What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

 

The Walking Dead

Well, here we are again. The show hasn’t even started yet and I feel drained. When they show clips from last season, I think Rick said that he’s either getting out now or he’s not gay now.

It’s nighttime, and Alexandria seems to be at peace. Father Gabriel stands outside, reads a little something, then heads back to town. He throws a bunch of cans into a bag and consults a chart. He digs around looking for some tools, and loads up a car. Looks like he’s headed out.

Gregory tells Rick and the gang that all he has are farmers, and he can’t help them fight the Saviors. Daryl says either he’s with them or he ain’t. Gregory’s viewpoint is that he’s not the one with the problem; he’s fine with the way things are. He says he’s made his position clear, and thanks them for not being there today, requesting that they leave out the back way.

Daryl says they don’t need him anyway. Enid pops out before they get to the door, and tells them to come outside. A girl named Bernie says she owes her life to them, and wants to know if Maggie thinks they can beat the Saviors. She does, and a small group leaves with them. Daryl says maybe they don’t need numbers and can just blow the Saviors up. Rick says geography and distance are against them, and they need to be back before Negan starts looking for Daryl. Jesus shows them a long-range contraption that they can listen in on the Saviors with. He thinks it’s time they met Ezekiel.

Oh look! Our first zombie of the season. It’s sitting there just like a spring crocus too. Jesus brings them to The Kingdom. Richard and another guard ride up on horses and recognize Jesus. Richard asks who his friends are, and Jesus tells him that they’re from a like-minded community, and would like an audience with King Ezekiel. Richard says, like-minded how? and Jesus basically tells him they’re all trying to stay alive. Richard says that they don’t usually allow strangers into their world. Michonne says they’re trying to make the world less dangerous, and he tells them to leave their weapons.

Richard wonders what Jesus is up to. Jesus tells Richard that he’s never seen him smile, but he might for the first time today. Looking around, Michonne says they have the numbers, but Sasha wonders if they can fight. Jesus says they can. Enid sees Morgan, and there are hugs all around. Richard asks how they know each other, and Rick says they go way back. Richard tells them that the king is ready for them now. Before they go in, Morgan explains what happened with Carol, and how he had to kill someone to save her. He says she got help at the Kingdom, and then left.

Simba! Or whatever the tiger’s name is. King Ezekiel asks if Jesus brought him new allies. Jesus introduces Rick, and Ezekiel welcomes them. He asks why they seek an audience. Rick tells Ezekiel that their communities have something in common – serving the Saviors. Rick says they rule through violence and fear, and that Alexandria beat them once. Ezekiel gets ticked off, saying that their deal with the Saviors was a secret, and wants to know why Jesus broke his confidence. Jesus says he wants Ezekiel to hear Rick’s plan. Rick asks Ezekiel to join them in the fight. Michonne says good people have been killed. Morgan asks who, and she tells him about all the people who have died since he left. Rosita adds that Daryl is now a target, and Sasha tells Ezekiel what happened at Hilltop. Jesus suggest that they change the world. Rick says they’re strong, but there aren’t enough of them, and they don’t have enough weapons. Richard says if they strike first, they could beat them, and begs Ezekiel to set things right, saying the time is now.

Ezekiel asks Morgan what he thinks. Morgan says people will die, and not just the Saviors. If they can find another way, they have to, maybe by capturing Negan. Ezekiel says he has much to ponder. Rick repeats a story his mother told him about a dangerous rocky road (not ice cream) that people avoided because there were so many accidents on it, and a little girl who wondered why it was still there after so many people had been hurt and killed. She dug at the road and found a bag of gold underneath. Rick says the king knew that the person who dug it out deserved a reward, and deserved to have their life changed forever. That was a very nice story, Rick, but huh? Ezekiel invites them to dinner, and asks them to stay overnight. He’ll deliver his decree in the morning.

Benjamin tromps through the woods and comes across Carol. She holds a gun on him, and he says sorry. She wonders why he didn’t run, and he says he’s in training. She tells him not to be wandering around after dark. He tells her that Ezekiel doesn’t want to bug her, but wants to make sure she’s okay. He says there’s no use telling him not to, and asks if she wants some food. She tells him she heard him from a mile away, and be sure to be quiet.

Ezekiel tells a bedtime story to a child about being free at last. Benjamin stands in the doorway. Ezekiel asks where he was at supper, and he says he went for a walk, casually mentioning that he saw Carol. Ezekiel asks if she’s well, and Benjamin says they should say yes to Rick. His group will risk everything regardless, and they won’t win. Even if by some chance they do, the Kingdom will be sorry they didn’t help. He tells Ezekiel, if you’re going to be a hero, be a hero. Ezekiel thanks him for his sage counsel. He tells Benjamin that his father would be proud and the king is proud.

The next morning, Ezekiel tells Rick that their idyllic lives came at a cost. He wanted to create more places like this. People died because he sent them into battle when he didn’t need to. Rick says the dead don’t rule them, and some people don’t have it good at all. Ezekiel says that he has to worry about his people. Daryl tells him that he’s not acting like a king. Ezekiel repeats that it came at a cost. The peace they have with the Saviors is uneasy, but it’s peace, and he has to try and hang on to it. Even so, he’s sympathetic, and offers Daryl asylum because the Saviors don’t set foot inside. Daryl asks how long he thinks that will last. Rick and company walk toward the gate.

Sasha tells Rosita that she knew he’d say no, but it still pissed her off. Rosita says just because they had sex with the same dead guy doesn’t make them friends. Geez. Richard tells Rick he’ll come with them. Rick says they only have enough manpower for one outpost. Richard says the more they give the Saviors, the harder they become to beat. At the gate, Rick tells Daryl to stay and try to change Ezekiel’s mind.

The gang hears Howard Stern Negan over the radio, talking about the loss of Fat Joey, and announcing that Skinny Joey will now be just Joey. They come upon a road block of cars. Jesus says the Saviors must be trying to make it hard to get to the outpost. Rick says they’ll move the cars and then move them back. Michonne sees something with the binoculars and calls Rick over. There’s some kind of set up with some cables going across the road, and Carl says he’s seen it before. It’s a trip wire for a load of walkers. They decide to remove the explosives.

Rosita works on the wiring, and on the radio Negan says he needs a search party for Daryl. Michonne says they’ll have to get going. Rosita gets the first part finished, and gives instructions to the others. Everybody does serious-looking stuff with knives and wires. Nothing blows up, so I guess they did it right and Rick has his mojo back. Rosita tells them even though the explosives aren’t live, to be careful with them.

There’s a horde of zombies coming, but Rick thinks they still have time. He wants the cars back the way they were to buy them more. Then Rick blows himself up. Just kidding. The cars are repositioned. Rick tells Sasha and Jesus to run back and tell Maggie it’s all good. The zombies are getting closer. Everyone gets into a single car, except for Rick and Michonne, who string the cable between two cars on opposite sides of the road. The zombie horde hits, and is on top of them just as they get into the respective cars. As they drive, the zombies are slashed to pieces and it looks pretty damn cool. Later, on Talking Dead, Chris Hardwick called it the Slice Capades, and I literally lol’d. They stop the cars and get in the one with the rest of the crew, with zombies clawing at them the whole time. Now who’s going to clean up that mess? Oh, might not have to. As they drive away, an explosion happens.

Michonne tells Rick they made it and they’re going to make it again.

Back home, Rick says they have to get everyone ready, but here comes Simon right behind him. Rick says he thought they had more time, and Simon says (ha-ha!) that they’re not here for a tribute; they’re here for Daryl. He says Carl showed up and Daryl went missing. Rick acts like he has no clue about it, and Simon tells his crew to make a search. He says if Daryl is here, they’re going to see him die. Good move leaving him at the Kingdom, but of course these sh*theads wreck the place anyway while searching.

Simon wonders what’s up with the bare shelves. He says hiding stuff doesn’t go over well. Aaron says they’re still adjusting to the new system and don’t have much. Rick says they were going on a run today. Simon tells them to dig deep, go the extra mile, and take risks. Go, Tony Robbins. He thanks Rick for his cooperation, and says sorry to leave the place a mess. He says if Daryl does turn up, even if it’s years from now, there’s no statute of limitations, and it won’t turn out the way it did for Carl.

Rick is told that the morning after Gabriel was supposed to keep watch, the shelves were bare and his car was gone. Enid can’t believe it. She says that’s not who he is, and she wants to believe he held on to his courage. Rick wonders why he’d leave his books. Rick sees Gabriel’s notebook with BOAT written on the last page, and says he wants to be found. There was someone watching him keep watch.

Aaron packs to go after Gabriel. Eric tells him that it’s going to end up being about more than Gabriel, and asks him not to go. Aaron says Gabriel is one of them, and he has to go. Eric wonders what happens if the Saviors come while he’s gone. Aaron says they could just run off and leave everyone behind, and tells Eric that he wants to keep both of them alive.

No surprise, Aaron joins the others. They go toward the shoreline. Rick calls Michonne over and shows her some tracks. They follow the tracks silently. Rick hears a noise. Suddenly, people with guns surround them. It looks like a bunch of kids from The Warriors. And they do not look happy. Rick smiles.

Next time, the group leader asks Rick if they want to buy their lives back, Rick says the Saviors will be looking, but there’s a way out, and we see increasingly creepy zombies.

A Few Fun TWD Quotes

We made it. We can make it. We can. We’re the ones who live. – Michonne

If I had known the world was ending, I’d have brought better books. – Dale

Look at the flowers. – Carol