had to protect his unborn baby. Finn asks what he did, and Elizabeth says, he kept Esme locked in a tower at Windymere. He says, that’s pretty disgusting, even for Nikolas, and she says she wanted to go to the police, but Nikolas convinced her not to. Finn asks, how? and she says, he told her that he wanted to make sure his child was safe from harm, and the people of Port Charles were safe from Esme, so she agreed to help him. That’s when Finn saw the bottle of prenatal vitamins at Windymere; she was providing Esme with medical care. When Finn saw her with the same vitamins at the hospital and asked her about it, she panicked. She said she was pregnant with Nikolas’s baby to keep their secret. She asks Finn to say something.

Austin says, so in the divorce, Ava got the house, and it’s a big house, called Windymere. It suits her. She seems like the lady of the manor. Congratulations. She says, it’s the least she was owed, and he says, when he first came to Port Charles, she was divorcing Nikolas, but they worked it out. She doesn’t want to do that now? She says, different circumstances. At that time, she left Nikolas to protect her daughter. Now she’s leaving to protect herself.

Laura says, Spencer has reason to be angry, but every parent makes mistakes. It doesn’t erase the bond between parent and child. Nikolas says, it’s okay. He owns everything he’s done to Spencer, but is taking his child away what’s best for the baby, or is Spencer getting even with him? Spencer says, this isn’t about revenge. It’s about how unfit Nikolas is to be a father. Not only because of what Nikolas has done to him, but what he’s done to other people as well. Unlike Nikolas, he’s going to do what’s best for the baby. Laura tells Spencer to think about what he’s saying, and he says he’s discussed this with his friends, and discussed his case with Diane Miller. He’ll do everything in his power to make sure Nikolas doesn’t destroy another innocent life. Laura says, he’s still a kid himself. He can’t raise the baby all alone. Nikolas says, she’s right. He loves this child, and he’ll make damn sure he doesn’t repeat… Spencer says, Nikolas is incapable of keeping that promise, and Nikolas says, if Spencer goes down this path, he’ll be forced to fight him, and he’ll use every weapon in his arsenal to make sure he gets custody. Don’t make him do this. Spencer says, it won’t go that far. Nikolas is going to hand him custody of his own free will.

Finn says, Elizabeth is now an accomplice to a kidnapping, but Elizabeth says she thought she was doing the right thing. She was protecting an innocent baby, and Esme couldn’t kill anyone as long as she was locked up. He says, Esme was the number one suspect in The Hook attacks. How long was Elizabeth going to let the police keep thinking that, when she knew Esme wasn’t the murderer? She says, it wasn’t until Officer Cabrera was killed that she knew she’d made a huge mistake. He has no idea how badly she wanted to say something, but at that point, she’d already given up everything to help Nikolas. She put herself in legal jeopardy, which would affect her kids, and threw away her relationship with him. She’s beaten herself up every single day for this, but she couldn’t see a way out. Then Esme escaped. When she was found, everything Elizabeth did, and everything she gave up, was all for nothing.

Josslyn says, Dex warned her about survivor’s guilt, and he was right. She wakes up in the middle of the night with her head spinning, wondering if she’d done something different, would Britt still be alive? He says he’s the one who got her to leave before the police showed up, and she says, his argument made sense. She knows it woudn’t have made a difference if they’d stayed, but she still feels guilty. It’s the same thing with Cam. She knew the right thing was to break up with him, and feels guilty about that too. Dex says he really messed up her life.

Chase says, that’s not what he meant, but Brook says, that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. He says he doesn’t want to be a pop star; it’s not his passion. He wants his badge back. She says, they might not even reinstate him, and he says, then he’ll have to figure out what’s next, but music isn’t his future. She says, translation, he doesn’t want to be around her, and he asks her to stop putting words in his mouth. It’s time to finish what they started. She says she gets that she screwed up by not writing the letter when Dante asked her to, and ruined any chance of them having a relationship, even a professional one. Is she wrong?

Nikolas says, like hell he’s going to grant Spencer custody, but Spencer says, Nikolas doesn’t have a choice. One way or another, Nikolas is going to be out of his child’s life. Laura tells them, stop it right now. They’re father and son, and should be able to work out their differences. Spencer says, Nikolas had every opportunity to work out their difference, but he couldn’t… or wouldn’t. Nikolas asks if Spencer thinks guilting him over his shortcomings is going to motivate him to sign his child over, and Spencer says, motivate. What a good word. The motive; revenge, justice, guilt. Take your pick. Laura says, but Spencer told them this wasn’t about revenge, and Nikolas flashes back to Ava recording his confession, and him saying, the motive; revenge, justice, guilt. Take your pick. Again using Nikolas’s words, Spencer says, any chance of reconciling with him is ruined, and Nikolas says, this isn’t a game. Spencer says, honestly, his only regret is not doing it sooner, and Nikolas flashes back to using those words Spencer says, this, I solemnly swear, and Laura asks, what’s happening right now? What aren’t they telling her? Nikolas says, this is Ava’s doing. She’s thrown in with Spencer, hasn’t she? Spencer says, it sure would be a shame for other people to find out what he knows, like Commissioner Ashford. Nikolas says, he wouldn’t, and Spencer says, not if Nikolas relinquishes his parental rights. Laura says, stop right here. Nothing that’s been said or done up to this point can’t be taken back. Nikolas says, there’s no coming back from this. His son is truly gone.

Finn says he knows Elizabeth and Nikolas are friends, but going along with something like this doesn’t seem like her at all. Elizabeth says, at times she didn’t recognize herself. He saw her when she came back from California, after finding out she’d killed his wife. He says, it wasn’t like that at all, but she says she was responsible and will feel guilty about that for the rest of her life. Everything was compounded by the way she hurt him. She’ll never forget the look on his face, and how he walked out of here. She was rapidly losing her grip, and there was nothing left to hold on to. He says he never should have walked out like that, but she says, his reaction was normal. Hers on the other hand… there’s no excuse. She should have remembered what really matters, and hung on for dear life to her boys and him. Instead, she shut out everything good in her life. He says, Nikolas bears responsibility here too, but she says she’s not letting him off the hook, especially now that he’s gone too far. Finn asks how that’s even possible.

Chase says he and Brook were friends first, and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t miss that, but she put her wants and needs ahead of his. He can’t forget that. So they’re going to take Linc down, get her songs back, and have that squared away before the CCRB meeting. She says, understood. There won’t be anything left between them by them. She excuses herself, and goes into the club. Blaze comes out, and asks where Brook is off to. Chase says, beats him, and she says, it looks like she came back just in time. She hands him a beer, and says she proposes a toast to the gig they just knocked out of the park, their adoring audience, and their new single, which drops next week, and she guarantees will be a smash. Or how about the unlikely partnership between the ex-cop and would-be folk singer? May it be long and profitable. She lifts her glass, but he doesn’t, and she asks, what’s wrong? He says he told Brook that he wants out, and she says, he can’t quit.

Austin says, if Ava is standing up for herself, good for her. It seems to be something she’s good at, since he saw it first hand with his cousin. She asks if Mason has given him any more trouble, but he says, it’s been quiet on that front. She asks if he’d tell her if it wasn’t, and he says, 100% no, because it’s not her problem, and he’s a grown person who can look after his own life. She says, there was a time Ava Jerome would have gone in for the kill – metaphorically speaking – anytime anyone crossed her. He asks, what changed? and she says she became Ava Cassadine, who made excuses in the name of true love, but she’s gone. He says, in his experience, when people are in relationships like the one she’s had with Nikolas, it doesn’t just end with a signature. She says, maybe not, but she did something today that should make it clear to Nikolas where they stand. And what could come of crossing her.

Nikolas asks if Ava isn’t Spencer’s sworn enemy. Does Spencer hate him this much? Spencer says, if he hated Nikolas, he wouldn’t be giving Nikolas this chance. For redemption. They both know what would happen if he went to the police with this information. Laura, who looks like her head is about to explode, says, what information? Spencer says he could have gone directly to Commissioner Ashford, who was standing right here at Britt’s memorial, but he didn’t. He came to Nikolas because he wanted to give Nikolas the choice. He can sign away his parental rights, and go on living his life, or face what happened when Spencer goes to the police. Nikolas grabs him by the shirt, and asks if this is what Spencer means by being his own man. He’s every bit a Cassadine. Nikolas walks out, Laura looks at Spencer, and follows.

Nikolas beelines for the exit, and Laura says, if he goes out that door, he’s making a big mistake.

Elizabeth tells Finn that Nikolas promised to keep her out of it if he got caught, although she’s not sure she really believed it. Then Esme was found, and it became clear that there was nothing Nikolas could do to protect her if Esme regains her memory. He did find a way to keep his promise, which ironically made her realize she could never trust him again. Finn asks what Nikolas did now, and she says, he brought her mother to town. He wanted her to do to Esme what she did to Elizabeth; make sure she never remembers, so she can never implicate either one of them, no matter the damage it did to Esme like it did to her. That’s all of it. He has no idea how many times she wanted to tell him the truth, but she didn’t for a lot of reasons. She didn’t want to make Finn an accessory. She wanted to protect Nikolas and herself. It went too far, and she lost everything, but couldn’t stay silent anymore.

Josslyn says, Dex didn’t mess up her life. He saved her life. As grateful as she is to Britt, The Hook had Britt cornered when he showed up. He says, a lot of awful things have happened to Josslyn, as a direct or indirect result of knowing him. She’s been an accessory after the fact, left the scene of a crime, and even broke up with her boyfriend. She says, obviously he’s influenced her choices, but they’re still her choices. That includes breaking up with Cameron. If things had been perfect between them, she woudn’t have looked twice at Dex. He asks if she’s sure about that, because he was definitely looking at her, and she says, when the video of her and Cam came out, things were never the same, and she could feel them growing apart. More and more, Cameron felt like someone she used to be close with; someone she cared about, but didn’t connect with. She didn’t say any of that because she didn’t want to hurt him, but in the end, she ended up hurting him even worse. The break-up was bad, but when he found her and Dex together… He asks if she regrets it, and she says, of course (🍷) she regrets Cam walking in on them. He asks if she regrets being with him.

Blaze says, Chase is hugely talented, and it would be a waste for him to walk away, and he says, the music industry and performing isn’t him, but he had a nice time collaborating with her. She says, her too, and he says, let’s face it, he’s just holding her back. She says, even if that were true, she woudn’t care. Working with him has reminded her of her love of singing and performing, and why she got into the business in the first place. Before he came along, she was thinking of quitting. He asks, why? and she says she signed a contract with Linc, and working with Linc has made her question why she’s doing this. She thought her love of music could get her through anything, but singing with Chase is the only thing making this bearable. Linc comes out, and says, there’s his hot new star. He puts his arm around Blaze, apologizing for being late, and asks if she couldn’t have worn another outfit. Chase says, show’s over. There’s no need for Linc to be here. Linc says, cool it, Mr. No Longer a Detective. He’s actually looking for Brook. Chase says he’ll let Brook know Linc is in the building, but Linc says, there’s no need. He’ll tell her himself. He goes back inside, and Chase asks if Blaze is okay.

Linc finds Brook at the bar, and asks, how’s his favorite ex-nightingale? She says she’s so not in the mood to deal with him tonight, but he says, tonight’s her lucky night. She’s finally getting rid of him for good. She says she’s heard that before, and he says, this time, it’s true. Don’t tell him that she’s forgotten their deal.

Laura tells Nikolas that she doesn’t know what just happened, but he can’t leave things like that. He asks if she shouldn’t be lecturing her grandson on the evils of blackmail, but she says, Nikolas is the adult. He has to go face his son. He says he doesn’t know who that person is anymore, and she says, it’s still Spencer, the same little boy he loved and cared for. They’ve both done horrible things to each other, and she doesn’t know what that was about, but she knows the worst thing Nikolas can do is play into what Spencer has done. He says, Spencer threw in with his ex-wife, intending to destroy him. It wasn’t enough for Ava to divorce him and take his home (um… did he divorce her?), she had to take his son too? Laura says she’s so sorry. She’s as blindsided as he is, but take a moment to calm down. He needs to go back into that chapel and face his son, because Spencer is now at the precipice. He’s about to make a decision he’ll regret for the rest of his life. Don’t turn his back on Spencer now. Spencer needs him.

Austin says, so that moment with Mason wasn’t just a fluke, and Ava says, it was nothing. She just likes to know where someone’s weak spots are. He says, that’s her thing. How’s that working for her? She says she supposes she hasn’t met her match yet. She thought she had. He says he’s really sorry, but she says, it’s no matter. She’s used to taking care of herself, and intends to keep doing that. She puts on her coat, and says she’s off to her new castle. Enjoy his evening. He says, her too, and she leaves. By the looks of it, Port Charles is having the same cold weather we’re having. Mason walks out of the darkness, and into Kelly’s courtyard.

Nikolas hugs Laura, saying, she’s the best mother he could ever have. He’ll always love her. He leaves the hospital, and she starts to cry.

Linc says, Brook signs a non-disclosure agreement, while burnishing his reputation with the media. In exchange, he returns all the rights to her songs, except for the ones that were already sold of course (🍷). She says she remembers, but it’s been so long, she thought he forgot. He says he never forgets the terms of a deal, and his lawyers are meticulous. She says she’s aware, and he says he must admit, his financial advisors balked at this deal; her catalog is a goldmine. She says, he must be scared to walk away from all that money, and he says, this is what she always wanted, isn’t it, to get all her songs back, and him out of her hair? She says, among other things, and he says, perfect. He takes a document and pen out of his coat pocket, and says, all she has to do is sign on the dotted line.

Chase says, Blaze doesn’t have to put up with Linc. Walk away, and find  a manager who respects her. She says, the problem is, her contract is ironclad; her career would be over after she’s worked so hard for it. She’s trapped. It’s not like she has a support system. Excuse the pity party, but when Chase leaves the business, she’ll be all alone. She looks at Linc sitting inside, and says, well, not alone. Chase sees Linc put his hand on Brook’s knee. Is it déjà vu all over again?

Josslyn tells Dex that she should have let Cam know her feelings had changed. Everyone says it’s better to be honest, and now that she’s lived it, she knows it’s true. She should have told Cam how she felt. She won’t make that mistake with Dex. He asks how she feels, and she says, scared, but the good kind of scared. A small part of her wants to hide, but most of her wants to run right into it. He says he likes how she runs toward what scares her. If it’s any help, she scares him too. He kisses her.

Elizabeth says she knows what she has to do now. She just wanted to tell Finn first. She didn’t want there to be any more lies between them before she… He asks what she’s going to do, and she says, turn herself in.

Ava walks into Windymere, dropping her coat and bag on the settee. A fire roars in the fireplace, and she strolls around the living room or sitting room or whatever it is.

On the phone, Mason says it was Ava Jerome who gave him such a hard time the other day… He’ll report back. He turns around and sees Austin in Kelly’s doorway, looking like he could kill.

Spencer comes out, and asks Laura where his father went. She says she doesn’t know. What has Spencer done?

There’s a knock at the door at Windymere, and Ava opens it to find Nikolas there.

On Monday, Linc asks if Brook is in or out; Chase asks, what if he doesn’t want out just yet; Austin tells Mason to give it his best shot; and Laura asks what Spencer is holding over his father’s head.

🛥 Black Sheep Drama…

Sure they plied her with alcohol. Producers: Want a drink? Camille: Give me a double!

💎 No Surprises Here…

Like we thought it would be otherwise. So where did those earrings end up anyway?

https://people.com/tv/tom-girardi-estranged-husband-rhobh-star-erika-girardi-indicted-on-fraud-charges/

🗽 I’m Happy If She’s Happy…

So should we congratulate her, or…?

👠 Claws Out…

Let the finger pointing begin.

☎️ What a Spread…

I only watch this peripherally, but I do like The Marge.

🛍 What’s Inside…

I’m fascinated with these. Instead of, it’s an honor to just be nominated, I’d say, it’s an honor just to get the gift bag.

🧂 Who Dun It…

True story. I once gave myself a black eye. And no, I wasn’t in a blackout, but I had taken allergy medication. I had my legs wrapped around the chair I was sitting in at the kitchen table. The phone rang, and I got up to answer it, but forgot to unwrap my legs first. I went headlong into another chair. My husband had been out with the dogs, and when he came back in, he found me sitting on the floor with tweety birds flying around my head. He said, I can’t leave you alone for five minutes, can I?

👶🏼 Baby Goddaddy…

No. If anyone on Deck should be the godfather of Kate’s baby, it’s Josiah. Who could forget the shame cocoon?

👄 Goodbye, Dear Pioneer…

While this happened in January, I’d be remiss not to include it. We weren’t close, but I knew Sal back in the day, and he included me in his first Creatures of the Night book. RIRHPS.

http://www.back2stonewall.com/2023/01/sal-piro-father-of-the-rocky-horror-picture-show-floorshow-passes-away-at-71.html#comment-465851

🐕 Almost Pup Time…

The definitive Puppy Bowl guide.

https://www.cbsnews.com/essentials/how-to-watch-the-2023-puppy-bowl/

🌩 Quotes of the Week

Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young. – Henry Ford

If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door. – Milton Berle (Or kick one through a wall.)

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

Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.Spencer Johnson

A mother should be someone who inspires you, not someone you have to survive. – Liesl Obrecht (Kathleen Gati), General Hospital

You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins. – Jim Stovall

That’s not funny *** No, it’s not, but I’m going to keep drinking until it is. – Ma’Dere (Loretta Devine) and Kelly (Sharon Leal) respectively, This Christmas

I suppose there are two views about everything, said Mark. Eh? Two views? There are a dozen views about everything until you know the answer. Then there’s never more than one.C.S. Lewis, That Hideous Strength, compiled in Words to Live By

Maintain composure in times of heightened emotion, reacting only when thoughts are calm and clear. Being sensible will open doors for solutions and creativity. – Jaren L. Davis

📻 Finding the Frequency For Kenneth…

See you on Monday really Tuesday for soap and a sure to be appalling Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay being open to compromise, and stay saying what you need to out loud. Sometimes that can take away it’s power.

November 11, 2022 – Laura Visits With Two Inmates, Mostly Cut, Possible Pair, Soap Son, Days Return, Ho-Ho-Ho, Too Long, More Wives, VanderNew, Daryl’s Spin, CMAs, 11 Quotes For 11/11 & Balloons

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Anna kisses Valentin, and he asks if she slept well. She says, you’d think the adrenaline rush would have kept her awake, but no. How about him? There’s a knock at the door, and Valentin answers. It’s Sonny, who says, helluva night, right?

On the phone, Josslyn tells Carly that she was with friends, and got in late, but they walked her back to her room.. Yes, she’s being careful… No she won’t be alone. We see Dex sleeping in Josslyn’s dorm room, which has one fantastic view, and looks like no dorm room in the real world.

Trina goes into Kelly’s, where Cameron is looking at his phone. She says she’d like to speak to the manager. He’s supposed to be serving, not surfing. He says he is the manager, and he’s been trying to reach Joss all morning. She asks if he’s worried, and he says, kind of. She hasn’t responded to his texts. Has Trina seen her on campus? She says, today’s her late class, but she’s sure Josslyn’s fine. Does he want her to try? He says, he’s probably overreacting. He’s just a little on edge with all the attacks that have been going on. She says, they all are, especially given the latest news. He says, so she heard Esme’s back in town? and she says, not until now.

Laura hugs Spencer, and says she’s been waiting months to do this. She can’t believe he let her get away with it. He says, she is the mayor, and sits down with her. She says, he’s looking thin, but he says, it’s probably the ill-fitting clothes. She asks if he’s doing okay, and he says, things could be worse. He’s being looked after. She says, that’s good. Who’s doing the looking after?

Austin calls Spinelli, and leaves a message, saying, maybe Spinelli could give him a call, and let him know about the favor he asked Spinelli to do for him. At the vending machine, Britt drops her change, and says, dammit. Austin says, let him, and picks it up for her. She says, that’ll teach her to polish off a bottle of Beaujolais on a school night, and he says, the French government doesn’t release the new Beaujolais until the third week in November, so technically, it’s probably a bottle of old Beaujolais. He puts the change in the machine, and asks what she’d like. She says, club soda, and he gets it for her. She thanks him, and says she didn’t know he was a wine aficionado. He says, not at all; he dated a girl in college who was. She takes a sip, and coughs. She tells him, don’t worry, she’s okay, and he says, she could have fooled him.

On the phone, Jordan tells someone to come to her office. She needs to see them right away. A guy walks right in, followed by Officer Clark, and the officer says he tried to stop him. Jordan asks who the guy is, and he shows his badge, saying, Agent Whitten with the US Marshal Service. She thanks Officer Clark, and asks him to shut the door. He leaves, and Whitten says, he’s here to talk to her… She says, let’s get something straight. She doesn’t give a damn if he’s a marshal, CIA, or one of the Avengers. Don’t barge into her office like that. Now what does he want? He says, everything she has on the Anna Devane case. He’s assuming control of the investigation.

Trina asks Cameron, where? Do the cops know? He says, they know. His mom spotted her on the pier. When she was trying to dial 9-1-1, Esme tried to grab the phone, and his mom fell and hit her head. She asks if his mom is all right, and he says, thankfully, but Esme got away, and they don’t know where she is. She’s still out there. Trina says, Esme’s graduated from torching cars and making revenge porn, to trying to kill that bartender. She’s seriously unhinged. He says, they have no idea what she’s capable of, and Trina asks if Josslyn told him Commissioner Ashford’s theory. He says, about The Hook targeting people closely related to Trina and the trial; yes. She says, Esme as the maniac? She can’t wrap her head around it. He tells her, please watch her back, and she says, him too. Does Spencer know? He says, they didn’t tell Spencer because they didn’t know Esme was back in town. They also didn’t know about The Hook’s connection to her. She says, and they were busy telling him other things? He says, Trina’s name did come up, and she says, Joss told her, especially how Spencer’s feelings were hurt when he found out she knew he’d believed in her all along, and never acknowledged it to him. Cameron asks why she didn’t, and she says she tried before he was taken to Pentenville, but by the time she reached the PCPD, he was gone. Cameron says, she knows where to find him, and he wonders what’s holding her back.

Laura says she guesses it’s his Uncle Victor pulling the strings, and Spencer says he’s had support from all of his uncles; each are useful in their own way. She says, Sonny is usually great, and he says, Uncle Martin tried like hell to get his sentence reduced. She says, he told her. He said Spencer refused to give him the name of the accomplice who helped him get an unauthorized pass from Spring Ridge. He says, she disapproves, and she says she understands him wanting to visit his mother’s grave, and she guesses he’s taken full responsibility and accepted the consequences, but whoever helped him should also face some consequences, because what they did was wrong too. He says, it seems unfair to penalize others for his decision, and asks how his great-grandmother Lesley is doing. Laura says, she’s recovering. She’s doing well, but it was so sad. They lost everything. Bit by bit, their new place on Lake Como is starting to feel like home. He says he’s glad. It’s good she’s back. It’s nice to see her. She says, him too, but he says, she shouldn’t have come here though.

Jordan says, to the best of her knowledge, Anna hasn’t crossed state lines, which puts this case under the jurisdiction of the PCPD, but Whitten says, not any longer. The mayor’s office called him in. She says, Mayor Collins called him? but he says, no. Mayor Collins is out of the country. Deputy Mayor Ashby contacted his office. Jordan says, on what grounds? and he says, the Deputy Mayor feels that city and state resources are stretched too thin. She says, what law enforcement department isn’t? She has this under control. He says, not from what he sees. A failed prisoner transport – the second in less than a year – and now she has a potential serial killer on the loose. It appears her resources are severely overtaxed. She says she’ll need confirmation confirming his jurisdiction, and he hands her some paperwork, saying, he’s not here to step on her toes; he’s here to help. From his understanding, in addition to being a WSB agent, the fugitive was also once Police Commissioner? She says, his understanding is correct, and he says, look at it this way. Relinquishing control of this investigation will avoid any appearance of impropriety for both her and her department.

Sonny asks, what happened out there? and Anna asks if Dex didn’t tell him. He says, no, and she says, Heather Webber happened. She was added to the transport at the last minute, and Dex tried to change the route so they’d go to D’Archam first and drop her, then Pentenville. She guesses the guard got suspicious, there was a struggle up front, Dex lost control of the vehicle, and crashed. After that, she doesn’t remember. Sonny says he hears the guard is still alive, so he can give them a description, and Valentin asks where Dex would go if he wanted to keep a low profile. Sonny says he doesn’t know. Dex doesn’t have many connections, and without him, Dex could be anywhere.

Dex struggles to sit up, and Josslyn says, let her help. He asks if he’s in her dorm room, and she says, good guess. He popped a stitch, then she found him not far from the house. He wasn’t completely unconscious, so she was able to get him in her car. She couldn’t take him to a hospital, so she brought him back here. He says, that was risky, but she says, not really. He looked like a drunk frat guy. He says he can’t believe she did all this for him, and she says, neither can she.

Austin and Britt go to an exam room, and she asks if he’s forgotten who’s the Chief of Staff. She gives the orders. It was nothing; she swallowed too fast. He asks her to put her hand out, and not be a difficult patient. She does, and her hand is shaking slightly. He says, they need to run some tests, but she says, no need. Too much caffeine. He says, what about the dysphasia? A first year med student can see it’s hard for her to swallow. How long has it been going on? She doesn’t say anything, and he says, it’s probably nothing, but they’ll just run a scan. He doesn’t need to tell her, the symptoms she’s exhibiting might be part of a larger neurological muscular disorder. She says she doesn’t need a test because she knows what’s going on. She has Huntington’s Disease.

Sonny says, everyone at GH is being questioned, and Anna says, what about Heather? He says, she’s been apprehended, and Anna asks where they found her. He says, Kelly’s, of all places. His phone chirps, and he says, voicemail. It didn’t even ring. Valentin says, they’re pretty remote, and Anna says, there’s no reception here. Sonny steps away, and Anna says she feels terrible about Dex. That kid out there hiding; she just wanted this to be a clean operation. He says, extractions can get complicated. Sonny’s guy knew the risks going in. She says, now he’s paying the price because of her, but Valentin says, because of Victor. Victor made her take the fall for what he did to Lucy. Dear old dad. Sonny comes back, and says, Jordan wants to talk to him at the precinct. Anna says, she suspects he helped her, and Sonny says, could be, but she can’t prove it, so this will be the last time they can have any kind of contact. He and Anna hug, and he tells her to take care of herself. She thanks him, and he says, prove her innocence, and leaves.

Spencer says, Laura is wasting her time here. There’s too much happening in Port Charles right now. She says, it’s never a waste of her time to see him. Nothing is more important to her. She has some news for him. Apparently, Esme has been spotted again in Port Charles. He asks if she’s been arrested, and Laura says, no, but the authorities are looking out for her. He says he hopes they deploy dogs, and she says, he has every right to feel betrayed, but holding on to his rage and resentment will ultimately only hurt him. He says, this isn’t just about Esme, is it? and she says, his dad told her there had been another rift between them. He won’t be in here much longer. Does he think they can all work this out together? Maybe Sundays at her house? He says, obviously, his father didn’t tell her why they’re estranged, an she says, no, but he can. What happened? He tells her, ask her son, or when they find her, ask Esme.

Josslyn tells Dex, she used her keycard to nab some medical supplies from the gym, and the locker room had most of what she needed to clean and rebandage his wound. He asks if she has a roommate, but she says, it’s taken care of. He asks, who else has a key? but she says, nobody is going to come in here. He’s fine. He says he can’t stay here, and rolls out of bed. She tells him, don’t get up, and he nearly falls over on her. She helps him back to bed, and says, he’s heavier than he looks. He says, all muscle, and she looks at the bandage. She says, no blood, so that’s good. He could have popped another stitch pulling that stunt. She hopes it’s worth working for Sonny. How much is Sonny paying Dex to get shot for him? She doesn’t see Sonny risking his life. Dex says, no comment, and she says, he needs food and hydration. If she gets something from the dining hall, does he promise to be good and stay put? He says he doesn’t want her involved, but she says, it’s too late. Besides, he has nowhere else to go. He says he does. Grab his phone, and he’ll make arrangements. She says, he didn’t have a phone, and he asks if he can borrow hers, but she says, not if he’s going to use it to call Sonny.

Whitten asks if Jordan has any leads on the individual who commandeered the van, and she says, not at the scene. He says, did the security footage from the General Hospital parking garage turn up anything? but she says, their mystery man was shy with the cameras. One of her officers did make contact during transfer. He says he’ll need to talk to that officer, and she says, he was focused on the transfer, and never even saw the driver’s face. Should he remember any details, she’ll have him meet with their sketch artist and have a composite drawn. He says, jar that memory. An ID on that driver will lead them to whoever aided Anna Devane’s escape. She says, okay, Captain Obvious. There’s a knock at the door, and Jordan says, come in. Sonny walks in, and Whitten says, Mr. Corinthos. You just saved me a trip.

Trina tells Cameron, the last time she talked to Spencer, she told him that she didn’t want to be friends. She’s not sure she can take that back. She’s not sure she wants to. Cameron says he guesses that’s up to her. If she’s moved on, more power to her. He thinks ultimately, Spencer just wants her to be happy, even if it’s with Rory. The same goes for him. She thanks him, and says, Rory is a great guy. Cameron says, they seem at ease with one another, like him and Joss. She says, he and Joss have gone through a lot in the past few months, and they’re still together. He says he thinks it’s their friendship that keeps them grounded. Because of that bond, it’s easier to find their way back to one another. Trina says, she and Rory are friends too; he’s so supportive. Cameron says he’s glad. Maybe it’s for the best Spencer never gave her that letter.

Laura says, ask Esme? What does she have to do with the rift between Spencer and his dad? Spencer tells her, that’s not for him to say, and the guard says, time’s up. Spencer says, it’s great to see her, and she asks if there’s anything he needs. He says, she came to see him. He couldn’t ask for more. Before she left, he made her a promise, and he’s sorry he let her down. She says, he didn’t let her down. What he did for Trina is the epitome of protecting the people you love. She couldn’t be more proud of him. He thanks her, and she says she’ll see him soon. He leaves, and the guard tells Laura, before she goes, there’s someone else who would like to talk to her. She asks, who? and Cyrus says, her big brother. Hello, Laura.  

Josslyn says she can’t stop Dex from asking Sonny for help, but he’s not doing it from her phone. He says he gets that she hates the guy… and she says she’ll never shake the sight of Dex hanging from a meat hook. His face all bruised, shivering with cold, all these knives laid out in front of him. And this is the man he wants to go to for help. Is she supposed to be grateful while Sonny acts all concerned and protective? No. He says he can’t stay here forever, and his options are limited. She tells him, he can send Sonny an email, but he can’t do it from her account. He says, not exactly the most expedient form of communication. (Remember when it used to be?) Just give it to him please. She brings over her laptop, and says she’s going to grab some stuff. Stay here and be good. She’ll be back soon. She leaves, and he opens the laptop.

Trina asks if Cameron is talking about the letter Spencer almost gave her at the party, and her phone rings. It’s Josslyn, and Trina asks if everything is okay. Josslyn says, everything is totally fine, but Trina says she sounds weird. Josslyn says she doesn’t want to freak Trina out, but is she planning on swinging by the room today? Trina says she’s not sure. What’s up? Josslyn says, apparently, they’re spraying for bedbugs, and Trina says, gross. She tells Cameron, they’re spraying the room for bedbugs, and Josslyn asks if she’s with Cam. Trina asks if Josslyn wants to talk to him. He’s been trying to get ahold of her. Josslyn says, tell him she’ll call him back later. She has to clear some stuff out of the room so they can spray. Trina asks if she needs help, but Josslyn says, no; she’s got it covered. Trina says, keep her posted, and Cameron asks if Josslyn didn’t want to talk to him. Trina says, it sounded like she had a lot going on.

In Josslyn’s room, Dex sends an email. In the hallway, Adam asks Josslyn if they have bedbugs, and she says, that’s the rumor. Check his mattress. He says he woudn’t know the signs. Can she show him what to look for?

Cyrus says, it’s good to see Laura. Please sit with him. She says she can’t stay. She’s still the mayor, and has some important things to attend to; no thanks to him and those Friends of Port Charles. He says, she’s still angry about the recall effort, but he has no desire to hurt her, despite her belief to the contrary. She says she does know now it wasn’t him who was behind the attempt on her and Martin’s life at the safe house last June, and he says, good. He told her. She says he did. Forgive her if she doesn’t always take him at his word. He says he forgives her. Does she know who’s behind the attack? She says, if she told him, what would he do? and he says, just send a message. She says, ahh. So much for his conversion, but he says, safeguarding his family is in line with biblical principles. It’s good to see her; she’s looking well. She tells him that she doesn’t know how to say this without sounding mean, but she didn’t come here to talk to him. He says he knows, but maybe that can change. Maybe she and Martin could visit him together. He’d love to see his brother. How is he? Laura says, Cyrus should ask him, and he says he’d like to, but she’s here and he’s not. Has something happened? She doesn’t say anything, and he says, she’s afraid he’ll use personal information to hurt Martin. She has to believe him. He’s doing everything he can to make things right with his family. Starting with his  great-nephew Spencer.

Valentin says, if Deputy Mayor Ashby is on Victor’s payroll, who knows who else could be? and Anna says, but Ashby needs definitive proof to tie her to Victor. Valentin says, it’s time we stop focusing on Victor’s guilt, and focus on proving your innocence, and she says, we? He says, of course (🍷), but she says he has to go. He says, in due time, but she says, now, today. If they get caught, he’ll go to prison too. He asks if she thinks he doesn’t know that. She’s a survivor, but how is she going to hide out here, and conduct an investigation by herself? She says, carefully. He has to go. He asks if she has any idea how much she means to him, and they touch foreheads.

Britt tells Austin, her father had Huntington’s. When she found out, she chose not to get tested. She started having hand tremors, and it turned out it was just repetitive motions disorder, but she realized it wasn’t doing her any good to hide. The fear that she might have Huntington’s was ruining her life. So she talked it through with someone she respected, and decided she needed to know one way or the other. Now she knows. He says he’s sorry, and she says, there’s no wrist brace to stave off this disease. She lives every day knowing symptoms can present at any time. He asks what kind of timeline her treating physician gave her, but she says she doesn’t have one, and he says, doctor, you need a doctor. He’s no expert, but from what he remembers about this horrible disease, she’s in the early stages, and there are protocols that can help her manage her symptoms. She says she knows her disease progresses in stages. She knows it may be able to carry on with activities for years. There are meds that can help her deal with symptoms without assistance, yada-yada. He says, it’s not yada-yada. All of those things should comfort her. She says, cut the crap. Let’s be real. There’s a bomb in her brain, and the countdown has begun.

Whitten says he’s surprised to see Sonny Corinthos easily saunter into the Police Commissioner’s office, and Jordan says, at least he knocked. <snort> She’d requested his presence before Whitten barged in. Sonny says, Whitten seems to know him, but he doesn’t know Whitten, and Whitten says, Agent Whitten with the US Marshal’s Service. Sonny asks if he should have his lawyer present, but Whitten says, no; it’s just a friendly conversation. Sonny says, no such thing from the Feds, and Whitten says he’s been going through Anna Devane’s file, and it appears she and Sonny go way back. Sonny says, so what? and Whitten says, Miss Devane is a high value fugitive. The government is anxious to sit down with her. Jordan says, he’s hoping to make a deal, and Sonny says, maybe a trade in classified information. Whitten says, Sonny would be making a friend at the Attorney General’s office if he helps them, but Sonny says he doesn’t need a friend. And if Whitten thinks he’s going to coerce Anna into giving them state secrets, he doesn’t know her at all. Whitten says, Sonny does. Just let his friend know they can offer her safe haven… if Sonny is in contact with her. Sonny says he’s not, and Whitten says, that’s a shame. His bosses say, if they can’t bring her in bring, they have to bring her down. Jordan says, no need to get combative, but Whitten says he doesn’t see the need to waste time or mince words. She says, Anna Devane is no danger to the public at large, but he says, they don’t know that. He’ll take the file with him, and have any files related to this case uploaded to his office this afternoon. He gives Sonny his card, and says, in case there’s anything he needs to know. He leaves, and Jordan says she didn’t know he’d be here when she called Sonny. Sonny rips up the card, and says, he gathered. Ambushes aren’t her style. She says, that wasn’t a bluff, was it? and Sonny says, when he told them he’d take down Anna if he couldn’t bring her in? He thinks Whitten meant every damn word.

Anna says, the best thing Valentin could do for both of them is leave. Because she would feel devastated if something happened to him. He says, why doesn’t he stick around a few more days? and she says, because if Victor realizes they’re both missing… Valentin says he’s sure Victor knows by now. He’s sure Victor knows he helped with her escape. She says, but what if Victor takes advantage of his absence, and seizes Charlotte again? and he says, she’s safe with Laura. Anna says, he just got her back. He was in hell without her. He needs to be there for her. He has to keep her safe. She’s a big girl; she can manage. He says, okay, and takes off his ring. He says, this ring has a lot of complicated feelings for him. She says, the Cassadine ring, sure, and he says, and every time he tries to get rid of it, it finds its way back to him. Will she hold on to it until they’re together again? He puts the ring in her hand, closes her fingers around it, and kisses them.  

Britt tells Austin, obviously, she covers all the bases with her patients, but she reserves the right not to waste her own precious time. Maybe she’ll get her affairs in order instead. Austin says, okay, but he thinks the way it goes is, there are horses, and then there’s a cart. She says she’s had her fill of horse idioms, and he says, how’s Cody? Does he know? She says, only her mother and Scotty know. She hasn’t told anyone else who matters. They laugh, and he says he’s just kidding. She doesn’t have to manage his feelings. She says, the irony. It’s the first time in a long time things have started to go well. He says he’s sorry, but he doesn’t see it as the end of the line for her. She says she thinks that’s something he’d say to a patient, and he says he knows she’s not his patient, but they’re both physicians, so they know there are advancements in medicine every day. And they caught this early, so maybe they can take advantage of one of them. For what it’s worth (🍷), if he had to wager between her and Huntington’s, he’s all in on her.

Josslyn tells Adan, just google bedbugs. She thinks they’re tiny dark spots on your sheets and pillowcases. He says, don’t you have to throw everything out? He’ll check just in case. He’s glad Trina is back at PCU, and they can all move on from what happened. She says she appreciates that, and he says, she deserves a drama free year. He leaves, and she says, that’s not gonna happen.

Trina says, before Joss called, Cameron was going to say something about Spencer’s letter. Does he know what Spencer wrote? Cameron says, he just said he confessed everything; why he did what he did. Not that it matters now though, right? She says, what’s done is done, and he says he has to go back to work in the kitchen. Promise him she’ll stay vigilant. They all have to watch their backs now that Esme’s around. She says, 100%. One more thing. Was Spencer confessing to playing Esme, or something else? Cameron says, for that, she’ll have to ask Spencer herself.  

Laura asks why Cyrus is bringing up Spencer, and he says, they got acquainted here. He sees great things in Spencer; a lot of her energy. She says, no. Stay away from Spencer. Cyrus shouts that he’s been protecting Spencer… and she tells him not to raise his voice. Sit down. Cyrus says, ever since he became a ward of the state. In case she didn’t notice, it’s a little dangerous in here. She tells him, sit down, and they both sit. He says, ask Spencer. Did Spencer seem okay to her? She says, he did, and Cyrus says, he’s going to make sure Spencer stays that way. He can’t promise the same for her friend Anna Devane. If she’s captured, perhaps as mayor, Laura can pull strings to make sure she doesn’t come to Pentenville. Laura asks, why? What does he know? He asks if the name Olivia Jerome means anything to her, and Laura asks if Olivia has said something. He says, only that she can’t wait to roll out the Pentenville red carpet for Anna Devane. He knows Laura doesn’t trust him, but trust this. If Anna is on the run, it’s best she stays that way.

Jordan says, if Sonny know where Anna is, let them bring her in. It’s safer that way. He asks if she thinks Anna would really be safer in Pentenville within Victor’s reach. He’s the one who set her up. Anna is lucky she has friends, them included. She says, Anna is a dear friend, but she can’t break the law outright for her. Sonny says he gets it, but she can’t turn Anna over to that hotshot agent either. She says, hell no. He only wants to impress his bosses. They can’t let that happen at the expense of Anna. He says, so they’re on the same page here. Anna is safer on her own.

On the phone, Whitten says, they find the person most likely to have helped Anna escape. Then they lean on him until he breaks. He opens a folder, and looks at Valentin’s picture. Um… When I think of Valentin, I don’t think of someone who cracks easily.

Anna says, when Valentin is back in Port Charles, he’ll be able to keep an eye on his father, and he says, if she leaves here, how will he find her? She says she’ll find him, and he tells her, be careful. She tells him to be careful too, and they kiss. He says, je t’aime, and she says, à bientôt. He leaves, and she looks at the ring and cries.

Britt tells Austin, here’s a positive. She can blame her britchiness on Huntington’s. He says, there’s the indominable spirit that everyone around here respects so much, and she asks if he missed the part where she said britch. She’s not Miss Popularity. Austin says he doesn’t think people see her the way they used to, and she asks how he knows. He says he works here. She knows how doctors and nurses are; they all talk. She’s respected. For her deep, deep compassion, even though she tries every way she can to convince everyone she doesn’t have any. She’s got a lot in her life. She’s got Brad. She’s got her mom. Maxie and her kids. Britt says, thank God James and Bailey don’t have the marker, and he says, if they did, she’d be there to support them, right? She says, of course (🍷), and he says, so maybe let everybody support her now. There’s nothing you can’t share with someone that you love.

Kiley, Josslyn’s RA, bangs on her dorm room door. She asks if Josslyn is in there. She needs to talk to her; it’s important. The door handle rattles, and Dex quietly freaks out.

The guard leads Spencer to the visitor’s room, and Spencer says he thought his time with this grandmother was up. The guard lets him in, and Spencer sees Trina. He smooths back his hair, and they kind of smile at one another.

On Monday, Josslyn says she’s not hiding anything; Ava says, this particular matter can’t wait; and Carly blocks Elizabeth from closing her door, and says, she needs to make the time.

✂️ Better Than a Poke In the Eye…

At least he has an audience to share his pain and outtakes with. For the average Joe who got cut, no one cares except his family. Maybe.

Look for GH’s Michael Blake Kruse in ‘Wakanda Forever!’

⚖️ Strange Moment…

Yeah, what was that about in the elevator? It’s kind of out of the blue.

Diane and Robert on GH? — Carolyn Hennesy Speaks Out!

🧼 Next Soap Generation…

A soap torch being passed.

Joshua Benard Returns to GENERAL HOSPITAL!

🏕 Switching Camps…

Sonny’s right hand man has a new gig.

https://people.com/tv/steve-burton-returns-to-days-of-our-lives-reprising-harris-michaels-role/

🎄 It’s Beginning To Look…

Upcoming Christmas joy from handsome guys.

Join Ryan Paevey for a Special Christmas Event!

Cameron Mathison Stars in a Romantic New Holiday Movie!

💸 Sadly, No Surprise…

I figured they’d been at it a while. Apparently, all those complaints went in the circular file. Bureaucracy at its best.

✈️ Worldly Wives…

This is old news, but I’d never heard of them. It’s kind of sad that this junk I admittedly watch has infiltrated other countries.

🍸 New Rules…

The forgot to mention, LVP’s many pets.

⚰️ Vive le Mort…

This sounds pretty interesting, even if they stole the nightclub idea from Z Nation. (Checking… yes, still bitter about it’s cancelation.)

🐎 Take Me Home…

The CMA winners.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/09/entertainment/cma-awards-winners-list

And more important, the CMA fashion.

https://www.eonline.com/photos/35290/cma-awards-2022-red-carpet-fashion

👩🏽‍💻 Quotes of the Week

Short term decisions have long term consequences. – Judge Star Jones, Divorce Court

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage. – Anais Nin

We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same. – Carlos Castaneda

We think, mistakenly, that success is the result of the amount of time we put in at work, instead of the quality of time we put in. – Arianna Huffington

Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning. – Gloria Steinem

Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide. – John Adams

I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. – Michael Jordan

If people are doubting how far you can go, go so far that you can’t hear them anymore.Michele Ruiz

Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity. – W. Clement Stone

If I can’t eat it, bang it, or bet on it, it’s not in my phone. – Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen), Two and a Half Men

It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something. – Franklin D. Roosevelt

🌻 Pursuing Happiness…

Wrapping it up for now, but I’ll be back when the Dead are Walking. Until then, stay safe, stay thanking every veteran you meet, and stay letting people who love you support you in a crisis. There’s nothing you can’t share with someone that you love.

March 11, 2022 – Video Aftermath, Why, Recast, Bel Air Return, Sonny’s Son, Wu’s Back, Kandi’s World, Claims, Deaf Shah, Sly Guest, Lala’s Ex, Ringless, Excuse, Changes, Winning Country, Ennead Of Quotes & Run It

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Willow asks Michael, on a scale of one to ten, how much does he think Wiley loves Annabelle II? He says, it’s an eleven for sure, and she says she wishes their schedules weren’t so hectic; they could get a dog of their own. (Let me just note here, they’re having this conversation in the nook of the main house, so I guess someone from there can’t look after a dog?) He says, someday, and she asks, when will that be exactly? It’s not as if things will slow down when she becomes a nurse. He says, you know what he can’t wait to do? Sleep in when they’re in Paris. She asks if he’s out of his mind. She’s never been, and there’s so much to see; the Louvre alone. He says he guesses he’ll have to find other ways to get her to stay in bed, and she says, he can be very convincing. They kiss, when Brook walks in. She says, it’s good to see some things haven’t changed. At least the two of them are still together.

Chase goes to Finn’s office, and Finn asks what Chase is up to. Chase says, very little. Does Finn want to know how many hours are left for his suspension? Finn says, Chase has two more months to go, and Chase says he does, but he can still tell Finn the answer to that question. Finn says he knows Chase may be bummed, but Violet is loving having her Uncle Chase at her tea parties. Chase says, that is one up side to unemployment. When is Finn’s next date night, so he can babysit? Finn says Chase is welcome to visit Violet any time he likes, but his date nights with Elizabeth are over.

Elizabeth asks how Cameron wants his eggs, but he says he’s not too hungry right now. She says, who is he and what has he done with her son? Is he not feeling well? He says he went to bed late, so he’s half asleep; he’s fine. Jake comes in, and asks, what’s for breakfast? Cameron says he thought Jake didn’t have school today, and Jake says he doesn’t. Cameron asks why he’s up so early then, but Elizabeth says, this is so nice, all of them eating together. Jake says, Finn too? and she says, no, but she’s glad he brought Finn up. They need to talk about him.

At the MetroCourt, Ava and Nikolas look at her phone, and she asks Nikolas if it isn’t a little ornate. He says, it is, but isn’t that the point, to make a show of their vow renewal? Draw Uncle Victor in under the guise of family togetherness? Assuming Spencer shows for the ceremony and the family is actually together. She says, that is the plan, but the ceremony isn’t only about Victor, or Spencer for that matter. It’s still very much about them, isn’t it? She loves him, and can’t wait to exchange vows with him and actually mean the words. He says he can’t wait for that either, and they kiss.

In the elevator, Esme looks at her wrist, and pulls her sleeve down. She walks out into the MetroCourt, sees Nikolas and Ava kissing, and tells herself, it’s show time.

Josslyn walks into the kitchen, and Carly tells her, good morning. Josslyn says she hopes it’s okay that she slept here, and Carly says, is she kidding? Best surprise ever. Josslyn says she would have given Carly a heads up, but it was late, and Josslyn didn’t want to wake her. Carly says, no heads up needed; this is her home. Is everything okay? Josslyn says, yeah. She just didn’t feel like sleeping at the dorms last night. Carly says, any particular reason why? and Josslyn starts to cry and says, she can’t go back to school. Never. She throws herself into Carly’s arms.

Ava says, the flowers must be spectacular of course (🍷), and a fabulous bouquet for when she walks down the aisle. Esme says, wedding planning? and Ava says, for their vow renewal, yes. Esme sits down, and says, Laura told her that they were having a private ceremony, just the two of them, which is super romantic, but Avery would make an adorable flower girl. Nikolas says, actually, they’ve changed their mind about that, and decided they want their family there. Esme says, really? Spence didn’t mention anything; does he know? Nikolas says, not yet, and Ava says, they just decided last night. Nikolas says he’s going to visit Spencer, and invite him in person. Esme says, she hates to say it – Ava says, but she will –she wouldn’t bother inviting Spence at all.

Michael asks how the visit with Brook’s mom went, and Brook says, good. Her mom said and did all the right things, she got to see her cousins, and they went to all their favorite spots. Michael says, Giuseppe’s? and Brook says, of course (🍷). Willow asks, what’s that? and Brook says, only the best pizza in Brooklyn. Michael says, it’s off the charts, and Willow says, sounds like Brook kept busy. Brook says, it was great to back in the old neighborhood; she needed to get away. Michael says, now she’s back, and Brook says she guesses the first order of business is getting her stuff out of the beach house. Michael says, that’s done. Everything had to be out last week, so he and Chase moved her stuff. Brook says, what? Sorry. Thank you. He says, no problem, and she says she guesses it’s time to get back to real life. Willow asks what that looks like for her, and Brook says, she has absolutely no idea.

Elizabeth says they won’t be seeing Finn for a while, and Cameron asks if they broke up. She says, more like taking time apart. She just wants to be able to spend time with their family right now. Jake asks if it’s because of the weird stuff that’s been happening, but Elizabeth says, it’s more than that. She does have to figure out what’s going on, but she wants to make sure her boys are safe and happy. They are her number one priority. Cameron says they know that, and Elizabeth asks if Jake does. He says, yes, and she says, good, but things haven’t really felt safe and happy lately, right? Which is why she made Jake an appointment to see Dr. Massey today. Jake says, a shrink? and she says, a psychiatrist. She thinks it might be good for him to talk about his feelings. Jake says, that’s just great. She thinks he’s a psycho. He walks out of the kitchen.

Chase asks, what’s going on with Finn and Elizabeth? and Finn says, she’s concerned about the whole portrait thing. Chase says he gets that, and Finn says, he does too. Chase says he spoke with Dante, and he has a patrol going by every hour, and Finn says, that’s a big relief. Chase says, but? and Finn says, Elizabeth thinks it might be something closer to home; in the home, to be exact. She thinks Jake might be acting out. Chase sits down, and says he thought Jake and Aiden denied doing it. Finn says, they did, but now that Betsy Frank has been crossed off the list, Jake is the mostly likely suspect unfortunately. Chase says, so Elizabeth breaks up with Finn because she’s having issues with Jake? Isn’t that an overreaction? Finn says, not when you consider everything the kid’s been through.

Carly tells Josslyn, talk to her. Let her help. Josslyn says she can’t. It’s too horrible. She can’t even think about it, let alone say it out loud. Carly says, Josslyn can tell her anything. Tell her what’s going on, and they’ll fix it. Josslyn cries and says, it can’t be fixed, but Carly says, try her. Josslyn says, the weekend they spent at Sonny’s cabin, she and Cameron had sex, and it was their first time. She never thought something like this could even happen. She feels so stupid. Carly asks if Cameron got her pregnant.

Nikolas says, Esme really believes Spencer won’t come to the ceremony? Last time he saw Spencer, it felt like they were making progress. Esme says she thinks things are getting better with Nikolas and Spence too. It’s just… Ava says, Spencer will never accept her as part of the family, and Esme says she’s sorry, but he won’t. Nikolas says he hopes she’s wrong, because Ava’s not going anywhere. Ava’s phone rings, and she steps away to take the call. Esme peers at Nikolas, and he says, what is it? She says he’s not the man she thought he was. She had a picture in her head from everything Spence told her about his father. He says he can guess what Spencer said about him, but she says she doesn’t think he can.

Michael says he guesses it’s hard to get back to normal life without Bailey, and Brook says she still has Deception. She gets up, and says she’s going to be fine. This was always the plan. Actually more than the plan; this was the goal. For Bailey to go back home to Maxie where she belongs. Willow says, of course (🍷) that was always the plan, but that doesn’t mean Brook didn’t fall in love with that little girl, and it’s not hard on her. Michael gets up, and says, it’s okay to admit that. She wasn’t in Port Charles at the time, but he’s sure his family filled her in, when he found out Sonny was responsible for AJ’s death. Brook says, the father that raised him killed his biological father; that must have been brutal. He says he retaliated. He took from Sonny what he loved the most – Avery. He was able to find legal grounds to prove Sonny was unfit, an was appointed Avery’s custodial guardian. For months he was her only parent. He knows it’s not a perfect parallel, and she says, close enough. He says, Avery was his child, she was his sister. He knew the whole time deep down that the situation was only temporary, but all those months, he saw her and was with her every single day. He was the one to read her stories, to feed her, to change her. He brought her to work, and played blocks with her… Willow joins them, and he says, then when his mother convinced him to give Avery back, Avery left a huge gaping hole in his life and in his heart. And even though he knew it was the right thing to do, that didn’t make it any easier. Brook says, okay. Giving up Bailey is excruciating, but she’s going to get over it. And when she does, she’s going to go back to her single, carefree life; the life she always wanted before all this. Michael asks if she thinks she’s the same person, and Willow says she doesn’t. Michael says, Brook did an amazing thing protecting Bailey from her father, and Brook says, it didn’t start out that way. Michael says, it doesn’t matter how it started, and Willow says, Maxie was in trouble and Brook came through for her friend. Brook says, they didn’t expect that from her, did they? and Michael says, no, but he should have. He’s always known she had a big heart. Brook says she didn’t do it alone. When she needed help, Chase was right there.

Chase says, wow, he didn’t know Jake went through all that, and Finn says, pretty grim stuff for anyone, but a kid that age? Chase says, no wonder he’s having a hard time, but that was years ago, right? Wasn’t he doing better? Finn says, he was, after some serious counselling. He was doing really good, but think about it. First, he loses Franco, then Jason, Finn enters the picture, and all of a sudden, these strange things start happening. Elizabeth’s wedding ring, her dress, the portrait… Chase says, all unsettling, but not overtly dangerous, and Finn says, exactly. What if it’s Jake crying out for help?

Elizabeth says, first of all, she doesn’t like the term psycho, and Jake says, fine. Nuts? Crazy? Loco? Take your pick. She says she doesn’t think he’s any of those things, and Cameron says, look. Seeing a therapist doesn’t mean you’re crazy. Elizabeth says, they all need to talk to someone once in a while, and Jake says, they think he put the painting there, even though he swore he didn’t. They don’t believe him. Cameron tells him, that’s not what mom’s saying; Jake’s just been through a lot lately. Jake’s phone dings, and he says, Conner sent him a video, asking if it’s really Cameron. What did he post? Cameron says, nothing, and as Jake is about to open it, Cameron says, don’t!

Josslyn says she’s not pregnant, and Carly says, thank God. Josslyn says, they used protection; that’s not the problem. Carly asks, what’s going on? and Josslyn says, that night was perfect. At least that part was. It was everything a first time should be. But then, in sociology class, everyone’s phones started blowing up, and all eyes were on her and Cam, and they had no idea why. She begins crying again, and says, someone sent this video to Professor Kahn’s computer. And the whole thing played in front of the whole class on this giant screen. Carly says she doesn’t understand. What was on the video? Josslyn says, Cameron and her, having sex. Someone filmed them and sent it to the entire school.

Esme tells Nikolas, that’s not what she meant at all; Spence loves him. It borders on worship actually. He said Nikolas was the best father in the universe. It made her jealous of how close they were when Spence was growing up. Spence made it seem like it was the two of them against the world. He says, she told him that he wasn’t the man she expected him to be, yet Spencer painted him in a positive light. She says, glowing light, and he asks if that means he’s worse than she expected.

Carly asks how someone could do that to Josslyn, and Josslyn says, she guesses it’s not the worst thing in the world. Everyone has sex tapes or naked photos… Carly says, it’s not funny; this is not a joke, and Josslyn says she doesn’t know what else to do. Carly says, this is a complete violation. Someone took a private moment between Josslyn and her boyfriend, and made it public without her consent. She’ll get Spinelli to take it off the web. How did this happen, does she know? Josslyn says she doesn’t know. She didn’t even know there was a camera (ha-ha! I typed Cameron) in the bedroom; neither did Cam. Sonny wouldn’t have… Carly says, God no, and Josslyn says she didn’t think so. The only people in the cabin that night were her, Trina, and Cameron. Carly asks, what about Esme and Spencer? and Josslyn says she told Carly, they left. Esme had the nerve to accuse Trina yesterday. Carly asks if she’s serious. Did Esme really think they’d fall for that? Josslyn doesn’t say anything, and Carly says, Joss? Josslyn says she doesn’t know. Trina got pretty drunk at the cabin, to the point she didn’t remember what happened. Carly says, that doesn’t sound like Trina, and Josslyn says, and she didn’t drink that much. It just seemed to affect her like that. She also told them she felt left out when Josslyn and Cam got together. Carly asks if Josslyn really thinks Trina could have sent that video.

Cameron grabs Jake’s phone, and Elizabeth says, what is going on? Cameron says, it’s just a stupid video of him, and he doesn’t want Jake to see him making a fool of himself. He deletes it, and Jake takes his phone back, saying, he can still find it or just have Conner send him the link. Cameron says, leave it alone, please, and Elizabeth tells Jake to get dressed; his appointment’s in 45 minutes. Jake says, what about breakfast? and she says he can eat after he’s dressed. He says, fine, but he knows she’s just trying to get rid of him. He goes upstairs, and Elizabeth tells Cameron, he’s going to watch that video. Cameron says he knows, and she says he may as well just tell her. He asks if he can just die instead, but she says, not an option. Did he do something stupid or dangerous? He says, nothing like that, and she says, then what? He says he can’t tell her while she’s looking at him, and she keeps her back to him, pouring herself some coffee. He says, there’s a video of him going around, and she says, that much she gathered. A video of what? He says, him and Joss having sex.

Chase says, knowing that about Jake, he can see where Elizabeth is coming from, but it’s still a bummer. Finn says, the hardest part for him, is thinking about Elizabeth dealing with this on her own. He’d like to be there for her, but if he does, he’s not respecting her wishes. Chase says, Finn’s between a rock and a hard place, and Finn says, pretty much. If she feels the only way he can help is to keep his distance, so be it. Chase says, how long? and Finn says, how long what? Chase says, how long is this… pause going to be? Finn says, it’s hard to tell. It’s all very depressing. Tell him something good. How’s Brook? Chase says, as far as he knows, she’s still out of town, and Finn says, as far as he knows? Chase says he hasn’t heard from Brook since she left.

Brook says, it blows her mind that Chase just stepped up. He said he was Bailey’s father without her even asking him. Willow says, that’s a good friend, and Michael says, they regret giving Chase a hard time. Willow looks at the clock, and says she has to go; she’s observing rounds at GH. Michael tells her, show those doctors up, Nurse Tate, but she says she’s not a nurse yet. He says, soon enough, and she leaves. Brook tells Michael that he and Willow are nauseatingly cute, and he says, things are going well. What about her? It’s nice to have Willow by his side, someone to do life with. She says, so? Coupledom isn’t for everyone. Some people value their space. He asks if she’s saying she’s one of those people, and she says, isn’t it obvious? He says, not the way she was talking about Chase.

Finn tells Chase, that surprises him. Brook is dodging his calls? Chase says he hasn’t called her, and Finn says, yet people say Chase is the people person. Chase asks what that means, and Finn says, Chase is the one who said he wanted to at least be friends with Brook, and he hasn’t reached out to her? Chase says, he texted her, and Finn asks what he said… wrote… whatever. Chase tells him, he said, how are u? He just put the u; he didn’t spell it out, Finn says, pure poetry, and Chase says, Brook replied, but all she put was a thumbs up, nothing else. So obviously she doesn’t want to talk to him. Finn says, Chase should definitely give up then.

Brook asks if Michael is forgetting the part where she and Chase were pretending to be partners in crime, not romance, he says, she told him Chase was there for her. She says, he was, because he’s a good guy and they’re friends. He says, that’s it? and she says, that’s a lot. It might be a shock to him, but she doesn’t have a long list of close friends; she can’t afford to lose one. Besides, even if she felt something for Chase, it was probably a result of the situation; heightened emotions from taking care of Bailey together. He says, it looked like more, and she says he needs to get his eyes checked. They sit on the window seat, and he says he went over to Chase’s to apologize. She asks how it went, and he says, pretty good, actually. He thinks in time, if he plays his cards right, he and Chase might be friends again someday. But the point of him telling her that is, he could tell Chase was lost without her and Bailey. Just like she is. She says, he could tell how? Did Chase say he was interested in her?

Josslyn tells Carly, there’s no way. Trina would never humiliate her like that, or Cam. Carly says, it sounds more like something Esme would do, and Josslyn says, my God. Everyone saw her having sex. Carly puts her arms around Josslyn and says she’s sorry, and Josslyn says, a lot of people think she did this on purpose; not only film it, but make it public. How sick is that? Carly says, no one who knows her and Cameron would ever think that, and Josslyn says, people who don’t would think that. She’s just a freshman; she’s new on campus. She had so many messages, she had to turn her phone off. Carly says, from random people? and Josslyn says, mostly, but some of the girls on the volleyball team texted her, wanting to know what’s going on. How will she face them? How will she face anyone again? She sits on the floor, and Carly holds her.

Elizabeth says she can’t believe someone sent that video to Cameron’s whole class, and he says he thinks to the whole school. She asks if he can find out who it was, but he shakes his head, and says, it’s pretty easy to stay anonymous when you send stuff out like that. Plus, once it’s out there, it’s out there. Even Jake’s friends are seeing it. She says she’s sorry he’s going through this, and he says, it’s way worse for Josslyn. There’s still a double standard about sex. While he’s getting virtual high-fives, she’s being called a slut. It’s not right. She says, it’s not, and asks how Josslyn is holding up. He says, she turned off her phone last night, and Elizabeth says, smart move. He says he hasn’t heard from her, and he’s a little worried. Elizabeth says she’s worried about him. Double standard or not, this is happening to him too. Does he wasn’t to tell her how he’s feeling about it? He says, he never wants to talk about it ever again, and she says, he can tell her anything. He says, just not this, okay? but she says he should talk to someone. He says, a friend? and she says, if he wants to. He says he doesn’t. He wishes Franco was here. She says, her too, and he says, Franco would know what to say. Or at least find a way to get him to laugh about all  this. She says, he’ll get through this, but he asks, how?

Nikolas says, letting Spencer believe he was dead, he’ll always regret that decision, but Esme says, he misunderstood what she meant. Spence described him as a man with singular focus. For example, when Spence was young, that focus was on him. Now. according to Spence, he’s all about Ava, but she can see that’s not true. There’s room in his heart for more than one person. He says, of course (🍷) there is, and wonders why Spencer can’t see that. Ava is no threat to him or Nikolas’s love for him. Esme says she’s so sorry she helped Spence hurt him and Ava. They were wrong, and she’d like to make almonds amends. She’s been talking to Spence on his behalf, urging him to   reconcile with Nikolas. Nikolas says he appreciates that, and she says, maybe she should talk to him about the vow renewal; soften him up before Nikolas speaks to him. Ava comes back, and says she’s sorry she  took so long. Nikolas says, important call? and she says, it was about Ryan.

Elizabeth says if Jake wants breakfast, he should come downstairs. He comes down in the same clothes, and she says she told him to get dressed, but he says he’s not going. He doesn’t need to see a shrink. She can’t make him go. She says, actually, she can. It’s not punishment. She thinks talking to Dr. Massey can help him. He says, he knows he messed up after Cassadine Island, but he was a kid then. He’s fine now. Why doesn’t she believe him? She says she doesn’t think any of them are fine, not after losing Franco the way they did. Now Jake’s lost his dad. She knows he misses him; she misses him too. He says, it’s not the same, and she says he’s right. She hasn’t been with his dad in a while, but she’ll always love him because they made Jake. She can see him in Jake. Jake says, she can? and she says, he’s so strong, just like his dad was, and when Jake gets upset, he gets quiet like his dad. He says, dad didn’t talk a lot, and she says, he didn’t, but he always listened to Jake, didn’t he? Jake has so many people who love him, but sometimes it’s easier talking to a stranger. It helped when he talked to Dr. Maddox, didn’t it? He says, yeah, and she says she’s sorry he isn’t around anymore, but Dr. Massey is great. Will he at least give it a try? Cameron listens from the kitchen.  

Carly says, Josslyn has nothing to be ashamed of. The video was made without her knowledge or permission, and she didn’t decide to make it public. Josslyn says, people don’t know that, and Carly says, the people who matter do. As far as the rest of them, screw ‘em. You can’t control what people think. Josslyn says she can’t believe this is happening. She’s never been so embarrassed in her life. The whole world saw her naked. Carly says, that’s not true. She doesn’t want to minimize what Josslyn is going through or how she’s feeling, but she wants Josslyn to keep it in perspective. She knows Josslyn feels like everyone is judging her, but they’re not. Josslyn says, but the people she sees every day, what about them? Carly says she knows this seems insurmountable, like she’ll never be over it and never live it down, but life goes on. People forget, and the next scandal is going to replace this one. Trust her, she’s weathered her own and she’s still standing. Josslyn says Carly is stronger than she is, but Carly says, no. Josslyn is stronger.

Michael says, Chase didn’t come out and say he was interested in Brook, but they’re not exactly buddy-buddy right now, so why would Chase confide in him about something like that? Brook says, here’s the deal. If she told Chase that she wanted to be with him, and he wasn’t into it, there aren’t enough words in the English language to describe how awkward that would be. They wouldn’t be able to look at one another, let alone be friends. Why would she risk losing Chase altogether, when she doesn’t even know how she feels about it? He says, she’s looking at it all wrong. Instead of focusing on what she might lose, how about focusing on what she might gain?

Chase sees Willow at the hospital, and she says she’s sorry. She has to run. She doesn’t want to miss rounds. He says, the life of a nurse? and she says, nurse in training. She got so caught up talking to Brook, she didn’t realize the time. He says, she spoke to Brook on the phone? but Willow says, in person. She’s at the house right now. Willow keeps walking, but Chase stops, stunned.

Nikolas asks who’s calling Ava about Ryan, and she says, Doc. He’s been monitoring Ryan from a distance to keep tabs on him at Spring Ridge, but he went to see him face-to-face, and there’s no change. Ryan is still locked inside his body. He wouldn’t even communicate with Doc; no blinkity-blink like he does. Under the table, Esme digs her nails into her palm, and Nikolas says, Ryan shouldn’t be communicating with anyone after what he did to Ava. They should toss him in a cell and lose the key. Ava asks Esme if there’s something wrong, but Esme says, no. It’s just terrible what Ryan did to her. Ava says, yes, but it’s over, and so is he. She’s just relieved they can plan their ceremony without worrying about that monster. There’s absolutely nothing Ryan can do to them from Spring Ridge. Ava’s phone chirps, and she says she has to get back to the gallery. Nikolas says he’ll go too, but Esme says she was hoping they could talk a little more about Spence. Ava tells him to stay, and he says he’ll walk her out. He wants all the time with her that he can get. Esme says, aww, that’s so sweet, and Ava says, they don’t call him a prince for nothin’. Esme tells Nikolas to take his time, and looks at her palm.

Elizabeth walks into the hospital, and sees Finn. Jake walks in behind her, and she tells Jake that she’s proud of him for agreeing to see Dr. Massey. He tells her, let’s just get it over with, and keeps walking. She exchanges looks with Finn and follows.  

Brook flashes back down Chase Memory Lane, from her seeing him again for the first time after pretending to be pregnant, and ending with their kiss in the hospital. There’s a song part, and she looks at his number in her phone. She wonders what she’d even say, when Chase walks in, and says, hi. You’re back.

In the MetroCourt elevator, Carly tells Josslyn that Spinelli was able to wipe the video from all the public websites. That’s good, right? Josslyn says, yeah, but who knows how many people have it saved in their private files? Carly is sure not as many as Josslyn thinks. It’s a start. Josslyn agrees, and Carly asks how she’s feeling. Josslyn says, exposed? She guesses a little better after making through the lobby without any whispers or stares. All she can say is, these better be the best blueberry pancakes she’s ever had. Carly says, they will be. She’ll make sure of it. Everything is going to be okay. Spinelli’s on his way to the cabin; he’s searching for a camera. They’re going to find out who did this, and they’re going to make them pay. They get out, and see Esme on her phone. Carly takes Josslyn’s hand and marches her over to the table. Using her best concerned voice, Esme asks how Josslyn is doing. Josslyn asks how should she be doing after someone purposely humiliated her and Cam with that video? Esme says, it’s so awful. Josslyn is so brave to be out in public with this. She doesn’t know if she could do it. If they’ll excuse her… She gets up, but Carly blocks her path, saying, I don’t think so. Sit down.

On Monday, Curtis asks Selina, what’s in it for him besides the money; Josslyn tells Carly that she needs to fight her own battles; Cameron says Spencer can’t drag him down; Carly asks whose life Esme is going to ruin now; and Britt asks, how much trouble could they get into? I’m guessing a lot.

🌡 Absentee Inga…

Luckily, she wasn’t out of commission for long.

👩🏾‍🎓 A Different Path…

While I’m sad to hear there will be a new Trina, good for her in furthering her education. I wish I’d done that.

🌴 Fresh Move…

She’s going back to a town called Bel-Air.

👨‍👦 Proud Papa…

Like father, like son.

👠 Wu Wu…

Glad to hear she’s back. I like the female mob boss thing.

🍭 Inklusive Kandi…

Kandi gives brings the diversity to her new show.

💰 Bandwagon Of Claims…

The number just keeps growing.

💵 Marketing Op…

But is she paying taxes on it?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-10596451/RHOSLCs-Jen-Shah-releases-not-guilty-merch-ahead-fraud-trial.html

🛥 Shady Rose On Deck…

I don’t like this woman.

💫 In Lala’s Orbit…

What a toad.

By God if they’re not right.

💔 Possible VanderSplit…

Why all the mystery? It just seems like with all the blabbermouths on that show, there would be something more definitive.

😍 Exclusively Charmed…

Sounds pretty flimsy.

🦋 Ever-Changing…

I dunno. The Kardashians are magicians with makeup and filters, so who can tell?

🪕 For Those a Little Bit Country…

The winners and the fashions at the ACM Awards.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/07/entertainment/acm-awards-2022/index.html

https://www.eonline.com/photos/34087/acm-awards-2022-red-carpet-fashion

🎺 Quotes of the Week

You keep coming back like a bad smell. – Tom Brooks referring to Jesse Meester, Darcy and Stacy: Tell All

Judge a man by the reputation of his enemies, and the character of his friends. – K@SH

Survive and tell me what’s harder, zombies or senior year? – member of the archery team, All Of Us Are Dead

Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you don’t know about. Be kind. Always. – Robin Williams

I was pretty well grounded. I was being teased and whatever and I didn’t have anger skills, so I would go to the parents and say your children are brats and tell them they were bad parents. – Michael Berryman

Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. – Carl Gustav Jung

People get addicted to feeling offended all the time because it gives them a high; being self-righteous and morally superior feels good. – Mark Manson

I don’t know if I have the strength to keep going back and forth with this lady. – Cynthia Bailey referring to Ramona Singer, Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip

Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right. – Henry Ford

🎆 Rocking Off To the Casbah…

See you next time the Dead Walk. Until then, stay safe, stay remembering to turn your clock back, and stay knowing you can’t control what people think. So if they don’t matter, screw ‘em.

September 29, 2021 – Carly Confronts Nina, Kathy Arranges a Boat Ride, Rumor Mill, Tom Talks, Attack Of the Jen, VanderZoo & Bidi Bom

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny and Jason walk into the hospital, and Sonny thanks Jason for talking about his bipolar disorder. He knows it’s a difficult subject to start. Jason says, they’ve been through worse, and Sonny says, no kidding. Jason is right. He has to get his bloodwork and the scripts; whatever he has to do. He says, Jason doesn’t have to stay, and Jason says he has to call Diane. They have to figure out what they need to do for Sonny to be declared legally alive. He has the feeling that he, Sonny, and Carly are going to be filling out a lot of paperwork. Sonny says, paperwork can wait. He needs to see Carly and tell her that Nina knew he was alive the whole time.

Carly tells Nina, you stole Sonny’s life, and bitch, you’re gonna pay. Nina says she sees Sonny told Carly. She has every right to be angry… Carly says, don’t tell her what she has a right to feel. Tell her why. Then give her one good reason not to kill her. Ugh. I hate Carly more all the time.

Josslyn leaves Carly a voicemail, saying, she knows Carly is mad at Nina. So is she, but Nina is still Wiley’s grandmother, and the last thing anybody wants is for him to get stuck in the middle. So if she hasn’t found Nina yet, and she gets this message, just count to ten. She joins Cameron and Trina outside Kelly’s, and Cameron asks if they’re really doing this. Josslyn says, hell yeah, and Trina says, okay then, handing Josslyn (I assume) something caffeinated, get amped. Today’s the day Spencer and Esme get what’s coming to them.

Esme says, it’s been hours, and Spencer’s father isn’t back yet. He says, it isn’t unusual or alarming, and she asks if he doesn’t find it alarming that his father went after Ava. He should have tried harder to stop it. He puts his arm around her, and says, it’s moot now. Ava is probably halfway across the Atlantic. Esme says, here’s hoping the plane crashes and she’s the only casualty, and he laughs. He says, in more great news, he can’t believe his Uncle Sonny is alive. She says, yes, Josslyn mentioned it. How wonderful. He asks if Josslyn told her how it all went down, and she says, Josslyn was in a hurry. She wasn’t too informative. Spencer says, Sonny can tell him himself. He can’t wait to see him. She says she’s sure Sonny would appreciate a visit once he’s settled, and he says, his feelings for Ava aside, he is happy for Avery. He knows that little girl and her daddy adore each other. Oh, okay. It’s all right for Avery to have her mother torn from her though.

At Kelly’s, Scotty picks up the envelope with the divorce papers, and tells Ava, they’re going to get her unhitched. She takes the envelope, putting it back on the table, and he says, what’s the big deal? It gets easier every time, divorce. She asks how many times he’s been divorced, and he says, too many. He says he’s getting his fee, but does she want him to file this with the court, or does she want to stay married? It’s her call. Temporary Nikolas walks in.

Carly says she knew she would find Nina there. One last visit with Wiley before Michael and Willow found out? She’s a stellar human being. Says the person who… oh, never mind. Nina says all her lies are blowing up in her face, while Carly got her husband back. Can’t that be enough? Carly says Nina played God with Sonny’s life for the past nine months, and now she’s caught and wants it to be enough? Hell no. She did it, and now she’s going to pay the consequences.

Epiphany comes out, and Sonny smiles at her. She says she heard, but she needed to see it with her own eyes. He says, hello, and she says, this is a miracle, and hugs him. Britt goes to the reception desk, and Sonny says it’s good to see Epiphany. He’s there to see Dr. Sullivan. She says, very sensible, but first, they need to get him into a room. She needs to take his vitals so she can declare him officially back from the dead. They leave, and Britt tells Jason, twice in one day. He asks if it’s a problem, and she says, not for her.

Nikolas says he’s been looking everywhere for Ava, and she asks how he got past Bubba. He says, just hear him out before Bubba comes to, and Ava asks if Nikolas is saying he knocked Bubba out. Scotty says he’s going to give Mr. Bubba his card. When he comes to, he might want to sue Nikolas. Ava says, always a charmer, and Scotty leaves. Nikolas sits down, and says he’s glad he caught Ava. She says he didn’t; he’s too late. Aside from a few practical matters, she’s ready to leave Port Charles. Next stop, London, her new base of operations. He puts his hand on the envelope, and asks if this is one of those practical matters. She says, the most practical of all; the divorce papers, signed, sealed, and all Scotty has to do is deliver them. He says, then he got there just in time, because there’s no need for Scotty, no need for divorce papers, no need for her to head anywhere but home to Windymere with him. She says, they’ve gone over and over and over this… and he says he has news. Something that will change everything. Sonny is alive. She says she knows, and he says, she does? She says, she stopped by his house this morning to say goodbye to Avery, and he says, why did she say goodbye? Doesn’t she see this changes everything? She says, it doesn’t. It changes nothing.

Josslyn says, they need to move fast. It’s go time. Cameron tells them, hold on. Are they really sure about this? Josslyn says, he’s backing out now? and he says, nobody’s backing out of anything. He’s just asking them to hear him out. Yes, Esme and Spencer’s behavior could warrant suspicion in their involvement of the stalking of Ava and Nikolas… Trina says, that’s why they’re doing this, and he says, without any evidence? Josslyn says, why? They’re not a court of law. Trina tells him, like she said, where there’s smoke, there’s fire, but he says, what if it’s just smoke? Trina says, if they’re wrong, great – Josslyn says, we’re not wrong – it will exonerated Spencer and Esme once and for all. Josslyn says, no one is getting exonerated. Trina says she’ll buy Spencer a new designer belt, and she and Esme will braid friendship bracelets together. Josslyn says, that’s not even in the realm of possibility, and Trina says, no, but she gets what Cameron is saying. They need to keep an open mind. Cameron says, okay, but if Spencer and Esme find out what they’re doing, even if it proves them innocent, do Trina and Josslyn think they’re just going let it go; no hard feelings? Spencer can hold a grudge longer than anyone he knows. Josslyn says, which would explain his motive for stalking Ava, which is why she still thinks it’s a risk worth taking. Trina says, it is for her. She barely knows Spencer, and doesn’t like Esme anyway. Josslyn can’t imagine who does, and Trina says, her point is, if they’re right, Ava can stay in Port Charles with her husband and daughter. Josslyn says, and those two will be exposed for the schemers they are. It’s a win-win. Trina says, for the last time, is Cameron in? He says, let’s spring this trap.

Nina says she knows what she’s done, and Carly says, does she? Because she wants to hear it from Nina’s own mouth. Nina says, okay. She kept Sonny from his family for months, and her lies put a lot of people in danger in Nixon Falls and Port Charles. Carly says, it wasn’t enough for Nina to make a scene at Sonny’s funeral, she had to make sure he stayed dead to the rest of them? Nina says, she’ll forever regret the unintended consequences of her actions, and Carly says, unintended consequences? Her husband almost burned to death because of Nina. Nina says, is that what he told Carly? and Carly says, he told her that he was trapped in a fire, so she’s guessing Nina had something to do with it. Nina says she’s so sorry for all the pain she’s caused, but Carly says she doesn’t think so. Nina says maybe she’s not as contrite as Carly wants her to be, because Carly hasn’t owned up to her part in all this. Carly asks how any of this is her fault.

Sonny tells Epiphany, he was trapped. There was fire everywhere, and it came to him. She says, just in time to remind him about everything he had to live for. He says, it’s good to be alive; to be himself, and know who he is. She says she’s sure his family is over the moon, but he says, they’re not as happy as he is. Michael, Dante, Josslyn, and Kristina all came over. She says she’s sure they were happy to see him, and he says, Donna is too little, but Avery held on to him so tight, and wouldn’t let go. Epiphany says, of course (🍷) she did, and he says, even though he was gone so long, it didn’t matter; he was home. She says, believe her, it mattered. Everyone was devastated when he died, especially Carly and Jason. He says, Jason had a lot to deal with. He heard Jason got arrested. Epiphany says, did he now? Even in death, Sonny doesn’t miss a trick. Sonny says he’d love to hear the details, and she says she wasn’t there for all of it, so some is secondhand, but he says he won’t ask her to swear to anything. Epiphany sits down, and says, Jason was framed by Peter for killing Franco. He was sent to Pentenville, where he was conveniently stabbed, and brought there. Someone – she doesn’t know who – arranged for his escape. He says, someone knew it was easier to break him out of the hospital than prison, and she says, rumor has it that he was free and clear, but he ran back to save Britt, when Cyrus’s thugs tried to kill her. At the time, the police thought Britt was a hostage. Sonny says, Jason would never do that, and she says, not everybody knows that. Jason was shot, Britt fixed him up, and they ended up on the run for a while. The rest, as they say, is hospital gossip.

Britt asks Jason why Sonny is there, and Jason says, to check in with his psychiatrist. Any word about her mom? She says, no, not yet. Finding Liesl Obrecht isn’t exactly a high priority for the WSB. Britt knows Obrecht is who she is, but she’s still her mother. She’s all Britt has. He says his offer still stands if she wants him to look into it. She says she meant what she said the first time, Marriage or no marriage, she doesn’t need his help anymore. 

Nikolas says, he knows he and Ava aren’t Sonny’s favorite people, but Sonny has resources they don’t. She asks, what resources don’t they have? He’s a Cassadine. He says, we are Cassadines, but she says, not for long. He asks if she told Sonny why she was leaving. What did he say? She says, he wasn’t happy about Avery having been approached, but he wasn’t too broken up about her leaving. He asks if she’s suggesting Sonny is no longer the type of man who would find the person who threatened his daughter, and make them suffer. Avery is safe. Ava says, she’s not, and she’ll be in danger as long as Ava stays. That psychopath set fire to her car; who knows what else they’ll do? What about that doesn’t he understand? He says she’s right. He’s sorry. He thought Sonny would be the solution they needed. She says, the only solution is the one she’s already arrived at. She has to walk away. Scotty sits down with them, and tells them, he can’t believe he’s going to say this, especially to them, but it would be a shame for them to give up on each other.

Cameron goes to Windymere, and Spencer says, well, if it isn’t the townie. Cameron says, live and in person, and Spencer asks, to what does he owe this unexpected pleasure? Cameron says, the pursuit of higher education. Did Spencer take the Roman Civ notes today? He doesn’t know what’s up with him, but he couldn’t make heads or tails of it. Spencer says, that’s because Cameron is intellectually ungifted, and Esme says, be nice. Not everyone gets to grow up in boarding schools and haunted castles. Spencer says, Windymere isn’t haunted, but Esme says, it is so haunted. Cameron says, he knows. He asks if Esme can back him up. Isn’t it Spencer’s duty as his intellectual superior to help him out? Esme says, it is, but Spencer says he didn’t take notes. Cameron says that’s because he remembers everything he hears, but Spencer says, it’s because he’s not taking the test. He’s just auditing the class to keep his father off his back. Cameron asks how that’s working out, and Spencer says, so far, so good. Cameron asks if that means there’s going be another rager? and Spencer asks why he’d do that. Cameron says, when the cat’s away… His dad is leaving right?

Epiphany says she takes it Carly and Jason brought Sonny up to speed, and he says he wishes he’d gotten out before Jason and Carly got married, and blew so much money on deposits. They laugh, and Sonny says he guesses his timing is off. Epiphany says, for a man just barely made it out of a raging inferno, he has remarkably good vitals. Sonny says he’s going to head upstairs for another appointment, and Epiphany says, it’s good to have him back. She missed him. They hug.

Nina tells Carly, at the heart of it, it’s about her grandson. Carly says, who happens to be her grandson too, and Sonny’s. Nina says she realized that. That’s why she called Carly immediately to tell her. Does she remember that phone call? Before Nina could get a word out, Carly threatened her with court about visitation with Wiley. Carly says, so she deserved months of loss, grief, and pain for one rude phone call? Nina says, if Carly doesn’t believe her, ask Jax. He figured out what was going on, and encouraged her to tell Sonny the truth. Carly says, encouraged? and Nina says, insisted. She agreed, and Jax said he’d trust her to do the right thing. Carly wonders, why the hell would Jax do that?

Spencer asks what Cameron means about his father leaving, and Cameron says, sorry; wrong word choice. Spencer says his father can’t leave; they just moved in. Cameron says, Nikolas is taking a trip to Bora Bora, and Spencer asks, what makes him think that? Cameron says Spencer’s dad talked to Trina about getting two first-class tickets. He and Ava are celebrating calling off their divorce. He asks if he can use the bathroom, and Spencer tells him, help himself. He leaves, and Esme says, when will Spencer learn that she’s always right.

Trina’s phone dings, and she tells Josslyn, it’s done. Thanks to Cameron, phase one is in motion. It’s too late to turn back now.

Ava asks if Scotty is saying she and Nikolas shouldn’t get divorced, and Scotty says, yeah. He’s still charging a fee though. She asks where this is coming from, and Scotty says he’s been doing a lot of thinking lately about love and life, and how sketchy it can be. The uncertainty of a separation is a kind of death in its own way. Getting bounced out of an airplane like a guy who had too many martinis got him thinking. Nikolas asks if there’s any word on Obrecht, but Scotty says, no. He’s going to find her. He’s going to turn over every rock if he has to. He has to say this; true love is worth fighting for. Nikolas says he never pegged Scotty for a romantic, and Scotty says he’s been hopeless at times. He can’t control this whole thing with Obrecht, but what he can control is them. He’s not letting them throw in the towel. There must be something they can do to keep them together. Ava says, they’ve been through all that, but Nikolas says, Scotty is a clever guy. Maybe he can come up with an unconventional solution. Scotty thanks him and says, so they’ve got a little stalker problem… Ava says she doesn’t think it’s so little, and he says, what he’s thinking is, so this weirdo goes crazy when they make eyes at each other. There’s only one solution. Nikolas says, do tell, and Scotty says, date other people.

Jason tells Britt that he’ll always care what happens to her, whether he helps her or not. She says, she doesn’t give a damn about him. She walks away, and sees Sonny. She tells him, welcome back, and he says, it seems they have a lot of catching up to do. She says, he’s been gone a long time. On thing she’s learned about Port Charles; you miss a day, you miss a lot. She leaves, and Sonny says, Renault tried to have her killed, right? Jason says, yeah, and Sonny says, and Jason got shot going to get her. Jason says, that’s right, and Sonny says, Epiphany filled him in. He guesses Jason wasn’t going to. Jason tells him, there’s not much to say. It happened; it’s over. Sonny asks, did Jason leave Britt for Carly?  

Carly says Nina had nine months to do the right thing. While Sonny’s kids grieved, Donna forgot her father, and Jason went to prison, Sonny was tending bar in some dive and Nina did nothing but lie to their faces. Why would Jax expect her to tell the truth? Nina says, and Carly feels qualified to judge since she knows so much about the truth. Carly says, screw you. Nina stole nine months of Sonny’s life because Carly hurt her feelings? Nina says, at least she got Sonny back. She’ll never see her daughter again. Carly says, now the truth comes out. This was payback for Nelle.

Sonny says, he’ll never forget that Jason and Carly made that sacrifice to marry and protect what’s his. Maybe now he can go pick up the pieces with Britt. Jason says he doesn’t think Britt agrees with that, but Sonny says Jason can change her mind. Jason says he’s not sure that’s possible, and Sonny says, do him a favor. Ask himself if Britt makes him happy. Jason’s phone dings, and he says he should handle this. How long is Sonny’s psych evaluation? Sonny tells him, don’t worry; he’ll have Tony pick him up. Sonny gets in the elevator, and Jason calls Josslyn. He asks, what’s up? and she says she’s kind of meddling here, but she feels like if she doesn’t, things could escalate. He asks, what happened? and she says, mom found out something about Nina, and now she’s on the warpath. She’s not responding to any calls or texts. He says, don’t worry; he’ll find her. He calls Spinelli, and says he needs Spinelli to find Carly; put a track on her phone for him.

Nikolas says, Scotty is advising his wife to date another man? and Scotty tells him, don’t be thick, Nik. Nikolas, of all people, should understand subterfuge, and Nikolas says, so she should date another man for show? Scotty says, put on a show for this crackpot, but Ava says she tried it. She flirted with Austin at the bar. Nikolas says, and her car was still set on fire. Scotty says, Austin is a good choice, but did she give it the old college try? What about Nikolas? Has he stepped out with anybody? Nikolas says, of course (🍷) not. He would if he thought it would help. Ava looks at him, and he says, subterfuge. Scotty says, look who’s jealous. She wants Nikolas to be jealous, but not her. Nikolas says, there would be nothing to be jealous of, and she says, woudn’t there? Scotty says, okay, fake dating’s not going to work. How about skipping town? Nikolas says he was all for it, but they can’t leave their children behind. Scotty says, take the little turds with them, but Ava says, any plan that uproots the kids is out of the question. Scotty says he has another idea. Nikolas is very resourceful with resources and everything. Why doesn’t he get Mr. Bubba to take the guy out? Get a real assassin to get the job done. Ava says, they were just talking about the Cassadine resources, and Nikolas says they’ve exhausted those options, and no new intel to show for it. Scotty says he guesses they’ll have to put their thinking caps on. Nikolas says he appreciates Scotty trying to help. It’s helped him finally realize something. Ava’s solution is the right one. Until they figure out who the stalker is, and how to handle them, they have to cut ties with each other.

Esme says, Spencer was so sure they’d scared Ava into leaving, but she told him that Nikolas would win her back. He says he can’t believe his father is choosing Ava over him again. Just when they’ve started rebuilding their relationship. What the hell did he do all this for, if Nikolas can leave him at the drop of a hat? Esme is sure Ava is dropping more than a hat. That’s why Nikolas can’t think straight, but don’t worry; she’s got this. His father just needs to be brought back to reality. He says, they’ve called off the divorce. They’re probably already on the Cassadine jet. It’s too late. She asks if he trusts her. She saved him before, and she’ll do it again. He says, of course (🍷) he trusts her, but he wonders if this has all gone far enough. She says, let her decide how far is too far. She’ll be back, and so will his dad. She goes out the door, seeing Cameron in the entryway. She says, sorry, she’s got to run, but please come again soon. Ciao. Cameron asks Spencer if he’s okay, and Spencer says, never better. Cameron says he thought they were past hiding how they really feel, because they’re worried one will make fun of the other. Spencer says, okay, cards on the table. Total honesty. Cameron says, absolutely, and Spencer asks, what’s the real reason Cameron came over?

Cameron sends Josslyn a devil emoji, and she tells Trina, she-devil is on the move. Trina says, Cam might have needed a little nudge, but he definitely delivered. Josslyn says, the launch will be here any second. Is Trina still tailing Esme like they discussed? Trina says she doesn’t know. Spencer’s the slippery one, right? Anyone who managed to avoid everyone they knew in Port Charles for weeks needs two sets of eyes on them. Josslyn says, she’ll follow Esme and report back, and Trina tells her, be careful. If they’re right, Esme set Ava’s car on fire. Who knows what that chick is capable of? Josslyn says she survived Nelle. She can handle what Esme’s got.

Carly says Nina acts like Nelle was a martyr. She was a murderer, and the world is better off without her, and so is Wiley. Nina says, how dare Carly say that to her? Nelle was her child. Carly says she didn’t know that until after Nelle died, and Nina says, Carly means after she watched Nelle plummet to her death. Carly laughs, and Nina says, how dare she laugh? Carly stayed silent, didn’t tell the police anything, and let Nelle rot, not allowing Nina any closure. Carly says, so Nina decided to balance the scales with nine months of grieving a man who wasn’t dead? If Nina wanted to hate her and make her suffer, fine, but how does she justify making Sonny’s kids suffer, or Sonny? Nina says, she’ll gladly apologize to Sonny, his children, his family, his friends, even his seventh grade math teacher while she’s at it, but she’ll be damned if she ever apologizes to Carly. Ugh. I know Nina did wrong, but I hate Carly. She’s got nothing for anybody who’s not so-called family.

Trina looks at her phone, and says, Cameron, you should be out of there by now.

Esme walks into the hospital, and Josslyn follows at a distance. She says, Esme, what the hell are you doing?   

Spencer says, obviously Cameron isn’t there to get his notes, and Cameron says, of course (🍷) not. Spencer’s auditing the class. Spencer asks, then why? and Cameron says, it’s obvious. He practically told Spencer.  Cameron came to check up on him. The last time they all hung out, he felt tension. Spencer asks if Cameron means when he, Josslyn, and Trina all huddled and gossiped about him and his girlfriend, and Cameron says, sorry. It wasn’t cool. Spencer asks what they talked about. What did they say about him and Esme, or can’t Cameron tell him? Cameron says, they just all think Esme… He doesn’t know how to say this without it sounding weird. Spencer says Cameron always sounds weird; spit it out. Cameron says they think Esme has some kind of hold over him; like an influence. Spencer says, Esme loves him, and Cameron tells him, he didn’t say she didn’t. Spencer says Esme looks out for him more than his own father, and Cameron says Spencer’s father loves him. Spencer says, the way Augustus loved Tiberius; exiled, and choosing him last every time. Cameron says, it looks like Spencer did take notes, and Spencer says, if he’s not enough for his father, why is he still fighting for him? Cameron asks how Spencer is fighting for Nikolas, but Spencer says, it doesn’t matter anymore. Cameron says his relationship with Franco was rough when Franco started seeing his mom, but they worked at it. They developed a relationship, but with time and effort, they became like a real father and on. Things worked out, and it’s not too late for Spencer and Nikolas to put everything behind them, and move forward together. Spencer says, that’s just it. He’s not Cameron, and never will be.

Ava thanks Scotty for trying. She knows he’s going through a difficult time, and appreciates him meeting her. He says he’s still going to bill her, and she says she knows. He says, Nikolas too. He’s got to  meet a client. Should he take the papers with him? Ava doesn’t say anything, and he takes the envelope. Nikolas tells Scotty that his resources are at Scotty’s disposal to find Obrecht, and Scotty says he might take Nikolas up on it. Scotty leaves, and Ava says that was kind of Nikolas. Nikolas says, true love is always a worthy cause.

Epiphany asks Britt if everything is all right, and Britt says, yes. Why is she asking? Epiphany says she gets that Britt has to be the untouchable Chief of Staff. Just so Britt knows, Epiphany sees through her.

Nina says, Carly let her daughter die, lied to her for weeks, and did everything in her power to rob Nina of her grandson. Carly says, and she’d do it over all again. If Nina wants to hate her for it, come and get her, but don’t use someone like she used Sonny. Nina says, look at the bright side. At least Sonny’s back; she should be overjoyed. Carly asks if that’s supposed to make it okay. All’s well that end’s well? Nina says, none of this is okay, it’s just better. Everybody is happy Sonny is back, but really the question is, will Sonny stay happy? Carly asks what the hell that’s supposed to mean.  

Britt says, Epiphany sees through her? and Epiphany says, always have, always will. Britt asks, what is it she sees? By all means, enlighten her. Epiphany says, she bets Britt is going through a lot, and it might even become overwhelming. So if Britt ever needs to talk it through, use her as a safe space… within reason.

Ava says she needs to get going, and Nikolas says, fine. He’ll let her go, but he’s not giving up. He’ll move heaven and earth to find out who’s doing this, and when he does, they’ll be together again. She thanks him for not standing in her way, and he says, anymore? She says, anymore. He just has one request – wait for him. She fixes his lapel, looks at him for a moment, and leaves. Outside, she leans against the door for a moment.

Spencer says, Cameron is like the poster child for upstanding sons, and Cameron laughs, and says, clearly Spencer has been away far too long. How does he figure this? Spencer says, even for a short time, Cameron and Franco were like father and son. They had a bond. Maybe he doesn’t deserve that kind of bond with his own father… Not after everything he’s done. Cameron asks what Spencer means. What has he done?  

Sonny asks Epiphany if he’s good to go, and she says, not bad for a member of the recently deceased. She’ll get his after-visit summary. She leaves, and Esme comes up to Sonny. She asks if he’s Sonny Corinthos, and he says, who’s asking? She says, thank goodness she found him. Josslyn watches.

Nina tells Carly, things were simpler in Nixon Falls. Mike was actually happy. Carly says, stop calling him Mike, but Nina says, that’s who he was there. Jason comes in while Nina is talking, and Nina says, it’s who he wanted to be; not consumed with ambition, and riddled with guilt and regret. He wasn’t mourning the death of a child to violence. Carly launches herself at Nina, saying, don’t use the name of her child (which technically, Nina didn’t), but Jason runs in and intercepts her. Carly struggles with Jason, and tells Nina, get out. Nina says, tell Wiley that she’ll come back, but Carly says, Nina is never seeing Wiley again. Nina says Carly can’t change the fact that she’ll always be Wiley’s grandmother, and Carly says, Nina is nothing to him. Nina leaves, and Carly jerks away from Jason, whining that Nina threw Morgan in her face. He says, that’s because she knows she lost. Carly got Sonny back, and Nina’s got nothing. Let it go. Carly says, she’s going to burn Nina’s life down, and spit on her ashes. For an emotionless dude, Jason looks pretty horrified.

Tomorrow, Jason says someone’s feelings will be the least of their problems, Ava has unfinished business, Alexis asks what Shawn is trying not to tell her, and Sonny says Esme was right in coming to him.  

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Still in San Diego at the Del Mar, the women, minus Erika, took limo busses to Lorimar Vineyard, where they did a wine tasting, driving to various areas of the winery in a Rice-A-Roni cable car with tour guide Jared. I loved the cable car. It was like it had gone rogue off the tracks. Kathy brought her scooter along, and in her interview, told us it was see, sniff, swirl, and sip – then swallow. In Garcelle’s interview, she said, if dating was like wine tasting, she would love it so much more. She could line them up, and decide which one she wanted to take home. While they sat at a long table, swirling, sniffing, and guzzling sipping, Kyle announced that Tom’s brother was wanting to put him in a home, and told everyone about the burglary. LisaR jumped in, confirming everything, and lowering the times Erika’s son’s car rolled, making it four. In Sutton’s interview, she suggested someone put this man somewhere he could be taken care of. In Crystal’s interview, she said, this can’t be real. She’s never seen snow in L.A. In Dorit’s interview, she brought the car roll back to the original five, and said, this was stuff you only saw in movies. In Garcelle’s interview, she said, Erika’s stories were unbelievable, because they were hard to believe. Sutton added that she was not playing Nancy Drew. Let Scooby and his friends figure it out. Crystal said she knew what it was like to love someone with dementia. Husband Rob had stepped up, and was all in, getting her father everything he needed. Not everyone had that. Kathy excused herself to go back for a massage. She had a migraine and a neckache. In her interview, she explained that she’d been hit with a golf ball when she was a kid while doing a Barbie commercial, and had suffered ever since. By the end of the excursion, they’d had a lot of wine, and after enjoying a beautiful sunset, Kyle dared to do an impression of Erika. Even more daring was Sutton following with another one. I’ll have what they’re having.

Kyle, Sutton, and Dorit gathered in Kyle’s room for a kiki before dinner. Dorit felt badly for Erika. She felt Erika had cleared up a lot at the picnic, which Sutton hadn’t gone to. That was the first time Erika used the word alleged in regard to Tom being unconscious for twelve hours. Sutton asked, how can you be allegedly unconscious? and in her interview, she wondered why Erika’s story changing all the time, adding, I think y’all allegedly drank the Kool-Aid. In Dorit’s interview, she said she didn’t want to push it with Erika, but then they were left looking like idiots for asking, The women met in the lobby, and walked to dinner together, Kathy using her scooter. Dorit remarked that Erika was wearing latex, so it must be a good day. In Kyle’s interview, she said, Erika was not going to give Sutton any chances. The ice queen was not cracking on this one. Erika was back to getting a hot toddy, and said she was so overwhelmed; she’d needed a minute. What she was going through sucked, but there were people who could step up for Tom. He’d done a lot for a lot of people. Why was her kid there? We also got the official Erika approval stamp on her son having rolled his car five times. In Sutton’s interview, she said, something was weird. It was like the women wanted to prove they were Erika’s friends, She compared it to Denise last year, and we flashed back to that bitch LisaR, and all the she said that you said that they said garbage. In her interview, Garcelle said they were all kissing Erika’s ass, and it all seemed phony. Suddenly, Kyle asked Sutton if a kitty cat had her tongue. WTF?   

In Sutton’s interview, she said, Kyle watched Erika threaten her. Who’s this helping? In Kyle’s interview, she said, Erika had been so down, she just knew she was going home and crying. It made her happy to see that Erika was in good spirits, and she hoped no one ruined it. If I’d had something in my mouth, I would have done a spit-take, after what she’d just asked Sutton. If anyone was going to ruin it, Kyle made a good start. Surprising everyone, especially Sutton, Erika brought Sutton into the conversation, and in her interview, a producer asked if Erika was trying to smooth things over. She said she wasn’t smoothing anything, but why ruin anyone else’s time? She added that she was the best person in the group, and the most adult, then laughed, but I’m not quite sure she didn’t mean it. The next morning, Garcelle had coffee with Sutton on Sutton’s balcony, and Sutton said she was surprised that Erika spoke to her, and Garcelle said, it was like nothing happened. Did she trust it? Sutton said she’d see what the day brought. LisaR called to video chat, and was so loud, Erika heard her from the room upstairs, and came out on her balcony. Luckily, they weren’t talking smack, and Garcelle said it seemed like Erika had a rebirth. LisaR said it had been a long time since they’re seen the real Erika. It was joyous. Sutton said they’d never seen that side, and Erika finally called down that she could hear everything.

Yoga instructor Kory came to teach a class of yoga on paddleboards in the pool. Crystal and LisaR were the only takers, and oddly enough, I didn’t see Kory’s ass on a paddleboard. In LisaR’s interview, she said, finally, there was somebody adventurous in the group, and not afraid to get her hair wet. In Crystal’s interview, she said she was self-conscious in a bathing suit, especially next to LisaR. But LisaR convinced her to wear one, swearing she was wearing a teeny bikini, and showed up in yoga pants. Garcelle and Sutton joined them, but plopped into chaise lounges. LisaR said she didn’t know they’d have an audience, and Garcelle said it was more like hecklers. Kyle and Erika played (I guess) paddle-ball? It was on a tennis court, and like ping pong, but with a bigger ball and paddles. They didn’t keep score, and just hit the ball around, then had champagne. It reminded me of the semester I had tennis in phys-ed in high school, minus the champagne. My best friend was in my class, and we mostly goofed around. LisaR and Crystal both ended up falling in the water, trying to balance on one leg, Garcelle said if tried that on a paddleboard, she’d be using a scooter like Sutton. LisaR marveled that Erika had talked to Sutton, and Sutton said she was surprised, but didn’t know if the door was still closed, and if not, what the angle was. At least now she thought they could get through it. Erika told Kyle that she was feeling better. She couldn’t wallow because life goes on. She had zero dollars, and told her lawyers that she expected nothing. She said they told her that was the most courageous thing they’d ever heard, but it only makes sense that you can’t squeeze blood from a turnip, and there was a long line for any assets. In Kyle’s interview, she said, no one wanted to see themselves with nothing, but the victims needed to be paid. Erika said, every day was a new disaster, and full of bullsh*t .

In Kathy’s interview, she said that she’d rested up, and was psyched for the boat trip she’d planned. She’d hired celebrity chef Brian full of Malarkey to cook, and I actually remembered him from Top Chef. They went to Shelter Island Marina, where a massive sailboat awaited them. Erika confused us all by talking to Sutton as they walked up the dock, telling her it had been rough. Sutton started to apologize, and Erika said – wait for it – it’s okay. At the boat, LisaR said, oh my God, they’re talking, like no one had eyes. Erika said she had to lash out, and apologized. Sutton said Erika was too pretty to be mad at her, which was funny, although I’m not sure if Sutton meant to be funny. In Sutton’s interview, she said she’d gotten a mild apology. She didn’t trust it. She wanted to, but she didn’t. In Erika’s interview, she said, no, she didn’t want to work it out, but she wasn’t ruining everyone’s trip because she hated Sutton, Alrighty then. They met Captain Troy, not of any Deck. Sutton had a huge struggle getting up the stairs wearing her boot, and I wondered why they couldn’t have gotten a ramp for her. The women took tons of pictures, and had the captain move the boat for better lighting. In LisaR’s interview, she said she’d move a mountain for the right light, She’d find the right light in a coffin, Dorit asked what happened with Sutton and Erika, and Sutton said she’d let Erika tell the story. Erika said her life was in shambles, and she was angry and hurt. It wasn’t kumbaya, but it was an opening. She’s in a good mood, the moment was right, and Sutton was receptive. In Kyle’s interview, she said you just didn’t know what you were going to get with Erika. She could snap, then it would be fine. Erika said they were adults. It wasn’t going to be fixed overnight, but it didn’t have to be. In her interview, Kyle suggested Sutton just not talk, which was pretty much what Sutton had been doing. Erika said as far as the press went, if she looked like she was having too much fun, she wasn’t remorseful. If she hung her head, she was guilty. She was damned if she did, and damned if she didn’t. In her interview, LisaR said she thought Erika’s lawyers told her not to talk about anything. I’ll bet they also told her to play nice with everyone, and that was why she apologized to Sutton. Crystal said, despite their rocky start, she was enjoying the time with Sutton. Everyone agreed they were all having a good time, and Crystal ran across the boat to give Sutton a hug. Garcelle said she wanted to play Never Have I Ever, and Kathy said she’d done a background check on everyone, and there was nothing she didn’t know. I never know when Kathy is being serious, so… Garcelle said, never have I ever stolen anything.

In LisaR’s interview, she just made a horrified face. In Erika’s interview, she told us, say it or don’t say it, but she doesn’t like this sh*t. In Dorit’s interview, she said she may have stolen a few hearts as a teenager. Aww. The rest of the questions were all about sex, the women ignoring the captain was about a foot from them, and hearing everything. I’m not a prude by any stretch of the imagination, but no. Just no. In her interview, Sutton said, some of Erika’s comments had an underlying scariness to them (which I’d have to agree with), but she’d have rage too, if she lost all her money. They were wowed by the pink sky, and Sutton talked to Kathy, while the others went to the bow of the boat, playing Titanic. Sutton told Kathy, she wondered how friends could become foes so quickly. In her interview, Sutton said she didn’t want a friendship where she was scared all the time. She told Kathy that she couldn’t not ask questions, but it wasn’t to hurt anybody.   

Next time, Garcelle goes on a tailgate date, Crystal has a party for Chinese New Year, Garcelle wants to see LisaR reach out to Denise, and Sutton says she and Erika need to talk.

🥗 Please Pass the Rumor…

I wouldn’t be surprised.

📉 Rut-Roh…

Not a good look for Erika, but what is he doing wandering around in the first place?

👠 ShahMeanie…

I actually don’t like this kid that much, but one, he’s a kid, and two, this is just not cool

🍸 Lions and Tigers and SUR…

I compare them to twelve year olds, but to each their own.

🛵 On the Road Again…

No doubt houses to cry over, otherwise known as Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles, will be on Friday, but join me tomorrow for a little soap and a little tea. Until then, stay safe, stay pursuing your dreams, and stay believing that true love is a cause worth fighting for.

September 22, 2021 – Sonny Reunites With His Kids, Beverly Hills Goes To Del Mar, It’s Official, Moved In & Last One

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny says, so Jason and Carly got married. Great strategy. It’s all right now, because he’s back. Carly says she can’t believe it, and he says he’s sorry to burden her. She tells him, don’t apologize. He didn’t stay away on purpose. It’s no one’s fault. The doorbell rings, and Jason goes to see who it is. Carly says she can’t believe Sonny is back. She touches his face, and takes his hand, kissing it, and he says he’s here. She says she just has one question. What the hell is he wearing?

At the bottom of the stairs, Jason takes off his wedding ring. He opens the door to Dante, who says he has a few questions for Jason about the guys who were blown up outside his wedding.

Jax goes into the examining room where Nina is, and she asks if he’s had any word from Anna or Valentin. Have they found Peter? Please tell her this nightmare is over. For Maxie and her baby’s sake.

Chase says Brook’s daughter is an angel. She’s out like a light. Brook says she was listening, and Chase is really good with her. He says, she’s easy, but Brook says, not always. She asks how he got to be such a baby whisperer, and he says, it comes natural. She thanks him again, and says she might need him to move back in the house. Michael and Willow come in, all happy, and Brook says, on second thought, that might get a little awkward.

Hanging out with Cameron and Trina at the pool (🍷), Josslyn says, the summer went by so fast. It’s hard to believe the pool (🍷) is already closed for the season. (Nooo!) Trina says she knows, right? Good thing they know the owner’s daughter. They have the pool (🍷) all to themselves. Wasn’t the wedding beautiful? Josslyn says, it was. She’s glad her mom found happiness again. Now they have the rest of the night to just enjoy and relax. Just them. Trina says, that sounds perfect, and Cameron joins them. He says there may have been one small thing he forgot to mention.

At Charlie’s, Ava hands Kristina a set of keys, saying, this place was very important to her brother. She trusts Kristina will take care of it until it sells. Kristina says she will, and appreciates the responsibility, but is Ava sure this is the right thing? Leaving town and leaving Avery? There has to be another option. Ava says she’s explored all the other options. The only thing she can do to make sure Avery is safe, is to go. How about Kristina? How is she holding up? It must be tricky with Carly getting remarried. Kristina says, it’s a little weird. 6She loves Jason, but… Ava asks if she was invited, and Kristina says, yeah, but she decided not to go. Partially out of loyalty to Sam, but also because Carly moving on makes her dad’s death feel all the more real.

Sonny wonders where to start, and Carly says, wherever he wants. He says, nine months of not knowing who he was. If someone had asked him, he would have said that he was happy, but something inside of him felt something was missing. He guesses he got used to it. He didn’t even notice it anymore. She says, and now? and he says, for the first time in a long time, he’s not 100% there, but he’s close. He does know what he was missing was her and the kids. Us.

Ava says, she and Kristina’s father certainly had their issues, but he sure loved their daughter. Carly loves her too, which makes leaving Avery slightly less unbearable. Kristina says she almost forgot – she brings out a manila envelope – these were left there for Ava. Ava says she had her mail forwarded there, since she’s been moving around so much lately. She opens the envelope, and Kristina asks if something is wrong. Ava says, no. She just thought Scotty might be so busy with Obrecht’s disappearance, he wouldn’t get around to these. Kristina says, these being… and Ava says, her finalized divorce papers. All she has to do is look them over and sign them, then bring them to the courthouse, and her marriage will be officially over.

Cameron says he’s sorry, and Josslyn says, please tell her that he told Spencer not to bring Esme. Trina says, O-M-G, you didn’t? and he says, no, but Spencer didn’t say anything about Esme, so… Trina says, maybe he won’t bring her. Josslyn asks if she’s delusional. In what universe would Esme let Spencer go anywhere by himself, let alone hang out with them? She’s like a human barnacle. Cameron says, come on. Is she really that bad? and Josslyn and Trina both say, yes. He says he’s sorry. It’s just that the last time he spoke to Spencer, they had a pretty decent talk the night of his party. Josslyn says, they get it; he was trying to be nice. He says he was throwing Spencer a bone. It’s a pretty crappy thing when your dad dresses up like a stalker and stabs you. Trina says, fake stabs, and he says, whatever. Josslyn says, it’s true. Spencer has been through a lot, but it’s like the second you start to feel bad for him, he does something stupid, or selfish, or entitled, or just plain out wrong, and all of that emotion just evaporates. Spencer says, tell him how she really feels.

Willow says, they didn’t realize Chase would be there, and Michael says, they just came from his mom’s wedding. Chase tells them, stop. This is their house. They don’t need to explain themselves. Brook says, Chase just came by to drop off a gift for Monica, and Chase says, to thank her for her hospitality. Willow says that’s nice of him, and Brook says, of course (🍷) she had to put him to work, making him rock Bailey to sleep. He says he wanted to. He missed her. Brook says, Bailey missed him, and Willow says they’ll go down to the gatehouse, and give them some space, but Chase says they don’t have to do that. No more eggshells. They’re good. Willow says, he really means that? and he says she meant too much to him once. They both did.

Jax tells Nina, he hasn’t been able to get ahold of Valentin or Anna, but they did promise they’d let them know if Peter was apprehended. She says, that’s not good news, and he says he’s sorry. He’s just glad she’s still here. She says, as opposed to chasing after Mike… Sonny? She says she’s made such a mess, hasn’t she? She kept Sonny away from his family for so long. Carly and Michael are not going to let her see Wiley. So where is she supposed to go now? She can’t go to Port Charles, and she can’t go to Nixon Falls, because of what she did to these people. They were so kind to her, and now they have to pay for her choices. Phyllis walks in, and says she wants Nina to know, the Tan-O’s gone.

Jason says there’s something Dante needs to know, and Dante says, without Diane here? That’s a first. Jason says, it has nothing to do with Diane, and Dante says, so it has nothing to do with the bomb that went off outside the church? Jason says, it has to do with something else, and Dante says, here they are again. Jason’s on one side; he’s on the other. They’re practically family, but he’s there to investigate a crime. So he’s going to ask Jason questions, and if Diane’s not there to answer them, he’s not going to get the answers he’s looking for. Just hear him out. Two people were ID’d, the heads of the Novak and Buscema families. They were dead in a car that exploded outside of the church where he got married and they attended. Given that they’re both alleged crime family heads, he assumes they had a hit out on Jason and Carly, and Jason found out about it first, and set up his own bomb instead. Jason asks if he’s finished, and Dante says, sure. Jason says, because there is something important he has to tell him.

Sonny says he was going after Julian on the bridge. The bridge collapsed, and he fell into the water. It was so cold and the current was so strong, he had to get to the surface. She says, thank God he did, and he says, so he woke up in the woods. She says, he could have froze to death, and he says, he was in the snow, and he had a dream about his dad. He came to Sonny, and said he had to walk. He saved Sonny’s life. She says she believes that. She believes Mike came to Sonny when he needed Mike the most, and he got Sonny up and got him moving. Sonny says, remember he told her about the hiker that found him? He asked Sonny’s name, but he didn’t know who he was or where he came from, and he wonders why… She says, why what? He says, what got him on his feet, what was so important, what was worth living for. Now he knows why. Her and the kids, this moment. He lived for all of them. She puts her head on his shoulder.

Chase says he only wants the best for Willow and Michael, and Willow thanks him. Michael says, that means a lot, but he couldn’t help noticing Chase used the past tense, that they meant something to him. Chase says, just because he’s ready to move on with his life, doesn’t mean they can go back to the way things were. He doesn’t see how that’s possible. Brook says, who knows? Maybe in a couple of years, they’ll all be laughing about this. It’s all very Three’s Company when you think about it.

Jax says he’s going to see if he can find out any more information about Peter, and leaves. Nina tells Phyllis, she doesn’t know what to say, and Phyllis says, that makes two of them. Nina says she’s so sorry; she didn’t mean to hurt anybody. Phyllis says, really? And what does she think Sonny’s wife would say about that?

Sonny says, he always had this feeling that he wanted to know who he was, but then time would pass, weeks would pass. He got into his new life, and got distracted. Carly says, they don’t need talk about that right now. There’s plenty of time. She just wants to focus on him and being home. She says, her rings, and goes over to her jewelry box, and takes them out. She says, it was torture taking them off. She never dreamed she’d be putting them back on. He asks if he can do it, and she says, yeah. He does, and she says, perfect fit. He says, they always were, and she says, that’s them, imperfectly perfect. She just can’t believe this is real. He says, it’s hard to believe she and Jason got married. They can fix that. He’s got other things he needs to. She says she thinks he needs to have a drink, and he says, yeah, and he needs to see his kids. He heads for the door, and she looks at the rings from Jason. He says, is she coming? and she goes with him. We see the ring set.

Jason tells Dante, he’ll have Diane come there, or she can meet them at the PCPD. They can talk for hours about what did or didn’t happen to Novak and Buscema, but right now, he needs Dante to sit down. Dante asks, what’s going on? and Jason says, his dad’s here. Sonny comes downstairs, and they hug.

Ava tells Kristina, it’s getting late. She’ll have to wait until morning to go to the courthouse. Kristina says she has twenty minutes, but Ava says, that’s hardly enough time. Kristina looks at her, and Ava says, what? Kristina says she was just wondering if Ava is having second thoughts. Ava says, about divorcing Nikolas? and laughs. She says, she’s had second, third, and twenty-seventh thoughts about that. Then she comes back to the first one; terror that her daughter will be hurt if she doesn’t do exactly what the stalker wants.

Spencer asks if this is going to be another lecture on his many faults, and Josslyn says, she doesn’t know. Did it land the first time? He sits next to Trina, and says, he was such an ass. He’s really sorry. He took advantage of her, and it was as Josslyn said, a selfish, and entitled, and just plain wrong thing to do. Trina says, it’s fine; apology accepted. He says he means it. He’s not just saying this because he’s scared Joss will push him in the pool (🍷) or something. He thinks she’s awesome, and he feels horrible for lying to her, and making her lie for him. It was… Josslyn says, just plain wrong? Cameron says, stupid? and Josslyn says, selfish? Spencer says, yeah. Can she forgive him? Trina says, maybe in the next century or so, she might possibly be willing to think about it. He says, so she’s telling him there’s a chance? Esme comes in, saying, the valet took forever to bring back her phone. They must park the cars on Neptune. So, what did she miss?  

Nina tells Phyllis, Carly was really cruel to her, and that was the day she decided not to tell her. Phyllis says, what about all the other days? and Nina says she didn’t know what she was going to do. Not a day went by that she didn’t want to tell him the truth, but then Sonny became Mike for her, and he was so happy there. Nixon Falls was the best and worst thing that ever happened to her. She got to spend precious time with Phyllis and Lenny, but also fell in love with Mike.

Michael looks at his phone, and says he’s got to go. Willow asks if everything is all right, and he says his mom texted. She wants him to find Josslyn and get to the house. Brook asks, what’s going on? and he tells her, his mom says It’s good news, but it’s still strange. He asks Willow to kiss Wiley goodnight for him, and  kisses her goodbye. He leaves, and Brook’s phone rings. She says she has to take this; it’s pain in the neck Gladys. She answers, asking Gladys how she is, as she walks upstairs.

Dante asks how Sonny is standing there right now, and Sonny says, it’s a long, convoluted story. Can he tell Dante about it? Dante says he does want to hear about it, but he wants to tell Sonny something first. He recently had a conversation with Jason about Sonny, and the role Sonny played in his life, and how he didn’t get a chance to tell Sonny, and regretted it. Now it looks like he gets the chance to say something to Sonny, and he’s grateful for that. Carly says, grateful seems to be the word of the night, and Dante says he loves Sonny, and he’s glad Sonny is his father. It’s important to him that Sonny know that. Knowing Sonny has been amazing. They’ve had their ups and downs, but it’s bound to happen when people are playing for different teams. But always, underneath it all, there’s been a lot of love, and a lot of respect. He wants Sonny to know that. He missed Sonny every day, and whatever happens, whatever fight they get into, he’s going to remember this moment. He’s not going to back down for Sonny, but he’s not going to forget how much he loves him. He’s happy Sonny’s back. Sonny says he won’t forget either. He knows it seems… Dante doesn’t know what he’s been through, but they don’t have to get into that right now. It’s a gift. They have to see this as a gift. Does Dante know what that gift is? That he gets to stand there, in front of his son, and tell his son what he means to him. He loves Dante too. They hug, and Carly and Jason exchange a look.

Ava asks, since when does Kristina care if she and Nikolas stay married? Kristina says her family has had issues with Ava and Nikolas over the years, but she’s not blind. Nikolas crawled himself out of a dark place, and it’s pretty obvious it’s because of Ava. The way she sees it, they made each other better. Ava says, they do… They did. Kristina’s phone dings, and she say she has to take off. Ava asks if everything is okay, and Kristina says Carly texted that she needs to get to the house right away. She doesn’t think anything is wrong, but it sounds important. Ava says, go. Good luck. Kristina jets.  

Esme says, so today was the big day. Didn’t Josslyn’s mother marry that enforcer guy? Josslyn says, his name’s Jason, and he’s not an enforcer anymore. Esme says, no, he’s the big gun now. See what she did there? Josslyn says, clever, and Esme asks how she feels about getting a new stepfather. Is it awkward? Josslyn says, no. It’s actually super great, and Esme says she doesn’t know how Josslyn does it. Josslyn says, which part? and Esme says, all those bodyguards, and people staring at her all the time. It must be like she lives in a fishbowl. Josslyn says, sometimes, but the positives far outweigh the negatives. Esme says, how so? and Josslyn says, if someone really pisses her off, they’ll disappear. You know. She gets home, someone asks, how are things? and she says she kind of had a rough day because of fill-in-the-blank, and they’ll just vanish – poof! – into thin air. Cameron says, come on. No one’s actually vanished because she didn’t like them, and Josslyn says, not yet, but there’s a first time for everything. Josslyn’s phone dings, and she says she has to go. Trina says, what? Why? and Josslyn says she’s sorry. Michael is downstairs with a car to take her to her mom’s. It’s kind of urgent. Trina says she hopes Carly is okay, and Josslyn says, her too. Cameron asks if she wants him to come with her, but Josslyn says, no, stay. She’ll let him know if it’s anything serious. She jets, and Spencer gets up, clapping his hands. He says, can we get this party started now or what?

Chase asks Willow, how was the wedding? and she says, really nice. The flowers were gorgeous; Maxie outdid herself. She takes it that his recovery is going well, and he says he managed to go camping. She says, for someone who was recently in a wheel chair, impressive. It’s a big deal. He says, he’ll be back on the force soon, and she says, that’s great. He tells her that he needs to get something off his chest. He feels ashamed of how he took advantage of the Quartermaines’ hospitality by poling around for the document for Austin. That’s not who he is, or who he wants to be, and he feels lousy about it. She tells him, it’s safe to say, it was an extreme situation, and none of their finest hours. The good news is, they got through it, and they’re all coming out the other side. He says he’s trying, but she says he’s doing better than that. Look at him. He’s on his feet, about to go back to work. As sorry as she is about how it ended, she doesn’t regret loving him. She’s happy for him as he goes on with his life. He says he’s happy for her too.

Carly lets Michael and Josslyn in, and Josslyn asks, what’s going on? Carly says, something really good, and Josslyn says, okay, but she hasn’t told them what it is. Carly tells them, come inside. They’re going to get the best surprise. They go into the living room, and Sonny is there. Josslyn says, oh my God, and Michael says, dad? Sonny says it’s good to see him, and they hug.  

Nina tells Phyllis, it’s not an excuse because there are none, but when she looks at her life, it’s such a pattern. Phyllis says, what is? and Nina says she’s deathly afraid of being abandoned by the people she loves and who love her, but either she turns a blind eye or goes to extremes. It’s something she’s going to try and look at, but what she can’t make peace with is how much she took from Phyllis and Lenny. She doesn’t know how to make it right. Phyllis says she can’t.

Esme says, Josslyn is so… How should she put it? Trina says, amazing? and Esme says, forceful. Cameron says, always has been, and always will be. Spencer says, Josslyn knew her mind when they were kids, and she knows her mind now. He always figured she and Cameron would get together. Cameron says, he played hard to get, and Trina says, he’s so full of it. He was a goner for Joss from the start. Spencer asks, do they think they can drop Josslyn’s name in the restaurant and get something to eat? Cameron says he might be able to. Spencer, on the other hand, doesn’t stand a chance. Spencer says he can feel his blood sugar plummeting, and Cameron says, they can’t have that. Any requests? Trina says she likes the caprese, and Esme says, tuna tartare or miso conch. Cameron says, alrighty. He’ll see what he can do. He and Spencer leave, and Esme says, good. It gives her and Trina a chance to chat. I’m guessing Trina would probably rather have a root canal.

Phyllis says, even she can see the person Nina lied to the most was herself. Nina agrees, and says she latched on to this belief that not telling Sonny the truth was in his best interest. That was the only thing she’d let herself believe. It had already been so long – a week would have been too long. How could she explain two, three, eight months? There’s no explanation for that. So here she is, standing there knowing what she did was wrong, and having no idea how to fix it What does she do? Phyllis says, we can’t undo mistakes we’ve made in the past, but we can move forward. Nina asks how she does that, and Phyllis says, by owning up to what she did, and facing the consequences.  

Josslyn asks if this is actually happening, and Michael says, it’s incredible. The doorbell rings, and Jason says he’ll get this one. It’s Kristina, and she tells Jason that she got a random text from Carly. Jason says there’s something she needs to see. She says, that was cryptic, and walks in. She says, dad? and runs to Sonny, hugging him, and saying, oh my God. She starts to cry, and he says he missed her too; it’s okay. She says, typical, her making a fool out of herself. This is amazing. Sonny says, want to know what amazing is? That he’s there with his whole family. That, to him, means everything. Jason smiles because he’s been drinking heavily. Not really, but he has a beer in his hand and probably wants to be.

Willow tells Chase to take care of himself, and he says, only if she does the same. She says, deal, and goes into the living room. Brook says they should both have halos, and he asks what she means. She says, they’re so civil. If something like this happened to someone on her mom’s side, prison and/or murder would be the least of it. He asks if everything is okay with work, and she says, yeah, but Gladys droned on and on and on. She had another brainstorm. She checked on Bailey, and she’s sleeping soundly with Yuri keeping watch. He assured her that the house is secure. Chase’s phone dings, and he says, the PCPD still hasn’t spotted Peter, and she says, maybe he’s still in Pennsylvania, fingers crossed. Chase asks if she’d be comfortable leaving the house for a few hours, and she asks, why? He says, let him take her out for a beer, and she says, ugh. He says, or whichever libation her heart desires, and she says, okay. That’s an offer she can’t refuse.

At Charlie’s, Ava takes out the papers and looks at them. She puts them back, and says, these will keep until morning.

Esme says, she was just wondering, and Trina says, about what? Esme says, what Josslyn said to Spence behind Trina’s back. She’s sure Josslyn was just defending Trina, but she completely misinterpreted what happened. She even implied that Spence led Trina on, which is obviously ridiculous. Trina says, they worked it all out, She and Spencer talked and they’re. Same thing with Joss. Sure she can be over-protective, but that’s what best friends do. They look out for each other. Esme says she could tell. Trina and Joss are a team, just like her and Spence. Esme’s phone dings, and she tells Trina to excuse her; she has to use the ladies room. Trina flashes back to Spencer telling her that he didn’t want Nikolas to know he was back. Then she remembers Esme showing up when she and Spencer were alone at the party. She thinks back to confronting Esme about knowing Kiki’s given name was Loren, and says, hell yes, you and Spence are a team.

Jax comes back, and says, Dr. Green wants to see Phyllis. Nina thanks Phyllis, saying, she knows she doesn’t deserve any of this. Phyllis leaves, and Nina puts her head in her hands. Jax says, no news on Peter, and she says, he’s very sweet. She knows he left so she could have some time with Phyllis. He asks if it helped, but she says she doesn’t think anything is going to help until she confronts this disaster. Phyllis has a way making things clear and she’s right. She can’t undo the past. She just has to face it and move forward. He says, sounds like a plan.

Michael struggles to open a champagne bottle, and Josslyn tells him, hand it over. Carly wonders how Josslyn knows how to open champagne, and says she’ll get Josslyn a bottle of sparkling cider. Jason says he’s going, and Sonny says he’ll walk Jason out, but Jason tells him to be with his family. Sonny thanks him for looking out for them. He doesn’t know how he’ll ever repay Jason. Jason says, Sonny has repaid him a million times, and Carly was really the one who held everything together. Sonny says he doubts that, and Jason says he did the best he could, but he could never be Sonny. Welcome home. They hug, and Sonny goes back to his family. Jason watches for a moment, seeing Carly hug Sonny. She catches his eye, and he leaves. Everyone is happy, clinking glasses and having champagne, and Kristina says she has to ask. What’s up with that shirt? Dante says, flannel? Really? Sonny says they don’t like his look? and they all say, no, in unison. Kristina says, it’s just not him, and Sonny says, they’re a tough crowd

Tomorrow, Spencer says he’s not sure it’s going to work, Trina tells Cameron that she knows who the stalker is, and Carly tells Sonny, there’s no guarantee he can keep that promise.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Everyone packed to go to Del Mar, and in Kyle’s interview, she said it was the first girls trip Kathy was organizing. They’d gone from not spending the holidays together for a number of years, to going on girls trips together, and it was amazing. Kyle talked to Crystal about Erika and Sutton, since no conversation this season is complete without an Erika mention. Dorit tried to gossip about Garcelle to Kathy, but Kathy was packing at the same time, and couldn’t concentrate on two things at once. Sutton had been suffering from foot pain for years, and had a sprained ankle. She was going to fight to get back in her shoes. Erika brought her pup Tiago, so she was driving on her own, and in Crystal’s interview, she thought it was brilliant how Erika was getting away from people by having a dog. Okay, I admit it. We’ve used the dogs as an excuse to leave someplace early, so I identify. Kathy forgot her phone, and in Kyle’s interview, she explained that their mom had babied Kathy until she passed Kathy to Rick, Kathy’s husband. She was a lot of work. Luckily, she’s rich too, so they had The Lady – as in Kathy telling Kyle to call the lady who works for her, since apparently she doesn’t have an actual name – drive Kathy’s phone to an intersection, where Kathy met her. The Lady is probably used to this, but I’m sure she gets paid well.

In Erika’s interview, she said no one understood what she was going through. Every day, it was another baseball bat to the head. She didn’t want to sit at home, and hoped going out would ease what she was going through. Kyle bunked with Kathy, and got the Presidential Suite. In her interview, Kyle said when she traveled with her sister, it was always the best suites in the best hotels. Kathy arranged for a pop-up picnic at La Jolla Cove, where sea lions cavort. I’m not sure how different a pop-up picnic is from a picnic, except everything was all set up when they got there. The sea lions were extra frisky, two of them getting busy. Kathy averted her eyes, and in her interview, she said they needed to get a room. Sutton had gone to the ER, and found out she was going to be on crutches for a while. Although she was absent from the picnic, someone made sure she was there in spirit by bringing up the kerfuffle with Erika. Erika said being called a liar was major for her, and we flashed back to her scaring the hell out of Teddi. She told the women, it was something she would not tolerate, and Dorit asked if Sutton had actually used the word. Erika said she had, when referring to Tom allegedly being unconscious for twelve hours. Since she’s too much of a coward to say it to Erika, in Kyle’s interview, she was surprised Erika had added allegedly to the story. She said Erika gave them the information that he’d been unconscious. She guessed this was what happened when you were married to a lawyer for that many years. In Dorit’s interview, she said she thought it was the truth, but not all the information, which made it debatable. Erika said she didn’t care what anyone else said, she was there. She’d been living with it for years, and wasn’t apologizing. She didn’t care if Sutton felt threatened, and said Sutton should be threatened. Yikes.  

The hotel was absolutely humongous, and in Garcelle’s interview, she said, wasn’t this how horror movies started? It was a beautiful hotel, but if she saw a pair of twins staring at her, she was out of there. Black people were always the first to get killed. Sutton got back, and said, thank God it wasn’t a break, but she had a terrible sprain, and had to stay off her foot completely for a week. Garcelle asked her if there was any hope for the Erika situation, but Sutton said Crystal told her that Erika said it was closed door. We flashed back to Crystal telling Sutton that there was no moving forward. She didn’t know whether to respect that, or knock on the door, but Garcelle said, girl, you do not want to knock on that door. In Sutton’s interview, she said Erika had threatened her, and now she had her own situation going on. Someone else would have to play detective. She was out. Kathy and Kyle were late for dinner. So late, that LisaR started calling and texting, but there was no response.

After everyone was seated, Kathy said she was anxious, since she felt there were lingering issues going on. Sutton admitted she did call a meeting sans Erika because she was in a nervous place. She wasn’t apologizing though; she’d just been asking questions. Erika did hurt her feelings, and she was scary. Frosty Erika said, don’t call her a liar, and Sutton said she didn’t. Erika said she didn’t care how Sutton felt, and asked why Sutton was speaking to her. They went back and forth with the small-minded/small town thing, until Erika said she wasn’t giving this any more energy. Kathy wondered if she couldn’t be a little forgiving. Maybe Sutton had chosen the wrong word. But Erika wasn’t having it, and said it wasn’t going to be fixed. Sutton asked why she was the bad guy, and Garcelle pointed out how Dorit had been egging Sutton on. Dorit said she was just helping Sutton tell the truth, and in Garcelle’s interview, she failed to see how pushing someone was helping them. She thought it was getting like it had been for Denise last season. And although Garcelle wasn’t there, like LVP the season before. Does anyone sense a pattern? Dorit said Garcelle had done the same thing to her. In Kathy’s interview, she tried to say this must have been the straw that broke the camel’s back, but said it was the toe with the camel, obviously confusing it with camel toe somehow. Kathy needs her own show. Dorit said she preferred her friends to be honest, upfront, and transparent, and LisaR said Garcelle had told them, she didn’t feel comfortable. Garcelle told her, what she’d said was, she didn’t feel accepted. LisaR asked if Garcelle liked the women, and Garcelle said, some more than others. LisaR said if Garcelle wanted to be included, she had to make an effort. In LisaR’s interview, she said that she thought if Garcelle made the effort, it would make her feel comfortable. Friendship was a two-way street. They’d had a party for Garcelle’s birthday, and she didn’t even know Kyle’s birthday. She said Garcelle could be shady, and needed to be straight up. This, coming from LisaR. As for not knowing a birthday, thank God for Facebook.

Dorit wasn’t buying that Garcelle felt like an outsider, but Garcelle said because she felt a certain way, didn’t negate how anyone else felt. She was already the only Black person in the group. It wasn’t about race, but had anyone ever thought it might be odd for her? Kyle said she had, and Garcelle said if Kyle didn’t verbalize it, she didn’t know that. She might be strong, but that didn’t mean she didn’t have feelings, or was fragile, and trying to fit in. Her whole f***ing life she’d been trying to fit in. Erika said she fit into the group, but Garcelle said it didn’t feel like that. She felt like she always had to prove herself. She asked if anyone ever felt like they were the only one who was different, and Kathy said she had, although I’m not sure if being the richest one in the room counts. Kathy said she was glad Garcelle was saying it, and in Kyle’s interview, she said she felt bad for Garcelle, but she liked that Garcelle was being vulnerable. It allowed the relationship to go to the next level. Like a video game. Everyone tells Garcelle how beautiful it was that she opened up, and there were lots of hugs. In her interview, Garcelle said that she thought it was a breakthrough for all of them.    

Kathy arranged for a sound bath, and in her interview, she said they had one at Kim Kardashian’s baby shower. She thought it was relaxing and spiritual. She saw it as being cleansing. The guide explained that it was a meditative concert for relaxation and stress reduction. In LisaR’s interview, she said it was one of those things where you thought something was going to happen, but really nothing was happening. Kathy fell asleep, which is what I think I’d do. Kyle said she’d texted Erika, who hadn’t shown up for the bath. LisaR said, according to Page Six (see below), the court had put Tom’s brother in charge of his conservatorship, and the brother wanted to put Tom in a mental facility that treated disorders such as dementia. It was a big turn of events.

Erika got together with LisaR and Kyle in her room, which was not as big as the Presidential Suite, but still generous.  After reading the article, Erika was ready to have a nervous breakdown. Regardless of what was going on legally, she and Tom had been married 22 years. In typical Erika fashion, she’d known before going to dinner the night before, and sat with it. Kyle asked if she agreed with the brother’s decision, and Erika said her grandmother had been put in a similar home for dementia. In Erika’s interview, she said her grandmother was her most beloved person. She watched her grandmother die, and she didn’t want to see it happen again. She told LisaR and Kyle that Tom had been there for her grandmother. She thought he needed a caretaker, but didn’t think he should be in a home. It’s supposed to be great care, but if they lash out, they get medicated. The only way is down. Kyle wondered who would be visiting, and Erika was concerned he’d be left to rot. She wondered where was his family now that he was of no use to them? LisaR said they didn’t want to deal with what was going on, and Erika said they didn’t want the public scrutiny and the association. It was tragic all around. In LisaR’s interview, she said, whatever Tom had done, Erika felt a motherly connection, and wanted to protect him. Erika told them that she and Tom were getting a divorce, but she hadn’t divorced herself from caring, and clearly, Tom couldn’t care for himself. She didn’t want him in a facility, and not being taken care of. She said, if you want to know who your friends are, get old and go broke.   

Next time, a vineyard and wine tasting, Erika says she has zero dollars, and Garcelle and Sutton discuss Erika, who can hear them.  

📰 What She Said…

The Page Six article LisaR referred to.

🏢 Where Is He Now…?

I guess Erika didn’t get a vote.

⚱️ Walking Like an Egyptian…

Tune in tomorrow for soap and possible real estate. Until then, stay safe, stay thrifty but not cheap, and stay knowing you can’t undo the mistakes of the past, but you can move forward.

August 27, 2021 – A Plan To Lure Peter To St. Lucia, Million Dollar Finale, Team KJ, Guessing, a Surgery, Salem Preview, Tributes, More Troubles, Shade Feud, VanderShare, Doom’s Rouge, Dead Talk, a Half Dozen Quotes & Feeling

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Jax goes to the MetroCourt, and Carly says she’s not in the mood, but he says she came to apologize. She says, go on, and he says he’s sorry he made Josslyn’s special dinner awkward. She says she hopes he plans on apologizing to Josslyn, and he says, of course (🍷) he does. He asks if they can start over. Mr. Buscema comes in, and Carly welcomes him to the MetroCourt, saying, it’s an honor. He says it’s an honor to be her guest. He received her save-the-date, hand-delivered no less. She says she wanted to make sure he got it, and he says, consider this his RSVP. He wouldn’t miss it for the world. He’s sure all of her late husband’s business associates won’t either. Jason comes by, and says, excuse them, steering Buscema to the bar. Jax tells Carly, if that guy is any indication of the guest list, their daughter isn’t getting within a mile of the wedding.

Harmony tells Alexis that she has two visitors. Spencer and Esme are there, and Alexis says, no way, Spencer! He’s all grown up. He says, that depends on who you ask, and wonders if there are rules against hugging loved ones. She says, since when did he care about rules? and they hug. Alexis says, Nikolas said he was back, but didn’t say anything about him visiting. He says, his father hasn’t been keeping up with what he’s been doing, and he intends to keep it that way.

Ava puts sunflowers on Kiki’s grave, and says, her sweet girl. She misses Kiki so much. Ever since the stalker left Kiki’s ID, Kiki is all she can think about. A cruel reminder of how she couldn’t protect Kiki, and pointed her in Ryan’s direction. Then Ryan took Kiki’s life in a sick desire to please her. She’ll always regret… She doesn’t know where to begin. She has so many regrets. Nikolas appears, and says, so does he.

At the MetroCourt, Austin gives Scotty the paper from Edward’s office, and says, that ought to do the trick. Maxie runs in, looking around for something, and Austin asks if he can help. She says she thought she left something there, but it seems to be gone. He says they probably have a lost and found, and she says she’ll check there. He says, the last time he saw her, she was leaving town. Did it help? She says she’s afraid not. The thing with some problems is, no matter where you go, they follow you.

Obrecht asks Nina what the problem is, and Nina says, Peter is alive. Obrecht asks if she’s certain, and Nina says he’s there in Nixon Falls.  

Outside the Tan-O, Sonny says Peter isn’t just a business associate of Nina’s, and Peter says he’d like to think they’re friends. Sonny asks why he gets the feeling Nina doesn’t like Peter much. Peter says Sonny doesn’t mince words, and Sonny says he calls it the way he sees it. And the way he sees it, Peter makes Nina very uncomfortable. He thinks it’s time for Peter to get out of town.

Obrecht tells Nina, that schwein. She knew they hadn’t seen the last of him. She asks if he’s made contact, and Nina says, unfortunately, he’s as malignant as ever. Obrecht says, since Nina is freely speaking, he must not be with her, and Nina says, he’s outside, so she has to make it fast. Obrecht says, if Nina is jeopardy, call for help, but Nina says she’s not. He made threats, but she’s not in immediate danger. Not yet. Obrecht says it’s good Nina hasn’t called the authorities. The jailhouse is too good for Peter. She has much better plans for him.

Peter admits he and Nina aren’t exactly friends. They’re professional rivals, and what Sonny thinks is tension, is nothing more than healthy competition. Sonny asks if Peter thinks he’s a good liar. Peter’s got a better shot at playing the lottery than playing him. Phyllis returns, and asks if that’s how Sonny treats Nina’s guest.  

Austin says he’s happy to see Maxie back, and she thanks him, calling him Dr. Gatlin-Holt. He says he loves being a doctor, but after everything they’ve been through, she should call him Austin. She says, of course (🍷). She has a lot on her mind. He says, of course (🍷), and she says, goodbye, Dr… Austin. She leaves, and Scotty says, well, well. Austin is making himself at home. Austin says, it’s just a routine follow-up. Back to business. Scotty says. this document is gold. It’s Austin’s ticket to ride.

Carly tells Jax, that guy is a colleague, but Jax says, everything about that guy screams gangster. She says, go to hell, and he says, his name is Buscema? Doesn’t she think he knows who the Five Families Ragu alla Bolognese are? He learned everything about them when Sonny became Josslyn’s stepfather, and just gave himself a refresher course when that Joey Novak guy approached her. Carly says Josslyn is not just going to be at the wedding, she’s going to be the maid of honor. Josslyn is an adult, and makes her own decisions. He says, they should be informed decisions. Won’t Josslyn be heartbroken when she finds out she’ll be standing up for a sham marriage?

Buscema thanks Jason for meeting him, and says he’ll be brief. Like Jason, he’s concerned about the Novak organization’s lack of control over Joey. Joey approaching Carly’s daughter was unacceptable, and he intends to make his feelings known. Jason says, like Buscema, like any of them, he won’t tolerate his family being threatened. Especially now that his and Carly’s family are about to become one. Buscema says he respects that, and they shake hands.  

Ava asks how Nikolas found her… Wait, don’t tell her. He asked her bodyguard. He tells her not to blame the bodyguard; it’s his fault. She says she should have hired her own. She offered the job to Shawn, but he’s busy tracking down whoever framed him. Nikolas knows it’s dangerous for them to be seen together. He says he figured they wouldn’t have much of an audience there, and she says, they had an audience at the gallery, but he’s here now. Say what he came to say. He says he feels bad, intruding on her there, and asks what’s in her hand. She shows him Kiki’s ID, and says, a gift their stalker left after they torched her car. He says he’s so sorry. He convinced himself that Spencer was the stalker, and  he was wrong, very wrong. She says, which leaves them with one very alarming fact. The danger is real.

Spencer introduces Esme as his girlfriend, and Alexis says he brought his girlfriend to prison; how lovely. Esme says the pleasure is all hers. Spencer’s been positively enthused about Alexis. Alexis says he’s been tight-lipped about Esme, and Esme asks Spencer, why is that? but Spencer is busy staring at Ryan. He says, so it’s true. Ryan Chamberlain is here. Alexis says, every single day, and Spencer says, someone should make sure that freak of nature never draws another free breath.   

On his way out, Buscema says, it’s good to see you, Mrs. Corinthos, or shall I say, the future Mrs. Morgan? He’s looking forward to her nuptials. She says they’re happy to have him, and he tells her, until then, good health, and a long life. She says, same to him, and Buscema leaves. Jax asks what the deal is, and Carly says she doesn’t know how many times she has to tell him, she and Jason really do love each other. It’s sad that he can’t accept that. He says every move she’s made since Sonny died was to shore up Sonny’s illegal business. This sprint to the altar is nothing more than theater, with Josslyn as an unwitting player. She tells him not to expect an invitation, and don’t crash the wedding. He asks if she’s really comfortable putting their daughter on display in front of those dangerous people; her business associates. She tells him that he needs to leave, and he says she needs to care enough about her kids not to paint bullseyes on their backs. But hey, if Josslyn gets killed, she’ll still have Sonny’s blood money to keep her warm. He leaves, and Carly asks if Jason heard that. Jason says, he heard enough, and she says she has to get back to work. He says, not like this, and she says she needs a drink, but she’s on the job. Although, she’s the boss. She can do what she wants. She turns, but he grabs her hand, and asks her to come with him.

Scotty says, the correspondence shows Edward intended to include Austin’s father in inheriting ELQ voting shares. He’ll go to the courthouse tomorrow, and see if he can get the hearing moved up. Austin wonders how long it will take to hear back, and Scotty says, the wheels of justice turn very, very, very slowly, so don’t panic while he’s our of  town. Austin asks where Scotty is going, and Scotty says, to a tropical, romantic island where he’ll be doing all kinds of fun stuff you do on an island. When he gets back, they’ll get Austin his ELQ shares. Can Austin get this drink? He’s going to be rolling in dough soon. Scotty leaves, sticking Austin with the tab.

Ava tells Nikolas, Doc gave her the broad strokes. Has he spoken to Spencer? He says his son refuses to have anything to do with him. Spencer is ignoring his calls, texts, and emails. He even messaged Spencer on social media, but nothing. She wonders if Laura can’t run interference, but he says his mother made it clear she’s sick of his antics too. Ava says she’s so sorry, and he says she told him not to accuse Spencer unless he was absolutely sure. And he knows she sent his mother and Doc to stop him. She says she didn’t know what else to do, and he says she did what she could. He just wishes he’d listened. She says she wishes she’d been wrong. Things would be so much better for everybody if Spencer had been their stalker.

Harmony takes Ryan outside, and Spencer says, pretty sweet gig for a serial killer; minimum security, full-time attendants. How is that legal? Alexis says, it’s absurd. When she inquired about it, she was told to butt out, and if she didn’t like it, there was a cement wall and a shiv waiting for her at Pentenville. Esme says Spencer told her that he was Doc’s brother, but it didn’t quite prepare her, and Spencer says he’s glad Ryan is a vegetable now. Alexis says, his condition is called locked-in syndrome, and Esme says, he can’t move or speak, but his mind is as sharp as ever. She saw a movie based on a locked-in guy’s memoir, which he’d written by communicating letters one by one. Spencer says, it sounds like hell. Good. Alexis says, have a seat. She doesn’t want to spend their visit talking about Ryan. He asks how she is, and she says, pretty much as he sees her; this is as good as it gets. She asks, what’s going on with his father? She figured if Spencer could forgive Nikolas for faking his death, he could forgive anything. Spencer says, she’d be mistaken, and Alexis says, clearly, Nikolas didn’t heed her advice. He accused Spencer of staking Ava, didn’t he?

Maxie gets her notebook from behind the bar, and thanks the employee. Some papers fall out, and Jax helps her pick them up. He says he sees she’s back to planning weddings, and she say she’s planning Carly and Jason’s. Isn’t it great that they’re getting married?

Phyllis tells Peter to please forgive her friend Mike. He’s the most loyal and protective guy he’ll ever meet. Which means, sometimes, courtesy takes a backseat. Peter laughs, and says, no apology necessary. He’s just glad to know Nina has such good friends there in Nixon Falls. Knowing Nina, he’s sure she’d want to make sure all of them are protected in return.

Nina tells Obrecht that Peter wants her to use her connection to Valentin to help him find Louise. If she doesn’t, he said he’ll take James. Obrecht says Peter is targeting her grandson? and Nina says, his exact words were, if she doesn’t help him, James would be more than an adequate replacement. Obrecht says Nina knows there’s only one way to deal with him, and Nina says she does. If Obrecht can’t for any reason, she’ll do it herself. Obrecht says she can most definitely manage it. She has to go, but whatever happens, do not panic. Keep her head on straight. Nina hangs up, and Peter walks in. He asks, who was that?  

Spencer says he bets Alexis’s clients were never able to lie to her, and she says, rarely; stop deflecting. She and his father know about the letter Ryan wrote him. He says, which he returned, and she says, unopened. Esme says she saw a coffee machine in the lobby (prisons have a lobby?) and asks if they want anything. They say, no thanks, and Esme leaves. Alexis says, lovely girl; intuitive. Spencer says, lovely and intuitive, just like her. She says clearly, he’s picked up his father’s tactic for evading uncomfortable conversation, but Spencer says, he’s nothing like his father.

Nikolas says, if Spencer had been the stalker, they could have gotten him help, and Avery would be home. Instead, they’re more alienated than ever. Now, here they are. Ava says, together. It’s open provocation to the stalker. He says, the irony isn’t lost on him that they’re going against the express wishes of the stalker, but he already lost his son and his mother. He can’t lose her too

Outside, Harmony asks if Ryan would like to continue with Moby Dick, or read Frankenstein again. He blinks, and she says, it’s interesting that he’s so fascinated in a book about a monster. Esme comes out, and she says she was hoping Harmony could help. She’s there visiting her boyfriend’s aunt, and she was telling Esme that Ryan has locked-in syndrome. She’s never heard of it before. Harmony says, put simply, he’s lost voluntary control of all his muscles except the eyes, but his cognitive functions are unaffected. He’s fully alert and aware of his environment. Esme asks if she can speak to him, and Harmony asks Ryan if it’s okay. He blinks, and she tells Esme, he said go ahead. Esme says, hello, and Ryan blinks. She asks what he said, and Harmony tells her, hi there.   

Scotty tells Obrecht, good evening my waffle strudel. Is she excited to go to St. Lucia and soak up the sun? She says, perhaps now is not the right time for this venture, and he asks, why not? She was all about going to the medical conference to find out about Britt. What’s going on? What changed her mind?   

Phyllis says she wondered why Sonny was hustling her out. It’s a good thing she came back for her glasses. Sonny says, the guy is creepy; he doesn’t deserve courtesy, but she says, if he’s in her bar, he does. Sonny says that’s why he took Peter outside. She asks, what’s with him? He always takes an immediate dislike to anyone who gets close to Nina. He says, it’s been two people; Peter and Elijah. She says maybe he should question why he’s suspicious of anyone from Nina’s former life.

Peter asks if Nina was talking to Valentin, but she says, no; it was just Crimson business. If he’d just leave, she could calm down, call Valentin, and get what he needs. Peter says if she double-crosses him before he leaves to start a new life with James, he’ll not only wreck this little fantasy she’s got going in the middle of nowheresville, he’ll make sure she can never show her face in Port Charles again.

Jason brings Carly to the pool (🍷), and she asks, what the hell is going on? Where are her servers? He says he arranged for a private party, and she says, when? He says, when he saw Jax unloading on her. It was this, or punch him in the face. He stopped himself. Josslyn doesn’t deserve to be in the middle of this. Jax doesn’t get why they’re getting married, and the way he’s acting, Jason is starting to think Jax doesn’t know anything about Carly. She says, maybe not, but Jason does.

Maxie sits with Jax at the bar, and she asks if he’s feeling weird about Carly getting married, especially since he’s single. He says, Carly is important to him. They share a child together, and he doesn’t want to see anything bad happen to her, so… That’s not what she asked him. She asked if he felt weird about Carly getting married, and the answer is, no. She says, forgive the observation, but he seems less than thrilled. He asks how Nina is doing, and Maxie says, she seems happy. Jax says, she seems happy to have a relationship with Wiley again, and he hopes they can be friends when she comes back. Maxie says she didn’t get the impression that Nixon Falls was a detour for Nina. She got the feeling Nina was putting down roots.

Peter asks how Nina will feel, not holding her precious grandson ever again. When Michael and Carly find out what she’s been keeping from them. When Mike discovers this grandson she’s so afraid of losing, is also his. She says he’s made his point, and he says he hasn’t even gotten started with Jax yet. Her knight in shining armor. How’s he going to feel when he finds out she’s been playing footsy with Carly’s husband, a man he loathes?.

Obrecht tells Scotty, it’s imperative that she find out about the latest research on Huntington’s, but there’s no need for Scotty to sit through boring presentations. He says he’s been to his fair share of legal conferences, and one he’s learned is, once you’re signed in, your colleagues don’t know whether you’re sipping martinis, laying on the beach, or elsewhere. She says he’s a genius, and he says he’s heard rumors of that. She says, they shall discuss how much, or how little she should pack, but she has to make a quick phone call.

Ava says Nikolas hasn’t lost her; he has her heart. If anything their stalker’s attempt to come between them backfired magnificently, hasn’t it? It just made them love each other more. He says, so there is a silver lining; who knew? She says, but they are under siege. Until they find out who’s doing this… He says, they will find out, and she says she hopes so. The threats are escalating. Nobody has been hurt, but how long before that happens? She can’t live like that. Can he? He says, no, but he can’t live without her either. She says, then they’re at an impasse. Their stalker doesn’t want them together, but they can’t seem to stay apart. So it will be her job to keep them apart. He asks, how far apart? and she says, oceans apart.

Alexis says Nikolas was just trying to teach Spencer a lesson, and Spencer says, by pretending to stab him? Alexis says she told Nikolas it was a bad idea, but he did anyway. She’s sorry if it hurt Spencer, but she’s also sorry for his father. He asks how she can possibly be sorry for his father, and she says, because he was raised in the middle of a tug-of-war for power between Helena and Stephan. Can he imagine how hard it is to grow up in that environment and have a moral compass; to know right from wrong? Does Spencer have any idea how lucky he is?

Esme says it’s nice to speak to Ryan. It’s incredible. Does he communicate through Harmony? Harmony wonders why she’s asking, and Esme says she’s starting classes at PCU; she’s going to medical school. She imagines in working with patients who have that diagnosis, there’s never a dull moment. Harmony says, sure enough, and Esme says she has an idea. Maybe she could volunteer there. Ryan blinks like crazy, and she asks what he’s saying. Harmony tells her, he’s saying, go, go, go, over and over.

Jax says he thought all Nina needed was a reason to come home, and Maxie says, now she has a reason to stay. He says, Phyllis? and she says she should get back to wedding planning. He says, no, come on. What’s the real reason Nina is staying in Nixon Falls? She says, it’s not a what; it’s a who. Nina has found someone special, and Maxie is under the strong impression it’s getting serious.

Peter says, Nina has been keeping Sonny’s identity a secret to get back at Carly, and she asks if he doesn’t think she knows what she’s done, what she has to lose. He says, but it’s so much fun to remind her, and she says, why don’t you just get out, you psycho? So she can get him a lead on Louise. Sonny and Phyllis come back in, and Sonny asks if Nina is okay. She says she’s fine. She’s going to walk Peter out. Phyllis says it was nice meeting him, and she hopes Peter drops by again. He says she can count on it, and he and Nina leave. Sonny says, see what he means? and Phyllis says, there was definitely some tension. He says, some tension? and she says, Nina will either explain or she won’t. Until she does, they have to respect her privacy. If Nina doesn’t like Peter hanging around, she’ll tell him where to go.

Outside, Peter says Nina has twenty-four hours, before the people she loves suffer the consequences of her stalling.  Are they clear? She says, yes, and he says, good, and leaves. Nina calls Obrecht, who says she can tell by Nina’s voice things have gotten worse, and Nina tells her, she could say that. Obrecht says she knows under normal circumstances, Nina would rely on lawful means to end Peter’s reign of terror, but since Peter has threatened James, that’s not an option, right? Nina says Obrecht read her mind.

Esme says, Ryan can’t want her gone already. Is Harmony sure that’s what he’s saying? Harmony says, sometimes when they’re tired, people with locked-in syndrome can suffer eyelid spasms, and Esme says, that must be it; he’s just tired. Ryan glares at her, and she tells him, get some rest. She thanks Harmony for her time, and says she didn’t catch her name. Harmony introduces herself, and Esme says, she’s Esme. Harmony says she was going to guess that. She looks like an Esme. Esme says she knows, right? She hopes to come back and visit both of them. 

Ava says she needs to get as far away from Port Charles as possible, and Nikolas says maybe they can figure out an alternative. She says, there’s no alternative that includes the two of them together. She’s hoping to get far enough off the grid that the stalker loses interest. He suggests they grab Avery and go, but she says it would defeat the purpose. There is something he can do for her though. He says, anything, and she says, make peace with Spencer. He says he wants to, and he’s trying, but Spencer and his girlfriend have moved in with his mother. She says, girlfriend? and he says, Spencer had a secret, just not what he suspected. She says, poor Trina.   

Spencer asks Alexis, how is he lucky? Look at everything that’s been done to him. He has every right to be angry. Alexis says, furious, livid; yes, he does. But isn’t the real reason he’s angry, because Nikolas didn’t trust him and accused him of stalking Ava? She knows things will be difficult to fix between him and his father, but it’s worth it. Don’t be so focused on punishing his father that he ends up punishing himself. Esme comes back and stares at them.

Carly says, the pool (🍷) looks beautiful, and Jason says, they did a good job. She says, it’s a long way from Jake’s, and he says, Jake’s was okay too. She says, Jake’s was paradise, and he says he woudn’t go that far. She says, that’s because to him, it was a place to shoot pool and drink beer. For her, she spent all day, every day, running, lying, and manipulating; chasing she doesn’t know what. Some idea of what she thought would make her happy, but what really made her happy was when she was with him.

Obrecht tells Nina, it would be a blessing to wipe Peter off the map, and Nina asks what she needs to do. Obrecht says, tell him that Anna and Valentin got a lead in St. Lucia. Nina asks, what’s there? and Obrecht says, a medical conference… and her alibi. Nina says, Peter is as good as there, and Obrecht tells her, take a breath, drink some champagne, and give herself a hug. Soon, Peter will never bother anyone ever again.

Jax asks Maxie who Nina’s mystery man is, and Maxie says she doesn’t have a lot of details, but she’ll say this. Lately, Port Charles has given Nina nothing but pain. She thinks Nina wants to keep her life in Nixon Falls separate from her life there, including the people in it. She only told him because she thought he should know that Nina moved on. Maybe he should too.

Esme tells Spencer and Alexis that she’s sorry to interrupt, but from the looks of the guard, time’s up. Alexis says it was nice meeting Esme. She’s sorry they didn’t get more time to chat. Come and visit her in prison any time. Spencer too, and remember what she said. They hug, and Harmony wheels Ryan back in. Esme looks at him, and gives him a little wave. She and Spencer leave, and Harmony tells Alexis, her nephew’s girlfriend, Esme, she’s trouble. Alexis says, she thinks so? and Harmony says she’s had a lot of experience with wayward girls. Some are victims, some are not. If Alexis’s nephew knows what’s good for him, he’ll steer clear of that one.   

Nikolas asks if Ava knows where she’s going, and she says there are a couple of artists she’s been trying to woo in Europe. That will take a few weeks. After that, who knows? He says, maybe she’ll come back, but she says, only if the stalker is caught, but at this rate… She’ll miss him. He says all he wants to do is talk her into staying, and she says, all she wants to do is let him. He says, unfortunately, he had one more lesson to learn. He’s done trying to control people he loves. She says, it’s a lousy time for him to start building character, and he says he hopes she comes back. She promises to love him wherever she is.

Carly says, back then, when she walked into Jake’s and Jason was there, he always gave her a good night. He says, him too, and she says she always thought she annoyed him. He says, she did… sometimes… most of the time, but he always liked seeing her. She says, know what she liked? and he says, oh no. She says, dancing. He brought her here to make her feel better, and dancing would make her feel better. They put down their beer bottles, and he says, will she dance with him? They dance, and she smiles. They come close to kissing, and I cringe. She suddenly pulls away, and says she has to get back to work. Thanks for the beer. He says, anytime, and she leaves, while he ponders.

Phyllis tells Sonny, whatever is going on with Nina and Peter, it’s definitely not romantic. He says, that’s not what bothers him about the guy, and she asks, what is it? He says, when he and Peter first met yesterday, he got the feeling Peter knows who he is.

On Monday, Anna tells Obrecht that she’s not giving up until she finds Peter dead or alive, Carly says someone is going to find out why Jason has the reputation he does, and Sonny asks if Peter knows who he is.

Million Dollar Listing New York

KJ told husband Stefano that she was ready to sit at the table with the big boys – i.e. start her own team. Kemba called Tyler with an offer on Whitney’s 77th Street apartment. The buyers loved Whitney’s style, and wanted a lot of things included. She said, Whitney wasn’t married to the furniture, right? but Tyler said she was married to everything. If she could peel the paint off the walls and take it to Florida, she would. Fredrik was in L.A., but called team member Charlë in NYC, who said she’d done a deal with KJ at the Baccarat. Woman to woman, they did pretty good.

Ryan went to a listing appointment in downtown Brooklyn at the Brooklyn Point building, and met with developer Ari. In Ryan’s interview, he said, not in his wildest dreams did he think one of the biggest developers would call his new company. They’d completely changed the skyline in NYC, everywhere. If he got this, it would be a complete game changer; everyone would call. It was the tallest building in Brooklyn, with 483 apartments, and a 25 year tax abatement. That means no property taxes, folks. You know the drill; luxury appliances, custom cabinetry, amazing fixtures, some of them copper. Ryan didn’t know you could get views like that outside of Manhattan. The building had from studios to 3 bedrooms, and the top floor had extra high ceiling, giving the feeling of a penthouse. The three bedrooms ranged from $2.5 to $3.5 million, and the 2 bedrooms ranged from $1.8 to $2.5 million. The amenities included a state of the art fitness center, with a 35’ rock climbing wall, and a 65’ salt water pool. Ryan told Ari, if he lived there, he’d retire, since he’d have no reason to leave. Yep, me too. In his interview, Ryan said he was no longer working for a firm; he was the firm. Everything was on his shoulders, so he had to get this listing, which would be over $400 million in value. Ari wanted to know what Serhant was all about, and what Ryan’s competitive advantage was. Ryan told Ari that Serhant was a real estate firm that sold real estate, and I wondered where all his Rico Suave went. In Ryan’s interview, he said he was nervous, and his palms were sweating. Get it together. He admitted to Ari that his new company hadn’t signed any new buildings yet, and Ari said they were aware. Like this guy wouldn’t have checked Ryan out ahead of time. Ryan said they were in the middle of negotiations, but they’d just started. The building would get his personal attention, since it would be his baby. He’d decided he wasn’t going to change even though it was his company. He’d still show, because he loved it; he’d still sell, because it was what he was best at; and he’d still focus on brands, because that was how he’d built his career. Ari said they were eager to make a decision, and Ryan said, let’s go. Ari said they would take a leap of faith, and in his interview, Ryan said he was so effing freaked out. The potential sales were $460 million.

KJ met developer Alex at 175 w 95th Street. Alex’s family had bought the remaining rental units in a condo from the previous developer. As the rent stabilized tenants left, they renovated the apartments, getting them ready for buyers. At the beginning of the pandemic, she’d been tasked with selling nine of their units. In her interview, she explained that developers were sitting on finished units, and it was costing them a ton in carrying costs. They still had five units to sell, and we flashed back to KJ advising Alex to lower the price to $1.495 million. I know, I write this like it’s some every day cost, but when in NYC… She’d gotten an offer of $1.425 for a mid-floor apartment, all cash, and the buyer would pay the closing costs. Alex said, a year ago, the apartments were $1.6 million, and KJ told him for the billionth time that the market was competitive right now, and everyone was looking for an opportunity (aka, lowballing). Alex said he appreciated her honesty, and decided to roll with the deal. In KJ’s interview, she said, now she had to move on to the next one on a lower floor. She told him that she’d gotten an offer of $1.35 million for that one, and Alex was like, oh my God, but understood the market is what it is, and agreed on that one too. KJ said she had one more for the highest floor, starting at $1.35 (she should have gotten the defibrillator ready for Alex), but she had a good feeling. Alex pointed out the beautiful view, and she said the buyers were investors from Hong Kong, and had all cash; it was an attractive offer. They wanted to take it sight unseen, at least not in person, and she thought she could get them to come up to the 1.4’s. Alex said he needed $1.5 million to make the deal work, and KJ called Karishma. Karishma said she’d spoken to the clients, and they were willing to come up to $1.4 million, but KJ said she needed something closer to $1.5 million. The developer was getting more for apartments on the lower floors, and the clients would be getting a good deal. In her interview, KJ said that it was a smart move to sell the property at a lower price. Rip the bandaid off and move on. Karishma called back, and KJ told Alex, they countered at $1.435 million, but Alex was concerned if they accepted the lower pricing on the higher floors, they’d be setting a precedent. She told him that there was a lot of competition and a lot of inventory. Eventually, the market would change, but it was time to move on, and focus on the apartments coming up. She thought it was the best offer they could get, and a one-off because it was during covid. It was time to get it off the books, call it a day, and move on. Alex agreed, as long as KJ would get him better pricing next time. Sold at $1.435 million, KJ’s commission being $126K.   

Ryan did a video shoot at Brooklyn Point from the roof, telling his viewers that it was the highest infinity pool in the Western Hemisphere. Steve invited the brokers to an open house at Hudson Yards. 

Fredrik was in L.A., and spoke to developer Cliff, owner of the $15 million penthouse Fredrik was now living in. We flashed back to Cliff saying he’d extend the listing with Fredrik if he agreed to live there, and promote it on his social media. In Fredrik’s interview, he said, the strategy was a little awkward – we flashed back to a broker telling him that he needed to make his bed – but there had been interest. However, the feedback had also been unanimous – the price was too high. You couldn’t argue with the market, and the price reduction had worked. There was a huge amount of interest, and he’d done a lot of showings. He called Cliff, and said he’d gotten an offer of $9.995 million, full asking price. Fredrik thanked Cliff for the opportunity, and said social media was his best selling tool. Cliff thought social media was a colossal waste of time, but Fredrik asked if $10 million was a waste of time. As we know from General Hospital, two things can be true. After Fredrik hung up with Cliff, broker Glenn called. His clients had made an offer of $9.8 million, but Fredrik had told him to come up. So, sorry not sorry. Glenn whined that the apartment had been on the market for a long time, but Fredrik said he’d told Glenn to move fast. Glenn was pissed off, and Fredrik told him the only way was to come in over the asking price substantially. They had another deal. It would have to be cash and quick, with the buyer paying closing costs. No playing around. Glenn said his buyers told him to go to $10.7, all cash, and paying the closing costs, but he needed to know he had the deal. They wanted it done in three days. Fredrik told Glenn to promise he wouldn’t back out, and he’d call him right back. Fredrik left the car by the side of the road – a convertible, open to any and all thieves – jumped out, and ran across the street where he jumped around in a fountain. He called Cliff with the offer, and in his interview, Fredrik said it felt good to close a deal at a pre-covid price. New York is waking up and roaring. She is back. He was returning soon, and going to do a victory lap when he got there. He got back in the car, and as he continued to drive, yelled, I love New York… and L.A.! I love both coasts!

Steve went to the Sky Rink, meeting his hockey buddy Adam to play ice hockey. In his interview, Steve said it brought him back to childhood. It was fun and he played once or twice a week. It was good for him both physically, and psychologically, and was like real estate; super competitive, sometimes you got in fights, and there was a winner and a loser. He liked to win. They were also meeting Preston, the broker who had a possible renter for Steve’s client, and also an old hockey buddy. We flashed back to Steve showing the rental, and in Steve’s interview, he said he’d told Preston to bring him the offer on the ice. Steve had played competitively when he was younger, and knew his way around an ice rink, but it was only a hobby. Preston said the six month lease was a challenge. His clients didn’t want a one-year term. Steve said furnished properties of that caliber were few and far between. Right now, he had the only one. The owner had to turn the apartment over, painting and taking care of repairs, in between renters. A shorter term meant more wear and tear. In Steve’s interview, he said he thought this might actually be beneficial. In six months, the market would be different, and his client could raise the price. He’d bought it as an investment property. Steve called his client, telling him it wasn’t ideal, but the offer was 6 months at $60K a month. Right now, rentals were up because of the uncertainty of the market. People wanted to see what was going to happen. Steve saw an opportunity, and suggested they offer full ask for six months, then get a long term offer after the market was better. Steve came back to Preston with an offer of $60K a month if it was one-year, or the full price of $69.5K a month for six months. Steve continued to play hockey while Preston made the call, and came back with 6 months at the full ask, and in his interview, Steve said, six months from now, he’d get to rent it again. It was a win-win for him.

Tyler has a dog named Peggy, which I find worth mentioning, since I think it’s amusing when pets have human names. In his interview, Tyler said, before he could turn Whitney’s apartment back into a whitebox, buyers came along who said it was their exact taste, and loved everything. They made a $4.1 million offer, but wanted some of the furniture and curtains included. In Tyler’s interview, he said, it wasn’t uncommon, but it was far from his favorite thing to do. Buyers didn’t consider what the seller had paid for it, or the sentimental value. He just had to try and make it work. He told Whitney that she should be flattered, and she said she was, but it didn’t sway her. We flashed back to Whitney saying she was taking the curtains, and I flashed back to the previous owner of my house wanting to keep her curtains when we’d already agreed they came with the house. It has 21 windows. I held firm. And seriously, what was she going to do with them in senior living? Whitney told Tyler, it was like, my furniture is coming with me; thanks for coming. He asked if she didn’t want her legacy to live on. Plus, she didn’t need nursery furniture. She said she’d poured her heart and soul into her son’s room, and wasn’t giving his crib to a stranger. He managed to wheedle most of the furniture the buyers wanted, minus the crib, and made a deal at $4.1 million. He told Whitney, well done-ish. He would take an ish. His commission? $123K.    

In her interview, KJ said, after some hard conversations about the future – we flashed back to her talking to Ryan and Fredrik – she decided it was time for her to start her own team. Elliman had the best infrastructure, and the top producing agents in the city. She gathered her new team – Benjamin, Karishma, and Jill – and told them that it wasn’t just like she was moving to a different firm, she was creating a team. Jill was her COO, and would be keeping them on brand and helping grow the business, but they had room for another agent or two, so keep their eyes open. In her interview, she said she’d hand-selected people who were in line with her values and also had incredible experience.  Getting teary, she said she’d spent years thinking that others did it better. If you believed in yourself, you could do it, but it took time. It didn’t happen overnight, but one day you woke up and said, holy sh*t; it’s real. She felt a ton of pressure, an told her team they’d be working a lot.

Steve said, the $29.5 million penthouse at Hudson Yards was the accumulation of years of hard work. It was a game changer. Since he could only have a limited amount of people at an event, he’d invited the top brokers for an open house. In Ryan’s interview, he reminded us that he was the reason Steve got the listing; he’d brought Steve a buyer for the other apartment. We flashed back to that, and Ryan said, you’re welcome. To refresh your memory, the penthouse was 5211 square feet, 4 bedrooms, and 5.5 baths, two floors, 26’ ceilings, and 270* unobstructed views. In his interview, Ryan said he’d seen a lot of apartments, and this one screamed penthouse. It was a piece of art, and whoever bought it would crush it. $30 million today will be $60 million tomorrow. Watch. KJ and Tyler joined them, and in Tyler’s interview, he said he was excited to be invited, but even more excited to see the penthouse. It was everything. This was the dream. He thought Steve looked good in his tux. He’d brought prom to the penthouse.  Steve gave them the tour, and said they were the first to see it.   

Steve broke open the champagne, and in KJ’s interview, she said, in the future, she saw expansion of the business. She saw herself getting larger deals and building a well oiled machine that would run until she died. She’d be doing this to the grave. In Tyler’s interview, he said he’d busted his ass. He was proud of himself and his team. They’d sold more than they ever had before. He didn’t just want to build a team in the city. He was also starting one in the Hamptons. Even though there had been challenges, he was most excited about their growth. Fredrik arrived, wearing a bright yellow jacket, and in his interview, he said, since he moved to L.A., he’d been dressing brighter. He was the sunshine of New York, and when Freddy came back, it brightened everything. He’d moved past the Ryan thing. He didn’t need that kind of negativity in his life, and he was closing so many deals, chose to focus on that. In Ryan’s interview, he said Fredrik had been arguing with him for nine years. He was over it. They’d never be best friends, and never see eye to eye on everything, because they were naturally born competitors who played in the same market. We saw they both had property listings in buildings across from each other.

Steve showed Fredrik the 88th floor views from the primary bathroom, and Fredrik mentioned that the old Steve wore scarves and wrinkled T-shirts. Steve said, the old Steve wasn’t in a committed relationship with a child. People changed. In Steve’s interview, he said it had been a horrible market, but the downs only made them more successful. He and Luiza were stronger as a couple, and baby Rose was almost two. He wanted to continue to be competitive and be better, but at the end of the day, he had all he needed. Look where they were standing. The sky was literally the limit. In Fredrik’s interview, he said he wouldn’t change anything about the past year. His business was very different than it was 10 years ago. He moved to L.A. when the pandemic hit. He’d wanted to have a foot in each coast. He couldn’t travel, but he moved with it, just like Robot Freddy. Would it ever replace the real thing? Never. He expected to be number one in New York and L.A. in the coming year.

Steve thanked everyone for coming, and in his interview, Ryan said it had been a lot of work, but super exciting. If they handled this year, they could handle anything. He thought he said that about last year too, but scratch that. This year was f***ed. They were all new people. He’d spent more time at home in 2020 than he ever thought he would. He worked the entire time, and wouldn’t have wanted to do it with anyone else other than Amelia and Zena. When people looked back in ten years, they would say, this was the start of the greatest real estate boom in the history of New York City. Steve said, to the next chapter and a brighter future. To New York. Ryan said, New York is back, baby!

This was the season finale, so no preview.

🎺 Getting On the Bandwagon…

KJ on starting a new chapter.

https://www.bravotv.com/million-dollar-listing-new-york/style-living/kirsten-jordan-talks-starting-her-own-team

🤔 Sonny’s Speculation…

But what about poor Nina?

👉 Blackie’s Trigger Finger…

Some people will do anything for an Instagram story.

https://popculture.com/celebrity/news/john-stamos-undergoes-surgery-reveals-hospital-photos/

🧼 Release the Trailer…

Behold Beyond Salem. It looks pretty good.

💖 Loved By All…

Tributes to Michael Nader from those who worked with him.

👠 Can’t Catch a Break…

Well, she wanted to be famous.

It’s even more XXPEN$IVE to be her now.

Get in line I’m sure.

https://people.com/tv/tom-girardi-law-firm-owes-101-million-in-debt-bankruptcy-case-filing/

🧮 But She Is Annoying…

And irrelevant, and boring, and hardly accountable, and yeah, what is she doing here?

https://screenrant.com/housewives-garcelle-teddi-feud-twitter-guest-shady-comment/

🍸 Sharing…

I’m kind of over Vanderpump Rules. I’ll always watch LVP, but I miss that show where she got the celebrities drunk. She was really in her element with that one. And Vanderpump Dogs. That was good too.

💣 Doom Addition…

Doom Patrol was one of my favorite comics as a kid. I haven’t seen the series yet, but this woman looks just like the one in the comic book.

https://ew.com/tv/michelle-gomez-madame-rouge-doom-patrol-season-3-photos/

https://screenrant.com/doom-patrol-season-3-images-madame-rouge-villain/

⚰️ Dead Start…

Everyone weighs in on The Walking Dead’s first episode of the last season. Daryl, Maggie, and even Negan.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-norman-reedus-daryl-negan-maggie-archeron-premiere/

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-maggie-negan-premiere-archeron-angela-kang-showrunner/

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-jeffrey-dean-morgan-negan-glenn-season-premiere-archeron/

🖋 Quotes of the Week

Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness. – Martin Luther King Jr.

It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. – e.e. Cummings

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time. – John Lubbock

The only difference between success and failure is the ability to take action. – Alexander Graham Bell

If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair. – Shirley Chisholm

I have only to break into the tightness of a strawberry, and I see summer – its dust and lowering skies.Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye

☮️ Peace Out…

Thus ends another week, or seven Xs, however you’re counting. Until we meet on the Deadside, stay safe, stay leaving them wanting more, and stay letting the downs only make you more successful.

August 5, 2021 – A Stranger Hassles Josslyn, Black Eye, Bowling For Puppies & Deception

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Jason punches the heavy bag at the gym, when Brando comes along. Jason asks if he wants the bag, but Branco says, he’s good. He’s better than good. In part, thanks to Jason.

At the MetroCourt, Brook looks at a tablet, and Sasha sits across from her. Brook says she’s better at this social media thing than she thought. Sasha says she knew Deception could count on Brook to reach a better customer base. Products are flying off the shelves. Give herself a pat on the back. Brook says, how about a raise? but Sasha says she has another perk in mind; a wonderful one.

Terry asks if she can have a moment of Britt’s time, and Britt asks if there’s something she can do for Terry. Terry says Britt hasn’t responded to the proposal she sent; did she receive it? Britt says, for expanding their telemedicine services? And Terry says, many patients find in-person visits daunting or prohibitive for a variety of reasons. They can expand their the opportunities for patients to consult with them online, rather than coming to the hospital. Britt says, which would require an expansion of their IT and tech departments. Terry says if Britt had read the whole memo, she would have seen the research Terry did. Other facilities who have expanded in telemedicine have made earned back the cost in five years or less. Britt says, but none of the expansion is covered in this year’s budget. If Terry was Chief of Staff, she’d realize any new proposals have to be cost effective. Terry suggests they study the numbers and come up with a solution, but Britt says, Terry isn’t co-Chief of Staff yet. Terry says, what about her? Britt stormed out of Monica’s office when she suggested they work together. Has she decided that’s impossible?

Carly folds towels at the pool (🍷), and Jax says, allow him. She says, he’s folding towels? and he asks if she wants to hire him. She says she couldn’t afford him, and he asks if she doesn’t have people for this. She says she has great people, she’s just… He says, doing it for fun? and she says, call it stress release. He asks if there’s any particular reason she’s feeling stressed, and she says, because he hates that she’s marrying Jason. 

TJ sits by Stella’s bedside at the hospital, and says she’s got to come out of this.

Josslyn and Cameron join Curtis and Portia in the waiting area, and Josslyn says they came to check on Stella. Cameron says he was there when she collapsed at Kelly’s. Portia says, the paramedics said Cameron had called 9-1-1 immediately; he did an amazing job. Curtis thanks Cameron for keeping his head and his quick action, and Cameron asks if Stella is going to be okay.

Cameron says, a stroke? He thought that might be it. His mom taught him to recognize the symptoms. He’s so sorry. Portia says, the good news is, it’s the most common type of stroke, and the most treatable. She was brought to the emergency room immediately, and the doctor on call was able to diagnose it, so the neurological team began treatment immediately. Stella is going to recover. Curtis says, getting her the right treatment in time started with Cameron’s quick thinking. Cameron says his mom is always pounding into him and his brothers first aid tips to help someone in need. Since he was able to recognize the signs of stroke, he dialed 9-1-1 and noted the time Stella started to lose her balance. Josslyn says, and he kept speaking to Miss Henry until the paramedics got there. He woudn’t let her go to sleep. Portia says, she always knew he was a smart kid, but the way he handled the emergency was something special. She’s going to make sure Stella knows that, and Cameron’s mom. Cameron says he’s just glad Curtis’s aunt is going to recover, but there’s something she needs to know when she wakes up

Brook asks Sasha not to keep her in suspense. What is this wonderful perk? Sasha says, her own Assistant, and Brook says, really? Someone she gets to boss around. That’s so great. She doesn’t want to sound like she’s complaining; Valentin has been very helpful with Bailey. But the whole motherhood/work thing is hard. Sasha will know soon enough. Sasha says, getting closer all the time, and Brook asks when she gets to interview some potential candidates. It has to be someone in tune with her personality. Somebody collaborative, but who will defer to her as their boss. Someone who’s loyal and steady, and doesn’t complain. Sasha says, about that… and Gladys appears, saying, she looks great, right? The makeup artist at Deception said she had great bones, like Edie Falco, and look – she holds up a bag full of stuff – she got tons of new products like Sasha promised. Brook says they’re having a business meeting, and Gladys says, Brook Lynn Quartermaine, right? Brook says, that depends. Who’s she? Sasha says, this is Gladys Corbin, and Gladys says, her new assistant. She sits down and says, but she does prefer being considered an equal.  

Jason says he should be the one thanking Brando. Carly told him that Brando stepped in to smooth things over with Joey Novak. Brando says, he’s a punk. He didn’t think it would be good for anyone to let the situation escalate by the pool (🍷) at Carly’s hotel. Jason says if he takes Brando up on that free service at the garage, he’ll pay the bills. Brando thanks him, and says it’s good intentions, but sounds like the first step on a slippery slope back to the business. He made a commitment to stay far away. Jason asks, what changed Brando’s mind? and Brando says he wants to be in Sasha’s life and the baby’s. Jason is the one who told him to consider what was important to him and what he’d be risking. Sasha and the baby won hands down. He appreciates the advice.

Britt tells Terry that she was on her way to ask Monica for a meeting to turn down the offer. The job is all Terry’s. Terry says, Monica pitched them as a team; if Britt is out, so is she. Britt guesses Monica will have to find someone else with her expertise, and Terry’s vision. Terry says, Britt is throwing away this incredible job, just like that, and Britt says she handled this incredible job just fine without Terry, or anyone else. And before Terry throws Cyrus in her face, let her remind Terry, she was working with Jason to keep Cyrus in check, which is why she nearly got killed by his thugs. Terry says she’s sorry she belittled Britt’s life on the run, and Britt says Terry threw her relationship with Jason in her face in front of his mother. Terry tells her, saying Britt had Jason to satisfy her needs wasn’t her finest moment; she’s sorry. Britt asks if Terry thinks an apology is good enough for Britt to share her job with Terry.

Jax asks Carly to stop for a second, and look at him. She says she doesn’t want to fight with him, and he says, there won’t be a fight if she tells him the truth. He knows he was upset when she told him why she was marrying Jason, but he realized she wasn’t telling him everything. She asks, what makes him say that? and he says, when he voiced his concerns, she told him marrying Jason wasn’t just best for her, but best for her kids, and one of those kids happens to be their daughter. It got him thinking, maybe it’s not just the simple story of friendship turning to love after Sonny died.   

Britt tells Terry, she’s done talking. She’s going to see Monica, and tell her that she’s not sharing the Chief of Staff position. She starts to walk away, and Terry says, give her five minutes. Britt keeps walking, and Terry says, two minutes? Britt stops and turns, and Terry says, Monica asked her to be diplomatic with Britt, to see if she could work with her as co-Chief of Staff. Britt says, now Terry is trying to handle her? and Terry says she’s trying to be reasonable. She’s terrible at manipulating people. Britt asks if this is her being sincere, and Terry says, it’s her being honest. Working together in in their best interest. More important, it’s in the hospital’s best interest. Britt asks what Terry wants her to do, and Terry says, take a walk and think about it. Why not? It’s nice out. Consider the alternative; some oily creep, who plays politics and only cares about saving money. Someone who will run GH as a cost effective business instead of an institution that will save lives and heal. Do they really want someone like that as their boss?

Jason says, so Sasha gave Brando an ultimatum, and Brando says, in the nicest way possible; the business or the baby. Jason says, Brando seems at peace with his decision, and Brando says, after seeing what Jason and Carly’s family went through after Sonny’s death, and the damage Cyrus caused. Cyrus almost killed Brando and his mother. If he’d died, his baby woudn’t have a father. He can’t let that happen. Jason says Brando knew Sasha was pregnant when he stepped in with Joey Novak. He wasn’t thinking about life or death situations then. Brando says he stepped up because he wanted to help Carly; then Sasha straightened him out. She wasn’t happy about him working for Cyrus to help Jason and Sonny, and she wasn’t signing up for more of that. Jason is lucky he and Carly are on the same page when it comes to business. Jason says, yeah, they are.  

Gladys wonders where a person gets a mimosa over here, and Sasha says she thought it would be nice for Brook and Sasha to get to know one another over brunch, instead of in the office. Gladys says she’s never been to a business brunch before. Can she have those scrambled eggs with caviar? This is on Deception, right? Brook asks if Gladys brought her resumé, and Gladys says, what for? Sasha already hired her. Brook says, okay. What about her background? and Gladys says, she’s part Irish, and part Lithuanian. She’s from Bridgeport, Connecticut, but moved there to be closer to her son. She didn’t think they were allowed to ask that kind of question. I’m dying laughing, because I’m ¾ Lithuanian, and It’s not a country you hear mentioned a lot. Brook says she meant Gladys’s business background. Does she have anything that qualifies her to be an assistant to a marketing executive?

Carly tells Jason that she’s keeping her kids safe, and he asks, how? By marrying Sonny’s right-hand man? It brings the kids closer to Sonny’s world, which is now her world. Carly says, Josslyn hasn’t been touched by anything she and Jason are doing, so she doesn’t know why Jax is giving her a hard time. He says he’s trying to make her see what’s perfectly clear to him. This isn’t going to work; she’s living on borrowed time. He tried to warn her from the start that it was a mistake to get more involved in the family business, but she didn’t listen. She says, because it doesn’t change anything. Can they just get along for Josslyn’s sake?

Curtis asks what his aunt needs to know, and Cameron says she had some papers with her inside an envelope. She asked him where the nearest maildrop was, and that’s when she stood up, and spilled her coffee. The coffee soaked the envelope and everything inside. When he was walking her out with the paramedics, a waitress cleaned up anything used or wet; he’s really sorry. Josslyn says, Miss Henry had a stroke right in front of him. He was focused on getting her help. Isn’t that what’s most important? Curtis says he’ll ask his auntie about the contents of the envelope. He’s sure whatever was in it can be replaced. Cameron asks if there’s any way he can explain it to her, and Portia says Stella is sleeping right now, but she’s sure Stella will want to thank him when she wakes up. Josslyn says they’ll come back later, and Cameron says they just wanted to make sure she was okay. They leave, and Curtis says, Cameron is a good kid. Portia agrees, and says she’ll check on Stella right now for him. He says, before she does, he needs something from her. She says, what? and he says, the truth.

TJ tells Stella, the doctors are doing the hard work. All she needs to do is rest; give the medicine time to dissolve the clot in her brain. He hopes she’s feeling so important, because she has all kinds of people worried about her. His mom is at the top of that list. He guesses they were having some issues about the divorce. By which he means she thinks it shouldn’t be happening at all. His mom said she got pretty angry with Stella, and she’s really sorry if she said or did anything to jeopardize her health.

Portia tells Curtis, he said it. He said secrets have a way of exploding, and this one sure did. He’s just sorry Trian overheard her and Aunt Stella talking about it. He wasn’t as forgiving with Aunt Stella as he should have been. When he left her at Kelly’s, she was so stressed out. Could he have caused this? Is he responsible for his auntie’s stroke?

Portia says, there can be a correlation between stress and a stroke, but Curtis is going to have to share some of that blame with her. She came on pretty strong when she spoke her mind to his aunt. It was just a horrible night. He says, especially for Trina, and she says, Trina is still going to need some time to process this. She’s still so shaken and angry about everything. He says, apparently so, and she asks if Stella’s 2017 stroke was precipitated by a stressful event. He tells her, he would say so. It started when he and Jordan started seeing each other. Portia says she didn’t realize that. She saw in Stella’s chart that she was prescribed some anti-anxiety medication after her last stroke for a little while. He says it might be time to renew that prescription, since Aunt Stella’s never going to stop doing what she believes in. TJ comes out, and says, Aunt Stella’s vitals are improving. He thinks she’s regaining consciousness. Portia says she’ll check on Stella, and if she’s doing okay, Curtis can go in. Curtis says first he wants to thank Portia. She was instrumental in the care Stella got last night. Calling in the neurology team, and making sure she was treated as quickly as possible, she needs to know about that. TJ says, thank you, and Portia says he’s welcome. She leaves, and TJ says, Curtis and Dr. Robinson seem to be getting closer. Curtis says, yeah, but they’re taking it slow.

Stella’s eyes are open, and Portia says, hello, Miss Henry. Welcome back. She sits next to the bed, and says she’s going to give Stella a quick exam. Can Stella squeeze Portia’s finger with her hand? Stella does, and Portia says, good job. There are some people who would like to see her. Portia lets TJ and Curtis in, and Curtis says, it’s him, Curtis. Stella says she knows it’s him, Curtis Byron Ashford. She chuckles, and he kisses her forehead. She says, Thomas Junior, Dr. Robinson. It’s nice to see them, but she wonders how she ended up there.

Gladys says, say what you will about Carly, but her bartender makes a damn good mimosa. Deception must be doing real well if they can afford MetroCourt prices. Brook suggests they focus, and asks if Gladys has any marketing experience at all. Gladys says she used to sell cleaning products with Colby Clean, and recruited others to sell them too. She was one of their top people. Sasha says she didn’t know that, and Brook says, that’s because it was a pyramid scheme that hustled housewives out of their savings. The CEO is in prison. Gladys says she was a victim too. Why is Brook treating her like she did something wrong? Sasha hired her; isn’t she Brook’s boss? Sasha says she is, and Gladys tells Brook, take it up with Sasha. She has nothing more to say to Brook. She gets up and goes to the bar, and Brook asks what Sasha is doing to her.

Jason says, Brando was at the meeting of the Five Families Italian green beans, when he worked for Cyrus, and Brando says, when Jason got shot escaping from GH. But Carly stepped in. Jason should have seen her; she owned that room. She slapped Cyrus down like a gnat. It was all he could do not to cheer her on. Jason says, she’s a fighter, that’s for sure, and Brando says he can see how they ended up together. It’s good for business, but he’s sure losing Sonny brought them closer. Jason says, it did, and Brando says he wishes them a long and happy marriage. Jason deserves it.

Jax says he’ll let this go, as long as Josslyn remains safe, and Carly promises she will. He says, she’s got a big year coming up; college, a new boyfriend. Carly says she told him? and he says, Cameron Webber. She says, Cameron is a great kid and he makes Josslyn happy. He says he’s glad she’s over Oscar and moving on with her life, but if Cameron breaks her heart, he’s going to have Jax to deal with. Carly says, you and me both, and Britt walks in.

At Kelly’s, Cameron tells Josslyn that Stella was sitting right there. He can’t believe he didn’t notice something was wrong. She tells him, quit it with the guilt. He’s not responsible for Miss Henry’s stroke. He saved her life. Joey Novak comes in, and says, Josslyn Jax? She asks if she knows him, and he says, no, but she’s about to. Joey Novak. He’s an associate of her mom and her fiancé’s. Congratulations on getting on PCU’s volleyball team; he hears she’s quite the athlete, and her first game is against the school who rejected him. He’ll be in the stands cheering her on, behind her mom and Jason Morgan. Josslyn says she doesn’t know who he is, or how he knows her, or her mom, or Jason, but she’d appreciate it if he left her alone. Cameron comes around the counter, and Joey says he bets Cameron will be at the game too, since he and Josslyn are so tight. Cameron says that’s none of his business. Now please get out of their faces.

Stella says, a stroke? She’s been taking care of herself. TJ says, strokes have a nasty way of happening no matter how well you take care of yourself. Curtis says he’s so sorry he left her at Kelly’s last night. He should have stayed with her. Portia apologizes for coming down on Stella so hard about what they discussed, and TJ says, and his mom is on the apology tour. Curtis says they all could have done better by her, and Stella says she knows everybody is trying to blame themselves, but in truth, there’s only one person to blame.

Joey says, peace out, guys. He didn’t mean to make any trouble. Cameron says, it didn’t sound like that, and Joey says he just wanted Josslyn to tell her mom and Jason that he’ll see them in the stands. Josslyn asks if he’s sure he wants her to pass on that message, and tell Jason that he’ll be looking for him at her next game? Because she’ll definitely be mentioning it. Actually, she’s kind of obligated too, so don’t worry. Jason will be looking for Joey too. He says, nice meeting them both, and leaves. Josslyn says she has to find her mom, and Cameron says he’ll go with her. She says this is family business; the less he knows, the better. She leaves, and Cameron is obviously pissed off.

Sasha tells Brook that she’s sorry, but she needs to come clean. She and Brando need some space to figure out this parenting thing. They have to get his mother out of their immediate orbit. Brook says, so Sasha put Gladys in hers, and Sasha says, Gladys will be fine. Brook says, she has zero experience. All the things she said she was looking for in an assistant, it’s like Sasha wrote them down and found a person with the exact opposite qualities. Sasha says, Gladys is excited about the position. She’s predisposed to liking it and doing a good job. Brook asks if Sasha really believes that, and Sasha asks Brook to do it for her sake. Brook knows what it’s like with a new baby. She and Valentin were practically strangers, just like Sasha and Brando. Brook says, they didn’t foist their baby’s grandmother on someone who didn’t want her. Sasha doesn’t see Brook’s mom popping around on everyone and getting in their faces. Sasha says Gladys is Mike Corbin’s cousin. Brook loved Mike, and was close with Sonny. Doesn’t that count for something? Brook looks over at the bar, and sees Gladys convincing someone a lipstick is her color.

Carly asks if Jax and Britt are still seeing each other, and he says, they were never seeing each other. She says, that’s probably for the best, and he says, is it? She says she’s guessing one of the major attractions was that she and Jason got engaged. Jax was pissed at her, and Britt… She feels sorry for Britt. Jason says he’s pretty sure Britt doesn’t want her pity, and walks away. He sits on the lounge chair next to Britt, and asks if she’s taking a break from the hospital. She says she’s pondering whether or not to share her Chief of Staff title, and he asks, what’s to ponder? Half the workload sounds pretty good to him. She says, really? Sharing the power, constantly compromising, always having to check in with someone… He says he sees how that wouldn’t work for her, and she says she’s so not a team player. There was one time in her life when she teamed up with someone, and it was actually okay. Except… She flashes back to asking Jason to trust her, and Jax says, except when she was on the run with Jason?

Brando says he sees Jason’s healed from the gunshot wound, and Jason says he’s good. Brando says, now that he’s decided to stay out of the family business, he doesn’t expect to be taking any more bullets for Jason or Carly, but if he did get in another gun battle, he’d definitely want Britt to treat him. He and Jason fist bump, and Brando leaves.

Jax says Britt and Jason worked well together, and she says, he saved her life, she saved his; they didn’t have much choice. He asks if she had feelings for Jason, and she says, if she did or didn’t is beside the point. Jason is marrying Carly. He asks if she knows why, and she says, does he? He says she doesn’t believe they’re in love, does she? and she says she doesn’t think he does either. He asks what it’s all about then, and she says, Carly went out of her way to explain why they’re getting married. How she and Jason had feelings for each other after Sonny died, that they felt it was too soon, so they decided to back off, but after Jason got out of Pentenville, and got shot trying to escape, they realized life was short. So they decided to stop fighting the feelings, and give into them instead. He says, Britt didn’t believe her, and Britt says, it felt a little too perfect; a little too convincing. It was lopsided and felt off-balance, that Carly had a lot to say, and Jason said practically nothing. He says, that’s how they operate. Carly comes up with the explanation, and Jason just goes along with it.

Curtis says he walked out of Kelly’s and left Stella behind. She must hold him responsible. She takes a sip of water, and say she’s the person to blame. Portia tells her not to get too excited. She says she knows she’s been making trouble for everyone, but the person she made the most trouble for is herself. Now she landed in there with a stroke; talk about payback. TJ says she didn’t cause the stroke, and thinking that way isn’t good for her recovery. She says, you know what’s good for my recovery? Not sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong. Curtis says, so she remembers what happened? and she says, some of it, but not all. He says, Cameron Webber? He saved her life. By the way, he mentioned she had an envelope she wanted mailed. When she collapsed, and the paramedics came, that envelope got thrown away. Does she remember what was in it?

Gladys tells the woman that the lipstick brightens up her whole face, and Brook says she doesn’t remember Uncle Sonny saying he liked Gladys. In fact, she remembers him speaking about her in the exact opposite manner. Sasha says, Sonny wasn’t very fond of Gladys, but Mike was. Sonny appreciated that. Besides, it looks like Gladys has that woman wrapped around her finger. The woman says, Gladys thinks she has pores the size of nickels? How dare she?

Cameron punches the heavy bag, and Jason asks if he wants some help. Cameron says Jason doesn’t have to be nice after he treated Jason like crap, and Jason says, Cameron apologized, he accepted, let’s just move on. Cameron says, okay. What’s he doing wrong? Jason tells him to put his hands up. Always have your hands up to defend yourself. He demonstrates as he talks, and says, before, during, and after a punch, you’re always going to have your hands up. Cameron says, all right; what’s next? Jason says, you never let anyone catch you in a vulnerable position. And you keep moving. Near the bag, away from the bag. Just like in a real fight. In a real fight, his opponent is going to be moving, just like this bag. Jason pushes the bag, and says he has to be smart, when to attack, when to move in, and when to get out. By the way, since he’s there in the gym, he should always wear gloves. I was actually thinking this, and Jason says if Cameron doesn’t have them, he’ll get them for him. Cameron says, anything else he should know? and Jason says, who’s his target? The way he was swinging at that bag, it looked like he wanted to hit somebody. Cameron says, just some loser who was bothering Joss.

Jax tells Britt, they could spend the rest of their lives figuring out why Carly and Jason got engaged, but he just doesn’t have the time for it. As long as Josslyn’s okay with it, he’s just going to go along for the ride. She asks if it’s really that easy for him, and he says he and Carly have been apart longer than they were together. At least he knows she thinks she’s doing the right thing by her daughter. Britt says, sounds like a compromise, and he says, compromise isn’t always bad. Sometimes it’s the only way to get things done. She says she thinks she already read this book. He’s going to ask why she became a doctor, what being Chief of Staff means to her, and she’s going to realize her love for GH is bigger than her hatred of having to share her job with Terry. He says, there you go, and she asks if he has a hanky. She thinks she’s going to cry. He says his work is done. He’s going to leave before he memorializes this talk with sunburn on his legs, but she says, he’s an Aussie. He was born for sunburn. She gets up and thanks him for the pep talk, and if he finds a way to explain Jason and Carly’s engagement that makes sense, let her be the first to know. Carly watches Britt leave, when Josslyn pulls Carly to a more private place away from the pool (🍷). She says, something happened, and Carly asks if she’s okay. Josslyn says she’s fine, but she thought Carly would want to know. A man approached her and Cam at Kelly’s. He made a point of telling her that he was an associate of her mom and her fiancé. Jax walks over to where he can listen without them seeing him, and Carly asks if he told Josslyn his name. Josslyn says, Joey Novak. Does she know him?

Stella says, something she wanted to mail? She doesn’t remember. She barely remembers being at Kelly’s. Portia says she wouldn’t worry about it. Stella will probably remember in time. Stella hopes so; it sounds important.  TJ says, what’s important is that she’s going to recover, and Curtis says, that is all she should be thinking about.

Sasha picks up the bag of products, and tells the woman to please take it with Deception’s complements, but the woman says, no thank you, and walks out. Gladys says she thought she had her hooked, and Brook tells Sasha, it’s okay; she’s got this. She’s doing it for Mike, but Sasha owes her big time. Sasha goes back to the table, and Brando walks in. Brook tells Gladys, that didn’t go too well, but Gladys says, not true. She had that woman hooked; she loved that lipstick. Brook says, it was a nice shade on her, but it’s not a good sales tactic to mention a woman’s large pores. Gladys says she’s learned her lesson, and Brook says she’s looking forward to seeing what Gladys can teach her. She’s old enough to be a grandma, but looks young enough to be Brook’s big sister. Gladys says, maybe it’s her bones. She thinks she gets them from her Lithuanian side.

Brando sits with Sasha, and says, call him crazy, but does his mother look happy? Sasha says, for the first five minutes, the job didn’t go so great, but Brook has it covered. He says, tell Brook that he owes her, and she says she already owes Brook. Is he ready to show her his place, now that Brook has Gladys covered? He says he can’t wait, and she says neither can she.

Gladys says, even before she started wearing this makeup, people told her how young she looks for her age. They can’t believe she has a grown son. Does Brook have any kids? Brook hesitates, and Gladys says, she’s not sure? Brook says she does. She has a little girl. She’s practically still a newborn, so sometimes she forgets.

Britt goes back to the hospital, and Terry asks if she took that walk. Britt says, sort of, and Terry says, and? Britt says, and she’s heading to Monica’s office. Terry says, to turn down the job? but Britt says, to accept it. Terry says, that’s wonderful. She promises Britt won’t regret it. What made her change her mind? Britt says, never mind that, and suggests they go talk to Monica together. Then they have work to do.

Josslyn tells Carly, he kept going on about how he was going to be at her volleyball game, sitting behind Carly and Jason. She knew he was trying to intimidate her, so she turned the tables. She told him that she’d mention it to Jason, and Jason would be looking for him. That worked him up a little. Carly understands Josslyn was surprised by this man, and gets wanting to stand up to him, but she doesn’t want Josslyn involved. Josslyn says she doesn’t want to be involved either – Jax is looking pretty pissed – but he’s the one who pushed her, and she wasn’t going to let him think she was afraid. Besides, she knew Jason could handle it.

Cameron throws punches at the bag, this time wearing gloves, and Jason says, that’s good, and reminds him to keep his hands up. What happened with Josslyn? Cameron says, there was this jerk who was hassling her about Jason and her mom. He knew way too much about Joss. Jason asks what he knew, and Cameron says, like when her first volleyball game was at PCU, that they were seeing each other. He tried to tell the guy to shut up, but he wouldn’t, and Cameron felt like an idiot. Like there was nothing he could do to protect her. Jason tells him, punch with your head, not your heart. Did this jerk have a name? Cameron says, Joey Novak.

Carly says, Jason will make sure this never happens again, and Josslyn says that’s pretty much what she told Mr. Novak. Carly says she wants a guard with Josslyn at all times. He’ll be discreet. He won’t interfere with her life. Josslyn says, much, and Carly says she wants him driving and shadowing Josslyn when she goes out. She’s sorry. Josslyn says, that’s okay. She asks if it can be Devon; he’s low key. Carly says, Devon’s fine, and she’ll have him pick Josslyn up downstairs. Josslyn says she can lives with that, and Carly thanks her for being such a trooper. Jax looks like he has a headache, and Josslyn says, Carly didn’t ask for this. She has to go to volleyball practice and can’t be late. She hugs Carly, and says she loves her. Carly says she loves Josslyn too, and Josslyn leaves. Carly walks out, and Jax is there. He asks what’s going on, and what kind of danger she’s put their daughter in this time.

Tomorrow, Shawn says he can live with the decisions he’s made, Obrecht says they must all be on their guard, and Jason tells Joey that further contact will result in a full attack.

📉 Nose Dive…

How the mighty have fallen.

https://people.com/tv/tom-girardi-seen-with-a-black-eye-in-first-spotting-since-erika-girardis-divorce-filing/

🐶 Not Just For Winter…

The Puppy Bowl Summer Games.

https://people.com/pets/puppy-bowl-presents-the-summer-games-first-look/

🎀 Tying It With a Bow…

Once again, Million Dollar Listing New York only aired at 8, so it will be something to look forward to tomorrow. Until then, stay safe, stay having a purpose, and stay not using insults as a sales tactic. It doesn’t work very well.

July 30, 2021 – Spencer Fake Pleads With Ava, New Lease On Life, Soap Celebration, Happy Birthday, Support, Pushy Countess, Be Better, Possible Ax, New Status, Rumors, Dead Talk, Quotes Tenfold & Hello

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Spencer asks if Ava thinks they can put the past behind them and start fresh. Is it possible they can declare a truce? He holds out his hand, and she hesitates for a moment, but takes it, and they shake. She says she appreciates the offer, but he doesn’t have to worry about forging a relationship with her. She’s out of Nikolas’s life now. He says, it didn’t look that way a little while ago.

Jason comes into the MetroCourt, and asks if Carly is ready to go. She asks if he’s ready for this, and he says, for Wiley’s birthday party? Sure. He managed to get all the gifts in the car. She says, there weren’t that many, and he gives her a face. She says he knows what she’s talking about. This is their first family thing as a couple. He asks if she’s nervous.

Michael knocks at the gatehouse door, and Willow motions him in. He hands her some cellophane tape, and she thanks him, saying, she thought she’d have to break out the masking tape. He says he’s surprised he found any, considering the mounds of presents and all the decorations. She asks if they’re spoiling him, and he says, absolutely, but it’s Wiley’s birthday, so they get a pass. They’ll let him have all his presents and balloons… She says, don’t forget about cupcakes, and he says Wiley reminded him this morning. Now everything’s all set for their birthday boy.

Brook comes in to find Chase messing with some balloons, and says, look at him. She looks around the room, and says, look at this. He says, this is Olivia’s work. He followed her around with a tape dispenser. It is funny how Brook reappeared just when the decorating is finished. She says, timing is everything. She sent Yuri down to help. He says, good thing. He couldn’t help hang the banner for anything. She says, it will happen soon enough, and he says, not soon enough for him. He can’t wait to walk up to Willow, and show her that he’s back.

Shawn meets Sam in the park, and she hands him some coffee. She says she hopes he didn’t mind meeting her there. She had to drop Scout off at Lila’s Kids. He says he loves it outdoors; he can’t get enough of it. She says she’s the same way, and it sure beats the exercise at Pentenville. He asks why she wanted to meet, and she says she’s afraid she has bad news.

There’s a knock at Elizabeth’s door, and she lets in Nikolas, who asks if she’s okay. She sounded stressed on the phone. She mentioned Hayden; has she heard from her? She says, unfortunately, no. He asks, what’s going on? and she says Sam was there, asking about the time Hayden was shot. It made her remember something. He says, dammit. He knew this was going to happen.

Chase tells Brook, Willow is at the gatehouse and he’s upstairs. He doesn’t feel like they can start their life together yet. He’s so sick of this chair; he can’t do anything. She says, excuse me. He’s the one who sang Bailey to sleep, which is more than she can manage, and Bailey loved it. He says, she did seem pretty blissed out, which is puzzling to him since Brook took so long to get her settled. Brook tells him, let it go, and says, this place looks like a birthday party on steroids. They didn’t need her help. Kids Wiley’s age are more interested in the boxes anyway. (Truth!) He bets her 50 bucks it doesn’t hold a candle to the parties she’ll throw for Bailey, and she says, he’s on. They shake, and she says they’ll see if Wiley’s more interested in the gifts or the boxes. Valentin walks in with Austin, and says, look who he found. Brook asks what Austin is doing there.

Elizabeth says, so Nikolas knows what she’s talking about, and he says, Sam spoke to him as well. He told her that he didn’t know where Hayden was, and she should just leave it alone. The last thing he wanted was for Sam to come there and upset Elizabeth with questions about her sister, on top of everything else. She says he’s right; she’s upset. Shawn has spent all those years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Nikolas says, Alexis explained the situation. Of course (🍷) Shawn shouldn’t pay for a crime he didn’t do, but he pled guilty. She says, now that Shawn denied shooting Hayden, it made her wonder, who did? She remembered something Nikolas said back then; something she didn’t want to believe – that he had Hayden shot.

Ava tells Spencer that she and Nikolas plan to keep their divorce civil and drama free, but make no mistake, the marriage is over. He says, let him guess. Father doesn’t agree. She says, well, he knows his father. He wants what he wants, and doesn’t take no for an answer. Spencer says, sounds like him.

Jason asks who Carly is nervous about seeing. Is it Monica? He talked with her, and they went through all the history with AJ… She says she’s not nervous that way; it’s just the transition. All the family things they’ve gone to over the years, they’re now going as a couple. She was talking to Laura last night, and wondering if it’s too soon after Sonny, and how people’s perception might bother her, how it might diminish her love for Sonny, and how it’s hard for her. She knows they have to get married, and she knows it’s the right thing to do, but it’s difficult. He says, they both know why they’re doing this. They made the best choice they could. So now they just have to move forward with it. She says she’s glad he’s in this with her.

Austin hands Brook a wrapped gift, and says he’s there because Michael invited him. He said it was a family celebration. Brook says, it’s just that he’s early, and he tells her, his mother always said, if you’re on time, you’re late. She says, that makes no sense, and he asks if she argues with her mother. She says, all the time, and he asks if she wins. She says, okay, and puts the gift with the others. Chase introduces himself, and Valentin says he should have made the introductions. Sorry about that. Monica comes in, and says she’s glad Austin could make the family celebration. Has he met everybody? Austin says he has, and Valentin says, so it’s true. Austin is a legitimate Quartermaine?

Michael holds his finger in the middle of the ribbon, and Willow makes a bow. I have to say, I’ve never made a bow that way, or seen anyone else do it. She says, and that’s that, and he asks if she’s really okay. She says, sure, and he says she’s going out of her way to make sure Wiley’s birthday celebration is happy and joyful, but he knows this is also the anniversary of her son’s death. He’s been thinking about him too. For the longest time, Michael thought Jonah was his son, so it’s a bittersweet day. She says, this morning when she was putting flowers on Jonah’s grave, the birds were singing so loudly, like they were serenading him. He wishes they could have gone together, and she says, Chase was there. Michael is glad she wasn’t alone, and she says, it was Chase who told her that her baby had died. He held her as that awful truth sunk in, and she grieved. He comforted her, and got her through this unimaginable time in her life, and she’ll always be grateful to him, but she wishes Michael had been with her.

A woman goes to Jonah’s grave, and leaves flowers.

Nicholas says, they both know he didn’t shoot Hayden, and Elizabeth says, no, they don’t both know. She remembers that time in The Floating Rib when she asked him point blank if he’d done it, praying he’d say no, but he didn’t. He said he had Hayden shot to protect her. He says, it was a long time ago; emotions were high. She says, Hayden was blackmailing them for the mess she made with Drew, lying to him to hold on to him. Nikolas says, there was plenty of upheaval back then, but when she was able to catch her breath, and asked him about Hayden again, he came clean. He admitted he’d been lying. Doesn’t she remember?

Sam and Shawn sit on a bench, and Sam says, neither Elizabeth or Nikolas know where Hayden is, or know where to find her. Any progress on finding Hayden’s mother? He says, Naomi Dreyfuss is not returning his calls, and Sam says, they’re back to square one. He says, Curtis told him that he’d check his notes from when he originally worked on the case, but he didn’t sound too encouraging. She says, what did they expect? It’s a six year old case. It’s not impossible to turn up new leads, but it’s going to take some time. They’ll have to find some witnesses and try and jog their memories. The ones that are still alive anyway. He says she’s thinking of Drew. First, his name is Jake Doe, then he’s Jason Morgan, then he turns out to be Jason’s twin Drew Cain, the man Sam married and had a child with. She says, it’s pretty ironic, isn’t it? When Shawn was the one who was supposed to kill him that night.

Spencer says he can see his father is struggling without Ava, which is a real change, considering he’d insisted their marriage was a sham, and the only reason he stayed with Ava was to preserve their family money. No offense. She says, none taken. That was exactly how their marriage started. It was a cold-blooded business arrangement. Then she and Nikolas surprised themselves, falling in love along the way. But the stalker has made it clear he won’t stop as long as they’re together, and she won’t risk Avery’s safety. He says, then she’s adamant about going through with the divorce, and she says, whether Nikolas likes it or not. He says, then why does she keep sending his father mixed signals?

Monica says they’re still waiting for the DNA test results, and Valentin says, so this is a case of keeping your enemies close? She says she doesn’t consider Austin an enemy, and Valentin says, Ned and Michael do. A word to the wise, being a Quartermaine is a study in Darwinism, survival of the fittest. Austin says, he tries to stay reasonably fit, and Valentin says, having an ally helps. Monica says, let her guess. That would be him. Warnings, Austin; warnings all around. Valentin says he knows what it’s like to be an outsider in a powerful family, and Brook says she’s been meaning to speak to Valentin about Bailey, and drags him into the foyer. Monica thanks Chase for taking care of the decorations, and asks if she can get anybody something to drink.

In the foyer, Valentin asks if Brook really wanted to talk to him about something, or did she just want to get him away from Austin? She says, it was a big, fat attempt to stop him from sucking up to that interloper, and he says he thought he was the interloper. She tells him, stop. What he needs to do is back off. If Austin is a real Q, does Valentin really think Austin is going to side with him over his family? He says, we’ll see, and she says, overconfident much? He says he usually gets what he wants, and she says, but not always.

Willow tells Michael that they should get the gifts up to the main house. Wiley will be up from his nap soon, and the guests will be arriving. She holds open a bag, and he says, whatever doesn’t fit, he’ll carry. As they put the gifts in the bag, their hands touch, and Willow pulls away. She says, next year, on Wiley’s birthday, Chase will be walking, and they can be together. He says he’ll wake them up with a puppy, and she says, they’ll all cuddle in the bed; the puppy too. They’ll come down and make birthday pancakes. He says, they’ll see Jonah and hear the birds. They’ll have a birthday celebration with family, and when Wiley’s worn out, they’ll put him and the puppy to bed, and it’s their turn. She says, next year, and he says, next year, and they start kissing.

Elizabeth tells Nikolas, she remembers both conversations. The first one weighed on her. Then she remembers calling and asking him to meet her at work. He says, they talked in the stairwell so no one would hear them. We flash back to Elizabeth telling Nikolas that she hasn’t been able to sleep since he told her what he did to Hayden. She never asked him to do that. He says, Hayden is going to be fine. She’s talking. She doesn’t know that Jake is Jason. Elizabeth says, he had her shot, but he says, no, he didn’t. He lied. Shawn confessed that he’s the one who shot Hayden. She asks why would Nikolas say he did it? and he says, it’s stupid. He wanted her to think he’d do anything for her. She asks what she’s supposed to do with that. If he lied, how is she supposed to believe him now? He says, because Shawn confessed. Why would he confess if he’s not guilty? He’s ashamed he lied to her, but he wanted her to love him because he loves her. He sees now that’s not going to happen. In the present, Nikolas says he swallowed his pride and told her the truth. She says, told her the truth, or told her what she wanted to hear? He needs to be honest. They both know Shawn didn’t shoot Hayden. Was it him?

Monica says, Austin has met Chase, and he says he has, and asks where Chase fits in to this Quartermaine puzzle. Chase says he’s Willow’s husband, and Willow is Wiley’s mom. Dr. Quartermaine has been kind enough to let him stay there while he recovers. He tells Monica that he can’t thank her enough, and hopes to be out of there soon, but she tells him that he can stay as long as he wants. She says, Austin is a new doctor on staff at General Hospital. Chase says, that’s great, and Austin says, it is. Monica excuses herself to see if everything is ready, and when she’s gone, Austin slides closer to Chase. He says, from one outsider to another, what does he think about these Quartermaines? Does he have to watch his back like Valentin says?

Valentin says, presently, he has a beautiful new daughter, and he’s the CEO of a company that’s highly profitable, both of which he owes to Brook. She tells him, don’t count your chickens, and he asks if she really thinks the family is going to vote him out. She asks if he thinks he can stop them, and he says he thinks she’s worried he might. He believes she thinks Austin is going to prove himself and side with him, and that’s why she’s watching Austin like a hawk. She asks, who says she’s watching Austin? and Valentin says he does. He can see she’s clearly shaken by that man.

Willow and Michael kiss some more. She starts to walk away, but he pulls her back. Carly knocks at the door, and  Michael and Willow quickly separate. Carly walks in with Jason, and Michael says they were just finishing up with Wiley’s gifts. Carly hugs Willow, saying, she can’t believe Wiley is three. She asks where the birthday boy is, and Willow says, he’s at the main house, probably just waking up from his nap any minute. Carly suggests Michael and Jason take the presents, and she’ll hang out with Willow for a minute. Michael says they can all go together, but Willow tells him to go ahead. Michael and Jason leave with Wiley’s gifts, and Carly asks, what are you two doing?

Brook tells Valentin, she’s not shaken by Austin. As far as she’s concerned, the jury is still out on the guy. Austin delivers Maxie’s baby, and then leaves the crazy nurse to run off with Louise? Valentin says, after being knocked unconscious, and she says, she just wonders if he knows more than he says. He just happens to be hiking at the exact same moment in the exact same place Maxie happens to be having her baby. And then, it just so happens he owns the house where Peter and that crazy henchwoman bring Maxie? Valentin asks if she thinks Austin is involved in Louise’s kidnapping, and she says, she won’t go that far. Let’s just say she’s keeping an eye on the guy.

Chase tells Austin, the Quartermaines have always been good to him. They have strong personalities, but big hearts. Austin says, that’s not their reputation, and Chase says, they’re an intense family. They take some getting used to, but they protect their own and band together when it counts. If Austin’s claim is legit – Austin says, it is – he’ll find his place. He can’t be thin-skinned though. Austin says he’s not afraid of a little bloodletting; he’s a doctor. He asks what Chase does, and Chase says he’s a detective with the PCPD. Austin says, super. Any leads on Maxie’s baby?

Ava tells Spencer that she’s not sending his father mixed signals. She’s been clear that they can’t be together. He says, yet he just saw them in, shall we say, a close moment. She says she didn’t mean for that to happen, and he says, it doesn’t matter what she intends. It matters what she does. She says, excuse me. Didn’t he just approach her requesting a truce? What happened to that olive branch?

Brook asks what they’re talking about, and Austin asks where her better half is. She says, Valentin is feeding Bailey, and Chase says, Austin was just asking about the search for Maxie’s baby, which he can’t talk about. But how lucky was Maxie that he was hiking in the woods when he was? Austin says he’s the lucky one. He’s glad he was there. Maxie did great. The delivery was remarkably simple given the circumstances. It’s only afterwards, that things became problematic, and even then, only for him, because he keeps having this peculiar dream. In the dream, he’s there, and helps Maxie deliver her baby, and gets conked in the head. This is where the peculiar dream gets weird. He keeps hearing these two women talking, which is so weird, because Maxie was alone when he woke up. Chase says, maybe his subconscious heard the fake nurse and Maxie, and Austin says, maybe. Brook looks pretty rattled.

Willow tells Carly that she and Michael are raising Wiley together, that’s all. Carly says she knows her son, and Michael loves her. Is Willow telling her that she doesn’t feel the same? Willow says she couldn’t live with herself if she abandoned Chase when he needed her most, and Carly says, that’s because she’s a kind and loyal person. Carly admires that about her, but sometimes the best of intentions can lead to the worst outcomes. An act of kindness can cause more harm than good. Lord knows, she’s in no position to pass out advice. She’s made more than her share of mistakes, and told more than her share of lies. At the time, she told herself that she had a good reason, and she’s sure Willow does too, but it’s clear she and Jason walked in on something. She’s just glad it was them and not somebody else. Willow has a terrible poker face. It’s almost impossible for Willow to hide her feelings for Michael, and if Carly can see how much she loves him, other people are going to see it too.

Michael wonders if he shouldn’t go back and get Willow; she’s probably being grilled by his mom. Jason says, Willow told him to go, right? and Michael says his mom means well, but… Jason asks if he has something on his mind. They sit at the patio table, and Michael says, Jason knows, right? That he’s in love with Willow. Jason says, okay. Does she feel the same? Michael says, she only married Chase because of his health. They were waiting to tell Chase until he can walk again. He feels happy and guilty at the same time. He never thought he’d be the other man. Jason tells him not to fault himself for having feelings. He has to trust himself. He’ll figure it out, and make the right decision. He never worries about Michael. Michael thanks Jason for his vote of confidence. He knows Jason has his own challenges he’s going through. Jason can always count on him. Jason says he appreciates that. And now, about all these gifts. Michael says he knows it’s crazy, but he’s not going to go overboard all the time. It’s just one day, and the rest of the days, he’s going to take a page out of Jason’s book. He hopes he can give Wiley the same sense of self and confidence Jason gave him when he was little.

Shawn tells Sam, he was wondering when they’d talk about all this; get it out in the open. Yes, he was sent to deal with Drew, but he was Jake Doe back then. nobody knew who he was or what he was up to. He was doing his job. She says, on Sonny’s orders, and he says he’s just glad Jordan made him miss the shot. She says, her too. Or she woudn’t have daughter right now. She’s glad they had a chance to clear that up. Okay. Back to square one. There is some good news. The garage is still there, so she can go back to the scene of the crime. He says, six years later? He guesses… if she wants to take a field trip. She say she knows it’s a long shot, but it’s all they’ve got. He says he’ll do more work on Naomi Dreyfuss, but Sam says maybe it’s best if he doesn’t do this. He just got out of prison. Enjoy his life. Enjoy this park. Doesn’t he want that? Doesn’t he want to start a future and make a life for himself?

Nikolas says he did not have Hayden shot, and Elizabeth says, then who did? If it wasn’t him, and it wasn’t Shawn, who tried to kill her sister?

Ava says, perhaps Spencer is unclear on the concept of truce. Or maybe he’s too angry at her to make one work. He says he’s sorry; he didn’t mean to snap. He’s not angry; he’s afraid for his father. This guy got into Windymere. He must be a criminal genius to get past the security detail. Then he got into their hotel suite. Whoever this guy is, he’s a legitimate threat. Spencer already lived through losing his father once. He doesn’t want to again. Please help him protect his father from himself.

Nikolas tells Elizabeth, they may never know who shot Hayden. She has to remember who Hayden was back then. She arrived in town committing fraud. Ric paid her to encourage Drew to lie about his past. She helped herself to a fortune in diamonds from the profits of her father’s Ponzi scheme. Who knows what enemies were after her, in or out of Port Charles? Elizabeth says, she really believes Hayden wanted a fresh start there. It wasn’t until she had Violet that she turned a corner. He guesses they turned a corner too. She fell in love, and married Franco. He married Ava, and fell in love. She says, happily ever after, at least for a little while… until life got in the way.

Ava says Spencer doesn’t need to worry about his father. This divorce protects him too. As long as they’re apart, the stalker has no reason to pay attention to Nikolas at all. Spencer says he’s glad to hear her say that. Sometimes his father makes rash decisions, and doesn’t understand the consequences. She says she’s doing everything she can to protect her daughter and his father. He says he appreciates it, but the stalker is unpredictable. He heard Trina was doused in fake blood. What if the next time it’s real? She says he doesn’t have to keep reminding her. She knows what’s at stake. He says, then make him understand. Get her feelings out of it, and make his father stop fighting this divorce.  

Willow says, Carly isn’t telling her anything that she doesn’t know in her head already. She doesn’t want to hurt Chase. She truly cares about him, but her heart is with Michael. It’s getting harder and harder to hide those feelings. Carly takes Willow’s hand, and says Willow is in a tough situation. So is Michael. Willow is trying to be generous, and it seems kind and supportive, but the heart’s tricky. It can be selfish and strong-willed, and sometimes there’s no denying or reasoning with it. Hearts are stubborn that way. Willow says she’s never heard it put quite like that, and Carly say she speaks from experience. Willow is Wiley’s mom, and she’s family, and Carly is always there to talk. Willow thanks her, and says she supposes she should splash some water on her face, and Carly says she’ll get out of Willow’s hair. Willow says she’s really happy to be part of Carly’s family. Growing up, all she really wanted was to be accepted and loved for herself, even with her faults. She and her mom never had heart-to-heart talks like this. Carly asks if she means awkward and intrusive. Then she’s come to the right family, since it’s Carly’s specialty. They hug.

Valentin asks Austin how the lawsuit is going, and Austin says, great. He  asks if Austin thinks he’ll win, and Austin says, yeah. He wouldn’t be contesting Edward’s will if he didn’t think he had a legitimate cause. Valentin says they should have lunch. Discuss ELQ under his continued leadership. Austin says he does like lunch.   

Chase tells Brook that he thinks he’s going to lie down for a minute, and wheels himself out. Brook looks at Austin, and says, this is so not good. Monica brings in Michael and Jason, and says they have more guests, and more presents. Michael shakes Austin’s hand, and says he’s glad Austin could make it. Valentin says, right on time. He and Austin were just discussing ELQ and how it’s currently thriving. It’s gutsy to change CEOs; it could affect the bottom line. Michael says, it’s a strong company. One that was already thriving when Valentin took the helm. Monica says, they’re not going to discuss business today, and Michael tells her that he was just making his position clear, so Austin knows where he stands. ELQ is a Quartermaine business that should be run by Quartermaines. Ned is the CEO that ELQ needs, not Valentin.  

Chase wheels himself into another room and closes the door. He unlocks the chair, and says he can do this. He painstakingly lifts himself up.  

Shawn tells Sam, part of him wants to forget all this, and never look back. Then he sees TJ and Molly, full of hope and determination, striving so hard to make a difference in this world. They’re something else. He asks himself what he can do to make a difference. Maybe putting an attempted murderer behind bars instead of letting them get away with it. Sam says, what about him and his fresh start? He says he wants that. He wants to build a better life for himself. Of course (🍷) he wants to connect to his son, and be part of TJ’s life. But first he has to find the person who tried to kill Hayden; he has to. Who knows how many other people he’s hurt?

Elizabeth says, Nikolas is right; she has a lot on her plate right now. She’s glad to get this off of it. She hopes he’s not mad at her for grilling him. She had to know. He says he’s glad he could put her mind to rest where he’s concerned. He’s always there for her if she wants to talk about anything. She thanks him, and he says he thinks it’s best if she puts that painful time behind her. Life goes on, right? She says, right, and hugs him. He leaves, and I get the feeling she’s not buying his story.

Ava says, Spencer is right. She has been holding on to the slightest hope. Maybe even sending mixed signals, and maybe that’s why Nikolas refuses to believe this marriage is over. But that ends now. She and Nikolas don’t even need to speak. They can communicate through their lawyers. Spencer thinks that’s best, and he humbly appreciates it. He’s sorry it’s taken something this drastic for him to see her for who she truly is. She says she’s glad Spencer and his father are on better terms now. Nikolas missed him, and knows he’s glad Spencer is back. Spencer says he is too. He sees he got there just in time. Since I’m hating on Spencer right now, I wonder what such a handsome face is doing with a dad bod, especially at his age. There. I said it.

Monica says they’ve waited long enough for the guest of honor. They need to get the party started. Where is the birthday boy? Willow says, taking an epic nap. She’ll wake him. Carly asks if she can do it. She’ll take all the time she can with her grandson as possible. Willow says, enjoy, and asks where Chase is. Brook says, he decided to rest before the party, and Willow wonders if she should check on him, but Brook says, he’s fine. He’ll be back in a few minutes. Don’t worry. He’s fine.

Chase struggles, and finally gets on his feet. He says, yes. How about a step? He takes a step forward. Austin watches.

Willow tells Michael that she’s going to get Chase. He’s resting before the party, but she knows he’ll want to be there when the birthday boy makes his big entrance. On her way to get Wiley, the doorbell rings, and she yells that she’s got it. She opens the door, and says, oh…

I’m guessing the woman at the cemetery? I don’t think it’s Harmony though. Maybe Shiloh’s mom?

On Monday, Jordan asks if Portia and Curtis are a couple now, Stella can’t help but worry it will end up that way, Chase says Willow honestly thought that was a good idea, Nina doesn’t know if it’s a blessing or curse

Million Dollar Listing New York

KJ brought her younger brother Alex to West 95th Street, where there were two apartments she was listing. Built in 1971, the building had gone condo, and an investor had purchase the apartments still occupied by rent stabilized tenants. As they moved, the investor revamped the apartments for buyers. I totally get this, since I lived in an apartment that did the same thing, but went co-op. We eventually bought our apartment for cheap when the investor wanted out. Ha-ha, score one for the tenant. In KJ’s interview, she said they were smaller apartments at lower price points, and she wanted Alex to help her with his digital marketing skills as a millennial. He handled her website and social media accounts. Social media was king, since they weren’t having open houses. They met with the developer, who was also Alex. Despite covid, KJ had already sold an apartment for $770K, another for almost $1.5 million, and yet another for $1.8 million, but there were two 949 square foot, 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartments with river views, lingering. Alex2 showed her newly added closet space to one of the apartments, but even so, KJ thought they should lower the price of $1.595 million to a post quarantine price point. She thought $1.495 million would get them some bites, as well as new imagery to freshen the listing. Alex2 was amenable, but needed to check with his dad, who was head of the company. In the meantime, KJ was having Alex1 help her develop a TikTok account. In her interview, she said it was like he was speaking another language. She had no idea what young people were talking about. This seemed pretty weird, since it’s not like she’s ancient, but I guess her job and kids keep her pretty busy.

Fredrik and team member Charlé went to Harlem to visit the Ali Forney Center, where they met yet another Alex. Seriously, WTF? A drop-in center for LGBTQ+ youth, complete with a disco ball, it had been named after queer youth activist Ali Forney who’d been murdered.  Alex said they did their best to create a fun environment. They also provided homes for LGBTQ+ young people, kicked out because of transphobia and homophobia. Alex3 said LGBTQ+ youth were eight times more likely to be homeless. They were converting the Bea Arthur Residence, left to them in her will, from a rental model to an ownership model, but needed even more space. A private anonymous donor had given them a $4-8 million budget, and they were looking to house 8-20 people in a 4-9 bedroom house with community space and a yard. Fredrik said they’d donate any commission back to the center.

Fredrick and Charlé met Alex3 at Hamilton House in West Harlem, where they were joined by art director Marcia and community developer Jase. This was one fabulous house, with amazing original detailing. Built in 1910, the house was 4796 square feet, and 20 feet wide, which is a thing when you’re in the city. The asking price was $4.5 million, but Fredrik thought he could get it down to $4 million. Marcia said it had a family feel, and Jase said it was truly a home. Everyone thought it was perfect, and Fredrik said it wasn’t about the commission, but helping the kids.

Tyler’s assistant Kemba had quarantined with her bae Evan (thank God his name wasn’t Alex) when they’d only been dating a couple of weeks. His parents were relocating to Florida, and selling a family home on West 87th Street. This was another gorgeous piece of real estate. Built in 1890, it was 5231 square feet, and 18 feet wide. It had 4 floors, 5 bedrooms and 5 baths, 8 gas converted fireplaces, and 2 garden terraces. Among the other fabulous details were hand printed wallpaper, a summer kitchen with high-end appliances, a garden level living room, and a wine cellar literally in the cellar. There was even an original faucet shaped like a dolphin, eventually reproduced for Sherle Wagner, a company founded by Evan’s grandmother. Tyler said Evan knew the history of the house, and that’s what got people excited. Sometimes he made up stories for buyers, but he had the real deal this time. Tyler said one advantage he had was a good relationship with stagers who could help Evan’s parents pack and move what was still in the house. He explained the other houses on the block were either in need of renovation or, if already renovated, in the $10 million range. They needed to find the sweet spot in between, and Tyler suggested $6.995 million, which made his potential commission $209K and change.   

Fredrik and the group from the Forney Center checked out the West 87th Street house, but didn’t feel it had enough space. Fredrik also showed them another house down the block with the asking price of $3.750 million. They met with broker Ronita, who told them the house had been used for an art exhibit, so be prepared for a lot of pieces that had been left behind. Most of it seemed to be sculptures of the bottom half of a female body, or as Fredrik said in his interview, the house had a lot of ass-ets. It was 4500 square feet, and 20 feet wide, 5 bedrooms and 5 baths, but the group thought too much work would have to be put into it. They were still sold on Hamilton House, and in Fredrik’s interview, he said when someone found the perfect house, seeing anything after that just made them love it even more.  

KJ’s plan to increase traffic and get bites for the West 95th Street house was a success using the new pricing and social media push. Buyers were looking for a turnkey property with outdoor space, but as it was a buyer’s market, it was hard to make it stand out when there were a lot of listings in the same price point.

Fredrik was meeting with Alex3 and company at the Hamilton House, and when Alex3 said the donor had pulled out, my mouth literally dropped open. I wondered how anybody could pull the rug out from under a bunch of kids like that. Fredrik had the scathingly brilliant idea to try and negotiate a lease with an option to buy. Alex said the rent had to be equal to what they were paying, which was $12K a month. Outside, Fredrik called broker Ian, explaining the situation, and telling him the seller would get full asking price in 6 months. By the time Fredrik went back inside, Ian was calling back to tell him that the owner loved the center’s work, and gave them the deal. Even I had tears in my eyes.  

Next time, KJ revisits her first big sale, and Ryan and Steve work together. Maybe.

💘 Happy Anniversary…

While GH has its moments, OLTL was always my favorite soap.

🐭 Terry Mouse…

She wears the ears well.

💫 He Gets It…

Being a champion of mental health is one of the things I love about Maurice Benard.

🗽 Countess In the City…

Um… no. Just no.  

https://okmagazine.com/p/luann-de-lesseps-pushing-for-kim-cattrall-sex-and-the-city-role/

🏛 A Pandemic State Of Mind…

The best piece of advice he could give is, be better? That’s right up there with just say no.

https://pagesix.com/2021/07/25/rhop-star-robyns-husband-juan-says-be-better/

🐐 Singer Scapegoat…

I doubt it’s all Ramona’s fault if the ratings have dropped.

REPORT: Ramona Singer To Be Fired From RHONY Amid Ratings Drop and Racial Tensions, Plus How Ramona Feels About Alleged Axing

⚖️ And the Award For Most Ridiculous Lawsuit Goes To…

Although I could understand them slapping her with a fine for bad taste in partners.

https://pagesix.com/2021/07/29/braunwyn-windham-burke-claims-she-was-sued-for-kissing-tamra-judge/

🗳 It’s Official…

Now if we can just free Britney.

https://people.com/tv/tom-girardi-conservatorship-made-official-court-major-neurocognitive-disorder/

👶🏼 And the Test Says…

Wow. People sure read a lot into meaningless things.

PHOTO: Is Stassi Schroeder Pregnant Again With 2nd Child? Vanderpump Rules Alum Addresses Rumors After Sharing Pic With Husband Beau Clark

⚰️ Walking Closer…

The beginning of the end starts on August 22.

The last villain.

https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a37176236/the-walking-dead-first-look-pamela-milton/

Spinning off.

https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a37154860/the-walking-dead-spin-off-daryl-carol-hint/

🧧 Quotes of the Week

I’m a werewolf, okay? Let’s not make a big deal of it. Woof. – Carolyn Collins (Chloe Mortiz) Dark Shadows

Trust is like a mirror. You can fix it if it’s broken, but you can still see the crack in that motherf***ing reflection. – Lady Gaga, Telephone video

Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead. – Charles Bukowski

Quitting can be a hard choice to make, but often it’s a brave one, as well. – Susan David

Fried chicken just tends to make you feel better about life. – Minny Jackson (Octavia Spencer), The Help (Agreed.)

The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones. – Confucius

I am big. It’s the pictures that got small. – Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), Sunset Boulevard

Threats are the resort of the uninspired and impatient. I like to think of myself as persevering and imaginative. – Cyrus Renault (Jeff Kober), General Hospital

You cannot change anyone, but you can be the reason someone changes. – Roy T. Bennett

By hero, we tend to mean a heightened man who, more than other men, possesses qualities of courage, loyalty, resourcefulness, charisma, above all, selflessness. He is an example of right behavior; the sort of man who risks his life to protect his society’s values, sacrificing his personal needs for those of the community. – Paul Zweig

🐝 Buzzing Off…

Well, the weekend is here… I think. Are we pandemicking again? Luckily, reality TV and GH march on, so see you in three days. Whatever your pandemical status, stay safe, stay knowing all situations are temporary, and stay enjoying the box as much as what’s inside.