General Hospital blog - December, 2023
December 1st, 2023
Ava tells Nina everything she's been dealing with the past few months, from Nikolas' suspected death to Mason's blackmail to her fight with Austin right before he was killed. She knows she can't take the killer's note and picture to the police, because they'll think she hired someone to kill Austin. Nina's not happy to learn that Cyrus is still causing trouble and could target Sonny again. Carly chats with a customer named Brennan who admires her kindness toward a homeless man. Sonny meets with Hume again but rejects Pikeman's offer of more money to move another shipment. Dex thinks he's making a mistake, since Pikeman could retaliate in a major way. Sonny says he thought everything through and decided it was better to get out completely. Meanwhile, Hume shares the news about Sonny's refusal to continue their business arrangement with his boss, who happens to be Brennan. Lois nags Brook about when she and Chase will get married, and when the conversation continues after Chase comes by, Brook is mortified. He assures her that he's not feeling any pressure and isn't going to be scared off. Then he proposes. Kristina gives Molly some encouragement and tries to get her to stay optimistic about eventually having a baby. She offers again to be the surrogate, and this time, Molly is much more in favor of the idea. Finn worries that his likability – well, his lack thereof – will hurt him when his malpractice suit goes before a jury. Elizabeth is sure he'll be fine, but just in case, she'll help him work on it.
I knew pretty quickly that Brennan wasn't trustworthy because all I could think was, "This guy reminds me of Charles Mesure, and after The Magicians, I can never trust Charles Mesure." Well, guess who's playing Brennan?
Eh, it's too soon for Brook and Chase to get married. Then again, I said that about Maxie and Nathan, and that turned out great (uh, until it didn't).
Look at how much Brook has grown. Her three most important life moments are the last time she saw Edward, the first time she wrote a song, and getting Leo as a brother.
I'm sorry but Molly isn't interesting enough to warrant this much screentime. I was going to say the same about Finn but I'm kind of looking forward to Elizabeth teaching him how to be likable.
Re: Molly now being open to Kristina being her surrogate, I have to quote Alex from Modern Family: "Well, we took the scenic route, but we ended up in the same place."
December 4th, 2023
Blaze and Kristina talk a little about their pasts, like Blaze's first singing performance (and the origin of her stage name) and Kristina's romantic history. And then there's kissing! Brook thinks that Chase is only proposing because he felt pressured to by Lois and Gloria. He reveals that he bought a ring weeks ago and was going to propose on Christmas. Gregory's diagnosis has made him want to seize happiness when he can, and he doesn't see a reason not to get married now. Brook agrees, so they're engaged. Ned vents to Lois about a deal Michael closed while he was Eddie, even though it worked out well for everyone. Lois gets him to see that Michael saved a deal that probably would have been lost otherwise, so Ned should consider working with him in the future instead of continuing their ridiculous rivalry. She reminds him that Edward was always pitting the family against each other and suggests that Ned break the cycle by acting more like Lila. Somehow, Sonny and Nina's conversation about Cyrus turns to the subject of the FBI and how Sonny still thinks that they went after Carly to get dirt on him. He mentions that they knew she had inside information because she was helping run his business while he was in Nixon Falls, AKA when Nina kept him from his family. Not that this is all Nina's fault or anything! Anyway, she just wants to make sure that her husband is safe, as if Cyrus is a bigger threat than anyone else who's ever been a threat to him. Molly and T.J. smooth things over, and after he tells her he'll look for a new surrogate if that's what she wants to do, she tells him she's already found one. He's surprised that she's changed her tune about Kristina, but again, if it's what she wants, he'll go with it. Carly catches up with Josslyn, then gets the disappointing news that Drew is going to Australia for a week for business.
I could watch an entire hour of just Blaze and Kristina. And I know Kate Mansi is the one with all the soap experience, but Jacqueline Grace Lopez is nailing the chemistry in their scenes.
The writers seem to have forgotten that Parker and Kristina's relationship ended because Kristina realized she wasn't happy, so she left.
I need Lois to stay and spend an episode a week calling people on their crap.
Ned talks about Michael's actions like he wouldn't do the same exact things in Michael's position. It's just Ned vs. A.J. 2.0, and I'm tired of it.
It's been seven months since Jacklyn Zeman died. Write Bobbie out already.
December 5th, 2023
A conversation between Brennan and Hume reveals that Pikeman doesn't just employ ex-WSB agents – it's led by the new head of the WSB, who happens to be Brennan. His goal is to take down both Sonny and Anna, but he's aware that he can't just kill Sonny because state and federal agents would flock to Port Charles and make things very difficult for Pikeman. He's after the report that Anna's been holding on to for all these decades, and he thinks Forsythe got it before he died, but he doesn't know where Forsythe might have left it. Brennan and Hume had hoped that Sonny would accept Hume's new offer of money and go along with their plans, but now Brennan will have to come up with a new persuasion tactic. Blaze worries that Kristina doesn't return her affections, but Kristina definitely does, so...I guess they're together? It's not clear. The problem is that Blaze isn't out, partly because of fear of how her fans would react but mostly because she doesn't think her family would accept her. Kristina can relate, since she was also hesitant to come out to her family, and though she encourages Blaze to be open, she acknowledges that the timing is up to Blaze. Laura extends an olive branch to Cyrus, who throws a fit because she's been saying for so long that she wants nothing to do with him and has suddenly changed her mind. He insists that he's been trying to support their family for a long time and has good intentions (you know, the usual). Laura's like, "I'm trying to make peace, you nut bar," completely buying what's probably a ploy to make her think he's desperate for a family connection. Dante tells Sam about a key the medical examiner found on Forsythe's body that opens a locker at the train station. They piece together that Forsythe stole the report from Anna's trunk and stashed it in the locker. Dante's hesitant to go check out the locker, though, since it could be a trap. He thinks that Anna is the only remaining witness to whatever the report covers, which means she could be in a lot of danger. Curtis goes to Sonny for information on the shooting, and Sonny tells him about Pikeman and their connection to the WSB. Curtis realizes that solving this mystery is going to take more digging than he thought. Ava tells Cyrus that Austin was murdered and asks if he was behind it. Cyrus has the same question for her, along with one about whether she has an alibi, because he does. Anna basically recaps stuff for Felicia about Forsythe and the report. She also doubles down on her and Valentin's breakup and his untrustworthiness. Esme's started the moving process; pretend to care.
Wait, Brennan had Forsythe killed before he found out where Forsythe stashed the report? That was dumb.
I'm interested to see if Brennan knows anything about what Victor has put Charlotte up to. He could be running that whole thing now.
Again, Jacqueline Grace Lopez is crushing it.
It says a lot about Kristina that Blaze kissed her without worrying that she would run off and out her to the tabloids.
You're not acting very Christ-like, Cyrus.
December 6th, 2023
Laura and Jordan want Dante to give them an update on the investigation into Austin's murder, since they think the police are taking too long to solve it. Dante breaks the news that Cyrus is a top suspect. He's positive that Austin visited Cyrus at Pentonville, but strangely, all records of those visits have disappeared. He's also put together that Cyrus could have had Austin killed because he was going to rat Cyrus out. Laura is disturbed to hear that the brother she's been giving the benefit of the doubt to might have killed again, and she vows to put him away forever if it turns out he's guilty. Spencer offers to take Esme and Ace to their new apartment, but she wants to stop relying on him. He says an emotional goodbye to his brother, promising that he'll always be around. Trina comes over to comfort him, and he admits that Esme was right that moving out will be good for Ace. Alexis helps Martin prepare Finn for his deposition, mostly through such methods as berating him and poking the bear. Trina, Curtis, and Marshall pick out a Christmas tree together and reminisce. In a nutshell, Christmas looks different for each of them than it used it, due to family changes and aging, but they're all thrilled to be able to celebrate together. Adam got a great grade on the test he missed when he had his panic attack, but when he calls his father, his father just asks why he had to retake the test. Adam lies that Josslyn had a medical emergency and he was asked to take her to the hospital. Josslyn urges him to be his own person and stop only doing what his parents want. That's definitely not going to happen, and neither of them will learn anything from this. Elizabeth tells Jake about Finn's malpractice suit and assures him that Finn didn't do anything wrong. Jake confides that he's not sure where he and Charlotte stand, and he's not used to girls who are as secretive as she is. Elizabeth helps him understand that it's going to take a while for Charlotte to recover from the emotional trauma of her shooting. Jake tells her that he's been looking into gun-control organizations. Maxie is much more enthusiastic about what Sasha and Cody's professional pairing will mean for Deception than they are. Felicia pulls her away to tend to James, whose 24-hour bug has Cody really concerned. Maxie trusts Sasha and Cody enough to handle a conference call on Deception's behalf.
I know they were just being professional but hearing Laura and Dante call each other "Mayor" and "Detective Falconeri" is weird. He was married to her daughter! He's the father of one of her grandchildren!
Jacqueline Grace Lopez has competition for performer of the week, and his name is Nicholas Chavez.
I get Martin and Alexis' point, but if Diane asks, "Can you state your name for the record?" and Finn says, "Yes," her eyes will turn red and she'll breathe fire.
Don't mind me, I'm just over here giggling over how one of Jason Morgan's kids hates guns.
December 7th, 2023
Brennan turns up the charm with Carly, who thinks he's just a normal guy in town on business. Even when he disappears after Robert and Diane come by Kelly's, he returns with an excuse she buys, along with flowers and the invitation to dinner. Dante has been able to tie Forsythe to the fire at Anna's house (likely an attempt to destroy the report about him), but the WSB has swooped in and taken everything related to him, so there's no evidence. Anna wants to continue investigating on her own, believing that Forsythe didn't act alone and she could be putting Dante in danger. He still has the key to the locker, though, so he could stay a step ahead of her. Curtis and Marshall reminisce some more, but it ends up making Marshall sad about the Christmases he missed with his family. He daydreams about Irene, who tells him to focus on the present instead of the past and know that she was happy even if they couldn't be together. Alexis, Gregory, and Violet run into Robert and Diane out buying Christmas trees, and things are the dictionary definition of awkward. Alexis tells Gregory not to be mad at Diane for litigating the malpractice suit, and also, she's probably going to win. Scott and Lucy also reminisce, and it slowly becomes clear that he still has feelings for her and may want to get back together. Lucy flees as soon as she can. Portia has an early Christmas present for Curtis: He's being considered for an experimental treatment that could help him walk again.
So Forsythe was the sniper and the arsonist? He failed at both of his assignments. No wonder Brennan had him killed.
Dante needs to take advantage of Sam and Anna's resemblance and have Sam use the locker key.
I'm reupping on wanting Molly and T.J. to have a girl and name her Irene.
Gregory, you're going to get coal in your stocking if you keep this up.
I'm surprised they didn't mention what I figured was the reason for the Scott/Lucy scenes: Today is Serena's birthday. (Want to feel old? She's 30.)
December 8th, 2023
T.J. checks with Molly to make sure she's confident she wants Kristina to be their surrogate. Molly says that she's had to accept that she can't control her infertility or whether or not she ever becomes a mother. She regrets how she treated Kristina when the surrogate topic first came up, and she feels like this arrangement will end in success. For her part, Kristina is thrilled to be able to help, and the first person she wants to tell when the arrangement is confirmed is Blaze. Anna lets Valentin know that Charlotte has been cleared as the arsonist, but she doesn't trust him enough to tell him anything about Forsythe. Valentin can't be completely relieved because he feels guilty for doubting his daughter when she swore she didn't start the fire. Anna criticizes him for not doing more to help her, and for using Victor as an excuse for actions Charlotte is old enough to know were wrong. Finn and Gregory are eager to have a wonderful Christmas, so it's perfect timing when Brook and Chase announce their engagement. Violet gives everyone an early present by singing a song she wrote herself. Tracy thinks about Luke and feels human emotions on her way back to Port Charles. Olivia and Lois reminisce, then start the long process of decorating the Quartermaine mansion for Christmas (with help from Cody). They're pleased with the results, but Tracy...not so much.
Ooh, look who's jumping in the competition for performer of the week. It's Kristen Vaganos!
I love how Molly and T.J. both made faces that said, "Oh, a friend was over, huh?" when Kristina mentioned that Blaze came by with champagne.
I don't just blame Valentin for all of this because he didn't tell anything sooner. It's also because he waited SO FREAKING LONG to do anything about Charlotte. If he'd confronted her when he suspected her of vandalism, he would have figured things out and the shooting never would have happened.
With how chaotic the Quartermaines are, it's so nice that Brook got totally positive reactions to the engagement from Chase's family.
Lois talked more about Alan today than anyone has in years.
December 11th, 2023
Tracy claims that she came back to town to get some paperwork, but Olivia suspects that she wanted an excuse to be with her family for Christmas. Tracy's like, "Please, I see you people all the time; there is nothing special about this occasion. Also, I got Leo a bunch of presents." There's bickering about Olivia and Lois' decorating choices, but everyone finally gets on the same celebratory page when Brook and Chase share that they're engaged. Dante updates Sam on everything related to Anna and Forsythe, then tells her he's going to go to the locker and get the report on his own. He's sure the WSB is up to something bad, and he wants them to face the consequences of abusing their power. Finn has a lot to be happy about this Christmas, but there's always the underlying thought that this could be the last he gets with Gregory. Elizabeth promises to be there for him and encourages him to see his and Violet's Christmas tree as a symbol of love and light. Marshall is uneasy about the possible complications and the experimental nature of Curtis' potential treatment, but he's supportive of anything he wants to try and thinks it's worth a shot. Curtis admits that he's scared, and Marshall tells him that's the only way to become brave. Dex tells Josslyn a little about his horrible childhood and the reasons he doesn't like to celebrate Christmas. She feels bad for him, but he's proud of the life he's made for himself. Nina doesn't want to go too overboard with Wiley and Amelia's Christmas presents so she doesn't stir anything up with Michael. Sonny, always the fixer, offers to smooth things over, but Nina tells him to leave it alone.
Ned didn't call Tracy to tell her he wasn't Eddie anymore? Coal for you, Ned!
I laughed for a long time at Leo seeing that Tracy was back and saying, "Oh, man, Christmas is ruined."
We need more of Lois and Olivia getting tipsy and giggling with each other.
Finn and Violet's Mickey Mouse wreath is so cute.
December 12th, 2023
Dante retrieves the report, as well as an empty wallet and old pictures of Anna, Forsythe, and Brennan. He puts everything in a safe-deposit box except the wallet, which he's really curious about. Meanwhile, Hume and Brennan discuss their lack of progress in tracking down the report, and how whoever has it better watch their back. Tracy is relieved to confirm that Ned is himself again, and she forgives him for the way he treated her while he was Eddie. Now she wants him to focus on making sure that Michael can't steal control of ELQ. Ned goes straight to Nina and blackmails her for inside information on Aurora. Brook learns of Maxie's money problems and offers her a loan, but Maxie is determined to solve her problems on her own (well, with help from her parents). Brook can't get past the thought of her friend being in debt because of Tracy, so she tells Tracy she's ready to join her in running Deception, a step ahead of her grandmother for once. Willow thinks that Nina has been backing off from their relationship, so Nina says she's just been busy. She's totally going to spoil Wiley and Amelia for Christmas, and Willow is happy to let her, no matter how Michael might react. Kristina tells Sam that she's going to be Molly's surrogate, expecting a negative response. Sam thinks that Kristina is ready to take on the responsibility now, though she has some doubts about how much Kristina gets about what she's in for. Lucy confides to Maxie that she thinks she made a mistake with Scott but knows that giving in to any feelings they might have for each other always ends in disaster. Scott tries to make up with Obrecht, or at least offer her comfort, since they've both lost children and he can help her with her grief. She still can't forgive him for what she sees as choosing Elizabeth over her, so she won't budge. Scott then goes to Lucy and invites her to spend Christmas in Florida with him and Serena.
I love when TV shows need old pictures of actors and just dig up their headshots.
You know what would be fun? If Ned and Michael discovered that they both know that Nina was the whistleblower and they teamed up against Nina.
"The bridge and tunnel twins." Hee hee.
I assume that Brook told Ned about her engagement off-screen and didn't tell Maxie before her father.
Why would Brook need to loan Maxie money? Just pay her for planning the wedding.
Maxie doesn't think Scott is good enough for Obrecht. Lucy doesn't think Obrecht is good enough for Scott. I think they're both crazy.
December 13th, 2023
Ava gets another picture of Austin's body and a note warning her to keep her mouth shut. She tells Nina, who thinks Cyrus is behind the murder and the note. Ava's theory is that it's Nikolas. Later, she finds a gun in her apartment with a note saying it's there in case she needs it. Dante thinks that Anna kept everything from that Forsythe mission back in the '80s because she plans to use it for blackmail. Sam tries to get him to decide whether he can trust Anna. She finds numbers written in the wallet, but neither of them is sure of their significance. Brennan continues his charm offensive with Carly, this time including Donna. Molly and Kristina share their big news with Alexis, who, of course, has reservations. She says she supports the arrangement, but she doesn't think Kristina is fully ready for everything it will involve. Kristina stands up to her, though, saying she's tired of always being judged as impulsive. Josslyn and Trina learn that Adam loves music and encourage him to ditch medicine for a music career. In related news, Josslyn and Trina don't understand what it's like to have parents who don't support your artistic dreams. Inspired by Mike's memory, Sonny tells Stella and Felicia that he wants to play Santa for every holiday-related event at the hospital.
I'm with Ava on this – Nikolas makes the most sense.
Interesting that Dante thinks that Anna kept all that evidence for blackmail purposes instead of just to have a true record of what happened, especially if she thought there was a chance something would be pinned on her.
Okay, now Alexis is just getting overinvolved for the heck of it. It would make much more sense if she were worried about Kristina carrying a baby and then having to give them up the way Alexis had to give Sam up.
Adam's at least a junior right? You can't just change your major in the middle of your junior year like it's nothing! Be reasonable, Trina and Josslyn!
December 14th, 2023
Tracy and Monica meet with Finn while in the process of deciding whether the hospital should support him in his lawsuit or settle privately with the family. Finn is confident that his treatment of his patient was appropriate and that there was no negligence. Monica and Tracy agree and will see the suit through with him. Kristina tells Sonny that she's going to be Molly's surrogate, and unlike everyone else tangentially related to that situation, he doesn't question whether she's ready for it or is sure about her decision. He just wants to make sure she's not focusing all her energy on work so she has time for a personal life. Also, if that personal life comes to include Blaze, he's happy for her. Alexis and T.J. confide to Gregory and Stella, respectively, that they're worried that Kristina doesn't know what she's getting into with the surrogacy. T.J. is especially scared that she'll bail even knowing how important this is to Molly. Stella tells him that sisters have a special bond that works like a partnership. He needs to trust that Kristina will come through and everything will work out. Carly thinks Ava is hiding something about Austin's murder, and is even more sure about it when Ava gets defensive like she typically does when she's trying to deny something. Carly advises her to turn to Sonny sooner rather than later if she needs the kind of help that he can provide. Robert and Diane take things to the next level with a sleepover. Portia asks Elizabeth to keep an ear out for the rumor mill at the hospital since some people (well, Amy) are gossiping about Finn's lawsuit.
For all of Tracy's (many, many) faults, I do think she's fair, and I believe that she chose to back Finn for reasons apart from their friendship.
If I'm remembering correctly, Monica hired Finn, so if she were to paint him as negligent, it might come back to bite her as the person who originally vouched for him.
Portia: "Just exercise a little discretion." Amy: "Hold on, I have to look up what 'discretion' means."
Now that Carly brings it up, it is pretty weird that the police haven't talked to Ava about Austin yet. Then again, if Dante's still working on that investigation, he might be the reason it's dragging, since he's been busy looking into old WSB stuff instead.
LOL at Sonny basically saying, "So are you and Blaze dating yet?"
December 15th, 2023
Laura asks Sonny if he knows anything about Austin's murder that she might not. He doesn't, but he assures her that he's pretty sure Cyrus didn't kill him. That said, he doesn't buy Cyrus' supposed religious awakening. Laura's just relieved that her murderous brother might not have committed this one murder. Brook tells Maxie that she's coming back to Deception with the goal of taking over control, then giving it to Maxie. Lucy is furious to see her back and the two of them yell at each other for a while about the bad things they've done. Afterward, Brook clarifies to Maxie that she wants Maxie to end up with total ownership of Deception. Blaze wants to make sure that Kristina is keeping her own needs and wants in mind as she moves toward being Molly's surrogate. Kristina assures her that she wants this for both her sister and herself. She gives Blaze an out in case she doesn't want to start anything right now, but Blaze doesn't take it. Sasha gets Cody a Christmas present and reaffirms their friendship, but he's worried that she feels obligated to be kind to him. He doesn't want to put any pressure on her to move from friendship to romance, and he's okay if that never happens. Sasha assures him that she wants a friendship with him because she likes him, not for any other reason. Donna learns that Sonny lost Mike's favorite cap, so she makes a Christmas wish to find it. Michael has to give her a reality check about how wishes don't always come true the way we want, but then she randomly finds the cap on a bench, so I guess Christmas magic is real? Robert and Diane try to figure out how to label their relationship, and then she asks if they're exclusive and if she's going to be his top priority, as if she's not the person who spent years dating a guy whose top priority was Sonny. Alexis and Jordan discuss the surrogacy, which Jordan is the 58th person to have reservations about, mostly because things are moving so fast. Alexis understands, but she points out that Kristina might not get pregnant right away. Plus, neither of them gets a vote in this, so they'll have to just smile and be supportive of their kids.
Okay, no one tell Laura that if her brother didn't kill Austin, her son might have.
Lucy's pretty bold to threaten to have Brook arrested for theft of intellectual property when she also stole intellectual property. And Brook is pretty bold to bring up how Lucy messed with Valentin when she's the one who faked a pregnancy to trick him.
Hmm, maybe don't blurt out to your love interest that you're going to have a baby without providing the proper context.
I love Josh Kelly's delivery of, "Santa?" when Cody found the present Sasha left him.
Does anyone else think that Mike's hat accidentally got donated, and whoever wound up with it inadvertently left it on a bench, and Donna basically stole a homeless person's hat?
Diane, you gotta stop bringing up Holly.
December 18th, 2023
Dante gives Anna the report and asks if she can ID Brennan from his picture. She can, and she tells him that Brennan is now the head of the WSB. The mission the report is about ended with an asset being killed while trying to defect, and the question Anna can't answer is who was responsible for things going wrong. She calls an Interpol contact to get the report to safe place, but Brennan and Hume are already full on to her and Dante, and they're prepared to do whatever's necessary to keep them from sharing any information they shouldn't. This comes after Brennan spends the bulk of the episode flirting with Carly and trying to get her to open up about her personal life. It's all pretty repetitive and insignificant until Carly sees Sam reading something about Brennan and reveals that he's in Port Charles. Brook vows to help Chase give Gregory the best Christmas ever. Leo almost ruins it by telling Violet that it's scientifically impossible for Santa to exist. Blaze saves the day by teaching Violet that things only seem impossible when they haven't been done before, but that doesn't mean they can't ever be done. Kristina seems even more attracted to Blaze now, though she'll have to accept the fact that they can't be anything more than friends in public until/unless Blaze comes out. Esme thanks Trina for helping Spencer be okay with her and Ace moving out. She's grateful that Trina has been so nice to her and hopes that they can continue being civil, and maybe even become friends. Trina awesomely makes it clear that that will never, ever happen, and that not a day goes by where she doesn't remember what Esme did to her. Speaking of remembering, while decorating her Christmas tree with Ace, Esme remembers the last time she decorated one – last Christmas, in captivity at Wyndemere. Gregory seems to think that Tracy might go skydiving with him, which makes me wonder why he would ever believe that. Alexis doesn't get why he won't just go by himself. He says he wants to make memories, and completing things on his bucket list with a partner would make things better. Alexis reluctantly volunteers to skydive with him. Molly and T.J. are disappointed to realize that they have to start the whole surrogacy process over, which means the earliest a baby can be is conceived is six months from now. They try to accept that it's better this way, as they'll have time to prepare and get the money they need to afford everything, but Molly's worried about making Kristina delay something she was ready for. It's not that important but I feel the need to mention that Spencer's Christmas present to Josslyn is a dartboard with his face on it.
Why did Brennan use his real name with Carly? Seems like a dumb way to stay under the radar.
Yoooooo, I was just thinking that Esme had probably gotten her memory back and was just going to try to fool everyone for as long as she could. Apparently not! I was also just thinking that she serves no purpose anymore and they should get rid of her, but this could get interesting.
Someone should introduce Gregory to Cody. Cody would totally go skydiving with him.
I mean...if Molly and T.J. want to conceive sooner than six months from now, T.J. and Kristina can just...you know. It would be cheaper, too.
Temporary Josslyn really nailed Eden McCoy's mannerisms right away.
December 19th, 2023
Sam warns Dante that Brennan is in town just before Hume takes a shot at him and Anna. He advises Anna to hand over the report before anyone else gets hurt because of her. Anna distracts him while Dante sneaks up on him and takes him down. They then go after Brennan, who Sam correctly guesses has gone back to Kelly's. Carly tries to keep him there as long as she can, but he discovers that she was looking him up on the Internet and decides he needs to get rid of her. Anna and Dante arrive in time to save her, and though Anna thinks the whole mess is over, Brennan implies that it isn't. Sonny gets Cyrus replaced in a living nativity scene (by his own brother) since Avery and Donna are participating. Cyrus objects but Laura plays the "do this for me, your loving sister" card. Nina tells Michael that Ned knows she was the whistleblower and is blackmailing her for information on Aurora. She thinks Michael should give her something to satisfy Ned because the alternative is that Ned spills everything to Sonny, leaving Michael with nothing to hold over Nina's head. Michael tries to call her bluff by threatening to tell Sonny himself, so Nina threatens to tell Carly that Michael knew she was the whistleblower and kept quiet. Michael's like, "That's adorable. You're so adorable!" Anyway, he agrees to her offer, and it's too bad that Sonny didn't chase Cyrus off completely, because he eavesdrops and may now know all their secrets. Ned learns that Brook is going back to work at Deception and is disappointed that she's seemingly giving up her music career (and that Lois is seemingly supportive). Brook and Lois fill him in on their plan, which he thinks is great as long as Tracy remains fooled. Ava gets Nina up to speed on the gun and second note she received, which she still thinks came from Nikolas. Nina finds it hard to believe that he would come back to the States and kill Austin just to frame Ava. Now Ava's paranoid, and she has enough sense to continue being suspicious of Cyrus. While waiting for Laura and Martin to join them for dinner, Lucy complains to Kevin about Tracy and Brook (really, about Quartermaines in general). A drunken Scott digs at her for giving up control of Deception to Tracy, though really his problem is that Obrecht won't talk to him. Tracy shows up and Scott starts digging at her, too, earning himself a drink in the face. Kevin's like, "Hmm, I didn't know dinner would come with a show." Donna wants to spend Christmas morning with Avery, who's supposed to be with Ava, and Ava acts like it would be some big inconvenience for her to be with the Corinthos contingent.
Carly, your "my boyfriend was a Navy SEAL" warning would work better if he weren't 15 time zones away.
Just like with Esme, I was just thinking that they should really get rid of Cyrus because he's not doing anything. And just like with Esme, he's suddenly making things interesting.
I actually thought Nina's plan was good up until the whole "if you tell Sonny, I'll tell Carly" thing. I mean, she welcomes Ava into her home. She'll get over Michael not telling her something in, like, half an hour.
A Laura/Kevin/Lucy/Martin double date? Sounds like a bad idea to me.
Donna's cute and all but why is she getting so much screentime?
December 20th, 2023
Kevin catches Charlotte calling her bullet wound a mark of battle and trying on a necklace of Helena's that Victor left her in his will. He tells Laura what he saw and shares his theory that Charlotte's looking for strong role models, as if she couldn't look up to Laura instead of her murderous grandparents. Spinelli shows up at Maxie's house soaking wet and looking for a place to stay after a pipe burst in his apartment. Maxie invites him to move in as long as he needs, and he talks her into accepting rent money. It turns out there was no burst pipe, and this is all a scheme Felicia cooked up to get Maxie some extra money without making her feel like she's accepting charity. Marshall and Stella almost kiss, and now things are really awkward between them. The failed experiment that was Anna and Valentin's relationship is officially over. Trina invites Spencer over for Christmas Eve without telling her parents, which means Portia has to put on her best behavior. Curtis urges her to find a way to get past her feelings for him so she doesn't go into the next year with them. Violet is uncharacteristically quiet when she, Finn, and the Webbers get together, and Finn doesn't know why. Jake gets her to admit that she heard Finn and Chase talking about the lawsuit, and she thinks that because it's going to go to court, her father might go to jail. Finn assures her that there's just an investigation about something that people think he did wrong, but there's nothing for her to worry about. While baking with Elizabeth, Aiden mentions casually that he has a crush on someone. Elizabeth delicately asks for details (only if he wants to provide them) and he confides that he likes a classmate named Tobias. Elizabeth reacts the same way she would react if he'd said he liked a girl, and Aiden shows no signs of being anxious or worried that she'll judge him. Adam decided not to go home for Christmas, so Josslyn invites him to spend the holiday with her family.
Can't believe we made it to December 20th before someone mentioned Christina Comes Home for Christmas.
Maxie, are you sure you want Spinelli in your guest room? The last time he was supposed to be someone's temporary guest, he stayed for, like, ten years.
I realized today how much Li'l Georgie looks like her namesake.
I can get behind a Marshall/Stella pairing, but it's coming out of nowhere.
Can Spencer, like, save Portia's life or something so she'll stop resenting him?
And with that, a years-old question has been answered: Aiden likes boys. Also, Blaze's family should take a lesson from Elizabeth's flawless response.
December 21st, 2023
Michael offers Ned half of his ELQ voting proxy, which makes Ned wonder why he's doing Nina's dirty work. He reveals that he knows that Michael is aware that Nina was the whistleblower, so the two of them are finally on the same page. Michael tells him the voting proxy is a bribe to continue pretending to be the whistleblower while Michael figures out what to do about Nina. After he tells Nina that he did what she told him, she complains to Ava that Michael won't drop his grudge. Ava's like, "Why do you continuously think that people will forgive you whenever you do something that hurts them?" Spinelli strongly objects to Maxie's decision to invite Cody over, and Cody decides to leave so their fighting doesn't ruin everyone's Christmas Eve. Sasha tears into Spinelli for it and he realizes that he went too far and goes to apologize to Cody. Well, sort of – he warns that he's keeping an eye on Cody but acknowledges that he's becoming closer with Maxie and her family, so Spinelli needs to accept it. Then he gets bitten by a horse. Back at Maxie's, Felicia shares her theory that Cody lied about the paternity-test results. Maxie doesn't think that makes sense, and Sasha pretends that it's not something Cody would do. Lois and Olivia keep bugging Tracy (call it their Christmas present to each other), who tries to get Monica to kick Lois out. Instead, Monica extends an open-ended invitation for Lois to stay as long as she wants. Tracy then puts a bug in Olivia's ear that Lois is hanging around because of Ned. Molly and T.J. tell Kristina about the delay in the surrogacy process and give her the chance to bow out, which she doesn't want to do. In fact, she wants to commit further, and she offers up one of her eggs so they don't have to find another donor. Sam learns that Alexis agreed to go skydiving with Gregory and supports her if she wants to find a reason to back out. Dante accidentally makes Alexis even more scared about jumping out of a plane, but Alexis decides to embrace a new experience like Gregory is doing. Dante warns Sonny that even though Brennan was taken down, there's nothing tying him to the shooting at the hotel, so Sonny could still be a target. Nina and Ava wonder what they're discussing, with Ava suspicious that it's about her and Austin's murder.
There was a lot of funny dialogue in this episode.
How did Michael become the single largest shareholder at ELQ? Why hasn't he overthrown Valentin yet?
"He will never stop blaming me." You mean like how you never stop blaming Carly for Nelle's death?
Felicia's going to have Spinelli track down the real paternity-test results, isn't she?
Molly and Kristina are already both sisters and cousins, so why not have one of them donate an egg to the other?
December 22nd, 2023
Sonny, Michael, and Wiley light candles for their late loved ones, which makes Nina think about Nelle. She and Willow wonder if she would have turned her life around if she'd lived. After the others leave for the hospital Christmas party, where Finn and Laura tag-team reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, Nina stays back and starts really thinking about the things she's done. She asks the priest to hear her confession, but when she goes into the confessional, Cyrus is on the other side. Esme surprises Spencer by leaving Ace with him, saying that she needs some time to herself. She goes to Wyndemere, where she continues recovering her memories, not just of her captivity and escape but also of making the sex tape and being yelled at for it by Spencer and Trina. Molly and T.J. want to put off making a decision about Kristina being the egg donor until after the holidays, but they know they won't be able to think about anything else, so they talk it over right away. In the end, they decide to go ahead with Kristina being both the donor and the surrogate. Carly thinks that Josslyn is enabling Adam by inviting him to spend Christmas Eve with them. Josslyn offers to pay for Adam to fly home, but he's frustrated with her inability to understand his difficult family dynamics and angry that she's so pushy. Curtis can tell that something is off with Stella as she and Marshall continue acting awkward around each other. Part of the issue for them seems to be that they're very aware that Stella is Irene's sister, so it could be weird if they started something. Jordan objects to Cyrus being at the hospital when the party is about to start. He reminds her that she fabricated evidence to put him in prison, so she could use some spiritual reflection. She tells him that she'll never forgive him, and she looks forward to the day when she can be present when he's put back behind bars. Gregory asks Brook to not delay getting married too long, since he wants to be at the wedding (as if Violet would allow Chase and Brook to have a long engagement). Sam complains to Alexis that Drew is overstepping by picking a new school for Scout without consulting either of them. Alexis thinks that he just wants what's best for his daughter, but Sam feels like he's acting out of character.
Impersonating a priest on Christmas Eve? SO not what Jesus would do, Cyrus.
Morgan mention – drink!
How about we don't talk any more about Nelle, hmm?
Impressive that they were able to only show flashbacks featuring actors currently on the show
I loved Alexis and Jordan's little "what can you do?" looks to each other after Molly, Kristina, and T.J. agreed to have Kristina be the egg donor.
Why doesn't anyone get that if Adam is avoiding his family, he probably has a good reason? Like, Josslyn is smart; she has to understand that not everyone has a good home life.
"He refuses to see anything else." You haven't even talked to him about it, Sam. Don't make him the bad guy.
December 26th, 2023
After recovering more memories, Esme calls Spencer to let him know, stopping herself when she realizes that he's with Trina. She berates herself for thinking that he would overlook everything she's done and be willing to make a family with her and Ace. Unable to talk to anyone about what she's going through, she goes to Ryan's grave and complains that he never taught her how to be a good person. She wants to be one now, but she's not sure she can – evil might be in her DNA. Ava finds the window Esme broke to get into Wyndemere, and Dante comes by after being alerted to a possible break-in by the island's security company. Ava calls Sonny, and he and Laura come over, Sonny in case Ava needs help and Laura because she thinks Nikolas might be there. Nikolas and Laura search the house but only find a glove Esme dropped. Sonny thinks that the person who broke in could be the person who shot Curtis and who's messing with Ava. He announces that until they're sure Ava isn't in danger, she's moving in with him. Nina makes some vague confessions to Cyrus about people she's hurt (namely, Drew and Ned), and he advises her to admit what she's done to them. Instead, Nina apologizes to Carly for continually blaming her for Nelle's death. Carly accuses her of feeling entitled to forgiveness. Nina already has everything she could ever want, and Carly refuses to give her anything more. Cyrus has put together enough about what Nina told him to know he has valuable information, and if she doesn't admit to it, he's fully ready to expose her.
I know I'm not the only one who wanted to see Ava shoot Esme.
Whatever the show is using for fake snow, it's not fooling anyone.
It seems to me like Laura plays on her knowledge that Dante won't deny her things she requests because of their history, and I don't like it. It feels manipulative.
Not at all shocked that Carly screwed things up for herself because she can't keep her mouth shut.
I was waiting for Spencer to start reciting lyrics from "Baby, It's Cold Outside" to get Trina to stay.
"I guess we'll hear all about it when she gets back." Hey, writers? You're not clever. No one appreciates you guys teasing that we'll see Bobbie again. We know we won't. It's ghoulish and gross. Cut it out.
December 27th, 2023
Lucy and Tracy get into it during a staff meeting, and Lucy goes way over the line, saying that no one loves Tracy, she was never the love of Luke's life, and Tracy will die alone. Brook arrives just as Tracy is about to fall apart and tears into Lucy, saying all sorts of nice things about her grandmother and Luke. Tracy is deeply grateful, but of course she barely shows that, instead lecturing Brook for being late and not taking her new responsibilities seriously enough. Lucy decides to deal with Tracy the only way she knows how – with a scheme. She tells Scott that some way, somehow, he's going to marry Tracy and take back everything she took from Lucy. Felicia shares with Robert her theory that Cody lied about his paternity. Robert, like Maxie, doesn't get why he would do that, but Felicia starts to get an idea of why when she talks to Scott about Taub and his estate, which Cody stopped pursuing without telling Scott why. Sasha warns Cody that Felicia is suspicious about his paternity and will likely dig for answers until she gets them. Speaking from her own experiences with lying about DNA, she encourages him to come clean as soon as possible. Cody tells her that since he signed paperwork claiming to be Taub's son, he could be in legal trouble if it comes out that he knew Mac was his father. Sasha thinks he'll be able to show how much he's changed since then, which will put him in good with both Mac and Robert. Gregory collapses during a hot yoga class, which could be the result of him overdoing it or a new symptom of his ALS progression. Chase doesn't think that he and Finn should question Gregory's judgment, and he encourages his brother to be positive instead of anxious. Gregory agrees to be admitted to the hospital for 24 hours, but he won't let whatever's going on interfere with his big New Year's Eve plans. Alexis wants to discuss the legalities of the surrogacy arrangement with Molly and Kristina, who don't share her concerns that custody could be tricky. Kristina, of course, thinks that Alexis is questioning her commitment and reminds her mother that she's not a lawyer anymore. Alexis backs down, saying once again that she supports their decisions, like, we all know you don't, at least not 100 percent, and you're not fooling anyone. Brook tells Chase that Gregory asked her to marry him sooner rather than later. Chase doesn't want it put it off too long anyway, so that's not a problem.
In this house, we love and respect Brook Lynn Quartermaine.
They're going to have to get Tracy really drunk if they want her to marry Scott, and she's already done the drunken-wedding thing, so good luck with that.
Not sure it was worth it to bring in a temporary Maxie, considering she didn't do anything significant, but okay.
"It's gonna be hell to prove." All Felicia needs is some of Mac's DNA and some of Cody's DNA. I don't think it'll be that hard.
"Did they ever get it sorted out?" Well, Britt died, like, a week after she and Cody fought over the necklace, and then the necklace got blown up in Greenland, so...no. No, they did not.
"I understand some people eat their feelings. I think I'm gonna be that guy." Heh.
I'm glad they brought up the possibility that Cody could be arrested for perjury for the whole Taub thing, because it's a much better motive not to tell Mac the truth than his "he's too good a guy" excuse.
Isn't Kristina the only person who could contest the baby's custody? I doubt she'll do that.
December 28th, 2023
Felicia pops up at a Home & Heart taping, pretending she just wants to be supportive of Maxie, so she can snag some of Cody's hair for a DNA test. Sasha tries to keep an eye on him for Cody but loses track of her at the exact wrong time. Alexis asks Sonny to convince her that she's worrying too much about the possible disasters that could arise out of the surrogacy arrangement. He admits that he's worried, too, but they need to trust that Molly and Kristina will be able to handle everything. T.J. and Kristina are discussing the same topic, but their conversation ends on a much better note because someone's actually talking to Kristina rather than about Kristina, and she's able to give her reassurances that she knows what she's getting into and isn't going to want to keep the baby. Olivia asks Lois if she has a problem with her lifelong best friend marrying her ex. Lois says that she wants what's best for Ned, and as far as she can tell, that's Olivia. Olivia admits that Tracy got under her skin, and Lois compliments her for how well she handles the Quartermaines. This segues into a discussion about Ned, Drew, and Michael's rivalry, and Olivia ends up admitting that Ned wasn't the whistleblower. She doesn't give Lois any more details, and she swears Lois to secrecy, as if Lois knows anything to tell. Scott and Lucy put Operation: Get Tracy Back into motion with a fake fight that ends with him quitting as her lawyer. He apologizes to Tracy for the stuff he said when he was drunk last week, but instead of seeing him as an ally, like Lucy wants, she's just really confused. Finn and Elizabeth wonder if the patient whose family is suing him saw another doctor in another town who also failed to diagnose his cancer. If he did, Finn would have an easier time convincing a jury that diagnoses can be tricky. Conveniently, Elizabeth learns from some nurses in Beechers Corners that the patient did see a doctor there.
Don't worry, Felicia. This doesn't make you look crazy at all.
I wish they would make Alexis' concerns more about Kristina having to give up a child than the legal stuff. Like, does she legitimately think that Kristina will want to keep the baby and raise it alone?
This would be a great time for Ric to come back. Well, really, it's always a great time for Ric to come back.
Olivia acts like she's the first person in this town to get with a friend's ex.
December 29th, 2023
Cyrus hints to Nina that he heard her confession and encourages her to come clean to all her loved ones because it's the right thing to do and the truth shall set her free and blah blah blah. Nina figures that he's going to blackmail her or tell Sonny himself, but Cyrus says he just wants her to find redemption. At the Savoy for a New Year's Eve party, Carly picks a fight with Ned and threatens to have ELQ investigated in retaliation for his whistleblowing. Ned is ready to tell her who the real whistleblower is, but Michael intervenes and subtly reminds him that they have a deal. Sonny joins the group and also picks a fight, so Michael has to pull Ned aside and be like, "Please be cool." Ned claims that he's going to spill the truth, so Michael tells him to go ahead, doubting he'll actually do it. Meanwhile, Lois, who's obsessed with figuring out why Ned is pretending to be the whistleblower, ignores Olivia's pleas to drop the subject so she can try to puzzle everything out. Somehow, she puts it all together and starts to tell Sonny that his current wife tried to send his ex-wife to prison. Trina was accepted into an art program at the Sorbonne, but she has a lot of reasons not to go. Spencer shoots them all down and encourages her to take advantage of this great opportunity. She realizes that there's nothing stopping him from coming with her, so they head into 2024 with plans to spend the semester in Paris. Alexis chickens out of skydiving, blaming her fear that Molly and Kristina will fall apart if something happens to her. Gregory uses a skydiving metaphor to convince her that it would be better if she let them go to live their own lives. Alexis decides to jump after all and ends up loving it. She also loves it when Gregory kisses her. Esme visits Heather, who quickly figures out that she's recovered her memories. Esme feels like she's two different people now but is still convinced that she was justified in everything she did. Heather advises her not to let anyone else know that she's gotten her memories back. Drew comes back from Australia early, so he and Carly get to end 2023 with a literal bang.
"It's our first New Year's Eve as husband and wife." And hopefully your last, too.
[Insert your own joke here about how of course Lois was able to do the math.]
I know I'm old because when I saw Trina's dress, I said, "So what are you wearing over that slip?"
It would have been funny if Alexis had jumped but Gregory had chickened out.