General Hospital blog - August, 2023
August 1st, 2023
As Drew works to save Cyrus like he's going to get a pardon out of it, Cyrus goes to...the afterlife, or wherever. Instead of being judged by God, he gets judged by Laura. And instead of being taken to task for his crimes, he's chastised for stuff like not having enough love in his heart. Ultimately, Laura is open to a second chance, and she tells Cyrus that he's the only one making him feel trapped. Drew successfully revives Cyrus but gets sent to solitary confinement anyway. Dante apparently doesn't like Sonny and Anna talking about the sniper without him, as if they arranged to meet each other behind his back and purposely excluded him instead of simply running into each other and chatting. He wants to stay close to Anna in case the sniper goes after her again, but Anna doesn't think they'll target her the same way twice. Plus, it's possible they'll wait a long time before trying again to kill her, and she's not going to let Dante play bodyguard for that long. Molly and T.J. finally talk everything out and determine that they're on the same page: They want a baby who's biologically T.J.'s, they want it as soon as possible, and they don't want Kristina to carry it. Kristina gets some encouragement about the youth center from Trish, the Metro Court hostess, who lost touch with her brother after their father threw him out for being gay. She helps Kristina remember how important the center will be and also clues her in that Sonny and Nina are really proud of her. This gives Kristina enough of a boost about being able to handle things that she turns down Sonny's offer to buy her a new car. Alexis puts some slight pressure on Gregory to start telling people about his condition, since he obviously won't be able to hide it much longer. Gregory doesn't want his sons to know yet, since he thinks they'll look at him differently. He'd rather savor whatever time he has left before he can't hide anymore. Carly tries to puzzle out why Sonny and Ava have been conferring and why Sonny asked her to take Avery for the night. She doesn't get anywhere, but she accuses Ava of going back to her old ways and getting herself in some kind of trouble.
Hi. No one cares about Cyrus. Thanks for listening.
Yes, pride and hurt feelings are what sealed Cyrus' fate. It certainly wasn't all the crimes.
Dante doesn't need to be Anna's bodyguard 24/7. As soon as Valentin finds out what's going on, he'll never let her out of his sight.
Ha, T.J.'s so relieved that Molly said she doesn't want Kristina to be the surrogate. "Oh, she doesn't need the pressure of this while she's setting up the youth center" – if you don't want her to do it, say it. Don't be a wuss.
I can't take this sudden rewriting of Kristina as constantly acting like a child. I just can't.
August 2nd, 2023
Cyrus wants Martin to give all his money to Pentonville, since he's seen firsthand that there's no rehabilitating going on there. He feels like he's being given a second chance, and he wants to be the best person he can now. Olivia's mad that Ned spent the previous night getting drunk like he's 30 years younger than he actually is. The two of them fight, and Leo blasts Ned for making his mother sad. Ned again demonstrates that Leo is his weakness, and if anyone's going to be able to get him and Olivia back together, it's definitely Leo. Laura and Kevin plan to continue the search for Nikolas on Cassadine Island, but she convinces Valentin to go home, since there are people (like Anna and Charlotte) who need him more than she does. Also, they kind of care about each other now, though Kevin doesn't share that feeling. Sasha's attack on Cody has really hurt Deception, and the Deceptor is basically their only profitable product right now. Tracy wants Brook to get more information on it, but Brook refuses, knowing that if it tanks, the company will be in dire straits. Carly bugs Sonny about what's up with him and Ava, but of course he won't tell her anything. The two of them are in a much better place now, and are even friendly, so I wish Nina had been there because I'd love to see her head explode. Chase tries to investigate Gordon's murder, but he can't get anything helpful out of Austin, and he can't get anything at all out of Sonny. Carly reassures Sam (so she can reassure Scout) that Drew is doing okay in Pentonville, but that's before they learn that he's been sent to solitary.
Yeah, you look really "free" and "wild" in that hoodie, Eddie.
I don't get where this Nikolas search is going. I really don't think it's going to end with them...well, finding Nikolas.
Wait, why did Maxie go to Kelly's if she can get stuff from the hotel? And if Deception has interns, like she said, why wouldn't she send one of them? That was dumb.
Nathan mention – drink!
August 3rd, 2023
Ava thinks Austin killed Gordon even after he swears to her that he doesn't know anything about Gordon's death. That's fair, though, since he also claims that Gordon was a patient of his, but she can't find anything about him when she digs through Austin's patient files. He's mad enough about that, but he's even madder when he learns that she told Sonny that she "killed" Nikolas. Even Stella can't get through to Curtis and help him see that his life isn't over, so I'm not sure who's going to be able to pull that off. Josslyn gets grumpy about Kristina showing kindness to Esme, and it blows up into further crabbiness when Esme asks why they don't like each other. Things get worse when Spencer confides to Josslyn that things are getting easier with Esme and he kind of feels sorry for her. Kristina twists the knife deeper by convincing Spencer to spend the day with Esme and Ace instead of Trina. Cody can't accept that Sasha's mental health declined enough over the course of a few weeks that she would turn violent and imagine that he was Cyrus. He briefly suspects that she started using again, then wonders if she was drugged, but Brook thinks her mental health is the key here. Whatever happened, Cody's pretty sure that Gladys was behind it. It doesn't help when he tries to arrange to visit Sasha and learns that Gladys left him off the visitors' list. Since Josslyn's busy, Trina talks to Dex about what's been going on with Curtis. He's still not accepting visits from her, and she thinks it's because she was mad at him after she found out he kissed Jordan. Dex encourages her to let him know that she's there and then give him space. Molly and T.J. have a meeting with a woman who will match them with a surrogate. Kristina accidentally crashes it, ranting about Josslyn, and Molly quickly gets off the fence about whether or not to use her egg. Olivia tells Ned about her teenage years as a party girl and how she completely changed when she got pregnant. Brook is pleased to see them getting along.
Why would Ava suspect that Austin killed Gordon rather than Mason, who looks like he just came for a photo shoot for I Kill People magazine?
They may as well have brought Kate Mansi on as a brand-new character, since that's how they're writing Kristina now.
Heh, the way they shot the beginning of Cody and Brook's first scene, it looked like he was asking the horse why he was in the stable.
Brook of all people should understand that you can love someone and still make stupid decisions that negatively affect them.
Trina talking over family stuff with Dex felt contrived. That's the sort of conversation she would have with Ava.
Hmmm, maybe Ned and Olivia are going to get themselves back together without Leo's assistance.
August 4th, 2023
Austin wonders if Sonny might have killed Gordon, taking, like, half an hour to realize that Mason might have been the killer instead. He worries that Sonny will come after him now that he knows Austin helped Ava cover up Nikolas' "murder" and could muddy the situation. Ava's starting to get that Austin is...kind of dumb, honestly, and might be the weak link here. Laura and Kevin don't find any signs of Nikolas on Cassadine Island. She thinks he might have been kidnapped, but she's not sure if that's just because she doesn't want to admit that he voluntarily abandoned his children and disappeared without thinking about how his loved ones would feel. Finn and Elizabeth go on another date and decide to put everything on the table that could lead to complications. They both admit to being scared, but their fear is outweighed by their interest in each other, so they're going to keep things going. Anna and Valentin discuss the sniper and whether Victor was really the person who exposed her as a double agent. She's still suspicious that it was someone else, but Valentin thinks this is an Occam's Razor situation and since Victor is the obvious answer, it was him. Nina pays an unexpected visit to Willow, and though the two of them are still awkward with each other, it goes well, at least until Michael comes home. Kristina, who really thinks that Michael should just get over his grudge already, tells Nina that he'll come around eventually. Willow's eager to get back to her normal life, but Michael's hesitant for her to do too much, especially when this is the time for her to focus on their family.
Shout-out to Maura West for not losing it at Roger Howarth's Sonny/Marlon Brando impersonation like I would have. The two of them are so fun to watch together.
"Good grief, Austin. You are really, really bad at this." I know, right??
I hope Finn and Elizabeth are tipping Deanna for delivering messages for them.
Willow should be on Kristina's board of directors instead of Michael.
August 7th, 2023
Anna asks Robert what he knows about Pikeman, then shares her suspicions that something's up with the WSB. She starts connecting the dots between the WSB, Pikeman, and Sonny, realizing that everything points back to Valentin. She thinks she's figured out who was behind the shooting, and that it's someone Valentin knows. Cody tells Diane that he's not going to press charges against Sasha and won't cooperate with any attempts to keep her at Ferncliff. Diane passes that along to Robert, suggesting that he drop the charges. Cody also wants Diane to help him secure a visit with Sasha, but only Gladys can do that. He tries to go behind her back, showing up at Ferncliff pretending to be Dante, but the nurse in charge of visitation won't let him in without ID. Sasha again mentions to Damon that her change in mental health started after he prescribed her the medication she's been taking. He tries to convince her that she's actually been using again for months. Brick has done some digging into Austin, Mason, Gordon, and Betty, tying them all to Pautauk. Sonny tells him that Ava "killed" Nikolas and that Mason has his body, so they can't make a move against Mason until that's dealt with. Valentin fills Spencer and Esme in on the search for Nikolas, and Esme wonders if he's been unfindable because he's dead. Valentin sees this as a chance for the Cassadines to reinvent themselves, something Spencer seems interested in. Sam lets Gladys know that she's suspicious about Sasha's situation, but Gladys is too cocky to think she poses a threat. Olivia decides to distract herself from the Ned/Eddie stuff by planning Sonny and Nina's wedding. Diane invites Robert to go to a car show with her since he needs a new one, and because maybe he'll start to see that new things can be better than old ones that have been around for a long time.
Why would Anna ask Robert about Pikeman before talking to Valentin when she already knew he was connected to it?
Is it wrong that I think Cody's just crazy enough to consider getting himself committed so he can check on Sasha?
I bet Sonny would convince Gladys to let Cody visit Sasha. And by "convince," I mean "make."
Sure, I'll buy that Gladys put Dante on Sasha's visitors list. Why not?
I hope Sam does end up throwing Gladys in the pool, and I hope I have a front-row seat.
I'm surprised that Sonny and Nina don't plan to get married for another six months. Oh, well, just more time for them to inevitably break up.
Somewhere, Maxie just felt some change in atmospheric pressure and said, "Someone has taken my job as Port Charles' official wedding planner."
August 8th, 2023
Anna knows it can't be a coincidence that shots rang out just minutes after Valentin had her pass on a Pikeman-related message to Sonny. Valentin tells her that Pikeman and the WSB are connected, and he once did some consultant work for Pikeman. They contacted him again a few months ago and asked him to connect them with Sonny, which Valentin agreed to because he thought Pikeman might help bring down Victor. Anna suspects that there's more that he isn't telling her. Sasha imagines Cody coming to see her and tearing into her for almost killing him. Then she imagines Cyrus taunting her for relapsing and telling her she'll end up dead from an overdose. Cody enlists Brook to help him sneak into Sasha's room, which looks like a failed mission until the nurse he has to get past proves to be a Chase and Blaze fan, and Brook distracts her with a new single. But by the time Cody reaches Sasha, she's lost in delusions again and just screams at him to stay away from her. Tracy wants to have Ned committed so he can get help and hopefully get turned back into his old self. Olivia knows that she's the only person who can authorize that, and she refuses. Tracy bickers with Gregory about the subject, and he advises her to let her son live the life he wants, which certainly isn't a committable offense. Ned appreciates Olivia defending him but still has no desire to have anything to do with the Quartermaines. He feels like Ned doesn't exist and won't ever come back. Olivia is desperate to hold on to him and suggests that he and Brook make music together, since music is the only thing Ned's interested in. Ned seems up for that, but when he thinks about Tracy's plans for him, he takes off. Martin tells Cyrus that he obeyed his wishes and donated all his money, though he thinks that Cyrus might still have assets stashed somewhere. Cyrus sticks to his story that he's giving up everything to help people, and he doesn't seem concerned about returning to Pentonville, no matter who or what might be waiting for him there. Mason claims that he didn't kill Gordon and hints that Austin might be on the police's radar for the murder. Finn and Elizabeth are a little too cutesy now for my liking.
I hope Pikeman turns out to be Cassandra and/or Alex.
Sofia Mattsson is doing a great job going back and forth with Sasha's emotions. It can't be easy to have to show so much intensity.
Who's putting mascara on Sasha? I doubt that's allowed in a psych facility.
I don't think any psychiatrist would agree to have Ned committed. Well, not any competent psychiatrist. Damon probably would.
Okay, what's up with Austin and Cyrus? Pretend I care.
August 9th, 2023
Trina decides to move back home to be close to her parents and help out with everything Curtis needs. Portia is thrilled, but that ends when Spencer tags along. She tells him that she worries about Trina's safety because he's associated with people who attract danger. She chases him off, then implies to Trina that he ditched her because of Ace. Curtis confides to Marshall that he feels like moving to a rehab facility will send the message that he's giving up and accepting that he won't get better. Gregory takes Alexis axe-throwing to blow off steam over something she's upset about. He has to stop because his hand is bothering him, and he admits that his symptoms are progressing every day. Alexis encourages him to start sharing his health news by just telling Finn first. Gregory laments that his entire life changed with one doctor's appointment and now he has to think about all the things he won't be able to keep doing. Carly and Olivia make up, agreeing that since their friendship has lasted 15 years, it can weather pretty much anything. This includes Olivia planning Sonny and Nina's wedding, which Carly says she's fine with. Jordan wants to help with the investigation into Curtis' shooting, but a conversation with Dante lets her know that very little progress has been made. Sonny and Nina...whatever.
Portia, I need you to chill. A lot.
Maybe don't give the man with the degenerative neurological disorder a sharp object like an axe. Alexis and Gregory should have gone to that place where Anna and Obrecht smashed stuff.
Curtis and Gregory should become friends. They can complain about their sucky prognoses together.
That string of Carly/Olivia flashbacks was quite a journey of hairstyles.
Jordan, why are you asking Dante how Anna's doing? She's your friend – go talk to her.
August 10th, 2023
Carly and Olivia go to a bar where they run into Ned, who hits on Carly even after he finds out that she and Olivia are friends. While Carly's trying to deal with him, Olivia has to fend off a drunk, handsy Mason, who won't take no for an answer. Ned comes to her rescue but gets himself into a brawl, resulting in Carly coming to his rescue. Trina begs Finn to let her see Curtis, though he doesn't really do much other than open Curtis' door and say, "Hey, Trina wants to talk to you." Curtis tells her that he feels like he won't be able to be the father she needs anymore, but she promises that their relationship won't change. Marshall talks again about moving out, but Portia tells him that Curtis will really need him when he comes home from rehab. He assures her that he'll be there for his, and he'll also give Portia all the support she needs when it becomes too much for her. Maxie's as sick of the cramped living conditions in her apartment as Georgie and James are. Sam finally comes up with the solution that the audience figured out a while ago: They should move into Dante and Lulu's old house. Anna recaps the WSB/Pikeman stuff for Dante while someone lurks outside her house. Alexis and Kristina discuss how Sam is being supportive and Kristina is determined to be successful.
It doesn't get much more awkward than a guy hitting on his wife's friend right in front of her.
When and how can I see Mason get punched in the face again?
The girl playing Georgie is really good at the aggrieved-older-sister-of-an-annoying-boy stuff.
Ooh, I have an idea! Dante should find a way to get himself recruited by Pikeman so he can be a mole for Anna and Sonny.
August 11th, 2023
Olivia, Ned, and Carly all get hauled into the police station, and though all charges against them are dropped, Chase won't let them go without adult supervision, basically. He calls Dante to deal with Olivia, who refuses to agree to be released to him, since she didn't do anything wrong. Dante talks her into taking the L for Leo's sake. Ned calls Sonny, who offers to sign out both him and Carly. Carly refuses on principle, wanting to take care of her own problems rather than let Sonny fix everything like she used to. This means she's stuck at the police station until Josslyn gets her messages and comes to get her. Anna's stalker nicely waits until she's out for an evening run before setting fire to her house. Mason somehow escapes arrest and goes to Austin for medical attention. He's completely unaware of the fact that the two women he fought with are connected to Sonny, and he still thinks that he and Austin are a step ahead of Sonny. Finn asks Elizabeth to take care of Violet if anything ever happens to him. Nina flips out about Sonny disappearing without telling her, and she calls Ava, who thinks she needs to get used to her fiancé doing a disappearing act since it's part of mob life. Dante is fully on board with Maxie and her kids moving into his and Lulu's old house.
"Let's just say your mom had a lot to say with a lot of attitude." Well, it's a day that ends in Y, so...
Imagine being so stubborn that you'll willingly hang out in a police station rather than let your ex sign a piece of paper that says you can go. Pick a different hill to die on, Carly.
They devoted a lot of screentime today to a fire we knew wasn't going to hurt anyone.
I'm really looking forward to Sonny finding out that Mason started the fight.
Should we be worried about Finn, since he's making guardianship decisions?
I get Sonny not wanting to wake Nina, but he should have at least left a note asking her to check on Donna.
Is it just me or is Sonny's bed really small?
August 14th, 2023
Sonny arranges for Betty to find a flash drive containing fake Pikeman data, then tells Dex a little more about the situation and tells him to make sure Betty gets what she's looking for. Anna thinks that the WSB and Pikeman weren't responsible for the fire, and that it was instead set by someone who was hurt by her double-agent actions. She admits to Valentin that she has sympathy for that person and knows how revenge can become all-consuming. Dante suspects that Valentin was involved somehow and learns that he might not have gone to ELQ the night before like he said he did. Betty's pretty sure that her time alone at the penthouse will let her find something on Pikeman, which will please whoever she, Austin, and Mason are all answering to. Austin's only happy about that because it gets him a step closer to getting Mason and Betty out of his life. Mason tells him that there's no way their boss is going to let him go anytime soon. Olivia is starting to accept that Ned is no longer Ned and might never be again. She tells him that she wants to respect who he is now because he has the right to be himself. He expresses his regret that his family has been hurt by the changes in his life. Josslyn doesn't get how Carly can continue to try to protect Sonny after everything that's happened to their family. Carly says that because they're family, they'll always be connected. Sonny questions why she didn't let him sign her out of the police station, and she sticks to her decision, saying she doesn't want to keep relying on him like she did when they were married.
I thought Mason and Austin were working for a woman. Now Mason says it's a guy. Did I miss something?
Mason should really get himself a disguise.
Maybe people should only deal with Ned one-on-one. He seems to respond better when he's only talking to one person at a time.
See what happens when you have too much pride, Carly? You spend the night at the police station unnecessarily.
Morgan mention – drink!
August 15th, 2023
Sonny tries to keep Ava from freaking out about Avery's safety while Dex monitors Betty at the penthouse. Everything goes according to plan and Betty finds the information Sonny planted for her, but Nina shows up unexpectedly and isn't pleased to be turned away from her fiancé's home. She complains to Sonny, who won't tell her what's going on, which she says makes her feel like one of his employees. Molly and T.J. meet with a few potential surrogates and pick one named Andrea who seems like just what they're looking for. Portia wants to be as involved as possible in Curtis' physical therapy, but he's still determined to end the relationship. She goes behind his back to talk to his physical therapist, Roy, who tells her that getting involved could actually do more harm than good. Gregory gets to know Brook a little better while they're waiting for Chase to join them for lunch. The only thing they really have in common other than Chase is Tracy, and Brook ends up saying complimentary things about her grandmother. When Chase arrives, Gregory asks if the couple has made plans for their future yet. Chase doesn't get why he's so eager for them to make big decisions when they haven't been together that long. Later, Gregory confides to Alexis that he feels like he's running out of time. Alexis is Esme's mentor now, I think? I don't know what's going on there.
Ava needs a dose of whatever sedative they keep giving Sasha.
It's a good thing Avery already knows Dex because if she didn't, him hushing her so Betty wouldn't know he was there would seem creepy.
Once again, Nina's presence threatens to ruin everything.
Andrea's a little too perfect. Plus, bringing in a surrogate is a waste of a plotline that seemed inevitable, so I feel like something's going to happen to keep this from working out.
Thank you, Roy, for telling Portia to back off so I don't have to.
I'm surprised Brook didn't swear Gregory to secrecy so he never tells Tracy all the nice things Brook said about her.
August 16th, 2023
A nurse named Mandy expresses concerns that Sasha's being given drugs that aren't being tracked in her medical records. Unfortunately, she expresses those concerns to Damon, who promptly has her removed from Sasha's case. He tells Sasha that her condition was caused by her own drug use, and she must be getting contraband somehow. Cody also thinks that Sasha's being drugged, and though Sam believes him, she notes that they don't have any proof. While she goes to Ferncliff and sees for herself what bad shape Sasha's in, Cody goes after Gladys, who's just gotten a restraining order to keep him away from Sasha. Mac can sympathize with Cody for sneaking in to see Sasha, since he once did the same with Dominique, but he's not happy when Cody tries to attack Gladys. He manages to talk Gladys out of pressing charges, though, by pointing out that the police would have to open an investigation and Cody would be questioned. Things aren't running smoothly at the Savoy with Curtis gone, and Selina offers to buy it so he doesn't need to worry about it. Marshall shuts that down immediately and volunteers to take over running things until Curtis can return. Curtis is reluctant to agree, probably because he'll eventually have to tell Marshall about his arrangement with Selina. Betty takes the Pikeman info to Mason and Austin, the latter of whom still seems to think that their boss will let him go once he has what he wants. Dex is still spying on him and still failing to look like he's not spying. Trina spends some time with Spencer and Ace, then goes to see Portia when Spencer encourages her to. (Let's see Portia complain about that!) Esme spies on Spencer and Trina, and I don't think anyone would be surprised that she seems to be trying to get Spencer back. Nina's still annoyed that Sonny and Ava are keeping secrets from her, but Ava's positive that things are about to turn around and there's no need for her to get involved. Willow's health continues to improve, so we're well on our way to never talking about this again.
Careful, Mandy! You're expendable and Damon is evil! You'd also be the perfect person to frame for providing drugs to patients!
Seriously, Dex, find a way to look like you're not spying. I can't believe Austin hasn't caught on yet.
There's speculation that Austin and Mason's boss is Alcazar, which I would be totally on board for. Even more so if they put him with Ava. Imagine the craziness.
Spencer is so cute with Ace.
Just keep jinxing everything, Ava. You're doing great.
August 17th, 2023
Molly hosts a dinner party to announce that she and T.J. chose a surrogate, and while Jordan, Alexis, and Sam are all on the guest list, Kristina is suspiciously absent. Speaking of suspicious, there's some concern that Molly and T.J. are moving forward too quickly with their baby plans, as if they're not completely capable of handling everything, and as if the baby will be here tomorrow instead of at least nine months from now. Anyway, T.J. accidentally tells Kristina about the dinner party, and she shows up at the end with some questions for her sister. Dante catches on that Cody is being loud and obnoxious because he wants to be seen as mentally unstable and get committed to Ferncliff. Cody denies it, but it's pretty obvious, and no matter what he does, Dante won't approve of the plan. Brook gets Tracy drunk, and though Tracy's sad at first, thinking about how much she misses Luke, she later turns fun. She also tells Brook that her end goal is getting control of Deception. Gregory has a fall while babysitting Violet, who notices a couple of symptoms and worries that something's wrong. She tells Finn about the fall, and when he asks Gregory about it, it looks like Gregory is ready to finally tell him about his diagnosis. Felicia wants to do something that makes a difference, so Mac suggests that she find a job or volunteer opportunity at the hospital. We get it, Finn and Elizabeth, you really like each other.
Are we watching Kristina's villain origin story?
I can't picture Jordan as a grandmother. Mostly because she looks like she's 35.
Way to go, Cody – your genius strategy was "throw a massive tantrum and double down when called out for it."
More drunk Tracy! I demand more drunk Tracy!
Please don't make me watch any more scenes where Finn and Elizabeth talk about their feelings.
August 18th, 2023
Anna is suspicious of Valentin even before Dante calls to tell her that his story about being at ELQ when the fire was set was a lie. Martin drops off some papers that Valentin claims aren't that important, despite Martin's statement that Valentin insisted on him delivering them right then. Anna snoops while he's out of the room and sees that they're related to Pikeman. Gregory shares his diagnosis with Finn, who's upset at first that he kept it quiet for so long, then is really encouraging and supportive. Kristina's hurt that Molly excluded her from the dinner party, but she expresses it immaturely, noting that if Molly uses a stranger as a surrogate instead of her, the baby won't be related to her. Molly says she left Kristina out because she wanted everyone to be happy with her surrogate news, and Kristina wouldn't have. Kristina thinks she's crazy for not using her as a surrogate, but Molly is sure that if she did, Kristina would make things about herself. Ned confronts Tracy for wanting to have him committed and says that he can't help it that he's not his old self. She tells him that she'll never stop fighting to get the old him back. Sonny tells Carly that he wants to do her an unspecified favor, which she objects to because of her independence and blah blah blah. Five minutes later, she asks him if he can get a message to Drew in solitary confinement. Sonny's favor is actually to get Drew out of solitary early, and though Carly doesn't appreciate that he's offering her something he knows she won't be able to turn down, she accepts. Sam and Dante mostly recap stuff, then agree that Valentin is shady.
I saw some figure on that Pikeman paperwork that was upwards of $11 million, so Carly should see about getting a job with them.
So excited for Gregory's plotline to be a total rehash of Britt's. That said, go ahead and put Gregory Harrison's name on the next Emmy ballot right now.
Molly, you should have told Kristina your plans before everyone else so she wouldn't be blindsided, then invited her to the dinner party. Kristina, you don't get to be mad that she didn't make the decision you wanted her to. Now both of you shut up.
Tracy can't possibly still think that Ned is faking, right?
I'm sorry, did Carly just sternly refuse to let Sonny do her a favor, then ask him for a favor?
August 21st, 2023
Anna snoops through Valentin's things but only finds a note he wrote her, because he's totally on to her. She talks to Robert about the situation and her feelings more than she did with Valentin, since it's clear that she can no longer trust her boyfriend, while she knows she can trust her ex. Sonny asks Valentin for more information on the message he had Anna deliver about only working with his current Pikeman contact person. Valentin continues claiming that his connection with Pikeman is inconsequential, but he gets pretty anxious when he tells Sonny to play nicely with them and do what they ask. Sonny's fed up with Valentin's shadiness, and Valentin tells someone at Pikeman that he thinks they moved too quickly. Betty gets the day off and runs into Josslyn, who sees her true colors when she treats an employee at the Metro Court like he's her servant. Dex shows up to spy on Betty and is able to use Josslyn's presence as an excuse for being there without Josslyn catching on. However, when Betty leaves, he ditches Josslyn to follow her. Olivia continues making slow progress with Ned, who offers to share a song he wrote with her. Drew is out of solitary confinement and seemingly has no problem with the fact that it's due to Sonny. Carly isn't thrilled that he saved Cyrus, but Cyrus himself is, and he vows to repay Drew somehow. Diane has another awkward encounter with Robert, who's totally jealous that she went to the car show with someone else. I guess Alexis was busy because Diane goes to Carly to vent about how things have stalled with Robert. Carly's like, "Guys are complicated," as if she's not dating one of the least complicated people in the entire town.
"She's worried." Of course she's worried! Someone's trying to kill her mother!
How is Robert just now hearing about the fire?
Sonny, seriously, stop sending Dex on surveillance jobs.
I'm still not a Josslyn fan, but I enjoyed her poking at Betty.
Ooh, did Betty try to get more money out of Mason? She's going to end up dead.
Who studies at the pool? You're just asking for distractions.
August 22nd, 2023
Mason assigns Austin to give the flash drive to their boss, and then Austin goes to Pentonville, supposedly as Cyrus' doctor, so...that might be the answer to a big question. That said, Mason's meeting with someone at the same time. Also, T.J. meets Mason and finds him familiar. Anna can swallow the fact that Valentin lied about where he was the night of the fire, but she refuses to listen to Dante's theory that he was the one behind it. He points out that she thinks that the person targeting her wants to make her lose everything, and Valentin could be trying to make her completely dependent on him. However, Dante's willing to entertain Anna's new theory that Pikeman either blackmailed Valentin or threatened Charlotte to make him set Sonny up. Not realizing that Alexis is in the room, Finn admits at an AA meeting that he's upset that Gregory shared his diagnosis with her before his own son. He's not that mad at her, though, and he's glad that Gregory had someone to talk to. He's actually madder at himself for his estrangement with Gregory, which cost them so many years that they can never get back. Gregory is disappointed that his condition is progressing, but a talk with Wyatt about accepting our bodies' limitations helps him accept that not everything is under our control. Nina runs into Willow just after she's had a conversation with Carly about how much it sucks that Drew's in prison, and can I just say that Nina's really bad at faking sympathy. But why would she feel bad for someone else when things with Willow are going really well and Martin has just assured her that it's very unlikely that anyone will find out that she was the whistleblower? Dex continues to suck at stealth. Carly and Drew...eh, no one cares.
Please tell me the big, bad boss isn't Cyrus. How lazy. Whoever's behind Pikeman better turn out to be really good.
I started laughing when Mason mentioned Austin meeting with their boss and then T.J. came in. Now THAT would be a twist.
Hmm, was Mason one of the people who kidnapped T.J. a few years ago?
If Anna's right that the person targeting her wants to take everything from her, Robin, Emma, and Noah could be in real danger.
I'm sorry, Dante is just now thinking that Pikeman might have been behind the shooting?
Finn introducing himself with his first name after the meeting leader used his last name kind of takes the anonymity out of AA.
Why all the shots of T.J. during Gregory's appointment? Also, the other doctor seems great. I like that he's letting Gregory make decisions and isn't pushing him into anything.
Yeah, Nina. Ava keeping quiet is how you're going to ensure you don't get busted as the whistleblower.
August 23rd, 2023
Not only is Austin working for Cyrus, but Cyrus is a longtime family friend and paid for Austin's education. Also, Austin knows that Nikolas is alive because he's the one who saved him. Austin thinks he's done enough to earn his freedom from Cyrus' debt, and either Cyrus agrees or his newfound spirituality has made him kinder. He now has the flash drive, and he plans to do the Lord's work with it. Sasha's in withdrawal from whatever Damon gave her and so confused that she thinks Brando is still alive. Gladys realizes that things have gone way too far and tells Damon to end it. He won't unless she gives him $50,000, which she can no longer get because of some issue with Sasha's Deception stock. She goes to Selina, because of course she does, but Selina has no interest in helping her. Selina again presses Marshall to sell the Savoy, predicting that it won't last long under his management. Marshall refuses, then takes things a step further, shutting down her access to the club and the poker-game arrangement. He's not intimidated by her because he doesn't think she has any dirt that she could use against him. She implies that she's going to change that. Carly convinces Drew to let Diane take over his case and try to get his sentence changed. She worries that by saving Cyrus, Drew has made it look like they're allies, and Cyrus' enemies will now target him. Sonny is a step ahead of her, sending Dex to tell Book that Sonny wants him to leave Drew alone no matter what. Trina's happy to be working with Ava again, but that's kind of the only thing going well in her life. Spencer gives her a bit of a boost, though she's still worried about his living arrangements and how long they'll last. Anna and Sonny make zero progress on the fire and shooting, and she continues turning down his offer to provide her with protection. Jordan wonders if the fire and shooting are connected, then tells Anna that Curtis would really benefit from getting some answers. Stella's working at GH again, now as a patient advocate, and she inspires Felicia to give it a try. Ava really thinks that by letting Betty find the fake information on Pikeman, she's fulfilled her end of the arrangement and Mason will give her back Nikolas' body. Sonny's like, "Oh, you naïve little bunny."
The twist that Austin knows that Nikolas is alive doesn't make up for the disappointment that Cyrus is the big, bad boss, but it's still a good one.
Gladys, no one has any sympathy for you. You could have avoided all of this if you'd just gone to Sonny in the first place.
LOL at Selina acting like she's voluntarily shutting down the poker games so she doesn't have to admit that she lost her location.
Part of me likes that Marshall isn't afraid of Selina, but part of me is like, "Ooh, this is a bad idea."
Spending so much time as a substitute father figure has turned Spencer into a dad joke-teller.
August 24th, 2023
Cody continues putting on an act for Mac, who tells him about his similar experience with Dominique. Dante fills Sam in on Cody's scheme and asks her to talk him down. She immediately calls Cody out for his con, then refuses when he asks her to help him get into Ferncliff. Portia talks to Ava about how complicated things have gotten with Curtis, and how she thinks his attitude toward her isn't really because of her lie, even though that's why he said he was done with her. Ava encourages her to go see Curtis and assure him that she's with him for the long haul and doesn't see helping him as a burden. Instead, Portia goes to see Trina, who shares her disappointment that Curtis is freezing them out. Jordan tells Curtis about the fire at Anna's and how it seemed to be a message and not an attempt to hurt anyone. He wonders if the shooting was also just a message. Curtis envies a patient who's able to walk despite having prosthetic legs, and the patient cautions him against comparing himself to others with different abilities. He also shares his philosophy that his life is still his life, so he's going to keep living it, even if he has to do that in a different way now. Spencer and Trina talk about Nikolas, and though Spencer's upset about their distance when he was a child, Trina reminds him that they also had good times. Things between the couple are really clicking, so of course that's when Esme ruins it just by sending a text to ask if Spencer's coming home for dinner. Deception has been hit with a lawsuit alleging that the Deceptor is the result of stolen intellectual property. That means Gladys can't sell Sasha's stock, which she thinks is a bigger problem than anything else the company is facing. Brook is smart enough to know that the lawsuit is somehow connected to Tracy. Dante pretends not to know that Valentin lied about his whereabouts the night of the fire and keeps quiet that he's suspicious about Valentin's involvement. Charlotte talks to Valentin about how difficult it is to visit Lulu when nothing ever changes, so Valentin asks Dante to give him a heads-up before visits, since they're so upsetting. Dante notes that Charlotte asked him to take her to see Lulu, and he'll continue to take her every time she asks. Sonny asks Carly for intel on Austin's visit to Pentonville, but she can't provide any other than noting that he had his doctor's bag with him.
Hi, it's 2023, we don't say "mental hospital" anymore.
How annoying that Portia thinks Spencer will corrupt Trina, or whatever, but she'll confide in Ava like a friend.
Ava's being nice without wanting anything in return and it's FREAKING ME OUT.
I can't believe Portia didn't show up to visit Curtis and flip out over Jordan being there.
So now we're retconning that Spencer's whole childhood was horrible? And that Valentin and Charlotte were living with Anna?
I love the subtext of Dante and Valentin's conversation about Charlotte. Valentin wants to protect Charlotte from the pain that comes with visiting Lulu, while Dante knows that she can handle it, and he respects that she can advocate for herself.
August 25th, 2023
Tracy and Finn don't have much to talk about, considering they keep vetoing topics of conversation that they can't be honest with each other about, but at least they can still play backgammon – that is, until Brook comes to confront Tracy and knocks the board on the floor. She thinks Tracy has been hardened by Luke's death and is too brutal for not caring about the people her scheme is hurting. Tracy mostly just smirks, but she does let slip that she's working with a company and intends to take Deception down altogether. Cody's brilliant idea is to give Sam his medical power of attorney so she can commit him. She refuses, worrying that by being around Sasha, he'll make her worse. He outlines why he thinks Gladys is behind what's going on, and he's 100 percent right about it, though Sam notes that he can't confirm his accusations. Cody eventually guilts her into agreeing to go along with his plan. Alexis meets Andrea and gets answers to some of her questions about intentions and what kind of person Andrea is. She comes away thinking that Molly and T.J. have made a great choice. Kristina sees them together and talks to Willow about how she feels like Molly is squeezing her out to punish her for being able to have a baby when Molly can't. Willow thinks that once the baby comes, the sisters will let go of their issues and everything will work itself out. Gregory shares his diagnosis with Elizabeth and asks her to support Finn when things get more difficult. Nina whines about Sonny and Ava leaving her out of the loop on whatever they're doing, but Sonny still won't fill her in.
Brook, nothing "happened" to Tracy to make her this way. This is just regular old Tracy.
Today in Fun With Out-of-Context Dialogue: "Okay, I'll do it. I'll have you committed."
Also, before Sam agreed to help Cody, I wanted her to do it if only so she could say, "I told you this was a bad idea" when it inevitably goes south.
If Nina features her and Sonny's wedding in Crimson, I hope someone notes that he was also involved with the magazine's previous editor.
August 28th, 2023
Stella finally gets through to Curtis, telling him that he can learn something from the challenges he's facing and needs to let people help him. He admits that he pushed Portia away to spare her from feeling burdened by him (something Marshall has already figured out), and he finally reaches out to her and tells her he's moving back home. Trina has done some intricate mental gymnastics to blame herself for her parents' struggles. She thinks that once they're all back under one roof, things will get better, but Portia's much more realistic about how difficult things are going to be. Anna asks Robert to use his connections to find out if Valentin is on Pikeman's payroll. Valentin seems clueless about her suspicions, and she doesn't let on that she has any. Lucy confronts Martin over his secret alimony payments and challenges him to give them up. His lack of sympathy over Deception's legal troubles and his break from their conversation to talk to Valentin don't make her feel any better about the state of their relationship. Elizabeth encourages Finn to enjoy the time he has left with his father instead of dreading his inevitable future. Since Drew pled guilty and didn't have a trial, there isn't much Diane can do in the way of appeals or retrials. Carly begs her for help and the two agree that the judge could have been biased somehow. Carly also thinks that Robert might be able to help. Diane doesn't talk to him about the situation, though, since she's so stunned to hear that he bought a new car (which I guess metaphorically means that he's moving on from Holly). Gregory wants to hold off a little longer on telling Chase about his diagnosis so he can spend a little more time not being seen as sick. Kristina doesn't want her and Molly's fight to ruin her relationship with Alexis, which I think is her way of saying, "I don't want you to choose sides, but if you do, I really hope you choose mine."
No way is Curtis done with rehab already. He was there, like, four days!
Also, he was just going to go home without addressing his estrangement with Portia? He keeps saying he doesn't want to be with her, and now he's just going to move back in? Weird.
I need someone to take Curtis to a Murderball game.
Elizabeth had good advice for Finn. Maybe she can mediate something with Portia and Curtis.
So they're going to try to get Drew freed using the same justification they did for Shawn? Because a lot of white corporate CEOs who confess to insider trading are victims of bias.
August 29th, 2023
Janice, the previously annoying nurse at Ferncliff, actually has sympathy for Sasha and tells Damon that she doesn't seem to be improving. She thinks Sasha would do better in a private facility. Damon shares that with Gladys, warning that if someone decides that Sasha should be moved, she could start talking. He gives her two days to fulfill his demand for $50,000. Gladys isn't quite desperate enough to turn to Sonny, but she goes to Nina and asks for money for Sasha's medical bills. Nina doesn't buy that Ferncliff needs the money that quickly or that Gladys would turn to her instead of Sonny. Gladys admits that she actually needs the money to settle some gambling debts and doesn't want to get Sonny involved. Nina refuses to help and sends her to Sonny instead. After Damon gives Gladys the two-day deadline, she starts to tell Nina the complete truth about what's going on with Sasha. Lucy fires Deception's lawyer just before a hearing in their case, but she can't get Martin or Scott to fill in, so Maxie panics a little. She rehires the fired lawyer, who thinks it should be easy to make the lawsuit disappear, assuming everyone's telling the truth about the origins of the Deceptor and the paperwork that backs that story up is authentic. Lucy's surprised when Jackson shows up to represent the LLC that filed the lawsuit, and she's even more surprised when Tracy reveals that she's behind it. Trina works hard to make Curtis' homecoming perfect, but everyone else is awkward about it. Marshall brings up the problems with the Savoy, and Curtis decides he's ready to let it go instead of dealing with Selina. He finally apologizes for the way he treated Portia, but he still isn't ready to rekindle things, since he can't physically do the things he thinks a husband should. Portia makes it clear that she doesn't care about that. Betty left town, so Sonny has one less problem, as well as someone he might be able to put pressure on if he needs to. Brick hasn't uncovered anything helpful on Pikeman, but he suspects that Austin and Mason's boss might be trying to stir up trouble between them and Sonny so they can swoop in and take his place in their arrangement. Cyrus believes that since Drew is under Sonny's protection, he is, too, by extension. Drew's like, "Listen, if your life is at risk again, I'll step in, but other than that, stay away from me." Cyrus vows again to repay him for his heroics. Carly and Michael mostly recap stuff while discussing Drew, Cyrus, Sonny, Dex, and whoever Austin and Mason's mystery boss is. Carly suggests asking Drew to investigate who Austin visited at Pentonville, but Michael thinks he has enough to deal with.
I don't actually want to give Gladys any credit for anything, but asking Nina for money for Sasha was...not a horrible idea. And spilling the whole truth would be an even less horrible one.
What if Nina finds a way to get Sasha out of Ferncliff just as Sam is getting Cody admitted? That would be hilarious.
So no one bothered to do any research about the company suing Deception?
"We can't just pretend like nothing's changed." Oh, really? 'Cause before Curtis brought it up, you were acting like he didn't basically ask you for a divorce two weeks ago.
In addition to a Murderball game, we're taking Curtis to some sort of class on non-penetrative forms of sex.
August 30th, 2023
Sam and Cody reluctantly but successfully convince a GH psychiatrist to send Cody to Ferncliff. A chance encounter with Damon lets Sam learn that he knows Gladys, and she guesses that they know each other from poker games. The judge decides that Tracy's case against Deception has merit, so it'll go to trial in six months. Deception can't sell Deceptors in the meantime, so they'll be bankrupt by then. Tracy offers to drop the case in exchange for 75 percent of the company. Maxie puts together that Tracy got information on the Deceptor from Brook, but she and Lucy mistakenly believe that Brook has been working with Tracy the whole time. Gladys tells Nina almost everything about Sasha's condition and her gambling debts, leaving out her own involvement. Nina is skeptical, and Gladys doesn't help things by insisting that they not get Sonny involved. She tries to convince Nina that Damon has people helping him mess with Sasha and that going after him could put her in danger. She even refuses to tell Nina who Sasha's doctor is or answer the phone when she gets a call from someone Nina suspects is Damon. (It's actually Selina, who's really, really ticked that Gladys still has outstanding debts.) Nina agrees to give Gladys $50,000 and keep Sonny out of it. Dante stops by Ferncliff to see Sasha and is concerned to learn from Janice that she's been taking drugs and is generally not doing well. He goes to Sonny, who wants to step in, but Dante would rather take charge. Sasha has a lucid period while Janice is with her and asks Janice to make sure she's not alone with Damon, who's drugging her. Janice thinks her paranoia is part of her decline and shares the news with Damon, who's determined to shut Sasha up. Selina asks Sonny to do something about Marshall's interference in her poker games. Her plan backfires and Sonny orders her to stay away from both Marshall and Curtis. Also, he seems to be digging for hints that she has a side deal with someone else.
As usual, Maxie and Sam are the first to figure things out. If only Sam had told Cody about Damon's connection to Gladys. That's the last piece he needs to put the whole puzzle together.
Dang, Sam threatening Cody if his scheme makes things worse for Sasha was cold. She barely even knows Sasha!
I was anticipating Sonny eventually killing Damon, but I think Nina might beat him to it.
They missed a great opportunity to have Sam run into Dante at Ferncliff and have to come up with a reason for being there.
August 31st, 2023
Ava is ready to get Nikolas' body back now that Austin and Mason have gotten what they wanted and turned it over to their boss. Mason tells her that the boss won't agree to that until something they have in the works has gone down. Austin reminds Mason that he's been released from his obligations, but he clearly isn't totally out of what's going on, because he then heads to a house somewhere to see Nikolas, who appears to have fully recovered from his near-death experience. Lucy thinks Martin stole the idea for the Deception from Tracy, but he continues to try to distance himself from it. She knows that not giving Tracy what she wants could lead to another business loss, but she decides to fight for Deception until she can't fight anymore. And even if she loses the company, she still has her real estate license, which is good because Ava wants to sell Wyndemere. Diane asks Robert to use his connections at the WSB to help Drew, but he tells her that he no longer has any connections. Plus, he doubts that the WSB would want to help since Drew was a hero in Greenland while they stood around and did nothing. This makes Diane think that they actually got the judge to give Drew a harsher sentence than agreed to, and that the judge has taken similar deals with other defendants. Alexis and Spencer talk about Esme, Ace, and eventually Nikolas, who he doesn't miss at all. Alexis defends him and tries to remind Spencer that his childhood wasn't all bad, but Spencer thinks that he just fooled himself into believing that his father actually loved him. He would be totally fine with Nikolas staying away forever and thinks Ace would be better off without their father. Olivia tries to mediate a fight between Brook and Tracy, but Tracy's betrayal is so huge that there's no working things out for her and Brook. Tracy thinks what she did was fine, since Brook has learned a lesson about business. Olivia suspects that Tracy's hiding something about her motives. Brook is so furious with Tracy that she doesn't want to go back to the Quartermaines' house, so Chase invites her to move in with him. Sonny calls Dex into work on what's supposed to be his night off, and Josslyn isn't happy.
I'm ticked that I ruined Nikolas' return for myself – darn you, social media! – before I watched the episode, because that was a great surprise. I'll have to live vicariously through Ava when she finds out that he's alive.
I'm very interested to see how they plan to keep Nikolas out of prison for kidnapping.
I assume no one had "the WSB might be why Drew is in prison" on their list of plot predictions. It would be a creative excuse to get him out, though.
Does Alexis think she's doing that ha-ha-that's-so-funny thing where she calls Spencer her favorite nephew because he's her only nephew? Because...he's not her only nephew.
I'd say that the odds of Dex getting injured doing whatever he's up to for Sonny are pretty high.