In watching this, I understood what it is about Diana that I don’t like. She expects others to be empathetic of her without really knowing her, but she’s quick with judgements about people she doesn’t know. There was a poll on Twitter asking if she was soulless – which I think was just a dramatic word Sutton used, and not to be taken seriously – and I read she blocked people who said yes. Why? Is she afraid she might learn something about herself?
Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. – Dale Carnegie
Never try to outstubborn a cat. – Robert A. Heinlein, Time Enough for Love
But instead of spending our lives running towards our dreams, we are often running away from a fear of failure or a fear of criticism. – Erin Wright
Cry. Forgive. Learn. Move on. Let your tears water the seeds of your future happiness. – Steve Maraboli
He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever. – Revelation 21:4 (NLT)
One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man. – Elbert Hubbard
I prefer peace. But if trouble must come, let it come in my time, so that my children can live in peace. – Thomas Paine
If you don’t like my shade, get out of my shadow. – Shereé (yes, that one) Whitfield, Real Housewives of Atlanta
Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less. – Marie Curie
I have more in common with a three-toed sloth or a one-eyed pterodactyl or a Kalamata olive than I have with Winston Churchill. – Boris Johnson (What?)
Music doesn’t lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music. – Jimi Hendrix
Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful.- Annette Funicello
🦛 Taking My Hunky Dory and Going…
If all goes according to plan, we’ll all be filling the next two days with activities that are gratifying and/or productive. Or not, if that’s what you like. Then we’ll reconvene on Monday for soap and yachting on the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay doing everything in moderation, but allowing for a splurge now and then, and stay trying to understand where others are coming from. You might not like them anyway, but you won’t hate them. Don’t be a Diana J.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Chase calls Brook just as she’s walking into the pool area. He says, don’t hang up. He thinks they need to talk. She says, no time like the present, and he realizes she’s right there. She comes over to where he’s sitting, and he wonders why it feels like déjà vu. She says, maybe because they apologize to each other two or three times a day. You’d think they’d be used to it by now. He says, maybe that’s it, and she says, since they’ve played this scene before, could they just fast forward to the part where they’re friends again? He says, they could, but he doesn’t know if they should.
Alexis says, Gregory’s op ed is less of an opinion and more of a hit piece. The Invader’sinterjection of opinion into the reporting of facts is not only lamentable, but an ethical slippery slope? He says, she issued a challenge; he accepted. Now the question is, can she set her ego aside and accept his? She says, his ego? and he says, his challenge.
Finn says, what does Doc mean, Elizabeth is gone? and Doc says, Finn just missed her; she checked herself out. Finn asks if that’s a good idea, but Doc says, she came of her own volition. She had the power to leave any time. Finn asks if Doc is saying Elizabeth left against his recommendation. Then Doc knows as well as he does that’s a mistake.
Terry asks if Britt can look at this, holding out her tablet, and Britt asks if it’s boring. Terry says, yes, and Britt says, then she lives for it. She takes the tablet, and Terry says, Epiphany made some last minute changes to the nurse’s rotation. Also, she wanted ask Britt about that Society Set-Ups mixer. Britt says, oh God, what now? A new GIF from another angle? Terry says, nothing like that. She was so impressed with the clientele, she signed up. Britt hopes Terry has better luck than she did, and asks if they have enough coverage for tonight. Elizabeth joins them, and says, problem solved. She’s back and reporting for duty. Where do they need her?
Olivia comes into the stables, and Cody says, Mama Falconari. She says, it’s Quartermaine now, and he says he knows, but he’s thought of her as Mama Falconari for all these years, so he hates to break tradition. She says, then don’t; she answers to both. He asks, what can he do for her? and she says, he already has. He’s made a forever friend in her son Leo. He says, Leo’s a great kid, and she says, he can’t stop raving about Cowboy Cody, and how he can answer any question about horses. He says, it’s nice to have an appreciative audience, and she says, it’s funny. He grew up making trouble with her one son, now he’s showing the ropes to her other one. He says, handling horses is a lot like getting to know people… Sometimes it’s a lot easier. She says, in regard to her son Leo, horses are a lot smarter than the men in her life, and Ned walks in.
Valentin comes into the MetroCourt Garden, and sees Laura texting. He says he’s glad he found her. Does she mind if he joins her? She says, not at all, and he sits. She asks if Charlotte is all right, and he says he believes so; why wouldn’t she be? She asks why else he’d be seeking her out, and he says, Charlotte is healthy and safe, and he promises there’s nothing he wouldn’t do to make sure she remains so.
On the phone, Anna says, C-A-S-S-A-D-I-N-E, first name Valentin, as Victor lurks around behind her. She says, he was recuperating at their clinic several weeks ago. She knows they wouldn’t normally release that kind of patient information, but this is an ongoing official investigation with the WSB… Yeah, she can send over her credentials immediately. Could they please have the director call her back at this number… She thanks them, saying, she appreciates it. Victor says, good morning, Agent Devane, and she asks if he’s stalking or lurking. He says, out for a morning constitutional is all, and she says, an agenda-free stroll. Why doesn’t she believe him? He says he would have announced himself, but he saw she was preoccupied investigating his son.
Brook says, Chase doesn’t want to be friends? but he says, of course (🍷) he does, and they are. She says, okay, then what? and he says he just thinks they don’t bring out the best in each other; that maybe their friendship, as much as it means to both of them, isn’t healthy. She says, he may have a point. The pattern they’ve fallen into with all the fighting and apologizing. Not to mention it made him punch someone. You could say it’s… He says, childish? Co-dependent? She tells him, she was going to say tricky. Forget about being a cop; he could work for Webster’s. He asks how she’d benefit from that, and she says, ouch. He says he’s sorry, but she says, don’t be; she deserves it.
Gregory says he realizes Alexis hasn’t had time to do more than skim the op ed, and she says she can’t wait to sit down and take it all in. He says, the gist of it is, The Invader coverage blurs the lines between objecting reporting and editorializing. He challenged her staff to commit to objectivity at all costs. She says, first of all, The Invader is a newspaper, not a wire service, and he asks if she’s saying only wire services can be objective. She says, secondly, the newspaper has to have a point of view, and he says, still, The Invader is miles ahead of where it was when Peter August was at the helm. She asks if he’s damning her with faint praise, but he says, not at all. The Invader can become a journal not unworthy of respect, and she says, as an editor, she needs to point out the double negative, but he says he used it for effect. She says, sure he did, and he says, still, as far as The Invader has come, there’s still room for improvement – for both of them. She says, he’s just chock full of suggestions – she points to her phone – thousands of words of them, most of them scathing. He says, listening to her now, he’s reminded of a criticism he omitted, and she says, there’s more? He says, her penchant for hyperbole, and she says, you know what she thinks? He says he’s eager to hear, and she says she thinks the good professor is so accustomed to dusty dry tomes, and just isn’t used to contemporary journalism. He says, and if he may? and she says, by all means. He says he concludes, the humble –that’s irony, by the way… She says she recognizes it, and he says, the humble editrix is unused to being challenged.
Doc says, Finn knows he can’t discuss specifics of Elizabeth’s treatment, and Finn says, he doesn’t need to explain doctor/patient confidentiality to him. He doesn’t want the details; he just wants Doc’s honest determination. Did Elizabeth discharge herself prematurely? Doc tells him, look, all he can say is, if a patient no longer wants intensive therapy, it’s their call. As for Elizabeth, he takes heart in knowing she has a good support system at home. Finn says, as long as she doesn’t push everyone away, and Doc says, then he’s afraid it’s going to take time and patience. Finn says, he’ll hang back. He’ll give her time. It seems like that’s all he’s doing these days, but how does he know if he’s giving her the space to heal or the room to relapse? Doc says, he doesn’t.
Terry says, Elizabeth didn’t tell her that she was coming in today, and Elizabeth says, it’s time; she’s ready. Britt says, it’s good to see her, and Elizabeth thanks her, saying, it’s good to be seen. So how about it? Put me in, coach. Britt says she’d be happy too, as soon as she hears from HR that Elizabeth is cleared, and Elizabeth suggests they skip the red tape. It sounds like they’re shorthanded. Britt says, while she loves the enthusiasm, the hospital has policies, protocol where… Elizabeth says she knows what protocol is. She’s worked here longer than Britt. Terry says, hang on, Biz, and Elizabeth says, Britt was probably hoping she got rid of her for good. Britt says, actually she was hoping Elizabeth had a speedy recovery and returned to work soon. She’s an excellent nurse, and yes, they are short-staffed. Elizabeth says, then what’s the problem? and Britt asks if she needs flash cards. If Elizabeth wants to come back, then she needs to be cleared by HR. So go to HR and get cleared. Elizabeth says, this is so like Britt. She’s sure Britt has convinced everyone else that she’s turned over a new leaf, but she can see pretty clearly, the Britch is back, and bitchier than ever.
Victor asks what possible reason Anna could have for looking into Valentin’s private medical records, and Anna asks if he’s ever heard the quote, we don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are. He asks her point? and she says, given his villainy, it makes sense he would ascribe nefarious intent to others. He says, cynicism is an ugly look on such an attractive woman, and she says, so is misogyny on such a dapper man. Yet here we are. He laughs, and says, she’s such a joy, and she says she tries. He says, always a quick rebut, and the appropriate literary reference. The question, however, remains, does Valentin know she’s a spy, in and out of the bedroom? She says, yes; why? He says he’s asking as a concerned parent. What exactly is the nature of her relationship with his son? She asks, what exactly is his?
Laura tells Valentin, she doesn’t say this often enough, but she’s actually grateful that Charlotte has him to watch out for her. He says, that’s nothing he’d expect to hear her say, and she says, they’ve had their difficulties in the past, but she can’t deny he’s an excellent parent. He thanks her, and says, coming from her, that means more to him than he can express. She says, if this little visit isn’t about Charlotte, to what does she owe the pleasure? and he says, just a drink between friends. He tells the waiter that he’ll have a bloody Mary, and Laura says she’ll have an iced tea. The waiter says, coming right up, and Valentin says, just an iced tea? She says, day drinking is not a good look for the mayor, especially after an attempted recall, and he says he’s glad that ridiculous attempt to oust her failed. She was a wonderful mayor, and Port Charles thrived under her leadership. She asks, why does he talk about her tenure in the past tense?
Brook says, when she offered to manage Chase’s singing career, she really did it to help him, and he asks, what percentage was to help him? She says, 90, and he looks at her. She says, 85, hand to heart, and he says he believes her. She says she hates that he’s out a paycheck, for defending her honor – again. He says, his actions were his own, and she says, but she put him in the middle of her mistakes… and two guys anyone would want to punch. He says, that is true, and she says, so even though it wasn’t her main goal when she was pitching the idea to him, the revenge part kind of slipped in. He says, so it wasn’t always there in the back of her mind? and she says, of course (🍷) it was. He says, then why not come out and say it; tell him the plan from the get-go. She says, because she didn’t want him to think she was using him, and he says, was she? She says she’s a Quartermaine. Self-interest is kind of in her DNA. She puts her hand on his knee, and says, on her word, nothing is more important than helping him.
Ned says, Olivia? and Olivia tells Cody, and here’s one of those men right now. Ned says he’s been looking for her. Can he speak to her about something? Cody says he’ll leave them alone, but Olivia says, they wouldn’t dream of interrupting his work, and tells Ned, she was just thanking Cody for being such a good friend to Leo. Ned says, Leo seems to think Cowboy Cody stepped straight out of a John Ford Western, and Cody says he’s lived a lot of places. Home is wherever you hang your hat. Ned says, about that. Since Cody will be interacting with his son, he took the liberty of going over Cody’s employment history. Seems like he doesn’t stay in one place for long. Should they already be looking for a replacement? Olivia says, Ned… and Cody says, no worries, Mama Q. He has been bouncing around for a while, that’s true, but their kind employment has gotten him doing exactly what he wants to do, exactly where he wants to do it. Don’t worry. He’s not going anywhere.
Britt tells Elizabeth, that’s enough, Nurse Baldwin. Clearly she’s still under duress. So leave now, while she still has a job. Elizabeth says, Britt can’t fire her; she’s union. Britt says she doubts Elizabeth’s union rep will come running to her defense, and as Chief of Staff… Elizabeth says, Co-Chief, and asks Terry if she’s going to let Britt threaten her like this. Terry says she’s sorry, but she has to agree with Britt. Elizabeth’s out of line.
Victor says, if Anna is curious about the deepening bond he has with his son, why ask him? Ask Valentin. Anna says she knows what Valentin’s intentions are when it comes to Victor; now she wants to know Victor’s. What does he want with Valentin? He says, what any parent wants. To see their child excel; to uplift and exalt the family. Most of all, to make him proud. Anna says, okay, and he says, she seems confused. She says, the relationship Victor is describing doesn’t sound reciprocal. It sounds like he’s using Valentin. And knowing what Victor is capable of, compels her to ask, to what end?
Valentin tells Laura that he’s sorry; he misspoke. He meant say, she is a great mayor, and Port Charles continues to thrive… With all the machinations of ELQ, he’s not sleeping. She says, she’s not going anywhere, and he says he hears the all-stars gathered at Charlie’s to celebrate her. She’s much loved and very respected. Her phone rings, and she says she has to take this. She steps away, the waiter brings the drinks, and Valentin puts something powdered in her iced tea that’s probably not Splenda. After he’s done, with convenient timing, she comes back, telling him, it was Doc. A patient canceled, so he’s on his way over. Valentin says, he certainly won’t be a third wheel, so until Doc arrives, they should make the most of their time. They clink glasses, and as Laura is about to take a sip, her phone dings. She says, what a coincidence; it’s Charlotte. He asks if everything is all right, and she says, everything’s fine. Charlotte was just thanking her for the care package she sent. He says, he wasn’t aware Charlotte needed anything, and she says, it was hardly disaster relief. It was just the new book by her favorite author, and a couple little other fun things she thought Charlotte might enjoy. He says she’s sure she appreciates it, and Laura says, Charlotte’s mother is still not able to be present, so she tries to fill the void when she can. He says, Charlotte’s lucky to have her, and she says, and him. And Charlotte’s not the only lady in his life that feels that way. Anna seems to have grown very fond of him.
Victor says he’ll tell Anna what his plans are for Valentin, provided she tells him why the furtive call to check up on him. She says she’ll never explain herself to him. They can remain mysteries wrapped in riddles inside enigmas forever. He says, it’s obvious to him that she and Valentin don’t know each other nearly as well as they claim to. Nor do they trust each other, which is a pity. Because without trust, she’s nothing more to Valentin than a comely diversion.
Gregory says, for someone who takes issue with his subjective opinion, Alexis certainly prints a lot of them, and calls it hard news. She says, her paper takes stances on vital issues alongside fact-based articles, like the fact-based articles they did on city hall. He says, so will The Invader next be printing an interview with the exculpated mayor? and she says, she doesn’t see why not; they printed the petition against her. He says, she’s still relatively new to journalism. It’s a subject he teaches at university level. She says she’s sure it’s easy for him to sit on his high horse behind ivy walls, but while he’s talking about journalism theory, some of them are out in the field doing actual reporting.
Brook says she’d hoped Chase would see that his intentions were sincere, and when he didn’t… He says, she thought he was overreacting, and she says she did, until she talked with her dad. He helped her see that she probably should have run the whole plan by him, including the revenge plot. He says he also talked to his father. His father and brother urged him to give her the benefit of the doubt. She says, they did? and he says, they saw she was just trying to help him, and… She says, and what? and he says, they don’t seem to think her proposition is as crazy as he does. She gets up, and says, great. Then it’s settled. They move forward with her plan. He says, whoa. Pump the brakes, Quartermaine.
Elizabeth says she can’t believe Terry is taking Britt’s side, and Terry says, Elizabeth knows if she’s on anyone’s side, it’s hers. Elizabeth says, then let her come back to work, but Terry says, no; she’s not ready. Elizabeth says she’s fine. She just can’t stand the way Britt acts like she’s queen of this place. She’s Co-Chief of Staff, not God. Terry says, she is, and Britt asked Elizabeth to go to HR, the same as she would have. Elizabeth says, she was at that clinic voluntary. Why does she need to go to HR? Terry says, for liability purposes, she still needs medical clearance. Did her doctor at Shadybrook sign off? Elizabeth says, she signed herself out, which is her right, and Terry says, it is her right, but was it right for her? Elizabeth says she appreciates Terry’s concern caring for her doesn’t give Terry the right to question her decisions. She shouldn’t have to justify herself to anyone. She turns around and sees Finn.
Chase says he hasn’t agreed to Brook’s pop star scheme, and she says, but he will. It’s inevitable, so why waste time? He says, it’s doubtful it’s going to do either of the things she wants; get him paid or give Linc what he deserves. She says, maybe not, but they don’t know until they’ve tried, and he says, he’s not the pop star she’s envisioning. She says she’s not suggesting they put him in a Spandex onesie and throw glitter all over him, and he says, he doesn’t think the PCPD will value a singing detective as much as she does. She says, if after his suspension, he wants to go back to being a detective, she’ll totally support that. But while he’s in limbo, why not take the road not traveled? Maybe this setback will lead to a new passion. He says, a new passion can be a risky proposition, and she says, but the rewards could be greater than they ever dreamed.
Gregory says he didn’t write the op ed to insult Alexis. In fact, he admires what she’s done in such a short time. She thanks him for that, and says, she’s sure he understands that in the era where news is a click away, she has to distinguish the paper. He says, when she reads what he wrote, she’ll see he doesn’t fault her for that. He merely offers constructive ideas to help maintain integrity in reporting. She says she’ll read the whole op ed piece, put her wrath aside, and let him know if there’s a place for it. She starts to leave, and he says, if she stands by her vision for The Invader, she won’t have a problem printing every word.
Olivia says she’s glad Cody is sticking around. She’d hate for Leo to lose him. Cody says he’d hate to leave behind a brand new friend. Leo is stuck with him. Ned says, that’s good to hear. They’ll let him get back to work. Cody goes in the back, and Olivia asks if Ned is planning on alienating every single person in this house this week. He says he guesses he could have been a little more tactful, and she says, he couldn’t have been less. He says he was just looking out for Leo, and she says she knows that. He says, it looks like he’s been inconsiderate and self-centered all around, and she says, if that’s the road he wants to go down, she’s not going to stop him. He says, and because she deserves to hear this as often as possible, he should have looped her in on his decision making process about his ELQ vote. She says, yes he should have. It’s not like she’s asking for veto power over all his business decisions, but she does expect communication in the marriage. And she’s just going to pray for peace in this family. He says he let her down and he know that; he’s sorry. Now he needs to know they’re okay. She puts her arms around his neck, and says, they’re a team. If they stick with that, they’ll be fine. She kisses him, and he asks if there’s something else bothering her. She says, he picked up on that, and he asks if it’s anything he should know about. She says, things may be fine at home, but at work… it’s all falling apart.
Britt thanks Terry for the back-up, and says she knows Elizabeth is Terry’s friend. Terry says, Elizabeth is her best friend, and Britt says, great. Maybe Terry can tell her what the hell is going on with her BFF.
Elizabeth walks with Finn, and he says, she looks good. She thanks him, and says she feels good. The pills are out of her system, so no more sleepwalking. He says, that’s a great start, and she says, start? She was at that clinic for weeks. She did the work, and she’s better. Believe her, if she felt like she was a danger to herself, her boys or her patients, she’d still be at Shadybrook. He says, he knows how committed she is to the people in her life. He thinks they’d just like to return the favor. She says she knows, and he asks, then why didn’t she tell anyone when she discharged herself? Or was he the only one who didn’t know?
Anna says, Victor doesn’t know the first thing about her and Valentin. They go back decades, and unlike Victor, his concerned father, she’s been there for him. He says, this isn’t a competition, and she says, if it were, he’d lose. He says, the difference is, unlike her, he trusts Valentin. He relies on Valentin to do what’s expected of him. She says she trusts Valentin too. She just doesn’t trust the people around him. He says, that makes two of us.
Valentin says, Anna spoke to Laura about him? and Laura says, she did. He says, anything she can repeat? and she says, it seems Anna has found a kindred spirit in him. He asks if that’s what she said, and Laura says, it’s not so much what she said, but how she said it, or how she didn’t say it, as the case may be. She does seem to have found the good in him. He says he told Laura it was there, and she says, he did. He seems to get Anna in a way most people don’t; kindred spirits. She just hopes Anna’s faith in him isn’t misplaced. She’s about to take a sip of her tea, and Valentin reaches for the pepper mill, practically shoving it in her face, so she spills her drink. She gets up, brushing herself off, as Doc comes in.
Alexis says, as she told Gregory, The Invader welcomes all viewpoints, even his. She’s sure after it’s proof read, it will be submitted into the next issue. He says, good to hear. Print and digital? She asks, exactly how many platforms does he need? and he says, it’s easier to read the commentary online; he likes the readers chiming in. She says, so he’s pretty sure the feedback will all be in his favor? and he says he suspects many will agree, with tweaks, The Invader is on its way to being a great source of information. She says she suspects the readers will already attest to what they’re doing right, and he says he looks forward to reading their reactions… providing the feedback is uncensored. She asks, what the hell is that supposed to mean?
Anna’s phone rings, and she says she has to take this. She steps away, and Director Gibson says they received her credentials, and he can confirm Valentin Cassadine was a patient there. Anna thanks him, and says, that’s what she needed to know, but he says, however, his convalescence didn’t occur on the dates she provided. According to their records, he discharged himself after a week. The end date she provided… She says, exceeds that by a lot, and he says, exactly. He’s sure she can’t divulge the nature of the investigation, and that’s fine, but his priority is that the clinic not be held liable for any health implications caused by his early departure. She says, that won’t be a n issue, and he says, great, and asks if there’s anything else he can help her with. She says, no. He’s helped her more than he knows. Victor approaches her, and says, problem? but she just walks away.
Valentin says he’s so sorry, and tells Laura to send him her dry cleaning bill. She says she will, and Doc asks, what happened here? Valentin says he’s afraid Doc arrived to witness a rather inelegant lunch with the pepper. He tells the passing waiter, another iced tea, and says, as he was telling Doc’s wife, he hasn’t been sleeping well, and it’s made him clumsy. Doc says he’s never known Valentin to be clumsy before, but Valentin says, it happens. He apologizes. He looks at Laura, and says he’s so very sorry, and she says, just when things were going so well. Valentin jets, and Doc asks, what’s all this about? She says she wishes she knew. She’s just as confused as he is. Valentin asked to join her, and they had a surprisingly civil conversation. Doc says, he’s about as social as he is clumsy, and she says, today he was both. Doc asks why he doesn’t believe any of it, and she says, because he’s keenly perceptive and smart. He thanks her and kisses her hello, and she asks how things are with him. He says, today could have gone better, and she says, it’s not even lunchtime yet. (I know the feeling.) Is it Elizabeth? He says, she left Shadybrook, and Laura asks if she was his patient cancelation. He says, yeah, and she asks if she should be worried. He says he wishes he could say no.
Terry tells Britt that she’s sorry; Elizabeth’s not like that. Britt says, Elizabeth has been downright hostile to her since they met, and Terry says she knows they never liked each other. Britt says she was terrible to Elizabeth; to everybody. She earned all of her lovely nicknames, but now…? Today, this? Terry says, she’s been going through a lot, and Britt says, she understands, but her time away didn’t seem to have helped at all. Elizabeth seems to be the same… Terry says, again, best friend, and Britt says, challenging personality she always was. Whatever Elizabeth has going on, she can’t bring it to work like that. Terry says, agreed. She just hopes Elizabeth is okay. Britt says, oh,she’s in fine form.
Elizabeth says she’s sorry she didn’t tell Finn, but he says, it’s okay. He was just trying to figure out why she left him out of the loop. He knows he had a little trouble giving her the space she needed to heal, and for that he’s sorry, but he thinks he’s gotten better with that. She says, he has, and he asks if this is the way she wants things going forward; she doesn’t need him around? She says, no. She asked for distance when she was at Shadybrook because she had a lot to work through. She knows he wanted to be there for her and help her, and he did, by allowing her to have the space she needed to take this journey and figure things out on her own. He asks, how’d that go? and she says she learned a lot. The most important thing she realized is, her life is just better with him in it.
Brook and Chase almost kiss, and Brook says, so for what it’s worth (🍷), she thinks he’s the It Factor, and she knows Linc agrees. He says, two people; that’s quite the niche fan base. She asks him to give her his phone, and he does. She says, check this out, and she shows him the video of him singing. She says, whether or not he wants to be a recognized performer, he’s well on his way.
Ned says, if he’d known Carly had invested so heavily in Aurora… and Olivia says she didn’t even know until the morning of the vote. He says, anyway, it’s not going to be a problem, but she says she might end up owning he hotel with some oligarch who’s laundering his money; it’s a problem. He says, not if they buy Carly’s half of the hotel and give it to her, but she says she already floated that idea; it’s not going to happen. Carly said, no dice. He says, not even if they sell it to her at the same price she purchased it? and Olivia says, the history between Carly and the Quartermaines is too much; forget about it. He says, it’s going to be okay. The best partnerships cannot be torn apart. They’re proof of that. He kisses her, and they leave.
Elizabeth says she knows she kept Finn at arm’s length, but it was never meant to hurt him. He says he knows. He can be thick sometimes, and wanted to help. It took time for him to realize she needed some distance, and that’s on him. She asks, what if she told him what she really needs is him? and he says he’d probably tell her that he’s the luckiest guy on the face of the earth. Is she sure? Because everything that was wrong with him before is still there. He’s working on himself, but he has a long way to go. Is she sure she wants all that? She says, all of it, and they kiss. She says she’s sorry about everything she put him through. She promises it’s all behind them, and he holds her.
Cody puts away a saddle, and his phone chirps. A message from Society Set-Ups says they’ve found a match for him.
Britt looks at Elizabeth and Finn, and tells Terry, apparently, there is a lid for every pot, even the cracked ones. Terry says, if that’s true, maybe there’s hope for Britt yet (BA-DUM-CHH!) and walks away. Britt’s phone dings, she looks at it, and says, okay Society Set-Ups. Let’s see what unpromising loser you insist is my perfect match. She sees Cody’s name and photo, and sighs.
Alexis says, first Gregory maligns her leadership of the paper, and now he’s questioning her integrity? He says, he’s merely pointing out how tempting it is to confirm our own biases, and she says, she’s convinced the readers will reject his narrow suppositions. He says, care to make it interesting? and she says, like a bet? He says, unless she’s not as confident as she’s pretending to be, and she says, now his strategy is to call her chicken? She didn’t know they had playgrounds at universities, because that’s clearly where he picked up his tactics. He asks if his tactics are working, and she says, no, but she’ll take his idiotic wager. She’s in. He says, great. What are the stakes? She says, besides the massive hit to his ego? If the readers support him, then she’ll entertain his archaic notions. He says, is that all? and she says, he’s got her time and attention; take it or leave it. He says, done. And on the off-chance the readers side with her? She says, he’ll promise to pipe down, and stick to enlightening young minds. He says, it’s a bet, holding out his hand, and they shake.
Chase looks at the video and says, he can’t believe this. She says, they have to credit Leo. He’s the first one who liked the performance, and it sort of blew up from there. Chase asks how it has so many views, and she says she has an intern at Deception watching it on repeat, and he says, she does? She says, no. The numbers are all him. Face it. There’s an audience who wants him. All they have to do is cultivate it, and monetize it of course (🍷). He asks where they start, and she says, is that a yes? He says, it’s not a no, it’s a how. She says, don’t stress the details. By the time she’s finished these numbers will look quant in comparison. Leave it to her. She’s going to make him a household name.
Anna walks into the MetroCourt Garden, and Laura asks if she forgot something. Anna says she was looking for Valentin. He’s not in his room, so she thought she’d try here. Doc says, her instincts are good, but she just missed him. Laura says she doesn’t know where he went, and Anna says she was going to ask him something, but now that she’s here, she’s changed her mind. Laura asks if everything is okay, and Anna says she’s not sure, but she intends to find out.
Back in the park, Victor asks Valentin, is it done? but Valentin says, no. Laura remains in perfect health. Victor asks, why, pray tell, is that? and Valentin says, because he failed. Victor says, that’s a pity. He’s sure by now Valentin is aware, failure is not an option.
On Monday, Cody asks Britt why he’d leave, now that he’s met his match; Maxie asks why Spinelli would say something like that; and Carly says, it’s her only option.
🗽 Moving It Nice…
I’m not sure what her selling the apartment has to do with RHUGT. Doing it for an extra tag?
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. – Martin Luther King Jr.
Never stop just because you feel defeated. The journey to the other side is attainable only after great suffering. – Santosh Kalwar
Time changes everything except something within us which is always surprised by change. – Thomas Hardy
The four hardest tasks on earth are neither physical nor intellectual feats, but spiritual ones: To return love for hate; to include the excluded; to forgive without apology, and to be able to say, ‘I was wrong.’ – Unknown
Faith is daring to put your dream to the test. It is better to try to do something and fail than to try to do nothing and succeed. – Robert H. Schuller
Judge a man by the reputation of his enemies, and the character of his friends. – K@$H
Above all else, go with a sense of humor. It is needed armor. Joy in one’s heart and some laughter on one’s lip is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life. – Hugh Sidey
You can roll manure in powder sugar, but that still doesn’t make it a jelly donut. – Berta (Conchata Ferrell), Two and a Half Men
👡 Shuffling Off This Internet Coil…
Enjoy formerly known as the weekend, but come back for soap and some Deck when it’s over. Until then, stay safe, stay giving without expecting a return, and stay keeping in mind, we don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Carly sees someone swimming in the pool, and says, the pool’s closed. Drew gets out, and sexy music plays while she stares at him. Erm… He says he was hoping the owner could bend the rules a little for him.
Nina asks if everything’s all right, and Sonny says, it’s just business. It wasn’t anything urgent. He thanks her for waiting, and she says, it would have been rude, not to mention immature, if she’d just walked away in a huff (or a minute and a huff. sorry). He asks if she was tempted, and she says, a little bit. A part of her doesn’t want to hear his answer about the kiss he gave her, but then there’s another part of her that really needs to know, because it means something to her. Did he kiss her because he got into a fight with his ex-wife?
At a drive-in (!), Anna asks if Valentin has ever been here before, but he says he hasn’t had the pleasure. Her? She says, no. All the drive-in theaters she’s seen have been in movies she’s watched. He says, she wanted him to surprise her, and she says, he did. He’s kind of like this movie. He says, old or notorious? and she says, he seems to be black and white, but in reality, he’s a complex balance of shadows. She got that out of a book on Hitchcock. He says he likes it; it makes him sound classic, yet timeless. She says, this is the part where Ingrid Bergman realizes she’s been poisoned, and he says, like the old days, huh? She says, only if your nostalgic about someone being drugged in an undercover operation, and he says he thinks it’s part of their charm tonight.
Trina tells Josslyn that they have to get out of the bar before the cops check their IDs. The instigator, aka tall bald guy, is taken away, and the cops talk to bar guy. Josslyn says, now’s their chance, but as they start to leave, Rory comes in, and asks what they’re doing here.
Selina walks into The Savoy, and asks why Brad called her back here. He says, there’s a problem with the game. Linc comes out of the back and goes to the bar, while Brook stares daggers at him. He asks for a double vodka on the rocks, and Brook starts to stomp over to him, but Chase intercepts her and asks if she’s going somewhere. Brad tells Selina, Judge Abbott canceled at the last minute, so he let another player come in. She says, without vetting him first? Linc tells N’neka to put it on his tab, when Britt comes up to the bar. She says she was here earlier, and realized she can’t find her phone. Did someone turn it in? N’neka says she’ll check, and leaves. Linc says he hopes she finds Britt’s phone. He hates to see a lady in distress.
In the hallway, Brad tells Selina, when he saw the guy’s bankroll, he figured it would be okay. He knew the password. She says, just spit it out; what happened? and Cody comes out, counting a load of cash.
Sonny says, when he kissed Nina, he wasn’t thinking about Carly, and she says, but he did fight with Carly. He says, yeah. Carly and Michael think he turned his back on his family. She says, that’s ridiculous. His family is everything to him. He says, right, and when he went on the stand, it wasn’t against Michael; he was just there to tell the truth. She says, and he was gracious enough to forgive her, and doesn’t hold her responsible anymore for keeping his identity a secret. He says, the thing is, he always believed and still believes Wiley needs to have her in his life. She thanks him, and says, Carly considers that a betrayal. He says, in Carly’s mind, the biggest betrayal was, when Baldwin was going after Michael, he stood by Nina. Nina says she has to be honest. When he did that, she was surprised too.
Drew tells Carly that he just needed a quick swim. It was a crazy day at Aurora, and he didn’t get a chance to work out. She asks, how quick? and he says, only a mile. Navy SEAL. He hopes she isn’t going to revoke his membership, but she says, he’s exactly the distraction she needed after the day she’s had. He says, bad? and she says, beyond. Frustrating… heartbreaking… deeply disappointing, but also the best.
Trina tells Rory that she and Josslyn were tracking down proof Esme framed her, and he says, in a bar known for criminal activity? Trina says, just the place Esme would go to for an unregistered phone, and Josslyn promises they’ll explain everything later, but right now, they need to get out of here. An officer calls Rory over, and asks if he has ID on Josslyn and Trina.
Chase asks, what happened to their hanging out by the pool? and Brook says she’s sorry, but this was too good of a chance to pass up. Linc had a card from The Savoy, with what was obviously a password written on the back. He says, a strong indicator that something shady was going on, and she says, yes, Mr. Sarcasm. This is her chance to catch Linc in the act, and blackmail him into signing the rights to her songs back over to her. He says, there’s so much illegal in what she just said to him, he doesn’t know where to start.
Linc says he knows Britt. She’s the woman in the GIF that’s gone viral; soaking wet… climbing out of the pool. She says, yes, that’s her, and he says, she has a rockin’ bod. It’s like the beauty from the Black Lagoon. They might be able to recreate that in one of his artist’s videos. She says, excuse me? and he says, oh, did he not mention he’s a music producer?
Selina asks, is this the last minute player? and Cody says, they meet again. All the players raved about her in there. She says, did they? and he says, Brad here was kind enough to let him sit in on the game. Texas Hold ‘Em high stakes is exactly how he likes to play. It’s a shame the game ended so early. She says, isn’t it, and he says, thanks for the hospitality. Goodnight. He starts to leave, and she says, Li! A big guy comes in, and she says she’d like a word with this man – outside.
Anna says she loves this movie, and Valentin says he’s never known anyone so thrilled with this film. She says, come on. Cary Grant rescues Ingrid Bergman. The Nazis are thwarted, and the moment he goes back inside, Claude Reins is a dead man. What’s not to love? It’s so good. He says, if she likes this film, she’s going to love the second feature, and she says, he’s not going to tell her what it is? He says she wanted to be surprised. There’s a concession stand that sells bon-bons. A little pedestrian for such a momentous occasion. She says, a drive-in’s momentous? but he says, not the drive-in; us. Her agreeing to an official first date. She says, that is momentous, and he says, so – he brings out a basket from the backseat – he brought charcuterie, and caviar. She says, it’s lovely… and he says, what? She tells him, she loves popcorn at the movies, and he reaches in the back, this time pulling out a bag of popcorn, saying, it’s a good thing he brought some. This is from Japan, salted with umami, and out of this world. She says, popcorn needs to have butter, and he says he’s usually much better at this. She says, bullseye on the movie, and remembering she loves Hitchcock; that’s all perfect. He says, the master of suspense. He never got more romantic than Notorious. She says, yeah, a libeled lady and a charismatic rogue on a spy mission, longing for each other. He says, what’s not to love?
Brook says, of course (🍷) blackmailing Linc is illegal; that’s why she kept him out of it. He says, she ditched him, and she says, for his own good. He’s so close to being reinstated. He says, she asked for his help, and as soon as he agreed, she bailed on him, so she could do it on her own. Not that she got anywhere. She says she begs to differ. Something went way, way wrong. Linc came out of the back room fuming, and when he gets mad, he gets stupid. And when Linc gets stupid, which is most of the time, Linc makes mistakes, and that’s when they’ve got him.
Linc tells Britt, he manages some of the best talent in the business, and she says, he’s rolling in it? He says, private planes, yachts… and she says, he has more than one? He says, that depends where he’s heading, and she pretends to be excited, saying, which she imagines is all over the world. He says, baby, you would not believe the life I’ve lived, and she says she bets he’s seen some things. He says he’s nothing like the guys she’s used to, and she says, so true.
Li tosses Cody into an alleyway, and Cody says, what’s there to talk about? He bought into the game. He played well, he won, fair and square. Selina asks, what’s his definition of fair? What’s indisputable is, he cleaned out all of her other players in eight hands. Cody says, that’s just how the cards fell, and Selina says, when the game goes on all night, the players’ inhibitions wear down, and the stakes go up. If they lose, they ask for credit. Cody says, which she’s more than happy to extend at a far interest rate, and she says, he cut into her profits, she’ll need to recoup her losses, which will come out of his winnings. He says, now who’s not playing fair? and she says something in Mandarin. Li punches Cody in the stomach, and Cody falls to the ground, doubled over.
Nina says, she and Sonny haven’t addressed what Scotty did to Michael on the stand, and he asks if she knew what Scotty was going to do, but she says she didn’t. Scotty told her that he was going to bring up Claudia Zaccara’s death, but she had no idea about the details of how Claudia died. All she knows is, Scotty said he was going to hit Michael with his criminal record. Sonny says, so it sounds like she didn’t know how bad Scotty was going to get with Michael, and she says she didn’t, but she’s not going to get any medals either. Kidnapping Avery, and again, keeping his existence in Nixon Falls a secret. He says, let him guess. Scotty told her, in order to secure visitation with Wiley, she was going to have to level the playing field. She says, make Michael look so bad, she’d look better by comparison, and he says, listen. He just wants her to know, Michael had no intention of killing Claudia. He was just a teenager, and he was defending his little sister. She says she knows that now, and watching Scotty go after him on the stand made her stomach sink. In part because of what she set in motion, and in part because she was sure she’d lose him over it.
Drew says, it’s kind of nice having the place to themselves, and Carly says, one of the perks of co-owning the MetroCourt. He says, she knows he’s only hanging out for the perks, right? and she says she’s under no illusion. They sit, and he says he thinks he knows what she meant when she said, bad, but for the best. It’s when something crappy happens to you, but you needed it. It gives you a wake-up call and shifts your whole perspective. She says, that’s exactly what happened to her today. She hadn’t talked to Sonny since Nina’s visitation hearing. She won’t go into the gory details, but Nina and her lawyer accused Michael of being violent towards women. Can he believe that? He says he heard that, and he’s so incredibly sorry. She says, it was awful, but what was truly indefensible was Sonny. He was in the court room; he heard everything. And when it was over, he comforted Nina. Drew says, she must have felt so betrayed, and she says, yeah, and furious, and devastated. And now, weirdly grateful.
Nina says, when Scotty got done with Michael, and the judge called for a recess because she wanted to talk to Scotty and Diane in chambers, she stood up and felt so alone. She turned around, and there Sonny was, on her side. He looked so stoic, and she had no idea what he was feeling. She thought he was going to tear into her. He says, there was a lot of stuff happening. He was angry with Scotty for going after Michael, and he was disappointed in Michael for going after her. It was a lot. She says she wanted to play fair. She wanted to let everyone just cool down until Michael and Willow would allow her to see Wiley, but Michael and Willow didn’t play fair. He says, even before the five-part feature in TheInvader? and she says, they were never going to cool down. Wiley would have been an adult before she was allowed to see him, and by that time, he’d be so brainwashed, he’d never want to see her. Sonny says, she had every right to go for the petition for visitation, and she says she’s made a lot of mistakes, but so has Michael. Nobody is perfect here. He takes her hand, and says, when he saw her in court, she was hurting a lot. All he could think about was making her feel better. She says she just wanted to explain to him what happened. She felt like her skin was ripped off; all her faults were exposed… and there he was. He touched her cheek – she starts to cry, and he gives her his hanky – and that small act of compassion meant more to her than he’ll ever know.
Drew says, Carly is grateful Sonny sided with Nina? and she says, the Sonny she knew would have defended his son, and the fact that he didn’t, brought it all home to her in a way nothing else could. The man she married, the Sonny she loved, the father of her kids, is gone. For as long as she’s known Sonny, he could make her angrier than anyone, and what surprised her today was the anger she didn’t feel. That’s when she realized… He says, her wake-up call, and she says, what Sonny did in that courtroom severed the last tie. They’re Donna’s parents, and will always co-exist for her sake, but they live separate lives. She’s been saying she’s free for a while, but today, she feels free. He tells her, congratulations, and she thanks him. He says, they should celebrate.
Rory says he needs to see their IDs, and Trina says, which one? The real one that says she’s underage, or the fake one that says she’s 23 and her name is Jane? Josslyn says, look, Trina can’t get arrested, even if it’s a misdemeanor. The Title IX investigation came back against her. He says he’s sorry to hear that, and Trina says, thanks, but it turns out it’s the least of her worries. Josslyn tells him, coming here was entirely her idea; she dragged Trina along. Please, just bust her and let Trina go. She hands him her fake ID.
Li kicks Cody’s ass some more, and Selina says, enough. The money. Li reaches in Cody’s pocket, and Cody says, they can’t take his buy-in money; he brought it to the table. She says he cost her far more than she recouped tonight. He’s still in her dept. He says, she can’t leave him with nothing, and she says she’s not completely heartless, and pulls out a bill, tossing it toward him. She tells Li, let’s go, and they leave. Brad tells Cody, sorry, Selina calls to him, and he goes.
Linc says he doesn’t want to intimidate Britt or anything. He is rich and famous, but deep down, he’s just a regular guy. She says, regular just doesn’t do it for her; neither does rich and famous. She’s into a very particular type. He asks her to enlighten him, and she says, the kind who keeps his head when literal bullets are flying, who’s not overly fussy in the rule of law, and who doesn’t give a damn about pop culture. The kind of guy who can take a punch, and laugh about it. N’neka brings out a phone, and asks if it’s Britt’s, and Britt thanks her, taking it. She tells Linc, by the way, he’s a loser, even if he’s rich and famous, and walks away.
Chase says, if Britt does something illegal, and Linc can prove it, she’ll be in a far worse position than when she started. She says, look at Linc’s expression. Britt blew him off and he is livid. Now’s her chance. She heads for the bar.
Coming out of the club, Britt sees Cody in the alley.
Carly says she’s up for celebrating; what does Drew suggest? He says, how about a night swim? but she says she didn’t bring her suit. He says, they could skinny dip, but she says she owns the hotel. People could come, so… He says he doesn’t think anyone is around, and the pool’s closed. He won’t tell. She says, raincheck? and he says, absolutely. He says, at least put her feet in the water? and sits at the edge of the pool. He holds out his hand, and she says, she can do that, taking it.
Sonny tells Nina, Carly saw him in the courtroom, and that’s what they were fighting about. He guesses she felt that gesture of comfort meant he was okay with Scotty going after Michael. She says she’s so sorry she put him in that position, but he says, he doesn’t regret it. He was just doing what he felt he should do in the moment. She says, Carly can’t forgive him, but he says, she’s done, which is ironic because the divorce has been finalized for a while now. He guesses she doesn’t… She’s cutting the cord, except for Donna. He gets to see Donna as much as he wants. Nina says, no matter what Carly’s issues are, she’s first and foremost a mother. She’s never going to use Donna as a pawn. He says he never thought this would happen. He always thought he’d be connected to Carly, at least from the past and the kids… He flashes back to Carly saying he consoled the woman who initiated an attack on Michael, and she doesn’t know him anymore. He tells Nina, Carly said she doesn’t know who he is anymore, and he’s thinking, of course (🍷) she doesn’t. A lot has changed since Nixon Falls. He’s not the same person; he’s changed. And it seems like the only one who understands him in his life is Nina.
Rory says he’ll need Trina’s too, and the other officer tells Rory, the bouncer checks out. They step aside, and the officer says, his partner is waiting for him; they got a perp violating parole who needs processing at the station. Clear the scene; send everyone home. He leaves, and Rory goes back to Josslyn and Trina. Josslyn asks, what happens now? Is he going to arrest them? He says, technically, it’s not illegal to purchase a fake ID in the state of New York. Using one is more of a grey area; it’s up to the officer’s discretion whether or not he wants to file charges. Trina asks what his discretion is telling him, and he puts the fake ID’s in his pocket, saying, he’ll let them off with a warning, this time.
Cody coughs and groans. Britt picks up the bill, and says, did he lose something?
Brook tells Linc, what a coincidence. Long time, no see. He tells her, get lost. He’s expecting a call from Korea. She says, and there’s a bridge for sale in Brooklyn, and he says he should know better than to visit Port Charles. First, some cowboy took all his cash in a card game; then some woman doesn’t even have the sense to appreciate what he’s offering. His phone rings, and he says, this is it. He says, min-ho; ban nal… Yes, absolutely. All I Want is still available. Brook says, that’s her song, and Linc says, they will do a phenomenal interpretation, and he’s listened to plenty of boy bands. Might he say, theirs is the best in the K-Pop biz… Yeah, they can change the lyrics from him to her. They can change whatever they want; he owns the song. Brook grabs the phone, and he says, what the hell. She says, the song in question is no longer available. It’s caught up in a copyright lawsuit that could drag on for years. Bye. She hangs up, and Linc says, does she realize what she just did? She says she saved her song. He says he wants his phone back, and grabs her arm. Chase flies between them, separating them, and Linc says, if Chase doesn’t realize she’s using him, he’s dumber than he looks. He holds out his hand, and says, phone. Or he will sell her entire catalog to a porn producer he knows who’ll use it for soundtracks, She says, what a surprise; he knows a porn producer. Linc says, come to think of it, that’s a market she should explore. She can’t sing anymore, but there are other ways to perform, like lying on your back. Chase punches him in the face.
Anna’s phone dings, and she tells Valentin, sorry. She usually remembers to switch these things off. He asks if it’s important, but she says, it’s just work; it’ll keep. He asks if it’s anything to do with the Jennifer Smith case, and she wonders why he’s asking. He says, just curious. He offered his assistance, and she was strangely quiet. She says, it’s not likely she would need it. The WSB thinks the case is airtight. He says, she doesn’t agree? and she says, no. Jennifer insisted she had this French naval captain up in her room. He says, played by Gary Cooper? and she says she wishes. Anyway, they haven’t been able to locate him or confirm his identity. Valentin flashes back to pretending to be the captain, and says, he thinks he can still be of some use.
Nina tells Sonny, she’s sorry; she didn’t mean to get so emotional. He says he didn’t call her here for consolation, and she says, she knows. She can tell he’s hurting. Why doesn’t he talk to her? He says he’s tired of hurting. He’s tired of being angry and being sorry. This is who he is. Love him or hate him, with her, it seems to be enough. She says she’s tired of hurting too. She’s tired of the loss and regret. He makes her happy, and she wants to embrace that happiness. He asks how they start, and she kisses his hand, and says, slowly.
Carly and Drew eat ice cream cones, as they dangle their feet in the water. Carly says, this is perfect, and he says she doesn’t think his idea of a celebration is kind of lame? She says, sometimes the simplest things are the best. She’s hanging out with him on this gorgeous night, and her feet are in the swimming pool that she co-owns, and she’s got chunk of stock in a media company that’s soaring by the day. He says, a bigger chunk than she expected, but she says she knows a good thing when she sees it.
Britt sits Cody up, and asks what he did to deserve this. He says, this is how it goes when he’s on a winning streak, and she says, he gets beat up and left in an alley with $50? He says, his luck turns harder and faster than a bucking bronco, and she says, there he was, picturing the hot car he was going to buy, that place in Malibu. He says, a 200 acre spread in Wyoming. Nice place; has she ever been? He was going to buy some horses. She says, purebred? but he says, no, the price is too pricey. He was going to get some workhorses to take care of and ride… He closes his eyes, and she says, he may have a concussion, so stay with her. He says he’s not sleeping; he’s just resting his eyes. She says, then she’ll leave him to it. She starts to walk away, and says, damn Hippocratic Oath. First do no harm. She goes back to him, and says she’s a doctor, so first, she’s going to check his injuries. She’s warning him now; this is going to hurt. She moves his head and he groans. She checks his eyes.
Rory says, Trina and Josslyn were looking for a lead on Esme; did they find one? Trina says, yes and no, and Josslyn says, Esme framed Trina by planting the phone in Trina’s bag. Trina says, the phone she used to record the sex tape, and then send it out in an email blast. Josslyn says, they think they found the guy who sold her the phone, and Rory asks, who is he? Trina says, he was tending the bar when they got there; they don’t know his name. Josslyn says, he was about to ID Esme, but the fight broke out, and he slipped away. Trina says, but he works here, which means he’ll be back. Next time they’ll… Rory says, next time, they won’t be anywhere near here, and Josslyn says, they need to find the guy. Rory says, he’ll ask about the bartender. He’ll get a name and description, and he’ll run it. Rory’s phone beeps, and he says he’s got another call; disturbance in progress. How are they getting home? Josslyn says, a Ride Share; they’ll be here in ten minutes. He tells then, be sure not to miss it, and leaves.
Carly thanks Drew for the ice cream, and says, it was a great suggestion. He starts unbuttoning his shirt, and she asks what he’s doing. He says, what does she think he’s doing? He’s working off the ice cream. The mile he swam isn’t going to cut it. He gets in the pool, and she thanks him for the celebration. He tells her, who says it’s over? As far as he’s concerned, it’s just getting started.
Sonny says, he and Nina have been dancing around each other for a year at least, not to mention their time in Nixon Falls. How much slower can they go? She says she wants nothing more than to dive head first into a relationship with him, and he asks, what’s stopping her? She says, herself. The feeling she had in that courtroom when she stood up and saw him. They’re hot and heavy for each other now, but what happens to her when it fizzles out? She takes his hand, and says, he’s unlike any man she’s ever known, and she wants them to build something real between them. He says he appreciates it, but she’s not the only one who’s feeling alone. Carly and Michael cut him out of their life; he can’t rely on them. There is this connection they have, but if she wants to take it slow, he’s okay with that. She says, okay, and picks up her bag. He asks if she’s going home already, and she says she is, handing him back his hanky. He tells her to keep it to remember him, and she laughs, saying, okay. If she doesn’t leave now, she never will. She’ll call him. He says he’s looking forward to it, and she leaves.
Cody asks, will I live? and Britt says, his ribs are bruised, and maybe some are cracked. She recommends an x-ray. He says he’ll get right on that, as soon as he figures out how to stand up, and she says, for pity’s sake, lean on her. She helps him up, and he grunts and groans. She says he’s such a big baby. Is he the same guy who fell from the sky and into the MetroCourt pool without a bump? He says, she cushioned his fall, and she says, she’s parked over there; she’ll drive him to GH. He says, hospitals are pricey, and he’s down to his last fifty, but she says, she’s not going to leave him in the alley. He needs help. He says he knows who can help him, and they owe him.
Anna says, familiar with a lot of French captains, are we? and Valentin says, profiling 101. First of all, how do they know Jennifer didn’t just invent this gallant seafarer? She says, they know he exists because the hotel bartender saw him, and Valentin says, okay. This is where he suggests the captain’s involvement is incidental. Miss Smith is just implicating him as a red herring. She says, no more Hitchcock for him, but he says, it’s Occam’s Razor; the simplest explanation is usually the right one.She doesn’t want to admit her guilt, so she’s claiming innocence, and pointing the finger at some poor sap she met at the hotel bar. Anna says, perhaps, and he asks what she thinks happened, but she says she’s not sharing her theories with a civilian. He asks who she’s calling a civilian. They’ve worked together on plenty of her cases. She asks what he’s doing, and he says he’s trying to help her, but she says, he’s not. She thought this was too good to be true; is this really a date? Or is this whole drive-in, Hitchcock, charcuterie just a tactic to get information out of her?
Josslyn and Trina get in the car, and Josslyn says, how crazy was that? Trina says, the bar fight? The lead on Esme? Josslyn says, the cops showing up? Trina says, they were so close to getting the bartender to ID Esme, and Josslyn says, things could be worse. We could be in the back of a squad car, charged with misdemeanor use of a fake ID… Jane. Trina says, you’re right… Kara. Rory did us a solid tonight. Josslyn says, us? That had nothing to do with her. Rory did it for Trina. He likes her. Trina says she thinks he does.
At The Savoy, Rory asks, what happened here? and Linc says, he was attacked, assault and battery, and he’s pressing charges. Take statements from all the witnesses. Rory asks if N’neka saw the incident, and she says she’s afraid she did. He asks, who did what to whom?
Brook tells Chase, it’s all her fault; she feels awful. He says, he’s the one who lost his cool, and she says, he had every right to. Linc is such a slimeball. They’ll sneak out the back door, hole up at the mansion, and call the ELQ lawyers. They’ll get them out of this. She starts to leave, and asks if he isn’t coming. He says, it will only make things worse if he leaves the scene. He’ll be labeled a fugitive with an APB on his back.
Linc tells Rory, he was the victim of a brutal and unprovoked attack, but Rory says, according to Linc’s witness here – he indicates N’neka – Detective Chase threw the first and only punch. N’neka says, Linc collapsed like wet cardboard, and laughs. Linc says, exactly. Call an ambulance. Chase broke his jaw. Rory says, excuse him, and goes over to Chase. He says, Chase was on suspension when he joined the force, but he’s heard the stories. Chase says he bets. Rory’s heard the witness, and the victim who clearly wants to press charges. He turns around, putting his hands behind his back, and Brook says, no, no. no. He was provoked. Linc had it coming. Please don’t do this. Chase says, Brook… and Rory read Chase his rights, handcuffing him.
On Monday (which was supposed to be today), Trina tells Portia that she thinks things are going in her favor; Valentin says he’ll do anything Anna wants; Laura tells Martin, she’s narrowed the suspects down to one; and Spencer tells Victor that he has good reason to keep Esme close.
👃 Smelled This Coming…
I have to admit, I always wonder if people who use their religion to opt out are like vegetarians who wear leather shoes.
Every father should remember one day his son will follow his example, not his advice. – Charles Kettering
The strongest, toughest men all have compassion. They’re not heartless and cold. You have to be man enough to have compassion — to care about people and about your children. – Denzel Washington
A 2-year-old is kind of like having a blender, but you don’t have a top for it. – Jerry Seinfeld
A father carries pictures where his money used to be. – Steve Martin
The quality of a father can be seen in the goals, dreams, and aspirations he sets not only for himself, but for his family. – Reed Markham
My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, ‘You’re tearing up the grass.’ ‘We’re not raising grass,’ Dad would reply. ‘We’re raising boys.‘ – Harmon Killebrew
Just taught my kids about taxes by eating 38% of their ice cream. – Conan O’Brien
By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong. – Charles Wadsworth
The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get. – Tim Russert (Although I question who this is attributed to, since I remember my father saying it before Russert’s time.)
The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature. – Abbé Prévost
👔 Happy Father’s Day…
To all the father’s out there, be they biological, father figures, or pet dads – enjoy your day! And then get back to work. See you on Monday for soap and Sailing. Until then, stay safe, stay unregretful about the path not taken, and stay remembering, when something crappy happens to you, it could be a wake-up call and for the best.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Sonny picks up Nina’s necklace from in front of Nelle’s gravestone. I knew it!
In a cab, Nina tells the driver that she’s going to the airport; the international terminal. Her phone dings, but she brushes it aside.
On the phone, Sonny tells Phyllis not to worry. He’s going to find her.
Sam says, when Cody said, partners in crime, is he talking about Detective Falconari? Cody says he can’t wrap his head around the cop part. This guy’s mom sent him to summer camp to keep him out of trouble, and he got in a lot more while he was there. Dante says, that was because of Cody, and Cody says, right. He’s the one who led Dante astray; Dante’s the innocent one. Sam says, they’ve known each other that long? and Cody says, we were twelve?Thirteen? Dante says, twelve. He came home from school one day, and his mom had a bag packed. He was going to camp for the summer. Stay out of trouble and get into nature. Sam says, and Cody was the bad influence that corrupted Dante? Cody says he was a bad influence, but so was Dante back in the day.
Josslyn sees Cameron at the pool, putting out towels, and says, two shifts? Kelly’s, now here? He says, with everything going on with his mom, he figured he could use the extra work, and she asks if they can talk about what’s going on with them.
In front of her house, Trina says she can’t believe she and Rory stayed out so long, and he says he guesses that means they were having a good time. She says she guesses so, and thanks him for everything back at the pool, and for dinner, and for ice cream. She’ll pay him back for everything. He tells her not to worry about it, and thanks her for introducing him to that amazing food truck. She says, right? She only knew about it because it goes by PCU on certain days. He says, another testament to her incredible taste. Good art, good food. He can’t wait to see what else she introduces him to.
Spencer says he promises whatever Esme has to say, he’ll listen, but can he please go first? He’s had a lot of time to think about what she said to him; how he takes her for granted, and how Trina gets under his skin. But he evades every time she calls him out on it, and he realized she’s right. She deserves some answers.
Ava says, don’t tell her that he hired a divorce lawyer already, and Nikolas says, no, but he was ready to give up on their marriage. She says she was too. She drew a line in the sand, and she was ready to walk away. Thankfully, she realized it was the last thing she wanted. They can find their way back from this, can’t they?
Dante says, Cody didn’t corrupt him, but he definitely coerced Dante into going along with his more harebrained schemes. Cody says, like Dante didn’t have any suggestions, and Dante says, Cody knows it wasn’t his idea or choice to take a canoe out in the middle of the lake, and tip it over on purpose. Cody starts laughing and banging the table, and says, they pretended they were drowning, and yelled, help! help! until the prettiest CIT came over. Dante tells Sam, that’s Counselor-in-Training, and Cody says, she swam over. She – air quotes – rescuedus – end air quotes – and boy she was mad. Dante says, they got banned from the beach for the rest of the summer, and Cody says, then Dante stole all the camp director’s cigarettes out of his cabin. Dante says, and why did he do that? and Cody says, because he dared Dante to. Dante says, they got busted because this guy smoked every cigarette in the pack, and started puking all over the place, and Cody says, nothing like a little adrenaline rush to let you know you’re alive. Sam says, it’s like jumping out of a plane and crash-landing on an unsuspecting woman, and Cody says, talk about mad… and pretty. She actually reminds him of that CIT. Still, if she hadn’t been there, it would have been a perfect landing. Dante says, instead of a potential negligence lawsuit, and Cody says, look at Dante, former renegade, embracing the straight and narrow path to a humdrum life. Dante says he doesn’t know if staring down the barrel of a loaded gun is as dangerous as jumping out of a plane, and Cody says he’s just messing with Dante. He’s going to get another round for that dinner Dante is going to buy him. He gets up, and puts his hand on his back. Sam asks if he’s okay, and Cody says, that tumble just fired up some old injuries. He’s good. A little pain just lets you know you’re alive. He goes to the bar, and Sam wonders why Dante never mentioned him before. Dante says he doesn’t know. They saw each other at summer camp, had a helluva time, but they lost touch after Dante stopped going. Sam says, that’s too bad. He seems like a good guy. Dante says, he is a good guy. Good at getting in trouble.
Josslyn says she feels like she and Cameron should be able to tell each other everything by now. Unless this is something bigger. Does he feel like they need time or something? He says, no. He doesn’t want that. Does she? She says she doesn’t know what else to do. Clearly, something is going on. Cameron flashes back to telling Spencer that he’s not going to lose Josslyn because Spencer can’t keep his head in the game. Make it happen, or he will. Cameron says, Josslyn is right. There’s something he has to tell her. She says, okay, when Adam walks in. Cameron says, isn’t that…? and she says, the creep who tried to hit on her when she thought they were just study buddies? Adam says he’s sorry to interrupt, but he really needs to talk to her.
Taggert tells Portia that he was hoping Trina would get home before he left, and she says, Trina is actually supposed to be back by now, but she has been working a lot. Dealing with everything hanging over her head, Portia doesn’t blame her. She wishes there was something she could do to make things better, and Taggert says, she will. He asks her to give Trina a big hug from her dad, and she says she sure will. Trina’s still a daddy’s girl; don’t worry. Taggert opens the door to find Rory and Trina standing there, and asks, sweetheart, who’s your friend?
Nikolas downs a drink, and Ava says, they had a fight; so do most couples. She just had to remember everything they’ve shared. How they’ve survived, despite everyone’s predictions to the contrary. Because they love each other. Because they understand each other. It’s going to take a helluva lot more than an argument to sever that bond. He flashes back to… I don’t want to talk about it, and says, to be fair, it was more than one argument. There are things between them that aren’t easy to resolve. She says, nothing between them has been easy, and it hasn’t stopped them yet, but he says, she walked away from him; from them. He thought it was over. She says she thought so too, but it’s because they’re both stubborn, passionate people. When they’re at odds, things can get really ugly, but when they’re together, they’re unbeatable. That’s the problem. They stopped working as a team. They started to let their own agendas drive them, and forgot to protect this life they’ve created together. That life is beautiful. It’s remarkable, and utterly their own. And she’s not going to let Spencer and Esme tear it down.
Spencer says he’s so sorry for how bad things have gotten between him and Esme. He’s so sorry for the way he treated her. He takes her hand, and asks if she’ll please forgive him.
On the phone, Sonny asks if Brick can track down Nina for him. She’s not returning his calls, his texting, or nothing… He’s just afraid she’s not in a great state of mind, and she might do something she’s going to regret.
Nina thanks the driver for making the stop; she left her passport in the office. She realizes her necklace is gone, and asks him to wait. They have to make another stop before he drives her to the airport.
Cody comes back with beers, and says, to Port Charles finest. That means Dante. Dante says, to unexpected reunions, and they clink bottles. Sam says, no wedding ring; he’s not married? He says, free as a bird, and she says, no kids? He says, no, and she asks if there’s anyone special in his life. He says, she asks a lot of questions, and Dante says, Sam is a private investigator; occupational hazard. Sam says, it’s like jumping out of a plane and landing on a roof. It’s sort of like skydiving. Is that what Cody does for a living, or is it his side hustle? Cody says, actually, for a long time, he was a stunt horseback rider, and Dante says, cool. Cody was always good with horses. Cody says he grew up around them, and when he moved out west, he worked on ranches. That’s where he learned stunt riding, but after too many tumbles, he had to hang up his saddle. Now he makes a living doing short term gigs. Sam asks if dropping out of the sky isn’t hard on his back, and he says, yeah. He’ll probably have to quit that too. So how long have Sam and Dante been together? Dante asks if Sam wants to take that one, and she says, they’re coming up on a year. Cody asks how they met, and Dante says, Sam has been a family friend for years. Sam says, her ex-husband was best friends with Dante’s father. Cody says, Dante found his father. He remembers Dante wanted to know who he was. Dante says he got to know his father a little over 10 years ago, and Cody says, that’s significant; tell him about him. Dante says, he’s a businessman in Port Charles, and Cody asks, what’s his business? Dante says, Corinthos Coffee, and Cody says, his dad is Sonny Corinthos?
Sonny tells Brick, talk to him… a plane ticket, where?… Dammit. Milan?… How soon?… All right. He’s on it. He starts to leave, but meets Nina, who’s coming into the cemetery.
Cameron says, if he was Adam, he’d get the hell out of here, but Josslyn says, it’s fine. Let’s hear what he has to say. Adam asks if they can talk in private, and Cameron says, he’s joking, but Josslyn says, it’s fine. He’s got a minute. Cameron steps away, and Josslyn says, one wrong word, and he’s in the pool, and she’s pretty good at it. He says he’s been afraid to talk to her at school, but he saw her come in there, and figured it’s now or never. She says, for what? and he says, an apology.
Nikolas tells Ava, as convenient as it would be to blame Spencer and Esme, they’ve struggled with trust and honesty from the beginning, and he takes his responsibility in that. Ava says she knows they have legitimate issues to work through, but despite that, there’s love here. There’s a kinship even, and there’s certainly no denying their attraction. Surely those things can see them through. What does he say? Is still in this with her? He says, don’t call him Shirley.
Esme says she appreciates Spencer’s acknowledgement that he’s treated her badly, but it’s not that simple. She removes her hand from his, and gets up. He follows and says, he knows he messed everything up. He’s trying to work it out. He wants to be the man she deserves, but in order to do that, he may need a second, third, or fourth chance, and he doesn’t even know which one he’s on now. Just believe he’s trying to do better by her. She says she needs more than trying, and from where she’s standing, it doesn’t look like he’s trying very hard, except to justify his behavior. She’s been willing to stand by him, no matter what, but she hasn’t gotten anything close to that from him. She deserves better. His father reminded her of that.
Nikolas says he’s with Ava, always and forever. She moves to kiss him, but he backs up a little. She says, forever lasted all of four seconds, and he says she just surprised him. She says, and his instinct was to recoil; that’s not very reassuring. He says he’s as in love with her as ever. He wanted to grab her in his arms so many times, and he had to restrain himself. They came so close to the edge of giving up. It might take time for him to feel normal. She says, there is still one giant thing between them. If they really want to move forward, they have to settle it once and for all.
Spencer says, Esme talked to his father about him? and Esme flashes back to – oh! My eyes! She says, among other things. Nikolas saw her suitcase, and she accidentally broke the news about Ava’s offer for them to move out of Windymere in exchange for an allowance from his trust fund. One thing led to another, and she told him they fought, and she was on the verge of walking out on him. Spencer asks what Nikolas said to make her stay, and she says, Nikolas cares about Spencer and doesn’t want to see him hurt, so he talked her down. He gave her a new perspective on relationships. It was a lot to take in, but it made her realize she has to be honest in what she needs from Spencer. He says he knows their relationship has been rocky. He’s been in a bad head space ever since he came back from Spring Ridge, but he’s ready to do whatever it takes to make this work between them. She asks if he really means that.
Portia asks if she can get Rory anything to drink, but he says he’s fine. Trina asks if Taggert wasn’t supposed to be leaving, and Portia thinks she remembers Rory. Wasn’t he at the courthouse at Trina’s arraignment? He says, yes. It was the first day he officially met Trina. Trina says, Rory got her a soda when she was in the interrogation room. Portia says, well, that’s an interesting story, and the three of them force a laugh. Taggert says, mm-hm, and Rory says he heard how Taggert and Commissioner Ashford took down Cyrus Renault. Great work. Taggert says, ya think? He broke the law. He had to convince his ex-wife and daughter that he was dead for nearly six months. Trina says, which she had a problem with at first, but then she realized he was just doing what he had to do. Rory says, it sounds like Taggert did what he needed to do to protect his family and community. He admires that. Taggert asks if Rory likes breaking the rules. Is that the real reason he’s hanging out with Taggert’s daughter?
Josslyn says, Adam wants to apologize? and he says he does. He’s sorry for being a total jerk. He had no right to say the things he said. She says, no, he didn’t; so why did he? He tells her, he’s ashamed to say it now, but all he saw was a hot girl in a video. He didn’t think about how it felt to have her privacy violated. Then he read her article in The Invader. Reading about what she went through, it was seriously messed up, and made him check himself. If someone did that to his sister, he would be furious. He’s really sorry, and sorry he made it worse for her. She thanks him, and says she accepts his apology. He asks if they should hug it out or something, and she says, remember the pool? Don’t push it.
Dante says he’s guessing Cody knows the name Sonny Corinthos, and Cody says, he knows Sonny roasts a mean bean. Can Dante hook him up with some free coffee? Dante says, some things never change; always looking for an angle. Cody says, it’s not what you know, and Dante says, it’s who you know. Cody asks what Dante is up to tonight. Does he want to raise a ruckus to honor the old times? Dante says he has an early morning, and Cody says, Dante has to keep those bad guys off the street. Dante says, and get his kid to school. Cody says, look at Dante. He’s a dad with a great job, and a cool girlfriend. He didn’t think Dante had it in him. Cody is happy for him. It looks like he grew up to have a full life. Dante thanks him, and says, it looks like Cody got the life he wanted too. Cody says, more or less. He’s glad they had this chance to catch up, even if it’s just one night. Sam says, they’re having dinner at her place tomorrow night. Why doesn’t Cody come by?
Sonny says he was worried about Nina. He called and texted, but she didn’t return his calls. She says she put her phone on silent; she wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone. He says he heard her petition to see Wiley was rejected. He’s sorry. She asks if he’s upset about how she let Scotty go after Michael, and he says he doesn’t like to see Michael in pain, but can’t he feel for her too? She says she won’t be hurting Michael or anyone anymore. She’s headed to the airport as soon as she finds… He says, this? holding up her necklace. He won’t give it to her, and she says, she’s running late; there’s a car waiting for her. He says, too bad. He’s not letting her go.
Ava says, her offer to Spencer wasn’t only to get him and Esme to move out; it was for her and Nikolas. Nikolas says, she wanted to give them space to work on their marriage, but it hurts that his son chose money over their relationship. Ava says she means no disrespect, but in Spencer’s eyes, Nikolas did the same thing. As a gesture of good faith and to show him she’s committed to their marriage, she won’t make Spencer choose. He says, if she reneges on their deal, Spencer will be furious, but she says, no. She’ll still give him the money, on the condition he remain here. Of course (🍷) she’ll still have to put up with Esme. He says, not necessarily. Esme and Spencer might be breaking up. Esme seems to think so. Ava says, maybe that’s why Spencer was looking for her. Maybe she’s gone already. This calls for a toast. Things are looking up already.
Spencer tells Esme, he means it with all his heart. He wants them to make it. Can she please accept his apology? She takes his hands and says she loves him. She wants to make this relationship work, so yes, she forgives him. She hopes this can be a new beginning for them. He says he wants that too. He’s ready for all this drama to be a thing of the past. She says, the best part is, she knows he means that.
Portia tells Taggert, this isn’t an interrogation, but Rory says, it’s a fair question. Actually, he’s a by-the-book guy. That’s why he looked it up, and there’s no rule he’s not allowed to be friends with Trina while she’s awaiting trial. Taggert says, he’s a rookie, right? There’s something Rory needs to understand about law enforcement; there’s written rules, and unwritten rules. Rory says, yes, sir. He takes that seriously. Just like he takes seriously their oath and motto, to protect and serve; that’s why he was drawn to the job. He’s not violating the oath or motto by hanging out with Trina. If someone has a problem with that, it’s on them, not him. Portia asks what Rory likes to do in his spare time, and he says, Trina is teaching him about art; she has a great eye. Trina says she keeps telling him, art is subjective, but she guesses she’s been around it more. Rory says, no false modesty; own it, lady. Trina says she guesses she’s pretty good at it, and Rory says he likes to keep active; play sports, swim, work out when he can. The job keeps him pretty busy, and the whole work/life balance is tough. Portia says, let her know when he’s got that figured out, and he says, right now, he’s trying to remind himself to make more time for the things he enjoys. He and Trina smile at each other.
Cody tells Sam, he appreciates the offer, but he’s got to hit the road tomorrow. She says, no way. He’s only there for the day? He says, life in the gig economy. His next job’s in the Finger Lakes area, but Port Charles seems like a nice town. Sam says, it is. Too bad he can’t stick around and get to know the place. Cody says he never gets too comfy in one place; got to pay the bills. Sam asks if he’s looking for something long term, and he says, since he quit riding, he just goes where the wind blows. He’s open to opportunities. Why does she ask? She says she might know of a job that’s a good fit, if of course (🍷) he’s interested.
Nina tells Sonny, she can’t stay here. She hates losing him, leaving him, but she can’t keep doing this. Her mistakes have cost him everything, and they’ve finally caught up with her. He says he meant what he said on the stand; he forgives her for what she did to him. She thanks him, and says, it means everything, but it doesn’t change the fact she lost Wiley, her grandson, her flesh and blood, the last link she’ll ever have to her daughter. He says, she doesn’t know that for sure, and she says, Michael and Willow won’t let her see Wiley after everything that happened in court today. He says, Michael and Willow can’t keep her from her grandson forever, but she says, they can. They won’t let that little boy see anything redeemable in her. Willow accused her of being exactly like Nelle. And Nina said terrible things. She has a habit of lashing out when she feels cornered. She missed her chance at getting what her mother stole from her. She won’t know Nelle, and now she won’t know Nelle’s son. The only thing she has left of them is that necklace. Please give to her so she can go. It hurts too much to stay here. He puts the necklace in her hand, and asks her to do him a favor. Before she leaves; let him ask her one thing. How does she think Wiley will feel when he finds out she gave up on him?
Sam tells Cody, her kids spend a lot of time at their grandmother’s. They have stables and horses. They just got a new horse, and they’re actually looking for another handler. Cody says, so old money? New? She says, does it matter? He said he worked on ranches. Does that mean he has experience in managing and grooming horses? He says, yeah. When he was a kid, his family tended to some horses that were on an estate near the camp. He helped out, and even took over for a couple years before he went out west. She says she can’t promise anything, but she and Dante can get him a foot in the door, but Dante says, he thinks it’s a good idea, but he doesn’t think it’s the right one for Cody. Never too comfy in one place, right?
Cameron gets a text from Spencer: All good. Plan on track. Josslyn comes back with Adam, and Cameron says, everything okay? She says, yeah, and Adam says, he was telling Josslyn that he read their article in The Invader, and how sorry he is everything went down the way it did. They’re really brave, and he appreciates them both. Cameron says, cool, thanks, and Adam leaves. Cameron asks if he’s legit, and Josslyn says, actually, yes. He apologized, and told her that when he read the article, he changed. They changed his perspective. It’s just more validation that they made the right decision in agreeing to do the article. He says he guesses they did. He’s glad she’s finally getting some closure. She tells him, she wouldn’t say that. She won’t get any closure on any of this until Esme gets what she deserves.
Spencer and Esme walk in, and Ava says she’s glad Spencer is here. She has some news. She’s decided to amend their agreement. Spencer says, she’s giving him full control of his trust fund? but she laughs, and says, no. She’s still giving him an allowance like they agreed, except Spencer won’t be moving out. He’ll stay, and work things out with his father. Spencer says, she wants him to stay here? and she says, yes, and it seems the timing has worked out perfectly. Nikolas told her what happened. Esme looks at Nikolas, who gives a small shake of his head, and Esme asks Ava, what was that exactly? Ava says she understands Esme and Spencer have been having some difficulties, and are looking to take a break. She’s not going to insult Esme’s intelligence by saying she’s sorry to hear that. She’s sure Esme will land on her feet; find some other family to terrorize, as long as it’s not hers. Esme says, that’s where Ava is wrong. She and Spencer worked everything out. He stays; she stays. Does that alter Ava’s terms? Ava looks at Nikolas.
Nina tells Sonny, she’s not giving up on Wiley; she’s fighting to stay in his life. Sonny says, until now. She had one setback, and she’s going to throw in the towel? She says she can’t sit on the sidelines and watch that little boy play out the rest of his life without her, knowing his family poisoned his mind against her. It just hurts too much. He says, if she runs away, Wiley is going to believe the lies. He’s going to grow up, and want to know his mother and her family. He’s going to seek Nina out, and maybe want a relationship with her when he finds out how great she is. She says she doesn’t see that happening, but he says, they don’t know the future, but he can tell her right now, she’s not going to have a relationship with Wiley if she’s not here. She says she just feels hopeless, and he says, so she’s going to run. That’s what she does; it’s her pattern. She has to break that pattern. Otherwise, Wiley is going to grow up believing all the lies people are telling him. She says, what if it’s too late? but he says, that’s her fear talking. Remember what she said to him? The only way she could make it up to Wiley is to prove how much she loves him. She believed that then, believe it now. She says she doesn’t know what she believes, and he says, stay here. She has a life here. She could have one with Wiley, but she’s never going to know if she runs away.
Cody thanks Sam for the offer, but says, it’s not the right gig for him. Dante says, ever since they were kids, Cody’s had adventure in his veins, and Cody tells Sam, he’s right. Dante’s always had his number.
Cameron says his break’s just about over, and Josslyn says, he was going to tell her something before Adam interrupted them. He says, it’s not really important; it can wait. She says, really? Because she can’t shake the feeling he’s hiding something from her. He says, no. He’s sorry. He’s probably giving off weird vibes; he’s worried about his mom. She says, right. She’s sorry, but he knows he can tell her anything, right? He says he loves her, and she says she loves him too, and they hug.
Ava says, the most important thing is that Nikolas and Spencer work out their problems. If Esme and Nikolas are back track, it seems that Esme will be sticking around. Nikolas says, that is if Spencer decides to stay; the decision is his. And Nikolas supports whatever he decides. Esme says, seems like win-win to her, and Spencer says, how can he refuse such a generous offer? but the look on his face is skeptical. Ava says, then it’s settled. As a welcome home gift, she’ll wire his first payment. She jets, and Spencer says he’ll come too. He follows Ava out, and Esme tells Nikolas, she thought they’d never leave. In the hallway, Spencer asks if Ava is really okay with Esme staying here. She says she’s committed to her marriage, just like she’s committed to Spencer and his father moving forward. If that means putting up with Esme, Ava will do her best to tolerate her. She walks away, and inside the room, Esme says, so Nikolas didn’t tell Ava? She doesn’t suspect? Nikolas says, no, and what happened between them can never happen again. They’re back together with their partners, and have another shot at making it work. He thinks it’s best if Spencer and Ava never find out, and Esme says she totally agrees. Ava and Spence never have to find out. Nikolas leaves.
Rory says, it’s nice meeting Portia and Taggert, but unfortunately, he has an early morning. Portia says, it was nice meeting him too, and Taggert says he was just leaving; he’ll walk Rory out. Rory says, see Trina soon, and leaves with Taggert. Trina laughs, and picks up her phone. Portia says, he was nice, and he was cute too. She picked up a little connection. Trina tells Portia, like she said, he’s a nice person, but she barely knows him, and Portia says, okay. Whatever Trina says. They both squeal.
Nina touches Nelle’s gravestone, and tells Sonny, okay. She’ll stay in Port Charles, for Wiley. He says, she’s making the right choice, and she says, she’ll watch that sweet little boy become a stranger to her, or worse, afraid of her because of what his family has said about her. She’s not sure how she’s going to handle that. He says, she’s not going to handle it alone. She has him, Phyllis, her family and friends. He takes her hand and says they’re here for her, and she says, that’s a good thing. He says, every step of the way, and she says, because she doesn’t know how she’s going to watch Wiley grow up without her, or how she’s going to live without him. Sonny holds her, and she cries
On Monday, Portia asks if Marshall gave Curtis a reason to trust him; Valentin tells Ned, everything has a price – what’s yours; Willow tells Carly that dealing with Nina helped her come to a big decision; and Elizabeth tells Finn that he’s hurting her more than he realizes.
⌨️ Why the Temp…
It was a little startling. The weird thing was, I kind of thought he made a better Michael than the regular Michael.
Trust is lost in buckets and gained in drops. – Judge Faith Jenkins
The hardest thing to understand in the world is the income tax. – Albert Einstein
If I were to search for logic, it wouldn’t be among the English upper class. – Violet Crawley (Maggie Smith), Downton Abbey
I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles. – Audrey Hepburn
I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet, strange, I am ungrateful to those teachers. – Kahlil Gibran
Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them. – Orison Swett Marden (Or smack them out of the way.)
There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children. – Nelson Mandela
Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
🧍🏽♀️ Just Taking a Step To the Right…
Come hither again when the Dead are Feared. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping your priorities straight, and stay not letting your pattern be running away. And if it is, break it.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Scotty asks Michael, cat got your tongue? and Judge Foster tells him to just repeat the question. Scotty asks, what happened between Michael and Claudia Zacchara? (see below if you don’t know/remember) and Michael says, Claudia abducted his mother. Scotty says, Michael didn’t like Claudia much, did he? So what was it like to kill her?
Trina says, Rory’s career is just getting started. She’s not going to let him risk that for her. He says, okay, if she insists on making it all about him, and she says, that being said, she appreciates that he offered. He says, there’s no risk in him checking out a few paintings while he’s here, is there? They look at a painting as Spencer walks in, and Rory says he never paid much attention to art before. He thought of The Chuck as a good spot to eat his lunch, but then he stated looking – really looking… They realize Spencer is behind them, and Spencer says, is this not a good time?
Nikolas asks when Victor got back, and Victor says, his favorite nephew. He’s missed Nikolas. Nikolas says he wishes he could say the same. Whatever the two of them are discussing, it’s going to have to wait. He needs to speak to his wife alone. Victor asks if that’s a good idea. He’s sensing tension between husband and wife here. He’s thinking they might need a referee; that, or a field medic. He thinks he should stick around.
Terry tells Chet not to keep her in suspense. What’s the big news? He says he just got a big job offer. She says, amazing. She didn’t even know he was looking. He says, he didn’t either, and she says she doesn’t understand. He says he didn’t apply for the job. Someone recommended him to a headhunter. She says, sounds like he has an angel somewhere looking out for him, and he says, no kidding. Amy approaches the door, and he asks if Terry ever got a dream job she didn’t apply for.
Diane objects, saying, her client is not on trial, and Judge Foster asks what Scotty’s purpose is with this line of questioning. Scotty says, Michael and Willow contend that his client isn’t fit to have a relationship with her sole grandchild. Let’s see what their fitness is. The judge says she’ll allow, but tread lightly. He says he’d like to submit the autopsy report of Claudia Zacchara. It says that she’s five foot, five inches tall, several inches shorter than Michael, and she was clutching a newborn baby. He hands the judge the report, and Michael says, she was in a basket. Claudia put his newborn sister in a basket. Scotty says, so instead of asking for help or trying to talk her out of it, or any number of things, Michael decided to pick up an ax handle and cave in her head. How did that make him feel? Michael says, when he saw his sister was back in his mother’s arms, he felt relief. Scotty says, some people just get a massage.
Spencer says he’ll get out of their way, and start restituting, but Trina says, he can’t. Spencer says he’s sorry, but a judge disagrees with her; it’s part of his punishment. She says she meant he can’t work at the gallery today. Ava told her to close up early. He asks if Ava will tell that to the court, or will she? Spencer’s phone rings, and Rory says he’s going to bounce. Trina tells him that he doesn’t have to go, and Spencer wonders which crazy is calling him. Rory says he’s going to catch some rays, and thanks Trina for giving him some art to appreciate. He leaves, and Trina looks at Spencer. He says, what? He said he’d get out of her way.
Esme gets Spencer’s voicemail, and says she was just wondering how his talk with Cameron went. If Spencer is still with him, tell him that she’s thinking good thoughts. He didn’t say how long he’d be working at the gallery; hopefully, not too much longer. She’s just finishing packing up, and tooling around Windymere by herself. Come home soon. She hangs up, and says, before she gets into trouble.
Victor says, there’s no shame in admitting Ava and Nikolas are going through a bit of a rough patch right now. All couples go through them. The important thing is, the two of them are better than their low moments. Nikolas tells Victor, he’s been saying something similar for a while now, and Ava says, is that so? Because all she’s heard from him are weak excuses and non-apologies. He asks why he would apologize for doing everything in his damn power to fix things with his son? and she asks if doing everything in his damn power to fix things with Spencer includes being indifferent to her feelings. He says he’s crystal clear about her feelings, and she says, he heard her, didn’t he? Victor asks what all this is about, and Nikolas says, it’s simple. Just as he was getting close to Spencer, Ava managed to drive him away.
Amy listens outside, as Terry says, clearly, the recruiter saw Chet’s resume and thought he was a great fit. So tell her about the job. He asks if she has the time; he knows she’s working. She says she doesn’t think the boss will mind, and he says, it’s in mental health; director of mental outreach at the VA hospital. She says, director? That’s a big deal. He says, it’s one hell of an upgrade from managing a gym, and she says, it’s cause for celebration. Why don’t they hit the MetroCourt after she gets off work. Is he free tonight? He says he can make that happen, but before they make any plans, they should probably have a talk first about the job. She says she’ll be happy to tell him everything she knows about hospital politics, because trust her, there always is some. She actually knows an administrator at the VA. She can call and get the lowdown. He says, that’s the thing. The VA job isn’t in Port Charles; it’s in Chicago. Amy walks in, and says, no. Yes, there is a job, but Chet’s not going to take it.
Ava says she did not drive Spencer away; far from it. She just offered Spencer financial incentive to move out of Windymere and take his sociopathic girlfriend with him. Victor says, Esme, and Nikolas says, who Victor helped him rescue from Sonny Corinthos. Ava says, if only the two of them had left Esme where she was, and Nikolas says, at Sonny’s non-existent mercy? She says, Nikolas and Spencer are the only people in the entire world who believe Esme is some kind of victim. Spencer is young, and infatuated, and stupid. What’s his excuse? Nikolas says, compassion, but she says, no, it’s arrogance. Nikolas wanted to be the one to thwart Sonny, so he invited Esme into their home without even consulting her. He says, while Spencer and Esme were at Windymere, he was starting to build good will with Spencer, and she says, he certainly wasn’t building any with her. He says, so as punishment, she manipulates Spencer, and gives him access to his trust fund, provided he and Esme move out of Windymere. Ava says she didn’t give Spencer access to his trust fund. She tells Victor, she’s giving Spencer an allowance, and he will learn very quickly that his life of ease is directly tied to his ability to satisfy her wishes. Victor says, it sounds like she’s doing obedience training, and she says, then Spencer will earn his first treat when he breaks camp, and takes the minx with him. Victor says, congratulations. He just wishes she’d been a bit more patient. She says, patient? She didn’t chuck Esme off a parapet, so she thinks she’s shown plenty of patience. She tells Nikolas, she also secured the breathing room it will take to save their marriage. He’s welcome. Nikolas says, she thinks she did them a favor by orchestrating his son’s departure? She says, all she did was give Spencer a chance to show Nikolas who he really is. And if he chose to leave the house, he has.
Bringing in some boxes, Spencer says, Trina doesn’t need to stick around to supervise him sending out these mailers, or doesn’t she trust him? Does she really think he’d take off with a Monet? She says, they don’t have any Monets, and he says, whatever. Did she show him the new DeCarlo? She says, who? Rory? Why does he care? He says, because it’s the best thing Ava has. He’d love drawing something like that one day. She says, so chiaroscuro is his thing, and he says he doesn’t know if it’s his thing, but he likes the light and the dark together. If you don’t have the shadows, how do you appreciate the light? He wonders how much it’s worth, and she says, more than he makes at Kelly’s. He says, for her information, his income just got a major boost, and she says, Cam already gave him a raise? He shakes his head, and says, Ava opened the spigots, so to speak. She’s going to let him draw from his trust fund again. Trina says, that doesn’t sound like something Ava would do. Wait. What did he have to do in exchange? And don’t tell her it’s nothing. He says, in order to access his trust fund, he and Esme have to move out of Windymere, and she says she thought he was trying to fix things with his dad. He says he is, and she says, and he still let Ava buy him off, but he tells her, by leaving, he’s helping his father too.
Diane objects, saying, counsel is badgering the witness, and Judge Foster says, sustained. She tells Scotty to perform his stand-up somewhere else, and Scotty asks Michael if anyone was present at the time of Claudia’s death. Michael says, his mother, and Scotty says, surely his mother told the police that he was protecting his sister and her, and Michael says, it’s a matter of public record, and his mother’s name is Carly. He made a full confession and went to prison. Scotty asks how long Michael’s sentence was, and Michael says, five years. Scotty asks how much time Michael served, and Michael says, several months. Scotty says, wow, that’s faster than he gets his dry cleaning back. Diane says, while they’re all enjoying the comedy stylings of opposing counsel, her client paid his debt to society. Scotty asks, what about the debt he owes to his baby sister Avery? Why doesn’t Michael tell the court how snatching a kid from their loving family is his M.O.?
Rory goes the pool, which we haven’t seen in a while, and tells the desk clerk that he has a day pass. He asks if there’s a discount for members of the PCPD, and the guy says, he just needs to see ID. Rory shows him, and he asks if Rory wants a lounge for one; they’re going fast. Rory says, make it two. Someone is joining him.
Spencer stuffs envelopes, and Trina asks how it helps his dad if he leaves Windymere. He says, he has issues with Ava, and Ava has issues with him. She and his dad will have a better shot at fixing their marriage if he and Esme aren’t constantly in the way. Is it so hard to believe he’d do something for someone else? She asks if his dad is aware he’s not leaving just because of the money, and he says, they haven’t discussed it. She says, in other words, no, and he says, it’s a normal thing at their age to be on their own. She and Joss live in the dorms; it’s time for him to move on. He’ll work out things with his dad on the back end. She says, what if his dad holds it against Ava? and he says, then that’s on them. Right now, this is the best he can do. She says she doesn’t believe that, and he asks why she even cares. She has bigger things to worry about, and she says, right. What is she doing here… She starts to leave, but he says, wait. What is going on? Talk to him. Please. She says she has a life. That’s all he needs to know. So stuff those mailers and lock up when he’s done. She leaves, and he swipes the boxes onto the floor.
Esme writes to Maggie that her worry is misplaced. Everything in Port Charles is going swimmingly. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration. I don’t have everything I want just yet, but I’m well on my way.
Victor tells Ava, he concedes that Spencer has quite a bit of maturing to do, but he thinks the closer Spencer is to his family, the faster he’ll do that maturing. He thinks they can all agree Spencer’s stubborn streak and obvious attachment to Esme present difficulties, but this family’s weathered worse than that. He refuses to let a little infighting derail a perfectly good marriage. It’s time they came to a compromise. Ava says she doesn’t compromise on trust, and Nikolas says, they appreciate Victor’s interest in bringing them all together, but Esme and Spencer are just on the surface of their issues, and their issues aren’t Victor’s. Victor says, he’ll take that no-so-subtle hint as his cue to leave. He suggests they meet again soon for a proper reunion, with the whole family. He leaves, telling Nikolas, don’t muck this up, nephew. Nikolas says, Ava didn’t need to come between him and Spencer to hurt him; the distance between them did that. She says, it’s not exactly doing her any favors either, and he says, the question is, what are they going to do about it?
Terry says, Amy’s not making any sense, and Chet says, ten minutes ago, she was all fired up about him taking this job. Now she’s not? Terry says she’s guessing Amy loves her big brother and wants him to stay close, but Amy says, Terry is wrong. Of course (🍷) she loves Chet and wants him to stay, just not stay around everyone. Chet says, she’s losing him again, and Amy says, the headhunter who got his resume didn’t get it from one of his buddies. She got it from Amy. Chet says he’s flattered she has so much faith in him, and Amy says, of course (🍷) she does. She knows he can do anything he makes his mind up to, but sending in the resume wasn’t just about helping him. She did it for herself too. When she found out he was dating her boss, she put him up for the job, hoping to keep the two of them apart.
Scotty asks if Michael took his baby sister Avery away from her father, and Michael says he was granted custody. At the time, Avery’s mother was believed to be dead, and her father couldn’t provide a stable home. Scotty says, so Michael swooped in with his money and his lawyers, and stole Avery, but Michael says he didn’t steal her. He thought she was at risk, so he took the steps to protect her like he’s doing with his son right now. Scotty says, maybe Michael’s son needs to be protected from him, and Diane objects, but Michael says, the only person Wiley needs to be protected from is Nina. She’s caused nothing but misery to his family, including Wiley. She’s incapable of acting in Wiley’s best interests because she’s so invested in pitying herself.Nina claims the world has made victims of her and her daughter, but the truth is, Nina and Nelle are nobody’s victims except their own. Scotty says, that’s not the truth. They’re victims of Michael.
Diane says, opposing counsel is again badgering the witness, and the judge tells Scotty, if he has a question, ask it, otherwise, wrap it up. Scotty says, when Nelle found out she was pregnant, is it possible she tried to protect Wiley from him? Is it possible she was afraid he might do to her what he did to Claudia? That he might use Wiley to hurt her, the same way he’s using Wiley to hurt Nina? Diane says, objection, pure conjecture, and Judge Foster says, sustained. She tells Scotty to drop this now, but Scotty asks the judge to look at the anger on Michael’s face. Does she thinks it’s the look Claudia saw right before he bashed her head in?
Chet says, Amy manipulated this whole job offer because she doesn’t like who he’s dating? but Amy says, it’s not that she didn’t like who he’s dating. She didn’t like that the person he was dating was also her boss. Sometimes, she and Terry clash; the truth is, they clash a lot. When she found out they were dating, the only thing she could think was, great. Now she’ll never be able to escape her boss. At work, holidays, and vacations, and family reunions, and double dates, and karaoke night. It’ll never end. And what if she doesn’t suck up to Terry? Will Chet tell her to buzz off? All she could think about was herself, until ten minutes ago. He asks, what happened then? and she says, he started telling her how much he was missing in his life, and how much genuine potential Terry had to offer him.
Ava tells Nikolas, his move. She’s done her part. He says, by luring his son away from him? She says she’s providing them the time and space they need to patch up their marriage, without the interference of two people who didn’t want them together in the first place. He says he believes Spencer was beginning to accept them, and she says, then why was he so eager to go? Spencer obviously has bigger priorities than reconciling with Nikolas. And let’s be honest. They have bigger problems than Esme and Spencer, and where they’ll be living. He says, as she proved by sticking it to him, and going after Spencer on her own. If she only would have come to him to him first… She says, like he came to her before he invited Esme into their home? He says she keeps wanting to make this a choice; her or his son, his marriage or his family. Ava gets teary, saying, and here she thought she was his family too. If anyone has a choice to make, maybe it’s her choice. She can stick around and watch him dither over Esme, or walk away.
Esme hears a door open, and puts her letter writing stuff away. Spencer comes in, and she asks if he got her voicemail. How’s Cameron? He asks how she thinks he is? His mother is having a nervous breakdown. She says, that’s something that should make him sad, but he’s angry. Did he get into it with Ava when he was doing his indentured servitude? He says, not Ava, and she says, oh, of course (🍷). Trina.
Trina arrives at the pool, looking very cute in a sundress, and tells the clerk that her family has a membership under Dr. Portia Robinson. Does he think she can get a lounge? He says, sorry. They’re all taken, but feel free to have a seat at the bar. She says she should have come earlier. Thanks anyway. He leaves, and she says, she wonders if… Rory gets out of the pool, and Trina lowers her sunglasses to watch him towel off. He smiles at her, and she smiles back.
Diane says, just a couple of questions for Michael. Does he know the significance of March 19th, 2021, and September 23rd, 2021? He says, not off the top of his head, and she says, March 19th is when Nina left Port Charles for Nixon Falls, and found his father who had lost his memory. The second date is when Nina returned to Port Charles after her deceit had been uncovered. That’s six months. During those six months, how many times did Nina Reeves ask to see Wiley? He says, twice, and she says, wow, great grandmother. Scotty objects, saying, that’s not a question; that’s commentary. (He might have added that they made it difficult for her to see Wiley in the first place.) Diane says, next question. How did the visits go? Were there any issues? Michael says, the timing of the second visit. It happened the day after his father returned. Nina showed up and asked to visit with Wiley. She asks if Nina told him that she where his father had been for the past six months, but he says, no. In retrospect, they realized she was just trying to get in one last visit before the truth of what she’d done came out. She asks if there were any other visits that prompted concern on his part, and he says, earlier, when she first met Wiley. She told Wiley that Willow wasn’t his real mother, that Nelle was, and he was far too young to understand that kind of information. It immediately had a negative impact. She asks if he’s opposing Nina’s petition for visitation to punish her, but he says, no. She asks if it’s some kind of payback or spite for the harm she’s caused Michael and his family, and he says, no. She asks, then why is he opposing Nina having contact with Wiley? and he says, Nina has been consistently untruthful with him and Willow. She has a history of emotional instability, and seems far more invested in redeeming Nelle than in Wiley’s well-being.
Rory says, she made it, and Trina says she did. He says he was worried. Things seemed kind of tense between her and Spencer when he left. Since she’s busy looking at his bangin’ bod, she doesn’t hear him, and says, what? He asks if things are okay with Spencer, and she says, things are the same with Spencer. They don’t communicate very well. He asks if that’s all. He hopes she doesn’t mind him saying this, but she seems a little off. She says, it’s her first time back at a pool; she’s not used to so much sun. He suggests they have a seat, but she says, they’re all taken; she got here too late. He says, but he didn’t. He snagged her one, and don’t get out her wallet; he already got her a day pass. She says, that’s sweet, but in the future, her family already has a membership, and he says, good to know. She asks how he knew she was coming here; she didn’t even know she was coming here. Why did he get her a lounge? He says, he dropped a hint that he was going to be catching some rays, and this is the closest pool to the gallery. What can he say? He’s an optimist.
Spencer says, he doesn’t want to talk about Trina, and Esme says, that’s a first. He says, what was that? and she says, Trina isn’t her favorite subject either, but whatever Trina did is obviously bothering him. She hates to see him like this. He asks, how is this not talking about Trina? Besides, Trina has nothing to do with her. She says, got it; noted. But she has to wonder what Trina has to do with him. They’re no longer close, right? He no longer cares about her, right? Trina threw vile accusations out there about his girlfriend, so she has to wonder why every encounter triggers something. He says he doesn’t know, but it does. So just drop it, and he will too. She tells him, easier said than done, and he says, let’s go for one last ride. It will surely help; it’s a gorgeous day. She says she’s not looking for a distraction; she’s looking for answers. He says, fine. Come, don’t come; he doesn’t care. She says, they’re not finished with this conversation, and he says, they’re not having a conversation. She’s ripping into him. Esme says, she’s trying to figure out why he keeps going back to this girl who keeps looking down on him, when the person right in front of him is winning to do anything for him. He says he’s going for a ride. They can talk after. She says, walk out that door, and she may not be here when he gets back.
Nikolas says, Ava is already sleeping in another bedroom. What is she threatening? Separation? Divorce? She says she’s not doing this anymore. She’s not going to be second in his life; she deserves better. He asks if she honestly thinks another man is going to give that to her. They both know they’re difficult people and a very acquired taste. She asks if he’s saying she should just put up with his disregard and thoughtless treatment, and he says, it was never perfect between them, but it was good, and it worked. She says, it doesn’t now; not for her, not anymore. He says, she loves him and he loves her, and she says, it’s true, but what are words without deeds? She’ll give him time to think about that, but not too much. He asks if she thinks it’s all on him; that she doesn’t have any part to play or amends to make? That he’s just going to come crawling back to her. She says she does. Because she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to him. He’ll see it. She just hopes it’s not too late.
Diane says she’d like to enter two exhibits into evidence. The first is the criminal record of Michael Corinthos. The second is the criminal record of Nelle Benson-Jerome. Nelle’s record is considerably bigger, and Diane tells the judge to interpret it as she will. No further questions. Judge Foster gives them a thirty minute recess, and asks to meet the attorneys in her chambers. Michael and Willow hug, and Nina says she hopes Scotty isn’t in too much trouble. He says, trouble? By the time this is over, he’ll be lucky if he can practice in a food court. Everyone disperses, and Nina looks at Sonny.
Rory says, this is nice, and Trina says, very. She asks if he knows her friend Joss, and he says, Joss is unforgettable. She says, Joss’s mom co-owns the MetroCourt, so she and Joss came here pretty regularly last summer. He says, it’s his first time here. He’d heard about it, but up to today, he was more of a lake guy. A waiter brings them drinks, and Rory tells Trina, non-alcoholic of course (🍷). He took the liberty of ordering for them both. She says, he thought of everything, and he says he thinks he could get used to this lifestyle. They clink glasses, and he tells her, don’t worry about the cost; PCPD officers get a discount. She thanks him, not just for the drink, but everything. He asks, what’s everything? He got her a drink and a lounge chair. She says, taking her mind of the Title IX report and Spencer, and he says, he must be doing a poor job if she’s still it bringing up. She says, good point. Let her try again. Thank you for the lounge chair, and the drink, and mostly the company. He says, that, he will drink to, and they clink glasses. They steal looks at each other when the other isn’t looking.
Spencer asks if Esme is threatening him, and she says, of course (🍷) he would see it that way. No, she’s not threatening him. She’s standing up for herself. He doesn’t get to just walk out and ignore her because she’s asking hard questions. He says, the way he sees it, she didn’t get her way, and resorted to an ultimatum. That’s never going work for him. She says, being taken for granted doesn’t work for her. He acts like she’s disposable, and she’ll always stand by him, no matter how poorly he treats her. He should know better than to think everyone’s still going to stick around. He says he just can’t talk to her when she’s like this. He’ll be back after he takes a ride. They can try to talk again after she calms down. She says, wait, but he closes the door behind him.
A martini is slid in front of Ava, and she says, she didn’t order… He’s back. Victor says, he never left. He was concerned things might not go so well with her and Nikolas. She says, his instincts were spot-on. Nikolas left. He says he saw, but he does think Nikolas will be back. She shrugs, and says she thought so too, but she’s been wrong before. Maybe this time she’s overplayed her hand. We see Nikolas go into Windymere and pour a drink, and Ava says, maybe Nikolas just doesn’t see her for who she is. By the way, their marriage may truly be at an end. Esme watches from the doorway as Nikolas downs his drink.
Amy says she’s so sorry. She wishes she had minded her own business and left well enough alone. She tells Chet, please forgive her, or don’t. Just please don’t take that job. She leaves and Terry shakes her head, and says, his sister takes go big or go home to new heights. He says, she was always dramatic. He just doesn’t see how he can take that job now. Terry says she doesn’t see how he can’t.
Nina tells Sonny, Michael turned The Invader against her. He dredged up all her past mistakes, and her mental illness. She wanted to take the high road, but there was no road to take. She did what she had to, and hopes he understands, even if he can’t forgive her. Carly watches from the hallway, and Sonny touches Nina’s face. Carly moves on, and after a moment, Sonny leaves.
In the hallway, Michael says, Nina got what she wanted. Scotty made Nelle look like a victim, hiding Wiley from him. Sonny comes out, looks at Michael, then keeps going. Carly tells Michael, it doesn’t matter. Scotty was just trying to take the attention away from Nina. Michael says, it’s still out there, and one day he’ll have to answer for it to Wiley.
Nina calls Obrecht, and says, they have a short recess. Willow walks in, and Nina says, she probably has time for a quick cup of coffee. She tries to pass Willow, who grabs her arm and says, she’s not going anywhere.
On Monday, Esme tells Nikolas that her relationship with Spencer is over; Michael says, one day he’ll have to face the bad parts of his life with Wiley; and Willow tells Nina, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
⚖️ Scotty’s Question…
All about Claudia Zacchara. I don’t remember this, but I might not have been watching at the time. There were a few times I was pissed off and took a break.
I’ve always admired Angela Lansbury. Her genius career is to be envied. She started off as a big screen ingenue, was a Broadway baby, and even became an old lady detective on the small screen. And at 96, she’s still going strong. I saw her in Sweeney Todd and she was magical. I doff my cap.
Animals are such agreeable friends — they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms. – George Eliot
To bear defeat with dignity, to accept criticism with poise, to receive honors with humility — these are marks of maturity and graciousness. – William Arthur Ward
It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength. – Maya Angelou
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 hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom. – Bob Dylan
By hero, we tend to mean a heightened man who, more than other men, possesses qualities of courage, loyalty, resourcefulness, charisma, above all, selflessness. He is an example of right behavior; the sort of man who risks his life to protect his society’s values, sacrificing his personal needs for those of the community. – Paul Zweig
🦅 Honoring Those Who Served…
As you sail off for Memorial Day weekend, enjoy yourself, but keep in mind the point of the whole thing. That said, see you at the usual Deadtime, because they don’t care about the long weekend. Until then, stay safe, stay appreciating those who serve, be it our country or behind the fast food counter, and stay not compromising when it comes to trust.
There wasn’t any news either. Until the actual news was on. So the whole thing was for naught.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Crystal is putting appetizers together for the women, and I love her tea towel that says, I’m not bossy, I just have better ideas. Garcelle just had a shoot for The Real where she interviewed Kathy, and we see a clip. They toast to nothing in particular. Sutton is absent, since she has a business meeting, and Kyle talks about her new store opening. Dorit goes to the bathroom, which is a signal for Kyle to talk about her, and play the voicemail she got from Dorit, saying she’s having a bad morning and has chest pains. Kyle says, it’s a classic panic attack. Dorit comes back, and she probably doesn’t notice it, but the silence is a little deafening. Garcelle asks how she is, and Dorit says she’s experiencing it in waves; physical and emotional trauma. She took a Xanax, but it didn’t help. In Dorit’s interview, she says she doesn’t know how to manage a panic attack. She doesn’t want it to affect her for the rest of her life; she won’t let it. But she has to do a lot of work to get there. Kyle says, Dorit can call her any time, and BY THE WAY, she had a conversation with Sutton. She doesn’t want to spark any issues (ha-ha-ha! Kyle is so funny), but Sutton said she was having a bad day too, and she’s sorry she didn’t have a gun put to her head. She thought it was insensitive. Dorit agrees it’s a tad insensitive, and Garcelle says she’s not comfortable talking behind Sutton’s back. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, Sutton should be there to defend and/or explain herself. No one ever gives her the benefit of the doubt. Dorit says she doesn’t want to bring it up tonight. She’s dealing with bigger issues.
Kyle gets ready to drive to La Quinta, and when she opens the back of the car to put a garment bag in, she realizes she never cleaned it out from the last trip. Then Kyle’s dogs Bambi and River decide to jump in, even though she’s saying, no, no, no. I die laughing because pets are always the great leveler. They could give a flying how much money you have; they’ll poop on your carpet anyway. On the way, Kyle phones business partner Shahida, and in her interview, she says, when they opened the Beverly Hills store, retail was doing amazing. We flash back to that, and she says, they opened two more stores, then the retail world crashed. She and Shahida wanted to have one brick-and-mortar store, and decided to open in a less expensive area.
Garcelle gets an art delivery of humongous amethyst butterfly cathedral wings, and in her interview, she says, after what happened to Dorit, she all the crystals and cameras. The sculpture could fall on a burglar and kill them. Erika is picking out clothes with the help of her assistant or stylist or whatever he is. In her interview, she says, she used to resell clothing to buy new stuff, but she can’t because of the bankruptcy. Wearing an outfit twice is not worst thing. The one percent of First World problems. When she gets to the house, Kyle talks to Mauricio on the phone, and tells him that she came by herself since Dorit had a tough night. We see a clip of PK calling Kyle, and saying that Dorit had a bad night, and she’s going to be late. Kyle says, after they were burglarized, it was at least six months before she felt safe. We flash back to Kyle talking about the burglary at the Reunion, and she says she was walking around with keys, locking everything like a crazy person. When she got in bed, she’d picture people coming in, even though she never saw them. She wonders how Dorit is going to get through this. It changes you.
Don’t laugh. During the commercial, I get up and check to make sure the front door is locked. I was burglarized when I lived in my first NYC apartment. It never really leaves you. Thank God I was at work, although I had no window gates, and might as well have invited them in. My door was open when I got home, but I saw my TV was there, so at first I thought someone had mistaken me for someone else, and tossed my apartment looking for a hidden… something. The thief would have been in for a big surprise if they’d taken the TV, since it had no sound. I had a radio that got TV channels and would synchronize it. What can I say? I was broke AF. Anyway, it wasn’t until a neighbor suggested they might have taken jewelry did I even know anything was missing. I had nothing to speak of except costume jewelry (mostly, there were a couple things I cried over), however, the feelings are still the same as if they’d taken a Birkin or two.
In Erika’s interview, she says she hasn’t had good luck in La Quinta, and we flash back to her breaking down during the last trip. She asks, can it get any worse? Maybe. The women meet at Erika’s, and LisaR suggests a roadie of vodka and soda. In LisaR’s interview, she says she loves a good roadie, and in Crystal’s interview, she says, a roadie puts her in a party mood. In Diana’s interview, she says she doesn’t know what a roadie is, but she’ll take one. Don’t feel bad, Di, I never heard of it either. In the car, Crystal talks about going to the outlets in Palm Springs, but Diana says she’s never been to one. In her interview, Diana says, she doesn’t go out shopping. Designers send clothes to the house, and she keeps what she likes and sends back the rest. Nothing humble about it; she owns it. Crystal says, she’ll wait three years until something is on sale. I hear you, sister. Kyle says, her Manolos from several seasons ago are so out, they’re in. (Spencer wouldn’t think so, but unless you watch General Hospital, you won’t get that joke.) They women bring their luggage to their rooms, and there’s zero drama, unlike when Ramona (RHONY) is involved. Diane, Sutton, and Crystal are staying at the La Quinta Resort, and in her interview, Diane says, when she travels, she sends a team ahead of her to check out the safety, the view, the bedding and sheets, and general coziness, so it feels like home. I dunno. When I sleep somewhere else, I don’t want it to feel like home. I thought that’s the whole point of vacation. We see a clip of Dorit going to Kyle’s store, and Dorit tells Garcelle that it felt good to want to style again; she’d been feeling uninspired. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, for Dorit, getting dressed is presenting herself. It’s what she loves. We flash back to some of Dorit’s various moments. Garcelle says, to see her not that interested is a little sad. Sutton and Crystal room together, and Crystal says she likes the path their friendship is taking, but they have to maintain transparency and honesty. Kyle told her that something Sutton said when they were talking about the burglary freaked her out. In Sutton’s interview, she says, when she was a teenager, her mother woke up to a man standing in front of Sutton’s bedroom door. Her mother screamed to her father to get the gun, and it’s not something you want to wake up to. She doesn’t want to think about it. Between the home invasion, and the thought of a gun pointed at Dorit, it strikes a nerve. Her father put a gun in his mouth, and pulled the trigger. She’s shaken… She can’t… (Told you.) She sarcastically tells Crystal that she can’t wait for tonight, but Crystal says, it’ll be fine.
Teddi comes to the store opening – ugh – but I’m guessing they must have to pay her if she’s actually on camera, because we never quite see her face. In Kyle’s interview, she says, normally, and opening takes a long time to prepare, but she’s always last minute, and scrambling to get it together. Everything has to be perfect. In Diana’s interview, she says, this is her first store opening, like this is a regular thing to do, and we flash back to her saying she doesn’t shop; she’s allergic to stores. She finds the clothing very pretty, something she would wear, even at her own house. I have no clue what she means by that last part. Wouldn’t any clothes you wear be worn in your own house? WTH? Kyle takes the mic, and says, she’s proud to have a store in the desert, her second home, and appreciates their support. Spread the word. She blesses the space with good energy, success, and happiness, and tries to cuts a ribbon adorned with tropical cutouts, but it takes her several tries since it won’t cut. Sutton asks how Dorit is, and Dorit says, she’s having panic attacks. Sutton apologizes, and says she’d never want to be insincere. Dorit says, Kyle told her Sutton said she was sorry she didn’t have a gun held to her head, and Sutton says, it was a terrible thing to say. She gets upset about guns and break-ins, and was triggered from her childhood. When she’s upset, she says weird things, then gets uncomfortable, and says uncomfortable things. Dorit says she appreciates the apology, and in Sutton’s interview, she says she can still hear the man who broke in; she can’t imagine what Dorit hears. She’s going to hear it for the rest of her life. Everybody buys stuff, and Diane says she’s picking up the tab for Crystal’s. Erika suddenly mentions a Cartier ring that Diana must buy, since she can’t afford it. Crystal mentioned earlier that she didn’t have her Amex with her, but Erika wouldn’t have known that, and I’m wondering if she thinks Diana would give her the ring. Kyle is less stressed, and more excited, and says, the more creative she is, the happier she is, and the more at peace.
Back at the house, caterer Gus has prepared an amazing spread. Diana tells Kyle that her birthday is August 23rd and she’s a Leo, but Kyle says, that’s Virgo. Diana insists she’s a Leo, and says she’s had many charts done. In Kyle’s interview, she says, Diana can be whatever she wants to be. Diana shows them a video of Baby Eliyanah walking, and in her interview, Kyle says she’s excited for Farrah to have a baby, but in her mind, Kyle is 25, so it’s strange. LisaR sits down to eat, and pup Bambi takes her steak right off her plate. In Kyle’s interview, she says, clearly, her dog training didn’t work out. Garcelle says, they can talk about Sutton while she’s here. They can clear the air. She hands the conversation over to Kyle, but Kyle says she already talked to Sutton, and Sutton says she apologized to Dorit. She’s as genuine as she can be. Kyle says she knows, but by the way she says it, I’m not sure if she’s being shady. Dorit says, Sutton’s apology felt genuine, and Sutton says she shouldn’t have put herself first. Kyle says, there’s no way you can’t be empathetic in this situation, and you can always reach out, but Sutton says, boundaries are powerful. When her father shot himself, she didn’t want people around. In Sutton’s interview, she says, when her father died, there were an influx of people coming over, and she felt she had to be the hostess. She also had a nine month old. She knows Dorit would want to put out a platter. Diana says she doesn’t know Sutton well, but she feels Sutton is clumsy with her words and behavior, and it comes off as weird and wrong. She says things that hurt people. In Diana’s interview, she says, she’s forgiving, but doesn’t forget. We flash back to Sutton and LisaR discussing the charity event, and Diana says she doesn’t think Sutton knows how her words affect the other person. She’s working on herself, and she apologized. Sutton says, she was empathetic, but Kyle insists she wasn’t, and Crystal says, the hypocrisy is annoying. In Crystal’s interview, she says, it’s inappropriate to tell someone their feelings are wrong. It’s gaslighting, and it’s distressing. She says, she and Sutton had their stuff, and we flash back to the whole violation thing. She tells the women that they went on a strong campaign in saying she was wrong. We flash back to several of them saying violation is a strong word, and in her interview, Crystal says she wasn’t given understanding. She was told she was wrong. She says, now they’re going against Sutton, and in Kyle’s interview, she says, Crystal is always dramatic, and always has something to complain about. Kyle says, Crystal can’t compare the situations; this situation needs more defending than Crystal’s did. Dorit’s life was threatened. Garcelle asks why Kyle didn’t say something to Sutton, and Kyle says she did. Sutton says, the biggest lesson she learned was respecting how someone feels is important, and Erika asks if Sutton respects how she treated her. Everything she said wasn’t true. In Sutton’s interview, she says, Erika is acting like she was exonerated, and has everyone believing it. She tells Erika, all she did was ask questions, and Erika says, Sutton called her a liar. Sutton asks if Erika feels good about how she treated her, and Erika says, Sutton is the common denominator in all their issues. LisaR says, they’re getting away from the issue. Dorit was held at gunpoint, and saved herself and her children. Her feelings are valid. In LisaR’s interview, she says, why aren’t they just supporting Dorit and being there for her? Dorit asks, what’s upsetting Crystal right now? and Crystal says, there’s only so much she can express how she feels. If someone doesn’t accept it, you have to let it go. Kyle says, it’s not the same. You can react to different situations differently. Garcelle tells her, she can’t say that; feelings are involved in both situations. Crystal says her feelings are irrelevant to these idiots women, and Dorit asks if she’s out of her f***ing mind. Garcelle says, they’re not validating how she’s feeling, and Dorit says she’s trying to understand how she’s feeling. Crystal says she doesn’t want do this anymore; she’s leaving. It’s not a safe space for her. In Dorit’s interview, she says, it’s a poor choice of words considering what just happened to her. No one is more empathetic, sympathetic, whatever than I am to Dorit’s situation/feelings, but I think changing word definitions is a bit much. Crystal says, the women never validate anyone’s feelings unless they understand them. She doesn’t need validation, but this isn’t an okay place for her to be. Diana says she’s Crystal’s bodyguard, so she has to go, and Sutton says, they’re her ride. Dorit says, they care about Crystal’s feelings, and Garcelle says, then let her have them. While everyone is distracted, Bambi steals more food. Bambi is the best part of this episode. Kyle says she wants everything to be happy with Crystal, but Erika says, she doesn’t feel validated. Then she adds, the truth was told tonight, like she’s some kind of oracle. In the car, Sutton says she had to really listen to how Crystal felt, and Crystal says, she also had an eating disorder. She’s not looking for validation, but a gang of people saying you can’t feel the way you do is intense. Diana says, you shouldn’t feel alone with friends. At the house, Garcelle says, they have to let everyone feel how they want to feel, whether they like it or not. Erika says, let’s not judge in the moment, and LisaR calls her the voice of reason.
Next time, Garcelle feels Sutton was set up; Dorit tells PK that she needs to hold it together for the kids; Dorit has a therapy session; and Garcelle tells Sutton to watch her back with her new friend.
The problem is, Teresa wouldn’t understand a word Caroline was saying, and would just out-shout her anyway. She’d be better off taking Teresa on in a boxing ring.
Tomorrow stop by for soap, tea, and a melodious moment. Until then, stay safe, stay not being afraid to change your mind, and stay never telling someone their feelings are wrong. It’s gaslighting and it’s distressing.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Chase tells Brook that he needs more context. He’s going to help her take back her life how? She says, Linc not only owns the rights to her songs, he’s turning them into trash; just imitations of what they were meant to be. He says, the hell with Linc. Write some new songs; better songs. She says, because it’s just that easy, and he says, she makes it look that way. She says she doesn’t want to start over from scratch. She wants her old songs. She poured her heart and soul into them, and she’s not giving up until she gets them back.
Outside the courtroom, Carly gets a text saying the DNA test results are ready, and she can pick them up at her earliest convenience. Inside, Nina tells Sonny that she’s grateful he’s here. He tells her that he said he’d be here, and she says she knows he did. It’s just the looks he’s getting from Michael and Willow, maybe it’s best he goes. If he takes her side today, he’s burning the last bridge that connects him with this son. He says, there’s too much at stake; he ain’t leaving. Carly comes in, and says, he’s right about the stakes. Everything else can wait.
At the park, Violet asks Gregory when they can see Aunt Elizabeth, and he says, when her daddy tells them it’s okay. In the meantime – he takes out a frisbee – have at it. He unpacks some food, and picks up a copy of The Invader. He looks at the cover, where there’s an article about the hearing, and Violet tells him to put that down and come play with her. Seriously, what is she going to do with a frisbee by herself? He says, her wish is his command, and she says, Uncle Chase taught her; he’s really good. He asks who she thinks taught Uncle Chase, and takes the frisbee, telling her, watch and learn. He tosses it, and says, oh. Did he hit someone? Alexis brings back the frisbee, and says, good thing she isn’t a lawyer anymore, or she might be tempted to sue him.
Laura sees Cameron at the hospital, and hugs him, saying, she’s sorry she couldn’t be here sooner. How’s his mother? He says he doesn’t know. She’s in there with Finn and Doc. At least she’s not talking about ghosts anymore. Laura says, that’s a good thing, but he says, is the real thing any better? All the weird stuff that was happening, how scared they all were; that was just mom stalking herself the whole time?
Finn says, there’s nothing to be afraid of anymore, but Elizabeth says, there’s her. He says, that’s not true, and she says, yes it is, and he knows it. She started a fire that could have burned down a whole building, a whole block, and landed Chase in the hospital. Who’s next? Her boys? Violet? She’s a threat to everyone she cares about. So she has to go away, and stay away.
Marshall wakes up in a panic, and Curtis says, it’s him; it’s your son. Marshall says he must have been dreaming, and tries to get up, but Curtis says he’s going to get the doctor. Marshall tells him to wait, and asks how long he’s been out. Curtis says, ever since he got jumped, ever since he was in that alley, and Marshall says, Curtis means since he came out of nowhere, and beat those guys’ butts. Curtis says, TJ’s the real hero.If he weren’t there, it could have been a whole lot worse. Marshall says, they’re both his heroes. He pats Curtis’s hand, and says, his son and his grandson. To think he could have lost them both. Curtis says he’s not going anywhere, and neither is Marshall.
Carly goes to Michael and Willow, and Michael thanks her for coming. She says, where else would she be? and Nina walks over. She says, it’s not too late. Can they just try to settle this between them? Willow says, after Nina threw Harmony in her face, and Carly says, that’s nice. Diane tells them, don’t engage, and Scotty leads Nina away, saying, don’t fraternize with the enemy. This is war. Diane says, she told Michael and Willow, if they want to win, there’s only one way to play this thing. Are they in? Scotty says, so Nina is in, no matter where it leads? Michael takes Willow’s hand, and says, they’re in. Nina tells Scotty, all or nothing.
Finn says, Elizabeth needs more time with the people who care about her, not less, and she asks, what if she hurts them? He says, she won’t, but she says, he doesn’t know that. What if she can’t stop herself next time, and she does more than rip up one of Violet’s drawings? She burned down Franco’s art studio. Who’s to say she won’t do that to her own house? Laura and Cameron come in, and Laura hugs her. She says she knows Elizabeth is scared, but trust her, it will be okay, if she just faces whatever it is inside and deals with it. Can they agree on that? Doc says he’d listen to Laura if he were Elizabeth, and Elizabeth says she always does. She just doesn’t know how to do this. Laura says, that’s why she has all of them to help her, and Elizabeth says, what if the resources at GH don’t cut it? Laura says, then they’ll find a place that will; a place where she feels safe and can get the care she needs. Elizabeth asks if Finn heard that. He’s going to have to let her go. It’s the only way she’ll find her way back.
Brook tells Chase, she doesn’t know what’s worse, the watered down lyrics or the generic techno beat, which any twelve year old can produce on an app, and probably did. He asks what she’s going to do. Sue Linc to get her songs back? He knows an attorney who specializes in intellectual property, who helped Gregory get one of his academic papers back. She says, unfortunately, that’s not an option. She spoke to Diane a few years back, and the contract is airtight. He says, that was a few years ago, but she says she double-checked this morning. She can’t sue Linc. They need a Plan B. He says, and that’s where he comes in?
Curtis says he’s done a lot of soul searching. It would have been easy to blame Marshall, like he did the first time Marshall walked out, but when he looked in the mirror, he didn’t see a scared little boy anymore, holding his mother’s hand; he saw a grown man, who was so bound and determined to get answers, that he essentially drove Marshall away. Marshall says, it wasn’t Curtis’s fault. He wasn’t able to, or couldn’t be honest with Curtis, or himself. So he ran away – again. Curtis says he has questions, and Marshall says he’s sure Curtis does. Curtis says, but whether or not he gets answers, he just wants Marshall to come home, to his family. No strings, no conditions, just a chance to start fresh for all of us. He really hopes Marshall wants that too.
Gregory tells Alexis that he’s sorry. He was trying to make Violet’s frisbee boomerang. It didn’t quite work out as planned. She says, he might want to work on that, and he says he will. He suggests Violet show off her bubble blowing skills, and Violet runs off. He tells Alexis, why don’t they start over? What brings her to the park today? She says she was just finishing up a Tai Chi class down at the duckpond, and he says he’s always wanted to try Tai Chi; the movements look so beautiful, therapeutic. She says she needs all the therapy she can get. She doesn’t know if Finn told him, but it’s been quite a year. He says, his son’s not a talker; she might have noticed. She says, he would enjoy the Tai Chi; the silence is deafening. Gregory picks up the paper, and asks if this is her way of expressing her opinions these days. She says, he’s a reader, and he says, he is. He can’t quite say he’s a fan.
Scotty says, nice work, getting Sonny here today, but Nina says she didn’t do anything. Scotty says, what’s she talking about? If he gets Sonny up on that stand, he’s not going to be in her corner? She tells him not to put Sonny in that position, and he says, come on. She told him to do what he needed to do, let him do it. The bailiff says, all rise, and Nina looks at Sonny, who shakes his head. The bailiff says, the honorable Judge Foster presiding, and Michael takes Willow’s hand. Nina looks at Sonny again, and he gives her a nod. Carly sees them and doesn’t like it, and looks at the text again. The judge tells Scotty to present his petitioner’s request, and he says, his client, the mother of Nelle Benson, is seeking visitation with her grandson Wiley Corinthos, as permitted by state law. He’s presenting a precedent in the Abercromby versus Higgins case. Diane interjects, saying, as the court is aware, there are numerous other precedents to deny visitation, and her clients are going to explain why that’s the case. Judge Foster says, they’ll get their turn. She’s read the petition, but she’d like to hear Scotty’s client’s request in her own words. She calls Nina to the stand, and she’s sworn in.
Alexis says, she guesses she just assumed that as a professor of history and journalism, Gregory might approve of the changes she made at TheInvader. Unless of course (🍷) it’s her inexperience that’s giving him pause. He says, experience doesn’t equal talent, and she says, agreed. He says, look at Dickens and Hemmingway; they both started out as journalists in their teens, and she says, something to aspire to. He suggests she might aim smaller, maybe local coverage, specifically her feature on Nina Reeves. She says she finds that interesting. She was very proud of that story; it was very truthful and unbiased. He says, wasit? and she asks if he preferred The Invader the way it was before; tabloid fodder opting for the sensational? He says, at least as a reader, you knew where you stood. It seems like she wants her journalism both ways.
Cameron says, Laura wants to send his mom away? but Laura says, no, that’s not what she wants, but if it’s what Elizabeth needs to get better, they’ll do it. Elizabeth thanks her for being realistic, and tells Cameron that she’s a danger right now, to herself and everyone around her. It’s just not safe for them to be together right now. He says, she would never hurt them, but she says, they don’t know that for sure. She knows it’s awful and scary, and makes her feels so out of control, but it’s the truth. She just loves him so much. He says he loves her too, and she says she refuses to let whatever’s doing this to her harm him or his brothers; it’s just not an option. She tells Finn that she needs him to have her back on this, and he says he does. Always. He just can’t see the benefit of locking her away from the people who care about her. Laura tells him, she knows how hard this is, but right now, they have to do what’s best for Elizabeth.
Marshall asks if Curtis knows what he’s setting himself up for, and Curtis says he does. Marshall says, he ran away not once, but twice. Who’s to say the next time he feels the walls closing in on him, he won’t lace up his sneakers yet again? Curtis says, because there won’t be any walls, at least not between them. There’s nothing Marshall can say that will scare him off or turn him against Marshall. He’s Curtis’s father, Marshall Ashford, flesh and blood. Nothing is going to come between them unless they let it. TJ comes in and says, granddad, you’re awake, and Marshall says, it’s going to take more than a couple of muggers to get the better of the Ashfords. Curtis says, damn straight, and Stella walks in. Marshall says, oh Lord, and she says, Marshall better be thanking Him too. Curtis hugs her, and asks what she’s doing here. She says, taking care of her family, since it’s obvious they need her. Curtis asks, how? and she says, Portia told her, and she was on the first flight out. Does Marshall know how lucky he is that it wasn’t worse? Marshall says, no luck was needed. He had his son and his grandson by his side. He takes Curtis and TJ’s hands.
Scotty asks Nina to tell the court why they’re here today, and Nina says, they’re here in court because Wiley’s her grandson and she loves him. It’s really that simple. He asks how well she knew Nelle Benson, and Nina says, not really well. Nelle worked with her in different capacities. Nelle was a troubled soul. She made countless mistakes and damaged a lot of lives, but no life was as damaged as Nina’s daughter’s. He asks when Nina found out Nelle was her daughter, and she says she didn’t know Nelle was her daughter until after Nelle died, and that’s when she realized Wiley was her grandson, all that she had left of Nelle in this world. He asks if she got to see him, and she says, she did. He asks how that was, and she says, it was great. Love at first sight, at least for her. He asks how Wiley felt about her visits, and she says, Wiley made it really easy; he has such a warm, inviting spirit. They built block houses, colored together, read together. Every moment she got to spend with that little boy was a precious gift. Scotty asks, what happened? Why did Wiley’s parents cut her off? She says, because they decided she was a bad influence for Wiley. She’s not perfect, far from it, but she is a good grandmother and she loves Wiley, and he loves her. It’s that simple. Wiley is her family, and no matter how much they want to, they can’t change that.
Finn suggests they all get on board with this plan. Where would Elizabeth even go? Doc says, Shadybrook. It’s perfect. It’s excellent, it’s close, it’s comfortable. Cameron says, they’re not going to lock her up in a padded cell or something? but Doc says, it’s not that kind of place, and Cameron asks, what kind of place is it? Doc says, Elizabeth can expect a week or two of intensive conversation and exploration, then hopefully she can transition to outpatient care. Laura asks how that sounds, and Elizabeth says, she’s more concerned with what Finn thinks. She wants to do this with his support. He asks if she really thinks this is what’s best, and she says she does. He says, okay, let’s give it a shot. He’ll take her there, and come visit as often as he can. She says, he can’t. She has to do this on her own.
Brook says, she was thinking, since Chase has two weeks on his suspension, he could shadow Linc; catch him doing something shady they could use to get her music back. What does he think? He tells her that she’s crazy.
Stella says, three strangers to three amigos. When did this happen? Curtis says, he’s just trying to convince Marshall to come back to Port Charles with them. TJ says, is that even a question? and Curtis says, apparently. Stella says, she didn’t fly all this way to let Marshall go back to a loner life, and Marshall says, some people like to be alone, but she says, he’s not one of them. He’s a fool if he doesn’t grab this chance with both hands. The doctor asks if it’s okay for him to take a look at the patient. He won’t take long. They leave, and outside, Stella asks if Marshall ever explained why he left… this time, and Curtis says he didn’t want to push Marshall. He takes the prescription bottle out of his pocket, and says, but TJ may have answers based on what he found in Marshall’s hotel room. TJ says, these aren’t for his blood pressure; they’re anti-psychotic medication. Curtis says, but Stella knew that already, didn’t she?
Alexis says, if by both sides Gregory means telling the truth and turning a profit, guilty as charged. She’s not a professor, who sits in an ivory tower. She’s the editor-in-chief of a paper, so she has to tell stories about real people with real problems. He says, so she thinks he doesn’t know anything about real life? but she tells him, that’s not what she said. He just used Dickens and Hemmingway as an example, and this is the 21st century. She’s competing with 24 hour news cycles. She’s competing with social media. She’s competing with instant – and she means instant – information. He says, and he admires he for that, but she says, she’s not getting that impression. He says, isn’t there a danger in mixing titillation with the truth? It seems to him that you end up accomplishing neither. She says, if he bothered to read the latest article, which he clearly did not, he’d see she bent over backward to be objective and not take cheap shots like his ex, Jackie. He says, they’re talking about Alexis’s journalistic integrity, not Jackie’s, when Violet comes over, and says she doesn’t think Gregory is playing nice
Scotty asks if Nina is Wiley’s only grandparent, and she says, no. He asks if she can tell them who else is, and Diane says, relevance? Scotty says, he’ll tell her the relevance. His client is being denied access to her grandson. It seems like there’s a standard for her, and another for everybody else. Judge Foster says she’ll allow it, and Nina says, Wiley has two other grandparents who are here in the courthouse, Carly Corinthos and Sonny Corinthos. Scotty says, so Sonny Corinthos can see his grandson any time he wants, but she’s been deemed a bad influence. Diane objects, and Scotty says, withdrawn. Is that it as far as grandparents go? Nina says, Wiley had another grandmother, Harmony Miller, but she recently passed away, and Scotty says, Harmony Miller who killed Neil Byrne and his brother, and attempted to kill two other people? Nina says, that’s correct, and he says, so Harmony was able to see Wiley, and Nina’s not. Wow. They’re done. Diane says, if it please the court, she has a few questions for the petitioner. Carly smirks, and Sonny looks grim.
Diane says, Nina testified that she didn’t know Nelle was her daughter until after her death. Did anyone else know Nelle was her daughter before she did? Nina says, yes. Carly Corinthos and Jasper Jax. Diane asks if they knew Nelle was her daughter before her death, and Nina says, Carly claimed she didn’t know, but she has her doubts. Diane says, that’s probably upsetting, and Nina says, to find out she had a daughter only after she died? Yeah, it was upsetting. Diane says she imagines Nina regretted all the time she didn’t spend with her daughter, and Nina says, of course (🍷) she did. If she had known… Diane says, what? and Nina says, things would have been different. She could have raised Nelle, and given her the love she deserved to have, and Nelle wouldn’t have turned out the way she did. None of this would have been set in motion. Diane says, correct her if she’s wrong, but wasn’t Nina in a coma from prior to her daughter’s birth until she was in her 20s? and Nina says, yes. Diane says, so this regret is all just a delusional twisted fantasy? and Scotty objects. He says he doesn’t hear a question in there, and Diane says, how’s this for a question? Isn’t this petition of Nina’s an act of revenge? Scotty objects, and says, leading the witness. Diane says, she’ll rephrase. Isn’t this petition of Nina’s yet another act of revenge? She doesn’t have Wiley’s best interests at heart at all, does she?
Laura suggests they give Finn and Elizabeth some privacy, and Doc says he’ll call Shadybrook. He, Laura, and Cameron leave, and Finn says he’s not second guessing her decision. She asks if he’s sure, and he says, if he is, it’s because he’s part of this too. His presence in her life has played a part in bringing forth this… She says, crisis? and he says, they’ll go with that. She says, doesn’t he see? That’s why he can’t be a part of this. He was so convinced there was someone out there trying to split them up, and she was equally convinced it was Franco’s ghost. They were both really wrong. Is it her? Is there something buried deep down that feels threatened by her feelings for him? As scary as this is, as much as she wants him to hold her hand through all of this, they can’t. She has to do this on her own.
Brook says she thought Chase was on her side, and he says he is, but she says, obviously not. He asks if she has any idea how many laws she’s asking him to break. One, they have no warrant; two, she’s talking about blackmail here. And four… She says, he was on three, and he says, and three, yes, he’s on suspension, but he’s still a cop. Not for long if he goes along with this highly unethical plan of hers. She says, she’s unethical? and he says, in this moment. She’s asking him to coerce a suspect into committing a crime; it’s called entrapment. She says, she doesn’t care what it’s called. She can’t sit back and do nothing. He says he gets that, but she says, he doesn’t. These songs are her babies, and she will not let someone take them away from her. He says, babies? and she says, yes. She created them and nurtured them. She cried when they failed and celebrated when they were genius. That’s how much they mean to her. He says, that explains it. She’s not just mourning her songs; she’s mourning Bailey.
Curtis tells Stella, there’s a story here; a story that started about 40 years ago. TJ says, and if he still has a prescription for these kind of drugs, the story continues to this day. Stella says, she knows they want answers, and they deserve them. And yes, there’s a story, but like she said, it’s not hers to tell. The doctor wheels Marshall out, and says, it looks like a concussion, but he wants to run a few more scans before approving Marshall’s discharge. TJ says, if he’s afraid Marshall will be alone… Curtis says, don’t worry; he won’t be.
Gregory tells Violet, you know how sometimes you go to the playground, and get on one end of the seesaw? Alexis says, and someone gets on the other end of the seesaw? and Gregory says, then they lift you up and don’t let you down. Violet says she doesn’t like that, and Gregory says, you get upset, then they get upset. Alexis says, and then you’re arguing about a silly seesaw. Violet asks if they were being silly, and they say that they were. Gregory tells Alexis that he apologizes for his criticism, and she asks if he retracts it. He says, no, and she says, no retraction necessary. She has an idea. Why doesn’t he put his money where his mouth is? Why doesn’t he state his opinion in print, on the record? Unless he’s all talk.
Scotty says, this is character assassination at its worst, and the judge tells Diane to get where she’s going. Fast, or drop the line of questioning altogether. Diane says, Nina’s character is the sole reason they’re here. But of course (🍷). Is Nina familiar with the series of articles in The Invader? Nina says, yes, she skimmed it, and Diane says, so she knows, in addition to the other details of her rich and full life, it speaks about the time she spent in a little town called Nixon Falls. Is that portion of the story a lie? Nina says, like she said, she skimmed it. Diane says, is it a lie to say, while Nina was in Nixon Falls she ran into Wiley’s grandfather, Sonny Corinthos, when everyone else presumed him dead? Nina says, that’s true, and Diane says, and did Nina keep the knowledge from Mr. Corinthos that he was presumed dead, and at the same time keep the knowledge that he was alive from his wife and family, including precious Wiley, knowing the pain and suffering it caused? Scotty says, badgering the witness, and Judge Foster says, sustained. Nina says, at that moment, she wasn’t thinking about the pain and suffering, and Diane says, of course (🍷) not. Nina was thinking about revenge; getting back at Carly Corinthos because she possibly kept Nelle’s existence a secret from her? And isn’t it that same revenge that’s driving her today?
Finn says, Elizabeth is right, and she says she loves it when he says that. He says, he’s not crazy about the idea of letting go, and she says, her neither. He says, but in this case, he has to. He doesn’t want to impede her recovery. Would it be okay if he said he’s really going to miss her? She says, she’s going to miss him, but he heard Doc. It might only be afew weeks. He says, she’ll be back in no time, and she says, good as new. He says he liked the old version, and she says, then good as old. He says, even better, when Doc comes back with Laura and Cameron. He says, she’s all set, and Laura says, she and Doc will drive Elizabeth over. Cameron says, just get better. He’ll make sure Jake and Aiden stay in line while she’s away. Elizabeth says she knows he will. She’s never been more proud of him than she is right now. He says he’s proud of her too, and Laura says, they all are.
Gregory asks if Alexis is inviting him to submit something for publication, and she says, The Invader welcomes all kinds of opinions. Unless he’s afraid to hear from the readers. Violet says, grandpa’s not afraid of anything, and Gregory’s phone dings. Violet asks if that’s daddy. Are they going to see Aunt Elizabeth? Gregory says, let’s do it, and starts to pack up. Alexis tells him to give her best to Finn and Elizabeth. She hands him the newspaper, but he says, no thanks. Have a good one. She says, him too, and he and Violet leave.
The doctor tells Marshall that he’s going to set up the tests, and leaves. Marshall sees the prescription bottle in TJ’s hand, and says, he’s been less than honest about a lot of things. Stella says, it’s time; time to let go of the past. Curtis says, that can wait, and TJ says, what matters is getting Marshall better. Marshall says he appreciates that, but Stella is spot-on. Curtis deserved an explanation a long time ago. He wasn’t able to get it right with Tommy, but he can get it right with Curtis.
Nina says, what happened in Nixon Falls was more complicated than Diane is making it, but Diane says, not really. Nina either lied or she didn’t; which is it? Nina says she lied. Who hasn’t lied in here? That doesn’t make her a bad grandmother. She loves Wiley. How can she prove to Wiley how much she loves him if she’s shut out of his life? How can she prove it, not just by her words, but by her actions? Diane says, with all due respect, she had her chance, and threw it in the garbage. No further questions. The judge tells Nina to step down, and Michael says he thinks Diane did it. Diane says, let’s hope, and he tells Willow, that’s the end of that. Judge Foster asks if there’s anyone else prepared to speak for or against the petition, and Sonny tells Scotty to get him on the stand. Nina says, no, he doesn’t have to, but he says, yes, he does.
At GH, Finn tells Violet that Elizabeth is going to a place where she can get the care she needs. She’ll be home soon. Violet says she hopes Elizabeth Feels better, and Finn says he hopes so too. Elizabeth comes out, and Violet hugs her. She tells Elizabeth that she can take the frisbee, but Elizabeth tells her to hang onto it. They’ll play when she gets back. She asks for a hug for the road, and tells Violet that she loves her. She tells Cameron, don’t think he’s getting out of another one, and he says he wouldn’t want to. They hug, and she says she loves him. He says he loves her too, and Finn says, he’s not saying goodbye. Violet says, see you later, and Finn says, he’ll see Elizabeth later. Elizabeth says, not if she sees him first, and he hugs her. She says, tell the boys she loves them, and she’ll be home as soon as she can. Elizabeth gets in the elevator with Doc and Laura, and Finn holds her hand until the elevator doors start to close.
The doctor asks if Marshall is ready for the scans, and Stella tells him, be careful. He has precious cargo. The doctor says, as soon as they’re clear, Marshall can go home, and Marshall says, that’s exactly where he’s going – home with his family.
Brook says, this has nothing to do with Bailey, and Chase says, no? She says, no. It’s about her taking her life back, and everything she’s worked for. Is he going to help her or not? He says he’s sorry; he can’t. She says she’ll do it herself, and gets up.
Judge Foster says, if Scotty and his client have no more witnesses to call… Nina looks at Sonny, then nods to Scotty. Scotty says, they have one more witness to call. He calls Sonny Corinthos to the stand. Sonny gets up, and is sworn in. Everyone sits stone-faced.
Tomorrow, Josslyn tells Cameron, she finally figured out a way to stop Esme; Victor tells Ava, welcome home; and Diane asks why they should trust Sonny’s judgement.
🥀 Soap’s Loss…
I only watched Guiding Light for a hot minute, but I remember her from the soap magazines.
While the spring continues, generating pollen for all, join me tomorrow for soap and what’s happening with those who hold the diamonds. Until then, stay safe, stay letting your conscience be your guide, and stay keeping in mind, experience doesn’t equal talent.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
At The Savoy, Bobbie stares daggers at Nina, and Sonny tells her, don’t worry about them. Nina asks what they’re doing here, and he asks what she means. Carly tells Bobbie to stop glaring; don’t give them the satisfaction. Bobbie says, Sonny is parading around with Nina. Where’s his sense of shame? He’s actually holding her hand. Carly says, if it doesn’t affect Donna, she doesn’t care, and Bobbie says, Carly might be over it, but she’s not. She thinks it’s high time she gave them a piece of her mind. She gets up.
At Kelly’s, Finn gives Violet a placemat and crayons, telling her that she can draw whatever she likes. He puts headphones on her head, and she says she likes the song. She gets busy drawing, and Finn tells Gregory that he thinks she’s sufficiently distracted. He doesn’t want to scare her. Gregory says, with talk of ghosts, because Elizabeth thinks Franco is… haunting her? but Finn says, no. He thinks Violet is onto something because the only person present at every incident was Elizabeth. Gregory says, because someone is harassing her, but Finn says, what if that someone is Elizabeth herself?
Elizabeth picks up Violet’s drawing of the family, and tears Finn and Violet off of it.
Taggert thanks Portia for the invitation, and I’m confused. Wasn’t she at The Savoy with Epiphany and Stella? He says he could certainly use the company, and she says, so he read Trina’s Title IX report too. He says, hell yeah, and she asks if he thinks it’s going to have any impact on Trina’s criminal trial. He says, there wouldn’t be a criminal trial in the first place if it wasn’t for their esteemed Commissioner.
TJ says, the muggers already have their wallets and their phones; isn’t it enough? Marshall says, just take it, handing over the clarinet case, but TJ struggles with guy two as he takes it. Marshall pushes guy one back, and drops the knife.
Michael and Wiley play with toy cars, and Michael says he hopes Wiley gets this out of his system before he’s 16. Wiley says, 16 is old, and Michael says, thanks, buddy. He asks how Willow is feeling, and she says, Epiphany warned her nursing school would be hard, but she’s exhausted. He says he’s glad she didn’t stick it out for Leo’s birthday party. She was missed, but there were plenty of people there to celebrate. She asks if Leo had a good time, and Michael says, he did. She says, she tried taking a nap, but she couldn’t fall asleep, and Wiley says he could read her a bedtime story that always makes him fall asleep. She suggests she and daddy read him a story, since it’s past his bedtime, and Michael thinks they should spend a little extra time with him tonight. Willow says, how about two bedtime stories, and afterward, they’ll snuggle. Wiley wants a bedtime snack too, and Michael says, he drives a hard bargain. Willow says, deal, and Wiley says, yay!
Carly asks Bobbie to please sit down. She just said, she doesn’t want to give them the satisfaction. Bobbie says she’s Carly’s mother, and has the right to be indignant on her behalf. Carly says she understands that, and loves Bobbie for it, but can they keep the indignation between them? Please. Bobbie says, okay, fine, and sits back down. But Carly better buckle up because Bobbie has something to say to her, and she’s not going to like it.
Sonny says, he and Nina are just two people trying to wipe out their troubles for a while. There’s nothing wrong with that. Nina says, it seems like Bobbie definitely disagrees, and now that The Invader has reminded everyone in the world of her many transgressions, she’s sure there are plenty of people who have opinions about seeing them together. He says, people can think what they want. They don’t know them or what they’ve been through. She says she doesn’t care about people, she cares about him, but she can’t ignore the fact she caused him a lot of trouble, and it’s time she did something about that. He says, like what?
Gregory says, Finn thinks Elizabeth is stalking herself? That’s absurd. Finn says, this person keeps getting to Elizabeth without leaving a trace. At her home, at the hospital, at her room at the MetroCourt. Gregory says, there has to be another explanation, and Finn says, of course (🍷) she has access to her home, to her room at the MetroCourt, and Franco’s art studio, which would explain how someone got in and out without getting caught. The only big hole in the theory is that she wasn’t at home when the portrait was placed on the mantel. If he remembers correctly, no one saw Elizabeth sleeping at GH that night. Is it possible she went home and placed the painting there herself? Gregory says, there’s an even bigger hole in Finn’s theory. He’s told Gregory many times what a loving, devoted mom Elizabeth is to her three sons. Why would she torment herself, let alone her three boys?
Elizabeth sits on the couch in the dark, cutting up the part of the picture she tore off with a pair of scissors. Cameron comes in and turns on the lights. He says, mom? but she doesn’t acknowledge him.
Taggert says, Jordan, and she says, it’s good to see him… she thinks. He asks, what happened? The Jordan he knew was committed to justice being served. Jordan and Portia say hi, and Jordan tells Taggert, she can assure him that her commitment to justice is as strong as ever. He says, really? Then why is his daughter still facing a trial when it’s obvious she’s been framed? Jordan says, he knows she can’t comment on ongoing investigations, and he says he’s aware of the evidence she has against Trina. He worked at the PCPD a long time, and still has connections. What he doesn’t understand is why she’s sitting on her hands, letting Trina take the fall, instead of going out and finding the real criminal.
Guy one picks up his knife and slashes Marshall, who falls to the ground. The clarinet goes flying, and TJ runs to Marshall. Guy one throws TJ against the wall, and it’s two against one, but Curtis shows up. He kicks the muggers’ asses, as TJ tends to Marshall. Guy two (I think) runs off, and Curtis knocks the other one down. He says, at least they got one of them, and TJ asks if Marshall can hear him. He tells Curtis, call 9-1-1.
Portia tells Taggert to give his former partner some credit. She knows who Trina is, just like they do. Jordan says she’s still keeping an eye on Trina’s case, even though it’s now in the DA’s hands. Taggert thanks her for whatever she may or may not be doing, and she says, he may or may not be welcome. Portia asks if Jordan heard about the Title IX report that PCU released today, and Jordan says she hasn’t seen it yet, but assumes a copy went straight to the DA’s office. Portia says, Trina read it and she’s interpreting it as bad news. She’s concerned if she’s found responsible, she’s going to be expelled. She asks if Jordan thinks that would make it more likely Trina would be found guilty in the criminal trial.
Carly asks what she’s not going to like, and Bobbie says, Carly is putting on a great front, but there’s no point in torturing herself. Let’s leave. Carly says, no. She didn’t do anything wrong; she’s not going anywhere. Would Bobbie have let Lucy Coe run her out of every club? Bobbie says, she’s not suggesting Carly leave in every instance, but tonight, she doesn’t need the extra stress. She has nothing to prove. Carly says, Bobbie is right, but she’s still not going anywhere.
Nina says, the way she sees it, Sonny has been suffering the consequences of her bad choices. He almost died saving her from a fire that Peter set. Then when he got his memory back, he came back from a family, and moved on from her. His wife married her best friend, his marriage ended, and now he has a feud with his son because of her. Her being here with him is not a good idea. So for once, she’s going to make it easy on him, think about him, and go. He says, wait a minute. She can go if she wants to, but don’t do it on his account. Because for him, her being around is no trouble.
Finn says, Gregory is right; Elizabeth is a wonderful mother. Gregory says, then why would she create a situation where it wasn’t safe to live with her kids? and Finn says, she had trouble sleeping; the doctor even gave her a prescription. Gregory says, so? and Finn says, people react differently. Sleep aids have made people do lots of things; sleepwalking for one. Maybe that’s why she doesn’t remember any of these incidents. He has to go talk to her. He asks if Gregory will look after Violet for a minute, and Gregory says, of course (🍷), but he wants Finn to be careful. If Finn’s theory is right, and Elizabeth is responsible, either consciously or unconsciously, she attacked Chase. Who knows what else she might be capable of? Finn takes Violet’s headphones off, and says he’s sorry, but he has to go do something. She says he hasn’t had dessert yet, and he asks her to bring him something to go. He’ll see her at home later. She asks if he’s going to see Aunt Elizabeth, and he says he is. She tells him to let Elizabeth know she’s making her another drawing, and he says he will. He says he loves her, kisses the top of her head, and leaves.
Elizabeth continues to concentrate on cutting the picture, and Cameron says, mom? It’s him; he’s home. She doesn’t even acknowledge him, and he sits on the couch. He says, she’s starting to freak him out a little bit. Is she okay? What is she doing? She freezes, with the scissors midair.
Jordan says, there’s a good chance the judge won’t even allow the Title IX to be entered into evidence, and Portia says, that’s good news. Taggert says, it’s not guaranteed, and Jordan says, no, but he has to have faith. He says, that’s in short supply these days, and walks off. Portia says, Jordan will have to forgive Taggert. He’s hurting right now, but he knows she supports Trina, and he’s grateful; as is Portia. She asks if Jordan wants to join her and have a drink, if she’s not on the clock, and Jordan says she’s definitely off duty. She just came to blow off some steam. Portia says, by herself? and Jordan says she knows Curtis is out of town. She just doesn’t want any unsavory characters thinking they can take advantage. Portia asks if Jordan is saying Curtis’s business is being threatened.
Molly arrives, seeing the police cars, and ambulance. She says, oh my God, TJ, and runs to him. She asks, what happened? When they didn’t show up at the club, she went looking for them and saw the lights. TJ says, they were headed to an alley. Marshall said it was a back way to get into the club, when all of a sudden, they were stopped by some muggers who had knives. They gave them their phones and their wallets, but they got greedy; they wanted Marshall’s clarinet case. Curtis says, all of this because Marshall didn’t want to let go of his clarinet case? and TJ says, no, Marshall did, but he knew how important the clarinet was to him. So when he saw Marshall handing over the case, he reached for it, and they started struggling. Marshall is taken away on a stretcher, and Curtis says, it’s okay. TJ was brave. They’re taking Marshall to New York Methodist. Let’s go. They go, leaving Molly in the alley by herself. Where TJ and Marshall just got mugged.
Finn goes to Elizabeth’s house, and asks Cameron, what’s going on? Cameron says he doesn’t know. He came home a while ago, and Elizabeth was just cutting that paper. She won’t say anything, and he doesn’t know what to do. Finn picks up part of the picture, and sees his head has been cut out of it. He sits on the couch, and tells Elizabeth, it’s him. Can she hear him? She just stares into space, her hand holding the scissors still frozen, and Cameron says, what’s wrong with her? Why won’t she say anything? Finn tells her, it’s okay. Can she give him the scissors? There’s no response, and he cups his hand around the scissors. Elizabeth comes to, and he tells her, it’s okay. He promises no one is going to hurt her. He takes the scissors, and she says, Finn?What’s happening? She looks around, and says, she’s home? How did she get here?
Michael says, Wiley fell asleep early, and Willow wonders why. Could it be because someone kept him up an hour past his bedtime playing trucks? Michael says he knows it’s best to get him on a regular routine, but they were having so much fun, he felt bad calling it a night. She says, what if that all changes tomorrow? She’s really stressed about the hearing. What reasonable grandmother wouldn’t want contact with their grandchild? And Nina is really good at convincing people she’s reasonable. He says, worrying themselves into the ground isn’t going to do any good. Diane has repeatedly told him they have a strong case. Willow says, it’s not a slam dunk. What if they’re both wrong, and Nina wins?
In the back of the club, Taggert sees Sonny, who asks if he’s enjoying his night. Taggert says, not even a little, and Sonny says he knows what’s going on with Trina. Taggert says, Trina had nothing to do with what happened with Sonny’s stepdaughter, and Sonny says he knows that. Josslyn spends a lot of time with Trina, and he knows Trina is a great person. She’d never do what she’s being accused of. Taggert nods moves on.
Carly is looking at her phone, and Bobbie says, if she wants to have a conversation with Carly, should she start sending texts? Carly says, sorry. She’s just really distracted right now. Bobbie asks if it’s about the test results from GH, and Sonny’s supersonic ears pick that up. Bobbie says, she thought Carly was going to forget about that until tomorrow, and Sonny says, test results at GH; Is Carly sick? What’s going on? Bobbie says she thinks they could use a minute. She’ll be back. She leaves, and Sonny sits down. He asks if this has anything to do with when Carly was attacked by Harmony, and she says she appreciates his concern, but her life has nothing to do with him anymore. He says, she’s Donna’s mother, and she says, and if it affected Donna, she’d tell him. He says she can’t brush this off that easy. He knows when she’s hiding something.
Bobbie goes to the bar, and asks if Nina is enjoying her evening. Nina says, considering the visitation hearing is tomorrow, it’s probably best they didn’t speak tonight. Bobbie says, if Nina listens to what she has to say, there won’t be a hearing tomorrow.
Willow asks Michael, what if they’re forced to let Nina see Wiley? She’s so needy. She wants Wiley to love her. She wants him to console her over the loss of Nelle. It’s not really about Wiley at all. She’s afraid of the lesson he might take from that; that his needs don’t matter. As Wiley grows up, he’s going to have to handle challenges, and deal with people who are out for themselves, but she wants him to know that family is always a place he can feel loved and protected. Michael says, he will. They’ll block Nina’s petition, he promises. She says, when she found out about Harmony’s lies, it made her stop and reassess what family means. He and Wiley matter more to her than anything. She’ll always fight for them. He says, and he’ll be by her side. No matter what Nina throws at them tomorrow, or in the future, they’ll hit her back twice as hard. She asks if it’s messed up that hearing him say that makes her love him more, and he says, not at all. Hearing how protective she is, and how she wants to keep their family safe, makes him love her even more. She says, it seems they’re a perfect match, and he says, 1000%, and they kiss.
Jordan tells Portia, she doesn’t think Curtis is in any trouble. She’s just being overly cautious. Portia says she knows Jordan still cares about Curtis, and Jordan says, it’s not like that, but Portia says, she didn’t mean it in that way. She means Jordan is always going to be family to Curtis, and she respects that. She’s glad Jordan has his back. Jordan asks if Portia has heard from him, and Portia says, he texted her when he got to Brooklyn, but she hasn’t heard anything from him since. Jordan says she hasn’t had any updates from TJ either. She wonders if they found Marshall yet, and Portia hopes when they do, they’re able to heal the wounds between Curtis and his dad.
At the hospital, TJ says, this is on him. He doesn’t know what he was thinking, grabbing for that case. Molly says, he was being mugged. He acted on instinct because he knows how important that clarinet is to Marshall. Curtis says, TJ was incredibly brave. He knows it’s Marshall’s most prized possession. He did right by Marshall. A doctor comes out, and Curtis asks if his father is okay. The doctor says, he lost a lot of blood, but he’s stable. They’re going to take him for a CT and an MRI to rule out any traumatic brain injury. Before they do, is there anything about Marshall’s medicant history they should know? Any medications? Any allergies? Curtis says, he takes blood pressure medication, but he’s not sure which kind or the dosage. Marshall just recently came back to their family. They don’t know much about his medical history. The doctor goes back, and TJ says, there’s still so much they don’t know about Marshall. Curtis says, they still have a chance, but TJ says, what if he doesn’t make it? Curtis says he knows TJ is a doctor, and his first impulse is to go to the worst case scenario, but don’t let himself go there. They came all this way to find Marshall. They’re not going to give up now.
Gregory tells Violet not to worry; everything will be okay. He won’t worry either. She shows him her latest drawing – everyone seated at a long table – and he says, it’s beautiful. She says, it’s him, her, Aunt Elizabeth, daddy, and Uncle Chase at a tea party. Maybe Aunt Elizabeth will feel better if they throw her a tea party. It always makes her feel better. Gregory says, sometimes grown-up problems are more complicated, and she says, she wishes she never has grown-up problems. He says, if he could keep her this age he would, and she wonders if she can ask him something. He says, anything, and she asks if he’s going to finish his brownie. He gives it to her.
Finn asks, what’s the last thing Elizabeth remembers? and she says she was lying down Laura’s. Did Laura and Doc bring her here? He says he called Laura’s because he wanted to talk to her; he wanted to apologize. Laura told him that she’d snuck out. He came looking here first. She says she doesn’t remember any of that. Did Cameron pick her up and drive her here? Cameron says, no. He’s been crashing at Ian’s dorm, and came back to get his laptop. He found her sitting here, and tried talking to her, but she ignored him like she was in a trance. She asks what she was doing, and he says, she was just sitting there, cutting up that picture. She says, that’s the picture Violet gave her Why would she destroy it? Why doesn’t she remember any of this? Finn asks if she wants to go back to Laura and Doc’s and talk about it in the morning. Elizabeth says she doesn’t know why came or what she was doing. If Finn knows what’s going on, he has to tell her. Cameron says he agrees with his mom. If Finn has any idea what’s happening, they need to hear it. Finn says he thinks maybe the person they’ve been looking for, the one who’s intruding on her life, is her. Cameron asks if Finn is saying his mom has been harassing their family. That’s just not possible; she wouldn’t do that. Finn says he’s sorry. He knows it’s upsetting, but they have to understand Elizabeth wasn’t conscious of what she was doing. It was a form of sleepwalking. It explains how someone kept getting in and out without leaving any evidence. Cameron’s mom was present for almost every intrusion. Elizabeth gets up, and says, no, that’s impossible. There’s no way she’d forget doing all of those things. Finn says, just tonight she lost track of time. She doesn’t remember leaving Laura’s; she doesn’t remember coming here. She doesn’t remember cutting up Violet’s drawing. When he and Cam found her, she woudn’t respond to either one of them. Doesn’t Cameron agree? Cameron says, yes. He kept trying to talk to her, and she ignored him, like he wasn’t there. Finn says, if they hadn’t found her, if she’d come out of it on her own, what would she have thought happened? She says she doesn’t know. If what he’s saying is true, she’s the one who stashed the ring. She’s the one who slashed her dress she wore when she married Franco. She put the portrait he did of her up here? How would she even get it? Did she set fire to Franco’s studio? Is she the one who hit Chase over the head? What’s happening to her? Finn says, it’s okay. He holds her, and says, it’s going be okay. She looks pretty freaked.
TJ says, he’d update his mom, but he doesn’t want to worry her until they have definitive answers. Curtis asks if TJ and Marshall got to talk much before the mugging, and TJ says, Marshall was reluctant to come back to Port Charles. He also said he did Curtis and his dad a favor when he left all those years ago. Curtis says, he’s not the only one, and TJ says, he agrees? Curtis says, not him; his mom. Molly asks how he knows this, and Curtis says, Stella told him that she knew all along Marshall was alive. According to Aunt Stella, it was Marshall’s idea to disappear after he got arrested. And the strange thing is, his mom agreed with it. TJ says, that doesn’t make any sense. Why? Curtis says, Aunt Stella said that had to come from Marshall. Believe him. He had all those questions and more. Now they just have to hope Marshall tells them what he’s been hiding. An orderly comes out, and asks if they’re Marshall’s family, and Curtis asks, is his father okay?
Taggert says he’s going to take off, and Portia says, they’re going to help Trina through this, no matter what comes her way. They hug, and Jordan tells Taggert, Trina is a fantastic young woman. She doesn’t want to see Trina hurt. Are they good? Taggert says, they go way back, and Jordan certainly proved to be true to his family. Whatever she’s doing, he trusts her. He leaves, and Jordan says she knows Trina is in a difficult situation, but she sure has an amazing support system around her. Joss and Cam stood by her, and of course (🍷) there’s Portia, Curtis, and Taggert. Portia says, Taggert has always been such a devoted father, and Jordan remembers Portia saying she needs to tell Trina the truth about her father, when she and Portia were trapped in the basement. Portia asks if there’s something on Jordan’s mind, and Jordan says, Portia, and the things she said the day they were almost killed.
Carly says, whatever she’s doing, whatever tests she’s had run, Sonny has lost the right to know about it. Sonny says, just because they’re divorced, doesn’t mean they weren’t partners for years, so if she’s sick or hurt, he wants to know about it. Not just because of the kids, but because he cares about her. He sent her a voicemail after Harmony attacked her; did she get it? She says she did. She’s sorry she didn’t respond. He says he knows things are different, but he’ll always be here for her. She says she’s not sick or hurt, and he says, then what’s these GH test results, and why are they so important?
Bobbie tells Nina, call off the petition before it blows up in her face, but Nina says she’s not discussing this with Bobbie. They’re going before a judge tomorrow. Nina starts to leave, and Bobbie says, wait a minute. Does she really think those articles will be the end of it? Michael will keep coming for her. Nina says, let him. He can’t say anything worse than he has already. Bobbie asks if Nina knows that she was the first one to see through Nelle. She had Nelle pegged as a gold digging psycho the first time her daughter let Nelle through the door. Now she sees where Nelle got it. Nina is more polished, but she’s just as entitled and just as greedy, helping herself to things that don’t belong to her; like other people’s husbands and other people’s children. Nina says, Bobbie is no Mother Teresa herself. She knows all about Bobbie’s messy sordid past, all the way back to when she manipulated Laura and Scotty, because she wanted Scotty for herself. And let’s not forget all the people Bobbie lied to, and this little nugget, all the husbands she cheated on. Bobbie says she hasn’t wrecked any homes lately, unlike Nina, who helped herself to Sonny. Not that Nina cares what it did to Carly, but what about Donna and Avery? She doesn’t care about two little girls who love their family? She’d rather go around wringing her hands over Nelle, and make excuses for Nelle’s laundry list of crimes. Nina says, she was robbed of a chance to help her daughter, to help Nelle, but Bobbie got a second chance with her daughter, didn’t she? So Carly turned out to be every bit as twisted as her prostitute mother. Didn’t Bobbie think she knew about that part of her sordid past? Fortunately, Scotty likes to talk. Bobbie says, if she was younger, she’d toss a pitcher of margaritas all over Nina, and Nina says, but now she’s older… and wiser. Bobbie says, young at heart… only a bit wiser, and throws her drink in Nina’s face. Is Bobbie really this stupid? I hate when they make the characters seem like idiots. But of course (🍷 goes for me too), Nina will be stupid and do nothing.
Michael and Willow get busy and there’s a song part. I take a power nap.
Jordan tells Portia, memory is a funny thing, isn’t it? She hadn’t thought about their near death experience in ages. Then all of a sudden, she’s hearing Portia’s voice talking about telling Trina the truth about her father. Portia says, personally she likes to keep close encounters with death locked deep in her psyche, but thanks for the reminder. Jordan says she’ll keep her mouth shut next time. Did Portia ever tell Trina what she thought Trina should know about Taggert? Portia says, she was deprived of oxygen, as was Jordan. Clearly she wasn’t thinking straight. Of course (🍷) in any conversation she’d have with Trina about her father, he’d be included. Jordan tells her, just don’t keep it inside forever. They only have to look at Marshall to see how secrets in families can fester. Portia says she thinks Curtis still has time to make things right with his father, and Jordan says, if they give themselves that chance. Portia says, Curtis will. He always does what’s right by his family.
The orderly says, they’re bringing Marshall back from his tests, and gives Curtis his effects (i.e. his stuff). Curtis asks if it’s possible to see him, and she says, he can only have one visitor at a time. TJ tells Curtis to go, and he follows the orderly. TJ looks in the bag, and says, Marshall’s clarinet. It must still be in the alley; he has to go back and get it. Molly says, no, he doesn’t. She takes pieces of the clarinet out of her bag, and says, she scooped these up, even though some pieces are damaged a little bit. TJ says, now they just need Marshall to wake up.
Curtis sits by Marshall’s bed. He sighs.
Violet asks if Gregory will keep her drawing safe, and he says he’ll guard it with his life. She says, if it will make him feel better, he can hold her hand. They walk out hand-in-hand.
Elizabeth asks why she’s doing these horrible things. What’s wrong with her? Finn says he doesn’t know, but he promises they’re going to find out.
Willow says, Michael’s really not worried about the visitation hearing tomorrow, and he says, of course (🍷) he is, but they have each other. They’ll find a way to make everything okay. She says she loves him, and he says, and he loves her.
Nina says, Bobbie going to pay for this, tomorrow when she gets legal visitation rights to Wiley. Carly runs up, grabbing Bobbie away, and Sonny says, back off; that’s enough. Sonny gets a napkin from the bar, and gives it to Nina, who wipes her face. He asks, what happened? and Nina tells him, let’s just say it was a painful reminder of how important it is she’s granted legal visitation rights to Wiley.
Carly asks if Bobbie is okay, and Bobbie says, she knows she should have been the bigger person, but she couldn’t stop herself. Carly says, way to go, mom, and Bobbie says she’s surprised Carly isn’t mad. Carly says, she loved it. That is the least of what Nina deserves. Bobbie says, give her hell tomorrow at the hearing, and Carly says she intends to
On Monday, TJ tells Curtis that he found something he wasn’t expecting; Finn tells Chase, he thinks he knows who’s been harassing Elizabeth; Elizabeth asks if she’s losing her mind; and Dante tells Sonny, think about it before he gets on the stand on behalf of Nina.
🎉 Something To Celebrate…
God bless ‘em. Forty years is a long time to be at any job.
What can be added to the happiness of a man who is in health, out of debt, and has a clear conscience? – Adam Smith
I’ll join this conversation on the proviso that we stop bitching about people, talking about wigs, dresses, bust sizes, penises, drugs, night clubs, and bloody Abba! – Bernadette (Terrence Stamp), Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others. – Winston Churchill
Gardens, scholars say, are the first sign of commitment to a community. When people plant corn they are saying, let’s stay here. And by their connection to the land, they are connected to one another. – Anne Raver
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world. – Albert Einstein
According to police, the “defecation was significant enough that 8 wigs were destroyed as a result.” – NY Post article about Public Enemy #2, who made poopie in a beauty supply store
Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal. – John F. Kennedy
Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity. – Henry Van Dyke Jr.
Tequila. – Pope Francis, in talking about what he needs to ease his knee pain.
🏃🏽♀️ Born To Run…
See you when it’s time to Fear the Dead. Until then, stay safe, stay respecting others’ opinions, but thinking for yourself, and stay being the bigger person, even if you think you can’t stop yourself. Because IRL, that’s not how any of this works.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
On the phone, Nikolas leaves a message for Ava to call him. On another phone, Spencer says he gets it. Cameron’s girlfriend isn’t happy with him right now, but if he can ride out Joss and Trina hating him, then Cameron can too. Please, Spencer needs him to do this one favor. Esme walks in as he’s talking, and says, what favor is that?
At the gallery, Trina hears a noise, and gets her pepper spray out of her bag. She goes toward the entrance as Rory is coming in, and she says, oh, it’s you. He says, she can put that down now, and she agrees she can, but she doesn’t know if she should.
Portia says she was worried about Curtis. She couldn’t reach him all day. He apologizes for being radio silent, and she wonders if he’s going to tell her that Marshall left town, and he went after him. He nods, and she asks if he found Marshall. He says, he found Marshall; then he lost him again.
Dante meets Willow and Michael in the MetroCourt Garden, since it’s replaced the pool as the hot new set. He says he’s sorry Sam can’t make it. Something came up, and she sends her regrets. Michael asks if everything is good, and Dante says he thinks so. Sam encouraged him to come, so he’s sure it’s nothing too serious.
In the ER, TJ checks Alexis’s vision, and Sam runs in. She asks, what happened? and Alexis says, she and Carly barely escaped with their lives. Girls night out. Sam asks TJ what she’s talking about; is she okay? TJ says, she’s not exaggerating. She and Carly were attacked. Sam asks, by who? and Alexis says, by someone she thought was her friend.
Jordan is in another cubicle with Carly, and Amy tells Carly that the attending wants to monitor her; try to get some rest. As soon as she’s gone, Carly takes off the oxygen mask, and says, she knows Jordan has questions for her, but they’ve got to find Harmony before she goes after Willow and Wiley. Jordan asks why she thinks Harmony is a danger to her own daughter and grandson, and Carly says, Harmony had some kind of psychotic break. She’s desperate to keep the secret that Willow is not her daughter.
Sasha kneels by Harmony, and the photographer says, how’s this for a headline – Supermodel Speedster Slays. She says, can’t he see? This woman is barely breathing. She needs an ambulance right now. On the phone, Gladys says she doesn’t know the exact location, and Sasha says she can’t focus. She tells the photographer to help Gladys, and he takes the phone, while Gladys goes to help Sasha. Sasha says, help her turn Harmony over, but Gladys isn’t sure they should. Sasha says, this lady is barely breathing; she needs CPR right now. On three, she wants Gladys to turn Harmony toward her. One… two… three. They turn her over, and Gladys says, she thought it was a deer, but it was a person. Sasha sees it’s Harmony, all bloody, and she’s shocked.
Alexis tells Sam, she took off on foot. She could be anywhere.
Carly tells Jordan that she found a piece of paper in a file. They were notes from a therapy session, and mentioned Harmony by name. Something about Harmony feeling guilty for taking a child that wasn’t her own. Jordan says, these were Neil Byrne’s notes? and Carly says, when she went to the fireplace, because Harmony was burning some papers, the heading on the paper said, Dr. Neil Byrne, Psychiatrist, and that’s when Harmony came after her with a needle. Jordan says, this could explain why Brendon Byrne was found dead in the water by the pier, and Carly says, all she knows is, when she woke up in her SUV, she could hear Harmony and Alexis arguing. Harmony was threatening Alexis. She went after Alexis, but then Carly tackled her to the ground. The moment Harmony heard Alexis get through to 9-1-1, she took off. Jordan says, this was all because of Neil Byrne’s file. What was so compelling that Harmony would commit multiple homicides to keep it quiet?
Willow says, she’s sorry Sam’s missing out, but she won’t complain about having two handsome dinner companions. Dante wonders if he won’t be the third wheel. Don’t they want a rare night out? Willow says, they manage get out when they can, and asks what Dante’s been up to. Dante says, working. He was just at the gym; Sonny was there. He heard Sonny and Michael had a dust up. Willow says, excuse her. She’s going to call the nanny and check on Wiley. She leaves, and Dante says, that was very tactfully done. Michael asks what their father had to say, and Dante says, he heard Sonny’s side; he was hoping to hear Michael’s. Michael says, it’s between dad and him. It’s best Dante stays out of it.
Curtis tells Portia that he’s sorry about today. He’s in a negative headspace. He had a confrontation with Marshall, and of course (🍷) it didn’t go very well. She asks how this confrontation was any different than the others he had with Marshall, and he says, this time, he had knowledge. He discovered some secrets Marshall’s been keeping from him. She asks how he came across this knowledge, and he says he did some digging. She says, and Marshall was upset about the invasion of his privacy, and Curtis says, so much so, he packed his bags and left town. She says she sees. And what does he think upset Marshall more, that Curtis unearthed his secrets, or that he used Drew to do it?
Rory says he didn’t mean to scare Trina. He noticed she hadn’t locked the door. She says she meant to; she just got caught up with work. He says, she should be more careful. Commissioner Ashford told him to keep watch. She said there’s been some trouble with the press? Although he doesn’t recommend pepper spraying a reporter. Can she put that away now? She says, sorry, and puts it back in her bag. He says, close call. Looks like she has good aim. She says, she does. Her dad is an ex-cop. He says he’s sure he taught her the importance of handling weapons safely, and she says, trust her, she knows. He says, good. He’d hate to have to take her in. She says, like he did with Cam and Spencer? Overreact much? He says, she’s still mad that he detained her friends, but she says, friend. Cam is her friend. He says, and Cassadine isn’t?
Spencer tells Cameron, he’s glad they understand one another, and ends the call. Esme asks, who was that? and he says, Cameron. She says, Cam’s doing him a favor? and he says, if he knows what’s good for him. He told Cam that he needs to watch what he says about Esme in the future, or things might get physical again. She says, he and Cam got into a fight? and he says, they were dragged down to the PCPD, but now Cam knows that he’s not going to tolerate him badmouthing her anymore. She says, he did that for her? He has to be careful. He can’t get arrested again. He says, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for her, and tells her that he has to get going. She asks, where? and he says, the gallery, so he can get started on the many menial tasks Ava’s assigned to him. If he goes after hours, he can avoid Ava and Trina. She says she appreciates that. He kisses her on the cheek, says, it always has been us against the world, and leaves.
Nikolas’s phone dings, and the message from Ava says: Plans tonight. Don’t wait up. He throws the phone across the room, when Esme walks in. She says, something on his mind? He says, this is a waste. All that effort, Ava isn’t even taking his calls. He flips over the table set for his and Ava’s dinner, sending everything flying. Esme says, it was a beautiful table. She’s sorry about Ava, and for her part in ruining his plans. He says, it’s not her fault, but she says, Ava isn’t here because Ava resents the fact she is. She starts to pick things up, but he tells her, leave it; he’ll have someone clean it. She says, Ava even put their vow renewal on hold, and he says, no one’s forced her to make those choices. She says, it’s so obvious how he worships his wife. She can’t understand how Ava doesn’t appreciate that. She sees what kind of partner he is, and she wants that kind of passion and loyalty in her life. She takes his hand, and says, he doesn’t deserve to be stuck in this house without the love he so desperately needs. Laura walks in, and says, she comes bearing glad tidings. Nobody has to be stuck. Esme doesn’t have to hide out anymore.
Trina says, she asked Rory not to arrest Cam, if he recalls. Now if he’ll excuse her, she has work to do. She’ll lock up when he goes. He says he wasn’t trying to be a jerk. Commissioner Ashford is really pushing for everything to be by the book. She says, nothing wrong with being disciplined; she can relate. He says, and so she knows, both guys got off with a warning. She says she supposes he’s just doing his job, possibly taking it too seriously, and he says, since she cut him some slack, he wouldn’t turn down something to drink while he keeps watch in his patrol car. She says, Officer Invisible did give her a soda once. She guesses she can return the favor. He says, actually Cabrera, but she can call him Rory, if she ever needs to call him.
Curtis says, Drew told Portia about their plan? and she says, he told her the basics. He said he set up an interview with Marshall so they could do a background check. Curtis says, Marshall was upset by all the subterfuge. He was even more upset that Curtis ignored his wishes to stop searching. She asks, then why did he do it? and he says, he did it for her and Trina; for Aunt Stella and TJ, and everyone he loves. They had to find out what Marshall was hiding. And he doesn’t regret doing it, because what he found out was eye-popping. The man was never in the Witness Protection Program, and no link to organized crime. In fact, his arrest was because of a protest rally decades ago. She doesn’t understand why he would hide that, and Curtis says, he’s guessing, pride. He was embarrassed he never did jail time. Instead, he was sent to a mental institution. He was going to tell her; he just wanted to confront the man first. She says, Curtis doesn’t owe her that information, but she’s wondering why he didn’t share with her how he acquired it. Subterfuge, digging; her perspective could have helped him with this. And she thought they were in this together, but he didn’t trust her with any of it?
Michael says, he doesn’t recognize their father anymore; does Dante? Dante says, of course (🍷) he does. He’s going through some changes. Michael says, changes that directly affect his mother and son. His mother can take care of herself, but Wiley can’t. That means he has to put his relationship with Sonny behind him. Dante asks, for how long? when Willow comes back, and says, Wiley’s just fine. Dante’s phone rings, and he says, now it’s his turn to be excused. He steps away, and Willow asks if everything is okay. Michael says, Dante didn’t try to talk him out of his positions, and she says, relationships with parents are tricky. She needs to check in with her mom about her drinking last night. It’s not like her. Dante comes back, and says, he just got called to the scene of an accident; he has to jet. Willow says, eventful night, and Dante says, it appears so. He tells Michael, whatever happens with him and Sonny, they’re brothers, always. Michael says, always, and Dante says, raincheck on the dinner? Michael says, sounds good. Next time, bring Sam. Dante says, of course (🍷). No more third wheel for them.
Sam says, Alexis couldn’t have known how deep Harmony’s lies went, or what she was actually capable of. Alexis says, she didn’t; not even close. She killed Neil, then became Alexis’s friend, and tried to kill her.
Carly says, Harmony stole a baby. That’s pretty shocking. Jordan asks if it’s sufficient motive to try to kill Carly and Alexis, kill Neil Byrne, and his brother. Was it all to avoid going back to prison, or is there more to the story? Carly flashes back to confronting Harmony about saying owed Nina, and Harmony saying that she misspoke. Carly says she’s not sure, and Jordan says, try her. Carly says she thinks Brendon knew Harmony killed his brother, and Jordan says, then why not come to the police?Especially when he had damning evidence in her file? Carly says, apparently, he was trying to shake Harmony down, and Jordan says, but why go to such extreme lengths? And what was in that file? What else does Carly know?
Sasha does CPR, and Gladys asks, if she dies, are they going to get in trouble? Harmony takes a breath, and Sasha says, she’s back. She tells Harmony, hold on; help is coming. The photographer starts taking pictures, since he learned nothing from Princess Diana’s death, and tells Sasha, look at him.
Jordan wonders if there was anything, any indication why Harmony would kill two people, and try to kill two more, and Carly doesn’t know what Jordan wants her to say, What she does know is, Willow is going to be devastated, and she’s worried about Willow’s safety. Michael and Wiley too, which is why she has to let them know what’s going on. Jordan says, it’s being handled. Everyone has to remain calm, including Carly. So sit tight; got it? Carly nods, and Jordan’s phone rings. She leaves to take the call, and Carly says, you bet I’ll sit tight, and starts to gather up her stuff.
Sam wonders if Alexis needs more medical attention, but Alexis says, she heard TJ. No concussion. She’s fine… at least physically. Sam says she’s so sorry Harmony did this to her; she let that woman into her home. Alexis says she’s realizing Harmony wasn’t just the cause of one bad night, but many.
The photographer snaps photos all around the gurney the paramedics have Harmony on. One of them says, dude, seriously, what are you doing? The photographer goes over to Sasha and Gladys, and says, there’s two ways this thing can play out. He can sell these pictures with Sasha being the heroine who saved the day, or she can stand in his way, and the story is, she caused this tragedy. Gladys tells her to go with the first one. He’s going to sell something. The bad press will make Deception’s stock go down. Is that what she wants? The photographer says, it benefits them both, and he wants his memory card returned. The paramedics bring Harmony through, and one tells Sasha, nice job keeping her alive, and the photographer says, isn’t she great? They go to the ambulance, and the photographer says, his memory card, holding out his hand. Sasha says she doesn’t think so, and starts to walk away. He says, okay, the Face of Collision it is. She asks why he doesn’t leave her alone, and he says, the whole world will see she’s flaming out after she lost her kid. Wow. He’s extra stupid, since I doubt the public would be on his side. Sasha goes after him and Gladys pulls her back. Dante arrives, and gets in the middle, saying, stop.
Portia says, she doubts Curtis would have gotten Drew involved unless she had serious concerns, but she wishes he would have trusted her. He says he does trust her, but ever since they moved in together, he’s been concerned about Marshall’s past showing up on their doorstep. And leaving Trina alone with him when Aunt Stella had her panic attack didn’t help matters. She says, Trina seemed perfectly safe with Marshall, and he says he’s not saying Marshall’s the danger. He’s worried about Marshall’s past, and had to get answers. She asks how he went about it. Didn’t Marshall’s background check come back clean? He says, Marshall had a sealed arrest record. He told Curtis that himself. She says she knows Marshall didn’t tell him the contents of that record. How’d he go about finding out?
Laura sees the mess, and asks, what happened here? Nikolas says, a momentary lapse.What’s this great news? She says she had a conversation with Sonny, and he assured her, Esme has nothing to fear. He gave her his word, and his word is his bond. So they can all resume their normal lives. Perhaps Esme can move out now. Nickolas says, let’s not be too hasty.
Rory is looking at a painting, when Trina comes back. She says, sorry, this is all they have, handing Rory a bottle of Pellegrino. She asks if he likes the painting, but he says he’s not sure. He doesn’t know anything about art. He’s walked past the Chuck museum a thousand times, but never set foot inside. She says, that’s sad; he’s definitely missing out. He says he really likes the front steps. It’s a great place to eat his lunch. She says, trust her. What’s inside is a million times better. He says, even if he has no idea what he’s looking at? and she says, the thing about art is it’s subjective. How does this painting make him feel? Spencer quietly comes in, and Rory says, hopeful? Trina asks, why hopeful? and Rory says she’s putting him on the spot. Something about the mixture of dark and light. She says, she can see that, and Spencer says, that’s called contrast. Rory should ask Trina to educate him about chiaroscuro, the treatment of light and shade. Trina says, he is the expert on all things shady. Why is he here?
Portia says she knows a former investigator has all kinds of sources, and she’s not asking Curtis to reveal them, but getting access to a sealed police record… He says, she doesn’t approve, and she says, she’s not judging him; she’s concerned. He says, about Marshall or his relationship with Marshall? and she says, of course (🍷) she hopes Marshall is okay. She’s sensitive to him wanting to keep his mental health issues private. As far ask their father/son relationship, she’s with Curtis. She supports what he wants. He asks, then why is she upset? and she says she doesn’t want to lose him.
Rory says, if it isn’t the mayor’s grandson. What brings Spencer here? Spencer says, work. He’s here to start his restitution, and since Trina is no longer supervising him, he figured he could make his own hours. Rory says, he bets. Spencer seems to like making up his own rules. Spencer says, if it’s a bad time, he can leave, but Trina says she’ll go. She just needs to finish. Rory says he’ll be in the car, thanks Trina for the water, and leaves, and my God is his belt LOUD. Spencer asks why Trina is hanging out with Rory, and Trina says, not that it’s any of his business, but Commissioner Ashford assigned him to her for her protection. He says, like a bodyguard, and she asks why Rory made that comment about him being the mayor’s grandson. He says, so they’re on a first name basis now, and she says, he used his grandmother’s position to avoid charges. He says, Rory would have found out anyway, and she says, he doesn’t think twice, does he? He just throws money and influence, or both, and expects things to go his way. She thought he’d grow out of it, but she was wrong all along. He’s still the same entitled brat she had the bad luck of meeting months ago.
Nikolas tells Laura, Spencer and Esme can’t support themselves, and Esme says she still doesn’t have access to her trust fund, and Spence is making nothing at the gallery. Laura says she’s sure Spencer could go back to working at Kelly’s, but Esme says, Spencer and Cameron had a… disagreement. Laura says, she’s aware. She was Spencer’s first call from Jail. Esme says she should probably go talk to Spence; tell him the good news. She fakes being happy, and thanks Laura, hugging her. Laura says she’s so welcome, and Esme leaves. Nikolas says he appreciates Laura coming and delivering the news in person, and she says, not a minute too soon it seems.
Dante asks, what happened? What’s going on? The photographer says, he’s bleeding and Sasha is insane. Sasha says, he’s insane, calling him a bloodsucker, and Gladys says, not another word without an attorney present. She’s calling Brando. She tells Dante, Sasha’s not saying another word, so save his breath. The photographer says he needs medical attention, and Dante says he can drive himself to GH. Just don’t leave the hospital before Dante gets his statement. He says, Dante is going to get his statement all right, and Dante says, get out of here. He leaves, and Dante asks if Sasha is okay, but she says, no. How’s Harmony? He says, too soon to tell. What happened here? She says, that horrible man was chasing them, and he asks, was he trying to get photos? Sasha says, she was trying to get away from him. She was driving… He stops her, and reminds her that she does have a right to counsel, but he needs to know what happened with Harmony. How did she get hurt? Sasha says, she ran out into the road right in front of her car. She couldn’t swerve. My God. What if she doesn’t make it? Gladys comes back, and says, that’s enough for now. Can’t Dante see she’s upset? He says he’s going, but Sasha should get to GH; she could be in shock. They can come to the station in the morning to give their statements. Gladys tells Sasha, let’s go, and leads her away. Dante sees something on the ground covered in blood. The memory card?
Michael says, some date night, huh? and Willow says, it started off weird. Sam couldn’t make it, and Dante got called away. It’s not his fault. He says he’s been in a funk since Dante brought up his dad, and she says, having a parent out of your life is not easy, but it doesn’t have to be forever. Look at her and her mom. He says, enough gloomy talk. Like Dante said, it’s a rare night out. Let’s make the best of it. She asks if he has anything particular in mind, and he says he has a few things in mind. They kiss, and his phone rings. He says, of course (🍷). It’s Carly, who asks if Willow is with him, and he says, they just sat down to dinner. Is everything okay? She says, everything is not okay. It’s not about Wiley, but she needs him and Willow to come to the ER right now. She’ll tell him everything when they get here. He says, they’re on their way, and Willow asks, what is it?
Carly asks if Alexis is okay, and Alexis says, she’s fine thanks to Carly. Carly saved her life. What about her? Carly thanks Alexis, saying, if Alexis hadn’t shown up when she did… Sam comes out, and says, Spinelli’s trying to get a location on Harmony’s phone, and Alexis says, Harmony sure as hell won’t be calling her. Her reporter was at the PCPD, and said they have no information yet, but hopefully, they’ll find Harmony, and this will all be over soon. Amy tells Alexis that her discharge papers are ready, and they’re working on Carly’s. Harmony is brought in on a gurney, and the paramedic says she was in full arrest on scene, and a bystander performed CPR. She has multiple head injuries and probably head trauma. Amy says, that’s Willow’s mother, and TJ says a bunch of medical stuff. I laugh, wondering if he even knows what he’s saying.
Gladys says she agrees with Dante that Sasha should be checked out at GH. Brando’s very worried about her. Sasha tells Gladys, just say it. Gladys says, Harmony came out of nowhere. There’s no way Sasha could have avoided her. She lowers her voice to a whisper, and says, the fact is, Sasha was speeding. What’s on that memory card that’s got her so bent? Sasha flashes back to the photographer taking photos of her taking a pill, and she says she’s so sick of being treated like an animal on exhibit. Since she lost Liam, her grief has been judged and analyzed, and she can’t take it. Gladys says she gets it. Don’t worry. The memory card is safe in her purse. Sasha asks if she can have it, and Gladys says, of course (🍷), but she wants to get Sasha to the hospital first. Sasha says she hopes Willow is there. She owes Willow an explanation.
Alexis asks what Jordan found out. Does she know what happened to Harmony? Jordan says, apparently, she was struck in a single vehicle collision, and Sam says, Harmony was able to commandeer a getaway car and crashed it? Willow and Michael come in, and Willow asks if this is about her mom. Where is she? What happened? Jordan suggests they have a seat, but Willow says, tell her what’s going on with her mother. Is she okay? Jordan says, her mother was struck by a car earlier tonight, and Willow says she wants to see her, but Jordan says, they’re stabilizing her now. Carly tells Willow that they’ll do everything they can for her mom, and Willow says, she doesn’t understand. Did her mom drive off the road? Michael ask how Carly found out, and what happened to her face? Carly says, they’ll talk about it later, and Willow asks if Carly knows what’s happening here?
Curtis says he’s not going nowhere, but Portia says, he can’t promise that, not if he’s using questionable methods; he’s keeping her at bay. She went through this whole thing with Taggert. She’s not doing it again. He says, he did what he did to protect what they have, and she says, did what exactly? There’s no way he got that sealed report from a legitimate source. He says he doesn’t want to jeopardize what they’re building, and she says she’s glad to hear it. She knows his past is important to him, but he needs to promise, from this point forward, to put their future first.
Laura says, she seems to have walked in on a sort of close moment between Nikolas and Esme. He indicates the mess, and says, he was upset because Ava wasn’t available for a surprise dinner he’d arranged. He didn’t realize Ava had other plans. Esme blamed herself, and he was consoling her. This makes me cringe, and Laura says, seems to her, he should be consoling his wife. He says, now that Esme won’t be around as much, hopefully, things will improve, and Laura says, she’s worried about Spencer. He’s been fighting with his friends, and he’s becoming increasingly isolated. Soon it will just be Esme and Victor. Nikolas says, and him; they’re still growing closer. Laura puts her hand on his arm, and says, get Esme out of the house. She is the common denominator in all of these strained relationships. He says, Esme’s not perfect, but Laura is giving her too much power. Laura says, she’s manipulative. Can’t he see that? She sows chaos. He says, bottom line, Esme wants to be loved and needed. Once she and Spencer patch things up, and get back on track, Spencer can rebuild his life. Then he and Ava can rebuild theirs, and once that finally happens, they’ll come together as a family. She asks, when did he become an optimist? and he asks if it’s wrong to hope for a positive outcome. She says, not necessarily, but she thinks he’s being naïve. There is a scorpion under his roof. Get rid of her before she poisons all of them.
Spencer says, Trina can’t blame him for using his connections. Another arrest on his record, and he could go back to prison. Isn’t she doing all she can to keep from being incarcerated? She says she’s innocent… not that he believes her. He asks if she really regrets meeting him, and she says, how self-absorbed can you get? She’s facing trial, and a Title 9 investigation that could get her kicked out of school. Out of all the things she stands to lose, he’s the least important. He says, he knows he hurt her, but don’t try to hurt him, no matter how much he deserves it; it’s just not her style. She says, maybe he doesn’t know her after all. She was certainly wrong in thinking she knew him. He says, she does know him. She believes in him. At least she did. She says, he’s the only person who would try to make her feel guilty for his sick wack friendship. He says, that’s not what this is, and she says, yes it is. He’s playing all the hits, but she’s not listening. He abandoned her when she needed him the most. If he wants to work nights, she can work days. He tells her not to interrupt her schedule. He just needed to get out of the house. She says, issues with his dad? and he says, actually, they’re on better terms than they’ve been in a long time. She says, then what is he running from? His beloved Esme?
Curtis says, there’s nothing more important than their future together, and Portia says, what about Marshall? Will Curtis look for him? He says, Marshall disappeared successfully for decades. He’s beginning to think Marshall doesn’t want to be found. She says, nobody knew to look for him then; now they do. She gets the feeling family means everything to Marshall. He says, then he and Marshall have that in common, because she and Trina are family too. Trina’s not his daughter, but he cares about her. He hopes Portia trusts that he’ll always do what’s best for both of them. She says she does, and he says, ethics and integrity mean a lot to both to them. Going forward, she’s never going to have to worry about that. He kisses her hand.
Nikolas tells Laura, there’s nothing more important to him than Ava and Spencer, and he believes his family will be intact when the dust settles. She says she admires his confidence and resolve. She just hopes he knows what he’s doing.
Spencer tells Trina, believe it or not, he misses going to Kelly’s. He used to feel useful there. He hated the job at first, but started to appreciate how feeling productive can improve his state of mind. She says, then go back, especially if he’s taking nights here. He says, Joss and Cameron won’t want him rehired, and she says, Joss maybe, but Joss is just protecting her, and she doesn’t mind. She gets how it would be important to him. He says, she always does, and she says, but not how Esme gets him, right? She’ll leave him a to-do list, so he can go home to his phony twisted witch who’s the love of his life. He says, Esme is anything but that, and Esme overhears just as she’s about to walk in.
Dante thanks the photographer for his statement, and he says, what about his memory card? The mother-in-law stole it from him, and Sasha attacked him when he asked for it back. Dante looks at his hand, and says, yeah, it looks real life threatening. Bandaging his hand, Amy holds back her laughter, and Dante asks if he wants to press charges. The photographer says, yeah, that’ll show her, and Dante says, that’s cool; that’s his right. But it’s also Miss Gilmore’s right to counter-sue for assault and harassment. The photographer says, forget it, and Dante says, that’s what he thought. Oh, since there will probably be an investigation about illegal vehicular pursuit, do him a favor, and don’t go anywhere. Amy hands him something, and he says, thanks – she leaves – for nothing. He takes out his phone and calls Smoltz. He says, Smoltz will want to hit the ATM with what he’s got that Smoltz is going to want.
Willow asks if Carly was with her mom, and Carly says, not at the time of the accident. Alexis says, before, at Whatchamacallit Point. Willow asks, why? when Harmony is wheeled past. Willow asks TJ if she can talk to her, but he says, no time. Her mom’s injuries are critical. He’ll give her news as soon as he has some. He tells the orderly that they have to get Harmony to the OR now. Sasha and Gladys come in, and Willow wonders, who could have done this to her mom?
Tomorrow, Brando asks Sasha why the photographer was chasing her; Willow says she’ll never forgive herself for pushing Harmony away; Trina says, someone made their choice, so deal with it; and Ava asks Nikolas, please tell her that he’s not letting Esme stay.
Take a break tomorrow with me for some soap, tea, bon mots, and a musical moment. Until then, stay safe, stay ready to lend a hand, and stay making your own rules, but not in an entitled brat way.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
At a closed Savoy, Curtis looks at a chip in his hand, and N’neka says she’s glad the private party brought their own staff. She could have never cleaned up and then come in early. Not for a party that went until four in the morning. Jordan comes in and says, four in the morning. That must have been a helluva party.
Marshall waits on Pier 54, where they’ll soon be putting a 7/11, when Trina comes along, wearing an orange top that looks dynamite on her. She sees his bag, and asks if he’s going on a trip.
Ned thanks everyone for coming, and says, it’s days like today that remind them of the importance of family. A family, he’s glad to say, is expanding. He’s always thought of Leo as his son, but as of today, it’s official; it’s legal. The adoption of Leo has come through. Everyone is like, yay, and Olivia says, Leo wanted to have the same last name as his mom and dad. Ned says, without further ado, let’s have a toast to my son, Leo, and Leo says, Leo Quartermaine, hugging Ned.
Harmony comes downstairs, telling herself that she shouldn’t have had anything to drink last night. She sees Brendon’s bag and runs over to it, checking the files inside, when Alexis comes in with coffee. She says, Harmony looks like she’s been to hell and back. I laugh because Harmony looks better than me on my best day.
Sam says she didn’t think Carly was going to make it, and Carly says, Olivia isn’t just her partner, she’s one of her closest friends. She’s happy to be here. She’s just upset that Monica had to go to that convention, and couldn’t be here to celebrate Leo becoming a Quartermaine. Thank you, because I was wondering where she was. Dante says he needs a refill, and leaves, and Carly says she deserved that. Are things any better with Sam and Dante? Sam says they still have to hash some things out.
In the foyer, Leo tells Drew, adoption isn’t just for humans. Drew says, of course (🍷). People can adopt dogs and cats. Leo says, and animals can adopt other animals, especially animals that live by the water, like seagulls and elephant seals. Drew says he didn’t know that (me neither). That’s so cool. Brook says, her little bro is on his way to being a marine biologist. Leo says, he read it in the book Chase gave him for Christmas, and asks where Chase is. He promised he’d be here. Brook says, that’s a really good question. She doesn’t know where Chase is.
Chase is at the hospital, getting dressed. He tries to use his phone, but the screen is smashed and nothing works. He says, dammit. Portia comes in, and says, wow. He’s not going to waste any time getting out of here. He says he has somewhere to be this morning, and he’s already late. She says, he had a concussion. He’s not going anywhere until she signs off on it.
Elizabeth sees Finn, and says, she was just checking on Cameron. Finn asks how he is, and she says, if he wasn’t already 18, he’d be grounded forever. She thanks Finn for bailing Cameron out, and says, Cameron is worried about Chase after finding him unconscious in their living room. How is he? Finn says, awake and alert, and she says, thank God. She’s been a nurse way too long not to know accidents like these can be way more serious. He says, if it was an accident, and she says, let’s hope. The alternative is kind of freaking her out. He says, that the person who’s been stalking her family has now turned violent.
At the door to Chase’s room, Finn asks if it’s okay if they come in, and Portia says, patient’s decision. Chase says, please, come in, and Portia says she can confirm Chase’s concussion has passed. She’ll make arrangements for him to be discharged, but do her a favor and have somebody else drive him home. He thanks her, and she leaves. Finn says, a concussion? Really? Chase says he guesses he knocked something off the shelf when he was checking the cameras. Either that, or Aiden was onto something with his Ouija board. Elizabeth says, Ouija board? What is he talking about?
On the phone, Brook leaves a message for Chase, saying, she has a very special guest of honor who’s wondering where he is. She’s wondering too. She tells Leo that she’s sorry; she just got Chase’s voicemail. She doesn’t know where he is, but he’ll be here soon. Olivia says she knows Ned gives Chase a hard time, but he was so great with Leo, especially when he was with Brook and Bailey. That’s how she convinced Leo to participate in the whole theater therapy thing. She reminded him that Ned, Chase, and his big sister Brook Lynn are all performers. Brook says, Chase isn’t loving performing lately, and Drew asks what theater therapy is. Olivia says, it’s an after-school program for kids on the spectrum that uses theater skits to help them learn about speech, taking turns, or eye contact, that kind of thing. Ned says, and the whole thing culminates with a performance for the families for Autism Awareness Month. Drew says, that’s really something, and Olivia says, Leo’s been loving it. He’s making a lot of new friends, and he’s going to recite a poem for the show. She asks why Leo doesn’t recite his poem for everyone, but Leo says, the show isn’t until next week. Olivia says, she knows, but kind of like a sneak peek for family and friends. Why doesn’t he get his notecards? Leo says, okay, and goes upstairs.
Carly says she’s so sorry she put Sam in that position with Dante, but Sam says she’s a big girl. She chose to forward that email to Carly, so she could prove that Esme is behind that video of Joss and Cam. Carly says, she knows, but Sam has enough going on with her own family. Has she talked to Alexis this morning? Sam says, not since last night. Does Carly know what’s going on with Harmony? They’re not friends by any means, but she was a little concerned that Harmony was so drunk, she couldn’t stand. Carly says, Harmony said something really strange last night, and flashes back to saying, Willow’s her family, and Harmony saying, she wishes Willow was hers. She tells Sam, it was probably nothing. Harmony was so drunk she wasn’t making any sense. Willow asks what Carly is saying about her mom.
Alexis gives Harmony some coffee, and Harmony says she’s sure she owes Alexis an apology from last night. She was so drunk, she doesn’t even remember everything. Alexis says she doesn’t really expect anyone to abstain because she has to, but Harmony really did cross a line last night. Harmony says, she did? She’s so sorry. What did she do? Alexis says, Harmony bought her a drink and told her to drink it. Harmony says she didn’t know what she was thinking. She’s so, so sorry. It’s never going to happen again; Alexis knows that, right? She doesn’t drink. She’s not a drinker, except for the occasional glass of wine. Alexis asks why Harmony thinks she was kicking back double shots of whiskey? It’s very clear something’s bothering her. Harmony says she thinks the thought of Nina taking Willow to court, the whole situation’s going to snowball, and she’s all tied up in knots. Alexis says, she was hoping to break it to Harmony first, but she had the feeling Smoltz had gotten to her. Harmony asks what she means, and Alexis says, he’s a freelance reporter for The Invader, and he’s doing an in-depth piece on Nina’s quest to get visitation with Wiley.
Marshall tells Trina that he’s just waiting for his boat to arrive. He thought it would be a good idea to get out of town. She says, sounds great. With everything happening in her life, she wishes she could get away too. Missing school and her job and everything else is just… He says he has faith in her. All this is going to work out for her. Stay strong. He makes a fist, and she bumps it and thanks him. She looks at his bag, and says, he’s not a light packer, is he? How long is he going to be gone for? He looks at her, and she says, oh. Is he leaving for good? He says, it’s complicated, and she says, try her. He says, he had hoped to rejoin his family as if nothing had ever happened. That was foolish on his part. He has too many ghosts chasing after him. It would be easier if everyone just forgets he was here.
Curtis says, he didn’t know Jordan kept such close tabs on his nightclub. He assures her, everything was on the up and up, and he knows nightclubs can stay open for private parties well after 2 am. She says she was just teasing him. She’s really happy that the club is booming. She just stopped by to see how he and Portia were doing. He says, they’re fine. The rest is between her and Portia. She says, that was a little abrupt. She thought they were in a good place yesterday. She’s trying her best. She knows he has a lot on his plate. He says, she doesn’t know the half of it, and she asks what he means by that. Selena comes in, and says, apologies. She didn’t know he had company.
Michael tells Drew, it’s a good strategy. It’s aggressive; it’s unexpected. He can see why it would be good for business. Drew says, that’s probably why she gets paid the big bucks. Ned asks if they’re talking about Aurora, and Drew says, in a sense, but they’re also talking about ELQ. He got in touch with his lawyer, and he can reclaim Scout’s shares, which is great, but Valentin is still in control of Danny’s shares, which means he will control nearly half of the voting stock. All it’ll take is one disgruntled Quartermaine to flip, and they’ll be back in the same situation. Michael says, and they all know how easy it is for one of their family members to turn, and Ned says, that’s true, but what’s the alternative? Drew says he met with an executive business coach last night. She thought the best strategy would be for ELQ and Aurora to merge.
Elizabeth says, Finn told her that Aiden stopped by the house while she was sleeping? and Chase says, yeah. He was going to mention it this morning, but… He touches his head, and Elizabeth asks, but why did he come home? Chase says, he said he had a school project about ghosts. He had a Ouija board with him. He thought it was kind of strange, but maybe Aiden had a a project for science class. She says, he doesn’t have a project like that, and Chase says, eventually he figured that out, but not before Aiden tricked him into trying to contact someone specific. She asks if it’s who she thinks, and he says, Aiden was trying to contact Franco.
Selena asks if this is a bad time, and Jordan says, The Savoy isn’t open for business yet. Isn’t that right, Curtis? Curtis says, he and Miss Wu had a previously scheduled appointment. She wants to rent the club out for a private party. Selena says, yes. She has a family birthday coming up, and they want to celebrate in style. She tells Curtis that she can come back later, but Curtis says, this is a good time. Just let him wrap things up with Jordan. Selena goes over to the bar, and Jordan’s phone dings. She checks it, and says she has to go. She knows he can handle himself, but it would be prudent if he’s previously booked on the nights Selena wants the place. He says, duly noted, and she leaves. Selena asks if his ex-wife is always going to be hanging around, and he says, that’s why she chose this place, right? Because of his connections. He’s more than delivered on his end of the bargain. Her event was a success last night, well into the morning. Now does she have what he wants? She says, as agreed. His father’s sealed arrest record. She takes a file out of her bag, and he holds his hand out, but she pulls it back, and says, now that she’s delivered on her word, she expects him to deliver on his.
Carly says, she’s sorry. She doesn’t want Willow to think she and Sam were gossiping about her mom. She was just asking about Alexis. Willow tells her, don’t apologize, but if she could just clarify. Her mom was really drunk? Sam says, she and Carly saw Harmony at the MetroCourt, and she was definitely overserved. Willow says she saw her mom yesterday at the MetroCourt. She had a drink, and she did seem distracted, but not drunk. Sam says, sorry. She doesn’t know what to tell Willow. Maybe this happened after Willow saw her. Carly says, she did check with the bartender, and Harmony had three double whiskeys. That’s a lot of liquor. Willow says, she can’t remember the last time she saw her mom drink hard alcohol, and she’s never seen her drunk. Sam says, it definitely wasn’t just the whiskey. Harmony was upset about something. Willow says, now she’s really worried. Her mom’s been acting out of sorts for weeks now. Carly says she thinks she knows why.
Harmony says, this man is writing a feature on Nina’s petition? and Alexis says, a five-part feature, and Michael and Willow have given him an exclusive. Since Harmony is Willow’s mother, he wanted to reach out to her for a comment, and do a deeper dive into Willow’s background and family. Harmony jumps up, and says, absolutely not!
Elizabeth says, Aiden wanted to contact Franco? and Chase nods. He says, he knows it’s hard to hear, but with all the strange happenings at the house, Aiden has it in his head that Franco’s ghost is trying to reach out to her. Elizabeth says, maybe Franco doesn’t want her to move on, and Finn says, he’s just a kid, looking for an explanation. It’s probably easier for him to believe that Franco’s ghost is reaching out, rather than accept someone’s breaking into their house. Elizabeth says, maybe. It just seems like every time she and the boys start to move on, there’s another reminder of how traumatized they still are.
Jordan sees Portia at the hospital, and says, she understands Chase was brought in last night. Portia says, he’s right in there, indicating one of the rooms, and Jordan starts to go, but Portia says, wait a second. She wants to apologize for her behavior yesterday. Jordan didn’t deserve to be chewed out in that way. She knows Jordan was just doing her job. Jordan says, Portia wants to protect her kid. She’s been there, and doesn’t blame her. Portia says, Jordan can blame her for making it personal, making it about her history with Curtis, especially when he told her that Jordan is working behind the scenes to find out who really filmed Josslyn and Cam. Jordan says she can’t comment on an ongoing investigation, but for what it’s worth (🍷), she knows the type of young woman Trina is. She has a good moral compass, and a good heart, just like her mom.
Marshall says he has places to go, but Trina says she doesn’t understand. He was just getting closer to TJ and Curtis. And isn’t Epiphany fond of him too? Won’t he miss them? He says, of course (🍷) he’ll miss them. Of course (🍷). More than they will ever know, but sometimes the truth hurts so much, it’s better left buried. She says, but he told her the truth is worth fighting for. He also said it’s okay to take care of yourself. If he’s leaving because he thinks it would be easier on his family, he’s ignoring his own advice. He says, maybe he is doing it for himself. Maybe he realized it’s bad for him to be around his family again. She asks, why?
Curtis says, Selena needed a venue and he provided one. Her even was a success. She says, the first of many was their arrangement, and he says he’s not sure who she’s used to dealing with, but he doesn’t break his word. Her gambling operation may continue from time to time, as long as that’s all it entails. She says, well, it’s a start, and puts the file on the bar. She says, before she goes, let her give him some advice. Although she hasn’t read the file herself, she knows a thing or two about trust in a family. If you look for skeletons in the closet, you’re likely to find them, for better or worse. But once he crosses that line and opens that file, there’s no going back.
Elizabeth says she still can’t wrap her head around this. Aiden believes Franco is haunting them? Chase nods, and Jordan comes to the door. She asks if it’s a bad time, and Chase says, of course (🍷) not, and asks her to come in. She says she heard what happened, and wanted to follow up with him. He says, it was probably just a clumsy accident, and she says she hopes that’s all it is. He was injured in a house that was recently broken into. She’d like to rule out anything criminal. He says, it might be easier than she thinks. He staged cameras all over the house.
Harmony says, Alexis knows how messy her past is. She’s not going to let some reporter go digging around in her private life. Alexis says, Michael and Willow are key to the story; Smoltz has to do background on them. If Harmony doesn’t want to participate, fine. She’s sure Smoltz can find another way to do the interview without interviewing her. Harmony says, no. The article isn’t going to run in Alexis’s paper at all.
Carly says she thinks it’s clear the whole Nina situation has taken a toll on Harmony, and Willow says she hates to think what Harmony’s reaction to the article will be. Carly says, it’s going to be tough on Harmony, but she’ll get through it, because Willow is her daughter and Willow needs this. Willow thanks Carly for the nice words, and leaves. Carly asks if Sam will give her apologies to Olivia; she has to take off. Sam asks if everything is okay, and Carly says she just wants to follow up with Alexis. She didn’t want to worry Willow, but she has the feeling Harmony knows more about the Nina situation than she’s letting on. Sam tells her, good luck, and Carly leaves.
Alexis says, she can’t publish the story? Where’s this coming from? Harmony says, Alexis of all people should understand, the more it’s investigated, the more likely it is that someone will make the connection that Willow isn’t her biological daughter. Alexis says, Willow isn’t her biological daughter. Just tell Willow the truth. If anyone can understand how you can mother a child, and not give birth, it’s Willow. But it’s Harmony’s secret to keep, not The Invader’s. She’ll make sure nothing is said about the commune, Harmony, and Willow. She’ll make sure it’s not published. Harmony says, once it’s out there, there’s no way to control it. You don’t know who will start digging or what they’ll find. Her relationship with Willow is so fragile as it is. This article is trouble for everyone involved. Alexis asks what Harmony would like her to do; kill the story? Harmony says, yes. It’s the least Alexis can do after all she’s done for Alexis. Alexis owes her that.
Michael says, in addition to increasing ELQ’s value, and creating a new revenue stream, Valentin’s shares will be diluted, making it nearly impossible for him to have the majority again. Ned says, but that would leave Drew with the overwhelming majority of interest in the company. So where does that leave him? Drew says, they haven’t gotten that far yet. Things aren’t sorted. Why are they talking about this on Leo’s big day? They have a lot of time to work things out; talk strategy before it’s all figured out.
Olivia claps her hands, and says, all right, everyone. It’s her great pleasure to introduce the newest member of the Quartermaine family. Brook says, they’re loud, they’re crazy, but they’re very loyal, and everyone laughs. Olivia tells Leo to show everyone what he’s been practicing. Leo says, no! throws the file cards down, and runs upstairs.
Finn tells Jordan, he asked Chase to stay at Elizabeth’s to provide some security. To that end, he installed cameras in the entrances and hallways. Chase says, the plan was to pull up the footage on his phone, but – he shows her the phone – it broke last night. She says, the object that knocked him out also busted his phone? and he says, or maybe he broke it when he fell. She asks if the footage can be accessed by another device, and he says, yes, but you have to log in the first time on the home network. Jordan asks Elizabeth if they can look at the footage at her house, and she says, of course (🍷). If it gets them answers, that’d be great. Chase says he’ll come back later to sign the paperwork, and Jordan says, she appreciates his enthusiasm, but she needs him to keep his distance. He says, but he set up the cameras, and she says, if there was a crime committed, they can’t afford to corrupt the investigation. He’d be the victim, and he’s also a suspended detective. She needs him to respect the line between civilian and cop. Is that understood? He says, understood, and she says she’ll talk to him later. She and Elizabeth leave, and Finn says he’ll be back in a minute to drive Chase home. Stay put.
Trina asks why it’s bad for Marshall to be around his family, and he says, there are things a girl like her couldn’t possibly understand. She says, try her, and he says, they were raised in different eras. She says, what does that even mean? and he says, forget it. She says, whatever he’s running from, it can’t be worse than never seeing his family again. He tells her, if she’d said that a few weeks back, he might have agreed with her, and she says, what changed? He says she’s given him a lot to think about. He doesn’t want to keep her. Doesn’t she have a gallery to get to? She says, that’s not fair using work against her, and the ferry horn blows. He says, she’s an ambitious young lady. If she wants to find her dreams, remember, it’s important to prioritize. She says she’ll see him around… she hopes. He says, if he doesn’t see her again, it’s been a privilege getting to know her.
Curtis says, he appreciates Selena’s advice, but his issues with his father are none of her concern. She says she supposes not. They’ll talk soon. She leaves, and he picks up the folder. He opens it, takes out a photo and document, and looks distressed
Harmony says, when she saw Alexis was alone at Spring Ridge, and saw she was struggling, she supported her. When Alexis got out, and made sure Harmony knew she wasn’t worthy to be her friend, she still supported Alexis. So she’s asking for Alexis’s support now. If Alexis is truly her friend, she’ll do this for her; no questions asked, Please kill this story. Alexis says, if Harmony is truly her friend, she woudn’t put her in this position, She’s going to go to work. When she gets back, they need to have a serious conversation. Maybe it’s time they reevaluate their arrangement. She leaves, and Harmony picks up a vase, smashes it on the floor, and says, dammit!
Brook, Olivia, and Ned find Leo sitting on the steps, and Brook asks, what’s wrong? He says he doesn’t want to read the cards, and Olivia says, he doesn’t have to. She didn’t want to put any pressure on him. She just wants him to know how proud she is of him. He can save it all for the big show. Leo says, no. He’s not going to be in the play anymore. He runs upstairs, and Olivia tells Ned, she messed this up, but he says, he’s got it. He follows Leo upstairs, and Olivia tells Brook, she doesn’t know what happened. The counselors are all saying he’s making such great progress. She hopes he’s not regressing. Brook tells her not to jump to conclusions. This may not have anything to do with Leo being on the spectrum; a lot of kids get stage fright. Olivia hopes she’s right, and Brook says she’s been known to get stage fright herself; she recognizes the signs. Olivia says, she’s going to check on him. Maybe if it turns out to be that, Brook and Chase could give him a little pep talk, since they’re both performers. She goes upstairs, and Brook says, if Chase ever shows.
Portia tells Chase, good news. She’s got his discharge paperwork. All he needs to do is sign, and he’s out of here. He says he has to wait for his brother for a ride. Finn is playing detective with his boss. He signs, gives her back the clipboard, and asks if she happens to have any of the Quartermaine’s phone numbers. He has to reach out to Brook. She says, he doesn’t have their numbers? and he says, not memorized, no. That’s the downside of having everything stored in your phone. It’s great until it breaks. She asks why he needs Brook, and he says, the Quartermaines are having a big family day, and he promised her that he’d be there. She says she thinks Brook will understand once she finds out he was in the hospital, and he says, it’s been tricky with them, trying to out their friendship without Bailey between them. He feels like he keeps disappointing her. He guesses that bump on the head shook him up more than he realized. He doesn’t usually open up to people he doesn’t know. She says, in her experience, she’s found a little effort can go a long way, and he says, since his phone is busted, can she help him order a Ride Share?
At Elizabeth’s house, Finn points out where they found Chase, and says, that was on the floor beside him. We see a metal giraffe sculpture on the floor, and Jordan says, no one saw what hit Chase, right? Elizabeth says, she was upstairs, asleep, and Finn says he was bailing out Cameron. Jordan picks up the sculpture (wearing gloves) and asks Elizabeth if she can download the app, so they can see the security camera footage. Elizabeth says, sure, and Jordan says, while Elizabeth is doing that, does she mind if Jordan looks around? Elizabeth says, of course (🍷), and Finn says, he gave the place a once over. All the doors and windows were locked. Jordan says, that didn’t stop the intruder before, so let’s cover all our bases. Jordan goes upstairs, and Elizabeth tells Finn, the app might take a few minutes to download, She sees the Ouija board, and says, she didn’t think anything of it until Chase said something. How could she have missed that? He tells her, don’t be hard on herself. She’s had a lot going on. She’s been a parent long enough to know when things get confusing, or sad, or a little scary, kids latch on to a fantasy to make sense of everything.
Curtis says, dammit Marshall, and hears Trina come in. He says, they’re not open, and she says, Curtis. He shoves everything back in the folder, and asks what she’s doing here. She says she was on her way to work, and had the feeling he might want to know, and he says, know what? She says, she saw his dad at the pier, and he had a bag with him. He said he’s leaving town.
At the pier, Marshall looks at a ticket.
Sam asks Dante if she can please take another second to apologize for putting a wedge between them. She’s trying to find the boundaries in this relationship is, and it’s been a really long time since she’s been with someone who… He says, it’s cool; she can tell him anything. She says, someone who plays by the rules. He says he’s sorry too. He feels like he came down harder on her than he needed to. She says she understands he needs to feel that he can trust her, and she fully intends to prove he can. He says he does trust her. He was disappointed that she looked at privileged information. He knows she has this impression that he’s Johnny Follow-the-Rules, but he has been known to break the rules from time to time. He’s also finding the line in the relationship. She says she thinks it’s good news that they have all the time in the world, because she doesn’t plan on going anywhere. He says, him either, because he loves her. She says she loves him too, and they kiss.
Brook opens the door to Chase, and says, he’d better have a good excuse. He brings a huge bouquet of flowers out from behind his back, and she sort of smiles.
Jordan says, she did a sweep of the entire house. There’s no sign of forced entry. She suggests they take a look at Chase’s footage, Elizabeth says, it’s ready. Jordan says, let’s see what happened last night, and Elizabeth asks if it’s fair to say she’s a little nervous, and Jordan says, of course (🍷). They’re all just trying to find answers. They see Chase reaching for the camera, and the screen goes black. Elizabeth asks, what happened? and Jordan says, it looks like the file is corrupted. Finn asks, how is that possible?
The ferry horn blows again, and Marshall gets up. He says, time to go, and picks up his bag. Curtis says, running away again, huh? and Marshall turns to see him on the pier.
Harmony takes the file folder out of Brendon’s bag. She looks at the fireplace, and says, she’ll burn it, and that will be the end of it. She pulls out all the papers, and puts them in the fireplace, but there are no matches on the mantel. She goes out of the room, and Carly knocks at the door. She calls to Alexis, knocks, and calls again. She starts to leave, and says, she knows that’s Harmony’s car in the driveway. Harmony returns with the fireplace matches, and is about to light up the papers, when Carly walks in and says, Harmony?
On Monday, Curtis asks why Marshall didn’t just tell him; Michael says he wants nothing to do with someone; Diane asks Alexis, why would she even think about that; Sonny needs to ask Willow a favor; and Carly asks Harmony, what’s going on with her and Nina?
The new season of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills begins on May 11th and the latest in the franchise, the Real Housewives of Dubai, premieres June 1st.
People are frugal guarding their personal property, but as soon as it comes to squandering time they are most wasteful of the one thing in which it is right to be stingy. – Seneca
Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn’t know it so it goes on flying anyway. – Mary Kay Ash
To leave the world better than you found it, sometimes you have to pick up other people’s trash. – Bill Nye
Confidence comes not from always being right, but from not fearing to be wrong. – Peter McIntyre
For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver. – Martin Luther King Jr.
Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. – Thomas Jefferson
If a woman can change her mind, she can change her life. – Jennifer Allwood
Nature does not hurry yet everything is accomplished. – Lao Tzu
If my answers frighten you, Vincent, then you should cease asking scary questions. – Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson), Pulp Fiction
The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof. – Richard David Bach
Look after the land and the land will look after you, destroy the land and it will destroy you. – Aboriginal Proverb
Early in life I had to choose between honest arrogance and hypocritical humility. I chose the former and have seen no reason to change. – Frank Lloyd Wright
I think it would be great to be born on Earth and to die on Mars. Just not on impact. – Elon Musk
The Earth is what we all have in common. – Wendell Berry
🌱 To Everything There Is a Season…
Enjoy whatever the next two days are to you, and I’ll see you when it’s time for some Fear. Until then, stay safe, stay applauding small achievements, and stay not drinking three double whiskeys when you have a several huge secrets to hide.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 