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New Fissure Near Yellowstone Supervolcano Causes Teton National Park Closure
July 18, 2018 Mac Slavo Uncategorized 0
A 100-foot-long fissure near the Yellowstone supervolcano has prompted the closure of parts of Teton National Park. Coupled with the Steamboat geyser's newly active status, fears of an eruption at the Yellowstone caldera are increasing.
Teton National Park has issued a statement regarding the newly opened up fissure, according to WoodTV. "The Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point areas are currently closed due to elevated potential for rockfall. The area was closed to protect human safety on July 10 after expanding cracks in a rock buttress were detected. It is unknown how long the closure will be in effect. Geologists are monitoring the buttress for movement and have initiated a risk assessment for the area."
Although scientists continue to tell the public the possibility of a major eruption is incredibly small, they also believe it's worth the effort to constantly monitor the area. Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point are both closed and both are located in the popular Jenny Lake area. They are among the park's busiest attractions. Other Jenny Lake attractions, including the ferry, remain open. There is no estimate on when these locations could reopen.
"We're really going to need a few more days of data to make a solid determination if the rock is still moving," park spokesman Andrew White said Friday according to Strange Sounds. Following data collection, park rangers will conduct a "risk assessment" to determine if the area can be reopened, he said.
The huge fissure the fissure on the buttress above Hidden Falls was discovered by Exum Mountain Guides on July 9 while training guided climbers for Teton ascents. By the next morning the gap had widened, so the closure followed citing a potentially dangerous "rockfall." But a report from July 3 stated that Yellowstone's magma chamber is "more powerful" than scientists had previously known.
Using a new way to track heat flow under the park, researchers now estimate Yellowstone's magma chamber could be recharging from deep within the Earth twice as fast as previously thought. But there's still no cause for alarm, even though all this news comes as the largest geyser in Yellowstone, the Steamboat geyser, becomes more active. It has now erupted for the eleventh time.
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This application protocol describes a reliable and reproducible protocol for the generation of monocyte-derived dendritic cells (Mo-DCs). Using high-quality reagents that ensure cell viability, the resulting Mo-DCs can be used for downstream phenotypic and functional characterization.
PBE Buffer: Prepare a solution containing phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), pH 7.2, 0.5% bovine serum albumin (BSA), and 2 mM EDTA by diluting MACS® BSA Stock Solution (# 130‑091‑376) 1:20 with autoMACS® Rinsing Solution (# 130‑091‑222). Keep buffer cold (2−8 °C). Degas buffer before use, as air bubbles could block the column.
Complete medium: Prepare a medium from RPMI 1640 containing 2 mM L-glutamine and 1 % autologous plasma.
Pre-Separation Filters, 30 μm (# 130-041-407) to remove cell clumps.
MACS Columns and MACS Separators: CD14+ cells can be enriched using MS, LS, or XS Columns, or positive selection can also be performed using the autoMACS Pro or the autoMACS Separator.
(Optional) Fluorochrome-conjugated CD14 antibodies for flow cytometry analysis, e.g., CD14-FITC (# 130-080-701). Learn more about our antibodies and dyes.
▲ Note: Learn more about different quality grades and additional package sizes of our cytokines and growth factors.
▲ Note: Learn more about different package sizes and conjugates of our antibodies and dyes.
MLR medium: Prepare a medium from RPMI 1640 containing 2 mM L-glutamine, non-essential amino acids, 0.1 mM sodium pyruvate, 5 % human AB serum.
Isolate CD14+ monocytes from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) using the CD14 MicroBeads, human or CD14 MicroBeads, human – lyophilized. Follow the protocol of the MicroBeads data sheet.
Determine purity and recovery by labeling cells with CD14-FITC antibodies and analyzing them by flow cytometry on a MACSQuant® Analyzer 10.
Assess cell viability through propidium iodide (PI) staining.
Isolation of CD14+ monocytes to high purities. Purity, recovery (i.e., percentage of CD14+ cells in the purified fraction in relation to the original fraction), and viability of enriched CD14+ cells are shown. All values were over 80%. Cells were labeled with a CD14-FITC antibody and analyzed by flow cytometry.
Purity, recovery (i.e., percentage of CD14-positive cells in the purified fraction in relation to the original fraction), and viability of enriched CD14-positive cells are shown. All values were over 80%. Cells were labled with a CD14-FITC antibody and analyzed by flow cytometry.
Mo-DCs can be generated using various protocol formats, manually and automatically, and at various scales. Here we describe the procedure for 6-well plates as an example.
Culture 3×10⁶ isolated monocytes in 3 mL of complete medium (RPMI 1640, 2 mM L-glutamine, 1% autologous plasma) supplemented7,8 with 250 IU/mL IL-4 and 800 IU/mL GM-CSF.
Incubate the cultures at 37 °C and 5% CO₂ for 2 days.
Resuspend cells in 1.5 mL of complete medium supplemented with the 2-fold concentration of IL-4 and GM-CSF and put back into the original culture.
Again, remove a volume of 1.5 mL from the culture and centrifuge.
Place the supplemented resuspension back into the original culture and culture for another 24 hours.
Assess the viability, yield, and absolute cell count of mature Mo-DCs (mMo-DCs) by flow cytometry via light scatter signals and PI fluorescence. For the gating strategy, see the figure below.
Generation of Mo-DCs. Viability, yield (i.e., mMo-DC count in relation to initial monocyte count), and total count of mMo-DCs generated using the protocol for 6-well plates (n= 18). Data were obtained by flow cytometry on the MACSQuant® Analyzer 10 following the gating strategy shown: first cells were gated according to their scatter properties. Subsequently, dead cells were excluded from the analysis by PI fluorescence. The viability of mMo-DCs, evaluated by excluding PI+ dead cells, amounted to 95.4±2.4%. The recovery of mMo-DCs was 23%, calculated based on the number of originally seeded monocytes.
Viability, yield (i.e., mMo-DC count in relation to initial monocyte count), and total count of mMo-DCs generated by using the protocol for 6-well plates (n = 18). Data were obtained by flow cytometry on the MACSQuant Analyzer 10 following the gating strategy shown: First cells were gated according to their scatter properties. Subsequently, dead cells were excluded from the analysis by PI fluorescence.
Dendritic cells have a distinct morphology characterized by many cellular processes. To evaluate whether monocytes assume this morphology during differentiation and maturation to Mo-DCs, we recommend analyzing cells on days 0, 6, and 7 of cell culture, both by microscopy and flow cytometry.
Place isolated monocytes, as well as immature Mo-DCs (imMo-DCs) and mMo-DCs, in a 6-well plate and allow to sediment.
Capture images of the cells using a light microscope with phase-contrast at a 400× magnification.
On day 0, cells had a spherical shape, which is normal for monocytes. After 6 days, cells showed cytoplasmic protrusions, which were even more pronounced after maturation to day 7. Moreover, size and granularity of the cells increased during differentiation and maturation, which is reflected in increased forward and side scatter signals in the flow cytometry analysis.
Morphology of monocytes, imMo-DCs, and mMo-DCs. Cells were analyzed on days 0, 6, and 7 of differentiation/maturation. (A) Images were captured on a light microscope using phase contrast at 400× magnification. Cells show increased cytoplasmic protrusions as they differentiate and mature. (B) Assessment of relative cell size and granularity by flow cytometry using forward and side scatter channels, respectively. Cells show increased granularity as they differentiate and mature. 10,000 events are shown for each dot plot.
Cells were analyzed on days 0, 6, and 7 of differentiation/maturation. (A) Images were captured on a light microscrope using phase contrast at a 400x magnification. (B) Assessment of relative cell size and granularity by flow cytometry using forward and side scatter channels, respectively. 10,000 events are shown for each dot plot.
To analyze cell surface expression of various maturation markers, co-stimulatory molecules, and receptors for chemokines and antigens, label monocytes, imMo-DCs, and mMo-DCs with specific monoclonal antibodies (see table below). Use appropriate isotype controls to assess non-specific antibody binding.
Determine the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of the respective markers by flow cytometry on a MACSQuant® Analyzer 10 using the MACSQuantify™ Software.
Exclude cell debris and dead cells from the analysis based on scatter signals and PI fluorescence.
the antigen-presenting molecules MHC I (HLA-ABC) and MHC II (HLA-DR). Mature Mo-DCs also expressed the DC activation markers CD83, CD25, and CD40, which were up-regulated accordingly. CCR7, which is required for migration of DCs to draining lymph nodes, was also up-regulated. The highest expression levels of the antigen uptake receptors CD209 and CD206 were detected on imMo-DCs, corresponding to their antigen uptake function.
Immunophenotyping of monocytes, imMo-DCs, and mMo-DCs. Cells were labeled on days 0, 6, and 7 with antibodies specific for the respective markers and analyzed by flow cytometry. The histograms show the results from one representative experiment. Marker-specific and isotype control labeling are shown in red and black, respectively. The plots below the histograms depict the MFI for each marker on monocytes, imMO-DCs, and mMo-DCs in six independent experiments.
Cells were labeled on days 0, 6, and 7 with antibodies specific for the respective markers and analyzed by flow cytometry. The histograms show the result from one representative experiment. Marker-specific and isotype control labeling are shown in red and black, respectively. The plots below the histograms depict the MFI for each marker on monocytes, imMo-DCs, and mMo-DCs in six independent experiments.
Antigen uptake by antigen-presenting cells can occur specifically via receptor-mediated endocytosis or non-specifically via pinocytosis or phagocytosis. To assess the pinocytosis capacity of in vitro generated Mo-DCs in comparison to monocytes, cells are cultured at 37 °C for up to 1 h in the presence of FITC-dextran. Non-specific binding of FITC-dextran to the cell surface is determined by incubating samples on ice throughout the procedure. The MFI of FITC is then analyzed by flow cytometry after various time points, subtracting the MFI of samples on ice from the MFI of samples incubated at 37 °C.
Incubate 1×10⁵ monocytes, imMo-DCs, or mMo-DCs with FITC-labeled dextran (1 mg/mL) in complete medium (RPMI, 2 mM L-glutamine, 1% autologous plasma) for 5, 10, 20, 30, and 60 minutes at 37 °C.
Keep a control sample on ice for 60 min to check for non-specific binding of FITC-dextran to the cell surface.
After 60 min, wash all samples twice. To do so, centrifuge samples for 5 min at 300×g and 4 °C and resuspend cells with ice-cold PBS supplemented with 1% fetal calf serum (FCS).
Repeat the centrifugation step above and resuspended cells in PBS supplemented with 0.5% BSA.
Keep samples on ice until flow cytometry analysis.
Determine the uptake of FITC-dextran by measuring the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of FITC. Exclude dead cells from the analysis by PI fluorescence. Specific uptake of FITC-dextran is calculated by subtracting the MFI of the control sample that was incubated on ice from the MFI of the samples incubated at 37 °C.
Immature Mo-DCs had the highest antigen uptake capacity, reflected in a continuous increase in MFI over the entire time course. Antigen uptake was decreased when Mo-DCs were matured for an additional 2 days (day 9). Monocytes showed negligible antigen uptake capacity compared to Mo-DCs. Additionally, flow cytometry analysis showed that imMo-DCs exhibited the highest expression of the antigen uptake receptors CD206 and CD209. These results correlate with the finding that imMo-DCs lose their antigen uptake function upon maturation.
Antigen uptake capacity of monocytes and Mo-DCs. (A) Flow cytometry results from a representative experiment with imMo-DCs cultured at 37 °C in the presence (red) or absence (black) of FITC-dextran for the indicated amounts of time. Non-specific binding was determined by incubating cells on ice. (B) Relative FITC-dextran uptake was calculated by subtracting the MFI of cells incubated for 60 minutes on ice (MFIIce) from the MFI of cells incubated at 37 °C (MFI₃₇). Results are shown for monocytes, imMo-DCs, and mMo-DCs (days 7 and 9). (C) Monocytes and Mo-DCs were labeled with CD206-APC or CD209-APC antibodies and analyzed by flow cytometry.
(A) Flow cytometry results from a representative experiment with imMo-DCs cultured at 37 °C in the presence (red) or absence (black) of FITC-dextran for the indicated amounts of time. Non-specific binding was determined by incubating cells on ice. (B) Relative FITC-dextran uptake was calculated by subtracting the MFI of cells incubated for 60 minutes on ice from the MFI of cells incubated at 37 °C. Results are shown for monocytes, imMo-DCs, and mMO-DCs (days 7 and 9). (C) Monocytes and Mo-DCs were labeled with CD206-APC or CD209-APC antibodies and analyzed by flow cytometry.
Upon activation of DCs in the periphery, the cells migrate to the draining lymph nodes where they encounter naive T cells. Migration depends on the expression of CCR7 on the DC surface11. The CCR7 ligand CCL19 acts as a chemoattractant for DCs and is expressed in the lymph node areas characterized by high T cell densities.
Resuspend mMo-DCs in RPMI 1640 with 10% FCS at a density of 5×10⁵ cells/mL.
Place 200 µL of the suspension in the upper compartment of a 24-well Transwell® Plate.
Fill the lower compartment of the Transwell Plate with 600 µL of complete medium supplemented with Human CCL19 (MIP-3β) at different concentrations.
After 3 h, harvest the cells contained in the lower compartment of the Transwell Plate and count them by flow cytometry.
CCR7 expression was up-regulated during Mo-DC maturation. mMo-DCs migrated towards the CCL19 stimulus in a dose-dependent manner.
Migration of mMo-DCs towards a CCL19 stimulus. The mMo-DCs (1×10⁵ cells) were placed in the upper compartment of a 24-well Transwell Plate. Medium containing different concentrations of CCL19 was placed in the lower compartment. After 3 h, the total number of cells that migrated to the lower compartment was determined by flow cytometry.
The mMo-DCs were placed in the upper compartment of a 24-well Transwell Plate. Media containing different concentrations of CCL19 was placed in the lower compartment. After 3 h, the total number of cells that migrated to the lower compartment was determined by flow cytometry.
Technology, and their plasma membranes are labeled with CellTrace™ Violet. After coculturing with monocytes or Mo-DCs for 7 d, the number of T cells and the CellTrace Violet staining is analyzed by flow cytometry. As with each division of the T cells the dye gets more diluted in the plasma membrane, an increase in unlabeled cells indicates a high T cell proliferation rate.
Isolate naive allogeneic CD4+ T cells from PBMCs using the Naive CD4+ T Cell Isolation Kit II, human. Follow the protocol of the kit data sheet.
Determine purity of the isolated cells. Label cells with CD4-PE or CD45RO-APC and CD45 RA-PE antibodies and analyze by flow cytometry.
Suspend 5×10⁶ purified naive CD4+ T cells in 400 μL PBS.
Label cells with 100 μL of a 10 μM CellTrace Violet solution for 5 min at room temperature.
Wash cells once with 1 mL FCS and three times with 2 mL MLR medium (RPMI 1640, 2 mM L-glutamine, nonessential amino acids, 0.1 mM sodium pyruvate, 5% human AB serum).
Resuspend the CD4+ T cells in MLR medium at a density of 5×105 cells/mL.
serially diluted according to the table below.
Place 100 µL of each cell dilution in a well of a 96-well plate.
Add 100 µL of the labeled T cells into each well and culture for 7 days at 37 °C, 5% CO₂.
Determine proliferation of CD4+ T cells by measuring the fluorescence of CellTrace Violet by flow cytometry. Exclude cell debris and dead cells from the analysis by scatter signals and PI fluorescence.
Serial dilution of Mo-DCs/monocytes for MLR assay.
negative T cells in the culture. This correlated with higher T cell numbers, as determined by cell counting.
the result from the immunophenotyping showing that receptors involved in T cell priming are up-regulated on Mo-DCs upon maturation.
were cocultured with monocytes, imMo-DCs, and mMo-DCs at a ratio of 16:1 for 7 d and analyzed by flow cytometry. (D) Naive T cells were cocultured with imMo-DCs and mMo-DCs at various ratios. After 7 d, the numbers of T cells were determined by flow cytometry based on scatter signals. Dead cells were excluded from the analysis by PI fluorescence. One of three representative experiments is shown.
(A) Naive CD4+ T cells were isolated from PBMCs with MACS Technology. Isolated cells were stained with CD4-PE or CD45RA-PE/CD45RO-APC antibodies and analyzed by flow cytometry using the MACSQuant Analyzer 10. (B) Isolated naive T cells were labeled with CellTrace Violet and analyzed by flow cytometry. (C) CellTrace Violet-labeled naive T cells were cocultured with monocytes, imMo-DCs, and mMo-DCs at a ratio of 16:1 for 7 d and analyzed by flow cytometry. (D) Naive T cells were cocultured with imMo-DCs and mMo-DCs at various ratios. After 7 d, the numbers of T cells were determined by flow cytometry based on scatter signals. Dead cells were excluded from the analysis by PI fluorescence. One of three representative experiments is shown.
of TH1-polarizing IL-12, but also the secretion of the immunosuppressive IL-1012-14. However, for studies towards the development of cancer therapies it is desirable to generate Mo-DC populations secreting high amounts of IL-12 and low amounts of IL-10 as these cells generate a more effective antitumor response via induction of TH1 cells.
Mo-DCs can be stimulated under various conditions to determine their capacity to secrete IL-12 and IL-10. They can be incubated with soluble Human CD40-Ligand, which form multimers in vitro, or they can be cocultured with a J558L cell line expressing CD40L.
Seed wells of a 96-well plate with 5×10⁵ cells.
Add 16 µg/mL Human CD40-Ligand to each well to stimulate the mMo-DCs. For comparison, coculture mMo-DCs with CD40L-expressing J558L cells at different densities (7×10⁴, 14×10⁴, or 28×10⁴ cells/well).
Stimulate Mo-DCs for 24 h at 37 °C, 5% CO₂.
Collect cell supernatants and centrifuge for 10 min at 300×g to remove any cells.
Determine the concentrations of IL-12p70 and IL-10 by specific ELISAs (eBioscience).
Stimulation with soluble CD40L led to production of high levels of IL-12 and low levels of IL-10. Coculture with CD40L-expressing J588L cells resulted in an overall increase in secretion of both IL-12 and IL-10. However, the ratio of IL12/IL-10 was higher after stimulation with soluble CD40L than after coculture with the cell line. Thus, recombinant human CD40L multimers represent an attractive alternative to CD40L-transfected cell lines, allowing for CD40 stimulation of Mo-DCs under defined conditions.
IL-12 and IL-10 secretion by mMo-DCs upon stimulation with CD40L. (A) The mMo-DCs were cultured for 24 h in the absence or presence of soluble CD40L (16 μg/mL) or a J558 cell line expressing CD40L (*7×10⁴ cells/well, **14×10⁴ cells/well, ***28×10⁴ cells/well). IL-12p70 and IL-10 concentrations in the culture supernatant were determined by ELISA. (B) The ratios of IL-12p70 vs. IL-10 were calculated based on the results shown in (A).
(A) The mMo-DCs were cultured for 24 h in the absence or presence of soluble CD40L (16 µg/mL) or a J558 cell line expressing CD40L. IL-12p70 and IL-10 concentrations in the culture supernatant were determined by ELISA. (B) The ratios of IL-12p70 vs. IL-10 were calculated based on the results shown in (A).
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General Hospital blog - February, 2020
Sonny and Carly separately question Brando and Gladys, who don't give away whether they were behind the shootouts. Gladys admits that she lied about Brando being dead because he was so different when he returned from the war. Brando claims he came to town looking for her and only jumped into the shootout to save Carly. Sonny's solution to the Dev issue is to tell Brando that someone showed up with him at Gladys' house and said he was Brando's son. Dev worries that Brando won't go along with the Corinthos contingent's plan, and he'll end up back in Turkey. Michael wants to break up with Sasha to protect her from both mob stuff and Nelle. Sasha bugs him for more details and he blurts out that he loves her. She returns his feelings, which means she won't let him push her away. Nelle surprises Brook with her announcement that Michael said she could move into the mansion. Brook warns that Nelle's charms will never work on her, and she'll never forget all the stunts Nelle has pulled. Nelle remains tough and smug until Brook mentions that she'll have to deal with Tracy. Willow and Brad have a huge fight about how he's making horrible decisions and acting weird. Brad has no gratitude for Willow or for any of the people who want to help him raise "Wiley." He doesn't realize that getting on Willow's bad side right now is the worst mistake he could make. Laura's shooting has made Nikolas regret leaving town and making everyone mourn him. He asks for her forgiveness and guidance back to the good side, which I'm guessing he'll get. Dev wishes he'd reacted differently to Josslyn's kiss, but now she wants to forget about it and consider it a mistake.
"Why are they doing this to us?" Gee, I don't know, Carly. Why WOULD someone come after your mobster husband?
Gladys' social-media friends weren't curious about her suddenly having a grandson?
Ingo Rademacher needs to enunciate when he says Brando's name, because at one point I thought he said "Brenda," and I was like, "This is not the time for that grudge to come up!"
Heh, I like Sasha basically saying, "You guys are being weird; I'm going to go somewhere else."
If Brook keeps going up against Nelle, I might start liking her.
Sonny interrogates the shooter his guards captured, but the guy won't give up his employer. Jason has better luck after he shoots the guy for killing a guard and escaping. Once he realizes he's dead no matter what, the guy tells Jason he was hired by someone named Cyrus Renault. Jax wants to keep Josslyn far away from the Corinthos contingent, but of course Carly isn't going to agree to that. He urges her to take her kids and run while she still can. Sonny and Jax fight about the stuff they've been fighting about for years, and, as usual, get nowhere. Jax suggests that Sonny go into witness protection and keep everyone he loves safe. Yeah, no dice there. Anna tells Peter that she took the evidence linking him to Black out of his file, so the WSB and police most likely won't connect them. She adds that Jason is putting things together but says he'll have to go through her if he wants to hurt Peter. Peter doesn't want Anna in the middle of whatever may come, though he's grateful that she's done so much for him. Ned and Tracy are annoyed with their new house guest and try to convince Michael to send Nelle somewhere else. Michael won't budge, but he plans to make Nelle live in the boathouse. Ned promises Tracy that he'll convince Nelle to take a buyout and leave. Tracy thinks that sounds like a decision the head of the family would make, so Ned should take on that role. Sam and Finn run into each other and wind up talking about parenting and making good decisions about who should be in your children's lives. Scout learns some big words, like "retaliate" and "tumult." Sam steers the conversation to Peter, wondering if Finn knows anything about what Anna might know about his past activities. Finn won't tell her anything, but Sam can see that he doubts Peter's innocence. Later, Finn is displeased to come home to find Violet playing with Peter.
I'm surprised Ava didn't go get Avery from Casa Corinthos as soon as she could. Maybe she's at the hospital with Nikolas, playing the doting wife.
Cyrus Renault is a fantastic soap name.
A begrudging LOL to Finn saying Anna must be tied up when she was literally tied up.
The Qs should actually encourage Nelle to drink. She might confess to something.
When was the last time Sam and Finn even talked? As far as I remember, it was when he told her she was pregnant with Scout.
Once again, a big thank-you to Michael Easton for remembering to clean his silverware before using it.
Finn chastises Anna for leaving Peter alone with Violet, though she points out that they'll be stepsiblings when the two of them get married. Finn mentions his conversation with Sam and wonders why the police haven't tied Peter to Black. Anna admits that she kept back the evidence linking them and truly believes that Peter had nothing to do with the murder attempt. Finn asks if she would feel the same if Peter weren't her son. He's also annoyed that they haven't gotten married yet since she took off for months without discussing it. He runs into Sam again, and this time he may be more forthcoming with Peter-related information. Jason shares Cyrus' name with Sonny, who's familiar with him as a drug dealer from the Pacific Northwest. Now he's in Pentonville, and Sonny and Jason don't think the transfer is coincidental. While Sonny pays Cyrus a visit, Jason promises to let Carly know when things are so dangerous that she needs to take the kids and run. Jax and Nina tell Alexis and Maxie, respectively, about their kiss. Maxie thinks Nina should go for a relationship, if the opportunity arises, but Alexis thinks Nina has too much baggage for Jax. Jax shuts things down by telling Nina that the kiss was inappropriate, so they should just be friends. Michael offers Nelle more money for her ELQ shares, but she turns it down. She tells Martin, who thinks she's waiting for Michael to get back together with her, that this is all misdirection. She's going to hold out for a huge amount of money, then leave town with someone else. Nelle gets under Sasha's skin by saying they're similar because of Sasha's lies. Julian pretends to call a truce with Brad while secretly planning to drug him, plant opioids in the apartment, get him arrested for possession, and take "Wiley" for himself. He fails, and that may have been his only chance, because guess whose comatose son is now awake? Sam convinces Spinelli to befriend Peter and hack his computer for anything they can use against him.
Welp. I think we might be coming to the end of Anna and Finn. Start brainstorming who they should be with next.
So we're still acting like the mob stuff is new, huh?
I love Jax saying a kiss shouldn't have happened two days after Josslyn said a kiss shouldn't have happened. Like father, like daughter.
If Julian planted drugs in Brad's apartment, I guarantee that "Wiley" would eat them. That's how badly Julian's schemes always work out.
Julian seems more interested in him and Brad getting their stories straight than he is in the fact that Lucas is awake. Lucas doesn't remember the accident, so Brad thinks they're in the clear. But when Michael offers to take "Wiley" for the night so Brad and Lucas can be alone, his memories start coming back. Cyrus compares the shootings to a Hail Mary pass in an attempt to negotiate a partnership with Sonny. Sonny's not on board, since Cyrus moves drugs, which means they're not going to be resolving things any time soon. Also, Cyrus says he has personal reasons for being in town, so start thinking about what that might mean. A visiting Emma can tell that Anna's struggling with some things and invites her to open up. Anna obviously can't get into details, so she just says that not everyone thinks Peter is a good guy. Emma thinks the family knows him well enough to be able to trust him. Sam tells Finn that Robert is on to Peter and is working with her and Jason to get evidence against him. Finn seems like he might be ready to spill something, but a phone call interrupts them and he loses his nerve. Back at home, Finn makes up with Anna, then warns her that Robert is trying to bring Peter down. Taggert shows Jordan Bob's medical records, which show that he had a check-up just a month before his death and there were no drugs in his system. Since it's unlikely he became an addict and overdose in just a matter of weeks, there must have been foul play. The two of them worry that it has something to do with some secret they promised to take to the grave. Laura mentions Taggert to Curtis, who's never heard of him and doesn't seem to trust him when they meet. Also, Taggert and Jordan lie that he didn't know she was in Port Charles and today is the first time they've seen each other. Jason expresses the Corinthos organization's regrets to Laura for her involvement in the shootout. Laura's happy that no one else was hurt but isn't going to go easy on an old friend while making the city safer. Willow admits to Chase that it might be for the best that she won't be "Wiley"'s nanny, since she needs to be better about setting boundaries. When she learns that Lucas is awake, she laments that she might not have a place in "Wiley"'s life anymore.
Is the baby swap going to be broken open by...Lucas?
Michael, what's the point of moving Nelle into the Qs' house to keep her away from "Wiley" if you're just going to take "Wiley" there?
Why did Michael find out about Lucas before Sam did? Why did she have to hear it third-hand from Jason?
"Let me get this straight: I was in a coma longer than you served time for manslaughter." HA HA HA HA HA HA! I missed you, Lucas.
Cyrus' negotiation skills could use some work.
Ahhh, Emma's so tall now! She's like a full preteen/teen! I feel so old!
Finn didn't know Emma was coming? Yikes.
Brad pretends he doesn't remember what he and Lucas talked about before the crash, and Lucas doesn't remember enough details to put anything together. Julian thinks it's only a matter of time, especially if Lucas keeps spending time with Willow and Michael. Unfortunately for him, that time with Willow will probably increase, since Lucas wants her to keep helping take care of "Wiley." Michael makes some adjustments to his offer to Nelle, which she'll only get if she leaves town forever as soon as her parole is over. Nelle still won't accept it, and she's ready to play a different game. She calls Martin to tell him she's ready to sell something valuable in exchange for a "life-changing" amount of money. Martin then calls Valentin, who I guess will be buying Nelle's ELQ shares, so that'll be...disastrous. Ned sits down with Brook and Linc/Link (I'm going with Linc) to try to negotiate a contract buyout. Linc won't give in, and he's not worried that Brook will be able to ding him for sexual assault or harassment. Brook threatens to tell the world what he's really like, and Ned warns that he knows some very skilled lawyers who can make Linc's life difficult. Linc, however, also knows a skilled lawyer: Martin. Ava puts on a show at the hospital, as if the staff is watching to make sure she and Nikolas are acting like a regular married couple. Nikolas is surprised that she has genuine affection for Laura, since Laura's been so kind to her. Ava and Nina are proud of themselves for their recent accomplishments, and if I didn't know any better, I'd think they were on their way to friendship. Nina's surprised that Ava wants a marriage with no sex (either inside or outside the marriage). Ava expects that Nikolas will crack and sleep with someone sooner rather than later. Lulu is worried that Dustin is going to keep being heroic, which means she's in another relationship with someone she'll have to worry about all the time. But Dustin is tired of all the adventure and just wants a quiet night alone with her. Nikolas whines to Laura that everyone hates him, including Spencer, but she doesn't have a ton of sympathy for him. He wants her and Kevin to move into Wyndemere in case there's more mob violence, but Laura guesses that Ava won't appreciate that. She hopes Nikolas isn't trapped in a loveless marriage with her for the rest of his life. Nikolas assures her that he has no intentions of making this a permanent arrangement. Ned is concerned that the mob war will affect ELQ via Michael, but he also thinks Michael is handling things well. Michael asks him to take on more responsibility, and Ned agrees. Brook and Dustin are still friendly with each other, so I imagine Lulu will complain about that eventually. I can't tell if Valentin is in denial about Nina's true feelings for him, or if he really thinks she's in denial and still loves him.
Where's "Wiley"? What was the point of having Michael take him if we're not going to see any follow-up?
I don't know who Ava thinks Nikolas is going to sleep with when everyone in town is mad at him.
"Dragooned"? Okay, Nina.
Lulu, your mom has other stuff on her mind right now. Go talk to Maxie instead.
Is Dustin too good to be true? Discuss.
I assume someone called Lucky to tell him what happened to Laura? And also let him know that Nikolas is alive?
Anna and Robert fight about Peter, Anna's denial, Robert's refusal to just "let it go," and how Anna will tear the family apart if she insists on protecting her son. Peter hears Robert saying that if Sam and Jason bring him evidence of Peter's crimes, he'll act on it. Alexis can see the irony in Jason and Sam's forced separation, since she spent so long wishing they would break up. She confides in Finn that she's afraid Sam will violate her parole and be sent back to Pentonville. Finn decides to help keep that from happening by telling Sam and Jason what he knows about Peter. Carly interrogates Brando, who tells her about his time in the Marines, experience with drugs, and estrangement from Gladys. He swears he wasn't a part of the shootouts; he went into the warehouse when he heard shots because his military training kicked in. Carly believes him and decides to be honest with him as well, telling him that Dev isn't really his son. Dev and Brando meet, and it looks like Brando's going to play along with the lie about Dev being his son. Also, there's something about Gladys cashing in a life insurance policy for Brando? I don't know. Spinelli (who's officially moving back to town, yay!) picks apart Peter's claims about his involvement in the Jason/Drew stuff, among other stories he's told. Maxie wants Spinelli to be nice, since Peter is most definitely a trustworthy person and there's nothing to worry about. Sonny's frustrated that Renault was able to do as much as he did without the Corinthos contingent being able to stop him. Jason thinks he's going to send a test shipment their way to see how they respond. He's not worried, though, since he thinks Renault underestimates them. Trina thinks that Josslyn's ready to start dating again, but Josslyn knows any feelings she develops for someone will be different from her feelings for Oscar. She warns Trina not to let Ava fool her into thinking she's a good person. Neil tells Alexis that the panel deciding his fate as a psychiatrist wants her to testify. She agrees to, trying to convince both of them that spending two years apart wouldn't be a big deal. Sam thinks the two-year no-dating rule is ridiculous, since Neil eventually would have learned everything Alexis told him in therapy if they'd started out by dating.
Yeah, I think this is week is going to be the last for Finn and Anna's relationship. He's about to do something she'll never forgive.
I like how every once in a while, we get an indication that Alexis and Finn are both still going to AA meetings.
Carly, no! How do you know you can trust Brando?
Spinelli deserves a lot of credit for not rolling his eyes at Peter's declarations of love. I don't have that kind of self-control.
"Deep Thoughts by Trina Robinson." I would subscribe to that podcast/blog/newsletter/whatever.
Does Sam live at Kelly's now? We've seen her there in every one of the episodes she's been in the past few days.
Emma's just allowed to wander around town by herself a few days after two big shootouts?
Finn gets Sam and Jason to agree to let the proper authorities handle the Peter situation and keep Finn's name out of it. He justifies his decision to talk to them by saying he's protecting both Anna and Violet. He tells them that, according to evidence held by an unnamed person, Peter and Black worked for the same company. Jason easily guesses that the unnamed person is Anna, but his interest is in giving the information to Robert, not causing trouble for Anna and Finn. Robert and Peter trade some eyeroll-worthy barbs before Anna kicks Robert out of her house. Peter says he actually has a lot of respect for Robert and knows he's an upright person. Anna just wishes everyone could see what she sees – that Peter's working hard to be a good person. As soon as Peter leaves her house, he makes a call to the lawyer who prosecuted Sam. Sam and Jason tell Robert about the tie between Peter and Black, but Peter's phone call must have thrown a wrench in things, because Robert has to tell them that their deal is off. Alexis is worried about what will happen if Nikolas gets the Cassadine fortune. Valentin has agreed to submit to a DNA test, but he's not concerned about the results. Alexis tells him he'd be better off without the fortune, since it seems to poison everyone who ends up in control of it. Trina brings her brand of wisdom to Ava, asking her why in the world she's gotten herself involved in Cassadine issues. Ava promises that she knows what she's doing. She asks Franco to paint her portrait to go over the mantle at Wyndemere, then shows Nikolas a picture of Franco kissing her goodbye. Mike is doing poorly but perks up when Brook visits (though he thinks she's Lois). Sonny is pleased with Brook's manner with him, which she got from her experience with an aunt who had Alzheimer's. He asks her opinion about putting Mike in a trial, and Brook says he should just enjoy the little time they have left when Mike is still able to communicate. Charlotte eavesdrops on Lulu and Valentin as they posture with each other about custody, then on Franco and Elizabeth as they talk about Ava.
I don't know what Peter did, but the smart move would have been to pressure the prosecutor to end Sam's parole. Without the need to make a deal with Robert, Sam and Jason might drop their investigation into Peter's activities. But I doubt Peter was that smart.
I'm waiting for Peter to try to have Robert killed.
Oh, Finn. Flowers aren't going to make up for this.
Valentin calling Alexis "Natasha" just isn't as much fun as when Luke called her that.
Awww, Brook has a heart. Also, when I saw in the previews that they'd be having scenes together, I thought she was going to ask him to buy out her contract or get rid of Linc.
Someone told the attorney general about Robert's deal with Sam and Jason, and the FBI is taking over the Peter investigation, ending the deal before it can be finalized. Sam suspects that Finn ratted them out, while Robert believes it was Peter. He taunts that now there's nothing standing between Jason and revenge, so Peter's going down either way. Anna and Finn fight more about Peter, and he questions her decision to defend a murderer. Anna thinks Peter deserves someone in his corner because he had such a bad life growing up and no one's ever given him a chance. When Robert tells them about the aborted deal and the new arrangement with the FBI, who will probably let Peter off the hook, Anna immediately accuses Finn of telling Sam and Jason about Peter's ties to Black. Finn full admits to doing so. A conversation between Valentin and Martin reveals more of Valentin's plan: He wants Brook's ELQ shares, and is working with Linc to get her to sell them so she can buy out her contract. He want Martin to visit the shareholders who live outside Port Charles and pressure them to sell as well. This plan becomes even more important to Valentin when he discovers that he's not a Cassadine, and Helena's supposed lies were the truth. Maxie and Ava separately urge Jax and Nina to give a relationship a try. Valentin overhears Nina talking about her romantic encounter with Jax, so that's not going to end well. Sam is so desperate to avoid having to spend two years apart from Jason that she wants to take the kids and go on the run. Jason shoots down that idea and promises that they'll get by meeting secretly. Emma tells Peter that Anna's worried about him because of his past actions. Peter promises that it's all behind him and he knows now to avoid making bad decisions.
I can't believe Valentin didn't immediately start dreaming up some elaborate scheme to make people believe he really is a Cassadine.
How many out-of-town ELQ shareholders are there? We know Tracy doesn't have any, and Dillon has already given his up, so the only people left I can think of are Skye (and Lila, I guess) and Maya. Does Maya even still have shares? Does anyone else remember Maya?
Interesting that Valentin, who's committed multiple crimes, including murder, doesn't approve of Linc sexually harassing Brook.
Nina and Ava becoming friends is so bizarre. She slept with your husband, Nina! They had a kid together!
Peter: "Ask yourself, 'What did I do to end up here?'" Me: "And how can I kill my way out of it?"
With Nina and Valentin having to move out of Wyndemere, and Finn inevitably getting kicked out of Anna's house, Lucy's going to be busy (assuming she's still doing real estate now that she's relaunching Deception).
Anna and Finn have their biggest fight yet about the Peter situation. Finn points out that Anna is now breaking the law for Peter, and since she hasn't destroyed the evidence linking him to Black, she must still have some doubts. Anna is furious about Finn's betrayal, sure that Jason will end up killing Peter. She insists that Peter deserves a fresh start because he's capable of turning his life around. Finn guesses that she blames herself for the way Peter's life went because she gave him up. Anna says she won't let his fate be in anyone else's hands again. When he realizes that Anna will never turn her back on her son, no matter what crimes he's committed, Finn packs a bag and takes Violet to the Metro Court for at least the night. Nina feels bad that Valentin's lost his Cassadine identity, but she thinks it might be for the best, since now he'll be free of those crazy people. Ava warns that Valentin will go after Jax, but Nina doesn't think anything dangerous will happen. Valentin fantasizes about shooting Jax, but he knows that would only turn Nina and Charlotte against him. He mopes by himself, gets drunk, and imagines a visit from Helena. Brad tells Nelle that he, Lucas, and "Wiley" are going to move away (possibly to Portland, so he can take Ellie's old job). Nelle questions his motives, and Brad admits that he told Lucas the truth just before the accident. She guesses that he wants to run away in an attempt to keep Lucas from people who might jog his memory. Brad won't budge on his plans, so Nelle calls Valentin to try to push forward the ELQ share sale. Sam's parole officer, Delores, almost busts her for spending time with Jason, but Epiphany lies on Sam's behalf and chases Delores off. She reminds Sam that, as a mother, her kids need to be her priority, and tells Jason not to let Sam pull him into situations that could get her in trouble. Sam wants to find a way to convince Delores that Jason isn't a threat – or, barring that, find a way to silence her. Willow tells Chase she'll be nannying for "Wiley" after all, and he worries that she'll have a hard time maintaining boundaries. Willow thinks everything will be fine. Josslyn eavesdrops as Jax thanks Dustin for helping Laura and asks how Josslyn's doing in class. Josslyn asks him not to be so overbearing. Peter, Maxie, and Lulu are filler, and really, we get it, Maxie thinks Peter is awesome.
I thought Anna would leave Finn, not the other way around. Either way...I think they're done. And Finn had to know things would end up this way, right? I mean, as dramatic as it was, Anna was right when she said it was betrayal. Did he think she was going to thank him?
It says a lot about Valentin that what stopped him from shooting Jax was the possibility of losing Nina and Charlotte, not the fact that there were two witnesses.
Shouldn't Valentin be trying to find out who his father is? He could be even richer than the Cassadines.
If Brad's going to take Ellie's old job, she should take his job at GH.
Heh, Sam and Jason's faces during Epiphany's lecture were perfect.
Brad was jumping the gun when he announced his and Lucas' move, but he's secured the job in Portland if he wants it, and when he presents the idea to Lucas, Lucas is on board. He asks Sam for her opinion, and she gives her full support. She also suggests that he and Brad choose a different guardian for "Wiley," since she wouldn't be able to go to Portland if something happened to them. Nelle tells Chase and Willow that Brad, Lucas, and "Wiley" are moving to Portland. Chase quickly kicks her out, so Nelle next gives the news to Michael and Sasha. Michael reacts neutrally, knowing he'll still have a relationship with "Wiley." Nelle asks for more money for the shares, but Michael says he's willing to wait her out as long as it takes for her to give in. Valentin's Hellucination tells him she passed him off as Mikkos' son, which is why he was the original heir. Valentin guesses that she orchestrated Charlotte's conception because she wanted an heir who was part Cassadine and part Spencer. Alexis catches him brooding and tells him to count himself lucky, since he dodged the bullet of getting the Cassadine craziness. Valentin spends some time looking at his Cassadine ring, then calls Nelle, ready to buy her ELQ shares. Jax and Nina confirm that they're not doing anything unprofessional, then agree to see where things go. Where they go is Jax's bedroom, so I think they're official now. Willow thinks she'll be okay if the Cooper-Joneses move away, since she'd never planned to be in "Wiley"'s life in the first place. She's frustrated with herself for almost trusting Nelle, but Chase points out that he made even worse mistakes where she was concerned. He compares her to Shiloh, as they're both people who manipulate and fool everyone they meet. Alexis worries when she sees Neil and Obrecht chatting, but Neil's body language makes it clear that he doesn't want to spend time with her outside of their sessions (and probably not during their sessions, either).
I kept forgetting about the six-day delay and wondering why people weren't celebrating Valentine's Day.
According to Soap Opera Digest, we have entered the countdown to the end of Baby Swap 2018 (which has gone on so long that it's actually Baby Swap 2018-2020, and the baby in question is no longer a baby). I don't know how it'll all come out, but I'm more than ready.
Nina said all the guys she's ever been with have had issues. What was wrong with Silas? I mean, other than his unexplained attraction to Ava, he seemed pretty normal.
"So...this is my bedroom." Jasper Jacks, everyone.
Obrecht in therapy? There's a long 50 minutes.
Willow tells Lucas that she knows about the move and thinks it might be for the best, since she's gotten too attached to "Wiley." She thinks he and Brad want to cut ties with her, but they actually want to make her connection to "Wiley" more official by having her take Sam's place as his legal guardian. Julian is also supportive of the move, hoping Brad's right that Lucas' memories will stay buried. Nelle announces to Michael and Ned that she's sold her ELQ shares and is about to be out of their lives. Ned has been digging around, looking into who might want to take over ELQ, but he hasn't had any luck. Nelle meets with Valentin to finalize their deal, which leaves her with money and fake IDs so she can take "Wiley" out of the country. Also, Valentin wants ELQ as revenge for Michael and Sasha going up against him. Jax and Nina have no regrets about their night together and are ready to move forward with a relationship. Valentin thinks Nina will eventually come back to him, but she's clear that she's done with him. Lulu's doing a story about the shootouts and wants to interview Brando, who doesn't want publicity for his heroics. She warns him that since his name is out there, people will start digging into his past, so if he has anything he wants to stay hidden, he should take care of it now. Dev thinks that Brando's arrival is going to screw everything up, so he should leave town. Carly insists that he stay, since everyone in the family would miss him, even her. Brando is still willing to go along with the plan, but Sonny tells him that they really only need him to be Dev's father on paper, so he can go back to his normal life. For some reason, Dev will be going off to boarding school anyway. Ned and Chase are both curious about Sonny's intentions for revenge after the shootouts. Michael doesn't know anything (not that he would tell them if he did), but he asks Chase to keep in mind that the Corinthos contingent didn't start this war. Olivia has reluctantly given Brook a job at the Metro Court, but she's not good at it. Ned's lawyers haven't had any luck finding a way out of Brook's contract, which means she's stuck working like a regular person until she can come up with a new plan (*cough* have Sonny take care of it *cough*).
My two favorite things about Brad and Lucas planning to move: 1) People keep saying how nice it will be for Lucas to get away from Julian. 2) No one has said they'll miss Brad.
I hope Lucas and Willow stay friends after all this. Look how far they've come – when he first met her, he wanted her to stay away from "Wiley." Now he wants her to raise him if anything happens to him and Brad.
Good luck making waves with your 5%, Valentin. I think Scout has more than that.
Nelle won't make it five miles out of town without someone from the Corinthos contingent stopping her.
Ned said "interloper" – he's channeling his mother and grandmother.
Something tells me Dev and Brando aren't just going to ride off into the sunset. Why bring Brando back from the "dead" if he's just going to leave town?
I'm officially tired of Brook and Lulu's rivalry.
Lucas is somehow already well enough to go home and get ready to move in a few days. Carly throws him a party at Casa Corinthos, which Nelle crashes, wanting to see "Wiley." Brad pretends she's there to say goodbye to him and sends her away. Lucas starts remembering more of the car conversation, finally recalling Brad's revelation about "Wiley"'s true paternity. Willow babysits "Wiley" during the party and tells Chase that she's going to be his backup guardian. Chase is noncommittal about the idea, which she tries to downplay, since odds are good that she won't ever have to step in to raise her "son." Jordan warned another former colleague, Mark, of Bob's possible murder, and he's now in town. Unfortunately, he's also dead from a supposed overdose. At least now we get more of the story: Jordan, Taggert, Bob, and Mark brought down Cyrus while deep undercover together. Jordan figures she and Taggert are next to be taken out. Curtis is suspicious of the timing of and reason behind Taggert's arrival in town. Taggert tells him to ask Jordan if he has questions. Curtis follows him to his meeting with Jordan and may have overheard their secret. Anna gets Peter to admit that he tipped off the DA to Robert's deal with Sam and Jason, hoping to get Jason to drop the whole thing. Anna asks him again if he's really as innocent as he claims, and he lies again that he is. Finn talks things over with Chase, unsure of whether he and Anna will be able to work things out. Ultimately, he decides that if it comes down to being with Anna or keeping Violet safe, his daughter needs to be his priority. Sonny and Jason plot to blow up a shipment Cyrus' people are moving through town. T.J. finally gets Jordan's ring, but Molly's bad experience with a soon-to-be-married friend is making her jaded about weddings. Peter asks Sam to do an interview about her early release, but she tells him she'll hold off on talking to the press until the whole truth comes out.
IT'S HAPPENING! IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING!
Why did Nelle stick around Casa Corinthos instead of going to Willow's to grab "Wiley"? Not that she would have succeeded. Willow would totally fight her to the death if necessary.
I already thought Jordan was in danger before she explained the whole Cyrus thing. It felt like there was a lot of jinxing going on today.
Peter really thought that ending Sam and Jason's deal with Robert would make Jason stop investigating him? Oh, sweetie, no.
Oof, Sam's outfit today is baaaaad.
I assume Sam was acting weird around Molly and T.J. because Alexis told her T.J. was going to propose and Sam figured – reasonably – that something had happened in the past THREE MONTHS.
Lucas announces that Michael is "Wiley"'s father, which makes immediate sense to Carly. She interrogates Brad and gets him to explain everything that happened the night of Wiley's death/Jonah's birth. Willow and Chase get in some parenting practice until Sasha summons Chase to Casa Corinthos. Nelle comes by after he leaves and tries to get to "Wiley." Things get violent, and Willow, as expected, gives it everything she has, but Nelle is able to knock her unconscious. Curtis demands answers from Jordan, who says she can't tell him about the case she's working on or her connection to Taggert. Curtis basically accuses her of cheating, then regrets it. Jordan is understandably mad, and now even less likely to tell him anything, so Curtis decides to seek answers on his own. Jason captures a couple of Cyrus' men, but instead of killing them, he has them watch as he blows up their shipment. Meanwhile, Sonny visits Cyrus to let him know that the Corinthos organization has gotten the upper hand and plans to keep it. Cyrus stays calm for most of the meeting, thinking Sonny will never best him, but he loses it when he learns that the shipment is gone. Taggert reunites with Mac, who notes that it can't be a coincidence that Taggert's back in town just as a mob war is heating up. Taggert says that, even with all his experience with the Corinthos organization, this war feels different. Trina gets Cameron to admit he likes Josslyn, then tries to play matchmaker. Also, in a piece of ridiculous...whatever, Trina's father is Taggert.
Thus ends the world's longest baby swap (and, I assume, Brad and Lucas' relationship).
I liked Carly taking control of questioning Brad. I think she knew he wouldn't be able to dodge her questions.
Carly: "Everyone can leave except Brad and Michael, if you want." Everyone: "Yeah, like we're going to miss this."
You could almost see Julian thinking, "Make yourself as quiet an invisible as possible for the next hour."
I realized about halfway through Willow's little monologue to "Wiley" that this is the last time she's going to see him as her son. Ooooh, and if Nelle's able to get away with him, Willow will blame herself. Oooooh. My heart hurts for Willow.
The Nelle/Willow fight was really well done. It felt realistic.
Watching Curtis ask Jordan if she's having an affair was like watching a car crash.
Noooo, Trina should be Curtis' daughter! What was the point of the ancestry-site stuff if she's not an Ashford?
Brad remembers telling Nelle where "Wiley" is, so Chase and Michael head back to the apartment. They arrive just as Nelle is about to leave with "Wiley," and though she tries to fool Michael by claiming that Brad swapped Jonah and Wiley while she was unconscious, the guys aren't that naïve. Plus, knocking Willow out doesn't exactly make Nelle look like an innocent victim. Nelle ends up in handcuffs, Willow ends up in the hospital, and "Wiley" ends up with his real father. Carly asks Brad if he conspired with anyone else, and Julian's death stares make Brad keep his mouth shut about Julian's involvement. Lucas can't wrap his mind around Brad's betrayal and the fact that he's lost so much in one night. When Brad is arrested, Lucas ignores his desperation. Sonny and Jason wonder about the personal reason Cyrus said he's in town. That reason is Jordan, who was Cyrus' protégé when she was undercover in his organization. He's mad that four DEA agents infiltrated, and he's going to go all out to get revenge. Curtis spies on Taggert and Trina as they catch up and chat with Cameron. Taggert is stereotypically overprotective and doesn't really approve of Cameron taking Trina to a school dance, even though they're just going as friends. Taggert spots Curtis and accuses him of following Taggert. Jordan interrupts and drags Curtis away to continue not telling him the secrets she's keeping. Curtis asks if she and Taggert have a romantic history and, for some reason, thinks she's Trina's mother. Surprisingly, when Taggert joins them, he encourages Jordan to fill Curtis in on their past dealings with Cyrus, partly for his safety.
Nelle must have heard the circumstances of Danny's birth at some point, because her lie about Brad switching the babies was that exact plot.
Man, how big a favor does Julian owe Brad now?
No wonder Jeff Kober plays villains so often. He's extremely good at it.
"The world is littered with my undercover babies." Hee hee hee. No matter the circumstances, Jordan always brings the attitude.
Ooh, a Faith mention! Thanks, Taggert!
Everyone at Casa Corinthos is a little uneasy about what happens next with "Wiley" (like, for instance, how Lucas is going to hand off his "son" to his real father). Michael doesn't feel right uprooting "Wiley"'s whole life, but Sonny and Sasha tell him he's allowed to be happy and claim what's his. Lucas is concerned with his relationship with "Wiley" changing, and no one envies him for having to give up the child he thought was his, but when the time comes for the hand-off, Lucas does it graciously. Poor Chase tells poor Willow that the real Wiley died, and the fake one is Michael's son. Willow...doesn't take it well. Though she's mad at Nelle for orchestrating everything, she's also mad at Brad for pulling this after she trusted him to raise her child. Nelle keeps up her lie in lock-up, since there's an officer listening in on her conversation with Brad. Brad reminds her that Obrecht knows what really happened, but Nelle continues pretending she wasn't completely conscious the whole time. Jordan and Taggert tell Curtis about their past with Cyrus, and he's frustrated that Jordan never told him she could be in danger. But wait, there's more! The four DEA moles couldn't get enough evidence to put Cyrus behind bars, so they manufactured it (though he did actually commit the crimes he was convicted of). Curtis is, as always, ride or die and is up for helping them keep the truth under wraps. Julian fills Ava in on the baby swap, and when she guesses that he was involved, he confesses his part. She encourages him to leave the country before Sonny finds out, but Julian figures that Sonny will find him no matter where he goes.
Please. Michael's a good guy, but he's not THAT good. He was never going to leave "Wiley" with Lucas.
I need to know if Michael's going to rename "Wiley" or if I can drop the quotation marks already.
I was honestly dreading today's episode because I knew Willow's scenes would be heartbreaking. I was also a little worried that Katelyn MacMullen might go over-the-top with it, but I think she stopped before she made it too big. It was also nice to see her reaction to everything, because we never got much of that from Tea during the last baby swap. But this is going to be a major adjustment for her, along with Michael and Lucas.
It's liar vs. liar, and the one person who can clear things up is...Obrecht.
Idea: Jordan gets Jason to wear a wire and get Cyrus to confess to selling drugs. In exchange, Jordan gets Sam's parole terminated early. Okay, I have no idea if Jordan can do that, and I doubt Jason would work with her, but still. It's a possibility.
Michael is off to a good start as a parent, but he confides in Jason that he's not sure he's enough for Wiley. Jason says that when he started raising Michael, he had no frame of reference and, therefore, no expectations; he let Michael lead him. Plus, Michael has tons of family who are there to help him, so there's nothing to worry about. Monica's thrilled to learn that there's another Quartermaine, and she, Jason, Michael, and Wiley take a picture together, the first to show four generations of the family. Julian thanks Brad for keeping his name out of his confessions, but Brad isn't sure he has an incentive to stay quiet. Julian offers to hire him a great attorney and thinks he can assure that Brad is acquitted of his crimes. Brad threatens to rat out Julian as a co-conspirator if he gets convicted. Willow wants to move on with her life and push her feelings about Wiley aside. Chase encourages her to get angry and express her emotions, but she wants space. Though she'd planned to go to work like nothing's wrong, Willow instead calls in sick and goes to the cemetery to visit her baby's grave. There, she cries over what she lost and wonders if keeping Wiley would have made any difference. Elizabeth finds her there, and when Willow laments that the baby died alone, Elizabeth tells her she's not by herself. Carly wants revenge on Nelle, while Sonny wants to let Michael deal with her how he wants. Nikolas asks Elizabeth for advice dealing with Spencer, who wants to act like his father really did die three years ago. Ava sees them talking and mentions to Franco that she knows they used to be friends. Franco reveals that they had an affair while she was with Lucky, something Ava never knew about. Elizabeth is still mad at Nikolas, but she allows that she may eventually be able to forgive him. Then the tables turn and Nikolas sees Franco and Ava together, which seems to concern him a little. Ava's sure that Nikolas will break their deal, while Nikolas thinks he'll emerge from their arrangement victorious.
I guess Michael's sticking with the name Wiley. That could get confusing.
I renew my plea for a Nelle-centered murder mystery.
Jason getting impatient about Monica's tech skills is all of us with our parents.
I'm a little surprised that Brad never figured out that Julian tried to kill him. But I guess he's had other stuff on his mind.
No way would Sonny let Michael handle Nelle. Are the writers at all familiar with Sonny?
If Franco can forgive Ava for trying to kill him, I'm sure Elizabeth can forgive Nikolas for much lesser crimes.
"Who a person chooses to sleep with, that says a lot about the person themself." You've slept with three serial killers, Ava. What does that say about you?
Michael plans to deal with Nelle by following the rules, which I'm not sure Jason is able to comprehend. He warns Michael to think ahead in case Nelle is able to gain her freedom and things go south. Chase tells Michael that there's some evidence that could work in his favor. Nelle repeats her story to Chase, pretending to be concerned about Willow and regret their fight. Chase presents her with what could be the smoking gun to prove her actions were premeditated: her and Wiley's fake passports. Carly tells Nelle that she'll never see Wiley again, and she'll most definitely be facing consequences for her actions. Jason thinks her visit to Nelle was exactly what Nelle wanted and tells her to keep her cool through whatever happens next. Julian asks Alexis for a referral for a lawyer for Brad. Sam tells him he's crazy for giving Brad any help, but Julian doesn't think Lucas would want his husband to go to prison. Alexis agrees with Sam that Brad and Nelle's actions were indefensible, but she still says she'll give Julian some lawyers' names. Sam is suspicious of Julian's real motives for wanting to help Brad. Meanwhile, Brook has figured out that Julian caused the car crash, and she may be about to spin that into blackmail so he'll buy her out of her contract. Trina puts her and Cameron's plan in motion, telling Josslyn that they're going to the dance together. Josslyn doesn't seem to care and isn't interested in attending, until she hears that Dustin will be there. She tells Michael that, while she's still not sure she's ready to move on from Oscar, she's feeling more and more like herself. Brook wants to work on her music even if she's not getting paid for it, so she's not too ticked off when Olivia fires her after one day at the Metro Court. Ned won't give her any more help, other than the offer of a job at ELQ. Dustin has to confer with Olivia on catering for the school dance, and though she's willing to do whatever he wants for the kids, she still doesn't like him. Alexis plans to testify at Neil's hearing that they never had a relationship, then stay away from him for two years. Sam can't believe that two intelligent adults like them can't find a way to sneak around. Alexis is opposed to Sam's plans to dig up dirt on Delores, but Sam refuses to be passive and wait out the rest of her parole.
You're telling me BROOK cracked Julian's part in the car crash before anyone else?
I'm surprised Cameron and Josslyn are allowed to go to the dance, considering what they did at the last one.
Josslyn's crush on Dustin is cute as long as it stays like this. I feel like she's mature enough to know it won't go anywhere.
If Delores has ever done something illegal and Sam happens to expose it to get her fired, that's not actually blackmail. And I'm sure Delores' superiors would appreciate the tip of it's something they don't know about. So see, Alexis, Sam's doing something good!
Dustin, stop encouraging Brook to be an idiot.
Taggert goes against all his regular instincts and values to ask Sonny and Jason to work with him to bring down Cyrus. Sonny and Jason don't give an answer, but then again, Taggert hasn't told them what's in it for them. Jordan and Curtis fill Laura in on Cyrus and how he relates to the recent shootouts. Laura goes straight to Sonny to ask him to try to make peace, and warns that if it comes to risking her friendship with him or protecting the town, she'll choose the town. Sonny understands and notes that he voted for her. Taggert gets jumped by a couple of Cyrus' men, but he's able to fight them off before they can inject him with whatever they used to kill Bob and Mark. One of the guys moves on to plan B and poses as a ride-share driver to pick up Cameron and Trina. Josslyn's upset that Dev is leaving, but she gets why he thinks it's the right thing to do. Later, Carly finds a bullet in his backpack. Brook threatens to tell Sonny about Julian's involvement in the baby swap if Julian doesn't intimidate/threaten/injure Linc to get him to let her go. Julian resists, but Ava convinces him to do what she wants and buy himself some time. She doesn't think they have anything to fear from a measly Quartermaine (apparently Ava doesn't get that she's a Quartermaine with ties to a Corinthos and a friendship with a Cassadine). Nikolas bugs Elizabeth some more, then runs into Brook at the Metro Court. She doesn't seem to have much of a problem with his actions over the past few years, and they quickly renew their friendship. Ava tells Julian that she originally wanted to use Elizabeth to get Nikolas to cheat, but Brook is a good backup. Carly tells Josslyn she can't go to the dance since her safety isn't guaranteed in a crowded space. Josslyn is truly her mother's daughter and tells Dev they're going anyway. Carly questions Ava about her relationship with Nikolas and what it means for Avery. She figures it's all a business transaction, and once Nikolas has what he wants, the marriage will end. Franco and Elizabeth have made it to their first anniversary.
Taggert, I'm telling you, offer to end Sam's parole and Jason will do anything you want.
Why did Cameron and Trina take a ride share anyway? Elizabeth or Franco couldn't drive them to the dance?
Jordan asking Laura, re: Curtis, "This guy bothering you, ma'am?" made me giggle.
I figured Ava would want Nikolas to cheat with Elizabeth, which means she clearly doesn't care about Franco's happiness.
Josslyn's dress is awesome.
So it's Franco and Elizabeth's anniversary, which is Valentine's Day, but no one else is celebrating? Okay.
Sonny is, amazingly, willing to work with Taggert to take down Cyrus, though Jason isn't sure they can trust him. Jordan is hugely opposed to the idea, so Taggert says he'll run the operation on his own if the Corinthos contingent agrees to the deal. Curtis points out that working together could be their only option, so Jordan approaches Sonny and Jason, but she just tells them about Taggert's attack. Cameron and Trina spend the first part of the ride to the dance clueless about the fact that they've been kidnapped. The driver sends a picture of them to Taggert and tells him to meet them at a warehouse alone. Unable to call for police backup, Taggert calls Curtis. Cameron, who's already sent Elizabeth the driver's information as a safety precaution, is able to text her that they've been kidnapped. She calls Jason, who recognizes the driver as one of Cyrus' men. Brando catches Josslyn and Dev leaving Casa Corinthos and takes them back inside just as Carly's getting frantic about the bullet and the teens' disappearances. Dev knows nothing about the bullet, which Brando guesses was slipped in his bag while it was in his locker as a message to Sonny that Cyrus has an eye on all his loved ones. Sonny agrees with Brando that this is a bad time for Dev to move away. T.J. tells Neil he keeps putting off proposing to Molly because he can't find the perfect time. Neil advises him to do it when it feels right instead of perfect. T.J. plans to propose at dinner but changes his mind when Molly complains about the institution of marriage, the patriarchy, etc. The ring makes it to her anyway, and T.J. tries to salvage the evening by promising that they'll always be equals. Molly tells him she loves him but she doesn't want to marry him. There's absolutely no way Alexis and Neil are going to make it two years without tearing each other's clothes off. Franco's anniversary present to Elizabeth is a treasure hunt that leads to art supplies so she can get back to her old hobby.
Of Sonny and Jason, I definitely didn't expect Sonny to be the one up for the Tagger team-up.
Looks like Jason and Taggert are going to end up working together whether Jason wants to or not.
I love that Taggert doesn't particularly like Curtis but called him for help anyway. And we all know he called the right person, because Curtis is exactly who you want rescuing your kid.
Elizabeth is going to be like, "See? My overprotective parenting saved the day!"
Franco will be thrilled that Elizabeth called Jason to save Cameron.
It would have been great if Molly had proposed to T.J. before he could propose to her.
Franco ate something – drink!
Taggert and Curtis take on Cyrus' men, managing to allow Cameron to escape but not Trina. Jason saves Cameron from a gunman as Taggert risks his own life to create a diversion so Curtis can get Trina out. With both teens safe, Jason and Curtis go back into the warehouse and take out all the gunmen. Taggert takes a bullet and asks Curtis to take care of Trina, which ordinarily would indicate that he's about to die, but in the previews, he's in the hospital, so...we'll see. Molly wants to spend her life with T.J. but she thinks marriage might change things between them, and she really doesn't want a wedding. T.J. might see this as a deal-breaker. Alexis realizes that her past disastrous marriages have influenced Molly in a bad way and tells her to make decisions for herself, not based on what Alexis has gone through. Michael tells Sasha that he wants to keep up their relationship, but he doesn't expect her to step into the role of Wiley's mother if she doesn't want to. Sasha knows the situation will take some adjusting, but she isn't about to leave, and she loves Wiley, so thinks they should just do what they need to and see how things go. Michael wants Willow to keep her place in Wiley's life, for both of their sakes, but Willow has decided that she needs to distance herself from him. Jason tells Elizabeth not to call the police, but Franco thinks she has the right to call them if she wants. Elizabeth wants, so Jordan gets involved while trying to keep the details of the situation quiet. Lucas is back at work and trying to keep his mind off of the whole Wiley mess. Alexis offers her help, so he asks her to arrange a divorce.
The two stars of this episode were Sydney Mikayla and Haley Pullos. I also really appreciated that Trina, who's normally the tough, calm girl, had a completely realistic reaction to what was going on.
Interesting that Cameron, who felt guilt over not being able to get away when Shiloh kidnapped him, had to convince Trina that there was nothing they could have done to save themselves.
Jason, Taggert owes you a huge favor now. Ask for the Sam deal.
If Molly and T.J. have never discussed marriage in all the years they've been together, they're not as solid as we were led to believe.
Elizabeth knew Cam and Trina were together, so why didn't she call Taggert?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
The state of the consumer in 2022
Authors Ginny Lobel
The context for insights and analytics in harnessing the power of artificial intelligence in 2022
2021 has been a transformative year for every industry and organization in the world. From more permanent transitions into remote and hybrid work, to the constantly-evolving consumer and ever-changing world has illuminated the need for more agile, robust, and efficient consumer research. In addition to our clients' conversations, we also run our own regular conversations with consumers. In these sessions, we talked with 100 consumers to uncover the truth. We use this data to stay on top of consumer trends and to produce topline reports to track significant shifts in real-time and to share with our colleagues in the industry.
From October 2020 to September 2021, we talked to consumers on topics ranging from pandemic work preferences to cryptocurrency to the future of alcoholic beverages. In a year of uncertainty, we uncovered results pertinent to the context of research in 2022. We married them with some strategies and case studies for harnessing the power of artificial intelligence in your own research.
In our foundational conversations, some key takeaways include:
Consumers value healthier food options, particularly after a year of the trend of "sourdough from scratch", there is a return to nature (including natural ingredients). 83% of participants agreed that they would be "very interested" or "somewhat interested" in trying a sugar substitute from sources like fruit and dates.
Many consumer cleaning habits have changed which reflects a change in routine rather than a deeper awareness of cleanliness. 73% of those living with children under the age of 18 described cleaning more areas of the home, and more often than other segments.
Despite the rise in ad-free streaming services, consumers still pay attention to commercials - specifically for sporting events. 53% agreed that they associate the brand with the sport they are watching when they see commercials.
We also had conversations on use cases such as claims & shelf testing, ad testing, ideating and developing products and product concept testing to produce more insights for you to leverage.
Download the free report: The State of the Consumer (2022)
grab your copy
Ginny Lobel
Vice President, Marketing at Remesh
B2B marketing executive with proven acquisition success; 20 years of global experience with measurable revenue impact in demand generation, sales enablement and product marketing initiatives.
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by Ginny Lobel
Can we ever keep up with a constantly-changing consumer?
by Dr. Frank Buckler


The Omicron Mu Chapter of Order of Omega (The Greek Honorary Society) have been very busy in the Month of March. They initiated eight wonderful new members and stepped up to coordinate the Greek Day of Unity. This day included a cookout with all Greeks and a community service event. At this event we were able to put together homeless kits to donate to local homeless shelters in Rock Hill!