General Hospital blog - October, 2023
October 2nd, 2023
Damon claims to be done at Ferncliff, since Sasha's traumatized by her brief time away and he can no longer be her doctor. This may all just be a lie to make Janice think he's out of the building, which he backs up when he calls to ask her to grab a file from his office. This lets him come back in without being seen and go straight to Sasha's room. Sam catches Gladys as she's finishing up packing to flee the country. Sam refuses to leave the apartment until Gladys comes clean about everything she's done, and when Gladys tries to throw her out, Sonny arrives. Gladys spins a story about Cody being a con man and Sam fooling around with him and secretly working with him. Sonny doesn't buy it, and he's definitely not going to be guilted by her playing the family card to get her to side with him. Valentin tells Martin his suspicions about Charlotte, which Martin is really skeptical about. Valentin is ready to make Charlotte his top priority and get her any psychological help she needs. Laura wants to continue her search for Nikolas, even after Kevin points out that he obviously doesn't want to be found. She's determined to help her son get redemption, and she partly blames herself for his upbringing, since she abandoned him to be raised by the Cassadines. She and Kevin are about to head to London when Valentin calls to tell her that Charlotte needs help, and suddenly, Laura has a new crisis to help solve. Anna and Jordan are mostly filler, but Anna does decide that it's time to confront Valentin about all his secrets.
I can't believe I actually want Nina to have screentime. I need to see her tear Gladys apart.
Part of redemption is taking responsibility for your actions, so let's not jump the gun here, Laura.
How weird to hear Laura say she's grateful to Stefan for something.
"Did something happen? Did Spencer do something?" Aw. He's being good, for once!
October 5th, 2023
Thanks to Dante, Cody arrives in time to keep Damon from kidnapping Sasha and/or injecting her with Propofol. She's able to get out of Damon's grasp, and Cody grabs him and holds on to him until Dante shows up to arrest him. Mac arrives next, having discovered that Dante took Cody out of lockup and brought him back to Ferncliff. It turns out that Dante was watching Damon the whole time and followed him when he left and came back. Damon tries to convince Mac that Cody attacked him, but Janice backs up Cody and Dante's stories. Damon ends up in police custody, and Sasha and Cody are finally free to go back to their lives. Sonny slams Gladys for using Mike to get into the family and never truly caring about anyone else, even Brando. He gets her to confess her whole scheme, which she probably only does because she thinks he's going to kill her. Instead, he sends her back to Connecticut with a warning never to leave the state. Seeing Chase after a mishap with pepper spray, Tracy thinks he's crying because something happened to Gregory. She says enough to make Chase think that something's wrong with his father, then ultimately tells him about Gregory's diagnosis. That news is less shocking to him than the realization that Finn and Tracy already knew. Anna seems to believe that all of Valentin's secrets have been about the new house, which he says he got for them and Charlotte to live in together, unlike what he told Charlotte. Now that he has a new crisis on his hands, he wants to put a hold on Anna's move-in date. Charlotte eavesdrops, annoyed with their closeness, and remembers the letter from Victor, which we finally get to hear all of. In it, he wrote that Anna was a threat to Valentin's sense of family, and Charlotte can't trust her because Anna, as a former spy, is capable of manipulation and subterfuge. According to Victor, Charlotte is the only person who can protect her father. Alexis finds Gregory's bucket list and encourages him to pick something that they can do together. He opts for something tame, hot yoga, and decides to hold off on the rest until he's told Chase about his diagnosis. Spencer and Trina have sex a few more times and talk about how happy they are.
So nice to get all the Sasha/Cody/Gladys/Damon stuff wrapped up at once. Sasha and Cody are probably going to get boring, though.
Lying to the police commissioner in front of another cop who's just going to say what really happened was a truly dumb move on Damon's part. Enjoy Pentonville, buddy. Say hi to Johnny Z. for me.
Move a little faster next time, Dante.
Josh Swickard was so good today.
October 6th, 2023
Sonny makes the rounds in town to invite his kids to his and Nina's wedding in Puerto Rico. Carly is clearly not excited about it, but she gets over it and wishes them the best (and also has no problem with Donna attending). She's also grateful for everything Sonny's doing to help Drew. Valentin still hasn't told Charlotte that he knows what she did, and he's intimidated by the gravity of the situation and how unequipped he is to handle it. Nina's like, "I'm here for you no matter what you need and will help you in any way I can, except for the fact that I'm about to leave the country for an indeterminate amount of time." Sonny asks Alexis to look into Drew's judge, Kim, and write an article about him. Her research so far confirms Diane's theory that Kim is trying to get bumped up to the appeals court, and he's using harsh sentences to get there. Alexis and Gregory decide to lure him in with the offer of a profile, then blindside him with questions about Drew's sentence. Michael and Willow give a lot of thought to whether or not they want to go to the wedding. Dante's going to sit out the wedding, which Kristina thinks is a mistake. He admits that he thinks Sonny and Nina are smart to get married out of town, since getting married in Port Charles is like asking for trouble. Anna thinks the person targeting her is an enemy from her WSB days, so she asks Robert to find out anything he can. Blaze runs into Kristina and Dante, the latter of whom has only good things to say about her, so...maybe some day we'll see a Dante and Sam/Blaze and Kristina double date?
No one thinks this wedding is actually going to happen, right?
Uh, why does Carly think that Avery is with Ava? Ava asked her to have Avery stay with her for a while, then disappeared. Do Sonny and Carly not actually know where Avery is??
Why isn't Sam involved in this Drew stuff? She should have been the one to ask Alexis to write an article. Why has she done more to help Sasha, someone she barely knows, than her daughter's father?
Finn and Tracy should have called Gregory immediately to tell him that Chase knows about his diagnosis.
It's very in character for Kristina not to get that Dante can't just drop everything and leave the country with no notice.
I'm sorry but if Anna has made absolutely zero progress on finding out who's behind what's going on, she sucks at intelligence. The "mastermind" is a 15-year-old girl with braces! She can't even drive! She likes horses and boba tea! Anna looks like an idiot!
Is Blaze going to keep going by Blaze outside of music? I think her real name is Allison. She should go by that again. Though I'll admit that Kraze is a more fun ship name than Krallison or Allina or whatever combination of Kristina and Allison the audience would opt for.
October 9th, 2023
Finn lets Gregory know that Tracy told Chase about his diagnosis. Gregory feels horrible for not being the one to do it, and he admits that he put it off partly because as long as Chase didn't know, it felt like it wasn't real. Chase tells Brook what he learned from Tracy, and she offers him tons of support. He's less upset now about being the last to find out and more upset about the fact that he's going to watch his father weaken, then die. Carly has spoken to a pilot who works for a very rich, politically influential man and has informed her that that man often takes Judge Kim on exotic vacations. Alexis thinks this is just what they need to get Kim to say something incriminating about himself, which is when they can ambush him and get him to reduce Drew's sentence. Over Scott's objections, Lucy puts her 1 percent of ELQ on the line and presents the Deception staff with the option of accepting Tracy's offer to keep 49 percent of the company. They love it, as does Maxie, so they're all about to get a new boss. Sonny, Nina, Michael, Willow, and Kristina are all cheery and excited on their way to Puerto Rico, while the audience is like, "It's not a matter of whether Nina gets busted this week, just when." Garten has accepted a job in Texas, so whatever she and Cyrus were up to at Pentonville is over. She assures him that Drew will be taken care of, this time for good. Somewhere, a woman with very long fingernails reads an article about Brook's fall from grace.
Emmy engravers, it's spelled SWICKARD.
Sounds like Judge Kim is a fictional Clarence Thomas, eh?
The Deception staff should party as long as they can, because there's every possibility that Tracy will fire all of them as soon as she signs the paperwork.
I feel like they had Avery stay back so that Carly will bring her later, which will justify her being there when, according to previews, Michael finds out that Nina was the whistleblower.
During that last scene, everyone who watched the show in the early/mid-'90s yelled, "I know those nails!" at the same time.
October 10th, 2023
Brook confronts Tracy for telling Chase about Gregory's diagnosis, but Tracy doesn't feel like she did anything wrong. Then they forget all about that because Ms. Lois Cerullo, Queen of Bensonhurst, is back in Port Charles for a surprise visit. Brook and Olivia are thrilled, while Tracy would rather be anywhere else. Ned has a recurring dream where he's on stage (naked) and sees Olivia and another woman in the crowd. He wakes up just as the woman is turning toward him, so he doesn't see her face, but anyone who watched the show pre-1996 immediately recognizes her as Lois. Olivia suggests that he talk to Kevin about the dream. When he later encounters Lois, he says he feels like he knows her. Chase is past feeling hurt about being the last to know about Gregory's diagnosis, and now he just wants to know how he can help. He and Finn assure Gregory that they'll help him through whatever comes next. Everyone who lives under Laura and Kevin's roof is now home, and the Collinses are pleased with how well Spencer and Esme are getting along (if you call going five minutes in each other's company without fighting "getting along"). Laura tells Spencer that while they didn't find Nikolas, they now know that he's been accessing his money, which means he's alive. Spencer is sad to confirm that his father left him voluntarily and doesn't seem to have any intention of coming back. Trina tells Curtis a little about her weekend with Spencer, and he's happy that she had a good time. Marshall, however, thinks the whole relationship is a bad idea. Curtis knows better than to meddle or try to talk Trina out of being with someone she wants to be with. Portia has changed her mind about being Terry's co-chief of staff, and with some urging from Stella, she accepts the position. To no one's surprise, Amy has been gossiping about Finn and Elizabeth's make-out session in the shower, though she's been telling people that an unidentified pair had sex. Word has made it back to Terry, who isn't happy about it, but when Elizabeth tells her it was her and Finn, and that they only kissed, Terry's like, "I'll allow it."
Sorry, Olivia, but this is going to be fun.
I read that Lucy and Maxie might start looking for a new face of Deception, and I nominate Lois, because she's gorgeous and also hasn't aged in 27 years. They won't need any new products. Just do a marketing campaign that says, "Use our makeup and look like her," and they'll make a billion dollars.
"Are those laugh lines or just lines?" Really, Tracy? Really? She looks 35 freaking years old.
Counting down until Trina finally tells Marshall that she will no longer discuss Spencer with him, and if he doesn't cut out the criticism, they'll have nothing to talk about at all.
I need Finn to stop asking like he's never been on a date before whenever he asks Elizabeth to hang out.
I'm confused – does Yuri work for the Quartermaines? Is that the job he's leaving or the job he's starting?
October 12th, 2023
It's Sonny and Nina's wedding day, and everyone in attendance is happy and supportive. Everything starts off according to plan, with the only unexpected occurrence being Michael receiving a text from an unknown person who claims to know who the whistleblower is. Josslyn practically has a hissyfit when she learns from Dex that Sonny and Nina are getting married on the island and half the family went with them. Like, I guess she thinks Michael should tell her everything that happens in his life, or something. She feels alone in her grudge and doesn't know what to do. Dex, for some reason, doesn't suggest that she just drop it. Pilar shows up worried because she can't reach Ava, and after collecting more information, Dex suspected that something bad happened to her. Mason is keeping Ava in the basement of a house, and Cyrus uses her abduction to force Austin to testify on his behalf at a hearing to decide whether he should be granted a hardship release from Pentonville. Garten also speaks highly of him, and Scott (who's just in it for the money) makes a pretty good argument, so I wouldn't be surprised if Cyrus gets out. Willow has another dream about Harmony, where she says the same things she said before but, again, Willow can't hear whatever her warning is. Kristina gets a text from Blaze suggesting that they hang out when Kristina's back in town, so...yeah.
If this wedding actually happens, it'll be on Friday the 13th. How fitting.
No one else mentioned it, so I will: Michael and Willow are about to both spouses and stepsiblings.
Morgan mention – drink!
Two Kristina retcons: 1) "This was like our second home when we were kids." No way did Alexis ever let Kristina go to the island even once. 2) She said she's never been a bride before, but she has. Or am I the only person who remembers Trey?
I would comment on Harmony saying that she's only ever tried to protect Willow but I haven't stopped laughing yet.
"Happy wedding day, Nina! Here's something given to me by the woman who stole me from you after I was born." Really, Willow?
Good luck explaining to Laura why you're representing her brother, Scott.
October 13th, 2023
The wedding goes perfectly, and it isn't until the reception that Michael gets in touch with his contact to find out what he knows about the whistleblower. The look on his face after that says that he got accurate information. While Josslyn goes to Wyndemere to talk to Giles the butler about Ava, Dex questions Austin, who plays innocent about her disappearance. Dex puts him in a chokehold and warns that if he finds out that Austin knows something, Dex will come after him again. Josslyn's Wyndemere visit turns up the martini glass Ava dropped when Mason grabbed her and a lollipop he dropped. Security footage shows her leaving with a hooded man, but it's unclear whether or not she went willingly. The couple needs more surveillance footage, so they turn to the King of Tech, Spinelli. He gets them a clear shot of Mason and a connection to a Pautauk company, which makes Dex think that Ava's being held at one of their properties. Austin tells Mason that Sonny knows everything and that he's now on Dex's radar. He asks Mason to get Cyrus to release Ava, but Mason says they both know that Cyrus does whatever he wants. Apparently he became obsessed with Sonny around the time he found out that Laura was his sister, and he wants the kind of respectable life Sonny has. Coincidentally, Cyrus is currently talking to Laura, who's heard that he's trying to get an early release. She isn't convinced that he's really reformed, but she doesn't do anything to try to prevent him from getting out of Pentonville early. That's exactly what happens, so people of Port Charles, beware. Selina bugs Curtis some more about selling the Savoy to her, this time at his house. Stella is there and makes it clear that Selina doesn't scare her. Curtis is in the middle of rejecting Selina's offer again when Portia gets home, which effectively chases Selina off. The Ashfords just ignore the whole situation because Portia's officially gotten the job as co-chief of staff, and they all want to celebrate. Portia suggests that they stay home, but Curtis wants to go out and celebrate. Stella advises Portia to act like she normally would and let Curtis set the tone for what he is and isn't comfortable with. T.J. has another encounter with Mason and seems to still feel like he's familiar somehow.
That tan suit is not a good look for Sonny.
Ooh, a telltale lollipop! Nice job, Mason. Actually, it would be awesome if that's what helps T.J. figure out how he knows Mason – he smells Mason's candy.
I see Dex's continued transition into Jason 2.0 is coming along nicely.
Nothing against Jeff Kober but we really don't need Cyrus back on the canvas like this. Hopefully he gets killed or sent back to prison quickly.
Stella was great in this episode.
October 16th, 2023
Michael confronts Martin over calling the FCC and tells him he made a huge mistake. He offers Martin the chance to make amends by revealing who gave him the tip about Drew and Carly, which Martin resists, citing attorney/client privilege. Eventually Michael spooks Martin into giving up Nina by pointing out that Sonny won't be happy with him. Also, Michael already knows who gave him the tip, so Martin might as well not make things harder. Martin finally tells him it was Nina, and Michael records the confession and contemplates his next move. Sasha has decided to move to Austin and start her whole life over, since everywhere she goes in Port Charles, she's reminded of mistakes she's made. Cody tries to convince her that everyone makes mistakes and they're no reason to run away. She doesn't think any of the examples he gives of his own mistakes measure up to hers, so he confides that he's keeping it secret that Mac is his biological father. He doesn't think he deserves a father like Mac or that Mac should be saddled with a son like him. Sasha has too many good things to say about him to ever agree with that. Lucy wants to bring in a new face of Deception, and she and Maxie are leaning toward Blaze. Maxie doesn't like the idea of blindsiding Sasha with a replacement, and she reminds Lucy that Tracy has a big say in every decision they make now. She goes to Sasha's place to give her a heads-up, but when she learns that Sasha has decided to walk away from everything in her life, she keeps quiet. Sonny and Nina...whatever, it's all just running out the clock until they inevitably split, right? In a highly contrived coincidence, Blaze shows up on Sonny's island because she's staying at his hotel while she visits her grandmother, who used to work there. She jokes to Kristina that it's fate, and Kristina looks a little stricken by that thought. Sam checks in on Carly, because with Sonny and Nina getting married, Carly's feelings are what's important.
Blaze being related to someone who used to work for Sonny is going to go a long way toward him supporting the inevitable relationship she develops with Kristina. Not that he wouldn't like her aside from that; it'll just be a ton of points in her favor.
Blaze is also a good choice as the face of Deception. Anyone with skin that gorgeous should be on a billboard.
Nathan mention – drink!
"I can't tell you how sorry I am." Not sorry enough to give up his $50,000 a month, though!
I hate so much that they'll bring Sam in to prop up Carly but won't give her a storyline of her own.
October 17th, 2023
Dex finds the house where Mason was holding Ava, but there's no one there. While Spinelli checks traffic-camera footage to figure out where they went, Austin asks Cyrus to tell Mason to let Ava go, since Austin did the thing she was being used to make him do. Cyrus obliges, but Mason is jealous of Austin, I guess, and just overall a jerk, and he decides to kill Ava instead. Dex arrives just in time and saves Ava, then fights Mason on the edge of a cliff. Dante, alerted to Ava's disappearance by Josslyn, arrives next and shoots Mason. So in the end, Mason's on his way to the hospital, Ava's safe, and Sonny's honeymoon is probably going to be cut short. Chase meets Lois, who tells him and Ned about her history with the guy she first knew as Eddie Maine. She's frustrated that Ned sees himself as Eddie again but gets to be ignorant of all the hurtful stuff he did back then. Then again, he also doesn't remember the good parts of their relationship, which is his loss. Anyway, Lois really likes Chase and it seems like the feeling is mutual. Carly is upset that Drew is close to being well enough to return to Pentonville, and he doesn't want her to try to get his doctor to make an excuse for him to stay in the hospital longer. Cyrus pays Drew a visit and casually mentions that he's the one who found Drew after his beating and likely saved his life. Now Carly's even more upset about Drew going back to Pentonville, since a much more dangerous criminal is now free to do whatever he wants. Gregory surprises Tracy by thanking her for telling Chase about his diagnosis, since it needed to be done and Gregory couldn't bring himself to do it. It sounds to me like he's just relieved to be off the hook for it, which is kind of cowardly, but whatever, they're friends now.
We'll call that a Dante ex machina. Also, how many times is Dex going to save Ava?
I wish one of the flashbacks had been of Lois popping out of the cake at Katherine's birthday party. That was iconic.
Excuse you, Tracy, but Brook and Chase are together because of Leo.
I noticed a nice little detail in the background of a scene at the Quartermaines': a food dish and a water bowl for Annabelle II.
October 18th, 2023
Josslyn, Dex, Ava, and Dante fill Carly in on what happened to Ava, who everyone's being nice to because she just went through a traumatic experience. Dex asks if Mason mentioned anything about his boss, but all Ava knows is that he called Mason, who changed his mind about whatever he was going to do with Ava. Austin is solely focused on finding out how Ava is, and when Mason can't tell him, he has to ask Jordan. He's relieved to hear that she's okay and calls her a bunch of times, but she has no interest in talking to him. Jordan stops Dante from questioning Mason, since the Pautauk police are mad that he acted outside his jurisdiction by (checks notes) saving Dex's life. He's also being put on administrative leave while he's investigated for shooting Mason. Dante's pretty stoic about the whole thing, but he does let a little vulnerability show when he tells Sam what happened. Lois confronts Tracy for the way she used and mistreated Brook, but Tracy has a different spin on things. She claims that she's giving her 51 percent of Deception to Brook so she has something to fall back on when she realizes that she's gotten nothing out of her career in music, just like Lois. Lois doubts that Brook will accept the company after the way it was acquired, and even if she does, Tracy is a horrible person and only did what she did to get Lucy's 1 percent of ELQ. Portia seems like she wants to initiate some romance with Curtis, but he's not ready and isn't sure he ever will be. She thinks he's jumping the gun by thinking that far ahead, but his injury makes him feel so unlike himself and unlike a man that he can't imagine ever getting past it. Portia still won't accept that things will never change, but even if they don't, she has nothing but support for her husband. Blaze opens up to Kristina about her lifelong desire to be famous and her recent realization that that means giving up a lot of her privacy. Carly calls Sonny to give him an overview of everything he's missed with Ava, Mason, and Cyrus. It looks like he's become the first person to put together that Mason has been working for Cyrus all along. Josslyn is shaken by how much danger Dex put himself in for Ava and how close he was to being killed by Mason. Sam and Drew are basically filler, and just here to remind us that he has to go back to prison and miss more of Scout's life.
In real life, I would be all for Dante being put on administrative leave, but here...this is like when Sam killed Shiloh to save Jason. There's no crime here.
Carly and Ava getting along – weird. Carly and Josslyn getting along – super-weird.
Imagine the awkwardness if Brook waltzed back into the company she was fired from with a majority stake.
Portia has been bugging me a lot lately, but everything she said today was spot on. I would add one thing, though: Curtis, Kevin is back. Please go to therapy.
I really enjoyed seeing Kristina give advice instead of seeking it for once. I also enjoyed that Blaze continues to see Kristina in a different way than everyone else does. Even if they only ever become friends and nothing more, Kristina will really benefit from having Blaze in her corner when she inevitably has to deal with more family drama.
October 19th, 2023
Valentin fills Laura in on everything with Charlotte, but Laura has a lot of trouble accepting that her sweet granddaughter would trash a hotel room, let alone burn down a house. It doesn't take long for her to realize that Victor must have influenced her more than anyone realized. She and Valentin haven't put everything together yet, but at least they've figured out the root of Charlotte's issues and can now come up with a way to end them. Trina can't understand why Spencer thinks Ace is better off without Nikolas, probably because she has two great dads and doesn't know what it's like to have a bad one. She also can't understand how Spencer doesn't see that the little family life he's built with Esme is exactly what Esme wants. She wants him to start thinking about his future (well, their future together) and how his relationship with Ace will likely change as Esme becomes more independent and Spencer builds his own life. Alexis brings Gregory on as "co-counsel" as she prepares for Operation: Bust Judge Kim for Unethical Practices and Get Him to Change Drew's Sentence. Things start off really well, and they quickly catch Kim in a lie. Finn asks Elizabeth to go away with him for the weekend, which I guess means their relationship is the real deal, even though they both keep calling each other a "friend" to other people. T.J. has noticed how happy Finn has been lately and hopes it lasts. Finn wants just as much happiness for T.J., which means he's probably just jinxed Andrea's pregnancy. T.J. tells Portia that Cyrus is out of prison, and Portia goes straight to Jordan to demand to know why she wasn't informed. Jordan and Anna try to reassure her that Cyrus will want to be on his best behavior so he stays out of prison and is able to develop a relationship with Laura. Maxie and Felicia catch up, and Felicia advises Maxie to get past Brook's betrayal, since it's not like Maxie has never gone to extremes when stuck in a bad situation. She encourages Maxie to forgive Brook and tell Sasha how sorry she is to see Sasha leave town.
"I can't get through to her." You asked her, like, three questions, Valentin. Don't shove this off on Laura.
I totally understand Trina's concerns and think they're completely reasonable, but she needs a lighter touch. Yelling at Spencer isn't going to get him to come around to her way of thinking.
Seriously, Finn, stop acting like you and Elizabeth are just friendly colleagues. She's your girlfriend! Treat her like it! And Elizabeth, stop calling him your friend. Even Audrey sees through that.
Of course Portia's mad at Jordan for not telling her about Cyrus' release. Because...um...wait, why is Portia mad at Jordan for not telling her about Cyrus' release, aside from the fact that Portia hates Jordan and would blame her for anything bad that ever happens?
October 20th, 2023
Laura tries to get Charlotte to open up to her, either about her feelings toward Anna or, you know, any crimes she may have committed recently. She tells Charlotte that she was lonely as a kid and made some big mistakes at Charlotte's age, and she'd like to be there for Charlotte the way Lesley was there for her. Charlotte looks like she's about to confess something, but she doesn't. Alexis gets a little too into what's basically a cross-examination of Kim, and once she threatens to publish something about his failure to disclose all the gifts he's received, he puts an end to the interview and her attempted blackmail. She laments to Gregory that she acted like a lawyer instead of a journalist and attacked Kim for herself instead of Drew. Gregory doesn't think she should be so hard on herself, because she was trying to help someone she cares about. To Alexis' surprise, her tactics seem to have worked, because she learns that Kim has requested Drew's file and may reconsider his sentence. Spencer is way more upset than he should be that Esme didn't tell him ahead of time about a doctor's appointment she was taking Ace to. Kevin reminds him that he's not Ace's father and has no parental rights, so Esme doesn't have to tell him anything. He adds that now that the two of them have nothing in common other than Ace, their lives are going to diverge more and Spencer's role in Ace's life will change. Spencer is determined to fill the role that Nikolas has abandoned and do everything he can for his brother. Being the target of revenge or justice or whatever's going on is starting to affect Anna psychologically, and while she doesn't want to be alone, she also doesn't want to be around her friends too much and possibly put them in danger. Valentin continues to not fill her in on what he thinks is going on, though he does tell her that he suspects someone is targeting her on Victor's behalf. Robert runs into Diane and is finally like, "So are we doing this or not?" Despite the fact that she's still bitter about how he treated her when Holly was around, she's decided that she wants to try again. Using chess metaphors, for some reason, she warns him that this is his last chance with her. Drew's time in the hospital is nearing an end, and he turns down Elizabeth's offer to get a doctor to come up with an excuse for him to stay longer. He also tells her not to call Carly, since he doesn't want her to see him get taken away in chains. Dante's pretty casual about his administrative leave, which makes Cody feel comfortable enough to make things about himself, which he acknowledges was a mistake when he was talking to Sasha about her decision to leave town. Dante thinks he should tell Sasha that he wants her to stay, and also tell Mac about his real paternity already.
Very interesting that Charlotte told Laura that she doesn't have friends, but Elizabeth told Drew that she's really popular.
Can someone please explain to Spencer that whole thing about honey and vinegar? If he really ticks Esme off, he's going to get himself shut out of Ace's life.
"Someone who shall remain nameless, but who is you." Heh. Love Diane.
People are talking way too much about Sasha leaving town, considering it's not actually going to happen.
October 23rd, 2023
Lois lets Brook know that Tracy is planning to give her the majority share of Deception. Brook wants nothing to do with it and figures it's all a selfish act anyway. Lois isn't so sure, but she does have an idea of what Brook should do instead of just rejecting the offer. Tracy is unhappy with Lucy and Maxie's decision to replace Sasha with Blaze, and she orders them to change their minds. Lucy objects, not wanting to take orders from Tracy, but Maxie thinks she's right that they shouldn't shove Sasha aside after everything she's been through. Sonny tells Dex that Cyrus is likely the person targeting him, and his first plan is to check in with his allies. He starts with Selina, confronting her for not telling him about Gladys' debts and how she stole Sasha's money. Selina spins it to make herself look better, but Sonny notes that if he were a paranoid person, he'd be suspicious that she was trying to gain leverage over him. They come to an understanding and he gets her to agree to something involving Cyrus. Dante tries to relate to Sasha's decision to leave town by telling her about his experiences after having PTSD and his desire to get away from everyone and everything he knew. She doesn't think their situations are the same since he had a family to come back to and she didn't. He tries to convince her that even without a traditional family, she has a lot of people who care about her and will help her through her problems. Cody thanks Sam for her help with his whole mess, then gives her enough clues about other messes he's been in to let her guess that Mac is his biological father. She tries to convince him that it's not too late for him to come clean and have the family he clearly wants to be part of. Cyrus approaches Portia at the hospital and says he's deeply regretful of everything he did to her and her family, and he wants her forgiveness. She makes it clear that she doesn't believe for a second that he's changed, and if she needs to, she'll take out a restraining order against him. Mac and Kevin are about to catch up and talk about Cody when Scott interrupts. He's curious about why Cody recently decided not to pursue their lawsuit against the WSB. Cyrus seems to have another task in mind for Scott, who's already having a hard enough time convincing Mac and Kevin that he's not a bad guy.
If Tracy's going to give Deception to Brook, what does she care who the spokesmodel is?
I think Brook should accept Deception, then sell it back to Lucy and Maxie for, like, a dollar. Then they'll get their majority stake back and they'll like Brook again. Everyone wins! (Except Tracy.)
Somewhere, A.J.'s like, "Oh, so now Tracy cares about people who are struggling with addictions."
If Portia keeps this up, she's going to make me like her again.
October 24th, 2023
Martin learns that Michael recorded their conversation and tries to convince him not to reveal that Nina was the whistleblower. Nina's gone to extremes in the past, and Martin thinks she could lash out in a dangerous way, or at the very least make Michael's life difficult. Michael dismisses this and goes to talk to Sonny, who I don't think is going to be out of the honeymoon phase any time soon. He thinks that Nina's gift of pictures from the wedding is just the best thing ever! Michael tries to power through, but ultimately he decides to hold off on upending his father's life. Austin confronts Cyrus with a scalpel, thinking that he told Mason to kill Ava. To prove that he didn't, Cyrus forces Mason to admit that he disobeyed orders. He makes it crystal clear that if Mason ever makes that mistake again, he'll die a very painful death. It also becomes crystal clear that Cyrus is still as dangerous as ever, and Austin is scared to death of him. Lois gets Brook and Chase to rehearse a song together, and I'm not sure what that was about, but it's nice to see them happy. Laura slams Scott for helping Cyrus get released from prison, which he obviously only did for the money. Not only that, but it looks like that money came from the funds Cyrus set up to help prisoners. Lucy's ready, but also not ready, to sign the paperwork to give Tracy 51 percent of Deception. She goes to the Quartermaines' to yell at Tracy but has to settle for yelling at Brook instead. Laura visits Curtis, who's very happy to finally see her again. He notes how ironic it is that they dodged bullets together in Greenland, and then he got shot back at home because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. T.J. keeps getting an odd feeling around Mason, and he tells Portia that it's bothering him. She suggests that he just keep his distance.
If I were Michael, I think I would take all this to Carly and let her handle it. Also, a Carly/Nina showdown would be a lot more entertaining than a Michael/Nina showdown.
Who cares if Michael's recording of Martin is inadmissable in court? No one's going to court, Martin. He's going to use it as proof that Nina's the whistleblower.
I'm sorry, does Martin think that Nina has more power and influence than Michael does? That's adorable.
Morgan mention – drink!
With Portia disapproving of Spencer so much, it's refreshing to see Lois so supportive of Brook and Chase's relationship.
I like that Brook's New York accent comes out when she talks to Lois.
Yeah, Curtis definitely shouldn't be told about Cyrus' release, so he can most likely be blindsided. Great idea, Portia!
October 25th, 2023
Michael tells Nina that he knows that she was the whistleblower, but instead of taking that information to Sonny or Carly, he's going to use it for blackmail. From now on, Nina has to get his permission to see Willow or the kids, and she has to sell her half of the Metro Court back to Carly. Brick confirms for Sonny that Mason and Austin work for/worked for Cyrus, so now Sonny knows for sure that he was behind Ava's kidnapping. Next he wants to know more about Cyrus' money. Carly is distressed to learn that Drew is back in solitary confinement, but Brick thinks that it could be for his protection. Willow catches up with Obrecht, who's spent the past few months pampering herself and changing her mindset so she lives more in the present. She's pleased that everything is going so great for Willow, and especially that Willow and Nina are getting along so well. (Just wait, Dr. O. Just wait.) Dante thinks that Cody keeps telling people that Mac is his biological father because part of him wants Mac to find out. He disagrees that Cody doesn't deserve such a great person as a father. He also doesn't want Cody to just let Sasha go and never speak to her again, but it doesn't look that that'll happen, since Sasha turns up to see him. Lucy talks over the Deception mess with Martin, complaining that Tracy's trying to force them to keep Sasha on as the face of Deception when Blaze would be such a great choice. She points out that they haven't even asked Sasha if she wants to stay on. Trina's very glad that Ava's okay, and she admits that she thinks of Ava as a second mother. Ava definitely feels maternal toward Trina in turn. Maxie and James...whatever.
Michael is definitely his parents' child.
Martin really should have given Nina a heads-up that Michael knew she was the whistleblower. I think he can kiss any hope of her hiring him again goodbye.
Did Josh Kelly break an apple in half with his bare hands? Who does he think he is, Bob Mortimer? (Niche reference. No one's going to get that.)
Kiki mention – drink!
So much time-wasting today. No one cares about James' Halloween costume! Also, I don't care about anything involving Ava until she finds out that Nikolas is alive.
October 26th, 2023
Michael puts on an innocent, everything-is-totally-fine act for Willow, while Nina screams internally and makes excuses for why they can't go back to Puerto Rico together. Later, she confides to Willow that she's afraid of losing all the good things in her life. Willow promises that Nina won't lose her. Sasha was on her way to the airport when she realized that she has enough positive memories of Port Charles to make her think she'll be okay staying. So the Austin move is off, and though she knows she might be done at Deception, she seems open to starting over. Also, now she can focus her attention on trying to convince Cody to come clean about his paternity. She points out that Mac already cares about him, so learning that he's Cody's father will probably just make that grow. Portia finally tells Curtis that Cyrus is out of prison, which he's already heard. They wonder why the warden supported his release and who the doctor was who testified on his behalf. They're worried about Trina and hope that the police will keep Cyrus on their radar. That said, if he comes near Portia or Trina again, he'll be the one who needs protection, because Portia is on the warpath. Josslyn wants Michael to use his Quartermaine and ELQ influence to get Drew released from prison. Carly tells them that Alexis and Gregory made progress, so for now, they just need to be patient. She would like Michael to keep working with his contact who has insider federal knowledge, though, because she's desperate to know who the whistleblower is. Dante and Sonny have a nice talk about how good their relationship is now and how they've been able to leave the past in the past. Felicia makes an expensive mistake with a patient, and Jordan assures her that Stella will fix it, and Stella does, and all three actresses involved deserve better. Finn and Elizabeth finalize their plans for their weekend away, boring me into a coma in the process.
Michael may not have to do anything else here. Just knowing that he knows what she did might be enough for Nina to torture herself with anxiety.
Why is everyone acting like Nina putting pictures in frames is some Herculean task, or the most thoughtful idea on Earth?
I can't decide if Trina's safe from Cyrus because she's dating Spencer or if he'll threaten her to make Spencer do stuff he wants.
I need Finn and Elizabeth to have sex already so they'll start being boring and their scenes won't be so painful to watch.
October 27th, 2023
Cyrus shows up at the gallery while Trina's alone there and claims that he didn't know she would be there. He asks her forgiveness for the hostage situation and the terror he put her through, but she, like her mother, has no intention of letting him off the hook for anything. Later, she asks Spencer not to tell anyone how upset she got with Cyrus, since she doesn't want her parents to know how shaken she was. T.J. finally realizes that Mason was one of the people who kidnapped him for Cyrus back in 2000. He goes straight to Jordan, who reluctantly tells him that they probably won't be able to get Mason convicted for that, since T.J.'s testimony wouldn't be reliable enough and there's no evidence. T.J. is understandably frustrated that he won't get justice, even though Jordan is sure that Ava will. Mason taunts Austin, saying that he told the police that he kidnapped Ava because of Austin. Then he threatens to implicate Austin in the kidnapping and take Austin down with him. Fed up with his cousin, Austin smothers him with a pillow. Though the blinds in the room are closed, T.J. is able to see through them enough to watch. Laura and Alexis talk about Nikolas, who Alexis thinks could get away with his crimes because Esme can't testify against him and Elizabeth's testimony wouldn't be enough to convict him. They also discuss Cyrus and their skepticism that he's actually reformed. Josslyn studies with Adam, whose parents have much sterner expectations for him than Josslyn's do for her. It's pretty clear that Adam has feelings for Josslyn, but she ditches him to hang out with Dex without a second thought. Esme asks Alexis for raise so she can move into her own place. She admits that she's developing feelings for Spencer and wants to put some distance between them. Finn and Elizabeth tap maple syrup (not a euphemism).
This may have been Tabyana Ali's best work yet. And I like how Spencer stood back and let Trina go off on Cyrus when he could have stepped in to either chase Cyrus off or try to calm Trina down.
This may have also been Tahj Bellow's best work yet. I like the possible directions today's episode could take T.J., and the acting that will give Bellow a chance to do.
Ooh, they're cracking open a door for Nikolas to come back without having to go to prison...
Why do they keep bringing Adam back? I mean, I know why, but really, why?
Wow, I can't believe they found a way to make Finn and Elizabeth even less watchable. I'm almost impressed.
October 30th, 2023
Laura tells Ava that she confirmed that Nikolas has been in Europe and has accessed his financial accounts. Ava hides her shock and quickly puts together that Austin must have known the whole time that Nikolas was alive. Austin denies it but she's too smart to believe him. Blaze turns down Lucy's offer to become the new face of Deception, which just makes Lucy mad at Tracy some more. She tells Tracy that she wins this round, but this is the last big decision she gets to make for the company. Austin gets tipsy to deal with the fact that he almost killed Mason – it turns out that T.J. stopped him. He's actually grateful that T.J. kept him from doing something that would have ruined his life. T.J. later tells Mason that he stopped Austin partly to keep him from a prison sentence and partly because he doesn't condone murder, but also because he'd rather see Mason spent the rest of his life in prison. Finn and Elizabeth FINALLY have sex. Sonny and Lois catch up, and she comments that he seems more confident and centered than he ever has. Tracy bugs Brook some more about Deception, and when Brook again blows her off, she predicts that one day, Brook will come back, wanting to take the company after all. Brook officially signs Blaze as her client, with Kristina as a witness. Tracy again urges Olivia to have Ned committed, and Olivia again refuses. Tracy thinks it's because she prefers "Eddie" to Ned. Olivia tells Ned that she will always stand up for his right to live the way he wants, but she'll never stop missing the real him. Sasha and Cody want to repay Dante and Sam for all they've done by helping them remodel their living room. Laura and Martin discuss Cyrus, knowing that, true religious awakening or not, they should keep an eye on him.
I know I demand murder mysteries a lot, but I think we can all agree that Mason would make the perfect victim.
I still think they could have gotten a great plot out of T.J. letting Austin kill Mason. Now T.J. has nothing to do again. Darn you, T.J.! Why'd you have to go and have morals?
I assume that Mason will somehow pull a stunt that gets Ava to retract her testimony and keep him out of prison? Just guessing, since T.J.'s so confident about him going away forever, and I can only assume he's jinxed it.
The Sam/Dante/Cody/Sasha foursome is a good combo. Now they just need something to do.
October 31st, 2023
Cyrus makes a surprise appearance at Laura's place, spooking Esme, who's there alone with Ace. Spencer intervenes and warns Cyrus to keep his distance from Ace and Trina. Cyrus gets heated while insisting that he's reformed and blah blah blah, which doesn't exactly convince Spencer that he's not a violent person anymore. When Laura gets home, she lays down some boundaries with her brother, since she knows she won't be able to keep him away entirely. Valentin doesn't want Charlotte to go trick-or-treating unchaperoned with her friends, because I guess he thinks she'll start another fire or something. She suspects that he doesn't trust her, and he can't assure her that he does because that would mean admitting that he knows what she's done. Eventually they make a deal that Charlotte can go with her friends if she agrees to a session with Kevin. She seems to think it's just because she's had so much instability in her life over the past few years, but then she overhears Valentin telling Laura that she needs a lot of help. Trina has a nightmare about Cyrus taking her hostage and Spencer not doing anything because he can just replace her with Esme. Josslyn tries to reassure her, praising her for her toughness in standing up to Cyrus already. Anna's sick of living at the Metro Court, so Felicia suggests that she sublet Maxie's old apartment. It's the perfect arrangement for both Maxie and Anna, and Anna feels so sure that she'll be safe there that she tells Sonny she doesn't need a bodyguard anymore. Laura asks Sonny to check in with Spencer and be a kind of father figure to him, since his real father sure isn't making any effort. Finn and Elizabeth are just...so boring, you guys. So. Boring.
I just realized something – let's hope that someone told Sasha about Cyrus' release.
I can't see Charlotte opening up much to Kevin. I'm also not sure he would find it ethical to treat his wife's granddaughter.
I like that Jason and Spinelli's kids are going trick-or-treating together. It's strange that Charlotte's going with them but Rocco isn't, though.
It's fair for Maxie to worry that Georgie's apple might not fall far from her tree, but think about the other tree it could have fallen from.
Every time Finn and Elizabeth show up, I'm like, "Did I do something wrong? Am I being punished?"