(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
As I thought it would be, today was a rerun. At least it was a special one – the April 2nd episode where the characters had a scavenger hunt at the hospital, per the instructions in Gail’s will. Even though it was an enjoyable episode, I chose to watch People’s Court, which I love, but hardly ever get to see. I’m pleased to report that Doug Llewelyn is still just as annoying, sticking his microphone in the defeated litigant’s face, saying, so how does it feel to be a big loser? It always boggles my mind that no one has punched him out… yet.
Vanderpump Rules/Summer House
Tonight, even though the season has ended for Vanderpump Rules, the digital guide said Bravo was airing a new episode, describing it as a mash-up with Summer House. But what was listed as Vanderpump Rules was really a retrospective of the past Summer House season with some of the VPR cast – Stassi, Beau, Katie, and Schwartz coming on the scene forty-five minutes in. I felt ripped off, since it all turned into a two-hour episode of SH, half of which I’d seen already. I was like, yay! I get to hear about new cast member Jordan’s ED problems all over again. Kyle wanted to propose to Amanda, even though he’d cheated on her five minutes ago. Stassi advised against the timing, and Kyle broke down in tears. Carl did give a nice mixed metaphor when he said he got past first base and scored a touchdown. I don’t know much about sports, but I do know bases and touchdowns are from two different types of games. Next week is the finale, which is sure to have an amusing moment when Kyle asks Amanda’s father for his blessing. Her father’s response? Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Looks like there might be more tears coming for Kyle.
🍳 MasterChef will begin it’s 10th season this Wednesday, May 29th at 8 pm, followed by Gordon Ramsay’s 24 Hours to Hell and Back at 9 pm. I need one of those TVs where you can watch more than one show at the same time.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Scotty tells Ava it was quite number. Ava says, the audience seemed to like it. Lucy says, the Nurses Ball audience is the kindest audience in the entire world, and will clap for anything, no matter how obvious and cliché. Ava says everyone is there, especially her, to serve the greater good.
Backstage, Ryan tells an unconscious Doc that he saw his darling Ava. She gave the performance of a lifetime. It was like she was singing just for him. Soon, she’ll learn the reports of his demise are premature. Doc’s demise, however, promises to be timely.
Sonny says someone stopped by the house, and had an Uber outside. Cameron tells Sonny that he helped Oscar record a message that he promised to give Josslyn before the Ball. Carly says, Oscar wants Josslyn to sing their song.
Jax finds Josslyn, and says her mother was wondering where she was. He was too, but he’d never say that. He’s too cool of a dad.
Nina swills champagne. Michael takes it she didn’t like the last number. Valentin senses something amiss, and Nina tells Michael that his little friend has quite a mouth on her.
Willow tells Shiloh, excuse me, and tries to breeze past him. He wonders what that was about a child, and she says, Nina doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Shiloh says Nina seems convinced Willow has a child. Willow should just start screaming that he’s assaulting her.
Mac asks Chase what he’s got. Chase says Curtis and Laura found where Ryan was hiding. They got no help from the owner of the house, but they called later, and Laura and Curtis came back. It was a trap. Ryan had killed the owner, and ambushed them. They were immobilized, and the place was ready to explode. Felicia asks if they’re okay, and Chase says they got out just in time, but Ryan is coming back, and has a big head start. Felicia says, he could be anywhere. Ava says they know where he’s going.
Sam tells Lucas that she’s looking for her plus one. Lucas asks how DOD is working for her, and she says she’s learning a lot. I love how she never quite lies. Lucas says, Brad is getting a lot out of it. Brad comes back with their drinks, and says, what? Lucas says, Dawn of Day. He asks Sam, remember how anxious Brad was when they got Wiley? He’s not anymore. He used to wake up in a cold sweat, terrified they were going to lose Wiley.
Michael says, Willow is a good person, but Nina says, she’s not good at minding her own business. Michael says Willow isn’t going to be teaching there anymore because of her. Nina hopes so. Valentin says Willow only has herself to blame. She has a habit of interfering. Nina says Willow doesn’t think she and Valentin are suitable parents, and apparently, Willow gave up a baby, and didn’t want anyone to know about it. Michael excuses himself, and Sasha looks puzzled. Funny how it’s Nina who can’t seem to mind her own business here.
Willow says she doesn’t answer to Nina, who’s a self-involved drama queen. Shiloh says that’s why Willow hid. That’s why she ran, and changed her name. Willow says she’s not the only woman who’s run from him. She was taking her life back. He gets in her face, putting his finger in it, and actually seems kind of scary. He tells her, don’t lie to him. She was pregnant when she left. She says, yes, she was.
Lucy says she’s so proud that their community comes together to fight HIV and AIDS. The next act is a great example; an extremely talented couple who gets out for a good cause. Ned and Olivia sing GetCloser. Obviously ned has sung before – he is Eddie Mayne – but I don’t remember Olivia ever singing, and she’s pretty good. There’s much applause, and Ned and Olivia hug. I’m wondering how they pick the songs.
Shiloh insists it’s his child, and Willow says, sure about that? She asks, how does it feel to be lied to and manipulated, and be powerless? He doesn’t deserve a child. Shiloh gets a seriously scary face on, all angry and bug-eyed, and punches the wall. He grabs Willow, and she says she lost the baby; she had a miscarriage. He grabs her face, and says he sees it on her face and in her eyes. She’d better tell him where the baby is. She says, there is no baby, and Michael grabs Shiloh from behind, tossing him across the room like the garbage he is. Michael takes off his jacket, and says if Shiloh wants Willow, he has to come through him. Wow. Michael is impressing me for the first time ever.
Valentin tells Nina not to let Miss Tait ruin her evening. Sasha says it’s incredible. Maybe next year, they can perform together. If she makes it. Nina asks why she wouldn’t, and Sasha says she means if she makes the cut. Nina says nothing would mean more to her than performing with her daughter. She apologizes for her mood. She’s not letting Miss Tait ruin the Nurses Ball for her.
Lucy approaches Josslyn, and says she made it. Nothing keeps a Jax down for long. Josslyn says she’s sorry, but she can’t sing. Lucy had said that was okay. Lucy says she did, and she’s just glad Josslyn is there. She looks absolutely beautiful. They’ll talk later. Josslyn excuses herself. Carly says she’s going to have a word with Lucy, but Jax says she might embarrass Josslyn. Cameron says it’s his fault. He thought he did the right thing, but maybe it was too much pressure. Sonny says Oscar trusted him, and he had to do it. If Josslyn doesn’t want to sing, it’s up to her.
Chase tells Ava that they have an APB out, and checkpoints set up. Hopefully, Ryan knows better than to come back to Port Charles. Valerie says they’re working on getting protection for her. Chase says, meanwhile, she needs protection now. Does she have somewhere to go after the Ball? She says she does.
Backstage, Josslyn looks at the song, and hears Oscar’s voice saying, it’s your turn now. You still have everything ahead of you. He wants her to live her life to the fullest. Starting tonight. And when she sings their song at the Nurses Ball, know that she’s singing for both of them. He loves her. She says she just can’t. Sonny touches her shoulder. She says she thought she was stronger than this. Is he disappointed in her? He says, not now; not ever. Oscar wouldn’t be. She asks how he knows, and Sonny says, because he loved her. All he’d want is for her to smile and be happy. Know how he knows? He had a friend that died a while ago, and knows tonight is about helping people, but he didn’t get the help. It was too late. Josslyn says, Stone. Sonny says it took him a long time to figure it out. Stone ever really left him. He’s always there when Sonny needs him. He inspires Sonny when times get tough. Oscar is doing the same thing for her. She just doesn’t know it yet. He hugs her.
Scotty tells Ava that her date is a no show. Ava says she has no time for this, and Scotty asks, when she came off the stage, who was there? Him. Where was Doc? Asleep in his soup. She deserves better. He walks away, and she makes a call. She says she’s the owner of the Cedar Mountain property, and asks them to have the caretaker open the place. She knows it’s late, but she’ll be more than happy to pay generously. She’s on her way.
Sam tells Lucas and Brad that sometimes she wakes up during the night to make sure the kids are there and breathing. It’s called being a parent. They’re just finding out, and there’s no one to tell you, especially if you haven’t held your own kid before.
Michael says Shiloh has pushed his family too far. If he was Shiloh, he’d leave and not come back. Shiloh says he’s not going anywhere, because he’s a father. He tells Willow that he’ll see her soon. She cries, and Michael holds her.
Lucy thanks the audience and says, depending on who you ask, the next performer is either the second, third, or fourth most infamous Cassadine, but he’s definitely the most talented. She asks them to welcome Valentin, who accompanies himself on the piano, and sings Nothing Without You (which was hella hard to find using the lyrics).
Scotty sees Ryan, and thinking he’s Doc, says they need to have a little talk. Ryan says he’s in a hurry, but Scotty says he’s not going anywhere, and grabs his arm. His hand comes off.
We are interrupted by breaking news that says, this graphic is working. I’m not kidding. That’s all it says on the screen, like, five times. Thanks for letting me know.
Scotty says, Ryan, and Ryan hits him over the head with some kind of wrench. He throws his fake hand on Scotty and tells him, never let it be said he didn’t have the upper hand. He’s about to land another blow, when he hears Lucy and Epiphany arguing. Epiphany says she’d better not blame Josslyn. She’ll answer to Josslyn’s father, mother, and stepfather, and if not them, she’ll answer to Epiphany.
Michael tells Willow that he’s having that SOB arrested, but she says he didn’t do anything. Which is totally not true, since he had his hands on her, but okay. Michael tells her to sit down, and tell him everything.
Shiloh goes back to the table, and Sam asks if he’s okay. He says he just found out, in the worst way possible, he has a child, and the woman never told him. Sam says, that’s horrible. Michael and Willow sit back down. Lucas is like, hmm… Shiloh tells Sam, she claims she lost the baby, but he knows she’s lying. His child is out there, and he’s going to find it.
Jax approaches Josslyn. She asks if Sonny told him where she was. He says, yep, and he and her mom flipped a coin to decide who would find her. He won. He’s always been lucky like that. He asks how she’s doing, and she says she feels like she’s letting everyone down. He says she’s not, and the only opinion she should care about is her own. She doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone. Follow her heart, and she’ll know what to do. She says, what if the right thing is really hard? and he says he’ll be in her corner, no matter what she does. Oscar will be too. He hugs her.
Mac asks Lulu when was the last time she talked to her mom. She asks, what’s going on?
Ava checks herself out in her compact, and walks to the exit. Ryan watches from backstage.
Chase tells Valerie, the Ball is almost over; it’s going to get dicey while everyone is leaving. Valerie says, all of his likely targets will be in one place. Shiloh blows past, and Valerie wonders what that’s about. Chase doesn’t care, as long as that sleaze is away from Willow. Olivia and Ned approach them, and Olivia says the place is crawling with cops. What’s going on? Chase says he’s gotten word Ryan Chamberlain is alive, and it’s presumed he’s on his way back.
Epiphany sees Scotty struggling to his feet. He says, his head, and she says, too much fun tonight? She’ll call him a car. She thinks he’s drunk.
Sam tells Shiloh to look at her and breathe. Let peace flow through his body. Shiloh is all bent out of shape, but says, okay, trying to calm down. She tells him give himself a minute. He just found out he’s a father, and she’s worried about him. He thanks her for her commitment to him and DOD. It means so much. She knows what it’s like to have a child taken away, and doesn’t want him to go through the same thing. He appreciates her, and says, now more than ever, he needs her to be in the Trust.
Michael sits with Willow. Everyone shoots looks at each other. Lucas tells Brad he just had a terrible thought. Willow and Shiloh.
Jax comes back without Josslyn, and tells Carly that Josslyn has something she needed to do. Lucy takes the stage, and says she’s so excited. The next performer is no stranger to the Nurses Ball. She’s excited, proud, and happy that they decided to return again. She asks the audience to give a warm welcome to Josslyn. Carly asks Sonny if he knew about this, and he says he had a feeling. Josslyn sits alone in the fog with the lyrics in her hand, and begins to sing, It’s Never Goodbye. The song is a lot better than I expected. She sees Oscar, dressed up, standing in the back of the room. She smiles and sings to him. He disappears, and so does her smile, but the song is done. They audience applauds wildly, but I’m wondering why they’re not standing, since that took a lot of guts.
Ava goes to her mountain house, and checks around. She locks the doors, and opens a metal briefcase. Looking inside, she says, come and get me Ryan.
Jax is proud of Josslyn, and hugs her. Carly says, beautiful, and hugs her. Josslyn tells Sonny he was right. Oscar was there when she needed him. On stage, Lucy says, beautiful, amazing, and heartfelt. She thanks Josslyn, saying Josslyn reminds her of why she’s so very honored to be a part of this event. The performers make them laugh and cry, and that’s what the Nurses Ball is about – great big feelings, and she hopes big money, big donations. Before the closing number, she has to thank a few people. The performers, who were absolutely amazing. The backstage crew. Without all of them, they could do nothing. They’re the unsung heroes. And a special thank you to Donna and Dale. They know why she’s thanking them. (I’m assuming those are crew members they lost this past year.) Most of all, she thanks the audience. They showed up with their pocketbooks and compassion. They want to see change, and beat HIV and AIDS, and every year they get closer. She tears up, and Mac yells, Lucy! They all applaud.
Shiloh asks Sam to come with him tonight. He wants to initiate her into the Trust. She says, now? He says, there’s a fight coming. He feels it, and needs her strength. Give him her strength. She says, okay. Let’s do it. His sly smile returns.
Willow tells Michael that she told Shiloh that she lost the baby, but he didn’t buy it. He’s going to come for his child. In the hallway, Brad wants to go, but Michael says Willow used to be with DOD. Shiloh said he had a kid, and Willow went off on them about letting Wiley near Shiloh. Brad says they’d better get home, and Michael says he knows what that means. Willow and Shiloh are Wiley’s birth parents.
Chase sends an APB out for Ava, and a unit sent to her penthouse.
Epiphany helps Scotty to a chair, and Valerie asks, what happened? Epiphany says, he overindulged, but Scotty says, that’s not what happened. Epiphany tells him that he needs to go home. He says he’s not liquored up. He was clubbed over the head by Ryan.
Mac tells Felicia that she needs police protection as well. Lucy calls for someone to open the curtains for the final performance. The curtains open, and Doc is hanging there in a straitjacket. Everyone is speechless. Lucy screams.
Ava’s phone rings, and she turns it off. She picks up the case, and puts it out of sight, next to a chair. She unlocks the patio doors, and pours a drink. Ryan walks to the door. He stands on the patio, looking in behind her.
Tomorrow, Ryan tells Ava that she has no idea how much he missed her, Laura tells Margaux a woman is dead because of her, Willow says Shiloh knows about the baby, and Jason tells Spinelli, it’s time to move.
The Real Housewives of New York City
Not getting Bethenny’s point, LuAnn says she didn’t feel what Bethenny did was a celebration, but an intervention. Bethenny says it was celebrating her life. She’s not getting it, and it’s basic math. LuAnn agrees she should have let Bethenny know she was going on later, but it was beyond her control. Bethenny tells her not to say negative things about her then. LuAnn says, it wasn’t meant to be negative. She didn’t mean hurt Bethenny. Bethenny says she was hurt. LuAnn says nobody was there, and they tell her they all were. Did this woman go to a different party? Tinsley says she didn’t even notice. In her interview, Sonja says, they’re not fans, they’re friends. Bethenny says, in the Berkshires, LuAnn referred to her as the queen bee, and said if she didn’t stay in the room Bethenny was taking, she was leaving. What has she done except support LuAnn? LuAnn says – wait for it – queen bee isn’t necessarily bad. Bethenny says, it was derogatory. Not everything is about her. I, I, I. It’s her favorite word. They all have their own lives. Everyone has their own sh*t. LuAnn admits to being upset with Dorinda, and throwing Bethenny under bus. Bethenny says, so is she sorry? LuAnn says she’s glad Bethenny came, and sorry she missed her. Bethenny wonders if that’s the apology – sorry I didn’t get to see you – and in her interview, wants to move the sorry. LuAnn says she appreciates all of them. In LuAnn’s interview, she says she understands, but feels ganged up on. New boyfriend Paul calls Bethenny, and she steps into the bedroom. Sonja says, it’s getting serious, and Tinsley asks what Marley thinks. Might as well.
In the bedroom, Bethenny tells Dorinda that LuAnn doesn’t get it. Dorinda does a funny pantomime, mimicking LuAnn. LuAnn joins them, and Bethenny says she’s done what she can to be a good friend. LuAnn says she wants a friendship she can trust, and Bethenny has been there for her. Bethenny says she wants to trust, and she’s been straight up with LuAnn. In LuAnn’s interview, she says she feels like Bethenny helping her is a get-out-of-jail-free card. She’ll always be grateful, but Bethenny is overusing the card. Okay. I guess asking for common decency in their everyday interactions is asking too much. Bethenny says she wants a baseline of respect. LuAnn’s little digs add up. LuAnn says she was upset, and apologizes. In Dorinda’s interview, she doesn’t think LuAnn has never thought she had to apologize for anything, including her arrest. She doesn’t like to be held accountable. LuAnn says Bethenny was there for her in a big way, and she missed her not being there at that moment. It’s not easy for her. In the kitchen, Sonja imitates LuAnn. LuAnn says being there, and not drinking; she’s on her own a lot. She made the comment out of spite, and she shouldn’t have. They hug. In her interview, Bethenny checks it off. She says, it’s like junk food; not satisfying, just cheap. It was a cheap apology. LuAnn asks about Bethenny’s new boyfriend, and Bethenny says she’s trying to be relaxed about it. In Bethenny’s interview, she says they’re dating, it’s evolving, and she’s happy, but she still loves, misses, and is mourning Dennis. She tells LuAnn that she wants her to stay sober and healthy.
Bethenny, Tinsley, and Dorinda head to the hotel. Barbara asks LuAnn how she’s doing, and LuAnn says, that was rough. She’s trying to chill. In the car, Bethenny says, that was cathartic. She wanted to be kind, and not attack. At LuAnn’s, Barbara says Bethenny was aggressive. LuAnn noticed that Barbara wasn’t chiming in, and let her sink or swim. In her interview, Barbara says she felt like LuAnn’s soldier for a long time. She’s done. LuAnn is on her own. She’s done all she can. LuAnn thinks Sonja stirs the pot. Sonja comes in, saying she’s exhausted. LuAnn tells her that she didn’t do anything but gossip. In Sonja’s interview, she says she has LuAnn’s best interests at heart, and if she’s a pot stirrer, give her the spoon. She needs to hear it. She tells LuAnn that they didn’t feel she was gracious.
Dorinda, Tinsley, and Bethenny get to the hotel. They deem the rooms adorable. Tinsley says she finds upstate boring, and wants to drink. Out of respect for LuAnn, she’d rather get bombed at the hotel.
Ramona arrives at the hotel. She brought centerpieces from her birthday luncheon for LuAnn. In her interview, Dorinda says she was too cheap to get flowers, and she didn’t invite them. She’s rubbing it in.
Sonja says she cleans up good, as she makes her hair messy. Dorinda says Bethenny will say Sonja has her sh*t together. Sonja says, after a glass of rosé, she feels adventurous. Everyone gets ready for dinner. Ramona has also brought a cake along, and Bethenny tells Sonja, Ramona takes the cake. No pun intended. Yes, pun intended.
They go to the restaurant where Ramona hosted her mother’s funeral lunch. She says it used to be a church. She points out various landmarks; it’s the town where she grew up. Her childhood home is five miles from there. She can’t remember the last time she was there; it might have been her mother’s funeral. Sonja say she hasn’t been there in ten years, but everything’s the same.
Ramona gives the restaurant hostess the cake, as well as the candles for it. They’re seated at the same table Ramona used to sit at with her family, and she’s freaking out a little. Bethenny asks if she wants to sit somewhere else, but she says, no. In her interview, she says, how strange is that? There’s only one table for six. She tells the others that she didn’t go to her father’s funeral. Her brother had him cremated, against her wishes, because he wanted to save money. Everyone is bummed. Ramona says she would have paid for it. In Ramona’s interview, she says she was left outside, so there’s a lot of darkness on the inside. Her father was abusive to her mother, and it was a horrible situation. Dorinda asks if she wants to go by the house, and Ramona says, no, very quickly. She says her father left all her money to Ramona’s sister and brother, as well as the house. The will actually said to his daughter, Ramona, he bequeathed nothing. Everyone freaks a little. In her interview, Ramona says she was broken. She was already upset. When he died, they’d reconciled, and to see it in writing was awful. Not that I don’t feel for her, but I’m surprised they don’t know it’s standard to write it in the will specifically, so there won’t be any question that it might have been overlooked. It’s always done that way, and maybe her dad didn’t think she needed anything, or never rewrote the will after they’d reconciled. She says her brother died three years ago. He hit a tree with his truck, and had a heart attack. Geez. In Dorinda’s interview, she says she didn’t know all that. Ramona has never presented it that way. She’s just used it as an excuse. We flash back to a reunion where she does exactly that. They order food and drinks.
In the car, Sonja says she wants to kill Ramona. LuAnn says she’ll be seeing Ramona tonight. In her interview, Sonja says there was no reason for her not to be invited to Ramona’s birthday luncheon. She’s in the bathroom when Ramona takes a sh*t. There’s no reason for her to be excluded from anything. Yeah, I’d say that’s pretty close, but also TMI. You’re welcome.
Bethenny doesn’t want to go all the way back to where LuAnn lives to see an eighty-year-old cabaret person perform. My jury’s out. It depends. Bethenny toasts to getting rid of bad memories, and making good ones there.
The other ladies join them. Dorinda says Sonja’s messy hairdo looks like she put her finger in an electrical socket. Bethenny is jealous. In Dorinda’s interview, she says Sonja looks like a cartoon. LuAnn gets right to it, and asks how Ramona’s birthday lunch was. They saw her Instagram. Ramona say she brought LuAnn the flowers for her home. Sonja says she’s friends with the hostess, and she wasn’t invited. Ramona stammers for a millisecond, and says she didn’t make the list. We see the clip again where Lucia asks Ramona if she can invite Sonja, and Ramona says no. Ramona says she’s having another party for thirty that will be more fun. Does Sonja want to come? Sonja says she wants to ramonacize it right away. In Ramona’s interview, she says she’s shocked at how much flack she’s getting. She has a lot of parties, and invites them, but she didn’t organize this one. Sonja says now the issue has been settled. Ramona says Rhinebeck is special, and Kingston is depressed. LuAnn says it’s happening, and Ramona tells her not to be delusional. In Tinsley’s interview, she says she has manners. She agrees the town sucks, but wouldn’t say it to LuAnn’s face. LuAnn says she wants to chill and relax. Dorinda says, she wants a blank canvas. Dorinda asks if it would upset LuAnn if they didn’t go tonight. Sonja says they can drink martinis there, and dance on the tables. Bethenny doesn’t want to argue. LuAnn says a friend of hers organized it. Bethenny says she doesn’t want to hurt the performer’s feelings. In Bethenny’s interview, she says, she’s starting a support group. It’s okay not to lovecabaret. She’d rather relax at LuAnn’s house. In LuAnn’s interview, she says she put effort into this evening. It’s disappointing that they don’t want to come.
The birthday cake comes out, and they sing. Ramona and Bethenny blow out the candles, and make a wish. LuAnn hates to break this up, but hustles her group out.
Ramona, Dorinda, and Bethenny sit at the bar. Ramona says, everything came rushing back. This was her mother’s favorite restaurant. When she died, she wanted to have lunch there, but her father didn’t want to pay for it. Bethenny asks if they were still married, and Ramona says they were. Dorinda thinks it’s weird, and Ramona says her father’s mother beat the sh*t out of him, and that’s why he abused her mother. In her interview, Bethenny says, Ramona has never spoken about her past that way. Woman to woman; what she’s been through. It’s nice to hear she’s not using her past as an excuse for her present behavior.
the others go to the Crown Bar, where the cabaret act is, and also where the local gay bar is. In her interview, Tinsley says, only LuAnn can find a bar full of queens in the middle of nowhere. Did she fly them in? LuAnn say she met John while she was shopping to find furniture for the house, and he owned a fabulous bar with cabaret performers. Margarita comes out. She and LuAnn air kiss.
Bethenny tells Ramona, the name of the restaurant, Terrapin, means turtle. We flash back to turtle time, and Ramona gets the chills.
Barbara wonders who the guy with the hair is, and we see a youngish, dude with lots of hair. More on his head than facial, smiling at them. Sonja can’t believe she’s found the only straight guy, but that doesn’t mean she has to hit it. She tells Barbara not to cross the finish line before the race begins. Tinsley says, who areyou people? Dude says hi, and Barbara asks if he’s saying hi to her or Sonja. He says her. Sonja thinks he should be left to LuAnn, who says she’s fine.
Ramona tells Bethenny and Dorinda that she had no love for her father. There was screaming and yelling, and as kids, they would hide under the covers. Bethenny says her mother weighed less than she does, and her father beat her. She would call the cops. In Ramona’s interview, she says she and Bethenny have both been through something similar that the average person wouldn’t understand.
There are no words to describe Margarita. Colorful just doesn’t cut it. She introduces herself, saying she’s from Cuba, and LuAnn got her the gig. She does an exceptionally weird version of Money Can’t Buy You Class, accompanying herself on the keyboard. In Sonja’s interview, she says LuAnn is preparing for her future; her retirement years. She can take over where Margarita leaves off. I can actually see that.
Bethenny tells Dorinda and Ramona that her mother complained that she gave up her whole life for Bethenny, and she was taken to nightclubs at fourteen. Dorinda says shame on her mother. That’s adisgrace. Bethenny says they’re all single mothers of an only daughter. She and Ramona are trying not to make the same mistakes their mothers made. Dorinda gets emotional because she didn’t know. Ramona says she and Bethenny are more alike than she thinks. Bethenny says they broke the chain. In her interview, Ramona says it hurts them both to open up, but Bethenny is more approachable, and they have a stronger connection. Ramona says Bethenny is a beautiful person.
Sonja and LuAnn get up and sing with Margarita. Because she only knows one song, and just one line from that song. Tinsley says it’s the best rendition of Money Can’t Buy You Class that she’s ever heard. In her interview, she says, sometimes being nice is not a good thing. She wishes she’d stayed with the other girls. Sonja dances with a guy and says, you’re gay, right? He says, that’s right, and she says, just making sure.
The next morning, Bethenny says her nightguard feels like cement in her mouth. Dorinda does an imitation of LuAnn. Tinsley come by, and Bethenny addresses her as Miss America. Bethenny says, the day after drinking, she feels like she was gang banged in a taxi in Times Square, and Tinsley looks like she’s ready to teach etiquette class. Tinsley imitates Margarita, and says, it’s next level crazytown. Bethenny asks if she smells a Grammy, and she says she does.
Barbara tells LuAnn and Sonja about the guy she met at the bar. We see a clip, and find out he’s a twin, and renovating his house. He tells Barbara that they have a connection, and Barbara says they can build stuff together. Sonja says Barbara looks mussed and fussed. Barbara says she wondered what LuAnn was thinking when she first said she was moving upstate, and now she feels a real need to get out of New York a little and spread her wings. LuAnn says there’s a whole universe out there. Sonja says, welcome to the Lu zone.
Bethenny, Tinsley, and Dorinda arrive. Barbara tells them about making out with the dude at the bar. Ramona gives LuAnn a gift box. Barbara says dude is renovating his house in Woodstock. LuAnn says they had a great time dancing, and Margarita learned to sing Money Can’t Buy You Class, which is debatable. In her interview, Dorinda says she grew up in towns like this, and there are no great cabaret singers to woo them at eleven at night. Barbara has to get going. In LuAnn’s interview, she says she’s bummed that Barbara is the first one to leave. The others will be going in a few hours, and then she can chill.
Sonja says Ramona is acting nicer about the town today than last night, when she said it was a poor neighborhood. LuAnn opens Ramona’s gift of the candle holders. Sonja says, it’s one of those, I love it, but what is it? gifts. In her interview, Sonja says Ramona lights a stick of dynamite, then gifts. Bethenny tells them about the turtle revelation, and says they had an emotional sharing; a trust circle of single moms with one daughter. Dorinda says it was fascinating. Bethenny asks if she was a whiner, but Ramona says she opened up more.
It’s time to go. Dorinda has to regroup for a black tie event tonight. She tells Ramona not to give her attitude. Ramona says she’s not, but Dorinda says she made a face. Ramona tells her, don’t get defensive, and LuAnn says she saw it. Ramona says Dorinda said she was leaving by twelve, so don’t be surprised when she reacts. It’s like at the charity auction when Dorinda yelled at her. Dorinda says Ramona yelled back, and we revisit that embarrassment. In her interview, Ramona says she always make faces. If her friends got mad every time she made a face, she’d have no friends. In Dorinda’s interview, she says she gets an overall feeling from Ramona, and it builds up. It’s not specific, but it doesn’t make her feel warm inside. Tinsley tells Ramona that Dorinda is still upset about the charity event, but Sonja says Dorinda interrupted Ramona. Dorinda says she didn’t, and Ramona says Dorinda is the one who should apologize. Dorinda says Ramona wants to talk all the time, and imitates Ramona asking her to go to the Angel Ball, and telling her not to invite John. Ramona insists she told Dorinda to bring John, which is a new one. They flash back to Ramona switching place cards, like it isn’t already burned in our brains. No wonder Dorinda is still mad. She has to relive it every five minutes. Dorinda says Ramona is rude, and she ended up sitting at a table by herself. LuAnn says, that’s a big party to sit by yourself. Dorinda says, if Ramona doesn’t like it, too bad. Ramona says Dorinda wouldn’t let her speak, and Dorinda says, get stronger then. They do a no, you thing for a while. Ramona says Dorinda’s speech was fabulous, and Dorinda says, then what’s the problem? Ramona says, Sonja brought it up, and Dorinda says Sonja is starting trouble.
LuAnn says they always do this. Bethenny tells them, Dennis said, it changes so fast. Two of them are fighting when it started somewhere else.
Next time, Sonja says she doesn’t want to see LuAnn fail, a Miami trip, Ramona makes out with Harry, and Sonja tells LuAnn to STFU.
Southern Charm
Eliza was either bragging or complaining about being from a Charleston family, and said she comes from a mess. After her father’s baby mama drama, they were blocked from the social scene. She didn’t even get a debut, which I suppose is pretty devastating if that’s your thing. Cameron suggested she become more socially aware. She came on too strong, and didn’t know when to shut up. Kathryn has been burned, and didn’t have an easy life. Clueless Eliza told Cameran none of them had easy lives. Really??? Kathryn moved into a new house because she’s going to go for full custody after Thomas’s legal troubles. The rent is $6600 a month, so she must be doing well. Not to mention the place is gorgeous. She said it took her six years to be accepted by society, aka Patricia. Austen said Madison made him feel some type of way, and they’re exclusive. Kathryn thought their fighting was reminiscent of her and Thomas. Austen said she made him happy, and that’s all people should care about. Apparently, Naomie brings Gizmo to work. He is very cute. She started a women’s e-commerce apparel site, and it’s doing well. Her parents took tiny ideas and turned them into something special, and she wants to follow their lead. Her father taught her that no matter how successful something is, or how well it’s doing, you still go to work every day. Good creed. She also has a new boyfriend named Metul.
Craig now has an assistant, Anna. He needs someone to nag him who isn’t his girlfriend. She has her work cut out for her, since he doesn’t remember ordering a 55-gallon drum of beef jerky from Jack’s Links, or what a W-9 is. He thought over his position with Patricia while he was in the Bahamas, but can’t accept orders until he figures out how to make pillows faster. Because he’s never heard of outsourcing to a manufacturer either I guess. Shep and Danni discussed Austen and Madison. Danni couldn’t believe they’re still together, but Shep said, sometimes good guys have threesomes. Danni has a new main squeeze, Gentry, and Shep is kind of seeing this girl. He’s conflicted though, since he likes being by himself. Danni said he was a coward who’s afraid to be vulnerable.
Chelsea got a fixer-upper, and did most of the work herself. She also has a new boyfriend, Nick, a professional sailor who drives a truck. She’s happy. Cameran, Naomie, and Danni went to lunch. They discussed Kathryn’s rent being too damn high. Cameran wanted Kathryn to invest her money rather than throwing it away on rent. She told the others about Ashley getting an award for being an outstanding nurse, and they looked at a video of her making a speech, since no one believed it. Cameran said if she was getting an award for altruism, she couldn’t be 100% bad, but Danni said she was 100% evil. Cameran thought maybe if they’d met her pre-Thomas, it might have been different, but Danni and Naomie were like, no. Just no. Cameran said she might text her, and congratulate her. Naomie told her not to do them like that, and she said she was kidding. I want to get to the part where Ashley gets kicked out of some party. They made it seem like it was earlier in the season.
Chelsea had a housewarming party. While setting up, she wanted to plastic wrap pretty much everything, and have a designated area for Shep to sit. We saw some before and after pictures, and her work is quite impressive. Cameran didn’t think she should let anyone upstairs if they’d been drinking, and Chelsea said she didn’t want to let anyone in the front door. Their tequila faces looked like mine, and I wondered again why on earth anyone drinks that stuff. Austen was embarrassed that he’d gotten hit with costs, and had to put his beer business on the back burner. Shep got dumped before the party, and Whitney’s flight was delayed, so he couldn’t make it. They played several drinking games, one of which I think they were making up as they went along. Shep went on a bike ride, lost his girlfriend when her bike ran into a ditch, and found her at the wrong house. That wasn’t why she dumped him though. She’d seen Instagram pictures of him with girls on a couch. Even though he went to bed alone, Instagram got him again.
Kathryn got together with the girls, an asked for the gossip. Cameran said Kathryn and Whitney had a rendezvous in LA. In her interview, Kathryn said, the first time they hooked up, she was intimidated and didn’t tell anyone, but he ended up telling everyone. She was idiotically in love with Thomas, and he outed her. Now, she doesn’t give a sh*t. Cameran asked what it was like, and Kathryn said, it wasn’t bad. It made Naomie wonder if Craig was right that Whitney had been jealous way back when.
Austen and Craig met Whitney for lunch. Craig asked the status of Austen’s company. He said the beer wasn’t there to drink. Whitney asked what he missed at Chelsea’s party. Austen asked if he was dating anyone, since he and Kathryn were close. Whitney told Austen, eff you, and said Austen had no downtime between girlfriends. He didn’t get what was going on with Madison. Once it was done, it wasdone, but Austen said, not true. They discussed who Debbie was and why she was a downer.
Cameran has the cutest little dog, Elvis, who joined her and Shep while they checked the crab trap at Cameran’s place. Shep asked if she was giving him crabs, and she was surprised he didn’t have them already. That makes two of us. There was only one in the trap, and Shep insisted on putting his hand in to get it out. No surprise, the crab didn’t take kindly to being in the trap in the first place, and showed his displeasure by pinching Shep good. He let the crab go because he showed gumption. The crab reminded him of him; defiant and brave.
Shep said he almost fell out of his chair when he heard Whitney and Kathryn had hooked up. Cameran said Whitney was like a dog with a bone. She doesn’t think they’d have gotten together if Kathryn wasn’t friends with Patricia now. Shep said, mother approves. Cameran said that’s one way Patricia could get the grandchild she wants. Shep thought it would be perverse and wonderful, but the universe was not that good to them. Shep told Cameran that Madison had asked what his problem was with her. Cameran wondered how Madison’s infidelity was any different than Austen’s, and Shep reiterated his theory that it’s worse to have revenge sex; that person is more culpable. Cameran didn’t think he’d say that if the roles were reversed, but he swore he would. Everybody in town knew, and Austen looked like a clown.
Next time, Shep and Danni tells Austen that Madison tried to hit on Gentry, and Shep makes Austen call her on it.
😘 I love this show. It gives me an equal balance of humor and scandal, and/or hair-pulling. While I’ve dropped a few Housewives from my radar, and others are coming close, I look forward to Southern Charm. It lives up to its name.
😧 I saw the first crossover episode of Summer House and Vanderpump Rules, where Stassi, Beau, Katie, and Schwartz hung out in the Hamptons. Katie discussing Kyle’s love life with him was just weird.
😢 Sad TV News…
Even sadder than I still haven’t seen any of this season, is that Star has been canceled. Along with QueenLatifah’s hair.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Lulu looks at her Nurses Ball tickets in the café. Maxie arrives, and hopes she’s not scalping. Lulu tells Maxie not to blow her cover. Maxie asks if she remembers how gorgeous and talented Chase was last year, and tells her that he’s performing again. She’s glad she and Peter made back in time; there was no line at security. Private jets have ruined commercial flights for her. She says they were in Toronto, and how random that they ran into Lulu’s mother and Curtis. The hotel was booked, so she invited them to hang out with her and Peter. Lulu is surprised it didn’t derail the date. Maxie says, it’s like magic. Everything is falling into place
Peter gets tea for Anna from an outside vendor. She thanks him, and he thanks her for the advice. She asks, on what subject? and he says him and Maxie.
At the hospital, Finn taps his foot impatiently. Chase runs in, apologizing for taking so long. Finn says he’d like to take Chase up on his offer. Robert still hasn’t returned the ring. Chase says, he has nerve, and Finn says, even worse, he tried to palm off a substitute ring on him.
Yvonne says, it’s a stunning ring, and Sonny tells Mike, nice job. Mike says, it’s not as beautiful as the woman wearing it. Yvonne asks Sonny if he’s as good at flattery as his father. Sonny says, it’s a familytrait. Mike knows the Nurses Ball is tonight, and thanks them for coming to their engagement party. He and Yvonne step away, and Michael asks Sonny if he’s sure this is okay. Sonny says, it’s not like they’re signing a marriage license. Michael asks if her husband knows. Sonny says, he graciously bowed out. Yvonne and Mike bring back flutes of sparkling cider. Sonny wants to make a toast, but Mike says, somebody is missing. Sonny says, Carly. Yvonne asks if she’s all right, and Sonny says, she’s on her way. She had something important to take care of.
Carly’s doctor says she hears Carly was having some pain. Carly says, nothing terrible. Epiphany examined her, she rested, went home, and it stopped. The doctor says, round ligament pain is normal. Carly says she heard her test results are in. Please tell her the baby is healthy.
On a bench in the park, Julian tells Alexis, what an ordeal. Alexis says, it was only one night in theholding cell. He thanks her, and she tells him, thank his sister. She thinks Ava is the one who got Doc to drop the assault charges. She suggests he keep his fists to himself. He says he probably should have called Kim, but Alexis says, she’s got enough on her plate.
Kim and Drew go through another box of Oscar’s things. Drew asks if she wants to take a break. They can get back to it when she feels ready. She thinks starting and stopping is worse. She opens a folder, and says, Oscar’s last English report. She reads a note from the teacher. Oscar is the type of student who reminds me why I became a teacher. He makes everyone in class want to be better, including me. Drew says Oscar made them better too.
Jason goes to Spinelli’s room at the MetroCourt. He thanks Spinelli for doing him this huge favor. Spinelli says they seem to be missing a co-conspirator. Sam knocks at the door. Spinelli asks if he dares hope that their urgent summons signals the end of Shiloh.
Lulu is glad things are falling into place. By things, she means Maxie and Peter, and by place, she means the hotel bed. Maxie says, it was worth the wait. She thinks back to her and Peter basking in the afterglow, and Maxie saying she has no complaints, and kissing him. Lulu says, finally. Cheers. They clink coffee cups. Maxie says the only thing she regrets, is that it took so long. The time she wasted wondering if it was too soon or taking too long. Lulu says it sounds like they found the perfect time to be together, and starts to cry.
Peter tells Anna, the plan was to whisk Maxie away to Paris, but they got rerouted to Toronto. Anna says she loves Toronto, and Peter says, after this, it’s hands down one of his favorite places. He thanks her for the necessary push to follow his heat. She’s glad he did, and he asks, what about her? How has she been? She says, good. She thinks there’s going to be a rather strange turn of events coming up. She believes she’s going to receive a marriage proposal. He says she doesn’t seem thrilled, and she says, it’s not Finn proposing.
Finn shows Chase the knock-off ring. He says, Robert thought he could pass it off. The one he bought looks nothing like it. Chase says, it’s not that bad, and Finn says he’s not much of a gemologist. He asks if Chase meant it about arresting Robert. Chase says, if he does, Anna will find out, and it won’t be a big jump to figure out he’s planning on proposing. Finn says it’s a risk he’s willing to take. Chase has an alternative that cuts Robert out completely. Finn says he’s listening. Chase says ask Anna to marry him without the ring.
Yvonne says, enough showing off the ring until Carly gets there. She and Mike go to the kitchen to get some food. Michael asks Sonny if the ring is a family heirloom, but Sonny says he’s never seen it. Michael says, it looks real, and Sonny says, it seems to be. He has no idea how Mike got ahold of it.
The doctor tells Carly, the baby is fine. There are no signs of any potential birth defects. She’s been taking great care of herself. Keep it up. Carly says she has a lot of help, and the doctor tells her to listen to her body. It knows what she needs. Carly says she’ll see the doctor for her appointment in two weeks, but the doctor says she’d like to see Carly sooner. Carly says she thought the doctor said everything was okay.
Kristina meets Molly in the park. They hug and Kristina thanks Molly for meeting her. She wasn’t sure Molly would come. Molly says, here she is, and Kristina says Molly has never given up on her. Molly is glad Kristina is finally taking her life back. Kristina says she’s a work in progress, and Molly says they all are. At least Kristina opened her eyes to what was being done to her at DOD. Kristina says if she could only get Sam to do the same. She’s going down the same path, and has no idea Shiloh is a predator.
Sam tells Spinelli they have an idea that will put Shiloh in prison, and keep their hands clean. Jason says when Shiloh initiates a new woman, he drugs her to lower her resistance, tattoos her, and sleeps with her. All felonies. Spinelli says they’ll need a witness testimony. Sam says that’s where he and Jason come in. They’re going to bug the house, and record her initiation.
Drew looks at a Mount Kilimanjaro poster. Kim says Oscar got it right after he read about the meteor showers you can see from there. Drew says, he never gave up on his dream. Kim finds his page from the yearbook, and says, he never turned it in. Drew asks what Oscar wrote, and she reads, don’t let troubles hold you back. Let them propel you. Drew says, it should be in the yearbook, and Kim says she’ll drop it off tomorrow. She looks at a stack of mail on the counter, and says she has no energy to go through it. Drew says he will, and she can tell him if it’s trash or not. The first thing is a water and power bill, and she jokes, saying, trash. He says there are cards, and she says she’ll deal with them later. The next thing is an offer from Ann Marie, a realtor asking to sell her apartment and help her relocate. He says, she’s not leaving town, right?
Alexis asks Julian what happened, and he says he punched Doc in the face for taking advantage of his sister. Ava sided with Doc, and he realized she’s a big girl. She needs to make her own mistakes. Alexis says she’s learning that with her daughter. He asks how Kristina is, and Alexis says, she seems good, and thanks him for hiring her back. Neil comes along, and Alexis introduces them. Juliann thanks him for helping Kristina. Julien goes to work, and Alexis tells Neil, what did she say? He tells her, be specific, and she says she keeps saying she’s put Julian in the rearview mirror, but you know what they say. Objects are closer then they appear.
Kristina says she hasn’t heard from Sam in a while, and she’s not texting back. It seems like Sam’s cutting Kristina out of her life. Molly says, sounds familiar. Kristina knows she did the same thing, but thought Sam would see through Shiloh faster. She has good instincts. Molly says she realized it was a cult, and knew Kristina would eventually. Kristina wishes she could save other women from DOD. Molly says, why doesn’t she? There are plenty of ways to get the story out. Kristina says, it’s complicated, but Molly says maybe not as much as she thinks.
Spinelli says, the initiation will be a sham, right?Sam isn’t ingesting anything or doing anything else, right? Sam says she’ll do what she has to. She knows it’s scary and disgusting, but they have to put Shiloh away once and for all, and they have a chance tonight. She invited him to the Nurses Ball, and while she and Shiloh are there, they’ll bug the house. After the Ball is over, she’ll tell him that she wants to finish her initiation. They’ll be monitoring everything, and if anything goes wrong, they’ll catch it. Spinelli doesn’t like it. Neither does Jason, but he says, Sam isn’t changing her mind.
Carly arrives at Turning Woods. Michael says Yvonne wouldn’t let them toast until she got there. Sonny asks how it went, and she says, good. He asks what the doctor had to say about the baby.
Maxie asks Lulu, what just happened? Lulu doesn’t know. She’s sorry. She thinks it’s because she misses Dante, but tells Maxie not to let the ugly cry fool her. She can be happy for Maxie, and still miss Dante. When he came home, she rushed to buy tickets to the Nurses Ball, but she forgot to return them when he left again. Maxie suggests she drop one off for one of the nurses. Lulu says she thinks she’ll give them both, but Maxie doesn’t think so. She and Peter would love to have her join them. No excuses. They always have a good time there. Going out and letting her hair down will do Lulu some good. Lulu doesn’t want to put a damper on anyone else’s evening. Maxie says she’s going. Period.
Peter says, Robert? Anna’s ex-husband? and Anna says, the one and only. He says he missed that whole thing. Doesn’t Robert know she and Finn are in love? Anna thinks Robert believes Finn is wrong for her, and if he proposes, she’ll come to her senses. He’ll make her realize Finn is not her future. She hopes she’s wrong, but Robert is what she had in the past. She wishes she could make that stubborn Aussie realize that she’s with Finn, and that’s it. Period (WOTD).
Finn doesn’t want to propose without ring, and he wants that ring, Chase knows she’s going to say yes, and suggests he tell her after she accepts. By the way, your ex stole the ring. They can have a good laugh, and Robert will be exposed. Finn says, as appealing as it sounds… Chase says he and Anna can shop for a ring together if Robert never gives it back. Finn says Chase doesn’t understand. It’s a rare Monacan sapphire. Monaco is where it all started. It tells their story, and it wouldn’t be right for him to propose without it.
Carly tells Sonny, there are no problems; the baby is just fine. Sonny says, so they’re all clear, and Carly says, almost. She hasn’t been tested for every possible condition, and the doctor wants to follow up to eliminate any other concerns. Mike and Yvonne come back with a load of cupcakes, and Carly says she’s sorry she’s late. She hugs them, and asks if she can give a toast. Yvonne says they’re out of sparkling cider, but they can toast with cupcakes. Carly tells them, raise your cupcake. She says when Sonny told her about the engagement, she was surprised. Mike has been like a father to her, and his happiness is important to her and her family. It’s been wonderful getting to know Yvonne, and hopes Mike makes Yvonne as happy as she makes him. She welcomes Yvonne to the family – may it keep growing and growing. They clink cupcakes.
Sam sees Alexis and Neil in the park. She doesn’t know what to do about Kristina. Kristina wants to meet and talk to her about her involvement in DOD, but she doesn’t want to jeopardize Kristina’s recovery. Neil asks if she’s engaged with Kristina yet. Sam says, no, and Neil thinks that’s best for now. Sam asks if ignoring her won’t make it worse. Alexis says she’ll have to lie. She can’t tell Kristina that she’s stringing Shiloh along to trick him out of Kristina’s Pledge. Neil asks what stringing Shiloh along entails.
Kim tells Drew the realtor read Oscar’s obituary, and thinks she can swoop in there and convince her to sell. What’s wrong with people? I ask that same question most days. Drew tells her not to think about that. Think about the people they talked to whose lives Oscar made better. Kim says if she was going to move, she wouldn’t give her business to Ann Marie. Drew says, so she’s not thinking of leaving? and Kim says, it’s too soon to make big decisions. She’s not going anywhere. Not now at least. He says, good. He likes having her back in his life. There’s a knock at the door, It’s Julian, who says he’s sorry he didn’t call; something came up. He sees Drew.
Kristina says, Molly has an idea how to stop Shiloh? Molly sees Peter, and says, a sign. Peter is on the phone, trying to get ahold of Finn. Molly introduces herself, and asks if he has a second; it won’t takelong. She tells him that she just graduated from PCU, and majored in literature. She has a story that she thinks would be perfect for his publication; a story the world needs to hear that would interest his readers. There’s a cult, DOD, operating right there in Port Charles. He wants to hear more, and gives her his card. He tells her to send him her resume and story pitch. He leaves, and Kristina asks, what was that about?
Sam tells Neil and Alexis that they need evidence against Shiloh. If all goes well, they’ll get it tonight. Neil says, if it’s anything illegal, don’t tell them. She says, it’s nothing like that. The only one crossing any legal lines is Shiloh. Alexis asks what they’re planning to do.
Spinelli says he got the best surveillance equipment available. Jason says, concealing it should be easy. He’s seen the room, and it’s just all candles and pillows. Spinelli says, Shiloh is neither original norsubtle. Jason says, the audio has to be perfect. They need to know exactly what’s going on.
Sam says she just wanted advice on dealing with Kristina. Neil says, if it’s over tonight, avoiding her won’t harm anything, but lying will. The less anyone knows the better. Sam says she might need Alexis’s help. She needs to go to the Nurses Ball and act like nothing’s wrong.
Spinelli wonders if Sam was always the target. Jason says, it makes sense. This started with the emails about Sam’s past. Spinelli says a follower took the blame, like a follower took the blame for an apostate’s overdose. Shiloh is always left free and clear.
Kim tells Julian they were just going through the stuff from Oscar’s school locker. He says, it can’t beeasy. Kim says, in some ways, it’s excruciating, and in other ways, it’s a nice reminder of how many people cared. Julian sees the poster, and remembers Oscar talking about Kilimanjaro, and the meteor shower he wanted to see. Drew says, Oscar can still go. He can take Oscar’s ashes to Africa, and scatter them at the summit. Kim says, Oscar would love that, but he won’t be alone. She’ll go with him. Julian thinks it’s a beautiful idea. Drew does too, and he thinks Oscar would be disappointed if they didn’t do it together.
Lulu thanks Maxie for the pep talk. Maxie says Lulu would have major FOMO if she ditched the Nurses Ball. Lulu says she’s be following it on social media, which sounds more depressing than going without a date. She’s going to be texting Maxie for outfit advice, and Maxie says she’ll give her a Nina Garcia (Project Runway) critique. Lulu says, it’s not hard going out, but it’s hard coming home knowing Dante won’t be there.
Chase sees Anna while he’s out for a run. Anna asks if he has any idea what’s going on with his brother. He seems a bit off. Chase says he hasn’t said anything except that he’s over the moon about her. She asks if he actually said that, and Chase says, not those words, but it’s obvious he’d do anything to make her happy. Will he see her tonight? She says, of course (🍷). He says he’s performing, and she asks if he’s nervous. He sarcastically says, not at all, and she says he’ll be fine. He jogs off, and Anna calls Robert. She leaves a message for him to call her back. They need to have a serious talk.
Peter runs into the hospital, and tells Finn that they need to talk privately. Finn asks how fast Peter can talk. He has to change for the Nurses Ball, or Anna won’t be happy. Peter says, it’s an important night, and there’s a narrow window of opportunity. What Finn does or doesn’t do might change everything. Finn asks who told him about the ring? Peter says, what ring?
Carly admires Yvonne’s ring. Sonny asks where Mike found it, and Mike says, it wasn’t in the bottom of a Cracker Jack box. He saved up, and got it at a jeweler on 18th and 72nd. Sonny says, that’s Brooklyn, and Mike says, of course (🍷) it is. Michael asks if they should help clean up. Mike says he’d like to tell them thanks for making the time to be there at his and Yvonne’s engagement party. They’re so happy to share this moment with them. He tells Yvonne that he loves her. She loves him too, and they kiss.
Sam sees Molly, who says she just missed Kristina. They had a good talk about rebuilding bridges they’ve burned. Sam is glad to hear that. Molly says they talked about Shiloh. Kristina is clear that DOD is a cult, and Shiloh is a predator. Sam says she can’t talk about it. Molly says, fair warning. She pitched a story to Peter for The Invader about DOD and Shiloh. Well by the time it would come out, they would have already nailed him.
Lulu tells Maxie that she still loves Dante with all her heart, and she’s determined to fight for her marriage. Maxie is sure Dante is coming home to her, and Lulu hopes she’s right. Maxie says she always is.
Drew tells Kim that he’ll get permits and whatever else they need. He’s glad they’re doing this. Kim is too. Drew leaves, and Julian tells Kim that there’s a legend that Mount Kilimanjaro is the gateway to heaven. Oscar told him. Kim says, it’s exactly where he belongs.
Peter asks if Finn wants to marry Anna or not, and Finn asks if it’s all over the internet. Peter says he needs to step up his game and propose before her ex beats him to the punch. Finn is like, what?
Back home, Carly asks if Sonny isn’t worried about the ring. Sonny says he doesn’t know where Mike got it. He asked at the desk, and no one is missing a ring. He asks Carly to finish telling hm about the appointment. She says the doctor gave them a present. The tests show the sex of the baby. She didn’t want to open it until they were together. He says he’s a little nervous. She opens the envelope, and they read what’s inside, looking happy and surprised. Sonny says, wow. Could it be twins?
Alexis tells Neil that he heard Sam. She’s going to go to the Nurses Ball, and try to act normal. He says maybe he’ll see her there. She says, he’s going? and he says, for the first time. Their paths continually cross. She says, they really do, and he leaves. Alexis ponders this.
Sam says Molly isn’t a reporter, but Molly says she is a concerned citizen with a first person account. Sam asks if Kristina said it was okay. Molly says she’s telling her own story. People need to know. Sam tells her, stay out of it, but she says if Peter okays her pitch, she’s writing the story so everyone will know the truth.
Spinelli thinks Shiloh started off with a fixation on Sam because of the past, and wanted revenge, but at this point, he wants her. If he’s disappointed, he could turn to violence. He asks if Jason isn’t worried, but Jason says, Sam knows what she’s doing. Spinelli says, when she’s in full possession of her faculties. She’s allowing herself to be drugged. What if she blurts out the truth, and he turns on her? Jason says they’ll be there to stop him – one way or another.
Tomorrow, let the Nurses’ Ball begin, Chase tells Willow that he has the greatest idea, and Curtis tells Laura they’ve got trouble. I should say so, since they’re tied back to back.
👗 Tonight the challenge for the Project Runway designers was to choose a cause they cared about, and turn it into a statement look. Elaine Welteroth would be mentoring, and there was no more immunity. They talked about Elaine having used Teen Vogue as a platform for fashion and activism, and maybe it’s me, but I’m tired of getting served everything with a side of activism now. Usually, the curvy models are like the last one picked for the basketball team in gym, but I wondered if everyone would clamor to use one this time. Guess who did? Yep. Tessa. If Nadine had still been there, maybe they would have fought over her. Christian rightly pointed out that Hester is obsessed with tulle. Her advice, put more glitter onit, a suggestion I can definitely get behind. Jamall talked about a lady crossing street when she saw him because she was afraid, and I thought that was weird, since he’s the last person I’d be concerned about on the street. The flash challenge was for the contestants to also design a statement T-shirt that went along with the piece they created, take a couple of selfies with their model, and walk the runway with her. Designer Aurora James, a leader in conscious fashion, was the guest judge.
The runway went this way. Sabastian’s cause was racial equality, and he made a gown of varying flesh tones. If I was going to wear a one-shoulder dress, this would be the one. It was absolutely gorgeous. Venny presented breaking stereotypes, with a gangster-style jacket over a dress using the same elements. Accidentally sewing in the back zipper of the dress backwards, he couldn’t execute his idea the way he really wanted to, because she couldn’t take the jacket off. Garo’s cause was saving the bees, which is close to my heart, and I loved his yellow and black bodycon dress. The yellow being not-quite-neon. Bishme wanted to encourage Baltimore children to blossom, and made another stunning gown, with off-the-shoulder ruffles – the whole neckline was just beautiful – and subtle graphics of children on the skirt. Hester supported marriage equality, and wasn’t happy with her result, wishing she had more time, but I thought it was very cute. Especially the jacket comprised of a rainbow of tulle colors. Jamall wanted to change the Black narrative, and created a beautiful black gown made of puffer material, with a seatbelt belt. Tessa supported women’s rights, with a black dress that exhibited a minimalist sketch of a woman’s body in white, and said mine. Bishme, Jamall, and Sabastian were the top three. I wouldn’t have been able to choose, since IMO they were equally brilliant, but Bishme was the big winner. His advice: As you believe, you can achieve. The bottom two were Garo with his bee dress, which shocked me, but it’s not the first time they’ve criticized something deemed dominatrix style. I’m not sure what’s wrong with that look, but they also said it was costume-y, and I can see the two going hand in hand. The other comment, by Brandon, was that it would show off every flaw brightly, but I think that’s true of a bodycon dress no matter what color it is. Venny was also on the bottom. This was a given once the judges got a good look at the dress, asking the model to take off the jacket, and finding out how unfinished it was. He was out, but he’d come in an accountant, and walked out a designer, so he personally defied stereotypes. Venny said the experience was priceless, and he’d learned he had it in him. There was a group hug. Next time, the designers have to create dream dresses for the women who run NYC, and Danielle Brooks (Orange is the New Black) is the guest judge.
👠 My favorite Runway recap. I seems I’m still alone though, in my love of the bee dress.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Laura asks if Jason has Ava, and tells him the police are coming. Jason pulls Ava up, and Laura says she’s safe. The police arrive, and Ava asks, what just happened?
Carly continues to climb.
In Ankara, Turkey, Robert asks Sonny, if Dante is a hostage, where are the demands? What does he want? Sonny says, he’s not a hostage if there’s no exchange. What can Dante offer that no one else can? Robert wonders if they’re after Sonny.
Finn arrives at Alexis’s place. She thanks him for coming, and he says he’s happy to be there. She tells him she doesn’t think should be alone with that, pointing to the vodka bottle. He asks if she couldn’t bring herself to throw it out, and she says she thinks it’s just stuck there. He hates when that happens, and says, let’s see what we can do.
Elizabeth has her ring, and Franco puts it back on her finger. He loves her, and he’s sorry. She knows, and he hopes that’s enough. She doesn’t respond, and he says, here’s where she tells him that’s enough. She says she can’t.
Curtis tells Jordan that the doctor said not too many fluids, so he brought ice chips. Her bed is surrounded by files, and she’s on her laptop. Curtis says take it easy must mean something different to her than it does to him. She says she was told she could have a normal life on dialysis. She’s the police commissioner; welcome to her life. Ryan Chamberlain got away on her watch, and she won’t rest until he’s behind bars.
Ava yells for Doc. She says she told them he needed help. Jason explains to the police that Ryan Chamberlain is a serial killer, and took Ava with him to Canada, but before he left Port Charles, he kidnapped a friend of Jason’s. Laura says she’ll stay, and tells him to text when Carly is safe.
Jason calls Spinelli, and tells him to pull up a map of Cascade Point. He wants Spinelli to look five miles east, parallel to the Niagara River; a bridge or an embankment. Somewhere it would make sense to dump a body. He’ll fill Spinelli in later. Just find it.
Carly is almost to the top, but slides back down. She lies there, unconscious again.
Laura tells the police that Ryan jumped and tried to take Ava with him. Jason pulled her back out. The offer says, considering the drop and the temperature of the water, he’s most likely dead. It’s going to be recovery, not rescue. Laura says, thank God, and Ava asks how she can say that.
Finn asks Alexis, how about cards? but she says, too Vegas. He says he was thinking more gin rummy than blackjack, and she says, gin? He tells her, really good point. He suggests crossword puzzles, but she says too much concentration. He pulls a Jenga game out, and she asks if he brought a whole bag of tricks. He says he did, and tells her, sit back, concentrate on the moves, and let everything else fade away. She says, what if it doesn’t work? He says they’ll find something else, and smiles.
Franco tells Elizabeth to try and put herself in his position. Jordan was going to use him as bait, with or without his cooperation. He had no choice. Where is she coming from? She says for whatever reason he lied to her, she was left to clean up the mess. He says there were extenuating circumstances. Elizabeth knows he didn’t want it to happen, but it did. Franco says, and she had to deal with the wreckage. She says she doesn’t know if she can trust him. He made a promise that he’d never lie to her again. How can she expect him to keep it? He always makes promises, and inevitably breaks them. If it was just her, she could handle it but she has the boys. It’s taken a toll on them. He should have seen Cameron after the interview, and she was trying to shield Jake and Aiden, which was next to impossible. Franco says he can explain to them, but she doesn’t know if she wants him too. Why? Why is she being so weird?
Stella brings TJ to Jordan’s room. Curtis tells them that Jordan is ready to take on the world. Jordan says TJ looks tired, and asks if he’s getting enough sleep and eating. TJ asks if they can believe her, and Curtis says, once a mother, always a mother. Stella says he’s got that right. Jordan asks if TJ gave blood, but he says he got himself tested as a kidney donor. She says he’s not leaving his studies for surgery, but Curtis says, hopefully, it won’t be necessary, and his will be a better match. Jordan says, him too? and he asks if she thought he was kicking back and praying someone else would step up. They’re Ashfords. They’re family, and it’s what they do. She says he got more than he bargained for, but he says he already gave her his heart; what’s a kidney? Stella says she got tested too. Wouldn’t that be something? A little bit of her in Jordan. Jordan thanks them from the bottom of her heart.
Robert doesn’t want to bruise Sonny’s ego, but they’ve been after Raj for a while. What makes Sonny think he can find him. Sonny asks what if Robert is being set up, and Robert says it’s in the realm of speculation. Sonny says he wants to meet Raj face to face.
Finn tells Alexis, if he’d known she was a master, he would have brought a different game; five in a row. She says she hasn’t won yet, and looks at the bottle. He says she will. She says maybe it’s time for some stronger tactics. He has some, but she might not be ready. She might consider them odd. She says, him odd? Shocking. He wants to let her in on it, and she says what does she have to lose. He hopes not much.
Ava tells Laura, this is ridiculous. That’s not Ryan. It’s Doc, and he’s in the midst of a serious breakdown. She should want to help him. Laura says, no. Ryan somehow got the jump on Doc, and switched places with him. Ava says Ryan has been dead for years, and Laura says everyone thought so. They were all wrong. Ava says, it’s wishful thinking. Laura is telling herself it’s not him because she doesn’t want to believe he’d do these things. She knows it’s outrageous, but it’s not a fantasy she created. Laura says Ryan was a patient at Ferncliff. He somehow overpowered Doc, and switched places with him. It’s the truth; she’s not making it up. Why would she? Ava backs away, and says, of course. She laughs, and says, this explains everything.
Carly wakes up again, and struggles to sit up. She slides over and against the wall. She wonders how she’s supposed to do this again.
Finn pours the vodka into a plastic basin, and tells Alexis don’t knock it until she’s tried it. She puts her feet in it, saying, wash her feet in vodka? He says it washes windows too; no streaks. She thought it was only used for escape and drowning sorrows. He asks if she wants to talk about that, but she says, no. He asks what she was running from when she got the bottle.
Elizabeth says the night Franco was arrested, the police ransacked their home. The kids had to live through that. Then two days later, he said he was guilty, and two days after that, he did the interview, confessing his sins in chilling detail. Franco says he had to, and it worked. She asks why he didn’t tell her, but he says he couldn’t. She says at least she could have been prepared. She could have sent the kids to her sister in California. They were left twisting in the wind because of him being dishonest. The little fabric of their family is torn, and when it’s reweaved, it tears again. He asks if she’s calling it quits, and she says she might just have to for her children. Yes. Let’s confuse them even more. Now that he’s not a killer, kick him out.
Stella asks how Jordan is holding up. Jordan says, better, now that Stella is there, looking after those two. Stella says she loves them, and would do anything for them, but she’s no substitute. She’s proud that Curtis wanted to be with someone so strong, intelligent, and maybe a little stubborn; a real partner. She keeps him on his toes. Jordan says Stella set the example when he was growing up. Stella says Curtis is lucky to have Jordan, and Jordan says he’s lucky to have them both.
In the hallway, Curtis asks if TJ is okay. TJ says, looking at his mom, he feels like he’s six-years-old, terrified, begging for his mom to be okay. But it’s the last thing he wants put on her. Curtis says, she’ll be all right. There are few people more stubborn. TJ says, even Aunt Stella? and he says, maybe it’s a tie. Jordan has no intention of leaving them, especially her baby boy. It’s scary – he’s scared too – but remember who she is. She’ll fight as long as she has to, and as a family, they’ll get through it.
Ava tells Laura, unreal. It makes sense now. She knows when it happened, down to the minute. He started acting like a different person, but there was more going on than she realized. Ava says she had sex with him; it’s a violation. Laura says she’s sorry, and Ava asks if Doc is okay. Laura says he’s at the hospital, and Ava says she needs to go to him. Laura says, there’s a lot more than that. Ava says she needs to understand how he got away with it, but knows Laura must be relieved. Doc had nothing to do with putting Carly in the trunk, and didn’t try to kill them. He wouldn’t. He couldn’t, as long as she knows that, everything can wait. Laura says Ava claims she knows when Doc and Ryan switched places, and asks when she thinks that was. Ava says, this morning. Out of nowhere, he suggested they go to Canada. Laura is sorry, but she’s wrong. Ava says, so when? How much earlier? Laura says, months. Ava was never with Doc.
Franco tells Elizabeth, repair, reweave;she needs to try. Elizabeth says she knows his intentions are good, and he says she feels hurt and betrayed. Elizabeth says she’s sad. Franco says she has the right to feel whatever she feels. She says, it was a dangerous situation, and he made the decision to help Jordan. He says he knew how important it was to try and stop the killer, even if it blew his life apart. She says, everyone’s life. He says he did it for Kiki. What did she want him to do? He’s sorry she was hurt in the process, but it was a matter of life or death. The killer might have come after her, and he couldn’t stand to lose her. He stands by his choice, and can’t say it was wrong. Elisabeth is glad he made a choice he can live with, but she doesn’t know if she can live with it. She walks out of his room.
Jordan tells Curtis to get something to eat. He says he’ll get some take-out from Kelly’s, but she tells him to take Stella and TJ, and go sit at a table. She’ll be joining him in no time. He says when she’s like this, it’s best not to argue, and they leave.
Finn asks why Alexis went to the liquor store. She says she couldn’t stay asleep. He says, and..? She says she had a dream about Julian, which led her to excuse the sobering reality of the progress she made in getting beyond their toxic relationship, and him. it turns out, she’s made no progress. Finn doesn’t want details, but asks if it was a romantic dream. She says it’s not about what happened. It’s about who Julian was. He was the dangerous, bad Julian; the one she fell in love with. Finn says, the one who held a knife to her throat, and she says, that’s the one. Not the reformed Julian, but the bad Julian. That’s the one she wants and dreams about. The one who’s bad for her.
Robert asks how Sonny is going to find Raj when no one else seems to be able to? He says the station chief is going to come up with a location, but Sonny says she hasn’t so far. Robert says she messed up, but she’s still the one who knows the players. Sonny says they have different priorities. He needs to find his son. Robert says if Sonny goes rogue, he could get killed. It’s not his territory. What does Sonny do when a guy starts asking questions that he shouldn’t be? Sonny says, eliminate him. Robert has an angle he wants to work. He asks Sonny to do him a favor, and stay there. Like that’s going to happen.
Laura tells Ava that she doesn’t know how he managed it, but Ryan held Doc prisoner at Ferncliff, and took over his life; his family, his friends, and his patients. It happened at the end of August or early September; before Labor Day, before she got home from Paris. She didn’t come home to her husband. She came home to his brother. She’s sorry. The man who broke up with her and fell in love with Ava was Ryan the whole time.
Alexis says, it’s not like it’s new information. She likes bad men because her dad was bad and didn’t love her. She gets that, but she’s intelligent. Why can’t she stop being like this? Finn says, it’s hard, and she says she has too many addictions. She can’t feel that out of control all the time. She’s done what she’s supposed to, going to meetings and therapy, but she still wants the man who did unforgivable things. Julian is now the guy she asked him to be, but she doesn’t want normal. She wants the bad guy. It makes her feel despair and desperate, because that makes her feel normal. What’s wrong with her? Finn takes her hand, and says he can tell her one thing. Drinking ain’t gonna help any of this.
Elizabeth checks on Jordan, who asks how Franco is. Elizabeth says, he’ll recover. Jordan is sorry he got hurt. Elizabeth says, is she? Her little plan did a lot of damage. Jordan says, maybe, but they ID’d a serial killer, and got a murderer off the street. Elizabeth says Jordan is no better than a bully. She has no idea what Franco means to them; the love he brought in their home. She shows Jordan pictures of Franco with her and the boys. She says Franco let the boys test him, and made it his mission to earn their trust. He made sure they knew he wouldn’t let them down, and she took that away from all of them. As a mother, she should know how sacred a child’s trust is. When it’s broken, it’s almost impossible to get back. Her children are devastated, and she did this to them. Jordan takes responsibility for putting Franco in that position, but would do it again. Elizabeth says, the ends justify the means. Jordan says Maybe Elizabeth should have thought about who she was letting in their lives. Frankly, I think Elizabeth is making a big deal out of nothing, and the boys are going to think Franco is a super cool hero.
Ava says if anyone lost touch with reality, it’s Laura. She can’t accept that Doc fell in love with her. His demented brother is the answer to her prayers. It explains why Doc left her, began a relationship with Ava, and asked her to marry him. The simple truth is, she made him happier than Laura could. That’s why their marriage ended. It’s pathetic, taking an awful thing that happened in the last 48 hours, and negate the last few months. She knows how painful it must have been, and that Laura was devastated when Doc left her, but it’s not Ava’s fault or problem. She wants to see her fiancé. She needs to see Doc.
Carly tells herself she can do this, and starts climbing again. She gets toward the top, and a hand reaches down. Jason says he has her.
Alexis thanks Finn for coming. He takes the empty bottle, and she tells him to recycle. He tells her take it one day at a time, and if that’s too much, one hour. She says she was thinking one second, and he says, that works too. He’ll be there if she needs him. He tells her, she’s got this, and leaves.
Curtis comes back to Jordan’s room, and she asks, what happened to Kelly’s? He says he can’t stay away from his wife. She says he just missed Elizabeth reading her the riot act. She feels for Elizabeth, to a point. Curtis says no one could argue that Franco was the logical choice. He was a serial killer. Jordan says it’s not like she made it up. If Elizabeth doesn’t like it, she needs to ask herself if she should be with him.
Franco is asleep, and Elizabeth slips his phone out from underneath his hand. She sees he was looking at a picture of them with Aiden.
Robert comes back, and says, son of a bitch. No surprise, Sonny is gone.
Carly is slipping, but Jason pulls her up. He says he’s got her; she’s safe. She asks how he found her, and he says, long story.
Laura tells Ava that she fell for it too. If Ryan had preferred her, it could have been her sleeping with him. She says Ava is in no condition to drive, and Ava says, nor does she have a car. Laura says she’ll be happy to make arrangements for Ava to get back. Ava says she’s not believing anything until she sees Doc herself. She starts to cry, and says he’s going to tell her that he’s been locked in a cell since September. All the moments where the wonderful man, after a lifetime of her being treated like dirt, loved her for her, and accepted her, all those moments weren’t real because it wasn’t him. All the time she cried in his in arms, accepted his kisses, and let his fingertips wipe her tears, they weren’t his arms, lips, or fingertips. All this time, she was loving the wrong man. She’s she’s been sleeping with a serial killer. That’s it, isn’t it? She collapses, wailing, oh, God, Kiki! Laura holds her, and she weeps in Laura’s arms. I tear up too.
Tomorrow, Maxie tells Peter, the sooner they get the samples to the lab, the better; Drew asks Oscar if they have a deal; and Sonny needs information, and thinks he’s found the man to get it from.
Vanderpump Rules
The show hasn’t even started, and James is pissing me off.
Lisa and Ken put the finishing touches on TomTom. Head server from PUMP, Richardson, helps out. In her interview, Lisa says they still have so many things to do to get TomTom open. She explains everything they need get up to speed, and says the only way to do it is by trial, and sometimes trial has error. Schwartz arrives, and she asks where Tom is. Schwartz says something came up, and she wonders, what’s more important than this?
Apparently, looking at motorcycles with Ariana. Tom laughs because he’s wearing a vegan leather jacket. He wants to surprise Schwartz by picking him up for the opening in a sidecar. In his interview, he says, a limo is basic. He asks himself what speaks to their personality and friendship, and it’s a motorcycle side car. He gets on a bike, saying, it’s a beast. Ariana says the way his mind works is fascinating. He’s in the midst of starting a business that has no guarantee of succeeding. He’s weird about buying a house, but wants to spend $15K on a motorcycle. In Ariana’s interview, she doesn’t think it’s the best use of money under any circumstances. Tom says he’s been planning it for a year, and she’s not holding it up. She says she’s not trying to. In his interview, Tom says he’ll never have a first opening of his first business again. He’s doing it.
Lisa says they’re going to be training the staff, and having a food tasting. Schwartz tells her that he’s bringing in his brothers later to show them the bar. They got in last night. He doesn’t see them as much as he’d like, so when they come, he tries to live it up. He tells her that James is putting in an effort, and he gives him credit.
Stassi visits Brittany, who’s recovering from dental surgery, and holding a cold compress to her face. Stassi says she was expecting Brittany to look like a monster. She brought popsicles and Jell-O shots. Brittany says she’s not supposed to drink, but she’s doing it anyway. It hurts when she opens her mouth wide. She asks Stassi how it went with Beau’s mom. Stassi says the one time she wanted her friends to make a good impression, and be on their best behavior, Carter starts pointing his finger at her and Katie, saying they’re the reason he and Kristen fight. In Stassi’s interview, she thinks Carter was born a brat, is a brat, and will continue to be a brat. He won’t get a job, and yells at Kristen all the time, and then Kristen pretends like everything is perfect. Brittany says Kristen told her she wishes Carter could change like Jax. She’s referenced it a few times. Who’d have thunk anyone would ever say that?
James meets Ohm owner David. He’s been getting bigger venues, and branching out. It’s at Hollywood and Highland, he has a thousand kids waiting for him, a VIP table at the top, and it’s going down. Schwartz, Tom, Jax, and the triplets arrive. In Jax’s interview, he says it’s clear he doesn’t like James, but he likes the Toms and the triplets. He’s going to drink a lot, and probably won’t remember it anyway. A girl gives one of the triplets a lap dance, even though it’s not that kind of club. Tom talks about the opening party at TomTom. James comes by, and sits with them. He’s hyped. Tom says it’s eight times as many people as SUR. James says they want him every month, so maybe it’s his next See You Next Tuesday spot, but it’s hard. Tom says it’s because SUR is like family. Tom says he needs a master trip before he gets married to TomTom. He stupidly invites James, and Schwartz, even more stupidly, thinks this is a great idea. In Tom’s interview, he thinks James has been punished enough, and then some. Let him come around again. He tells James he wants to have fun and relax. In his interview, Jax says he doesn’t care either way, but Tom and Tom are that dumb. Have fun telling the girls.
Ariana, Stassi, Scheana, and Katie go to A Cat Café Experience. Ariana says they’re all huge animal lovers, but the dogs get all the love kitties get left out. There’s a huge play area on the floor where they entertain some cats. We see a clip of Scheana, who has a cat that apparently hides most of the time. My sister-in-law had a cat that I only ever saw hiding behind a dresser. They play with the cats, and Ariana asks if they talked to Kristen. Stassi says Kristen is blowing up her social media, saying she loves him so much. It reminds her of the end of Kristen’s relationship with Tom, when she went crazy. We flash back to that. Stassi says if it goes south, Kristen can’t complain. She has a sh*tty ass feeling, talking this way, but feels resentful. Kristen was saging her like it was a dagger, and she’s mad now.
Tom and Schwartz go grocery shopping. Tom points out there are butt plugs in the produce section, and Schwartz says, it’s LA, man. West Hollywood. Schwartz says he found an amazing deal in Puerta Vallarta. Tom is concerned about leaving right after the opening, but Lisa insisted they go, because she’s going to be kicking their ass for the next year. Who is he to argue?
Schwartz calls Katie, who says they’re playing with cats. Schwartz says Tom made an executive decision. They’re going on a short trip to an all-inclusive resort. Stassi loves an all-inclusive place, since you can drink as much as you want without feeling bad about it. Katie asks who’s going, and he says the usual suspects. He lists everyone, and slips James in at the end. Katie asks if he’s kidding her, and Schwartz says Tom invited James. Don’t worry about it. She says, no, and Schwartz says, it’s not his place. She says, it is; she’s his wife, and it’s his trip too. She almost quit her job over James. Why would she want to go on a trip with him? In Katie’s interview, she says she’s pulling rank. She tells him James doesn’t need be there, and Schwartz says they’ll sort it out, but the Toms are obviously bummed. Katie says Tom is like a brother to her. She gets that he likes James, but if there’s a choice between them, is there really a choice? In her interview, Ariana says it wasn’t smart to invite James without checking first, but she thinks it’s unfair that only Tom has to catch the heat. No one wants to get mad at Schwartz; they all think he’s is so nice. Well, Ariana, although Schwartz tends to not make waves, and go along for the ride, Tom is the one who keeps wanting to include James.
Carter and Kristen go out to eat. It’s the anniversary of their first date. He convinced her to come over the first night, saying he’d sleep on the couch, but he didn’t have one. In her interview, Kristen says she got to his house, and there was no couch. He started the relationship out with a lie, so she had sex with him in the kitchen. Why? I assume there was a bed. He says the two-headed dragon, Stassi and Katie, are scary. Kristen doesn’t know what was said, and Carter tells her that they claimed he was mean to her, he never pays for anything, and they sleep in separate beds. I wonder if they have a couch now. He says he feels betrayed. He doesn’t vent to his friends; it’s not their business. She says he’s not a girl. Exactly. She says when she’s confiding in them, it’s because he’s not pulling his weight in the relationship. In her interview, Kristen says when he behaves that way, she wonders if she’s hard to love or deserves better. Maybe she’s a pain in the ass, and has to find a person who doesn’t mind her being a pain in the ass. She says she needs them to be solid for a while. He asks what she can do better, but she says she’s nice to him. He laughs, and the waiter brings a cake, saying, happy anniversary. Kristen tells Carter to smile, and takes a picture, for what I assume is Instagram.
Schwartz and Stassi go to a waxing place. Schwartz is getting his chest waxed. In his interview, he says he has a tuft, which was his only indication of manhood. He’s hoping to get his mojo flowing with Katie, so they have sex more often. He asks if they bedazzle. Stassi wants to get waxed, but also wants sparkles on her vagina, since it’s a fashionista too. She asks if Schwartz was sober when he invited James on the trip. He says James hooked them up with a bottle, and he’d thought everything had blown over. Stassi says it was stupid, and Schwartz says he’s not happy. He wants to relax and chill. In Stassi’s interview, she says Schwartz’s lack of emotional control is a handicap. None of them want to be around James. It’s done. The technician calls them in.
Stassi goes first, and picks out a kiss mark and crown. She says if she’s Daenerys Targaryen, her vagina is a fire breathing pet dragon. It’s sweet, but also aggressive. WTF? Outside the room, Schwartz asks if it’s ornate. He’s next. He says he’s scared. His confidence has shriveled like his penis in swim class. Stassi laughs as the technician puts the wax on him, and he says he didn’t know it would be hot. He asks her to hold his hand. He yowls when the strips are pulled off, and she’s dying laughing. She tells him that he looks like a twelve-year-old boy. Schwartz says he’s an Adonis.
It’s Girls’ Night at SUR. Jax and Tom serve at the bar. Lisa comes in, and asks Scheana asks for rosé. It’s Brittany’s first day back since her surgery. She’s not taking a full week like Jax would. She tells the girls that she has to push her cheeks in when she smiles because it hurts. Schwartz comes in, and says his brothers made it back in one piece. He loved showing them one of his crowning achievements. They love the Toms and love bars. How could they not love a bar called TomTom? We see a clip of them being impressed. Tom says it’s confirmed they’re going to Puerta Vallarta for a reset. He invited James, but now there’s a big thing going on. He thought everyone was over it, but it’s going to ruin the trip. Jax says he’s not surprised. He knew how it would go, and he was right.
Katie sees Scheana in the kitchen. She shows Scheana her flask, saying she BYOB’d. Scheana, who’s wearing a very skimpy outfit, says she served four drinks and got a hundred buck tip. She asks Katie if she says the magic word, will she, Kristen, and Stassi come see her new apartment? Katie asks if the word is tequila. Scheana says, enchiladas, but she’ll have that too. She wants to cook dinner for them.
Katie tells Schwartz that Tom needs to de-invite James. It was supposed to be a fun moment, and his disrespect is appalling to her. Schwartz is sorry she feels that way. In Katie’s interview, she says Kristen can’t be in the same room with James. He embarrassed Brittany, and Jax can’t stand him. Yet Tom wants to bring him as his plus one. Tom is Schwartz’s partner, and should respect her as his wife. Schwartz says he’ll talk to Tom. In his interview, he says he’s stuck between his wife and his work wife, and it’s a position he doesn’t like being in. In Katie’s interview, she says James looks at her like he’s disgusted, and made more than one comment about her body. Get over it. Beau says not them, and Stassi says the women are getting the brunt of it. Katie almost quit her job of eight years. Schwartz he’ll take care of it. He’ll tell Tom that if James goes, he won’t be going.
Schwartz goes to the bar, and asks Tom to talk a second. Jax asks him not to be too long, and Tom threatens to take a Jax break. Jax says, no Jax break. Tom brings a beer outside, and Schwartz says he was talking to the girls about James coming. He was all excited about the trip, and they took the wind out of his sails. He’s cool with James, and appreciates that Tom is his champion, but him coming on this trip isn’t working. He hates doing it. Tom says he likes James, and feels bad. They’d been talking about it in front of him. Schwartz says it would be a nightmare for him. He thought it fizzled, and Katie was indifferent, but he got a strong reaction, and he knows better than to tell her how to feel. In his interview, Schwartz says he tried being Switzerland, but he has to take Katie’s side. Ariana comes out, and says she has a bone to pick with Schwartz. She’s effing sick of watching her boyfriend be the mouthpiece. He looks like an a-hole, when she knows what they say behind closed doors.
Schwartz says, they’ll do it together. Ariana says she thought he was down for James coming. Schwartz says he got caught up in the moment, now Katie is upset, and James has to be uninvited. Tom invited him; now he has to uninvite him. Ariana says, sorry. She thought he was coming down on Tom when he was in agreement. Katie comes out, and says she’s made her feelings clear, and until she says otherwise, they haven’t changed. Tom says they always know her feeling. Katie ass at what point did they think about her feelings? She’s done with James. In Tom’s interview, he says Katie has done a lot of things to her friends over the years. She bullied Kristen, called Lala a whore – we flash back to her saying she calls it as she sees it – and she made Schwartz’s life a living hell. We also flash back to her saying Schwartz’s d*ck doesn’t work. Now James was fired over a comment. She says, James got himself fired. Tom says he would have a job if she hadn’t said anything. He accuses Katie of being drunk, and she says he’s an a-hole. He tells her that she can say what she wants about everyone, call them a whore, a POS, say their d*ck doesn’t work, but if someone calls her fat, they get fired. She says he has no idea what it’s like. She’s tired of James attacking her body. Tom says everyone effs up, but James is the only one who got fired. She asks what Tom’s purpose is. It’s not the first time James said something to her. She’s been putting up with it for years. We flash back to James asking if she’s pregnant. She says sorry she put her foot down. No more of this sh*t. He looks like idiot. Tom calls her a bully. In his interview, Schwartz says Tom is out of line, attacking his wife’s character. It’s absurd and he has to have his wife’s back. He calls for a car.
Tom tells Lisa about seeing James at Ohm. He says he and Schwartz were talking about possibly taking a trip, and invited him along. As soon as Schwartz mentioned James to Katie, she absolutely not. He says first, there was the whole thing with her putting pressure on Lisa. Buzzer sound. Wrong on several levels. No one pressures Lisa, and it’s probably a bad idea to suggest she was manipulated in any way. He says, James shouldn’t have gotten fired; Katie has been an a-hole for years. As always, Lisa is unruffled, and says that’s his partner’s wife, but he whines, it’s not fair. In her interview, Lisa says she feels torn. James needs a friend, and Tom is the only one on his side, but his relationship to Schwartz is paramount. It’s important to the business. She says it didn’t do him any harm, and she doesn’t know if Katie will get over it anytime soon. He has to sort it out. She can’t do it for him.
Schwartz and Tom meet at TomTom. Schwartz asks, what happens now? Katie loves Tom like a brother, and it hurts when he takes James’s side. There’s no chance they can invite James. It will make his life a living hell. Tom says they were organizing it together. If someone is causing anyone else to be uncomfortable, they shouldn’t be there. In Tom’s interview, he says being partners with Schwartz means he’s partners with Katie too. If his business partner’s wife has an issue with James, it’s done. Schwartz thanks him, and I do too, for doing the mature thing. In his interview, Tom says if he has to uninvite James, so be it. Schwartz says James can take his own trip. Tom agrees.
Lisa arrives at TomTom for the tasting. She’s concerned she’s going to get fatter, and says they should have a bucket they can spit it out into, like at a wine tasting. She says, you don’t have to swallow, once again reminding us of her sassy wit, filled with double-entendres. Everyone laughs. The Toms come in, and ask what she needs from them. Schwartz asks how many people they can invite to the opening. She reminds them the guests aren’t coming to judge; they’re coming to enjoy – it’s their opening.
Tom shows Schwartz the software. James comes in. He asks if Lisa spoke to Billie about him DJing her brunch. Lisa says she hasn’t spoken to Billie, but if she wants him there, she’s okay with it. He says he’s been doing anger management, and breathing exercises. We see a clip of the latter. He asks if he can give Saturday a go. Lisa says, if it’s with Billie, okay. Why is he so excited? He’s got gigs all over the place. He says he misses it. He doesn’t want take other offers if he can work at SUR. In Lisa’s interview, she says she thinks it’s something more than a job. It’s validation. She says he didn’t come to ask her that, and he asks if he can DJ at TomTom. She says she can’t let him do that because of the politics involved. James asks if he’s invited to the opening, or is it up to the girls? Tom thanks him for the club table at Ohm, and says he did a great job. He knows they were talking about the trip. He thought it wasn’t going to be a big deal, but then Schwartz brought it up with Katie and the girls. He knows James has been putting in effort into bettering himself. James says, this is bullsh*t, and calls them a-holes. Schwartz says what does he want them to do? Lisa suggests James take a breath. It’s not that big a deal. He says, it is to him. Lovely for them. Lisa tells him to calm down, and James calls them p*ssies. He tells Schwartz, screw his wife. Schwartz tells him to say it again. In his interview, James says, Katie is a bitch. She’s not happy unless she’s hating on somebody. She directed his summer. I guess he doesn’t know how to make other friends? Lisa tells him to listen, and he calls Schwartz and Katie, fatty and weasel. Tom says he has to take it in stride. He needs to stop and listen. James says, eff you, fatty and weasel. Tom says, talk to him, and James says, don’t do this. They should be ashamed. Schwartz says James should be ashamed of himself.
Schwartz, Lisa, and Tom walk out.
Next time, Raquel is pissed for James, the Toms are officially partners with Lisa, Katie and Kristen argue, and Lala call out Raquel.
🚤 While I don’t recommend Summer House – it’s like The Real World for people old enough to know better – I have it on in the background, in between shows, while I’m doing something else. I literally choked on my toast when Kyle said he was thirty-five. They’re way past old enough. When I first saw Vanderpump Rules, I thought maybe being immature was a West Coast thing, but after seeing this, I’m wondering if it’s a Millennial thing. What thing is it? I don’t remember any of my friends being this aimless, and I certainly wasn’t. I did get a fine quote from Carl though – The forecast is cloudy with a chance of argument.
😕 Dropping Like Flies…
At least he was in his 80s. I don’t remember him as Edward though.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
Now I get why they postponed this episode. Soaps In Depth explained (see below) that it was the possibility of interruption. Normally, I might think that was silly, but this episode was not to be interrupted. It was the best one in ages. I was literally screaming at my TV. On to the episode.
General Hospital
Lulu approaches her office. Maxie joins her, and says she doesn’t have to do this today, but Lulu says she has to go in there. Maxie says she had enough stress facing Franco. Lulu says she thought it would bring back more memories, but if anything, it left her with more questions. She has to go back to where it happened. She can’t shake the feeling that she missed a big part of the murders. Maxie takes her hand, and they go in.
At Charlie’s bar, Ava reads the interview on her phone. Scotty says, not her too. The whole town is buzzing about the interview Lulu did with The Invader. Ava says, they also provided a transcript, and Scotty says, they were thorough. He asks how many times she’s going to read it. She says she’s reading it until it makes sense. She was willing to believe him, but he’s saying his vision was genius. Maybe it was Franco who killed Kiki.
At one of the tables, Cameron reads out loud from the interview. Josslyn tells him, don’t do this to himself. He says he’s just getting to the good part. Oscar takes Cameron’s phone away. Cameron says at least he knows he was right. Franco never cared abut them, and was using them as a cover. Josslyn says she’s sorry. Cameron is glad Lulu did the interview. Now the entire world knows Franco is a killer.
Drew visits Elizabeth, who asks if he shouldn’t be resting. He says it was just minor surgery, and Elizabeth asks if there’s any word on Jordan. He says, no. Her head and spine weren’t injured, but she has internal injuries. Elizabeth says she’s tough; she’ll pull through. Drew doesn’t know how he’ll live with himself if she doesn’t. Elizabeth says he had no control, but he says he was behind the wheel. He’s there because he was hoping to help her. He heard about the interview. He hugs her.
Ryan asks Franco, what’s gotten into him? Between pleading guilty and that spectacle of an interview, his life as he knew it is over. He’s throwing it away on a lie. Franco says, the truth will come out sooner or later, and Ryan asks who the hell does he think he is?
Elizabeth suggests making tea. She tells Drew that The Invader posted a transcript of the interview. Franco sounded like a stranger. She kept waiting for a mistake, the revelation that he pled guilty for a reason. She still believes in him. Drew says he does too. That’s why he brought back the rings. He tells her, relax; he can handle tea. Maybe. Elizabeth says she’s a mess, It didn’t matter who warned her. She wouldn’t listen. Drew says no one blames her. She says it’s not just about her. She hates the attention on her kids. How is she supposed to ask them to keep believing in Franco? How is she supposed to?
Scotty says Ava can’t possibly think Franco killed Kiki. She says, he said he did. He bragged that she was too beautiful not to kill. Scotty doesn’t know why he said it. Ava says he was proud of himself, and how Ryan Chamberlain’s murders paled in comparison. Scotty says, it doesn’t make sense. He adored Kiki. He was there, and saw the agony on Franco’s face. It was not the face of a murderer. She says he fooled them both, and a lot of other people. Scotty says, he didn’t do it. She says, it takes time to process. She’s still in shock, and thought she’d be angrier. Doc is.
Franco tells Ryan that he’d be mad too if someone fooled him that badly. He actually thought he’d healed Franco – the great Doctor Collins. Ryan says he didn’t kill them. He doesn’t have it in him. Franco thinks the victims would disagree. It was sad that he couldn’t finish Lulu. Ryan says Franco eradicated the urge to kill, and Franco says Doc is bitter. He’s supposed to be an expert. Ryan says he doesn’t know the purpose of this charade, but knows Franco didn’t kill them. Franco says he understands. Doc just can’t get it. It’s okay; it’s over his head. Ryan asks why he’s taking credit. Was he that starved for attention? He needed eyes glued on him? Franco wonders why it bothers Doc that he’s wrong. Ryan has never been more certain. He’s Franco’s psychiatrist. He tells Franco that he’s protected by doctor/patient confidentiality. Franco says Doc is saying that now, but he sold him out, and told Franco’s deepest secrets. Ryan says he had no choice. Let him make it up by doing what should have done in the first place. He’ll listen. Franco says, too late. Ryan says he won’t even take notes. It will stay between them. Franco says, that went so well the last time.
Oscar says it will be good to get away from the drama. Cameron says his mom wouldn’t notice if he drove to Florida. Franco pled guilty in court, and she still won’t believe it. Oscar says, she’s probably in denial, and Cameron says, last night, she told his brothers that Franco was innocent, and they believed her. He admitted to playing her. He’s done fighting, and can’t pretend he’s okay with it. He has to get away. Trina comes in, and says, not without her. If they’re doing a road trip, they’re doing it right.
Scotty tells Ava that Doc didn’t do Franco any favors. She says he did his best to treat him. It’s not his fault Franco is beyond help. Scotty says, Doc is a quack with a God complex. Ava says, he’s supportive and wonderful. She doesn’t know what she would have done without him. Scotty wonders when Doc is going to kick her to the curb like Laura. She tells him Doc proposed, and shows him the ring.
Ryan tells Franco it’s his last chance to save himself; don’t waste it. Franco says he knows what he’s doing. Ryan tells him, admit he’s lying. Fess up, or he’ll spend the rest of his life in Pentonville, probably in solitary. Franco says he and Jordan are working together. I yell, noooo!
Maxie asks Lulu if memories are coming back. Lulu says none she wants coming back. Like how she escaped. Franco said he designed it that way, wanting her to bleed out in the elevator, but that doesn’t feel like what happened. Maxie suggests he’s spinning his own mistake. Lulu says she’s never regretted not going to a book launch so much. Maxie says she should be proud. She survived for a reason. Franco was caught. It could have been worse. He could have killed as many as Ryan did. Lulu remembers looking up how many women Ryan killed. Maxie asks, what’s wrong?
Ryan says, the commissioner is in on it? Franco tells him that she said it would work if it was kept just between them, but it won’t work if he lets anyone know. Ryan says if Franco tells him, he’ll leave like nothing happened. He won’t interfere with the plans. Franco says he didn’t even tell Elizabeth. Ryan says, let him shoulder some of the burden. He promises if Franco talks to him, he’ll feel better. Franco says Doc knows he didn’t kill them, and Ryan says of course he does. Why say he did? Franco says, Jordan thinks the killer will take the bait. If he takes credit, the killer will reveal himself. He thinks things are going as planned. He’s taking the credit, and there’s no way the killer wants that. Ryan tells him, go one. What happens when the killer seeks him out. Franco says he has a phone, and shows Ryan. By now, I’m practically hopping out of my chair, yelling, why are you doing this?! Ryan asks if Franco doesn’t feel better, and slips a knife into his hand from his pocket or sleeve or wherever he had it hidden. Franco says if he can get justice for Kiki, it will be worth it. He says, this situation is going to kill him, and Ryan says he can see that. No, it’s going to kill me. Isn’t Franco smarter than this?
Scotty says Ava doesn’t waste time, but she says, why should they? He says she’s only been seeing him a couple of months. She says someone might say she’s jumping the gun, but what does it matter if they’re happy? Life is short. Scotty says, yes; too short to make a blunder. He’s concerned, but she says she doesn’t need it. She’s not denying herself the love and happiness she deserves. She asks Scotty to please put his history with Doc aside. Their relationship has completely changed her life. He’s taught her about real love; genuine and selfless. He’d do anything for her, and her for him. She’s never experienced that. If Scotty is her friend, he’ll feel happy for her, or at least try. He says, nothing in this crazy world is making sense.
Oscar asks Trina what she means by, do it right? She asks where they’re stopping at, where are they eating, and what’s the budget? Cameron never saw her practical side, and she says it’s a gift. She’s amazing with scheduling. It stops problems before they happen. Cameron says she has a point, but all the planning in the world couldn’t stop his mom from marrying Franco.
Elizabeth reads from the interview about how Franco took care with the lighting and juxtaposition. and when he gave Kiki’s eulogy, everyone ate it with a spoon. She was too beautiful not to kill. Drew tells her, stop. None of this makes sense.Franco loved Kiki. He would never hurt her. Why say he did?
Franco – who I would love to gag right now because he won’t stop talking – tells Ryan that Jordan believed if he did the interview, the killer would make a mistake, and she’d be ready and waiting. Ryan says the killer doesn’t strike him as the type to make mistakes. Franco says, he screwed up killing Lulu, but Ryan says, maybe there were extenuating circumstances. Franco says, maybe he’s not too bright. Ryan says, bright enough to evade the police so far. He asks if Franco realizes, if the real killer catches on, it’s likely he’ll kill again, starting with him. Franco says he thought Doc was supposed to make him feel better. Ryan says he’s worried about Franco’s safety. He doesn’t think the plan will work, especially given Jordan’s circumstances. She was in a terrible car accident. Franco asks if she’s all right, and Ryan asks who’s going to answer if the real killer shows up looking to do him in. Franco says it’s all Doc’s fault. What the hell happened? When Lulu went to see him, she didn’t remember anything. When she came to, she was convinced the killer was him. Doc needs to fix it; fix his mistake. Ryan laughs. He says for someone considered so brilliant, Franco is slow on the uptake. Franco is like, huh? and Ryan says he doesn’t make mistakes. He did this perfectly.
Cameron says the point of the trip is to have fun, and see the wonders of nature. It wouldn’t hurt to plan as far as budget goes. They’re about to pool their money, but Josslyn tells them, keep it. The trip is going to be paid for courtesy of the adventure fund.
Scotty tells Ava about all the people he’s lost. Gail was more than a stepmom. He married too young, and she became his mother when his real mother passed away. Ava is sorry for his loss. He says he bets she is. She knows anger makes you lash out, and hopes he calls her to get together soon. She’d like hear about Gail. He asks, why not now? She promises she’ll work on being a better friend, but she needs to check on Doc.
Lulu remembers why she was late. She was confused about the number of Ryan’s victims. Maxie tells her, it says seven online, but Lulu says, something doesn’t sound right. She flashes back to saying the names, and putting one in the Spyder-Finder search engine.
Ryan says Franco doesn’t get it. So disappointing. Franco is worried about him, and tells him to get some rest. He’s calling Jordan. Ryan says he told Franco that she’s unconscious. He says, Franco, and when Franco turns around, Ryan stabs him. Now, I’m nearly crying with frustration.
Elizabeth reads to Drew about Franco saying he pushed his brother down the stairs, but it was a shame he lived. He got better with time. Drew says they know that’s not true. Franco tried to save him. Why lie, when it makes him look guiltier?
Franco says, why? Ryan says, because he can’t let a has-been like Franco take credit for his work. It’s been him all along. Franco says, Kevin? and Ryan says, close. One more try. Franco says, Ryan? and Ryan says, ding-ding-ding! Finally the penny drops. He wanted to reveal it sooner. He’d admired Franco’s work, but when he took out the tumor, his talent went with it. The good news is, at least he’ll die. There’s no shame in being murdered by a master. Franco yells for help. Ryan cuts himself on the palm of his hand, and says he doesn’t recall it hurting as much when Felicia stabbed him. It’s the price we pay to achieve art. He asks if Franco is ready to finish, and inches closer.
Josslyn explains, adventure is a family tradition. Her father told her, mountains are there to be climbed whenever possible. He believes in leaving no trace; let the wild stay wild. He set up a special account for when life takes her unexpected places that you never know if you can visit again. You have to take advantage of what’s in front of you. Oscar asks if her mom knows about the fund, but she says it’s strictly a Jax thing. He set up when her grandmother, Lady Jane died. She grew up in the outback, and you name it, she could do it. She said, with grit and imagination, anything is possible, but money always helps. She doesn’t use the money for anything ordinary, but unexpected opportunities. Cameron asks if Niagara Falls qualifies. Josslyn says her father wants her to choose her own adventures. It’s up to her, and she chooses this one.
Lulu tells Maxie, bits and pieces are coming back. She remembers saying Deborah Jones. Maxie says, take it from her, Jones is a common name. There could be thousands. Lulu says she can narrow it down by finding out if there are any victims of homicide by that name. Maxie wonders if they should take it to the police, but Lulu says not until they have more than a name. Maxie says, Lulu was traumatized. Maybe it’s random. Lulu says she’s almost positive it’s connected to her research on Ryan.
Elizabeth tells Drew maybe Franco thought it made the interview more interesting, but he says, what if he was sending a message. Elizabeth says, how so? He says, besides Doc, they’re the only ones who know about the abuse Franco suffered as a child. Elizabeth says, and they know he’s lying. Drew says, maybe he was trying to tell them something. He doesn’t know what yet, but feels they need to trust him.
Franco tries to inch away from Ryan. Ryan says, Jordan’s plan was a fool’s plan. Look where it led him. Franco says he doesn’t want do this, but Ryan says he does, and thanks him for making it easy. Surprising us all, Nurse Kay walks in. Ryan says, thank God, and Franco tells her Doc stabbed him. Ryan says, it was in self-defense. Run and get help! She jets, and Franco yells, he’s not Dr. Collins! When Ryan turns back to the room, somehow Franco has gotten himself up. He punches Ryan, gets the knife, and locks him in. Franco stumbles down the hall, and Ryan yells that he doesn’t make mistakes.
Josslyn says, now that they’re in agreement that the trip is covered, are they in? They are. Oscar thanks Cameron for driving. Cameron is glad to, especially since he’s not paying for gas. Josslyn tells them she brought extra jackets and supplies. Oscar doesn’t know if they’ll make it in time for Cameron’s curfew, but Cameron doesn’t care if he ever makes it back home.
Ava goes to Doc’s office, but his assistant hasn’t heard from him in a while, and he has no patients on his schedule.
Lulu tells Maxie that Deborah Jones was a homicide victim in Texas at the time Ryan was living there. She was stabbed, and the murder was never solved; it’s a cold case. Maxie says, creepy. Lulu goes over the known list of Ryan’s victims. Maxie says, there are seven, but Lulu says if she adds Deborah and Suzanne Smith, there are nine. She remembers saying Suzanne’s name, but she can’t remember who she was talking to. Her mom said there were nine. She saw nine on a list in Doc’s office. Maxie suggests calling Laura, but Lulu says she’s been trying all afternoon, and gotten voicemail. Maxie wonders how Doc would know the names. Lulu says, when the police don’t. Something is very wrong.
Drew asks Elizabeth if she thinks Franco is protecting someone. Elizabeth says, by throwing his life away? He asks if she still thinks he’s innocent, and she says, doesn’t he? He says, yeah, but she has more of a stake in it. She says she still has faith regardless of the interview. So does Drew. He says it’s going to be okay. It’s got to be. He tells her if she needs anything, he’ll be right over. He leaves, and she takes the rings out of her pocket.
Kay comes back and asks, where’s Franco? Ryan says Franco attacked him again, and took off. Secure all the exits. They can’t let him get away.
Alarms go off, and Franco runs as best he can. He leans against a wall, and dials the phone. He leaves a message telling Jordan her plan worked. The killer is Ryan Chamberlain. He keeps moving, and goes out another door. I’m thinking he’s going to end up in the basement.
Crap, this was too much for me. lol
Tomorrow, Anna and Robert tell Peter that they need to talk about his lies, Felicia says there are no coincidences where Ryan is concerned, and Jason tells Carly finding out isn’t worth putting her and her baby at risk.
🔪 This week on Top Chef, the contestants traveled to Chinese territory, Macau, where Graham Elliot has a restaurant. The first order of business – besides checking into the glamorous hotel – was a tour of the Red Market, which carries probably everything your heart could desire and more. Seeing the markets is always a highlight of these shows for me. Graham picked up several kinds of fresh fish – and by fresh, I mean it was moving two seconds before he bought it – to be used in the Quickfire challenge. The chefs were to create a dish inspired by the market. They had 45 minutes, and the equivalent of $25 to do it. Michelle, who was back from Last Chance Kitchen, was the winner with cuttlefish.
The elimination challenge saw the chefs catering a Chinese New Year party at the Macau MGM Hotel for two hundred people. Each chef chose a sous chef (also a former contestant), who came with a tray of ingredients representing a new year wish, such as prosperity and longevity, that were a requirement for the dish they would help with. The chefs did get a bit of respite, sitting down for a fancy dinner at Graham’s restaurant before the big day. Sara tried to make some grits option using cauliflower which got a huge no from Tom, since cauliflower does not grits make. I knew exactly what he meant, since cauliflower rice ain’t rice either. Kelsey won, and Adrian packed her knives, because her dish was predictable and lacked flavor. She went for the one perfect bite, but I guess it wasn’t. And at this point, no Last Chance Kitchen for you. She said there wasn’t much she regretted, but she wasn’t sure where she was headed after this. Next time, some stinky, spiky fruit.
⛵ Summer Housewill return on Monday, March 4th at 10 pm. Oh yay. (That was sarcasm.)
🎶 Because It Never Gets Old…
Okay, it got old a while ago, but I’m tired and lazy right now, and it’s not that awful.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Drew goes home with Kim, who says don’t mind the place; she hasn’t had time to clean. Her apartment is spotless, and Drew asks if she has a poltergeist. There’s no way Oscar did this. She says the cleaners must have come today. They were a gift from Julian.
Brad tells Julian that he’s trying. Julian says, try harder. He used to be good liar, and Lucas will realize something is wrong if he keeps stammering. Brad says Willow thinks Wiley is hers, and he’s supposed to remain calm? Julian says, it changes nothing, but Brad says it does if she wants a relationship with Wiley. Julian tells him, stay away from her. The less she sees Wiley, the less she’ll think about coming forward.
Alexis arrives at Dawn of Day. Kristina is surprised, and Shiloh tells her to give her mother credit. He’s glad Alexis made it. He says, you can’t tie yourself up, if you’re tying up others. I’m not sure if he’s talking about loose ends, being on time, or something kinky, but I already spent too much time thinking about it. He’s excited to get started. With an open mind and some effort, they can learn about each other and themselves.
On the phone, Obrecht tells Valentin the Swiss are known for their patience, but she’s only half Swiss. Her economic situation is simple. She needs income, and he needs Nina. If he sees to it that Obrecht is flush, and Nina will never know Sasha isn’t her daughter. What would really be cool is if Sasha turned out to be her daughter anyway. She finds the other half of the necklace, and…
At the hospital, Franco tells Elizabeth that the library has a parenting section for parents with potentially LGBTQ kids. I’m thinking if any more initials crop up, we’ll really have to think of something new.
Nina, Maxie, and Obrecht meet for dinner at the MetroCourt. Nina says a year ago today, they lost a great man. A son, a brother, a husband. The greatest man she’s ever known. Maxie says it still hurts so much. She’s not there yet, but the pain and sorrow are nothing compared to the joy of having known him. Obrecht says, the time was precious, and they’re better for having had him in their lives. They toast to Nathan.
Ava sees Lucas, and asks about Lulu. He says he can’t discuss it. She says Lulu was attacked be the same person who killed her daughter. She needs to know if Lulu remembers who did it. Lucas says forcing Lulu into remembering would be counterproductive, and the worst thing they could do. Ava says, at least she’s alive. The other victims weren’t so fortunate.
Chase brings in a box, and tells Jordan it’s the last of the material from the LA office. He wants to give it a once-over. He asks if there’s been no breakthrough, and Jordan says, hardly. Nothing makes sense. She’s ready call in a psychic, and asks if he knows any.
Elizabeth thinks it’s great that Franco is diving in head first. Franco says he’s trying to help both Aiden and them. She’s swamped at work, and feels when and if the day comes, they’ll have a conversation with Aiden, but on his terms. Not because they forced the issue. Franco says, ideally, but his classmates already forced the issue.
Kim asks if Drew wants a drink, and he says, if she is. She pours them something. He asks if she wants to talk about Julian, and she says, what’s left to say? She was too busy tending to Oscar, and not their relationship, so Julian decided to sleep with someone else – not Alexis, according to her. At the very least, it means he went ahead and slept with a random person, and dumped her. The end. Drew says he didn’t cancel the cleaning service, and she says, or the meal service, or the tune-up. The garage confirmed it. She doesn’t know what to do. Why doesn’t he stop them? Drew says maybe Julian wishes he hadn’t let her go.
Brad asks why Julian didn’t tell him. Julian says, now that he knows who Willow is, keep a wide berth. Brad says, what if she doesn’t do the same? Julian asks if he and Lucas didn’t agree to an open adoption. Worst case, Wiley has a mother figure. Brad says, except she’s not his mother. Julian asks how she’d know, and Brad says, a DNA test? Julian says, run by who for what reason? Brad says Wiley could get sick, and Julian tells him, the odds are incredibly, insanely small. Lucas appears, and says, is that so?
Alexis tells Shiloh that he has quite a set-up. He says it does the job. Alexis asks what the job is, and Kristina says Shiloh has provided a place for friends and strangers to hang their hats. Alexis asks if he doesn’t charge, and Shiloh says they pay what they can, and make the rest up in service. Everyone works in the community, whether it’s in or out of their doors. He covers the day to day with course fees. He says it’s time to start. Alexis says Kristina didn’t mention there was a fee, but Kristina says it’s free for her. Alexis asks what the course is about, and Kristina says, don’t worry; it’s a good one. Shiloh thanks the group for joining him. He’s excited to be their guide for being one when you’re two: finding yourself in a relationship.
Shiloh guides Kristina and Alexis. He says they’re endlessly, boundlessly connected. It must be double adverb day. Alexis says she agreed to a self-improvement class, but she’s not talking about Julian. Kristina says, there are all kinds of relationships. Kristina was hoping to explore her relationship with Alexis. Alexis says it doesn’t have to be there, but Kristina says it hasn’t worked anywhere else. She thought Alexis would want to explore it too.
Lucas asks Julian what odds they’re discussing, and Julian says the odds of Lucas seeing him holding Wiley. He says Wiley was fussy, Brad took him out for a drive, and stopped for coffee. Julian was supposed to be at the book signing, and his plans changed. Lucas says, and here he is again, but Brad says, it just worked that way. Julian says Ava is lurking around with her boyfriend who used to be her shrink. Julian sees her, and tells Lucas that he knows Lucas can’t cut him some slack, but give his husband a break. Brad did nothing wrong. Julian goes over to Ava.
Valentin tells Peter that he needs a favor. A talented acquaintance has fallen on hard times, and they’d be a good fit at The Invader. Peter asks if his acquaintance has a r. Valentin says she’s known far and wide. It’s Obrecht.
Nina, Maxie, and Obrecht laugh over Nathan stories. Obrecht thinks they should put them in writing; a record of Nathan’s goodness. Nina says she is doing that, as a history for James to remember his father by. She’s not doing it alone. She asked around for stories, and the other day, got an email from someone who told her about a prank in college. Maxie says, stories they don’t know, and Obrecht says, stories they never will know. Nina says they’re not saying that man’s name today. It’s a celebration of Nathan. They’re not dwelling on the past. Obrecht looks at Maxie’s hand, and says she’s lost her wedding ring.
Jordan tells Chase, on one hand, all of the driver’s licenses are missing, and there’s the timing. Chase says that suggests a connection. She says, on the other hand, only two victims fit the pattern. There’s something missing. What kind of person knows three residents of Port Charles, and an LA producer? Chase says, an already established killer.
Elizabeth thanks Franco, gives him a kiss, and goes back to work. His phone rings. He says whatever it is, he didn’t do it. Jordan asks if he’ll meet her at the station anyway. She believes he might have information that could help solve Kiki’s murder. And the others.
Kristina says she’ll go first, and Shiloh tells Alexis to ask her what she wants from the relationship. Alexis asks, and Kristina says, to get along better. Shiloh says, ask again. Alexis does, and Kristina says, to communicate more. He says they’re hardly communicating. Now, ask again. Alexis asks, and Kristina says, not to fight so much. Shiloh asks why they’re fighting. What does she want? Dig deeper. He tells Alexis, ask again, but Alexis says he’s not giving Kristina a chance to answer. He says, ask again, so she does. Kristina says she wants Alexis’s respect. Shiloh says, now they’re getting somewhere.
Julian tells Ava that she can’t jog Lulu’s memory by hanging around. She says she wants to be there when Lulu remembers; he’d do same thing. Julian says avenging Kiki will eventually bite her in the ass, plus cost her the one daughter she has left. He says, for Avery’s sake, find something else to occupy her time. He asks if Doc didn’t want to whisk her away, but she says the timing wasn’t right. Julian is the one who sounds like he needs a vacation. Why doesn’t he take Kim and go? He says they’re not going anywhere. Not with each other anyway.
Kim tells Drew, it would be easier if Julian was a jerk, but he’s been great. Except for the cheating and abandoning. Drew sits down, yowls, and brings a knitting needle out from underneath him. She wondered where that went. She tells him she’s been torturing yarn. He wants to see what she made, and she shows him an infinity scarf, saying it’s hideous. It’s probably better than I’d do.
Peter says Valentin wants him to hire Obrecht? The woman who tortured him for a month, and left him to die in a burning stable? Valentin says he’d be in Peter’s debt, but Peter wonders why incur one from Obrecht? She must have leverage. Something that could take away what’s most important to him. Peter corrects himself, and adds, not what. Who.
Obrecht says Maxie lost her ring. Maxie says Obrecht doesn’t understand. She didn’t lose it. Obrecht says, she took it off?
Elizabeth reads from This Book is Gay, that the suicide rate is triple among gay teens. Lucas and Brad come by. Lucas asks if Elizabeth is okay, and she says she’s taking a break. She drops the book, and Lucas says he knows it. Someone gave it to his mom after he came out. She asks if it was helpful, and he says his mom thought so. Brad asks if one of Elizabeth’s patients is gay. She says, um… and he realizes it’s for her.
Franco arrives at station. Jordan tells him there have been new developments in a connection among the victims. Franco wondered what the TV guy had to do with the others. Jordan wonders if he can tell her. Franco says the way the bodies were arranged – and Chase says, it was artistic. Franco says that would be in the eye of the beholder, but they were dramatic. Franco can’t see what they have in common. Chase says they couldn’t either, but they came across this script. He hands it to Franco, and says the only thing they have in common is him. There’s a notation on the top page that says, talk to Franco.
Maxie says she felt it was time to put her ring away, and Nina says everyone grieves at their own pace in their own time. It’s time to move on. Obrecht doesn’t understand. Is she seeing someone? Maxie says, no; it’s too early. Obrecht says, in other words, yes. She asks if Nina knew, and Nina says she had an inkling. Obrecht wonders why Nina said nothing. Is this payback for trying to open her eyes about Sasha? Maxie wonders what she’s talking about, and Nina says she didn’t give Obrecht a job, and she made vague innuendos about her daughter. Maxie asks why Obrecht would want a job at Crimson, and Obrecht says she’d sooner drop dead than work for her capricious niece. Nina says if she wants to drop dead, go for it, and leaves the table.
Peter asks Valentin, how bad? So bad he lose Nina, Charlotte, or both? Valentin tells Peter not to concern himself with his family. Peter says someone is using leverage to force Valentin to do what he doesn’t want to. Valentin says apparently, he asked too much. Forget about it. Peter says, not likely.
Kim tells Drew that she made the scarf in the wee hours when she couldn’t sleep. They laugh about it, and Drew says it’s a nice change of pace. Kim asks if he ever feels guilty having good time; forgetting about things for the moment. He says, sometimes, but laughing about something is the closest feeling to hope.
Alexis asks how it was for Kristina. She says they’ve talked about potential, and the things that tie you down. She feels like a tie was cut. Alexis asks if she didn’t feel browbeaten, and Kristina says it’s rough being on the spot, but it helped. It bothers Alexis that Kristina thinks she doesn’t respect her. Kristina asks if Alexis thinks she has a perception problem, or she’s imagining it. Alexis says sometimes she gets upset that Kristina isn’t living the life she envisioned for her, and forgets Kristina’s life is hers. What Alexis wants is irrelevant, and it’s what Kristina wants that matters. Shiloh asks how it’s going, and Kristina thinks they achieved a measure of understanding. He asks if Alexis would care to do an examination. Alexis says, no, but thanks for asking. Kristina tells her, at least try. Does she have a relationship that needs work? Alexis says Kristina doesn’t know when to quit, does she?
Ava says Julian told Kim he slept with someone else, and broke up with her? How’s she taking it? He doubts it’s crossed mind. After they parted, Oscar’s prognosis came back. Ava says, and? Julian doesn’t say anything, and she says, that’s awful. He says at least she won’t have him distracting her, and Ava says, how thoughtful; denying Kim support in her hour of need. How selfless to abandon her. How did a man with such good intentions wind up being such an ass?
Kristina tells Alexis that they can work on any relationship she wants, as long as she wants to change it. Alexis says she’s not doing Julian. Kristina says he doesn’t have to know. Shiloh tells them, look your partner in the eye. See her. Let her see you. He tells Kristina to ask the question, and Kristina says, what do you want? Alexis says she doesn’t want a relationship with Julian, and Kristina asks why she still has one then. Why hasn’t she moved on? She hasn’t because she doesn’t want to yet. Kristina continues to ask what Alexis wants, and Alexis finally says she doesn’t want to talk or think about it. Kristina says, if it’s still in her head, it’s not finished. Alexis says what she wants is to be happy, to feel passion, and be in love. She wants to feel like she did with Julian before.
Julian asks Ava if she thinks he made a mistake. She says, yes. Kim is good for him, and he’s shown improvement. He has a real and lasting chance. If he wants to be worthy of his children, grandchildren – and Kim – do what he has to in order to make things right. She leaves.
Kim tells Drew, when she brought Oscar to Port Charles, she wanted him to connect with family. She never realized she’d land one in the process. She says Oscar should be home any minute. Drew doesn’t want Oscar to think they’re ganging up on him. Kim says she’ll talk to him in the morning.
Elizabeth tells Brad and Lucas about the kids bullying Aiden. Lucas says, that’s why they’re picking on him. Brad asks if Aiden has more female friends than male. Lucas asks if he doesn’t like sports, and likes things traditionally girly. Elizabeth says that describes Aiden. Lucas says the main prerequisite is, does he like boys? It took Lucas a long time. He sensed he felt different, but didn’t know for sure until puberty. Even though he was attracted to boys, he didn’t want to be. He played it straight until he couldn’t hide it anymore. Elizabeth asks if things got better after that. Brad says, the getting better part takes a while.
Franco tells Jordan that he has no idea where he was when the murders were committed, and doesn’t know what Peyton knows. Jordan asks why Peyton was keen on speaking to him, but he doesn’t know. Chase says, clearly, Peyton reached out. Franco says he doesn’t answer numbers he doesn’t recognize. They can check his phone records. Then, when they’re done, they can go catch this maniac before he kills someone else.
Nina is back home, and Valentin asks how her evening was. She says, okay; they were talking about Nathan. It helped, until they stopped taking about Nathan. That crashed and burned the evening. He asks, would she like a cocktail… ice cream… Paris? Cocktails and ice cream in Paris? She says there is something he can do. She could use some mother/daughter time. She wants Sasha to come visit.
Maxie takes the check, telling Obrecht, they’ll work things out. They always do. Obrecht says, now that they’re alone, tell her about the new man. Maxie says, it’s nothing. Just a flirtation. It will probably end before it goes anywhere. Obrecht asks who he is, but Maxie suggests they talk about careers. A job at Crimson? Obrecht thought a medical column. Her readers have questions, and she can give honest and innovative solutions, without a medical board to answer to. Maxie thinks Obrecht needs a niche audience. She needs an outlet with expanded access. Obrecht says she wants to share her views and experiences. Maxie thinks she knows just the place. Peter walks in.
Kim straightens up. There’s a knock at the door. It’s Julian. He says, I love you. On New Year’s Eve, when he told her that he slept with someone else, and let her think it was Alexis, there wasn’t anybody else. He made it up because he’s an idiot. He needed to tell her the truth. There’s nobody else. Only her. He walks into the apartment, and says he was jealous. He saw her and Drew kissing, but he also convinced himself that she and Oscar would be better off without him. So he told her something to make her glad to get rid of him. He’s so sorry. He wishes he could take it back. The truth is, he loves her. She made him a better person, and he owed it to the both of them to tell the truth. Now that she knows, she can do or not do what she wants with it. Kim looks confused, and maybe a little panicked.
Alexis says she has to go, but Kristina say they just had a breakthrough. She should stay, and face her darkest fears. She’s sure the process works for a lot of people. Kristina says it works for her daughter, and Alexis says she appreciates that. She loves Kristina, and is proud of her. She does respect Kristina, and asks her to remember that when she gives her cause to forget. Kristina wants to talk about their relationship. Alexis says they will, but not here, and not now. It’s not for her. She leaves the house.
Elizabeth asks, what does she do? Aiden is going through a tough time. Franco thinks maybe they should bring it up themselves. Lucas says it sounds like they’re on top of it. His parents weren’t. He tells her, create a safe environment, so he’ll speak when he’s ready. Brad suggests she invite them over for dinner. Lucas thinks that’s a good idea. Let Aiden see her gay friends, and see they accept people for who they are, not just him. Her friends and family have her back. Lucas hugs her, saying, so does Franco. She’s got this.
Chase tells Jordan that Peyton called Franco, but he didn’t pick up. Jordan thanks Franco for his time. Franco asks if they’re done, and she says, for now. He says, next time she wants to question him, she can talk to his lawyer. He leaves, and Chase says, fun guy. With his history, no wonder she wants to nail down his whereabouts during the other murders. Jordan says during his last brush with the law, Jim Harvey was shot. She says he’s one of Doc’s patients, and wonders if Franco is still seeing him. Chase says Doc can’t discuss what Franco tells him, but Jordan says he can if it’s possible he committed a crime. Chase wonders, if that was the case, why Doc wouldn’t have come forward. Jordan tells him to set up a meeting. If anyone knows whether Franco is capable of murder, it would be his psychiatrist. Please. Don’t tell me Ryan is going to try and pin the murders on Franco and leave town. I can’t stand it.
Tomorrow, Ava asks Olivia to work her magic, Carly asks Kim if Drew was there, and Lulu screams no, no, no!
👜 🔪 Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry was the setting for Top Chef this week. For the Quickfire Challenge, the chefs had to make a dish for a Grammy winning country star, using riders – basically preference sheets – that indicate what the star and their staff would like foodwise. The star’s name wasn’t revealed until after the dishes were complete, It was singer Hunter Hayes, whose music I have no clue about, but he used terms like flavor profile, so it seems he’s no stranger to the culinary arts. Adrienne wasn’t well, but won the challenge anyway, enticing Hunter with red meat. For her efforts, she received an extra hour to complete the next challenge. The Elimination Challenge had the chefs creating a dish based on a music memory. The judges were the people responsible for the Music City Food and Wine Festival, and included the lead singer from Kings of Leon. His wife, model Lily Aldridge, was also at the dinner. I knew who she was right away, since she was on an episode of 2 Broke Girls. My reference point for too many things. Justin dropped a plate, so wasn’t eligible to win. Tom said we learn a lot about ourselves with cooking. I’ve learned that when I want to eat, it’s quicker and less labor intensive to use the microwave. Michelle won the challenge, but I wasn’t sure if she was getting a bit of a sympathy vote, since she talked about her father’s suicide and everyone cried. David had to pack his knives and go, because his dish was overly salty, and they didn’t even know what was going on with it. It involved puffed rice, which rubbed the judges the wrong way. David was proud of his performance, and hoped to set a good example for his son. The show was dedicated to Fatima Ali, a Top Chefcontestant who recently passed away. Next time, chefs in a gymnasium, and a conflict over boxed waffles.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
In the interrogation room, Ava makes an impassioned plea on camera for Avery’s return. She wonders if she deserved Avery. She says grace is not earned, but a gift, and Avery is a source of grace. If anyone has seen it in the eyes of a child, she begs them to help. She breaks down crying. Sonny sits next to her, and begs in his own way, describing Avery, and saying she’s with her grandfather. He shows them a picture of Mike, and says his father’s memory is fading, and his little girl’s life is just starting. Please help find them.
Drew says every platform Aurora can reach will broadcast it. Ava thanks him, and he says they’ll find them. Sonny tells Ava whatever they feel about each other goes out the window until Avery is found. She wonders if he’s telling her or himself.
Julian tells Kim that Ava must be desperate to cooperate with Sonny. He punched a wall earlier, and Kim says, he must be hurting. He says he needs to be with Ava, but Kim wants to tape his hand first.
Oscar helps Josslyn into the hospital. She insists she just rolled her ankle, and her coach is overreacting. He tells her that she’s super competitive. She says her baby sister being missing is horrible. She hates that they’re treating Mike like a felon, but he could take her somewhere dangerous, and she hates that more. The only time she’s not thinking about everything is when she’s playing. Oscar wishes he could help her, and she says he is.
Franco can’t imagine what Avery’s parents are going through. Elizabeth asks what about him? He says whatever he’s feeling doesn’t compare, but Elizabeth says that doesn’t mean it’s any less valid. He’s glad to be under the same roof with her and her boys, and for a minute, the world was perfect. But the world isn’t perfect, and bad happens all the time. The reality is, that it never stops.
A nurse brings Carly’s follow-up test results to Griff. He looks worried, like always.
Carly tells Sonny the FBI says it doesn’t appear mob related, and Sonny says he already told them that. Griff calls, and tells Carly that he has the test results. He’d like to go over them together. She tells Sonny that she can go over by herself. He says he’ll go home, touch base with Max, and do what he can. She says, don’t worry, but he says that’s not going to happen. Drew offers to take Carly to the hospital, since he’s going there anyway. Ava says she’s not going anywhere until her little girl is back.
Kim suggests Julian take it out on a bag at the gym; she hears Drew is a great coach. Julian thinks he could teach Drew a thing or two he learned on the streets. He suggests she still has feelings for Drew, and he’s single now, but she says she’s right where she wants to be. He thinks he needs more convincing, and she kisses him, but unfortunately has to go to work.
Franco tells Elizabeth that he’s happy about everything, but it’s time to move on and go back to work. She tells him there’s no rush, but he says he’s ready. Instead of going to the art therapy studio, he looks in Betsy’s room.
Elizabeth sees Drew, and tells him she saw the broadcast. He says what good is owning a media company if he can’t help when it’s needed?
Carly tells Griff to give it to her straight. He tells her to sit down, and she says it doesn’t sound good. He’s sorry for the nightmare she’s dealing with, and she says that’s why she wants to get the results out of the way. Griff tells her there’s nothing physically wrong, and she’s pretty sure she told him that. He’d like her to schedule an appointment with Doc. He wants to rule out every possibility as a cause for the incidents she’s described. She insists they’re real, and he just confirmed that there’s nothing physically wrong. She says there’s nothing left to discuss, and thanks him.
Chase and Dante arrive at Sonny’s. Sonny asks if there are any leads, but Dante says nothing yet. Chase asks Sonny to have Carly call him to follow up on the cemetery and parking garage. Sonny doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
Ava looks at pictures of Avery. She swears to find her, and not let anyone take her away again. Julian arrives, and asks how she’s holding up. She says she’s a wreck. He tells her that she did good on TV. He gives her an empty coffee cup (sigh – not only that, they never act like it’s hot either), and she hugs him.
Elizabeth asks Drew if he’s friends with Carly again, and he says they’ve put their differences aside. Elizabeth says they could all use some coming together after surviving the earthquake. He asks about Jake, and she says it helps having Franco back home. He asks how Franco is doing, and she says, okay. He’s back in the art therapy room.
Franco goes into Betsy’s room. He tells her not to talk; every word is a lie. He can’t understand, and doesn’t want to. How could she choose her boyfriend over her sons? She turned blind eye, and allowed it to happen over and over; she didn’t care about them. Betsy says she sent Drew away to keep him safe, and Franco says, to keep her secret safe. She sent him to an orphanage, and made it easy for Jim. When Jim was done, he moved on. Franco has a list of names; people she could have helped if she’d spoken up. He thought it was his fault. Her lies made him doubt and hate himself. Is she happy about that? Is she proud of her little boy now?
Betsy says she doesn’t blame him for hating her, but it can’t be more than hates herself. Franco says she’s just as much a victim as the rest of them. Jim would have killed him if she hadn’t told Drew the truth. He tells her that Jim can’t hurt them anymore; they’re safe. Everything he did died with him. Franco is only fantasizing, and stands in front of Betsy’s bed, watching her sleep. He kneels by her bedside, and hesitantly touches her hair.
Drew is happy that Franco is conquering his demons. Elizabeth says it shouldn’t have happened. She doesn’t get how Betsy let Jim in and didn’t protect her boys from the onset. Drew says Jim was a manipulator, and she was fragile. She didn’t know what was going on. Elizabeth thinks she must have sensed it, and the child comes first. How could she be so complacent? Drew says Elizabeth is a good mom, but that’s not always the case. She says she might be a good mom, but she’s being a bad employee, and goes back to work.
Drew sees Kim, who says she’s been worried. Oscar was upset about the shooting, but doing fine. Oscar is proud of him for saving Franco, and thinks he’s a hero. Drew says that’s not the case, but Kim says try telling that to his son.
Josslyn wonders what’s taking so long. Oscar says he could text his mom, but Josslyn says she could text her grandmother – the chief of staff. Oscar admits her connection is better than his. He guesses it helps to be related to half the town. She says, he is too, but he tells her that they’re just getting to know him. Her relatives would crawl over glass for her. She asks if he’s calling her spoiled, and he says, privileged. Spoiled kids are entitled, and think they deserve better; that they deserve everything. She’s not like that. She says she loves being first, but he says she works for it. She’s lucky, smart, strong, beautiful, and rich, but she doesn’t think she’s superior. She goes out of her way to help people, and stand up for outsiders. He compares her to Wonder Woman. She has all these special gifts, but uses them for good. She wishes she was Wonder Woman. She would use her superpowers to find Avery and Mike.
Julian tells Ava that he’s sure Avery is safe with Mike. She’s concerned that a rival family might have taken advantage. The Feds said that wasn’t the case, but what if they were snatched in a vendetta against Sonny? It’s clear Sonny is genuinely concerned; she’s not questioning that, but wonders if he’s feeling guilty because he believes his business practices were involved. Julian thinks she should ask herself the same question. What if Avery was taken because of her past – or his? Just because they left that world, doesn’t mean their enemies forgot. She’s tried to put it behind her, but what if the past is catching up, and she’s paying the price? Ava starts to leave, but runs into Griff at the door. She says she’s worked so hard to overcome the past, but what if it’s catching up? What if Avery was taken by one of her enemies?
When Carly gets back home, Sonny says Chase was telling him an interesting story that starts in a parking lot and ends in a cemetery. Dante says it sounds like a horror movie, but he’s not familiar with it. He leaves, and Sonny says since Carly didn’t want to tell him, he had to find out from a cop that the reason she didn’t meet up with Avery and Mike is that she was searching for ghost. She tells him to stop acting like she abandoned them. She called Pilar. Sonny says if she’d been there, they wouldn’t be missing. She says what if someone was reaching about Morgan? Chase must have forgotten to tell him the part about the note. He says Chase told him that nothing was written on the flyer. She says she saw it, and smelled Morgan’s cologne at the grave. Sonny wants to believe her with all his heart. He asks her what Griff said.
Griff tells Ava it’s not her fault, but she says, what if it is? Julian says he might have planted that idea when he threw out the possibility. Ava says she did consider it; she just didn’t say it. Julian says as usual, he did more harm than good. He starts to leave, but Griff says his sister needs him. Griff got another doctor to cover his shift; his place is with Ava. She says she can’t sit doing nothing, and he suggests they pray.
Josslyn asks Oscar if he’s sure he wants a family; he’s had a firsthand look at the downside. He says when there’s more to love, there’s more to lose, but it’s worth it in the end. It was just him and his mom for a long time. Now his dad is in the picture, and who knows, maybe more than that. She asks what he means, and Oscar says his mom finally admitted she still has feelings for him.
Drew tells Kim that sons look up to their fathers, but it’s probably best if Oscar looks at him like a regular guy. Kim says Drew can break the news to him. Oscar misses him. He suggests the go out for a burger, but she says he should come over this week, and she’ll make her famous chili. Back in the day, she told him it was homemade, but she really just opened a can. He calls her a chili imposter, and she says her culinary skills have improved; she can make it from scratch now. He tells her that he did take something away from the experience. Not everyone gets the best of parents. He was just talking to Elizabeth about what makes a great mom. He says Kim is a great mom, and raised a great kid. He thanks her for that.
Elizabeth finds Franco sitting on the floor in an office. He says he didn’t make it to art therapy. He saw Betsy instead. His intention was to dump all of his pent-up rage on her, and blame her for every terrible thing. But he looked at her, all helpless, and couldn’t do it. He didn’t have the heart. Elizabeth says she never understood that expression. It doesn’t apply. He has a complicated, contradictory, compassionate heart. He has every reason to unload on his mom. That he didn’t, proves who he is inside. He’s kind, forgiving, and strong. He needs to heal, and she’s there to help as much as he’ll let her. He says if he makes it at all, it will be because of her. She sits on the floor, in his arms.
Franco says he has the list. Elizabeth asks if he knows what he’s doing with it. He says he’d like to make contact, if he can find the courage. Elizabeth thinks he’ll find a way, and not only help them, but help himself.
Kim tells Drew not to thank her for loving Oscar. He’s the joy of her life, and she’s grateful for him. Drew says he’s a lucky kid, which makes him a lucky dad. She thinks they should try to spend more time together. Maybe all three of them. They are a family. Drew says it’s a deal.
Ava thinks prayers would be more effective from Griff alone, but he says anyone can pray. Julian says, why not? It can’t hurt. Griff takes their hands, and they form a prayer circle.
At the station, Chase asks Dante what’s unclear about it being a hot line, not a support line? He hopes Dante has more luck. Dante suddenly says he thinks he knows where Mike took Avery.
Carly tells Sonny the test results were negative. There’s nothing physically wrong with her. He says that’s good news, but she says, not really. Since he thinks she’s losing her mind.
Tomorrow, Dante doesn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up, Lulu says Henrik replied to her, and Robert wants to know what Anna isn’t telling him.
Southern Charm
Thomas says at long last he has a real woman with a real woman’s heart. Then asks Ashley to make breakfast.
Cameran calls Patricia. She’s feeling large and not in charge. Patricia vaguely remembers, and wasn’t enthusiastic about repeating the process. She wants to do a co-ed baby shower-slash-party. Cameran says she’ll get a list, but Patricia says it should be her call, since she’s giving the party. Clearly, for all her talk about etiquette, Patricia doesn’t know how a shower works. In her interview, Cameran is afraid she’s going to leave Kathryn off the guest list. Patricia tells her to just show up.
Kathryn has the kids. She says they spend a lot of time bonding. Saint was taken from her at six months and it hurt, but it took going to rehab for her to get her priorities straight. The kids mess with Play-Doh, my nemesis. Probably yours too, if you’ve ever tried to get it out of the treads of your shoe. Kathryn says it’s hard. Even though she’s moving toward joint custody, it’s heartbreak every other weekend. It’s been a long journey, but things are settling into place and moving in the right direction. She says it feels like chapter three.
Thomas makes eggs. In his interview, he jokes about mixing in Plan-B just in case, once more confirming what a creeper he is. He asks if Ashley has ever had a pregnancy scare. She says she’s had what if thoughts. She has a fertility app on her phone, and can see when the window is. It’s the birth control she’s using. Oh Lord, no comment. She says, if it happens, it would be a blessing, but she doesn’t want to be a single parent. She tells him that a baby makes a good relationship great, and a bad relationship worse. Thomas says he could have written that. That’s if he could write. In his interview, he says Ashley would be a wonderful mother, but he wants to know more about her. He cares too much about himself (key word) and his kids to make a wrong decision. They get busy, because no wrong decision can be made using basically no birth control at all. He says, fade to black, which I would find funny if he didn’t make me so ill. However, he is not as bad as Jax. No one is as bad as Jax.
Kathy, the childbirth educator, visits Cameran. Cameran hasn’t been to any classes or read What to Expect. Whitney is pinch-hitting for her husband. Kathy tells her to visualize the perfect experience, and Cameran says she’d pick her baby off a tree. She’s concerned about her vagina being all messed up, and still ending up needing a C-section. Up until now, she’s had control of all aspects of her life, and she’s been in denial. Obviously, if her first childbirth class is five minutes before delivery. Whitney asks if she’ll get an epindurmal [sic], and says he’d need an Elvis dose. Kathy wants Cameran to learn squatting for a certain amount of time. In her interview, Cameran says when she finds herself overwhelmed, she tells herself that cavewomen did this with nothing. If they can do it, she can. They go though some other conditioning exercises. Like the catching-the-baby-like-a-football move.
Kathy leaves, and they talk about the shower. Whitney says the theme is super chic, waspy leisurewear from the 60s. Cameran tells him to tell Patricia that she wants to include everyone. Whitney doubts she’ll want Kathryn in the house, but everyone else is welcome.
Austen meets Craig at an outside bar. Austen is friends with all the bartenders because of the business he’s in; it’s like being low-key famous. Austen asks if Craig is cool with checking out babes and not feeling guilty. He’s single, and it might take a minute to regroup. Craig thinks life would be easier if he was gay, and Austen asks if Craig needs to tell him something. Shep joins them. He asks if they’ve recovered for the party, and says he didn’t remember the end. He was browned out. They get some magnificent looking nachos.
Craig says at the end of the party, he got the nice Naomie, not the mean one. Austen says they clearly still care about each other, but if they talk every day, they’ll never get over it. In his interview, Craig says Naomie going back and forth is a mind-f*ck. Shep says he’s rooting for Craig.
Chelsea joins Cameran for her ultrasound. In her interview, Chelsea says she’s known Cameran through every stage of her life, and it’s been fun. Cameran says it’s freaky to see your stomach move when it’s not gas. I think it would be freaky to see my stomach move even if it was gas. Since she’s about ready to pop, you can see the entire baby in detail. Cameran says she hasn’t cried yet, and Chelsea starts to cry. In her interview, Cameran says she thinks it hasn’t hit her yet. She’s not going to believe it until she sees it. She tells Baby Palmer that she loves her, and will see her soon.
Chelsea thinks she and Austen are in a good place. She backed up when he started dating, but it’s better now. Cameran thinks he’s still attracted to her. She asks if they still smooch, but that’s a no. Chelsea says her problem isn’t him, but his lifestyle. He parties all night, and sleeps all day. She can’t be with someone like that, and wonders what it is with this town and the men.
Austen says his fun employment period won’t last forever. He has nothing to fall back on, and is feeling the pressure, hearing his mother’s voice in his head. He wants to stay in the beer industry, but was nervous that his passion would be killed once it became the daily grind. He talks to a bartender about one of their beers. In his interview, he says he’s tired of peddling someone else’s wares. It’s time for him to do his own thing, but he has to figure out what it is.
Thomas calls his dad. He’s almost 91, and doing great. Thomas says he’s quick as a lark, mixing his similes. They discuss a table that Thomas wants. Arthur grew up during the Depression, and Thomas is afraid to tell him what he spends on anything. Arthur tells him Ashley is too nice for him. He wants Thomas to have a country girl even though Thomas’s mother was from San Francisco. Arthur says he trained her, and Thomas wants his notes.
Kathryn visits Craig. In his interview, Craig says they’ve always connected on some strange level. She’s brings him a spice set as a housewarming gift, and he shows her around his new place. In his interview, he says he and Kathryn don’t judge; it’s kind of a safe place. He shows her some things he’s sewn and embroidered. All he took was the sewing machine, and he needed an outlet. Now he can make his pillows as much as he wants without criticism. He asks if she’s going to Cameran’s shower, but she says no. In her interview, she says would have been surprised if she’d been invited.
Craig asks what she thinks about Thomas and Ashley. Kathryn feels badly for Thomas, and thinks he’s being played. Craig thinks Ashley is a hopeless romantic, but Kathryn doesn’t buy it. She tells Craig when they were in New York, she and Thomas hooked up, and he tried to tell her that he wanted another baby. Craig says at least she didn’t get pregnant this time.
Patricia’s theory of having a party is to use things you already have. She explains that Slim Aarons is the theme. He’s a famous photographer who chronicled social life in Palm Beach in the 60s. She tells the caterer that the spread is amazing, and it is.
Chelsea asks her cute Pittie dog which dress he likes. Craig works on some last-minute sewing. Naomie’s roommate Wilton is also her gay bey. They have champagne while getting ready. They talk about Cameran still looking skinny and beautiful. Naomie tells Wilton that Kathryn isn’t coming because the guest list was up to Patricia.
Omg, that house. Chelsea arrives first, and says it looks awesome; Patricia doesn’t skip the detail. I love Whitney’s paisley sportscoat. He thinks it looks a bit Thurston Howell III. I don’t remember him as ever wearing paisley. Maybe an ascot. Chelsea says Austen looks like Easter Sunday on drugs in his flowered jacket. Craig comes bearing pillows. Patricia doesn’t understand why he’s not a lawyer, but if making pillows makes him happy, go for it. We find out that Thomas likes a tiny heinie, which I did not need to know. I gasp when Craig totally misses his mouth with his champagne glass. And the party just started.
Cameran arrives with friend Eddie. She says it’s not a typical baby shower; it’s a typical Patricia baby shower, and beyond fabulous. I’m loving the colors. Cameran says the angel ice sculpture is the most beautiful thing she’s ever seen, but I wouldn’t go that far. Naomie is sad Kathryn isn’t there, and wants to say something. Chelsea thinks all it takes is one time for redemption.
Naomie asks to talk to Patricia in private. She tells Patricia that she respects her feelings about Kathryn, but she’s been spending time with her, and Patricia is like, is that the doorbell? and excuses herself. In her interview, Patricia doesn’t think it’s appropriate to bring grievances and issues to light at someone else’s house. Maybe not, but that was pretty rude, since she made a beeline for the couch, not even pretending to greet a guest. I like Patricia in a lot of ways, but this is not one of them.
Cameran demands cake. It’s a baby in a bathtub. Oh wait, is it coming out of… yes, I believe it is. Cameran loves it, and says that’s why she’s a drop-out debutante. I’m kind of surprised.
Naomie tells Craig that she just had an awkward interaction with Patricia. She respectfully approached her regarding Kathryn, trying to say she was doing better, and Patricia cut her off. Patricia thinks Kathryn is nothing, and that’s what bothers her. Craig says rehab helped Kathryn grow; he thinks they’ve all grown. He tells her that he’s gotten a lot done lately. Somehow, Naomie interprets this as him saying he’s done more in the past two months than in their entire time together, and asks why he thinks that. He says that’s a loaded question, and also an impossibility timewise. She says she’s not a mean person, but she trusted him, and he let her down. Why does she keep rehashing this? He says he’s the same person she traveled the world with. She’s the one who changed, and decided she didn’t agree with his lifestyle. She says she wanted to do something with her life. He sits home and sews, and pretends to do things. He asks what’s wrong with his sewing? He tells her that he owns two homes, so tell him that he’s a big loser at twenty-nine. Geez, I didn’t own a home until I was almost forty, and it’s doubtful I’ll ever own two. He says a year and a half in, she changed. She says she got her sh*t together, unlike him. He says she’s still focused on outward appearance. Putting on my Dr. Phil hat – or bald cap, as it were – the problem is, she wants to change him and that’s not going to happen. He’s not what she wants, and she won’t let it go. Or maybe he is what she wants, and she can’t reconcile it with what she thinks she should want. All I know for sure, is that I’d have him slaving away at that machine, and I’d be wearing custom-made clothing. And probably selling it too.
Cameran opens the gifts. Craig made her some kind of monkey lovey, and she dies laughing. She gets lots of cute stuff, and thanks everyone for their sweet presents.
JD (bleh) comes in with Elizabeth. Naomie is like, wtf? She feels stupid after what Elizabeth said to her, and wonders how Elizabeth can walk in with him and be smiling. Whitney says there’s something there Naomie must not know about. Shep tells her keeping up appearances is important in the South. She doesn’t know how to greet them, and Shep says just say hello, smile, give Elizabeth a hug, and a nod to JD. She does, but gives JD a half-hug. In her interview, Naomie says he was smirking at her like, ha-ha, I’m with her; it’s palpable. She knows he feels like he’s winning. Chelsea says she did her due diligence as a friend; it’s not her fight anymore. Shep and Whitney ditch the conversation.
JD and Elizabeth leave. Elizabeth says, love you guys, and Naomie gives her the finger. HAHAHA!
Next time, Ashley and Kathryn talk, Chelsea is worried she’ll never be in settle down mode, and Naomie says Craig is all talk and no action. For the love of all that’s holy, leave that guy alone already. Peyton
🍹 I caught some of Southern Charm New Orleans, and I think it’s worth a look. It has a very different vibe from Charleston, and I like it. My sister lived in NOLA for many years, and I was always sorry I never had a chance to visit her – for the food and music alone. Unfortunately, she got displaced by Katrina. The city’s history and culture are a contrast to South Carolina, and this group is a little more sophisticated. Confirmation on that remains to be seen, since it was only the first episode. The houses are huge and fabulous, and best of all, there are dogs. Little dogs.
⛵ There was a Summer House reunion, replacing Watch What Happens Live tonight. It was also what I call a cheap reunion, since they used the clubhouse set. It was the same sh*t, different day, with the cast doing nothing but arguing and pointing fingers. Not much of a change from the Housewives reunions, but cramped, and without the ballgowns. Kyle sat through much of it with his mouth hanging open, and the takeaway point was that they know how to party. No. Just no.
