Episode Discussion II: The TFGH

[ffwbe]

I knew it was all about shielding Carly from her own choices. Jason’s been doing that for decades. If I was remotely interested in Jason or his return, I’d be annoyed but since I haven’t found him a compelling character since the 90s, I don’t care all that much. Hope Danny can come to the same realization that Jake did soon enough.

Drew’s a complete asshole and I don’t get what we’re supposed to be thinking about him continuing to harass Nina. It’s obvious that he’s lashing out because of his own garbage choices but why beg her to come back to work when you can’t stand the sight of her and want to bash her every chance you get? I’m sure it’s a setup but I’ve never much of a been a fan of bickering leading to hooking up and it seems particularly mean spirited when Nina is being harassed by the entire town, not just Drew, and only returned to Crimson because he threatened to shut down the magazine and cause the staff to lose their jobs if she didn’t. 

 

[dubbel zout]

"I just came by to see what you're up to." Nina is plotting the downfall of Crimson so you go bankrupt, Drew. FFS. Though he's such an asshole to her I want her to put him into bankruptcy. And I wish Nina would call his bluff on Crimson: If he thinks she can't do a good job (all evidence to the contrary), replace her.

I love the police academy guy. He side-eyes Anna's reasons for wanting to fast-track Dex through academy admissions, he gives Dex the proper amount of skepticism about his past. He's also easy on the eyes.

Of course Curtis keeps his progress about walking a secret. Spare me these idiot men and their egos.

I'm also really tired of Jason's stare-offs. He doesn't look tough or intimidating.

NGL, I'm so disappointed Jason is protecting Carly and not Michael. 

[driver18]

I would like GH to make sense and for characters to be in character. We have been shown for decades that there are only three people that Jason would protect above all others, Michael, Carly, and Sonny, in that order. Ergo, he had to be protecting one of those three.

We were told it was about RICO violations. Regardless of all the stupid shit Michael has done, he hasn't done enough--the solitary campaign donation years ago just isn't enough--to lay RICO charges on. Therefore, it had to be Carly or Sonny to make sense.

In yesterday's show, Jason specifically said this had nothing to do with Sonny...which left Carly as the only person Jason could have been protecting IF the writers wanted to (a) keep Jason in character, and (b) what they've lain out so far to make sense.

I prefer both a and b to happen because that is from where overall better storytelling comes.

[backhometome]

What a POS father. Protecting a grown ass woman over your kids. 

At least Jake knows whats up. Danny needs to learn. 

[KittenPokerCheater]

#Sartorial:  I want Nina to dye her hair or something because right now the top is very grey and the bottom is still blonde.  I want Hair/Makeup to pick a lane.

re: Carly/Jason- you've all said it so eloquently I have nothing to add.

[CeChase]

29 minutes ago, driver18 said:

I would like GH to make sense and for characters to be in character. We have been shown for decades that there are only three people that Jason would protect above all others, Michael, Carly, and Sonny, in that order. Ergo, he had to be protecting one of those three.

We were told it was about RICO violations. Regardless of all the stupid shit Michael has done, he hasn't done enough--the solitary campaign donation years ago just isn't enough--to lay RICO charges on. Therefore, it had to be Carly or Sonny to make sense.

In yesterday's show, Jason specifically said this had nothing to do with Sonny...which left Carly as the only person Jason could have been protecting IF the writers wanted to (a) keep Jason in character, and (b) what they've lain out so far to make sense.

I prefer both a and b to happen because that is from where overall better storytelling comes.

This is exactly what I thought.  People were saying Michael, some even hoped it was Liz.  The only people on this show RICO charges make sense for are, Carly, Sonny, and Jason.  Well, probably Valentine too!  But we knew he wasn't protecting him.  Once he eliminated Sonny as a possibility, Carly is the only answer.  What else could the writers do?  Anything else would have been totally made up and NOT believable.  I'm fine with it, and I do think this is going to lead to fallout across the board.  I don't think Patrick is going to write Liz and Sam like the other writers did.  I think both are going to be fuming that he put Carly over his own kids even knowing he was alive.  It's actually unforgivable.  So we really don't know where this is leading, and I am giving them time. 

Edited April 2 by CeChase

[dubbel zout]

I had to laugh that Willow's idea of putting your own doubts aside and trusting your partner involves breaking a bunch of laws and putting your professional reputation and livelihood in danger. And she doesn't think that was such a bad thing!

LIESL IS YOUR LITERAL LIFESAVER, WILLOW.

[jsbt]

Willow still horny for the uncles, I see.

[YaddaYadda]

1 hour ago, Daisy said:

and quite frankly. if I were Jake and Danny that would be my Waterloo and want nothing to do with Jason again. Carly chose that life, thus if they have RICO/Criminal stuff against her, tough tits. maybe next time don't go rushing to be a mob moll.

The funny part is that Carly would probably blame Nina for this. If she hadn't kept the Sonny secret, Carly wouldn't have had to step in.

The Jagger stuff is still firing on all cylinders. 

I like how Nina's dialogue connected with the scenes in Anna's office. Drew left his daughter without a second thought and went to prison for her and Jason let his sons and mother believe he was dead to become an FBI informant to save Carly's worthless ass.

Alan's sperm must have been defective. His sons are pathetic losers with their Carly boners. It's nuts.

Edited April 2 by YaddaYadda

[perkie1968]

1 hour ago, Bringonthedrama said:

Wiley and Donna are the exact same size now.  Wasn't Wiley born before Donna? 

Wylie was born Aug 2018 which means he would be 5 1/2  but the actor playing him is 8. 

and Donna was born Sept 2019 which means she would be 4 12 but the actress playing her is 6.  

[dubbel zout]

20 minutes ago, jsbt said:

Willow still horny for the uncles, I see.

Can you blame her? Her husband is as appealing as raw boneless, skinless chicken breast.

[Auntie Velvet]

From an admittedly generous perspective, Jason's protection of Carly isn't necessarily more than she "deserves." It depends on what the exact charges are, but they probably stem from the time that she had to take over the mob duties to keep the family from getting killed. Sonny's "death" put her in that position (per the writers at the time). 

[GHScorpiosRule]

6 minutes ago, Auntie Velvet said:

From an admittedly generous perspective, Jason's protection of Carly isn't necessarily more than she "deserves." It depends on what the exact charges are, but they probably stem from the time that she had to take over the mob duties to keep the family from getting killed. Sonny's "death" put her in that position (per the writers at the time). 

Just WHAT exactly did Cujo do, except for swanning around before she was threatened with death? Which led to that HARD 180 which I refuse to type out again, lest my brain explodes.

It's all so incredibly and galactically STOOPID.

[Daisy]

1 minute ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Just WHAT exactly did Cujo do, except for swanning around before she was threatened with death? Which led to that HARD 180 which I refuse to type out again, lest my brain explodes.

 

right? like she didn't really DO anything except piss me off... [if only if that was a legit charge]. 

[Auntie Velvet]

2 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Just WHAT exactly did Cujo do, except for swanning around before she was threatened with death? Which led to that HARD 180 which I refuse to type out again, lest my brain explodes.

It's all so incredibly and galactically STOOPID.

It definitely is, but from the show's perspective, she would have been arranging shipments and whatever vague stuff they usually show Sonny doing.

I don't think it could be the merger stuff, because that was well after Jason was intercepted by the FBI.

[Desperado]

On 3/26/2024 at 8:38 PM, Auntie Velvet said:

In the scene with Anna and Jason, there seemed to be a lot of focus on both how long Jason had been working for the FBI, and the exact date that Britt died. Is it possible that Britt still had other things that could have gotten her jailed again, and he's just now finding out he was protecting a dead woman?

This would’ve been a 10,000 times better scenario than the lame “protecting Carly” even if the result would’ve been the same for his mom and the kids.

[ffwbe]

36 minutes ago, Auntie Velvet said:

From an admittedly generous perspective, Jason's protection of Carly isn't necessarily more than she "deserves." It depends on what the exact charges are, but they probably stem from the time that she had to take over the mob duties to keep the family from getting killed. Sonny's "death" put her in that position (per the writers at the time). 

She didn’t have to take over. Jason did and she inserted herself because she couldn’t help herself. It ended up doing way more harm than good because that’s why they said she had to be killed

29 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Just WHAT exactly did Cujo do, except for swanning around before she was threatened with death? Which led to that HARD 180 which I refuse to type out again, lest my brain explodes.

It's all so incredibly and galactically STOOPID.

Technically, kidnapping Cyrus’ mother was 100% her idea. She thought it was a genius move to keep him in line when it did nothing to stop Cyrus from going after them and for some reason, he threatened Nikolas into getting his mother back for him. Jason covered for her after the fact and that’s what led to Cyrus framing him for something and getting him thrown in prison 

[GHScorpiosRule]

53 minutes ago, ffwbe said:

Technically, kidnapping Cyrus’ mother was 100% her idea. She thought it was a genius move to keep him in line when it did nothing to stop Cyrus from going after them and for some reason, he threatened Nikolas into getting his mother back for him.

And that falls under RICO? Alrighty then.

[Daisy]

7 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

And that falls under RICO? Alrighty then.

according to Google Law

"To violate RICO, a person must engage in a pattern of racketeering activity connected to an enterprise. The law defines 35 offenses as constituting racketeering, including gambling, murder, kidnapping, arson, drug dealing, bribery. Significantly, mail and wire fraud are included on the list."

 

so yeah I could see it. because it was done because of the "business" 

[Tartlet]

John to Jason: “Don’t lecture me on the consequences of being you”. 

That line alone, and the actor’s delivery of it, is enough to get me pregnant.  

[YaddaYadda]

I don't think it matters whether she did something or didn't. Carly is incredibly stupid and says things all the time that she has no business saying, that includes lies. Whatever she said, they have on tape. 

[Mirabelle]

I figured it had to be Carly for all the reasons y'all have already stated but also Carly is the only one stupid enough to leave copious amounts of evidence behind. She committed the most obvious case of insider trading the SEC has probably ever seen so I fully expect the FBI to have many emails or tapes with the words "Kidnap Cyrus' mother" along with "shipments of the fake luxury goods" and "you need to launder more money through Nonna Lottie's Pizza and Calzones".  

[GHScorpiosRule]

Curtis is such a man-baby.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Oh now I have heard everything! STFU, Jason! Like you have ever given a damn what Monica has felt unless it somehow affects you. I can count on one hand the number of times you’ve gone to her. Mooby was more important than you leaving and easing her worries. 
BOOM! Go Jagger!!! I 🤣🤣🤣 at Jason’s emphasis on that name-as if it was an insult and Jagger would take it as one. Loved, loved LOVED all the truth bombs about why he should have told Jason he knew him when he was a Q-since he didn’t remember being one! And also everything he threw at Anna. SUCK ON IT, Anna!

And Dex is a lying liar who lies. He joined Mooby’s mob for revenge; then stayed on; committed crimes. He’s better suited to be an informant. All that patriotic drivel made me sick.

Another thing that did was that unappetizing lasagna. Looked so gross.

And Nina. Someone I don’t care for, but was cheering at all the truth bombs and FINALLY ALLOWED to say what she did was LEGAL! Take that and sit your ass down, Drew and STFU.

Edited April 3 by GHScorpiosRule

[TVbitch]

What a busy day for Carly: praising Willow for breaking the law for Jason, undermining her daughter's resolve to stay away from her criminal ex, not helping with the lasagna, and trying to remember who Drew is. 

[Artsda]

No shock it's Carly that Jason put before his kids. Jake was spot on and he should not let go of that anger, especially when he finds out who Jason chose over him and his brother.  Leave Carly alone is all that matters. 

Anna shocked people doesn't trust her? She shouldn't even be police commissioner she is too much a mob lover and even escaped from jail herself.  She's got tears in her eyes so sad Jason protecting Carly. Did she miss the illegal Rico part?

Curtis can stand and he's still complaining. 

So Drew calls Nina a spoiled brat who needs Crimson and he has it? She turned down buying it, does he forget? Nina should have walked out from that toxic abuser. 

So Jagger didn't tell Jason he knew him in highschool or knew Monica.  Jason refused to acknowledge his life or name before the accident. 

Everytime I hear the name Alan Jacobs I can't take it. AJ as initials and Alan as his first name.   Jason has no right. 

What difference is it making of Jason's choices of Carly over his life and family? He made that choice and knowing Jason as a teen has point. 

Carly said she tried to calm things down at Sonny's?  Her shrieking at Sonny was trying  to calming down?

It's ok for Willow to hide Jason, steal meds and cover it up with Spinelli and she even brags to Carly she did what she had to do for Michael. Yet she's exiling her mother over Carly's crimes and  legal action of Nina telling the truth. 

 

 

[GHScorpiosRule]

Oh! Cry me a River that poor widdle Jason is going to be used as bait. As if he’s some innocent waif.

[Cheyanne11]

41 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

What a busy day for Carly: praising Willow for breaking the law for Jason, undermining her daughter's resolve to stay away from her criminal ex, not helping with the lasagna, and trying to remember who Drew is. 

Hahaha /fakeCarlylaugh.  Yes, yes, what a day--Carly hasn't been this happy in she can't remember how long.  Drew Who Said the Shrew.

And then there's Willow, who wasn't worried about breaking the law and  possibly implicating Elizabeth in drug theft, but that her wittle, bitty nurse brain wouldn't be able to sufficiently treat Jason. 

4 hours ago, Tartlet said:

ohn to Jason: “Don’t lecture me on the consequences of being you”. 

So satisfying.  And, please, as if Jason knowing John knew him in high school would've changed the decision he made to let his family think he was dead when he made it clear he was doing it for Carly because he "couldn't live with the alternative."  So fuck his kids, fuck his mom, fuck everyone except the albatross that's been hanging around his neck for almost 30 years.  Next time you sigh heavily and look off into the middle distance when Carly asks you to fix another one of her fuck-ups, remember that, asshole.

[Blackie]

8 hours ago, Artsda said:

So Drew calls Nina a spoiled brat who needs Crimson and he has it? She turned down buying it, does he forget? Nina should have walked out from that toxic abuser. 

 

Looks like they are trying to build up this bantering relationship between Drew and Nina, which is fun and different, except the dialogue is so stupid. The storyline was stupid when Nina constantly was putting her self in situations for Carly's rants and now she is in her office taking this crap from Drew, who would ever do that? They can banter but change the topic!!

[Desperado]

1 hour ago, Blackie said:

 

Looks like they are trying to build up this bantering relationship between Drew and Nina, which is fun and different, except the dialogue is so stupid. The storyline was stupid when Nina constantly was putting her self in situations for Carly's rants and now she is in her office taking this crap from Drew, who would ever do that? They can banter but change the topic!!

Yes, we’re not at the level of fun banter yet (Drew’s dig about Nina being alone was disgusting), but I like the fact that she was allowed to fight back and tell truth bombs herself. I much prefer this Nina to her pitifully taking it.

[Mirabelle]

Nina should have called Drew's bluff on shutting down Crimson. He himself said it was the only profitable magazine in Aurora's portfolio when he offered to sell to Nina. Let him see how much his precious Aurora stock is worth when he shuts down the only thing making the company money. How is he back as CEO or whatever after being imprisoned for insider trading?

[Blackie]

39 minutes ago, Desperado said:

Yes, we’re not at the level of fun banter yet

yes I should have said *could* be fun

40 minutes ago, Desperado said:

but I like the fact that she was allowed to fight back and tell truth bombs herself. I much prefer this Nina to her pitifully taking it.

 

21 minutes ago, Mirabelle said:

Nina should have called Drew's bluff on shutting down Crimson

 

They definitely need to flip the script and give Nina the upper hand here, because all Drew's arguments are stupid and make no sense.

[sas616]

Now the show has two stupid brothers with ignoring their kids because they HAVE to protect stupid Carly for doing something stupid.    

[ffwbe]

57 minutes ago, Blackie said:

They definitely need to flip the script and give Nina the upper hand here, because all Drew's arguments are stupid and make no sense.

Exactly. Let’s be honest, Drew is the loser here. He sacrificed everything for a woman who doesn’t give a damn about him and only bowed out because he 100% knew he was a placeholder. There’s absolutely no way he should have the upper hand.  

[GHScorpiosRule]

9 minutes ago, ffwbe said:

Exactly. Let’s be honest, Drew is the loser here. He sacrificed everything for a woman who doesn’t give a damn about him and only bowed out because he 100% knew he was a placeholder. There’s absolutely no way he should have the upper hand.  

And Cujo proved it when she was all wishy-washy about how she "wuved" him,  buht Jason! Thus proving his point and smart decision to dump her ass. Even if I can't stand him.

I have no desire to see him and Nina get together. He's still very delusional and No. 1 Cheerleader for Cujo.

[ffwbe]

7 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

I have no desire to see him and Nina get together. He's still very delusional and No. 1 Cheerleader for Cujo.

Same here. I think they have chemistry but it’s clear he still thinks Carly walks on water and if she lied to him and told him he’s a priority, he would have continued being her lapdog and ignoring his kid for her. Unless he recognizes how stupid he’s been and how wrong he was about Carly, he’s not a viable pairing for any woman, most of all Nina. 

[CeChase]

All true!  But I am hoping for a case of Drew does protest too much.    Maybe these new writers are moving towards Drew doing some self-examination.  Why did he go prison for Carly, who broke a law he specifically told her not to break?  Once in jail, why did he agree to spy for Sonny the Mobster at both Sonny and Carly's request?  Would he have really done that if only Sonny was asking?  That's what led directly to his beating, not Nina.  So it could be interesting if that's where they go.  We'll see!

[YaddaYadda]

43 minutes ago, ffwbe said:

Exactly. Let’s be honest, Drew is the loser here. He sacrificed everything for a woman who doesn’t give a damn about him and only bowed out because he 100% knew he was a placeholder. There’s absolutely no way he should have the upper hand.  

I wish he heard what Carly told Willow, implying that if she'd known that Jason would come back, then she and Drew wouldn't have happened.

[GHScorpiosRule]

22 minutes ago, CeChase said:

Maybe these new writers are moving towards Drew doing some self-examination.

I didn't see any of that yesterday. Quite the opposite, actually. He was blaming Nina for all of that. Refusing to admit that he and Cujo were guilty of insider trading; going after her for...reasons. And for "stealing" Mooby from her. 

The only time he shut up and didn't have a comeback was when Nina threw in his face that her reporting them to the SEC was LEGAL.

[PatsyandEddie]

Funny how Drewfus was blaming Nina for everything and telling her that she was never taking responsibility for her actions. Listen to yourself!

[dubbel zout]

2 hours ago, YaddaYadda said:

I wish he heard what Carly told Willow, implying that if she'd known that Jason would come back, then she and Drew wouldn't have happened.

Yes, yes, yes. Let's hear him try to justify that. And how pathetic that our strong, independent female lead can't be without a love interest for more than a few months. 

I don't want Drew and Nina together because their banter at the moment isn't fun and snarky, it's cruel and abusive. And I will never forget that Drew was upset that Nina was a woman and he couldn't punch her in the face for telling the SEC about the insider trading. 

Edited April 3 by dubbel zout

[Daisy]

2 hours ago, YaddaYadda said:

I wish he heard what Carly told Willow, implying that if she'd known that Jason would come back, then she and Drew wouldn't have happened.

that would have been perfect. 

my thing is that Drew basically tells Nina he was just a horny stupid idiot and he felt that he needed to protect Carly because Jason died for him and he got caught up into it and beg her for forgiveness.

5 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

And I will never forget that Drew was upset that Nina was a woman and he couldn't punch her in the face for telling the SEC about the insider trading. 

you know. I could forget it (like not what he said) but i could equate it to someone basically going "If I weren't a Christian Woman, i would let rip what i really thought of you." that's how i always took it anyway. like he just wish he COULD unload on her the way he wanted but he couldn't. (doesn't change the fact it sounds a bit (a lot) scuzzy and why he was saying it to begin with).

[driver18]

I thought the last bit of the Drew/Nina scene was telling, him asking her to send him the article on healing.

Also, overall, I'm not going to judge the character's actions too harshly based on how they acted in the past. Several previous HWs did horrendous heaps of disservice to many a character. PM/EK, I think, are trying, and as quickly as possible, to get as many of these characters back on track as reasonably as possible.

Therefore, they will still do some frustrating things because moving too fast away from the recent behavior would be out of character. However, imo, the HWs are clearly moving them in the right direction. So, yeah, I'm just not gonna call the character's out for the awful way the former writers wrote them since PM/EK are actively steering them away from that behavior.

[dubbel zout]

I want some acknowledgement that Drew realizes the threat of physical violence was way of out line and he regrets it. 

[CeChase]

13 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

I want some acknowledgement that Drew realizes the threat of physical violence was way of out line and he regrets it. 

Agree. 

[Daisy]

38 minutes ago, driver18 said:

Therefore, they will still do some frustrating things because moving too fast away from the recent behavior would be out of character. However, imo, the HWs are clearly moving them in the right direction. So, yeah, I'm just not gonna call the character's out for the awful way the former writers wrote them since PM/EK are actively steering them away from that behavior.

i don't even think it's that.  we say ugly things when we're angry. or i mean at least I do. Drew wishing Nina was a man so he could punch Nina out. (which i mean. who would be a guy). and truthfully outside of him actually punching Ned out I don't even really think I've seen Drew really be violent or anything. So as i said, as guh whatever when he said it i was more mad that he went there over something that Nina had every legal right to do (and a lot of his issues were because he decided to work for Sonny). more so then him wishing he could beat up Nina if only She were a He).

it's not like Jason literally telling Sam that he would kill her (and Sonny basically doubling down on that) and Sam looking petrified because we all know Jason would have killed her and Sonny doubling down on that. 

but milage. i get it. 

[MarciNJ]

1 hour ago, dubbel zout said:

I don't want Drew and Nina together because their banter at the moment isn't fun and snarky, it's cruel and abusive.

While I agree, and I loathe Drew, I do enjoy thinking about how Carly's head will explode if/when they get together.  Michael's, too, now that I think about it.  I hope Nina dumps him quickly, or it turns out she was just using him...

[FilmTVGeek80]

55 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

Yes, yes, yes. Let's hear him try to justify that. And how pathetic that our strong, independent female lead can't be without a love interest for more than a few months. 

I don't want Drew and Nina together because their banter at the moment isn't fun and snarky, it's cruel and abusive. And I will never forget that Drew was upset that Nina was a woman and he couldn't punch her in the face for telling the SEC about the insider trading. 

Why would he attempt to justify it? The whole reason he broke up with Carly in the first place is because he knows that he was just a placeholder. This would not be news to him because Carly basically confirmed it when they broke up. 

I don't get the big deal over that scene. Then again, I'm not someone who believes a man should never hit a woman (granted, she would need to hit him first). It happens—someone hurts you in some way, and you want to lash out at them (sometimes, physically). The important thing was that as much as Drew wished he could hit her, he knew that was a line he couldn't cross.

Drew and Nina hurl insults at each other and metaphorically hit each other where it hurts (him talking about how alone she is, pointing out that Carly never wanted him.) As driver18 pointed out, it wouldn't make sense for their animosity towards each other to vanish immediately. 

I feel like I was watching different scenes between the two of them all this time because I've never once seen - especially since it came out that she turned them in - Nina cower and stand there and take it from Drew. She has always given as good as she got when Drew comes at her. And she always brings up that what she did was legal. Yesterday was not the first time. She even pointed that out in her fight with Olivia and Lois. I thought Olivia had a good point that Nina does not care about legal things. I remember her being more than a little upset when Sonny was justly arrested for assaulting Cyrus. I don't think she would have accepted "Well, it was perfectly legal" if she found out someone had turned him in. I think Nina and Drew have problems accepting culpability for how things turned out so rotten in their lives. They both pay lip service to it - 'Yeah, sure, I committed the crime.' 'Yeah, sure, maybe I shouldn't have turned them in.' - but there's always a BUT...

[ffwbe]

I’m not sure what to think about the fact that the show pretty much only have Sam and Liz on to either support another person’s SL or talk to/worry about their kids. That was standard practice for most actresses on this show once they got past a certain age and their children became teens but I thought the show moved away from it in the past decade since we’ve seen tons of leading stories for their 50+ actresses. I enjoy family stories but they get mostly one sided and as someone who hasn’t been a fan of the teen set since I was one, it gets a little disappointing if you’re a fan of the parent character. 

[Bringonthedrama]

Bravo to Maxie in her scenes of truth-telling to Nina. She showed how she has matured and grown since her younger days of scheming to get Lucky away from Elizabeth. 

No, Kristina, it's not so weird that your dad is living with his young daughter and her mother. It is very weird, however, that your 1/2 brother and your nephew and are living with your 1/2 sister and your other nephew and niece, as a family. It's even weirder than you and your 1/2 brother are talking about the weirdness of dad's living situation while being oblivious to the weirdness of his living situation.  You could even start with, hey bro, do you remember if you were ever told that your current live-in girlfriend once had an affair with dad, and was pregnant with our sister but she died at birth.  
*Seriously,* Head Writers.

The Stella-Tracy scenes were awesome. I love the idea of these two women being friends! It was great to see JE show Tracy's vulnerability, acknowledging she has few friends and how different she is from her late mother.