What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Spencer and Trina go into their hotel room, which is pretty swanky, and Trina is suitably impressed. He asks what she thinks, and she says she thinks it’s perfect, kissing him. She can’t believe they had to leave Port Charles and come all the way to NYC to spend some quality time together. Not that she’s complaining. He says, neither is he, and they kiss again. (FYI: people from NYC do not call it NYC. It’s just the city.)

Dressed in a cowboy hat and fringed vest, squirt gun in hand, Josslyn goes into Sonny’s old kitchen where Donna and Avery, also wearing cowboy getups, are hiding behind the kitchen island. She says, stop right there, pardner. Unless you’re looking for trouble. She takes a hit from one of their squirt guns, and Donna says, gotcha. The moss bowl🎍quietly laughs, and Josslyn says, not for long. You can’t get me here. They have a showdown around the island. Ava walks in, and asks, what’s going on? Donna and Avery both squirt her.

A guard says, Cyrus must have pulled some serious strings to get a visitor at this hour, and Cyrus says, the warden owes him one. He picks up the phone, and says, he hopes they’ve come to give him good news about Drew Cain. Across from him, Mason sucks on a lollipop, looking surprisingly like The Rock in this lighting. I actually do a doubletake.

Carly paces in Drew’s room, and flashes back to them telling each other, I love you. She sits by the bed and strokes his arm. She says she’ll get him out of Pentenville. She has to.

Dante thanks Dr. Montague for coming to the station on such short notice, and Montague says, no trouble at all. Anything he can do to assist. Dante says, they just have to get to the bottom of a few things, and Montague says, happy to help. Dante asks Montague to follow him into the interrogation room, and he can take the doctor’s statement. Cody is led into the squad room and sees Montague through the window.

Dante says he hopes Montague doesn’t mind if he records this. Does he want some water? Montague says, no thanks, and outside, Cody says, go on, Dante. Get ‘em.

Sasha asks if Gladys will do it. Will she confess and testify against Dr. Montague? Gladys says, please. If this comes out, Sonny will kill her – literally. Sasha says, like Dr. Montague was planning to kill her, and Gladys says she didn’t know he was going to do that. She never wanted to hurt Sasha. Sasha says, Gladys just wanted her locked up and drugged so she could steal her money, but Gladys says, that’s not how it was at all. She got in a jam. Things got out of control. Sasha’s got to believe her. She would never ever agree to that. She loves Sasha. Sasha says, then prove it. Confess and help her put away Dr. Montague for good.

Spencer tells Trina that he’s going to run and pick up the tickets. She asks if he’s bailing on her, but he says, not at all. He just thought she’d like to decompress after the flight (how long was it? 20 minutes?) She says, that works for her and asks him not to be long. He says, of course (🍷), kisses her, and leaves. She leaves a message for Portia, saying, they got to NYC safe and sound. Tell Curtis and Marshall that she said, hey, and they’ll talk tomorrow. Love you.

Avery says, they got Ava, and Ava says, they did. It’s like the OK Corral in here. Josslyn gives her a towel, and says, they’re going to have dinner soon. She suggests the girls go upstairs and wash up. Donna says, they can ride their horsies upstairs, and they gallop off. Josslyn asks, what brings Ava by? and Ava says she just came to say goodnight to Avery. She knows Josslyn’s mom is at the hospital with Drew; she just came from there. Josslyn says, that’s why she’s here holding down the fort. Is there any news? Is Drew awake? Ava says, not yet, but he’s out of surgery and the doctors seem very confident that everything went well. Josslyn says, that’s good to hear, and thanks Ava. Ava says, of course (🍷). They’re all worried. Drew doesn’t deserve this, and she owes him so much for everything he did to bring Trina home. Josslyn says, Trina really means a lot to Ava, and Ava says, she’s like a daughter. Josslyn says, Ava’s really done a lot for Trina. Getting her that internship at The Chuck. Ava’s taught Trina pretty much everything she knows about the gallery and the art world. She thinks Trina’s really lucky to have Ava in her life. Both the moss bowl🎍and I wonder if we’ve stumbled into Bizarro World, and Josslyn says she knows Trina really appreciates Ava. Ava says she appreciates Trina too. She’d better go up and make sure those cowgirls and their horsies aren’t getting into any mischief.

Mason asks if it isn’t a risk; him and Cyrus meeting here. They’ve been so careful. Cyrus says, relax. The cats are asleep. Mason says he’s not worried about the prisoners, but the warden… Cyrus says, the warden is busy with Drew Cain. So tell him what he’s heard about Cyrus’s friend. Mason says, nothing. All Austin could find out was, Drew Cain was in surgery, and it wasn’t looking good. Cyrus says, there are those of us who become casualties in God’s grand scheme, but when you choose the side of the devil, you willingly stake your life on the losing end.

Deanna goes into Drew’s room and says she’s sorry. She didn’t know Carly was still here. Carly says she wanted to stay until Drew woke up, and Deanna checks his vitals. Carly says, he looks so vulnerable hooked up to all this, and Deanna says, he’s been through a lot. They have to monitor him closely. After the trauma he experienced and the surgery, he’s likely to be out for the night. She tells Carly to let her know if she needs anything, and Carly says, the doctor said the surgery was a success. Deanna says, yes. He’s very lucky. Carly asks if there could be complications at this stage, but Deanna says, try not to worry. Carly says, how is he really? and Drew says, he’s doing pretty good. Better because she’s here. Carly goes to his side.

Walking to the hospital elevator, Jordan says, the warden didn’t need to come all this way to visit Drew. She would have been happy to report his condition. Warden Garten says, not at all. This attack should have never happened. She prides herself on the security at Pentenville, and this is a major fail. She had to make sure for herself that Mr. Cain was okay. Jordan says, she’s brought many reforms to the prison. It’s impressive. The warden says, but they can’t rest on any laurels. Something brutal like this means they have a whole lot more work to do. She’s eager to see if Mr. Cain can shed any light. Jordan says, it’s suspicious though. The severity and duration of the attack suggests there might have been some coordination between prisoners and guards.

Mac thanks Montague for coming in and says, they want to get to the bottom of this. Montague says, as he told Mac’s detective, he’s glad to assist and recover Miss Gilmore. She’s at risk out on her own. Dante talks into the recorder, saying, this is Dr. Damon Montague’s statement on the assault by Cody Bell that happened at Ferncliff, and Montague says he found Cody Bell in one of his patient’s rooms, and Cody attacked him. Dante says, attacked him why? and Montague says he was making his rounds when he heard animated voices coming from a room. When he opened the door to check it out, Cody Bell went crazy and jumped him. Dante asks why he didn’t call security before going into the room, and Montague says, it was the room of one of his troubled patients. (Aren’t they all troubled?) Mac says, Sasha Gilmore, and Montague says, yes. She’s very vulnerable and he was afraid for her life. He’s been treating her for some time and frankly, he’s quite shocked about how much she’s declined since the stabbing episode. Dante says, and he thinks Cody Bell is the one who attacked him, and Montague says, Cody jumped him, and they fought, but Mr. Bell was crazed and knocked him out. When he came to, he was in the bathroom tied up and Cody had taken his clothes. Dante says, when Cody was arrested, he was wearing the clothes Montague says he stole from him, and in the pocket, they found these. He places the bottle of pills on the table and asks if Montague can explain them. Mac sees Cody watching through the window.

Gladys asks Sasha how she can prove it. She didn’t know what Montague was planning to do. Sasha says, but Gladys knew him from her card games. Gladys got him to give her pills that messed with the antidepressants she was already taking. Gladys and Dr. Montague did that to make her look unstable, so Gladys could keep the guardianship going. Gladys says, she was desperate. She’s so sorry. Sasha says, if she’s really sorry, then there’s only one choice; help her put an end to Dr. Montague. He has to be stopped. Gladys says, okay. She’ll do whatever Sasha wants. She’ll go to the police, tell them everything Dr. Montague did. Sasha says she has to wait here, but this is Gladys’s last chance. She’s trusting Gladys. Gladys says, of course (🍷), of course (🍷). She won’t let Sasha down. She feels so terrible. Sasha says, be sure not to tell anyone she saw her. This has to come from Gladys speaking from her own conscience. Gladys leaves, and in the hallway, she takes out her phone. She makes a call, and says she has information about an escaped fugitive. I yell unprintable things at the TV.

Dante asks what Montague has to say about these pills, and Montague says he’s never seen those before in his life, but it makes sense. It appeared Sasha was getting drugs from inside Ferncliff. Maybe Cody was her dealer. (D’oh! Backfire.) Dante says, that definitely helps them clarify some things. He thanks the doctor for his cooperation and says, they may need to speak to him again. Montague says he’s at their disposal, and Mac says, they’ll be in touch. As they come out, Cody says, no. They’re letting him go? and launches himself at Montague, getting him down on a desk.

There’s a knock at the door, and Sasha says, Gladys? There’s another knock, and Sasha opens the door to two police officers. One says, Sasha Gilmore? and Sasha says, no, trying to close the door, but they come in anyway. The officer tells her, please remain calm. They’re only here to escort her back to Ferncliff. Sasha says, they’re making a mistake. She can’t go back to Ferncliff. Please. They lead her out, and she says, why, Gladys? Why? Because apparently, Gladys has no soul.

Deanna says, welcome back, Mr. Cain. How are you feeling? Drew says, good. He’s here. Deanna says, he’s been through a rough surgery. He has to be very careful not to exert himself too much. Drew says, yes, ma’am, and she says she’ll let the doctor know he’s awake. If he needs any help with pain management, just buzz her. She tells Carly to make sure he doesn’t overdo it, and Carly says she will. Deanna leaves, and Carly says she’s so glad Drew is awake. It was so hard watching him lay here like this. She’s so sorry. He says, it’s okay, but she says, it’s not okay. He was only in Pentenville because of her. He says, she’s not to blame. He’s fine. She asks how he can say that. He was only attacked because of her… and Sonny.

Warden Garten asks if Jordan thinks there could have been collusion between the prisoners and her staff at Pentenville, and Jordan says, it’s certainly suspicious. Drew’s injuries indicate a lengthy fight. She’d like an investigation into who was on duty during the attack.

Ava helps the girls set the table, and Josslyn gets a call from Trina. She steps outside to take it. She asks what Trina is doing. Where’s Spencer? Trina says, he went to go pick up the tickets for the theatre. They’re here. Look at this place. She shows Josslyn the room, and Josslyn says, it’s amazing. Tell her everything. How was the flight? She’s assuming they flew first class. Trina says, Joss… but Josslyn says, come on. Enjoy it. Trina says, it was amazing. Spencer has this special key, which meant they got to board first, and they were treated like royalty. They were given heated nuts, and little mints, and fresh baked cookies when they landed. Josslyn asks if a driver was waiting for them, and Trina says, with a sign that said Cassadine. And the driver took them directly to the car, and they didn’t have to wait for the luggage. Josslyn says, wow. Say what you will about Spencer, but that guy’s got game. Trina says, he really does, and Josslyn says, so is she excited? This is huge. Trina and Spencer haven’t really been able to explore their relationship since Greenland, and tonight’s the night. It’s her first time with Spencer. How is she feeling? She knows Trina’s thought about it. Does she still feel ready? Trina says, absolutely. She’s been ready for a while now, and they’re never alone. Josslyn says, they’re alone now, and Trina says she feels really good about Spencer. They’re in a really good place right now. Josslyn says she’s so happy for Trina. Go get ready for her night, but call her tomorrow with every detail… Maybe not all of the details. Know she’s here for Trina no matter what. Seeing Ava through the window, Trina asks if that’s Ava. Is Ava there with Josslyn? Josslyn says, she came by to say hi to Avery. Have a great night. Trina says, you know it. Tell Ava that she said hey. Josslyn says she will. Love you. Trina says, love you more, when Spencer comes back. He says, they’re all set. He picked up the tickets, and everything else is running on schedule. She asks what else he has in store for them, and he says, she’ll see.

Spencer says he could tell Trina, but it would ruin the surprise. She says, don’t ruin the surprise, and he says, that would take all of the fun out of this, but he’ll tell her what. They are in the capital of the Western world. What would she like to do? She says, everything. She’d like to see Soho. There’s a couple of galleries they deal with there. She wants to go shopping, she wants to eat, and she really wants to see the Big Four, MOMA, Guggenheim, Whitney, and the Met. He says he’s so glad she said that, and she asks why he has that smile. He says he thought they weren’t ruining surprises, and she says, he didn’t tell her it had something to do with the museums. He says, okay, he’ll tell her, when there’s a knock at the door. She says, saved by the bell.

Cody is pulled off of Montague, and Mac hustles the doctor away. Cody says, they can’t let him walk, and Mac says, take him to his cell. Sasha is brought in, and Cody says, Sasha. They lock eyes, and Dante looks like he can’t believe it.

Carly says, Drew has to be careful, and he says, she’s not to blame. It was his choice to help Sonny. She says, it’s not his responsibility to fight Sonny’s battles, but he says, it’s not just Sonny’s battles; it’s other injustices too. She says, he doesn’t have to fix everyone’s problems, but he says, she knows he can’t just stand by and watch that stuff happen. The drug problem itself is heartbreaking enough. If he can help root out the corruption, he’s going to do it every time. Jordan comes in with the warden, and says, he’s awake. He had them so worried. Drew thanks her, and she asks how he’s feeling. He says he’s sore, but he’ll be okay. He’s kind of surprised to see the warden here. Carly says, warden? She gets up and asks, how the warden could let this happen to Drew? What kind of prison is she running?

Cyrus says he sent Mason with a message to his nephew’s ex-wife. It’s been more than a handful of days, so what was the dear lady’s response? Mason says, she’s not the one they have to worry about. Betty’s the problem.

Donna asks, what are these? and Ava says, they’re chopsticks; you eat with them. Josslyn thanks Ava for getting the delivery, and Ava says, of course (🍷). How was Trina? Josslyn says, she’s great. She says hi. She and Spencer made it to New York. Ava says, that’s great. She hopes Trina has the time of her life. Josslyn says she’s sure Trina will, and Ava thanks her for being here with Avery. She knows things haven’t been easy. She’ll get out of Josslyn’s hair. Josslyn says, they have way too much food for three people. Would she like to stay for dinner? The moss bowl🎍and I are astounded, and Ava says she’d like that very much, and thanks Josslyn. She tells the cowgirls that she thinks they’ll need more chopsticks because she’s staying for dinner. The girls cheer.

Spencer pops open a bottle, and says, champagne? Trina says, yes please, and he pours them both a glass. They clink glasses and drink.

Carly says, the warden is supposed to be protecting the inmates, and Jordan says, Warden Garten is on the same page as them about getting justice for Drew. She’s here to help them brainstorm about how they can reopen the case and maybe get it before another judge. Carly says, sorry. She’s really upset about all this. The warden says she understands perfectly and tells Drew that she owes him a deep apology. Jordan says, the warden wants Drew out of Pentenville just as much as they do, and Warden Garten says she’s just as upset as Carly is. Drew ending up in a hospital bed was never the outcome she wanted for him. She feels terrible and wanted to see if he could shed any light on the situation. Carly says, the only important thing is to get Drew out of Pentenville, and the warden says she couldn’t agree more.

Mason tells Cyrus that he’s sorry. He really thought they could trust Betty. She may have gotten too cocky and let down her guard and showed Corinthos her cards. Cyrus asks if that’s what Mason thinks happened, and Mason says, it’s possible she turned on them. Sonny’s a very powerful figure, and persuasive, so she may have decided to strike a deal with him.

Cody asks Sasha, what happened? He sees Gladys and asks what Gladys did to her. Mac says, they’re going to escort Sasha back to Ferncliff, but Sasha says she can’t go back there. Cody says, hold on, and tells Dante, don’t do it. Mac says, they’ll make sure nothing happens. They’re expecting her. Cody says they can’t take her back there, and Sasha says, Dante, please. Ferncliff? Dante says, it’s okay. Just for a little bit, until they can sort this out. The officers lead her away, as she says, no, please. Cody says, it’ll be okay. He’ll get her out of there somehow. Mac asks if Gladys minds waiting. He’ll take Cody back to processing and then get back to her. She says she was just trying to help her poor daughter-in-law, and Cody says, do not trust her. She’s behind all of this. Mac asks Gladys to wait in the interrogation room and goes with the officers taking Cody. Montague looks at Gladys, but she doesn’t turn around.

Trina says, look at all of this. Is that caviar? He says he knows it’s a little bit cheesy, but he just couldn’t resist. Why not go all out? He’s really happy she could come along this weekend. He knows she’s really busy with school starting and finishing that paper. She says, which she finished, no thanks to him. He says he can’t help wanting to spend all his free time with her, and he’s glad Ava was able to give her some time off from her duties at the gallery. She says, of course (🍷). It’s no trip to Turks and Caicos like he wanted, during hurricane season, where probably they’d be stranded on some island before they got rescued. He says, so she discovered his master plan; being marooned, just the two of them on an island. She says, when he puts it like that, it does kind of sound nice. Just the two of them. He says he is sorry it’s taken so long for them to have some alone time with each other, but she says, it’s okay. He says, no, it’s not. He just needed to make sure Esme wasn’t going to run away with his little brother, but he’s glad she turned out to be dependable. She asks if they came all this way just to talk about Esme, and he says, of course (🍷) they didn’t, kissing her.

After more kissing, Spencer says, they do have a dinner reservation to get to, and Trina says, let’s get to it. He feeds her something, like people do before going to eat, and he says, they don’t have to go so fast. They haven’t made a proper toast yet. They raise their glasses, and he says, to the woman he loves. She says, to us, and he says, to us. They clink glasses, and kiss some more. He says, okay, dinner, and goes to take a quick shower.

Jordan says, rest assured, she and Diane are exploring all legal loopholes and case precedents. They’re doing everything they can. Drew thanks her, and says he knows they’re going above and beyond. Jordan says, they’re just doing what has to be done. He shouldn’t be in Pentenville, and they’re going to solve this problem and get him out. Carly thanks her, and Jordan says, they’re in this together. Drew says he’s sorry he can’t tell them anything helpful about the fight, and Carly says, attack. Drew was attacked. Warden Garten tells him not to worry about that; just focus on his healing. She’ll see him soon… or hopefully not. Carly asks if there isn’t something they can do to make sure Drew doesn’t go back to Pentenville; some kind of medical exemption? Jordan says, they’re looking into that, and the warden tells her, don’t worry. They’ll do everything they can to make sure nothing like this happens again. They have her word. Drew thanks them, and they leave. Carly says, thank God they’re not in this alone. Hopefully, Diane and the warden can come up with some kind of miracle. Drew asks her to sit by him please, and she does. He says, they’re alone together. No talking about prison or trials or any of that. He takes her hand and says, just us.

On the phone, Josslyn tells Dex that she was so worried. Why such a brutal beating in the first place? Ava walks in, and Josslyn says, thank God he’s awake. Ava clears her throat, and Josslyn says she’s got to go. She’ll call him in a little. Ava says, the girls are all washed up and ready for bed. The playroom’s still a bit of a mess though. Josslyn says, that’s nothing new, and Ava says, they’re waiting for the bedtime story they were promised. She asks if there’s any word about Drew, and Josslyn says, her mom called. He’s awake. Ava says, that’s a relief, and Josslyn says, Drew shouldn’t have gone to prison in the first place. Who the hell tipped off the SEC? They could have gotten him killed.

Gladys sits with her head in her hands, and Montague asks if she’s okay. She says, how can she be? Thanks to him, her daughter-in-law has completely lost touch with reality. He says, she’ll be taken care of in Ferncliff. He’ll see to it personally. He leaves.

Sasha is led to her room, and she says, Dante, please. He says, they’re going to get her out of here; he promises. She says she doesn’t belong here, as the attendant ties her wrist to the bed. Dante asks if that’s really necessary, and Sasha asks him to do something. The attendant gently pushes Dante out the door, and Dante yells, they’re going to get her out. The attendant straps her other wrist as Dante looks through the window.

Trina comes out all dressed up in an off-the-shoulder cocktail dress, and Spencer says, wow. She looks amazing. She says he doesn’t look so bad himself, but he says, this is one battle she’s not going to win. She’s breathtaking. Can he help her with her necklace? She says, necklace? and he takes out a jewelry box. We can’t really see it, but she says, it’s beautiful, and he puts it on her. He says he wanted her to have something permanent. That way, she’ll always remember their weekend together. She turns around, and he says, perfect, kissing her. He says, dinner awaits, and they leave. It’s so convenient that whenever someone is given jewelry, they’re never wearing any.

Curtis says, so Mason thinks it’s possible that Betty was unable to fool Corinthos and instead chose to join forces? Mason says, it’s possible, but Cyrus says, no, it’s not possible. And he’s an idiot for thinking that. It was an easy job. Betty had no reason to betray him. Sonny accepted her too quickly, which means Ava’s the one who did it. And for that sin, she’ll have to face Divine retribution. Mason says, what about Cassadine? He was very clear about not hurting her. Cyrus says he doesn’t care what his nephew said. He’s not the one running the show. I am. Get it done. He hangs up and leaves.

Ava says she’s glad to hear Drew’s awake, and Josslyn says she’s glad Ava came tonight. She thinks it made things much more normal for the girls. Ava says she couldn’t help but hear Josslyn was on the phone with Dex. How is it having a boyfriend working for Sonny? Josslyn wonders why she’s asking, and Ava says, Josslyn may not remember, but she’s the daughter of a man whose business dealings weren’t always… inside the law. They have more in common than Josslyn thinks, and if Josslyn really wants to know, it’s because Josslyn is Trina’s best friend. And what affects Trina matters to her. And she wants to be sure Josslyn is taking care of herself, that she has her eyes open wide. Because she will need crystal clarity to navigate a relationship with someone in the business… She gets her bag and tells Josslyn that the girls are hoping for Hippity Hoppity the Kangaroo. She says, take care, and Josslyn says, her too. Ava leaves, and Josslyn turns out the light, silently wishing the moss bowl🎍a good night. Outside, Ava calls Nina and says she just found out Drew woke up. So Nina won’t have Drew’s death on her conscience.

Jordan tells the warden that she hopes if any good comes of this, they can get justice for Drew. Warden Garten says, Drew doesn’t belong in Pentenville. She’ll help any way she can to ensure an early release. She thanks Jordan and leaves. Jordan looks skeptical.

Carly lies next to Drew on the bed, and he kisses her forehead.

Cody says, Mac can’t let Sasha stay in Ferncliff. Dr. Montague… Mac says, Dr. Montague isn’t going to do anything to Sasha, but Cody says, she’s not safe there. Mac says, it’s just for a little while. They’ll get Sasha out, but by going through the proper channels. Don’t worry. They’re doing everything they can. I wonder if they’re going to set Montague up.

Sasha cries in her room, calling Cody’s name. Montague comes to the door and looks through the window. She sits up and sees him.

Tomorrow, Trina tells Spencer, good things come to those who wait; Drew tells Willow there’s one thing he needs to know and it’s very important; and Carly tells Michael that she has information on the judge she’s going to use.

Southern But Not So Much Charm

Madison and I have something in common. We both fold fitted sheets by rolling them in a ball. The guys are hung over, and JT gives himself an injection after swallowing some pills. What? His mom calls, and he says he had too much fun with the boys; he’s a little sensitive. In JT’s interview, he admits to being a mama’s boy. Since he has type 1 diabetes (okay, that explains the shot), his mom helped him focus on health at an early age, but you have to live your life and hopefully sort it out in the morning. His mom is a top interior designer and renovates property, and he develops and renovates real estate. His core business is a string of Airbnb’s in Charleston. His mom shows him Poppyseed, a cute little (I think) Chin mix, and I squee. He says he’d do anything to be in Virginia on a cold rainy day, with Poppyseed in his lap and his mom giving him ibuprofen. In his interview, he says he grew up in Great Falls, Virgina, and had the perfect childhood. There was a stream running through his backyard and a nature conservancy behind his house. He tells his mom, when not so hung over, they’ll catch up more, and goes back to bed.

Craig and Shep get pedicures, and Shep says, this is Craig’s Shangri La. He’s going pheasant hunting tomorrow, so he doesn’t want anything painted. He tells Craig that the whole implication that Austen and Taylor aren’t just friends got to him. It’s messy. Craig says, Austen just sat there while JT was telling the story, and we flash back to that. In Shep’s interview, he says, Austen wouldn’t hold up if he was accused of a crime. If he was a juror at Austen’s trial, he wouldn’t be inclined to find him innocent. He asks Craig what level of certainty he has that they’ve been more than friends, and Craig says, Austen slept with multiple girls he’s date. We flash back to Austen telling Shep that he’s interested in Chelsea, and in his interview, Shep says, they have a history of Austen wanting what he has. Sometimes it feels like it’s personal. Like Austen wants the toy Shep has. I don’t know where to start with how wrong Shep’s thinking is, and Craig says, hooking up doesn’t mean much to Austen. Shep says, it definitely bothers him. It almost seems like it’s the other way around. Shep doesn’t want Austen to have what he doesn’t want anyway.

Taylor visits Austen and says she’s fragile. When she and Olivia were out, she met a very attractive man who meets all three of her requirements; you have to be funny, smart, and love Jesus. He told her that he liked her, but to run for the hills. She might need Austen’s therapist’s number. He tells her, it’s expensive. There’s a knock at the door and it’s at home IV people. Does that really work for a hangover? How much does it cost? They say they’re administering Toradol, Zofran, and B complex vitamins. Can I do this myself? Austen and Taylor do eye patches while they get the IVs, and Austen says, it was awkward last night. Taylor was talked about a lot. She asks, who was there? and he says, him, Shep, Craig, and JT. JT told Shep about Taylor spending the night, and Craig asked if Shep thought his and Taylor’s relationship was inappropriate. She says, WTF does JT know? and he says, apparently everything. In Taylor’s interview, she says, they’re single and have had a long-standing friendship. They should do what the hell they want. Shep did, and he wasn’t single half the time. She tells Austen that’s why she didn’t want to tell anyone about her crashing with him. She wouldn’t even tell Olivia. It would make Olivia feel uncomfortable. He says, she can’t bring it up.

Venita gets ready for a girls get together at her place. It’s outside and casual, which for Venita means, get dressed up. Olivia brings some clothes over to Taylor’s, and Taylor’s dog Penelope is wearing a panty. Olivia tells Penelope, congrats on being a woman. Madison arrives at Venita’s first, bearing champagne. Is that Dom? I wouldn’t be surprised. She tells Venita, good job, and Leva comes with flowers. Leva says her husband was surprised she was dressing up for a girls only thing, and Venita says, they dress for each other (truth!). In Leva’s interview, she says, Venita is the quintessential Southern bell, from her aesthetic to the way she hosts. She loves it. Leva says she’s planning a thing for Taylor. She can use them rallying behind her. She’s younger and it’s her first real breakup; that one shakes you. Venita says, when you date that long, you think you’ll be spending your lives together. Leva says she remembers feeling like everyone was against her, and thinks Taylor needs to hear it from them. Madison says, his friends are going to be his friends, and in her interview, she says she’s been there. If anyone understands crazy, it’s her. We flash back to her screeching that Austen is a p*ssy and he needs to own it. She says, things have changed, haven’t they? but I’m still skeptical. Taylor and Olivia join them, and they’ve brought Charles a Lambchop toy. He takes it out of the giftbag, and the whole thing is too cute. Taylor says she couldn’t bring Penelope. They don’t want puppies. Venita reveals the spread of food, and they eat. Madison asks, who’s dating who? and Olivia says she was casually seeing a guy, and Austen ran into them at a bar. He said, funny seeing you here, making out with a random guy in a bar. He’s a baseball player, and Austen said he never took her for a Triple-A type. We flash back to Craig outing Madison about dating a married ballplayer at the Reunion, and Madison says, blame it on her. I would have slugged Austen. No ballgame pun intended.

They discuss Madison’s party, and agree it was fun. Taylor says, after the martinis, sh*t got whirlwind, and Madison says, she knows Taylor is still hurting, but she would have gone in the opposite direction. Taylor says, she was trying to have a conversation with Craig, and it happened so quickly. We flash back to Taylor losing her sh*t, and she says, obviously, she should never retaliate that way. Leva suggests she be the bigger person and apologize, and Taylor says she misses their friendship. Madison says, woman to woman, she’s been in that situation, and those guys are thick as thieves. She knew from the beginning they’d no longer be her friends. They were going to talk sh*t about her and hide what Austen did. She didn’t just mourn the loss of their relationship, but her friendship with Craig as well. We flash back to Taylor telling Criag, we used to be friends, and Madison says, don’t let them make fun of her reactions. The biggest burn is to let them talk about how good she’s doing. She thinks that’s revenge. Leva says, Taylor is better than that. If she needs to be emotional, let them redirect her. Venita says, her emotions are always valid, but pivot in public. In Taylor’s interview, she says, the girls have all experienced heartache and know how to properly handle it. She wants to heed their advice, but she wears her heart on her sleeve. Venita says, she has people to back her up, and Madison says, she’s not alone. Taylor says she appreciates their female defensive, but she was just seeing red in that moment. Madison says, imagine what it would be like if they all jumped in next time. Leva says, Austen should have stepped in, but he just buried his head. We flash back, and yes, he literally did. Madison says she thinks they’ve all learned, Austen doesn’t have anybody’s back. Taylor thinks he’s better at being a friend than being in a relationship, and Madison says she thinks he’s low key in love with Taylor. Olivia says, no, and Taylor says, when Austen and Olivia broke up, it put her in a weird position, since she’d always had a good relationship with him. Olivia says, Taylor was able to translate their language, and she wanted them to maintain their friendship. No part of it bothered her. Taylor says, she just wants to coexist and be happy. They cheers to the guys kissing their ass.

I have to add my two cents. Yeah, you’re probably not going to keep your ex’s friends as your friends. I’ve always said, the worst part of my breakups was never the actual guy. It was breaking up with the friends, the family, the pets, the apartment…

Craig unloads some pillows in a warehouse. In his interview, he says, Sewing Down South has grown. It’s incredible to have gone from selling out of his living room to an ecommerce site – we flash back to him being on a home shopping network – to a flagship store – we see a clip of the opening – to having enough inventory for a warehouse. Move over Martha Stewart. He’s here to stay. Partner Jerry comes in, and talks about their massive Kroger order, and says, their holiday order will be at least 1800. Craig says he has to talk to Paige. They’ve been trying to split their time. In Craig’s interview, he says, with the warehouse, design room, and Kroger deal, his responsibility is increasing. If Paige doesn’t move to Charleston, they could be long distance forever. We flash back to Paige weeping over the thought of leaving her mom, and Craig asks Jerry if he can’t spend the summer in New York with Paige. Jerry says, no. It’s a different ballgame.

Austen meets Rod at a bar, and says, he’s trying to stick to tequila. I seem to be in the minority who doesn’t see the charm of it. Rod says, Australia was wonderful, but he thought Shep wasn’t coming back. In Austen’s interview, he says he’s known Rod for 7 years. Everyone likes him. He’d rather leave the drama and refers to himself as Switzerland. Rod says he has some weird, awkward news. He may or may not have been out with Olivia, and they might have made out a little. He’s definitely interested and figured he’d tell Austen to his face; clear the air. Austen says, uh, uh, uh a bunch of times, and then, I don’t know. He asks if Rod is going to ask her out, and Rod says, yeah, and there are a bunch of back-and-forth yeahs. In Austen’s interview, he says he thinks he blacked out. Austen says he cares about Olivia, but that being said, she’s not his property. He saw her kissing another guy, and she can do what wants. He thinks Rod is a great guy, but he can’t say it doesn’t affect him to hear it. He wonders if they should take a shot, because that cures all ills for this group. In his interview, Austen says, after the breakup, he knew she was going to date, but he doesn’t want to put a face to it. Now he has to put Rod’s stupid faced to this bullsh*t.

Shep delivers some fresh pheasant to Olivia at her parents’ house. She asks why it’s warm, and he says, because it’s fresh killed. She drops the bag like there are hot potatoes in it and points out there are still some feathers attached. I’m thinking that pheasant seems a lot bigger than when I ordered it once in a restaurant, and then I remember it was quail I looked at and thought, please be an appetizer. She asks Shep to change a lightbulb for her, and in Olivia’s interview, she says she’s the groundskeeper while her parents are gone. Her mom said she liked having Shep down the street; Olivia can give him a call in case of an emergency. Shep is the emergency. She tells him about the get together at Venita’s, and he asks, what’s Taylor’s current disposition? Olivia says, Taylor is single, and Shep is like, what are you talking about? She asks what disposition means, and he says, mindset. Good Lord. Doesn’t she read? She says, it hasn’t been that long, and Shep says, JT went after Austen about his relationship with Taylor. He really dug into it. Olivia says she doesn’t get the vibe it’s anything more than that; they have a genuine friendship. Shep says, Taylor stayed overnight at Austen’s, and JT implied something happened. His mind was swimming, and he wondered if they’d started something he doesn’t know about. Olivia says, doesn’t Shep think if something was happening Taylor would tell her? but he says he doesn’t know what to think. Austen was tongue tied. We flash back to that, and Shep says, he usually fights back. So he has big questions about Austen’s trustworthiness. She says, she would expect to know if something happened, and he hopes nothing did. It’s slimy, and they’d both be disappointed if their friends were in that situation. It would be f***ed up. Olivia says, it makes her stomach turn thinking about it. What’s wrong with these people? Shep didn’t want to get serious, and I thought Olivia broke up with Austen. And it seems Charleston only has about 20 people living there.

Charles has a blue/green tail again, and it makes me want to dye my Pekingese Hannah’s tail, but I’m thinking pink. Olivia calls Taylor from the car and asks if she wants to grab coffee. In Olivia’s interview, she says, Shep’s whole demeanor, how bothered he was, is getting to her. She feels herself wondering if something more is going on. Taylor gets to the coffee shop first and calls Craig to apologize and extend an olive branch. He says, it’s all good and not to stress about it. That’s one thing I’ll give Craig; he doesn’t hold a grudge. She thanks him and says she’s doing a Day Chaser launch at Republic. Olivia comes in, and Craig says he appreciates her call. He thinks after seeing each other and talking in person, they’ll feel better. He’d love to come and support her. Taylor says she likes Craig, but then sh*t happens, and she wants to squeeze his head. In Craig’s interview, he says he texted Shep that Olivia was still healing, but wanted to move forward. Olivia says, during guys night, JT raised the question of Taylor and Austen. Shep seemed shook, and when Austen was confronted, he had nothing to say. Taylor says, to be honest… um….

Taylor says, after New York, she and Austen were both not in good places. They created a bond in the midst vulnerability and brokenness.😐They were being pushed together because of their history. She wondered if being together was something they should explore, and Austen didn’t know either. She called her brother for advice, and he said, why jump from the frying pan into the fire? She had to decide if the feeling was genuine or a crutch. She told Austen they’d just been lost in emotion, and he 100% agreed. Olivia stammers and says she didn’t know any of that. Taylor says she gets that Olivia feels blindsided. She’s going through so much already, Taylor didn’t want to spring it on her. Olivia says she doesn’t think they’d be having this conversation if Taylor and Austen wanted to be together. She’d want Taylor to talk to her about it within a 24-hour period. She asks if Austen talked to his family, and Taylor says, he talked to his sister. In a moment of weakness, she needed her crutch. She starts to cry and says, she wasn’t going to God; she was going to somebody else. She doesn’t want Olivia to think she’s betraying her trust. Olivia says, their friendship is most important, not her and Austen. She asks if anything happened to make Austen go from her brother to them talking to their families. Possibly a drunken kiss or a hookup? Taylor swears on her life nothing happened, and Olivia thanks Taylor for letting her in on it, but she doesn’t look happy. They leave, going to their respective cars, and Olivia cries in her car.

What is wrong with these people?  

To be continued…

🛻 Running On Fumes…

Make a return trip tomorrow for soap, discriminating tea, quotes, and music for the end of September. Until then, stay safe, stay determined, but not ruthless, and stay pivoting in public, even though your emotions are always valid.