What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
🍗 Hope a great Thanksgiving was had by all!
Z Nation
Roberta, 10K, and Addie walk on the road between wheat fields. Roberta notes that they need harvesting; they’re going to seed. Addie doesn’t know how many live humans are left to do the work. She says, welcome to the heartland, and asks what the plan is. Roberta says they’re going to find out what’s in the biscuits. Addie asks what the end game is, and Roberta says, help George get her new country going first. Addie thinks they’re more tear sh*t up types than building a nation types. Roberta says they have to make sure the right people are in charge, and George is a natural leader. As they get closer to the farm, they find several mercied bodies. Addie says they’re farm workers, and some are talkers. Roberta thinks someone doesn’t want the biscuits made. 10K asks if they hear that, a ghostly voice saying, feed us. Roberta signals them to move into an area where a bunch of cars are parked. We can hear, feed us, biscuits. It gets louder as they get closer. They hear, but don’t see anything.
A dude pops up among the cars, and Addie says he’s a talker. Robert says he might know something. They raise their hands, and walk toward him. Roberta says they come in peace. She knows they’re hungry, but have no biscuits. They can help. 10K asks, what happens when talkers stop talking? Roberta guesses nothing good. They’re surrounded. Addie doesn’t want to hurt them, and Roberta says, let’s try to make this non-lethal.
George and Doc drive up, and they get in. Roberta says, perfect timing, Addie says they got her message from Kaya. Doc asks where they’re headed, and she tells him a farmhouse up ahead. Doc says they’ll have just about enough gas.
In the fields, Pandora tells a talker, he must be starved. She knows where he can find tasty brains waiting to be nibbled. She pushes him, and says, go after them.
Doc pulls up at the farmhouse, and says they’re running on fumes. They go inside, and George blocks the door. 10K says the talkers must have been hiding in the wheat. They look hungry, and Roberta wonders what they’re eating. A farmhand comes out, and says he knows – brains. He takes off his hat, and shows them the top of his head. It’s gone.
Roberta says the talkers have been eating his brains? and he says, everybody wants a piece of Charlie. Addie asks what happened, but he thinks they ate that part. Roberta asks if anyone else is there, but Charlie isn’t sure.
Roberta asks George if she wants to talk about Dante. George says it was her fault. She shouldn’t have let him go. Doc says, that’s not true. George says he put his trust in her and what she believed in, and it got him killed. Addie says she got Dante killed? and Doc says, the vigilantes got him. They killed the captain and his guard too. They’re probably the same bastards who killed the others. Roberta hugs George, and George cries. She says they chopped him in pieces, and put him in a trashcan. He did it for her. He was still alive. She had to mercy him. Roberta says George did right. George asks, who would do that? and Addie says, humans. Doc says, maybe not. Maybe talkers. They left a sign saying, this is what happens to traitors. Addie says, Newmerica would be a better place if they got rid of the people. Doc says, maybe the zombies got it right; screw everyone. Roberta promises they’ll bring Dante justice. George says she can’t give up. She can’t let Dante’s death be in vain. She has to see it through, no matter what. She’s willing to die for a better world. Roberta says, that’s her girl, and if that’s all we got, that’s all we got.
Doc goes into the garage, and picks up a mason jar. He sniffs it, and says, that could curl your nose hairs. He dips his fingers in and licks them. Steam comes out of his ears, and he says, that’s ass-kicking hooch.
Addie looks around upstairs. 10K goes to the kitchen, and takes off the tin can hook he’s been using. His wound looks pretty sore. Doc asks how it’s going, and 10K says, it hurts like a bad mother – Doc says, shut your mouth, a reference to Isaac Hayes‘s Theme from Shaft that 10K doesn’t get. He thinks the wound should be cleaned up, but the water is brown. 10K doesn’t think they should use that water, and Doc says he has a perfect plan B.
Addie keeps looking. She opens a closet, and brings her pokey bat weapon down among the clothes. She hits someone. She says, you, and he says it looks like she has him where she wants him.
The talkers are moving fast, with Pandora behind them.
Addie says she should kill him. He says, put him out of his misery. She says or make him wish he was dead. He asks what she wants him to do, and she says, unbutton his shirt. He does, and she slides her weapon down him. He says, now what? and she tells him to kiss her. They kiss, and she says he stood her up. She waited two days; she thought he was dead. He says, you know how it is. Zombies. She sees he has a wound and asks what happened. He says someone shot him.
Doc tells 10K it might sting, and pours the hooch over the wound. Obviously in pain, 10K puts the jar to his mouth. Doc says he wouldn’t drink that, but 10K guzzles the jar down. He says he feels great, then throws up. Doc says it might take his mind off his hand for a while. Roberta asks if he’s okay, and Doc says, alcohol poisoning. He’ll be good in a day, or three. They put him in a chair. Roberta says the talkers are still lurking.
Addie brings the guy downstairs. Addie says this is her friend, Finn; he’s been shot. Doc bandages him, saying he lost a lot of blood; he’s a lucky man. Finn asks if the wound is that bad, and Doc says, no, he’s a terrible doctor. 10K gets sick again, and Doc says his next patient. Roberta asks how Addie and Finn know each other. Finn says his farmhands turned taker, and Addie helped him. Addie says, they hit it off, and Finn helped save a lot of talkers. He says, like Butch and Sundance. An aside here: I thought the scene with her asking him to unbutton his shirt was lifted from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. But in the film, it’s Robert Redford and Kathrine Ross, and he’s waiting for her in her room. Roberta asks what happened? and Finn says when they came back, Charlie volunteered to make the ultimate sacrifice to save his friends. They fed them tiny bits of brain. He had them rounded up to go to Limbo, when he was shot and the talkers were set loose. Somebody doesn’t want them to make biscuits. Roberta asks if he knows the secret ingredient. He says other than chopped brains, he doesn’t know what’s in them. He’ll show them what’s left.
He takes them to the manufacturing area, and shows them the machine that mixes brains into powder. Then it goes into the flour. George asks if they took it all. He says, there’s some flour left, but they took all the added ingredients. They’re the only source in the area. Not just for biscuits, but all grain. They don’t have much seed left, and need to harvest. Addie says, all of Newmerica could starve. They see where the fire was, and Finn says when he came to put it out, he got shot. Charlie got a machete in the head. He didn’t get a good look at them though. Roberta asks, if he had workers, does he think he could harvest? Addie says he’s bleeding again, and tells him to take it easy.
Doc and 10K come out in cowboy gear, twirling lassos. Doc says he was in a goat rodeo one time. He says they’ll round up the talkers, and Addie says, what could go wrong? Pandora says, looks like somebody wants to play cowboy. Let’s send them a stampede. The talkers move forward.
Finn tells Charlie, cue the dinner bell, and he hits on one of those triangle things, saying, come get your brains. Roberta and George get ropes ready. Roberta tells George that she’s still in shock. Some things are not meant to be seen, but she needs George’s head in it. Addie and Finn wait in a car. Finn says, it’s like old times, and Addie says, it was a month ago. He says, that’s old for the apocalypse. He’s glad she’s there. He was worried it was going to be just him and Charlie. She asks if he’s okay, and he says, yeah.
10K and Doc go talker hunting. Charlie continues to ring the triangle, saying, hot brains. He says, a little sriracha, spicy, the way they like it, and sprinkles some on his head. Addie and Finn rope some talkers. Finn tells Charlie, now, and he takes a piece out of his brain to feed them. Doc lassos a tiller, 10K says, yippee-ki-yo-ki-yay, and gets one with a net, but gets tangled up in it. Doc knocks the zombie out with a hammer. 10K asks if he’s dead, but Doc says, he’s already dead; he just stunned him. He suggests they tie him up before the others get back.
Pandora says, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. Let’s nip this revolution in the bud.
Roberta and George go into the stables. George tells Roberta to watch herself. They’re almost completely turned. They see a talker in the shadows. Another runs past (I think it’s Pandora), but Roberta thinks they should get this one first. George says she knows he’s scared. She is too. It’s a scary world these days. She promises she’s not going to hurt him, and says it must be terrifying, but they have brains for him. A volunteer, Charlie, generously donated his brains until they get biscuits. They just have to secure him for his own safety. He grabs a hoe, and tries to hit George, but she gets him down. Outside, Pandora has set herself up with a gun. She says, it was nice while it lasted. She’s going to enjoy this.
10K comes up behind Pandora, but doesn’t see the gun. He says, there you are. He tells her this is for her own good. She’ll get some brains, and be humanish in no time. He’s not going to hurt her. Pandora’s cohort is behind him with a taser. They fight, and Pandora jumps in. Her crony gets 10K on the ground, and forces him to put his hook in his own mouth, but Doc has gotten the taser, and tasers him. He tells 10K he couldn’t help it, and suggests they corral these two.
The talkers have been put in a pen. Charlie asks what it is they’re doing again. Doc says they’re feeding the talkers so they don’t turn zombie. Charlie asks, what are they feeding them with? and Doc says, actually, brains; his brains. Charlie says, he’s cool with that, right? Doc says, as far as they know. Doc tells the talkers to make two lines. Pandora gives half-mask guy half a biscuit, and eats the other half.
Roberta wonders who’s been cutting off their supplies. George says, it couldn’t be talkers, but Roberta says people and talkers are easier to manipulate when they’re starving. George says they’re going to stop the revolution and bring justice to the world. Finn says, the world belongs to the dead now, and Addie says maybe it’s not theirs to claim. George says they all need each other to survive. That’s why they need a new country. Addie says, so far, George’s new country has done nothing but get people killed, including Dante. George says, maybe Addie is right, and she’s responsible for Dante’s death. It will haunt her until her mercy comes, but it’s not up to Addie to judge her. Addie says, not everyone shares her dream or her way of doing things. Roberta steps between them, and says they have no time for politics. Like it or not, they’re fighting the same fight together. They’re at war, and don’t even know who they’re fighting. Pandora watches them.
Charlie starts to sing Bicycle Built for Two. Doc asks how he’s feeling, and he says, lightheaded. BA-DUM-CHH! Doc leads him to a chair. Addie asks how he’s doing, and Doc says, not good. He keeps singing, and gets stuck on the word crazy, going, zee… zee… zee… Charlie asks Finn if it’s time. Finn says he saved them all. They’re alive because of him. Charlie asks, can he have his mercy now? and Finn says, sure. Charlie tells Finn goodbye, and goodbye whoever the rest of them are. Finn sings, and takes out the last of Charlie’s brain. Charlie is officially gone. Finn says, have mercy, and everyone is bummed
The talkers all sing Bicycle Built for Two, and Doc says, that was weird.
Finn says, since the water supply was cut off, they would have eventually died from drought. The hydraulic power that controls the flow of water was cut off after the first attack. George says it’s a Native American operation. She knows the chief. Roberta suggests they talk to some water keepers. Finn says he’ll stay there to keep an eye on the talkers. Addie kisses him goodbye.
Pandora pokes her friend, telling him if he doesn’t stop singing, she won’t hesitate to mercy him. She hates that song. Finn walks up, and says, what do we have here? It looks like they’re feeling more like themselves. He tells the talkers that after he gives Charlie a proper burial, and gathers some supplies, they’ll set off for Limbo. He thinks after dark is safer. He’s not doing well, and Pandora says, it won’t be long now before someone starts playing for the other team.
10K says his hand hurts like it’s still there. Doc tells him, it’s phantom limb syndrome. Eventually, it works itself out, and the brain ignores the signals. Roberta can’t figure out why the farm was cut off, and Addie says maybe they didn’t like George’s idea. George says they’re independent, but the is chief fact-oriented, and supported the referendum, seeing the positives. Doc asks if 10K is all right. 10K says he’s just hungover. Doc feels his forehead, and says he’s burning up; he’s not fine. He needs antibiotics. George thinks they can get help from the chief, and Doc says he knows all about Native American medicine. Together, Doc and 10K say, but we were nowhere near the Grand Canyon. They see a distress signal, and Addie says, Finn. Addie runs back to find him lying on the ground.
She moves him underneath a tree, and he says two talkers jumped him and set the others free. Addie tells him, hang in there, and Finn says he’s scared. He’s lost too much blood. She tells him not to be afraid; she’s there. Roberta goes through the wheat field, and a talker pops up. Roberta says, hey, Emma, it’s me. Emma looks like she’s about to attack Roberta, but hugs her. I’m assuming, in life, Emma wasn’t known for her social skills.
George goes through another field, and hears her name being called. Pandora crouches in the wheat.
Finn tells Addie that they had big plans. Addie says they can still do big things. He asks if she promises to keep their deal. If he doesn’t like it, she’ll mercy him. She promises. He asks if she thinks he’ll see a white light, and tells her, it hurts. He’s scared, and doesn’t want to turn. Addie tells him not to fight it, and he tells her that he loves her. She loves him too. He dies. She closes his eyes, strokes his face, and kisses him. He starts to shake, coughs, and wakes up. She says, so? He says, nothing hurts, and he’s not afraid. For eight years, every day since day one, he’s been afraid. Now he’s not. She tells him that she saved him some. The last piece of Charlie. He eats it.
Roberta and George join them, and Roberta says they rounded up all the talkers, except two. Finn says they’re probably the ones who jumped him. Roberta says, is he? and Addie nods. Roberta says, welcome back. She and George are going to catch up with Doc and 10K. Addie says she’s going to stay and help Finn get the talkers back to work, but after that… Roberta tells them to take care of each other. George tells Addie, see you in Newmerica. Addie says, keep dreaming, and George says, somebody has to.
Doc wonders where they are. He says 10K seems to be healing okay. If Roberta and George aren’t back soon, they should just head to the dam without them. He says 10K’s fever broke, and gives him some water. He hopes the water keepers are friendly. He’s shot by an arrow, says, they’ve got to be kidding, and falls over.
Next Friday – Ninjas! Spirits! Wait, what? Doc is a ghost, and enters 10K’s body. 10K feels old and kinda stoned.
👹 If You’re Reading This…
You’ll probably be interested in this:
🏥 If You Read This On Weekdays…
You were bummed because football was on instead of General Hospital. Here’s a consolation prize.
🎉 Best News I’ve Heard in a While…
Which is kind of sad when you think about it. LVP is still on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
👍 It’s About Time…
T-Rav charmed himself out of more than being a cast member.
🎃 Charming Halloween News
I love the addition of the dog as Michael.
👎 Bad Idea…
No. Just no.
📣 Quotes of the Week
You pray in your distress and in your need; would that you might pray also in the fullness of your joy and in your days of abundance. – Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet
Being grateful all the time isn’t easy. But it’s when you feel least thankful that you are most in need of what gratitude can give you: perspective. Gratitude can transform any situation. It alters your vibration, moving you from negative energy to positive. It’s the quickest, easiest, most powerful way to effect change in your life—this I know for sure. – Oprah Winfrey, What I Know for Sure
In the end, though, maybe we must all give up trying to pay back the people in this world who sustain our lives. In the end, maybe it’s wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank you, forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices. – Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love
Unto us, so much is given. We just have to be open for business. – Anne Lamott, Help Thanks Wow: The Three Essential Prayers
My expectations were reduced to zero when I was 21. Everything since then has been a bonus. – Stephan W. Hawking, New York Times Magazine interview
My gratitude for good writing is unbounded; I’m grateful for it the way I’m grateful for the ocean. – Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
I think that real friendship always makes us feel such sweet gratitude, because the world almost always seems like a very hard desert, and the flowers that grow there seem to grow against such high odds. – Stephen King, The Eyes of the Dragon
It has been said that life has treated me harshly; and sometimes I have complained in my heart because many pleasures of human experience have been withheld from me…if much has been denied me, much, very much, has been given me. – Helen Keller, The Open Door
They do not love, that do not show their love. – William Shakespeare, The Two Gentlemen of Verona
🎼 Because It’s the Second Time This Week…
I’ve heard a reference to this song.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 