What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
A carload of Saviors is out hunting for Morgan and Dr. Carson. Daryl sneaks around under a bridge. He’s leading a group scouting the roads. Tara tosses a zombie at Dwight, claiming it got away. Dwight kills it, and Daryl tells everyone to keep it moving.
Dr. Carson drives, and Gabriel asks if they’ve passed the Linus overpass, but the doctor doesn’t know. Gabriel says it’s going to be okay and have some faith. They’re on the right path if not the right road. He studies a map, but has difficulty focusing. Carson tells him that he’s is suffering from a serious complication. Does he really think God is leading the way? Gabriel says God is always leading the way, and Carson says maybe God should be driving. Gabriel jokes about Him leaving too many footprints, and a zombie drags itself along next to the car. Maybe Gabriel just needs glasses.
Carson asks about a mile marker, and if Gabriel can see it. Gabriel says he can’t, and Carson says he was stupid to let him leave, but he’s sick and there are antibiotics at Hilltop. Gabriel asks if he hears something, almost like a bell. I don’t. Carson isn’t too thrilled with leaving the car, but they walk through the forest, and come to a cabin. Gabriel says it’s not a bell, but might be their salvation. Carson doesn’t think so.
Rosita says the group needs rest. Daryl says, ten minutes. Tara asks why Dwight is still breathing; she’s done. Rosita tells her that he may have an angle, and tells her to knock it off; at least until they get to Hilltop.
Morgan and Henry guard the prisoners at Hilltop. Carol says she can take over. Jared yells that the kid is freaking people out, and they should move him along. The Saviors are going to roll up and let them out anyway. Henry asks Morgan, who killed his brother? Morgan tells him to go and eat. Henry asks Carol why they’re not telling him. She says he’s a child, and he’s done too much already. Morgan tells her that Henry knows how to live, and it doesn’t bother him. She says he’s not fine, and neither is Morgan. She tells him to take a break, and takes a turn as guard.
Negan is disappointed. This crap should be over. His only doctor and that creepy-ass priest jumped ship without anyone knowing. He asks if Eugene has any idea how it happened, but Eugene is not venturing any guesses. Negan says Carson is a weasel like his brother, and once their asses are caught, he’ll get the whole story – one way or another. And Alexandria – Eugene asks what went down there, and Negan asks why does he care? They tried to blow him off the earth. He tells Eugene that he’s going to be in charge of his own outpost. He needs his bullet-maker to be making bullets. He’s going to provide the next bang-bang Negan needs to settle this situation for good. Eugene asks what about people as resources, and Negan says bullets are a last resort. If Rick and his merry band of pricks decided to pull sh*t, then they’ll have to pull sh*t. It will be some that they don’t want, but it’s on them. Eugene is going to have everything he needs to keep his head in the game. Eugene asks if there will be wine, which would be my first question, and Negan says there will indeed.
Inside the cabin, Morgan shakes a piggy bank and laughs. He tries to read something from a notepad. Looking out the window, Carson says, clear so far. He tells Morgan that he should be lying down. It’s lucky they found this place. Morgan says luck had nothing to do with it. Morgan gives Carson the pad, and Carson says the owner was a radio operator. He looks through the pad, the owner writing that even if he can’t be helped, maybe he can help someone else. There are pages of radio calls, but they all say, no signal. Morgan says that they don’t know if others might have been reached, but the operator never found out. Or maybe it gave them strength to go on, even if they didn’t reach anyone. Carson opens the bedroom door. He sees a zombie cuffed to the bed with a plastic bag over its head. He says, didn’t happen.
Daryl goes over the map. Rosita thinks they should keep moving. Daryl wonders about the swamp. Dwight says it’s one place the Saviors won’t be. Negan thought it was too dangerous and not worth the risk. Tara asks if Daryl is seriously considering what Dwight has to say. If it’s too dangerous for the Saviors, why send them? Why should they trust Dwight? He could turn on them like he did his own people. Dwight says they all saw what happens if one of them gets away. If they find him, his head will be on a pike. He’s not fighting for them, and he’s not going back there. He wants to help them beat Negan. After that, he knows how it ends. Daryl says, fine; they’ll try the swamp. Tara is stunned.
One of the Kingdom Hilltoppers tells Maggie that they finished taking inventory. They’re barely going to make it through another week, and it will be worse if they include the prisoners. Jesus is still out scavenging, and might bring something back.
Carson takes a gun from the corpse, and tells Gabriel to lie down; he’s fighting a serious infection. Gabriel gives Carson some prescription bottles, and he looks through them. He says two are antibiotics, and this may have just saved his life. Gabriel tells Carson that he’s not saying a word.
Dwight says he’s doing it for Sherry. She let Daryl out and ran; she must be out there somewhere. Daryl looks at the swamp. Rosita says they can do it. Someone suggests a small group push through, and make a path for the others. Rosita asks if Tara is coming, but she’s hanging back. The small group starts to walk through.
Maggie asks Gregory what he wants. He says they haven’t seen eye to eye, and loyalties have been questioned, but his behavior has been good. She says he’s staying in there. He says she can’t keep him there forever, and she tells him give her a reason to kill him and she won’t have to. Another prisoner says they’ve been good, and she still took one out; they don’t have to be enemies. Maggie asks what Gregory wants. They want to go outside on good behavior; one at a time under armed guard. Maggie says she doesn’t have the resources to oblige, even if she wanted to. And BTW, she’s cutting off their rations in a few days, maybe longer. Her people come first; she has no choice. Gregory thinks she does.
Rosita and the others continue through the swamp. A zombie pops up in front of her, and she stabs it in the head. Daryl is impressed. Groot! Never mind. It’s just a tree. Zombies start to rise from the water like something out of Creepy comics. Daryl and Siddiq go through the water, stabbing them one by one.
Tara tells Dwight he just volunteered to kill some zombies, and gives him a knife.
Carson says Gabriel’s fever has broken. He tells Gabriel that if there’s no improvement in his eyesight soon, there will be permanent damage. Morgan is like, oh well, and Carson asks if losing his vision doesn’t scare him or piss him off. Gabriel says he’s letting Him lead the way. He tells Carson that he can’t see it, but can feel the look on his face. He’s not saying God led them there, but to find meaning in it. He knocks the piggy bank over, and it breaks. Carson finds car keys and a map inside. He looks at the map, and says they’re no more than a few miles off.
Tara follows Dwight through the forest, covering him with a gun. He stabs a zombie. He tells her that he’s sorry about Denise. He truly is. He doesn’t expect forgiveness; he doesn’t deserve it. He just wants her to know. She says he should have stayed with the Saviors. He says he hates them. He hates Negan. Tara doesn’t care. She says switching sides doesn’t make it okay; it never will. He asks what killing him will do, and she says, make her feel hella better. She shoots at him, but he ducks behind a tree, and runs. He stops in a clearing. He says he knew it would happen, but he’d wanted to help them win first. They hear people coming, and hide.
It’s the group of Saviors from the car. Tara holds the gun to Dwight’s head.
Carson and Gabriel head for the garage. Gabriel looks up, and a warning sign comes into focus. He yells for Carson to stop, but it’s too late. Carson steps into an animal trap. His leg is caught, and here comes a zombie. Oh, great. Now they’re coming out of the woodwork… er, forest. Carson shoots at one, but another falls on him. He shoots that one, but there’s another right behind, and he drops the gun. Gabriel crawls over, and finds the gun. He blindly shoots, and miraculously hits the zombie and not Carson. Carson says he did it, and Gabriel says he might have had some help.
Tara continues to hold the gun on Dwight. She looks like a nut. Dwight walks out to the road. One of the Saviors says they thought he was dead. He says he got caught in an ambush, but got away. He spent the night hiding and running, and trying to make it back. He asks what happened to Laura, and they say, sorry, no one has seen her. They’re going to Alexandria, and thought they’d check out the swamp. Dwight tells them that he just came from there, and to steer clear of it. He takes a gun from one of them, and says he’ll lead the way. Tara can’t believe it. She’s surprised all over the place tonight.
Rosita tells Daryl that she saw Tara running after Dwight. He asks why Rosita didn’t stop her, and Rosita says, no one could have stopped her. When she gets back, Dwight gets in Tara’s face, saying he told her to wait. Dwight could tell them everything. She says he saved them; he led the Saviors away. Daryl doesn’t care, and starts cursing everything. Then he sees Tobin covering Judith’s ears, and says, let’s go. They start to maneuver through the swamp.
Gabriel asks if Carson wants him to drive, but that’s a no. They get in the car, and hear, hands up, a-holes. They turn around, and it’s the Savior group now joined by Dwight. They’re deposited in the bed of the truck. Gabriel tells Carson that He’s still leading the way. Believe it, and he’ll see it. What Carson sees is an unattended gun on a Savior, and grabs it, but gets shot. As the truck pulls away, Morgan weeps, and says, no, no, no. I say, no surprise this show is a total bummer. Always.
The gates of Hilltop open. Daryl and the others walk in. Carol runs to greet them. We only hear music, so we can’t hear what they’re saying, but Daryl shakes his head. Enid cries, and sinks to the ground. Siddiq looks tired. Maggie comforts Enid.
Morgan says Henry asked about who killed his brother. It was Gavin, and he got him, so…
Siddiq thanks Maggie for her hospitality. She says it’s not much, but he tells her, its everything. He asks if there’s an infirmary, and she asks if he’s hurt. He says he’s fine, but has medical experience. He can pitch in and help. She explains they’re using the trailers, and thanks him. She watches everyone interacting.
Eugene makes bullets. Frankie (I think – whoever the redhead is) says he was destined for this. He tells her to be there, she needs gloves and proper eye protection. She thought she’d help, and he says she can help by bringing some food – eggs nicely dancing with tomatoes. He’s going to designate the northwest corner as a breakroom and motivational presentation cubby.
Negan kicks the door open, and brings in Gabriel. He says Gabriel told him an interesting story about how he made his way out of their lovely home. We hold our collective breaths for a beat or two, and he says it was Carson. Negan asks if he called it or what. Gabriel asks why bring him here, and Negan says he needs an extra set of hands to separate casings. Gabriel’s eyes don’t work for sh*t, but his hands do. Eugene says it will still be a few days, but Negan says that doesn’t work for him. They need a more Biblical approach. Eugene says they could rig catapults, and launch dead arms, legs, and heads, creating traumatic theatrics. Negan thanks him. He believes a rose sprang into the pile of sh*t. He tells the guys, let’s roll, and whistles as he leaves.
Eugene goes to Gabriel. Gabriel says he thought he found what he was meant to do. Eugene says, he has, and so has Eugene. He tells Gabriel to get to work.
Maggie approaches the prisoners and points at one. She says they’re to be taken out in pairs for work, exercise, and medical attention. They can start by cleaning the stables. Gregory thinks since they’ll be working, they should get more food, but she says quarter rations, same as always. He appreciates it, but the Saviors are still coming. He thinks they should consider evacuation. If they run, they live. He asks how they could win, and she tells him to look around.
Outside, Negan addresses his people while standing in front of three zombies chained to a fence. He says they know how it works. You get a bite, something from them gets in you, and you join the club. But what if they can use it to their advantage? He whacks at a zombie with Lucille. He tells them Lucille is getting to know their friend. He bashes and pokes at the zombie, until Lucille is covered with blood and rotted flesh. He tells them to look at that. No more smashing and bashing; just a touch, just a kiss. Hilltop will learn to comply, dead or alive. Or some kind of sh*t in between.
Next time, Negan orders the Saviors to let them turn, don’t kill them; and Negan tells Rick that he failed his boy and his people – let Negan save them.
🎭 The Good News & the Bad News
Sunday, April 15th is a big day. Sadly, your taxes are due the next day, but Fear the Walking Dead (which Morgan will be a part of) also returns at 10 pm on AMC, and Southern Charm New Orleans premieres on Bravo at 9 pm. The original Southern Charm will be back on Thursday, April 5th at 9 pm. They’ve already tried with Savannah, which was a snooze, and IMO, it would be tough to top the Charleston cast. Who can resist the Peter Pan that is Thomas; his off-again-on-again squeeze, and mother of his children, fiery Kathryn; matriarch of the South, Patricia, and her baby boy Whitney; dreamer Craig; perpetual adolescent Shep; weepy roller coaster ride Landon; and Cameran, avoiding motherhood since the beginning of time, finally having a baby?
⏰ And We Lost an Hour…


