Tag Archives: Tom Sandoval

May 24, 2024 – Alexis Rests Her Case, Monday, Free Soap, That House, VanderJunk, Post Deck, Range To Behold, Gaga’s Quinn, For Love Of Pets (!), Very Nearly 10 Quotes & Bumper

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Diane and Alexis return to the courtroom. Fergus scowls at them and Diane says, he’s going to give himself a migraine if he keeps that up. Alexis says, he’s doing that because he hates her, which is okay, because she hates him. Diane says, good, and Alexis says, he knows she didn’t have any responsibility in Neil’s death, but that didn’t stop him. Diane says, as lawyers, they both know that sentence was over after she didn’t have any responsibility. Nothing that man has said today bears any relevance in her case. It isn’t factual. He’s completely unhinged. The bailiff says, all rise.

At the hospital, Portia tells Elizabeth that she’s so sorry about what happened. Finn called her and told her about Gregory and that he wasn’t going to be in today. She didn’t know him that well, but she did know him to be an incredibly decent man. Elizabeth says, better than decent, one of the best, and Portia says, he handled his ALS diagnosis with phenomenal dignity. She felt very lucky to see him in his element yesterday. How proud he was of his family and how much he clearly loved them. It was really beautiful. Finn didn’t tell her very much, just that it happened suddenly. Elizabeth says, in his sleep, and Portia says, sometimes when that happens, it can be very difficult for the family members who are left behind. Elizabeth says, more difficult than she ever imagined.

Violet tells Brook that she knows of a lady who lived to be over 100 (she knows my neighbor?). She wonders if her dad could do that. Brook says, maybe, and Violet says she wishes grandpa would have. Brook says she does too, but they know that was impossible because grandpa was sick. Violet says she’s scared, and Brook asks, why? Violet says, because she forgets things all the time. She forgets her times tables, she forgets her dates, and even though she tells herself not to, what if she forgets her grandpa? Brook says, impossible, and Violet asks how she knows. Brook says, because his hugs and smiles and fun stories aren’t things they can memorize for a test. The people who love us and that we love, changes us. That love becomes a part of us, imprinted on our hearts. Violet says, like a tattoo? and Brook says, exactly like that. Violet says, tattoos are forever. That’s why her daddy says she has to be sure if she wants to get one because they’ll stay. Brook says, just like her grandpa’s love for her. It’ll never go away.

Chase says he doesn’t want anyone telling him how to handle losing dad, so he’s not going to turn around and judge Finn on how he’s dealing with it. This is going to be one of the hardest days of their lives, especially for Finn. Finn says, no… but Chase says, Finn had to find him like that. He doesn’t know how Finn did it. Finn says he had no choice, and Chase says, still. Finn says, it’s not like it’s his first dead body, and Chase says, it’s not a body; it’s dad. Finn says, it didn’t look like dad. Their dad’s eyes were kind and understanding, and his mouth… how it curved up at the edges. Chase says, yeah. Like he was always ready to give a smile if anyone gave him half a reason to. Finn laugh/cries and says, yeah. That wasn’t the person he found. He didn’t smell like Old Spice anymore. He was so cold to the touch. Colder than you could ever imagine possible. That wasn’t their dad. Their dad was warm. Chase says, one of the warmest people he’s ever met, and Finn says, yeah… He didn’t want this to happen. Chase hugs Finn and says, neither did he, and they both cry.

Tracy comes into the stable humming, and Cody asks, how was the ride? She says, just what the doctor ordered. She means literally. She has to thank that Dr. Randolph for telling her to get outside more. Sun on her face, wind in her hair… yummy! Cody says, that’s really great. He’s glad. He was told she’s needed up at the house. Don’t worry about the mount and saddle. He’ll take care of that. She says, really? No one was up when she left, and if they’re up now, it’s because they’re gossiping about the Bensonhurst family members she met at the wedding, and thankfully, have already forgotten. Cody says, it sounded pretty important, and Tracy says, really? Who needs her? He says, Chase, but she says, no. Chase and Brook are on a plane to Florence. He says, they didn’t get on that plane. They couldn’t. She says, why not?… Why not? He says he’s sorry.

Portia says, this must be hard for Elizabeth too. Gregory wasn’t simply a patient. She’s practically a part of the family. Elizabeth says, it felt that way, and Portia asks how Finn is holding up. Elizabeth says, he’s struggling. They all are. Portia says, if she wants to take the day off to go be with him… but Elizabeth says she’s pretty sure he doesn’t want her around right now. Portia says, that doesn’t sound like Finn, especially under these circumstances. Is she sure? Elizabeth says, positive, and Portia asks, what’s going on? She is Elizabeth’s friend too, remember? Elizabeth says, she’s also the Co-Chief of Staff, and walks off.

Tracy says, Gregory died? and Cody says he’s sorry. He knows he already said that, but he doesn’t really know what to say. Why doesn’t she take a seat – he pulls out a chair – and he’ll get her a water. She sits down, and he puts a bottle of water in front of her. He puts his hand on her shoulder and says, anything else he can do? She says she wishes he’d seen Gregory at the wedding yesterday, and he sits next to her. He says, Gregory must have been proud, and she says, he was happy. How is it that person no longer exists? She’s sorry. That sounds ridiculous. He says, no. It doesn’t sound ridiculous to him. She says, they all knew it was coming. It’s just that… this was so sudden. Cody says he feels like you can expect something and still feel punched in the gut when it actually happens. He’s sorry she had to hear it from him. She says she’s not. She used to try and imagine what Gregory would have been like when he was young, and you know what? She imagines he was a lot like Cody.

The bailiff says, court is now back in session, and Diane asks Alexis if she’s ready for this. Alexis says she’s done nothing but prepare and be ready for this. What more does Diane want her to do? Diane says, what more does she want Alexis to do? She wants Alexis to get mad at somebody other than herself. And she wants Alexis to fight like hell, or just give it up and go home at this point. She doesn’t care. But what she doesn’t want is even a hint of wishy-washy I deserve this nonsense. The judges take their seats in sync, looking weirdly robotic, and Judge Caldwell says she trusts everyone had productive recess and used the new slide. They’re ready to hear the final statements, starting with Miss Davis. Alexis says, if she may, she would like to return to her earlier points, without them being obscured by opposing counsel, if that is at all possible. Yes, she lied under oath, but that perjured testimony was made in front of a medical board hearing and not in a court of law. Judge Caldwell asks why that distinction matters, and Alexis says, because she wasn’t testifying as an attorney. She was testifying as a private citizen, who was desperately trying to protect the career and the reputation of a man she deeply cared about. A man who just so happened to be the late brother of opposing counsel Fergus Byrne. (Yep, I’m still laughing when they say Fergus, but come on. His brothers are Neil and Brendan, and their parents decided to name their third baby Fergus. One of these things is not like the other.)

Finn says he handled things in the worst possible way, but Chase says, no, he hasn’t. Finn insists he has. What is he doing? Hurting Elizabeth, pushing her away? Being someone Chase and Violet can lean on? No. He selfishly made this about him and that bottle. Chase says, there’s no right way to grieve, and Finn says, but there’s a wrong way. And that’s what he’s done. Chase says, he’s being too hard on himself, and Finn says he’d have thought after all this time, he would have been stronger. Chase says, he is strong, and Finn says, it’s not like they weren’t prepared. They’ve known dad was dying for months. Chase says, but knowing it and experiencing it are two completely different things, and Finn says, he hurt dad. He hurt him so many times, and now he’s gone and blown his sobriety, one of the things dad was really proud of him for. Chase says, now he’s just rewriting history, but Finn says, did he or did he not ruin his relationship with dad? Chase asks if he rebuilt. Did he? Landing in a place of understanding and trust and love. Finn did it with dad; he can do it with his sobriety. Finn says he needs a favor, and Chase says, anything. Finn says, get rid of it, and Chase takes the bottle and glass to the kitchen.

Cody says he’s really flattered that he reminds Tracy of Gregory, but he doesn’t see it. Tracy says, they both have a quiet, open way about them. Unhurried, unworried. Cody laughs and says, believe him, he worries plenty. She says, just good at hiding it? and he says, more like good at alleviating it. Or the horses are rather. He comes here to the stables and hangs out with these guys and figures, a world with them can’t be all bad. She says, that is exactly what Gregory would have said, except about his family. They are what grounded him and what gave him a reason to keep smiling. He says he’s happy Gregory had them, and she says, her too. Does he want some more similarities? He says, if she wants to share them, and she says, he doesn’t talk too much, and he doesn’t miss a thing. And he doesn’t push people around. He gives people a lot of grace. That, my friend, is a gift. She gets up, and he says, going back to the house? She says, no, not yet, and he asks if she’s going to Finn’s, but she says, no. He needs time. Did he notice if she left some clothes in the tack room? He says, yes. He hung them up behind the towels so they wouldn’t get dusty. She thanks him and says, if anybody asks, would he tell them he told her the news? He says, of course (🍷). He really is sorry. She says she really is sorry too, and goes in the back.

Molly comes out of the hospital elevator as TJ is walking by, and he says he thought they were meeting downstairs. He kisses her, and she says she couldn’t remember what they said, so she thought she’d come up in case he was waiting for her. He asks what she feels like for lunch, and she tells him to pick. He says he picked last time, and she says, he did such an amazing job of it. He says, Bobbie’s? and she says, Bobbie’s. Elizabeth runs up to Molly and says she can’t get ahold of Molly’s mom and keeps getting her voicemail. Molly says, to tell her about Gregory? She’s so, so sorry. Elizabeth thanks her, and Molly says, it’s going to be a really big loss for her mom. They were really close. TJ says, it’s not every day you jump out of a plane with someone, and Elizabeth asks if Molly knows where she is or how she could reach her. Molly says, she and Diane are in Albany for the Court of Appeals hearing, and Elizabeth says, right. That’s why she didn’t go to the wedding. How’s it going? Molly says she hasn’t heard anything yet. She should be home tomorrow. Does Elizabeth want her to try and call her? Elizabeth says, that’s okay. She would like to talk to Alexis herself, but thanks her. Elizabeth and Portia lock eyes, and Elizabeth leaves.

Fergus says, as soon as he heard his brother Neil figured into the complaint against Miss Davis, he recused himself from the medical review board. Alexis says, and was replaced by his partner of his law firm, and Diane says, sounds like an inside job to her. Alexis says, something else that she thinks is very noteworthy is that Ava Jerome was the sister of her ex-husband. She thinks Ava’s credibility should be called into question because she had clear motive to have Alexis disbarred. Judge Caldwell says, which was? and Alexis says, retaliation for divorcing her brother. Fergus says, Miss Jerome’s animus toward Miss Davis is irrelevant, but Alexis says she begs to differ. He says, they’re going in circles here. Miss Davis perjured herself, plain and simple. Alexis says, which she already admitted. It’s where she perjured herself that’s relevant. What’s also relevant is that she was never informed of her disbarment hearing, or the fact that Mr. Byrne’s law partner was sitting on that panel, or that Ava Jerome was involved. And had she known any of those things, she would have proceeded differently. It has become very clear to her, and she hopes to the judges as well, that this disbarment is not about her wrongdoing, but about the personal vendetta of the Jerome family and Fergus Byrne.

At Bobbie’s, TJ asks what Molly thinks is happening up there, but Molly says she doesn’t know. She wishes she did. Can he imagine? It’s not out of the realm of possibility her mom comes home from Albany and is able to practice law again. He says he certainly wouldn’t bet against Alexis and Diane, and she says, her either. He says, what about a little Davis girls match-up? and she says, he means if she and her mother went up against each other in court? He asks who she thinks would win, and she says, that is a nightmare scenario that she doesn’t even want to think about. He says, she knows all of her mother’s weak spots, and Molly says, yeah, and her mother would know all of hers. TJ says, even so, he’d put his money on her, and she tells him that he has to say that. He’s her domestic partner. He says, rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it? and they laugh. She says, how about DP? and he says he could get used to that. She says she could get used to him, and he says, she’d better, because he’s not going anywhere.

Elizabeth sees Tracy coming out of the elevator and says, it’s a hard day. Tracy says, one of the hardest, and Elizabeth says, if she’s looking for Finn… Tracy says, no. She assumes he’s home. Elizabeth says, he is, and Tracy says, actually, she’s looking for Stella Henry. Does Elizabeth know where she is? Elizabeth says, last time she saw Stella, she was in the breakroom, and Tracy thanks her. She says she’s so sorry for Elizabeth’s loss, and Elizabeth says she’s sorry for Tracy’s. Tracy continues on.

Tracy finds Stella in the breakroom, and Stella says she heard about Gregory. She offers Tracy a chair, and Tracy sits down.

Elizabeth is sitting in the locker room, when Portia comes in. Elizabeth gets up, but Portia says, please don’t leave. She was confused, and honestly, a little hurt that Elizabeth didn’t want to talk to her. Is she wrong about their friendship or… Elizabeth says, no, but what she would be talking to Portia about, it’s not her story to tell. Portia says, okay, but just know Elizabeth can trust her if she changes her mind. She’s worried about Elizabeth. Elizabeth says she’s not the one Portia should be worried about, and Portia says, now Elizabeth is scaring her. Is someone in trouble? Elizabeth says, when she went to Finn’s this morning, he was drinking.

Elizabeth says, Portia has to understand Finn had just found his father’s body. Portia even said how difficult it is when a death is sudden like that. There’s no warning; there’s no chance to say goodbye. Gregory was just gone, and Finn was in shock and needed to hold on to something and he grabbed the wrong thing. It’s all been… Portia says, wrong, and Elizabeth asks Portia not to make her regret confiding this.

Stella brings tea and cookies to the table, and Tracy thanks her. Stella says, Tracy and Gregory were very close, and Tracy says she’s glad for the time they had together. Stella says, but she wishes they’d had more, and Tracy says, so much more. Stella tells her, Curtis and Portia said the wedding was magical, and Tracy says, it was. Gregory officiated over the ceremony beautifully. It was important to him. Stella says, and to Chase and Brook, she’s sure, and Tracy asks if she heard anything else. Stella says, about the wedding? but Tracy says, no. About his cause of death. Stella says, from what she understands, it was in his sleep, and Tracy says, no seizures? No paralysis? Stella says, not that she’s aware of. It sounded peaceful. Tracy asks what she thinks it was, and Stella says she’s heard a few theories. Cardiac arrest, pulmonary ambulism. Both are merciful outcomes for an ALS patient. She’s sure Dr. Cramer’s file has the death certificate. Does Tracy want to see it? Tracy says, no, but does Stella think there will be an autopsy? Stella says, no, there won’t be, and Tracy says, good. The family shouldn’t have to go through that. Stella says she agrees, and Tracy says she wonders if Stella could do something for her. Stella says, name it, and Tracy says she knows Stella’s job title is patient advocate, but she gets the feeling Stella sort of runs this place. Stella laughs and says, don’t tell her supervisor. Tracy says, so if anything comes up, like medical bills or official notifications, anything she can handle with her hands or her checkbook, would Stella let her know? Stella says, absolutely.

TJ asks how Molly is spending the rest of her day off, and Molly says she was thinking of taking a walk around the bluffs. He says, that sounds great, and she says, but? He asks if he sounds too much like a dad if he prefers that she doesn’t go alone, and she says, seeing how he’s about to be a dad, he should probably start sounding like one. He says, ask Kristina, and she says she did, and Kristina said yes, but that was a few days ago. Now Kristina’s not answering her calls. TJ asks if that’s his fault that there’s a rift between her and Kristina, but she says she wouldn’t call it a rift. They talked about going for a walk casually. She’s sure Kristina didn’t even know it was a plan plan. He says, okay. Why didn’t she just say that from the start? Because she thinks the minute she mentions Kristina not being the paragon of perfection, he’ll jump on it, right? She says, he’d be wrong.

Brook brings Violet home, and Finn hugs her, saying, he missed her. Violet says, they weren’t even gone a whole hour, but Finn says, it’s still too long. She says, he smells like toothpaste. Did he have lunch yet? He says, no. He was waiting for her. Does a grilled cheese sound good? She says, with tomatoes, like grandpa used to make it? He says, she’s got it. Why doesn’t she go wash her hands?

Alexis says she’s made choices in her life that she wishes she hadn’t, but she’s paid for them. She doesn’t think her personal life, as flawed as it may be, should have any bearing on her ability to practice law. She’s a good lawyer and she has a track record to prove it. She lost her career as the result of a personal vendetta, and she was never given a chance to speak her piece. So she’s speaking it now. Thank you for listening. She sits down and Fergus gets up. He says, Miss Davis asks them for a separation of her personal and professional life. It’s ironic, since all of the mitigating factors she presented were personal. Judge Caldwell tells him, get to the point, and he says, Miss Davis asks us to rely on her ability as a lawyer, citing examples of her work in and out of the courtroom, and those examples are impressive, though decidedly cherrypicked. Before they start polishing her Lawyer of the Year trophy, let him point out a few details that she conveniently left out.

Molly says she thinks when it comes to her sister, she and TJ are both to blame. He says something about Kristina; she jumps to her defense. She says something, it’s his turn. TJ says, right. He hasn’t done too much defending lately. He’s been too busy second guessing every move. He’s sorry. She’s been hesitant to bring up her own sister and that’s not right. She says she thinks it’s easier to worry about Kristina, and he asks what she means. She says she means it’s easier for them to doubt their surrogate because it’s her sister. If it were Andrea or another candidate, does he really think they’d be monitoring her bedtime and showing up with groceries? He says, or looking for parts of their family tree they can chop off, and she says, doubtful. He says, they’d just want them to be healthy and happy and living their lives, and she says, that’s what they should want for Kristina too. He laughs, and she says, what? He says he was just trying to picture how someone else would react to their inquiries, and she says, he means he doesn’t think their surrogate would welcome her showing up on their doorstep with kale and yogurt? He says, obviously, our baby needs protein, and she tells him, say that again. He says, protein, and she laughs. He says, our baby, and she says, they’re having a baby. He says he can’t wait.

Stella says, Tracy would really step up for Gregory’s family like that, and Tracy says, they have enough to negotiate, so if there’s any issue with his literary works or his papers at the university, she’ll just take care of it and get them professionally stored. Stella says, that could be a lot of work, but Tracy says she doesn’t mind. She has one more favor. Stella says, okay, and Tracy says, as much as she’ll miss Gregory immensely, it really is not her loss, and she wants Stella to keep this just between the two of them. She doesn’t want her name all over it. Stella says she understands, and she will, but let her be very clear on something. It is Tracy’s loss. Not hers alone, but it’s her loss. In her neighborhood, when someone is grieving, you bake them a casserole. Tracy laughs and says, no one wants her baking a casserole, and Stella laughs with her. She says, the point is, these are extraordinary gestures, and Tracy says, it’s what she can do. Stella says, a lot of people can do things, but they don’t have Tracy’s heart, so they end up doing nothing. Tracy says, Gregory changed her, and Stella says, for the better. Tracy says, he expected a lot of her and she doesn’t want to let him down. Not this soon anyway.

Fergus says, what Miss Davis didn’t tell them was that she was suspended at one time for discouraging her client, Carlos Rivera, from taking a plea deal which would have afforded him a lighter sentence. That’s a curious choice, until it’s revealed that the man Mr. Rivera would have been testifying against was none other than her husband at the time, Julian Jerome. Judge Caldwell says, and she assumes Mr. Rivera can testify to that, but Fergus says, unfortunately, not. Before the case could come to trial, Mr. Rivera was murdered by Julian Jerome. Perhaps Miss Davis’s plan all along. Both Alexis and Diane jump up, and Diane says, objection. Prejudicial. Fergus says, apologies. It’s just that it’s difficult to keep Miss Davis’s personal and professional life separate when the two are so entangled. Judge Caldwell says she encourages him to try. Avoid such wild speculation. Fergus says, understood, and Diane says, is it though? Fergus says, in addition, his other brother Brendan, futilely attempted to hold Miss Davis accountable for his brother Neil’s death, which tragically, led to Brendan’s death as well. Diane says, that is a wildly inaccurate statement, and Alexis says, he knows very well she had nothing to do with either of his brother’s deaths. Judge Caldwell bangs her gavel, but Fergus won’t shut up and says, does she truly think Neil wouldn’t be alive today if he’d never met her? Of course (🍷) he would, and Brendan would too. The judge bangs the gavel again and says, order in the court. Fergus says, you destroyed my family, Alexis, and I’m here to make sure you never destroy anyone else’s. Judge Caldwell yells for order.

Tracy picks up her bag, and Stella asks if she has someplace to be. Tracy says, not really, but she probably should head home. She’s avoided her family long enough. Stella says, what’s a few more minutes? and pushes the plate of cookies toward Tracy. Tracy holds out her hand and Stella takes it. Tracy picks up a cookie with her other hand, and Stella laughs.

Elizabeth tells Portia that she’s sorry she dumped all of that stuff on her earlier. She’d just come from Finn’s apartment, and they’d gotten into it… Portia says, it’s fine. She can’t imagine what must be happening with the two of the right now, but she is glad Elizabeth trusted her as her friend. Elizabeth says, it’s all just really fresh. She thinks once the dust settles, it’ll all go back to normal. She lowers her voice and says, and Finn having a drink was a complete aberration. He had a moment of weakness, and that’s all it was, a moment. He has to take care of Violet and she knows he’s going to pull himself together and be strong for her. Portia says, and he has patients that are counting on him as well, and Elizabeth says, of course (🍷). He would never put his patients in danger. Portia knows that. She has to keep this a secret. Please. Portia says she knows how important Finn’s sobriety is to him and she’s sure this was a one-time crisis. And it’s probably over already. Elizabeth thanks her and tells Portia that she really needed to hear someone say that. Portia says she’s really glad she could be the one to say it, and Elizabeth leaves, but Portia looks worried.

Violet says she saved Finn the last bite, and he says, she’s too good to him. He opens his mouth, and she pops it in, saying, she knows. He says, so good, and she asks if she can play on her tablet for a little. He says, sure, but first, daddy needs a hug. She hugs him and he says he loves her so much. Never, never forget that. She says she won’t, and goes to her room. Finn tells Brook that he’s so sorry they missed their honeymoon, but she says, their family is the most important thing right now, okay? And she’s here for whatever he needs. Errands, food, laundry, babysitting. Consider her at his beck and call. He thanks her and says, but right now, he thinks what he needs is a meeting. Chase says he thinks that’s a great idea.

Fergus says, lying under oath is perjury. Yes, it took place at a medical board hearing, and sure, some would argue that makes it less impactful. But the repercussions from that lie had enormous impact. Diane says, how many times will opposing counsel say the same thing? and Judge Caldwell tells Fergus to wrap it up. He says, Miss Davis’s lie set off a chain of events, which led not only to the deaths of both his brothers, but removed Miss Davis from the state bar as well. She has demonstrated repeatedly that she has no regard for legal ethics. Nothing that happened can be undone. That should include the disbarment of Alexis Davis. He sits down, and Judge Caldwell thanks him, Diane, and Alexis for their statements. The court will communicate their decision within the next 30 days. Court is dismissed. She bangs her gavel, they rise, and the judges leave. Diane tells Fergus that he should be ashamed, and he walks out. Diane tells Alexis, I’ll say this for you, you swung for the fences.

Next week (I assume Tuesday), Tracy says she’d prefer to skip the platitudes; Alexis tells Fergus that she has the legal system just where she wants it; Sam asks if Spinelli doesn’t want to help her anymore; and Jason says he’s hoping that’s still the case, but Anna says, he can’t be certain.

🧼 Monday Soap Or No Soap…

GH will not have a new episode on Memorial Day.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/soap-opera-soaps-holiday-schedule

🧴 Studio Suds…

If you want a change of pace, this looks pretty good.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/the-bold-the-beautiful/watch-sean-kanans-soap-studio-city-for-free

🏊‍♂️ If They Say So…

The only thing I can see that’s best about it is that it’s almost over.

For those who want to relive this week’s trainwreck one more time.

🍸 Following the Rules…

GH has told us many a time, the only way past it is through it.

Playing the world’s smallest violin.

⚓️ Stud Of the Deadly Seas…

I’m thrilled Captain Lee won’t be leaving the screen even though he’s left the Deck. Premieres June 1st.

🦬 My Latest Binge…

Love this story and love Josh Brolin. He’s in one of my favorite Tarantino movies, Planet Terror, and the remake of True Grit was better than the original.

https://ew.com/outer-range-season-2-trailer-josh-brolin-time-travel-family-conflict-8631136

https://ew.com/josh-brolin-outer-range-season-2-ayahuasca-trip-8650631

No wonder I like him.

https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/josh-brolin-doesnt-buy-difficult-actors-1235008748/

🃏 The Latest In Harleys…

It will be interesting to see her spin on the character.

https://comicbook.com/movies/news/joker-2-lady-gaga-breaks-silence-harley-quinn-role/

🐕 Three Wins and a Loss…

Another partnering for pets.

https://people.com/kat-dennings-on-losing-her-soulmate-cat-adopting-kittens-exclusive-8651686

Glamming it up.

https://people.com/adoptable-pets-dogs-and-guinea-pigs-treated-to-fancy-hotel-photoshoot-8651280

I’m not telling my dogs about this. There will be no living with them.

https://people.com/bark-air-luxurious-new-airline-for-dogs-took-first-flight-8653726

So sad to see her go to the Bridge, but she certainly had a full life. And 18 years is amazing.

https://people.com/dog-behind-viral-doge-internet-meme-dead-at-18-8653525

👄 Quotes of the Week

Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you. – Friedrich Nietzsche

If God sends us on stony paths, He provides strong shoes. – Corrie Ten Boom

A person sees in the world what they carry in their heart. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Animals are such agreeable friends — they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.George Eliot

Everlast is a brand name, not a nickname. – Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur), Golden Girls

It’s easier to track a stuck pig than it is to ask it where it’s going. – The Ghoul (Walton Goggins), Fallout

Make a pact with yourself today to not be defined by your past. Sometimes the greatest thing to come out of all your hard work isn’t what you get for it, but what you become for it. Shake things up today! Be You…Be Free…Share. – Steve Maraboli

A hypnotist with pink eye is like a boxer with two broken hands. – Bill Doss (Michael Keaton), Documentary Now!

Home of the free, because of the brave. – Unknown

🌭 More Than a Barbecue…

Enjoy the extra time off if you have it, but keep in mind the reason you got it. Then join me on Monday really Tuesday for no soap, but the Deck which gives us no break for memorials. Until then, stay safe, stay giving some thought to those who died keeping you safe, and stay remembering that we’re changed by the people who love us and that we love, and that love becomes a part of us. Like a tattoo.

April 11, 2024 – Chase Changes the Honeymoon Plans, Blame Game, VanderMoments, Shading Shannon, Dead Talk, Pet (!) Diversity & Normally

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly wakes up in the chair and looks over at John sleeping on the sofa.

Brook says, what if they made a mistake? but Lois says, they didn’t. Brook says, what if the style’s all wrong? but Lois says, it won’t be. Brook says, what if the lace is like a gross shade of ivory? but Lois says, that’s never going to happen. Brook says, what if they ruined Lila’s dress for nothing? and Lois says, Lila’s dress was already ruined. Unsalvageable, said the seamstress, except for the best part, which they’re putting to perfect use. So what is she really afraid of? Brook says, what if she doesn’t like it? and Lois says, if she doesn’t like her wedding dress, they’ll scrap it and find her something she loves. Because there’s nothing more important than her happiness on her wedding day. Capisce? Brook says, capisce, and Sandrine walks in with an assistant carrying a garment bag. She says, ladies, are you ready? The wedding gown of your dreams.

Curtis walks slowing into Drew’s office, and Drew says, look at him. He can’t believe this progress. It’s incredible. Curtis says he firmly believes if you do the work, you can achieve anything, and Drew says he was in Greenland with Curtis, so he’s not going to underestimate him, but walking this soon after surgery is next level. Curtis thanks him, and Drew says, and he can take a compliment. Curtis says, Trina’s been on him about absorbing good energy. It sounds a little woo-woo to him, but he’s trying. Drew says he’s happy for Curtis, and Curtis says, don’t keep him in suspense. Why is he here? Michael walks in and says, what’s going on? Drew says, let the meeting of the minds commence.

Alexis says, Nina did not just say that, and Nina asks if she denies it. Alexis says, that she’s being mean to Nina’s precious gossip slinger? Are they in second grade? Nina says, DeWitt is not just The Invader’s society columnist, and Alexis says, ugh, that title. Nina says, he got a promotion. He is now associate publisher. Alexis says she knows that. Nina reminds her of that all the time. How could she possibly forget that Nina has hired someone so incompetent? Nina asks, says who? and Alexis tells her, says me. And it’s not DeWitt’s fault that he’s going to make an ass of himself. That honor belongs to Nina.

TJ meets Marshall at a park bench, hands him a coffee, and says, good morning. Marshall says, and what a beautiful morning it is, and TJ says he has egg sandwiches too, handing Mashall a bag. Marshall says, that’s very thoughtful of him. Not that he wasn’t thrilled to get TJ’s call, but since he has the morning off, why isn’t he spending it with Molly? TJ says he considered it, but he knew how the conversation would go. Marshall asks, how’s that? TJ says, she’d thank him for wanting them to do something together, then she’d say she has an arraignment in five minutes, but she’ll make it up to him tonight. Then that would turn into her trying too hard and both of them faking it through whatever she thought of, or even worse, she stays late at the office to avoid the situation altogether. Marshall asks who they’re talking about here, because that doesn’t sound anything like TJ and Molly.

At the MetroCourt, Anna thanks Valentin for meeting her and apologizes for it being so last minute. He says, lucky for her, he had no breakfast plans, and they sit down. He says he ordered her tea and pours her some. She thanks him for being thoughtful, and he says, she called, and he came. What’s this about? She wonders if he can help her with a case, and he says he’ll always help her. What’s the case? She says, Pikeman.

Brook says she doesn’t know what she was so afraid of. The dress is perfection. Lois says, the only thing more beautiful than that dress was her in it, and Brook asks if she’s crying again. Lois says, get used to it. Her baby girl is getting married in the most magical wedding gown. Brook says she doesn’t know how Sandrine did it, but she really captured the spirit of Lila’s dress to a T. Lois says, it feels like she channeled Lila, all of her kindness and her warmth and her acceptance and her generosity, because that’s who Lila was. Brook says, Lois is so lucky she got to wear Lila’s gown, and Lois says, Brook gets to be a part of that too. Brook says, in the tiniest way, but Lois says, no. In her own way. That’s what makes it so special. Brook gets to have a piece of Lila while still being who she is. Beautiful, amazing, incredible her. Brook thanks Lois for doing this with her, and Lois says, is she kidding? Is she insane? She would have busted that door down if she hadn’t gotten an invite. Brook says, then she’s glad Lois did, and Lois says she’s so happy for Brook. And she’s happy for Chase. She’s happy for all of them really. Brook says she’s happy for them too, and they hug.

Alexis says, why doesn’t Nina just admit it. Nina hired DeWitt to piss her off. Nina says she actually does think he’s an asset, and Alexis says, and the fact he’s a colossal thorn in her side? Nina says, that’s just a perk, no doubt about it. Alexis asks, why? and Nina says, why does she enjoy steam shooting out of Alexis’s ears? Alexis says, why is she doing this? She doesn’t even work here anymore. Nina says, that’s exactly why she needed a replacement, but Alexis says, Nina didn’t need a replacement. Alexis was doing just fine and would do even better if Nina would stop breathing down her neck. Nina asks if Alexis wants people to read her publication, and Alexis asks, what kind of question is that? Everything was fine before Nina got here. Nina says, but is it better since she brought DeWitt on? Be honest about that. It is, because there’s a measurable rise in website traffic. Alexis says, and she thinks that’s because there’s a gossip column? and Nina says, yes, partially. Alexis has to court their readers. She has to give them something delicious and irresistible, so they stick around for the hard news. What she can’t do is decide what’s good for them and ram it down their throats. You have to woo them. Alexis says, what if she just quits? and Nina says, there’s the door.

Michael says, it’s good to see Curtis back on his feet, and Curtis says, it’s good to be back. He hears Jason was exonerated. Michael says, yeah. They’re all relieved about that. Curtis says, when Jason was suspected of taking shots at Sonny, he thought maybe there was a chance he tried before last summer at the MetroCourt. It’s nice to know Jason didn’t put him in that wheelchair. Drew says, he didn’t stay in that wheelchair very long though, did he? and Curtis says, no. He was lucky. He had experimental surgery and it worked. Drew says, come on. The surgery just gave him a chance to walk again. Curtis is the one who made that a reality. All the rehabs, learning how to walk again… Is Curtis kidding him? He can’t imagine what that was like for Curtis. Curtis has all his respect for making it through that and getting to the other side. Curtis thanks him and says he doubts Drew brought them here to compliment him on walking again. Why are they here?

Carly asks how John is feeling, and he says, sore. She says she bets, and he says, and very tired. She says, really? He didn’t sleep well? He says, it’s hard to get a good night’s sleep with her waking him up every couple of hours. She says she’s sorry. Should she have let him monitor his own signs of concussion? He says, is he, by the way, concussed? and she says, no. He’s bruised and bloody, but somehow, his head came out unscathed. He asks if that’s her professional opinion as his almost nurse, and she asks if he’s going to start arguing with her this early in the morning. He says he already knows it won’t do any good.

Sandrine says, Lois might surprise Brook, but Brook says, nothing her mother does surprises her. She’s well-aware of her mother’s flair, shall they say, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Lois comes in, and Sandrine tells Brook, like she said. Wearing a midi dress with a black lace overlay and a short white jacket along with pearls, Lois says, ta-da. Brook says, wow… ma… that’s… Lois says, she hates it?

Alexis tells Nina that she always says that – there’s the door – but they both know Nina needs her. Nina says, agreed. And she’s been agreeing with Alexis the whole time. Her point is, she thinks the paper would benefit if they just had DeWitt’s expertise and experience. Alexis says, no, and Nina says, that’s it. Just no. Alexis says she will not sit by and let The Invader be turned back into a tabloid, and Nina says, then don’t let it. Alexis says she’s trying, but Nina is making it very difficult. A messenger comes to the door and says he just needs a signature from Alexis. Alexis signs the form, and Nina says, you know what it’s going to say on Alexis’s tombstone? Alexis says, death by frustration? and thanks the messenger. He leaves, and Nina says, no. It’s going to say, Alexis Davis, didn’t play well with others. Alexis says, and now they’re back to the schoolyard, and Nina says, because Alexis refuses to grow up. DeWitt stays. End of discussion. She leaves, and Molly walks in. Alexis says she hates that woman, and Molly tells her, take a breath. Alexis says, how? She sucked all the air out of the room. Molly says, professional differences? and Alexis tells her, you could say that. She invites Molly in and says, tell her something wonderful that has nothing to do with this publication. Molly says she would, but she can’t. The Invader is actually why she’s here. Alexis puts her head on the desk.

TJ asks if Marshall has ever looked back at a decision and known he should have gone with his gut, and Marshall says, too many times. TJ says, when Molly pitched the idea of Kristina being both their surrogate and egg donor, his instincts were screaming, this is the wrong move. For a million reasons, but the most glaring being that Kristina’s too close. There’s no finish line. There’s no cutting ties at the end. Why? Because there couldn’t be. She’s Molly’s sister. Marshall says, and since Molly couldn’t go forward without his buy-in, that was TJ’s moment to shut it down. TJ says he should have explained why he was against it, calmly and unequivocally, before anything got too far. Instead, he went with the short-term gain of giving Molly what she wanted. Marshall says, some would call that being supportive, but TJ says he calls that being a coward. She was so wrecked. She was utterly devastated that she couldn’t get pregnant. So when she pitched the idea, he knew that for Molly, the closest thing she could have to carrying her own baby was for her sister to have it for her.

Anna tells Valentin that she and Dante were ambushed on the docks by Roman Hume. He worked for Pikeman. It’s just so strange. All roads seem to lead back to this one, ultra secretive organization that’s run by a ghost. He says, a ghost? and she says, Pikeman’s ties to the WSB are clear, but no one seems to know who’s at the top of the pyramid. So she needs information. She was hoping maybe he could provide it for her. He says, Pikeman? and she says, he was working for them as recently as last summer. He says, as an intermediary, a glorified messenger, and she asks how that job came about. He says he did some contract work for them back in the 90s, and they felt comfortable asking him to introduce them to Sonny, but whether Sonny and Pikeman did any work together after that was none of his concern. She says, okay. Maybe she can pick his brain about something else. Or someone. He asks, who? and she says, Jack Brennan.

Lois asks, what’s wrong with it? and Brook says, absolutely nothing. Lois says, well, something, but Brook says, the dress is lovely. It’s classy and elegant and tasteful… Lois says she feels a but coming, and Brook says, no buts. It’s just not really Lois’s style. Lois says, it’s just and but are exactly the same thing, and Brook asks if Lois thinks that’s her style. Lois says, to go out on a Saturday night? No, but she was under the impression that what you wear to your daughter’s wedding isn’t what you wear to go clubbing. They’re two completely different things. Brook says, it doesn’t have to be this different. What kind of nails would she even do with that? Lois says she was thinking maybe just clear, and Brook says, what? Lois says she’s the mother of the bride. She’s supposed to be understated. Brook says, there’s no supposed to be here. This isn’t a royal wedding. There areno standards she has to live up to. Brook just wants her to wear what she wants to wear. Something that makes her feel like her. Lois says, this definitely doesn’t feel like her, and Brook says she didn’t think so. Back to the drawing board. Lois tells Sandrine, let’s pull some colors, some swatches… Maybe show some skin this time. You know what? Maybe a plunging neckline. Brook says, let’s not get carried away, when Chase walks in. He asks if he missed it, and Brook says, missed what? What is he doing here? Sandrine says, there’s been a special order for the bride-to-be, and Brook asks what they’re up to. Sandrine says she was commissioned to design a dress for Brook’s honeymoon, and Brook asks if Chase really thinks that’s necessary. He says, very, and Sandrine takes out a beautiful black cocktail dress. Brook says, it’s gorgeous, and Chase asks if she likes it. Brook says she’s obsessed with it, but it’s long sleeves. Doesn’t he think she’ll be a little warm in Palm Beach? He says, they’re not going to Palm Beach.

Molly says, The Invader ran a piece on the DA’s office being opposed to the overturning of Heather Webber’s conviction, her multiple convictions of assault and homicide going back nearly twenty years. Alexis says, that would be with the metallosis diagnosis. Yes. She signed off on that. Molly says, then she knows the article cited an unnamed source, and Alexis says, yes. Molly says, mom, and Alexis says, what? Molly says, everybody at the DA’s office assumes that source is her. Alexis says, it isn’t, and Molly says, Alexis knows that, and she knows that, but her colleagues, specifically DA Scorpio, do not know that. Alexis asks what Molly wants her to do about it. The story checked out. Molly says she wants Alexis to help her prove that she’s not the one who broke confidentiality and discussed the case with a reporter, and Alexis asks how exactly Molly wants her to do that. Molly says, tell her who did.

Marshall asks if Molly knows TJ has misgivings about Kristina being the surrogate, and TJ tells him that he wouldn’t say it exactly like that, but yeah. Molly has her worries too. He thinks that’s the problem, because whenever he tells her his concerns… Marshall says, about what, besides the being too close part? and TJ says he just doesn’t think Kristina is taking the best care of herself. (Huh?) She’s out late, she’s not avoiding stress, plus the small fact that she’s out with her dad, who’s getting shot at on the regular. Marshall says, points taken. So when he brings all these things up to Molly… TJ says, she takes the position of defending Kristina, even though he knows they share the same concerns. That’s why they avoid the topic altogether. He just feels like, during this time, he and Molly should be closer together, but he just feels more and more distant from her. Marshall says, and what about Kristina? Has their relationship been affected? TJ says, how can it not be? Any time he shares a worry he has with her, she accuses him of overreacting. It’s as if Kristina is having the baby and she’s going to let them know when it’s here. He sounds ungrateful, doesn’t he? Marshall says, no. He sounds human. TJ tells him, that’s what mom said. Marshall says, smart woman, your mother.

Drew says he’s been doing some research and Floodgate Consultancy Group says, the wellness and fitness space is booming out there. They’re all across the country, but especially in the high-end areas, with both residential and urban people spending so much money not only to look good, but to feel good. Really laying the foundation for health, wellness, and longevity. Michael says he read that report too. 40 is the new 25, and with the right fitness regimen and the right products, you, too, can achieve it. Drew says, so thoughts? and Michael says he thinks it’s a good time for Aurora to diversify. Crimson and print media is still a front burner for them, but it is drying up. They need to find alternative revenue streams. He thinks dipping in to an expanding market makes sense. Curtis says, an expanding market like health and wellness, and Drew says, which is where Curtis comes in.

On the phone, Carly says she just ordered toast and eggs. She doesn’t understand what’s taking so long. John comes in, wearing only a towel, and Carly says she’ll hold. She tells John that she bets the shower felt amazing. He says, it did, and she says, it’s amazing what hot water can do, but he says, not so hot really. Carly tells the kitchen that she’s still holding, and looks at John. He says, the water never got too warm, and she says, he’s got to be kidding her. Back on the phone, she says, she’s here. She’s still here… No. She’s pretty sure there’s no food in her hotel room… What? They left the food outside the door, without knocking…?… Okay. She hangs up and says, they’ve got to be kidding her. No hot water, shoddy room service… This hotel is definitely going downhill. She opens the door just as Nina is walking by, and Nina says, oh. Good morning to you. She looks at John standing behind Carly in the towel.

Valentin tells Anna, what he remembers about Jack Brennan is, his rapid rise to director of the WSB was followed by a spectacular fall. He singlehandedly orchestrated Frisco Jones’ ouster and a year later, he was out himself. She says, he knows Jack is in Pentenville, right? and he says, yeah, thanks to her. She says, in part. She went to visit him the other day. Valentin asks, why? and she says, curiosity? Valentin hasn’t been to see him yet? Valentin says, has he been to see Jack Brennan in Pentenville? No, he has not. Why would he do that? She says, because they were close back in the day, when they were all coming up together at the WSB, but he says, no, not really. Jack Brennan did really well academically and even better with the ladies, but he was in the back of the room, not making eye contact. She says she distinctly remembers them at that pub they used to go to… The Archangel. The two of them were playing dice or something. Whatever it was, they were laughing because they’d aced an assignment that the rest of them just botched. He says, that sounds like Jack, but it doesn’t sound like him. If he was at The Archangel, he was lurking. He wasn’t hanging with the cool kids. Not like her. She was at the center of the circle. Jack was too. He thinks she probably has him mixed up with someone else. She says, he and Jack were just feeding off of each other. They were pushing each other to be better, to be smarter… He says, if anybody was pushing anybody, Anna was pushing Jack. They were the best of the best. Everybody knew that. Valentin was on the fast track to a desk job. He and Jack Brennan have never shared more than ten words together.

Alexis says she cannot and will not reveal the identity of her sources, and Molly tells her that now she’s going to say journalistic integrity. Alexis says, very good, counselor, and Molly says, that’s crazy. Leaked, privileged information is not protected speech. Whoever that source is, not only violated their professional conduct guidelines, they also jeopardized future cases. Alexis says, that sounds like a DA problem, not her problem, and Molly says, it’s a very big problem if the article affected the fairness of a trial. Alexis says, what trial? Heather’s already been convicted on multiple counts, and the DA has already refused to revisit any of those cases. And without a case on the docket, Molly can’t argue that a leak compromised anything. Molly says, she’s impossible, and Alexis says, that’s part of her charm. She holds out her wrists and asks if Molly would like to lock her up until she cracks.

Marshall says, TJ is in a tough and undesirable situation. Life hands those to us sometimes. When one was handed to him, he went for the big fix; he left his family to protect them. But had he stayed, had he gutted it out, it turns out he probably would have had a pretty decent life. TJ says, so Marshall is telling him that he made a huge mistake? but Marshall says, no. He’s saying it’s human nature, or more specifically male nature, to go for the big fix. Sometimes that’s not always the answer. Sometimes you can just let it breathe and settle, and that can be the way to go. TJ says, unfortunately, that ship has sailed, and Marhsall laughs. He says, not for the here and now. Kristina is who she is. And yes, she’s carrying TJ’s baby, and he can’t change that, he can’t erase that. But what he can do is step back and take a look at the whole picture and focus on what really matters. His relationship with Molly.

Carly closes the door and steps out in the hall, telling Nina, stalk much? Nina says, just doing her regular rounds. Carly remembers. Carly says, vividly. Although this hotel is definitely not what it used to be. Nina says, better? but Carly says, not quite. Nina says she didn’t think Carly could surprise her anymore, but she’s done it. An FBI agent? What’s Sonny going to think? Or Jason, for that matter? And poor Drew, forever the runner-up in the twin department. Carly asks if she’s finished, but Nina says she could keep at it all day. Carly looks at the food under the cloche and says she’s happy that Nina’s here. Nina says, no one could be happier than her, and Carly says she’d like to file a complaint about room service. Nina asks if Carly even has time to eat, because she seems quite busy, and Carly asks why Nina doesn’t spend less time worrying about her private life and more time managing her hotel. Nina tells Carly to enjoy the rest of her stay, and leaves. Carly pushes the cart into the room, mumbling about Nina, and John comes out fully dressed. He says, friend of hers? and Carly gives a short laugh.

Curtis says he’s listening, and Drew says, as he mentioned, the wellness/fitness space is booming. Aurora wants to move into that business, but they need someone to spearhead the initiative. Curtis says, meaning? and Michael says, someone with practical experience and knowledge of the fitness industry, a strong leader with customer service experience, and multi-level management skills. Drew says, which are skills Curtis has. The Savoy is a huge success. Curtis asks how they see Aurora moving into the business, and Michael asks what Curtis would do. Curtis says, the most practical thing might be for Aurora to buy up some of the small gyms around the country, rebrand them, and combine them into a national high-end fitness club. People are spending a lot of money in wellness. Meditation rooms, plunge baths, yoga, Pilates, physical training… A mind body connection and combined with a training-slash-fitness facility, this is a one-stop shop. It might require significant capital. Drew says, which they have… Nina walks in, saying, Drew won’t believe this. She just saw Carly… She stops when she sees the other two.

John says he gets the sense Carly and Nina don’t get along, and she says, he must be an FBI agent. He asks if she’s okay, and she says she doesn’t let Nina get to her… She tries not to let Nina get to her. He says he knows a little bit about their history, and she says, lucky him. He says he takes it there isn’t enough water under the bridge yet, and she says, there’s not enough water in the world. Sorry about the eggs. He says, it’s not her fault. Besides, coffee is the only necessary component. (Agreed.) She says, when she owned the MetroCourt, this would have never flown. If a customer complained about their food, they would redo it at no charge. She refills his coffee, and he says, she’s big on customer service. She says, it’s literally what the hospitality industry is all about, and he says, she must have had her fair share of jerks blow through here though. She says, yeah, sure, but for the most part, people were great. And she loved it. She loved making people feel happy and comfortable and special. He asks if she doesn’t get to scratch that itch running Bobbie’s, and she says, to an extent. She loves Bobbie’s – she really does – but it’s a restaurant. Full stop. In this place she got a taste of all of it, really curating a space. From the carpets to the linen to the lighting. Even the music. Putting all of those things together to create the ultimate experience. She loved it. He says, sounds like a symphony, and she says, it kind of was. He says, and she was good at it, and she says, she was great at it. He asks if she thinks she’ll ever do it again, but she says she doesn’t know. She tells people that she will, that she’s going to get her half of the MetroCourt back, but she thinks that’s just a pipe dream, The MetroCourt belongs to someone else, two someone elses. She’s just going to have to accept that.

Chase says he’s been working on a surprise for Brook, and she says, but he’s terrible at keeping secrets. Chase says, it’s true. Her mom has been helping him keep this under wraps. Lois says, guilty as charged, and Brook says, so no more Palm Beach? Chase shakes his head, and she says, please tell her that he’s not working. It’s their honeymoon. He says, they’re still going away, but there has been a change in destination. He leads her over to the loveseat, and she says, okay. As long as it’s not a downgrade, she’s in. Everyone else quietly leaves the room, and she says, so what are they talking? Miami? Charleston? Palm Springs? She’s never been to the desert. He says, think a little further away than that, and she says, like out of the US away? He nods, and she asks what he did. He says he’s marrying the woman of his dreams. No, scratch that. He never dreamed of her because he didn’t know someone this wonderful could exist, and he wants their honeymoon to be a reflection of that. He wants her to remember this trip for the rest of her life. Because she deserves it. She deserves everything. She says, he’s the sweetest man on the planet. So where on this planet is he taking her? He says, Florence, and she says, he’s kidding. He says he’s not kidding, and she says, Florence, Italy? He says, her mom told him that she wanted to go, and she says, only for her entire life. Oh my God, Florence? She jumps up and says, not only does she get to go, she gets to go with him? He asks if she’s happy, and she says, happy doesn’t even begin to cover it, and kisses him.

Molly says, so she guesses Alexis wins – again, and Alexis says, freedom of the press wins – always. Except she has no idea why she’s fighting so hard for it when it comes to this paper. Molly says, because she cares about her job and the integrity of her paper, and Alexis says, integrity the new associate publisher will undoubtedly destroy. Molly starts to leave and picks up the envelope the messenger delivered. She asks, what’s this? and Alexis says, a messenger dropped it off when she was fighting with Nina. Molly asks if she’s looked at it, but Alexis says she was too consumed with rage to care. What is it? Molly says, it’s from the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, and Alexis says, they’re handling her appeal. Molly says, it’s probably her decision, whether they’ll review her case, or she’ll stay disbarred. Open it. She holds it out to Alexis, who backs up, saying, no. She can’t. She tells Molly to do it, and Molly asks if she’s sure. Alexis nods, and Molly opens the envelope.

As Molly reads what’s inside, she looks sad, and Alexis says, it’s okay. It was a longshot anyway. So the appeal was denied… Molly says, they’re giving her a hearing. They set a date and everything. Alexis grabs it from her and looks at it. She says, they’re giving her a hearing, and Molly says, not just that. They’re giving her hope. This is hope. They hug and jump up and down.

Marshall says, TJ needs to find reasons for him and Molly to come together that aren’t about the baby. It’s those moments of now, those moments where it’s just the two of them. Those moments are precious too. Now, as much as he enjoyed that egg sandwich and this beautiful park… TJ says, and the incredible company of his grandson, and Marshall says, that too. Get his behind over to the store and buy all the ingredients for Molly’s favorite dinner. Just make sure it’s reheatable in case she does have to work late. Wouldn’t it be nice for Molly to come home and see her favorite meal on the table waiting on her? TJ says, Molly would love that, and Marshall says, don’t spend the next three months wringing his hands over what Kristina is or isn’t doing. Spend the next three months with his partner, being just that – partners – before they become parents. Molly is a very special woman. TJ agrees she is and thanks Marshall. They bro hug.

Chase says, mimosa for the bride-to-be, handing Brook a drink, and she thanks him. They say, cheers, and clink glasses. Brook says she can’t believe it’s true, and he says, believe it. She says, Florence… the Uffizi, the Duomo, David… He says, whoa. Who’s this David guy? She says, and they have to take a day trip to Pisa and an overnight to Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet. He says, she’s thought a lot about this, and she says, this is like a bucket list thing for her. And she can’t wait to look up all the best restaurants and they’re going to have gelato every, single day, no exceptions. Okay? He says, yes, ma’am, and she says, they’re going to drink wine at sunset in every piazza they can find. It’s going to be so incredible. He says, she’s so incredible, and they kiss. She says, they have so much planning to do. Wait. He asks, what’s wrong? and she says, a honeymoon to Florence is a lot more expensive than one stateside. The airfare alone. He says, that’s okay. He has the money for it. She asks, how? and he says he sold his truck.

Anna says, Valentin and Jack weren’t friends, but they certainly knew each other, right? He says, of course (🍷) they did, and she says, when he was working with Pikeman, in his dealings with them, did he ever get the sense Jack was involved? He says, she believes Jack Brennan was working with Pikeman? and she says she does. She can’t get him to admit it, but when Valentin was an intermediary, did anything jump out at him? He says he wishes he had something useful to offer her, but sadly, he doesn’t. She says, okay. It was worth a try. Maybe when she goes back to see him again. He says, don’t. Pikeman and Brennan are dangerous. If they’re working together, then they’re not to be messed with. She thanks him for his concern, but says she can take care of herself. He says, please do, and she thanks him for breakfast and leaves.

John opens the door for Carly and says, thanks again. She says she doesn’t think he thanked her the first time, and he says, then thank you. Not just for saving his hide on the docks, but for getting him back here and keeping an eye on him all night. She says he’s welcome, and he says, and he guesses they get to be friends, even if it’s just for a minute. She says, just for a minute? Are FBI agents not allowed to have friends? Oh. Worried he’s going to divulge classified information? He says, something like that, and she says, makes sense. But how does he know he doesn’t talk in his sleep? She leaves and he watches her walk down the hall.

Drew tells Nina, they’re at a meeting, so try back later, but Michael asks what she was going to say about his mom. And what did Nina do now? Nina says she didn’t do anything. She just thought Drew would want to know Carly moved on quickly from him and is now sleeping with everyone’s favorite FBI agent, John Cates.

Tomorrow, Tracy tells Brook, disrespecting your husband is no way to start a marriage; Maxie asks why Lucy is insisting on taking this all on herself; Alexis tells Gregory that it’s a risk she can afford; and Carly says she did something that someone isn’t going to like.

🛟 Here It Comes…

Now it’s somebody else’s fault she was a pita. Maybe she confused Fraser by answering every time the primary was asked a question.

🍸 Between Rules and Reunion…

I can’t believe anybody actually monitors who follows who. Aren’t they busy not opening restaurants and stuff?

It’s not about the pasta mirror.

🍊 Shady John…

Andy leaps with glee as he twirls his moustache.

⚰️ About Those Dead…

Like the franchise is ever going away.

Ha-ha! I thought it said giant zombie heads. Now that would be a variant.

https://screenrant.com/walking-dead-new-villain-zombies-season-1-return

Carol’s turn coming up.

https://www.cbr.com/daryl-dixon-book-of-carol-release-date-cast-news

🐕 From Around the Globe and Back…

Bollywood babies.

Backup pups.

https://people.com/meghan-trainor-stars-in-music-video-with-dogs-8629755

☔️ April Showers Bring More April Showers…

Stop by tomorrow for pre-weekend soap, the Summer smack talk promised, and shenanigans. Until then, stay safe, stay thinking twice before engaging in online debates, and stay doing the work. If you do, you can achieve anything.

April 10, 2024 – Sonny Meets Jason At the Warehouse, There Goes the Sun, Nathan’s Lane, VanderViews, He’s Toxic, This Week In Chefs, No Snow, Animal Reaction & Paris

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Getting up from the floor and gathering her clothes, Nina says, Drew has been planning something like this all along, but he asks if he needs to refresh her memory. He wasn’t the one who started all this. She says she knows, but she thinks he had this on his mental backburner since he took her magazine away and gave it to Carly. They all know how that worked out. Drew says, the only thing he’s been fantasizing about Nina is her losing all her money, losing her looks, and getting convicted of a nameless crime that gets her sent to prison, like she sent him. (Wow. Most of us would just say, was it good for you too?)

Carly puts some ice in a towel on John’s head and says he looks like he was mugged by a small army. Is he sure it was only two people? He says, yeah. Those guys might not have killed him, but this ice might. She says, it’s not that cold, and he says, it’s ice. By definition, it’s cold. He takes the ice from her and sits down, holding it himself. She says, the ice machine on this floor was broken, which is appalling, and he says, that’s what she finds appalling? A broken ice machine? She says she had to go down a floor to get the ice and it was melting by the time she got it to the towel. He says, yet, when placed against the human body, it’s still plenty cold, and she wonders if the FBI knows the only thing it takes for an agent to spill his guts is a couple of ice cubes. He says he likes to keep some things to himself, and she tells him, all she’s saying is when she ran the MetroCourt, that ice machine would have been maintained. She hands him some water, and he says he’s grateful for the medical expertise. She shakes some ibuprofen out of the bottle, gives it to him, and says she went to nursing school. She didn’t graduate, but the training was really good. When you have kids, you have little reaction time. then you have to keep it together before you get to an actual doctor. Speaking of which, please let her take him to the hospital. Or at least let her call the house doctor here. He says he’s quite happy with the care he’s received so far. He wouldn’t change a thing.

Laura tells Doc that she doesn’t want to jinx it, but she thinks Ace finally fell asleep. She told him a story, did a little singing… Maybe she’s getting the hang of his bedtime routine. Or maybe he’s just getting used to falling asleep without Esme and Spencer. She looks over at Doc, who’s concentrating on his tablet, and she says, or maybe she’s just telling herself a story.

Blaze and Kristina watch TV, Kristina’s head in Blaze’s lap. Blaze asks if Kristina is sure she’s okay with it, and Kristina says, yeah, but if Blaze isn’t into it, just change it. It’s just a movie. Blaze says, the movie is fine. She wasn’t really paying attention. Kristina asks, what’s going on? and Blaze says she keeps thinking about the whole Face of Deception thing. Is Kristina sure she’s okay with her being the Face? (Sounds like a Batman villain.) Kristina says, yeah. Blaze already shares her music with the world. Why not share her beautiful face too? Blaze says, because her mom inserted a clause keeping her private life private in every contract. And if anyone pushes against that point, she made it very clear it’s a deal breaker. Kristina says, Blaze is her public persona and Blaze is not out, but Allie, her girlfriend, is. Blaze says she’ll never get tired of hearing Kristina call her that, and Kristina says, she and her girlfriend are out to their families, to their closest friends, and the people who really matter. That’s all she really cares about. So locking down her private life is the deal Blaze made with her mom and everyone else, but as long as it doesn’t impact them and their relationship, she doesn’t see a problem with it. Blaze says, right, and Kristina says, unless the person who has a problem with it is her.

Curtis walks a little unsteadily into the bedroom, and Portia calls to him, asking where he is. He says, why doesn’t she come upstairs and find out? and she walks into the bedroom. She sees him without his cane, and says, oh my God. He says, one small step for man… Actually, it was a bunch of little steps, but one giant leap for yours truly. She says, this is huge. It’s so great not to see his cane anywhere. He says, no cane. Just him and his two legs. He sits on the bed, and she says, he’s amazing, but he says, no. She’s amazing. If it weren’t for her, he would still be stuck in some hospital bed. Or in his wheelchair still. Mad at the world, feeling sorry for himself, some version of that. That’s how his story would have ended. Because of her, he has nothing but new chapters to write. And he can’t wait – he stands up and she squeals – he can’t wait to write them with her. He takes her hands and says, thank you, my love. They kiss and she says, anytime.

Ava tosses and turns in bed. She sits up, takes her sleep mask off, and says, this is pointless. She gets up.

Jason says he owns half this warehouse, and Sonny asks if he’s taking it back. Jason says he never gave it up, but Sonny says, he deserted it. He was gone for more than two years. He lost the right to take it back. He doesn’t want to see Jason’s face. Didn’t he make that clear? Jason says, that’s why he had Diane speak to Sonny on his behalf. He still owns 50% of Corinthos Coffee. Sonny says, don’t quote his own lawyer… Jason says, their lawyer. They both trust her and what she says. Why not trust her judgement on this? Sonny says, forget Diane. Jason came to his warehouse to get an answer from him. He got his wish. This is his business, and he doesn’t want Jason anywhere near it.

Portia says she’s so proud of Curtis, and not because he made it up the stairs, but because he didn’t give in to despair. He didn’t quit. He says, truth be told, he thought about it. There were times he thought about it, and each time he thought, what would he say to Trina? She got hit with something terrible when Spencer died and it’s okay to call it quits, just curl up in a ball? It’s not him. She says, it’s not. Those words sound like a foreign language coming out of his mouth. She loves it. He says he’s a father now; he’s a son. It’s not just about him anymore. She says he did forget one thing out of that list, and he says, what’s that? She says, lover, and he says, is that so? She says she’d be a fool to let all the effort he took getting up those stairs and into their beautiful bedroom go to waste. And she’s no fool. They kiss.

John thanks Carly for the ice. He thinks it helped. Or else the bitter cold destroyed all the nerve endings in his body, so win-win. She says, he needs to keep this on his head, directing his hand back, and he says, she needs to go home to that adorable daughter of hers. Carly says, she’s great. She’s happy with her nanny. What Carly is concerned about is him having a concussion. He says he’s fine. Trust him. It will take more than a couple of shots to this hard head to do any damage. She says she doesn’t know about that. If he does have a concussion, someone needs to check on him every couple of hours to see if he’s having a hard time waking up. If he is, that means his concussion is getting worse. He says he’ll be fine, but she says, please, just let her take him to the hospital. Just think. If he’s right, he gets to say I told you so. He says he does like that, but come on. All they’re going to do is admit him and wake him up all night long. He’d rather stay here. She says, okay. She can wake people up with the best of them. She takes the pillow off a chair, sits down, and puts her feet on the coffee table. He asks what she’s doing, and she says, getting comfortable. She has to conserve her energy. She has to shake him away in a couple hours, then a couple hours after that. He says he really appreciates… She says, he’s wasting his time. She’s staying right here and she’s going to save him from himself.

Nina asks if Drew is saying he regrets this as much as she does, and he says, two people consumed by mutual, passionate hatred with no acceptable outlet? It’s better than poisoning. She says she doesn’t see a big difference, and he says, think of it like a screwed up spontaneous combustion. She says she’s going to think of it this way, as a downpayment, and he asks, what’s on layaway? She says, appoint her to the board, and he says, of Aurora? What possible sense would it make for him to appoint her to the board of Aurora? She edits Crimson. That’s her entire value to them. She says, and she makes the magazine a success. Okay. Maybe not that, but he’s close to Michael and he’s close to Willow. Find a pathway for her to get back in her daughter’s good graces. He asks if she thinks 45 minutes on his office floor commits him to dragging her out of the wreckage she made of her life. It’s going to take more than a couple of rug burns for him to lift a finger for her.

Nina says she tried to treat Michael and Willow to a surprise anniversary dinner, and they turned her down, which was humiliating. Drew says, surprise dinner, huh? Translation. Regardless of what Michael and Willow wanted, she pushed whatever she wanted on them, which is so on brand for her. She says she doesn’t care how he describes it. It felt like she was punched in the heart. Forgive her if she had to come down here and pull herself together and get a breath. Instead of sympathizing with her… He says he never will sympathize with her, and she says she knows she has a little part in this, but she thinks he took advantage of her emotional, vulnerable state. He says, she’s projecting. Taking advantage of people is her stock and trade. She tells him, shut up, and he says, let him just be clear. Her offer of an anniversary dinner when she can’t stand Michael and wishes Willow hadn’t married him, was it really just for Willow? Or was she hoping maybe they’d tell Sonny how generous she is? Does Sonny know she’s still pining for him? She goes to slap him, but he grabs her hand and says he’ll take that as a yes.

John asks, what time is it? and Carly says, almost midnight. He says, that late? She should really go home. She says, if he insists, she’ll drop him off at GH on her way, but he says, that’s not necessary. She says, it probably is, but he’d probably just be trading one problem for another, huh? He asks what she’s talking about, and she says, if he went to the hospital, the nurses would start asking him questions – she puts a blanket on him – and they’d have to call the PCPD. Then the PCPD would want to know what the heck he was doing wandering around the waterfront at that time of night. He says he wasn’t wandering around. He took a walk. She goes back to the chair, using her coat as a blanket, and says, in the most dangerous part of town at night. He says, Port Charles is a safe place, and she laughs. She says, make sure he mentions that safe part when he talks to the police because they love that kind of feedback. He says he got mugged. It’s a terrible thing, but it happens. This time it happened to him. She says, he should stick with that story. But she wants him to know that she knows he was tracking Jason.

Jason says, if Sonny doesn’t want him in his organization, he understands, but Sonny says, no. Jason doesn’t understand. He trusted Jason more than anyone and now he can’t trust him. Jason says he never gave the Feds anything on Sonny, and Sonny asks why he should believe that. Jason says, because if he had, they would have arrested Sonny. He’s been protecting Sonny this whole time. Sonny says he’s not a child. He doesn’t need protection. He needs Jason to get away from him. Otherwise, he will have to remove Jason.

Laura tells Doc that she’s concerned about how small Ace’s family is going to be. There are no siblings. He may never know Lulu and Lucky. She knows there’s Elizabeth’s boys, but they’re quite a bit older and they have their own lives. It’s really just her, him, and Ace. Doc says, and Heather, and Laura says she knows Heather likes to call herself Ace’s grandmother. He says, technically, she is Ace’s grandmother. They may not like it, but Esme was her daughter. He asks about the transfer to California, and Laura says she forgot to tell him. The DA cancelled the transfer because of her medical condition. So she’s in Pentenville for the foreseeable future. He says, unless something else occurs, and shows her the tablet. She reads: chemically induced abnormal behavior. This is really what he thinks happened to Heather, isn’t it? Does he think they would ever reopen Heather’s case after all the things that she did?

Nina says, if Drew breathes a word of this to Sonny… He says, having sex with her on his office floor isn’t something he’s going to be bragging about. He wouldn’t worry about Sonny. Sonny is a little preoccupied right now with Jason’s surprise return. She says, he can think about more than one thing at a time, and Drew says, and somehow, he isn’t thinking about her at all. She has to face it. She’s not even on Sonny’s radar right now. He doesn’t care who she’s mixing it up with. Maybe because he’s got a new roommate.

Ava calls to Sonny and asks if he’s home. She pours herself a drink, then sets it down and goes to Sonny’s bedroom. She wonders what he has that would make a person sleep. She checks in a box by his bed, but only finds an OTC pain reliever. She says, he’s got to do better than that, and goes into his bathroom. She wonders where he keeps the good stuff and looks in the vanity drawers. She finds a prescription bottle labeled Lorphenadine, and says, may cause drowsiness.

Jason tells Sonny, it doesn’t have to be this way. He’s not a threat. He’ll stay out of Sonny’s organization. All he wants is his half of the coffee business. Sonny says, and all he wants is the truth. If Jason didn’t inform on him, what was he doing with the Feds? Jason says he told Sonny everything he could, but Sonny says, Jason told him nothing. He thought it was because Ava was right there, but Ava’s not here now; it’s just them. If Jason wants Sonny to trust him, if he wants half of the business back, he’s going to have to trust Sonny. What happened to him?

Jason says, the FBI picked him up on Cassadine Island. They flew him back to Quantico. They offered him a deal. Become an informant and no charges will be filed. He took that deal because it was his best option. They didn’t want him to inform on Sonny because they knew he would never do it and it would never work. So they sent him after somebody else. Sonny asks, who? but Jason says he can’t tell Sonny. Sonny says, why? Does Jason think he’s going to go tell these people he’s a traitor? Jason says he can’t tell Sonny because it’s part of the deal. If he talks, that violates the terms of the agreement, and the charges get filed. Sonny says, was part of the deal to take a shot at him? How many times did Jason try to kil him? Jason says he never tried to kill Sonny, and Sonny says, and he’s going to believe that? Because Jason is loyal, because Jason’s his friend, his brother? Jason says, because if he tried to kill Sonny, he wouldn’t have missed.

Ava tells herself that she can’t self-medicate with somebody else’s prescription. It does cause drowsiness though, and if Sonny can handle it… She pops the top off the bottle so easily that it’s probably the most unbelievable thing ever seen on GH. She takes a pill, then says, who is she kidding? and takes another one.

Blaze tells Kristina that she wants to be fair. Having a control freak for a mom can be really helpful when it comes to her career. Kristina says, what about the rest of her life? Her real life. Blaze says, her mom tells her that she knows her better than she knows herself, and Kristina says she hates when parents say that. Blaze says, her too, but she thinks her mom says it because when she was Blaze’s age, she crossed the line a few times. And then she became a mom. Kristina says, becoming a mom certainly changes your perspective on everything, but she’s only an aunt, so… Blaze says, Kristina’s not only an anything. She thinks because her mom didn’t want her making the same mistakes she did, she became super strict. Kristina says, it kind of worked. Look at her. She’s smart and disciplined and built an incredible career for herself. It’s amazing. Blaze says, a lot of that is because she paid attention to everything her mom said when she was growing up. Her mom should be able to look at her life and know that and trust her enough to live her own life. Kristina’s parents do. Kristina doesn’t respond, and Blaze says she must have missed something. Is there a problem with her parents?

Curtis is sitting up in the bed, and Portia asks if this is the folder he wanted. He says, yes. He probably could have gotten it himself, but it would have been 2 in the morning before he got himself down the stairs and back up. She says, with the progress he’s making, he’ll be up and down those stairs in no time, and he says, the miracles of modern medicine. You doctors can fix anything. He asks if everything is okay, and she says, yeah. She’s fine. He says he sort of lost her there for a second. He wondered where she went. He thought maybe she was thinking about these bills. She says, no. Those bills are all his. He says he doesn’t know if she saw this note from Brook Lynn Quartermaine. She’s pushing him to have an invitation only event at The Savoy to showcase Blaze’s new single. He’s probably going to say yes, but he thinks he’ll let her sweat a little bit. She says, it has nothing to do with that, and he says, talk to him. She says she was at the hospital and overheard Doc and Alexis saying something about how they could use a preexisting condition to overturn a conviction. Heather Webber was diagnosed with metallosis. Basically, her artificial hip is poisoning her. And one of the symptoms of metallosis is a shift in personality. He asks if anyone is arguing that Heather Webber isn’t responsible for all those lives she took, and Portia says, that’s exactly what she’s afraid of. Someone is going to use her condition as grounds to reopen Heather’s case, and possibly set that woman free.

John says, Carly thinks he was tracking Jason. She’s getting warmer. She says, hide and seek. Really? Is that how the FBI conducts its business now? He says, his supervisors would definitely not approve of this situation, but they’re not here. So does she want to guess again? She says, okay. If he wasn’t tracking Jason, he was tracking… his lawyer. Diane Miller? He says, give the lady a cigar, and she says she doesn’t want a cigar, but she will take a very expensive glass of wine at a date to be determined. He says, deal, and she says, getting mugged isn’t generally a mood lifter, but it’s made him fun. He thanks her and says he is fun. She just doesn’t know him well enough to see it yet.

Curtis says he gets the legal argument that Heather’s condition – Portia says, metallosis – has contributed to her mental state, but she committed multiple homicides. There’s no way she should be allowed to go free. (Pointing out that we’ve been here before with Franco.) She says she prays he’s right, because Trina’s been through enough. It’s enough, this whole family. He says, but they made it through and they’re stronger than ever. She says, they are, aren’t they? They made it through together as a family. He says, she better believe it, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make her feel safe and secure and loved. She says, he just told her that he’d do whatever it takes? and he says he sure did. She says she thinks she’s going to need him to prove that.

Doc tells Laura that he couldn’t stop thinking about his conversation with Alexis about Heather and the hypotheticals that could set her free. So he did a deep dive into a database about toxicology and abnormal behavior. At first, you would think the chances of Heather’s murder conviction being overturned are inconceivable. Laura says, but then with further investigation… He says, it’s not without medical and legal precedent. She says, wow. She can’t imagine what the reaction would be to Heather going free. They know Portia Robinson, Sasha Gilmore, Dr. Obrecht, all those people are going to be outraged. As would most of the citizens of Port Charles she thinks. He says, understandably, and she says, unless it can be proven that Heather herself was victimized. And if that were the case, she thinks it would be wrong not to give her a second chance. He says, selfishly, there’s a side of him that would like to see Heather redeemed. Not released, but rehabilitated into someone functional. Someone stable that Ace could know, even have a relationship with. And if he’s being honest, he’d like to think some good could come of the harm he’s caused. She says, none of this is his fault, but he says he made one decision about his brother, and it resulted in a series of devastating events. If Ryan hadn’t gotten loose, then Heather would still be institutionalized, and her victims would still be alive. So would Spencer and Esme. They never would have even met Esme. She says she thinks he’s forgetting one thing. Ace wouldn’t be here either.

Kristina tells Blaze that she doesn’t have a problem with anyone in her family right now. Actually, it might be the first time she’s been able to say that. Her mom’s good; she’s supportive of their relationship and the surrogacy. Blaze says, what about her dad? and Kristina says, her dad’s good. He loves her unconditionally. He of course (🍷) has a dark side, but he’s loving and generous and more sensitive than people think, and he can get hurt too. She’s a little worried about her dad right now. Blaze asks if that’s because he and Nina broke up, and Kristina says, Nina’s not perfect, but he was happy with her. And since Ava moved in… Blaze says, wait. She moved in? She thought Ava was just staying there temporarily. Kristina says, so did she.

Nina says, Ava is staying with Sonny for security reasons, and Drew says, keep telling herself that. She finishes getting dressed and says, let her worry about Ava. Just figure out a way to get her closer to her daughter. And if it’s not appointing her to the board, then come up with something else. He says, even if he were to help her, Michael will never see her as anything other than a threat to his family. She lied to him about his father’s death, then sued him to get access to his child. But Willow’s got a softer heart, and he’s still friends with her. Nina says, he’ll help her plead her case to her then, and he says, maybe, but after his near-death beating he took in prison because of her, she’s going to have to make it so worth his while. (I used to find Drew kind of boring. Now he just creeps me out.)

Jason tells Sonny that Port Charles is still his home. This warehouse is still half his. He’s going to be here every day, importing coffee, totally legit. So whatever business Sonny wants to do, do it away from the warehouse, so he doesn’t have to be witness to it. Sonny asks if Jason thinks he won’t do it. He thinks Sonny won’t get rid of him? He could do it in a heartbeat. All he’s got to do is say the word, and Jason is gone. Jason says, come on. If anything happens to him, Sonny knows the cops are going to look at him first. Sonny says, don’t tell him what he knows. Know what he knows? Jason can’t be trusted and he’s going to have to get protection. From Jason. Because Jason is a traitor. Jason says, stop, and asks if Sonny is taking his meds.

Nina says, Drew will be her ally, and he says he thinks ally is a strong word for what he’ll be, but she’s a creative person. She can put her thinking cap on and come up with something that will be worth his time and effort. He picks up his shirt and says he likes this shirt. She can start by sewing the buttons back on it. He tosses the shirt to her, but she says, do his own mending, slinging it back, and she walks out.

Carly tells John that they need to order all new ice machines for this hotel. But she doesn’t need to keep going on and on about how this hotel is not great anymore. He says, it’s a nice hotel, and she says, it was, but she’s not going to bore him with all her complaints about the hotel. She puts new ice in a towel and says, what about him? Are there any other circumstances, besides being beaten up – she laughs – where he’s fun? He says he must be concussed or at least punchy. He’s said way too much already. She says she has a lot of experiences where she’s listening to things she doesn’t repeat or remember. She looks over at him and he’s asleep. She says, that’s a way to end a conversation, and turns down the lights. She gets back in the chair and says, sleep well, Agent Cates. I’ll wake you up in a couple of hours.

Portia comes out dressed in fabulous lingerie and says she guesses Curtis is still working on the bills. So she guesses she’ll just… He says, no, no, no. Not looking as good as she is. Come here. She sits on the bed next to him, and he says, in case she doesn’t remember, they never had an official honeymoon. He thinks they should do something about that as soon as possible. She kisses him and I assume they get busy, since the camera pans to the ceiling.

Laura shows Doc her phone and says, viola. You can see Ace in real  time. He’s still sleeping. Doc says, that’s amazing. She makes the same face when she sleeps. She says, maybe it runs in the family, and they sit on the sofa. He says, the picture and the sound is so pristine. Here he thought the baby monitor was the pinnacle of technological advancement. She says, it was… twenty years ago, and he laughs. He says, and when he hears people say twenty years, he thinks, oh, they’re talking about the 80s. Then he realizes… no, they’re not. She says she knows them raising a baby at this point in their lives wasn’t part of his bucket list, and he says, was it on hers? She says, no, and he says, it’s not like they’re ready to retire and they’re not exactly people who back away from life. She says, and she thinks Ace has given them so much more life, and he says, Ace has, and he loves it. And he loves her. She says she loves him too, and kisses him. He says, they took an awful lot of wrong turns and detours before they found each other, but they did. And he thinks Ace is just another unexpected… Laura says, responsibility? but he says, miracle. She says, wow. He’s really something. He says he’s a lucky man, and she says she’s a lucky woman. She puts her head on his shoulder and he puts his arm around her. Aww.

Kristina tells Blaze that she knows there’s still a security reason for Ava to be staying at Sonny’s place, but it’s just that something doesn’t feel right about it. It’s weird. Even Dante noticed, and he’s on pain meds. Blaze asks if she said or did anything, but Kristina says, no. It’s just little things. She can’t see the whole picture yet, but one thing she does know is, Ava is a Jerome. And the Jeromes love power. It’s like a drug. Blaze says, Kristina thinks she’s going to what? Make a move on Sonny’s business? Kristina says, not a move move. She’d never come at something straight on; she’s too smart for that. She’d slither in from the side or something. And she’s making herself indispensable to Kristina’s dad. She’s running interference, she’s making him drinks… Blaze says, her dad doesn’t see what she’s doing? and Kristina says, worse. He likes it. A lot.

Ava lies awake and says, may cause drowsiness, and sits up. She says, Sonny must like the taste of those. She feels absolutely nothing. Nada. They don’t help you sleep. They don’t help anything else. What do those stupid pills do? (Got it.)

Sonny tells Jason that he takes his medication every day, every dosage, like clockwork. He’s not having a breakdown. He just has to face the truth. Jason’s not who he thought. Or maybe he never was. Jason says he’s not Sonny’s enemy, and he doesn’t want any trouble. And he accepts that Sonny doesn’t trust him. Sonny doesn’t have to trust him. He’ll stay out of Sonny’s way. Sonny says, he’d better. Sonny pauses a moment and says, go ahead, take the warehouse. He can sit in it until he rots. He starts to leave, but stops and says, if you double-cross me again or I suspect you’re interfering with my business or my life… I will end you. He walks out and Jason looks concerned.

Tomorrow, Brook asks, what if they ruined Lila’s dress for nothing; Curtis asks Drew what he’s doing here; Anna asks for Valentin’s help with a case; and Alexis says, what if she just quits?

🌞 Since They Had the Day Off…

Celebrities – they’re just like us. Except for the paycheck. And the fame.

💔 Hallmark’s Loss…

As a general rule, I don’t watch romances, but I can’t imagine him not pulling in viewers.

🍸 Rehashing the Rules…

The Reunion is probably going to be a doozie, but anything would be mild compared to last year. I think.

🍼 Kentucky Shade…

I’m still trying to figure out why she settled for him in the first place.

🔪 Tonight’s Top…

Those who can’t do, watch stuff like this.

https://people.com/top-chef-recap-episode-4-buddha-lo-guest-judge-two-cheftestants-eliminated-8624517

🦣 He Shows Nothing…

Oh well. I would have liked to see a few more mammoths, giants, and such.

https://ew.com/jon-snow-game-of-thrones-sequel-shelved-kit-harington-says-8629070

🦁 An Eclipse For Everyone…

They must have thought it was a short day and an even shorter night. This is basically just a clip of zoo animals getting ready for bed, but the guy who’s being interviewed is pretty excited about it. According to him, every question is a great question. My pets couldn’t have cared less.

https://people.com/texas-zoo-animals-caught-reacting-darkness-during-eclipse-8628890

🤸‍♀️ Bringing It Off…

Join me tomorrow for soap and smack talk about the awful people on Summer House. Until then, stay safe, stay listening with all your senses, and stay never self-medicating with somebody else’s prescription.

April 5, 2024 – Anna Visits Brennan In Pentenville, Come Monday, New Manager, Their Portrayal, Buddy Project, Poor Ann, Mutual Admiration, Dead Talk, Happily Ever Afters, X Quotes & Clearly

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Lois touches up her manicure in the nook, and Brook says, thank God she’s still here. She needs Lois. Lois asks if it can wait. She’s already late. Brook says, it’s about the wedding, and Lois says, whatever it is, they’ll fix it later. She promises. She starts to dash off and Brook says, fine. She’ll just have to get married without a wedding dress. Lois says, okay, you win.

Sonny sits at the MetroCourt bar and sends a text to Lois: I’m here. Where are you? Natalia comes up to the bar and says, Mr. Corinthos, we meet again.

Molly goes into Bobbie’s and Carly says, she just missed the lunch rush, so take a seat anywhere. She’ll have someone bring out a menu for her. Molly thanks her, and Carly says she wanted to tell Molly she did a great job in court the other day… at Jason’s arraignment. Molly says she’s surprised to hear Carly say that. She thought Carly would hold prosecuting Jason against her. Carly tells her, who says she doesn’t?

In his office pretending to be working, Drew picks up the phone and says, send her in. Jordan walks in, and he asks, what brings her by? She says, when they spoke the other day, he said he’d be open to Aurora promoting the city of Port Charles. She’s here to follow up.

At Pentenville, a guard brings Brennan to the visitor room, and Brennan says, look who it is. Anna says, good afternoon, and he says, it is now. She asks, why is that? and he says he likes being right. He told her that she’d be back to see him, and here she is.

Sam brings Dante into the apartment, and he says he’s got this as he slowly walks to the sofa. She asks if he’s sure about that, and he says he might need a little help. She helps him to sit, and he takes her hand and says he just wanted her to sit next to him. She says she’s missed this, and he says, him too. She says she was afraid she’d never have him here again in their home, and he says, see? All that worry was for nothing. She says she loves him so much, and he says, him too. She says, welcome back, and they kiss.

Sonny asks what brings Natalia to the MetroCourt, and she says she has a meeting and they’re officially late. He says, the person he’s meeting is late too, and asks if she wants to wait with him. She says she would like to, and takes a seat. She’s always surprised by people who just don’t respect the value of other people’s time, but it doesn’t seem to be bothering him. He says he’s just waiting for a friend. Business is business. He asks what she’s drinking, and she asks what he’s having. He says, scotch, and she tells the bartender that she’ll have the same. He says, she doesn’t seem like the white wine type, and she says she’s found that business rivals don’t really respect a Sauvignon Blanc. He says he’s sure her rivals are impressed by her, and she thanks him. She asks if she can make a personal observation and he says, no… He laughs and says, go ahead, and she says, since they last met, he seems lighter, happier. He says, is that right?

Lois says, sit. Tell her everything. Brook says, when they decided to downsize the wedding, she called Sandrine and told her to stop working on alterations on Lila’s dress. But now that Dante’s feeling better – Lois says, thank God – and they’re having the wedding they originally planned, she called Sandrine back and told her to start working on the dress, and she said… Lois says, there was a fire, but Brook says, no, and Lois says, a broken pipe flooded everywhere. Brook says, ma, no, and Lois says, oh God, it’s squirrels again. Brook says, worse. She said the fabric is too old, that it’s falling apart, it won’t hold a seam. Bottom line, the dress cannot be altered. Lois says, that is a setback for sure, but Brook says, it’s more than a setback. The dress can’t be worn. Game over. Lois tells Brook to bite her tongue. She knows when things are impossible, that’s when they start to get creative. There’s got to be some way to salvage some part of Lila’s dress.

Rocco comes in with Scout, and says, Dante’s home. Dante says he is. He told them he was coming back, right? Rocco says, but now he’s here, and Dante says, he’s right, and Rocco’s here too. Sam asks, where’s Danny?

Molly tells Carly that she was assigned the case. She had to make the best argument she could. Carly says she knows Molly was just doing her job. If Jason didn’t make bail and Dante hadn’t woken up to exonerate him, she wouldn’t be in this good of a mood, but that’s not what happened. Jason’s free, Dante’s home with Sam and Rocco, and Molly’s niece and nephew. Molly says, and they’re crazy about him. She just hopes they’re not so excited to see him, they pop Dante’s stitches and Sam has to take him back to the hospital. They laugh, and Carly says, that would be awful. Kristina comes in and says, guess who’s on time? Molly says, not just on time, but early, and Kristina says, the end times must be upon us. She says hi to Carly, who tells them to take a seat – clearly, they can sit anywhere – and she’ll bring them menus. Molly sits, and Kristina tells Carly that she knows Nina is back at Crimson. Is she okay? Carly says she’s better than ever, and Kristina says, really? Carly says she’s busy enough here, and Drew’s a savvy businessman. She’s sure he had a reason for taking Nina back.

Jordan says, since Aurora is headquartered here, it benefits his company for Port Charles to be seen as the vital, thriving, culturally rich city it is. He says, as opposed to the smuggling mecca with outbursts of violence from organized crime get away from, and she says, that’s the image they’re trying to get away from. He says he’s sure the shootings at Selina’s warehouse didn’t help any, and she says she’s really glad they’re having this chat. He asks, why is that? and she says, there are some days she really misses being Police Commissioner, but he’s made it so she doesn’t miss law enforcement at all. They should do this more often. He says, they’ve got to find a way to make that happen. Starting with cleaning up the city’s image. She says she’s hoping Aurora Media will play a pivotal role in rebuilding the city’s image, from the streets up.

Brennan says, they told him that the Police Commissioner was here to see him. When did Anna take back her old job? She says, it’s been a couple of months, and he asks if Police Commissioner wasn’t a come down. International spy to small town cop. (Wow. It was a mecca just two seconds ago.) She says she could do worse. She could be wearing one of those jumpsuits. He laughs and asks if she doesn’t miss working intelligence, and she says, sure, but she actually enjoys doing local police work. He asks how that’s even possible. He remembers her back in the day, the ambition. She was downright scary. She asks if she’s scary now, and he says, she’s not not scary. She laughs and says, he was always such a smooth talker. He says, all Australians. It’s in the genes. He asks why she’s here, and she says, a name came up that made her think of him – Pikeman.

Jordan tells Drew that she wants to rebrand this city. Emphasize the art scene, their gorgeous location, its architecture… His phone rings and he says he thought he told his assistant no interruptions. He’s so sorry. The door opens and John walks in. He tells Drew not to blame his assistant, and Drew says he won’t. Who the hell is he? Jordans says, this is Special Agent John Cates with the FBI, and John says, Deputy Mayor Ashford, always a pleasure. She says she’s sure it is, and Drew says, as John can see, he’s at a meeting right now. What does he want? John says he needs Drew to answer a few questions about his brother Jason Morgan.

Molly asks if Kristina can be any more insensitive, but Kristina says, Carly is fine. Molly says, if she weren’t fine, does Kristina think she’d let on? This is Carly, for God’s sake. Kristina says, honestly, she doesn’t think Carly is crying many tears over her breakup with Drew, and Molly asks how it’s her business. Kristina says, admit it. She’s just as curious. Know how she knows? Molly hasn’t even asked her about… Molly says, oh my God. How’d it go at the doctor? She’s sorry she and TJ couldn’t be there. Kristina says, it’s totally fine, honestly. She’s laying there in what they have the nerve to call a gown. They put that goop all over her belly and roll that electric eye over it, and that’s it. She was totally fine doing it on her own. Josslyn comes in and Molly says, hi. Josslyn says hi back and goes to the counter. Carly asks if she isn’t sick of this place, and Molly asks Kristina, what’s up with her and Joss? Kristina says she has no idea what Josslyn’s problem is.

On the phone, Lois says, the bodice is completely unsalvageable?… How about those gorgeous pleats?… How popped and yellowed?… And the crinoline?… Oh no… Wait. What? They’re intact? Are they sure?… She’s going to put her daughter on the phone with them right now. She hands the phone to Brook, who says, yes? Hello?… Uh-huh… Oh my God, yes. That would be amazing… She can come in for a fitting anytime… Oh no. She’s so sorry. She can’t come in right now. She has a crucial meeting right now. She hands the phone to Lois, says, sorry, and leaves. Lois sees a bowl of ice cream on the counter and says, ooh, strawberry. She sits down, eats a spoonful, remembers she’s late, and runs off.

Sonny says he’s in the mood to celebrate a little bit, and Natalia asks, what is the special occasion? Sonny says his son is a cop, his oldest son, and he was shot in the line of duty. It was touch and go for a bit, and they thought he wasn’t going to make it. She says, but he did, and Sonny says, yeah. She raises her glass and says, to his son. He says, to Dante, and clinks his glass against hers. She asks if he’s still in the hospital, but Sonny says, he’s home today, and it’s going to take him a while to make a full recovery. She says, okay, but that’s wonderful. She’s happy for both of them. He says, thank you very much. He’s so happy. She says, that reminds her of something he said, that there is nothing more important than making sure your child knows you love them. She’s been thinking about that a lot lately. He asks if things are better with her and Blaze, and she says, yeah – she takes a sip of her drink – and no.

Scout tells Sam, Danny said he had to do something, and Sam asks if he mentioned what that was. Rocco says, no, but that’s just how he is. He’s not big on explanations. Sam says, all right. No big deal. She’ll just shoot him a text. Scout says, she can’t, and Dante asks, why not? Scout says, mommy took his phone when she grounded him, and Sam says, ouch. Scout’s right. She did do that. All right. She knows where to start. Dante says, she thinks he went to see… She shoots him a look, and looking at Sam’s phone, Scout asks why Carly would know where Danny is. Danny walks in with a bakery box and tells Dante, welcome home. Dante says, there he is. He’s back. Sam asks where he’s been, and Danny says, Eckerd’s. He wanted to get some donuts to celebrate Dante’s homecoming.

Natalia tells Sonny that she doesn’t want him to think less of her for saying this, and he says, there’s only one way to find out. She says she’s still struggling with mixed feelings about Allison, and he says, being gay. She says, yeah. She wishes she could wake up tomorrow morning and just feel enlightened and comfortable with the way she is. He says, it takes time, and she asks if it took him time with Kristina. He says, no, not really, but he thinks with Kristina, it took her so long to tell him because she was afraid he’d reject her, which he would never do. Natalia says she feels like it’s a little bit different with Allison, because she’s not altogether convinced that it’s not a reaction to the harassment and abuse she got from her former manager. He says, Linc Brown, and she says, that’s the one. She knows Sonny accepted her right away, but did he ever wonder with Kristina? Did he ever ask why? He tells her that he’d be lying if he said he never wondered if her bad experiences changed her and made her who she is. Know what he learned? That happens to all of us. Kristina was, is, and always will be Kristina. Natalia says, and she’s charming and beautiful, and he says, she gets that from her dad. She laughs, and he wonders if he can ask her something he thinks she may not like. She says, hold on, and takes a sip of her drink. All right. He asks if she thinks she knows what her daughter wants more than her daughter does, and she says, of course (🍷) she thinks that. Of course (🍷) her daughter doesn’t always agree with her all the time. He says, to daughters, and they clink glasses. Lois and Brook arrive and see Sonny with Natalia.

John says, if Jordan wouldn’t mind, but Drew says he wants her to stay. He’s got nothing to hide. John says, it’s fine by him. Has Drew heard from his brother? Drew says he has not, and John says, not since the charges were dropped? Drew says, nope, and John says, what about before? Drew says, the only time he saw Jason was at his arraignment, and John says, and they didn’t speak then. Drew says, actually, no, and John says, to his own brother? Drew says, they’re not that close, and John asks, then why go to the arraignment? Drew says, they have people in common. He was there for them. And that is the extent of their contact. John says he’s sorry, but he finds that hard to believe.

Brennan says, Pikeman, and Anna says, come on. Don’t tell her that he doesn’t know what that is. He says, of course (🍷) he knows. Armaments, defense systems, skilled mercenary soldiers. She says, very lucrative business, and he says, it was. He’s sure it still is. They were investigating them. She says, he was? and he says, the WSB was. Sadly, he no longer considers himself part of that institution. She says, what really amazes her is the fact that he was able to be the director of the WSB and head up Pikeman at the same time, and he says, what? She says, that was terrible, that look of astonishment. He’s not even trying. He says he doesn’t see how one can head a global law enforcement agency and a paramilitary defense contractor at the same time. But the fact she thought he could have, he’s quite flattered. She says, Pikeman has weapons. WSB needs weapons. That way we were able to… She keeps referring to the WSB as we. He says, institutional espionage is addictive. It’s a hard habit to break. She says, a partnership with Pikeman gave the WSB access to untraceable weapons, which allowed them to meddle in countries they were supposed to leave alone. He set it up perfectly. He says he did? He must be really good. She says, he’s one of the best. Then he got himself caught because he couldn’t leave Port Charles alone. Why? What’s so important here?

Kristina says, Molly was in the courtroom, so she didn’t see it, but she and Josslyn got into it before Jason’s arraignment. Josslyn went on and on and on about how Jason just had to be innocent. Molly says, which it turns out he was, and Kristina says, yeah, but no one knew that at the time. But did Josslyn listen? Nope. She was being totally unreasonable.

Josslyn sits down at the counter and says, Dex is becoming a cop, and Carly asks if she’s sure. Josslyn says, yes. He was here and he was reading the paperwork right over there. So what happens when Sonny finds out? What happens if Sonny takes him to the Pine Barrens and Carly isn’t there this time to stop him? Carly says she could try to talk Dex out of it, but if he’s that determined… Josslyn says, Dex should be able to do whatever he wants to do, but he can’t because of Sonny. The FBI should be investigating Sonny, and they should put him away in jail until the end of time like he deserves. Kristina gets up, and Molly says, no, just leave it, but does Kristina listen? Nope. She says, Josslyn is talking trash about her dad, and Josslyn says, in a private conversation. Kristina says, their voices carried. She might want to walk that back. Josslyn asks why she’d want to do that, and Kristina says, a lot of reasons. Everything her father’s ever done for Josslyn.

Josslyn says she’s sorry. What is she supposed to be grateful to Sonny for? Kristina says, he’s been wonderful to Josslyn. She grew up in his house. Josslyn says, he was her stepdad. She was a child. She had to live there. Kristina says, Sonny has always loved Josslyn and treated her like she was one of his own daughters, and what does she do? She tears him down behind his back. Josslyn says, call him over. She’ll say everything right to his face. It wouldn’t be her first time. Kristina says, Josslyn hates him like he is some terrible person. Her father has donated wings to hospitals… Josslyn says, where’s the money coming from that he donates these wings? His coffee imports? Kristina says she’s not discussing what her father may or may not be doing with his business… and Josslyn says, may or may not… Kristina says, about which none of them has firsthand knowledge. Josslyn says, Kristina might not, and Kristina says, Josslyn does? Carly walks over and says, they’re not having this conversation here. They need to take a step back. Kristina says, no, please, enlighten her. She can’t wait to hear this. What does Josslyn think she knows about what her father does? Josslyn says she knows Kristina’s father is a vicious thug and a murderer.

Brook hugs Sonny, and he says he didn’t know her mom was bringing her here. Lois says she wasn’t, but Brook was meeting someone here, and Natalia says, that would be her. Lois and Natalia introduce themselves, and Lois says she’s sorry they’re late. They had a wedding dress emergency. Sonny says, that happens, and Natalia says, does it? She’s never heard of a wedding dress emergency. Lois says, now she has, and Brook suggests she and Natalia chat somewhere more private. Sonny says he hears Blaze is the new Face of Deception. That is exciting. Natalia says, we’ll see, and Brook says, let’s take that table over there and let them catch up. Natalia says, have a nice lunch, and goes with Brook. Lois tells Sonny, she seems… nice.

Sam says, since they eat donuts with their hands, why don’t Scout and Rocco go upstairs to wash up? Scout asks if Danny is in trouble, but Sam says, no. Rocco tells Scout that their business is upstairs. Let’s go mind it. They go upstairs, and Sam tells Danny that she needs him to tell her the truth. No matter what, he’s not in trouble. When he went to get the donuts, did he go and see his father? Danny says, no, and she says, okay. He asks if she believes him, and she says, shouldn’t she? He says, yeah. He just didn’t think she would. She opens a drawer and says, how about this? She’s actually going to give him his phone back. She takes out the phone, hands it to him, and says, but under one condition. She is going to put the locator on, so she knows where he is. He says, so not only does she not believe him, she doesn’t trust him either, but she says she does believe him, and she trusts him. She just wants to protect him. He says, from his own father, and she says, his father isn’t someone he should be around right now. Jason leads a dangerous life. Danny says he’s got homework. He tells Dante, enjoy the donuts, and goes upstairs. Sam says, what? and Dante says, she’s the mom, so what she says goes, but respectfully, he thinks she might have made a mistake there.

John says, like Drew told him, he and his brother have people in common, most notably Sam McCall and Carly Spencer. Both of them were married to one, and both of them were involved with the other. Jordan says, none of which merits investigation from the FBI, and John says he was getting to that. She says, well, hurry, and John says, both Drew and his brother have been charged with a federal crime. His brother went to prison after a no contest plea, and Drew went to prison after pleading guilty to insider trading. He was granted early release, which means if Jason is involved in any criminal activities and Drew is implicated, he could be sent back to Pentenville. (Wouldn’t the FBI already know how close Drew and Jason are or aren’t?)

Brennan says he’s thought a lot about Port Charles. There’s so much to do in this city, so much to discover. Anna says, like a mission report on the defection they worked on together. Does he remember that? He asks, how could he forget? It was a dismal failure. She says, but then he found out she had a hard copy, and he couldn’t let that get out, could he? He says, because it went south? He’ll have her know that he’s been a part of more than one failed mission. She says, but none of those resulted in ten million dollars disappearing, and he says he remembers the ten million too. It’s funny, because back then they thought that was a lot of money. She says, they did, but it’s enough to provide seed money for Pikeman. That’s why he had to destroy the report and silence her in the process. He says, right. So if he’s such a diabolical mastermind, why is she still alive? If she’s the only person who can tie him to the missing money, why wouldn’t he just kill her? She says, it’s not for lack of trying, and he says, or maybe that’s what someone wants her to believe. She asks if he’s saying he’s being framed, and he says, like she hasn’t? She says, it happens to the best of us, and he says, someone didn’t like the direction he was taking with the WSB, and now he’s in here. Maybe she can help him get out. Maybe she can find out who framed him. For old time’s sake. She says she’ll consider it, if he gives her something in return. He says, such as? and she says, a name. With him in here, someone’s got to be running Pikeman. Who?

Josslyn says, Molly is the ADA. She must have access to the file on the assault of Cyrus Renault. Show Kristina. Kristina says, Josslyn wants to talk about thugs and murderers, Cyrus Renault is at the top of that list. Josslyn says, he used to be. Maybe he still is. It doesn’t matter. She should look at the file. And she should take a really good look at the photos and see what her beloved daddy did to a helpless old man who couldn’t fight back. Molly says, this isn’t accomplishing anything. They’re going to go. Josslyn tells Molly, show her. And then show her all of the information in all of the files on all of the lives Sonny has ruined and all of the people he has had killed. Carly tries to interrupt, but Josslyn says, then maybe Kristina will see him for who he really is. Kristina says she can’t be around Josslyn, and walks out. Molly looks at Josslyn, who says, if Molly wants her to apologize, she can’t. Molly says, Kristina is pregnant right now. She can’t handle this kind of stress. Even if she could, what good does it possibly do, rubbing her nose in how Josslyn feels about Sonny? He’s her father. She loves him. She has every right to. Molly leaves, and Josslyn looks guilty, as she should. She can be a mean girl.

Sonny says he thinks that’s a record. Two seconds, and Lois wrote Natalia off. Lois says, oh no. She’s as open as the next person. He says he can see that, and she says she means it. She’s willing to give anyone a chance, but come on. She’s been in the music business a little bit too long. She can spot a stage mother from a mile away, and she’s telling him, that Natalia is enmeshed in her daughter’s life. So much so, that poor kid isn’t going to be able to have a life of her own. He says, and no one can say that about her, and she says, there is no questioning how close she and Brook are. But her daughter is her own person, and she accepts the beautiful, brilliant, vibrant human being that she’s become. He says, and she is that, and Lois says, let’s see if that Natalia can say it about her own kid.

Brook asks what Natalia’s concerns are about Blaze becoming the Face of Deception, and Natalia says, she’s already a star. Brook says, she is, a rising star, and Natalia says, higher and higher every day. So forgive her if she questions some of Brook’s managerial choices. Brook says she’ll be happy to answer any questions Natalia may have. Fire away. Natalia suggests they start with the most obvious, which is that Brook has this wedding taking up all of her time. So will Brook even have time to focus on what’s best for her daughter? Brook says, yes. Next question. Natalia says, let’s just stick with this one. What if she had a wedding dress emergency and she had a meeting with a record label or a venue manager?

Dante says, the more Sam forbids Danny to see his father, the more he’s going to want to see his father. She says she doesn’t know what else to do. Does he have any suggestions? He says, talk to Jason? He doesn’t know. He may be biased right now because technically, the guy saved his life.

Brennan says he can’t tell Anna who’s head of Pikeman because he doesn’t know, and she says, might she remind him that she and Dante Falconari were targeted by Hume. Hume was employed by Pikeman, working under his orders. He says, if she has proof of that, by all means, show it to his attorneys. He’s sure they’d love to see it. As would he. Let him ask her. Does she have any evidence directly tying him to Pikeman? No? Then why does she think that is? She says she may not have anything to tie him to Pikeman now, but she can certainly tie him to it back in the day.

Sam says she’s grateful Jason helped save Dante’s life, but this isn’t about him and Jason. This is about her protecting Danny from Jason. She doesn’t want him to get sucked into Jason’s life more than he already has. Dante says, first of all, he’s not trying to make it about him. He’s with her. He’s just concerned that… She says, forbidding Danny from seeing Jason is only going to make him want to see Jason more. She knows that. She just doesn’t know what else to do. He says he’s going to do whatever it is Sam tells him to do to help her. She says, of course (🍷) he will. Because he knows what it means to be a father. And it’s more than biology. He’s the one who’s here. He’s the one who’s put in the time. He’s the one Danny can count on. He says he doesn’t know about that, but he knows he’s the lucky one, because he has her and those kids. She says, yeah, and they’re about to kiss, when Scout asks if they can eat now. Sam says, of course (🍷). Come on down. The kids all come downstairs, and Sam says she has some really good news. Olivia brought over some dinner, but she was thinking maybe they’d do something a little different. Since it is a celebration, maybe they could have dessert before dinner. Unless of course (🍷), they want to have dinner before dessert. Show of hands. Dinner first?… No? Dessert first? All the hands go up, and Sam says, dessert it is. Danny says, Dante gets first choice, but Dante says he’ll give his first choice to Scout. Scout asks if there’s a pink one with sprinkles and Danny asks what she thinks. She takes one out, and Sam asks what she says. Scout says, thanks Dante. Welcome home. Dante thanks all of them and says, this is the best welcome home ever. Now pass those donuts around.

Drew says, if John wants to investigate him, go for it. Sift through every detail of his life. John can audit his company. He has absolutely nothing to hide. He’s just going to give John a little bit of advice. Make sure he dots every i and crosses every t, because he’s going to make this very public. And he’s pretty sure the FBI doesn’t want John bringing on that kind of exposure for them. John thanks Drew and says he appreciates Drew’s time and cooperation. Drew says, he’s very welcome. So they’re done. John says, for now. If he does hear from his brother – Drew says he won’t – or obtain any information, give him a call. Drew says, John wants to bring down Jason, that’s on him. John leaves, and Jordan asks, who does Drew hate more, his brother or Very Special Agent (ha-ha!) John Cates? He says he definitely doesn’t hate his brother. It’s just, Jason brings on his own trouble, and he doesn’t want to be dragged down into it. She says, heard, and he thanks her for staying. She says she’s so glad she did. Drew tearing into Special Agent Cates was a thing of beauty.

Anna says, that mission report, and Brennan says, the one she believes he tried to have her killed over. She says, that one. It clearly states that he was instrumental in planning that operation where the ten million went missing. It put him in a perfect position to sabotage the op and abscond with the money. Everyone else involved with that op was either sidelined or demoted, but not him. His career skyrocketed. It’s almost as if someone in a much, much, much higher position at the Bureau not only approved of his actions, but was rewarding him for them. They were rewarding him with positions that were advantageous to him and to Pikeman. Pikeman is far too valuable to collapse in his absence. So who did he hand it off to? Who is running it now? He says he wishes he could help her, but alas, she’s wasting her time. He calls the guard and says, the Police Commissioner is done with him. The guard leads him away.

Brook tells Natalia, Blaze wanted to keep it at smaller venues for now, then move on to other ones once they sold those out. After all, it’s better to sell 300 tickets to a 200-person venue than it is to sell 500 tickets to one that holds 1000. Natalia says she happens to believe Blaze could sell out a 1000 plus seat venue, and Brook says, so does she, but this is Blaze’s choice and she backed Blaze because she believes in her. Blaze is her client. She and Blaze will decide what direction to take her career. Natalia says, Blaze might be Brook’s client, but this is her child. It’s her job to safeguard Blaze’s happiness. Brook says, Natalia’s not going to get an objection from her. They all want Blaze to be happy. Natalia says, to that end, she wants to make sure Blaze doesn’t publicize something she can’t take back later. So she wants Blaze’s private life to remain private. Are they clear? Brook says she doesn’t manage Blaze’s private life. And neither does Natalia. Whoever Blaze decides to spend her time with and whoever knows about it, that’s up to Blaze. A word of advice… Natalia says she doesn’t need Brook’s advice, but Brook says, trust her. She does. Sonny is Blaze’s girlfriend’s father, and he loves his little girl. He thinks she hung the moon. She doesn’t think he’d appreciate Natalia trying to keep their relationship a secret.

Lois says, thank God. She can see the relief in Sonny’s face. She can hear it in his voice. He says he’s been relying a lot on Dante lately. Not just as a son, but as a friend. Lois says, how so? and he says, Dante has a way of getting through to him – he lowers his voice – and he needs that in his life right now.

Carly says, Josslyn was right about Sonny, but Kristina refuses to see it. Of course (🍷) she does. Sonny is her father. Josslyn says, don’t tell her that she has to go apologize, and Carly says, no. She doesn’t have to apologize. Kristina isn’t a delicate flower, and she gave just as good as she got. But she’s worried about Josslyn. Josslyn is so angry about the situation with Sonny and Dex, and she gets it, but all that rage Josslyn has inside is only hurting her. Josslyn says, of course (🍷) she’s filled with rage. Sonny sent Dex to kill Cyrus and Dex was going to do it, but he felt like he didn’t have a choice. And she can’t be with someone who could do something like that. Carly says, that’s the choice Josslyn made and she’s proud of her for it. Josslyn says, even if she’s miserable? and Carly says, that’s how she knows it wasn’t an easy choice to make. And as far as if it was worth it or not, only Josslyn knows the answer to that. Josslyn says, all she knows is, she still loves Dex, and she misses him, and Carly says he understands. She’s been there. Josslyn says, but she’s terrified because Dex is going to become a cop, and there’s a real chance Sonny will have him killed.

On Tuesday (see below), Drew asks Nina what he gets out of this; Sonny asks Ava why Drew would hire the woman who put him in prison; Jason says he needs someone to do something else for him; and Carly yells for someone to be left alone.

👓 No Soap Monday…

It’s the solar eclipse, baby.

📋 Carly’s New Hire…

Meet Hunter.

🔬 A Little Mental Health On the Side…

When art imitates life. One of the reasons I love GH. They keep it relevant.

💣 Joining Forces…

I can see them as The Blues Brothers 2.0.

William deVry Updates Fans on His Project With Kin Shriner!

🍸 For Ann’s Sake…

But will she ever actually be working?

There’s no doubt it was stressful.

But apparently, the worm with a mustache doesn’t think it’s stressful picking up his dirty drawers and being a go-between for two people who shouldn’t be sharing a house in the first place.

💎 When Worlds Collide…

Definitely a meet cute.

⚰️ What’s Next In Dead…

New addition to the City.

https://undeadwalking.com/posts/dead-city-season-2-update-sons-of-anarchy-actor-kim-coates-added-to-cast-01htqk16jafm

Thoughts on the Dead future.

🐶 Miracles Happen…

Best happy ending ever.

https://people.com/woman-viral-search-for-senior-dog-missing-from-animal-hospital-exclusive-8620174

That grasshopper must live!

https://people.com/zoo-vets-make-tiny-neck-brace-for-grasshopper-bug-8619996

He’s in love.

https://people.com/simon-cowell-cuddles-adorable-black-white-puppy-8620886

💡 Quotes of the Week

It’s not a lie if you believe it. – George Costanza (Jason Alexander), Seinfeld

I’d rather see my face aging than a face I don’t recognize at all. – Cameron Diaz (Thank you.)

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

A polite enemy is just as difficult to discredit, as a rude friend is to protect. – Bryant H. McGill

The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you. – B. B. King (No one can take integrity away from you either.)

If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call ‘failure’ is not the falling down, but the staying down. – Mary Pickford

Fear imprisons, faith liberates; fear paralyzes, faith empowers; fear disheartens, faith encourages; fear sickens, faith heals; fear makes useless, faith makes serviceable – and, most of all, fear puts hopelessness at the heart of life, while faith rejoices in its God. – Henry Emerson Fosdick 

People will always have opinions about your decision because they’re not courageous enough to take action on their opinion. – Steve Maraboli

The man who insists on seeing with perfect clearness before he decides, never decides. – Henri-Frédéric Amiel

And that, my dear, is how you run an asylum. – Matron Grady (Judith Light), Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story

⚡️Aftershocking…

Enjoy the eclipse then join me on Monday really Tuesday for what’s cringeworthy on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay opening/holding the door open for any human immediately before or after you, and stay celebrating with dessert before dinner on occasion. Unless of course, you want dessert after dinner.

March 15, 2024 – Heather Gets Surprising News, Clarification, Next, Which Ones, Fallout, Awful Summer, Upcoming Dead, Latest In Pets (!), A Half Dozen Plus One Quotes & Feeling

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone at the hospital, Portia says she’s trying to locate a Dr. Paul Braddock… Yes, this is concerning one of his previous patients… Okay, she’ll hold. Stella, Marshall, and Curtis wait, and Nurse Sarah asks if Portia didn’t want these test results right away. Stella says she can take over and Portia hands her the phone. She leaves with the nurse, and Stella says, yes, she’s here… Yes, she understands Dr. Braddock has retired, but he was part of the Med Psyche Evaluation Faculty. Shouldn’t they be able to reach him?… She thanks them for looking into it. They can call her back at this number. Curtis says he guesses he was being a little overconfident, thinking they could drive down to Maryland and get answers. This Dr. Braddock is hard to find. Stella says, they’ll track him down eventually, and find out why he misdiagnosed Marshall with schizophrenia. Now go on. Marshall asks if she’s trying to get rid of them, and she asks Curtis, does he or does he not have physical therapy? Curtis says he does, and she says, then get to moving. Marshall says, best not to argue with the lady, and Curtis says, bye, Aunt Stella, as Marshall wheels him away.

Gregory thanks Finn, and Finn says, that’s the third time he’s said that. Gregory says, Finn has better things to do than proofread his copy, but Finn says he’s happy to. Gregory says, unfortunately, his keyboard game isn’t what it used to be, and Finn says he can tell. What’s that supposed to be? Gregory reads, went about his way, and Finn says, that makes a lot more sense. He can actually type this for Gregory. It will take him two minutes. Gregory says, it will actually take much longer than that, and Finn is a busy man. His son, the doctor. Finn says, no… when Portia knocks at the door, and Finn asks what he can do for her. She says she just got the radiology report from Heather Webber’s MRI, and Gregory says, that’s his cue to make his exit. It’s good to see Portia. He leaves, and Finn says he takes it there’s something interesting in the report, and Portia tells him, you could say that.

Nina goes into Alexis’s office and says, unbelievable. Alexis says, thank you… Oh, she didn’t mean that as a compliment. Nina says, far from it. That follow-up piece she put in today’s paper about the incident at the docks? Alexis says, what about it? and Nina says, it was an outrage, that’s what about it. Alexis tells her, like Nina said, she ran the piece; she didn’t write it. Nina says, so? and Alexis says, so that’s how it works in local news. Nina says she’s seen how it works, but it was a smear job on Sonny. Sonny knows she’s publishing this newspaper and the last thing she wants is to antagonize him. Alexis says, then quit. Better yet, why doesn’t Nina run the paper, and stop antagonizing her?

At the hospital, Diane looks at her phone as she walks down the hallway with Robert. She gasps and says she’s going to break her kneecaps. He asks, whose kneecaps? and she asks if she said that out loud. He says, she did, when Portia and Finn come out of the elevator. Portia says, DA Scorpio. Just the man she wanted to see.

Standing next to Laura, Doc asks if Heather can state her full name for him, and she says, Heather Grant Moore Taylor… No. Baker, then Taylor. He says, that wasn’t a fair question. How about, what is today’s date? She says, March… something. The days are just blending together. He asks, who’s their president? and she says, the guy with the aviators. She can’t focus. Doesn’t Laura understand? It’s too painful to look at him. All she can see is his brother.

In the hallway, Doc says he wishes he could report Heather is in her right mind, but… Robert says, sane or not sane, he doesn’t really give a damn. She’s being transferred today. Portia says she’d be glad to see the last of Heather Webber, believe her, but unfortunately, she’s not going anywhere.

At Dex’s apartment, he asks if Josslyn can hand him another box, but she says, no. He says, please? and she says, no. She’s not going to help him do the very thing she doesn’t want him to do and that doesn’t have to happen. He says, they’ve been over this, and she says, it still makes no sense. He loves it in Port Charles. He says he does, and she says, and he loves her. He says, even more, and she asks, then how can he leave? He says he’d ask her to come with him, but he knows she needs to stay close to her family, and she says she needs her family, and they need her, but she needs him too. They kiss, and he picks her up, carrying her to the bedroom where they get busy.

Alexis says she has a suggestion for Nina. Why doesn’t she run The Invader the way she sees fit, and leave her out of it? But she can’t, can she? Because she doesn’t know how to edit a newspaper. Nina says, nor does she have any desire to, and Alexis says, then let her do her job. Gregory walks in and says, here you go. Sorry, he didn’t realize she had… Nina snatches the papers out of his hand and asks what Alexis has him writing. Alexis says, Nina… and Nina says, call it quality control. She doesn’t want tomorrow’s paper resembling today’s. Alexis says, that is psychotic, let alone obsessive, and Gregory says, it’s an article on the police department outreach to kids ages 8 to 14. Alexis says, scandalous, and Gregory says, they do field trips, athletics, arts and crafts. His son Chase is one of the volunteer officers. Nina says, it’s highly unprofessional. Look at this, with all of the red marks, the cross outs, the typos. And why didn’t he electronically submit this? Alexis takes it out of her hand and says, if she wants the edition out by tomorrow, Nina needs to get out of her office right now. Out! Nina leaves, saying, whatever, and Alexis slams the door.

Portia says, these are Heather’s MRI images, showing Doc her tablet, and Robert asks, what exactly are they looking at here? Portia says, this is the reason she isn’t being discharged today, not in this condition, and Diane says she loves a good guessing game, but she has the feeling she’s not needed here, so good luck. Robert says he thinks he’s going to need it, and Diane leaves. Dr. Enoch joins them, and Portia thanks him for making the time. Laura asks if somebody can please tell them what’s going on, and Portia tells Dr. Enoch that he can actually speak in front of Mayor Collins. She holds Heather Webber’s health care proxy. Laura says she does? and Portia tells her, that’s what the paperwork says. Laura says, dear God. She supposes she might be the nearest thing Heather has left to family. Doc says, scary thought, and Robert asks if they can get back to the matter at hand. Dr. Enoch says, see these orbs of brightness? They suggest metallosis, specifically, cobalt poisoning. Laura asks how you get that, and the doctor says, fractured or slowly deteriorating hip replacement hardware. Doc says, so Heather’s hip replacement is poisoning her? and Dr. Enoch says, to confirm, they’ll need a blood test, tox screen, and a panel for heavy metals. Finn says, already ordered, and Dr. Enoch tells Doc, that’s the working theory, yes. It’s sometimes accompanied by a spectrum of neuropsychiatric symptoms. Have they noticed any changes, however subtle, in Heather’s behavior in recent years?

Curtis lifts his foot, and Don says, good. As he gets stronger, he can increase the use of weights. It’s going to help his quads and hamstrings. Marshall says, and they’re all for that, aren’t they? and Curtis says, how many reps? Don says, as many as he can tolerate. As long as his pain level doesn’t go above a three. Curtis says he knows Don has other patients. Does he mind if Curtis stays at it a minute? Don asks if Marshall will keep an eye on Curtis, and Marshall says, absolutely. Don says, let’s go for it, and leaves. Curtis thanks Marshall for staying and Marshall says he loves it, watching Curtis work so hard, He’s proud of Curtis. Curtis says he’s proud of Marshall. Confronting Dr. Braddock when he knows Marhsall had reservations. Marshall says, oh, that, and Curtis asks if he’s thought about what he’s going to say to him when they’re finally face to face. Marshall says, if it’s the same psychiatrist he remembers, it won’t be anything nice.

On the phone, Finn asks if there’s anything on those orders Dr. Robinson put through… Great. Thanks. He tells Portia that Heather’s test results should be in, and Portia says she’ll look them up. Here we go. She shows Dr. Enoch, who says his preliminary diagnosis is confirmed. Doc asks, what now? and Dr. Enoch says, the hip that’s failing needs to be replaced immediately. Robert asks if the federal pen of the women’s division can’t do it, and Laura says, Robert… He says, she’s a homicidal maniac, and Laura says, yes, but now they’re learning there may be a medical reason for that. He says, she’s always been a bit loony, and Laura says, loony, yes. She used to do crazy things. Like once she tried to give somebody LSD, and she ended up drinking it herself, but she’s not a murderer. She’s definitely not a serial killer. That’s just… Doc says, new, and Portia says she’s not a fan of Heather Webber, but this is about human suffering. She checked with Dr. Randolph, who agrees with her. If they fail to treat Heather Webber, they can be opening themselves up to an investigation for possible liability. Laura tells Robert that they’ve got to let this go, especially if it poses a risk to the hospital. Robert tells her, right, and walks away as he says, to think he missed breakfast in bed because of this.

The reception phone rings, and Stella answers, Dr. Robinson here… Can they say that again?… She thanks them for getting back to her, and watches as Doc goes up the stairs to his office.

Basking in the afterglow, Josslyn says she’s glad they’re still good at that, and Dex asks if she thought they wouldn’t be. She says, no. It’s nice to know, that’s all. They kiss, and he says he wishes they could stay in bed all day. She asks why they can’t, and he says he has to pack, and gets out of bed. She says, he’s still leaving? and he says he has to. She tells him to stop saying that. He doesn’t have to. He’s making a choice to do this. He says, it doesn’t feel like a choice to him. He realized he didn’t know Sonny as well as he thought he did. Maybe that’s how she feels about Jason now that he’s suspected of shooting Dante. She says, Jason did not shoot Dante, okay? That she knows. What he did do was wrap that bandage around him and call 911. You know how she knows that? The two of them are very similar. They’re both good, decent human beings. Just like how she doesn’t understand how he and Jason are so loyal to someone like Sonny. He says he was loyal to Sonny. He’s also afraid of him. Maybe not him so much, but who he’s becoming because of him. Maybe she should be too.

Alexis says she’s so sorry about Nina, but Gregory says, she doesn’t know. Alexis says she doesn’t care what Nina knows or doesn’t know. She had no right to talk to him that way. It was callous and it was rude. He says, maybe, but as her publisher, Nina is allowed to set standards. And after today, it’s become clear to him that he can no longer meet them. She says she disagrees, but he says, pretending otherwise does him no favors. Please allow him his dignity. He takes the papers out of her hand and says, this will be his last article for The Invader. He heads for the door, and she asks where he’s going with that. He says he’s going to make the corrections that Nina wanted, and then he’ll submit his final copy electronically like all her other writers do. She thanks him, he says, the pleasure’s been his, and he leaves.

As Curtis lifts the weights with his legs, he says he knows how Marshall feels about Dr. Braddock now, but what were his impressions of him at the beginning? Marshall says, Dr. Braddock was kind, at first. He was compassionate and understanding. When Marshall told him that he felt like everything was against him, and he meant that… Curtis says, money, work, and Marshall says, family obligations. He was sympathetic, and assured Marshall that it wasn’t his fault. Curtis says, a chemical imbalance, and Marshall says, the way he put it was, there was a part of his brain that was fighting itself. That was an explanation that gave him relief. It was an explanation as to why everything was going to hell. But he didn’t have insurance, so when the doctor prescribed him pills that he couldn’t afford, he was out there cobbling that money together. Don’t ask him how he did it. Curtis says he won’t, and Marshall says, anything to help him better take care of Curtis, his mother, and his brother, but those pills made him rigid. He couldn’t play. He could barely feel his fingers. His mouth was so dry, the reed just stuck to it. Curtis asks if he told the doctor, and Marshall says, that’s when the doctor offered him those shock treatments at the bargain price of $800 a pop. Curtis says, get out of here, and Marshall says he ain’t kiddin’. Curtis says, so what did he do? and Marshall says he blew up on him. He vented his anger, and he vented his frustration. Curtis asks, how did Dr. Braddock take it? and Marshall says, not well.

Heather says, metallosis? That sounds like something you get when your tongue freezes to the flagpole. (Ha-ha-ha! It does.) Portia says, Dr. Enoch believes the condition is what’s causing Heather’s symptoms, and Heather says, her symptoms? Laura says, both physical and mental, and Heather asks Dr. Enoch if he’s saying this poison is making her think things and do things she normally wouldn’t. Dr. Enoch says, it’s a very real possibility that metallosis has altered her perception and behavior, and Heather says, no doctor has told her anything ever except that she’s crazy. Dr. Enoch asks, how long has the pain in her hip been acute? and Heather says she’s not sure, but it feels like an eternity. He says, they would surgically remove the defective apparatus and replace it with a current model, and she says, he means like, buying a new car, and you just junk the old ship and replace it with this year’s model? He says, as with many surgeries, there are significant risks. A standard hip replacement takes approximately two hours. Hers may be double that. She’ll be under anesthesia and carefully monitored. However, in rare cases, patients experience complications from anesthesia. Heather says, complications meaning you never wake up? and he says, in rare cases. But before they do the surgery, they’re going to start her on cobalt chelation… Heather asks if she could just have a minute, indicating with Laura, and the doctor steps aside. She tells Laura that she doesn’t understand what he’s saying. She hears the words, but all that medicalese just sounds like white noise. Does Laura know what he’s talking about? Laura says she thinks she does, and Heather asks if Laura can just figure out for her, please? Laura is her guardian now. Laura says she’s not Heather’s guardian. It’s just in case she can’t make decisions for herself. She’s just in charge of Heather’s medical care. Heather says, as Laura can see, she’s having a hard time with that, and Portia says, she’s having a hard time with what exactly? Heather says, with making decisions. There should be a will. It’s in her file she thinks. Portia says, yes, she’s seen it, and Heather says, short and sweet. Portia says, she leaves her entire estate to her grandson Ace, and Heather says, not that she has anything to leave, but she doesn’t want to leave him. So what does Laura think? Should she have them take out her whole hip and put in a new one? Laura says, it’s a personal choice, and Heather says, please, help her decide. Laura says she thinks Heather should do it, and Heather exhales.

Finn says, Gregory’s back, and Gregory says he changed his mind. Finn says, about? and Gregory asks if he’d mind retyping this, after work. Finns says he doesn’t mind typing it right now, and Gregory asks if he’s sure. Finn says, positive, and Gregory thanks him and sits down. Finn asks, what was the verdict? Is Alexis a fan? Gregory says, Alexis usually likes what he writes, but he’s decided this will be his last article. Finn asks, how come? and Gregory says, the newspaper gig just isn’t for him. Finn says, it will certainly free up some more time. So he can finish up that Chaucer book he’s been working on. Or he always said he wanted to write a novel. Gregory looks at his shaky hand and says, it’s on his list. Finn says, start scratching a few things off, will he? There’s no time like the present, so they say. Gregory says, the present is all we’ve got.

Diane blows into Alexis’s office, tossing her bag on a chair, and marching up to Alexis’s desk. Alexis asks, what’s her problem? and Diane unfolds the paper and reads, Port Charles own redheaded mob lawyer shacking up with the District Attorney. She tosses the paper onto Alexis’s desk, and Alexis says she never said that. Diane says, her paper sure did.

Stella goes to Doc’s office and says she hopes she’s not interrupting. He says, nothing too important. What can he do for her? She says she was hoping to pick his brain, and he says, pick away. She asks if he ever encountered a psychiatrist by the name of Paul Braddock. He practiced out of Baltimore, but from what she gathers, he was fairly well known. Doc tells her, you could say that.

Alexis says she had nothing to do with that, and Diane asks, is The Invader not her publication? Alexis says, Diane seems to have forgotten she has a new publisher, who has shoved a gossip columnist right down her throat. She hasn’t seen anything about that. Diane says, she might want to start reading it. She assumes Alexis is going to print a retraction tomorrow. Alexis asks what Diane wants her to say, that she’s not a natural redhead? and Diane fake laughs. Alexis says she has something Diane might be happier about, and Diane says, thrill me. Alexis says, Nina has forbidden them to mention Sonny at all. Nada. Zip. Not a word. So Diane’s number one client is officially off limits. Diane asks if the woman has a single redeeming quality, and Alexis says, Diane tells her that like she’s going to follow Nina’s orders, and Diane says, a lawyer can dream, can’t she? Alexis says, she means a redheaded mob lawyer, and Diane fake laughs again.

Josslyn says, what if she told Dex that she’s coming with him? and he says he’d tell her that she was lying to him, but mostly to herself. her family is way too important to her. And that’s a good thing. He wishes he felt that way about his. She says, he’s important to her, but he says, that’s different. She says, yes. She loves her family, but she’s in love with him. He says he loves her too, so much. He’s never said that to anyone before. That’s why he wants what’s best for her and that can’t be him. She asks if it’s Sonny he’s worried about. If it’s that, she might be able to protect him. She’ll talk to her mom; her mom can talk to him. She knows they’re not together, and she knows they’ve been through it, but she has the feeling Sonny will still listen to her. He says, what if it’s already too late? when there’s a knock at the door. Josslyn says, what if what’s too late? and there’s another knock. She says she’ll get it and opens the door to Nina. She asks if Nina is looking for more backs to stab. Sorry. She’s fresh out.

Marshall says, it was nice watching Curtis work so hard, putting all this work into his recovery, and Curtis says, don’t do that. His recovery is quantifiable. If he does his exercises, he’ll be back on his feet sooner, but that wasn’t the same for Marshall. Marshall says, their situations are different. Does he know what that difference is? Marshall ran and gave up. Curtis didn’t. Stella comes in and says, working hard or hardly working? and Marshall says, she knows her nephew can’t stop, won’t stop. Curtis asks if she located Dr. Braddock, and she sighs. He asks, what’s wrong? and she says she’s got good news and bad news. Which do they want first? Marshall says, bad, and she says, Dr. Braddock died just before Christmas. Marshall says, they won’t find him mourning the man, and Curtis says, no one would expect him to. Marshall says he knew all this searching stuff would lead to nothing, and Curtis says, Stella told them that she had good news too. She says, the answers they’ve been searching for aren’t hiding in Baltimore. They’re right upstairs in this hospital.

Laura shows Heather, pictures of Ace on her phone, and Heather says, look how big he’s getting. Laura says, baby today, Mayor of Port Charles tomorrow, and Heather asks if Laura thinks he’ll follow in her footsteps. Laura says she doesn’t know what he’ll grow up to be, and Heather says, better Laura’s path than hers. That is for sure. All this went so wrong. When? How? Besides this metallosis stuff, what happened to her? Laura says she doesn’t know. If it makes Heather feel any better, she feels like she’s lived a few different lives, and sometimes she can’t always connect the dots between them. Heather says, that’s exactly it. It’s so random, so disjointed. Sometimes she feels like she’s in freefall, and the only thing worse than the fall itself is the ground rushing up to meet her. Laura asks if Heather knows the upside to having gotten it all wrong, and Heather says she didn’t know there was an upside. Laura says, there’s still time for her to get it right. (Do I smell a contract in Heather’s future?)

Nina asks if Dex is here, and Josslyn says she doesn’t know. She asks Dex if he’s here, and he comes to the door. Talking at lightning speed, Nina asks if he can relay a message to Sonny. She had no idea The Invader was going to run that story about him today. She’s only been running that newspaper for a very short time, and they don’t run anything by her. Josslyn says she doesn’t think she’s ever seen Sonny read a newspaper, and Dex says, he has not. But Sonny’s very well informed. He just gets his news through other means. Josslyn says, okay, great. So Nina’s in the clear. Okay. Bye. Nina puts her hand on the door and says, hold on. Is Dex going somewhere? Is Sonny going somewhere? Is Dex accompanying him as his guard? Josslyn says, first of all, that’s none of Nina’s business, and second of all, Dex is through with Sonny. Kind of like how Sonny’s through with Nina. Nina says, she is her mother’s daughter, and Josslyn says, and proud of it. Nina says she sees what’s happening here. Dex broke up with Sonny. And that can only mean Josslyn is next.

Alexis says she hates complaining, and Diane says, and yet… Alexis says, the newspaper business is… How does she phrase this? Diane says, miserable? and Alexis says, yes. In general, nobody reads anymore. They scroll. Specifically, it’s this place. It’s this publisher. She’s dishing gossip to make Nina Reeves happy. Who is she? What has she become? Diane says, that’s a rhetorical question? and Alexis says she’d take up the law again for free if it meant giving up this nasty job. Diane says, really? In that case, she has a proposal for Alexis. One that will get her out of this place and away from Nina Reeves for good.

Looking over Finn’s shoulder, Gregory says, the semi-colon should be a period. There are no semi-colons in newspapers. Finn says, noted, and makes the change. Handing Finn a paper, Gregory says, here’s the web address for The Invader worksite. He can post it there. Finn says, this is the password? and Gregory says, yeah. Finn says, all right, and types. There you go. His final article has been uploaded. Gregory says, excellent, and Finn asks if he wants to stick around and have lunch. He knows it’s not the MetroCourt, but the turkey chili is pretty decent. Gregory says, thanks, but he thinks he’ll get home. Try to squeeze in a nap before Violet gets home from school. He thanks Finn again for this, and Finn thanks him for everything. Gregory says he’s not done quite yet, and Finn says, better not be. Gregory says, see him at home? and Finn says, see him at home, and Gregory leaves.

On the phone Finn thanks Boden for getting back to him. Where did they send him this time?… Wow. He heard all hell’s breaking loose there. He realizes his timing is terrible, so he’ll make it quick. His dad’s been diagnosed with ALS… He thanks Boden and says he appreciates that. He knows the course of the disease is different with every patient. It seems to be accelerating with him, and Boden is the best neurologist he’s ever worked with, so he wants to know if Boden has anything. He doesn’t even know what he’s looking for. He thinks a little magic at this point, but… No, he knows the drill. Go save some lives and stay safe. He puts the phone down.

Diane tells Alexis that she doesn’t want to take another hit piece like that gossip columnist just leveled at her. She’s a phenomenal lawyer. Alexis says, Diane isn’t going to get any argument from her, and Diane says, also, she’ hates to think she’s the kind of person who cares what people think of her, but her reputation matters. And she doesn’t want anybody out there thinking she only takes cases for mob money. That’s not why she got into the law in the first place. Alexis asks, why did she? and Diane says she’s going to assume for the same reasons Alexis got in. To be of service. To strive for justice… even if the definition of justice seems to vary a little bit between her and Alexis. Alexis asks if Diane wants her to write a puff piece, but Diane says she just wants Alexis to zip it. Pay attention. Come work with her. Alexis laughs and says, as what? Her receptionist? Diane says, no, as her very esteemed, every other day, colleague. And if Alexis is very good and very nice to her, at some point soon, her partner. Alexis says she thinks Diane is forgetting the small matter of her disbarment. She’s not able to practice law anymore. Diane tells her, says who? and Alexis says, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York. It was a swift and decisive ruling, she might add. Diane says, and it’s a ruling she’s betting she can get overturned.

Nina says, now that they’ve established that Josslyn is a chip off the old Carly block, she bets the only secrets Josslyn likes are the ones she keeps herself. Dex says, that’s enough, get out, but Josslyn says, no. What does Nina mean? Nina says, she should really aim that question to her boyfriend, and Josslyn asks Dex what she’s talking about. Nina tells him, don’t be shy. Tell Josslyn about the day she caught him dressed as an orderly coming out of Cyrus Renault’s hospital room.

The guard says, remember, no funny business, and Heather says, there’s nothing funny about surgery if you ask her. There’s paperwork on the tray in front of her, and she asks, who’s got a pen? Laura asks if she’d like Dr. Enoch to go over the procedure with her one more time in layman’s terms before she signs, but Heather says, no. It’s not necessary. Laura thinks she should do this? That’s good enough for her. Portia gives her a pen, and Heather says, gracias, doctore. She signs, and Portia says, they’ll submit her consent and get the ball rolling. Heather holds up her arm, and Portia says, yes, of course (🍷), locking the cuff again. Dr. Enoch says, they’ll talk soon, and leaves with Portia and the guard. Heather asks Laura, what’s Doc like in bed? And Laura says, excuse me? Heather says she was just wondering if there were any similarities with Ryan in that department, and Laura says she thought they were getting along so well. Heather says, they were. They are. Laura tells her, have a good day, and leaves. Heather wonders what she said.

Stella, Marshall, and Curtis sit in Doc’s office, and Doc says he understands Marshall was a patient of Dr. Paul Braddock. Marshall says, once upon a time, yes. He takes it Doc has heard of him. Doc says, he made quite a name for himself, and Curtis says, is this guy famous or something? Doc says, some might go with infamous, and Marshall says, he’s the one who diagnosed him with schizophrenia. Doc says, Stella told him, and Marshall says, gave him all these dire warnings about how it might progress, how he might hurt himself or his family, and the shame it would bring upon them if that happened. He was so scared, he left his boys and let his wife and Stella raise them without him. But none of it was true. Doc says, Marshall didn’t have what Dr. Braddock said he did, and Marshall asks, what would make a doctor tell him that he was schizophrenic when he wasn’t? Doc tells him that he can’t say for certain, and Marshall says, guess. Curtis asks if Doc won’t please help them out. They need answers. Doc says he believes Marshall was misdiagnosed because he was young, male, poor, angry, and Black.

On Monday, Doc says, Marshall just correctly diagnosed his misdiagnosis; Alexis asks Diane what any of this has to do with her; Olivia wonders if she should be relieved or terrified; and Nina asks Ava to advocate for her.

📋 Changing His Status…

Sounds like we’ll be getting another two years out of Stone Cold.

🛟 There Can Be Only One …

I don’t even remember Heather and I love Fraser, but there will never be another Kate. She and Captain Lee made a dynamite team that will never be topped.

💎 Diamond Come Back…

Judging from the photos in their social media, they must be taking Photoshop lessons from Kate Middleton. Where’s Dorit’s other foot???

🍸 Collateral VanderDamage…

The drinks weren’t bad isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement.

🤽 Worst Of the Week…

What is wrong with that woman?

⚰️ Her Turn To Shine…

Michonne does double duty.

https://undeadwalking.com/posts/the-ones-who-live-episode-4-written-by-danai-gurira-release-date-and-new-photos-01hrsmz0c9cd

https://undeadwalking.com/posts/watch-rick-and-michonne-in-the-ones-who-live-episode-4-trailer-01hs1tsy8kt4

🐶 This Week In Pets…

He’s a trooper.

https://people.com/mark-wahlberg-four-pet-dogs-canine-costar-but-allergic-exclusive-8608149

More on that Mess(i).

https://people.com/oscars-2024-jimmy-kimmel-rehearses-jokes-with-dog-from-anatomy-of-a-fall-video-8606983

A PSA. I hadn’t even thought of this and I’m a helicopter pet mom.

https://people.com/keeping-dogs-and-cats-safe-during-total-solar-eclipse-expert-pet-advice-8609468

🎋 Quotes of the Week

I thought you married Jane because I was getting old. Then I realized it was because you had. – Mona Sterling (Talia Balsam), Mad Men

A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t. – Jack Dempsey (Apparently, I’m a champion every morning.)

Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow. – Mary Anne Radmacher

Excellence is not a skill, it’s an attitude. – Ralph Marston

Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.Suzy Kassem

I think the only answer is to live life to the fullest while you can and collect memories like fools collect money. Because in the end, that’s all you have – happy memories. – Sarah Strohmeyer

What would you rather have, a new car or Peanut the Elephant?The Beanie Bubble

🦘 Miles To Go Before I Sleep…

Enjoy the wearin’ o’ the green if you’re so inclined, then come back on Monday really Tuesday for soap and a Deck to behold. Until then, stay safe, stay not being an amateur drunk on St. Patrick’s Day, and stay scratching a few things off your bucket list, because the present is all we’ve got.

March 1, 2023 – Sonny Sets a Trap, Well Done, CYA Time, For the Ratings, VanderSuits, Winning Ones, More Last, SAGging, Priceless, Octonary Quotes & Rhythm

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Scout’s birthday is being celebrated at the Quartermaines, and Drew tells Carly that he has the balloons set up in the foyer. Carly says, when he throws a party, he really goes all out, doesn’t he? and he asks if she thinks it’s too much, but she says, Scout’s going to love it. He says, not just the balloons, but all of it, and she says, it’s not like he has a 100-foot bouncy house outside and ponies walking around. He says, they do have two horses and an alpaca, and she says, because they live here in the stable where they belong. He wants Scout to feel at home on her birthday, and this is their home. He says he guesses he just missed out on so much time with her. Any chance he has, holidays, birthdays, he just wants to hold on and never let go. She says, he should hang onto that. He should stay present with his daughter. You can’t do that if you’re focused on revenge. He says he didn’t even mention Nina’s name, but she says, he didn’t have to. She could hear him thinking about it. He thanks her for snapping him out of it, so he can focus on what’s important. He kisses her, when Scout comes in with Sam, Jake, and Danny. Scout says, he won’t believe it. There’s so many balloons by the front door. Drew says, they’re all for her. Happy birthday. He hugs her.

Maxie lets Felicia into the apartment, and thanks her for coming by with zero notice. She has a ton of work to do for Deception tonight. Felicia says she’d move heaven and earth to spend time with her grandchildren, but as thrilled as she is to be here, she has to ask. Why isn’t Spinelli available? Maxie says, because she sent him packing.

Dante finds Chase at the hospital and asks, what’s he got? Chase says he just talked to the officer on duty. Assault and battery. The victim was brought here for treatment. He tried to question him just to see what was going on, but the guy’s not talking. He didn’t even give them his name. Dante looks through the door window of victim’s room and says he knows who that is. That’s Selina Wu’s bodyguard.

On the phone at the penthouse, Sonny says, everything ready… Okay. Keep him posted. Thanks. Ava walks in, and he says, is there something she wants to ask him? Go ahead. She says, really? He hasn’t exactly been forthcoming of late. He didn’t say anything to her yesterday after his talk with Nina. He says he’s sure Nina is going to tell her all about it, but if she wants to ask him directly…

John walks into Anna’s office, and she says, please come in. What can she do for him? He says he wants Sonny Corinthos out of his life – for good, and she’s going to help him.

Alexis walks into the Quartermaines’ with a stack of gifts and asks, where’s the guest of honor? Scout says, right here, and Alexis tells her, happy birthday. Scout asks if all those presents are for her, and Alexis says, there’s more in the car. Scout thanks her, and Alexis says, she’s welcome. She can’t take all the credit though, because some of them are from TJ and Molly. Scout asks where they are, and Alexis says, they both have very mean bosses who wouldn’t let them have time off. Drew asks Jake to get the rest of the presents from the car and takes the stack from Alexis, saying, he’ll put them with the other presents. Carly asks Sam where Dante is, but Sam says, he couldn’t get off of work, but she thinks he’s going to make it by later. She looks around and sees the others have gone, and tells Carly, it’s just the two of them now. She wanted to say that she thinks Drew is a little bit more… relaxed. Carly says, she thinks so? and Sam says, yeah. Carly says, they talked before, and he was having a really hard time coming out of Pentenville with everything that happened there. She really thinks he’s slowly, but definitely, moving past it.

Chase comes back from the reception desk and reads to Dante from his notes. Someone called 9-1-1 to report a disturbance on the pier. When officers arrived at the scene, they interrupted a fight between two guys. One, Mr. Li, had been badly beaten, and the attacker appeared to be going in for the kill, when the officers identified themselves as the police. The attacker then fled on foot. Luckily, they apprehended him and he’s in lock-up now. Dante says, so Li must have ID’d the attacker, but Chase says, that’s where things get interesting. Li’s assailant is another one of Selina Wu’s guys. He goes by Morse. Dante says, so this wasn’t random, and Chase says, infighting in Selina Wu’s organization. What does that mean? Dante says he thinks it means everything’s about to get even more dangerous.

Anna closes the door and asks if John would like to take a look around. He might notice, this is the office of the Port Charles Commissioner of Police. Then he might come to the conclusion that the individual occupying said office is, in fact, the Port Charles Police Commissioner, and he’d be right. And who doesn’t love to be right? He says, obviously the Port Charles Commissioner of Police likes it a lot, and Anna says, she likes it a lot. In fact, it’s one of her favorite pastimes. So do they need to have a discussion about the meaning of jurisdiction over a nice cup of tea or something, or is there some other way she might assist him? He says he apologizes, and she says she accepts. She gestures for him to sit down, and he does, saying, he had a bear of a day, and he shouldn’t have taken it out on her. She says, but he did, and it does seem to be a bit of a pattern. He says, it is? and she says, yeah. He barged in on her operation at Pentenville and tried to shut it down. He says he had a legitimate reason to request she leave his witness alone, but she says, that wasn’t a request; it was a demand. He says, and she accused him of obstructing his own investigation, and she says she shouldn’t have questioned his integrity. She’s sorry. He says he was not expecting her to apologize, like ever, and she says she wasn’t expecting him to apologize. So it’s a banner day for both of them. He’s always been good friends with Robin, and she respects that friendship. So there’s really no reason for them to be at odds with each other. He says he can think of one reason, but their difference over Sonny aside, he does respect her, and he wants to say thank you. She says, for what? and he says, for talking him down when he barged in here, acting like he owned the place, and for at least trying to diffuse the tension between them. He wants them to be able to work together. She says she wants that too. Why don’t they make that happen? (Hmm… Is this a couple in the making?)

Ava says, what goes on between Sonny and Nina is his business. She just wants to let him know that her friendship with Nina doesn’t mean she’s choosing sides. She’s staying out of it. He says, wise decision – there’s a knock at the door – because nothing’s more important right now than Dante, not Nina. He goes to the door and says, come on in, Spinelli. Spinelli says sees Ava and says he assumes Sonny must be taking him up on his offer to learn the ways of Dungeons and Dragons, but Sonny says, he can talk in front of Ava. Spinelli says, as you wish. All systems are go for tonight. Ava says, all systems, huh? What’s happening tonight? Sonny says, tonight, he’s bringing his enemy down to his knees.

Maxie says, can Felicia believe Spinelli? He knows everything that happened with Austin and Peter, yet he still lied to her so easily. Felicia says, it sounds like his heart was in the right place, but Maxie says, his heart had nothing to do with it. This was his savior complex. Can she imagine anything more insulting? Felicia says, uh… yeah, and Maxie says, for sure, but he still lied. She knows she’s told her fair share of fibs in the past, but she can’t believe Spinelli would manipulate her this way. Felicia says, that’s not what happened, and Maxie says, what’s not what happened? Felicia says, it wasn’t Spinelli’s idea to move in with Maxie and help her with her finances. It was hers.

Willow and Michael come in with Danny, and Sam wonders if there weren’t more children at the party. Willow says, Scout wanted to visit the horses and the alpaca, so Wiley and Leo are – in Leo’s words – hosting a tour of the stables. Sam says, but Cody’s there, right? and Michael says, yeah. Sam says, perfect. And Danny and Jake brought in the rest of  their grandmother’s presents? Danny says, turns out it was a one-man job. Is there anything else he can do? Sam says, everything is under control. Just go have fun. Danny says, cool. He left his coat down at the stables. He’ll be back. Sam says, he leaves that coat everywhere, when Kristina comes in with Blaze. Danny hugs Kristina, and tells Blaze, hi, obviously starstruck. Blaze says, hi, Danny, and he says, she remembered his name. Blaze says, of course (🍷) she did, and he leaves. Kristina hugs everyone and says she thinks most of them know Blaze, her girlfriend. Sam says, of course (🍷). It’s good to see her again. Blaze says, it’s great to see Sam, and Willow says she thinks they met at Rice Plaza. Blaze says she remembers. It’s nice to meet her again.

 Alexis is getting some party stuff from plastic tubs, when Drew joins her. She says she’s glad they have some time alone. She wants to talk to him about something. He says, great. What’s up? She says she understands this is a touchy subject, but she’s sure he’s heard Nina is now the publisher of The Invader. He says he did hear that. How’s that going? She says she has reservations. Many. She said she was fired from Crimson for personal reasons. Is that true? He says, if she’s asking if this has anything to do with Nina turning him and Carly in to the SEC… She says, that’s exactly what she’s asking, and he says, then the answer’s yes. She was not acting as a concerned citizen trying to right a wrong. Her motivation was strictly vindictive, and if she can exploit federal law to her own ends, should she really be running a major magazine? And as the owner of Aurora, he felt like he couldn’t trust her judgement anymore. She says, that sounds like something he’d say in a press release or a court of law. Tell her what he really thinks, and he says, between the two of them? Someone as reckless and self-absorbed as Nina is capable of anything. If he were Alexis, he’d watch his back.

Maxie says, so it was Felicia’s idea. All right. Explain. Felicia says she knew Maxie was in financial trouble and wouldn’t take her help, even though she clearly needed it and Felicia had the means. Maxie says, except she doesn’t. She kept dipping into her savings. Felicia says, those were the means, and Maxie says, but she couldn’t pay Felicia back because she’s a bad investment. Felicia says, that’s why she called Spinelli. She knew Maxie wouldn’t accept charity from anybody, so she had to get creative. Spinelli was helping her help Maxie. Maxie says, Felicia should have respected her boundaries. It was important to her that she be the one to fix her finances. Felicia says she understands that, but she’s Maxie’s mother and couldn’t just sit back and watch while she was struggling. Maxie says, okay, she gets that. She absolutely does not approve of Felicia’s methods, but if she could see her kids needed help, she’s capable of doing much crazier things, whether they wanted her to or not. She wouldn’t care. She’d just do it. Felicia says, then Maxie forgives her? and Maxie says, absolutely. Felicia says, and she forgives Spinelli, but Maxie says, no way. Felicia says, why? Not that she’s complaining, but why is Maxie so much angrier with Spinelli than with her, especially since it was her idea? Maxie says, because Spinelli is not her parent, and he doesn’t have the right to conspire with her mother to fix her finances. Felicia says, maybe not, but… Maxie says, there’s no maybe about it, but Felicia says, Spinelli is family. He’s the father of Maxie’s oldest daughter and her oldest grandchild, and Maxie knows he’d do anything for her. Maxie says, except respect her autonomy, and Felicia says, because she told him to. Maxie knows she would do the same thing if the positions were reversed. Maxie says, that is precisely the problem, and Felicia says, that they both care enough about each other that they’d do anything for each other? but Maxie says, that is not the problem. It’s because… It’s because she… Felicia says, what? and Maxie says, because she fell in love with him again. Spending all this time with him, having him live in her house. It was all under false pretenses. Felicia and Spinelli didn’t just meddle with her finances; they meddled with her heart.

Spinelli says, so whoever is targeting Sonny is expecting him to be holding a summit, building bridges, as it were, giving them an opportunity to take out both parties at once. Meanwhile, he’ll be monitoring the situation with cameras set up around the warehouse. Ava asks if Sonny is sure Selina’s guy did as he asked, because Li has betrayed her before, and Sonny says, he made sure Li carried out the orders. She says, good. Question. Sonny says, go ahead, and Ava says, isn’t it highly unlikely this enemy is going to show up there himself? Won’t he, too, be monitoring from a safe distance, letting his hired guns do the job for him? Sonny says he’s counting on it.

Dante tells Chase, this assault on Li sounds like a botched execution attempt, which means it relates to the FBI’s investigation that Cates is running. Chase says, but only Li can confirm that, and Dante says, then let’s hope he’s able… and willing.

Jake comes in and is startled to see Blaze. He says, oh… hi, and she says, hi. He says, she’s… Everyone laughs, and Kristina says, this is Blaze, her girlfriend. She tells Blaze, this is Danny’s brother, and Blaze says, nice meeting him. He says, nice meeting her too. He’s a… Willow asks if Jake can track down Danny and let him know it’s time for cake. He left his coat outside. Jake is obviously at a loss for words, seeing Blaze, and says, uh… yeah. He leaves, and Michael says, three… two… one. Jake comes back in, gets his own coat, then leaves again. Blaze laughs and shrugs.

Sam finds Drew and says she was going to send out a search party for him. He says he was just making sure everything was… yeah… She asks if he’s okay, and he says, yeah. He thought he misplaced this Pin the Tail on the Donkey – he shows her a stack of tails – but… She says, crisis averted. She was going to ask if he could do a favor for her. He says, she can ask him anything, always. He wants her to know that. She says she’s not sure about that. He’s been having a pretty rough time ever since… He says, it hasn’t exactly been sunshine and rainbows, and she says, is it ever? (Not here, I can assure you.) He says, but he’s trying to focus more on the silver lining than the clouds, and she says she’s glad to hear that. He wonders what she wanted to ask him, and she says, Danny. He’s been having a really tough time lately, and she knows it’s more than teenage boy stuff. She guesses what she wanted to say is, is there any way Drew can talk to him? He trusts Drew and she thinks he would confide in Drew. She doesn’t think he’d talk to her about anything like that. He says he’d be happy to. He’ll spend some time with Danny. Maybe he’ll take him to a game or something. She says, okay. That sounds good. But is he sure he’s up for it? She doesn’t want to put too much on his plate. He says he’s learning that it really helps focusing on somebody that means more to him than himself. She can count on him. She thanks him and gives him a hug.

Jake goes down the footbridge near the boathouse calling for Danny. He says, they’re going to cut the cake. Danny jumps up by the benches, and Jake asks if he found his jacket. Danny says, yeah. He put it in the car. It’s fine. Jake asks if he’s okay, and Danny says, yeah. It’s a kids’ party. Jake says, well, it’s time for cake, so… He sniffs the air and asks if Danny smells something, but Danny says, no, and starts walking. Jake says, it’s really… sweet. He notices something under one of the benches and picks it up. He examines it, then looks at Danny.

Anna says, despite their differences of opinion, she does understand how John feels about Sonny, and he says, with all due respect, he doesn’t think she does. Sonny Corinthos is now the head of one of the most powerful organized crime syndicates on the east coast. So forgive him if he doesn’t buy into the narrative that underneath it all, Sonny’s a really good guy. She tells him that she wouldn’t say he’s one of the good guys, but she also doesn’t think John has taken his full measure. John says, meaning, and she says, meaning that he’s not a saint, but he’s not a sadist who wants to destroy and torment people for sport. John says he just had a conversation with Sonny that would suggest otherwise, and she asks if that’s why John came barging in here, demanding she get Sonny out of his life. He says, she’s good. Anybody ever tell her that she should be a cop? She says, too often. All she’s saying is, maybe he has issue with the man Sonny used to be, rather than the man he is now.

Dante introduces himself and Chase to Li and asks if Li can tell them what happened to him today. Li says, someone tried to kill him, and Chase says, not just someone, one of his colleagues from Selina Wu’s organization. Dante says, so he’s guessing this isn’t the result of an argument gone bad, right? They have Mr. Morse in custody. He was following orders. Li says he doesn’t talk to cops, and Chase says, his boss wants him dead. Dante says, he walks out of here, he’s probably got days, hell, even hours to live, and Li says, death comes to us all. Dantes says, it does, but judging from the way Li looks, he’s guessing Li fought like hell to stay alive, so he’s not really buying Li’s zen on dying thing he’s trying to sell them. Chase says, how about this? They put in a call to the DA and make sure he’s protected, and Li says, how comforting. Dante says, he’s right. Talking to them is probably just going to buy him some time. A day, maybe another after that. He doesn’t know. But keeping his mouth shut? He’s willing to bet Li ends up in an unmarked grave by the morning. So you tell me, what’s it going to be?

Sonny says he wishes whoever’s targeting him would get in his face, but he knows they’re too scared, and Ava says, so what’s the endgame here? Sonny says, somebody will be sent to eliminate him and Selina, and they’re going to grab them, and let them take them to whoever’s behind the shooting, and this thing is going to end. Ava asks when they leave, but Sonny says, they’re not going anywhere. She says, yes, they are, and walks over to her coat. Sonny asks Spinelli to do him a favor. He thinks they’re done. He’ll keep Spinelli posted. Spinelli says he eagerly awaits Sonny’s communication, and leaves. Ava puts on her coat, and Sonny says he appreciates what she’s doing, but she’s not part of this. She says, on the contrary. If this plan of his is going to work, he needs her.

Felicia tells Maxie that she’s so sorry. It never occurred to her that this would happen this way. Maxie says she never thought Spinelli would lie to her like this, but Felicia says, it isn’t really like that. It’s not like they set out to deceive her. Maxie says, were Spinelli’s pipes actually broken? and Felicia says, so they did set out to deceive her, but if they’d offered Maxie the money, she would have just said no, again. Maxie says, at least it would have been her decision, and Felicia says, yes, and it would have been a bad one. The point is, she and Spinelli were in a lose-lose situation and since there was no good decision to make, they made the least bad decision to help her. Deceiving Maxie like that, helping her with her finances while providing free babysitting, was all an act of love on both their parts. Maxie says she knows that, and she knows that Spinelli would never lie to her out of malice. That is not her main problem. Felicia says, then what is? and Maxie says, the thing that’s bugging her the most is, she couldn’t tell Spinelli was keeping something from her. Felicia says she could understand why that might be troubling for Maxie, but it’s not like what happened with Peter. Maxie says, way to sugarcoat it, and Felicia tells Maxie that she’s just saying, Spinelli never lied to her about his mafia connections. Maxie says she’s always known about this (what?), and Felicia says, he never tried to steal her baby or isolate her in a forest cabin… Maxie says, okay. She gets where Felicia is going with this, but that is a very low bar to clear. It’s just that, aside from Felicia and Mac, Spinelli was always the person she could trust the most. Felicia says, doesn’t this prove that he still is? and Maxie says, maybe it proves that her acting on her feelings for Spinelli was a huge mistake.

Jake asks if this is Danny’s, holding up a vape pod, and Danny says, no, it isn’t, but reaches for it. Jake says, it’s garbage now, and Danny says he can’t just throw that out, but Jake says he can’t leave it lying around. Danny says, okay, fine, it’s his, reaching for it again, and Jake says, he’s vaping? Danny says, who is he to even care? and Jake says, maybe he doesn’t want his brother to get popcorn lungs. Danny says, calm down. It’s not like really smoking. Jake says, they’re not having this conversation here. Right now, they’re going back to the house to celebrate their sister’s birthday, with their whole family there. Is Danny trying to get caught? Danny asks, why? Is Jake going to rat him out?

Anna tells John that recently, she’s gotten to know Sonny as a person, and he’s always been a very good friend to her daughter Robin. John says, come on, and Anna says, just in the very same way he was a good friend to John’s brother Stone. John says, a lot of good people see the best in bad people (agreed), and she says, he’s done a lot of positive things for this community. John asks if she’s talking about the hospital wing Sonny bought in his brother’s memory. She does know crime lords use philanthropy as a way of laundering money. She says, her point is, while she wouldn’t hesitate to arrest him if she had evidence of a crime, she still doesn’t believe he should be reduced to just that. Because if John hopes to take him down one day, he can’t just focus on Sonny’s crimes and flaws, which admittedly are many. He has to take into account the good things as well. If he just lets himself be blinded by prejudice, he’ll miss the opportunity to apprehend Sonny when it presents itself. John and I both ponder this.

Ava says, if Sonny is going to sell this mediation, he’s going to need a third party to arbitrate. That’s the play, isn’t it? Which means he needs a rep from a third family. What’s he going to do, call what’s left of the Novaks? The Buscemas? Does he trust them? She happens to be a former member of the Jerome family. Her presence could help sell this thing. He says, she’s not wrong, and she says, he and Selina are the bait, but she could be what convinces his enemy that this meeting is legit and draws them out. Plus, if she’s being honest – he says he can’t wait to hear this one – his circle of trust has gotten pretty small. It’s so small, she’s in the center of it. He doesn’t have to do this alone. Don’t do this alone. Let her help him.

Maxie says, she and Spinelli have been down this road before and it did not work out, and Felicia says, a long time ago. Maxie says, doesn’t she think that proves that maybe it never will? and Felicia says, how? Maxie says she and Spinelli literally admitted to each other how they felt, and then instantly, everything fell apart. Felicia says she wants Maxie to listen to her and really take this to heart, and Maxie says she’ll try. Felicia says, Maxie may think that when Spinelli moved in, that’s what caused her to fall in love with him, but the truth is, they’ve always had a connection. Not just as friends, not just as co-parents. They’ve always been a little bit in love with each other, even when they were with other people. Maxie asks how Felicia knows that for sure, and Felicia says she’s seen the bond between Maxie and Spinelli. Everybody’s seen it. Nathan saw it. Ellie saw it. Mac is still annoyed by it. And Spinelli, now he sees it. The only person who says they haven’t seen it is Maxie. She thinks it’s time for Maxie to get honest about what she’s afraid of. Maxie says she doesn’t know what she would do if she and Spinelli tried to be together and she lost him for good, and Felicia says she can understand why Maxie would be afraid of that, given all the loss she’s had to endure. Putting our hearts on the line is really scary. Maxie says, it’s not just her heart though. Georgie would be devastated if she and Spinelli didn’t work out. And Bailey Lou and James, they’re both crazy about Spinelli. Felicia says, Maxie is right. There is a lot at stake here. She can’t tell Maxie what decision to make. Maxie says, since when? and Felicia says she can tell Maxie that she’s a survivor. She’s endured so much and come out of it stronger each time. Maxie says she’s just tired. How many growth experiences should one person have? Felicia says, what she has to know is, if things don’t work out with Spinelli, then she’ll survive that too. Or the two of them could get back together again, older and wiser than they ever have been, and stumble into some happiness they never dreamed is possible. It’s up to her to decide if it’s worth the risk.

Jake tells Danny, don’t worry. He’s not going to tell anyone. This is his business. He holds the pod out, but pulls it back when Danny tries to take it. Danny says, what the hell? Give it back. Jake says, not going to happen. He might not be a snitch, but he’s not going to let Danny do this. Danny says he’s not messing around. Give it back. Jake says, or what? and Danny says, or he’ll take it from Jake. Jake says, oh really? This is that important to Danny that he’d try to forcibly take it from him? Danny says he wouldn’t just try, and he grabs Jake, saying, give it back. Willow calls to them, and Jake slips the pod in his back pocket. She says she thought she heard shouting. What’s going on? Jake says, they were just messing around, and Danny says, pretty much. She says, they’re taking a family photo. Come on.

Michael says he wanted to tell Carly this sooner, but he didn’t have a chance, and she says, something wrong? He says he talked to Dante, and Dante told him that he thinks there’s a link between whoever’s targeting Sonny and Olivia Jerome’s death. She says she knows, and he says, she knows how? She says she had a conversation with Special Agent John Cates of the FBI. Does Michael know him? Michael says, they just met, and she says, okay. Is there more to that story? He says, just that he’s worried about dad, and she says, her too. She doesn’t know what to do about it. Does he have any ideas? He says he told Josslyn to bring Dex back to town, and she says, what? Why would he do that? Why would he do that to Dex? Michael says, he’s a grown man. He can decide whether or not he wants to come back. She says, if something happens to Dex, his sister is going to be devastated, but he says he’ll cross that bridge when he comes to it. She asks how he thinks Sonny is going to react. He was furious when he found out Michael hired Dex to spy on him. Now he went behind Sonny’s back again. Michael says, if he’s angry, he’s angry. He’s going to help his father whether he likes it or not. Kristina comes in and says, what’s going on with dad? Why does he need help?

John tells Anna, so O’Neill says they’re looking for a dead man. At least someone who’s dead on paper. Anna says, according to Cyrus. His trustworthiness is questionable at best. Plus, the mic dropped out just as he was acquiring that piece of intel. John says, maybe there’s a way to corroborate his story. Any ideas? There’s a knock at the door and Anna says, yeah? Dante comes in with Chase and says, sorry to interrupt. It’s important. John asks if it’s about his case, and Dante says, he means their case. Yeah, it is. Anna asks what he’s got, and Dante says, Sonny and Selina Wu are making moves. (Well, that’s one way to put it, but I got a mental picture of them dancing.)

Selina waits at the warehouse, and her man comes in. She asks if everything is in place on their end for tonight, and he says, yes. And Mr. Corinthos assured him it’s all taken care of, but… She says, but what? and he says, the associate seems odd. She says, Mr. Spinelli is certainly unique, but very good at what he does. Sonny comes in with Ava and a bodyguard, and Selina says, Miss Jerome, what a surprise. She wasn’t expecting her. Ava says, Miss Wu. She hopes Selina doesn’t mind her joining them at the last minute. Selina says, actually she does. This wasn’t part of their plan. Sonny says, plans change. She can trust Ava.

Maxie calls Spinelli and gets voicemail, saying he’ll return the call posthaste. She says, hey, it’s me. Call me.

Michael tells Kristina, it’s just that he hasn’t talked to dad in a while. Has she? She says, not a whole lot. She’s been busy. Why? What’s going on? Is there something she should know about? Carly says, they were just wondering how things are going with her and Blaze, and Kristina says, things are good. It’s still new, so… Anyway, she’s been asked to summon them for cake and photos. Carly says she’s got to get in there, and leaves. Kristina asks Michael if he’s sure everything’s okay with dad, and Michael says, yeah. He’ll be fine. She says, okay, and leaves. Michael says he’ll make sure of it.

Dante says, Sonny and Selina coerced her bodyguard Li to leak to his source that they’re meeting up tonight, and Chase says, presenting a prime opportunity for Li’s boss to take Wu and Corinthos out. Anna says, so they’re setting up a trap to smoke out their assassin, and John says, which is exactly what he didn’t want to happen. He knew if they let Corinthos in on what was going on, he’d go vigilante and take their suspect out. Anna says, they can’t let him take the law into his own hands, and John says, whatever Corinthos and Wu are planning, they have to stop them. Anna says, let’s go, and they all leave.

Selina says, let her congratulate Sonny on the trust he’s established in Miss Jerome, who is – let’s not forget – the mother of one of his children. Sonny asks what that means, and Selina says, he has incentive to trust her. She doesn’t. He says, Ava acting as a mediator makes the meeting look more legit, but Selina says, her presence further destabilizes an already volatile situation. That’s not a risk she wants to take. She starts to leave, but Sonny says, it’s already in motion. Let it play out. Selina says, at the risk of all of their lives? and he says, they’re all targets at this point. Here’s what they’re going to do. They‘re going to let their enemies come get them.

On Monday, Tracy tells Brook, that is a scheme worthy of a Quartermaine; Cyrus asks Laura, what precipitated this step forward in their relationship; in the hospital, Heather screeches to someone to get away from her grandson; and Sonny tells Selina, let’s get down to business.

👏 Kudos. The vape storyline isn’t just timely, it’s important. I’ve never been interested in vaping, but had a friend who literally died from an addiction to it. He was in the hospital, being treated for an unrelated (but who really knows?) illness. He was told to knock it off, but couldn’t even stop vaping while in the hospital. Even though the prognosis had been good, he went downhill and passed away. IMO, it makes sense that vaping is worse than cigarettes since you’re also inhaling moisture, which cannot be good for your lungs. I mean, inhale too much moisture, you drown, right? Okay, off the soapbox, but applause to GH for including it.

👠 Calling In ReinforceWives…

Being a part of the Housewives universe doesn’t look like a fun experience to me. And I still wouldn’t bet the farm that what Leah says isn’t true. It’s been said all along that alcohol flows freely from Bravo and they tend to egg on problematic situation.

https://pagesix.com/2024/02/29/entertainment/margaret-josephs-kyle-richards-more-housewives-hit-back-at-leah-mcsweeneys-andy-cohen-claims

🎭 Because They’re a Fake, Baby…

I hadn’t considered this, but it sounds like something Jax would drum up.

Not buying this romance at all.

Still on the fence about this. The only thing is, it’s doubtful they would have involved their kids in a ruse like that.

🍸 It’s Spreading…

Another one who seems to be lawsuit happy. Has she gotten to Andy yet? Although there seems to be a line…

https://ew.com/rachel-leviss-sues-tom-sandoval-ariana-madix-scandoval-fallout-8602594

No surprise this was dropped. It doesn’t even make any sense as a lawsuit. It’s just a bunch of complaints about being in a situation she could have easily walked away from

⚰️ Dead At the Top…

Good for them. It’s not a huge shock though. Personally, I didn’t miss Rick, but I think there were a whole lot of fans awaiting his return.

🌁 The Latest In Last…

More characters coming out of the woodwork.

https://ew.com/the-last-of-us-season-2-owen-nora-mel-manny-8602951

🏆 It’s In the SAG…

A little late, but the winners.

https://ew.com/2024-sag-awards-winners-full-list-8598439

All the 2024 fashion.

https://www.eonline.com/photos/36899/sag-awards-2024-red-carpet-fashion

All the fashion from forever.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1395589/give-it-up-for-the-best-sag-award-red-carpet-fashion-moments-of-all-time

🦄 This Week In Pet…

Omg. Jiffpom.

So what’s the problem?

🎙 Quotes of the Week

We love a spiral. – Gabby Prescod, Summer House

One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do.Henry Ford

When deeds speak, words are nothing. – Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

You are here for a purpose. There is no duplicate of you in the whole wide world. There never has been, there never will be. You were brought here now to fill a certain need. Take time to think that over. – Lou Austin (And let’s hope it’s not to create stupid names for lipstick.)

Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.Archimedes

Life is a succession of lessons, which must be lived to be understood. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star.W. Clement Stone

I wasn’t flirting. I’m naturally adorable. If you have a problem with that, take it up with God. – Genevieve Delatour (Susan Lucci), Devious Maids

🐜 Marching Into Spring…

Flip your script this weekend and do something you’ve never done before. Or binge watch something you’ve never watched before. It’s your call. Then join me on Monday really Tuesday for soap, mischief on Deck, and a nod to the Ones. Until then, stay safe, stay not saying yes or maybe when you mean no, and stay trying to focus more on the silver lining than the clouds.

October 24, 2023 – Cyrus Gives Mason a Reprimand, A Doubly Awful House, Real Gripes, Deep Dig, That Movie, Furry Halloween & This

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the MetroCourt with Scotty, Lucy says she’s about to sign over 51% of her company to Tracy Quartermaine, and he says, sign it. Otherwise, things are only going to get worse. She says she really doesn’t know how they could get worse, when Laura comes in and says, Scott. Lucy says she didn’t know Laura was back in town, and they greet each other. Laura says she needs to talk to Scotty now, and marches out. He follows, and asks, how was her trip? She says, what was he thinking? but he says he’s not following. She says, what compelled him to help her brother get out of prison?

Cyrus is still lingering around the hospital, and Austin pulls him into a supply closet, holding a scalpel to Cyrus’s face. He says he knew Cyrus would come back here. He did everything Cyrus asked him to do. Cyrus is walking around a free man because of him, and still, he tries to kill Ava?

Portia walks in the door, and Curtis says he thought she was working late. Is everything okay?

Lois and Brook go into the solarium, and Yuri asks if there’s anything else he can get them, and Brook says, thanks, but they just had lunch. Lois says she’d love a plate of those little cookies and a pitcher of lemonade, and Yuri leaves to get it. Lois says, he’s cute (he is!). She can’t believe Monica lets him work here. Brook says, she’s the one who hired him. And what’s with the little cookies? Lois just said she was stuffed from lunch. Now she wants little cookies? Lois says, no, but maybe Chase does.

At the penthouse, Sonny kisses Nina, and she says she knows he’s super busy, but she wanted to show him this. She takes a frame out of a bag and says, she bought this frame and put in some pictures. Wiley from the wedding for Michael and Willow, and Donna for Carly. She thinks they’re going to love it. Right? He says, yeah, and she says, Carly too.

Michael listens to the recording of Martin outing Nina for turning Drew and Carly in to the SEC, and he says, time to let his father know exactly the kind of woman he married. Martin comes in and says, he’d think twice before doing that if he were Michael.

Scotty says, it’s not like he broke Cyrus out of Pentenville, and Laura says, he may as well have, because Cyrus is out walking the streets right now. Scotty says he knows. He just saw Cyrus in the dining room. He made it clear to Cyrus that he’s not on retainer; it was a one-shot deal. But Cyrus was very pleased with his work. She says she bets he was, and he says, believe him. He just got an earful from Mac Scorpio. She asks if he can blame Mac. He’s the Police Commissioner, and on top of everything else, he has to worry about Cyrus Renault being free. Scotty says, he’s Laura’s brother, and she says she knows that. She doesn’t need to be reminded. When Cyrus was in the hospital, he told Martin to give away all his money and Martin did, so tell her something. How did Scotty get paid?

Cyrus tells Austin that he’s very impressed. He never would have thought that little boy he watched grow up had this in him. Austin says, it’s no big deal really. It’s not difficult to overpower a man that’s – now he’s quoting – weak and incapable of hurting other people. Cyrus says, Austin got his moment, and he’s going to forgive this clumsy transgression, because it’s clear Austin has very strong feelings for Ava Jerome. First Austin will take his hands off him, and then Austin will find a way to get him into that room with his cousin Mason.

Mason jerks his arm, trying to get free of the handcuffs holding him to the bed, when TJ comes in. Mason says, what now? and TJ says he just wanted Mason to know that all his tests and bloodwork look good after his surgery. His vitals are stable. There’s no reason he shouldn’t make a full recovery. Mason says, whoopee, and TJ says he’s glad it makes Mason happy. Mason says he’s thrilled. He won’t be cuffed to this damn bed anymore. TJ says, no. He’ll likely be behind bars. Mason says, don’t count your chickens, doc. He’s gotten out of worse spots many times before. TJ leaves without another word.

Portia tells Curtis, everything’s fine. She just took a late lunch and decided she’d come home and spend it with her baby. It looks like he’s going over the books. He says he was, but it’s such a beautiful day outside, he wanted to take advantage of it. So he spent some time looking at the trees and the leaves. Then he spent some time looking at the pictures of Trina’s trip to New York, and there’s a lot of pictures of her with Spencer. She says, awesome. Let her see. He asks if she’s sure, and she says, of course (🍷) she’s sure. Let her look at the pictures. He hands her his phone, and she says, they really got around, huh? He says, she seems to be okay with that. Does she want to tell him what’s going on? She says, Trina cares about Spencer, and it seems Spencer genuinely cares about Trina. She’s old enough to make her own decisions without her mom possibly butting in.

Nina tells Sonny that she already wrapped one for Michael and Willow, and one for Carly, and he thanks her. She says she wishes she had one of Avery at the wedding, and he says, they’re going to make it up to her big time. She says she’s just glad Avery and Ava are okay, and he says he’s going to make sure they stay that way. Nina says, good, and he says he just can’t stop staring at Wiley. She says she’s thinking, and h asks if she’s thinking about the time she lied, and she says she plans on making that up. It’s nobody’s fault. He says, some of it was Carly’s.

Michael says, Martin has already done his part, but Martin tells him not to go patting himself on the back. If Michael thinks he’s surprised at the recording, he’s sadly mistaken. Even if that was admissible in a court of law, which it isn’t, this isn’t about court. It’s about Michael, trying to destroy Nina Reeves. Michael says, she’s done that herself, and Martin says, Michael sees it that way; Nina won’t. Michael says he doesn’t give a damn how she sees it. She destroyed his mom’s life and got Drew sent to prison. Now if Martin will excuse him, he has work to do. He goes to his desk, and Martin says he always makes it a point to do extensive research on the life of anybody who asks him to represent them. In his line of work, it’s kind of important. He knows he doesn’t have to remind Michael of the kind of things Nina has done in the past. Michael says he’s not concerned about her past. He’s concerned about what she’s done lately and the future. Martin says, that’s the rub, isn’t it? Because the future is exactly what Michael should be concerned about. Since he knows what kind of things she’s done, what she’s capable of, and the kind of things she will do when he takes away what matters to her.

Scotty says, Cyrus did mention some kind of a fund that helps prisoners reform… Laura says, that’s the fund? Leave it to Cyrus to find a way to use that money to help himself. Scotty says, he is pretty resourceful, and she says, he is nothing if not resourceful. Did Scotty ever believe her brother actually deserved to be released, or was it just a payday for him? He asks what kind of lawyer she thinks he is, and she says, does he want her to answer that? He says he knows Lee would probably be disappointed in him like she is, but it was a high-profile case and he’s trying to keep his practice going. Does she want him to be chasing ambulances for the rest of his life? She says she’s heard enough. She’s just asking him, when he was at the hearing and saw her brother there, did Scotty believe he deserved to be released? He says, he did seem like a different guy, and the doctor spoke on his behalf, and the warden. And eventually, the judge signed off for his release. When he saw Cyrus earlier, in his suede jacket and everything, he did look pretty healthy. She tells him, that’s exactly what she said when she saw him in the prison, and her phone dings. She looks at it and says she’s got to go.

Laura walks out, and Scotty goes back to the table. Lucy isn’t there, but he sees the contract and says, she didn’t sign.

Austin brings Cyrus to Mason’s room, and closes the door and blinds. Cyrus sits next to the bed and says, hello, Mason.

Lois says she thought they were coming back here and going over Brook’s plans for Blaze, and Chase might want to join them. It turns out he has a couple of hours off, and he said he’d love to spend time with them… With Brook, because he’s been working such long hours. Brook says, Lois is not going to do this, and Lois says, do what? Arrange for her daughter to spend time with her gorgeous boyfriend? Brook says she knows exactly how Lois thinks. She thinks she’s going to bring Chase over here, and Tracy’s offer is just going to happen to come up in the conversation, and he’s going to help Lois change her mind. Lois says, how dare Brook accuse her of such a thing? And if Tracy’s offer happened to come up in conversation, then maybe… Brook says she swears, if Tracy’s offer does come up, Lois will regret it. She’s going to put Lois in the same box she put Tracy, and she will never talk to Lois again. Does she understand? Yuri comes back with the little cookies and lemonade, and says, Mr. Chase is here to see them. Brook turns around smiling, and Lois waves her fingers at Chase.

Nina says, she and Carly both made a lot of mistakes, and Sonny says he supposes, but Carly and Drew are both paying big time for the one they made. She asks if Drew is back in Pentenville, and Sonny says, yeah. The doctor says he’s healthy enough to go back. He’s doing everything he can to keep Drew protected in there, and Carly is trying to get him out. She says she hopes Carly does, and he says, she amazes him. She says, the feeling is mutual, husband. She likes that word. He says he likes wifey too. She can’t get rid of him. They kiss, and Nina says, they both have a lot of work to do, so she’s going to go. She loves him. He says he loves her too, and thanks her for the photos. She says, he’s welcome, and leaves.

Michael says, let’s be honest. Martin is concerned about what Nina will do to him. She’s not going to be happy when she finds out Martin broke her confidence and told him that she’s the reason Drew’s in prison. Martin says, absolutely true. See how he’s scared to death of what Nina could do to him? And he’s not the only person with skin in this game, is he? He’s talking about the woman who induced Ava’s labor just so she could kidnap Michael’s baby sister. The same woman that made them all think Sonny was dead. Now she owns the MetroCourt and a very powerful intellectual magazine. Michael could be right. Given the circumstances and Nina’s feelings for Michael’s father, she might be a shrinking violet. She might just take her medicine and walk away. But Michael lets that genie out of the lamp, and she’s a wounded animal. She’s going to take that power and that influence, and she’s going to make it her mission to make Michael’s life hell, and the life of anybody he cares about. That is something to think about before he pulls the trigger. Just make sure he digs two graves. He walks out, and Michael goes to his desk to ponder this.

In the hallway on the phone, Scotty says, all right. That makes sense. He might make a lot of money off of this… No, he’s not getting too excited, so just calm down. He’ll call them back when he gets the chance. Goodbye. He gets to the table and sees that Lucy and all her belongings are gone. He says, she took my pen.

Lois says she’s so glad Chase could make it, and he says he’s kind of surprised they wanted to meet here. Brook says, Tracy is spending the day in New York City, and Lois says, speaking of Tracy… Brook stomps on her foot, and Lois yells, ow! Brook says she’s so sorry, and Lois says she knows Brook is, but accidents, they happen. Brook says, no, really. Does Lois understand just how sorry she is? Lois says she does, and she knows it will never happen again. Brook says, no, it won’t, and Lois tells Chase that Brook wanted to show her some of the music she picked out for Blaze. He says he’d love to see it, and Lois says, Brook told her that Chase and Blaze used to work together, and he might know best what would fit her voice. He says, Brook’s really the expert on that, but Brook says she doesn’t know… Lois says, Brook has musical genius running through her veins, thank you very much, but seeing a song on paper is totally different than hearing it out loud. Would Brook mind playing the song for them? Brook says, sure, and takes the sheet music to the piano. Lois asks if Chase would mind singing along with it, but Brook says, he doesn’t have to do that. He doesn’t sing anymore; he’s a detective. He says, yeah, but he’ll always sing for her.

On the patio, Curtis asks how Portia enjoyed her lunch, and she says, it was delicious. It was just what she needed. The new Co-Chief of Staff needs to keep her energy up. She flips her hair, and they laugh. Her phone dings, and he says he guesses she has to get back. She says, yeah, sorry, and he says, no problem. She says, but she’s glad they had this time together. She’ll be late tonight. He says he understands, and she hugs him from behind, kissing his cheek. She says she loves him, and he says he loves her too.

Portia leaves, when Laura comes up on the porch. She thanks Portia, but Portia says, no, thank you. She knows Laura has been wanting to see Curtis, and she thinks now is a really good time. He’s right outside on the patio. Laura says, just in case Portia didn’t know already, her brother Cyrus is out of prison, and Portia says she did know that. Could Laura do her a favor and not mention it to Curtis just yet? He’s got a lot on his plate. Laura says, of course (🍷), and Portia says, he’s going to be really happy to see Laura. She leaves, and Laura goes inside. She sees Curtis on the patio, looking out to the trees, and she looks like she might cry.

Cyrus tells Mason, don’t try to move. Those handcuffs will dig into his wrists. How is he feeling? Mason says, pain, a lot of pain, and Cyrus says he can only imagine. Does Mason see his cousin Austin is with him? He arranged this visit. That was very nice of him, wasn’t it? Mason says, yeah, and Cyrus says, when he got here, Austin let it be known that he was extremely upset with him. Does Mason know why? It’s kind of amusing actually. Austin was under the impression he gave Mason the order to kill Ava Jerome, a woman he cares very deeply about. He made a deal with Austin. He gave Austin his word, so to speak, that if Austin helped him get out of prison, he would see to it Miss Jerome was brought home safely. As Mason can see, he is out of prison, and has Mason ever known him to go back on his word? Mason says, no, and Cyrus says, exactly, looking at Austin. Cyrus says, Mason has worked for him for a very long time, hasn’t he? and Mason says, yes. Cyrus says he wants Mason to tell his cousin precisely the exact words he said to Mason on the night he was with Ava. Mason says, take her home, and Cyrus says, and Mason disobeyed him, didn’t he?

Michael goes to Sonny’s office at Pozzulo’s, and Sonny is on the phone. He says, it’s got to be special, for the perfect woman… He laughs and says, yeah. He’s the happiest he’s ever been in his life. He thanks them and sends best wishes to them and their family. Michael walks in, and Sonny says he hasn’t seen Michael since the wedding. He just kind of lied to Sal. It was a kind of a white lie, because the best time he’s had was getting married to Nina and they were all there to watch it. Michael says, there’s something he needs to talk to Sonny about.

Brook plays piano, and Chase sings. Yuri peeks in, then leaves.

Portia says hi to TJ, but he walks past her. She tries to get his attention, and he says he’s sorry. What? She asks if everything’s fine, and he says, everything’s good. She says, something else is going on, so… He insists everything’s fine, but she says she knows him. It’s okay; he can talk to her. He says, there’s this patient. There’s just something about him. She says, okay, which patient? and he says, his name is Mason Gatlin. She says, the one who tried to kill Ava.

Cyrus says he asked Mason a simple question. He wants an answer. Mason says, he disobeyed Cyrus, and Cyrus laughs and says he’s so glad they cleared that up. He’s not happy at all that Mason disobeyed him, but Miss Jerome is safe at home, so he dodged a bullet there. At least he dodged a fatal one. And they’ve already established Mason thinks he’s a man of his word, yeah? Mason says, yes, and Cyrus says he gives Mason his word in front of Almighty God and Mason’s cousin, that the pain Mason felt when he was shot, any pain he’s felt during his entire life, will pale in comparison to the pain He will feel during his long, excruciating journey to death if Mason ever betrays him again. Does he understand and believe that? Mason hesitates, and Cyrus yells, say it! making Mason and Austin jump. Mason says he understands and believes it, and Cyrus says he thinks Mason does. He slams his hand down on Mason and says, Godspeed. He asks if he and Austin understand each other now? and Austin says, they do. Cyrus says, good, and Austin leaves. Cyrus stares at Mason. I love Cyrus even though he’s the worst. There’s no story without a good villain.

Laura tells Curtis, hello. She hopes it’s all right that she came. He says he’s so glad she did, and takes her hands.

Martin sees Scotty at the bar and says he’s supposed to meet Lucy here today. Has he seen her? Scotty says, she was here, but she left like a thief in the night. Now he’s got other fish to fry. Martin says he’s sure, and Scotty says, if Martin does see her, tell her to give him back his pen.

Sonny says, Michael seems upset. Are Willow and the kids okay? Michael says, they’re fine, and Sonny says, Carly? Michael says, yeah, and Sonny says, before they get into it, can he just show Michael one thing? Michael says, but dad… and Sonny says he knows Michael is going to like this a lot. He hands Michael the picture frame and says, Nina came by this morning, and he knows he’s spoiling the surprise, but she’s going to give the one of Wiley to him and Willow. Isn’t that great? Michael can’t have too many pictures of his son. He used to do the same thing with Michael and Morgan around that age. Nina has one of Donna that she’s going to give to Carly. Michael’s not going to say anything, right? Michael says he promises, handing the frame back, and Sonny says, it is very thoughtful, right? Michael says, yeah, and Sonny says he knows Michael knows what that means. He and Willow haven’t been married that long, but Michael knows what it’s like to love somebody so much that it hurts. Nina has changed his life. Nothing against Michael’s mother. She’s happy in her own way now with Drew, especially once he gets out of that hellhole. Michael says, that’s kind of what he came to talk to Sonny about.

Laura says she’s sorry she was away so long, but Curtis says he knows she was looking for her son. Any luck? She says, they just missed him. He doesn’t want to be found, but really it made her feel relieved to know he’s okay. Curtis says he’s sure. It’s kind of ironic. They were just in Greenland, dodging bullets, only for him to come back to good old Port Charles and be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Laura says she wants him to know that Mac and Dante are doing absolutely everything in their power to find the shooter. And she’s making sure they have all the resources to do so. She also knows that’s little solace to him now. He says he’s just trying to focus on the future. It’s quite possible he could be in this chair for the rest of his life. So if that’s the case, he’ll damn well make the best of it.

Chase finishes singing, and Lois says, that was absolutely perfect. Chase says he doesn’t know about that, but Brook says, for once her mom is right. It was perfect. He says, Blaze will sound great singing that song, and Lois says she wishes she could have heard the two of them singing together. She really likes this song too. Would he sing it as well? She hands Brook another piece of music, when Lucy storms in saying, where is she? with Yuri following her. She sees Brook and says, oh, you. Where is she? Where is the Wicked Witch of the West, the East, the North, and the South?

Martin leaves Lucy a message that he hopes she’ll be there soon. Nina comes in on the phone and says she doesn’t understand how this could have happened. If they would just let her… She hangs up and goes over to Martin. She says, Trish told her that he was here. What has he done?

Sonny asks if there’s any news on Drew’s appeal, but Michael says, no. He says, Sonny knows how happy Drew and his mom were, and Sonny says, yeah. Michael says, when Drew got sent to Pentenville, it destroyed his mom. She thought it was her fault. Sonny says, Carly always thinks it’s her fault. Drew doesn’t blame her, so he’s good for her. Michael says, he would be if he wasn’t in Pentenville, and Sonny says, then let’s get him out. Michael says, they might not be able to make that happen, but… Sonny says, wait, wait, wait. Nina made it a point when she was here to say she was happy for Carly and Drew. She wanted them to be happy, and that she wanted Drew out of Pentenville. Crimson is a very important magazine. She owns it. She can use the magazine to help. Michael says he doesn’t think… and Sonny says, Michael doesn’t understand. Nina can be strong, and she can put the heat on. He’s going to call her right now. Michael says, no, dad, wait.

Portia asks TJ if there’s something he sensed about this guy when he met him before, and TJ says, nothing specific, but it didn’t seem like Austin liked him coming around much. She says she thinks the best thing for TJ to do is just steer clear of him altogether, and he says, yeah. Mason probably just reminds him of some other creep. TJ goes back to work.

Cyrus comes out of the elevator and sees Portia. However, this time he has a clue, and doesn’t bother her. He walks out of the hospital.  

Laura says she thought about calling Curtis so many times, and he says he knows. Portia told him Laura reached out to her to check on him. She says, it’s just that she didn’t think she could adequately express on a phone call how much he means to her, and he says, they’ve been through some tough times, huh? She says, he’s a hero, but he says, no, and she says, just accept it. It’s not just because he’s saved so many lives, two of them being her grandsons, but she has a special place in her heart for him from a long time ago. He says, it’s funny how that works. Sometimes you just make a connection with someone; it’s unexplainable. She says, and it’s unbreakable, and he wheels closer. They join hands, and Laura says, and nothing will ever change that.

Lois says, hiya, Lucy, and Lucy waves to her and says, hi. Don’t change the subject. Where is she? Where’s Tracy? Brook says, she went to New York City for the day, and Lucy says, of course (🍷) she did. She went out of town because she didn’t want to be here for the dirty deed to get done. But Brook’s here, isn’t she? And she’s just as responsible for all of this as Tracy is. Chase says, now wait a minute, and Lois asks why Yuri didn’t stop Lucy. He says he doesn’t touch women… He means, like that, and Brook says, just let Lucy talk. Lucy says she has plenty to talk about Chase’s girlfriend and Lois’s daughter. How about her insincere camaraderie? How about her unending lying and the fact that she actually outright stole from them? Chase starts to move forward, but Brook stops him and says, she has every right to be furious. Lucy says she is furious. She’s so furious, but you know what? She really wanted Brook’s evil grandmother to be here to witness the spoils of her vicious attack. She looks for somewhere to sign the contract, and tells Yuri, come over here, big man. She turns him around and signs it, using his back as a desk. She throws it at them, and says, there. Are you happy? She hopes Brook is so satisfied, and please tell her grandmother she can kiss… Nope. She’s too much of a lady. She walks out. Yuri asks if he should lock the door, but Lois says, it’s a little late for that.

Martin says he’s so desperately sorry. Nina has to believe him. Nothing like this ever happened before. His clients are his first priority. That’s why he’s so ashamed of letting her down like that. He just hopes she can find it in her heart to… Nina says, it’s not the end of the world. It’s just, she wanted those contracts with Estron to be filed before they could change their mind and pull their ads. He says, Estron, and she says, he was supposed to file them by end of business yesterday. Martin says he knows, which is why he’s so utterly ashamed to have let her down like he has. He knows he can make it right. He has a great relationship with the CEO, so he promises no damage will come to Crimson. She says, see that there isn’t, and leaves. He knocks back his drink.

Sonny says he really believes Nina can help, and Michael says, that’s not a good idea. Sonny asks, why? What does he mean? Michael stammers and says, Sonny just got married. He should be celebrating. Don’t put this on her plate right now. Sonny says, he’s right. They did just get married. He doesn’t want to spring this on her, although he knows she’d probably be fine with it because that’s who she is. He’s so happy Michael got to be at the wedding. He fell for her and wants this to last forever, like Michael and Willow. Michael says, yeah. He should get to work. Sonny says he’s sorry. Michael had to tell him something? Michael says he realized it’s something he can handle on his own. He appreciates that, and thanks Sonny. Sonny says, Michael knows he can come to him for anything, right? He loves Michael; Michael is his son. Michael hugs Sonny, and says he loves him too. Michael leaves, looking pretty miserable. In the hallway, he takes out his phone and makes a call. He asks if Nina Reeves is in… No. No message. Are they expecting her back soon?… Good. He’ll speak to her when he sees her. He leaves Pozzulo’s.

Tomorrow, Dante says he doesn’t want Mac to find out Cody is his kid; Carly would like to speak to the warden; and Nina wonders where someone got something. I know that’s vague, but that’s what they gave me to work with.

☃️ Winter Trainwreck…

This season, there are even more awful people than ever before, with crossovers from Vanderpump Rules and Below Deck Med. And more examples of the wrong people having the money. Reality TV, where awful people get well-paying jobs.

Old news, but a refresher on what you’ll be up against.

https://people.com/winter-house-season-3-trailer-7969301

You know it’s bad when the already awful old cast members want to distance themselves.

https://people.com/winter-house-season-3-premire-danielle-olivera-doesnt-want-tom-schwartz-scandoval-drama-exclusive-8364821

What happened in the premiere.

When awful people nearly collide. Did they really expect it to be a happy reunion?

The one they wanted to get away.

👄 Forces Of Reality Nature…

It was bound to happen. Now that they’ve made their money, sour grapes arise.

👠 Investigation Housewife…

This might be worth reading. Vanity Fair isn’t a slouch when it comes to writing.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-12651523/Vanity-Fair-release-investigation-Bravo-Housewives-stars.html

🎃 Spawning a Thousand Sequels…

A Halloween movie so definitive, it’s called Halloween.

https://halloweenmovies.com/

👻 Gone To the Dogs… and Cats…

Halloween movies with pets in them.

Halloween movies to watch with your dog.

🐺 Howling At the Moon…

Join me tomorrow for soap and whatever I can stomach of RHOBH. Until then, stay safe, stay out of the candy bowl until trick-or-treating is over (unless you are a trick-or-treater), and stay not stealing anyone’s pen.

September 29, 2023 – Nina Spills To Sonny, NuMolly, Hope, Revealing, Backtrack, Levi Rock, RHOP 8, Early Drama, Fakes, Her Stance, VanderWhiner, A Huid Ye, Last One, Newsworthy Pets, Tenner Of Quotes & When

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

New York City. Trina and Spencer are seated outside at an upscale restaurant, and Trina says, that was amazing. The set, the costumes, the music. She felt like she was actually at the Moulin Rouge, Didn’t he love it? He says he did, although he did have a little bit of trouble paying attention, because there was a pretty girl next to him who he kept stealing glances at. She says she’s definitely not as exciting as the Can-Can, but he says he disagrees. She says she’s not sure Toulouse-Lautrec would agree, and he says, it made him happy to see her so happy. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She says, how could she be anything but happy? She’s in the city with the most incredible guy. He says, who’s incredibly hungry, and she says she’s starving.

Nina lies in bed sleeping, surrounded by papers, when Sonny comes in. She says, hello, handsome, and he says he didn’t mean to wake her. She says, no apologies necessary. She loves waking up to him.

Drew dreams about the attack and wakes up with a start. Willow is sitting next to his bed, and she says, bad dream? He says, this kind of dream is his reality.

There’s a knock at the gatehouse door, and Michael opens it to Carly. He asks what she’s doing here at this hour, and she says she needs his help. She saw Willow at GH; she’s with Drew. He says he stayed behind with the kids. How is Drew doing? She says, he made it through surgery. He’s lucky to be alive. They almost beat him to death. Michael says, he shouldn’t even be in Pentenville. He doesn’t know what that judge was thinking. She says she does. Judge Kim used Drew to advance his career, and she needs Michael to help her prove it.

Finn asks where Elizabeth has been all night. It’s the first time he’s seeing her. She says, it’s been so busy. She’s been assisting in surgery for the past three hours. Why is he here so late? He says he couldn’t leave without saying hi to her.

Ava comes into Windymere, and butler Giles takes her umbrella. She asks, why is it only raining on this godforsaken island? Not a single drop anywhere else. Giles says, Spoon Island is in microclimate, and she thanks him for the science lesson. (Personally, I’d like to hear more on that, since I think I live in one too.) She says she’s obviously not meant to be dry today, so in keeping with the wet theme, she’s going to take a long, hot bath. He says, no, she won’t, calling her madam, and she tells him, stop it with the madam and tell her why she can’t take a bath. He says he’s sorry, but the hot water heater isn’t working due to intermittent power outages on the island from the storm. She says, like the microclimate, and he says, precisely. She says, please tell her the vodka and olive situation hasn’t been affected by the storm, and he says, not to his knowledge. She says, hot dog. Then fix her a martini. She’s going to get out of these wet clothes. He asks how she’d like her martini, and she says, dry, very dry.

Geneva, Switzerland. Laura and Doc walk into an office, and a man says, welcome, Miss Spencer. She shakes his hand and says, actually, it’s Collins now, and introduces Doc. The man says, Hans Mueller. Pleased to meet you. He and Doc shake hands, and he tells them to have a seat. Hans says he’s known Doc’s lovely wife for years, and Laura wonders how long they’ve been doing business, then says, don’t answer that. She doesn’t think she wants to hear that number, but Hans has been a friend of the family for a long time. Hans asks what he can do for her, and she says, he can help her find her son.

Elizabeth says she’s not buying it. There has to be another reason Finn is still here. His shift ended hours ago. He says he’s insulted. Okay, maybe he’s waiting around for some lab results, but seeing her is incentive for sticking around. She says, he won’t be seeing her around here at night anymore. The kids are done with camp and she’s switching back to days. He says he likes seeing her any way he can, but he has to admit these nights have been kind of special. She says she wouldn’t exactly call a 12-hour shift special, and he says, seeing her has been kind of nice, and their talks on the roof. She says, when he stole her spot, and he says he thought they cleared this up. She’s the interloper. She says she doesn’t think she’s ever been described that way, and he says, if the shoe fits. She says, whoever gets there first, okay? and he says, it sounds like a challenge. She laughs and says she should go. Goodnight, Dr. Finn. He says, goodnight, Nurse Baldwin.

Sonny asks how things went with Charlotte. He’s sure she was excited spending the night at Nina’s place. Nina says, she was, but things are difficult for her right now. She’s been acting out. He says, she’s what? Fourteen? Nina says, it’s hard for her to believe this, but she’s fifteen, and he says, acting out comes with the territory at that age. You’ve got to have patience. She says she is, but when she and Valentin were together, she was Charlotte’s stepmother for a while, and even though they’re not together now, she still thinks of Charlotte as family. He says, family is very important. It’s the most important thing. She says, since they’re on the subject of family, they need to talk about his.

Drew says, not that he doesn’t appreciate the company, but what is Willow doing here? She says, she and Michael heard about the attack. They were so worried about him, she had to come and see him, so Michael stayed home with the kids. He says, that’s very sweet, but she didn’t have to come, and she says, it’s the least she could do. He literally saved her life. If he hadn’t rescued Liesl, she wouldn’t have gotten the bone marrow transplant, and she wouldn’t be here. A visit from her certainly can’t compare, but she wanted him to know she’s thinking about him. He thanks her, and she asks if there’s anything he wants or needs to talk about? He says, no… Well, there is one thing he needs to know and it’s pretty important. She says, anything, and he says he needs to know how Wiley’s T-ball team is doing.

Laura tells Hans that her son has been missing for months now, and she’s afraid something’s happened. Hans says, he hasn’t contacted her at all? and she says, no. And he left behind two sons. One of them is just a baby, and she doesn’t believe he’d just abandon them. So she’s afraid maybe he’s being held against his will. She and Doc have been searching for him for weeks now, but they haven’t come up with any leads. Doc says, they’ve been to the Cassadine properties in Russia and Greece, but there’s no sign of him, and Hans says he’s happy to help in any way he can, but what makes them think Nikolas is in Geneva? Laura says, because his money is here.

Ava thanks Giles for making the fire. She knows it’s a bit early, but it was so damp. She feels better already, and she’ll feel even better when she gets that martini. She turns around to take the martini from Giles as there’s a clap of thunder, startling her. The martini sloshes onto her, and Giles says he’s so sorry. Let him get her a napkin. She says, no, no. It’s quite all right. She told him she wasn’t meant to be dry tonight. He hands her a manila envelope, saying, this came from the real estate agency. She thanks him, and he says he’s off this evening, but there’s plenty of food in the kitchen. She says she’ll be having a liquid dinner. Thanks so much, and get home safely. He leaves, and she sits on the sofa. She opens the envelope and takes out pictures of a house interior. She says she can’t wait to get off this island.

Trina says, what a beautiful night, and thanks Spencer. He says, no need to thank him. All he did was place a few phone calls; to the hotel, to the restaurant, and then the concierge. It’s not a big deal. She says, everything has been wonderful, but she wasn’t talking about the reservations. She knows how hard it is for him to get away. He has to deal with Esme and be there for Ace, and she wants him to know how grateful she is that he made time for them. He says, I love us, and she says, me too. And she loves him, so very much. I’m not sure why. He’s really good looking, but he talks too fast and too loud, and he’s still an entitled snob.

Carly tells Michael that she can’t believe it. This is all her fault. He says, it isn’t, but she says, it is too. She’s the one who insisted on investing in Aurora. She’s the one who took a chance and put all her money into that stock. That’s what led to the insider trading charge. Michael says, she had no idea that was going to happen. Someone is to blame, but it’s not her. Whoever called the SEC, they’re to blame. She asks if he still thinks it was Ned, but he says, there’s no way to know. Now Ned thinks he’s Eddie Maine and they may never know, but he’s working on it. She asks what he means, and he says he may have a lead on the whistleblower, but it’s not going to get Drew out of prison any sooner. He’ll tell her about that later, but right now they have to focus on getting Drew home. She says she spoke to Diane, and she thinks their best strategy is to put pressure on the judge; either get him to reduce or commute Drew’s sentence. He asks how they do that, and she says she has some information on the judge and she’s going to use it.

Willow shows Drew her phone, and says, these days, all the kids get a trophy. Wiley didn’t understand it at first, since they lost every game. He said he thought only winners get trophies, so she told him, everyone is a winner at T-ball. Drew says, has he maybe tried soccer? but she says, young Mr. Corinthos wouldn’t even consider it. She’s afraid Wiley takes after his dad. He is so stubborn. He’ll argue about it no matter how many times he strikes out. Nina came by last week, and she can’t believe how committed their slugger is. He says, wow. That must mean she and Nina are getting along. She says, it’s going better than she ever imagined. Nina’s respecting boundaries. She always calls to see if it’s okay to come over. She’s great with the kids. Wiley loves his grandmother. He lights up when he sees her. He says he’s so happy that things are going better. That’s great. How is Michael doing with all this? Has his opinion of Nina changed? She tells him, like she said, Michael’s stubborn.

Sonny asks if something happened between Nina and Michael, but she says, no. It’s not Michael, it’s… Gladys. He says, what’d she do now? and Nina says, she’s in serious debt. She owes a lot of money to Selina Wu. He says, that’s somebody you don’t want to mess with. How did Nina find out? She says, Gladys came to her. Gladys asked her for money. She wanted Nina to bail her out because she was too afraid to approach Sonny. Sonny says, let him guess how she got into this hole – gambling. Nina says, she lost a lot of money. Apparently, she’s been playing for months. He says, dammit, getting out of bed. What the hell is wrong with Gladys? Didn’t she see what gambling did to Mike? It pretty much destroyed his life. What was she thinking? Nina says, that’s the point; she wasn’t thinking. And she hates to tell him this, but it gets worse. Before Gladys came to her, she found another way to get the money. He says, how? and she says, Gladys was stealing money from Sasha.

Thunder rumbles as Ava raises her glass and says, here’s to the end of the Windymere era. Good riddance to this place and everything that happened here. She sips her martini, and flashes back to the argument she and Nikolas had that ended with her cracking him over the head and thinking he was dead.

Doc tells Hans, we have a saying in the US; follow the money. That’s what led them here. Laura asks if there’s anything Hans can tell them, and he says, Nikolas indeed has a substantial amount of money with them, but it’s separate from the Cassadine estate. Nikolas has several separate accounts. A large amount was sent to him by his Uncle Victor. His condolence on Victor’s death. Both Doc and Laura are like, no, and Doc asks if there’s been any recent activity in Nikolas’s accounts. Hans says, as a matter of fact, there’s been quite a bit. There have been several withdrawals. Laura asks if Hans has seen him, and Hans says, no, but he’ll print out the records for them. Laura thanks him, and Hans leaves. Doc says, this could mean Nikolas is alive, and Laura says she hopes so.

Spencer says he can’t believe it, and she says, that she’s in love with him? He’d better believe it. He says, no. That it took her so long to say it. He was just professing his love to her back in the hotel room and she didn’t say anything back, so he just assumed… She says, that she didn’t feel the same way? and he says he didn’t know. Why didn’t she say anything then? She says she learned a thing or two from Aunt Stella. She said, good things come to those who wait. He says he would have waited an eternity for her to say those words and he’s so glad she did. He doesn’t know if she’s noticed, but he’s not the most patient person in the world. She says, him? What is he thinking about? He says, that he’s the luckiest guy in the world, and takes her hand. He says he’s loved her for so very long. Since the day he met her. She says, that was a long time ago, wasn’t it? They’ve certainly been through a lot since then. We go down Spencer and Trina Memory Lane, but not too far, since it was another actress then, and there’s a song part. He says, the best is yet to come, and kisses her hand.

Sonny says, so Nina is telling him that Gladys is stealing from her daughter-in-law? and Nina says, yeah. Gladys has been syphoning money from Sasha’s bank account for months, until she drained it. And she was desperate because she still owed Selina Wu a lot of money. Then when Sasha came to Gladys and said she wanted to end the conservatorship, she panicked. Gladys doesn’t want anyone to know what she’s doing. He says, Sasha came to him months ago and said she felt stronger and didn’t need a guardian. Gladys told him that she was against ending the guardianship. Is Nina telling him that Gladys tried to make sure this didn’t happen? She takes his hand and says, Gladys did a lot more than just that.

Drew tells Willow that he gets where Michael is coming from. Everyone knows how Carly feels about Nina. But he keeps getting reminded, not only is life short, but it’s so fragile. They shouldn’t waste their time arguing with people and holding grudges. It just takes too much energy. Willow says she knows. After losing her mother, she realized how important family is. Harmony was never really her family, but the Quartermaines are. She feels so blessed to be a part of them. They’re so generous and loving… He says, and crazy, and stubborn, and combative. She says she knows, but she wouldn’t trade their money them for anything. He says, neither would he.

Elizabeth scrubs at her scrubs in the locker room, and sees Finn’s ID hanging from a locker. She looks over to see him in the shower. Since the doors are wide open. She leaves her ID on the table, and walks into the shower stall with him.

It continues to storm on Spoon Island. Ava turns around, and jumps, dropping her martini.

Hans comes back, and says, here are the current records for Mr. Cassadine’s accounts, handing them to Laura. She says, thank you so much. She looks through a folder and says, wow. There are quite a few withdrawals, aren’t there? Doc says, and these dates line up. They started just a few months ago. She says, right after Nikolas went missing, and Hans says, his colleagues tell him the withdrawals were made in person by Mr. Cassadine. As she can see, there’s a recent transfer for a substantial amount. He’ll leave her with these records. He has to attend to another matter. She says, he’s been so helpful. She can’t thank him enough. He says, always a pleasure, and says, nice meeting Doc. Doc says, they really appreciate this, and they shake hands. Hans says, of course (🍷), and leaves. Laura says, he’s alive. Her son is alive. Thank God. She and Doc hug, and he says, this might lead them to him.

The waiter asks if Trina and Spencer would like to see the dessert menu, and Spencer looks to Trina, but she says, no thank you. They have to get going. He says he’ll take the check, and the waiter leaves. As much as I’m not keen on Spencer, I’m glad Trina is looking forward to her first time with him. Usually, there’s all this angst surrounding that, so it’s nice to see the flip side.

Elizabeth goes to Finn, and they kiss. She asks what he’s thinking, and he says he doesn’t want to think anymore. I’m thinking, why is she still wearing her scrubs? They start getting busy.

Nina tells Sonny, Sasha needed to get out of Ferncliff now. She needed to get away from this so-called doctor that was taking care of her. And the only way to do that was to pay this guy off. Sonny says, son of a bitch, and Nina says, a lot of stuff happened, but the bottom line is, Cody Bell broke Sasha out of Ferncliff. He says, Dante’s friend? and she says, yeah. Somehow, he got into Ferncliff, and he took her with him. Gladys said that Cody kidnapped her, but she doesn’t believe that. He says he’s sorry that Gladys put her in this position, but she says, no. She’s sorry she didn’t tell him earlier; she was trying to fix it herself. Anyway, he doesn’t need to apologize. He says, Gladys is family, but he’s put up with this way too long. That’s on him. Gladys will be dealt with. He probably doesn’t know who to go after first, Selina, Gladys, or the so-called doctor.

Drew thanks Willow for coming to see him, and she leaves. In the hallway, a woman turns around and Willow sees it’s Harmony.

Carly tells Michael, Diane said this judge is hoping to get a seat on the Circuit Court, and it’s really important because it’s a steppingstone to the Supreme Court. (The stuff I learn from this show.) He asks what that has to do with Drew’s sentence, and she says, he was hoping to look good. He could have given Drew a harsher sentence because he wanted to look good to the Justice Department. She doesn’t know. It’s all speculation, and it’s going to be really tough to prove actual misconduct. He says, what if they don’t have to prove it? What if the appearance of misconduct is enough? She asks what he means, and she says, let’s say we get the story out to the press. Maybe Drew’s case would gain some traction. She says, they could get Alexis to run a piece in The Invader, and that will put pressure on the judge, but he says, they have to tread lightly though, because Alexis is a former attorney and she’s scrupulous. Alexis won’t run a hit piece on Judge Kim just because Carly asks her to. Carly says, Alexis won’t do it for her, but there’s someone else she’d do it for.

Ava asks what the hell Mason is doing here. Did Giles let him in? He says, the guy in the penguin suit? He’s long gone. She asks what he wants, and he says, it depends. What is she offering? She says, nothing. She said her piece yesterday, so get out of here. He walks closer, and she says she told him, get out of here. She’ll call the cops. He says, go for it. We’ll be long gone before the cops can get here. She says, we? and he says, yeah.

Spencer opens the hotel room door, and Trina sees red rose petals on the bed. She says, Spencer… and goes to him, kissing him. They get busy, and there’s a song part. Another minority I’m in is, no rose petals on the bed please. Wouldn’t they stick to you?

Nina says, Sonny can’t do anything tonight. He can deal with this tomorrow. The only thing that matters is planning their wedding. He says, no. Actually, the only thing that matters is getting married.

Willow asks what Harmony is doing here, and Harmony says she came looking for Willow. Willow asks, why? and Harmony says she came to warn Willow. Willow says, about what? and Harmony’s lips move, but we can’t hear the words. Willow wakes up on one of the couches in the waiting area at the hospital.

Trina and Spencer bask in the afterglow, and he says he has no words for her. She says, wow, and they kiss.

Doc asks if Laura sees anything, and she says she’s looking for a pattern; a clue as to where Nikolas might be now. But it’s this one very large withdrawal. Does Doc think he opened another account so he could maybe hide what he’s doing or where he is? He says, maybe, but they’re not going to figure anything out right now. He suggests they take these back to the hotel for champagne. This is information worth celebrating. She says, it is, and hugs him. She says her son is alive and they’re celebrating. And their search was not in vain. Again, if Nikolas wanted to let her know he was alive, he could have just picked up the phone instead of making her trot halfway around the globe.

Ava says she’s not going anywhere with Mason, and reaches for a fireplace poker. He says he wouldn’t do that if he were her, and she tells him, stay away from her. He says, she ratted them out. She wasn’t smart.

Elizabeth approaches the reception desk and asks if Amy has checked on the patient in 1002. Amy says she did and he’s fine. Elizabeth looks tired. Does she want Amy to get her a coffee? Nothing like a little caffeine to get you through the night shift. Elizabeth says she’ll never sleep tonight if she has one of those. Finn comes out, and Amy says, here are the labs he’s been waiting for, and asks why they both have wet hair.

Spencer tells Trina, you know when I’m happiest? When I’m with you. He means it. They kiss some more.

Someone walks into Hans’s office, and he says he assumes they’re here for more money. Nikolas closes the door and says, yes. He needs to make another withdrawal. Hans says, he just missed his mother, and Nikolas says, did he? Hans says, she was just here with her husband. They’re looking for him. His mother is a very gracious woman. She loves him and his disappearance has given her a large amount of pain. Be a good son and do the right thing. Nikolas says he plans to.

We see the living room at Windymere is empty.

Carly asks why Drew isn’t sleeping. He should be resting. He says he got some sleep. Then Willow came to visit and he’s sure he’s going to nod off again, so he’s good. She should go home. She should be with the girls. She says, Josslyn’s with them; they’re fine. She’s not going to stay long. She just needed to be with him, even if it’s just to watch him sleep. She loves him. She’s so sorry this happened to him. He tells her not to worry. Everything’s going to be okay. She says, he’s damn right, because she’s going to make sure.

Michael asks if Drew’s okay, and Willow says she thinks so. It looks like Drew will recover. The surgery went well. They had a good visit. She’s really glad she saw him. He asks her, what’s wrong? but she says, it’s nothing. He says, if she’s not feeling well, she has to tell him. She says, it’s not that. After she left Drew’s room, she sat in the lounge for a bit and nodded off. He says, she’s pushing herself too hard. She should have waited before going back to work. She says she guesses she was a bit more tired than she realized, but that’s not what’s bothering her. She had the strangest dream about her mother. He says, Nina? but she says, no, Harmony. But it was only a dream.

Nina tells Sonny that she doesn’t care about the dress and the flowers and the – she flips through some of the papers on the bed – cake. It doesn’t matter. He says, it seems like it matters to her because she’s doing a lot of planning, and she says she has, but it’s also insignificant right now. With everything that’s happened these last few months; with Sasha being committed, and Curtis getting shot. She feels really guilty about planning a big wedding because a lot of people that they love are suffering. He says he’s got an idea, and she says, what? He says, why don’t they elope? He’s serious. All they care about is to say their vows and become husband and wife. She even said she didn’t want to deal with this right now. She says, but Sonny… and he says, the planning’s going to be out of control. Olivia is going to keep coming to her with more options, and do they really care what icing is on the cake? (Well… yeah.) She says she doesn’t know, and he says, we will fly to the island tomorrow. We will get married. What does she say? She tells him that she says yes! throwing all the papers in the air.

On Monday, Sonny says, that’s exactly what he wanted him to do; Laura says she’s not giving up her search; Valentin tells Martin that Charlotte’s future depends on their conversation today; and Sasha says she plans to do just that.

👩🏻‍⚖️ Newest Of the New Mollys…

I didn’t even know how old they were supposed to be, and who cares anyway?

🚑 It’s a Match…

Weird how it’s sort of art imitating life.

💎 Fancy Pants POV…

Like we didn’t think she’d come back.

🧂 A Little Salt…

Zero sympathy about the ring, and she acted like a child because she’s an adult? What does that even mean?

🗽 New York Casual…

I love their Reunion pic. They’ve dressed like themselves; not like they’re having a quinceañera. One article said fans were angry about the jeans. What’s wrong with people?

🪙 Trailing the Potomac…

What’s to come for the Grande Dame and company.

https://www.essence.com/entertainment/rhop-season-8-trailer/

👠 What Happens In Jersey…

Jackie gives a tease.

When will Andy learn? When the lawsuit finally comes knocking?

🎪 Faux Housewives Of Bravo…

Kind of ironic, considering she looks nothing like she did when she was first on the show.

🍹 Dance Card Officially Filled…

She could use a break, but she should really let that Austen thing go.

🗑 Filed Under Who Cares…

What a big egotistical baby this guy is.

🎭 Farewell Old Friend…

I was sad to hear about his death. Although I’m glad they remembered he was in VR5. Blink and you missed it, but it was a great show and it started Michael Easton’s career. I knew he was going places.

https://people.com/ncis-star-david-mccallum-dead-7974574

https://people.com/david-mccallum-dead-ncis-costars-more-pay-tribute-7974806

https://people.com/david-mccallum-dead-ncis-costars-more-pay-tribute-7974806

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/a45338401/david-mccallum-ncis-death-mark-harmon-tribute-statement/

📀 End Of an Era…

I’d keep that last one and sell it later on eBay.

https://www.today.com/popculture/news/netflix-stop-shipping-dvds-rcna80319

🐾 Paws In the Forefront…

If not at a Paw Patrol screening, then where else would they break records?

https://people.com/paw-patrol-the-mighty-movie-breaks-record-for-most-dogs-attending-film-screening-7974680

Adorable to the nth degree, especially in that tiny hat.

https://people.com/meet-wisp-the-persian-kitten-tiktok-is-in-love-with-8286012

🦆 Quotes Of the Week

No great discovery was ever made without a bold guess. – Sir Isaac Newton

The greatest deception [humans] suffer is from their own opinions. – Leonardo da Vinci

If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try. – Seth Godin

It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up. – Babe Ruth

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. – Mahatma Gandhi

We can’t be afraid of change. You may feel very secure in the pond that you are in, but if you never venture out of it, you will never know that there is such a thing as an ocean, a sea. Holding onto something that is good for you now, may be the very reason why you don’t have something better. – C Joybell C

Action is the foundational key to all success. – Pablo Picasso

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear. –Mark Twain

They’re not on the same page. They’re not even in the same book. – Jamal Menzies, Pillow Talk: 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days

Crying and throwing a tantrum isn’t going to be a solution to the problem. – Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, My 600-LB Life

🛶 Building an Ark…

Stop in again on Monday really Tuesday for soap and what’s going on in the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay making requests instead of demands, and stay not wasting your time arguing with people and holding grudges. It takes too much energy, and life is short.

August 11, 2023 – Bar Fight Repercussions, Newcomer, New Strike, Billie the Ally, Forget You, Pass the Salt, Costly Deck, Wishlist, New Dragons, Dead Talk, Next Year, Film Pups, Quotes Totaling Nine & Club

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Elizabeth goes out on the roof and tells Finn that he’s in her spot. He asks if she really comes up here often enough to claim a spot, and she says, it’s a perk of being head nurse. He says, she’s here late. Who’s looking after the boys? She says, it’s summer. They’re away at camp, and since night shift pays time and a half, she figured… He asks if it’s really her spot, and she says, yeah. It’s usually very clearly marked with a ginormous E. He asks what makes this spot so special, other than being exclusively hers? and she says she comes up here to make sense of everything that happens in this hospital. He says, that’s exactly why he’s here.

On the phone in bed, Sonny tells Ava, don’t worry. He’s taking care of this Betty situation; he’s handling it. She asks just how he’s handling it. This woman is going to be around Avery every day, and they know she can’t be trusted. He says he has eyes on Betty. If she does anything wrong, one of his guys will get back to him. She asks how long they’re going to have to play this sick game before they get Betty away from their daughter, and he says, it’s going to be over soon. Avery comes into Ava’s bedroom, and Ava asks what she’s doing out of bed. Avery asks who she’s talking to, and Sonny tells Ava to put her on the phone. Ava tells Avery that her dad wants to say hi, and hands her the phone. Sonny asks what she’s doing up, and she says she couldn’t sleep. He tells her that she needs some rest; it’s a big day tomorrow. She says she knows. She’s so excited. Betty’s taking her to day camp. He says, she’s not going to have fun if she’s falling asleep in camp, when Nina comes in. Avery says she’ll try to sleep, and he tells her, goodnight. Ava says she’ll talk to him tomorrow, and Nina gets into bed. She says, Avery is up awfully late, and he says, she’s a lot like her dad; she doesn’t sleep very well. Nina says she knows she’ll sleep great as long as he’s next to her.

Dante checks out Pikeman on his laptop, when Sam gets into bed. She takes the laptop and puts it on the nightstand. He asks what she’s doing, and she says, work is over for the day. He wonders what they’re going to do for the rest of the evening. He has a lot of energy. They start to get busy.

Along with a couple of officers, Chase leads a handcuffed Ned, Carly, and Olivia into the station. Ned says he didn’t do anything wrong, and Carly says, it’s crazy. Olivia says she was accosted, and tells the officer to get his meat hooks off of her. Carly says, Ned and Olivia were assaulted, and Ned says, he was just having a beer. And by the way, they arrested the wrong guy. Chase tells them, enough. Shut up or you’re all going to the holding cell.

Anna leaves the house in the dark as someone watches her.

Olivia tells Chase, so she and Carly wind up at the Highsider because they were talking about old times and wanted to blow off some steam. Carly chose the Highsider because it reminded her of this old bar called Jake’s that she used to really like to go to. So they run into Ned – Ned says, EddieEddie, and Eddie starts trying to pick up on Carly. Ned says, trying? He was doing a pretty good job. Carly says, no he wasn’t. She took advantage of the situation because she was trying to figure out what was going on with Ned. Ned says, Eddie… Wait. She was working him? Carly says, that’s so not the point. She was telling Eddie that she knew someone who went through the exact same thing. She was trying to spark some kind of memory in Ned, or get Eddie to go back to the Quartermaines and let them get to know him somehow. Chase says he doesn’t see where this is going. Where does the guy come in who wouldn’t leave Olivia alone, and how did this fight start that ended with all of them in his custody? Olivia says she had to go to the ladies room because she put her hand in a big blob of nacho cheese. She comes back from the ladies room and sees Ned… Eddie at the bar trying to pick up Carly. Meanwhile, this low life comes over to her, a really totally unpleasant guy, and was trying to pick her up, and he wouldn’t take no for an answer. Chase’s phone rings, and he steps away to take the call. He says, this is Detective Chase… He understands. He goes back to the group, and says, that was the manager at the Highsider. He’s not going to press charges. They all breathe a sigh of relief, and Olivia says, so they can go home? Chase says he can release all of them as soon as someone comes to sign them out. Would anyone care to make a call?

Sam and Dante continue to get busy, when she says, wait. She has to ask him something. He says, right now? and she says she promised she’d ask and doesn’t want to forget. Maxie wants to rent the house. He asks, whose idea was that? and she says, mine?

Sonny’s phone rings, and he looks to see who it is.

Looking up at the sky, Elizabeth says, it’s beautiful, and Finn agrees. She asks, what’s got him up on this roof so late? He doesn’t say anything, and she asks if he’s okay. He says he is, and she asks, what is it? He says he lost a patient tonight, and she says she’s sorry. What happened? He says, it was a parasite, and he was able to identify it, and started treating it, but something just wasn’t right. He didn’t seem to be getting better. She asks if he didn’t get treatment in time, and Finn says, time was the one thing he didn’t have. When he started treatment, Finn noticed anomalies in his blood, so he took further tests, and it turns out he also had Stage IV cancer. She says, he didn’t know? and he says, no one did. His cancer had metastasized. He still chose to fight; he wanted every moment he could spend with his daughter and wife. She says, that’s the worst part about their job. It never gets easier. He says he hates it so much. It’s like a little part of him dies every time this happens. This one hit him hard. It’s like it was personal. She says, personal how? and he says, his daughter was a classmate of Violet’s. It just made him think, what if that was him?

Anna goes for a run in the dark, which seems like a weird thing to do, considering the circumstances. Someone slips into her house, and we see men’s shoes, so I assume it’s a man, but you never know.

Elizabeth says, it’s a natural reaction to think of your own life when someone dies, and he says, this is different. He’s Violet’s only parent. What happens to her if he was gone? She says, God forbid if something were to take him away from her, she’d still have her Uncle Chase and her grandfather and her. But he’s not going anywhere. He’s just rattled. She’s sure he has provisions in place with his dad and his brother. He says, Chase is a cop. He puts his life on the line every day when he goes to work. She says, but he really loves her, and Finn says he knows, but maybe that’s not enough. He’s thinking maybe there’s someone better for Violet. She says, like who? and he says, her. Will she be Violet’s guardian?

Nina wakes up to find Sonny gone. She calls his name a few times, and lies back down, but then she gets up.

Sam asks if Dante is sure he’s not upset with her for suggesting Maxie rent his house, and he says he’s sure, but he hasn’t thought about that house in a long time. (Wait. Wasn’t he just talking about it a few days ago? Assumption of audience short-term memory loss.) She says, they don’t have to talk about it if he doesn’t want to, but he says, they can talk about it. She says, he should have seen what she saw when she went to Maxie’s earlier. It was a complete disaster. Georgie and James were fighting, and Maxie had to put Georgie in her room because Georgie and James share a room. Obviously, it’s too close for comfort, and they just fight all the time. Then you add Bailey Lou to the mix, and you have three kids and Maxie in that apartment, and it’s so small. She thought about his house and thought, what a great idea. Maxie would be a great renter and his house is open, and Maxie’s practically family, right? She asks him to say something, and he says he thinks it’s a great idea. And he thinks Lulu would be really happy Maxie is living there. He thinks Maxie would take care of the place and her kids would have a yard to play in. She says, that’s exactly what she was thinking. James would actually be able to use the yard to play soccer, and Maxie could get Bailey Lou some type of swing set, and Georgie would be able to have her friends over. They could get tents and camp out in the backyard, and do what kids do. She thinks it would be really great for them. He says, yeah. And if Lulu were to wake up one day, she’d be the one to decide what to do with that house. Sam asks if he’s sure he’s okay with this, and he says he is. Why should that house sit empty and hollow, when Maxie could be filling it with her family and memories? She asks again if he’s sure, and he says, yes; it’s perfect. She says, that’s her thought, and he says, everything is perfect, kissing her. His phone rings, and she tells him, take it. He answers, and Chase says, they have a little situation down at the station with his mother. Dante says, his mother? Is she all right? Chase says, Olivia’s fine, and Dante tells Sam that his mother’s at the police station. She asks if Olivia is all right, and he says, yeah, then asks Chase, what happened? Chase says, there was a run-in at the Highsider and when the cops got there, let’s just say his mom had a lot to say with a lot of attitude. She left him no choice but to bring her in.

Austin runs into his office, sees Mason at this desk, and asks what he’s doing here. What does he want now? Mason shows Austin the cut on the back of his head and says he needs a doctor.

The man pours gasoline all over the inside of Anna’s first floor.

Ava’s phone rings, and she tells Nina, it’s late. What’s up? Nina says, Sonny is gone, and Ava asks what she means. Nian says she woke up and he wasn’t next to her, and Ava asks if she checked the rest of the apartment. Nina says she did. She even asked the guard, and he just told her that Sonny had to step out. He didn’t tell her where Sonny went or why he had to leave. Ava says, honestly, what did Nina expect?

Austin says, Mason can’t just waltz in here and make himself comfortable whenever he feels like it, and Mason says he’s hardly comfortable. He needs medical attention and who better to come to than his cousin who happens to be a doctor? Austin says, the ER, urgent care, whatever normal people do. He has real patients he has to attend to. Mason says he doesn’t think Austin wants him going to the ER, bleeding all over the place, just to ask for his cousin. Austin says, what he wants is for Mason to not be here at all, and Mason says he was doing Austin a favor. Austin says, if Mason wants to do him a favor, get out of here, and Mason says he didn’t want to draw attention to either one of them. He was trying to be discreet for Austin’s sake. Austin says, thanks. Here’s what he thinks. He thinks Mason is hiding in here from whoever hit him on the back of the head. So before he treats Mason – if he treats him at all – does Mason want to tell him what happened? Mason says, not really, and Austin says, okay. Then he doesn’t want to bandage Mason up. He heads for the door, and Mason says, okay. He had an encounter with a lady in a bar, and maybe things got a little out of hand.

Carly says she doesn’t understand why they need somebody to sign them out, when Dante comes into the station. Olivia says she’s a grown woman, and she doesn’t understand… Chase says, oh boy. Is he glad to see Dante, and Olivia says, not as glad as she is. You know what? Things need to change at the PCPD. She gets hauled into the station for defending herself against some lowlife, while there should be a manhunt out there for the jerk who was trying to accost her. Dante asks, what the hell happened here? and Chase says, his mom, Carly, and Ned started a fight at the Highsider. Olivia says, he’s damn right they started a fight. The guy wouldn’t take his hands off her; he wouldn’t take no for an answer. If this was Bensonhurst, her cousins would have had that guy… Dante says, stop. Please. Let him handle it. What are the charges? Chase says, the manager at the Highsider said they weren’t going to press any charges. Chase thinks he was glad just to get the three of them out of the bar. Dante knows how this works. If he signs for them, Chase can release them. Dante says, let’s do that. He’ll sign for all three of them. Carly says, no, and Olivia says, Dante Angelo Falconari. She did not do anything wrong and she refuses to be released into her son’s custody. Dante says, let’s not do this here, but Olivia tells him, just turn right around and go back the way he came. Dante says, oh yeah? and Ned says, thanks for the offer, but his ride is here. They all turn to see Sonny.

Anna stops for a moment, checks her watch, and runs back the way she came.

A gas can is dropped on the floor, and gas pours out. A match is lit and dropped into the puddle. It bursts into flame, and the man leaves the room.

Olivia says she did nothing wrong, and she refuses to be released into her son’s custody for defending herself against some handy jerk at a dive bar, and she’ll stay the night here before she gets Dante involved any further. Dante says he admires her principles, and she says, he should. Because they’re the same principles she instilled in him, and that’s why he turned out so good. She doesn’t care. She’ll stay here all night. She’s standing her ground. She folds her arms, and Dante asks her to come with him, just for a second, and tells the others that they’ll be right back. He takes Olivia into the interrogation room, and says, she’s so hellbent on spending the night here. That means he’s got to spend the night here with her. She understands that, right? She tells him, go home and be with Sam and the kids, but he says he can’t do that. How can he leave her here in this place and act like nothing’s wrong knowing she’s here? She says, okay. She guesses she understands. He says, please. Do him the favor. Let him take her home. She says, if she lets him take her home, if she lets him sign her out of here, it means she did something wrong. She did nothing wrong. She’s not guilty. He asks if she’ll think about Leo for a second. He’s going to wake up in the morning, and she’s not going to be there. He’s already dealing with Eddie in there, and he’ll have to leave Leo in Tracy’s care. She says, all right. She’ll do it for Leo, but she’s not admitting she did anything wrong. They go back in, and Dante says he’ll sign out for Carly too, but Sonny tells Dante to take his mother home. He’ll handle it. Olivia asks if Carly wants her and Dante to stay here until she leaves, but Carly tells her to go. It’s okay. Olivia says, text her when she gets out, and Carly says she will. They hug, and Olivia leaves with Dante, Ned watching her. Sonny says, as soon as Chase finishes the paperwork, Carly can go with him. She says, he can take Ned. She’s not going with him.

Nina tells Ava that she woke up and Sonny wasn’t next to her. Is it too much to ask to go to bed beside the man that she loves, the man she’s engaged to, then wake up with him still beside her? Now she’s here all alone. He could have texted her. He could have left her a note. Anything is better than an empty bed and a blank stare from one of the guards. Ava says, the man Nina is engaged to a mobster, and Nina says she knows that. Ava says, then she knows he doesn’t work 9 to 5. He’s going to disappear in the middle of the night with no note or text. Then he’s going to return with no explanation of where he was or why. She thought Nina understood all that. Nina says, knowing it in theory is a lot different than waking up alone.

Austin stitches Mason up, and Mason says, ow! Take it easy. Is he doing that on purpose? Austin says, if he was doing it on purpose, Mason would know, and Mason says, he must have a dozen malpractice suits, but Austin says, not so much. Does Mason want to tell him what happened with this woman? Is she going to be pressing charges? Mason says he doubts they’re going to be looking for him. He was just hitting on a hot brunette with a feisty temper. Austin says, from the look of those stitches, she was more than just feisty, but Mason says, she’s not the one that hit him. Someone… he thinks it was her blonde friend, hit him with the bottle. The next thing he knows, cop sirens were blaring. Austin says, and he just stumbled out of there, blood everywhere? Anybody see his ugly mug? (Sounds like something Scotty would say.) Mason says, no. He managed to sneak out the back during all the confusion. He thought to himself, hey, what better time to visit his cousin than when he actually needs a doctor? Austin says, lucky me, and Mason says he figured he could check up on their girl Betty. How’s she doing taking care of Sonny’s daughter?

Finn says he knows it’s a lot to ask, but Violet loves Elizabeth, and he can’t think of a better person to raise her if anything happened to him. He knows she’d be safe and loved with her and the boys. Elizabeth says, nothing’s going to happen to him, but he says, that’s just the thing. No one knows that for certain. She says, he’s right. No one knows what the future holds, but she also thinks he’s just unnerved over losing his patient tonight. He says, maybe, but if something was to happen to him, can he count on her? She says, of course (🍷). Always.

The man lights another match and Anna’s foyer goes up in flames. He lights one more and sets an easy chair on fire. He walks out, closing the door. Anna’s whole first floor becomes an inferno.

Finn tells Elizabeth that he’ll sleep easier knowing there’s a place for Violet; that she’ll grow up in a loving home. He can’t thank her enough. She says, he doesn’t have to thank her. She wants to do it. He doesn’t have anything to worry about. Everything’s going to be okay. He tells her, when she says it, he actually believes it, and she says, good. Because he’s going to get to watch Violet grow up, graduate from high school, graduate from college; maybe become a brilliant doctor just like her dad. He says, or maybe a brilliant nurse like her aunt, and Elizabeth says she likes the sound of that. He says he wants to make sure she knows what she might be getting into. Violet is unique. She says she knows, and he asks if she knows Violet is very particular about how she likes everything organized. It’s borderline OCD, and Elizabeth’s not the most organized person. She says, what? and he tells her that he’s just saying, there’s all that clutter in her house and she never throws anything away, and there’s still Cam’s soccer balls lying there from when… He just wants to make sure she’s up for it. She says, how hard can it be? He’s doing it. He laughs, and I say, touché.

Dante comes home to find Sam asleep. He touches her hair.

Avery comes into Ava’s room, and says, mommy? waking her. Ava says, what is it? and Avery says she can’t sleep. Ava says, well, she had a glass of water, she talked to her dad, Ava’s tucked her in twice. How can she help Avery? Avery says she wants to sleep with Ava, and Ava says, what about her little stuffed bunny? Won’t he miss her? Avery says, he’s tucked in already. She told him she was sleeping with her mommy. Ava laughs, and says, all right, hop in. Avery gets in the bed, and Ava puts the covers around her. Ava tells her, just think about all the fun she’s going to have at camp tomorrow. They’ll be lots of games and snacks, and she’s going to make lots of new friends. Avery says she already has a friend – Betty. And she’s going to see her tomorrow. She’s so nice. Ava doesn’t look happy, as none of us would.

Austin finishes stitching up Mason, and Mason asks about Betty. Is she still in with Sonny’s little girl? Austin says, who’s Betty? and Mason says, don’t play dumb. Austin says, he’s not playing dumb. Betty is Mason’s mole, not his. She’s his to keep tabs on. Mason says, she’s theirs to keep tabs on; Austin’s, his, and Ava’s. They’ve got to take ownership in this. They have as much riding on it as he does. And his friend Ava? He hopes she realizes what happens if this doesn’t work out. Austin says, Ava does not need to be reminded of what’s at risk here, and Mason asks if he’s sure. She seems to be like a loose cannon. He only knows what Betty tells him, but from what he hears, Ava is not happy. Austin says, he put Ava precisely between a rock and a hard place. He’s thinking she’s not happy. Mason says he’s thinking Austin needs to rein her in, and Austin says, thankfully, Ava is a woman who will never be reined in. Mason says, if she slips up and tells Sonny something… Austin says, she’s not going to slip up. Mason has Ava’s daughter, her life, right in the palm of his hand. Mason says, okay. The last thing they need is for Ava to expose Betty, or worse, expose them. Austin says, from what he knows, Avery is thrilled with Betty, and lucky for them, Sonny is happy with her services too. Mason says, that’s good to hear. Betty is cooperative. The more Sonny trusts her, the greater their odds they get something about his deal with Pikeman.

Ned says he doesn’t know what the deal is with Carly and Sonny, but he’s ready to go back to the bars. If Sonny would please sign him out… Carly tells Sonny, just take Ned and go, and Ned says, Eddie. Carly says, take Eddie and go, and Sonny tells Carly, let’s go. Chase comes out and promises Carly, it’s just a formality. All Sonny has to do is sign her paperwork and walk her out, and off the record, she can just call a Ride Share. Carly says she’s fine. She called her daughter. Josslyn’s coming down here, and Josslyn can sign her out. Sonny says, let’s talk, but she says, he’s not going to change her mind. Ned asks if he can leave, but Chase says, not without Sonny. Ned says, this just gets better and better, and Sonny tells Carly, let’s talk this out, and they step aside.

Sonny asks why she’s doing this. Why doesn’t she just text Josslyn and tell her that she doesn’t have to come down here; it’s late. Carly says she doesn’t need him. She doesn’t need his help. He asks why she has to be so stubborn. He’ll sign the papers, and they’ll walk out of here. Why does she have a problem with him doing this? She says she doesn’t have to tell him her reasons. Those days are gone. He says, but this is now. Forget those days. She says, why doesn’t he just take Ned and go? and he asks why she always puts her pride in front of everything else. She says, because her pride is the only thing she’s got. It’s the only thing she can rely on. He says, she can rely on him, and she says, come on. He says, he’s here, isn’t he? and she says, he’s here for Ned. Just take him and go, since she knows Nina doesn’t want him here. He says, it’s not about Nina right now. It’s about them having a conversation. She says, just take Ned and go, and he says he sees he’s not getting through to her, and nothing’s going to change her mind. She doesn’t want his help. She says, no, she doesn’t want his help.

Anna comes back to the house, and reaches for the doorknob, but pulls back from the heat. She uses her shirt to open the door, and finds everything blazing. A beam falls, but instead of calling, oh maybe the fire department, she surveys everything burning.

Elizabeth points out the first star in Orion’s belt, and Finn says, it’s his favorite. She says, her too, and he says, when he was a kid, he’d make wishes on it. She says, let’s make a wish, and closes her eyes. After a moment, he asks if she made a wish, and she says, yeah. Did he? He says, yes, and she puts her head on his shoulder as they gaze at the stars.

Dante gets into bed and spoons Sam. She asks if his mom is okay, and he says, mm-hmm. Her and Ned and Carly got into some hot water at the Highsider. Sam asks if they’re okay, and he says, yeah. He took his mother home, and Sonny was dealing with Carly and Ned. He’s just happy to be back here. She says, her too, and they get back to getting busy. There’s a song part.

We see Nina tossing and turning, and looking at her engagement ring.

Carly says, as hard as it is for Sonny to believe, she’s perfectly capable of taking care of herself. He says, look around. She’s still being detained. Unless she walks out that door with him, she’s going to be detained. She says, it’s her life. Whether she’s wrongfully detained or rightfully arrested, she can handle herself, and she can deal with the consequences. He says, it’s an easy fix. As long as she doesn’t make it so damn… She says she doesn’t care that it’s an easy fix. Ned called him; she didn’t. Sign him out and go. Sonny says, suit yourself, and signs the paperwork for Ned. Ned thanks him, and they leave. Chase asks if Carly has heard from Josslyn, but she says, no. She’s texting Josslyn, but thinks her phone is on silent. He asks if there’s anyone else she wants t to try calling, and she says her mom’s out of town and she doesn’t want to wake up Willow and Michael. He can just stick her in a holding cell if he has to. She gets it. He tells her to just sit by his desk and wait until her daughter calls, and she says, he doesn’t have to give her special treatment. He says he’ll get her a coffee, she sighs and sits down.

Finally outside on the phone, Anna says, her house is on fire. 232 Harborview Road… No. She’s standing out front. They need to hurry. It’s spreading rapidly.

Tomorrow, Dex asks, what’s the plan; Anna tells Valentin that someone out there wants her to pay for what she did; Mason asks why on earth he’d ever let Austin go; and Sonny says, there’s been a change of plan.

👶🏽 She’s Having Their Baby…

An addition to a storyline that already has us confused with revolving Davis girls. Cool that she gets to go to work with dad though.

🎳 Not The Strike You Think…

This sounds like a lot of fun. I’m actually tempted.

If you want to get tickets. The prices aren’t bad.

https://www.daytimestarsandstrikes.com/events.html

🍸 Still Drinking the Kool-Aid…

I have the feeling Billie Lee tends to go wherever the controversy spotlight is.

💎 LisaR Who…?

It’s not surprising. The relief has caused amnesia.

Like she cares. Sour grapes anyone?

🧂 Trailing Salt Lake…

It’s hard to take anyone seriously when they’re dressed like Captain Jack Sparrow or a drag queen. Love the blue cast photo though!

https://ew.com/tv/real-housewives-of-salt-lake-city-season-4-premiere-date-trailer/

More Than You Can Afford…

Wow. Just wow.

📺 Bravo Baby Come Back…

I loved the Shahs. I believe Bravo definitely wanted to distance themselves from Mike, but that shouldn’t have caused a cancelation. And I don’t believe for a second they couldn’t have figured out a budget.

🐉 The Dragons Are Coming…

What’s happening with Season Two of House of the Dragon. I missed the first couple episodes of Season One, and for some reason, couldn’t get into it, but maybe I’ll give it another whirl.

⚰️ Dead Happenings…

Those two crazy kids.

https://movieweb.com/the-walking-dead-rick-and-michonne-spinoff-unveils-behind-the-scenes-images/

Yep. We’ve all made bad decisions. Although most of them don’t result in us finding ourselves in France.

🏆 Pinning Down Emmy…

2024 is the new 2023. Unfortunately, it looks like the Daytime Emmy Awards have been postponed indefinitely. Susan Lucci can never catch a break.

https://ew.com/awards/emmys/2023-emmys-new-date-announced/

🐕 Lassie Come Home…

Dogs you might know.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/pets/g20687419/famous-dogs-from-movies/

🫧 Quotes of the Week

From the errors of others, a wise person corrects their own. – Pubilius Syrus

Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection. – Mark Twain

You can start changing our world for the better daily, no matter how small the action. – Nelson Mandela

Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them. – Madam C.J. Walker

People tend to be generous when sharing their nonsense, fear, and ignorance. And while they seem quite eager to feed you their negativity, please remember that sometimes the diet we need to be on is a spiritual and emotional one. Be cautious with what you feed your mind and soul. Fuel yourself with positivity and let that fuel propel you into positive action. – Steve Maraboli

I’d bet on rabbits if you could get them organized. – Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen), Two and a Half Men

A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety. – Aesop

Once you start name calling, cordial’s out the window. – John McManus, Pillow Talk: 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days

The noisiest thing in the world is someone trying to be quiet. – me

🎤 Whoomp, There It Was…

Make a return trip on Monday really Tuesday for soap and a look at Kate and the Captain’s Couch. Until then, stay safe, stay continually learning new things, and stay understanding that if you’re engaged to a mobster, he’s going to disappear in the middle of the night with no note or text. Then return with no explanation of where he was or why.

⚠️ Caution: Lyrics may not be for sensitive ears.

July 31, 2023 – Drew Intervenes For Cyrus, IRL, NYC SOS, Aspen Girlfriend, Caught, Tyrone, Collie & Goodbye

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone, Sonny says he needs them to find out everything they can on a Gordon Stevens. He did a little time in Pentenville. He took two bullets outside of GH, and Sonny wants to find out who’s responsible. He goes to the MetroCourt rooftop seating and finds Anna. He asks if this seat is taken, and she says, it is now. He sits across from her, and says he’s glad he found her. He was a worried about her the last time he saw her. She seemed a bit off. She says she got tired of hiding out at home. She got tired of eating cereal for dinner. She’s not very good in the kitchen, and with Valentin gone, it’s possible she could starve. Apparently, she’s never heard of Door Dash. Sonny says he’s surprised Valentin hasn’t come home from his trip, especially with what’s going on with her, but she says she’s fine on her own. She doesn’t need Valentin to protect her. He says, Anna might not need Valentin, but does Valentin know the WSB is trying to kill her?

Gregory gets in the elevator at the MetroCourt, and Tracy yells for him to hold it. He does, and she gets in. He says, you’re welcome.

Alexis lets herself into Molly’s apartment, and asks, how’s the patient? Molly says, she’s making way too much of this. She’s more embarrassed than she is hurt. Alexis tells her, that boot says otherwise. Alexis is her mommy, so let Alexis take care of her, for no other reason than to make Alexis feel better. Molly says she just wishes she could go back to work, but Alexis says, she needs to take a minute. Does she need anything? Molly says she’s good. Sam came by and made sure the fridge was full; Krissy offered to shop for her. Alexis says, good. It’s good of the girls to bring her groceries. Molly says, Krissy didn’t exactly bring her food. She came with something much better. Molly shows her Valiant, and Alexis takes him, saying, aww.

Michael says, Kristina wants to know why he’s so hard on Nina, but she tells him, that’s not what she said. She asked why he’s being such a bastard to her. He says, let him ask her a question. Why is she always so damn nice to Nina? She says she knows their family was hurt by what happened between dad and Nina, but they’re engaged. They’re a part of their family now, so he has to get over it.

Sitting in the prison library, Cyrus reads out loud, peace I leave with you; My peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled. Better let it be afraid… Book slams the Bible shut, and Cyrus says, Lord, let me be a channel of Your peace. Book grabs him and lifts him out of his chair, and slams him up against the wall. He says, there’s no one to help you, old man. No warden, no guards. He’s all alone. There’s no one to help him now. Drew says, but he can. Get the hell away from him. Um… I feel like I missed something with Cyrus becoming this weaker character.

Meeting for drinks, Felicia asks if things are hectic at Deception, and Lucy says, that’s an understatement. She feels like she’s swamped. They’re all scrambling to do massive damage control. Felicia says she feels terrible for poor Sasha, and Cody. She’s just glad he’s going to be okay. It could have been a lot worse. Lucy says, she’s right. They just don’t know what happened. It was so sudden. Sasha’s life was on track. She was doing fine. She was happy. She was looking forward to doing the interview. Then she just lost it – boom. Sasha’s meltdown could have tanked Deception completely. It sent their stock tumbling, but thankfully, they have the Deceptor. The sales are incredible, and she thinks it’s going to save the company. Felicia says, at least that’s good news, and Lucy says, it should be. Felicia says, it’s not, and Lucy says, it’s just… she can’t help it. She discusses and brings up the Deceptor, and all she can think about is Martin was the inspiration for her to create it. Felicia says, and the problem with that would be? and Lucy says she can’t stop thinking about how he gets $50,000 in alimony a month from ex-wife number three. Why didn’t he tell her that? Why keep that a secret? And what else could he be hiding from her?

Tracy says, he’s welcome for what exactly? and Gregory says he held the door for her. The polite response would be, thank you. She says, I’m so sorry, Emily Post. She didn’t realize he expected to be thanked for a basic courtesy. Her phone rings, and he says, so she is familiar with the concept of basic courtesy. Tracy answers, and tells Monica that she’s in the elevator on her way to the restaurant. Although she wishes she’d taken the stairs… She’s canceling? Could Monica have given her a warning?… It is always a medical emergency with her… No, she wasn’t aware Monica was a doctor. She’ll see Monica at home. The door opens, and Gregory says, ladies first. She thanks him, and gets out.

Anna tells Sonny that she doesn’t want to worry Valentin at all. He has his hands full with Laura and Doc and whatever he’s doing. Besides, she doesn’t believe for one second that the Bureau has a hit out on her. Sonny asks if she’s sure about that, because they both know the gun was traced back to the WSB. Anna says, the easiest explanation is that the gun was stolen and sold on the black market. He says, and the shooter? and she says she doesn’t know. A rogue agent? At worst, maybe someone whose family was hurt by her actions. It’s a long time ago, but maybe they want payback. He asks if she’s still planning on using herself as bait to draw them out.

Alexis asks Molly, where on earth did Kristina find Valiant? Where was he hiding? Molly says, Kristina was going through stuff in Alexis’s attic, looking for stuff to sell at the fundraiser. She opened a box, and guess who was sitting there? Alexis says, Kristina used to brush his tail and braid it every night. Then she’d sleep with him in the crook of her neck, and Alexis had to put out carrots in case he got hungry in the middle of the night. Molly says she forgot about the carrots, and Alexis says, Valiant was a very special pony, and Valiant was the only one who could sleep on the bed, where the other stuffed animals were relegated to the floor. Because Molly believed that Valiant was special and needed a place of prominence. Molly asks if she really used that word, and Alexis says, of course (🍷) she did. She had a very big vocabulary at six; she still does. This pony went with her into every important moment of her life when she was little. Molly doesn’t know this, but Alexis actually heard her having a conversation with Valiant when she was getting ready for junior prom. She actually took Valiant with her when she took her SATs. Alexis didn’t know you could do that, but Kristina did. It was a second ago that Kristina was a little girl and had a stuffed pony, and now she’s Alexis’s big girl. She’s practicing law. Kristina says she may be all grown up, but she still needs her mom.

Michael says he doesn’t want to get into this with Kristina. Nina has caused enough stress in his life. The last thing he wants to do is fight about Nina with her. Kristina says, good. She’s not looking for a fight. She’s just offering Michael a simple solution. He asks if she’s giving him advice, and she says she is. He can be Mr. Big Shot Business Guy here, but they all know she has a sixth sense when it comes to people. He asks what her sixth sense is telling her, and she says, that he should drop this grudge and just give Nina a chance. He says, that’s just it. He’s given Nina chance after chance, and she keeps crossing the line. Kristina says, he shouldn’t even be drawing a line. Make peace. If not for his sake, do it for Willow. He says, if he just does what she’s telling him, everybody will be happy, and she says, yeah, basically. He says, it’s not about him. This is about Willow. When it comes to Nina, whatever Willow decides, he’ll support. She says, wow. How does he do that? He has to teach her. He says, teach her what?

Book says, this has nothing to do with Drew. So why doesn’t he just walk away and pretend he didn’t see anything? Drew says he can’t do that, and Book says, if he gets involved, he’ll pay the price. Is this codger really worth it to him? I wonder who uses words like codger, and Cyrus says, he’s making a mistake, but Book says, Cyrus is the one making a mistake. He thinks he has power here? That everyone’s still in his pocket? He doesn’t have any more allies; those days are gone. Cyrus starts looking uncomfortable and rubbing his chest, and Drew says, he told Book to leave him alone. Book says he’s giving Drew one more chance to get the hell out of here and forget he saw this. Cyrus starts to breath heavily, and Drew says he really doesn’t want any trouble here. Book tells Cyrus, you’re getting weak, old man. (What is Cyrus? Like 50?) We all see it. Drew decks Book, who falls to the floor. Cyrus crouches down, clutching his chest.

Michael asks what skill Kristina wants him to teach her, and more important, why? She says, he never actually committed to giving Nina a second chance, and he didn’t even say he’d try to get along with her. What he did say was he would leave it up to Willow. He says he still doesn’t follow because he’s stupid, and she says, it’s a classic move out of the Michael Corinthos playbook. Keep everything close to the vest, don’t give anything away, always keep your options open. It’s very admirable. Meanwhile, she’s over here like an open book. Leaping before she looks, impulsive. It doesn’t always bode well for her professionally or personally. He says, she’s giving him too much credit. Yes, he’s very analytical and thinks about everything, but she’s open, honest, and a free spirit. She goes where her heart tells her to go, and that’s not always a bad thing. Plus, she genuinely wants to help people. He admires her for that. She thanks him, and says she’s glad he sees them as good qualities, because honestly, it doesn’t always get the job done.

Anna tells Sonny that she’s got a few ideas, but it will take more investigating before she puts a plan in motion. Sonny says, let him know if she needs help. He doesn’t like that she’s alone in that house when there are threats coming. She says she really appreciates Sonny looking out for her, but can he call his watchdog off? She sees him parked outside her house, and she doesn’t need that kind of protection. She just doesn’t want it. He says he gets it. She wants him to stay out of it. She says, he has enough on his plate. He doesn’t need to add her to his long list of problems. He says he’s got a lot going on, but he always has time for her.

Molly says, when Alexis talks about memories from when she was little, now it’s bittersweet. It’s something she might never get to experience. Will she ever get to make memories like that with a child of her own someday? It’s something she really wants. Alexis asks if TJ feels the same way, and Molly says, he does. Alexis asks if they’ve talked about options, and Kristina says, when they committed to each other, they always thought kids were something in the future. They wanted to establish their careers first, but deep down, she wanted to be a mom. They were both so disappointed when they found out she wasn’t pregnant. For a few short hours before she took the home pregnancy test, they were just excited about the thought of being parents. Then they got hit with the endometriosis news, and she couldn’t accept that she couldn’t have a baby. It leaves them with a lot to think about. Alexis says she’s certain Molly and TJ will make the right decision, because it’s certainly their decision to make. Molly says, they definitely want a baby, but how do they make that happen?

The hostess says, table for two? and Tracy says, no, but Gregory says, yes. Come on. Live a little. Her dinner date canceled. Tracy says, it wasn’t a date; it was her former sister-in-law. He says, just join him for dinner. Please. She says, well, since he said please… Table for two. The hostess says, right this way. She’ll send their waitress right over. Gregory holds Tracy’s chair for her, and she says, thank you, kind sir. I love courtesy, but I have to admit, chair holding makes me nervous. I’m always afraid I’ll end up just half on the chair or on the floor. He says, she’s welcome. See? They’re making progress. She asks if this is going to be a running theme. He does his best Cary Grant, holding elevators and pulling out chairs, and she’s supposed to say thank you every time? What’s next? Throwing his jacket over a puddle? He asks if that would be so bad, and she says, torture. They open their menus.

Drew asks if Book has allies or he’s working on his own, and bent over and panting, Cyrus says, allies. Drew asks, how many? And Cyrus says something indecipherable. Drew says, they have to get him out of here. Can he walk? Cyrus shakes his head, and Drew says, they’re going to get him to the infirmary. Book comes to and gets up. He takes a shiv out of his sock, and runs toward Drew.

Molly says, their first choice was IVF, and Alexis says, understandable. IVF is very common now. Molly says, exactly. She thought it was simple. Use her eggs and TJ sperm. An embryo would be carried by a gestational surrogate. Now they know that can’t happen because her eggs aren’t viable. So the next option would be using someone else’s eggs, and that could be from the donor or the surrogate. Alexis says, she has a lot to process, and Molly says she knows. She just can’t help but think using Kristina might be the best solution.

Michael and Kristina sit down, and Michael asks, what job needs to get done? Is this about the foundation she’s starting? She says, the shelter, yeah. She’s setting up a shelter for LGBTQIA+ teens that are at risk. Dad found the site and set up all the funding. He says, that’s good, right? and she says, it’s amazing. She has to get everything off the ground; contractors and architects, and securing building permits. She has to learn all these new tax codes for non-profit. It’s a lot, and she’s just realizing how in over her head she is. He asks how he can help, and she says she thought he’d never ask.

Sonny says he hates what that bastard Victor did to Anna. Exposing her past is cruel. She says, the Cassadines can be a cruel bunch sometimes, and he says, but there is a collateral to this. They’re not on opposite sides. They don’t have to pretend they’re not friends. She says she never pretended, and they laugh. He says, so all this time she’s been judging him and digging him for his criminal activity, she’s meant it? and she says, absolutely. But if she’s being honest, she has to admit, even when she was doing her duty to uphold the law and bring him to justice, there was part of her that really admired how he was able to… He says, get away with it, and she says, okay, and laughs.

Felicia tells Lucy not to jump to conclusions. They don’t know for sure that those payments are alimony. Lucy says, come on. You don’t have to be a lawyer to figure it out. She gets up and says, your honor, exhibit A; Mr. Grey is receiving $50,000 every single month from a company in Pine Valley called Maquillage. That said company is owned by his horrible, greedy ex-wife number three. She looks at Felicia, and Felicia says, what? Lucy says, it just occurred to her. They only have Marty’s word that ex-wife number three is so horrible and greedy. She’s the one that’s shelling out all that alimony. What if it’s Marty? What if he’s the one who’s so greedy? Felicia says she doesn’t think… and Lucy says, wait a second. That’s the reason he couldn’t marry her. Because he would lose all that money. She digs in her bag, and Felicia asks what she’s looking for. Lucy says she’s looking for any gummi, even if it’s stale, and Felicia says she thought Lucy told her that wasn’t working for her. Martin walks in, and says, lookee here. Two of his favorite ladies. It must be his lucky night. Can he join them?

Book rushes Drew, as Cyrus remains doubled over and breathing heavily. Drew and Book circle each other, and Drew gives Book a kick, sending him flying into the shelves. Book picks up a book (ha-ha), and tries to hit Drew with it, but Drew dodges it and knocks Book down. He picks Book back up, and is punching the hell out of him, when the guards walk in. Two of them grab Drew and Book, and the third says, solitary for the both of them. Cyrus slides to the floor.

Anna says, there was always a part of her that admired Sonny’s ability to compartmentalize. On the one hand, he’s a loving father, going to dance recitals, soccer matches, whatever. On the other hand, he’s head of a criminal enterprise. It’s an interesting dichotomy, doesn’t he think? The doting father, then the commitment to running his business. He says, it’s a good thing, right? and she laughs, saying, yeah. It’s a good thing. But as an agent, she didn’t have the luxury of admiring the person she was trying to take down, because then it’s her personal feelings affecting her work. It compromises the whole situation. And if she’s being honest, that’s exactly what happened early on in her career, and she was determined that wasn’t going to happen with him. Now her reputation is kind of tarnished. She can say with 100% certainty, she never turned a blind eye to him or his organization. He says, that’s for damn sure. When she was Police commissioner, she was all over him, and he’s sure she was like that with any agent she was up against. She says, yes, she was, and he looks down. She asks if she hurt his feelings, but he says, no… What if it wasn’t Victor?

Kristina says, all foundations have a Board of Directors. She wants Michael to join. He says, who else is on the Board? and she says, no one, yet, but that’s only because he’s her first and only choice. She knows how busy he is here, but not just here; he has a lot going on everywhere. She knows he’s covering for Drew while he’s away, and at home, he has things going on with Willow and the kids. The last thing she wants to do is add to that, but he’s the smartest person she knows. Please? What does he say?

Gregory tells Tracy that his friend was in a bind and asked him to watch his dog. He said Astro wouldn’t be a problem. He just didn’t like to be left alone, so of course (🍷), he had to take Astro to class with him. So he’s in the middle of this passionate lecture about freedom of the press, and he hears tittering in the class. He’s a little offended, so he stops and says, does anybody have any questions? One student raises his hand and says, Professor, did you forget to walk your dog this morning? That’s when he realized Astro was relieving himself in the middle of the classroom. Tracy laughs, and he says, the moral of the story is don’t ever bring a pet to class. They will upstage you every time. She says, that was surprisingly charming, and he says, thank you… I think.

Molly says she must sound like a hypocrite after her reaction when Kristina first brought up the idea, but Alexis says, absolutely not. Her reaction was completely appropriate. Kristina’s timing, however, was not. There’s a lot to weigh with Kristina’s offer. Molly says she went ballistic when she overheard Kristina talking about being the egg donor and surrogate, but the more she thinks about it, it could be a good option. She and Krissy share DNA, so the baby would technically be a part of her. And it’s not like they’re using some stranger who could have a questionable lifestyle. They know Kristina’s medical history and her social habits. That’s a good thing, right? Alexis says, Molly sounds like she’s trying to talk herself into it. Is she? Molly says, she’s pointing out that Kristina seems to check all the boxes, which means she could be the perfect choice to carry their baby. What does Alexis think?

Lucy says, funny. She was just singing Martin’s praises. She was telling Felicia that the sales for The Deceptor are skyrocketing, thank goodness, and she owes it all to him because he was the inspiration for it. Martin says, they all know The Deceptor is 100% Lucy’s baby. There’s no reason to bring him into it. Lucy looks at Felicia, and Martin asks how their trip went. Felicia says, it was a fun getaway, and he asks where they went. Felicia says, they went to the spa… and Lucy says, in Llanview. Who knew? It was just beautiful. Felicia says, it was a real girls trip; wine, facials, and spa treatments. It’s getting late. She needs to check in with Mac and relieve him of his babysitting duties. A grandmother’s work is never done. She jets, and Martin asks Lucy if Felicia is okay.

A guard examines Cyrus, and Drew says he thinks Cyrus is having a heart attack. Please just get him out of here. The guard tells him to shut up and tells the others to take Drew and Book out of here. Book is hauled out, but Drew says he was in the military. Please. Just let him help Cyrus. The guard says, fine. Let him go. Drew runs to Cyrus and starts checking him out like he knows what he’s doing.

Tracy tells the waitress, separate checks, but Gregory says he’s got it. Tracy says she can pay for herself, and he says he’s not questioning her finances, but he insisted she join him, so his treat. She says, he’s definitely more entertaining than her sister-in-law, and he says, that’s not exactly a stellar review, but he’ll take it. Next time, she can grab the check. She says, next time? Who says there will be a next time? He just smiles.

Cyrus is on his back on the floor, and Drew blots his face with water. He tells Cyrus, try to relax. Take deep breaths. It’s very important. Take deep breaths in through his nose and out through his mouth. He tells the guards that they have to call the infirmary again, and the main guard tells the other to find out what’s taking so long. Drew tells Cyrus, hang in there. You got this.

Alexis says, it’s such a personal decision for Molly; she doesn’t want to influence her. Molly asks if Alexis can at least help her weigh the options. Try and sit back and talk to her as a former lawyer, not her mother. Alexis says, on the positive side, Kristina is in good health and she’s at a good age, but there are so many other things to consider. She knows Molly wants this to be the perfect solution because Kristina is her sister and she loves her, and because the baby would share her DNA; but on the minus side, most surrogates don’t have a relationship with the baby after it’s born, and Kristina would have a relationship with the baby forever. Molly says, but she already knows Kristina is an amazing aunt, and she’d be the same for… and Alexis says, that’s just it. She wouldn’t really be the baby’s aunt. She would be the baby’s biological mother, and that just buys Molly a whole lot of really complex issues that could come down the line. She just wants Molly to think about it and be prepared. Molly asks if she’s saying Kristina wouldn’t accept the role of aunt, and she’d want to be more, but Alexis says she doesn’t know that. Molly doesn’t know that. Kristina doesn’t know that. She’s never been pregnant before, and nobody knows if she’d be able to detach or not. Molly says, Alexis is freaking her out, but Alexis says she’s not trying to. She’s just trying to make Molly think. This is a huge commitment for Kristina. Molly says she realizes that, but she’s not sure Kristina does.

Michael says he’d be honored to have a seat on the Board, and Kristina thanks him, hugging him. She says she knew she could count on him, and he says he knows she’s going to make this youth center a huge success. She says she hopes so. She wishes she had that confidence. She feels like with her running things, it’s only going to last six months. He says, she has to believe in herself, and she tells him, funny he should say that. Molly was literally saying that to her the other day. She thinks her big fear is that she’s going to make huge mess out of everything – again – and then dad’s going to have to clean up after her. And mom is going to be totally disappointed with her again. And ultimately, she’ll prove everyone right, that she can’t do anything and follow through with something. He tells her to stop being so hard on herself, and she says, dad really gave her a great head start with this foundation. She just knows if she doesn’t succeed, she’s going to let him down. He says he can’t believe he’s saying this, but she underestimates dad.

Sonny says, all this information about Anna being a double agent that got to the press. He’s sure the WSB sealed the records. Why expose her now? She says, the timing isn’t a coincidence. Even in death, Victor is the gift that keeps on giving. It all just came out when his will was being read. The lawyer played this taped message from Victor, saying he was leaving her with the truth. She wasn’t sure what that meant, then less than an hour later, she was here, remember? And she was arrested by Agent Hursley. Then the whole media blitz started. Her face was plastered on every newspaper: Anna Devane, Double Agent. He says, so Cassadine exposing her past was all about payback? His final act of revenge? She says she thinks so. What else could it be?

Michael tells Kristina, despite his feelings about dad, he can be objective. He’s always been a savvy businessman. He wouldn’t invest time and money in Kristina if he thought she’d fail. If she needs Sonny’s guidance, just reach out to him. He’ll surround her with professionals who know how to get the job done. She says, that’s what she thought too, but once they got the funding set up, he completely backed off. Michael says, probably because he doesn’t want to overstep and make it seem like he’s keeping tabs on her. Dad is her biggest fan, and he’ll give her all the tools she needs to succeed. All she has to do is reach out to him. She says, it’s annoying how right he is sometimes. Michael’s got to admit, he still loves dad. Otherwise, Michael wouldn’t have this much faith in him. Michael says she should get out of here, and hugs her. Her new Board member needs to get to work. She thanks him and leaves.

Anna says, clearly someone else from the WSB could have reason to leak those confidential files, and Sonny says, she was a damn good agent. He’s sure she was a threat to somebody in the organization who thought they could shut her out. She says, could be. Her ego would really like to believe that’s true, but she has no way of knowing. She doesn’t even know if that bullet was meant for her at the pool. It could have just as easily been meant for him. He says he considered that. He’s been working with a high-powered security firm lately. Has she heard of Pikeman? She says, yes, she’s heard of Pikeman. Trust her. He doesn’t want anything to do with them.

Tracy guesses Gregory doesn’t miss lecturing, since he does so much of it outside the classroom, and he laughs. He notices his hand shaking and steadies it with his other hand. She asks if he’s okay, and he says he’s fine. Too many years of writing on a blackboard. Teachers don’t have to worry about that anymore; everything’s electronic. He’s sorry, but he has to run. He promised Alexis that he’d look over an article for her before it goes to press. They say goodnight, and he heads for the elevator, steadying himself for a moment along the way. Tracy watches him, and takes out her phone.

Molly thanks Alexis, and says, Alexis has given her a lot to think about. She wasn’t looking at it from Kristina’s viewpoint, and that’s something she and TJ have to consider. Alexis says she knows this is hard, and she’s sorry, but she knows Molly is brave and can handle it. And like she’s said, sometimes the most difficult things in life… Molly joins her in saying, can be the most rewarding. Alexis gives Molly a kiss, and says, Molly’s her favorite. Molly says, she tells all of them that, and Alexis says she does. The good news is, Molly isn’t doing this alone. Alexis did it alone twice, and it’s hard. But Molly has TJ, and that little guy; she points to the horse. Molly thanks her, and asks what she’d do without her. Alexis says, hopefully, she won’t have to know for a very long time. See ya, Valiant. She leaves, and in the hallway, her phone rings. She asks what she can do for Tracy, and Tracy says she just had dinner with a friend of Alexis’s, Gregory Chase. Alexis asks what Tracy was having dinner with Gregory for, and Tracy says, it’s not important. She wants to know if something’s wrong with him. Alexis says, in what way? and Tracy says, his health.

Lucy asks if Martin has checked in with his mother today, and he says he does every day; she knows that. If he doesn’t call, mama calls the neighbors. She says, so how is his mother today? and he says, she’s as vivacious as ever. He thanks her for asking, and says, as a matter of fact, she was trying on a new lipstick when they spoke. It’s Bingo night, and she’s vying for the affections of one Mr. Brewster, the most eligible bachelor there. Lucy says, clearly, she seems to be enjoying herself at the retirement home. It’s good, right? They take good care of her. She hears those places are very, very expensive. It makes her think he has such a huge financial burden; his mom and paying all that alimony to his ex-wives, three of them. He says, they’re a rather unique set of rapacious creatures, to be sure, especially number three. She’s a real piece of work. A vulture. Picks at your bones until there’s nothing left. Lucy says, she just sounds awful, and he says, she is, but he manages somehow for mama. He has to. It’s not like Cyrus can provide for her.

On the radio, the guard asks, where the hell’s that doctor? They need him here now. Drew tells Cyrus to stay with him, while he continues to blot Cyrus’s forehead. He says, hang on. Help is on the way. Stay with him. Come on. Stay with me. Cyrus sees a bright white light.

I’m no paramedic, but shouldn’t Drew be doing… something more?

Tomorrow, Anna asks how involved Sonny is with them; Carly accuses Ava of being up to her old tricks; and Dante asks, what happens if his old man’s theory is right?

🌱 Celebration Of Life…

The real-life memorial for Jacklyn Zeman. Still no word on how GH will be handling this. I don’t blame them. We haven’t recovered from Sonja Eddy yet.

🗽 What Happens In NYC…

Recapping the same old in younger packaging. So disappointing.

💎 Latest Edition…

So is this the best and final? What’s up with this woman?

🤢 Ptooey…

Eww. I’ll bet she’s thrilled to hear this.

⚗️ Watch This…

I watched this movie last weekend, and I loved it. Very funny and at times even poignant. It should also get an Oscar nod for costumes.

https://www.salon.com/2023/07/30/jamie-foxx-they-cloned-tyrone/

🐕 Don’t Dream It, Be It…

This is one of the coolest things I’ve seen in a while. Maybe it’s weird, but more power to him for living his dream. And he’s bringing happiness to people. A real life Sam from True Blood. I always thought Sam would make the perfect boyfriend. When he became tiresome, he could turn into a dog.

https://people.com/japanese-man-steps-out-in-usd14k-custom-made-border-collie-costume-for-the-first-time-7567864

☃️ Get Out the Parkas…

Join me tomorrow for soap and tea. Until then, stay safe, stay holding the elevator door if someone asks, and stay remembering that sometimes the most difficult things in life can be the most rewarding.