Tag Archives: Vanderpump Rules

November 5, 2021 – Spencer Dethrones Himself, a Goodbye, Proud Papa, Allegedly, New Focus, Paid For, New Wives, Winter Louse, Lala’s Lot, Yet More Costumes, 3×3 Quotes & Blue

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Cameron switches the sign on Kelly’s door to open, and Josslyn comes in the side. He asks what she’s doing there this early, and she says she’s wishing him a good morning, and kisses him.

At the gallery, Trina says she’s dying to show Portia these new photos. She doesn’t know how the photographer does it. She doesn’t know how he has the time or the energy. Portia says she’s sure he gets some of his energy from a healthy breakfast, and holds up a bag from the MetroCourt. Trina says she forgot they were meeting for breakfast. She’s so, so sorry. Portia says, there’s no need to apologize. It’s totally worth it to see that she’s so invested, and in such a worthy cause. Trina says she means, as opposed to a boy?

Esme and Spencer come into Kelly’s, and Esme says, get a room. Spencer says, they get an A for enthusiasm, and a solid B for technique, and Esme says, they’re so cute together, stealing kisses. She says they’ll leave Cameron and Josslyn to it, and walks to the counter with Spencer. Josslyn says, a solid B. At least they didn’t get sent abroad to learn how to kiss. Cameron wonders where it’s written that every time they’re alone, they get interrupted, and she says she doesn’t know, but they’re both pretty resourceful, so they should do something about that.

Shawn gives Alexis a gift bag, and says, a gift for her; inspected and approved. She jostles the bag, and says, usually nail files to break out of prison are heavier. She asks, what’s the occasion? and he says he couldn’t get her nephew arrested, so he’ll settle for making him pay.

Nikolas and Ava come into the MetroCourt, where Carly is working on something. Sonny asks if she’s busy, and she hugs him, saying, she missed him. He says, he missed her too. The weather was bad, then it wasn’t. He was up in the air, and here he is. How does that work? She says, it works perfect. Tell her, how did things go with Cyrus? He says they’ll get into that later, and asks, what’s going on with Joey Novak? She says, not much to tell. He was a jerk, he was dealt with, so thank you. He says he hasn’t dealt with Joey yet. Ava and Nikolas approach them, and Ava says she heard about the incident with Joey Novak at The Savoy. If he’s that brazen, it can only mean one thing, right? Another mob war is heating up. So does Sonny still think Avery is safer with him?

Shawn says, the last time he saw Alexis, they had that conversation about Nikolas, and she says, regarding his involvement with Hayden’s shooting. He says he went to Spencer, and told him that his father arranged the attempt on Hayden’s life. Spencer took the bait and went straight to his father. Then he had Spinelli record the conversation. She says she finds it hard to believe Nikolas would come clean about what he did to Hayden, and he says, there was so much evasion and damage control, it was clear Spencer knew his father was guilty. She asks how Spencer took it, and he says, it was crushing. She asks, what about Nikolas? and he says, Nikolas covered all his bases; even Hayden knew what he did. He paid her off. So he’s going to use this money, and do the right thing.

Ava says, she and Nikolas feel, at least for the time being, Avery is much safer with them, and Sonny says, Avery is safe where she is at home. Ava says, she has more than one home; he knows that. Sonny suggests instead of trying to spend more time with Avery, they should find a family counselor for Spencer. That way, all three of them can have a little more peace. Sonny tells Carly, let’s get out of here, and they leave. Ava says, my God, the hypocrisy is staggering, and Nikolas says, still, Sonny could be right about Spencer.

Portia says, Trina isn’t kidding about these pictures; they are amazing. She’s so proud her daughter took the initiative to bring a National Geographic photographer of Joel Sartore’s stature to Port Charles. She looks at the tablet, and says, look at that one, and Trina says, that’s a golden snub-nosed monkey, and it’s one of the most endangered species on the planet. Sometimes, the females will deliberately have affairs with the reticent males behind the lead male’s back. Portia says, that takes some strategic skills, and Trina says, it has to for survival. Portia tells her, just be careful, and Trina says, right. You’d think she was going into the wilderness to photograph these animals herself, or is Portia talking about Spencer?

Cameron says, Spencer is there early, and asks if he’s trying to make up for going AWOL the other day. Spencer says, it hasn’t escaped his attention that today is payday, and Cameron says he’s sorry, but there’s no paycheck for Spencer. Spencer says, what? and Cameron takes an envelope out of his pocket, saying, congratulations on Spencer’s first earned money ever. (How is he getting paid when he just started, and ditched half a day? Hell, I’ll work at Kelly’s.) Spencer looks at the check, and says, wow, this is paltry, and Cameron says, he’s only worked there two days. What does he expect? Spencer shows Esme, and asks how he’s supposed to live on this, and she says, he’s not. He’s supposed to make things right with his father, play nice with Ava, and go back to being the prince he was born to be.

Shawn says, as much as he’d like to turn Nikolas in to the cops, there’s not enough evidence, and Alexis says, then he’s better off holding the threat over Nikolas’s head, and charging him a fortune to be quiet. He says he’s glad she agrees, and she says, typically, she’s not a fan of blackmail, but Nikolas deserves that in this case. So what is he going to do with his windfall? Is he going to buy a yacht? He says, no, the money isn’t coming to him personally. He wouldn’t take a dime from that corrupt bastard. Nikolas is setting up a trust for a non-profit. Shawn has some ideas for the greater good. She says, that is genius, and he laughs, thanking her. He asks if she’d care to join him as one of the administrators.

Ava asks if something else happened with Spencer, and Nikolas says, they had another confrontation. Ava says, about us? and Nikolas flashes back to Spencer questioning him about Hayden. She asks, what happened between him and Spencer?

Spencer says he can’t go back to his father, besides, Ava’s the one who controls the trust. She says, then go to Ava, but he says, he can’t give in to her. There has to be another way. He approaches Cameron, and says he needs more money than this. Cameron says he’ll get it, and Spencer says, great. When? Cameron says, a week from today, and Spencer asks if he can have an advance. Cameron says, no. Why does he need an advance? Spencer says, a decent lawyer can mean the difference between freedom and prison, and Cameron says he only passes out the checks; he doesn’t sign them. It’s not in his power to give Spencer an advance. He’s sorry. Esme tells Spencer to do what he needs to do, and after, they’ll get a hotel room and celebrate. Spencer asks if he can borrow Cameron’s car, but Cameron says, no. Borrow one of the delivery bikes. Does he know how to ride one? Spencer says he does, and Cameron tells him, wear a helmet. His mom’s a stickler about traumatic brain injuries.

Trina says she knows Portia is suspicious of Spencer. Good news, she is too. Ever since she found out he’s the one who’s been terrorizing Ava, she’s been keeping him at arm’s length. Portia says she’s glad to hear it. He’s a very troubled young man. Trina says, he’s just spoiled and angry; he’s not a psychopath. Portia tells her, she didn’t say he was a psychopath, but he needs help, and if he comes to Trina for it, she’s unqualified. Trina says, then Portia should know, he came to her the other night, but she told him she’s not a shoulder for him to cry on. Portia doesn’t have to worry about her; she’s got this. Portia says she trusts Trina to make good choices, and she’s proud of Trina, for everything; for the magnificent young woman she’s become. Trina says Portia and Taggert can take some credit for that, and Portia laughs and says, can we now? She has to get to work, and tells Trina not to forget breakfast; it’s the most important meal of the day. Trina says, some things never change, and she and Portia hug.

Carly and Sonny get out of the elevator at the hospital. Carly needs to pick up a prescription, but says she wants to hear more about Sonny’s meeting with Cyrus. He says, the only important thing Cyrus said to him was warning him about Joey Novak. He knew Joey was going to make a move, but he didn’t think it was going to be this stupid, or this quick. She says, it doesn’t make any sense. Joey approached her, and the next thing she knows, he was beaten within an inch of his life. So if Sonny’s not the one who ordered the attack, who was?

Esme sits down with Josslyn, and says, sorry if she overstepped with the get a room thing. Sometimes her mouth works faster than her brain. She thought she was being funny, and it wasn’t. Josslyn says, okay, and Esme says she was hoping they could put the tension between them in the rear view and start over. Josslyn says she’s got a lot of work to do, and Esme says she’ll let Josslyn do that. Esme goes over to Cameron, and tells him that Josslyn’s still upset with her. He says, she’ll get over it, and Esme says, he thinks so? He says, or she won’t; what does Esme care? She says, they’re Spence’s friends, and she wants to be friends with them too. She was going to pitch the cabin idea again, but Josslyn didn’t even give her a chance; she just shut Esme down. If they could all just get away for a day or two… He says, it’s a nice idea, but how are they supposed to do that, when she and Spence are having a hard time making rent? She says, they’ll figure it out, and if he and Josslyn would be more comfortable with separate bedrooms, she’s sure they can be accommodated. He asks why they’d need that, and she says she gets it. He’s a real gentleman that way.

Spencer comes into the gallery with a helmet in his hand, and Trina says, he rode a bike there? Did his chauffeur call in sick? He says he borrowed a delivery bike, and she says, and here he is – again. He says he’s not stalking her, if that’s what he’s implying, and she says, isn’t stalking kind of his thing? He says he deserved that. He’s not actually there to see Trina; he wants to talk to Ava. She asks why he needs to do that, and he says, he needs to tell Ava that he accepts her marriage to his father. She asks who he thinks he’s fooling. He wants his money.

Nikolas says, he and Spencer argued about something that happened years ago, long before Ava was in the picture. He’s afraid he’s lost Spencer for good, but she says, Spencer might think that he hates Nikolas right now, but he will cool down. He has to, right? He needs his father’s financial support. He says he doesn’t want Spencer to just come back for money, but she says, beggars can’t be choosers. She knows it’s not the most desirable or admirable way to rebuild their relationship, but it is a beginning. Spencer will come home to him.

Alexis tells Shawn, congratulations on turning her nephew’s wrongdoing into something really good. The non-profit is going to be amazing, she knows it, but she can’t administer from there. He asks if Nikolas didn’t offer to fix it for her, and she says, with that awesome gubernatorial pardon, if she keeps her mouth shut about Hayden. He says, how about it? but she says she can’t. He asks, why? It seems like she had a pretty good life out there. Doesn’t she want it back?

Portia goes in to see Joey, and introduces herself. She says he had an extremely rough night last night, but he’s going to be okay. Can he communicate to her his level of pain? He grimaces, and she says she can take care of that, and adjusts his intravenous medication. He says, why… what… and she says, someone attacked him last night outside The Savoy nightclub. The police will want to talk to him at some point. His pain meds should kick in soon, and she’ll be back to check on him in a little while. She leaves.

Carly tells Sonny, whoever went after Joey moves fast. She’d barely gotten home from The Savoy, when Dante was knocking on her door, wanting to ask her questions. He’s going to want to talk to Sonny. Sonny says he expected it, but before he does anything else, he needs to see Joey. Portia comes by, and says hi, and Sonny asks how she is. She says, Curtis told her what happened at The Savoy. Is Carly doing all right after the incident? Carly says she’s fine, and Portia asks if Sonny is there about Mr. Novak. Sonny says, first of all, that incident should have never happened, and if she could tell Curtis he apologizes? She says she’s sure Curtis would appreciate it, and would tell Sonny that it’s not necessary. It’s good to see them both. She leaves, and Carly says, what’s next? and he says he’s going to end this. He’s going to see Joey right now.

Joey’s buddy asks if he’s getting any good drugs, and Joey says, not good enough; it hurts all over. It just happened so fast. He was just talking to her at the club, he went to get his car, and then, he doesn’t know. Dude asks if Joey remembers who got him. How many of them were there? Sonny’s guy Frank opens the door, and Sonny is there. Dude says, Mr. Corinthos, how are you this fine morning? Joey just woke up. Please tell him… Sonny says, take a hike, and dude jets. Sonny tells Frank, close the blinds, and grabs the nurse call button so Joey can’t use it. He says, here’s the thing. Joey threatened his wife, and there’s no coming back from that. He tells Frank to wait outside, and Joey says, he told Sonny’s guy last night, from now on he’ll stay away; he gives Sonny his word. Sonny says, from now on doesn’t fix what he did last night. Joey says he’s sorry. It was a mistake. He was angry and grieving. Sonny says, he should be sorry, but that’s more than his uncle; he wasn’t sorry at all. As a matter-of-fact, he tried to take out Carly and Jason, right up until his car blew up. But does Joey see what he’s talking about? He leans closer, and says, if Joey threatens anybody he cares about, he’ll make Joey disappear. Joey says, all right. What does Sonny want to make this go away?

Carly goes the reception desk, and Elizabeth says she heard Nina was arrested. Carly says, arrested, extradited, and released the next day on bail. Elizabeth says, after keeping Sonny away from Carly all those months, now she’s allowed to walk around free? Carly says, it’s unbelievable, and Elizabeth says, she must be furious. Carly says she’s beyond furious, and Elizabeth says, honestly, if it happened to her, nothing would stop her from destroying the person who came between her and her family.

Cameron says, he’s a gentlemen? Thank you? Esme says he knows what she means. It’s really sweet, like a Jane Austen hero. Honestly, she wishes she and Spence would have waited before they got so close. Sex is no way to resolve disagreements. A way to put them aside, but talking them out is so much healthier. So it’s good he and Joss will have that foundation of communication before they take it to the next level. Cameron says he needs to work in the kitchen, and Esme goes back to Josslyn’s table. She asks how studying is going, and Josslyn says she’s learning a lot. Esme says, about what? and Josslyn says, manipulative conniving women who will do or say anything to get what they want no matter who they hurt. Esme says she knows they got off on the wrong foot, but that’s a little… Josslyn holds up her book, and says, Lady Macbeth. Esme says, right. Out, damned spot. Josslyn says, yet Esme thought she was talking about her. Esme might want to think about that. Esme says, even lady M had a conscience, like she does, and Josslyn tells her, saying she’s just like Lady Macbeth is not the best case she could make for herself. Esme asks if they can’t just start over, and Josslyn asks if she has a time machine. Esme says, think about it. The four of them going away together. They can get some girl time away from the boys, and understand each other better. Josslyn says she thinks they understand each other just fine, and Esme says, if she’s worried about approaching Cam… Josslyn asks why she’d be worried, and Esme says, he’s already on board with them renting a cabin for a few days, separate rooms for Joss and Cam, of course (🍷).

Alexis tells Shawn that she misses her family. She sees them all the time, but it’s not the same. She misses being at home with them around the dinner table, her girls fighting, her disapproving of Kristina’s life choices, just so Kristina can throw prison in her face. He says, it is a great house, and she says, Julian bought it for her when his mafia ties blew up her other one. They sit, and he says, she must have some happy memories of the place. She says, most of them are pleasant. She thinks like, fifty-one and a half percent. What does he like about it? He says, the kitchen, and she says, it had a kitchen? She knew it did; she almost burned it down. He says he enjoys it. He turns on the music, and whips up a couple of meals for TJ and Molly, who barely get to eat. She asks what he makes, and he says he could tell her, but it’s probably different from what she’s eating there, and would be a cruel and unusual punishment. Seriously, he loves the place. She gets up, and says she does miss it, and he says he knew it. She says, that is not a positive statement, but he says, it could be. Walk out of this place, and help him make the non-profit a force for the good. She says, it’s different for him. He bested Nikolas, and made him pay for it. He’s her nephew. She tried instill a sense of right and wrong in him, and failed miserably, and she’s not going to let him be the reason she gets out of there.  

Ava says, Nikolas knows she’s right. Soon Spencer will realize he misses the life he was born to. Nikolas says, when Spencer was younger, he had a distain for the locals; he called them the townies. He won’t want to see himself as one of them. She says, they can use his own snobbery against him, and he says, then he should take as a win if Spencer comes back for the money. She says, not if, my love, when, and he says, when he comes back for the money.

Spencer tells Trina, it’s not about the money. He really wants to make peace with Ava. Trina says, no he doesn’t. She thought they’d gotten somewhere when he apologized for using their friendship, hoping she wouldn’t hate him. She has to hand it to him; it sounded like he meant it. He says he did, but she says, it’s clear to her that he has no respect for her or Ava. What is it he really wants? Is the job too hard? Is it beneath him? Because he went from swearing he’d never speak to Ava again, to coming in here, helmet in hand, hoping to snow Ava into believing he accepts her back in his father’s life. He says, okay, yes, he needs money, and she says, good luck with that. He says, for a lawyer, so he can get a place for him and Esme. They have no time alone. They can’t even afford to go out to eat. This is no way to live. She says, oh my God, he is so pathetic. He’s nothing more than a spoiled child of privilege, and worst of all, he’s a liar. He wants to trick Ava into thinking he’s accepted her into their family, so he can get some cash, so he doesn’t have to slum it, working for a living like the rest of them. She’s done with him. Get out.

Sonny tells Joey, his terms are that he wants everything. Everything that’s left of Joey’s uncle’s organization; Novak’s holdings here and offshore. Joey says, but that’s worth… and Sonny says, he knows what it’s worth. That’s what he wants. Joey says, the family… and Sonny says, the family’s not going to take it well, but that’s not his problem. That’s between Joey and them. Joey said he’d heard Sonny changed, since he got back from where he was. Sonny says, he did, and sits on the bed, leaning on Joey’s arm in the process. Joey makes in pain sounds, and Sonny says, sorry. He didn’t mean to do that; out of habit. He did change. The old him would have handled this differently. The new him is handling it this way. He’s letting Joey walk out of here, but if he does anything like this again, if he threatens anyone Sonny loves, Sonny is going to take him out. Joey says, okay, and Sonny says, okay what? Joey says, he’ll give Sonny everything; all of it is his. Sonny says, you know what? He laughs, and tells Joey, he never thought he’d say this, but great doing business with him. He opens the blinds and looks out. He says, Joey never should have tried to fill his uncle’s shoes. Has he ever heard of a word called hubris? A friend of his told him about it while he was away. Hubris. It’s like arrogance on steroids, and you know what? It’s made way better men than Joey go down fast and hard. He leaves.

Carly says, she would have thought Elizabeth would advise her to forgive and forget, and Elizabeth says, then she would be wrong. Carly says she’ll see Elizabeth around, and Elizabeth says she really hopes Carly gets the justice she deserves. Carly leaves, and Portia comes over to Elizabeth. She says she wants to thank Elizabeth again for the sketch she did of the mystery man. Elizabeth says she’s happy to help. Did Curtis recognize him? Portia says, Curtis didn’t, but TJ did. So did the bartender at The Savoy.

Esme says she knows she and Josslyn can find some common ground. All they have to do is spend a bit more time together. With her and Spence being in such close quarters at his grandmother’s, she knows it would be good for Spence to get away too. Josslyn says, it sounds like what Esme needs is some alone time, just her and Spencer. Esme says she understands why Josslyn is nervous, but maybe if she and Cam spend some time alone together, she can get past whatever’s stopping her from being… Josslyn says, from being what? and Esme says, from being as beautiful, and as close as two people can be. She says she has to study too, for her internship. She needs to learn everything there is to know about the criminally insane. Surprisingly, Josslyn doesn’t say something like, there probably isn’t much for her to learn on that front, and Esme leaves. Josslyn goes over to Cameron, and he says he was wondering what she was doing later. She says, funny. She was just going to ask him the same thing.

Nikolas says he has to wait Spencer out, and Ava says, exactly. Let him come crawling back. Trust her; he will. Nikolas thanks her, and says she makes him feel like he might actually get his son back. He sees Shawn come in, and says, if she’ll excuse him… She says, business? and he says, business. He walks over to Shawn, and gives him a manila envelope, saying, it’s all set up the way Shawn wants it. The money’s in a trust, the non-profit has been filed, Shawn is the administrator, and has the ability to appoint other administrators as he sees fit. Shawn says he knows a good lawyer who will look at it, and Nikolas says, it’s perfectly legal. So they’re finished. Shawn says, for now. Nikolas asks what Shawn means, and Shawn says, he means if the non-profit needs additional funding, Nikolas will provide the funds. And if Nikolas ever screws him over again, he promises Nikolas will be very, very sorry. He leaves, and Ava walks over. She says, now Nikolas can tell her what that was all about – the truth. He says, okay, but he’d rather do it someplace quieter. She says, anywhere he likes, and he says, just after he makes a call.

Spencer says, Trina, please, and she asks why he’s still there. She asked him to leave. She’s working on a very important project, and doesn’t have time for him. He says he’s sorry. He doesn’t know what to do, and she says, she told him what to do. She told him, go to work, and be his own man. Not Esme’s boyfriend, and not his father’s son. Not some money grubbing little phony. Be himself. Be the guy who convinced her to go to her graduation party, not the creep who rigged the sprinklers to shower her with fake blood. He says he’s apologized for that a million times, and she says she knows. When she first met him, or rather when she met Victor, sure, he was lie, but he was a much better person than this mess she’s seeing in front of her. If he wants to do right, find him. Find the part of him that rises above the selfish idiot she sees in front of her. Be the person who learns from his mistakes, and be a better person, the bigger one. One she might be able to respect, and maybe someday call her friend. This person he is now is no one she wants to know.

Nikolas and Ava walk into the gallery, and Ava says she takes it he’s there to see Trina. He says, actually he was looking for her, and Ava says, is that so? Nikolas says, don’t tell him that he’s finally going to make peace with Ava. Spencer looks at Trina.

Josslyn says, her dorm room’s out, and Cameron says he thought Trina was busy with the art exhibit. Josslyn says, she is, except when she’s not. Trina’s schedule has become completely unpredictable. What about his house? He says, tonight’s his mom’s birthday, and she says, happy birthday to his mom. A parental birthday party is probably not the best opportunity for alone time. He says they have just a little party and cake planned, but after that, his mom is going out with friends. She says, and his brothers? and he says, they’re at sleepovers. So does she want? She says, yeah, she does. Esme watches.

Spencer says, he just wants to tell them, he’s happy Nikolas is with Ava, and Nikolas says, he’s glad to hear that. Spencer says he also wanted to let them both know that he no longer wishes to be a prince. He doesn’t want one single filthy penny of their family’s money. From now on, he intends to find his own way in the world, and he will. Nikolas says, he’s proud… and Spencer says, as of now, he’s no longer his father’s son. He’s no longer Nikolas’s son. He starts to cry, and says he’s no longer a Cassadine. Goodbye, Nikolas. Goodbye, Ava. He thanks Trina for what she said. She showed him the way, and he’ll be forever grateful. He walks out, and everyone just looks sad.

Shawn comes back to Spring Ridge, and Alexis says, just in time for her to thank him for this beautiful scarf. (It is very pretty.) She puts it on, and he says he hates to say, you’re welcome, at the same time he’s asking a favor. He holds out the envelope, and asks if she’ll have a look. She says, sure, taking the papers out, and sitting down. He says, Nikolas swears it’s legit, but he doesn’t trust Nikolas as far as he could throw him. She says she thinks he could probably throw Nikolas a fair distance, and looks through the papers. She says, it’s a first glance, but it seems to be in order. It looks like Shawn is the administrator of a well-funded nonprofit. He says, he can appoint other administrators. Consider his offer on the table permanently. The warden comes in, and says he has some good news. The governor issued Alexis a pardon. Alexis seems skeptical, and he says he’s just as surprised as she is, but it’s official. She’s going to be released.

Portia tells Elizabeth, she doesn’t know what it is, but there’s something about that man in the sketch. Or maybe she’s overreacting to a coincidence. Elizabeth says, want to know what she thinks? Trust her instincts. The elevator comes, and Portia says, good advice. She thanks Elizabeth, and gets in.

In another elevator, Sonny says he doesn’t think Joey is going to do anything stupid like that again, but Carly asks if he’s met the man; he’s pretty stupid. Sonny says, but he’s alone; he has no back up. Carly asks what Sonny did, and he says he took everything the Novaks had; their holdings, their people, everything. She says, really? and he laughs and says, yeah. She asks what he thinks the Novaks will say about that, and he says, to him, probably nothing. To Joey, probably a lot. She says, so instead of eliminating him, Sonny gave him a fate worse than death, and Sonny says, mercy is a funny thing. She says, just when she thought he couldn’t impress her more. Did Joey give him any idea who attacked him? He says, not at all, and she says, if it wasn’t Sonny, and it wasn’t her, who did it?

On Monday, Esme asks Spencer exactly how close he got to someone, Peter tells Britt there’s only one way off the island for her, Diane says it sounds like Carly misses being the one in charge, and Sonny says there’s something else he can do for someone.

😢 Ciao, Papa…

A sweet tribute from a loving son.

🎶 On a Happier Note…

The circle of life and all that.

👠 Picture Of Privilege…

I hate to say it, but it sounds like something that would come out of Ramona’s mouth.

💎 Phew…

Out of the hotseat and into the courtroom. Maybe.

💸 The Kindness Of Almost Strangers…

They were probably afraid of a lawsuit.

💰 The Wives You Didn’t Know You Needed…

Carolyn Stanbury? Maybe Lindsay Lohan? Excessive spending? Count me in.

https://autos.yahoo.com/autos/bravos-real-housewives-dubai-announcement-143820073.html

🤪 Old Frat Boy House…

These people all need to do something more meaningful with their lives. And probably get therapy.

Ciara From ‘Winter House’ Says Austen Kroll ‘Doesn’t Really Want’ Lindsay Hubbard – but Will They Sleep Together Again?

🍸 First World Problems…

Oh just cry, eat some ice cream, and move on.

🎃 Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop…

More costumes. From the soap world.

Halloween personified.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2021/10/29/heidi-klum-halloween-costume-2021-video-exclusive-pics/6175859001/

👩🏽‍💻 Quotes of the Week

Leaders who win the respect of others are the ones who deliver more than they promise, not the ones who promise more than they can deliver. – Mark A. Clement

No man can tell whether he is rich or poor by turning to his ledger. It is the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has. – Henry Ward Beecher

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

Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it. – Ann Landers

There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them. – Ray Bradbury

If you don’t believe me, then google it. – Cesar Faison (Anders Hove), General Hospital

If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there’d be a shortage of sand. – Milton Friedman

Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. – James Baldwin

We’re at different points in our life, because we’re actually at different points in our life. – Robby Fakhouri, 90 Day Fiancé: The Single Life

🃏 Knowing When To Fold ‘Em…

Halloween is over – hello, left over fun size special dark Hershey bar – and it’s only a breath before we roll into what’s known as the holiday season. Try not to forget that little holiday called Thanksgiving. It always gets lost in the shuffle. See you in the Dead zone, but until then, stay safe, stay uninfluenced by so-called influencers, and stay remembering, just because someone is spoiled and angry, doesn’t mean they’re a psychopath. Most of the time.

November 2, 2021 – Nikolas Makes Shawn an Offer, Lala Plays the Victim, New Location, Costumes Of the Stars & Another One

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Alexis is reading The Brothers Karamazov, when Harmony startles her. Harmony asks if she’s okay, and Alexis says she’s just catching up on the classics. Russian. It’s really heavy on the misery. She puts it down, and says she doesn’t need to read this. She can just look to her family for their dysfunctional DNA.

Nikolas asks if Shawn is satisfied. Nikolas’s own son turned his back on him, his father, his only living parent, who would gladly die for him. Hell, he did that, or at least he let the world believe he was dead to regain control of the Cassadine legacy. And Shawn wants the satisfaction of taking all that away. Shawn can’t believe Nikolas is positioning himself as a victim here. His son opened his eyes, and saw Nikolas for who he really is, the bastard who let Shawn go to prison for six years for a crime he didn’t commit. Nikolas is the one who wanted to kill Hayden, but he let Shawn take the fall. Nikolas doesn’t want to see the truth, but his son has. For all of Spencer’s faults, he’s ten times the man Nikolas pretends to be.

Trina sings to herself as she works at the gallery. She hears someone come in, and puts her hand on her pepper spray. She turns to see Spencer.

Josslyn goes to Kelly’s where Cameron is working, and asks, where is everybody? She doesn’t see anyone else working. Can she help out? He says he’s good, thanks, and she asks if someone called in sick, but Cameron says, Spencer walked out in the middle of his shift. He couldn’t even survive one day. Cameron sticks his neck out for Spencer and hires him, because he has no experience and a lousy attitude, and Spencer bails on him on day one. What’s wrong with the guy? Esme breezes in, and says, good; they’re here. No sign of Ava or Spence’s dad. She can’t tell them what a relief it is to be among friends. Josslyn says, where? What friends?

Britt shines the light on Obrecht, who’s not just handcuffed, but has a fishing spear sticking out of her. I don’t know how I missed that yesterday, but apparently, Britt shot her by accident. Britt says, mother, and Obrecht says Britt came to get her. Britt says, my God, what did she do?

Peter bandages his hand, while talking into the radio, asking if they have a location on that woman. Hello? Do they hear him? He wants answers. He turns to see Jason, pointing a gun at him. Peter says, Jason shouldn’t have come there, and Jason tells him, shut up. Move. Peter tries to run, and Jason grabs him from behind.

Alexis tells Harmony that she thought her nephew Nikolas might be a good Cassadine, because he had a nice mother. He was good for a while, but then after ten years or so, he went bad. He went to the dark side and became a real Cassadine. Then there’s his son Spencer, who went to France, boarding school; graduated, then came home back to Port Charles. He decided he couldn’t stand his father’s wife Ava, and he set out to break them up. Harmony asks, how bad did it get? and Alexis says, he stalked her. At first, he started out with just sending her creepy gifts, and then it accelerated into full-blown stalking, until finally, he torched her car. Harmony says, the Cassadines don’t sound so strange to her. Not compared to Shiloh and Dawn of Day. She spent years under the spell of a man who demanded unwavering loyalty from his family, in exchange for betrayal and abuse. So at least, no matter how misguided Spencer’s actions were, they were motivated by love. Alexis supposes that’s one way to look at it. The poor kid idolized his father. If he’d just seen his flaws and recognized them, instead of becoming like him. Harmony says she’s not really speaking about Spencer, is she? Alexis says Harmony might have made a good therapist. No, she’s not, because the same holds true for Nikolas. She just had so much hope that he’d become that young man that she knew and loved so much. Alas, he didn’t.

Nikolas tells Shawn to spare him the holier-than-thou attitude. Shawn doesn’t give a damn about Spencer. Shawn was just trying to use Spencer to wring a confession out of him. Shawn says he did Spencer a favor, and opened his eyes. So now maybe Nikolas’s son doesn’t have to turn himself inside out, making everyone miserable to earn Nikolas’s respect. Nikolas doesn’t suppose Shawn explained to Spencer why he pled guilty to shooting Hayden, did he? Shawn doesn’t say anything, and Nikolas says, yeah, I didn’t think so. Shawn thought he actually shot Hayden, because he was at that garage under Sonny’s orders to kill someone. Or is Shawn going to stand there, and claim that his hands are clean? Shawn says he paid for his mistakes, just like he paid for Nikolas’s. He still wonders about the outstanding debt Nikolas has owed Hayden ever since he tried to have her killed. She’s entitled to justice, and Nikolas is going to give it to her.

Trina asks what Spencer is doing at the gallery, and he says he took a chance she’d be there. Is Ava around? She says, no, but she can get Ava there in minutes. She picks up the phone, and says, or the police. He says, please don’t do that; either call. She says she hasn’t seen him since he was arrested, and he says, a lot’s happened since then. She says, Joss told her that Dr. Collins paid for his bail. She also said Cam got him a job at Kelly’s. Isn’t it his first day? He says, it was, and she asks, what happened? looking at his hand. He says he burned himself trying to make an espresso shot. At least that will heal. She says, if he has troubles, he has a girlfriend. Talk to Esme. He says, she’s busy. She started her internship at Spring Ridge. Besides, Trina is the person he really wanted to talk to. She asks, why? and he says, because he needed a friend, a real friend.

Josslyn says she thinks she and Esme use the word friend very differently, and Esme says she knows they’re more Spence’s friends than hers. She realizes they have some differences, but at the end of the day, like at Spence’s arraignment, they’re on the same page. Now he’s out on bail, and thanks to his good friend Cam, he has his first real job. Cameron stomps away, and Esme asks what she missed. Where’s Spence? Josslyn says her guess is as good as theirs. Esme says, he’s not here? and Cameron says, he actually walked out without saying goodbye. He had to cover for Spencer. Esme says, Spence quit, and didn’t even tell Cameron? She’s so sorry. Chalk it up to that dysfunctional family of his. Spence’s dad and Ava showed up, and expected Spence to wait on them. He hadn’t even figured out the ropes of how to do his job well yet, and he was embarrassed. He didn’t say anything, but she knows it really upset him. Josslyn says, no matter how hard Spencer tries, he just can’t escape the influence of the Cassadines.

Britt says she swears she didn’t mean to hit Obrecht, and Obrecht says, didn’t she? If Britt wanted her dead, she made her point. She laughs, and Britt says, stop. It’s not a time for mom jokes. Just lie still. Britt examines her, and says, thankfully, the arrow just pierced her side, and missed all her vital organs. Obrecht says, some people would say she has no heart to hit, but they’re wrong, because if she dies, she wants it to be in Britt’s arms. Britt says she’s not going to die. She didn’t come all this way to lose Obrecht. She turns Obrecht, so she can look at her back, and Obrecht asks how Britt found her. Did she come by herself? Britt says, first things first. The barbed tip came out the other side. Obrecht says Britt has to push it all the way through, and Britt says she knows that, but she doesn’t have anything to numb the pain. Obrecht says, after two weeks of being captive, seeing Britt’s beautiful face is all she needs to sustain her. Britt says she thinks Obrecht is delirious, and puts something in Obrecht’s mouth for her to bite down on. She says, ready? and pushes the arrow out. I can barely watch, and Obrecht passes out from the pain.

Peter says, Jason isn’t getting off this island alive; he knows that. Jason says, first sign of a guard, Peter is dead, and Peter says he must have something Jason wants, or he’d be dead already. Jason says, maybe he should reconsider, and Peter says, if Jason shoots him, every guard on this island will be there. Jason says, yeah? But Peter would be dead, and that will make a whole lot of people happy. Peter says he has something Jason wants. Kill him, and he’s not going to get it. Jason says he wants Obrecht, and she’d better be alive. Peter says, what the hell does Jason care whether Obrecht lives or… Britt sent him, didn’t she? Or did she come with him? Jason says he’ll find Obrecht himself, and Peter says, not if the guards find Jason first. Liesl could be anywhere. She threw acid on his hand and left just before Jason got there. A guard comes over the radio, saying, there’s no sign of her, and Jason picks up the radio. He tells Peter, order the guards to converge at the lighthouse on the north end of the island to await further instruction. Peter says, converge at the lighthouse on the north side of the island, and wait there for further instructions. The guard copies, and Jason says, get up; let’s go. Peter asks where Jason is taking him, and Jason says, not the lighthouse.

Britt bandages Obrecht, and Obrecht praises Britt for her professionalism, saying, Britt does her proud. Britt says, it’s temporary. She still needs to get Obrecht to a hospital. Obrecht says, perhaps she spoke too soon. The dressing is too tight. Didn’t they teach Britt that in medical school? Britt says, sorry. She must have missed how to treat a spear wound in an abandoned fishing shack class. This’ll have to do for now. Where is he? Obrecht says, he who? and Britt says, Obrecht doesn’t think she infiltrated Cassadine Island alone, does she? Jason Morgan came with her. He’s gone searching for her. Obrecht laughs, and says she knew it. Jason came to his senses, jilted Carly, and came running to Britt’s side. Congratulations on her victory.

Nikolas asks if Shawn remembers why Hayden first came to Port Charles. When Drew Cain was struggling with memory issues, Ric Lansing hired her to come to town and claim to be his wife. Shawn asks if that entitles Nikolas to have her killed, and Nikolas says, obviously, Shawn recorded his conversation with his son tonight. So what? There was no confession. There’s no proverbial smoking gun. The police haven’t been interested in this case for years. All his lawyers have to do, is remind the court that these claims are being brought by a former hitman for the mob. Shawn will be laughed out of court. He’s got nothing. Shawn says Nikolas is no innocent. Everyone knows he’s shady and can’t be trusted. Nikolas says, and somehow, Hayden is more trustworthy? Why does Shawn keep talking about her like she’s Mother Teresa? Hayden Barnes is a grifter. Shawn says, she may or may not be a saint, but she’s a human being who was shot, and she still deserves justice. Nikolas asks if Shawn thinks he’s on some noble mission. The truth is, Hayden already knows. Hayden has always known.

Trina says she hears the tone of Spencer’s voice, and he sounds sincere, but there are a lot of bells going off in her head, telling her to run, not walk, to the nearest exit. Spencer says he never meant to hurt Trina, and he’s really sorry for what he did to Ava, but he did it for his father because he truly believed Ava was bad for him, and wanted to free him from her influence. He knew the stalking was wrong, that it was a risk if he got caught, but he thought it was worth it. Now he realizes that his father’s not the man he thought he was. It’s almost like he never knew his father at all. Trina’s phone rings, and she says, it’s Joss, and ignores the call. He asks why she didn’t answer, and she says she sees how badly he’s hurting, and she wants to believe him, but part of her can’t help asking, is this another one of his lies?

Josslyn leaves a message for Trina, asking if she’s seen Spencer tonight. Just text her back. Esme says, if Trina had convinced Ava to drop the charges, they wouldn’t be in this mess. Cameron says, no. Her boyfriend got himself into this mess the day he decided to stalk his stepmother. Now he’s left shorthanded, and has to cover Spencer’s shift, when he has plenty of homework that needs doing. Spencer thinks of no one but himself. Esme says, wait. She understands that Spence let him down, but they have to understand that this is all new to him. He’s never had a job before, much less one waiting tables. He’s not used to those kinds of responsibilities. Spence is spoiled. He’s an only child, he’s never had a mother, and he’s facing criminal charges. Josslyn says, Spencer’s been charged with something he actually did, and Doc bailed him out. He’s not even on house arrest, so please. Esme says she knows, but he feels isolated and all alone. He needs to be around people who he cares about, who also care for him. So she was thinking, they could get him out of Port Charles, just for a day or so. Cameron says, like a road trip? and Esme says, what a great idea. The four of them on their own. What better way for them to bond.

Britt asks Obrecht if they can wait until they’re off this godforsaken island before they discuss her love life, which, for the record, is non-existent. Obrecht says, so she’s not back together with Jason? and Britt says they came there to rescue her; isn’t that enough? Obrecht says, no. Jason is willing to risk life and limb to help Britt rescue her, who he despises for past transgressions. That should indicate some interest on his part. Britt says, he didn’t jilt Carly; he married her. They would still be on their honeymoon if Sonny hadn’t come back. The marriage was invalid, so Jason was free to help her rescue Obrecht, which is nice, but he’s a nice guy. Obrecht says, he’s a lethal killer, and Britt says, who really wants Peter dead, so they’re collaborating; there’s nothing romantic. Obrecht asks if Britt is certain, and Britt asks if she missed the part where Jason was fully prepared to marry someone else. He chose Carly. He will always choose Carly. Obrecht says, but her husband is back, and Britt says, it doesn’t matter. She will always come first in Jason’s life, and Britt refuses to come second. Obrecht says, good for you, doctor. Demand the respect you are due, and stick to your guns no matter how tempted you may be to relent. Britt says, she’s not tempted, and Obrecht says, yet. But danger and gratitude are powerful aphrodisiacs, and if Jason succeeds in getting them off this wretched island, she may find herself wavering. The door starts to open.

Harmony says, she understands Alexis’s disappointment in her nephew, but in all fairness, Nikolas is the same person who defied Cyrus to make sure Alexis was safe in Pentenville. She knows firsthand what it’s like to go up against Cyrus Renault, and her nephew had to be very brave to do that. Alexis says, he’s a very complicated guy. With one hand, he takes what he wants, for himself, and with the other hand, he offers her something no one else can. Harmony asks, how so? and Alexis says, he’s friends with the governor, and can arrange to give her a full pardon. Harmony says, Alexis can go free? and Alexis tells her, all she has to do is say yes. Harmony says, Alexis makes it sound like it’s a problem. What’s stopping her?

Shawn says, Hayden told him she had her suspicions, but she didn’t say who, and Nikolas says, that was five years ago. Shawn is a little behind the times, so listen to him. Hayden knew, and Hayden being Hayden, used it to her advantage. He and Hayden came back to Port Charles together to claim the Cassadine estate from Valentin and return it to him. Shawn says, Hayden told him that she was working with Nikolas. He’d assumed it was because she didn’t know Nikolas had tried to kill her once. Nikolas says, Hayden stood to profit from his return. She was willing to let bygones be bygones in order to line her own pocket. So if Shawn thought he was doing right by Hayden, he’s sorry. She’s over it. Nikolas can’t help him, but if this is about Shawn moving forward and putting the past behind, he’s come to the right man.

Spencer guesses he deserves Trina’s suspicion, but he swears he’s not lying. She says, and she knows this is true because his nose isn’t growing? Spencer says she knows him, but she says, she thought she knew Victor, but he turned out to be a fake and a fraud. He used her. He used their friendship to do something cruel to someone who’s been nothing but kind to her. He says, Ava is not what she thinks. Someday Trina will learn the truth about her. She says, just like she learned the truth about him? She’s sorry, but if he thought he was going to find a shoulder to cry on, he came to the wrong place. She just doesn’t trust him… any more than she trust her feelings about him.

Esme tells Josslyn and Cameron, there are all kinds of cool cabins to rent on this website. They’re a little rustic, but have all the major conveniences. She shows Josslyn her phone, and says, here’s one that has a fireplace in every room, with a California king size bed. Perfect. She and Spence can stay in one cabin, and Josslyn and Cameron can stay in another. Cameron says, it sounds really nice, but he can’t really afford to take the time off of work. He goes in the back, and Esme asks if it’s something she said. Josslyn says, no. He has work obligations, and she’s going to the library. Esme says she’s not trying to be nosy, but how long have they been dating? They still haven’t had sex yet? Don’t worry. Things didn’t happen overnight for her and Spence either. For all his sophistication, Spence is really shy and inexperienced, but they figured it out. Josslyn and Cam will too. Josslyn says she doesn’t care what Esme and Spencer do or don’t do when they’re alone. Esme doesn’t know anything about her and Cam. Esme says Josslyn doesn’t have to be uptight around her. She would never judge her friends. Josslyn says, except they’re not friends, and Esme knows that.

Jason shoves Peter in ahead of him, saying, get inside, and Peter says, he’s the boss. Peter says, nice of you to join us, and we see Drew is there with a gun drawn, holding on to Britt’s arm. Peter tells Jason, say hello to your brother.

Alexis says, Harmony doesn’t know the details of what Nikolas wants in exchange for her release. It’s complicated. Harmony says, because he wants something in exchange? Isn’t that the way the world works? Alexis says she thought she was cynical, and Harmony says, no, not cynical, just realistic. Dealing with the likes of Shiloh and Cyrus, you just have to put aside the rose-colored glasses. She stopped holding out hope for goodness and virtue to triumph, because in her experience, they rarely do. She asks what Alexis is waiting for. She’s sober; she’s making it up to the people she hurt. There’s no reason not to take her nephew’s offer. Unless… Alexis says, unless what? and Harmony says, unless she’d rather stay here.

Nikolas says, Shawn didn’t go right to the cops with his theory, which tells Nikolas that his claim is weak. There’s no shame in that. Shawn took his best shot. Now it’s time to bargain. Put his cards on the table. There must be something he wants. Shawn says, all the time Nikolas stole from him; no amount of money can buy that. Nikolas understands how Shawn feels that way, and hopes he feels better now that he got that off his chest. Let’s get real. Nikolas can’t give him the time back, and Hayden’s over the situation. So instead of focusing on the time Shawn lost with TJ, focus on enjoying the time with him now. He’s open to negotiations. Name a figure that would enable him to leave the past in the past, and allow them to both move on.

Spencer says, then Trina hasn’t given up on him. He hasn’t made her hate him? She says she doesn’t hate him. She just can’t let herself believe in him, or anything he says. He says he knows he has to win back her trust. He didn’t come there tonight for her to hold his hand, and say, there, there. She puts her stuff in her bag, and says, really? Because it seemed like that’s what he wanted. He says he wanted someone to be honest with him. To talk to him the way nobody had talked to him until he met her. She may not trust him, but he trusts her. He came there tonight because he wanted to let her know that he’s over this sad, pathetic game with his father. To hell with him. Spencer will find his own way, he promises… She says, no. No more promises. Spencer is good with his words, but his words don’t match his actions. So she needs something else from him. She needs him to prove himself. Not by what he says, but by what he does.

Josslyn asks if Esme remembers what she said at the hospital, that Josslyn minding her business is free, but minding Esme’s will cost her? Right back at her. Don’t mind her business. Don’t comment on it. And don’t waste her time pretending to be Josslyn’s friend when they both know she isn’t. She just hopes Spencer wakes up in time to see the real Esme before it’s too late.

Peter says, will you look at this. Brothers reunited, but on opposite sides. He smells a miniseries. (Ha-ha-ha! If I didn’t hate Peter, I’d love him.) Jason says, let her go, and Peter tells Drew, if Jason kills him, kill Britt. Obrecht tells Drew, don’t listen to him. Think of his daughter; think of Scout. Britt tells Jason, kill Peter. Kill that son of a bitch, and they’ll figure the rest out later.

Alexis says, this place is a helluva lot better than Pentenville. She and Harmony both know that, but why the hell would anyone want to stay here if they didn’t have to? Harmony says, lots of reasons. Because Alexis is safe here. Because almost every decision is made for her. You know who you are in here. Alexis smiles, and says, she’s pretty good. Yeah. Alexis knows what to expect here. Every day when she wakes up, she knows what chores she’ll do, she knows drinking won’t be an option,. When she leaves here, it will be totally unknown, because she won’t have a job to go to, or a special someone to go home to. Plus, she’ll have a lot of free time on her hands. There will be a lot of alcohol everywhere; in every bar and every restaurant. Or she can just order it, and have it delivered at home, like she used to. Harmony says, it’s okay to be scared of life on the outside; it’s a whole lot of unknowns. It’s okay to worry she hasn’t actually hit her rock bottom. Alexis laughs and says, she used to pride herself on having her own mind, and making her own decisions, but now she’s terrified of her decisions. There are temptations she doesn’t have access to here, that she will when she’s out there. It’s easy to be strong when you don’t have the option to be weak. Harmony agrees, and asks what Alexis is going to do. Is she just going to stay here hiding? Life is full of prisons, and she’s not talking about this one, with locks on the door and a fence around the perimeter. She’s talking about the prisons we create for ourselves in our own minds. Trust her; she’s been there. So before Alexis turns down an offer to go free, ask herself something. Can I do more good in here, or out in the world?

Nikolas says, there’s no price tag on the years Shawn spent in prison. Like he said, it’s not about Shawn’s past; it’s about his future. His opening offer is $500,000. Shawn says, nah. He’s not like Nikolas. People aren’t a commodity to him. Nikolas says, without a confession, Shawn has nothing. Without Hayden, he has less than nothing. Shawn says, Nikolas will make sure of that, he knows. Nikolas says, Hayden’s gone. She chose to leave her old life behind. Now it’s Shawn’s turn. He needs a new life. That costs money, and Nikolas can make that happen.

Spencer asks Trina to help him out. Tell him what he can do to repair things. She says she can’t tell him what to do, but what she does know is, he has to stop looking at other people to define him. Isn’t that what he was doing with his dad? Isn’t it what he’s doing with… his girlfriend? He says he just wants Trina to respect him. He wants her to be proud to be his friend. He really values her opinion. She says, he wants to earn her respect? It’s not going to happen overnight. It starts by honoring his commitments. Go back to that job he hates. Stick with it, and start to do it well. Then maybe he can be someone his friends can count on. Maybe that starts by choosing better people to associate with. He says, what if he can’t escape it? What if no matter how hard he tries, he turns into his father? She says, that’s BS and he knows it. She doesn’t believe in fate or destiny. Those are just excuses for laziness or selfishness. If he doesn’t want to turn out like his father, then don’t. This is on him; just him. She gestures toward the door, and he leaves.

Esme says she wishes things didn’t have to be like this with her and Josslyn, but it is what it is. Sorry she tried to have an adult conversation with her. She won’t make that mistake again. She leaves, and Cameron comes back out. He says, kitchen crisis handled. He realizes something is up, and asks what he missed. Josslyn says, no one important.

Britt says, kill him, Jason. Kill him. Peter says, he has that Navy SEAL training; take no prisoners. Britt says, don’t worry about her, but her mother needs medical attention. Do what he has to do. Obrecht says she’s not going anywhere without her Britta. Shoot that schwein and be done with it. Peter says, there’s only two ways to save Britt. Lower your gun, or kill your brother.

Cameron asks where Esme went, and Josslyn says, she left, and she took her friendship with her. Cameron says Esme really gets on her nerves, huh? All that talk about spending the weekend together. She asks if they can talk about anything else, and kisses him. Spencer runs in, and says he’s really sorry about taking off before; something came up. It was a family emergency. He’s so sorry. Cameron says, so that justifies Spencer walking off the job? Josslyn says, she’ll leave them to it, but Cameron tells her, stick around. This won’t take long. She says she has things to do, and jets. Spencer says he really is sorry, but Cameron says he doesn’t care about Spencer’s apology. He went out on a limb for Spencer, by hiring him, by giving him a chance, and how does Spencer repay him? He walks out without even saying a word. That’s it. He blew it. He’s fired.

Trina’s phone rings, and Trina asks Josslyn, what’s up? Josslyn asks what Trina is doing tonight, and Trina says she’s supposed to be working on a project, but she had an unexpected visitor. Josslyn says, let her guess. It was Spencer. Trina says, yep, and Josslyn asks if she’s okay. Trina says, she’ll live. Josslyn? Josslyn says she just had a run-in with Esme. She’s a piece of work. Trina says, sounds like they both need to talk. Meet her at Kelly’s? Josslyn says, no. Cam’s not done working. She’ll come to Trina. Josslyn leaves, and Esme comes back through the gate, and looks in Kelly’s window.

Spencer says, Cameron wants to fire him? Let him make it clear, he didn’t quit. He had a family emergency, with his father. Cameron asks if his father was hurt, and Spencer says, no; it wasn’t that kind of emergency. Spencer had something really important to ask him. His answer told Spencer everything, and he’s done with him. He came back here because he really needs this stupid job. He’s not saying he likes it; he needs it. And he thinks he could have been really good at this job, but he guesses now they’ll never know. He starts to leave, but Cameron says, wait. He takes off his apron, and shoves it at Spencer, saying, take it. Now get back to work.

Nikolas tells Shawn, this offer is good for a limited time. He’ll never get a better one. Not from the PCPD, or the DA’s office, and definitely not from Hayden. So what does he say? Can he leave the past behind to invest in his future?

Harmony gets why this is difficult for Alexis. Once you leave these locked doors, there are a whole bunch of unknowns out there, as well as all the people who have disappointed you. Alexis says, not to mention all the times and ways she’s disappointed herself. Harmony asks if Alexis has any idea what she’s going to do, and Alexis says she knows what she’s not going to do. She’s not going against her conscience to gain her freedom. She doesn’t want any part of her nephew and his dirty offer.

Peter says, come on, Jason. You’re an excellent shot. You could take out Drew right now, and leave Britt unharmed. Just like Jason shot his father when he took Carly hostage. Jason’s only other alternative is to kill him, and hope Drew doesn’t hurt Britt. Britt says, she’s okay with that. She’ll take her chances. Just kill this bastard. Obrecht tries to sit up, and says, no, Britta. Peter says, Drew will kill her. It’s his mission. If Jason doesn’t believe him, ask Obrecht. Obrecht says, Peter’s right. Drew’s conditioning is active. Nothing will stop Drew from completing whatever mission he’s given. Peter says, it boils down to one simple question. Does Jason want his brother’s blood on his hands? Jason and Drew briefly lock eyes, and Jason lowers his gun, putting it on the floor. Peter laughs, because soap villains have to, and tells Drew, take him. Drew tosses Britt toward Peter, and pushes Jason to a kneeling position. Britt makes a move for the gun, but Peter is faster. Peter says he just saved Britt’s life. If she’d tried to shoot him, Drew would have killed her and Jason for trying to save her. Look at it this way. They all get to live a little longer. For now. Britt looks at Jason, who looks worried.

Tomorrow, Curtis is just getting started, Portia thinks someone is in trouble, Maxie tells Brook that the danger is closer to home, and Sonny says Cyrus got off easy.

Vanderpump Rules

Randall planned a poker night for the guys, and Lala told him about her conversation with Brock at the Belmont. She said Brock’s baby mama had slapped him with a restraining order. Katie told Schwartz all about it, and he futilely suggested it was Scheana and Brock’s business, and they stay out of it. James told Raquel that Brock had literally flipped, and mimicked him. We flashed back to Brock getting teary about his family. That’s rich coming from James, considering he’s a HUGE crybaby. In Raquel’s interview, she said, clearly life isn’t what Scheana portrays it to be in her vlog.

Scheana and Brock filmed Brock making both a standard apple pie, as well as one with crumble on top, which is the only kind of pie I like. And chocolate pie with a graham cracker crust. But I digress. In Scheana’s interview, she said her track record didn’t help, but the comments about Brock were frustrating because she knew he was the real deal. She was using YouTube and Blog as vehicles to show a deeper insight into their relationship. The true authentic version of herself, unedited… except by her. Brock made baking a pie look simple, which I have my doubts about. Lala told LVP that she was concerned about the domestic violence charge. She said she would hope were she in the same position, someone would ask her if she was being smart. Scheana was concerned about Lisa thinking less of their relationship, and said Brock had some explaining to do because Lisa was concerned now. Brock said he’d gladly talk to Lisa because he had nothing to hide.

Schwartz and Sandoval met with their new business partner Greg, and in Sandoval’s interview, he said they’d known Greg back when he owned the Belmont. They would get a level of creative control they weren’t going to get with Lisa. Colors, light, drama, seclusion, but also … a community interactive event. Schwartz told Greg that they’d settled on a name, but I thought it was more like Schwartz settled for something he hadn’t wanted. Greg pointed out that Schwartz couldn’t even say it, and wondered if it would say, a different kind of deli. People were going to show up thinking they could get a pastrami on rye. In Schwartz’s interview, he said that he wasn’t falling in love with the name, but he was falling out of hate. Greg said they had to convince him that they knew what they wanted, and suggested their mission statement be their number one priority. They needed to convince him that he should want to partner with them.

Raquel wasn’t happy with a nose job she’d gotten, pointing out a slight crookedness that you wouldn’t notice if she hadn’t said something. Her doctor had given her exercises to do 14 times a day. That’s insane. I had to do physical therapy with one of my dogs three times a day once, and I thought it was a lot. James told her that he’d spoken to Max, and it was all good. We saw a clip of Max telling Lisa that he felt James’s apology was sincere, and Max wanted to move on with him. Raquel said James’s anger issue still wasn’t resolved, and James admitted that his temper was out of control sometimes. It ruined his own mood and day, and that of those around him. She asked if he was open to AA, but he said he wasn’t 100% sober because he smoked weed. He was a creative person with a job in nightlife. In James’s interview, he said weed was legal in California, and he was a very high energy guy. It put him back down to neutral. He was stoned right now. Raquel suggested mediation or boxing to channel his energy, and James said he had been working out more.

In Sandoval’s interview, he said he and Schwartz had been through a lot. They’d spent money together and saved money together. We flashed back to some of that, and he said it was a match made in heaven. They met with Lisa and Ken, and Lisa said since they had a new partner, she felt protective, and thought Ken should weigh in, in case they had questions. Ken said he was worried about them mortgaging their houses. In Lisa’s interview, she said Ken had a lot of experience with leases, and complicated scenarios regarding a new business. She felt the Toms could benefit from his expertise. Ken asked how long their lease was, and Sandoval wasn’t sure. Lisa asked what happened with their homes if the business went into liquidation, and in Tom’s interview, he said he knew she was concerned about them getting in over their heads, but getting in over your head pushed you to the next level. Lisa said they only wanted to help, but could never get a straight answer about anything. We found out that Schwartz has Horton’s toe, where the second toe is longer than the big toe. The more you know…

Server Jesse cut Tom’s hair, and in Ariana’s interview, she said Tom got his hair cut more often than she washes her hair. He said he felt fresh. Ariana said it should be an interesting night; she hadn’t hung out with Lala since Palm Springs. In her interview, Ariana said, their last conversation hadn’t been the most productive. We flashed back to that, and Tom said Lala had been secretive about her relationship with Randall in the beginning, and Ariana said they’d lied for her, but that was back then. The situation was different now. James and Raquel met with boxing trainer Robbie in the park, and in James’s interview, he said he was willing to do anything it took to channel his angry energy into something else. He was surprised at what a good boxer Raquel was, saying she had little baby wrists. He didn’t know how she was hitting so hard. He said, boxing hadn’t really excited him. If anything it made him more angry. They sat down on a blanket afterward, and Raquel said it felt good to punch something. James said he’d do anything to help him respond to situations differently, and Raquel was concerned about his habit of saying things that hurt people. She was afraid that when they had kids, James would say something to hurt their self-confidence. Raquel said Lisa was taking her to her own doctor for her nose, and she was going to have to tell him that James bumped her. In Raquel’s interview, she said, after her nose job, James had gone in for a kiss so hard, he hit her nose. We saw a clip from two months earlier, with James being concerned that people would assume something. He told Raquel not to mess up her nose. He was afraid of hating the way she looked. Not too superficial, although we are talking about a nose job.  

Schwartz and Katie went to Villa Rosa to have pedicures. Puffy! Lisa said her life was coming back, and Schwartz said he wanted to feed her grapes. In Lisa’s interview, she said, TomTom had been closed forever. They were finally reopening, and changing the cocktail menu. They’d lost some staff, and it was about paring down, and making it simpler. In Schwartz’s interview, he said he’d been turned down for the home equity loan. He got confused when it came to profession. He didn’t think mactor – model + actor – was what they were looking for. Why he wouldn’t have put restaurant owner, I have no clue. Lisa told him that if he needed to be bought out of TomTom, she would do it, and in her interview, she said she was nervous for them. They were putting their house up for security, and wanted to have a baby. Schwartz politely declined Lisa’s offer, and said there was no chance of him giving up his stake in TomTom. Lisa said the offer was there if he needed it.    

In Lala’s interview, she said she hated hosting because she wasn’t good at it. She couldn’t tell the guests to bring their own White Claw and they’ll pop open a bag of Doritos. She told Ariana that she’d gone shopping, and Isabel laid it out for her. On her kitchen island, bowls were lined up with Post-It notes in them. Lala asked if she and Ariana were moving on, and in Ariana’s interview, she said the seed of their friendship had been planted. It was TBD if it grew into a flower or died. Randall had his poker night, and Jesse Metcalfe joined them. In Sandoval’s interview, he said Jesse probably didn’t remember, but they met over ten years ago. He and Kristen gave him a ride home from a Coachella after-party. Randall said he’d lost $17K the last time he played poker with the Toms. All the girls arrived at Lala’s place, and in Charli’s interview, she said she brought her own food, since Lala wasn’t empathetic to her issues. Better safe than starving. The poker game was No Limit Hold ‘Em, and in his interview, Sandoval said, the rules are pretty simple… Um… Maybe he was stoned too. Randall ended up on the losing end again, although only to the tune of $5000 this time. He said he wasn’t going to have another boys night for a long time.

Lala talked to Katie and Raquel about Brock, and in Raquel’s interview, she said Brock had already been put on trial. Why were they putting him on trial again? Katie said she didn’t believe in painting red flags with glitter. Omg, you’d think this guy was a  serial killer when they only have a couple of facts really. Raquel told Scheana about the conversation, and Scheana said it wasn’t fair to question her judgment, and thought Lala’s concern was bullsh*t. In Scheana’s interview, she said she didn’t know what this obsession with Brock was all about. Lala had said she would stop, and it was really annoying her now. Lala, Ariana, Katie, and Raquel got in the hot tub, while Charli and Scheana sat on the side. Scheana said Brook only gave Lala a highlight from what happened, and she took it as he was beating his wife. She wished Lala would trust her judgement. She wouldn’t have a baby with someone she thought was a terrible person. What was even more frustrating was, why wasn’t Lala concerned the first year Scheana and Brock were together? Lala said she didn’t know he hadn’t seen his kids in four years. How is he not a bad guy when he got slammed with a domestic violence order? These were Brock’s issues, and Scheana, her baby, and his other children were victims. I have to say, I think Lala’s concern is genuine, but she’s blowing this way out of proportion.

Everyone went to Lisa’s house for a cocktail tasting presented by the Toms. Lisa came into the kitchen, and saw a mess of bottles and garnishes and glasses and bowls on her kitchen island. She said she could make a four-course meal with less mess than the Toms were making, creating two cocktails. It was Brock’s first time at Villa Rosa, and he told Scheana that it was pretty impressive. This lady has swans. Lisa toasted to the opening of TomTom. Brock asked if he could talk privately with Lisa, and wanted everyone to know he was an open book. He had a history, but had learned from his mistakes. In Lala’s interview, she said, that’s what grossed her out the most. He displays something horrific, and puts a bow on it. Some people only see the bow, but she doesn’t see it. It just seems like she’s being unfair, not giving this guy any credit whatsoever, when we haven’t seen him act crazy or anything. Schwartz brings out watermelon margaritas, with a full-size slice of watermelon as a garnish, and a branch from a maple tree large sprig of mint or basil or something. Brock told Lisa that he’d done some things he wasn’t proud of, but the person he was today isn’t the person he was ten years ago. He’d tried to have a conversation with Lala, and tried to explain that it was more complicated than him kicking in the front door to see his kids. It was a toxic situation with his partner, and he’d slapped her, which he wasn’t proud of. In his interview, he said he was 19, and they’d were having an argument, and he slapped her. It wasn’t what prompted the restraining order though. They moved to France, and their boy was born. They separated, and his ex found out she was pregnant. She had a girl, and there was an argument with her dad, which is when the domestic order happened. He’d needed to appeal it to get it lifted. Lisa asked why he hadn’t made an effort to see his children since then, and he said in the time he’d been in America, his ex had married, and they had a daughter together. She and his children had a new life. In Lisa’s interview, she said she wanted it to be okay because Scheana wanted it to be okay, but it was terribly worrying. He told Lisa that Scheana made him a better person brings, and brought the best out of him, and he got weepy. When Lisa came back, she asked Sandoval for the strongest drink he had. Seeing the mess even messier, she said God forbid he ever had a dinner party. Sandoval introduced a whiskey cocktail he claimed smoke rose from, but Katie didn’t see it, and neither did I.

Lisa announced that the margaritas were definitely on the menu, and Tom asked if they’re doing the whiskey… Before he could finish, she said, no, which was pretty funny. She wondered why Lala was so quiet, and Lala said she felt awkward. Lisa said that wasn’t like her, and Lala said she’d had a girls night, and went to Scheana as a friend with concerns. Scheana twisted it again, when she’d thought they were friends. She thought she knew Scheana well enough to ask if she was being smart. In Scheana’s interview, she said she didn’t know why Lala wouldn’t let her live her life in peace. Forgive her for questioning Lala’s motives, but they hadn’t had a solid friendship. Sandoval interrupted Lala, and Lisa asked him to let her talk. Sandoval had the nerve to tell Lisa, give me an effing second, and she told him not to talk to her like that, and apologize. Which he did. In his interview, Sandoval said Lala was always the aggressor, but then played the victim. She had no business talking about Brock. Scheana said she wanted to hear what Sandoval had to say, and Tom said, what if he brought up sh*t Randall had done ten years ago when he and Lala started dating? Lala said this was not going to happen, because God forbid her own life should be examined. Lala said she wished Scheana the best, but they didn’t mesh well as friends and she was exhausted by it.  

Lala headed for the door, and got all emotional with Lisa. She said she was worried for Scheana because she had the baby. She’d voiced her concern, and it backfired, making her the villain. How was this happening? My guess was because she wouldn’t STFU about Brock for five minutes. She left, and Scheana said, well, that was fun.

Next time, Lala talks to Ariana about Tom’s pattern of attacking women verbally, and Tom tells Lala that she has a double-standard.

🛥 Where No Deck Has Gone Before…

Showing Kate in the picture is just cruel.

https://www.distractify.com/p/below-deck-season-9-location

🎃 Halloween Eye Candy…

What the celebs wore. I’m sure I’ll be posting more. It’s the best part of Halloween

https://extratv.com/photos/image_jpg_20211101_c5d604e889704cacb51faa7d9638afbf/

Some oddball choices.

https://www.gq.com/story/celebrity-halloween-2021

Quick change artist.

https://ew.com/tv/mindy-kaling-dresses-as-legally-blonde-veep-insecure-characters-for-halloween/

Día de los Muertos

🍂 Making Like a Tree…

See you tomorrow for some soap, and what I hope think is the final chapter of the RHOBH Reunion. See Erika get mad. See Erika shed tears. See Erika make vague threats. Until then, stay safe, stay setting your personal bar higher, and stay proving yourself not by what you say, but by what you do.

October 26, 2021 – Sonny Has a Problem With Michael, Lala Spills Brock’s Tea, Salt Lake Latest, Not a Good Look & Riders

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Violet has her eyes covered, and asks if she can look now. Aiden tells her, go for it, and she opens her mouth in surprise. Aiden asks what she thinks, when Finn walks in with a grocery bag, baguettes sticking out of it. Violet says, look what Aunt Elizabeth brought them. Hot house presents. Elizabeth says, otherwise known as housewarming gifts, and Violet goes to the couch, saying, aren’t they pretty? Finn says, they are. He didn’t even know they needed decorative pillows. Elizabeth says, they’re not decorative pillows; they’re floor pillows. They can toss them on the floor when they’re watching movies. Violet says, and eat popcorn, and she thanks Elizabeth. Finn thanks her too, and says, what would he do without her?

Spencer and Esme walk into Kelly’s, and Esme tells him to cheer up. At least his step-grandfather paid his bail. He says, why does everything have to come with a condition? and she says, is what Doc is asking really that bad? He’s no longer in jail. He’s free to have a cup of coffee and the pastry of his choice. He asks how he’s free when Doc is making him get a job? Oh horrors.

Austin opens his office door to Ned, and says he thought he’d seen the last of the Quartermaines when he signed away his father’s claim to ELQ. Ned says, for what it’s worth (🍷), he thinks Austin made the right choice. He’s much better off practicing medicine than getting embroiled in corporate infighting. Austin says he’s not practicing medicine, because the ethics committee has yet to review Brook’s retraction. He doesn’t know what Ned is doing there, but he’s not going back to Pawtuck once the suspension is lifted. Ned says, actually, he came there for a more important reason.

Brook runs into the MetroCourt, and tells Chase, sorry she’s late. She had a meeting at Deception. He says, no biggie. He’s surprised she wanted to get a drink. She says, they’re celebrating Austin dropping his claim on ELQ, and he asks, what made Austin change his mind?

Gladys puts on the recording from her phone to type the Deception meeting notes. She hears Brook say she dreads the day Valentin finds out Bailey isn’t his daughter, and laughs. She picks up the phone, and kisses it.

On the phone with Brando, walking into the Port Charles Grill, Sasha says, the meeting was not without drama. She had to have a chat with Gladys about Brook. Gladys doesn’t think Brook is as maternal as she should be. She can only imagine what’s in store for them when their baby is born. Since the meeting is over, does he feel like meeting for dinner?… All right. She’ll see him later. She goes inside the restaurant, and Willow comes in behind her. Sasha asks if she’s meeting Michael, but Willow says, no. She’s taking a break. Sasha says, from the Quartermaines, the Corinthoses, or both? and Willow says, actually, from Michael.

On the phone with Sheridan, Michael says, Miss Reeves waived extradition, and she’s on her way to Pennsylvania. She’ll be all his soon. He’s arranged for the money to be transferred to Sheridan’s campaign fund. Good luck on his run for State Attorney General. Carly and Sonny walk in, and Michael says, he thinks prosecuting Nina Reeves is the high profile case Sheridan needs to bump him up in the polls. I’m going to say it again, how wise is this whole thing, when Sonny is head of a mob family? Is no one going to notice? Sonny asks if everything is okay, and Michael says, it couldn’t be better. Carly says, it’s big news, Nina being arrested, and Michael says, someone had to.

Sonny asks if that was about Wiley, and Michael says, if Nina’s contact with Wiley is limited because of her legal status, that’s a collateral benefit. But he brought the case to DA Sheridan’s attention because Nina’s actions were criminal, and she deserves to face legal consequences. Carly says she couldn’t agree more, and Michael says, he just hopes DA Sheridan can get justice for Avery and Donna. Two little girls who thought their father was dead are so confused, they think their Grandpa Mike is going to come back to them the same way Sonny did. Justice for Dante, Kristina and Josslyn, and for Carly, for Jason and anybody who mourned Sonny. For everyone’s lives who were upended because Nina took Sonny from them. Sonny says, Nina is obviously a very troubled woman, and she’s sorry for her actions, but Michael says, it’s an act, trust him. Right after Sonny returned, she pulled a stunt that reminded him so much of Nelle, his blood ran cold. (Exaggerate much, Michael?) He says he gave Nina chance after chance, and she betrayed his trust, so yes. He brought Nina’s actions in Nixon Falls to the attention of somebody who’s in a position to do something about it.

Willow and Sasha sit down, and Sasha asks, what’s going on with Willow and Michael? She thought they were solid. Willow says, so did she, but Sasha doesn’t need to be burdened with her problems. She has a job and a baby to deal with, besides, she shouldn’t talk about Michael behind his back. Sasha says she completely understands. She’ll just ask one more question, then Willow can tell her to shut up. Does this thing between her and Michael have anything to do with Nina’s arrest? Willow says, she heard? and Sasha says, the Port Charles Press sent out a notification. She can’t say it comes as a surprise, considering how much grief Nina caused Sonny’s family. Willow says, it’s less the arrest that troubles her, than the fact Michael was behind it, and Sasha says, that does not sound like Michael. Willow says she knows, and Sasha asks if Willow agrees with Michael’s decision. Willow says she doesn’t know. She gets why Michael did it, but he completely blindsided her.

Brook tells Chase, Austin’s circumstances changed. He realized he was better off dropping the lawsuit against her family. He asks, how exactly did his circumstances change? and she says, remember how he told her to engage Austin in conversation? Hear him out about the Leo thing? He says, of course (🍷). Was she actually listening to him? She says, shocking, she knows, but Austin ended up blabbing his diagnosis about Leo. He says, being on the autism spectrum, and she says, yep, which is none of her business, right? Austin violated HIPPA laws, and now his medical license is suspended. Chase says, and that somehow led him dropping his claim to ELQ how exactly?

Ned asks if they can sit, and Austin asks if it’s going to take that long. Ned says, that depends. He’s there to talk to Austin about Leo. Austin says, right. Leo. That sweet boy that everybody pretends to care about, but he’s really just a pawn in Ned’s family’s game. Ned says, Leo is not a pawn to him, and Austin says, he is to Ned’s daughter. Ned says, he knows Brook coerced Austin into admitting Leo might be on the autism spectrum, and Austin says, he almost lost his medical license because of her. Ned says he knows and he’s sorry. Brook can be single-minded when it comes to fighting for something she wants. Austin says he learned that the hard way, and Ned says, and his wife can be single-minded when it comes to her son, as Austin noticed. So he wants to ask Austin, as a doctor, can he give any suggestions to get her to see how they see Leo? How he can get her to move beyond her denial, so they can help Leo?

Esme asks Spencer, what’s the matter? and he says, things don’t taste as good when you have to worry about how to pay for them. She says, getting a job can’t really be that bad. He can do anything he puts his mind to. Remember when they sneaked out of school to attend Fashion Week in Paris? He says, it was her idea not his, and she says, he met all those designers, chatted them up, and the designers gave them a backstage tour. He says, the Cassadine name impresses, and she says, with that name and his contacts, he could pitch Crimson on covering menswear. He says, it’s a women’s magazine, and she says, idea number two. He speaks fluid French, and a couple of other languages; he could be a maître d’ at the MetroCourt. The international clientele would be very impressed. He says, Carly won’t. She wouldn’t even let Britt put them up in her hotel room, remember? She says, okay, idea number three. Give riding lessons to the offspring of the rich and famous, like Charlotte Cassadine. He says, Valentin loathes him already. He’ll be thrilled to entrust his daughter to someone awaiting trial for stalking. She says, okay, fine. She gives up. What sort of job does he think he can get?

Violet runs in, and asks Elizabeth, what’s in the box in the kitchen? Elizabeth suggests they unpack it and find out, and Violet runs back to the kitchen with Aiden. Finn asks if he dares ask, and she says, it’s just kitchen utensils. You know, for cooking at home. He says, people cook in their homes? and she says he’d be surprised. Aiden is upgrading his cooking stuff all the time, so she just brought him the duplicates. Finn thanks her, and Violet comes back in, saying, look what she found in the box. Finn asks what it is, and Aiden says, it’s a cherry pitter, for taking the pits out of cherries. Elizabeth says, if they want to make a fresh cherry pie, and Violet says she does. Aiden says, trust him. Fresh cherries are way better than canned, and Violet asks when they can make one. Finn says, as soon as Aiden gives them his recipe… and helps them make it. Violet says, let’s go see what’s in the rest of the box, and Aiden says, before they do that, he has a surprise for her. She says, another surprise?

Aiden says he and his brothers went through a bunch of photos of their family. He thought Violet would like them to remind her how crazy her cousins are about her. They look through the photos, and Finn thanks Elizabeth for the cherry picker. She says, it’s a pitter, and she brought him some pots and pans. He says they’re going to need those. He went to this place called… the supermarket, and bought actual groceries. Why don’t she and Aiden stay for dinner? Chase is coming over, and she can invite Jake and Cameron. She says, Jake has a class and Cameron is working tonight, and he suggests just the four of them then. It can be a camping trip reunion without the plunge into the icy stream. She says, or Scotty, falling from the sky, and he says he thinks they’re safe there. She says she accepts, and Violet asks if it’s Aiden in a picture. He says that’s his mom when she was little. Violet asks who the man is next to her, and Aiden says he’s not sure. Elizabeth looks over their shoulders at the picture, and looks worried.

Gladys says, online shopping is so convenient. Should she get the brown boots, or the black… or the red? Those are gorgeous. She’ll get the black and the red, and bill the charges to Brook at Deception.

Brook says, if Chase must know, she gave Austin a choice. He could either drop the lawsuit against her family, or kiss his medical career goodbye. He says, so her righteous indignation about Austin revealing confidential medical information wasn’t so righteous at all. He lifts his glass and says, nice one. She says, of course (🍷) it was. Two things can be true at once. She can care about Leo, and use Austin’s arrogant violation of HIPPA rules to her advantage. He says, he just remembers her bringing up medical privacy law, and he told her to go and talk to Austin anyway. Is that where she got the idea to maneuver Austin into betraying medical confidentiality?

Austin says, Ned wants his help with Leo, and Ned says he’s sorry for laying this on Austin, especially after Brook boxed him into a corner. Austin says, she certainly did; he had to choose between his medical career and his father’s birthright. Ned says he wouldn’t be there if he didn’t feel boxed in himself. He can’t turn to Monica, because she’ll go directly to Olivia, and he has to do whatever needs to be done to get Leo the help he needs. Austin says he can’t confirm to Ned whether Leo has autism or not; that’s for the specialist to decide. Ned says, Olivia refuses to take him to see one, and Austin says, she’s not the first mother to react that way. Ned asks how he gets through to her, and Austin says he doesn’t know what Ned is doing there. He doesn’t need the opinion of another medical expert. He needs a marriage counselor.

Willow tells Sasha, she walked in on Michael meeting with the DA of Lantano County, Pennsylvania. He wants to run for State Attorney General, and Michael donated money to his campaign. Sasha says, and in return, the DA agreed to prosecute Nina, and Willow says, but Michael promised her that he wouldn’t make any decisions about Nina in regard to Wiley until they’d talked it over first. When she pointed that out, he claimed that having Nina arrested was a legal matter, and didn’t involve Wiley. Sasha says, it seems like Michael is splitting hairs, and Willow says, doesn’t it? If Nina is convicted for lying about Sonny, she goes to prison, which is a perfect way to keep her from Wiley.

Michael says he’s aware Sonny already knows this, but Nina was able to get in one last visit with Wiley by just showing up at the house, and acting like nothing had happened. Sonny says, there’s no question that Nina took advantage of Michael, and the family, and Michael says, unfortunately, Nina has legal rights as Wiley’s biological grandparent, and Carly says, keeping Wiley protected is the most important thing here. Michael says, and keeping Wiley protected doesn’t have to mean letting Nina off the hook. Nina’s lies kept Sonny away from his family and his life for months; that has to be illegal. DA Sheridan thinks he can make a case for identity fraud. Carly agrees, saying, she had it out with Nina big time, and Michael says she had one angry confrontation, when she had every right to take it a step further. She should have gone to the authorities and had Nina prosecuted. Honestly, he’s surprised he got there before they did.

Esme tells Spencer, forget the last eight ideas. The truth is, getting a job is really about who you know. He says, and who still likes you. She says there has to someone in Port Charles willing to cut him a break, and he says, Britt Westbourne. She’s Co-Chief of Staff at General Hospital. Maybe she can hire him as her assistant. Esme says, there you go. Give her a call. He says, no offense, but that’s probably something best done in private, and she says, go for it. He steps outside, and Cameron comes out. Esme says, hey, and thanks him for not turning his back on Spence, when he offered to speak to his grandfather about defending him. Cameron says he’s sorry Scotty laughed at her, and she says, Spence has quite the reputation in Port Charles. He says, kind of deserved, doesn’t she think?

Ned tells Austin, all he’s asking for is some doctor’s advice on how to talk to Olivia. He thought Austin cared about Leo. Austin says he does care about Leo, but Olivia wasn’t listening to him, and Brook was threatening his medical license. Ned doesn’t get to come there with his hat in his hand, when Ned didn’t lift a finger to help him. Austin opens the door, and Ned says he didn’t encourage Brook, or conspire with her to get Austin to sign away his claim, but he won’t deny that businesswise, it works out in his favor. Austin asks if he’s supposed to applaud Ned for just being honest, and Ned says he doesn’t blame Austin for being angry, but the truth is they’re both on the same side. They both want what’s best for Leo. Can’t they make peace for Leo’s sake?

Brook tells Chase, Austin is a doctor. He knows perfectly well he’s not supposed to share patient information, unless he gets permission from said patient. If he’s too arrogant to keep his theory to himself, then he assumes the risk, and has to face the consequences. Chase says, the point is, she manipulated Austin into saying something he shouldn’t, right after she brought up HIPPA restrictions to him. She asks why he even cares. It’s not like he’s a fan of Austin’s. He says, because Austin is a doctor, and he was worried about a patient, and she took advantage. She says, that was harsh. Will it make him feel any better if she said she did it for her dad? He says, Ned can take care of himself; he doesn’t need her help. He knows she’s feeling guilty about Valentin getting her shares of ELQ, but he thinks her dad’s forgiven her. When is she going to forgive herself? She says, it’s not like she hasn’t heard that one before, but it’s all good now. She’s retracting her claim that Austin violated HIPPA, and he can go back to practicing medicine again. He says, she gave Austin a choice; his medical license or his claim to ELQ. He chose his medical license. Doesn’t that tell her that his heart’s in the right place where Leo is concerned? She says she thinks it shows he was backed into a corner, and he chose the sure thing. He picked his medical career instead of waiting around to see if the court sided with him on his claim. Chase says, she’s not going to give this guy any credit, and she says, oh please. Austin Gatlin-Holt is far from a poor powerless country doctor. He basically declared war on her.

Violet asks if it’s Elizabeth’s daddy in the picture, and Elizabeth says, it is. Aiden says he’s sorry. The picture must have gotten mixed up with the other ones. Violet asks if he isn’t her mommy’s daddy too. She told him that his name is Grandpa Jeff. Elizabeth says, her mommy was right, and Violet says she knows Grandpa Gregory; how come she doesn’t know Grandpa Jeff? Aiden says he and his brothers don’t spend any time with Grandpa Jeff either. He lives really far away. Violet asks Finn if they can go see him, but Elizabeth says, he’s a really busy man. Violet says, too busy to meet her? Why can’t she meet her grandpa?

Carly says Michael is right; she should have done something. She’s stayed up nights, thinking of ways to get back at Nina. He says, she didn’t come up with anything? and she says, she came up with a million things, and then she reconsidered. Michael asks, why? and Sonny says, because he asked her to.

Sasha says, sure sounds like Michael went full-on Quartermaine, and Willow says, and Corinthos. Sasha says, obviously, what Nina did to his family hit him hard, and Willow says she understands that. What she doesn’t understand is why Michael shut her out. They had what she thought was a good talk about the situation. They agreed Nina was in the wrong, but for Wiley’s sake, the best thing they could do is not trouble trouble. Nina hasn’t tried to see Wiley since the truth came out, so why provoke her? Michael agreed, and even thanked her for her insight. Then he turned around and got DA Sheridan to have Nina arrested, without even asking to hear her thoughts on the matter.  

Michael asks, why? and Sonny says he thought it was enough that Nina understood to stay away from him and his family. Michael says, and Wiley? and Sonny tells him, Nina knows it’s Michael’s decision, and he’s with Michael whatever decision he makes. Michael asks if Sonny has a problem with him reaching out to DA Sheridan, and Sonny says, actually, he does.

Sasha says, Michael loves Willow. She knows how much he was hurting when Willow married Chase. Willow says she doesn’t doubt Michael’s love, but for the first time, she feels like he hid something from her. He went behind her back. He led her to believe one thing, while he was doing something else. Sasha says, maybe he can’t fight his upbringing. He is, after all, a Quartermaine and a Corinthos. Willow says, and they’ve seen how his two families deal with people who get in the way. Sasha says, in Michael’s mind, he was only doing what he was taught to do; deal with the problems by any means necessary. Willow says, it’s not what Michael did; it’s that he left her out. He never shared what was on his mind with her. He treated Nina like a problem he could handle. Sasha says she doesn’t blame Willow for feeling hurt, but she guesses Michael didn’t intend to exclude her. In fact, he probably thought going after Nina legally, rather than in family court, was honoring Willow’s wishes. Willow says, that’s what he said, but that’s not how she sees it. Sasha tells her, then say that to him. Tell him how she feels. It’s the best way to work this out.

Carly tells Michael, she agrees with him about Nina, but his dad convinced her that his homecoming shouldn’t be about anger and resentment. Sonny’s back, and they missed him, but they all get to be together, and that’s what’s important. Sonny says, he was downplaying any payback with Nina, because he didn’t want to make this a bigger deal than it is. He wants to forget about it (fuhgeddaboudit pops into my head). Michael says, he can do that right now. DA Sheridan is moving forward with the case against Nina. If she’s convicted, none of them have to worry about bumping into her in Port Charles, especially Wiley. Am I wrong? Wouldn’t Sonny have to be a part of this trial?

Ned says, isn’t Leo’s welfare the most important consideration? but Austin says, Brook didn’t think so. Brook has no soul. She’s like the rest of you Quartermaines, with the possible exception of Monica. Although Monica married into the family, so, thank goodness for Monica, she doesn’t have to share their DNA. Ned says, Brook has a soul, and she also cares deeply for her family. Last year, she made a huge error in judgement, and she’s determined to do everything she can to make up for it. To make it up to him and the rest of the family. Austin says, that doesn’t make what she did to him any less ugly. He loves being a doctor. It’s probably the best thing about him. He wants to help people, and Brook took that and twisted it, using it against him. She weaponized it, and he will not forgive her for that, and he will not forget.

Chase asks if Austin really declared war, or is Brook exaggerating just a little bit. She says, you tell me. After Austin signed the document, giving up his rights to ELQ, he told her this was far from over. It was just the beginning. The guy wants payback. He says, if Austin does try anything, let him know. He’s still a detective, even though he’s chained to a desk for the foreseeable future. She says, he’ll still help her? Even though she may have crossed the line? He says he understands going to extremes, and he’s always willing to help out a friend. She thanks him, and he says, his pleasure. He kisses her cheek, and leaves. Brook looks at her phone, and says, Wyndham’s? She didn’t buy anything. She scrolls, and says, whoa…

Violet says, maybe Grandpa Jeff can talk to her about her mommy, and Elizabeth says, Grandpa Jeff is a doctor like her daddy. He travels all over the world, helping people. She supposes those people need him more than they do. Aiden guesses that’s why they don’t get to see him, and suggests he and Violet unpack the rest of the box. Violet asks if there will be stuff to make brownies, and he says he’ll show her. They go to the kitchen, and Elizabeth looks at the picture. Finn says, sorry Violet couldn’t let it go, but she says, it’s okay. She just wishes she had better answers for Violet. He asks why she doesn’t.

Sonny asks exactly how Michael reached out to the DA, and Michael says, he’s ambitious. He’s running for State Attorney General. Nina is editor-in-chief of a major publication; she’s a real estate heiress. Prosecuting her for any type of crime like identity fraud will generate headlines, and boost his profile. Sonny says so Michael just pointed him at some free publicity? and Michael says, the Quartermaines also made a substantial contribution to his campaign.

Spencer comes back, and Esme says, no luck with Britt? He says, she’s not answering her phone, and the hospital said she’s out of the country. Cameron is bussing a table, and Esme asks if Cameron knows where Spence can get a job. Cameron says, funny she should ask. He just got promoted to assistant manager, so they need a server to take his place. Spencer says, too bad he was arrested, and awaiting trial, but Spencer says, Kelly’s believes in giving second chances to offenders, even ones with no hospitality experience. Spencer thanks Cameron, but gives it a hard pass. Cameron says, that’s fine. Someone way better just applied anyway. He leaves, and Esme asks if Spencer thinks he has a choice.

Elizabeth says she and her dad haven’t been close for a long time, and Finn says, same with his dad and him. They got through it; maybe Elizabeth and her dad will as well. There’s a knock at the door, and Finn answers along with Violet. It’s Chase, bearing flowers, and Violet asks if they’re for her. He says, violets for his favorite violet. She thanks him, and Chase asks if Aiden is still making that seven-layer bar. Aiden tells him there’s some in the kitchen, and Chase says, score. He asks how Elizabeth is doing, and hopes they’re joining him and Finn for dinner. Elizabeth asks if they mind, and Chase says, not if she cooks it. Finn says, that’s hilarious. It’s mac and cheese; how hard can it be? Elizabeth says they’ll let Aiden take care of it, and Chase says he brought Finn a good luck charm, handing Finn a bag. Finn takes out an apron that says, Kiss the Cook, and Violet asks him to pick her up. She kisses him, and says she kissed the cook. He thanks her, and asks, who’s ready to eat? Violet says she is, and Aiden says he’s starving. Chase seconds that, and Finn asks everyone to come to the kitchen, saying, it’s all downhill from here. They leave, but Elizabeth stays behind, looking at the photo.  

Willow asks if Michael ever did anything like that to Sasha, and Sasha says, no, but they don’t share a child. They never went through what Willow and Michael did to protect Wiley from Nelle. Willow says, Sasha gave up her relationship with Michael so she and Michael could be together, and Sasha says, she and Chase did it for Wiley, and have no regrets. Everything worked out for the best. Willow asks how the baby is, and Sasha says, perfect, of course (🍷). She and Brando found their footing once he agreed not work for Carly and Jason. Willow says, so it’s smooth sailing, but Sasha says she wouldn’t go that far. They still have to deal with Brando’s mother.

Gladys approaches Brook, and says, you wanted to see me, boss? Brook says Gladys’s job description doesn’t include buying two pairs of Cartullo boots from Wyndham’s and charging them to the company. Gladys says, she has to look good, and Brook tells her to look good on her own dime. She’s paying back every single dollar, and she’s going to start by finishing the notes from the business meeting. Gladys says she doesn’t think so, and Brook says, excuse me? Gladys sits, at the bar, and says, It’s too late for that today, and tomorrow, she’s taking a mental health day. Brook asks if she’s trying to get fired, and Gladys says, go ahead and fire her, but then she’ll have to reveal Brook’s little secret. Brook says, what little secret? and Gladys says, actually, it’s not that little; it’s kind of major. She recorded it on her phone. Does Brook want to hear it?

Sonny asks, what if a connection is seen between Michael’s donation and Nina’s arrest? Carly says his donation could be seen as a bribe, but Michael says, campaign contributions are completely legal; he has his attorneys filing the appropriate paperwork. The fact is, Nina broke the law. She did it in Lantano County, and it’s up to DA Sheridan if he wants to prosecute. Did he set it in motion? Yes, but Sheridan is an experienced prosecutor, and he wouldn’t move forward with this case unless there was merit. Nina is the one who’s wrong here, not him. He walks off, and Sonny looks at Carly.

Sasha tells Willow, if she wasn’t pregnant, Gladys would have her diving headfirst into a bottle. Willow says, if Sasha wasn’t pregnant, Gladys wouldn’t even be in her life. Sasha says, true, but she wouldn’t trade this pregnancy for anything, despite Gladys being a class-A troublemaker. Willow says she and Carly have had their disagreements, especially about Nina, but fortunately for her, Carly is no Gladys. Sasha says, not even close. She’s not trying to rationalize what Michael, but she doesn’t think he meant to shut Willow out. Every couple argues. Willow says, even if they’re good together? and Sasha says, that’s what makes them so good. They both feel safe enough to disagree. Michael loves her with all his heart. What he did doesn’t change that, and Sasha hopes it doesn’t change Willow’s love for him. Willow says, of course (🍷) not, and Sasha says they’ll work this out, and be stronger for having overcome it. She leaves, and I think, they both went in a restaurant, and neither one had lunch.

Elizabeth sits on the couch looking at the photo, and Finn asks if she’s coming. Chase says, Finn doesn’t know how to turn the stove on, and Finn says, Chase can’t turn it on either. Chase says, it’s one of those European models that only made sense if you’re a Swede, and Aiden says, he’s right; it’s weird. Finn says they need her, before Chase blows them all up; he’s got a match. Elizabeth says she’ll be right there. She tears up the picture, and puts the pieces in her pocket.

Spencer tells Cameron, he’s done some thinking, and he’d really like to take the job, but Cameron says, he already told Spencer, they’re giving someone the job who has actual qualifications. Spencer says Cameron wants him to grovel, doesn’t he? and Cameron says, big time. Spencer says he’s been a jerk, a snob, someone who thought he was better than the townies. The reality is, he’s a disinherited nobody, who’s desperate for a job, and will be eternally grateful if Cameron offers him one. Good enough? Cameron says, it’ll do. Spencer will have to sign some forms, but he doesn’t see why Spencer can’t start as soon as possible. Spencer thanks him, and says, he’ll need someone to train him. Cameron says, that would be him. The thing Spencer needs to know about this job is, Kelly’s is a friendly place. The job starts with a smile, and then you say, welcome to Kelly’s. My name is Spencer, and I’ll be your server today. Give it a shot. Spencer takes a deep breath, and repeats it, and Cameron says, excellent.    

Austin says Ned is trying to convince him that everything Brook did, she did because Ned is her father, and yet he refuses to accept, he can’t understand, everything Austin is doing – everything he was doing – he was doing for his father. Ned’s hypocrisy is mind-blowing. Ned tells Austin, what can he say, except Austin is right? The Quartermaines fight ferociously to protect our own, and there’s no room for integrity when it comes to keeping the family safe. Austin says, that’s where he and Ned are just not on the same page. His father left this world with his integrity intact. He writes something on a pad, and says, he plans on doing the same. He hands the paper to Ned, who asks, what’s this? Austin says, it’s the number of a specialist that can help him with Leo. Share it with Olivia, don’t share it with Olivia; he doesn’t care, just leave him out of it. Ned says he appreciates the name, but he can’t make an appointment without Olivia’s consent; Austin knows that. Austin says, then Ned has a beautiful challenge ahead of him, but it’s no big thing. It’s only Leo’s entire future that’s at stake. He really does hope Ned understands how utterly important it is that he convince Olivia to do the right thing for her son.

Brook asks what Gladys wants her to hear on her phone, and Gladys takes her phone out, saying, something about Brook telling Maxie that Valentin isn’t really her baby’s daddy. Brook says, liar. She never said such a thing. Gladys plays the recording, and Brook hears herself saying, she dreads the day Valentin finds out Bailey’s not his daughter.

Tomorrow, Willow says she thought she was Michael’s family too, Portia asks Marshall where he read that, Nikolas tells Alexis to think long and hard before going any further, Nina tells Jax to stop trying to save her, and Ava says she doesn’t have to share anything with Carly.

Vanderpump Rules

Bringing you up to speed, last week, Sandoval pitched a baby fit about Katie wanting to be involved with the new bar, because she yelled at him at Stassi’s book signing, nearly ten years ago.

James asked how Raquel felt about hanging out with Lala one-on-one, and she said she was always concerned, since Lala was unpredictable. In James’s interview, he said, Lala had picked on Raquel because she was an easy target. She was beautiful, sweet, and his girlfriend.

Katie said Sandoval had lost his mind, and Schwartz said he was like a broken record. Meanwhile, Tom whined to Ariana that no one knew what Katie had done to him. He needed confidence, and didn’t feel Ariana was supportive at dinner last night. Ariana said, it wasn’t about the book signing, and Tom said, everyone else was over it, but he wasn’t. Katie told Schwartz that if Sandoval didn’t want her involved, he should say it, not go back to something that happened a million years ago. He was screaming at her, talking about how she’d been screaming at him. In Katie’s interview, she said, it was really about her making him admit he was wrong, and that was like death. Ariana told Sandoval that she’d had a night planned with Katie and Schwartz, and he’d messed it up. They were coming over to test cocktails, and now that wasn’t important to him. Katie and Schwartz talked about going to the fertility doctor, and in her interview, Katie told us about how she had been pregnant about ten years ago. It was early in their relationship, and she wanted to have kids, but the timing was bad. In Schwartz’s interview, he said he had less than $300 in his bank account. If Katie had wanted it, he would have manned up, and done his best to work it out. He wasn’t 100% about a lot of things in life, but he was 100% sure he’d be a good dad.    

In Lala’s interview, she said she never thought James and Raquel would last. James was a hot mess. We flashed back over James and Raquel’s relationship, and Lala said she had been placing the blame on Raquel for her and James’s relationship going south. She needed someone to blame, but if it hadn’t been for Raquel, she believed James would be in a dark place now. In Raquel’s interview, she said she was always antsy around Lala, and Lala smelled fear like a shark. She wasn’t giving Lala the satisfaction. In Ariana’s interview, she said she’d wanted to do a cocktail subscription box, and after their book, Fancy AF, came out, everyone was in lockdown making cocktails. She wanted to test the cocktails to see if her instructions sucked. Scheana, Brock, and Schwartz came over to do the testing, and Schwartz told Scheana and Brock about Sandoval’s freak out. Sandoval said the experience had been traumatic, and he had major PTSD because of the public humiliation. I have no words. Schwarz told him that he wasn’t the victim in that moment, and suggested he see a therapist. Score one for Schwartz. It’s about time he said something to that ninny. Sandoval said he didn’t like Schwartz’s energy when he was around Katie. Schwartz told him to go burn some sage. Not really, but he said Sandoval was condescending, and if he wanted Katie to train the staff, he was going to do it. Sandoval moaned, then he’d just have to live with it? In Sandoval’s interview, he said he’d fought against it, but realized it wasn’t going away. Everyone had supplies in front of them, and made the cocktails per Ariana’s instructions. Scheana couldn’t figure out the jigger, but Brock was the only one who didn’t get it quite right. In his interview, he said he was good at cracking a can. Sandoval got sushi, and Brock told them about Lala questioning Scheana about his kids. In his interview, he said, don’t judge him if you don’t understand the situation.   

LVP spoke to Scheana, saying, she was thinking about inviting Scheana and Lala over for tea, along with their babies. Scheana suggested she invite all the girls, and in her interview, she said there was no way she wanted to be there with just Lala. She needed back-up, and couldn’t turn to Summer, since she didn’t speak yet. The Toms joined Lisa at the flower shop, where they chose blooms for TomTom. She asked if they’d worked out their finances yet, and Schwartz said his home equity loan had been denied. In his interview, he said that they had a lot of equity, but their mortgage was at a high rate. They needed to refinance, and do it over. He wanted to cry. Welcome to being a responsible grown-up. It makes me want to cry too. Sandoval said he had enough to cover Schwartz, who said he’d be on a power trip. In Sandoval’s interview, he said, technically, he would have controlling interest. Schwartz talked about his sperm getting tested, and in his interview, he said, he was pretty sure everything was fine, but what if he was destined to only be a fur father?

In James’s interview, he said, every bartender in town knew how to make a Pumptini for him, and now they knew how to make a Shirley Temple. All the couples gathered at The Belmont restaurant for dinner, and Brock apologized to Lala for his words at the baby playdate. He told her that he had one goal, and that was to take care of his family, including his kids. Lala said if someone tried to keep her from Ocean, as a mom, she’d come in guns blazing. He said she was in a different situation. His past had led to this. Scheana said she and Brock had discussed it, and it wasn’t Lala’s business. Brock said the children’s mom was keeping him from the family, and Lala said she wasn’t attacking him; she just wanted to understand the situation better. In her interview, she said she wasn’t worried about Scheana. If anything happened, Scheana would bounce back, but Brock had a tendency to leave the kids, as well as the woman. I don’t know if you can call something a tendency based on once. Raquel made a toast that included a bunch of dirty jokes, and it was a big hit. In her interview, she said, not to brag, but she was pretty sure she’d won the entire night.

While Schwartz and Katie were waiting at the fertility doctor, Schwartz imagined a baby Sandoval; late for everything and smelling like cigarettes. Katie was told she had a normal uterus, but Schwartz’s semen analysis showed morphology. The doctor explained that the sperm were like tadpoles, and the head was where the DNA was. You want normal shaped heads, and Schwartz was at 4%. She asked if he smoked, drank, did drugs, pot, or vape, and he said he smoked weed once a week, did mushrooms once in a while, and had 10 to 20 drinks a week. 😮 By no means am I judging, and I’m all for getting my drink on, but holy! She asked if he used hot tubs or saunas, and he said he took a lot of baths. She told him to cut his drinking down to four drinks a week, and no weed. As far as baths went, she explained, the testes were on the outside because they needed to be cooler.

In Lisa’s interview, she said, when someone you saw grow up had a baby, it was like, how did this happen? The girls arrived at Villa Rosa, and Lisa couldn’t believe Scheana was already putting hair extensions on the baby. I can’t say I’m all that surprised. Lisa had a gorgeous table outside set for tea, and said it was the first time she’d had them over where she wasn’t serving them alcohol. Meanwhile, at Katie and Schwartz’s, there was tons of fast food – wings, burgers, and such – and the guys gathered. In Brock’s interview, he said he didn’t want to destroy the American people, but their food isn’t the greatest. Schwartz gave him a taste of Cheez-Wiz and he pronounced it a six. Katie told the girls that it was all good news at the fertility doctor; she had a pristine uterus. I’m pretty sure that wasn’t how the doctor described it, but they clinked tea cups over it. Tom, on the other hand, told the guys that the majority of his sperm had misshaped heads, and he was told only four drinks a week. We saw that he’d already consumed four drinks in the last hour. Scheana talked about Brock, and Lala said she and Scheana were in a good place now. She wasn’t trying to attack Scheana or put her on the spot, but when they were at dinner, Brock pulled her aside, and talked about some pretty intense things. She asked if Scheana knew why Brock couldn’t see his kids; he had a domestic violence charge. In Lala’s interview, she said, Brock had pulled aside at Belmont, and said he’d been in a relationship, and they’d had a child. Things had gotten physical. Scheana insisted that Brock hadn’t done anything, but Lala said it took a lot for a court to forbid someone from seeing their kids, and there was a restraining order. Again, I have no clue what happened, but it might be different in another country. She keeps leaving out that factor. Lala said things were good now, but anything could happen. She wanted Scheana to be smart. It wasn’t about just her anymore. She had a child.

In Scheana’s interview, she said she knew it sounded terrible, but Lala was acting like it was new information. And it had nothing to do with why Brock wasn’t seeing his kids. Lala told Scheana not to be stupid, but Scheana said, something had happened a long time ago, and it wasn’t as extreme as Lala was making it out to be. Lala said Brock was also behind in child support, and Scheana said as soon as that was taken care of, Brock would have access to his kids. In Lisa’s interview, she said, Scheana always acted like everything was perfect. It was an interesting perception. Scheana said she knew Brock, and asked if they could get off the topic. Everyone seemed bummed, and Scheana texted Brock, asking why he told Lala; she’d been blindsided. Brock said he’d had enough of Lala, and Sandoval wondered why Lala was coming after him. Brock said he’d spoken to Lala about his past. She was a POS, and it was a low blow. In James’s interview, he said, Lala always keeps it real, and Brock shouldn’t have confided in her. He needed to put his thinking cap on. Outside, Brock told Schwartz that he hadn’t met Lisa yet, and now it was going to affect the way she saw him. He got weepy, and said he missed his kids. At the tea, Ariana stepped on the crickets by saying, she was glad they got everything out while they were there. Lisa asked if anyone wanted more tea. In the middle of a crisis, she’d make tea. 

Next time, poker night, the Toms look for another partner, and Lala gets into it with Sandoval about Brock.

❄️ A Little Salty…

What’s happening with the Salt Lake crowd.

🔒 Better Start Giving Some F***s…

She must be taking PR lessons from Erika Jayne.

⚾️ Sliding Into Home…

Tomorrow, join me for some soap and another chapter in the endless RHOBH Reunion. Until then, stay safe, stay undeterred, and stay not troubling trouble.

October 22, 2021 – Spencer Makes His Plea, Open Book, Mystery Man, Leading Ladies, Sonjarita, Engaged, Salt Lake Report, No Ring, Coming Soon, Read All About It, Quote x 10 & Ballad

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Ava says she and Sonny have settled everything with Avery for now, so what business do they have? He says, they’re on the same page when it comes to their daughter, and she says, what then? He says he has a proposition for her.

Sheridan says he appreciates the support of Michael’s family with the campaign, and Michael says he thinks Sheridan has done a terrific job as the DA of Lantano County. He’s proven to be relentless in his pursuit of justice, and Michael thinks the right case could catapult him to the state’s Attorney General’s office. Sheridan says, it’s an unusual case; the kind that generates headlines, and defines careers. He’ll let Michael know as soon as it’s in motion. They shake hands, and Willow walks in.

At the courthouse, Nikolas asks Doc if he happened to see Ava on his way in, but he says he didn’t. He did talk to Nikolas’s mother about Spencer’s hearing, and Nikolas asks if she’s on her way home. Doc says, unfortunately, she can’t get away just yet, but she was clear how she feels about what should happen today.

Diaz says they’re about to get started, and she needs to know Spencer’s plea. Josslyn and Cameron walk in, and Esme says, come on, Spence. They’ve been over this. Spencer says he wants to make sure he’s dealing with the right information here. If he pleads guilty, or no contest, the judge will ask if anyone is forcing him to make the plea, correct? Diaz says, strictly pro forma. They want to make sure he understands the situation. She’s sorry, but she has dozens of other cases to handle today, so what’s his plea? Josslyn tells Spencer to wait a minute before he answers that. Is he sure someone isn’t pressuring him to do the wrong thing?

Robert walks into an interrogation room where Victor is waiting, and says, so, we meet again. Victor tells Robert that he has nothing to say to him, and Robert says he’ll do him one better. He’s sick of being lied to, so everything that comes out of Victor’s mouth better be gospel. Victor says, or else? and Robert says, or else Victor Cassadine is going to be put to rest in an unmarked grave. And he’s going to do it personally.

Anna sits by Valentin’s bed, when a doctor comes in. Anna thinks he looks better than he did a few hours ago; he has more color in his face. Can the doctor give her any good news? The doctor wishes she could.

Sam tells Dante, the island’s not that big; Peter couldn’t have gone far. He says, especially with two hostages, and she says, no sign of Drew or Obrecht? What are they supposed to tell everyone back in Port Charles who’s waiting for news? Britt and Jason walk in, and Jason thanks Sam for telling him where to meet them. Britt says, Anna was right about this place; it’s really isolated. When they got on the plane last night, Anna still didn’t know where her mother was. Any word? Dante is afraid not. He says they were with the local police most of the night, trying to figure out a trail where Peter might have gone, but they have nothing. Sam says, they did see the cell where Britt’s mother was being held. Dante says, there was a syringe in the cell. It was empty, but it had traces of flunitrazepam. Britt says, that’s a sedative. It results in muscle weakness, lethargy, confusion. Basically, there’s a chance her mother was roofied. Jason says, that’s the best possible news she can get. Wow. This tavern has gotten more business in a week than they’ve probably had in the last five years altogether.

Victor tells Robert, he’ll cooperate, but first, he needs to know how Valentin is. Robert says, Valentin’s alive, last he heard, and Victor says, and Liesl? Robert says, come on. Victor doesn’t care about anyone but himself; they all know that. This love of the common man, where did it come from? When it was nipping at his butt as he was running away? He will say Victor’s been a busy boy. He got more done in death than the average person achieves in a lifetime. Sanctuary for Peter August, unlawful detainment of Drew Cain and Liesl Obrecht, and that poor little nurse who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. And last, but not least, the abduction of Valentin Cassadine. And all of this, after he blew up Creighton-Clark. Viccy, come on. Explain yourself. Victor says, when Robert lays it all out like that, he has to say he’s very impressed. How on earth did he mange to do all that?

Anna says, what does the doctor mean, she can’t give her any good news? He has two young daughters waiting for him back in the states. The doctor says, the surgery didn’t go as well as they’d hoped. The bullet fragmented, and they weren’t able to remove all the debris. Anna says she’s heard of bullet fragments being left in the body before, and they’re fine as long as they don’t migrate or infringe on a nerve. She’s sorry; her daughter’s a doctor. She guesses the doctor is concerned about infection, and the doctor says she recommends Valentin undergo exploratory surgery in the US. Their facilities aren’t equipped to handle surgeries that delicate. Anna thanks her, and she leaves. Anna tells Valentin that he may have been born there in Greece, but she’ll be damned if she’ll let him die there.

Willow says she hopes she’s not interrupting, and Michael says he didn’t expect her back so soon. He must have lost track of time. He introduces Richard Sheridan, the DA of Lantano County, and tells Sheridan that Willow is his son’s mother. Willow shakes Sheridan’s hand, and says, Lantano County. In Pennsylvania? Sheridan says, that’s right, and she asks, what brings him all this way? He says he’s gearing up to run for state Attorney General. Michael has taken an interest in his platform. They share similar values. Willow asks what those values would be, and Michael says he’s sure Sheridan is anxious to get back to Llanview, and thanks Sheridan for coming all this way. Michael walks him to the door, and when he comes back, she asks, which of his values would make a politician drive to the next state?

Ava tells Sonny, that is quite an interesting proposition, and if the price is right… His phone rings, and he says he’ll be right back. Nina approaches Ava, who tells her, don’t worry. She didn’t tell Sonny about Nina’s romance with Mike. He was very receptive to her spending more time with Avery, and she didn’t need to use any more persuasive tactics. Nina appreciates that, and to return that favor, Ava has a problem, and Nina would love to offer her a solution.

Spencer says, his father decided to raise the stakes, and Cameron asks, what’s that mean? Spencer says, Ava is in control of his trust fund. If he accepts their marriage, and agrees to live by their rules, his father and Ava will make the charges go away, but Ava is still in charge of his money. Josslyn says, Ava’s not her favorite person either, and she’d hate living by Ava’s rules, and knowing that Ava had control over her money, but she didn’t stalk Ava and she’s not facing criminal charges. If giving in to his dad and Ava is what it takes for them to help him, that’s what he should do. Spencer tells her, that’s what Esme was saying, and Cameron says, for once, they all agree.

Nikolas says, if Doc is telling him that his mother is too busy to attend Spencer’s arraignment, he’s disappointed, but he understands, but she’s honestly too busy to even call him? Doc says he can’t speak to Laura’s exact schedule, but they did talk about Spencer’s behavior. And Nikolas’s. Nikolas says, his behavior? This is about Spencer stalking Ava. Doc says, Laura doesn’t condone what Spencer did, or what drove him to that point. The bailiff calls for everyone to take their seats, and Doc says, shall we?  

Esme tells Josslyn and Cameron that she’s sure they realize what a stubborn streak Spencer has. She hopes their opinions convinced him to make the right choice. Josslyn asks if Esme doesn’t think, as Spencer’s girlfriend, she carries more weight, but Esme says Josslyn is giving her too much credit. They’ve known Spencer since they were kids, much longer than she has, and Spence is very much his own person, and likes to go his own way. The bailiff says, all rise.  

Ava says, Nina wants to buy Charlie’s? and Nina asks if she hasn’t been trying to sell it. Ava says, when she was leaving town because of the stalker, yes, and Nina says she has a great use for it. It’s a win-win. Ava says her situation has changed, and Nina wonders if Ava wants to hang onto it for sentimental reasons because it belonged to her brother. Ava says, it’s not that, when Sonny comes back. He asks if he and Ava are finished; he doesn’t have all day. Ava says, what do they say about great minds thinking alike, and he asks what she means. She says, they have to pause their negotiations, and he says, now she’s going to keep Charlie’s? She says, it’s still for sale, but another buyer is showing interest. May the deepest pockets win.

Michael says, it’s always a good idea to have people in office who owe you favors, and Willow says, if it were the DA from New York state, she wouldn’t question anything. But Lantano County is in Pennsylvania, so what does that have to do with ELQ? He says, nothing; it’s purely personal, in a family member’s best interest. She tells him to stop being vague. Who is he talking about? He says, Sheridan is looking for a high profile case, and he just handed him one. He suggested Sheridan prosecute Nina for fraud and identity theft. I’m not sure if the latter would be an issue here though, since it’s not like she stole Sonny’s identity.

Robert says, Victor thinks this is some kind of a joke, doesn’t he? The charges he’s facing are false imprisonment, criminal conspiracy, bribery, not to mention the body count. Victor asks what he wants, and Robert says, Peter August. He wants to know where Peter is, and when Victor worked with him. Victor says he’s not working with Peter, and Robert says, he found Peter a place to hide, didn’t he? Victor says, yes, and he gave Peter money and transportation, but it wasn’t his choice; he was forced to do Peter’s bidding. Robert asks what kind of leverage Peter has, and Victor says he answered one of Robert’s questions out of good faith. It’s time to begin negotiations

Britt asks Jason, why is it good news that her mother was drugged? and he says, that probably means Peter’s keeping her alive. Britt says, why go to the trouble of drugging someone when you can just as easily kill them? It’s not exactly a beacon of hope, but it’s better than nothing. Sam asks if she can talk to Jason in private, and they go to a table. She says she has some news about Drew, and he says, Anna called already. She said Drew had been shot two or three times, fell off the bridge and into the ocean, and his body hasn’t been recovered. Sam says, the WSB is searching, but they’re pretty certain they won’t find him alive.

Nina asks if Ava is saying she and Sonny want the same thing, and Ava says, in a manner of speaking. Sonny made her an offer to buy Charlie’s minutes before Nina did. Like she said, she’ll accept the highest offer. Maybe the two of them should talk this over, one on one. Ava walks away, and Nina asks why Sonny wants to buy Charlie’s. He asks why she does, and she says, for Phyllis, to give her a fresh start. And him? He says, same thing. Phyllis took in a stranger and saved his life; pretty much the opposite of what Nina did. Nina tells him that she can never say she’s sorry enough, but as for Phyllis, if she moved there, and ran Charlie’s, Nina thinks it would be really good for her. Sonny agrees, and says, one of them is going to have to bow out. Nina says, allow her. If Phyllis accepts generosity, she’s more inclined to accept it from Sonny. When he offers Charlie’s to Phyllis, if she likes the idea, Nina will give him half of the money, provided he never tells her.  

Willow says, she and Michael talked about this yesterday. She thought they’d agreed to hit the pause button where Nina was concerned. He said he woudn’t make any decisions without her. He says he hasn’t filed any legal action against Nina, and hasn’t denied her visitation with Wiley. If he went to family court, of course (🍷) he’d consult her. He wouldn’t move forward with her agreeing to anything. She says, so he went to the DA from Pennsylvania instead, and he says, yes, because he wants Sheridan to go after Nina for what she actually did. He doesn’t want Wiley’s custody to be a battleground. He doesn’t want to deny Nina visitation to punish her; he wants her punished for the crimes she committed, fraud and identity theft. She lied to his dad for nine months about who he was. She kept him from his family and his life. It has to be illegal and he’s hoping Sheridan can prove it in court.

Robert asks what Victor means by negotiations, and Victor says, it’s a classic quid pro quo. The WSB can’t get Peter without his help, and he’s not about to give them his help without something in return; his freedom. Robert says, the WSB isn’t going to let Victor off the hook for the crimes he did in the last seven minutes, much less the last seven years, and Victor says, he’s the former director of the Bureau. The WSB has a reputation to maintain. Prosecuting one of their own wouldn’t look very good, would it? Robert wouldn’t bet the farm on it, and Victor suggests they do a cost benefit analysis. Prosecuting him versus getting Peter. He’d say it’s a bit of a no-brainer. Peter is their priority. He’s the one who’s unstable. He’s dangerous, and has access to Faison’s bag of dirty tricks. Robert still has some pull at the Bureau, and Victor suggests Robert convince them to make a deal. Robert says he doesn’t take orders from a Cassadine, and Victor says, his goal is to catch the big bad wolf, the man who kidnapped Drew Cain, and could still terrorize Maxie and her little girl. Robert can throw the book him or stop Peter, but he can’t do both.

Anna says Robert doesn’t think Valentin is much of a hero, but she disagrees. He doesn’t fit the conventional mold. He’s very flawed, self-serving, and definitely compromised, but he does have the courage to face up to what he’s done, and try to be better. He’s certainly tried to turn his life around for himself and his daughters. She thinks that’s very heroic in her book, that kind of courage. Her phone rings, and she says, it’s her darling ex-husband. She’ll be right back. She kisses Valentin’s hand, and says, he can count on that.

Britt asks if Dante thinks Victor created the fake medical conference, and arranged to have Scotty thrown from the plane. Dante says, he didn’t go into detail, but he’s definitely the reason for her mother being there. She says, for what? And don’t say Victor is infatuated with her mother. Maybe he is, but there has to be another agenda. Dante says, he doesn’t know, but when Victor thought her mother was in danger, he seemed genuinely concerned.

Sam tells Jason, someone called her claiming to be Drew. She went back and forth, thinking, maybe he’s alive, but then, it could be some sort of manipulation. He says, she was just  being cautious, and she says, being cautious meant she couldn’t involve him. Maybe if she had, he could have intervened, and Peter wouldn’t have shot Drew.

The judge asks if Spencer understands his rights under the New York state constitution and law, and he says he does. She asks how he pleads, when Ava walks in. The judge says she’s waiting for his answer, and Esme asks Cameron, what is he doing? Spencer says, not guilty.

Anna goes to the interrogation room, and says she got Robert’s text. What’s so important? She was with Valentin. Victor asks how Valentin is, and she says, he’s hanging in. Robert says, this clown needs to talk to someone above his pay scale, and she says, her? Victor says, always pleasure, mate, and Robert leaves. Anna asks what this is about, and Victor says, Peter August. The WSB wants him, and he can make that happen. She says, in exchange for what exactly? and he says, blanket immunity. She says, that’s a bit of a tall order, and he says, tall maybe, but not impossible. They’re already making better progress than he was with Robert. She says she’s far from the final say, and he says, that may be, but at least she’s willing to look at options. Robert said the WSB would refuse to overlook his transgressions. He thinks that was naïve, but Anna doesn’t agree. He has a rather extensive rap sheet. What makes him think she’s going to be more amenable to his offer?   

Britt asks Dante, if Victor is still infatuated, why put her mother in a prison cell? Does Dante think it was punishment for her trying to kill Peter, and if so, why would Victor care? Dante says, those are all questions the WSB doesn’t have answers to. They don’t even know why Victor and Peter were working together in the first place, or how Drew fits into this puzzle.  

Sam tells Jason, when she went into Drew’s cell, she saw he’d scratched Scout’s name in the wall. She hopes that means he had enough strength to resist the conditioning. He says, she thinks Drew’s being conditioned? and she tells him, that’s what Victor said. She doesn’t know whether he’s telling the truth or not, but she does know Drew was able to shoot a guard to save Victor and Valentin, although he wasn’t able to save himself. Jason says, unless or until they find Drew’s body, there’s still a chance Drew is alive.

Valentin wakes up with Robert sitting in his room. Robert asks if he’s awake, and Valentin says, this can’t be a dream, because Robert sure as hell wouldn’t be in it. Robert laughs and says he’ll round up a doctor, and Valentin asks, where’s Anna? Robert says, talking to Valentin’s poor excuse for an uncle, or should he say father? He’s trying to cut himself a deal, but Valentin isn’t going to let that happen, is he?

The judge says, although the defendant has no prior arrests, he has lived abroad extensively, and has access to significant financial resources. The state’s concern about him being a flight risk is valid. She orders the defendant to surrender his passport, and bail is set $20K, with a pretrial in six weeks from today. Spencer looks at Esme, who shakes her head, and he says, if he doesn’t post bail, will he have to go to jail? Doc says, it won’t come to that. He and Laura will post Spencer’s bail. Spencer thanks him, and hugs Esme. She says she doesn’t get it. Why didn’t he do what they all advised him to do? They step away, and Spencer says, he was about to. He’s made a lot of bad decisions by not following his gut. His gut told him that if he went along with Ava on this, it will never end. Ava and Spencer look at each other.

Willow says, so Michael’s campaign contribution is basically a bribe, to get the DA to go after Nina? He says, campaign contributions are completely legal, and Nina is the one who committed a crime. And it wasn’t victimless crime either. He didn’t tell Willow this, but his mom put her life on the line to step into his father’s business. And what about Sonny’s children? He, Dante, and Kristina are all adults, and Josslyn has Jax, but what about Donna and Avery? Avery’s old enough to understand loss, and Donna is so confused. They didn’t have their father for nine months. Willow says she knows that, and he says, and his father’s business got messed up, which in turn put more people’s lives at risk. She asks who he’s trying to convince that he’s doing the right thing; him or her?  He says she may not agree with his methods, but he has no regrets about making Nina pay for her actions. She says, what about his actions? He asks what she’s talking about, and she says, on the one hand, he won’t cut Nina off from seeing Wiley, but he has to know that if Nina is facing criminal charges, it will affect potential visitation going forward. He says, if Nina faces those consequences as a result of what she did to his father, so be it.

Sonny thinks keeping it a secret from Phyllis doesn’t seem like a good idea, and Nina says, she’s learned what secrets can do. She says, she genuinely wants to help Phyllis, but doesn’t want it to be misinterpreted as buying back her friendship. He says he doesn’t need her help financially to buy Charlies, and even if she’s giving it with good intentions, it’s like they’ll be too connected. She says, that’s the last thing he wants. She has to say, she’s been waiting with a fair amount of dread to have Carly to tear into her for their relationship in Nixon Falls, but she hasn’t  

Nina says she had a run in with Carly at the Quartermaines’, and Carly went for her jugular, but never said a word about her tricking Sonny into loving her. She sits, and says, Carly still hasn’t. She just assumes Carly doesn’t know? He sits, and says, let him tell her something. He and Carly are rebuilding their life together after nine months apart. Why make it worse after what she did? Nina says, let her tell him something. Carly will never find out about it from her.

Victor says, Anna finally has the opportunity to stop her wayward nephew, and bring closure to countless people. Be smart; that’s all that matters here. Don’t let the pettiness of the past get in her way. She says, she wouldn’t call what he did to Robin petty. He stole years of Robin’s life. He says he’s not trying to minimize what he’s done; he’s made mistakes, huge mistakes. But they both know life isn’t black and white; it’s all shades of grey. She has every right to be angry about what happened to her daughter at Creighton-Clark, but ultimately, Robin walked away unscathed. Can they really say the same for anyone who will get in Peter’s way? She says, she might have more leverage with the WSB than Robert… sometimes. But he needs to understand, his fate doesn’t lie in her hands. He says, it might as well. He knows her stock has fallen with the WSB in recent years, but she still has friends in high places. If she has any favors outstanding, he suggests she call them in. Make his case, or the blood that Peter continues to shed will be on her hands. She says she’s got to go, and he tells her to give his best to his son.

Esme says Doc is a genuine lifesaver. She was afraid Spencer would have to stay in jail. Doc says, if he’s not mistaken, Spencer will need a permanent home address to show stability? and Diaz says, that’s correct. He says, that settles it. Spencer will move back in with him. Esme says, that works for her, and Doc asks Spencer for a word in private. Josslyn says, they’ll be out in the hall, and they all leave. Spencer says, he’s a lot of things, but not naïve. He and Laura are going to post the money for his bail. What’s the catch?

Esme sees Ava in the hall, and says she wants Ava to know how much it means to her that Ava offered Spencer a way out. His pride temporarily got in the way of him accepting it, but she’ll talk to him. Ava tells her, please try to talk some sense into him. And whatever she does, don’t let Spencer drag her into any more bad behavior. Esme says never. She should have stood up to him. From now on, she will.

Anna says, thank God Valentin’s awake, and Robert says, surprise him. Do the right thing. Robert tells Anna, see ya, and leaves. Anna says Valentin gave her wuite… He gave all of them quite a scare. She offers to call Brook, but he says, not yet. She asks if he doesn’t want his daughter to know he’s awake (like a baby would comprehend this), but he says, not until he talks to her. Whatever Victor’s asking for, don’t give it to him.

Sam says she had to tell Jason what she knows about Drew, and Dante asks how he took it. She says, it was okay. She told him that she felt the need to investigate before she said anything to him. Dante says, until they find Drew’s body, there’s a chance he survived, and she says, Jason said the same thing. She just doesn’t know what there’s left here for her to do. She can stay and see if anything comes through, or she can go home to her kids because they come first. He says, maybe she should do that. She tried to bring Scout’s father back, but now it’s time to be with Scout and Danny.

Britt says, sorry about Jason’s brother, and he says, thanks. They weren’t close, but Drew was important to Monica, and he’s thinking about her. She says, he’s not thinking how her crazy brother shot his? but he says she’s not responsible for anything Peter does. She says, still, he’s there helping her find her mother, who’s committed her own fair share of crimes. She wouldn’t blame him if he changed his mind and wanted to go home. He says, they have a job to do. He’s not going anywhere.

Esme tells Josslyn and Cameron, at least they can all agree they want what’s best for Spence. Maybe now they can see she has his best interests at heart. Maybe they can all be friends after all.

Spencer says he’s sorry. He should be thanking Doc for posting his bail money. He wasn’t looking forward to spending another night in jail. Doc says, he and Spencer’s grandmother are happy to help, but it comes with limitations. If Spencer wants their support, he has to earn it. Spencer says, earn it how? and Doc says, they have a few ideas. Starting with Spencer getting a job.

Ava says, that was unexpected, and Nikolas says, leave it to his son to zig when they wanted him to zag. She says she can handle him not accepting the deal, but what bothered her most was the look on his face when he entered his plea… that this is far from over.

Robert tells Victor, he spoke to Anna, and she’s not going to help him. Victor says, if Robert says so, and Robert says, he doesn’t have any control over what the WSB decides to do, but Victor doesn’t have him fooled. The world was a much better place when Victor was dead. Victor says, he’s feeling a bit parched. Why doesn’t Robert make himself useful, and fetch him some water. He’d prefer sparkling.

Valentin says, whatever Victor is proposing, it’s a trap, and Anna says, she knows that, obviously. They have no way of knowing what he’s been up to in the past few years, but what choice do they have? Peter has to be stopped. For Drew, for Obrecht, most certainly for Maxie. Victor knows where he is; she senses it. This is their best chance. Valentin gets agitated, and Anna tries to calm him. He says, they can’t involve Victor. They’ve come close to getting Peter before. He’ll do it again.

Sam tells Dante, if there’s bad news about Drew, she’d rather be at home with her kids. He says, that make sense. He’ll go arrange their flights back. She says he doesn’t have to come with her, and he says he knows. He wants to.   

Jason tells Britt, to pick up Peter’s trail, they have to retrace his steps. She asks where they start, and he says, the last place her mother was seen; her prison cell.

Willow tells Michael, Wiley’s all set. Now they can finish their conversation. He says, it’s not over? and she says, not for her. What he’s doing seems cold and calculating. He says he gave Nina chance after chance. Even after that meltdown at his father’s funeral, he still gave her the opportunity to visit Wiley, and what does she do? She brings up Nelle, making Wiley doubt that Willow is his real mother. And even after that, he gave her another chance, and how does she thank them? By lying. By keeping the knowledge that his father was alive, and for what? To punish his mother? She says she can’t deny anything he’s saying. It’s just that, what does he thinks is going to happen to Nina? He says, that’s up to the DA Sheridan, but if she’s asking him, he thinks Nina needs to be held accountable.

Nina says, she guesses that concludes her and Sonny’s business. He’ll buy Charlie’s, and she won’t be involved, financially or otherwise. And Carly won’t have to know how much it… progressed in Nixon Falls. He says, correct, and she says she hopes Phyllis stays in Port Charles. She considers Phyllis her family, and she wants to earn back the trust of those people she loves. A couple of cops come in, and one says, Nina Reeves? She says she’s Nina Reeves. Is there a problem? He says she’s under arrest for identity fraud.

One: I’ll say it again, not sure about the identity fraud thing, and two: it doesn’t happen that fast, even for a DA. He didn’t even have time to get back to PA and fill out the paperwork.

On Monday, Valentin asks what Anna has to say to him, Sasha thinks it not a bad idea, Michael asks if Jax wants to make things right, and Carly says, if that’s not a crime, she doesn’t know what is.

🩺 Living Her Best Life…

GH’s Co-Chief of Staff opens up about coming out – twice.

👀 Watching Man…

I thought I’d recognized him. He’s one of those dudes who’s been in everything.

💏 He’s Had So Many…

I still like him the most with Obrecht.

👠 Sonja Trilogy…

Ugh. Heather. What’s up with her talking smack?

When they shade you, make some money off of it.

I actually believe Sonja on this one.

💍 Real Real Housewife To Be…

Face it. Anything has to be better than Juicy Joe.

https://people.com/tv/teresa-giudice-engaged-luis-ruelas-exclusive/

❄️ Salty Talk…

What happens in Salt Lake does not stay in Salt Lake.

🍸 Is She Or Isn’t She…?

She said she was no dummy, but said nothing about not being vague as hell.

https://people.com/tv/lala-kent-opens-up-about-randall-emmett-relationship-on-vanderpump-rules-amid-reported-split/

https://people.com/tv/lala-kent-spotted-without-her-engagement-ring-amid-reported-randall-emmett-breakup/

🐉 Flying In Soon…

The trailer and the latest on House of the Dragon.

https://ew.com/tv/house-of-the-dragon-different-tone-game-of-thrones/

https://ew.com/tv/house-of-the-dragon-trailer-game-of-thrones-prequel/

📖 For Your Reading Pleasure…

I can’t wait to read this book.

https://ew.com/books/not-all-diamonds-and-rose-excerpt-real-housewives-book-dave-quinn-andy-cohen/

📌 Quotes of the Week

We can have peace if we let go of wanting to change the past and wanting to control the future. – Lester Levinson

The opportunity of a lifetime is to pick yourself. Quit waiting to get picked; quit waiting for someone to give you permission; quit waiting for someone to say you are officially qualified… and pick yourself. – Seth Godin, American Author, Speaker and Entrepreneur

I’ve learned that God won’t let you be tempted more than you can bear. I think God gives humanity too much credit. – Jung Jae-heo (Kim Nam-hee) Sweet Home

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another. – Charles Dickens

Many things—such as loving, going to sleep, or behaving unaffectedly—are done worst when we try hardest to do them. – C. S. Lewis, from Studies in Medieval Literature, compiled in Words to Live By

Happiness is for dogs and Americans. – Liesl Obrecht (Kathleen Gati), General Hospital

We’re here for a reason. I believe a bit of the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark. – Whoopi Goldberg (Don’t look to me – my torch blew out a long time ago.)

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it for anyone else. – Charles Dickens

All art is autobiographical; the pearl is the oyster’s autobiography. – Federico Fellini

With confidence, you have won before you have started. – Marcus Garvey

🧻 Rolling Along…

Time to wrap up another week, or another row on the calendar if you’re not into labels. See you at Dead o’clock, but until then, stay safe, stay being the bigger person, and stay having the courage to face up to what you’ve done, and try to be better.

October 19, 2021 – Victor Explains Valentin’s Parentage, Sandoval Throws a Tantrum About Katie & Strange

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Anna and Robert cross a footbridge. Anna looks over the edge, and says, that is a long drop. She says, it’s a long way from the compound site, and Robert says, if Pater makes a run for it, he’ll be intercepted. She says, he could try the main gate, and Robert says, in which case there’s a nice group of agents ready to welcome him, but that’s not Peter’s M.O. He’s going to wait for darkness, and slither away. She says she’s not going to shoot to kill, but he says, he is.

At The Savoy, Portia says, as exciting as Curtis’s detective days might have been, she’s glad they’re over, private and otherwise. That’s one thing she and Stella have in common; they both like knowing he’s safe and sound. He says he intends to stay that way, because he certainly has a lot to live for. He kisses her, and a man watches them from across the room. Curtis says, how about a toast? and she says, he sounds like he’s got something in mind. He says he does, and raises his glass, saying, may the past stay in the past. She says, amen to that, and they clink glasses.

At a table, Nikolas and Ava are served champagne. She asks what they’re drinking to, and he says, that depends on her answer. He takes out a ring box, and says, she threw these at his feet when she walked away from him. He opens the box, revealing her wedding set, and says, now he’s asking her with all of his heart if he can put them back on her.

Dante asks where Victor is holding Drew, and Victor says he can take them to Drew’s cell, but he doesn’t know if Drew is still there. Sam asks, where else would he be? and Victor says, Peter bribed the guards to do his bidding. It’s more than likely he’s taken Drew. Sam says, there’s no way in hell Drew would go anywhere with Peter, but Victor says, Drew doesn’t have a choice.

Portia looks at Ava and Nikolas, and Curtis says, let him guess. Not her favorite couple. She says she’s made her peace with Ava, but as for Nikolas, wherever he goes, disaster seems to follow.

Ava says she remembers taking her rings off, desperate to convince Nikolas that the marriage was over. She was trying to convince herself, but never did. She’s missed them. Nothing would make her happier than Nikolas putting them back where they belong. He takes her hand, and says, Ava, my wife, I love you – he puts the rings on her – with all that I have and all that I am, now and forever. She gets teary, and says, Nikolas, my husband, I love you, with all that I have and all that I am, now and forever. He says, now they can toast, and raises his glass, saying, to us. She says, to Mr. and Mrs. Nikolas Cassadine. Jason and Britt walk in.

Britt says, there they are, and Jason says he told her Spinelli would track him down. She says, he’s a useful guy to have around, and he asks if this is the way she wants to play it. She says she’s got this, but do her a favor. Don’t go too far in case she needs back-up. She pulls out a chair next to Ava, and sits. She says, mind if she joins them? It’ll be fun, walk down Memory Lane… Nikolas says she’s not saying the fun part, and she says, come on. Not every past association has to be negative. She tells Ava, he used to have the most awful nightmares about his family. Growing up in that nest of vipers would give anyone bad dreams. He would wake up in a cold sweat. She asks Nikolas if his troubled family history still disturbs his sleep.

Anna tells Robert, someone’s coming, and he says, here we go. Valentin and Drew crouch down, and go across the footbridge. She says, it’s Drew and Valentin, and Robert says, damn. She calls to Valentin, and he stands up, saying, Anna. Peter shoots him, and Robert holds Anna back. Drew fires at Peter, who returns the fire. Drew is hit, and falls over the side of the bridge. Valentin manages to make it to Anna and Robert, and Peter jets. Valentin asks if Anna is okay, and she says she’s fine; he’s the one who’s been hit.

Curtis asks Portia, what’s wrong? Talk to him. She says, it’s Spencer’s father. Not that she considers him to be a very good one. He says, he heard Spencer was arrested. He didn’t harm Trina at all, did he? She says, not physically, but he outright lied to her and played on her sympathy, when the whole time, his whole goal was to get back at Ava. Then Nikolas jumps in, playing the same twisted mind games as Spencer – like father, like son – and Trina gets caught in the middle. He says, to hell with that. He has no problem getting them the hell out. She grabs his arm, and says she appreciates the impulse, she really does, but Trina’s close to Ava, and she’d rather not escalate the tension.

Nika asks the watching man if he wants another round, and he nods.

Ava says, Nikolas doesn’t have fears about his family or anything else; not when he’s with her. Britt says, so he’s not concerned about his family’s operations in Crete? and he says, what operations? She tells him, Scotty’s computer was hacked with spyware that’s been traced back to Greece, specifically Crete, but Nikolas says he doesn’t know what that has to do with him. Computer hackers are pretty common these days. She says, this one in particular hits close to home, and Ava asks, how so? Britt says, whoever spied on Scotty, used that information to get to her mother.

Victor tells Dante and Sam, the cells are on the lower level. You go through the door and down the stairs. They shouldn’t encounter any guards. He wasn’t paying them enough to die protecting this place, but he has no idea how much Peter was paying them to betray him, so they’d best proceed with caution. Good luck. He starts to leave, but Dante says, no. He’s their luck. He’s coming with them. Victor says, why? They want Peter, not him. Sam says, right now, they want Drew. Peter will be a bonus, but he’s going to show them the way. Victor says, it seems he doesn’t have any choice, but before they go in search of Drew, there’s someone else who needs rescuing.

Nikolas says, Britt is an intelligent woman. She must realize her mother doesn’t lack for enemies, but he’s not one of them. Ava says, just because Scotty’s hacker was traced to Greece, why assume the Cassadines were involved? Britt says she has to start somewhere, and the Cassadines are the only Greek family she knows, and they’re a family with a pretty sketchy history, so… Nikolas says, he left the island and the family business behind when he came back to Port Charles, and Ava asks if Britt is finished then. This is a big night for them; they’re celebrating. Britt says she’s sorry to delay their big night, but she needs a moment with Nikolas… alone.

Valentin asks, where’s Drew? and Anna asks Robert, where’s Peter? Did Robert hit him? Robert says, running for his life, he thinks. She asks again if he hit Peter, but he says he doesn’t think so. She asks if he saw Drew, and he shines the flashlight into the water. He says, this light’s not powerful enough; he can’t see anything. Drew floats in the water, bleeding.

Anna says they have to move fast, and Robert asks what Valentin’s body temperature is. She says she doesn’t know and feels his forehead, but Valentin says he’s fine. They have to get Peter. Anna says they have to get him to the hospital, and Valentin says, there’s someone else who needs rescuing. She asks, who? and he says, Obrecht.

Nikolas asks how he can help Britt find her mom, and she says, maybe they can help each other out. Ava goes over to the bar, and asks Curtis if he’d mind if she had a word with the good doctor. He says it’s up to Portia, who says it’s fine with her. They shouldn’t be long.

The man watches Curtis go over to Jason, and asks what brings him in; business or pleasure? Jason says, neither. He’s just there helping a friend. He looks over at Britt. Nikolas asks how Britt thinks they can help each other out.

Victor leads Sam and Dante to Obrecht’s cell, and calls for her, but it’s empty. He says, she’s gone, and Dante says, he brought them to Obrecht’s cell first? Victor says, she’s in more danger from Peter than Drew. Sam says, cats have nine lives, but Obrecht must have ten, and Dante says, maybe they just moved her to another location. Victor says he prays she managed to escape. Dante picks up a syringe from the floor, and says, unless she needed medical attention, he doesn’t think she left the cell of her own free will.

Britt tells Nikolas that she heard about Spencer. All those months he and Ava lived in fear, it turned out to be Spencer all along, but some of the things he did don’t feel like Spencer’s style at all. Burning a car is simultaneously cliché and overkill. Nikolas says, he admits he was responsible. Ava was right to have him arrested. She says she asked to speak to him alone because she didn’t want to say this in front of Ava. If Spencer was willing to go to those extremes to separate them, it’s doubtful Nikolas can get through to him. Spencer still likes her, and considers her a friend, even a mentor of sorts. Maybe he’ll listen to her. She’d be happy to talk to him.

Curtis asks if there’s trouble with Britt and Nikolas, but Jason says he doesn’t want to know. Curtis sits down, and says Jason is right; he doesn’t. He was just telling Portia how happy he was to be out of that game. But based on experience, he and Jason know it’s not a game at all, right? People get hurt, and may even die. The man continues to watch Curtis.

Victor asks Dante what they’re standing around there for; Liesl’s in great danger. Dante says, Obrecht is going to be just fine. Like Sam said, she’s like some crazy cat lady with nine lives. Victor needs to take him to Drew’s cell. Victor says, it seems Sam is one step ahead of them. Dante calls to Sam.

Ava asks Portia how Trina is doing. They’ve been in touch in the past couple weeks, but she’s been distracted. She knows Trina is busy with school. Portia says, she loves it at PCU. As much as she loves having Trina home, she thinks living in the dorms is good for Trina’s independence. Most of her classes are basic courses, but she’s got one elective, art history, and in Trina’s words, it’s epic. Ava says she doesn’t worry about Trina academically one bit, but she wonders if Trina is as grounded when it comes to her social life. She was surprised when Trina put so much faith in the young man who introduced himself as Victor, and turned out to be Spencer. Portia says, Trina hasn’t told her too much about it, but she knows it’s been difficult. Spencer made Trina question her own judgment. Ava asks if Portia blames Spencer’s father for what Spencer has done, and Portia says she thinks he played a pivotal role in driving Spencer to his outrageous behavior. She knows Ava is in love with Nikolas, and doesn’t expect Ava to see it her way, and Ava says, she loves Trina too, and hates that she’s been dragged into such a dysfunctional situation. Spencer didn’t just lie and manipulate; he broke the law. That’s why she’s making sure he pays for what he did. Portia says, by having him arrested? and Ava nods. Portia says if Ava thinks she supports that decision, she’s mistaken. She disagrees.

Curtis asks Jason how Sonny is, and Jason says, he’s glad to be back. Curtis says, nine months is a long time. It’s got to be an adjustment coming back. Jason says, he’s doing okay, and Curtis says, Nina told him a little bit about what happened. He’s not defending her in any way, but Nina was there when Michael and Willow came in the other night. Let’s just say, pretty frank opinions were exchanged. Jason says, Michael has a right to his opinion, and obviously Curtis has a right to his. Curtis tells Jason, like he said, he’s not defending her, but he believes she’s deserving of another chance.

The watching man asks Nika, when is the first set? but she says, she’s sorry. There’s no live music tonight. He says, that’s too bad. What kind of acts do they book here? She says, it’s a pretty eclectic mix, and he asks who books the acts; the owner, or do they have a booking agent? She tells him, the owner does it himself, and points Curtis out.

Valentin says he didn’t want to die in Greece, and Anna says she’s not going to let him. Talk to her about Charlotte. He says, Charlotte’s a good girl. She wants a new horse. She wants to keep the pony – she loves that pony – but she’s ready for a jumper. He has his eye on a thoroughbred who used to be a racehorse. Real disappointment, but he thinks he can get a good deal, and wants to give him a second chance. He thinks everybody deserves a second chance, doesn’t she? She says, yeah, and he says he thinks there’s a good chance she’s going to have to tell Charlotte what happened here. Promise him she’ll do it. Charlotte admires her. And Bailey. That sweet thing is never going to know him. Promise him that she’ll tell his children that he loves them. She calls to Robert, telling him, get over here. She doesn’t think Valentin can hold on much longer.

Britt says, Spencer spent his entire life in the lap of luxury, so if he’s willing to spend an entire night in jail, that means he’s really dug in on his position. Maybe he needs to talk to a more neutral person who can help him find a way to apologize and also save face. It doesn’t hurt to try, right? She helps him, he helps her. It’s a win-win. He says if she wants to visit Spencer in jail, he can’t stop her, but they don’t have a deal. She asks, why not? and he says he admires her devotion to her mother, but he meant what he said; he can’t help her. His family sold off their holdings in Crete years ago. She says, which means his family used to have properties there.

 Dante tells Victor, no funny stuff. Victor had better be taking him to Drew’s cell. Victor says he is, but that doesn’t mean Sam’s found it. They go into Drew’s cell, and Sam is there. Dante tells her not to take off like that again, and she says she’s sorry. When she saw that syringe, she was afraid that whatever happened to Obrecht, happened to Drew. Victor says, Peter doesn’t need drugs to control Drew. He has something far better. Dante asks what he’s talking about, and he says, Drew’s conditioning is still active. Sam says he’s wrong. Drew had an operation and the conditioning is gone. Victor says, Faison was either greedy or prudent, depending on your point of view. He installed a shortcut, a simple image or phrase that can activate the conditionings. A trigger known only to Faison, and now it appears, to Peter. Dante asks if Victor knows this for sure, and he tells Dante to ask Robert or Anna. They were at the tavern in Panapolia (sounds like – I still don’t know if that’s right). Dante says they know that place, and Victor says, a masked gunman ambushed them, and when they fired back, the gunman retreated. Coincidentally, the next morning, this morning, Drew was found with a bullet wound. Don’t worry. It’s nothing serious, just a graze, but it appears Drew is completely under Peter’s control. Sam says, not completely, and points to Scout’s name on the wall. She says, he remembered his daughter’s name. Peter hasn’t won.

Nikolas says, the Cassadines used to own property in Crete, but sold them. It’s all part of public record. Britt says, stop acting like they’re talking about a three-bedroom bungalow in a nice neighborhood in a good school district. The Cassadines don’t buy normal homes like other people. They go after creepy caves, and volcanoes, and offshore islands with their own private harbors. He says he’s not going to deny the Cassadines think big. His grandfather built a retreat there before he was even born. She says, okay. Now they’re getting somewhere. Can he tell her how to get there? He says, what’s the point? They sold it a long time ago. It was converted to a monastery at one point, famous for it’s vineyards. He’s been told the wine is to die for. She says she hopes not for her mother’s sake, and he says she could take her Holy Orders and become a monk, but they’re pretty old school there; men only. Besides, it’s in the middle of nowhere. The only thing close is a tiny village, with a church, a post office, and a tavern. Then there’s nothing for miles.

Robert and Anna go back to the tavern, and Robert says they’re lucky they’re in a place where the bars stay open late. He could use a drink or two. Anna says she should have stayed with Valentin, and Robert says, come on. He’s been airlifted to the Consulate hospital. She says, with his life hanging by a thread, and he asks what she thinks she’s going to do? They have a ton of stuff to focus on there. He orders two glasses of ouzo, and the guard/agent comes in. Robert says he asked the agent to keep an eye on Sam and Dante. Where are they? The agent regrets to inform Robert that he didn’t complete his assignment. Robert says, that means what? and the agent says, they weren’t agents. They weren’t here on an op. They didn’t care about WSB protocols. They wanted to find a little girl’s father and bring him home. Robert says, he let them go? and he says he might have gone outside to investigate a noise, and when he came back, they were gone. Robert says he swears the agent is going to be busted down to a parking lot attendant… Anna says, for God’s sake, Robert, come on. Doesn’t he think this night has been bad enough? So what? He showed a little compassion. It’s not a bad quality for an agent, is it? Robert says, he broke the rules, and Anna says she knows agents who have done a lot worse. Two of them are standing right here. The day Robert says rules are more important than people, is the day he turns into a liar. Rules are meant to be lightly ignored, or downright broken, and he knows that better than anyone.

Dante tells Sam, they have to go. Every minute that goes by, Peter is getting further and further away with Obrecht and Drew. Let’s go. Victor starts to follow them, and Drew says, not him. He’s going to lock Victor in there. Victor says they can’t leave him there, and Dante says he’ll send someone to babysit Victor. Victor says, if Peter comes back, he’ll show no mercy, and Sam says, like Victor did for Drew? Victor says, Peter was the one responsible for Drew’s abduction; Peter was behind his captivity. Did he facilitate it? Yes, fine, but does he regret it? Oh my God, immeasurably. In a lifetime of questionable alliances, not the least with his barking mad own brother Mikkos, getting close with Peter was the worst mistake of his life. All he wants to do is live long enough to pay that bastard back; live being the operative word. He knows this place like the back of his hand. They need him to guide them safely out of here. Sam asks what Dante thinks; someone who could actually show them around? Dante says, all right, but if Victor tries anything, he will shoot him. Show them the way. Victor says, follow him, and they go.

Portia tells Ava, if Spencer is convicted, that’s going to be on his record for life. Ava says, that’s entirely up to him. She set her anger aside, went to the PCPD, and offered him an olive branch. She just hopes he was smart enough to take it. Maybe someday, if Spencer gets his act together, he and Trina can be friends again. Portia says she’s going to be encouraging her daughter to stay far, far away from Ava’s stepson. Ava says, because of what Spencer did, or because Trina got caught in the middle? Portia says, neither. It’s because of who Spencer is.

Sam approaches Robert at the bar, and he asks where she’s been. He told her to stay put. She says, they found someone who can maybe help them find Drew, and Dante brings Victor in, wearing handcuffs. Robert says he kind of knew the rumors of Victor’s demise were greatly exaggerated, and Victor says he can explain, but first he needs to know, did Valentin manage to escape? They were separated in all the confusion. Anna says, he was shot in the back by Peter. He’s been airlifted out. Victor asks if they know his prognosis, and she says, he’s critical. Why does Victor care? He’s heard Valentin isn’t a Cassadine. He’s no relation to Victor. Victor says she couldn’t be more wrong. Helena had an affair… with him. Valentin’s his son, and a true Cassadine.

Victor says, she was convinced Mikkos was cheating on her, which of course (🍷) he was. He knows people saw her as heartless and vindictive, but Helena was always far more complex than that. Sometimes even vulnerable. She felt Mikkos was her life partner; her soulmate, if you will. When she learned of his many infidelities, it crushed her. One day, Victor found her crying. He was intending only to comfort her, but comfort turned to passion. One thing led to another. He doesn’t regret any of it. Robert says Victor will have to pardon him if he throws up in his mouth over this, and Victor says, Helena paid Mikkos back with interest. She kept her pregnancy secret, and fostered the child with a local girl Mikkos had already discarded. Then she tricked Mikkos into believing Valentin was his son. He sent Valentin away to boarding school, and forgot about him. Victor felt Valentin was safer that way, so he did nothing to dispute the lie. Anna asks why he wants to claim Valentin now, and he says he knew Peter was going to double-cross him at any time; he was already holding Valentin captive. He didn’t know if either of them was going to survive, and he thought his son had a right to know his father before he died. Anna says she hopes Valentin laughed in his face, and Victor says, he did actually, but that doesn’t make it any less true. She says, father, uncle, random stranger makes no difference to her. If Valentin dies, she’s holding Victor responsible.

Curtis tells Jason that he didn’t know it was so difficult to prove a person was legally alive. Jason says, Diane had to do it when he came back. She’s probably the only person not complaining, because she’s making a fortune off it. Curtis says, but she’s not so thrilled to see Sonny alive that she’s working at a discount, and Jason says, she loves Sonny and she’s like his own, but a discount? Not a chance.   

The watching man asks Nika if they feature acts from the Northeast, or do they get them from all over? He knows she said eclectic, but he doesn’t know if that means style or geography. She says, both. Since they opened, they’ve had acts from all over. One singer came in from London. He says, impressive, and smart. Live music is a great draw. He knows people like to come to clubs with their friends, but when they see a live act, it takes it to the next level. It sounds like her boss knows what he’s doing.

Nikolas tells Britt, his own relationship with his son is complicated to say the least. So even if most people woudn’t understand her devotion to her mother, he does. Maybe there’s something he can do to help. He still has some friends in Crete. He can put in a few and see if anyone’s heard anything. She says, they’re talking about criminals and a possible kidnapping. Does he think his friends will just volunteer information? He says, to a stranger? Absolutely not, but it’s different when it’s one of their own.

Ava says Portia wouldn’t want Trina to be friends with Spencer, even down the line, because he’s a Cassadine? Is that what she means? Portia says, this is no reflection on Ava, but at the end of the day, she wants her daughter safe. In her book, that means keeping Trina away from Ava’s stepson and her husband.

Victor asks if they’ve heard anything from the hospital, but Anna says Valentin’s been gone less than an hour. He would have been taken straight to surgery. She doubts the doctors have time to call them with updates. Victor says, he’s at the American Consulate, isn’t he? and holds out his wrists for Dante to uncuff him. Dante says, he’s not going anywhere, but Victor says Dante knows there are plenty Consulate personnel there to keep an eye on him. Dante says, they might, if Victor actually made it to the Consulate, which he highly doubts Victor is going to do. Just because he’s feeling paternal toward Valentin, doesn’t erase all the bad stuff he did. Victor looks to Anna for help, but she says, there isn’t a chance in hell that he’ll make it to the Consulate on his own volition. He’ll stay here with them, and answer questions. She supposes she could make a call, and steps away.

Britt tells Nikolas that she doesn’t understand why he won’t just give her an address. What’s it to him if she goes to Greece? He says she hasn’t even let him make any calls yet. Not that he’s promising any clues to where her mother might be, but you never know. She tells him to let her know if he hears anything. Her phone rings, and it’s Anna. Nikolas says, maybe Anna has a clue for her, and she leaves the table. The connection isn’t good, and Britt asks where Anna is. Anna says, in Greece. She has news about Britt’s mother.

Robert asks the agent if there’s any news. Sightings? Maybe Peter is dragging around a female hostage by the name of Liesl Obrecht? Sam says, shouldn’t he be asking about two hostages? and Dante says, Liesl and Drew. Robert tells the agent that he needs a minute with them, and he leaves. Dante asks, what’s going on? and Sam asks if he knows something about Drew. Robert says he’s got news. None of it good.

Nika says there’s a customer she thinks Curtis should meet, and he says he’d love to. Any reason in particular? She says, he was asking about live music, and he tells her to point him in the right direction. She sees the watching man’s table is empty, and Curtis says, it looks like he took off. If he comes back, be sure to introduce them.  

Robert says, there’s only one way to the dock, and it’s over the footbridge, and Sam says, that’s where Valentin was shot. What does that have to do with Drew? He says, Valentin and Drew were together. They were halfway across the bridge, when Peter put a shot in Valentin’s back. Drew turned around to draw fire, and Peter put three shots into him. The impact blew Drew back across the bridge and into the water, and it’s a long way. He never surfaced. Dante asks if he’s sure Drew was, and Robert says he is. Dante says, so what he’s saying is he thinks Drew is dead, but they don’t have a body, right? Robert says he has agents combing the area. They’ll call him the minute they find Drew, dead or alive. Dante tells Sam, the one thing Drew has proven so far is that he’s hard to kill. Robert goes over to Victor, and says he’s going to be held accountable for this. Victor says, as he understands it, Robert is retired from the WSB, and is now the DA of Port Charles. This is a little out of his jurisdiction, wouldn’t he say? Robert leans over Victor and tells him, don’t worry. When it comes to the Cassadines, he always makes it personal.

Ava says, she admires any mother who’s protecting her daughter, but Portia does understand how important Trina’s well-being is to her, right? She knows she’s proven that. Portia says she knows Trina admires Ava. She looks up to Ava, and cares for her deeply, which is why she went to great lengths to help Ava with her stalker. Ava senses a but coming, and Portia says, she’d be correct. Now that the stalker situation is over, and Ava has decided to stay with Nikolas, she’s cemented herself in the Cassadine family. She just hopes that connection doesn’t come back to haunt Ava – or Trina.

Nikolas makes a call, and asks if someone can talk. The bartender in the Crete tavern says, it’s not a good time, but Nikolas says, that’s too bad. He understands there’s been some disruption. Tell him everything.

Jason asks Britt, who was on the phone? and she says, Anna; she was in Greece. It turns out, the IP address Spinelli found on Scotty’s computer, was linked to a Cassadine compound where her mother was being held captive by Peter. But guess what else? He’s not working alone. Jason asks, who’s helping him? and she says, Victor Cassadine. He says, Nikolas’s uncle? and she says, yeah, the dead guy. But there’s something else. Jason’s brother Drew was also being held on the compound. He says, Drew was in the prison? and she tells him, Anna said the WSB stormed the place and grabbed Victor, but Drew took a bullet, and is presumed dead. He says, presumed. So there’s no body – again. She says, apparently, Peter shot Drew on some bridge. He fell over the side and into the sea. The WSB is still looking for him, but Anna didn’t sound hopeful. He says, what about Peter? and she says, vanished, and so has her mother. He says, we need to go to Greece, and she says she’s game if he is.

Peter is sitting in a car, and says, are we good? Drew takes off the protective gear he had on under his clothing, and Peter says, between the bullet hits and the fall, they have to think he’s dead. Put the gear in the back, and let’s get moving. Drew gets in, and Peter drives off, smiling.

Tomorrow, Nina tells Curtis, a lot has happened in the last few hours; Terry says, somebody called asking about Finn; Carly wonders why Peter didn’t use this to his advantage; and Jason tells someone that he’s about to leave town.

Vanderpump Rules

In Raquel’s interview, she said she couldn’t believe this was her life. She and James called her mom, and she told her mom that the ring had been in a Tiffany’s box. In her interview, Raquel said, Tiffany’s was where all the princesses got their jewelry. Ariana waxed nostalgic with Sandoval about their first Coachella, and in her interview, she said, it was absolutely magical. She told Sandoval that the engagement had him written all over it. In Sandoval’s interview, he said, seeing Ariana so happy made him want to do something as special for her. Scheana said her boobs were telling her that she had to go home. Brock was disappointed to leave early, and in Lala’s interview, she said, welcome to parent life. He hadn’t seen two of his kids in four years, and wasn’t getting any parent of the year award, even though Scheana thought he was perfect. The Toms discussed the evening, and Sandoval said he wanted to make it amazing or not do it at all. Schwartz asked how much was spent, and Sandoval said it had been $25K. In Schwartz’s interview, he questioned the wisdom of this, since they were getting financing for the new bar, and still had money to raise. It was a significant chunk of change. Sandoval said he didn’t know how to do tiny, and in his interview, he said nothing gave him more joy than helping a friend accomplish a dream. He and James had split the cost. Schwartz said he was so impressed, he was letting Sandoval name the bar. I translated this to be Schwartz’s way of avoiding the name conflict. Sandoval said he hoped Schwartz didn’t feel like he was caving, and in his interview, he said, if it upset Katie, she had only one person to blame. Sandoval toasted to Schwartz and Sandy’s. Ugh. He is not reading any room. There isn’t one other person who’s in love with this name.  

James ran around yelling, Raquel is my fiancé! Schwartz told Katie that he was impressed, and let Sandoval name the bar. Unfortunately, Sandoval still wanted Schwartz and Sandy’s, but he’d learn to love it. Katie said he’d made a leap forward, and took ten steps back, but he said it would grow on her. In her interview, she said, the only thing she wanted growing on her were her hair and fingernails. LVP called James, and wanted to know the details. She asked which Tiffany’s he’d gone to, but he said, it was a Tiffany diamond; he hadn’t gotten the ring Tiffany’s. The only person not at the engagement was Max. She said she didn’t know how ready Max was to reestablish their relationship, and we flashed back to James being a d*ck. In Lisa’s interview, she said Max was done, but she thought James needed Max on his side.

Katie went over fertility stuff with Schwartz, who was instructed to put a specimen in a jar. In Katie’s interview, she said, having a family was something they’d always planned for, and it was important for Schwartz to be present 100% of the time. She got together with Lala, and a couple of fitness trainers for a session of electromagnetic stimulation. In Lala’s interview, she said, becoming a mom meant your body wasn’t your own. Ocean was out of her, but still attached to her boob 24/7, and it was hard not to feel like some sort of farm animal. She’d heard the a few minutes of the stimulation was the equivalent to hours at the gym. Was she taking the easy way out? Yes. If this is true, why aren’t we all doing it? They got hooked up and zapped, and Lala said it was like nothing she’d felt before. Katie said it felt like every muscle was contracting all at once, and in her interview, suggested using the bathroom before a session. Katie and Lala discussed the fertility issue, and in her interview, Katie said, when everyone around you was getting pregnant, and you weren’t, it was added stress. Meanwhile, Sandoval went to lend moral support to Schwartz – i.e. stand and wait while Schwartz created his specimen. Sandoval came in and asked how Schwartz liked his eggs. Fertilized? Ugh again. He also brought a helpful kit, containg lube (for obvious reasons), a Gwyneth Paltrow vagina candle (on loan), and a face mask (don’t ask). Then he waited while Schwartz… 16 minutes later, Schwartz emerged, and said he’d had raw determination, which was probably not his best choice of words.

Katie asked about the playdate with Summer Moon, and Lala said it was wonderful. She told Katie that since Brock hadn’t spoken to his kids in four years, she thought Scheana was running the risk of him being done with both her and the baby if things didn’t work out. Scheana had a pattern of ignoring the signs, and she was worried for Summer Moon. In Lala’s interview, she said now that she was a mom, she looked at things differently, and told Katie that the stakes were higher; it’s just different. James made Raquel bring a gift to Max when she went to work. In his interview, he said, he’d apologized a million times. He’d gotten Max an Oculus, since they’d played together back in the day. It was the cherry on the apology, and would show he meant it. He didn’t think Raquel should be wearing her ring when she was working, but she said she wanted to show Lisa. In her interview, she said what was the point of having a gorgeous, huge Tiffany diamond if she couldn’t show it off at work and make everyone a little jelly. For the record, I hate when people shorten words like that.   

Puffy! Lisa went to TomTom, and the Toms told her about the engagement. Schwartz pretended to hand her his specimen, but it was really a jar of yogurt. In Lisa’s interview, she said she’d been married for 37 years, and had some experience. She knew what it was supposed to look like. She wanted them to stop joking and jerking, and get to work. Scheana got together with Lala for some shopping, and told Lala that once Summer Moon wore something on Instagram, she couldn’t wear it again. In Scheana’s interview, she said Summer Moon already had 110K followers. She’d passed her dad before she was born. Lala asked her how she’d found out about Brock’s kids, and Scheana said he’d been open about the situation since day one. In Lala’s interview, she said she didn’t care if he was Jason Momoa himself, if he hadn’t seen his kids in that long, she wouldn’t be saying, you’re the one to be my baby daddy. Lala said she didn’t want Scheana to live by Brock’s past relationship, but Randal had a similar situation, and she wasn’t turning a blind eye to the fact it could happen to her. She knew people changed, but she didn’t want to be a dummy, and didn’t want anything to happen to Scheana and Summer Moon. In Scheana’s interview, she said she knew her track record wasn’t great, but she didn’t see that happening. Lala said if one day Scheana didn’t want Brock in her or the baby’s lives anymore, she would hope he’d fight to see his kid.   

Raquel was excited that his and Raquel’s families were getting together, but James was more apprehensive. In Raquel’s interview, she said her family had met drunk James and angry James, and it was hard to know which James would show up. She was close to her older sister Kate, even though they didn’t have a lot in common. Raquel was adopted at birth by her aunt who’d had no luck getting pregnant, when Raquel’s biological mother had been surprised by her second pregnancy. Kate had still stepped into the big sister role. At dinner, Raquel brought up bringing the gift to Max, and said she’d done the best she could. We saw a clip of that, as well as her showing off her ring to Lisa. Max said Raquel might be making a mistake marrying James, but they’d see, and Raquel told Max that James was very remorseful. James explained to the families that he and Max had gone to dinner, and gotten in an argument. He did things he shouldn’t have, and said things he shouldn’t have. Kate said he seemed to have issues sober or drunk, and in his interview, James said his family loved Raquel right away, but with her family it was a bit more of a journey. James’s mom said, not everyone was perfect, rather than chastising him for being an a-hole. Kate said she didn’t want to see Raquel in a situation where she had to fix James’s problems, and in Raquel’s interview, she said, Kate wasn’t always supportive of their relationship because of James’s drinking. Being Raquel’s big sister, she was always going to be protective. Kate hoped James realized that his behavior could affect Raquel.

Katie and Ariana went to TomTom, and Lisa was there with Ken. Lisa talked to Katie about the whole baby thing, and in Katie’s interview, she said, they’d been trying, but after a while, it becomes a chore and like a job. In Lisa’s interview, she said it was probably breaking Katie’s heart seeing Lala, Scheana, Brittany, and Stassi all having babies at the same time. She must feel left out, and it wasn’t something you could control. She asked Katie if the Toms ever suggested they try for a baby, and Katie said, if could have one, they would. Isn’t TomTom their baby? Lisa sat with the Toms, Katie, and Ariana, and Schwartz said they’d had trouble staffing for the new bar. Lisa asked if they had a problem with Katie having a role in it. Schwartz said she wasn’t the most sociable, and Katie said she’d worked for her mother for years, and there were never any issues. In her interview, she said she worked in her mom’s restaurant, and she would love to have a family business. Um… She also worked for SUR, and I don’t remember her ever being a less than stellar server. Out of nowhere, Sandoval said he’d had to endure a public undressing, and it gave him massive anxiety. In Lisa’s interview, she said she didn’t mean to provoke anything. She just wanted Katie to have something she’s invested in. He ranted on about Scheana’s birthday, and how Katie had told him the restaurant name was uninspired. I guess he forgot they’d established it was actually Schwartz who’d said that. Schwartz said Sandoval never got over Stassi’s book signing, and we flashed back to 2019, when Katie cursed Sandoval out because of some text. In Katie’s interview, she said, Sandoval wasn’t traumatized. He was scared about letting someone work at the bar who won’t lie and say he’s a genius. She told him, it was years ago; get TF over it. Then he went on a tirade about Katie’s rage texts, and Ariana said that hadn’t happened in years. In Ariana’s interview, she said, Tom was all over the place. She understands his past experience was coloring the way he felt about him and Katie working together now, but just say that. Sandoval said he had a reason to feel insecure. Katie felt entitled with her feelings (what does that even mean?), and he had receipts. Screw her for making him feel like a psychopath. Schwartz told him to take a walk, and Sandoval said he was tired of feeling cornered. Ariana said he was the one cornering them.

What a baby. I’m not a huge Ariana fan, but I’m glad to see she isn’t just taking his side because they’re a couple.

Next time, Schwartz says all his sperm have misshaped heads, Lala says she’d blamed Raquel for her relationship with James failing, and Lala has a sit-down with Brock.

🌈 All I Have To Do Is Dream…

Tomorrow, Erika will cry more crocodile tears, and Charleston boys will collide with the Hamptons crowd in the premiere of <shudder> Winter House. I’ll let you know how awful it is. I already know it will be. Until then, stay safe, stay never going to crime scene number two, and stay not letting comfort turn to passion. It could result in a really messy situation.

October 15, 2021 – Jason Agrees To Help Britt, Amber Remembers, a Wedding, Busy, a Refusal, Poor Thing, Harry Rumors, an Attack, VanderTalk, Girls Trip, Magnificent Digs, Close To a Dozen Quotes & Mash

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny comes in, and Carly says, howdy, stranger. He says, howdy to her too. He’d think after twenty years they’re no strangers. She says, no, they’re not, but the man who wore this hat is a mystery to her.   

Britt says Jason got there fast, since she just sent the text. Was he already at the hospital, or did he fly here? Where are her manners? Let her take his cape. He asks if everything is okay, and she says, no. She’s at a standstill, and doesn’t know how to move forward. As much as she hates to ask, she could really use his help.

At Windymere, Doc tells Nikolas, he’s sorry it took a while. He had clients back to back. What does Nikolas need? Nikolas says he needs to discuss his mother; she’s not answering his texts. Is everything all right? Doc says, she’s tied up in a meetings all day, but they’re going to speak tonight. He can let her know Nikolas wants to reach her. Is this an emergency? Nikolas says he’s having a hard time processing something that happened last night. He and Ava found out who was stalking them. Doc says, don’t tell him that his brother found a way to do this, but Nikolas says, sadly, it was his son.

Spencer asks if Ava is there to gloat, and she says, he still doesn’t get it, does he? She derives no pleasure in his situation. He asks where his father is? Arranging bail? She says, no. If it were up to her husband, the PCPD could keep him locked up and throw away the key. She’s all he’s got.

Anna tells an officer, the gunman was a professional; he knew exactly what he was doing. The shots were targeted and precise. This wasn’t some local feud gone wrong. It was an ambush. Dante and Sam arrive, and Dante says, it looks like they showed up late to the party. Sam asks, what the hell happened here?

Drew looks at the bullet wound in his arm, and says, what the hell? What happened?

Peter drags Obrecht down the hall, and she throws his hand off her arm. She says she’d sooner die than help him, and he tells her not to tease him.

Sonny says, he’s still him; he’s still Carly’s husband. What about her? Is she still the same as she was nine months ago, or has something changed? She says, that’s an odd question, and he says he spoke to Jason about what he walked in on the night he came back. She said it was her wedding, but he didn’t know it was her actual wedding night… in every sense of the word. Did he interrupt something? She says, if he hadn’t come back, she and Jason would have slept together, as husband and wife. He says, give him one second. He doesn’t know how he can be okay with that.

Jason asks if Britt is in trouble, because she can tell him anything. She says, this isn’t not about her; it’s about her mother. Rescuing her doesn’t seem to be a top priority at the WSB. It is with her and Scotty, but they’ve hit a brick wall, and they’re out of options. Jason is their only hope of finding her mother alive.

Obrecht asks if Victor is aware Peter is giving her orders, and threatening her. He says, she rejected Victor, then she tried to kill him. So she’s been downgraded from her swanky accommodations to this dank cell. She’ll see how much Victor gives a damn about her. She says she doesn’t care. Nothing can get her to help him. He says, we shall see, won’t we?

Anna says she’s glad they’re here, and Sam asks, what happened? Anna says, she and Robert were ambushed. The gunman was a professional who knew what he was doing. They managed to return fire and drive him off. Robert joins them, and asks if Anna filled them in. Dante says, she was starting to. They don’t know who the shooter was? Robert says, nothing yet. There are no prints, no footprints. They’ve got some ballistics the police are checking on. Sam says, Peter is the obvious suspect, and Anna says, he is, but they have no proof. Robert says, Peter might not have pulled the trigger, but his stench is all over this, and Dante says, Peter is the reason for Drew’s disappearance. They’re getting too close for comfort. Anna says, he seems sure of that. What do they have? Sam says, Dallas Kirby confirmed that Drew’s plane crash was staged, and Dante says, the flight that Drew was on sent a fake distress signal, turned off its beacons, and flew away. Dallas Kirby was paid two million dollars to dump a bunch of plane parts into the Gulf of Adan, and the plane flew off radar. Anna says, that tracks with what Chloe Jennings told her, that Drew is alive and being held against his will. Sam says, then where is he? And where’s Valentin? Wasn’t he with Anna? Anna says, there’s been a complication. Robert says, of the Cassadine nature.

Doc tells Nikolas, Laura is going to be devastated. She believed Spencer when he insisted he wasn’t responsible. Nikolas says, they all did, and Doc says, he’s sorry. He saw glimpses that something was amiss, and he didn’t voice his concerns. It’s difficult to reconcile the prankster they know Spencer can be, with the calculated intimidation Nikolas and Ava have faced. Nikolas says, that’s why he wants to talk to his mother. He’s not sure he took the right actions when Spencer confessed. Doc asks what he did, and Nikolas says, he threw Spencer and his girlfriend out of Windymere. He cut Spencer off from his trust fund and credit cards, and Spencer had no access to any of Nikolas’s financial resources. Doc asks if Nikolas is comfortable with that, and Nikolas says, for now. Alexis doesn’t like it. She’s urging him not to abandon his son. Doc says, what about Ava? and Nikolas says, Ava is all for Spencer facing the consequences of his actions, but not at the expense of their relationship. Doc asks what Nikolas wants, and Nikolas says he appreciates where Ava is coming from, but he’s still confused. Doc says, punishment and enforced guidance don’t need be mutually exclusive, and Nikolas says, no offense, but that didn’t work with Ryan. Doc says, Spencer’s no Ryan, and Nikolas asks if he’s sure. Doc says, it’s true that the extremes Spencer took things to is disturbing, but Spencer knows right from wrong, and he feels remorse. So how did he think it was a good idea to convince Ava she was being stalked? And how did he find the time to even pull it off? Nikolas says, he had help. Spencer didn’t do it alone. The doorbell rings, and Esme is there. She tells Nikolas that he needs to get to the police station as soon as possible. He asks if something happened to Spencer, and she says Nikolas’s wife had Spencer arrested.

Spencer says he wants nothing to do with Ava. He didn’t ask her to come, and certainly doesn’t want to talk to her. She says she’s not keen on talking to the sullen young man who terrorized her for months, but here she is. He might want to shut up and listen for once. He asks what she could have to say that would be useful to him, or what he could say that would be useful to her. She says, for starters, he’s welcome. By all accounts, he had nowhere to sleep and now he does. He says, thank you, stepmother. He’ll never forget she made it possible for him to experience a night in jail, and she tells him not to act so put upon, or has he forgotten he’s guilty of the crimes for which he’s been arrested? He says she’s going to lecture him about his criminal acts? Let’s talk about hers. Let’s get Josslyn in here and ask her about how Morgan died. Ava says she’s not the one in custody, and he says, that’s kind of his point. All the misery she’s inflicted, people who’ve died, and she’s walking free. He allegedly played a few unkind pranks and she had him arrested. She says she knows deep down, Spencer’s father still wants him in his life; he just needs reminding. She can do that. She can remind him that he has the resources to hire Spencer the very best counsel. She can remind him of his connections in the justice community, and his considerable sway. She can remind him that Windymere is Spencer’s home. All of which he thank her for later. He says, should he remind her that his grandmother is mayor of Port Charles, and she can do all of that? Ava says she doesn’t see Laura anywhere around here. Does he? Laura’s not coming to Spencer’s rescue. Nobody but her – with conditions. He can take his chance in court, or she can offer him a way out.

Peter tosses Obrecht into Drew’s cell, and Drew says, Peter looks frazzled. Did his sinister plans go off the rails lately? Peter throws Obrecht’s bag in the cell, and tells her to take care of Drew’s wound. Make sure it’s clean. He leaves, and Obrecht digs furiously in her bag. Drew asks if she has anything they can use, but she says, no. Might as well get to work. She looks at his wound, and says, it’s from a bullet. Fortunately, he was only grazed. Who shot him? He says he has absolutely no idea.

Peter runs into Victor in the hallway, and Victor asks him, what’s wrong? Nervous? He should be. He has a lot to answer for.

Anna tells Sam and Dante that after she came back from seeing Chloe, Valentin was missing. They questioned a local musician she’d seen the night before. Robert says, who promptly lied to their face, and Anna says, he tried to convince them that Valentin faked being drunk, and took off with an accomplice in a car. Robert says, something he was all too willing to accept, and Anna says, well, she wasn’t. After that, things got heated, and they discovered the musician had a tattoo, the Cassadine crest. Sam asks if he was a Cassadine, and Anna says, affiliated with the family somehow, but before they were able to question him further, the gunman opened fire and all hell broke loose. By the time the shooting had ceased, they decided to take the musician in for questioning. Robert’s phone rings, and he says, now?… Okay, he’s on his way. He tells them, it’s his turn with the musician. Maybe now they’ll get some real answers.

Esme follows Nikolas into the living room, whining, didn’t he hear her? Spencer’s being interrogated at the police station. He says he heard her. He already knew. She asks why he hasn’t shown up to help Spencer, and he says he’s helping Spencer take responsibility for this actions. She says, by kicking him out of his home, and sitting back and watching while his wife uses the police as an instrument of revenge? That sounds like abuse, not help. Doc says he’s not sure Esme is seeing the entire picture here. What Spencer did to Ava is criminal behavior. Nikolas says, Esme knows better than anyone. She’s lucky she’s not getting booked at the PCPD right along with Spencer.

Spencer tells Ava, he won’t do it. If this is what she calls an olive branch… She says if anyone is owed an olive branch, it’s her, but she knows better that to expect that. He’s far too attached to his resentment, so she’ll settle for a transactional agreement. They don’t have to be friends; they just need to coexist. She needs to know he’s learned his lesson, and won’t mess with her marriage again. A show of good faith would be to agree to her terms. He says he trusted her once and she stabbed him in the back. Never again. She says, suit himself, and gets up. But a word to the wise. The lobby for the holding cell, the one with the torn mesh in the window; it has its share of bedbugs, but the tear lets in the tiniest bit of sunlight and provides ventilation when the drunk and disorderly show up and puke their guts up. Goodbye; good luck. She leaves, and the door closes. 

Sonny tells Carly, Jason said the same thing, but it’s different hearing it from his best friend, than hearing his wife say if he hadn’t interrupted, they would have slept together. She says, because they didn’t know. For nine months they didn’t know he was alive. Losing him was hell. They searched and searched for him, and waited and prayed; she couldn’t let go. Cyrus and Sonny’s enemies were circling like vultures. The nights were the worst; lying in bed or cradling Donna night after sleepless night. She held it together because she had to, and she and Jason got married for the same reason, because they had to. They had to show a united front. He says, so that’s all it was, a message? I just have to say, they searched and searched not all that hard. Sonny’s picture was apparently never on the news or passed to police departments in Pennsylvania.

Jason says, of course (🍷) he’ll help Britt. He said it that morning at the gym. She says, and she turned him down. She can be stubborn that way… He could pretend to disagree with her. He says, she is stubborn, and a very reckless driver. She says she’s an excellent driver. She supposes there’s some misplaced pride wrapped up in this. She wanted not to need him. He says, they all need someone, and she says, she feels guilty. Her mother was on her way to St. Lucia to attend a conference on hereditary diseases. He says, like Huntington’s? and she says, yes. It was a fake, a ruse to get to her mother. He says, she told him it was a set up at the gym, but didn’t give him any details, and she says, Scotty agreed to go with her mother. He got a deal on a private jet rental, also a ruse. Scotty took an impromptu parachute ride, and her mother just vanished. He asks her to go back to the conference. He thinks someone set it up to trick her mother, but she says, that means they know she has Huntington’s. That’s impossible.

Victor tells Peter, he heard there’s been a gunfight in a tavern in Panapolvia (sounds like; I have no idea if that’s the right name). Robert Scorpio and Anna Devane were inside. A masked gunman showed up, and started firing. Peter asks if anyone was injured, and Victor says, Robert and Anna walked away, but one of his men was taken into custody. Thanks to Peter, the WSB can compel that man to reveal their location. Peter asks, what was he to do? Robert and Anna were sniffing around, and he had to stop them. Victor says he’s lived there for years without giving anyone the slightest provocation to look his way. Now, suddenly, the place is crawling with WSB agents, combing the area and asking questions. Then he discovered that Drew’s ex-wife has shown up, with Detective Dante Falconari in tow. Peter says he’ll take care of it, but Victor says, Peter will stay out of it. He’ll handle it.   

Sam asks if Chloe told Anna anything about Drew’s physical being or state of mind, but Anna says, nothing she hasn’t already told Sam. Chloe said Drew sacrificed his opportunity for freedom to get her out. Sam says, what if Peter, or whoever’s holding Drew, wants to kill him because he helped Chloe escape? Anna says she doesn’t think so. Chloe said he’d already been roughed up a few times, and received medical aid, which is how Chloe got to meet him in the first place. That leads her to believe Drew’s tried to escape before. Otherwise, why keep someone patched up for two years if they’re not useful to you? Dante joins them, and says, as a bargaining chip, and Anna says, they know Peter is dangerous, but he’s also an opportunist. If Drew serves a purpose, Peter is going to keep him alive.

Nikolas asks if Esme wants to explain her involvement to Doc, or should he? She says, she didn’t mean any disrespect. Spencer didn’t mean for it to go that far, but Spencer loves Nikolas so much. Back at school, he talked about how saddened he was, despite the distance between them, and her heart went out to him. When he asked her for help, she couldn’t say no. Truly, she only wanted to help them reconnect. Nikolas says, help by setting his wife’s car ablaze, and taunting her with a memento from her dead daughter? Doc says, that was Esme? and she says, she shouldn’t have given in to Spence’s worst impulses. She rationalized it because she knew the ultimate goal was for him to make up with his father. Spence was so melancholy at school. He covered it, but the more she got to know him, the more she realized how much he missed Nikolas. She’d never seen him happier than when he moved back home. He told her that even if Nikolas never forgave him, at least he’d cherish the time they got to be a family. Nikolas says, that meant a lot to him too. That’s why this is so disturbing. She says, of course (🍷) it is, but there are good times still ahead. Just give Spencer the help he needs. Nikolas knows Spencer doesn’t belong in a cell. She asks if Doc doesn’t think someone as confused and vulnerable as Spencer needs protection, not punishment? Doc says, what he or anyone else thinks is immaterial. Nikolas is Spencer’s father, and this is a family matter. Nikolas says, Spencer’s lucky to have such a loyal girlfriend. He’s going to need all the support he can get. Esme stomps out, and Nikolas asks if Doc thinks Esme is right about Spencer needing his protection. Doc says, she’s selling a bill of goods.

Carly tells Sonny that she and Jason decided to get married as a last resort. It was the only way they could handle the pressure from the Five Families canned Italian wedding soup. He says, it makes sense, but there was a lot more going on. She says, not at first, but by that night, yes. She and Jason decided they could have a real marriage, and it would be safe to fall in love, and they were headed in that direction. He says, that’s a lot. I’m not a Carly supporter by any stretch of the imagination, but really, Sonny? Did he expect time stood still? I think if the moss bowl 🎍 were still there, it might absorb some of the tension.

Sonny says, so Carly is telling him that she was falling in love with Jason, not some stranger she met while she was grieving, or Jax. She was falling in love with his best friend. She says, yes, but then the door opened and he walked in. Since he’s been home, she and Jason just went back to the way it’s been, best friends. He says, now she has no leftover feelings? and she says, Jason’s her best friend. That’s all she wants from him; that’s all he wants from her. Sonny says, so they were falling in love, and she expects him to believe that now they’re not in love? She says she’s not in love with Jason; she loves Sonny. He’s her husband, and the father of her kids. He says, does she know Jason is like a brother to him? She says, they weren’t cheating on him or going behind his back, and he says he knows that. They thought he was dead. She says, they did, and have Nina to thank for that, and he says, but it doesn’t feel like that. He doesn’t know how to explain it, but it doesn’t feel great.

Jason asks how anyone would know to exploit Obrecht’s interest in Huntington’s, and Britt says she doesn’t know. She got her diagnosis in Canada using an alias, so it’s not on her medical records. Only a few people know; her, her mother, him, and Scotty. He says, they need to take a closer look at Scotty, but she says her mother swore him to secrecy. She knows he’s not the most reliable person, but Scotty and her mother… She hesitates to use the words in love, but they’re very much infatuated with one another. She doesn’t think he’d risk it giving away her mother’s most closely guarded secret. He says, okay, so what do they know? She says, fake conference, missing plane, Scott made it to safety in a parachute, and a possible Peter involvement. He says, she told him Peter wasn’t involved in this, but she says, that’s what she thought, until she found out her mother was going to kill Peter in St. Lucia.  

Obrecht tells Drew, congratulations. He’s obviously skilled at dodging bullets. He says, he got hit, didn’t he? and she says, he was grazed. He lost some blood, and he’s dehydrated. His greatest risk is infection. He guesses that means another shot, and she says, one can’t be too careful. She prepares the shot, and asks what he remembers. He says he remembers Peter finally showed his face, and held him at gunpoint. As she gives him the shot, she says, typical, threatening to shoot a man in handcuffs, and Drew says, Peter told him that he should be grateful he’d been kept alive, but he called Peter out on that. He told Peter that it was the same crap he did to Jason; make the world think he’s dead and keep him on ice. Peter said there were problems with Jason that there wouldn’t be with him. She asks if Peter said why, and he says he told Peter to screw himself. He was a Navy SEAL, and Peter couldn’t screw with him that way. She asks how Peter took it, and he says he doesn’t know. That’s all he remembers until he was getting a bandage put on him. What time is it? She looks through the small window, and says, it’s early; perhaps 2 am. He says, so he lost an entire day? and she says, it’s not unheard of. He says he left his cell, got shot, and retuned without a single recollection. She says, they’re talking about Peter and Victor. Has this ever happened to Drew before? He says, where he’s lost time, woke up with injuries he can’t explain, smelling like gunpowder? Yeah. That happened a lot to him in Port Charles when Helena Cassadine was controlling him, but that’s supposed to be over. Obrecht fears it is not.

Esme goes back to the interrogation room, and Spencer says she’s been gone a long time. She says, sorry, but he hasn’t been taken to his cell. That’s a good sign. He says, for now. Ava came by. Esme says, to drop the charges? but Spencer says, no. She offered him a lose-lose proposition.

Nikolas asks Doc if he’s being too hard on Spencer. Esme told him that Spencer just wanted his family back. Doc says he recalls warning Nikolas about Esme. Every time she tries to she express Spencer’s remorse, she’s just manipulating everyone. Nikolas should follow own conscience. Nikolas says he doesn’t know what to do. That’s why he wants to speak to his mother. She has a way of cutting  through the noise. Doc says he’s there, and he’d be happy to be Nikolas’s sounding board, but Nikolas says, no offense, but every time he asks Doc a question, Doc does the shrink thing and turns the question back around. Doc says, fair enough. He’ll give Nikolas this. He thinks Nikolas doesn’t want to turn his back on his son completely, so he has two options; to bail spencer out literally, or give him the support he needs to take responsibility and face the consequences of his actions. Ava walks in, and says, it’s his call. But his son hasn’t learned his lesson yet. Not even close.

Nikolas says, Ava saw Spencer? How did he seem? She says, unrepentant. Something is just not clicking with that kid. He says, meaning…? and she says, she offered Spencer the deal they discussed. She’d help dig him out of the hole he dug for himself, for the assurance that he not mess with them again. He made it clear that he’s disinclined to cooperate.  

Carly tells Sonny, she and Jason didn’t get married because they wanted to. They got married because Nina lied. For nine months. She lied to them, and lied to Sonny. He says, Nina’s not the real problem, and she asks what that means. He says he went to visit Nina at Crimson, and he told her if she wanted to stay in Port Charles, she’d better stay away from his family. Carly says, after what she did, leaving them alone doesn’t seem nearly enough.

Britt tells Jason, Nina said Peter had been warned about her mother’s plan, and he says, Peter had an accomplice. She says, but who? How did they know her mother was going to lure Peter to St. Lucia and kill him? He says, they have to assume someone working for Peter knew her mother’s agenda. Maybe they set up the fake conference to lure her mother to St. Lucia. She says, and when they knew her mother was headed there, they realized it was a trap and warned him. Maybe she should fly to St. Lucia and do a little research.

Robert returns, and says, send the right man, and you get the right answers. Sam asks if the musician said anything, and Dante asks, who’s he working for? Anna says, hold on, and asks if Robert got the musician to talk, and Robert says, he talked. He told the musician that he was potentially in a lot of trouble, but Robert saved his miserable neck, and he became quite chatty. Anna asks if he got a location, because wherever Drew is, Valentin is going to be. Sam asks if she thinks Valentin is alive, and Anna says, she does. If they were going to kill Valentin, he’d be dead. Why go to the bother of capturing him? Robert says he has a location, but more important, he got another interesting piece of information. The secret compound is owned by none other than Victor Cassadine.  

Esme says, Spencer’s pride isn’t worth going to prison. Just tell Ava what she wants to hear. Remember what they learned about Napoleon? Continuer avec deux options; proceed with two options. Let Ava think she’s won. She’ll relax her card, and they’ll swoop in and beat her at her own game. He says he won’t let Ava control him the way she’s controlling his father. An officer comes to take Spencer to a holding cell for the night, and says his arraignment is in the morning. Esme asks Spencer to let her call Ava, but he says, no chance in hell, and the officer cuffs him.

Nikolas tells Ava, there’s only one thing he can think of to do. He doesn’t want this for his son’s future, but he’s standing with Ava. If Spencer won’t own up to what he’s done, a night jail might scare him enough to do so tomorrow. She says, maybe this will be his turning point, and he says, he’d like to think so, but the Cassadine arrogance, and that trait of never backing down, is hard to overcome. But if he doesn’t reach his son now, his family’s worst pattens will live on in a new generation.

Anna says, Victor Cassadine, the former director of Creighton-Clark and the WSB? and Dante says, no way. He saw that place blow up. And that was after Obrecht shot him. There’s no way Victor made it out of there. Robert says, apparently he did. Victor is back in business. Anna says, of course (🍷) he is. What about Valentin? Sam says, and Drew, and Robert tells them, they’re both alive for the moment, but there’s more. Vic is not working alone. He’s thrown in with Peter; they’re allies. Anna says, that certainly explains why Peter keeps escaping, if he’s got Victor backing him up. Robert says, precisely. Faison meets Cassadine. Everybody strap in, because we’re in for a bumpy ride.

Victor tells Peter, the gunman retreated; maybe he was hit. Interestingly enough. Obrecht isn’t in her cell. So if he was to visit Drew’s cell, what are the odds she’d be tending a gunshot wound? Peter’s been lying to him. Two guards come out, and Victor says Peter has known all along how to activate Drew. He sent Drew on an op, twenty miles from Victor’s compound, without his knowledge or permission. Did Peter really think that would go unanswered? The two guards move in on Peter.

Drew tells Obrecht, the doctor said the procedure got rid of the conditioning, and she says, yes, but it was Cesar who did the original conditioning. He must have installed a second level that only he could access. He asks, how would that work? and she says, a shortcut, if you will. A simple code phrase or image that would reactivate the conditioning. He says, but Faison is dead, and she says, but his son is not. Drew says, Peter is controlling him.

Jason tells Britt, if they go to St. Lucia, it could be a dead end. There are definitely steps they can take first. She says, if the accomplice set up the fake conference, that means they wanted her mother on the island. Since the plane disappeared, they figure it’s the last place anyone would look. Like hiding in plain sight. Her mother could be there right now. He says, she’s getting ahead of herself. If we go to St. Lucia, we could be wasting valuable time your mother doesn’t have. She tells him, he said we. Is he coming with her? He says, wherever this leads

Carly tells Sonny, they’re standing in their kitchen, trying to piece their lives back together, because they’ve been apart for nine months. It doesn’t have to be this way. She didn’t choose to think she was a widow. He didn’t chose to stay in Nixon Falls. Nina did that to both of them. So why should she get to pick her life up where she left it, and move on, when they can’t? This hat isn’t some souvenir he picked up while he was away. It’s a symbol of everything they don’t know about each other; of time lost they’re not getting back. She’s not going to give Nina one more minute. She’s going to focus on their marriage, and their kids, and their life together. Please tell her that he wants the same thing. He says, yeah, but she’s right. They’ve had nine months of separation. They have to rebuild. She says, she wants to start. She loves him. She holds out her hand, and says she cherishes him, always. He takes her hand, and says he cherishes her too.

We see the hat, that’s now replaced the faux lily pond, that replaced the sacred moss bowl 🎍.   

On Monday, Portia says there’s something Curtis needs to know, Peter says killing him is the last thing Victor wants to do, and Anna asks someone not to put her in this position.

🏥 Sharing…

She was great on Watch What Happens Live. Keep scrolling for a tribute to Stuart Damon.

More tributing.  

👰🏻 They Do…

I’m glad to see she’s bouncing back from covid. She looks amazing.

https://www.hellomagazine.com/brides/20211010123642/bbc-news-simon-mccoy-marries-emma-samms/

🏋️‍♂️ The Once & Former AJ…

Sean Kanan is a busy guy. And a film with Bruce Willis? I’m impressed.

👠 How Many Do I Give…?

I dunno about being friends in the future.

💸 Oh Boo Hoo…

If all else fails, she does know how to waitress, right?

https://people.com/tv/rhobh-reunion-erika-girardi-says-show-is-her-main-source-of-income/

💋 What Did Harry Do…?

I actually don’t quite get her comeback, but it doesn’t really matter anyway.

Back Off, Sistas…

Garcelle is only under attack because she’s part of the very small percentage called voice of reason.

https://people.com/tv/rhobh-reunion-garcelle-beauvais-claims-lisa-rinna-took-issue-with-her-bringing-race-into-the-show/

📴 Revealing…

Is there an off button? Some of this I did not need to know.

🛥 They’re Tripping…

I don’t know if I’d call it the ultimate girls trip, but it’s something.

🏰 Sending You Off In Style…

These homes have to be seen to be believed. I don’t know what I liked more the private island, the house with a moat, or Patrick Duffy’s Airstream.

https://www.lonny.com/25+Unconventional+Celebrity+Homes+You+Need+To+See+To+Believe

🖋 Quotes of the Week

Maybe this world is another planet’s hell. – Aldous Huxley

Progress is not possible without deviation. – Frank Zappa

Do you think she’s infected? ** Not infected. Just crazy. – Characters from the Korean Netflix series, Sweet Home

Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world. – Miyamoto Musashi

Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes. – Oscar Wilde

Dare to be true: nothing can need a lie: A fault, which needs it most, grows two thereby. – George Herbert

To thrive in life you need three bones. A wishbone. A backbone. And a funny bone. – Reba McEntire

Study is the bane of childhood, the oil of youth, the indulgence of adulthood, and a restorative in old age. – Walter Savage Landor

To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough time. – Leonard Bernstein

That food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison. – Ann Wigmore

What did Columbus discover? People were already here. It’s like crashing your car into Starbucks & saying you discovered coffee. – Jimmy Kimmel

🃏 Folding My Cards…

Another seven day stretch has come to a close, or six, depending on when you start counting. If your bored with the status quo, do something different. Or at least change your screen saver. See you when the Dead are feared. Until then, stay safe, stay being the change you want to make, and stay not being too attached to your resentments.

October 12, 2021 – Phyllis Visits Nina, a VanderChella & Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba-Bad

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Dr. Navarro finds Brando in the hallway, and he asks how Sasha and the baby are. She tells him to come in and see for himself. He goes into the examining room, and Sasha says both she and the baby are good. She puts his hand on her very large baby bump.

Alexis tells Shawn that she’s sorry she’s not paying attention. She’s worried about Nikolas. He just told her that Spencer is the stalker. Shawn says, that explains how he got past the security at Windymere, and she says, it’s really taken its toll on Nikolas. He says, he can imagine, and she says, no one can blame Spencer for acting out. Nikolas wasn’t always the best roll model, but he’s also good. He went up against Cyrus Renault to keep her safe in Pentenville. He’s got a good heart, which is a real trick when you’re brought up in the reptile cage that is her family. She apologizes for going on about the Cassadines. She’s sure that’s not what he came there for.

Nikolas says he’s sneaking up on Ava, and she asks why he’s announcing it. He says, after months of her being stalked by his son, he figured she didn’t want to be surprised. He took her advice, and tried to find Spencer. He ran into Trina’s mom instead. Ava asks what she had to say, and Nikolas tells her, quite a lot. She’s a tough lady. Ava says, she is indeed, and he says he never found Spencer though. She says, actually, Nikolas just missed him. Spencer was there looking for him.

Phyllis goes to Nina’s office at Crimson, and Nina asks what she’s doing in Port Charles. Phyllis says, she came to see… Nina says, Sonny, and Phyllis says she’s still not used to that name. She returned some of his things, and met his wife. She also wanted to see Nina, but Nina is busy. She’ll come back another time. Nina says, no, and asks her assistant to hold her calls. She says, okay. Let her have it.

Sonny says, a lot has happened since Nixon Falls, and Jax says, it has, but some things never change, like Sonny and Carly. Sonny says, they’re a family, and Jax says, believe it or not, he actually wants Carly to be happy. He wants Nina to be happy too. Sonny says, good luck with that, and Jax says, there seems to be an obstacle in his way. He’s looking at him.

On the phone, Carly says she’d hoped that Jax would be in his office by now, when Jason walks in. What’s the nature of her call? She was hoping to discuss Aurora Media, in particular, Crimson magazine. Can they have Jax call her when he gets to the office? Carly tells Jason that she knows what he’s going to say. That if she targets Nina, she makes Nina the victim. She doesn’t care. Nina’s gonna pay.

Dr. Navarro asks how Sasha and Brando feel about their birthing classes, and Sasha says, they’re great, but Brando asks, why? Does he need to do something over? Sasha says he couldn’t have been better or more supportive, and the doctor says, she’s right. No do-overs for him. All that’s left is a tour of the delivery room and the nursery. Brando says he knows his way around a garage, but a delivery room? The classes were great, but does anything actually prepare you? Dr. Navarro says, it will actually help. Once he sees the delivery room and gets a feel for it, he’ll find it’s not nearly as intimidating as he imagines. Sasha says, plus they get to see all those babies in the nursery, and the doctor says she’ll go arrange it. She leaves, and Brando says, it’s really happening. Sasha says there’s still time for him to bail, but he says, never. They’re in this together. You, me, and baby makes three. Gladys comes to the door and says, make that four.

Shawn tells Alexis, this thing between Nikolas and Spencer has him thinking about him and TJ. She says, he and TJ are in a lot better shape than Spencer and Nikolas. Unless there’s something he’s not telling her. He says, they’re good; great even. He’s sorry Nikolas is having a problem with his son, but Nikolas has time to make it right. He lost a lot of years with TJ that he’ll never get back. She says, the only direction to move is forward. Tell her what’s going on with Hayden. Any new leads?

Nikolas says, so his son finally realized he has to atone for the pain he’s caused, especially the pain he caused Ava, but Ava says she wouldn’t go that far. He says, okay. Spencer is a Cassadine, and has pride, but wants to meet him halfway, right? She says, well… and he says Spencer came back after he kicked him out. He must be genuinely remorseful… A little remorseful? She says, that was her hope as well, especially since Trina was there. No matter what Spencer thinks of her, she knows he admires Trina. She was hoping Trina’s opinion would still matter to Spencer, but… He says, but what? What happened?

Nina says she knows she has no right to say this, but she’s missed Phyllis so much. They sit with some coffee, and Phyllis says she missed Nina too. This is a nice office. Does she love the view? Nina says, when she gets a chance to look at it, and Phyllis says, fashion and excitement; it must be so glamorous. Nina says, it has its moments, and Phyllis says it makes her wonder why Nina ever left. Nina says Phyllis knows why she left, and Phyllis says, because she was hurting. Jax, the man Nina loved and trusted, kept her daughter’s identity from her, siding with the woman Nina blames for her death. Nina says, that betrayal broke her heart, and Phyllis says, to think the little girl she took to her adoptive family all those years ago met such a tragic ending. Nina says, when she met Nelle, it was too late to raise her, but maybe she could have helped her. She’ll never know. Phyllis says, and Nina made Sonny’s wife suffer in return. Nina felt Carly took over her daughter, so she took over Carly’s husband. Nina says, it doesn’t feel great. Revenge isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It just ends up hurting you more. Phyllis says, if Nina knows that, maybe her time in Nixon Falls wasn’t a waste. Nina says, it wasn’t a waste. She wouldn’t trade her time in Nixon Falls for anything. The chance to get to know Lenny, and her. Phyllis says, not only them. She takes out an envelope, and slides a photo out of it, saying, Nina got to know someone else too. Nina looks at a picture of her and Sonny/Mike wearing a cowboy hat.

Sonny tells Jax, it was Nina’s choice. If she didn’t like the way it turned out, she can only blame herself. Jax says he’s not defending Nina, or trying to justify what she did, but Sonny lived a different kind of life for the better part of a year. No Corinthos organization, no territory to control, no rival families; he was Mike. People cared about him and respected him, not because he was Sonny Corinthos. How can he not be changed by that? Sonny tells him, he never said he wasn’t, and Jax says, his point is, Sonny has the power to be generous here. He can give Nina the chance to come out of this better than she went in. Can’t Sonny find it in his heart to give her that chance? Sonny asks why he would, and Jax says, because he has his memory back. He has his wife and his family again. Sonny says, the family Nina took from him, and Jax says, as he understands it, Nina gave Sonny something too – her heart.

Carly asks what Jason would do if he were her; let Nina get away with it? Let her sit in her office and hide in Carly’s hotel? Jason says he understands her wanting Nina to pay, but it will cost Carly more than it will cost Nina. She says, it won’t, but he says, she doesn’t know that. She says, Nina lied the whole time she was in Nixon Falls, keeping Sonny’s existence a secret, even from Sonny. And what did that crazy bitch do when she came to town? She went to see Carly’s grandson. He says, okay. So why is she involving Jax? She says because she wants Nina to know what it’s like to lose something she loves, the way Nina took Sonny from them.

Brando says, mom, you’re here. Why? and Gladys asks, what kind of greeting is that for the grandmother-to-be? He says, she just happened to be in the hospital when he and Sasha were having an appointment? and she says, as a matter-of-fact, she had a follow-up to make sure everything is okay with her wound from when she took a bullet for him. He says, she didn’t exactly throw herself between him and a hail of gunfire. How did she know where they were? She says he left his phone unlocked on the kitchen table. He should really be more careful with that. He says she’s telling him, and Sasha says, Brando told her that he sent Gladys on a spa day. How was it? Gladys says, a momentary respite from the horrors she experienced at Jason and Carly’s wedding. When she thinks she might have been in that car with Vincent Novak, when he and what’s-his-name were blown to smithereens, she can’t even… Brando says, she wasn’t, and she says, but she could have been. He says, but she wasn’t. Everything’s okay now. She says, if by everything, is he referring to cousin Sonny? Rumor has it he’s alive and well. Is it true? He says, Sonny is alive and well, and she says, wonderful. If only someone had called to tell her. She gets a tissue, and dabs at her eyes, saying, she’s sure everyone is so excited to see Sonny, she was the last person on anyone’s mind. All she can say is, hallelujah. Who says miracles don’t happen anymore? Sasha says, they think their baby is a miracle, and Gladys says, sure, but with Sonny back at the wheel, Brando doesn’t have to stay another minute in that garage. He can write his own ticket and ride it to the top. He says, she hasn’t heard what he’s said, about Sonny or about him.

Shawn says after he and Alexis talked, she got him thinking about her uncle Victor Cassadine, and how he was mixed up in Creighton-Clark. Jordan’s lead was the record keeper. She says, Drew could have also been another victim, since he was held captive at Creighton-Clark. He says, Victor couldn’t have anything to do with Hayden’s shooting, since he was already dead be then, and she says, so the Cassadines couldn’t have been involved. He says, Victor couldn’t, but what if they picked the wrong Cassadine?

Ava tells Nikolas, before she spoke to Spencer, she left him alone with Trina. She was hoping Trina could talk some sense into him. He says, clearly, she didn’t, and Ava says, Spencer doesn’t feel any remorse. According to him, nobody got hurt. As if he didn’t cause sheer terror, or use Kiki’s memory against her, or watch, as she planned to leave the country without Avery. They were all just harmless pranks to him. Nikolas says, unfortunately, he thinks he knows where Spencer gets that attitude, and she says she wasn’t having any of it of course (🍷). She told him that his plan to break them up failed miserably; they’re back together. He says, they’re still together. Nothing Spencer, or anyone else can do, will ever come between them. He asks, how did Spencer take it? and she says, not well.

Phyllis tells Nina that Lenny never kept photos in his camera. He put together photo albums as a hobby, the old fashioned way. Nina can keep those if she wants to. Nina says, no. She has to find a way to forget about Mike, like he never existed. She guesses he didn’t. Phyllis says, except they both know he did. Mike was real. She doesn’t care what anyone says, even Sonny. It was Mike, not Sonny, who made Lenny’s last days better, and all the days before that while he was with them at the Tan-O. Nina says she knew who he really was the whole time, and kept quiet. Initially, it was because she wanted to hurt Carly, but then it was because she fell… Phyllis says, there was a time between wanting to hurt Sonny’s wife, and falling in love with Mike; why not speak up then? Nina says, because Sonny was so happy. Phyllis was so kind, and she repaid that kindness by lying. She’s so sorry. It cost Phyllis the Tan-O, the place Phyllis and Lenny loved. They shared so much of their lives there. She’s so sorry. Phyllis says, she told Nina after the fire, a building is just stuff; it’s people who matter. Nina wishes she could see the world the way Phyllis does, but it’s too late for her now. Phyllis says, it’s never too late. Isn’t Mike’s life – Sonny’s life – proof of that?

Sonny tells Jax, he can’t help Nina. He has to focus on his life and his family. Jax says he’s honestly happy for Sonny and Carly. If for no other reason than Josslyn is happy. Josslyn actually led him back to Nixon Falls to find Sonny. Sonny asks how that happened, and Jax says, Sonny’s pasta sauce is quite memorable. Trina picked some up at the Tan-O, passed it to Josslyn, and Josslyn said it tasted exactly like Sonny’s. That’s what got him thinking. When he was shot, when he stopped the robbery in Nixon Falls, he thought he saw before they loaded him into the ambulance. Of course (🍷) he told himself that he was probably hallucinating. Sonny asks if Jax told himself, or did Nina tell him, and Jax says, the point is, when Josslyn recognized the sauce, he thought it must have been Sonny he saw, and Sonny knows the rest. Sonny says, remind him to give Jax a case, but Jax says he doesn’t need to. Sonny says Jax did find him, and he owes Jax. And he always pays his debts. Hmm… A case of pasta sauce for getting his life back? It must be good sauce.

Jason says, if Carly punishes Nina, it’s not going to give her back the time with Sonny that she lost. Carly asks if he doesn’t think she knows that, and he says, it’s not going to make Nina lose someone she cares about. She says, that’s impossible, since Nina doesn’t care about anyone but herself, and Wiley. He asks if she thinks Michael and Willow are still going to allow Nina to see Wiley, but she says, even they can’t be that forgiving. Sonny doesn’t want her to start a war with Nina. Jason says, she has more important things to do, and she says, she knows. They need to sit down with Sonny, and tell him what they were feeling on their wedding day. She’s afraid because she doesn’t want things to change between the three of them. This, I don’t get at all. Why does she want to fill Sonny in on their private thoughts? It’s not like anything happened they can’t take back.

Brando says he’s told Gladys a million times. He helped Sonny with Cyrus, and it’s over. He’s out. Gladys says, forgive her for only wanting what’s best him and his new family, and he says, if she wants what’s best for him and his family, why would she want him anywhere near Sonny’s world? She asks, what so wrong with Sonny’s world? and he says, she was just complaining about how, in that world, you go to weddings in limos, and come back in little pieces. She tells Sasha to please let her son know that she’s come home from the spa refreshed and with a new attitude. Sasha says, if getting held at gunpoint by Cyrus didn’t change her attitude, why would a massage and facial? Gladys says, fine. Believe whatever they want, but she’s glad her son is no longer part of that violent world. Brando asks, then why does she keep pressing him to be part of that world? and she says, because Sonny has legitimate businesses, lucrative ones. Everybody drinks coffee, and there’s that island resort. Brando can do better than the garage. Like more; like better. And remember, Sonny owes him for helping keep his family together at risk of his own life. Has his dear, undeparted cousin even bothered to say thank you? Brando asks Sasha to excuse them, and they go into the hallway. Brando tells Gladys, now he’s going to talk, and she’s going to listen.

Alexis asks what Shawn means by the wrong Cassadine, and he says, they both agree her family fingerprints are all over this. She says, as much as she’d like it to be Victor, he was blown to bits. The Cassadines are resilient, but an explosion like that, even for a Cassadine, might be hard to resurrect from. He says, Victor isn’t the only Cassadine who’s made a return trip from the great beyond. So has Nikolas.   

Nikolas tells Ava that he’ll talk to Nikolas. Maybe even ask him to come home. If he can be the father Spencer needs, maybe Spencer can be the man he was meant to be. Ava tells him not to forget about the little pyromaniac who torched her car, allegedly at Spencer’s behest. He says he’s not buying that, but she says, whether it was Spencer’s idea or not, Esme still went through with it. And she left Kiki’s ID badge, which is just sadistic. He says he won’t argue with her there, and she says, Spencer’s under her spell. He says, it’s Spencer’s first love, first lust. He’ll outgrow it. When he grows up a little, and sees what real love is, what they have, maybe he’ll stop fighting them. She says, she hopes so… someday, and he says, the way he sees it, if Spencer can’t make the effort to see him, he can go to Spencer. He’ll meet Spencer halfway. She says, he might want to talk to a lawyer first, and he asks why he would need a lawyer. She says, he doesn’t; Spencer does.

Nina tells Phyllis that she always knew it would blow up in her face. How could it not? And now, despite her many machinations, he’s back with Carly. Like this never happened. Like Nina never happened. Maybe it’s her penance. Sonny gets to move on, and leave what they had in Nixon Falls behind, and she gets stand in her beautiful office with the beautiful view, and remember everything. Phyllis says, nobody is asking Nina to forget. If her time with Mike really meant something, if it helped heal the wounds that took her to Nixon Falls in the first place, doesn’t she owe it to him to honor that? To leave Sonny to enjoy the life he’s chosen? When she saw Mike/Sonny today, she didn’t give him everything. She shows Nina Sonny’s shattered watch, and says, she has something else that belongs to him.

Sonny tells Jax, before the fire and before he got his memory back, he threw his father’s watch in the river because he wanted to forget his past. Jax says, he tried to warn Sonny about the past; you can run from it, and maybe hide from it for a while, but eventually it always catches up with you. Sonny says, for once, he should have listened, and Jax says, maybe, but he figured Sonny needed to find out in his own way. Sonny says, now he knows Jax was just looking out for Nina, and Jax says, that’s exactly what he’s doing now. If Sonny ever had feelings for Nina, recognize the good in her, despite the wrong she did. Let go of his anger, and just walk away.

Carly asks Jason if he thinks Sonny will understand, and he says, Sonny is her husband, and his best friend. She says, they were getting married to save the business, but by the time they said their vows, it was more. He says, Sonny knows they thought he was dead. He thinks Sonny will understand. She says, they were without him for nine months, and he was without them. He didn’t even remember them. So what if the person he became, what if this man, this bartender, this Mike… What if it’s changed Sonny? Jason says, it doesn’t seem like he’s changed, and she says, maybe changed is the wrong word. Sonny has these experiences she didn’t share or know about. It’s one more thing Nina took from her, the certainty of who her husband is. He says, nine months is a long time. It will pass. She’s going to feel awkward sometimes, but the only way past it is through it. She has to face it and deal with it. Start new memories together. She says, okay. She and Sonny were talking a lot last night, and she asked him, why didn’t he tell her that Nina knew he was in Nixon Falls? Sonny said he just didn’t want her going after Nina, and she has to say, when she woke up this morning, revenge was the furthest thing from her mind. He says, was it? and she says, yes, because Sonny’s alive. He’s her husband and she loves him.

Brando tells Gladys, when he saw Sonny today, Sonny thanked him for looking out for his family, and offered him a job. Gladys laughs, and tells him, why didn’t he say so? When does he start? He says, he doesn’t. He’s glad Sonny’s back with Carly and his family, but he has a family of his own now, and he made it clear to Sonny, and made it clear to Sasha, that he wants to find his own way, without Sonny. She says, in the garage Sonny gave him, but he says, that was payment for keeping Dev’s secret; a secret she blew when she told Cyrus. She wonders when he’s going to stop throwing that in her face. Dev was like a grandson to her. He says he knows. She has a new grandchild on the way. She asks if she’s even going to be part of that child’s life. He keeps pushing her away. Is there a place for her in his new family’s life or not? He says, knock it off. He loves her and always will, but he knows who she is, and knows how she operates. If she wants to keep picking on Sonny, and pissing him off, be his guest, but he’s not going to have any part of that. Are they clear? Dr. Navarro comes out, and asks if Brando and Sasha are ready for the tour, and he says, more than ready. He and Gladys are finished there, right?

Shawn says, Alexis thinks he’s wrong about Nikolas, and she says, she doesn’t like that he thinks Nikolas had anything to do with it at all. What she likes even less, is that she’s not dismissing the possibility. Why does he suspect Nikolas? He says he spoke with Jax yesterday. She may recall that when Jax and Hayden came to town, they were working for Nikolas. She says she does, and he says, then she recalls that years prior, Hayden and Nikolas were married. She says, yes, she knows, and everyone knows they didn’t get along, but they were working together to bring down Valentin. You know, enemies of my enemies. He says, they were, until she disappeared without a trace. She asks why he thinks Nikolas is involved with Hayden’s disappearance, and he says he didn’t say that. Nikolas did.  

Nikolas says, Ava had Spencer arrested? and she says, he left her no other choice. Spencer made it clear he woudn’t stop until they were broken up. She can’t take any chances when Avery is involved. He tells her, she was the one who said they could find a way to forgive, and says, Spencer and him. She didn’t say anything about her. He says, they’re the adults, and can be the bigger people, and she says she tried. She wanted to forgive Spencer, but there was another side to that coin – repentance. He didn’t just terrorize her; he brought her little girl into it. He says, Spencer never would have hurt Avery, and she says, maybe not intentionally, but he could have pulled some stunt and Avery could have ended up collateral damage. Spencer has to learn that there are consequences for his actions. He says she’s right, and she says, now is the time to do something about it. He says, by putting him behind bars, and she says, to be blunt, she needed Spencer to learn not to mess with her. He says he can respect that, and she says, he can? He’s not mad? He says he doesn’t love it, but he gets it, and Ava thanks him. He says, at the same time, Alexis convinced him to be a better father to his son, and make a difference in his life. How is he supposed to do that, when his son his behind bars?

Phyllis says she found Sonny’s watch on the river walk, near Lenny’s favorite fishing spot. Nina says, Sonny’s one link to his past, and Phyllis says, that’s why he tossed it away. He was saying goodbye to whoever he was and wherever he came from. All that mattered was his future with Nina. Nina says, for what it’s worth (🍷), at least in that moment, he chose her, even if she didn’t deserve it.

Sonny tells Jax, Nina is the one who should let go. She shouldn’t have come to Port Charles. She should have stayed in Nixon Falls, and started a new life. Jax says, like Sonny did? and Sonny says, like he did, but his life’s here; the life Nina tried to take from him. Jax says he’s not asking Sonny to forget what Nina did, but he has his life back now. Whatever happened between Sonny and Nina, the good and the bad, leave it in Nixon Falls where it belongs. Sonny says he appreciates it, and leaves.

Jason says he’s happy for Carly, and for Sonny. She and Sonny should be together, and now that they are, all the more reason to put Nina behind her. She says she doesn’t know how to do this. She keeps watching Sonny, and she keeps thinking, is the Sonny that came back the Sonny who left home? Is it her Sonny? He says, it’s Sonny. For nine months, they thought he was dead. She thought she was going to spend the rest of her life without him, and now he’s home. Whatever happened in Nixon Falls doesn’t matter. Carly’s phone rings, and it’s Jax. She says she’s been waiting to hear from him, and he says, his assistant said she wanted to talk to him about Crimson.  

Brando and Sasha look at the babies, and Brando says, Dr. Navarro was right. After seeing the delivery room, he does think they can do this. She says,  famous last words from the father, and he laughs. He says he honors and respects her for doing all the hard work, and wants her to know he’ll be there to support her. And on the bright side, after it’s all over, they’ll get one of those. They look at the babies, and she says, makes it all worthwhile, doesn’t it? and he says, sure does.

Shawn says, Jax confirmed Nikolas forced Hayden to leave town, but Alexis says, that doesn’t mean he’s responsible for Hayden’s shooting years before. He says, true, and the fact they were together afterward means either she didn’t know or found a way to forgive him. She says, playing devil’s advocate, how does this connect Nikolas to the insanity that happened at Creighton-Clark? He says, maybe it doesn’t, or maybe he was just involved in Hayden’s shooting, or maybe none of it. All he has are pieces that may or may not fit together. Jax said she’d want to hear the truth. Now he’s told her. She asks who else he’s going to share his suspicion’s with, and he says, that depends on her. She’s been an incredible friend to him. She and her family are the reason he’s walking around. She says, it was their pleasure, and he says he cares about her, and owes her big time. So just say the word, and he’ll drop this whole thing.

Ava says, how does Nikolas guide Spencer while he’s in jail. Nikolas visits him; it’s not like he can go anywhere. He says, and once he gets there? and she says, he needs to show Spencer that he can’t escape what he’s done. So please, under no circumstances… He says he won’t bail Spencer out, and she says, and don’t let Esme bail him out either. He needs to sit there. He needs to hit rock bottom. That’s the only way Nikolas can put a meaningful hand out to help him. He says, tough love, and she says, yeah. Spencer needs to realize he needs Nikolas. He needs Nikolas’s love; he needs his father. Until he realizes that, the cycle will just keep going, and Nikolas can’t let it. It cannot happen, for Spencer’s sake and theirs. It’s got to stop now.

Carly says she did want to talk to Jax about Crimson, but never mind. He can run his business without her two cents. He says he’s open to input, in the spirit of mutual cooperation, but she says, she just had an idea, but it was a bad idea. He asks if she just admitted to having a bad idea, and she says she did. Goodbye. She tells Jason, Nina is off limits – for now.

Nina asks why Phyllis didn’t give Sonny his watch back when she saw him, and Phyllis says she thought it might bring back too many painful memories. Maybe she should have left it where he dropped it. Nina says, Phyllis always makes the right decisions. It’s frustrating. Nina says she’ll make sure he gets it, and puts the watch on her desk. Sonny walks in.

Sasha asks what Brando said to his mother, and he says he just established some ground rules. He thinks this time, she got the message. Gladys puts her arms around both of them, and says, look at that one. He’s as bald as a basketball. She laughs.

Alexis asks, how likely does Shawn think it is that Nikolas had Hayden shot? and he just looks at her. She says, that likely, huh? and he says, if he’s right, is that something she thinks she can live with knowing? She says, she’s spent her whole life and career seeking justice. A terrible injustice has been done to Shawn, and he deserves justice. It would be hypocritical of her not to let him get that. He says, no matter where it leads? and she says, no matter where it leads.

Nikolas tells Ava that she’s right. Spencer has to own his mistakes. Otherwise, he’ll never learn. He’ll never change, and he has to change. She says, if Spencer learns his lesson, no matter how painful it is, he has the chance to walk out of that jail a better man; more like his father. Nikolas flashes back to Alexis saying she believes in him, and looking at Shawn on his way out of Spring Ridge. He hugs Ava.

Jason says, Carly made the right decision, but Carly says, it doesn’t feel like it. He says, because she’s not used to it, and she says, she’s not used to making the right decision? and he says, she’s not used to letting things go. She says, that’s because it goes against every instinct she has. What kind of message is she sending Nina by letting her get away with this, what Nina did to her family? He says, he thinks Nina knows Carly isn’t okay with this, and she says, if Nina stays the hell away from her and her family, maybe they can avoid a war.

Phyllis says she’ll leave Nina and Sonny to talk. As she passes Sonny, she tells him to remember the Mike in him. Be kind.

Tomorrow, Jason says, whatever Austin wants from him, he’s not getting it; Carly says she can’t begin to tell someone what she’d like to do to Nina; Sonny says the ground rules need to be understood; and Nina asks if Sonny is telling her to get out of town. I think she’s asking Sonny, but they’ve fooled me before.

Vanderpump Rules

Charli whined to her boyfriend on the phone about pickleball, and in Lala’s interview, she called it old man’s tennis. She said she was used to dating legit athletes, but Randall had become obsessed with pickleball, so she knew she was whipped. He wanted to nail Schwartz, but Lala didn’t want Katie on her case. James said, after the pickleball tournament, they’d come back to the house for pool party vibes. Katie told Schwartz that he let Sandoval steamroll him, and she wasn’t the only one who noticed. We flashed back to Sandoval doing some steamrolling, and Schwartz said, what did he care? He was making moves. Katie said, Sandoval made moves, and Schwartz just agreed. In Schwartz’s interview, he said Katie was steamrolling him about being steamrolled. He told her that he cared more about what was happening than what people thought, but she said, he needed to care about that too. There was talk about a pickleball court. Is that really a thing? Seriously, it sounds like a kid’s game.

In Brock’s interview, he said he was good at all athletics. Come at him. In Sandoval’s interview, he said, the theme of the tournament was 1980s Wimbledon, and they were dressing accordingly, including headbands and awesome hair. James welcomed everyone to the 1st Annual Pickleball Open, and Lala and James were the first up. Lala got pissed off pretty fast, and in James’s interview, he said Lala was being ridiculous. Raquel played with grace and elegance, while Lala was throwing rackets in the air like an effing nutter. Sandoval said his technique was distraction, whether it was the hair or his whistle. Psychological warfare. In Katie’s interview, she said opponents were a random draw, and she randomly drew the most annoying player – Sandoval. In Randall against Brock, surprisingly, Randall won. I guess Brock isn’t as good as he thinks at all things athletic. And he’d been practicing all morning.  The final match was Schwartz versus Randall, and in Katie’s interview, she hoped it gave Schwartz the boost of confidence he needed. Lala acted like one of those Little League parents, cheering Randall on and hurling insults at Schwartz. Randall won.

Sandoval made a million phone calls, and in his interview, James said, Sandoval was helping him plan. They were the only ones who knew about it, and they were having performers, vendors, margaritas, tacos, and fireworks. He wouldn’t have been able to do it without Sandoval. Sandoval wondered if it was real life. They had DJ James Kennedy on an acre in Palm Springs. They played a round of Jenga, their own version, where tasks were written on the pieces, like compose a rap song, or make a toast. In news you didn’t need to know, Sandoval had taken a pee on his faux fur jacket when he was drunk the night before. I have to say, I’ve tied a few on in my time, but I have never, ever mistaken my coat for a toilet. Or anything else, for that matter. In Raquel’s interview, she said, normally she tried to forget James and Lala slept together. (God knows I did until this reminder.) It made her feel insecure, since Lala’s self-esteem was through the roof. Raquel should take a psychology course because, oh no Lala isn’t. Methinks she compensates. Raquel said she’d competed in pageants to build confidence. She wasn’t mean to others, but she was mean to herself. Lala got the task of putting on Sandoval’s coat. In her interview, Lala said she’d never heard of someone turning a faux fur coat into a peacoat. BA-DUM-CHH!

Scheana brought mom Ericka along to Palm Springs. They had their own house, and Ericka was staying with the baby so they could join in the festivities. In Brock’s interview, he said the friction between him and Scheana’s mom was heated; you could feel it. Ericka was opinionated AF. In Scheana’s interview, she said, Brock and her mother butted heads over pretty much everything. She told Brock that it hurt her soul when they butted heads. She added that she was still hormonal, and he wondered how long she was going to play that card. She figured she had at least another year.

Back at Airbnb, Raquel’s Jenga task had been to give a toast, and Sandoval gave her the floor, saying he was leaving it to the professional. In Raquel’s interview, she said, once she started anticipating a speech, she went even more brain dead. She said she was grateful for this man, and indicated James. Cheers to that. Well, at least she was concise. In Sandoval’s interview, he said, everyone thought tomorrow was Ourchella, but it was really R Chella, which stood for Rachella. Raquel and James sat outside, and she wondered why she had to pull the piece that said make a toast. She’d never gotten to the point where she was super confident in talking in front of people, even people she felt comfortable around. James said making a toast was different than just talking to people, and Raquel said she flashed back to being quiet in school, and never raising her hand. James told her not to dwell on the past. Just work on it, and it would get better. Raquel said being around someone like Lala was super intimidating, and in her interview, she said, James and Lala had a lot in common. We flashed back to them both insulting people about being fat on separate occasions. Raquel said they both spoke their minds, and didn’t give a f*** what anyone thought. James said she didn’t want to be loud obnoxious, and it scared him that she would say that. She just needed to step out of her box to see the box. Huh? She said she’d been pushing outside her comfort zone her whole life. She couldn’t understand – wait for it – how he wasn’t embarrassed by her. He said he didn’t care if she wasn’t good at public speaking, and in his interview, he said it was these kind of moments when he stepped in. He thought that’s what would make him a good husband in the future; knowing how she was feeling, and making her feel better. He told her that he was there to tell her she could do everything.

Schwartz said Katie thought Sandoval was steamrolling him – to Sandoval. Katie told him not to Yoko Ono her, and in Sandoval’s interview, he said Schwartz was no John Lennon. More like Ringo Starr. Except he said it in Pig Latin, which was incredibly stupid. Schwartz said he had felt steamrolled about the new bar’s name, but Sandoval insisted he’d done no steamrolling, and Schwartz said, okay, and took the blame for not asserting his feelings. In Katie’s interview, she said we just saw it in real time. Sandoval steamrolling Schwartz, and Schwartz claiming he was not steamrolled. Charli saged the house because of the dumb bitches, and then saged herself, saying she was a dumb bitch too. I actually like her better now that she revealed her food issues. Her behavior and reactions to things make more sense. Sandoval and James pretended to be going food shopping, but were making sure everything was in place for R Chella. In James’s interview, he said it was going to be mind blowing, and in Sandoval’s interview, he said, most people wouldn’t spend on their friend’s engagement, especially when they were getting a home equity loan, but an engagement was a once in a lifetime opportunity. You could always borrow more money. He and James skipped through the balloon archway.

Scheana and Brock, and Lala and Randall, got together with their respective babies. In Lala’s interview, she thought it was strange that her baby was having a playdate with Scheana’s baby. They were moms. This was real. Although I don’t know how much of a playdate it was, with the babies sleeping through it and all. Brock said he had two children from a previous relationship, his first being born when he was twenty. In his interview, he said when they split up, he felt like he was abandoning them by moving to the US, but their stepdad fulfilled his role. His daughter with Scheana was named Summer, and – wait for it again – his other daughter was named Winter, and – keep waiting – they had the same birthday. Scheana claimed she’d wanted to name a daughter Summer since she was 16, even though we flashed back to her giving some other name several seasons ago. (To be fair, on Watch What Happens Live, she said it was Rob who wanted the other name, and she was just going along with it, which is believable.) Brock said he hadn’t seen his kids in four years, which freaked Lala out, although they are on different continents. In Scheana’s interview, she said it sounded bad, but there was more to it. It wasn’t for lack of trying. Brock had moved to the US to provide a better life for his family. Brock said his ex had cut his whole family out. In Lala’s interview, she said, it was a big deal. What world was Brock living in? In Brock’s interview, he got choked up about the last time he saw them, so I tend to believe Scheana that this is a problem with the ex.

Sandoval said, all his hard work had come to this moment. Everyone got ready for R Chella that they thought was Our Chella. They had a shot outside, and James said they were taking a van to a magical place. In his interview, he said he wanted it over with, but wanted to enjoy it. He didn’t know how to feel. They went to the literal Coachella grounds in the city of Coachella, and Ariana thought she was going to cry, but everyone was a little confused over the sign saying, R Chella. There were acrobats on silks, fire dancers, a photo booth, tacos, and margaritas. In James’s interview, he said, seeing Raquel’s face made all the planning, running around, anxiety, sweating, and spending worth it. They toasted to R Chella, and James got in the DJ booth and welcomed them. In Raquel’s interview, she said Coachella was something she and James looked forward to, and she loved seeing James DJ’ing and living his best life. IMO, it seemed weird, all this stuff going on for just a few people dancing around. Raquel said it was one of the coolest surprises ever. In his interview, James said he believed everything happened for a reason, and all things guided you. All his drinking issues and other problems had led to this moment. He was nervous AF.

Raquel and James went for a walk. James said it had been a helluva year, and Raquel had stuck with him. They got to the beach, where there was a sign done in gold mylar letter balloons that said, Rachella. He told her, since the day he laid his eyes on her, he knew she was the girl of his dreams. It was the best five years of his life, and he was excited to wake up every day. He got down on one knee, and said he loved her more than anything. It would be an honor if she would marry him. She cried, and said, yes, and fireworks went off. Okay. I have to admit Sandoval is good at party planning. It was impressive. Sandoval passed out posters, and said, James just proposed.

Next time, Schwartz and Katie try to make a baby; Katie says, when everyone else is pregnant and you’re not, it’s added stress; Raquel’s older sister isn’t supportive of her relationship with James; Lala questions Scheana about Brock’s kids; and Sandoval says Katie acts entitled.  

🐎 The Legend Continues…

Keeping it simple, so see you tomorrow for Erika versus the world, or at least Andy Cohen, and the usual soap. Until then, stay safe, stay indomitable, and stay remembering the Mike in you, and be kind.

October 8, 2021 – No Queen, Grilled, Nasty, Worse, Unsure, Dirty, Salt Lake Woes, a Tease, Going Down, New Bar, L.A. Return, Tiger’s Back, Mistress Of the Book, Best Costumes, As Many Quotes As Lords Leaping & Magic

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly takes a sip of her coffee, and says, this never gets old. Sonny says, the coffee, or this? He kisses her, and she says, don’t make her choose. She suggests they stay home and shut the world out all day. He says, what world? It’s just the two of them. They kiss again, and a guard interrupts, saying, someone is at the gate to see Sonny.

Britt sits down with Nina at the MetroCourt, and says, welcome back. Nina thanks her and says, it’s been quite the homecoming. Any word on Liesl? Britt says, no, not a whisper. It seems her mother disappeared into thin air. Nina says she’s sorry. She can’t help but feel responsible. Britt says, Nina called and got her mother involved in a scheme to kill Peter. She’s sure it wasn’t a hard sell. Nina says, at the moment, it was the only way to protect Maxie and James. Britt says, if that’s all Nina was doing, she’d be on board, but they both know that SOS call was to protect herself.

Portia tells Trina that she likes their new tradition of weekly breakfast check-ins, and Trina says she does too. She’s not thrilled with the dining hall, and she’s already tired of take-out. Portia is glad to contribute to Trina’s healthy eating habits, and asks Trina to tell her about classes. How it is working at Ava’s gallery without Ava? Trina says, it turns out, Ava’s not leaving, and Portia asks, since when? Trina says she’s pretty sure Ava is staying there, and staying married, and Portia says, Trina can’t drop that kind of bomb on her and play coy. What happened with the stalker? Trina says, thanks to her, the stalker’s been unmasked.

Nikolas comes up behind Ava and kisses her on the neck. She says he’d better be her husband; he’s a very jealous man. He says he’s her husband all right. For now and for always. She says, it’s going to be a beautiful day, and he says, a beautiful life. He’s never letting her go again. That’s a promise.

The guard says, Mr. Corinthos is in the living room, and he leads Phyllis in, carrying a box. Sonny says, what a pleasant surprise, and she says, my goodness, look at you. He introduces her to Carly, saying she’s a dear friend of Mike’s and his. He and Phyllis smile at each other.

Josslyn tries to study at the Kelly’s counter, when Cameron brings her a glass of ice water. She asks if it has magical properties that will help her focus, and he says he can’t stop thinking about yesterday too. He can’t get over the fact that Spencer was the stalker. Trina was so right; he shouldn’t have given them so much pushback. She says, Trina was the one who figured it out, and Cameron asks how Trina is doing. She seemed pretty beat up about it. Josslyn says they were up half the night talking about it. She feels awful about setting a trap for Spencer. She’s not happy about it either, but if they hadn’t, Ava and Nikolas still wouldn’t know the truth. He says he guesses it was worth it, but she says he doesn’t sound all that convinced. He says, Nikolas has Ava back, but Spencer’s life just imploded. Did they end up helping that family, or just hurt them? She says, both.

Spencer walks into his and Esme’s hotel room. Still in bed, Esme asks where he was. He says, working out, and she says, so early? Did he sleep at all? He says, no. Every time he closed his eyes, he kept replaying the whole train wreck. It never should have happened. She says she doesn’t know what possessed him to confess, and he says his father was in danger. She says he had nothing to do with his Uncle Sonny turning up, and he says, no, but she did. Why the hell would she tell his uncle, the alleged mob kingpin, that his father was taking his daughter away?

Nikolas’s phone beeps, and he looks at it. Ava asks if something is wrong, and he says, it’s an alert he placed on Spencer’s credit card. Apparently, he’s holed up at the MetroCourt. She asks how he feels about that, and he says he’s glad Spencer didn’t spend the night on the street. But given the fact Spencer robbed them of months together, he can think of better ways of spending their first reunited morning than discussing Spencer. He’ll make breakfast.

Carly says, so she’s Phyllis, and thanks Phyllis for taking care of her husband when he was injured. Phyllis says, it was their pleasure. Mike… Sonny was a godsend to them in more ways than one. Carly says, it goes both ways. Sonny has told her a lot about Phyllis. She’s so sorry about Phyllis’s husband. She thanks Carly, calling her Mrs. Corinthos, but she says, call her Carly. Had they known she was coming, they could have spared her the security check. Phyllis says, it’s a beautiful home. Much different from his room at the Tan-O. Carly asks if Phyllis drove in, and Phyllis says she did. She was on the road too early to call. She hopes she didn’t intrude. She found some of Sonny’s belongings, and thought he might want them. Wow. His flannel shirts survived the fire?

Nina tells Britt, she feels terrible. If there’s anything she can do to help find Aunt Liesl, please let her. Britt says she’ll take the help; Scotty’s beside himself. Nina says she also got a voicemail from Valentin. He and Anna have a lead on Peter, but he didn’t give her any details. How is Britt otherwise? Britt says she’s busy. She’s throwing herself into work; restructuring the hospital budget, working with her new Co-Chief of Staff, keeping her head above water. Nina says, and Britt and Jason? Britt asks what she’s talking about. There is no her and Jason. Nina says, and that’s because of her.

Portia asks Trina, so the young man she met at the park was Spencer, not Victor, and Spencer was Ava’s stalker? Trina says, Spencer and his girlfriend, and Portia asks, which one drenched Trina in the fake blood? Trina says, Spencer, and Portia says, hell no. Trina protests, but Portia asks when all this went down. Last night? Trina says, yes, Spencer got kicked out of Windymere, and his relationship with his father is worse than ever, and it’s her fault. Portia says, in what universe? and Trina says she convinced Cam and Joss to set him up. If she hadn’t… Portia tells her not to finish that sentence. Trina’s not responsible, and it’s not her fault. This is Spencer’s mess; it has nothing to do with Trina. Trina says she just feels bad for him, and also guilty that she wasn’t honest with Ava. Portia asks why Trina would feel guilty? Thanks to her, Ava knows the truth now, and Ava can stay here with her husband and little girl. Although she might want to let that marriage dissolve. Clearly the Cassadine men are not to be trusted.

Esme tells Spencer that she’s sorry for how things turned out. She was only doing it for him. He says he knows. That’s why he defended her, but some of the ideas she came up with… She says, getting his father back in his life was what he wanted, so she did what she could to make that happen. She guesses she’s still learning how to make him happy. He says she really is the best, and nothing that has happened is her fault. But he’d be happier if they cut out the scheming, and did better. She says, whatever he wants. Too bad he can’t count on his so-called friends. What were they thinking, especially Josslyn? Doesn’t that girl have enough to worry about without setting him up and calling him out? He says, Josslyn is a real friend; so’s Cameron. They’re probably the only real friends he’s ever had.

Josslyn tells Cameron, they totally ambushed Spencer, but if his behavior hadn’t been so messed up, there’d be nothing to confess. Cameron says, her stepdad is one menacing dude. Spencer was absolutely terrified for his father. She says, everyone knows not to mess with Sonny, especially when it comes to his family, but none of that would have happened except for Esme. He says he doesn’t see how she’s to blame for the lie about Bora Bora, and she asks if he’s giving Esme a pass. He says, not at all. They both bear responsibility. She says, Trina told her that Spencer and Esme work as a team. Every team she’s ever been on has a captain. It makes her wonder if Esme is the one calling the shots.

Cameron asks what makes Josslyn think Esme is more involved than Spencer is saying. She says, Spencer admitted Esme was the one who torched Ava’s car, and Cameron says, he did at first, but then he walked it back. She says, to protect her. Does that surprise him? She’s seen the way Esme hangs on Spencer. No wonder he can’t think straight. He says, this is Spencer they’re talking about; he’s no angel. She says, this is so messed up. She knows Spencer set it in motion – everything he did was bad, but she still wants what’s best for him. He says, what if Esme is what’s best for him? but she says, no. Esme brings out the worst in Spencer.

Esme asks why Spencer isn’t furious. First, they set him up, then stand by and watch him humiliate himself. He says, he humiliated himself? and she says, he confessed and he apologized. He says she’s forgetting the part where they’re actually guilty, and she says, fine. They’re no innocents, but his real friends aren’t either. They lied to his face, and set a trap that almost got his father killed. His father kicked him out of Windymere, while his wicked stepmother gloats. If they expect Spencer to beg forgiveness, they’d better think again. They’re the ones who should be coming to him. There’s a knock at the door, and a woman asks if he’s Spencer Cassadine. She’s sorry, but his credit card was declined for the second night. Esme says, there’s more than enough funds… but he says, there’s no need. This isn’t a fund problem; it’s a father problem. The woman says, they contacted the account holder, Nikolas Cassadine, and the card’s been canceled. He says, checkmate, and Esme asks what this means. He says, it means they pack.

Nikolas tells Ava, breakfast is in the dining room, unless she would rather have it served in the bedroom. She tells him to choose, and he says, the bedroom it is. She asks what the call was that he made earlier, and he says he cut Spencer’s access to his bank and credit card accounts. She says she’s all for tough love, but if Nikolas cuts Spencer off, what will he do? He says, Spencer’s about to figure it out. His son’s been given every possible advantage. He’s bright, he’s willful, let him put that cunning to good use, and figure out how to support himself. She says, that sounds fine in theory, but the timing is terrible. Won’t Spencer see this as punishment, and won’t it further stoke his dangerous resentment?

Trina tells Portia that Ava told her to be careful of bad boys. Spencer falls under that definition, except he’s not that bad. At heart, she thinks he’s just lost. Portia tells her, says every woman in defense of a dysfunctional relationship with a bad boy. She was at the hospital that night when Ava’s car was burned. She sat with Ava afterward, and Ava couldn’t stop shaking. And to leave Kiki’s ID badge near the car? That’s just cruel. Trina says, Spencer didn’t do it. She doesn’t even think it was his idea. Portia says Trina certainly seems determined to let him off the hook, and Trina says she’s not denying Spencer’s made some seriously mess up choices. Portia says, anyone who asks you to cover for them isn’t your friend. Remember what Maya Angelou said, when someone shows you who they are… Trina finishes, believe them. She’s sorry she didn’t tell Portia about this earlier; there’s just been a lot going on. Portia says, even though Trina will always be her baby, she’s a young woman now, and she’s entitled to privacy. But Portia can proudly say, Trina has always had a good head on her shoulders.

Carly says Obrecht was devastated when she heard Jason got engaged to Carly because she knew how important Jason was to Britt. Britt says, that’s old news now, and Nina says, if she hadn’t kept Sonny away from Port Charles… Britt says Nina might have hurt a lot of other people, but Nina did her a favor. Carly will always come first with Jason, and she’s nobody’s second. Nina says, good for her. She hopes Britt doesn’t mind, but she doesn’t think she can stay for breakfast. She can’t justify paying Carly’s inflated prices for eggs and toast. Britt says, it’s Nina’s call; she’s not offended. Nina takes Britt’s hand, and says, it’s good to see her. If Britt hears from her mom, if there’s anything Nina can do, call her and let her know. Britt says, will do, and tells Nina to watch her back. She has the feeling Carly isn’t done with her yet.   

Phyllis sits down, with Sonny and Carly, and Carly says, may I? pointing to the box. Sonny tells her, go ahead, and she starts taking things out. She takes out a flannel shirt, and says she saw Sonny in one of these. She still can’t believe it. She takes out a few more, and asks how many he has. She says, wow, and takes out the cowboy hat. She says, Mike definitely had a distinct fashion style, and Phyllis says, not to mention a mean two-step. Sonny says, that’s high praise coming from the lifelong dance partner of Lenny Caulfield, the greatest dancer in the world. Phyllis says, that man was so light on his feet, he defied gravity. Sonny takes her hand, and I’m not sure how to read Carly’s face. Uncomfortable maybe.

Carly says, Lenny sounds like the best of men. Sonny told her that Lenny gave him a hard time when he first showed up, and wound up standing up for him, and treating him like a brother. She wishes she could have met him. Phyllis says, Lenny was one of a kind, and Sonny says, amen. Carly says she’s going to give them a chance to catch up; they must have a lot to talk about. Forget about her suggestion about staying home. She has tons of paperwork at the MetroCourt. Enjoy their time together. She tells Phyllis that it was a pleasure meeting her, and hopes Phyllis comes back. She’s always welcome. Carly leaves, and Sonny thanks Phyllis for bringing the box. Phyllis says she has a confession. That’s not the only reason she’s here. She wanted to meet him properly. He holds out his hand, and says, Sonny Corinthos. She says, Phyllis Caulfield, and shakes his hand. They turn the handshake into a hug.

Trina tells Portia that she and Josslyn have this code – sisters before misters. She feels like she’s breaking that code with Ava. Ava is her friend too. She feels bad that she kept it secret that Spencer was in town for weeks, but after everything that happened, she feels like it’s too late to say anything. What does Portia think? Portia says, the fact that Trina feels bad tells her something, especially now that she knows the damage secrets can cause. So what is she going to do? Trina says she thinks she’ll skip breakfast. Raincheck? Portia says, of course (🍷). She wants Trina to do what she’s got to do. She’s proud of Trina. Trina thanks Portia and says she loves her. Portia says she loves Trina too. Same time, same place next week? Trina says she wouldn’t miss it.

Nikolas says he can’t stand back after how Spencer treated his wife, and Ava says she appreciates his outrage, but she’s a big girl and can take care of herself. As he well knows. He says he’s aware, but in no way does it excuse Spencer for what he did. She says, Spencer has witnessed Nikolas’s plots and schemes his entire life. If Nikolas wants to punish Spencer for learning the behavior he’s modeled, don’t do it on her account. Her phone dings, and she says, breakfast and anything else will have to wait. She has a visitor.

Walking into the MetroCourt, Spencer tells Esme, there’s enough cash for breakfast, but after that, they’re broke. I thought she had money? Esme says, this is a temporary set-back. His father just needs time to cool off. He says, maybe Joss and Came will cool off too. One of the most annoying things about his friends is that he actually cares what they think. He sees Britt, and says he has an idea, but he needs to have this conversation alone. Esme says, no worries. She trusts him. Text her if he needs back-up. He goes over to Britt’s table, where she’s just finished with a call. He says, wheeling and dealing? Good. Does he have a deal for her.

Cameron tells Josslyn that he doesn’t know what to make of Spencer and Esme’s relationship, but so what? Who says they have to understand it? Josslyn asks when he got so wise, and he says when he started dating her. She says he really is wise; that was such a good answer. They kiss, and Nina walks in. Nina says she imagines she’s the last person Josslyn wants to see, and Josslyn says, good call. She asks if Cameron doesn’t have to go back to work, and he asks if she’s sure. She says, it’s fine, and he says he’ll go back to work… outside. Nina says she just came to get a bite to eat, but can leave if Josslyn is uncomfortable, but Josslyn asks why she would be uncomfortable. She’s not the one who stole 9 months of Sonny’s life, and left his family to grieve. She’s not the one who’s a total hypocrite.

Britt asks what the deal is, and Spencer says, room and board with her in exchange for his witticisms. She says, pass, and he says, and Esme’s French cooking techniques. She says, absolutely not, and he says, why not? They’ll be fun roommates, and Esme can cook dinner. Britt says she lives in a hotel room, and he says, she’s Chief of Staff, and still lives in a hotel room? and she says, demanding job, no pets, no kids, room service. Works for her, but not for him. He says she won’t even notice them. She’s at work all day, and he promises they won’t touch the minibar. She asks, what is going on? Why would he leave cushy Windymere for a rollaway bed in her hotel room? He says he and his father had a falling out, and Britt says, he left? Spencer shakes his head, and she says, Nikolas kicked him out? Why is Nikolas acting so self-righteous after all the crap he’s pulled? Spencer says, it’s a little complicated, and she says, please don’t tell her that he hasn’t done anything that will make her have to defend his father.

Ava sees Trina, and says, what a nice surprise. Trina says she’s glad Ava is still there. Does this mean… Ava says, thanks to Trina, she and Nikolas are back together. They’ll have a lifetime of mornings ahead of them. What Trina did was risky, and she doesn’t condone the plotting, but Trina did uncover the truth, and Ava is grateful. Trina says, don’t thank her.

Phyllis says Sonny’s coffee is delicious. He says, of course (🍷) it is. He’ll send her home with a pound. She looks at a photo, and asks who it is with him, and Sonny says, Mike, his dad. He died of Alzheimer’s a year ago. He was one of a kind. He and Lenny would have hit it off. Phyllis says she’s so sorry. He has a beautiful family; they must have missed him. She bets they’re happy he’s back, and he says, so is he; so is Carly. She says, Carly seems wonderful. It must have been hard on her. He says, yes she is, and yeah it was. Phyllis says she found pictures of him and Nina, but didn’t want to include them in the box. She wasn’t sure he’d want them. He thanks her, and she says she has another confession. She didn’t drive there to return the box. She thought he might need someone to talk to who understands. He says she’s still looking out for him, and she says, Lenny would call it putting her nose where it doesn’t belong. He says, Lenny loved that she did that; so does he. She says she knows he left a complicated situation in Nixon Falls. Is the situation there complicated too?  

Esme sees Cameron outside Kelly’s, and says she’s so glad she found him. She needs him desperately.

Josslyn tells Nina to consider a delivery app, if she has to leave every establishment where there are people who love Sonny. Nina says she’ll take that into consideration. She’s truly sorry. She starts to leave, but Josslyn tells her to wait. She has something for Nina.

Britt asks what Spencer was thinking, and he says he was saving his father from Ava. She says, so he could have his father to himself? and he wonders if that’s too much to ask. He thought his father was dead for three years. She says, Spencer claims he wants to make up for lost time, but what he means is, he wants to control who his father is with. What bothers her the most is the lengths he went to, the lies he told, and the people he hurt, including her. Nikolas accused her of being the stalker, and Spencer said nothing. He says, because Nikolas didn’t think that anymore, but she’s right. He’s sorry. It’s one of the many mistakes he made. She says she gets making mistakes. He knows she’s fond of him, while she’s not fond of his father, but he needs to go make amends. He says he can’t; his father doesn’t want to see him. Maybe he and Esme could just stay one night, until they can figure it out. Carly comes over to the table, and says, not in her hotel. He terrorized Ava by implying a threat to Avery, and manipulated Sonny the second he got home. It’s totally unacceptable. Spencer says Carly is right. He screwed up, and he doesn’t blame anyone for not wanting him around. She tells him, don’t play the martyr. Stand on his own two feet instead of waiting for someone to bail him out. That’s the problem. Someone has been enabling him his entire life. He says, again his apologizes, to them both, and leaves.  

Cameron tells Esme, he’s working, so… She says he’s the only one who can help her… and Spence. He asks, what’s going on with Spencer? and she says, Spencer has been tossed out and cut off. They’re almost with no money. Cameron says, first of all, they’re hardly starving and destitute, and second, they kind of deserve what they get. What Spencer did was terrible. She says, maybe she should have done more to rein Spence in, but he was in so much pain. He wanted his father back, and now he’s lost his father all over again. Cameron says, things are bad right now, but Spencer will bounce back. He always does. She says, not this time. I don’t know if she’s faking it, but I think it’s the first time Esme hasn’t smiled through a conversation, whether it was appropriate or not.

Trina tells Ava, the day she realized Victor was really Spencer, was the day she realized he’d been lying about how long he’s been in Port Charles. Obviously, he needed to cover for his creeping around, leaving nasty little threats. Ava says, then he convinced Trina to keep his secret, and Trina says, he told her he had troubled relationship with his dad, and that’s why he didn’t approach Nikolas right away. And she bought it. Ava wonders if there’s anyone in this town Spencer hasn’t deceived, and Trina says she helped him by keeping quiet. Ava says, Spencer deceived Trina too. He lied to her, he manipulated her, and took advantage of her trust. Trina says, if she’d come to Ava sooner, maybe they could have figured out Spencer was the stalker. Before her car got torched. Can Ava ever forgive her? Ava says, there’s absolutely nothing to forgive her for. She wishes she’d had a friend as loyal and trustworthy as Trina years ago. Trina says Ava has her now, and Ava says she’s sorry for what Trina lost. She remembers how excited Trina  was when Victor swept into her life, and she hates how he robbed Trina of that feeling.

Nikolas comes out of the elevator as Portia is waiting for it, and she says, perfect timing. If him or his son ever hurt her daughter again, they’ll regret it. He looks at her blankly, and she says, he needs reminding. His deviant stunts at the party at Windymere, Spencer drenching Trina in fake blood, pretending to be Victor, and convincing Trina to lie about his presence in Port Charles, so that he could stalk Ava. Nikolas says he’s so sorry. Last night, Spencer admitted he’d come home from school early, but he had no idea Spencer had deceived Trina in that way. She says, his son is walking through the world like he can do whatever he wants. And Nikolas, as the adult, needs to shut that down. Nikolas says he’s truly sorry, and she says, next time he sees his son, let him know if he knows what’s good for him, he’ll stay away from her daughter. I smell a romance in the works.

Sonny says, being home has been an adjustment, and asks Phyllis, what’s the deal with the Tan-O? She says she filed a claim with insurance, but the adjuster is still investigating, so the wait is on. He asks if she wants to rebuild, but she’s not sure. Without Lenny, she feels a bit at sea. He says, it didn’t help that he took off, but she says, he needed to get back to his family. He says he considers Phyllis family; whatever she needs, he’s there for her. She says he doesn’t owe her anything, but he says she saved his life. The least he can do is put her up, there or at the MetroCourt. And he’s not taking no for an answer. She says she appreciates that. She does have some unfinished business in town. He says she didn’t come just to see him? and she says, she came to see Nina.

Josslyn says she’s glad she ran into Nina. She holds up the journal, and asks if Nina recognizes it. Nina says, it’s the journal she gave Josslyn as a graduation present, and Josslyn says, she’d actually stopped writing, but didn’t tell Nina at the time because she was being polite. She tries not to cry, and says she started writing again after Nina gave it to her, and used it to process her feelings. She flips through it, and says, she wrote about Sonny’s funeral. She rips it out, and says, she wrote about the nights she heard her mom quietly sobbing. She tears that out too, and says, and she wrote about the good days where they still felt like a family. And the bad ones where all any of them could think about was missing Sonny. But Nina didn’t just lie to them, she lied to Josslyn’s father. He went to Nixon Falls to see her and try to win her back, but instead he got shot defending her and her friend. When Jax came to Nina, saying he thought he saw Sonny when he was on the gurney, and she lied and said he hadn’t. Nina deceived him too. She rips all the pages out, and says, it’s all there, updated as of last night. She’ll be keeping her thoughts, but this gift from Nina? She never wants to see it or Nina again. She hands the journal to Nina.  

Cameron says he has to get back inside, but Esme says, Spence needs him. He just lost his father, and now he’s lost Cameron too, and she can’t handle it. She doesn’t want to come between Spence and his real friends. That’s what he calls Cameron and Josslyn. They’re his real friends, and Spence is hers.

Trina tells Ava, she started off really liking Victor, but he was just a put-on, a façade. She can’t believe she let Spencer play her like that. She’ll never trust him again after what he did to Ava. Ava says, she’s not encouraging Trina to have a relationship with Spencer – far from it. She appreciates Trina’s loyalty, but what happened between her and Spencer is between them. Trina is free to do her. Spencer calls out for his father, and walks into the room. Trina gives him that look. You know the one.

Cameron tells Esme that Spencer hasn’t lost him; he’s still Spencer’s cousin. He really dislikes what Spencer did to his father, Ava, and Trina, but he doesn’t hate Spencer. She asks, what about Joss? and he says, she’s mad, but she’s also the kindest person he knows. He’s sure she’ll move past it. Esme says Cameron is such a good guy, when Josslyn comes out of Kelly’s. It looks like she’s not liking what she sees.

Carly tells Britt, breakfast is on the house. She apologizes for interrupting Britt’s conversation with Spencer. Britt says, it’s okay; she’d already turned him down. He made himself a hell of a mess and she can’t fix it for him. She hopes he figures it out. He’s a good kid in spite of everything. Carly says, technically, he’s an adult, but when she was his age, she didn’t behave like one either. Britt says, even as adults, we don’t always behave as adults, and starts to leave, but Carly says she knows Britt has a lot going on; so does she. She’d like to clear the air between them, and asks if Britt is ready for some radical honesty. Britt says she’s ready if Carly is.

Phyllis says she still has things she needs to say to Nina, and Sonny wonders why Phyllis would still want to talk to her after everything she did. She caused Phyllis to lose the Tan-O. She says, she thought about all the horrible things Nina did to Sonny and his family, and the lives she endangered, including her own. But she also knows Nina’s heart. All the things Nina did for her and Lenny, and their town, even for Sonny as Mike. A person has to be in a lot of pain and confusion to balance all that love and desperation. Lenny always said she had a bleeding heart, and maybe she does, but she can’t write Nina off just yet. Can he?   

On Monday, Alexis tells Nikolas that it’s no time for him to turn his back on Spencer, Jax asks Shawn how something circles back to him, and Britt tells Carly, it’s not going to happen.

👑 She’ll Never Be Queen…

Kyle stands by her good friend. Unless things start going bad.

She thinks they’re good.

She’ll walk away when they stop paying her.

🔥 On the Barbie…

I’m sure she had an answer for everything, but I’ll be on the lookout for squirming.

🍸 Belle Of the South…

Good. Erika has no business trying to intimidate the weak one because things didn’t go as planned. And I agree that no woman should ever say that to another woman. Actually, I don’t think anyone should use that word ever. And I have a potty mouth. What can I say? I was raised by a sailor.

😶 Can’t Read the Room…

I don’t even know what to say here.

💎 Don’t Fence Her In…

It would be a shame if Garcelle left. She’s the voice of reason, and of color.

🧹 On the Other Hand…

I’m all for LVP, Garcelle, and Sutton having a show.

⛪️ Meanwhile, In the Lake Of Salt…

Methinks they suddenly realized what a bad look it was.

Lisa tries to balance it with a good look.

🗽 Still Clueless…

I hardly think there was a stigma attached to single working moms in 2010.

⛺️ Downsizing…

I guess this is what happens when you do really, really stupid things.

💤 Uninspired…

Are they really going to name it Schwartz and Sandy’s? Will they be serving egg creams?

https://www.bravotv.com/vanderpump-rules/style-living/tom-sandoval-tom-schwartz-opening-a-new-restaurant-details

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/tom-schwartz-tom-sandoval-new-bar-lisa-vanderpump-reacts

🏠 Coming Back Home…

I loved the Homecoming show they did for Real World New York. I’m hoping this one is as good. I’d love to see San Francisco, but now that Pedro is gone, it would be sad. And I’m not sure if I could stomach Puck again.

https://ew.com/tv/real-world-homecoming-season-2-los-angeles-1993-cast/

🐅 Tiger Take Two…

I can’t imagine it topping, or even being equal to, the first one. I was mesmerized.

https://ew.com/tv/tiger-king-season-2-coming-to-netflix/

🧛🏻‍♀️ All In the Timing…

Why shouldn’t Cassandra Peterson aka Elvira have a memoir coming out when it’s almost Halloween? And who knew all this stuff? I can’t wait to read this.

https://nypost.com/2021/09/21/elvira-reveals-sexuality-wilt-chamberlain-encounter-more/

https://nypost.com/2021/09/23/elvira-reveals-photo-of-her-girlfriend-says-theyre-relieved/

🎃 23 Days To Halloween…

And so it begins.

https://www.glamour.com/gallery/best-celebrity-halloween-costumes

📣 Quotes of the Week

A good friend will always stab you in the front. – Oscar Wilde

The cure for anything is saltwater: sweat, tears, or the sea.Isak Dinesen, author of Out of Africa

Expecting life to treat you well because you are a good person is like expecting an angry bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian. – Shari R. Barr

Listening is where love begins: listening to ourselves and then to our neighbors. – Fred Rogers

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world. – J.R.R. Tolkien

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

There’s a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line. Oscar Levant

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

You’re only as sick as your secrets. – AA saying

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle. – Plato

👢 Walking Into the Weekend Like…

I have an early day tomorrow, but before we know it, it will be Dead time. Until then, stay safe, stay changing it up now and then, and stay believing them if someone shows you who they are.

October 6, 2021 – No Soap Or Radio, Dallas Rides In, a Goodbye, Celebrating the Ox In Beverly Hills, Rumors, Dropped, Liar, Defending Erika, Going Down, Dead Talk, New Halloween & the Countdown Begins

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

No GH today. All it said on their FB page was that it was due to ongoing news coverage, but no indication as to coverage of what. It was a network decision, since there was nothing new online either. I was pretty surprised when I turned it on, and there was Cyrus playing Chairman of the hospital, and Todd Franco was walking around. Instead, a little soap news…

🐴 Austin Was Taken…

So who is Dallas Kirby anyway?

🥀 Another Goodbye…

The soap world has had a lot of losses so far this year.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Crystal was preparing for a Chinese New Year party – the Year of the Ox – she was throwing at an Asian restaurant she’d rented for the occasion. She took Erika there for a looksee, and Erika said something about it being in Kill Bill. LisaR said the same thing later, but while it looked similar to restaurant where O-Ren (Lucy Lui) hangs with her crew, I’m pretty sure that place is in Tokyo. In her interview, Crystal told us that whatever happens on New Year’s Day (or maybe Eve; it was unclear) would represent the next year. Since Erika was still mad at Sutton, Crystal was concerned. Kathy met with architect Jesse and builder Aiden at a ginormous 18,000 square foot house she was having built. She and husband Richard were originally going to move in, but Richard reminded her of all the good times they’d had in the house they were already in, and she changed her mind. My guess is, he probably just didn’t want the hassle of having to move in his 70s or whatever. Not to mention they’d be putting the new one on the market in the $52 million range. Maybe the guys from Million Dollar Listing can broker that. In Sutton’s interview, she said she could fit three of her houses into Kathy’s new one. She and Kathy discussed the trip to Del Mar, and Sutton admitted she thought things with Erika had been a little strange. In her interview, she said, it would be nice to think things were back to normal, but wondered how that was possible when it had been so volatile. Garcelle wasn’t sure if she wanted to continue with her dating coach. She’d gone on a tailgate date with her match – who’d brought sushi and champagne – but he wasn’t her type. He wasn’t as spectacular as his photos. She wondered where his abs were. She’d expected him to show up shirtless.

Because she’s dense, in LisaR’s interview, she thought she and Garcelle had progressed. I thought it was more like Garcelle was proceeding with caution. We flashed back to when the women poked at Garcelle at dinner until she finally cried, which LisaR called being vulnerable and said was beautiful. It would be if they were all decent people. Garcelle wanted LisaR to reach out to Denise, but in her interview, LisaR said her relationship with Denise was her business. She’d do what she wanted when she felt like doing it. It would be when it felt organic and natural, which was ironic, since nothing about LisaR is organic or natural. She told Garcelle, when it was time, she’d do it, which probably meant, never. In Garcelle’s interview, she said, if LisaR reached out, it would show her growth. She wanted to see more action and less talk with LisaR. Good luck with that.

Everyone trickled in to the party, which began with cocktails outside. In Sutton’s interview, she said she was willing to let go of Erika threatening her, but not so much what she’d read and heard about the situation. She didn’t need to worry though, since Erika had turned the tap back to cold, and ignored Sutton. In Garcelle’s interview, she said she’d thought Sutton and Erika were doing better, but that was a hi/bye for sure. Mauricio, who was most likely stoned, banged on the Chinese gongs at the front of the restaurant. The coolest thing was a dude making candy zodiac animals, and putting them on sticks. I want to know where to get those. Kathy brought her friend Elliot (who we’ve seen before) as her escort, and for a moment, I thought she’d sprung Tom. They look an awful lot alike.

The décor was absolutely beautiful, and Crystal said she wanted to transport everyone to Asia. Everyone sat down, and Rob raised his glass, and said, true friends didn’t make problems disappear, but they didn’t disappear when problems came. Crystal said the women had little red envelopes with money in them, and they would get it back a hundredfold after feeding the animal. Or something to that effect. Kyle looked like she was starting to panic, asking, what animal? over and over. Then she nearly hit the ceiling when a Chinese percussion band began to play in the balcony. Chinese dragons came out, and the women put the envelopes in their mouths. I would have loved to be at this party, except not with this group. No surprise, the food was fabulous, and dumplings are one of my all-time favorite foods. For whatever crazy reason – i. e. screen time – Kyle said Sutton swept things under the rug. Sutton didn’t think so, but said she didn’t want any ill will between her and Erika. And then there were crickets. Lots and lots of crickets. In Erika’s interview, she said she didn’t need an apology from someone who was willing to condemn her. Sutton said she thought she could speak for everyone in that they all wanted Erika to come out of this shining bright. Erika told them that she had nothing to say.

They went back outside where there was a dessert bar, where there were many impressive confections. In Sutton’s interview, she wondered why she was trying so hard with Erika. Then she wondered what these women even saw in Erika. I told her, thank you. I wanted to like Erika. I tried to like Erika. But even before this, she ran hot and cold, and got irrationally angry at times. Sutton told Kyle that Erika made people afraid to say anything. While everyone had a last cocktail, Erika told Sutton that she’d thought they were friends, and she’d needed Sutton to have more faith in who she was. Sutton wanted a one-on-one, but Erika said she needed time to trust Sutton. Sutton said she also wanted to be able to trust Erika, and know she could speak freely and not get the lion’s claws. Erika said that’s why she was waiting. Erika said, this life is not for wimps, but I wasn’t sure if she meant that collectively, or was just talking about her so-far-above-our life.  

Since it was the finale, everyone had their final say, and there was text on what they’d been doing, none of which was all that interesting. Sutton was still waiting on that talk with Erika, but had moved out of Kyle’s house. Six months after her six week deadline. Kyle put the house on the market after Sutton’s departure. She was still tight with Kathy, and had finally gotten Kim’s new phone number. Knowing Kim, it’s possible she might have just forgotten it. Dorit had added some ready-to-wear gowns to her collection, and designed a special reunion gown for herself. PK named it, The Reunion, because he’s so original.

Due to Harry’s influence, LisaR was adding acrylic nails to her beauty line. I don’t want to know. She also now approved of Scott and Amelia’s relationship, since they’d called it quits. Garcelle was back in the studio to film The Real, and was taking a break from dating. Unless Brad Pitt called. Freshman Housewife Crystal said it had been fascinating to see how the friendships among the women morphed. Which I guess was her way of saying, wow, these women are close, then stab each other in the back, then forget what just happened. She was still color-coding her life, and hoped to visit her pop-star brother Jeff in China. Erika claimed she’d faced down everyone’s questions to the best of her ability, and was never going to apologize. Her way of saying, she managed to avoid answering any questions too directly, and back off, bitch. The text said she appreciated the support of her ass kissers true friends, although her friend circle had gotten smaller.

I would have liked a little less crap, and more of Crystal’s party.

Next, the Reunion. I believe it’s in four parts, so it should be a doozy.

🍾 After-party note. On Watch What Happens Live, people voted online about the level of Erika’s honesty from one to ten. She got a four.

📰 Spreading the News…

Camille stirs the pot of tea Kyle’s been making.

🎥 The Camera Don’t Lie…

I think sometimes they forget the world is watching

🗣 Opinions Are Like…

No surprise Kelly put her two cents in.

👯‍♂️ Last One Standing…

The Chief Brownnoser has spoken.

She did say she didn’t know the whole story, but I don’t think she’s looking all that hard either.

🍸 Say It Ain’t So…

Although I really think Jax is the only one who should have gotten the boot.

⚰️ Jerky McJerkface…

Angela Kang tells us what’s up with the citizens of the Commonwealth.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-sebastian-milton-promises-broken-angela-kang-interview/

🎃 It’s Coming Closer…

Twenty-four days til Halloween, Halloween, Halloween!

https://people.com/movies/jamie-lee-curtis-picks-up-kyle-richards-halloween-kills-featurette/

🏂 Slip Sliding Away…

Hopefully, soap tomorrow, and perhaps even some high-priced property. But for now, stay safe, stay going big or going home, and stay the hell out of Erika’s business, lest you get the lion’s claws.

October 5, 2021 – Valentin Wakes Up In New Surroundings, a VanderVacay In Palm Springs & More Palms

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Curtis is getting ready to lock up at The Savoy, when Portia comes in. She says it looks like she’s too late for a drink, but he says, for you, this place is always open. He asks what she’ll have, and she says, surprise me.

Dante asks if Dallas spends much time in Monte Carlo, and she says, as much time as she spends anywhere. He says, so she travels a lot? and she says he asks a lot of questions; why is that? Outside, Sam takes a key out of the wallet she lifted.

Victor asks if Peter is all settled in, and Peter says he is. The accommodations are fine. Victor says, certainly better than the cell Peter would be in if he hadn’t managed to extract him from Nixon Falls. Peter asks if Victor wants a thank you, but Victor says he wants Peter to honor the terms of their agreement.

Anna goes to Chloe’s room, and asks the guard if there have been any changes. He says there’s a nurse with her now, and Anna asks if any visitors have come to see Chloe, but he says, no. She calls Valentin and gets voicemail. She says she’s sorry she had to leave, but she’s at the US Consulate. Call her when he gets this. Robert says, bloody hell. How did she beat him there?

Valentin wakes up handcuffed in Drew’s cell. Drew asks if he’s awake, and tells him, welcome to hell.

Anna asks what Robert is doing there, and he says, her first. She says she’s waiting to speak to Chloe Jennings, the woman who was hired to be Maxie’s baby nurse before Peter replaced her with a psycho. He says, what a coincidence. So is he. She says, he’s not. She’s actually an active WSB agent. He’s the DA in Port Charles. She thinks it’s a little far from his jurisdiction. He says, Maxie’s family. Someone’s stolen her child. Whatever contacts he has within the Bureau, he’s going to use them to get that kid back. They would be better off working together than alone. She says she’s not working alone.

Valentin says, he’s Drew Cain, and Drew says, yep. Valentin thinks he’s been drugged, and Drew says, that would be a safe bet. He was pretty out of it when the guards brought him in. Valentin asks where they are, and Drew says Valentin would know better than he would. What’s the last place he remembers? Valentin says he was drinking in a tavern in a small village on the island of Crete. Drew says, Crete. Of course (🍷). He figured he was somewhere in Greece. A lot of the guards speak Greek, and you can hear the ocean if you really listen. He thanks Valentin, and says, if nothing else, he finally knows his location. Valentin asks if he’s been locked up there this whole time, and Drew says, for two years, and Valentin doesn’t look that surprised to see him. Valentin says, he’s working with Anna Devane, and Drew asks how she is. He says they were drinking together. He doesn’t know. She was as drunk as he was. Drew says, maybe they only drugged Valentin, and Valentin says he hopes so. Drew says, sorry he interrupted. Valentin was about to tell him how he knew he was alive. Valentin says Drew managed to phone Sam, who told Anna, and said there was a possibility Drew survived the plane crash. Drew says, there was no plane crash. It was all staged to cover up his abduction. Valentin says, by Peter August? and Drew says, he was involved, but the guy who’s been keeping him prisoner all this time is actually a relative of Valentin’s – Victor Cassadine.

Victor says he’s provided Peter with a lot of help, and Peter says, it seems events have escalated recently. Victor says, not only recently; for years now. Peter needed a place to warehouse Drew, and he obliged. Peter says, not out of the goodness of his heart. Victor wanted Drew for his own ends. Victor says, to be of any use to him, Drew has to follow his orders. That’s why Peter agreed to give him the means to access the conditioning installed by Peter’s father. He’s still waiting.

Dante says, he and Dallas only just met, and he’s in her hotel room. He’s just trying to get to know her better. She says she’s a proud graduate of Texas A&M – go Aggies. She wanted to get an MBA, but didn’t want student loan debt, so she took a job with a defense contractor who sent her overseas. One job led to another, and she never made it back to business school, but she did manage to start her own consulting firm. He asks what she consults about, and she says, anything anybody pays her for. Now it’s her turn to ask questions. What does he want? Sam comes into the room, acting flustered, and says she’s so sorry. She guesses this isn’t their room. Dallas asks if this is a robbery. There’s 10,000 euros in her bag, and her bracelet is real. Take them, and she’ll give them a five minute head start before she calls security. Sam says they’re not here to rob her; they just want some information. Dante says, they’ll save her 10,000 euros and her bracelet, and would be grateful for her help. She says the two of them tried to scam her. Why should she tell them a damn thing?

Curtis says he hopes Portia isn’t disappointed in wine, as he pours her a glass. She says, not at all. He read her mind. She’s not really up for a signature cocktail with fifteen ingredients. Not that the drinks they make aren’t amazing,. He says, sometimes a little wine is all you need. The distributor sent this over for him to try. Tell him what she thinks. She takes a sip, and says she likes it very much. He says, he’ll order more, and she asks if he’s heard from Jordan. He says he called her yesterday, and she sounded good, so he checked with TJ, and he’s monitoring her case. It’s slow and go, but the numbers are headed in the right direction. She says she’s glad, and he says, him too. That was crazy at Roger Barstow’s house. If Portia hadn’t been there, he might not have gotten Jordan out in time.

Robert asks why Anna would continue to trust this snake, and she says, because Valentin is as motivated as she is to find Peter and stop him. Robert was right about Peter, and all his dire predictions came true because she and Valentin ignored the dangers. So now they’re trying to mitigate the damage. Doesn’t he see? He says she doesn’t think there’s a snowball’s chance in hell Valentin is playing her?

Valentin says, Victor Cassadine is dead, and Drew says, there’s a lot of that going around. Valentin asks why Victor would be keeping Drew prisoner, and Drew says he hasn’t seen Victor face-to-face, but Obrecht thinks it’s part of a bigger deal he has going with Peter. Valentin says, Liesl Obrecht? and Drew asks if she’s supposed to be dead too. Valentin says, just missing, and Drew says, she was here a few hours ago. They allowed her to give him medical attention. Valentin asks if he’s okay, and Drew says, a little banged up, but nothing serious. She gave him some antibiotics. Valentin says, so she’s working for Victor, but Drew says, she claims she’s Victor’s prisoner too. Valentin asks if he believes her, and Drew says, Victor and Peter are allies, and her hatred for Peter is very convincing. Valentin says he’s seen it first hand, and Drew says, Obrecht thinks that Victor is supposed to help Peter find his missing daughter, but she has no idea what’s in it for him. There’s got to be something. Valentin says he doesn’t know Victor, but knows his reputation. He doesn’t work for free; he always has an agenda. Drew says, Peter is racking up quite a debt. He wonders how Peter is going to pay it off.

Peter tells Victor, his father was an expert on mental conditioning, but he always installed at least two levels. Drew’s first level, which allowed Helena to control him, has already been disabled. Victor says, the second should be accessible through a simple key. Where’s the key? Peter says he hasn’t found it yet, and Victor says, after two years? He’s not looking hard enough. Peter says, it’s not like he can just open an instruction manual. It could be anything; a simple phrase, an image. Something his father would find easy to remember, but something no one else would think of as important. Victor says, if Peter’s father is the only one who knew the key, and he’s dead, why is he putting up with Peter?

Dante says Dallas told him about herself, so now he’ll tell her about himself. His name is Dante Falconari, and he’s a cop originally from Brooklyn. He roots for Notre Dame – go Irish. He introduces Sam and says he’s never asked her what college football team she roots for. She says she’s not really into college football. She’s more of a Giants fan. He says, wow. That means she has the strength of character to stay true in good times and in bad. Dallas asks if there’s a point here somewhere, and he says they have a close connection to the WSB, and he’s guessing she wouldn’t want them sniffing around her consulting business. It’s probably in her best interest to tell them what they want to know. Dallas says, which is what? and he asks if she’s ever done a job for David Henry Archer, aka Shiloh. She says, that bastard? Is he the reason for all this? Early on, they worked for the same defense contractor, but Arch was a field guy, basically a soldier; she did logistics. He always had a racket, some way to make money. She helped him out a couple times and took a cut of the profits, but she got a better gig, and they lost touch. Dante asks when she last heard from him, and she says, a couple years ago. He called her out of the blue. He had a job and was willing to pay generously. Dante asks, what was the job? and she says he hired her to fake a plane crash in the Gulf of Adan. He wanted it to look like a charter jet went down with no survivors.

Portia asks if Curtis has made any progress in the link between Jordan’s investigation and his. They sit at a table, and Curtis says, yes. Jordan wanted to interview Roger Barstow because he traveled to the US with Naomie Dreyfuss. Naomie Dreyfuss turned up dead in a hotel room a couple months back. She’s Hayden Barnes’s mother, so the theory is  that whoever tried to kill Hayden succeeded in killing Naomie. She says, but Curtis wanted to talk to Barstow about his time in Creighton-Clark; more specifically, Drew Cain’s time at Creighton-Clark. Curtis says he knows it’s a long shot, but he was hoping Barstow had some records that could lead them to where Drew is now. She says, so the million dollar question is, was Roger Barstow killed because of Naomie Dreyfuss or Drew Cain? He says, what if it’s both?

Sam asks if Dallas is saying there was no plane crash. It never happened. Dallas says, not as far as she knows, and Dante asks, how you fake a plane crash? Dallas says, it only works over deep waters. You get the make and model of the jet in question, and file a flight plan. The real jet follows the flight plan to a designated point, makes a distress call, turns off their beacons, and flies away. Meanwhile, a team dumps the wreckage of the same make and model of the jet in the ocean. Rescuers search the area, no bodies are recovered, and no one is looking for the real plane. Dante asks if she knows where the real flight landed, but she says, no idea. He asks if she knows who was on the plane, and she says, never asked; never wanted to know. He asks how much she was paid, and she says, two million, plus the cost of jet parts. He says, did she ever ask herself how Archer managed to pay it? and she says, he was just the go-between. Arch arranged the deal for a third party who could afford to pay.

Peter tells Victor, his father kept records, but not all in one place. His work took him all over the world; it’s a lot of ground to cover. Victor says he’s heard this before. It always sounded like an excuse; now it sounds like a stall. He opens the door, and Peter says he’d have more time to focus on the search if he knew his baby girl and her mother were safe and sound – with him. Victor says, so he’s expected to recover Peter’s baby with her mother, and return them to Peter. In exchange, Peter will keep looking for the key to Drew? It doesn’t sound like fair exchange to him. He’s not convinced Drew’s worth it. Peter says Victor has more than two years invested in the guy, not to mention all the personnel Drew took out trying to escape. Why give up when he’s so close to the payoff? Victor says, because Peter managed to lose his baby, and it’s going to cost him a lot of effort and influence to find her. Peter says, but Victor can find her.

Drew says, instead of focusing on what Victor is after, let’s stick to what we actually know. He asks what Valentin and Anna are doing in Crete, and Valentin wonders where he starts. The mother of Peter August’s daughter is Maxie Jones. Drew says, Obrecht told him all this. Peter hired a baby nurse, and replaced her with someone who works for him. That woman kidnapped the baby and handed her off to a third person, then died. Valentin says, that’s right; Peter’s nurse is dead. But amazingly, the nurse Maxie originally intended to hire is alive and in Crete. Drew says, Chloe Jennings? and Valentin asks how he knows that name. Drew says, because she was here too. They tried to break out together. They got as far as the parking lot, and he held off the guards so Chloe could make it to a car, and escape, but Russel, the guy Victor hired to run this place, was sure they’d track her, find her, and bring her back. Valentin says, Chloe was in a single car accident, and Drew asks if she was hurt. Valentin says, she was able to walk away, and got to a small village with a tavern – the same one where he was drinking. Then she passed out, but not before telling them her name, and that she was an American citizen. The locals contacted the authorities, and they took her to the American Consulate where she’s at the hospital. Drew asks, how is she? but Valentin doesn’t know. The last time he saw her, she was unconscious. Drew says he told her to go, and Valentin says, maybe she’s awake. The doctors said her condition wasn’t serious. Drew hopes so. Nothing in her life prepared Chloe for this place, but she handled it like a pro, and now she’s somewhere safe. Valentin asks how much Chloe knows, and Drew says, she only dealt with Russel. She doesn’t know anything about Victor and Peter. Valentin says, but she knows about Drew, doesn’t she?

Anna says she knows Robert doesn’t trust Valentin; she’s not asking him to. So if he would prefer their investigations to be separate, that’s fine by her. However, it does mean that when Chloe is able to answer their questions, she’ll take the lead. He asks if this means Valentin is going to sit in on these meetings. Neither of them are agents at the moment, and it occurs to him, if Valentin and Anna are working together, shouldn’t Valentin be there? Anna says, yeah. When Chloe turned up, she was in a little village… He says he read the report, and she says, she and Valentin went there to interview some of the locals. They had couple of drinks just to… smooth things over, and he stayed. He’s there still. Robert says, to interview potential witnesses. Or maybe he’s face down in an ashtray. That would be Robert’s choice. The guard says, Miss Jennings is awake.    

Anna shows Chloe her badge and says she’s a special agent with the WSB, and introduces Robert as agent emeritus. First, she wants to tell Chloe that she’s at the US Consulate medical facility. Chloe says, the nurse explained, and Anna says she’s notified the consul, and she’s on her way. She should be there shortly, so if Chloe wants to wait for her, that’s absolutely all right. Chloe asks if she’s in trouble, and Anna says, God no. They have reason to believe Chloe was abducted and transported there by an individual they’re currently investigating. She’s asking for Chloe’s help. Robert says they don’t expect Chloe to take them on faith; she can call the consul and have them checked out. Chloe says she’s from Port Charles, and they’re famous there. She’ll tell them everything she can.

Valentin says he knows Drew wants to talk facts, but he needs to speculate for a second. Drew says they’ve got nothing else to do, and Valentin says, hypothetically, Anna hasn’t been drugged. She circles back to Chloe and Chloe’s awake. She tells Anna that she was held captive there, but escaped thanks to Drew Cain. Now Anna knows Drew is alive and being held captive. If she hasn’t noticed that Valentin has disappeared already, she will soon. Drew says, and Valentin was in the same place Chloe showed up. Valentin says, that’s where she’ll start the search. The WSB will get involved, and get security camera footage, and satellite imagery. He doesn’t care how well-hidden Victor has this place, Anna will find them sooner rather than later. Drew asks if they sit and wait, but Valentin says, no. Peter’s not an idiot. He now knows the security of this place has been compromised. Drew says, so he’s got to move, and Valentin says, or cut his losses. Drew says, that’s just beautiful. He’s been held up there for two years, and now Victor or Peter are going to have to kill him to cover their ass. Valentin says, wait a minute. They’ve kept him alive this long; it’s possible Drew still has something one or both of them want. He may be the liability. Drew says, then one or both of them is about to die, and Valentin says, hypothetically. Drew says, then he needs something from Valentin.   

Dante and Sam go back to their room, and Sam makes a call. Dante asks who she’s calling, and she says, Anna, but you know what? She can’t call. She doesn’t even know what to say to Anna. They have no evidence. All they did was listen to a story. He asks if she doesn’t believe Dallas, and she says she wants to, but that’s the start of a good con; you tell the mark what they want to hear. He asks if she thinks Dallas made it up, and she says, it’s possible. He says, but why? There’s the beginning of a good police investigation – two things; who benefits and what’s the motive? Not Shiloh; he’s dead. Not Dallas; she’s already been paid. Sam says, maybe she was paid to distract them, and point them in a different direction, but he says, she didn’t point them in any direction. She didn’t know who was on the plane, she doesn’t know where the plane landed. All she said was that she dumped some plane parts in the Gulf of Adan. Which fits perfectly with the WSB’s thin file on the incident. Sam says, there was nothing to investigate because the crash never happened. It was Drew on that call. He’s been alive this whole time.

Victor says he did a deep dive into the woman Peter hired to replace Chloe Jennings. Another loose end he had to warehouse for Peter. Peter says, Victor let Chloe escape, and Victor says, Drew Cain made that possible, who he can’t fully control because Peter failed to provide him with the key. Peter says, it seems they’re going in circles with all of this, and Victor says, agreed. One thing they can do is decide if they just call it quits and go their separate ways, or do they make one final effort at a mutually beneficial arrangement? Peter says he wants his daughter back, and her mother with her. Make it happen, and he’ll get Victor the key. Victor says he’d better, and Peter says he’ll get back to work immediately.

Drew asks if Valentin is still living in Port Charles, and Valentin says he and his daughter are staying at the Quartermaines. Drew asks how that happened, but Valentin says, it’s a long story he’s not certain they have time for. What does Drew need from him? Drew says he was wondering if Valentin had seen his daughter, and Valentin says, Scout? Yes, quite a lot. She and Danny are inseparable, and have rooms at the Quartermaines. Drew asks what Scout is like, and Valentin says, she’s lovely. She’s bright, articulate, and inquisitive. She’s a tomboy who likes to climb trees, and loves to go exploring with Annabelle II. Drew loves that she has access to a dog, and Valentin says, his daughter Charlotte is taking ballet, so now Scout wants to take ballet too. A guard comes in, and tells Valentin, let’s go. Valentin is taken away by another two guards, and he tells Drew, get out of this alive. Find Peter and kill him. Drew says he’s way ahead of Valentin.

Curtis says, Creighton-Clark, where Roger Barstow worked, was a sketchy organization; basically a front for dirty ops in the WSB. Portia says, sounds ominous, and he says, the official story is that the place blew up, and everyone with ties to it is either dead or in prison. But the official story could be wrong. She says, that would mean the dirty ops are still running, and maybe Barstow was a part of it. Maybe Naomie was too, and they killed her to keep quiet, and killed Barstow for the same reason. He says, maybe, but there’s no way to prove it.

Sam tells Dante, finally they’re making progress. They know the plane crash was staged, and Peter caused it. He says, Dallas didn’t say anything about Peter, but Sam says, she did say there was a third party involved who was able to pay, and Peter already admitted causing Drew’s crash. He says, there’s something they’re missing; an element they haven’t seen. Peter couldn’t have done this on his own. He had help. She says, they don’t know who that person is, so can they not worry about that now, and focus on Peter? He says, Peter’s a fugitive. They have no idea where he sent Drew. He doesn’t know what their next step is. Sam says Drew can help them. He’s obviously fighting to come home. Dante asks if Sam has thought about what happens when he does.

Valentin is brought to Victor, who tells the guards to wait outside. They uncuff Valentin, and leave. Valentin says, Uncle Victor, alive and well, I see, and Victor says, he must admit he was anticipating a bigger reaction. Valentin says Victor can thank his cellmate for that, and Victor says he wasn’t sure how much Drew understood of his circumstances. Valentin says, Liesl Obrecht filled him in on the high points, including Victor’s involvement. Where is she, by the way? Victor says, she’s safe, and Valentin says, is she? His friend Peter hates her, and is the antithesis of self-restraint. Victor says, that’s why he brought Valentin there. He needs Valentin’s help.

Anna asks Chloe to start with the circumstances that led to her disappearance, and Chloe says she was on a job interview. An expectant mother needed a nurse for the final few weeks of her pregnancy, and to help out when the baby was born. Robert asks if she remembers the mother’s name, and Chloe says, Maxie Jones. She was supposed to go to Maxie’s apartment, but the baby’s father asked to meet her ahead of time. She’s used to anxious partners, so she agreed. Anna asks the father’s name, and Chloe says, Peter August. They met at the MetroCourt. He seemed nice enough; a little type A, but that’s not unusual for first time fathers. She answered his questions and left the interview. She remembers walking out of the hotel, turning on Van Nuys, and that’s it. The next thing she knew, she was in a cell. They didn’t tell her where or why. Anna asks, who’s they? and Chloe says, the guards, and Russell. Robert asks who Russell is, and she says, the man who runs the place. He knew she was a nurse, and said she might as well be useful. He had her give basic first aid to the guards, and eventually to the other prisoner. Anna says, there was another prisoner? and Chloe says, he helped her escape. He said he was a Navy SEAL and could hold off the guards. Anna asks his name, and she says, Drew Cain.  

Drew traces Scout’s name that he’s written on the wall. The door opens, and he says, you spineless bastard. Finally you show your face. It’s Peter.

Curtis asks if Portia would like another glass of wine, and she says, she’d like one, but she’d better not. She was getting carried away with all the espionage lingo and dirty ops. He says she had a good theory going; it made a lot of sense. She says, maybe she missed her calling. She puts her glass on the bar, and he says he thinks she’s great at her calling. She’s a gifted doctor, and helps people. It’s got to make her proud. Not to mention she raised a wonderful young woman. She says, no argument there. To be perfectly honest, part of the reason why she came there tonight is, she was avoiding going home. He imagines it’s probably lonely with Trina living in the dorms, and she says she spent eighteen years parenting Trina. Guiding her, shielding her, lecturing her at times. Now her job is to step back and let Trina find her own way, which she’s totally committed to doing, but it’s harder than she thought. He says, maybe he can help, and she asks if he has another case. He says, no more cases. He was thinking dinner, maybe at a club. He can check out the competition. She says she’d like that very much, and he says, let’s go.

Robert asks Chloe to tell him again how she escaped, and she says, it was Drew’s idea. He said she had to earn the guards’ trust. He’d stolen a pen from Russell. He was going to use it to pick the lock on his handcuffs. But instead, he told her to turn him in. So she did.  

Sam tells Dante, if he’s asking about Scout, she’s going to have to get to know her father all over again. If he’s asking about her, she realized she didn’t have a child with Drew. She had a child with a man she thought was Jason. Drew is a man who grew up in a state home, and after high school, went into the Navy and became a SEAL. She doesn’t know him. When they were together, he didn’t know himself. We see Anna is calling Dante, but he doesn’t notice or is just ignoring the phone. He says, three years ago, he wouldn’t have known what Sam was talking about, but after going through what he went through, he gets it. The way Dr. Kirk messed with his head… you get the feeling you have no sense of self. You don’t trust yourself for who you are anymore. That’s what’s terrifying. Sam stopping him from killing Peter was a turning point for him. Ever since, he’s been getting help from Doc, his mother, and her. She helped him find his way. There’s no going back, but he can find a way forward. Sam says, that’s what Drew is going to have to do. He’s going to have to figure out who he is now, and what he wants now. Dante says, he’s going to need help, and she says she’ll be there to help him, because he’s Scout’s dad. The Drew she thought she loved doesn’t exist. In fact, he never did.

Robert asks if the ruse worked, and Chloe says, they trusted her enough, so that the next time they brought her to Drew’s cell, she tricked one into coming in. Drew knocked him out, and took his keys. They made it outside the door. That’s when Drew sent her on alone, and went back to hold off the guards. He was so brave; they have to help him. Robert says they have to find him first, and Anna says, anything Chloe could tell them about the location of the compound would help.

Valentin says, the last time he saw Victor would have been on Cassadine Island before he was sent off to school. He must have been six. Victor says, but Valentin remembers him? and Valentin says, not really. Photographs, stories… He was the same one, the surviving brother, but not for long, not if he’s working with Peter. He’s not going to survive that. Peter will double-cross him. Victor says that’s why he needs Valentin’s help. Peter will kill them both unless they work together.

Chloe tells Robert and Anna, it’s by the ocean; that’s all she knows. Anna says Chloe may know more than she realizes. Take them through what she did, everything she remembers. Chloe says she got in the guard’s car, and floored it. She was sliding all over the road, but kept going fast as she could; she knew they’d be after her. She saw lights in the distance, and drove toward them. She missed a turn, and drove into a ditch. She must have hit her head and blacked out. When she came to, she walked toward the lights. There was a little town with a little bar. Some people were out front, and she told them her name. She said she was an American and needed help. Then she woke up there. Anna asks if Chloe has any idea how far the compound was from where she crashed, but Chloe says, it’s hard to say. Twenty miles? It was dark, and she was just trying to stay on the road. Robert says she’s been incredibly helpful, and very brave, and Chloe says she still doesn’t understand why this happened to her. Drew didn’t know either. Who’s their suspect? Anna says, he’s the last man she met in Port Charles – Peter August.   

Peter says he’d hate to have to shoot Drew, but he will. Drew says, shooting an unarmed man in handcuffs is definitely Peter’s style. Peter says he’s offended. Drew doesn’t want to thank Peter for keeping him alive all this time? Drew says, like Peter did with his brother? This is the same crap he pulled on Jason. Peter made the world think Jason was dead, but kept him on ice until he could use him. Peter says, there were some complications with Jason, but there won’t be with Drew. Drew says, screw him. He’s a Navy SEAL. Peter can’t force him to do anything. Peter says, wrong, and holds up The Tower tarot card. He says, you’re active… Soldier. Drew says, reporting for duty, and Peter puts the card in his pocket. Peter says, you have a new mission.

Tomorrow, Maxie tells Austin that she’s not the only one who could use protection; Victor says, Peter is the guilty party, not him; Valentin wants to know how Anna is being protected; and someone shoots at Robert and Anna.

Vanderpump Rules

Schwartz did some kind of Soul Cycle rip-off class with Brock, and In Brock’s interview, he said if there was a physical training thing you’ve heard of, he’s tried it. In Schwartz’s  interview, he said Brock looked like something out of Greek mythology. Schwartz felt that he got screwed, and theorized on the perfect thigh-to-junk ratio, since it had been on his mind for a long time. He came up with 1 to 1.618 being the perfect ratio, and said it was difficult to grasp, but luckily he went to Florida State. Apparently, he also has too much time on his hands. Tom Sandoval whined to Brock that Katie had been out of line, arguing with him over the new restaurant name. In Brock’s interview, he said Schwartz and Sandy’s was trash. Personally, work on it. I like it. He’s a man who gets to the point. He said Tom had to respect Katie as his business partner’s wife, and Tom got super emotional, saying it was really about what he and Schwartz had done together. He had the feels because LVP had been inspired by that, and made them partners in TomTom. Sandoval said he wasn’t having somebody who did nothing but build Legos during quarantine tell him that he was uninspired. I dunno. Building stuff with Legos can definitely be inspired. In Schwartz’s interview, he said it was really him who said the name was uninspired, and we saw a clip backing that up. God forbid he should actually communicate this to Tom. And please feel free to drink when you hear the word inspired.

LVP met Ariana for lunch, not at one of her restaurants. In Ariana’s interview, she said when she was working at SUR, she never knew she and Lisa would have a relationship where they were Having lunch together. Lisa understood Ariana’s struggles with mental health, depression, and anxiety because she’d been there. Lisa asked about the new business, and Ariana said Tom was excited about Lisa being supportive. They discussed Katie wanting to be involved, and Ariana said she thought Katie having a strong opinion stressed the Toms out. And by that, she meant Tom Sandoval. She told Lisa that she and Sandoval had taken out a home equity loan, but it was only against Tom’s half of the equity. 😯 In Ariana’s interview, she said if anything happened, Tom would be financially responsible, and her financial responsibilities would remain intact. Um… In Lisa’s interview, she said it didn’t work like that. If the loan is in default, the bank doesn’t take half a house. Thank you, Lisa. Ariana told Lisa about Scheana and Lala falling out, and how Lala ripped Ariana to shreds in her podcast (slight exaggeration). She didn’t know who Lala was sometimes. Ariana wondered where this was coming from. Lisa asked if they weren’t going on a trip, but Ariana said, it’ll be fine. I doubt it will be anything even close to fine. Even on a good day, these trips are never fine.

James paid a visit to Sandoval, and spilled that he was going to ask Raquel to marry him. In James’s interview, he said Tom was amazing, helping him plan the proposal. The way Tom described the proposal scene, it sounded like he was bringing in a circus – literally. In his interview, James said that Raquel cherished her memories of Coachella. It hadn’t happened in the last two years, so he asked himself, what was the most romantic place in the world? The rave tent at Coachella. James told Tom that he did a manly hike with Raquel’s dad, and had asked for his blessing. Her father said he could throw James in a ditch right there, and then told him, welcome to the family, but it wasn’t a yes. In his interview, James said his family loved Raquel, but for him, it was like Mission Impossible. Call him Tom-effing-Cruise. Tom (not Cruise) said Raquel was going to lose it.

Everyone packed for Palm Springs, and in Lala’s interview, she said, before she had Ocean, her suitcase was filled with booty shorts and crop tops. Now, it was half mom jeans, and half Ocean’s stuff and her breast pump. She was freaked, waiting to see if she’d be on the New York Times Best Seller List. She’d been aggressive about it, even signing books when no one asked her to. She got all weepy, and I thought, geez, I’d be glad to just get something published. Randall said if she let the list take away her accomplishment, she was cheating herself. She told Randall that she looked at things mostly in black and white; she wasn’t good with grey. She and Ariana were in the grey, and having a kid at home was the only thing that had stopped her from drowning Ariana in her own pond. Randall said he was scared, and I didn’t blame him.  

The Toms went to Villa Rosa – Puffy! – and while Schwartz filled a watering jug for Lisa, Tom said he was going to violate James’s trust. He told her that James was proposing, and in Lisa’s interview, she said she was happy for them, but also worried. Raquel deserved the best, and she hoped James could be the person he wanted to be. Schwartz returned with the water, and said, if reincarnation was a thing, he wanted to come back as a turtle at Villa Rosa. Tom said he wanted to come back as a pony, and Schwartz asked if that was because Lisa could ride him. She told Schwartz that was too easy, and I had to agree. She asked about the Toms’ wives involvement in the new restaurant, and Tom wailed about Katie saying the name was uninspired. In Lisa’s interview, she said she was passionate about names –Villa Blanca, PUMP, TomTomSchwartz and Sandy’s, eh, not so much. Schwartz asked if Lisa didn’t like it, and finally admitted the uninspired comment came from him. The words had rubbed him the wrong way, and he’d asked Katie to plant a seed of doubt. In Tom’s interview, he said he wasn’t stoked that Schwartz had been sneaky and shady about wanting him to change the name, but instead of Katie, he should have had Lisa come to him. Someone he respected. Lisa asked why Schwartz was such a p*ssy.

Schwarz told Katie that he was glad she wanted to be involved, but her conversation with Tom hadn’t gone well. In Katie’s interview, she said, Schwartz wanted her to put doubt in Tom’s mind, and now he wants her to apologize. She was pretty sure Schwartz said, til death do us part to her, not Sandoval. Everyone headed to Palm Springs, including Charli, but Scheana and Brock were going to be late. I wasn’t paying attention, so I don’t know if they rented a house, or it was an Airbnb, or what, but it was big and impressive. They gathered in the kitchen, and Ariana said Scheana and Brock were coming with Lala and Randall, who had a house down the road. Lala found out she didn’t make the NYT list, and in her interview, she said she’d put her heart and soul into the book. She didn’t know why she was so emotional. She was proud of the book, and it had been a dream come true for her to be a published author, but not making the list made her feel extremely rejected. Randall told her he’d gotten a cake that was going to say congratulations, but had second thoughts, and told them to change it. I was surprised she didn’t say it was his fault.

Charli brough along a synthetic head she’d used during her time at esthetician school. She’d named it Buffy, and I thought it was creepy AF. James announced that there would be a pickleball tournament tomorrow, and in Ariana’s interview, she informed us that pickleball combined the elements of badminton, table tennis and tennis. She said it sounded like it was for old people, which seemed judgy and probably not true, since it involves running around after a ball. Tom added that the following day they were having a mini Coachella. Lala and Ariana’s altercation was brought up, and in Charli’s interview, she said she’d known gangsters, and Lala wasn’t one of them. Sandoval told everyone that tonight, they were having an off-the-runway show, and they all dressed up in decidedly weird ways. Brock and Scheana arrived with Lala and Randall. Lala was super bummed that she wasn’t on the list, but still proud. In Scheana’s interview, she said Brock was a Jack-of-all-trades. He cooked, cleaned, baked, and sewed. Where can I get one of these? She said she didn’t know if he could hang a TV in under seven minutes, but he would try. They put on the fashion show, which culminated with Schwartz jumping in the pool. In Katie’s interview, she said only Sandoval would think up a contest focused on what he excelled at, be the host, the only judge, and also a contestant. When he won, she said, shocker.   

Katie asked Lala what was up with her and Ariana. She thought they were coming from two different places, and in Katie’s interview, she said they were both right, because they both felt a certain way, but they were also both wrong, to be angry because of how the other one felt. Randall said Schwartz did the Schwartz Shuffle whenever he asked about the new bar. Schwartz said it was complicated, and in his interview, when a producer asked what the concept of the bar was, all Schwartz did was laugh. I’m not sure what that means, but Randall said he’d never bring Schwartz to a meeting. In her interview, Katie said she wished Schwartz would be more assertive, and have more confidence when talking about something he’s passionate about. Ariana asked if James was ever going to DJ at SUR again, but he said he’d had a slip-up, and his anger got the best of him. He’d disrespected Lisa’s son. We flashed back to that, and James said, it was a test, and he failed. He had to learn from it. In a dual interview, James said, he never wanted to be that guy in the couple who drags the other down, and Raquel said what he did reflected on her. Schwartz said James had made leaps and bounds, and Sandoval said they’d all done something like that. Lala said everyone was telling James, it’s okay, this happens, but she didn’t get the same treatment. She came for Raquel two years ago, and even her friends told her to muzzle herself, and get back in her cage. The way Ariana acted at Scheana’s birthday was horrible, then Charli said, she was just hurt. Charli told Lala that she was allowed to say what she wanted to. Lala was like, stay out of it, bitch, and Charli said, don’t call her a bitch.

Lala and Charli got into it, and Charli said she’d been nothing but nice. Lala said she’d never been mean to Charli, but Charli begged to differ. She’d picked on Charli about what she ate. In Charli’s interview, she said she’d had issues with food since she was a girl. For someone who just said they knew gangsters, she got all emotional and weepy, and said she hadn’t come there to tell them that childhood trauma was the reason she didn’t eat things. In her interview, she said she was forced to eat certain things, and if she didn’t, punishment was involved. Other kids might get no desert, but her punishment was more intense, and not easy to deal with as a little girl. Lala had made comments that weren’t nice; everyone did. She told them that they were all a-holes, and in Charli’s interview, she said, when people bothered her about her food choices, she went back to being a four-year-old, anxious and defeated, who couldn’t control the circumstances.

Scheana took Charli inside, and Brock told Lala that he thought they should talk about it. Lala went in, and told Charli that she wasn’t a mind reader, and Charli said, instead, Lala made assumptions. Understand where it’s coming from, instead of just saying she’s a dumb bitch. Lala said the word bitch just flew out of her mouth like she was ordering Perrier, and in her interview, she said it was like an addiction. We saw 5000 different clips of her saying bitch, and she said it was all in how you delivered it. Lala told Charli, if Charli had an opinion she didn’t like, she might come at her. Charli said that wasn’t fair, and she thought they could relate more than disrelated [sic], which I don’t think is a real word. Charli said she was giving Lala a hug, even though she wasn’t a hugger, and Lala said she was a huge hugger. How was this friendship ever going to work?

Next time, pickleball, Brock talks about his ex-wife and kids, Ourchella happens, and Raquel wonders how James isn’t embarrassed by her. Yes, you read that right.

🔐 Escaping My Cell…

I have an early day, but join me tomorrow for a little soap, topped off with the latest in Erika Jayne news. Or as Bravo likes to call it, RHOBH. Until then, stay safe, stay stopping to smell the roses, and stay having confidence in what your passionate about. Don’t be a Schwartz.